Sun 14 Oct 2012
Tony’s Seafood Restaurant, a reminder of the Croatian immigration to Marshall
Posted by DavidMitchell under General News, West Marin nature
[3] Comments
Tony’s Seafood in Marshall is known to most West Marin residents; less well known are its origins. Sitting on pilings over the water, the restaurant’s view of Tomales Bay is magnificent. So are its barbecued oysters, which feature a tomato-ey sauce that is particularly smooth and sweet.
Tony’s is the favorite restaurant of Inverness Park residents Linda Sturdivant (right) and her partner Terry Gray. Sunday was bright and clear along the bay, even warm. It was a perfect day for me to open the sunroof and drive the two of them and Lynn (left) four miles north for a seafood lunch.
Tony’s is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays, from noon to 8 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, and this flock of seagulls appears to have learned the schedule. They paddle around the restaurant hoping that diners after eating will throw them pieces of any leftover bread or French fries.
From a deck over the water on the southeast side of the restaurant, we watched jellyfish pulsating their bells as they propelled themselves away from the shore.
Restaurant matriarch Anna Konatich takes in the sun on the deck beside the bay. She and her husband Felix, who died in 2008, were born on the Croatian island of Iz. She immigrated to the US in 1947, he in 1937. Their family opened Tony’s Seafood Restaurant in 1948.
Felix was already living in Marshall when they became reacquainted in Seattle. He was part of a wave of Croatian immigration to the area that had begun in 1900. At least 14 families from the islands of Iz and Hvar settled in the tiny town of Marshall and — as Anna reminded me Sunday — at White Gulch directly across the bay.
Anna told me there were seven children in the first grade when her daughter entered school, and “three of them were Croatian.”
When I greeted her Sunday, I asked, “How’s the rebel?” The question sparked immediate laughter. Back on Iz 20 to 30 years ago, many residents considered her a radical nationalist.
In the years between the death of Yugoslavia’s longtime Communist ruler Marshal Tito in 1980 and the fall of communism in 1990-91, Anna visited Iz several times. It was a time when Communism was enforcing severe restrictions on Catholics. On one visit, she startled others in church by singing out the traditional lyrics to a Croatian national song that had been rewritten by the Communists. “Hey, you guys,” she told the others. “You can’t let the church fall apart like this. That’s our heritage.”
(In 1991, Croatia declared independence from Yugoslavia, and the European Economic Community in 1992 recognized Croatia as independent. The Yugoslav army and Serbian militia, however, battled the Croatian military from 1991 to 1995 in an unsuccessful attempt to partition the newly independent country.)
Outside Tony’s Seafood Restaurant after a hearty lunch are (from left) Linda Sturdivant, Terry Gray, Lynn Axelrod, Dave Mitchell.
Sometimes when I mention Marshall’s immigrant families from Croatia, I get a blank stare from other West Marin residents. “What Croatians?” they ask. In fact, they know the names. They just never realized they were Croatian.
Along with the Konatich family, who still run Tony’s Seafood Restaurant, other well-known names include the Vilicich family, who started the Marshall Boat Works in 1927, and Nick Kojich, who — with Felix Konatich’s father Tony — founded Nick’s Cove restaurant. And now you know who Tony was.
I couldn’t believe it when Dave sent us a picture of me and Terry, with his link to
https://www.sparselysageandtimely.com/blog.
We have always loved going to Tony’s with Dave and Lynn and on quite a few of my birthdays too. Sunday was a beautiful day, and the bay was entertaining too, as you can see from the pictures of the jellyfish and of the seagulls we fed French fries and crackers to while we sat outside on the deck in the sun with Anna after lunch.
When we got there, there were only two tables with customers. But then we found out that there was a car accident two miles north of Tony’s, and all traffic was stopped. By the time we left about an hour and a half later, Tony’s was almost full, and we saw [Cheda’s AAA service] towing a lime green sports-looking car towards Point Reyes Station.
What a lovely day to spend with GOOD FRIENDS at Tony’s Seafood. Thanks, Dave and Lynn. We love you. Always, Terry and Linda
Enjoyed your column on Tony’s Seafood. Marshall and Tony’s were some of my favorite places to hang out when I lived in Point Reyes. Every time I’m out there the restaurant is closed. Love the photos. Looks like a perfect day.
Just now having a chance to catch up with your blog after all the election excitement. Nice pictures! We haven’t been to Tony’s in a long time, but this reminds me of their oysters and other good things. Maybe meet up with you and Lynn for lunch there sometime.