Paul Lazzareschi

The Reluctant Restaurateur

November 2025

By Larry Carlin

When you're alone and life is making you lonely

You can always go downtown

When you've got worries, all the noise and the hurry

Seems to help, I know, downtown

From the 1964 hit song Downtown, sung by Petula Clark

Five years ago, at this time, we were in the midst of a deadly pandemic that was ravaging the country and wreaking havoc on businesses everywhere. Including downtown Mill Valley. The MV Market was open, but not much else. There were few people walking around town, and Lytton Square was empty. But there was extensive remodeling work being done daily at the Depot Café & Bookstore, even though no one knew if there would ever be customers again. The good news is not only is the town thriving, the Depot and Lytton Square have become the epicenter of the burgeoning downtown community. And the one guy who had the vision, fortitude and experience to help make this happen is longtime Mill Valley resident and self-effacing veteran restaurateur Paul Lazzareschi.

SAN FRANCISCO NATIVE

The son of Italian immigrant parents Nella and Vasco Lazzareschi, Paul, 68-years-old, was born and raised in San Francisco. He first in the Sunset District and then up by Mount Davidson. He attended Lowell High School and then got a dual degree in psychology and physical education at San Jose State, with the goal of wanting to coach and counsel kids. In 1979, as he was working on his master’s degree at the former John F. Kennedy University in Orinda, his father was struggling with a restaurant he was running called Bardelli’s in San Francisco, which was located across from the Hilton Hotel just off of Union Square. Putting his studies on hold, Paul went in to help him out. While dad was appreciative of the assistance that Paul gave him, he implored his son “not to get into the hospitality business permanently, as it is too much work.” 46 years later, it is obvious that Paul did not heed his father’s advice, as he has been running restaurants ever since.

TALKIN’ ‘BOUT MILL VALLEY

As a kid growing up in the fog, Paul’s mother sometimes took him and his two siblings on day trips to Old Mill Park in Mill Valley. He also enjoyed coming over to play summer basketball league while in high school. Seeing kids wearing puka shells with tans, he “felt like we were in Hawaii.” He said to himself, “I want to live here someday.” 20 years later, while working in the city, he and his wife LynnAnn moved to a house in Mill Valley behind Tam High in 1984, and they have been in that home ever since. They raised their 21-year-old daughter Joslyn and 19-year-old son Vasco there.

VASCO RESTAURANT

In 1997, after losing his lease at Bardelli’s and tiring of commuting into the city, he decided to try a new venture not far from his house. In 1998 he opened an Italian restaurant downtown at 106 Throckmorton, which was the location of the former Frog & Peach. Old-time Mill Valley residents will perhaps remember the space as O’Leary’s and, prior to that, The Old Mill Tavern, a bar and music venue that predated the Sweetwater. Paul called his place Vasco, naming it after his late father. Vasco was phenomenally successful and it became one of the most popular eateries in town, with Paul greeting patrons and working behind the bar most evenings.

EYES ON THE PRIZE

In 2016, while still running his restaurant across the street, and hearing that it was about to come up for sale, Paul decided to purchase the Depot Café & Bookstore, a prime location which is in an historic building that is owned by the City of Mill Valley. Built in 1929 by the Northwestern Pacific Railroad, it served as a train depot and in later years as a bus station for Greyhound buses and then Golden Gate Transit before becoming the home of the bookstore and cafe in the 1970s. It is the only building that the city owns that they rent out to others. Along with the help of investors Domenico Petrone (from Piazza D’Angelo) and Gary Rulli (Emporio Rulli in Larkspur), Paul, who was beginning to tire from running a busy restaurant seven days a week, signed a 24-year lease with the city, and began making plans to upgrade and remodel the longtime venue at the tune of $1.2 million. He wanted to clean it up, expand the outdoor patio, offer better food, and make the Depot the center of the plaza. After years of negotiations and dealing with permits, contractors, estimates, etc., the Depot closed in March of 2019, and cyclone fences went up around the building later that year. He then sought out new investors to help with the remodeling. Paul feels grateful to have found financial backing from Mark Martini, Ridge Samson, Rich Patterson and Pam Carlomagno, and Dan and Katy Leese. Excitement began to build during the holiday season.

COVID-19

Remodeling work began in January of 2020, but in March, COVID-19 arrived in the US, and construction was halted. Fortunately, in May, the Depot project was deemed “essential construction” during the crisis, and the building renovation resumed. And then in January of 2021, the newly renovated café and bookstore reopened while the pandemic was still taking its toll. People could purchase food-to-go inside and then adhere to social distancing protocol by eating in the expanded patio area.

Around this time, according to Mill Valley Councilmember and former Mayor Urban Carmel, “The city purchased picnic tables that were placed outside the Depot patio so that more people could enjoy their food in an outdoor setting. If there was any positive byproduct of the pandemic, it was the placement of these tables. The Depot and Lytton Square have now become a wonderful place to gather with friends and family.”

CIAO VASCO

In 2022 Paul, who was burning his proverbial candle at both ends, decided to close down Vasco after 24 years, and concentrate on his new project. The expanded kitchen and diverse menu at the Depot now feature eclectic American food at reasonable prices, and there are daily specials crafted with seasonal ingredients by chef/general manager/investor Mikel Waters.

