By Jaimal Yogis

Vallejo is full of surprises.
Turning left from Tennessee St. onto Mare Island Way, the scenery changes from corporate chains and billboards to bobbing sailboats and a sun-speckled bay. True, it’s not Sausalito, but think relatively–a minute ago IHOP was the only intriguing distraction.

And the view is just the beginning. Go right on Harbor Way, and sitting unsuspectingly on the Bay front is a Germanic tavern that would be more appropriate in Vienna than Vallejo. Welcome to The WaterBarge Restaurant: this highway town’s hidden gem.

Some of the most delicately breaded calamari on the north coast ($8), a warm spinach salad with smoked chicken, bacon, and feta ($7), and grilled salmon over creamy mashed potatoes fenced in by thin stalks of broccoli ($17.50) are just a few of the surprises that await within. Whether you’re craving a burger and fries while you watch the game in the bar, or want a romantic dinner with a sunset view of Mt. Tam, The Barge is the spot. The delicate simplicity of the food here would be praised in New York or Napa, but something about gobbling down these delicacies in Vallejo feels like you’re in on a secret that won’t stay secret for long.

Co-owners and head chefs John Coss and Cheryl Stotler have worked to make The WaterBarge accessible to all Vallejo residents without compromising taste. The eclectic menu offers a BBQ pork sandwich ($10), fish and chips ($11), or Navy Blue Specials such as Maritime Meatloaf and Popeye Pot Roast ($10), while still offering more refined entrees like grilled medallions of pork tenderloin served with a potato pancake, braised red cabbage, and apple-currant chutney ($17). After training formally in San Francisco, serving as chefs at Calistoga’s All Seasons Café, and studying fine culinary arts around the world, Stotler and Coss decided to open an unpretentious restaurant for gourmets and families alike. “This is the workingman’s waterfront,” says Stotler, sitting proudly by one of her new creations: an organic fig and raspberry tart crusted in roasted almonds and topped with homemade port ice cream. Stotler was up at 6 a.m. making ice creams and sorbets from scratch.

But despite their hard work, the two chefs are finding it difficult to compete with chains like Black Angus, a longtime hot spot in Vallejo. “People think we’re intimidating,” says Stotler. “But we’re not. We’re simple, and there’s something for everyone.”

On a warm Friday night in June, The WaterBarge is only about half full. Black Angus has an hour wait. “The problem,” Stotler says, “is that those not used to the Barge’s gourmet finesse think it’s snobby, while Vallejo’s foodies head to San Francisco and Napa for their culinary fix.” On top of this, Coss and Stotler opened the restaurant with the city’s promises of big time development along the waterfront; three years later, it’s still barren.

But the two are not discouraged. They know their food is good, and that once people try it, they’ll keep coming back. Indeed, many customers come three or four nights a week. And even though the restaurant’s pocketbook is getting tight, the owners refuse to succumb to corporate pressure. “We’ve thought about using cheaper olive oil or not buying organic produce, but it’s not in our nature,” Stotler says. “We’re chefs, not business people.”
Stotler and Coss are not just chefs, however, they’re what one might call gourmet Gandhis. The WaterBarge continually hosts art shows as well as musical events. Many of the shows are fundraisers for charities and the restaurant doesn’t take a commission on sold art. Stotler says she loves to have the local art cycling through and feels lucky to have hosted well-known artists like Sherman Chinsky. On August 15, Larry Keenan, the famous beat photographer, will be showing photos he took with Coss and Stotler on a recent trip to Vietnam. The opening will serve as a fundraiser for a Vietnamese charity.