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FOUNDER AND CHIEF VISIONARY OFFICER Susan B. Noyes
HAPPY MARCH. HAPPY future. Abraham Lincoln said, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” His values and leadership contributed mightily
to what’s best about where our country and our world are now. His social impact was profound.
Notwithstanding the barrage of sobering headlines, we live in a better world now than ever before. There is more peace and greater access to education, health care, economic activity, nutrition and entertainment at home and around the world. Many good people who came after Abraham Lincoln helped make this happen. But, happily, the best is yet to come.
The generation starting to take hold of the reins of power — the millennials — are driving fundamental change and widespread social impact. That’s because they expect mission and meaning in all their activities — work, play, shopping, dining experiences, investments, whatever. These digital natives understand intuitively that we’re all connected and need to collaborate to ensure a better and more sustainable future for everyone. This collective activity is driving incredibly fast change for the better.
That’s why I’m particularly bullish about the future. Also, that’s one of the reasons that
this magazine, and everything else we publish at the Make It Better Media Group, is created to help you maximize your social impact. We hope that you fi nd our content helpful and engaging. We intend to help you make your life and your community better with our insights and recommendations.
Marin has long been at the forefront of sustainability. Appropriately, our articles this month help you understand and even support more effective farming and fi sh stock habitat improvement. We’re delighted to include a report on employment trends from the innovative fi rm Glassdoor, based in Marin. Please watch online for another article about top employers with strong cor porate social responsibility practices, based on the company’s research.
In fashion, sustainability and social impact practices that counter the ills of “fast fashion” are becoming the norm. Please see our list of the top brands creat ing impact online, in addition to reading my Q&A with handbag maker Bridget Brown in this issue.
Quite likely your kids will learn ways to make the world a better place as they also have a great time at every one of the camps included in our annual Summer Camp Guide.
If you’re working on a project or run ning a business or organization that fosters social impact, we’d like to hear from you. Please send me an email. And to everyone, happy reading.
Susan B. Noyes, Chief Visionary Officer, susan@makeitbetter.com
The generation starting to take hold of the reins of power — the millennials — are driving fundamental change.
We then we picked up Tamra Peters, founder of Resilient Neighborhoods, along with Elon Musk, Leo DiCaprio and, of course, Brad.
We all want to do all we can to help the environment, but can we do more?
GRETA THUNBERG, COME to Marin! I know you’re busy, but I think you’ll be pleased to fi nd a county full of people who are and have been fighting the environmental good fight for decades. We could also use your international spotlight and basically, I just think you’re awesome.
OK, back to you, the readers. Do you ever have one of those dreams like the one where Brad Pitt is your best friend — no biggie — and finally tells you that he has been in love with you since third grade? I had a Greta dream the other day that was almost as good.
She was going to come to town to tour the Marin Carbon Project and speak at Futurewell 2020, and I was asked to be her tour guide (this made sense in the dream). Suddenly the personal contact info for several carbon-sequestering heroes was in my files. I texted Sir Paul Hawken (my pet name for him) to see if he wanted to ride along in my electric VW bus, a prototype on loan from Sonnen. The day of the event, I looked like a model stepping out of a Sundance catalogue, shrugging off Paul’s compliment when I picked him up. “Upcycled Rachel Comey I found at Revente in Greenbrae,” I said, smiling. We then picked up Tamra Peters, founder of Resilient Neighborhoods, along with Elon Musk, Leo DiCaprio and, of course, Brad.
As I type the details of this dream I am eating a salad I just purchased at Mollie Stone’s which is packaged in a certified plant fiber container that will turn into soil within 90 days — win! However, energy and resources were consumed to create it, and the lettuce, pepitas, artichoke hearts and kung pao chicken (from the hot bar) came from around the planet. My lunch symbolizes the give-and-take of my daily internal battle as I strive to be part of the solution.
Encouraged by a friend, I recently joined the 97th class of Tamra Peters’ Resilient Neighborhoods program in Sausalito. We named our class SOS: Sausolutions of Sustainability and
are learning how a few small tweaks to our daily habits can help bring big changes for the environment. Peters has been leading these meetings for years, in libraries, schools and homes throughout Marin. The result has been elimination of an estimated 8 million pounds of carbon. For this and other eco initiatives, she is being inducted into the Marin Hall of Fame this month at the YWCA in San Rafael.
People like Tamra Peters, Paul Hawken and Dana Armanino and her crew on the county Sustainability Team are having a positive impact not only in Marin, but on the whole planet. According to a recent county report on community greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), we’ve been doing great. In 2015, the county set a goal to reduce GHG to 30 percent below 1990 levels by the end of 2020, and we are very close: as this magazine goes to press reduction is at 24 percent. The biggest areas of improvement have come from Marin Clean Energy (MCE) and PG&E’s renewable energy offerings — and signing up for MCE is something all of us can do in less than five minutes.
Peters and the rest of the environmental crew make it look easy, yet personally I find the work hard to integrate into my life. I get confused about what exactly most affects climate change — is it fuel emissions, renewable energy, composting, choosing green building materials? Is it picking up trash on the beach, choosing paper over plastic, bringing my own cup to Starbucks? I’ve heard whispers of scientists researching a plastic-eating bacteria and high school kids coming up with great solutions. Fantastic, can I now relax and take a nap on my natural foam mattress?
For this month’s issue, Anne-Christine Strugnell has written an easy-to-read status report on planet-saving efforts in our county and simple, impactful steps all of us can take. Did we miss one of your local heroes? Let us know.
Mimi Towle,
March 26–29, 9 a.m.–11 p.m.; gala March 25, 5:30 p.m.
Two blocks north of Sonoma Plaza between First Streets East and West
This festival offers worldclass features, documentary, world and short film, special dinner events and wine and spirits from celebrated purveyors. Enjoy access to more than 120 film, daytime and evening access to the SIFF backlot tent. Presented by United MileagePlus Cards from Chase.
$15 individual film, $10 rush line, $35 Film Punch Card, $350 Cinema Pass, $975 Soiree Pass
sonomafilmest.org, 707.933.2600
Friend us to share and view RSVP Hot Ticket photos at facebook.com/marinmagazine
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Bay Area events you’ll want to attend
Expanding its restau rant footprint deeper into Marin, Hog Island Oyster Co. opened at the Marin Country Mart in the space that once housed Togo’s. With views of Richardson Bay and Mount Tam and the same bay-to-bar philos ophy as the Tomales Bay original, the Larkspur outpost features the hand-harvested briny bounty of the West Marin oyster farm and shack. The full-service restaurant is seafoodcentric with an array of to-go options and a dedicated seafood counter with finfish and shellfish to cook at home. A full bar offers seasonal
cocktails, beer and wine. hogislandoysters.com
New culinary direc tor Stacy Scott and new manager Chuck Ciaccio stepped in at Whistlestop’s Jackson Cafe in early January. The duo, who also operate Stacy Scott Catering in Marin, revamped the menu to include global flavors suited to the season. Pan-roasted salmon, with za’atar and minted yogurt sauce, and chicken tinga enchiladas with tomatillo cream recently graced the menu. Situated across from the San Rafael Transit Center, the cafe is open for weekday lunch and a
community breakfast on the first Friday of the month. whistlestop.org/ nutrition/jackson-cafe
Named after Mina Group president Patric Yumul’s daughter, Indie Superette opened in San Francisco’s Cow Hollow neighborhood where Real Food Co. once was. At the counter, order from a plant-based menu of smoothies, acai bowls, veggie burgers, salads and wraps, vegan ice cream, and gluten-free pastries and take them to go or enjoy on the outdoor patio shared with Shake Shack. Interior and exterior produce stands and market-style shelves are
stocked with artisanal products and foods to prepare at home. michaelmina.net
Owner Ariel Kleckner Ford recently expanded her San Francisco frozen
yogurt, custard and dairy-free soft-serve shops called Easy Breezy to a fourth location at Corte Madera Town Center. Special flavors like vegan Salty Dog Caramel and Moscow Mule change frequently, but always available favorites include vanilla custard, chocolate custard, high-protein vanilla bean yogurt and original tart yogurt. easy-breezy.com
With the intention of bringing the joy of pao de quejo to people beyond Berkeley (where his first restaurant opened in 2018), Del Rodrigues opened Brazilian Breads , a catering and baking hub
and takeout shop, in San Rafael’s Canal neighbor hood. The gluten-free, cheesy bites are the house specialty, and the menu includes sand wiches, tapioca crepes and acai bowls, Brazilian coffee, and desserts like brigadeiro and carrot cake. brazilianbreads.com
With 10 SoCal locations, SunLife Organics is moving north, opening shops in Palo Alto and most recently at Marin Country Mart. Signature shakes like the Alchemist with kale, cucumber, and whole aloe vera leaf, acai bowls and freshpressed custom juices scream “juice bar” while superfood-powered teas, lattes and coffee say “cafe.” You decide. sunlifeorganics.com
Corte Madera Town Center recently wel comed the latest outpost of Berkeley’s Fieldwork Brewing , which opened in early February in the former Marin Pizza space. A tight menu of pizzas, salads and share able bites rounds out the day’s list of IPAs, pilsners and a changing lineup of freshly made beer. fieldworkbrewing.com
New in Town is an ongoing bulletin on new businesses throughout the Bay Area. To be considered for future listings, email christina@marinmagazine.com. Indie Superette Hog Island
WHAT TO DO • WHERE TO EAT • WHERE TO STAY • PEOPLE WHO INSPIRE • COMMUNITY
We know you love your pet, and you love to post pet photos. We now have a monthly contest where we will share your photos with our readers. To enter, send a photo and a summary of the ways your pet has rocked your world to jessica@marinmagazine.com and your favorite pal might be featured as our Pet of the Month (formerly Dog of the Month) on our website.
marinmagazine.com/pets
Our Pinterest board has spring travel ideas on everything from California roadside diners to Hawaii’s national parks, with plenty of international adventures too. We pin, you ponder your next trip. pinterest.com/marinmagazine
This month’s top Instagram post is by Augusto Andres, @ lifeofgusto. “When I’m out photographing landscapes but can’t make it up to Mount Tam or to the coast, this spot is perfect for watching the fog roll in or enjoying an epic sunrise reflected in the waters of Richardson Bay.” Want to see your photo in print? Tag us @marinmagazine with your best snap.
It doesn’t have to be #FoodieFriday for you to get excited about Marin’s sizzling culinary scene. Where to eat in (pick any city or town) is always among our most viewed online articles. Let us know if we missed your favorite spot.
Do you receive our weekly Better Letter? It’s filled with ideas for weekend fun and then some. Sign up for our e-newsletters at marinmagazine.com/newsletters and follow us online.
facebook.com/marinmagazine instagram.com/marinmagazine twitter.com/marinmagazine
IF YOU LIKE WATER, you’ll love this “Waterfall” wedding band with stippled finishof 14K yellow gold over 1 carat total weight of flush and bead set diamonds.
STEPHAN-HILL JEWELRY DESIGNERS 1226 Fourth Street, San Rafael 415.459.5808, stephan-hill.com
NEW AND UNIQUE COLLECTIONS from Camilla, FIGUE, Place Nationale and Innika Choo. Exclusive swimwear from Evarae and Biondi. Luxury lingerie and loungewear along with sensational accessories and fantastic gifts for all occasions!
LA BELLE FIFI Corte Madera Town Center, Corte Madera, CA 415.758.7158 labelelfifi.com
J’AMY TARR Shop our new Sustainable Cotton Biker Jackets. Seen here, hand-painted jacket inspired by spring’s fist bloom.
J’AMY TARR Sewn in San Francisco Available exclusively at Mill Valley Studio 415.450.9677 jamytarr.com
JOIN US ON FRIDAY MARCH 20TH AND SATURDAY MARCH 21ST to meet Dutch Master Gold and Platinumsmith Bouke Hollinga with his latest collection. Come delight in his whimsical masterpieces and learn about his process, inspiration and the art of hand-fabricating intricate oneof-a-kind jewels.
MOONSTRUCK FINE JEWELRY 11 Bernard Street, Downtown Mill Valley, CA 415.383.0462 @moonstruckfinejewelry
The vibrant super-blooms that have blanketed California’s valleys and hillsides the past few years have brought out people eager to witness the spectacle — and document it for their social media channels — in hordes.
BY KASIA PAWLOWSKAFrom January until the end of March, one of the most beloved sights is the mustard bloom: fields of perky yellow flowers as far as the eye can see. There are con fl icting stories about the origin of these nonnative plants. Some reports claim Russian settlers unknowingly brought the seeds in wheat sacks during the 1800s; others say a Jesuit priest, Father José Altimira, introduced the plant here. Either way, this resilient herb has become controversial. Since it’s highly effective at aerating soil and mining minerals deep in the earth, some grape growers plow mustard into the ground after the March bloom to condition the soil. The downside: mustard is linked to accelerating fi res and doesn’t hold soils well due to its shallow roots, adding to the threat of erosion in burned areas. Moreover, its dead stalks produce a chemical that inhibits other plants’ ability to grow around it. Invasive plants cost California at least $82 million each year. Here in Marin, the Marin Municipal Water District annually spends approximately $500,000 on fi re-fuel reduction and invasive plant control. Help preserve the biodiversity and safety of our area by not planting mustard and other weedy species, pretty as they may be. For more information, see the invasive plant list and suggested alternatives on marinwater.org.
Renting a one-bedroom apartment in an urban area is becoming prohibitively expensive even for the highest-paid workers. One solution: co-living. Companies nationwide are taking the roommate concept and putting a tech-campus spin on it. Tenants rent a room but share common areas, kitchens and bathrooms, and Wi-Fi is included in the deal, along with housecleaning and a calendar of community events. Here are some San Francisco examples. KASIA PAWLOWSKA
Bungalow
Furnished communal areas, monthly cleanings, Wi-Fi, kitchen essentials provided, community events, support 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
4–18 months
$1,215 for a room in S.F. (varies)
Common $2,250 for a room in S.F. (varies)
Starcity
Furnished rooms and common areas, weekly cleanings, Wi-Fi and utilities included, along with high-end equipped kitchen, on-site laundry, community events. 6 months-plus
Furnished rooms, biweekly cleanings, Wi-Fi and utilities included, fully equipped kitchen, on-site laundry, community events, 24/7 maintenance, support, extra services offered. 4, 6, 12 months
$1,699 for a room in S.F. (varies)
The fashion industry is one of the world’s biggest polluters and water users, and fast fashion has compounded the damage. But there is another way. It turns out finding a great bargain in a thrift shop is also a great deal for the environment. Here are places to shop that way, locally and online.
GRACE TOWLE AND SKYE ADDICKSAt this family-owned designer-focused con signment store in San Rafael, the motherdaughter team receives clothes from Marin, all over the U.S. and even Europe. They focus on quality clothes, shoes and accessories, sell ing some name-brand pieces for hundreds of dollars less than originally priced. While Gucci, Chanel and Prada will never be cheap, you’ll find great deals on these brands here. 11 Mary St., San Rafael
The international non profit Goodwill opened its first-ever boutique in San Anselmo in 2012.
The merchandise, hand-picked from Bay Area Goodwill stores to appeal to bohemian-chic Marinites, includes a wide range of head-to-toe accessories and a particularly strong handbag selection.
Prices run higher than at your average Goodwill, but the styles and quality make this place worth a visit. 649 San Anselmo Ave., San Anselmo
At hip and attractive Knimble in downtown San Rafael, clothing is organized by type, size and color, so it’s easy to maneuver through the large selection and target your search. The shop also sells second hand shoes, bags and other accessories and
some new jewelry and home goods sustainably made by local artists and designers with eco-friendly materials. 851 Fourth St., San Rafael
Revente is a little consignment shop with a big mission: to give back to the community. Owner Marian McNaughton offers contemporary and vintage fashion from local sellers who use sustainable meth ods and recycled and reused materials. She often hosts events to benefit Marin and Bay Area schools and chari table causes. The clean, orderly, spacious setting helps customers find items without feeling overwhelmed, and the focus on quality ensures
great finds for a competitive price 160 Bon Air Center, Greenbrae
• Sax
This high-end women’s consignment boutique across from Marin Coffee Roasters in San Anselmo is small, charming and well orga nized. Along the left wall are shoes by the likes of Prada and Jimmy Choo and a big selection of premium denim, and the shop carries belts, bags and jewelry too. But the real finds are along the wall on the right: designer dresses whose somewhat higher-thanthrift-store prices reflect the quality of each piece 629 San Anselmo Ave., San Anselmo
This app and online store lets users buy and sell unique and vintage clothing, shoes and accessories at a range of prices. The site has created a community where items can be liked and shared, profiles personalized, and customized pages explored. Because buyers and sellers connect directly, the vibe is more casual than on other consignment and thrift websites. depop.com
• Poshmark Poshmark is less an online thrift shop than a platform that encourages users to buy and sell secondhand, aimed at creating a community of online shoppers. The site is well-organized, easily searched by brand, size, clothing category or specific item, and conducive to finding designer bargains. Users can like and follow other Poshmark pages to find styles they like and connect with shop pers with similar taste, and direct buyer-seller communication gives purchases a personal feel. poshmark.com
• Swap Swap is the Goodwill of online thrift stores, with a wide selection that can at first be intimidating, although filtering by item type, brand, sizing or color helps narrow the search. As in a physical thrift store, it takes time and effort to find what you’re after. Prices are generally lower than at many consignment
stores, and continuous sales help prevent shopping-cart sticker shock. swap.com
If you’re someone who wants to wear Gucci, Prada or Yeezy but not pay through the nose, The RealReal is your place. The site (which requires a log-in) sells high-quality consigned designer and luxurybrand clothing, shoes and accessories that, while priced a tad higher than you might find elsewhere, still go for a fraction of full retail. It also runs promotions and has a sale section where a little searching and filtering can get you killer deals. One unique feature: a “sustainability calculator” measures the carbon-neutral benefits of consignment for items sold, including liters of water and miles of driving saved therealreal.com
ThredUP is the largest online consignment and thrift store geared to women and children. The user-friendly platform lets you personalize your shop ping by size, brand and styles. Average prices are a bit higher than Swap’s, but they’re fair, given the quality of merchandise and the clean website experience. You’ll find everything from designer wear to basics, with a 50 percent discount off your first purchase and periodic special deals enticing you to return thredup.com
Revente BoutiqueSCOTT SAMPSON, PH.D., had the job nearly every one of us has dreamed of at one point — as paleontologist, he took part in dinosaur digs around the world, unearthing giant extinct crea tures and naming some of them too. But feeling a greater purpose, Sampson left this profession and pursued a career in promoting science and advising museums instead. He was vicepresident of Research and Collections at Denver Museum of Nature and Science, then president at the not-for-profit center Science World British Columbia, and hosted TV’s Dinosaur Train and the four-part Discovery Channel series Dinosaur Planet. He’s also authored numerous books, including Dinosaur Odyssey: Fossil Threads in the Web of Life and How to Raise a Wild Child Sampson joined the California Academy of Sciences as executive director last September and lives part-time in West Marin.
I am here because I want to make a difference and I cannot think of a better place to make a difference in the way that I would like to make it than this institution. The Cal Academy has been around since 1853, three years after California became a state. It has a world-class collection of natural history objects, including by far the big gest collection of California nature anywhere in the world. It has a world-class planetarium, aquarium and natural history museum. And all of this is under this living roof with more than a million plants on it. So that unto itself is unique
A former dinosaur expert gave up life in the field to run the world-class California Academy of Sciences.
and is a marvelous platform. But then you add in the fact that it’s in the Bay Area, which arguably has more intellectual, technological and financial resources than anywhere else in the world. If you were looking for a place that could be the stone that gets thrown in the pond and sends ripples across the country and beyond, for me, you’d struggle to find a place better than this one.
