Left Coast Depot opened in August 2012 under the leadership of Mike Garcia, a downtown Novato resident who was the chef at Toast restaurant in Hamilton as well as Toast in Mill Valley. The new restaurant's name is to represent the California lifestyle — hot rods, guitars, surfing and skiing — plus a nod to the rich history of trains running through Novato.
Since the 1970s, the location near the east end of Novato's Old Town was known as the the Golden Egg Omelet House before brief stints as Grant Avenue Bar & Grill and the Old Town Bistro. Garcia is using the Egg's menu as a base for his own creations. For now it will continue as a breakfast and lunch spot, but plans to be open at dinnertime are in the works as well as special events such as craft beer tastings.