Striking Gold


Pamper Yourself Mediterranean-Style


Dawn Adams
Photos by Robbin Kilgore

Old World hospitality, well-prepared food and excellent service are the hallmarks of the Gold Coast Grill. At the corner of Park Street and Clement Avenue, the Mediterranean restaurant has been an Alameda fixture for 13 years.
    One of the few restaurants in town with a full bar, it’s a good place to bring visitors or to go when you want a relaxing evening. This is a place where you can enjoy your meal and conversation in comfort while being pampered by an experienced, unobtrusive wait staff.
    “We always emphasize food and service,” says Christos Marras, owner of the Gold Coast and a native of Greece. “Some 80 percent of our customers are regulars—that’s the good thing about having a steady operation.”
    Marras’ goal for 2005 is to bring in more new customers—and keep the regulars coming back. Additions include Greek Night and a winemakers’ dinner; Marras plans to alternate them monthly.
    Greek Night will be on a Monday night, typically a slower night for the Gold Coast, the restaurateur says. On Greek Night, Gold Coast patrons will find the emphasis on a variety of Greek appetizers and dishes, some in small portions that can be shared family-style. Greek wines will complement the food.
    Details of the first winemakers’ dinner were in the planning stages at press time; however, Marras wants to begin with local labels and eventually branch out to other wineries. Greek Night will take place throughout the restaurant, but the winemakers’ event will be more exclusive and seated in the back dining room, which accommodates about 50 diners.
    “We want to grow a little bit more,” Marras says. “Ten to 12 years is a critical time for a restaurant. People get used to you being there, and I want to bring the Gold Coast more to their attention.”
    Like many other businesses throughout the Bay Area, the Gold Coast has been affected by the recent economic downturn. Although the restaurant remains busy most nights, Marras notes that bookings for the upstairs room for events and banquets slowed down considerably in 2004. Lunch has also been cut back temporarily to two days a week—Thursday and Friday.
    “I prefer going out to lunch myself,” Marras says. “People have more energy in the middle of the day, but it seems like these days, they’re grabbing a sandwich and staying in the office.”
    Other plans include opening a second, smaller restaurant, one that will focus on Greek cuisine. However, that will remain on the back burner for the time being. Alameda’s landscape is changing with new housing developments that bring an influx of people.
    “There are a lot of restaurants for a relatively small town,” Marras says. “We do see a difference when a new place opens, especially on the weekends.”
    One edge that the Gold Coast has is its broad array of services: The restaurant seats about 132. It can host banquets and private parties, and caters. The menu, incidentally, is predominantly Greek and Italian food, a shift from its initially French-influenced cuisine.
    The Gold Coast menu today ranges from fettuccine Alfredo and filet mignon to moussaka and a slow-braised lamb shank. The daily specials are mostly influenced by the season, Marras says. Comfort foods—braised meats with potatoes—dominate the winter menu, while salads, sandwiches and fish dishes become the primary summer fare.
    ‘“Seasonal’—everyone says that,” he says. “In this area, almost all ingredients are available year round. We try to match the specials to the weather.”
    The Gold Coat also puts together special menus for some holidays and serves dinner seven nights a week, closing only for Christmas, New Year’s Day and occasionally Independence Day.
    The restaurant supports many community organizations and events, including some sponsored by the Elks and the Rotary Club, and the Gold Coast is an active supporter of the Boys and Girls Club, junior golf and Meals on Wheels.
    “I’ve lived here since 1976 and knew most people in Alameda,” Marras says. “It seemed like a nice town to open a nice restaurant in.”