We are in the middle of an ecological crisis. Nobody needs to be told that these days; we’re all told that in spades, and that we’ve got a limited time to figure out what we’re going to do and how humanity is going to change course. My personal view is that the crisis we face is as much a crisis of conscious ness as anything else. It’s a flaw in how we see the world. We see ourselves as outside and above nature, and we think of our role as dominating nature when what we really need to do is think of ourselves as deeply embedded within nature.
We have passed the age of mere preservation or conservation. The notion of conservation was always about trying to conserve something the way it was. Well, you can’t do that if the planet is warming up and it’s not going to stop any time soon. How do we prepare the earth to adapt and evolve in a world of climate change?
One of the areas we’re already a leader on is citizen science, this idea that we can get the average person involved in recording information naturally. Free apps like iNaturalist are part of Cal Academy and National Geographic, but we want to see citizen science scaled up. We want people all over the world to see themselves as citizen scientists and engage in recording what things they fi nd in the places they live, but also monitor change, because in a world of global warming, things aren’t the same. That will require people in general monitoring what’s going on, whether it’s (with) birds or forests or insects or butter fl ies. And then as things change: are the plants budding earlier than usual? Are the migrating birds coming up or coming back earlier? Are there certain species that are disappearing because of warming in ways that we would never have predicted?
I’ve been hosting Dinosaur Train and acting as the lead science adviser for over 10 years. I got a call from the Jim Henson Company 12 years ago and I never thought it would erupt into the thing that it did and become super popular. It still airs in over 100 countries and has become this great vehicle for engaging young kids with nature. When it started, I had no idea if a television show could encourage
kids to turn off he TV and go outside. I made a deal with PBS and the Jim Henson Company to have a tagline at the end of every show, which is, “Get outside, get into nature and make your own discoveries.” Now, more than a decade later, I’m happy to report that it was a great success, so much so that PBS and other producers have created more content, more series that are all about getting kids outside.
I was the typical 4-year-old, right? I loved dinosaurs. Paleontology is one of the first words I learned how to spell. There was a brief period in my life where I could reliably spell paleontologist and not my own last name. The only difference between me and other kids is that I never grew up and just kept that passion all the way through. I thought about doing other things along the way, but ultimately it led me to a posi tion at the University of Utah where I was a tenured professor
and cross appointed with the Natural History Museum. I had that dream job for a dinosaur paleontologist — with amazing fossils just a few hours away in southern Utah.
What’s the most exciting dig you’ve been on?
The most exciting thing I’ve ever found was the skull of a big carnivorous dinosaur on the island of Madagascar. The teeth of this animal have been known (about) for the better part of a century, but nobody had ever seen the actual skel eton. I was lucky enough to be the person to find it and to lead the major scientific description of it. I’ve been involved in naming about 15 different dinosaurs, and that kind of original science is so wonderful. It’s one of the things that I always tell kids, that too often in school we present science like we know it all, but we hardly know anything about the natural world. We’re still figuring it out and if any kid wants to go into science, no matter what the science, there are still groundbreaking discoveries to be made.
Like how dinosaurs had feathers. Yes, many had feathers. When I was growing up, no one ever thought that a dinosaur could be the size of a raven and with feathers, climbing trees and eating insects. But that’s what we know now, that some dinosaurs did.
Isn’t it true that dinosaurs were warm-blooded too?
Oh, that is a great question. I and a number of other scientists have argued that the majority of dinosaurs were likely neither warm-blooded nor cold-blooded, but something
One of the areas we’re already a leader on is citizen science, this idea that we can get the average person involved in recording information.
in the middle. An interesting exception might be those small feathered raptor dinosaurs that may have been fully warm-blooded, but otherwise there’s a bunch of evidence to suggest that one of the reasons dinosaurs were able to get so big again and again and again is that they were neither warm-blooded nor cold-blooded.
That’s a really interesting fact.
Well, another really cool thing that kind of blows people’s minds — not so much for kids because they’re growing up with it now — is that people always think about dinosaurs as the ultimate example of failure because they’re no longer around. Even though they lived on the planet for well over 150 million years and we’ve been here for 300,000, we still look at them as failures. Well, it turns out even the extinc tion is a myth, because the bulk or maybe all of the big dinosaurs went extinct 66 million years ago when an aster oid slammed into the Yucatán Peninsula. Then one lineage or multiple small lineages of these little raptor dinosaurs survived, and we call them birds. Every single bird alive today is a dinosaur, not just a relative — it’s an actual living dinosaur. There’s more than 10,000 species of birds alive today, compared with about 6,000 species of mammals, so you could actually make the argument that we still live in the age of dinosaurs that are just a lot smaller.
The Yucatán Peninsula is where the asteroid struck? Yes. The crater is still there, mostly underwater.
Can you talk about some of the research currently taking place at Cal Academy?
Many natural history museums can be likened to dead zoos. You walk in and you’re looking at stuff that once lived. Her we have lots of living animals and plants. We have this amaz ing aquarium and a researcher, Rebecca Albright, Ph.D., who’s doing foundational research on how to help coral reproduce. What we are trying to figure out is how, if a ree goes away, we can actually spawn new coral babies so that we can grow new reefs. We also have an ant specialist, Brian Fisher, Ph.D., who’s working in Madagascar. Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world, there’s a lot of pro tein deficiency in its people. So Brian said, “Well, what can do? What if we could find a better protein source than ha ing people go into the forests and kill lemurs? What if it was insects?” That’s something that he knows about. Turns out 70 percent of the people in Madagascar already eat insects. He came up with a way of farming these crickets and creat ing cricket dust that you could then put in almost any food — he eats it over yogurt on a daily basis — I’ve tried it, and it’s excellent. Now we’re looking at ways that we might be able to create cricket dust factories all over Madagascar to help create jobs and help the Malagasy people learn about the pre cious forest they have.
How many species have Academy scientists discovered?
Seventy-one new species in 2019 — they’re pretty remarkable. In the past decade our researchers have described 1,375 new species.
How many people are employed here?
About 600 employees, including more than 100 scientists working out of the Academy. There are also hundreds of vol unteers, graduate students, postdocs and emeritus faculty. So, it’s a busy, complex place.
Is there anything else you’d like to emphasize?
We are nature. I am nature — that’s a powerful statement to make. If you see yourself that way, then saving nature doesn’t become some external thing that you do. It’s part of caring for the place where I live and the people I live with. Every breath of air, every bite of food, every sip of water one way or another comes from nature. If we’re not taking care of that, then we’re not taking care of people either. Folks need to make that connection. Right now, there’s a great deal of talk about climate change — appropriately so — but there’s very little talk about the loss of life on earth. You can make a pretty strong argument that life is as critical as or more a crisis than climate. m TIM GRIFFITH
If you were looking for a place that could be the stone that gets thrown in the pond and sends ripples across the country and beyond, for me, you’d struggle to find a place better than this one.
RECOVERING CALIFORNIA’S ENDANGERED FISH POPULATION IS AN IMPORTANT AND MULTIPRONGED EFFORT. AND AN UPCOMING BALLOT MEASURE RELATED TO THE SAN GERONIMO GOLF COURSE COULD HAVE A BIG IMPACT ON THIS POPULATION’S FUTURE.
BY MARIA FINN
have long been considered sacred by indigenous people on the West Coast. For native ancestors, local streams were full of these wriggling, spawning fish, which provided important nutrition. And though the salmon were feasted on heartily, every year a bounty of them returned.
I worked with these amazing fish for nine years in Alaska, as a fisher and then collecting data on them for that state’s Department of Fish and Game. Their scales can be read like rings on a tree, revealing how long they lived in fresh water and how long in salt. I came to deeply admire the salmon’s powerful resolve to return from the ocean to spawn in its place of birth in rivers and streams. Seals and orcas follow the schools, fishers hunt them ahead of streams, eagles and bears scoop them from rivers, and terns dive on the newly hatched fry (fish) in the fresh water. Over 500 species in the wild eat wild salmon.
Along with steelhead trout, salmon are the only fish that bring nutrients from the sea to the land — liter ally reversing the energy of a river. They die after they spawn, their decomposed bodies feeding the plankton and stream plants their young will need for food when they hatch. Animals that feed on salmon spread the minerals and nutrients through the land, fertilizing surrounding forests, which sequesters carbon, cleans and fi lters runoff into rivers, and provides shade for young salmon in the
river. The fi sh are eucharistic in nature, becoming part of the river, the air and the water.
In California, salmon have had a di fficult time surviv ing. Gold miners tore up some river bottoms and covered others with toxic silt, destroying spawning habitat. The Central Valley was transformed from marshes and ripar ian woodlands to a patchwork of huge farms. Wetlands were drained for orchards and streams were drained so deserts could become graz ing grounds. Over 1,500 dams were built on California riv ers, the largest being Shasta on the Sacramento River at 602 feet tall. Add the pollution and habit disruption caused by tanneries and other industries dumping into rivers, building of towns, roads, highways and suburban sprawl, vineyards planted on hillsides, and clear-cutting of forests along streams, and it’s evident why chinook and coho salmon, along with steelhead trout, have all but disappeared from many California rivers.
There are signs of hope for the fish. For years in this state, commercial and sport fishers, along with environmen talists, have worked to save salmon and steelhead in the NOAA
Chinook and coho salmon, along with steelhead trout, have all but disappeared from many California rivers.
major tributaries and deltas. California Trout, a nonprofit, has lately been working with nongovernmental organi zations, scientists and farmers in the Central Valley to manage dormant rice fields as surrogate flood plain habitat for juvenile salmon in the Sacramento River. After the rice fields are harvested, water is diverted from the river to flood the fields. The rice stalks break down, providing food for insects, which are food for juvenile salmon. The fields drain, and bigger, fatter, healthier fi sh return to the river.
“Recovery of California’s endangered fish populations will be impossible without first recovering the ecological processes that build and sustain functioning aquatic food webs,” says Jacob Katz, California Trout’s lead scientist. “And the food is made on the flood plain. Just like the rest of us, fish do a lot better when they get something to eat. In order for California’s rivers to both support a healthy ecosystem and provide water security for people, the threatened fish popu lations must regain access to the abundant food resources created on inundated flood plains.”
California Trout is active in Marin, working with landowners and others in Bolinas to explore habitat res toration opportunities for endangered salmon and provide resources and training to boost stream ecology curricu lum at Walker Creek Ranch Outdoor School in Petaluma. “Marin is lucky,” says Patrick Samuel, California Trout’s Bay Area program manager. “They have coho and chinook salmon, as well as steelhead trout. Historically those three
species would [indeed] have been on the coast and in bay tributaries. Some of the biggest runs were in Corte Madera Creek, Novato Creek, Redwood Creek running through Muir Woods, and Lagunitas watershed.”
Yet coho salmon populations in California have declined 95 to 98 percent from historic levels, and the fish are listed as endangered under the Federal Endangered Species Act. It is illegal to fish them commercially or recreationally. The largest existing run of coho salmon south of the Noyo River in Fort Bragg is in the Lagunitas Creek watershed, along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard in Marin. Coho numbers have dropped as low as 25 in 2008, a drought year; the current number is about 500.
SPAWN (Salmon Protection and Watershed Network), a local nonprofit operating under the umbrella of Turtle Island Restoration Network, aims to save endangered spe cies from extinction, and it has been working to restore habitat for coho salmon and endangered freshwater shrimp. Its headquarters is near Olema in the ghost town of Jewell, originally created by damming up Lagunitas Creek, with small wood cabins built under the trees for shade. Last year, volunteers and workers for SPAWN hauled out the old dam and housing debris and went to work replanting native trees and shrubs along the creek’s banks.
“These will stabilize erosion and attract insects that coho, chinook and steelhead like to eat,” says Preston Brown, a watershed biologist who works for SPAWN. The crews
From left: Coho salmon swim in a local stream; an adult coho salmon is examined in a trap.buried tree trunks at small forks in the creek. “Coho like to have hiding places,” Brown says. “And this creates habitat for endangered freshwater shrimp as well.” It is important to encourage a creek’s natural desire to meander and create forks and calm eddies, he adds; a straight and deep creek with fast water makes it difficult for fish to survive, and the fish can be washed out to sea during heavy rains.
Just upstream, the San Geronimo Golf Course came up for sale in 2017, and environmentalists saw a huge opportunity for a more environmentally friendly use for the site’s 157 acres along San Geronimo Creek, part of the Lagunitas watershed. Advocates hoped this property too could be “rewilded” into habitat for salmon and steelhead, by closing the golf course.
Such closure would be in keeping with a national and statewide trend. According to data from the golf industry analysis group Pellucid Corp., nationwide the number of regular golfers fell from 30 million to 20.9 million between 2002 and 2016, and since millennials statistically are not big on golf, no one expects an uptick anytime soon. In California between 2007 and 2016, 62 golf courses closed, an overall 9 percent decline. Golf courses are expensive to maintain: greens may make sense in rainy Scotland, but places like California see multiyear droughts. Audubon International estimates the average American golf course uses 312,000 gallons of water per day, and keeping the
grounds bright green requires lots of chemicals, includ ing pesticides, among them commonly the controversial glyphosate, found in Roundup.
The San Geronimo Course was constructed in 1965, when the Marin Countywide Plan called for building 5,000 new homes for an estimated local population of 20,000. In 1972, a new plan prevented urban development in the San Geronimo Valley. Without the population density needed to sell mem berships, the property was converted into a public course.
When the land was put up for sale by the owners in 2017, the Trust for Public Land bought it, intending to transfer it to Marin County Parks and Open Space once TPL secured a grant to repay the purchase price. TPL gathered public input and hired third-party advisers; a bike path, walking path, fi re station and salmon restora tion were all considered, involving conversations with the national nonprofit Trout Unlimited and an engineering fi rm specializing in habitat restoration.
But the land transfer and transformation were put on hold after San Geronimo Advocates (SGA), a group of resi dents seeking to preserve the golf course led by longtime Woodacre resident and real estate agent Niz Brown, fi led a lawsuit, citing the California Environmental Quality Act and a lack of transparency in the planning process. As a result, public land use planning was delayed and the county lost grant funding for the purchase and stopped golf opera tions in 2018 — the course has lain fallow ever since.
Samples are taken and coho salmon are scouted for on this SPAWN creek walking tour at San Geronimo Creek.“I appreciated the beauty of the course every day when driving by,” Brown says. “So many special events were held at the clubhouse, like birthday parties, weddings and memorials. It was so beautiful to look out from the club house over the golf course.”
“By shutting down the San Geronimo Golf Course, the county saved over 49 million gallons of water each year,” notes Barbara Bogard, an environmental activist and a board member of the Sierra Club. “We also elim inate the use of pesticides and fertilizers that pollute our water and air.” A report filed by course management with the county indeed had cited use of herbicides, rodenticides, insecticides and fungicides, including
Roundup. “Pesticides destroy the soil and biodiversity,” Bogard says. “If we improve creek habitat for endangered salmon and steelhead, we improve it for all wildlife.”
The issue comes to the ballot in March 2020 as Measure D, which would prevent the county from changing the land’s primary use for golfing without first securing voter approval.
Brendan Moriarty, senior project manager at the Trust for Public Land, says the trust considered including a golf
course in its restoration plans, but multiple third-party experts held that golf would not be financially sustainable, even on a nine-hole course. “If Measure D is voted down, we can continue to get public input on the best uses,” Moriarty says, “and restore one of the most important salmon runs in the Bay Area, as well as have plans for a much-needed fi re station and bike trails that connect the Golden Gate Bridge and Point Reyes.” The clubhouse could be reopened as a community center, he adds.
But “if Measure D passes,” Moriarty says, “it binds our hands: we can’t do meaningful restoration on the property or just about anything else. The county couldn’t authorize a permit for restoration. It [basically] prevents the prop erty from being used for anything but a golf course. And that’s not financially feasible. So it would be limited to a passive open space.” Moreover, holding a popular vote for land use of a speci fic property is unprecedented, and there’s concern that setting such a precedent could derail environmental restoration projects throughout the state.
Meanwhile, the survival of the salmon hangs in the balance. “The Lagunitas watershed is our geographic anchor for endangered California coast coho recovery,” says Anna Hallagan, a biologist and Trout Unlimited’s North Coast Coho Project Director. “The San Geronimo Creek, which runs through the golf course, is where 40 percent [in the Lagunitas Creek watershed] of adult salmon spawning occurs.” m
Recovery of California’s endangered fish populations will be impossible without first recovering the ecological pro cesses that build and sustain functioning aquatic food webs.
HAVE YOU NOTICED your cocktail or starter is taking a bit longer to get to your restaurant table? Before you respond with a paltry tip, be aware that the reason probably isn’t negative server attitude, but a dwindling of server numbers.
The average waitperson in a Bay Area restaurant can expect a median annual salary of $31,000 including tips, with possible perks including flexible hours and a lively work environment. Unfortunately, the high cost of living has made it increasingly hard for employers to hire and retain waitstaff. Jim Whaley of the Mill Valley gastropub Floodwater is one recent example: the challenge of staffing was quite substantial when he opened, he says.
In 2019, the National Low Income Housing Coalition estimated the fair market rent on a one-bedroom home in San Anselmo at $2,420 per month — which over a year would equate to roughly a server’s entire pay. As result, many people commute to wait tables here, then even tually quit to seek positions closer to home. In fact, Marin County’s population fell by 699 in the last fi scal year, putting it behind only four other California counties for the greatest drop in that period.
Still, whether you’re looking for restau rant work or a C-level career change, an array of opportunities do exist right now in Marin. From corporations like Autodesk and BioMarin to the service sector, it’s actually a good time
looking for part-time work and parents reentering the job market after raising kids.
In the past, many have turned to freelancing. But despite Marin’s history as a haven for the self-employed, that contingent faces chal lenges in 2020. California’s new gig-work law, AB5, which took effect at the start of the year, makes it harder for employers to classify workers as independent contractors — a ffecting journalists and Lyft drivers alike, leading companies to cut ties with California-based contractors, and spurring several lawsuits now working their way through the courts.
For traditional-job seekers, Marin County’s biggest employers include College of Marin, Macy’s and Glassdoor, a Mill Valley company that posts salary details and other job-related data online. If technol ogy is your thing, options abound; that sector remains hungry for fresh talent in software engineering and arti ficial intelligence. Expect grueling hours, great benefits, and a salary actually conducive to liv ing in the Bay Area. According to Glassdoor senior economist Daniel Zhao, the Bay Area’s tech industry had 26,000 openings in December; surprisingly, that reflects a 5 percent decrease year over year.
“It’s a lull,” he says. “But given that it’s still the largest industry by demand, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.” And “given how large the sector is, I would expect it to continue growing this year.”
to look for employment here. In October and November, Marin’s unemployment rate held steady at 2 percent — even lower than the over all statewide record low of 3.9 percent during that time.
Yet even low unemployment can have nega tive consequences. Solina Walton, owner and CEO of Larkspur’s Perfect Timing Personnel Services, has been helping Marin employers and job seekers connect for 31 years. At the moment, she says, the talent pool is defi nitely a touch shallow. “Right now, in Marin, I have a ton of clients who are struggling to fi ll their jobs. That’s because the people they really want to hire are already employed, with salaries and benefits that they will be expected to match. These are people who are not going to leave their job for an increase of 5 or 10 percent. They want to up the ante.”
