After a stint with Lokal restaurant in Sonoma, chef Rick Edge has returned to the Plumpjack Group of restaurants as the executive chef at Balboa Café in Mill Valley.

Since his arrival in May, Edge has been busily transforming the menu to reflect his preference for seasonal, local ingredients and unique flavors. A quick glance at the dinner menu reflects Edge’s immediate impact: pickled green strawberries appear with the Little Gem Salad, chive blossoms adorn the new ahi tuna “crudo” and summer’s heirloom tomatoes replace spring’s asparagus.

While the burger and buttermilk-fried chicken won't disappear, expect farm-specific, in-season sides with your fries; Edge is seasonally sourcing produce through Mill Valley Market. 

Formerly executive chef for Plumpjack’s Squaw Valley Inn, Edge, who lives in Sonoma, left Plumpjack in 2010 when the grind of a weekly commute to Tahoe wore him and his family out. 

With executive chef David Wasem's recent departure, reportedly the Marlowe Group’s Park Tavern in San Francisco, the opening provided Edge with the opportunity to return to Plumpjack, to bistro cuisine and, to a manageable commute.

Originally from California, Edge graduated from the California Culinary Academy in 1994 and has over 15 years of restaurant experience, including Clio in Boston, Pacific’s Edge in Carmel-by-the-Sea, the Lodge at Pebble Beach Club XIX and the Plumpjack Group, including the Squaw Valley Inn and Balboa Café San Francisco.

The 411: Balboa Cafe Mill Valley, 38 Miller Ave, 415-381-7321. Hours: Lunch, Tue.-Fri., 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Brunch, Sat.-Sun., 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Dinner, Sun.-Thu., 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Fri.-Sat., 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.