A New Era for Steakhouse Grill & Bar at Deer Park Villa

“It’s a new era,” exclaimed Mike Ghiringhelli, a partner at , which is now the new Steakhouse Grill & Bar at Deer Park Villa.

The beautiful park-like grounds with its grove of redwood trees, dinner house and outdoor deck have long been a go-to spot for weddings, banquets and special events.

But this January, Mike and his business partner, Ed Ferraro, joined with Mike’s sister and Deer Park general manager, Debbie Ghiringhelli, to make over the restaurant into a steakhouse that is open for dinner seven days a week.

It’s a pretty big transformation for the historic venue. Deer Park Villa started out as a lodge in 1902 and opened as a restaurant in 1922. Mike Ghiringhelli said that over the years it has primarily served as special events facility.

“It hasn’t been truly open to the public for at least a decade,” he said. “... But now we here every night. It’s the first time, in the entire history of the restaurant, to be open every day."

It’s a family legacy that Ghiringhelli wants to keep going. To that end, he said they are grooming the next generation of Ghringhelli’s: His son, David, is a sous chef and Debbie’s daughter, Jessica Walker, also works in the family business as an event planner.

The family decided in November of 2011 that they wanted to make the changeover to the steakhouse concept, and in January began the process of a remodel that included paint, carpets, flooring, lighting, table and chairs. 

The effect is an upscale makeover that physically resembles its younger sister restaurant, Ghiringhelli Pizzeria Grill & Bar in Novato. 

But where it differs from the Novato eatery is the beef. The steakhouse builds its foundation with 100 percent source-verified natural Omaha angus beef from the Midwest. The cattle is raised on a vegetarian diet, without chemical preservatives, artificial ingredients or animal by-products.

Ghiringhelli said it was important to find the best beef and the search led him to Nebraska. “The difference is the quality,” he said.

The steaks are served with a selection of four classic sauces: Argentinian style chimichurri, brandy peppercorn, bernaise and bordelaise.

But, in addition to the classics, Ghiringhelli wanted the menu to include some surprises that you wouldn’t have found on the menu in 1922.

Updating the menu was the job of Executive Chef Maurice St. Yves who oversees the menus of all three of the Ghiringhelli's Marin restaurants and Steakhouse Grill & Bar Chef Matt Dibenedetto, a class of '97 Drake grad.

“I like our chefs to be creative,” he said. To that end, diners will find California roll, spicy tuna roll and tuna tartare on the appetizer list. The clam chowder is unique because it includes the clam shells, Ghiringhelli said.

But longtime Deer Park regulars will be happy to know that the items that have stood the test of time — chicken piccata, veal cutlet parmesean made with teleme cheese and the petrale sole — are still on the menu.

Ghiringhelli said he wants to hold onto the history but sees the concept change as a way to keep the popular wedding and event center thriving for the next generation. He expects that as people discover the restaurant, they will discover the event facility and vice versa.

“We’re expanding our vision. We’re foodies. You start with food and creativity. But we’re here for only one reason — it’s really about the people,” he said. 

The marketing plan is for the young people in Marin to discover Deer Park.

"It’s a paradise here, a different world," Ghiringhelli said, "and we’re just a couple of blocks from downtown Fairfax."

If the younger folks drop by, they'll be happy to discover a great bar with specialty drinks and the Giants game on the TV. It's the same formula that has worked in Novato but with more of a woodsy Fairfax twist.

Ghiringhelli said he hopes customers embrace the new concept figuratively and literally. “Come out, hug a redwood tree and have a martini,” he added with a laugh.

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Mike Ghiringhelli said it’s not unusual for couples to come up to him and say that they were married at Deer Park Villa, so he wasn’t too surprised when during our interview, I said that my husband and I were married on the redwood deck in 1991.

It’s been many years since we’ve been back to Deer Park, so we stopped by this week to try some of the items on the new menu. 

We started with the French onion soup and for our entrees ordered the porterhouse and bone-in ribeye steaks with the bordelaise and brandy peppercorn sauces. Both steaks came with a tasty selection of roasted vegetables and some truly decadent mashed potatoes.

Sitting in the beautifully remodeled bar with a view of the deck where we were married, I decided that this time I would propose to my husband — that we renew our vows.

His response: ”With this steak, I thee wed.” 

We exchanged bites of steak and considering how outstanding the steaks were, I agreed the deal was sealed and the moment was as memorable as the first Deer Park Villa ceremony 20 years ago.