These days, work-seekers walking through her door include new college graduates and employees looking to shorten their commute. She doesn’t see a lot of seniors, even though the county’s workforce includes retirees
It’s also a great time to be a doctor. Glassdoor’s December jobs report notes that local health care industry positions increased by 9.9 percent for the month. Yet there’s a shortage of quali fied primary care doctors — a problem apt to become pressing with a projected 75 percent increase in people over 65 needing senior care by 2030.
“We are doing well recruiting primary care doctors, primarily because Marin is such a desirable place to live and work,” says Eric Pifer, M.D., chief medical officer at MarinHealth. “Seniors with more intensive medical problems require more care … the aging of the popu lation will as much as quadruple the need for primary care doctors.”
A few nascent industries may become major workforce players in the coming decade. Solar photovoltaic installer positions could be the top-growing job classification, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, with available positions as of 2016 expected to double nationwide by 2026. That’s great news for California, which in 2018 offered more solar energy jobs than other states, about 24 percent of the nationwide total. The work, which is labor-intensive and requires physical fitness and typically some technical training, pays about $50,000 a year.
In Marin, meanwhile, quali fied candidates remain hard to come by for many jobs, businesses try to fi ll positions, and with entry-level salaries not covering cost of living, companies still expect workers to commute — a tenuous situation at best. Yet opportunities in new areas ranging from cannabis to cryptocurrency show promise.
And Walton of Perfect Timing expects things to improve. “I’ve weathered this market for 32 years,” she says, “and it always bounces back.” m
Even though we’re entering 2020 with a bit of a slowdown in terms of tech job openings, given how large the sector is, I would expect it to continue growing this year.
Elise McRoberts of Mill Valley would love to work closer to home.
Originally from Chicago by way of Minneapolis, she’s lived on and off in Marin for the past six years. During that time, her career has been defined by cannabis. In 2013, she began working with pot brands and serving as a judge in growing competitions; now she’s chief of brand and marketing for Berkeley cannabis manufacturer Doc Green’s.
Prior to that, McRoberts was doing similar work for a cannabis delivery service in Marin that has since closed. And while she loves her current job, she says it’s a shame the county has dragged its feet in welcoming recreational marijuana sales. “No commercial or industrial activity is permitted in Marin, which is why most of my cannabis colleagues in Marin and I commute to Berkeley or Oakland to work for licensed cannabis operations every day.”
Beyond the jobs retail dispensaries here might generate, she says, such a pivot would also reflect the region’s role in the annals of pot culture. From beat poets to the teens who coined the phrase “420,” the plant has roots in this place: “Marin is one of the original birthplaces of the modern cannabis revolution, so one would think cannabis would be appreciated here, but not yet,” she says. “Residents are super confused and frustrated. They want to know why there are no stores.”
It started with two ewes and a ram. A dozen years ago, John Koene saw purchasing these animals as a great use of his brother’s spare land in Sebastopol. The first lesson he learned about caring for livestock? “They multiply,” Koene says. And quickly. “They multiplied to about 10 sheep in just a couple of years, and then my brother and sister-in-law divorced and I moved [the animals] to Petaluma. I also bought more, and they just kept procreating.”
For over a decade, the longtime Muir Beach resident and Wisconsin transplant has incorporated his ever-growing flock into his landscaping business. Koene’s sheep work for their keep by taking on contracted grazing work, for San Rafael’s Las Gallinas Water District as well as San Leandro’s Juvenile Justice Center.
In the latter case, the incarcerated young men liked the presence of Koene’s sheep so much that he donated some to the center when the work contract ended. He has sheep, Nigerian dwarf goats and a pair of llamas all currently housed at Big Mesa Farm in Bolinas.
Unfortunately, aggressiveness of local mountain lions may require him to rethink the viability of his enterprise. “There are people here in Muir Beach who would like to have their hillsides grazed again, but I’ve gotten pushback from neighbors, believe it or not,” he adds.
Meanwhile, Koene plans to employ his llamas for a summer sojourn on foot. “I’m going to do the John Muir Trail this summer. I’ll either do the whole thing or part of it, but I’m going to use one or both of my llamas as pack animals. I’ve been training to do that with them.”
When people ask Mill Valley’s Patrick Dodson what he does for a living, he usually just tells them he works in construction. That way “they can picture me counting nails to build a house and move on,” he says. “It’s pretty rare that I actually bring up what I do because it does tend to take over the conversation.”
That can happen when you make your living as a commercial deep-sea diver, which Dodson has done for 20 years. Tasked with certifying, repairing and welding oil rigs and other seaborne structures, sometimes hundreds of feet underwater, Dodson came upon his profession somewhat inadvertently.
Originally, he simply wanted to find work while following his then-girlfriend — now wife — to Santa Barbara, where she was set to attend college. “I didn’t even really know what diving was,” he recalls. “I wasn’t even a certified scuba diver before I went to dive school, but it worked out well.”
In the past two decades, Dodson’s work has taken him around the globe to Greece and Guatemala, often for months at a time. These days he works exclusively in Pacific waters from Alaska to Mexico, so he can spend more time with his wife and four children.
Though the stints are lengthy, it’s hard to beat the change of scenery, he admits. “All the jobs are different, which is a nice thing. It’s definitely not like showing up to the same office every day.”
Marin has some of the world's strongest climate warriors, but we're also among the worst offenders. Here's how we can tip the balance in the planet's favor.
DURING THE PAST YEAR, PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD have been hearing a young Swede, Greta Thunberg, issue dire warnings on climate change. “Our house is on fire,” she says, and though she mostly means that figuratively, here in Marin we’re taking it literally. We all know people who’ve lost their houses as unprecedented drought and heat continue to drive firestorms like we’ve never seen before.
Scientists tell us this is just the beginning. As levels of carbon in the atmosphere increase and the growing climate crisis threatens to drastically change our lives, some in Marin are setting an example for the rest of the world, with innovative ideas and programs that can drive down emissions — and even soak them up.
Before we get too excited about our leadership, though, we need to admit that our affluent Marin lifestyle contributes disproportionately to the problem. While the average person in France is responsible for 4.3 metric tons of CO2 emissions per year, the average Marinite is responsible for almost five times as much: 20 metric tons. We are among the world’s worst carbon polluters.
The good news is that once we accept that we as individuals are responsible for our outsize carbon footprint, we can make some significant changes.
Ready? Here’s a brief recap of what we in Marin can feel good about — and how we can do better.
BY ANNE-CHRISTINE STRUGNELL
One particularly powerful example of Marin’s environmental lead ership is MCE. Formed as Marin Clean Energy in May 2010, MCE is California’s fi rst community choice aggregator (CCA), giving Marin residents and businesses a choice in how the energy to their homes is provided. Today MCE serves more than 100,000 customers through out Marin, three other counties, and 14 towns and cities. Its success has inspired formation of 19 other CCAs representing more than 150 communities across California.
Since MCE started service in 2010, customers have reduced over 340,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, or the equivalent of preserving 2,300 acres of U.S. forests in one year. MCE has been the single most important factor in enabling Marin to meet its 2020 carbon emission reduction targets four years ahead of schedule.
As a Marin resident, you probably get your electricity from MCE, even though your bill comes from Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), which is the transmis sion agency for MCE. Marin residents are automatically enrolled in MCE Light Green, which supplies electricity that mostly comes from renewable resources — 60 percent renewable. However, cus tomers can “opt up” to MCE Deep Green, which comes entirely from renewable resources. The price di fference is mini mal — for a typical household, an extra $5 a month. Go for Deep Green and you can eliminate the carbon footprint of your electricity use. All your electricity will be coming from wind turbines or solar panels — without your having to invest in solar panels of your own.
LET’S DO THIS Go to mcecleanenergy. org/opt-up and enroll in Deep Green. Seriously. You can just put down the magazine, track down your utility cus tomer number from a recent PG&E bill or the website, then go to the MCE website and enroll in Deep Green — and you can be back here in five minutes to learn more, while basking in the glow of having done something signi ficant and positive about your own carbon footprint.
In 2017 Sausalito resident Paul Hawken — who also founded Smith & Hawken and Erewhon — started an organization, Project Drawdown, with the mission of researching and promoting a path to drawdown, the point at which the concentration of greenhouse gases begins to decline. He compiled a top 100 list of potential ways to do this, 80 of
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a gas form of carbon that traps heat in our atmosphere. Millions of years ago, levels of CO2 in the atmosphere were much higher, but slowly decreased as plants drew carbon out of the air and locked it away over time by forming coal, gas, oil and peat. But during the industrial revolution, when we began burning coal and petroleum products and destroying forests, we started releasing that stored carbon, and the level of CO2 in the atmosphere has risen from less than 300 ppm (parts per million) before industrialization to 407 ppm today. It’s p rojecte d to reach 450 ppm by the year 2040.
The last time carbon dioxide levels were as high as they are today was in the Pliocene era, about 3 to 5 million years ago. There were no humans on earth then. The sea level was about five to 40 meters (16 to 131 feet) higher, and temperatures world wide were much hotter than they are today.
In other words, we evolved to thrive on a planet dramatically different than the one we are creating now.
them currently in practice, into a bestselling book to promote his findings and inspire and inform governments, other organizations and individuals worldwide.
Here in Marin, we have a local partner with this global organization. Drawdown: Marin is a community-driven campaign encouraging neighborhoods to pitch in to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for cli mate change impacts. Drawdown has already done the heavy lifting by citing solutions you can implement now in six focus areas: renewable energy, transportation, buildings and infra structure, carbon sequestration, local food and food waste, and climate-resilient communities.
LET’S DO THIS Go to the “Drawdown Marin” tab on the county’s website to learn about actions you can take in your home, your neighborhood and your larger Marin community.
The Pachamama Alliance offers a 90-minute online course in all 80 Drawdown solutions on its site. Go to the Project Drawdown site or read Hawken’s Drawdown book to learn even more.
Ten years ago longtime Marin resident and environmentalist Tamra Peters founded a nonprofit, Resilient Neighborhoods, to help Marin households lessen their carbon foot print and prepare for emergencies. Nearly 1,000 people have reduced more than 8 million pounds of CO2 pollution every year through Resilient Neighborhoods, making it one of the most effective programs on record for driving climate-friendly behavior changes.
When households join a Resilient Neighborhoods team, they begin by running some simple calculations on a spreadsheet to measure their carbon footprint. They then attend a free five-session workshop and learn how taking simple actions like trimming energy and waste, conserving water and making smarter transpor tation choices can cut carbon emissions and save money. One of the classes also focuses on building neighborhood resilience against the effects of cli mate change, with steps like emergency planning for wildfires. At the end of the workshop series, households measure the impact of changes they made during the program.
LET’S DO THIS Go to resilientneighborhoods.org to sign up for a climate team. If none of the signup times/dates work for you, you can create a profi le via the online Marin Climate Challenge — which also begins with a measurement of your carbon footprint — at marin.goco2free.org, or check out the 90-minute online course from the Pachamama Alliance, based on Drawdown.
While consumption of red meat has a consider able carbon footprint, the beef and dairy cattle operations that are part of Marin’s agricultural heritage can be an important tool in reversing climate change.
The Marin Carbon Project, a free-flowing col laboration of agencies, nonprofits and individuals, under the purview of the Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT) has proven that grazing lands can be used to pull carbon from the atmosphere. The project began when John Wick, the co-owner of the Nicasio Native Grass Ranch and co-founder of the Marin Carbon Project in 2008, decided to run an experiment by adding a half-inch of com post to his grazed rangeland. The microbes in the compost worked to effectively pull carbon out of the atmosphere, capturing carbon and sequester ing it in the soil.
“As approximately 40 percent of the earth’s land mass is rangeland and livestock grazing is the single largest land use on the planet, we thought ‘holy cow, we have something here,’ ” says Jamison Watts, executive director of MALT. These and other changes to farming practices can also result in more nutritious
grass for more of the year and make farms more climate resilient.
LET’S DO THIS Choose meat and other proteins sourced from local producers who use organic and regenerative farming methods. Opt for locally grown, in-season foods and foods not packaged in plastic. For information about local producers got to malt.org/buy-local and marincarbonproject.org.
Mill Valley mom Bea Johnson has been living a zero-waste lifestyle right here in Marin for more than a decade. She burst onto the national scene with an article about her and her family in Sunset magazine in 2010, and since then she has inspired millions to live simply and take a stand against needless waste through her book Zero Waste Home (now available in more than 25 languages), talks, TV appearances, publications and blog posts.
“We not only feel happier, but we also lead mor e meaningful lives based on experiences instead of stuff,” Johnson says. Her family of four generates a mere quart of waste per year through application of “the 5 Rs”: refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle and rot. The Green Awards grand prize winner of 2011, she was dubbed “Priestess of Waste-Free Living” by The New York Times and is convincing a growing number of people that waste-free living can be stylish, bring significant health benefits and save time and money.
LET’S DO THIS Find tips and inspiration for tak ing action at zerowastehome.com m
Plastic accelerates the climate crisis both by adding CO2 to the atmosphere and by reducing the planet’s ability to absorb CO2 emissions. In 2019 alone, the production and incineration of plastic will add more than 850 million metric tons of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere — equal to the pollution from 189 new 500-megawatt coal-fired power plants.
Greenhouse gases are emitted at each stage of the plastic life cycle: fossil fuel extraction and transport, plastic refining and manu facture, and managing the waste once we’ve thrown the packaging away.
Most plastic is not recycled, and even recycling is problematic. So-called “compostable plastic” is not composted in Marin waste handling facilities. Instead, plastics are incinerated or left to decompose into potentially toxic microplastics, which work their way into the food we eat and the water we drink. And because microplastic contaminates plankton, it may interfere with the way plankton locks away carbon in the deep ocean, the planet’s most important drawdown process.
MALT soil testingConnecting with youth, and learning from them, through poetry at the Marin County Juvenile Hall.
ONCE A WEEK, I’d leave my keys in a tray at the front desk, walk through a metal detec tor, look up at the surveillance camera and wait to be buzzed through a heavy door into a passageway where wild roses vined through chain link, then wait to be buzzed through another door with another camera, then walk past the security booth with the monitors. I’d say good morning to the staffand head to the classroom.
The students would shuffle in, single file, in identical orange sweat suits and plastic fl ip-flops, with their hands behind their backs, led by uniformed guards. They’d take
their assigned seats and wait for their single sheets of paper and fl imsy ballpoint pen inserts to be distributed. This was how I began every Wednesday morning in the year I taught poetry writing at the Marin County Juvenile Hall.
I never knew who would be there, week to week, or for how long. Some students were there for just a few days, oth ers came in and out over the course of the year, and I got to know some of them. Ranging from baby-faced 12-year-olds to 17-year-olds who looked older, all were children, despite having already survived life experiences far more di fficult than many adults will ever know. We weren’t allowed to ask them why they were there, though I was told that many
BY HEATHER JUNE GIBBONS • PHOTOGRAPHY BY JUSTIN BUELL
had been involved in gangs and drug dealing, some in vio lent crime. An administrator warned me that they could be emotionally manipulative, but the main teacher, Ms. R, assured me they were actually sweet and eager to learn, and she was right.
The majority of the students were black and Latino, including immigrants and refugees from Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala, and nearly all had felt the devas tating effects of racism, poverty and violence. Some had been
such expression in a place where displays of strength and reserve are acts of self-protection. There are times for selfprotection and privacy. I tried to find a balance between when to encourage and not give up on the kids, as I think some of them had come to expect from teachers, and when to respect their space and agency, of which they had so little.
convicted of or were awaiting trial for very serious crimes. I was told others were there for their own safety, removed from homes where there was abuse, addiction or neglect, or to be protected from human traffickers andviolent threats. But is incarceration really safety? Surely there are better ways to protect our youth. And who was I to be there, some white lady poet from San Francisco who teaches at universities, doesn’t speak Spanish and has no prior experience or training in working with these young people? Given the di fferences between us, how could I connect with them? Why should they trust me, or anyone?
They didn’t always trust me, for valid reasons, I’m sure, and I didn’t always connect. This is not a movie cliché where an inspirational teacher dramatically turns around the classroom full of disadvantaged youth. The students’ par ticipation in our poetry sessions was definitely incentivized. The points they earned could be used for extra personal calls. Whatever their motivations, most of them partici pated, and they had a lot to express. There were harrowing stories of trauma and hardship, drugs, violence, so many ele gies. I’ll never forget M’s poem about the fi rst time she saw her father smoke crack when she was a little girl, or K’s poem about seeing her brother get stabbed in the neck and trying to stop the bleeding with her own hands, being terri fied he was going to bleed out before the ambulance came. Many of them wrote about loneliness, and regret, and the inside of their cells. Their poems were urgent, sincere, moving, funny, and often deeply personal, and they were brave and proud and trusting enough to read them aloud to each other.
We talked a lot about the power of vulnerability in poetry, the way the air in the room was charged when some one shared something vulnerable and true, how we could all feel that power, and they were amazingly supportive of each other’s expressions of vulnerability. Though I do believe vulnerability is powerful, I felt the tension of encouraging
They wrote tough rhymes and accounts of trauma, but also tender tributes, hilarious, sly satires, and wistful poems about missing puppies, baby sisters and the smell of Mom’s cooking. The same boy who wrote a rap about guns wrote a sweet love poem to his girlfriend. I think of A’s poem about tending goats and chickens on his grandfather’s farm in Guatemala, and his beautiful tribute to his mother, who risked so much to cross multiple borders and bring her children to the U.S., and how much he wants to make her proud. They wrote about hearing corridos from open car windows, about feeling Grandma’s hug, and about starry night skies, ocean waves, and so much about love. Some poems were based on memories; others were imagined.
Imagination is powerful. Real change must first be imag ined, conceived of, held and protected. We have to be able to imagine a better future in order to make change. We talked about this in class, and they often wrote about their plans and hopes for the future. V wanted to be both a therapist and a stylist so she could offer counseling while doing hair; J wanted to study criminal justice and become a juvenile detention officer so she could help other kids like her. When asked to write poems about their ideal futures, they wrote about living with their big families, tending gardens, grow ing their own food, working on houses and fi xing cars, and about money, which is to say security and opportunity. They imagined being able to fi x what they saw as broken, and cre ate the shelter and safety they sometimes lacked.
I would tell you more about these brave and bright stu dents and their amazing poems, but they’re not my stories to tell. After all, I was only there once a week, and at the end of our time, a walkie-talkie blurt would interrupt the students’ voices, and staff would collect and count the flimsy pens. The students would line up with their hands behind their backs, as though in anticipation of being cu ffed. They'd be led back to their cells, while I’d be buzzed out, through the locked doors and chain link, back through the metal detector, to retrieve my keys and exit, fi nally, into the relief of the bright sun. They are not my stories, but it was an honor to help create a space for them to be written and shared behind locked gates, in a place where wild roses climb and bloom through chain link, in a world that isn’t as free as it should be. I’m committed to working to change that. If incarcerated youth can imagine such a future, we owe it to them to make it a reality. m
THIS IS NOT A MOVIE CLICHÉ WHERE AN INSPIRATIONAL TEACHER DRAMATICALLY TURNS AROUND THE CLASSROOM FULL OF DISADVANTAGED YOUTH.