LISTEN TO THE MUSIC

Also, around this time, Paul began to experiment with having live music on Friday and Saturday nights on the patio, featuring a mix of folk, country, bluegrass, jazz and Americana bands. The music starts at 5:30 p.m. and goes until 9 on Fridays and 8:30 on Saturdays. There is no cover charge, and the Depot has become quite the music scene now in the middle of downtown on weekend nights, weather permitting. The folk/rock band Musical Feast plays every Friday, the Mill Valley acoustic/Americana trio Keystone Canyon has been playing one Saturday a month for the past two years, and the new CBD quartet, featuring local bass man Daniel Patrick, started appearing there semi-regularly this past summer. And one never knows who might show up to sit in. Nationally known musicians and Tam Valley residents Peter Rowan and Maria Muldaur have both sat in to sing some songs with Keystone over the past year.

Keystone female singer and 50-year Mill Valley resident Claudia Hampe, who also played music at The Old Mill and original Sweetwater in past decades, says, “Paul has created the most inviting and welcoming space for locals to gather to be entertained by acoustic music while enjoying a meal or a drink. He is a courteous host who is always willing to grab an extra chair to make customers feel comfortable. I love performing for my friends and neighbors at the Depot.”

“Paul has made the Depot a unique hub for the Mill Valley community, as is visibly demonstrated every Friday evening. For nearly three years and 150 Fridays in a row, the Mill Valley band Musical Feast has played there, performing a rich variety of cover songs and drawing hundreds of diverse attendees, from families enjoying picnics to devoted Feast fans. The result is extraordinary, and unique in the Bay Area: a free, weekly gathering where the community comes together in a town center to share music, food, drink, and connection. We are thrilled and honored to have helped build this phenomenon,” says Musical Feast founder John Pearce.

“We are the only city in the county with a vibrant downtown plaza, and we are grateful to Paul and the musicians for making the Depot the cultural center of Mill Valley,” adds Councilmember Carmel.

GAMES PEOPLE PLAY

Another popular event at the Depot is Trivia and Game Night, which takes place each Thursday from 5:30-7:30 p.m. People are encouraged to form teams with their friends while there are rotating hosts every week. Everyone is invited to go down and test their mental acuity.

LE MENU

One can purchase food, coffee, soft drinks, and beer and wine inside the Depot, and either sit out on the patio or at one of the tables on the square. Friendly and efficient staff deliver your purchases to you. During the spring, summer and fall, the area is bustling with activity. And in the wintertime, there are heaters on the Depot patio to help keep you warm.

ART AND BOOKS

Besides being a central meeting place for fine food and mellifluous music, the Depot Café & Bookstore also features books and art. The bookstore is operated by investor Katy Leese, and there is a superb selection of new releases as well as many titles by local authors. Occasionally there are in-store readings and signings. And anyone that has ever been inside the café has noticed the beautiful artwork that adorns the walls. With a background in art history, gallery directing and consulting, curator Sally Cote spotlights Bay Area artists, and exhibits rotate every two months. Stop by from 5:30-7 p.m. for a taste of wine during the monthly First Tuesday ArtWalk. For more info about author, art, trivia and music events, go to the Depot website (www.depotcafeandbookstore.com) and sign up for their email newsletter.

CONTENTO

Satisfied that he has a long-term lease with the City of Mill Valley and that he now has general manager Waters to run the daily operations at the Depot, when asked if he has any other grand plans to expand or make other changes, a relaxed Paul says, “Life is good. The city has been incredibly supportive and is behind all that we are doing here. Everything is working well. I am really enjoying myself now.” He is an affable and gracious host who can be found outside on the patio almost every Friday and Saturday night, chatting with clientele while enjoying the live music.

HATS OFF TO LAZZ

Man about town Larry the Hat says, “Paul is one of the most generous people that you will ever meet. He’s providing a quality product at affordable prices which was also reflected in his 24 years at Vasco. The family atmosphere that he created there has carried over to the Depot.”

Mill Valley local Marie Cannon meets with friends at the Depot weekly. “I love Paul’s ability to bring people together and create a sense of community, previously at his restaurant, Vasco, and now at the Depot. When I first moved here almost 20 years ago, I didn’t know a soul. But I knew that I could go to Vasco and be welcomed, meet people, and have a nice time. Now I go to the Depot for the same thing, and as an added benefit, I get to see and hear amazing musicians and music on weekends. It’s Paul that makes this happen.”

Karen and Dave Shelton often come down from Fairfax to enjoy the scene. Karen says, “The environment at the Depot is so unique and warm since Paul has taken over. It feels like a European Plaza, where the whole family congregates well into the evening. And, of course, the music is wonderful and adds to the magic. Both of my daughters worked for Paul at Vasco when they were in high school and beyond. It was so sweet to get to know him. He took beautiful care of Emma and Sara. Emma said that Paul was always worried about their well-being, making sure that they got to eat as soon as they came to work, and that he was the kindest boss they ever had!”

EVERYTHING’S WAITING FOR YOU

With the pandemic on the wane and Mill Valley living slowly getting back to pre-COVID levels, it’s great to know that there’s a convivial gathering place to meet and/or make new friends. If you are looking for something easy and relatively inexpensive musically to do on weekends with your family (even your dog is welcome!) that does not include waiting in lines, spending big money for tickets, and standing all night inside a packed nightclub, or if life is making you lonely and you want to forget all your troubles, forget all your cares, then go downtown to the Depot Café & Bookstore and join in the fun. You will be graciously greeted by host Paul Lazzareschi, the reluctant, yet rewarding, restaurateur.

Or, as Petula Clark also sang:

 So go downtown, things will be great when you're downtown

No finer place for sure, downtown

Everything's waiting for you