Science camps, art camps, music camps and sports camps. They all have one thing in common: they are filling up fast. Be sure to peruse the many great options in the following listings and make your plans soon — summer will be here before you know it. To find additional choices — searchable by town, price range and specialty — visit marinmagazine.com/camps
Academy Deturk Performing Arts Workshops, San Rafael Theater, 8-16, 415.456.4297, academy-deturk.com
Aerial Arts & Dance Camps, Fairfax Dance, 6-18, 415.755.3775, soullovesthebody.com
Aligned Learning/Glean, San Anselmo Travel, 13-19, 415.390.2112, alignedlearning.co
Angel Island Day Camp, Tiburon General, Nature, Outdoor, 6-13, 415.435.4355, theranchtoday.org
Art & Garden Day Camp, Tiburon Art, Garden, Outdoor, 4-8, 415.435.4355, theranchtoday.org
Art Maker Studio, San Rafael Art, Creative, 6-11, 415.858.0278, artmakerstudio.net
ARTifact, Corte Madera Art, Fashion, Young Child, 5-12, 415.335.9338, sfartifact.com
Audubon Summer Adventure Camp, Tiburon Nature, Inclusive, 4-8, 415.388.2524, richardsonbay.audubon.org
Avid4 Adventure, Mill Valley Adventure, Nature, Sports, 3.5-14, 720.759.2297, avid4.com
Azzi Basketball Camp, Mill Valley Sports, 6-13, 415.426.9706, azzicamp.com
Bay Area Discovery Museum, Sausalito Academic, Art, Science, 4-15, 415.339.3927, bayareadiscoverymuseum.org
Belvedere Tennis Club, Tiburon Sports, 4-8, 415.435.4792, belvederetennisclub.com
Blaster Camp, Sausalito Sports, 7-14, 415.816.0529, nerfcamp.com
Bolinas Surf Lessons & 2 Mile Surf Shop, Bolinas Sports, 7+, 415.868.0264, sur fbolinas.com
Bombers Baseball Club, Kent field Sports, 8-13, 415.713.2866, bombersbaseballclub.com
Branson Summer, Ross General, 14-17, 415.455.7169, bransonsummer.org
Call of the Sea-Voyage Seaward, Sausalito Sailing, Adventure, Science, Nature, 5-16, 415.331.3214, callofthesea.org
Camp and Teen Travel Consultants, San Rafael General, 7-18, 415.258.0817, campandteenconsultants.com
Camp Chrysalis, Berkeley Nature, Environmental Education, 8-17, 510.843.6157, campchrysalis.com
Camp Create, Belvedere Art, Music, 6-11, 415.435.4501, campcreatemarin.net
Camp Doodles, Mill Valley Art, Makers, 3-15, 415.388.4386, campdoodles.com
Camp EDMO, Novato Academic, Adventure, Science, Technology, 4-14, 415.282.6673, campedmo.org
Camp Funderblast / Cascade Canyon School, Fairfax Art, Meditation, 4-11, 415.843.1730, funderblast.com
Camp Funderblast / HV Community Center, Mill Valley Art, Meditation, Sports, 4-11, 415.843.1730, funderblast.com
Camp Funderblast / Scott Valley Club, Mill Valley Art, Meditation, Sports, 4-11, 415.843.1730, funderblast.com
Camp Galileo, Mill Valley, Kent field General, 5-11, 800.854.3684, galileo-camps.com
To search by town, age or specialty, visit marinmagazine.com/camps
We teach skateboarding to kids 5 to 12 years old at various skateparks in Marin. Beginners welcome.
We teach skateboarding to kids 5 to 12 years old at various skateparks in Marin
2020 Spring Break Camp
-Spring Break 2019 Camp: April 8th to April 12th, 2019
April 6th to April 10th, 2020
2020 Summer Skateboarding Camps 10 weekly sessions from 6/15/20 to 8/21/20
-Summer 2019 Skateboarding Camps: 10 weekly sessions from 6/17 to 8/23/19
2020 Holiday Camp December 21st to December 24th, 2020 December 28th to January 1st, 2021
www.shreddersskatecamp.com
www.shreddersskatecamp.com
Summer Sea Camp Boating, Sailing, Tool Skills and Boatbuilding
Spaulding Marine Center 600 Gate 5 Road, Sausalito, CA 415.332.3179 - spauldingcenter.org/events info@spauldingcenter.org
Camp Ursa Major, San Rafael General, 4-14, 707.595.0472, campursamajor.com
Caren Horstmeyer Girls Basketball Camp, Larkspur Sports, 8-14, 415.794.4311, horstmeyerhoops.com
Chabad Jewish Center of Novato, Novato General, Outdoor, Specialty, Sports, Swimming, 4-11, 415.878.6770, jewishnovato.com
Children’s Cottage Co-Op, Larkspur Young Child, 2.5-5, 415.461.0822, cccmarin.com
Coastal Camp at NatureBridge, Sausalito Nature, Outdoor, Science, 5-14, 415.331.1548, coastalcamp.org
Couture4College, Mill Valley Academic, Art, Creative, Fashion, 14-18, 415.717.7326, couture4college.com
Cyber Garage, San Anselmo Academic, Makers, Technology, 5-12, 415.785.7660, thecybergarage.com
Dance Palace Camp, Point Reyes Station Adventure, Art, Science, Sports, Theater, 6-12, 415.663.1075, dancepalace.org
Dance With Sherry Camp, San Rafael Dance, 4+, 415.499.1986, dancewithsherrystudio.com
Dave Fromer’s Annual Marin Soccer Camps, Mill Valley Sports, 5-14, 415.383.0320, davefromersoccer.com
Dickson Ranch Horse & Activity Camp, Woodacre Horse, 7-14, 415.488.0454, dicksonranch.net
Dominican Summer Sports Camps, San Rafael Sports, 6-14, 415.482.3543, dominicansportscamps.com
Enriching U, Novato Art, Technology, Science, STEM, STEAM, 10-15, 415.475.7567, enrichingu.com
Fairfax Cycling Camp, Fairfax Adventure, Outdoor, Sports, 8+, 415.887.8536, fairfaxcyclingcamp.com
Fantastical Adventures Day Camp, Tiburon Popular Media, 8-12, 415.435.4355, theranchtoday.org
Golden Gate Learning Center, San Anselmo Academic, Art, Makers, 5-12, 415.383.2283, goldengatelearning.center
Hawks Hoop Camp, Larkspur Sports, 9-15, 415.945.3730, hawkshoopscamp.com
Higgins Summer Tennis Camps, Tiburon Sports, 5-18, 415.963.2549, higginstennis.com
Hola Panama, Mill Valley Language, Travel, 12-16, 415.388.8408, hola-panama.com
Katia & Company, San Rafael Dance, Theater, 7-14, 415.305.2153, katiaandcompany.com
Kilham Farm Summer Pony Camp, Nicasio Horse, 5-12, 415.662.2232, kilhamfarm.com
Luis Quezada’s Soccer Camp, San Anselmo Sports, 5-15, 415.302.6779, usasoccercamp.org
Marin Ballet, San Rafael Dance, 3-18, 415.453.6705, marinballet.org
Marin Christian Academy Summer Day Camp, Novato Art, General, Music, Religious, 5-12, 415.892.5713, marinchristian.org
Marin Dance Theatre, San Rafael Dance, 3-20, 415.499.8891, mdt.org
Marin Girls Chorus, Novato Music, 5-12, 415.827.7335, marinchorus.org
Marin GreenPlay Camp, Mill Valley Adventure, Nature, 5-17, 415.264.2828, maringreenplay.com
Marin Horizon Outdoor Adventures Camp, Mill Valley Cooking, Nature, Science, 3-15, 415.388.8408, marinhorizon.org
Marin Idol Summer Performance Camp, Mill Valley Music, 9-18, 415.383.5395, chaikenmusic.com
Marin JCC Camp Kehillah, San Rafael General, Traditional, Specialty, Travel, 5-16, 415.444.8055, marinjcc.org
Marin Primary and Middle School Summer Day Camp, Larkspur Young Child, 2-7, 415.924.2608, mpms.org
Marin Rowing, Greenbrae Sports, 11-17, 415.461.1431, marinrowing.org
Marin Shakespeare Company, San Rafael Theater, Tennis, Swimming, 5-19, 415.499.4487, marinshakespeare.org
Marin Sports Academy-Wildcat Camp, Kentfild Sports, 8-14, 415.827.1066, wildcatcamp.org
Marin Theatre Company Summer Camp, Mill Valley Theater, 4-18, 415.322.6049, marintheatre.org
Marin Treks Science Camp, Novato Science, Nature, 7-14, 415.250.0988, marintreks.com
Marine Mammal Center, Sausalito Science, Nature, 11-14, 415.289.7330, marinemammalcenter.org
Marinwood Camp, San Rafael General, 3-13, 415.479.0775, marinwood.org
Mark Day School, San Rafael Art, Chinese, Sports, Technology, 6-13, 415.472.8000, markdayschool.org
Masterworks Summer Art Camps, Corte Madera Academic, Art, 6-14, 415.945.7945, masterworkskidsart.com
Mathnasium, Mill Valley Academic, 5-14, 415.384.8272, mathnasium.com
Mega Gymnastics, San Rafael Gymnastics, 5+, 415.257.6342, megagymnastics.com
Mill Valley Potter’s Studio Clay Summer Camp, Mill Valley Art, 7-10, 415.888.8906, millvalleypottersstudio.com
Mill Valley Recreation Summer Camps, Mill Valley Art, General, Specialty, Swimming, 3-14, 415.383.1370, millvalleyrecreation.org
Miwok Livery Summer Camps, Mill Valley Horse, 8+, 415.383.8048, miwokstables.com
Morning Star Farm Horse Camps, Novato Horse, 8-15, 415.897.1633, morningstarfarm.info
Mt Tam Bikes Camp, Mill Valley Sports, 8-14, 415.377.9075, mttambikescamp.com
Multi Sport Kids Camp, Larkspur Sports, 6-12, 415.924.6226, mttamrc.com
MV Code Camps, Mill Valley Academic, Coding, Technology, 7-14, 415.569.2112, mvcodeclub.com
Ninja Camps at Practical Martial Arts, Corte Madera Sports, Martial Arts, Fitness, 4-12, 415.927.0899, practicalmartialarts.net
No Limits Sports Camp, Corte Madera Sports, 5-12, 415.717.6925, nolimitssportscamp.com
North Bay Basketball Academy, San Rafael, Sonoma, Napa Sports, K-9, 415.244.3863, northbaybasketball.com
O’Sullivan Soccer Academy, San Geronimo Sports, 5-14, 415.497.8164, osullivansocceracademy.com
Otis Guy Mt. Bike Camp, Fairfax Sports, 7-13, 415.250.2585, otisguymountainbikecamp.com
Own The Mic, San Anselmo Music, 11-18, 415.302.4297, ownthemic.org
Performing Arts Academy of Marin, Mill Valley Dance, Theater, 4+, 415.380.0887, paamarts.com
Piano Band Camp!, Mill Valley Music, 10+, 415.383.5395, chaikenmusic.com
Pine Point Cooking School, Sausalito Cooking, 9-12, 415.332.4352, pinepointcooking.com
Play-Well Engineering FUNdamentals, San Anselmo Science, Technology, 5-14, 415.460.5210, play-well.org
Poekie Nook, Mill Valley Art, Creative, Makers, 6-12, 415.326.5202, poekienook.com
Point Bonita YMCA, Sausalito Academic, Art, Sports, Technology, Theater, K-8, 415.331.9622, ymcasf.org
Point Reyes Summer Camp, Point Reyes Adventure, Nature, Science, 8-17, 415.663.1200, ptreyes.org
Pyramid Gymnastics, San Rafael Gymnastics, 3.5-11, 415.927.1240, thepyramidgym.com
RoCo Dance, Mill Valley Dance, 8-18, 415.388.6786, rocodance.com
Rolling Hills Club, Novato Sports, 5-14, 415.897.2185, rollinghillsclub.com
Ross Academy Montessori School, Mill Valley General, 2-5, 415.383.5777, rossacademymontessori.com
Ross Recreation, Ross Academic, General, 3-15, 415.453.6020, rossrecreation.org
Sage Educators, San Anselmo Academic, 8-18, 415.594.7243, sageeducators.com
Sage Educators, Mill Valley Academic, 8-18, 415.388.7243, sageeducators.com
Sage Educators, Larkspur Academic, 8-18, 415.461.7243, sageeducators.com
Sail Camp, Sausalito Sports, 8-16, 415.775.8779, sailsea.org
San Anselmo Recreation Department Camps, San Anselmo General, 3+, 415.258.4640, sananselmorecreation.org
San Anselmo Tennis Camp, San Anselmo Sports, 7-12, 415.258.4640, tennisinmarin.com
San Domenico School, San Anselmo Art, General, Sports, Theater, 5+, 415.258.1900, sandomenico.org
Scuba Camp, Novato Sports, 8-14, 415.897.9962, pinnaclesdive.com
Sea Trek Kayak Camp, Sausalito Sports, 9-15, 415.332.8494, seatrek.com
Shredders Skateboarding Camp, Mill Valley, San Rafael Sports, 5-14, 415.529.8364, shreddersskatecamp.com
Slide Ranch, Muir Beach Garden, Nature, Outdoor, 3-13, 415.381.6155, slideranch.org
Sonoma Academy, Santa Rosa Cooking, Media Arts, STEM, Sports, Theater, 10-14, 707.545.1770, sonomaacademy.org
Spanish Immersion Camps with Viva el Español, Mill Valley Foreign Language, 5-11, 415.326.5199, vivaelespanol.org
Spaulding Marine Center, Sausalito Art, Nature, Science, 11-15, 415.332.3179, spauldingcenter.org
SRD Camp Strawberry Athlete-X Training Camps, Mill Valley Sports, 8-12, 415.383.6494, strawberry.marin.org
SRD Camp Strawberry Sports, Mill Valley Sports, 6-9, 415.383.6494, strawberry.marin.org
SRD Camp Strawberry Counselor in Training, Mill Valley Sports, 10-14, 415.383.6494, strawberry.marin.org
SRD Camp Strawberry Sprouts, Mill Valley General, 4-5, 415.383.6494, strawberry.marin.org
Stapleton School of Performing Arts, San Anselmo Performing Arts, 3-18, 415.454.5759, stapletonschool.org
Steve and Kate’s Camp, Corte Madera General, 4-13, 415.389.5437, steveandkatescamp.com
Studio 4 Art, Mill Valley Art, 3-15, 415.596.5546, studio4art.net
Summer Day Camp-SGV Community Center, San Geronimo General, 5-10, 415.488.8888, sgvcc.org
Summer Fashion & Sewing Camp, Mill Valley, San Rafael Arts, Crafts, 10-12, 415.328.4598, marinsewinglab.com
Summer Industry Dance Intensive, San Rafael Dance, 12+, 323.867.8485, industrydanceintensive.com
Summer Playground-Town Park Location, Corte Madera General, 5-12, 415.927.5072, townofcortemadera.org
Summer Sailing Program, Sausalito Sports, 8-18, 415.332.7400, sausalitoyachtclub.org
Summer Sing with Singers Marin, Mill Valley Music, 6-13, 415.383.3712, singersmarin.org
Super Summer Adventure Camp, San Anselmo Academic, Art, General, 5-9, 415.453.3181, supersummeradventurecamp.org
Teen Summer Photography Camp, Fairfax Photography, 12-18, 415.454.2102, creativeportraiture.com
Terra Marin School, Mill Valley Garden, Nature, Outdoor, 4-14, 415.906.2220, terramarin.org
The Image Flow, Mill Valley Art, Digital Media, Photography, 1119, 415.388.3569, theimageflow.com
The San Francisco Yacht Club, Belvedere Sailing, 7-16, 415.435.9525, sfyc.org
Throckmorton Theatre, Mill Valley Theater, 6-15, 415.383.9613, throckmortontheatre.org
Tiburon Adventure Camp, Tiburon Adventure, Art, 2-8, 415.435.4366, tiburonadventurecamp.org
Tiburon Yacht Club Junior Sailing, Tiburon Sports, 8-13, 415.789.9294, tyc.org
Tilden Prepatory School Marin, Sausalito Academic, 11-18, 415.944.5506, tildenprep.com
Tumble Spot, Mill Valley Gymnastics, 1-10, 415.843.1619, tumblespot.co
Tutu School, Larkspur Dance, 3-8, 415.419.5610, tutuschool.com
Now Offering: Aerial Silks, Hammock, Aerial Hoop, Trapeze, Rope
Group Classes, Summer Camps, Private Lessons, Birthday Parties Community Performances …for all ages!
West America Tae Kwon Do, Mill Valley Sports, 4+, 415.383.4755, westamericatkd.com
Wildlife Camp at WildCare, San Rafael Animal, Nature, 3.5-12, 415.453.1000, discoverwildcare.org
Y Camp at Devil’s Gulch Ranch, Nicasio Nature, 6-14, 415.662.1099, ymcasf.org
Y Camp at Indian Valley Campus, San Rafael General, Sports, Recreation, Field Trips, 6-14, 415.492.9622, ymcasf.org
Your Language and Cultural Center, San Rafael Academic, Language, 5-18, 415.225.8929, yourlanguageandculturalcenter.org
Youth Tennis Programs, San Rafael Sports, 4+, 415.456.1837, rafaelracquetclub.com
House of Air, San Francisco General, Gymnastics, Specialty, Sports, 7-12, 415.345.9675, houseofair.com
Sterne School, San Francisco Academic, 9-18, 415.922.6081, sterneschool.org
Camp Unalayee, Palo Alto Adventure, Nature, 10-17, 650.969.6313, unalayee-summer-camp.com
Catalina Island Camps, Altadena Outdoor, 7-16, 626.296.4040, catalinaislandcamps.com
Circle ZN Ranch, Penngrove Horse, 707.494.7020
Echo Lake Youth Camp, Echo Lake General, 7-14, 510.981.5140, cityofberkeley.info
The Spring Hill School, Petaluma Art, Science, Sports, 2-14, 707.763.9222, springhillmontessori.org
UC Berkeley embARC Summer Design Academy, Berkeley Art, Creative, Digital Media, STEAM, STEM, Technology, 16-18, 510.643.1188, ced.berkeley.edu
Vision Tech Camps, El Cerrito Digital Media, Science, Technology, Young Child, 6-17, 925.699.7036, visiontechcamps.com
Vision Tech Camps, Danville Academic, Digital Media, Science, Specialty, Technology, 7-17, 925.699.9602, visiontechcamps.com
Walker Creek Music Camp, Marshall Music, All ages, 415.663.6030, walkercreekmusiccamp.org
Walker Creek Ranch, Petaluma General, Nature, 9-14, 415.491.6600, walkercreekranch.org
American Dance Training Camps’ Ultimate Sierra Mountains Dance Camp, Squaw Valley Dance, 8-17, 415.666.2312, americandancetrainingcamp.com
Birkholm’s Water Ski School, South Lake Tahoe Sports, All ages, 530.573.1928, birkholmswatersports.com
Camp Concord, South Lake Tahoe Family, 8-13, 925.671.3006, campconcord.org
Camp Ocean Pines, Cambria General, Nature, Outdoor, 7-15, 805.927.0254, campoceanpines.org
To
Camp Ronald Arnold, Sacramento Special Needs, 7+, 916.734.4230, campronald.org
Camp Wasiu II, Sierra City Girl Scouts, 5-17, 775.322.0642, gssn.org
Gold Arrow Camp, Lakeshore General, 6-14, 800.554.2267, goldarrowcamp.com
Lake Tahoe Music Camp, Stateline Music, 12-18, 775.784.4278, unr.edu
Lake Tahoe Sitters, Lake Tahoe Childcare, 0-14, 530.545.1217, laketahoesitters.com
Marin County 4-H, Angwin General, 9-15, 415.473.4207, cemarin.ucanr.edu
Plantation Farm Camp, Cazadero General, Nature, Family, 8-15, 707.847.3494, plantationcamp.com
Tahoe Rim Trail Association Youth Backcountry Camp, Stateline Sports, Nature, Adventure, 12-17, 775.298.4485, tahoerimtrail.org
Tahoe Summer Camps-Tahoe Expedition Academy, Truckee Art, Sailing, Climbing, Archery, Backpacking, Blacksmithing, STEM, 4-14, 530.414.9316, tahoesummercamps.com
Two Rivers Soccer Camp, Graeagle Sports, 7-17, 415.928.6902, tworiverssoccer.com
Three transplants to the islands share the thrills of their new lives — and what they miss.
BY JEANNE COOPER Jimmy Dillon plays guitar on a Maui beach.At some point during a trip to Hawaii — or even while watching the new Hawaii Five-O — you may have wondered what it would be like to move there. We’ve got just the ticket: three transplants from Marin describe how they’re living the dream on Maui, Kauai and the Big Island — and give insider tips for visiting local-style.
THE TRANSPLANT JIMMY DILLON , INTERNATIONAL PERFORMING AND RECORDING ART IST, ONLINE GUITAR INSTRUCTOR AND FOUNDER OF BLUE STAR MUSIC CAMP
HAWAII HOME In Kula, Upcountry Maui, at about 2,000 feet elevation. “It’s so beautiful where we live. We look at both parts of the island, we have horses and we can grow anything in the garden.”
MARIN ROOTS A native of Los Angeles, Dillon moved to Sausalito in his late teens in 1969, which proved formative. “Imagine a 17-year-old kid driving down Alexander Avenue. It was still the blush of the Summer of Love, with all the great sounds and sights and smells of Marin in the early ’70s. Marin has been my home since then, although I’ve lived other places.”
BEHIND THE MOVE Dillon has a long history with the Valley Isle. He camped on Makena Beach in the 1970s and, after a successful collaboration with a member of the Moody Blues, bought his first home in Upcountry Maui. Although he toured the world with Clarence Clemons, whom he met in Marin, and lived in the South of France to record American roots music albums for most of the ’90s, he and wife Kelli, a dancer and aesthetician then at Mill Valley’s Bella Sutra Skin Care, “always had our eye on (moving) over to Maui at some point.” They finally made the leap in February 2019.
WHAT HE MISSES “That perfect espresso on a cold foggy day, the cafe society of Mill Valley — there’s no place like it, the big-city sensibility in a small village.
I miss my brothers in arms in the Bay Area, where I could pick up the phone and play the Sweetwater anytime I wanted. When you move from a place where you were well-known to where you’re not, it’s kind of humbling.”
Still, Hawaii’s natural beauty and warm weather make up for a lot. “I’m in the warm ocean almost every day, and I play golf two or three days every week.”
SWEET SURPRISE “What I found out, to my happiness, is that there are some great musicians, singers and writers here who aren’t necessarily that well-known to the average Joe, although some are legendary in their field.” One is Dayin Kai, a blind, Maui-born singer and multi-instrumentalist. “We’ve played a couple of sold-out shows together, and it made me so happy to connect with a young guy but such an old soul. We’re having a real blast.”
Dillon also connected with new neighbor Jason Moffatt, “one of the top influencers on the planet and a guitar nut.” Together they created the website jimmydillon.com, “and I’m making videos and teaching people [guitar] all over the world. There’s this new kind of creativity going on in my life.”
LIVING HIS LIFE Dillon plays regularly at Casanova’s in Makawao and at the Saturday Upcountry Maui farmers market above Pukalani. You might also spot him and Kelli at restaurants such as Flatbread in Paia, Coconuts in Kihei or the Kula Bistro. At Mulligan’s in Wailea, Dillon could be onstage or just enjoying a meal.
INSIDER’S TIPS “We love Hookipa, where the big waves are and where you can watch the turtles, and Baldwin Beach in Paia, and Makena is obviously such a beautiful beach. I like Makawao town; it’s really funky. And Keanae [on the road to Hana] is obviously breathtaking.”
UPCOUNTRY Maui has its own climate, Dillon notes: “If it’s 92 in Kihei, it’s 82 here. It’s like Santa Barbara weather.”
HAWAII HOME A “beautiful home” in Princeville, her third residence on Kauai’s north shore since moving there in 2012.
MARIN ROOTS Williams attended College of Marin and Sonoma State after moving to California from her hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, in 1988. She lived for about 15 years in Mill Valley and for five years in Sausalito, then moved to Santa Cruz in 2008.
BEHIND THE MOVE “It had been my heart’s desire to move here since I first visited Kauai in 1992.” She’d loved Northern California, but “the freezing cold water and the fog just drove me bonkers.” After selling her online honeymoon registry company in 2012, she realized she could finally make the move to the Garden Isle. “I looked at different things I could do that would allow me to generate an income to afford to live here and still be somewhat self-employed. Real estate checked all those boxes, but as it turns out I love it.”
WHAT SHE MISSES “Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s! Oh, and a greater variety of restaurants — I really miss the India Palace in Travelodge off 101 in Mill Valley,” she adds with a laugh. “Actually, other than my friends, I don’t really miss anything about the mainland. The longer I’m here, the weirder it feels when I go back.”
SWEET SURPRISE Williams quickly discovered out rigger canoe paddling and now paddles competitively for the Hanalei Canoe Club. “There is an outrigger canoe club in Sausalito, but I never knew about it until I moved here. It’s a cultural activity that dates back cen turies and it’s the state sport of Hawaii, but it also gets me out where I love to be — on the ocean on warm water. I also love paddling with other awesome women and seeing what we can do together as a team.”
LIVING HER LIFE You need to be an experienced paddler to join Williams at the Hanalei Canoe Club, “but you can also rent a kayak and head up the Hanalei River, and in summer, when the ocean is usually flat, you can take it into Hanalei Bay.”
As a real estate agent, Williams works predominantly with buyers from the mainland. Recently she
THE TRANS PLANT NANCY WILLIAMS, ONLINE TRAVEL COMPANY FOUNDER TURNED REAL ESTATE AGENT
helped two outrigger canoe paddlers — one from Tiburon, one from Alameda — buy vacation rentals where they now live full time. “I feel good about helping turn vacation rentals into permanent homes.”
INSIDER’S TIPS Besides “guidebook highlights” like Waimea Canyon and the Kalalau Trail hike along the Na Pali Coast out to Hanakapiai Beach, “where you now need parking permits, and those sell out in advance,” Williams recommends ATVs, zip line tours and tubing through old irrigation channels. “Although they do cost money, they go to really exquisite places that you can’t get to without a private tour, and they’re fun as well.
“There are also some off-the-beaten-track spots where I take friends of mine that I wouldn’t put in print or I’d be run off the island. But really, everywhere you go is beautiful on this island.”
HAWAII HOME A fiveacre farm in the Kona coffee belt, shared with three dogs, two cats and a flock of chickens.
MARIN ROOTS Born in San Francisco, Corrigan moved to Novato at age 7 in 1970. He later studied at College of Marin in Kentfield and Novato and became an underwriting insurance manager. In 1999, Corrigan and insurance broker Greg Colden became a couple and a year later relocated to the Oakland hills. They created their natural soap company, with Colden as soap maker and Corrigan in charge of the books, on the mainland, then fully launched the business after moving to Hawaii in 2004.
BEHIND THE MOVE “When I went to Kauai in 1985, I fell in love with Hawaii and thought I would live here someday. I would have lived on Kauai, but it’s just too small in size and population. On the Big Island, you might be able to drive for a few hours if you wanted to get away.”
He and Colden purchased the farm while still living in California with an eye to retiring on the property eventually, but by 2004 “we were getting tired of the rat race on the mainland, and we thought, ‘Screw it, let’s just start something.’ We wanted to get away
from the hustle and bustle of the big-city life and go pursue something we wanted to do.”
WHAT HE MISSES “Besides friends and family, I miss some of the hiking you can do around the [Northern California] beaches and the coastal areas, out to Stinson or Limantour or Tomales Bay, especially in the springtime. I miss all the fields of poppies, mustard plants and things like that.”
SWEET SURPRISE The coffee and cacao they grow were originally meant to serve solely as soap ingredients, but friendly interactions with local partners have led them to sell their delicious coffee (roasted elsewhere) and bars of chocolate. The latter even won a bean-to-bar award at the 2019 International Cacao Competition in Paris, for which Colden credits local master cacao fermenter Gini Choobua and the chocolatiers of Puna Chocolate Co. “We sell as much chocolate as they make for us with these awardwinning beans,” Colden says.
LIVING HIS LIFE While Corrigan usually stays behind the scenes, a variety of tours provide a look at the couple’s tropical lifestyle. Colden leads small groups on farm and factory tours Thursday mornings. Puna Chocolate Co. brings a 90-minute cacao-themed tour by on Tuesdays and Fridays. Most Wednesdays, Home Tours Hawaii schedules three-hour visits that include a tour of the farm and soap factory, chocolate tasting and conversation with Colden in the couple’s Polynesian pod-style farmhouse. You can “talk story” for free with Colden at Alii Gardens Marketplace in Kailua-Kona, open Tuesday through Sunday, where he’s often at the company kiosk.
INSIDER’S TIPS “I tell visitors to go to Kua Bay, for the beach; to the volcano, if they’ve never been, to experience it; and to Hilo, to see how diverse it is here,” Corrigan says. “We’re so dry on this side and it’s so wet on that side.”
He also offers important advice for prospective transplants, especially would-be entrepreneurs: “Practice the aloha spirit. Be kind, don’t talk ill of people, and just be nice to each other.” m
TH E TRANSPLANT MARTY CORRIGAN , COFOUNDER OF KONA NATURAL SOAP COMPANY AND KOKOLEKA LANI FARMCacao beans Scenic Kauai Kilauea Iki crater floor
THRU MAR 15 A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder Part comedy, part music hall romp, this is the story of a commoner who, when he fi nds he is eighth in line for an earldom, develops a fiendish plot to cut in line. Gateway Theatre (SF). 42ndstreet moon.org
THRU MAR 22 The Last Ship Inspired by Sting’s 1991 album The Soul Cages and his experi ences in youth, this show portrays a com munity amid the demise of the shipbuilding industry in northeast England’s county Tyne and Wear, with Sting starring as shipyard foreman Jackie White. Golden Gate Theatre (SF). broadwaysf.com
THRU JULY 12 Harry Potter and the Cursed Child The eighth story in the Harry Potter series is presented in two parts. Curran Theatre (SF). harry potteronstage.com
MAR 5–29 Love Penelope, the lead char acter, is tasked with sorting through her emotions and deciding what accountability looks like when her
former boss and lover faces harassment allega tions and she is asked to join the accusers. Marin Theatre Company (Mill Valley). marin theatre.org
MAR 5–29 Toni Stone
The real-life story of the trailblazing Bay Area athlete who sought to become the fi rst woman to play professionally as a member of the Negro League’s Indianapolis
Clowns. Geary Theater (SF). act-sf.org
MAR 6–APR 5 The Glass Menagerie Tennessee Williams’ most autobiographical work fi rst appeared on Broadway in 1945 and follows the Wing field family’s efforts to re-create the life of a Southern belle under reduced circumstances. Barn Theatre (Ross). rossvalleyplayers.com
MAR 20–21 Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus Based on the bestselling book by John Gray, a series of vignettes covers a range of topics that may, in fact, update the battle of the sexes. Marines’ Memorial Theatre (SF). broadwaysf.com
THRU MAR 1 Incivility
An inquiry into the sudden rise of highly publicized acts of racism, sexism and xenophobia, this perfor mance is the third and fi nal section of the company’s series A Seat at the Table. ODC Theater (SF). odc.dance
THRU MAR 8 Here and Now African & African American Performing Arts Coalition and K*Star*Productions join forces for the Black Choreographers Festival, presenting works that express the depth and breadth of African and AfricanAmerican dance. Dance Mission Theater (SF) and others. bc fhere andnow.com
THEATER / DANCE / COMEDY / MUSIC / MUSEUMS / EVENTS / FILM EDITED BY CHRISTINA MUELLER DANIELMAR 1 Ballet Hispánico
Celebrate and explore Latino culture through dance with this New York–based group. Luther Burbank Center for the Arts (Santa Rosa). lutherbur bank.com
MAR 6–7 Smuin Ballet
A showcase for rising choreographers, this series covers a wide range of dance styles and musical selections, followed by a Q&A session. Smuin (SF). smuinballet.org
MAR 6–15 A Midsummer Night’s Dream Balanchine’s original choreography and Shakespeare’s wit meet in an enchanted forest where fairies rule and mistaken identity and jest are just part of the adventure. War Memorial Opera House (SF). sfballet.org
MAR 12–15 Triple Take RAWDance joins with ODC to present three pieces: Shadow the “debris” we leave behind in our current digital age; The Healer mines the beliefs of traditional Chinese medicine; an piece examines the creative process. ODC Theater (SF). odc.dance
MAR 24–APR 4 Mrs. Robinson
Encompassing the sweep of the second feminist wave in the 1960s and inspired by the seductress of the 1963 Charles Webb novella The Graduate and the 1967 fi which it is based, this dance digs deep on why the famous character is the way she is. War Memorial Opera House (SF). sfballet.org
Annamaria Di Giorgio (left), director of the Italian Cultural Institute, and Amelia Antonucci, program director of Cinema Italia San Francisco, discuss the festival celebrating Federico Fellini taking place at the Castro Theatre March 7 and at BAMFA through May 21. cinemaitaliasf.com, bampfa.org CHRISTINA MUELLER
From a larger cultural sense, why is it important to remember Fellini and his works?
AD: “Fellini,” as Woody Allen declared in 1993 at Film Forum in New York, “is one of the filmmakers who have had an influence on everyone … All cinema owes him a debt.”
For the “Fellini at 100” homage at the Castro, four films were chosen : I Vitelloni, Amarcord, Juliet of the Spirits a n d La Strada. W hy were these choosen?
AA: These films are the expression of Fellini’s genius in different times of his life and his career; they are his interpretation of the reality of life as a dream and as remembrances. They express Italy in different historical moments.
The films have all been digitally restored. What is different in these versions?
AA: This is a question for our viewers to find out. The restoration took several years and was a major project of Cineteca di Bologna and Cineteca Nazionale, with funds provided by the Italian Ministry of Culture just to celebrate this centennial.
Why do you think San Francisco residents love Italian films and Fellini films?
AA: There is a love for the classics that is almost magic. International films in the original language with subtitles are a cult favorite among San Francisco viewers and we are very grateful for that.
The Castro Theatre is quite special in the hearts of San Franciscans. Why hold the March 7 “Fellini at 100” screening and party there?
AA: Since 2013 Cinema Italia SF has been presenting Italian classic cinema at the Castro with programs dedicated to Italian maestros or famous stars.
MAR 7 Tim Flannery
You know him as the third base coach (2007–14) for the World Series–winning S.F. Giants, but the former major leaguer has musi cal chops, too, and is touring with his band The Lunatic Fringe. HopMonk Tavern (Novato). hopmonk.com
MAR 8 Soul Asylum
The alt-rock band best known for the Grammywinning 1993 hit “Runaway Train” comes to town. Slim’s (SF). slimspresents.com
MAR 11 Il Volo The Italian operatic pop trio describe their music as “popera” and are currently tour ing in support of their album Musica and the hit song “Musica che resta.” Marin Veterans’ Auditorium (San Rafael). marin center.org
MAR 11, 13, 15 Mill Valley Philharmonic The 20th-anniversary celebration of the group includes a free open rehearsal, a concert performance, and a gala as well as works by Lalo and Rimsky-Korsakov. Various locations (Mill Valley). millvalley philharmonic.org
MAR 12 Shooter
Jennings From metal and electronic to hard rock and outlaw coun try, the son of Waylon reels from twang to disco and back. Sweetwater Music Hall (Mill Valley). sweet watermusichall.com
MAR 15 Russian Chamber Orchestra
This small ensemble plays Bach, Hayden and Schumann. United Methodist Church (Mill Valley). millvalley philharmonic.org
MAR 19 Post Malone
The rapper, singer and songwriter perhaps best known for writ ing the theme song for Spiderman: Into the Spider-verse drops by with friends Swae Lee and Tyla Yawehon. Chase Center (SF). chasecenter.com
MAR 21–22 Exuberant Marin Symphony’s Masterworks Series continues with works from Schumann, Prokofiev and Frank, conducted by Alasdair Neale. Marin Veterans’ Auditorium (San Rafael). marin center.org
MAR 27 Bernadette Peters The Broadway star and two-time Tony Award winner best known for her inter pretations of the works of Stephen Sondheim presents music from her shows and albums. Davies Symphony Hall (SF). sfsymphony.org
MAR 27 Wilco The alt-country sextet is touring in support of its newly released album Ode to Joy. Fox Theater (Oakland). thefox oakland.com
MARIN Bay Area Discovery Museum Wobbleland
This new exhibit takes children inside the kitchen sink, where they can set sail on a watermelon boat or crawl through a slice of cheese (Sausalito). bayarea discoverymuseum.org
Bolinas Museum
The Golden Decade: Photography at the California School of Fine Arts, 1945–1955 Explore the program established by Ansel Adams that
raised the dialogue around photographic practice, through March 22 (Bolinas). bolinas museum.org
Marin Museum of Contemporary Art Elmer Bischoff The Bay Area Figurative artist known for his maverick approach to art making helped advance the movement toward image making, through April 19 (Novato). marinmoca.org
The Museum of the American Indian Thousands of Native American regional and cultural items are displayed, with a focus on Marin and Sonoma (Novato). marin indian.com
BAY AREA Asian Art Museum Awaken: A Tibetan Buddhist Journey Toward Enlightenment Buddhist artworks from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the Asian Art Museum invite you to investigate from the perspective of a practi tioner, through May 3 (SF). asianart.org
Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive Lands of Promise and Peril: Geographies of California A studentcurated exhibit examines California as equal parts elusive dream and cruel illusion, through April 26 (Berkeley). bampfa.org
California Academy of Sciences The natural history museum boasts a multilevel aquarium, a tropical rainforest and a planetarium, but kids of all ages come just for the daily penguin feedings (SF). calacademy.org
Charles M. Schulz Museum Hidden Treasures: Unseen Originals from the Collection Enjoy a new look at classic drawings, including new acquisi tions and treasures not previously displayed, through May 25 (Santa Rosa). schulz museum.org
Contemporary Jewish Museum Levi Strauss: A History of American Style Featuring over 150 items, including vintage apparel and advertising materials, this show looks at the very American life of the Bavarian Jewish dry goods merchant who changed the face of American attire, through August 9 (SF). thecjm.org
de Young Uncanny Valley: Being Human in the Age of AI Unpacking the tropes of artificia intelligence, this exhibit begins in 1970 when Japanese engineer Masahiro Mori intro duced a novel concept, a place where humans confronted autonomous machines that mimicked their physical and men tal properties, through October 25 (SF). deyoung.famsf.org
di Rosa Core Reflections Davina Semo explores tensions between nature, society and the self, through June 28 (Napa). dirosaart.org
Legion of Honor The Book of Now: Dieter Roth and Ed Ruscha The medium of books was revolutionized by these Los Angeles–based art ists in the 1960s with outwardly modest but conceptually advanced self-published works, March 28 through August 2 (SF). legionof honor.famsf.org
Museum of the African Diaspora Black Is Beautiful With over 40 photographs from Kwame Brathwaite, this exhibit features men and women with natural hair and clothes that reclaim their African roots, through March 1 (SF). moadsf.org
Museum of Craft and Design Linda Gass: And Then This Happened The Bay Area multimedia artist “creates stitched paintings on silk and glass works to question the relationship between humans and their envi ronment,” through May 3 (SF). sfmcd.org
SFMOMA Modern Cinema: Agnès Varda An exclusive retrospective of films y the French New Wave filmmaer who died last year delves into the major themes of her storytelling phi losophy: discovery and provocation, through March 21 (SF). sfmoma.org
Sonoma Valley Museum of Art Valentin Popov: Modern Mixmaster
The Ukraine native known for his portraits gets a retrospective that features works from his best-known series, through April 5 (Sonoma). svma.org
The Walt Disney Family Museum With lectures, exhibits, classes and, of course, film, this museum is dedicated to the life and works of the man who built Disney (SF). waltdisney.org
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Spanning contemporary and performance art, civic engagement and public life, the works on view at this museum embrace the local community. (SF). ybca.org
THRU MAY 7 Homing
A site-specific intalla tion by Taiwanese artist Hung Tzu Ni explores the reciprocal relation ship between light and sound as it responds to Chinatown and the surrounding neighbor hoods. Chinese Culture Center (SF). cccsf.us
MAR 5–6 James Beard
Taste America Named for the New York Times columnist who changed how Americans view restaurants and cooking, this touring event stops by to celebrate the diver sity and ingenuity of American cooking. Julia Morgan Ballroom (SF). jamesbeard.org
MAR 11 Colum McCann
The author of Let the Great World Spin sits down to discuss his new book Apeirogon with author Isabel Allende. JCCSF (SF). jccsf.org
MAR 12 Tori Scott Is
Pickled The New York–based singer, actress and comedian makes her Bay Area debut with music borrowed from the likes of Judy Garland and Queen. Feinstein’s at the Nikko (SF). feinsteinssf.com
MAR 15 Smuin Gala
If a cocktail reception, gourmet dinner and performances by Smuin’s dancers aren’t enough, revelers can take to the floor to cut their wn rug after dinner. The Galleria (SF). smuinballet.org
MAR 19 Peggy Orenstein The author of Cinderella Ate My Daughter returns to dis cuss her latest book, Boys and Sex: Navigating the New Masculinity Sydney Goldstein Theater (SF). cityarts.net
MAR 21 Chocolate Salon The world of premium chocolate is at your finertips with tastings and chef and author talks. County Fair Building (SF). sfchocolatesalon.com
MAR 21 Red Cross Gala
The town of Paradise Police Chief Eric Reinbold will be honored as Humanitarian of the Year at this red-tie event featuring a cocktail reception, dinner, live auction, entertainment and an after-party. City Hall (SF). redcross.org/ redcrossgalasf
MAR 26 Marin Women’s Hall of Fame Induction Dinner
Sponsored by the YWCA of S.F. and Marin and timed to align with Women’s History Month, fie women of accomplishment, including Tamra Peters of Resilient Neighbors, will be recognized for their commitment to and significant impac on Marin. Peacock Gap Clubhouse (San Rafael). ywcasf-marin.org
MAR 27–29 California Artisan Cheese Festival
The focus is on the cheeses produced in-state at this weekendlong event, including farm and producer tours, educational seminars and pairing demos, and the popular Cheese, Bites and Booze cel ebration on Saturday night. Sonoma County Fairgrounds (Santa Rosa). artisancheese festival.com
MAR 29 Marin Teen Girl Conference A threepronged program of growth, success and lead ership includes keynote speakers, workshops and exhibits covering every thing from financia empowerment to vaping. Embassy Suites Hotel (San Rafael). marin teengirls.org
MAR 30, APR 2 Yotam Ottolenghi & Samin Nosrat The famous London-based chef and the star of Netfli’s Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat share their love of cooking and all things culinary. Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium (San Rafael). marincenter.org
MAR 1–31 Enchanted Giselle (Amy Adams) is transported by the evil Queen Narcissa (Susan Sarandon) from the animated kingdom of Andalusia to real-world New York City in this 21st- century musical fairy tale. Walt Disney Museum (SF). walt disney.org
MAR 16 Bedlam Psychiatrist Ken Rosenberg dons a fil maker’s hat to highlight the depth of America’s mental health crisis as presented through the intimate stories of patients, families and medical providers. The Rafael (San Rafael). rafaelfilm.cafilm.o
MAR 21–29 Albany FilmFest A special kids’ matinee rounds out a week of documentary, narrative and animated short films on topic ranging from climate, activism, housing, immigration and iden tity to music. Albany Twin Theater (Albany). albanyfilmfet.org
MAR 22 Satyricon Screened as part of the “Federico Fellini at 100” series, this film follws Encolpius in a search for his male lover through a fantasy of ancient Roman feasts, festi vals, orgies and death. Berkeley Art Museum (Berkeley). bampfa.org
MAR 25–29 Sonoma International Film Festival Back for its 23rd year, this 125-fil showcase highlights independent features, documentaries, world cinema and short films and supports th media arts program at Sonoma Valley High School. Various locations (Sonoma). sonoma filmfet.org
All listings are correct at the time of printing. Please be aware that events may occasionally be canceled or postponed. We always suggest con tacting the promoter or venue to confirm detail haven’t changed since publication.
Ballet Hispánico at Luther Burbank, Santa RosaHook Fish at Proof Lab Beer Garden, Mill Valley’s latest entrant onto the alfresco dining scene, opened in late 2019. Located in Tam Junction, it’s a collaboration between Proof Lab and San Francisco’s Hook Fish Co. Owners Beau Caillouette and Christian Morabito designed the menu of seasonal, locally sourced seafood with a laser focus on supply chain visibility. Boards above the counter show a list of the day’s available fish, with information on catch method, the vessel that brought the fish to harbor, and the port of call. The space is divided in two: inside, at a long bar run by Proof Lab, you can order beer, wine, kombucha and a bar menu of guacamole, ceviche, and only-in-Marin nachos with albacore tuna chili and house-made queso. Step out the back door and you’re in the beer garden, where the Hook Fish team runs the food trailer–slash–outdoor kitchen, and service at a second counter includes a larger array of burritos, sandwiches and salads. The beer-battered fish and chips is a must for first timers, and the fish tacos, featuring choice of grilled fish of the day, poke or pibil, balance flavors of the sea with top-quality California produce. High bar tables and lower wooden banquette seating, designed by San Francisco’s Jay Nelson, give way to a lawn and stage intended for music and other events. The place is family- and group-friendly and designed with engagement in mind, so it’s TV-free. “As a brand, we really value being present,” Caillouette says.
CHRISTINA MUELLER
WHO Owners Beau Caillouette and Christian Morabito
WHAT Hook Fish Co. unites Proof Lab, Equator and Native Plant Nursery spaces WHERE 254 Shoreline Highway, Mill Valley, hookfihco.com b $$ S Í D
JESSICA PAUL
AN INSIDER’S GUIDE TO RESTAURANTS AND GOOD FOOD IN THE BAY AREA EDITED BY CHRISTINA MUELLER
“Benissimo” means “really, really good” in Italian. Aside from the daily 4 to 6:30 p.m. happy hour, the menu offers a large selection of pizza, pasta and large plates, like cioppino, fresh fi shes of the day, T-bone steaks and the signature Benissimo Burger or portobello burger. Specials include all-day happy hour on Mondays, no-corkage Tuesdays, Wednesday night martinis and live music on Thursdays. 415.927.2316, benissimos.com
s $$$ S D º
The Italian-inspired pizzeria utilizes Northern California’s bounty of seasonal ingredients and showcases local microbreweries and wine country’s boutique varietals. The menu includes appetizers, sal ads of organic produce when available, pastas, local free-range poultry and meats, desserts and Neapolitan-style pizzas with house-made mozzarella. Wine half off n Mondays. 1544 Redwood Highway, 415.924.3021, bocapizzeria.com
s $$ Í C LD º
This revamped cafe offers wraps, paninis, salads, tea and more nearly all day long. Enjoy any of these items inside or out on the patio and be sure to inquire about the German and Belgian beer samplers. 502 Tamalpais Drive, 415.927.1060, cafeverde marin.com
b $ Í BLD º
IL FORNAIO Italian
Aside from pizzas and pastas, this upscaleItalian franchise serves a variety of salads and carb-free entrées. 223 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.927.4400, ilfornaio.com
s $$ S Í C LD BR
A Marin mainstay for over 50 years, with a menu of soups, salads, seafood, mesquitegrilled or sautéed meats and a plethora of pasta options. To add to your dining experience, order the table-side prepared Caesar salad. Not looking for a meal? Enjoy a drink and hear local musicians at the well-known piano bar. 1585 Casa Buena Drive, 415.924.2081, marin joesrestaurant.com
s $$ S C LD
Seafood The Paci fic Rim–inspired restaurant has a familyfriendly atmosphere. The menu, showcasing freshly caught seafood, includes tacos, poke, ceviche, sandwiches, salads, rice bowls and daily specials. 133 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.927.3474, pacificcatch.com s $$ S Í C LD º
THE COUNTER
California Create your own salads and burgers using all-natural proteins including Angus beef, turkey, chicken, mahimahi, bison or the Impossible Burger. Gluten-free options and a vegan veggie burger are also available. The restaurant has patio seating and a popular happy hour. Give the spiked milkshake a try. 201 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.924.7000, thecounterburger.com s $$ S Í LD º
California Owners Keith Cox and Matt Blair have revamped this “fast food” joint to feature healthy and fl avorful items like a Hawaiian poke wrap and a tahini tofu summer roll that’s vegan-friendly. Exotic housemade beverages include boba tea, mango lassi and Vietnamese iced coffee. 208 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.927.3663, worldwrapps.com $ S Í LD
FRADELIZIO’S Italian
Fradelizio’s blends
Northern Italian with
California-inspired healthy fare, featuring natural beef and freerange chicken dishes. 35 Broadway Blvd, 415.459.1618, fradelizios.com
b $$$ S LD BR
THE HUMMINGBIRD
American This New Orleans–style res taurant serves up creole staples like fried chicken and wa ffles, shrimp and grits, po’boys, gumbo and beignets. Opt for the spicy syrup or homemade hot sauce to get that Cajun kick. Cash only. 57 Broadway Blvd, 415.457.9866
b $$ S BL BR
assortment of beers. Menu items include pizzas, sandwiches, and snacks like citrus marinated olives or house-made pickles. Beers on tap are almost all exclusively local favorites. 2020 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.721.7644, splitrock tapandwheel.com b $$ LD
THE LODGE American
From the owners of S.F.’s Big Swingin’ Cycles comes this rider-friendly stop along Fairfax’s main drag. With a menu designed to power you up, The Lodge features all-American eats like a breakfast burrito stu ffed with eggs, spinach and salsa; share plates like a sausage board served with Lodge tots and slaw; and pour-over coffee and draft beer for riders and hikers alike. 1573 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Fairfax, 415.991.5625, thelodgefairfax.com b $$ BLD
Flights of exclusive picks from small-scale California vineyards bring wine country closer to Marin. Happy hour Tuesday through Friday 4 to 6 p.m. 295 Magnolia Ave, 415.898.6778, back stagewines.com b $$ º
DON ANTONIO Italian Antonio Volpicelli, of Don Antonio in Tiburon, has opened a second location in Larkspur. Choose from standbys like gorgonzola gnocchi, veal parmesan and carbonara and an extensive wine list, all served either inside or out on the spacious patio. 455 Magnolia Ave, 415.924.3332, don antoniomarin.com b $$ Í LD
stu ffed with local meats, vegetables and artisanal cheeses. 25 Ward St, 415.891.8577, farmhouselocal.com b $$ S Í BL
GIA RISTORANTE
Italian Italian Fabrizio Laudati, former owner of San Francisco’s Bella Trattoria and Panta Rei, has brought his Italian style to Marin. With cochef Stefano Guasco, he offers a menu of simple, authentic dishes with a modern twist from central Italy’s Lazio region. 286 Magnolia Ave, 415.891.3979, giarestaurant.net b $$ Í LD
MAS MASA Mexican Chef and owner Patrick Sheehy focuses on the ancient technique of corn nixtamalization, using organic, non-GMO blue corn to make its handmade tortillas. The beer and wine lists highlight local California microbreweries and wineries. 31 Bolinas Road, 415.529.5444, eatmasmasa.com s $$ S Í LD
SPLIT ROCK TAP & WHEEL American The former Fairfax Cyclery space, which had been operating as just a bike shop, has been recon figured and now also serves food and an
VILLAGE SAKE Japanese Lucky for Fairfax, beloved former Sushi Ran chef Scott Whitman has opened an izakaya, a Japanesestyle community pub, on Bolinas Road. In the compact space, you’ll fi nd sushi and skewers, salads and small plates, plus great sake and craft beers. The daily wait list opens online at 5 p.m. 19 Bolinas Road, 415.521.5790, villagesake.com b $$$ Í D
BACKSTAGE California Nestled in downtown Larkspur, Backstage is a comfortable, sociable setting for wine tasting and light appetizers.
EL HUARACHE LOCO Mexican The menu has gained quite a following for the authentic Mexico City dishes. From mini huaraches (fi lled corn masa cakes) to the foot-long huarache with two salsas, crema, queso fresco and two toppings of your choice, you’re sure to get a true taste of a homemade Mexican meal. Marin Country Mart, 1803 Larkspur Landing Circle, 415.925.1403, huaracheloco.com b $ S Í BLD
FARM HOUSE LOCAL California This downtown Larkspur gem is sure to please with simple, healthy food in a warm, cozy atmosphere, both indoors and on the covered patio. The seasonal menu, inspired by American classics, includes biscuits and gravy; a “BLAT” (with avocado) sandwich; and a daily flu ff y omelet
HOG ISLAND OYSTER CO. Seafood The fullservice Marin Country Mart location features a full bar with seasonal cocktails, beer and wine and the same bayto-bar philosophy as the Tomales Bay original. Oysters, raw and grilled are a must, then check the day’s menu to see what was most recently pulled from Marin’s waters before deciding what to eat. 2401 Larkspur Landing Circle, 628.253.5905. hogislandoysters.com s $$ LD
MARIN BREWING CO. American Grab a cold beer made on site and pair it wit h fi sh ’n’ chips — in this case fresh cod dipped in Mt. Tam pale ale batter, served with steak fries and homemade tartar sauce — or anything from the all-American menu. Marin Country Mart, 1809 Larkspur Landing Circle, 415.461.4677, marinbrewing.com b $$ S Í LD º
PERRY’S American Perry’s on Magnolia has the quintesssentially American fare, bustling
Perry’s Club at Perry’s Larkspur
bar and warm personality the San Fancisco original has always been famous for. Along with three separate dining rooms in a historic building, there’ss outdoor dining on the patio and in the redwood grove. Lunch and dinner daily, brunch on weekends and holidays; valet parking in the evenings. 234 Magnolia Ave, 415.927.1877, perryssf.com
s $$$ Í LD BR º
PICCO California
Popular since its inception, Picco has a seasonally driven menu featuring items such as risotto (made every half hour) that keep attracting return visits. 320 Magnolia Ave, 415.924.0300, restaurantpicco.com
s $$$ S Í C D
PIZZERIA PICCO
Pizza This upscale parlor offers Californiain fluenced Neapolitan pizzas, cooked in a wood-burning pizza oven. Fresh mozzarella is pulled in-house and the menu also features organic salads, a daily soup and Straus Dairy soft-serve ice cream.
316 Magnolia Ave, 415.945.8900, pizzeriapicco.com
b $$ S Í LD º
R’NOH THAI Thai This cozy place by the Corte Madera Creek has a reputation for clean and tasty dishes. From curries and Thai barbecue to noodle dishes and the classic tom ka (coconut lemongrass soup), R’Noh is bound to satisfy your Thai cravings. For an indulgent treat, try the fried sweet potato appetizer.
1000 Magnolia Ave, 415.925.0599, rnohthai.com
b $$ S Í LD
ROMA SF Italian Ovalshaped pizza, fried rice balls, burrata with artichoke hearts, and pasta with fresh pear and Gorgonzola are just a few of the dishes that reflect the regional Roman ingredients and style of this sister restaurant to the San Francisco original. In Marin, look for fresh seafood pastas on the day’s specials menu, too. 286 Magnolia Ave, 415.896.4002, romasf.com
b $$ LD
WISE SONS American
The popular Jewish deli Wise Sons has opened its fourth outpost at the Marin Country Mart. The grab-and-go Larkspur bagel shop includes classic favorites like hot pastrami, matzo ball soup and lots of homemade schmear.
Marin Country Mart, 2227 Larkspur Landing Circle, 415.878.3354, wisesonsdeli.com
$$ BL BR
BOOTJACK WOOD FIRED California
Re-branded to more accurately reflect the expanded, ingredientdriven menu from chef Kyle Swain, the former Pizza Molina still serves its renowned pizza s fi red in the old Alan Scott oven. A fresh menu of salads such as a red beet salad and a kidfriendly white cheddar mac ’n’ cheese are now available alongside wood-fi red meats like a half-chicken or pork ribs. 17 Madrona St, 415.383.4200, pizzamolina.com b $$ S B
BUCKEYE ROADHOUSE American Oysters Bingo, baby back ribs and ChiliLime “Brick” Chicken are a few of the satisfying comfort-food menu items that have made this classic roadhouse a favorite since the ’30s. The warm dark-wood bar with red leather booths is a popular spot for cocktails, conversa tions or a light meal. 15 Shoreline Highway, 415.331.2600, buck eyeroadhouse.com s $$ C LD BR
CAFE DEL SOUL
California Healthy options become addictive at this eatery that now has locations in both Tam Valley and San Rafael. Once you stop in for the deliciously fresh quinoa wrap, you’ll want to return to try the chipotle rice bowl. A casual lunch spot and great for takeout, Cafe del Soul also serves smoothies and pressed juices. 247 Shoreline Highway, 415.388.1852, cafedelsoul.net $ S Í LD
DIPSEA CAFE American
A longtime breakfast favorite, the Dipea has been serving up tasty pancakes and egg dishes with homemade bis cuits since 1986. Lunch specialties include BLTs, tuna melts and generous Cobb salads. 200 Shoreline Highway, 415.381.0298, dipseacafe.com b $$ S Í BLD
FLOODWATER
California Sip “The Obligatory Vodka Drink” at the roomlength bar while you nosh on scallop crudo or dive into a housemade veggie burger in the TV-free front room. Up the coziness factor
in the back room as you tuck into a margherita pizza cooked in the wood-fi red oven at this spacious Tam Valley tavern. 152 Shoreline Hwy, 415.843.4545, floodwatermv.com s $$ S Í C D BR
GRAVITY TAVERN American Updated with ingredients to reflect modern tastes, American classics like grilled chicken Waldorf salad with pickled grapes, lobster roll with toasted challah and veggie slaw, and a land and sea pasta with house made egg pasta, pork belly and crab may have also been familiar fare for passengers of the gravity car for which this saloon was named. 38 Miller Ave, 415.888.2108, gravity tavern.com s $$$ Í LD
HARMONY Chinese
Enjoy a lighter take on Chinese at this restaurant, nestled in Strawberry Village. The barbecue pork bun is fi lled with house-made roasted meat in a savory sauce, and signature prawns are wok seared with scallions. Pair your pick with wine, beer or tea and be sure to check out the weekday takeout lunch special. 401 Strawberry Village, 415.381.5300, harmonyrestaurant group.com b $$ S LD
Seafood The indoor, wood-ceilinged din ing room feels like a boat’s galley and the spot’s outdoor beer garden adjacent to Mill Valley’s Proof Lab has 13 taps, but the draw at this counter-service joint is the seafood. The transparent supply chain means you
can enjoy the poke, fi sh and chips or fi sh tacos secure in the knowledge of exactly where and on what boat your meal came from. 254 Shoreline Highway, hookfihco.com b $$ S Í D
Mexican Joe’s serves up fi sh tacos, burritos and enchiladas as well as more unusual items like Mexican pizza, tofu tostada and crab tostadas. A colorful interior and quick service make this a fun, easy stop. If there are too many unsupervised kids for a peaceful meal, takeout is easy too. If you stay, grab a selection of hot sauce bottles from the wall and fi nd your perfect match. 382 Miller Ave, 415.383. 8164, joestacolounge.com b $$ S Í BLD
LA GINESTRA Italian A favorite family place for over 30 years; getting a table or booth can take awhile. While this oldschool eatery is known for traditional pastas, veal dishes, pizzas and dry martinis, the familiar waitstaffis also part of the attraction. 127 Throckmorton Ave, 415.388.0224, laginestramv.com s $$ S D
Mexican A blend of the Spanish words for “party” and “enjoy” inspired the name “Parranga,” and Mill Valley’s Parranga does just that as a gathering spot for a ffordable south-of-the-border bites and beverages in the heart of Strawberry Village. The eat-in or takeout menu offers standouts such as rotisserie chicken and an extensive taco
selection, along with made-to-order tortillas, ceviche and churros, washed down with whole-fruit juices, aqua frescas, Mexican craft beer or a margarita. Strawberry Village, 800 Redwood Hwy, Ste 801, 415.569.5009, parranga.com
b $$ S Í LD º
PIATTI RISTORANTE
AND BAR Italian The staff rides itself on capturing the warm and welcoming atmosphere of a traditional Italian trattoria. Get a table by the window or on the outdoor deck for a truly exceptional view right on the water. Peruse the impressive selection of Italian wines to accompany your rustic seasonal meal. 625 Redwood Highway, 415.380.2525, piatti.com
s $$ S Í C LD BR
PIZZA ANTICA Italian
Besides its popular thin-crust pizzas, this Strawberry Village restaurant serves seasonal dishes like Tuscan fried chicken with spicy honey, burrata with crushed sweet peas and toasted focaccia, and ricotta gnocchi with sun-dried tomato cream. 800 Redwood Highway, 415.383.0600, pizzaantica.com
b $$ S LD BR º
PRABH INDIAN KITCHEN Indian Owned and operated by the Dhindsa family, this restaurant emphasizes healthy, organic,sustainable eating in choices like chicken pakora, vegetable biryani and basil garlic naan foods, with options for the vegan and gluten-free. At lunch, the thali menu lets you try several Indian dishes at once.
24 Sunnyside Ave, 415.384.8241, prabhindian kitchen.com
b $$ S Í LD
ROBATA GRILL AND SUSHI Japanese Robata translates as “by the fi reside”; fittingly, food here can be cooked on an open fi re and served in appetizer-size portions to pass around the table. Or simply order your own sushi or entree from the menu. 591 Redwood Highway, 415.381.8400, robatagrill.com
b $$ S LD
This Marin favorite has opened in Mill Valley, still serving up everyone’s favorite Puerto Rican cuisine. The line can get long, but the food is well worth it. 401 Miller Ave, 415.380.1986, solfood restaurant.com
$$ S BLD
American Located at the entrance of Sweetwater Music Hall, the cafe is dedicated to the FLOSS philosophy: Fresh, Local, Organic, Seasonal and Sustainable. O ffering breakfast, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch, the menu includes brown-butter scrambled eggs on avocado toast, crispy potatoricotta gnocchi and vegan Thai spring rolls with sweet-and-sour sauce. 19 Corte Madera Ave, 415.388.3850, sweetwater musichall.com
s $$ S Í BLD BR º
American This daytime eatery in Strawberry Village serves all-day breakfast and lunch with plenty of egg
options to choose from and Equator coffee to boot. Lunch options include soups, sand wiches and salads. 125
Strawberry Village, 415.380.1900, whisk andskillet.com
b $$ BL
THEP LELA Thai This jewel is tucked away in the back of Strawberry Village. Diners come for the tasty kee mao noodles, pad thai, fresh rolls and extensive bar menu. It’s also a great place for lunch. 615 Strawberry Village, 415.383.3444, theplela.com s $$ S Í LD
VASCO Italian Whether at a table, the bar or the back counter, you can expect an intimate dining experience in this one-room trattoria. Try one of the pasta dishes or thin-crust wood-fi red pizzas. 106 Throckmorton Ave, 415.381.3343, vasco millvalley.com s $$ S D
WEST COAST WINE CHEESE California
Focused on small production winemakers, the wine menu features a bottle list with over 300 selections, wines by the glass that change weekly as well as California, Oregon and Washington beers on draft and by the bottle. A rotating cheese and charcuterie menu, served with bread from San Francisco’s Jane Bakery, is also offered.
31 Sunnyside Ave, 415.758.3408, westcoastsf.com b $$ D
BESO BISTRO AND WINE BAR California
This Hamiton Field
bistro highlights locally sourced organic produce, fresh sustainable seafood, and pastureraised and free-range meat. Wine lovers can embrace their inner Dionysus — Beso offers more than 20 selections by the glass and more than 50 by the bottle. 502 S Palm Drive, besobistro.com
b $$ Í LD
BOCA PIZZERIA Italian
Enjoy authentic pizza prepared with fresh mozzarella made in house and tomatoes imported from Italy, or go for a grilled rosemary chicken sandwich or the braised beef short rib pappardelle. Weekly specials include half off all wines by the bottle on Wednesdays and half off raft beers on Thursdays. 454 Ignacio Blvd, 415.883.2302, bocapizzeria.com
b $$ S Í C LD
beers on tap, you can go beyond traditional pub grub with treats like a deconstructed salmon salad. 504 Alameda del Prado, 415.883.7793, the speakeasynovato.com s $$ LD BR º
ROSS TONY TUTTO’S Pizza
After nine years in Mill Valley, owner Greg DiGiovine relocated to Ross, bringing his familiar pies and kidand dog-friendly vibe to downtown. The vegan pies are still here and a gluten-free crust is now available. 16 Ross Common, 415.383.8646, tonytuttopizza.com b $$ S LD
BAAN THAI CUISINE
415.454.9840, comfortscafe.com b $$ S Í BL BR
CREEKSIDE PIZZA & TAP ROOM American Under the direc tion of chef Janet Abrahamson, Creekside serves American-style artisan pizza (vegan and gluten-free options available) and organic salads, along with an extensive selection of craft beer on tap and Northern California wines. There’s a daily happy hour, a big-screen TV and a banquet room available by reservation. 638 San Anselmo Ave, 415.785.4450, creeksidesa.com b $$ S C D º
and charcuterie board or black tru ffle potato chips while sipping in the lounge, at the bar or one of the indoor/ outdoor tables. 906 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, San Anselmo, 415.521.5500, jillieswine.com b $$ Í LD
CHIANTI CUCINA
Italian This cozy eatery offers an array of Italian and American dishes, including a long list of pastas; try the housemade ravioli cooked up by chef Edgar DeLon. 7416 Redwood Highway, 415.878.0314, chianti novato.com
b $$$ S Í D º
GRAZIE American
Dark, wood-paneled walls and wide windows frame a wide room and sun-splashed terrace where an Italian-American menu of pasta, panini and sandwiches have allday appeal. Locals love the brunch menu and its blue corn blueberry pancakes and mascar pone-stu ffed French toast. 823 Grant Ave, 415.897.5181, grazierestaurant.com s $$ S Í BLD BR
HOPMONK TAVERN
American The beer garden–style outdoor patio and live music
keep fans coming back to this Novato brewhouse. Weekly events include country line dancing and open mic nights with an ample selection of beers on tap. 224 Vintage Way, 415.892.6200, hopmonk.com
s $$ S Í C LD
MARVIN’S RESTAURANT
American This place, known for “Best Breakfast in Novato,” also serves up generous portions for lunch. The corned beef hash, Benedicts and superb service draw a consistent crowd yearround. 1112 Grant Ave, 415.892.4482
$ S Í BL
American There’s nothing like the comfort of a solid burger and beer when you’re kicking back and watching the game, and the Speakeasy provides. In addition to the 10
Thai Known for its mango sticky rice, this restaurant is committed to serving fresh, local and seasonal food. Warm up with the tom kha soup or stave off he heat with a lychee iced tea. 726 San Anselmo Ave, 415.457.9470, baanthaimarin.com b $$ LD
COMFORTS CAFE
American Established in 1986, Comforts has a cozy sit-down patio and serves breakfast, lunch and weekend brunch. A large takeout section offers fresh bakery items, seasonal salads, soups, sandwiches and even entrees for dinner at home. Besides the famous Chinese chicken salad, other winners are the stu ffed pecan-crusted French toast , fl avorful scrambles, Chicken Okasan (nicknamed “Crack Chicken” by fans) and wonton soup. 335 San Anselmo Ave,
CUCINA SA Italian Cucina SA recently ren ovated and expanded its space to include a full bar that seats 30 with an upstairs mezzanine area that will eventually become a lounge. Along with two dining rooms, a private dining option and outdoor tables on the adjacent bridge, the restaurant is a solid bet for casual after-work drinks or hosting large parties. The menu has woodfi red pizzas, homemade pastas, modern takes on Italian classics and lots of vegetarian, gluten-free options and now a full bar. 510 San Anselmo Ave, 415.454.2942, cucina-sa.com s $$ S Í LD º
JILLIE’S WINE BAR
Californian A rotating list of more than 20 globally-sourced and Californian wines and a few beers are on tap at owner Jill CordovaHolt’s eponymously named bar and retail shop in the Red Hill Shopping Center. Savor small bites like a cheese
MADCAP California Chef Ron Siegel has opened his fi rst solo venture in a contemporary art-fi lled space with an urban edge. The vegetable-centric menu incorporates seafood and local ingredients, fusing California and Japanese cuisines in colorful dishes that are bold, balanced and bright. 198 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.453.9898, madcapmarin.com
b $$$ D
PIZZALINA Italian
Along with handmade pizzas baked in a wood oven, you’l l fi nd classic shrimp risotto and a caprese salad with mozzarella di bufala. Menus change daily according to seasonal markets but always include salads, antipastos, house-made pastas and main dishes. Outdoor dining available. 914 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.256.9780, pizzalina.com b $$ S Í LD º
Taco Jane’s full bar features a robust tequila and mezcal selection. Its regional Mexican cuisine includes Oaxacan mole, fi sh tacos and vegetarian options. Black Gold salsa arrives with complimentary chips and is created using charred blackened tomatoes and roasted chilis. Live music Thursdays, enclosed patio seating all year round, weekday
Al Pastor Tacos at Mas Masa, Fairfax
happy hour 4:30 to 6 p.m. 21 Tamalpais Ave, 415.454.6562, tacojanes.com
s $$ S Í LD BR
The delicious burgers and fries, like the #1 Hub Burger with white cheddar and special sauce, and seasonal focus at the former Farm Burger in the Red Hill Shopping Center haven’t changed, but the addition of an array of big salads like Thai spinach and keto cobb necessitated a rebrand ing. The chicken burger with sriracha-chile mayo is a new fave. 882 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.785.4802, hubsananselmo.com
b $$ Í LD
VALENTI & CO. Italian
This bright and cozy
space is the ideal environment for authentic Italian dishes made with local ingredients. A seat at the chef’s table gives a prime view of the open kitchen. 337 San Anselmo Ave, 415.454.7800, valentico.com
b $$$ D
TWO BIRD CAFE
California This roadside cafe has it all, including fresh fi sh and goodies from the garden. These guys were doing local and sustainable before it was cool. Enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner and live music. 625 San Geronimo Valley Drive, 415.488.0105, twobirdcafe.com
b $$$ Í BLD
AMICI’S EAST COAST
PIZZERIA California A wide array of thin-crust pizzas, freshly made pastas and salads are the ticket here, along wit h fl ame-roasted lemon chicken wings, for dine-in, takeout and delivery. Gluten-free pizza crust is available. 1242 Fourth St, 415.455.9777, amicis.com
b $$ S Í LD º
BOGIE’S TOO American
Relocated from the Civic Center to downtown San Rafael after 29 years, this second coming of Bogie’s highlights breakfast, brunch and lunch. Free range, organic eggs anchor a breakfast and lunch menu of omelets,
sandwiches and salads that Humphrey Bogart himself might recognize. 1335 Fourth St, 415.492.1530, bogies too.com b $$ S BL BR
Brazilian Brazilian street eats and the country’s famed pao de quejo are on offer at this catering and baking hub and take-out shop in San Rafael’s Canal neighborhood. Naturally gluten-free cheesy bread and tapioca crepes pair well with Brazil’s native acai bowls, coffee and desserts or build your own sandwich with linguica or roasted eggplant. brazilianbreads.com s $$$ S LD
Caribbean Jerk chicken
with just the right amount of heat is a menu highlight at this brick-and-mortar San Rafael extension of chef-owner Frantz Felix’s food truck of the same name. Go for the Caribbean sangria and Haitian specialties like griot or goat curry and African American–inspired versions of creole snapper and seafood gumbo. 819 Fourth St, 415.299.2680, carribeanspicesdba.net b $$ BLD BR
The large selection of innovative and classic Tuscan dishes and house-made pasta has kept locals coming back for years. Ingredients are organic and locally sourced where possible, and there’s a vast selection of both Italian and
California wines by the glass. A private party dining room accommo dates up to 45. 901 A St, 415.454.8080, ildavide.net s $$$ S Í C LD
American The menu changes weekly to reflect the seasons so today’s panko crusted crab cake with potato salad and coleslaw will give way to tomorrow’s bacon and tomato mac ’n’ cheese with Caesar salad at this spot near the San Rafael Transit Center. Daily soup and sandwich choices and the hamburger are also available. 930 Tamalpais Ave, San Rafael, 415.456.9062. whistlestop.org/ nutrition/jackson-cafe $ S L
Here’s a word for you: pizzaiolo (pizza yolo). Casually defi ned as anyone who makes pizza, a pizzaiolo can also be formally trained by spending nine days at the Associazione Verace P izza Napoletana (AVPN) in Naples, Italy, learning the history, ingredients and proper preparation of southern Italy’s most famous culinary treat. The AVPN’s dictates are precise, requiring any restaurant that refers to its pizza as “Neapolitan” to use only double zero (00) flour and San Marzano tomatoes and to cook the pie in a wood-burning oven, among other details. Marinites love and respect this type of pizza, but our region also makes room for every known permutation.
California-style pizza adheres to the “local is better” premise; toppings and crust ingredi ents are sourced from close by. Regional distinctions are honored, too: New York pizza is soft enough to easily eat when folded in half; Detroit style is thick and cut in rectangles; Chicago is deep-dish; roman style is oval shaped. Other versions swap out wheat-based crusts for bases made of cauli flower, cheese or broccoli, which suits followers of gluten-free, keto, paleo and Whole30 regimens. Gluten eschewers can also fi nd sorghum, fava bean or rice flour crusts with a chewiness similar to wheat’s. Here are a few Marin places widening the possibilities of the pie.
BY CHRISTINA MUELLER• Boca Pizzeria, Corte Madera and Novato BESTSELLER: Margherita A trained pizzaiolo with the AVPN, chef/ co-owner Sam Ramadan designs pies made with mozzarella prepared in-house daily, only organic San Marzano tomatoes and a Caputo double zero flour crust
made with dough that’s rested and proofed for 36 hours. The domed oven in Corte Madera can handle 14 pizzas at once. “My pizzaiolo is a badass and can keep up with the volume,” Ramadan says. That can mean a packed restaurant full of families ready to partake. 454
Ignacio Blvd, Novato and 1544 Redwood Highway, Corte Madera. bocapizzeria.com
• Bootjack Wood Fired, Mill Valley BESTSELLER Sausage Owner Ged Robertson has used the legendary built-in Alan Scott oven here from the moment he took over the building from Tartine’s Chad Robertson (no relation). “It really is perfect for bread,” Ged says. He and chef Kyle Swain developed a “completely unique, not Neapolitan, not New Haven, just this place’s pizza.” It’s got a thin crust made with an organic, specially produced flour blend from Petaluma’s Central Milling. 17 Madrona St, Mill Valley. bootjackwoodfired.com
• Cafe Reyes, Point Reyes BESTSELLER Farallon
Though there’s no oys ter pizza on this cozy restaurant’s tight menu of bivalves and pies, owner Robert Horvell’s brick oven is a hub of activity. Stoked with madrone and pepper wood and operating at a cool 900°F, it turns out Neapolitan-style pizzas in less than 90 seconds. “It’s all about the BTUs,” Horvell says. Margherita with handcrushed San Marzano tomatoes and Northern California mozzarella is a classic favorite (and one
of the versions AVPN graduates must learn), but the Farallon, with crimini mushrooms and wine-cured pepperoni, is equally popular.
11101 Highway One, Point Reyes Station. cafe-reyes.com
• Gaspare’s Pizzeria Ristorante, San Rafael
BESTSELLER Terra Linda Trojan
Native Sicilian Gaspare Indelicato started his eponymous Terra Linda restaurant in 1985. His son Daniel took over two years ago and now runs both the San Rafael and San Francisco locations. “We have a recipe from the 1950s and haven’t changed it,” Daniel says. “It’s the closest thing to New York style.” The dough is hand worked and tossed to make it nice and elastic; eight minutes in the Montague pizza oven are all that’s needed for a crust with a soft bite and enough firmness to hold the many toppings on the ever-popular Terra Linda Trojan with spinach, feta, and sau sage. 200 Merrydale Road, San Rafael. gasparespizzeria.com
• Pizzalina, San Anselmo
BESTSELLER Escalle
Though Louise Franz has worked in Bay Area restaurants since her stint in the ’80s at Jeremiah Tower’s
Bootjack Wood Fired BocaSanta Fe Bar & Grill, she, too, had to travel to Naples to earn her certification as a pizzaiolo AVPN. That achieved, she opened Pizzalina in San Anselmo’s Red Hill Shopping Center
in 2012. A convert to the Neapolitan style, Franz ferments the dough for a few days so the glutens in it will be easier to digest. “It also makes the dough stretchier,” she says.
Cooked in an imported Mugnaini pizza oven at 710°F (“my dough’s sweet spot,” Franz says), the pizza is ready in under 90 seconds. 914 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, San Anselmo. pizzalina.com
• Servino Ristorante, Tiburon BESTSELLER Funghi Dictates of the AVPN aside, the endur ing popularity of margherita pizza has a simple explanation.
“The Italians figured out that the acidity of the San Marzano tomatoes
cuts the fat from the cheese and balances the herbaceousness of basil,” says Natale Servino, part of the second generation to run Servino on the Tiburon waterfront. Californian in style, the pizzas here reflect the dish’s roots in southern Italy — Caputo double zero flour and imported San Marzano sauce are practically obligatory. Funghi pizza with cri mini and baby shiitake mushrooms spends a brief moment in the almond-wood-stoked fire before it is dressed
with thyme and truffle oil. 9 Main St, Tiburon. servino.com
• Tony Tutto, Ross BESTSELLER Peter, Paul and Pesto
When chef-owner Tony Tutto moved his piz zeria from Mill Valley to Ross in 2018, he took along his beloved Marsal oven. “There are no hot spots, you don’t have to move the pizza while it’s baking and it comes out perfect for the California-Italianstyle pizza that I like,” he says. Many of his
customers followed him here for his farmersmarket-inspired pizzas, especially the Peter, Paul and Pesto pie. Tutto says he uses all organic ingredients, except for cheeses, and half the menu is vegan: “the menu is really a reflection of what I like and who I am.” A recent offering was topped with stinging nettles, leeks, spring onions, smoked moz zarella and herbs. 16 Ross Common, Ross. tonytuttopizza.com
PizzalinaRISTORANTE & BAR
Italian Family owned and operated since 1985, La Toscana has completed an extensive interior and exterior renovation, transform ing an already popular San Rafael gathering spot into a place for any occasion. The menu features classics like gnocchi and carbonara and an ample selection of wine. 3751 Redwood Highway, 415.492.9100, ristorante latoscana.com s $$$ S Í C LD º
French This familystyle place features dishes inspired by the Basque regions of France and Spain, like frog legs in a garlic butter and lemon sauce, a veal calf liver sauté and sweetbreads with port wine sauce and mushrooms. On a warm night, enjoy alfresco dining on the patio. 405 North San Pedro Road,
415.479.1070, chaletbasque.com s $$$ S Í C LD
LOS MOLES Mexican Nestled centrally on Lincoln Avenue, Los Moles offers traditional pueblo Mexican cuisine, with — you guessed it — a variety of di fferent moles to enhance your dish. O ffering brunch, lunch, dinner and party options, Los Moles’ menu includes enmo ladas, tacos, pollo al horno, carne asada , fl an and much more. Don’t miss Taco Tuesday night for all-you-caneat tacos. 912 Lincoln Ave, 415.453.5850, losmoles.com s $$ LD BR º
MAGNOLIA PARK KITCHEN American This American bistro features lots of farm-fresh salads and sandwiches to choose from. The outdoor patio is well suited to sipping a glass of wine or enjoying a signature
fried chicken bomb sandwich. 1016 Court St, 415.521.5591, magnolia parkkitchen.com b $$ Í C BL
American The bread is made on site and is said to have magical qualities. It better as it is the only holder for the overstu ffed wonders served at this Best of the County winner. Fans return over and over to the San Rafael and Novato locations for their faves, ordered by number, then swoon over the huge sandos piled with meat, cheese and enough shredded lettuce to ooze out the sides and onto your lap,. 999 Andersen Drive, Ste. 165, 415.485.0964, michaelssourdough sanrafael.com $$ S Í BL
MULBERRY STREET
PIZZERIA Italian Chef Ted Rowe won fi rst place in the Food
Network Television Pizza Challenge with his For the Love of Mushroom pizza —sautéed mushrooms in a creamy garlic sauce and a red wine reduction atop a fresh crust. Be sure to try other unique pies, like the spicy Three Beer pizza. 101 Smith Ranch Road, 415.472.7272, mulberry streetpizzasan rafael.com b $$ S LD
Californian The sunflower-bedecked tables hint at the Spanish and French flavors to come from the seasonally driven, locally sourced menu. Artichoke salad with grilled radicchio casts an eye to Italy while a diver scallop with red curry and Thai basil looks far beyond the Mediterranean. 901 B St, San Rafael, 415.870.9946, revel roostkitchen.com b $$ S LD
SAN RAFAEL JOE’S Italian A Marin institution famous for sophisticated yet casual Italian fare since 1947. The dining room, with a friendly atmosphere and seating for 240, is great for large parties, and the roast sirloin of beef and Fettuccine Joe’s are sure to please. 931 Fourth St, 415.456.2425, sanrafaeljoe.com s $$ S C LD º
SHANGRI-LA ORGANIC KITCHEN Indian/Himalayan The cute Nepalese dump lings known as momos come in vegetarian, vegan and sweet versions and spinach pakoras are just one of many gluten-free options on the menu. Other dishes, like a bento box with chicken or paneer tikka, New York–style pizzas, and Shangri-La veg thali, bridge the Indian diaspora. A small bar at the front of the slim space serves beer, wine and sake. 869 Fourth St, 415.459.3315, shangrila organickitchen.com b $$ LD
SOL FOOD Puerto Rican Fast becoming a Marin legend, Sol Food whips up traditional Puerto Rican dishes just like the ones owners Sol Hernandez grew up eating. Favorites include the bistec sandwich, mofongo and other fried plantain dishes, but anything tastes good with a dash of the signature hot sauce, also for sale by the bottle (as is the lemon-garlic salad dressing). 901 Lincoln Ave, 415.451.4765, sol foodrestaurant.com $$ S BLD
SUSHI TO DAI FOR Japanese Snagging a seat in this popular
Fourth Street spot can be a challenge, but patience is rewarded with tasty and fresh sashimi, unique sushi rolls and great prices. 816 Fourth St, 415.721.0392, sushi todaifor.net b $$ S LD
TAJ OF MARIN Indian Both North and South Indian cuisine are offered here, with lunch specials and dinners that include goat curry, spinach, lentils and tandoori. 909 Fourth St, 415.459.9555, tajof marin.com b $$ S LD
UCHIWA RAMEN Japanese When own ers Benson Yang and Kevin Fong decided to open Marin’s fi rst r a men shop in 2014, they weren’t sure what to expect. Three years later, Uchiwa remains loved by ramen enthusiasts for its rich broths, fresh noodles and wide assortment of appetizers. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options available. 821 B St, 415.991.3693, uchiwaramen.com b $$ LD
VIN ANTICO American Vin Antico, “where passion meets the plate,” serves seasonal marketinspired cuisine like stone-oven-baked fl atbreads, handmade pastas and organic salads, all innovatively prepared. The kitchen is open to the dining room and there’s a full bar with artisan cocktails. 881 Fourth St, 415.721.0600, vinantico.com s $$ S C LD º
VN NOODLE & GRILL Vietnamese Located in Montecito Plaza, the restaurant has a robust menu of
Beignets at Salito’s, Sausalitostandard Vietnamese fare, including a wide selection of rice plates, pho and of course, iced coffe. 421 Third St, 415.306.8299
$$ S C LD
YET WAH Chinese
Named for the founder’s wife (“Yet” refers to the moon, “Wah” to bright ness), this beloved mainstay has a traditional Chinese menu and daily dim sum. Expect live music in the Kung Fu Lounge. 1238 Fourth St, 415.460.9883, yetwahsanrafael.com
s $$ S Í LD
ARAWAN THAI Thai This Sausalito favorite serves up popular dishes like prawn arawan with
yellow curry as well as $10 lunch specials. 47 Caledonia St, 415.729.9395 b $$ LD
AURORA RISTORANTE & PIZZERIA Italian Novato’s Auror a fi nally has a counterpart in southern Marin. Traditional Italian food, a full bar and friendly service make it a great option for families, groups, dates and sports fans, who can keep up-to-date on the game via fl at-screen TV. 300 Valley St, 415.339.8930, aurora ristorantesausalito.com
b $$ S Í C LD
BARREL HOUSE TAVERN California Stop by Barrel House for great local food enhanced by fantastic bay and city views. The
relaxed urbane setting is a perfect match for the barrel-aged cocktails. 660 Bridgeway, 415.729.9593, barrel housetavern.com
s $$$ S Í LD º
BUMP BAR Seafood The Sausalito bar and cafe boasts an intimate 12 seats facing the kitchen and an array of sustainably sourced caviar and roe and a seafood-cen tric menu that makes the most of the sea’s briniest delight. Plates like binchotan grilled lobster with herbs or black cod topped with tru ffles round out the menu. 1403 Bridgeway, 415.332.0826, california caviar.com b $$$ D
COPITA Mexican Co-owner Joanne Weir, along with chef Daniel Tellez, presents fresh Mexican fare in the heart of downtown Sausalito. The ever-changing menu is 100 percent glutenfree, and the in-house tequila bar serves over 100 varieties and fantastic cocktails. Dine at the bar or on the outdoor patio for great people-watch ing. 739 Bridgeway, 415.331.7400, copita restaurant.com s $$ S Í LD BR
DAVEY JONES DELI American Stationed in the New Bait Shop Market, Davey Jones Deli offers houseroasted sandwich meats, healthy condi ments and local, organic vegetables; the deli
serves sandwiches, veggie-wiches, wraps and salads with vegetarian, vegan and meat-lover options. Because the sandwiches are so generous, this easy stop is great during a day of boating, biking, hiking, and general adventur ing around Marin. Gate 6 Road, 415.331.2282, daveyjonesdeli.com b $$ S Í L
F3/FAST FOOD FRANCAIS French Owned and operated by the owners of Le Garage, F3 serves brunch, lunch and dinner featuring “Frenchi fied” American comfort food. A rotating menu includes items like the Quack burger (duck con fit, black pepper chèvre, lettuce and red onion marmalade). Enjoy
with a side of Brussels sprout chips or pommes dauphines (tater tots). 39 Caledonia St, 415.887.9047, eatf3.com s $$ S Í LD BR
FISH Seafood The ulti mate place for freshly caught fare. Order the fi sh tacos, ceviche and a bottle of wine and take in the bay views on the open-air deck. 350 Harbor Drive, 415.331.3474, 331fish.com b $$$ S Í LD
This home-style family restaurant has been in Sausalito 20+ years and features favorites like lettuce cups, soft spring rolls and weekly specials. 3001 Bridgeway, 415.331.0390, kittisplace.com b $$ S Í LD
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LE GARAGE French The atmosphere is animated with light French music (à la Amélie), and the much-adored croquemonsieur is authentic. Indoor or outdoor seating. 85 Liberty Ship Way, 415.332.5625, legaragebistro sausalito.com
b $$$ S Í BLD BR
MURRAY CIRCLE American Cavallo Point’s acclaimed restaurant features local seasonal fare by executive chef Justin Everett, with pairings from an extensive wine list and tempting desserts. Stop by Farley Bar for cocktails with a view. 601 Murray Circle, 415.339.4750, cavallopoint.com
s $$$ S Í C BLD BR
OSTERIA DIVINO Italian Osteria Divino offers authentic Florentine cooking inspired by the fi nest local, organic, seasonal produce, meat and fi sh available, along with an extensive artisan pasta selection. Live music Tue-Sun. 37 Caledonia St, 415.331.9355, osteriadivino.com
b $$ S Í C BLD BR º
POGGIO Italian Executive chef Benjamin Balesteri creates Northern Italian fare using fresh and local ingredients. Private dining rooms above the restaurant can accommodate larger parties (10 to 150 guests). 777 Bridgeway, 415.332.7771, poggio tratoria.com
s $$$ S Í C BLD
SALITO’S CRAB HOUSE & PRIME RIB Seafood
Large decks overlooking the water, with an all-day menu, located in the historic Zack’s by the Bay old spot. Ability to accommodate large parties; parking on site. 1200 Bridgeway, 415.331.3226, salitos crabhouse.com
s $$$ S Í C LD º
SAYLOR’S RESTAURANT AND BAR Mexican Chef/ owner Sean Saylor uses fresh local ingredients and seafood to create a distinctively Cabo combination of California and Mexican cuisine. Choose from more than 200 varieties of tequilas that are even better when enjoyed in the private Cabo Wabo room, named for (and approved
by) Mill Valley’s own tequila master, Sammy Hagar. 2009 Bridgeway, 415.332.1512, saylors restaurantandbar.com s $$ S Í C LD º
SEAFOOD PEDDLER RESTAURANT AND FISH MARKET Seafood The fi sh is bought daily from loca l fi shers, who are also restaurant patrons. Recipes are adjusted to incorporate the freshest catch. 303 Johnson St, 415.332.1492, seafoodpeddler.com s $$$ S Í LD BR º
SUSHI RAN Japanese Sample innovative small plates just big enough to share before enjoying some of the best sushi the Bay Area has to offer; the prices don’t deter the herd of enthusiasts who line
up nightly to partake. Just stopping by? The wine, cocktail and sake lists keep even the pickiest bar fly satisfied. Reservations are required in the main room. 107 Caledonia St, 415.332.3620, sushiran.com s $$ Í LD
THAITANIC STREET FOOD Thai Sausalito gets a Thai spot from the owners of My Thai in San Rafael and Novato. The nauticalthemed restaurant offers Bangkok street favorites like sriracha wings, pad thai and barbecued meats. 1001 Bridgeway, 415.331.8007, thaitanic streetfood.com $$ S Í LD
THE TRIDENT Seafood Set in a turn-of-thecentury building constructed for the San Francisco Yacht Club, this waterfront restaurant is a shoein for date night. The restaurant, a famous 1970s hangout, is now known for supporting local farmers, fi shers and organic food producers. 558 Bridgeway, 415.331.3232, the tridentsausalito.com s $$$ S Í LD BR º
VITALITY BOWLS California Hydrating acai, graviola (a.k.a. soursop fruit) and other nutritional powerhouses are at the heart of this superfood cafe in Sausalito’s Gateway Center. Look for bowls and smoothies like The Hulk (powered by broccoli, naturally)
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Offer expires 12/5/19.
and an organic coffee bar with pour-over coffee, kombucha and drinks like a pitaya latte. 100 Donahue St, 415.729.9795, vitality bowls.com
$$ S BLD
CAFFE ACRI Italian The well-lit corner cafe in Tiburon is a go-to for bikers, city commut ers and locals. Diners wil l fi nd Italian roast espresso drinks, freshly baked pastries and eggs for breakfast and a selection of soups, salads and paninis for lunch. 1 Main St, 415.435.8515, caffeacri.com
b $$ Í BLD
LUNA BLU Italian Executive chef Renzo Azzarello serves Sicilian seafood and homemade pastas with a Californian touch. The seasonal menu incorporates fresh and organic produce, local naturally grown meat and poultry from small farms. The restaurant complies with Monterey
Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch, so all the seafood is sustainable. In 2014 diners voted Luna Blu one of the Top 100 Neighborhood Gem res taurants in America. 35 Main St, 415.789.5844, lunablurestaurant.com s $$ S Í LD
RUSTIC BAKERY
California This location of the beloved bakery offers the same menu as the other locations in Novato and Larkspur, as well as outdoor dining. Enjoy a wide array of fresh salads, sandwiches and pastries on the boardwalk. 1550 Tiburon Blvd, 415.797.6123, rustic bakery.com
b $$ S Í BLD BR
SAM’S ANCHOR CAFE
American Reopened after an extensive remodel, Sam’s boathouse feel and boat tie-ups are intact, and spi ff y white umbrellas and deck chairs line the waterfront patio. Allday cocktails remain a fi xture as does the signature cioppino, while offerings like crab toast, a roaming oyster cart
and a raw bar reflect the menu’s enduring sea food focus. 27 Main St, 415.435.4527, sams cafe.com
s $$$ S Í C LD BR º
SERVINO RISTORANTE Italian Chef and owner Angelo Servino highlights organic ingredients in an array of rustic Italian dishes, includ ing house-made pastas, wood oven pizzas, and seasonal specialties. Located on the bay in Tiburon, Servino also prides itself on its extensive sustainable seafood program. Savor la dolce vita on the waterfront patio. 9 Main St, 415.435.2676, servino.com
s $$$ S Í C LD BR º
WAYPOINT PIZZA Pizza Family-friendly, with cooked-to-order gourmet pies, slices, fresh salads and, for sports fans, a largescreen TV. Order online for quick pickup or delivery. 15 Main St, 415.435.3440, waypointpizza.com b $$ S C LD BR
DILLON BEACH COASTAL KITCHEN California Inspired by Marin’s food shed, business partners Brooke Gray and Mike Goebel opened this ocean view restaurant as part of the forthcoming Dillon Beach Resort, west of Tomales. Seasonal eats like local black cod dip and golden beet salad give way to mains like a green chickpea falafel plate and a burger with Stemple Creek beef. 1 Beach Ave, Dillon Beach, 707.878.3030, dillon beachresort.com
b $$ S Í LD
DUE WEST AT OLEMA HOUSE California
The dark blue walls accented with recessed golden light give the refreshed restaurantcum-saloon at Olema House a modern feel. The menu, including a burger, linguini and clams, and a chopped salad, skews all day casual and speaks to the inn and restaurant’s crossroads locale. 10005 Hwy 1, Olema, 415.663.1264, olema house.com/dine s $$ S C LD
NICK’S COVE American
This coastal escape is now famous for barbecued local oysters, Dungeness crab mac ’n’ cheese and cocktails incorporating
homegrown ingredi ents. Large windows in the 120-seat restaurant provide picturesque views of Tomales Bay and Hog Island (Marshall). 23240 Highway 1, 415.663.1033, nickscove.com s $$$ S Í C LD BR
OSTERIA STELLINA
California Whether it’s a day of hiking or to celebrate an anniversary, Osteria Stellina suits any occasion. The menu is Italian-inspired and features local ingre dients. (Point Reyes). 11285 Highway 1, 415.663.9988, osteriastellina.com b $$ S LD
PIZZA ANTICA
800 Redwood Hwy,
Full bar Wine and beer Inexpensive (entrees $10 or less) Moderate (up to $20) Expensive ($20 and over) Kid-friendly
s b $ $$ $$$ S Í C BLD BR º
Outdoor seating Private party room Breakfast, lunch, dinner Brunch
Happy hour
These listings are not intended to be a full review of the business, rather a quick guide to some of the most popular restaurants in the county. For more restaurant listings, visit us online at marinmagazine.com/dine
Consistently rated “Best of Marin,” Comforts offers finecity and home-style food. Our menus change regularly to reflet what is fresh, local and in season. We offer breakfast, lunch and weekend brunch, in addition to take-out and catering services. Open 7 days a week.
COMFORTS
335 San Anselmo Ave, San Anselmo, CA 415.454.9840 comfortscafe.com
Pizza Antica combines the centuries-old traditions of Italian cooking with California’s freshest and finet ingredients, creating a unique style of pizzeria in a class of its own.
BRIDGET BROWN AND her photographer husband, Nick, understand the joys, frustrations, opportu nities and challenges faced by entrepreneurs and brands offering sustainably and ethically made prod ucts. The couple has deep and broad experience in these categories, getting their start by building and selling ubersuccessful Bella Bridesmaids (BB). Next they launched the luxe, vegan, cruelty-free, American-made handbag and accessory brand Filbert.
The Browns make their business deci sions just as they make their life choices — upholding strongly felt values and pur suing personal passions.
All of this means the Browns are ide ally suited to make meaningful impact with their recently launched third busi ness, Advisory Guild, which works with primarily female-owned brands looking for growth strategies or to solve problems.
“Advisory Guild is approachable business consulting for creative entre preneurs,” says Bridget, a petite sandy brunette with mesmerizing blue eyes, in an interview in our Sausalito o ffice. “We’re like an ondemand CEO or board. We’ve been through all the highs, lows and struggles.”
A sassy Southerner at heart, Bridget grew up and graduated from college and law school in Mississippi, then moved to San Francisco, where she met Nick, a Brit from North Yorkshire. They both come from entrepreneurial families: her mother owned a school supplies business; his family manufactures fire engines. In 2000, the couple founded BB in Cow Hollow.
“Basically, we sold cocktail dresses moonlighting as bridesmaids’ dresses,” Bridget declares with a big grin. “Our timing was perfect.” Before BB, no one offered such chic options. “After only a few months, we were receiving phone calls from brides all over the U.S.” They eventually expanded to 43 locations, then sold to a mother-daughter team in Chicago.
In and in 2016 they launched Filbert, at a price point well below Stella McCartney, the other main “luxe” vegan acces sories provider at the time.
Bridget candidly admits to Filbert’s challenges, includ ing di fficulty meeting a long list of beneficial social-impact criteria while using small-batch manufacturers in the USA. “There isn’t the same commitment to craftsmanship here as there is in Italy,” she says. “We’ve already tried 10 manufac turers.” But they aren’t giving up either. By the end of summer, the Browns hope to have launched a new, simpler line — made from U.S.-produced denim, canvas and organic cotton. “This will be more on trend with lifestyles now too.”
The Browns recently rejiggered their own home life: Now they spend more time in Tahoe, where Nick also works as a ski instructor, and commute fre quently back to their boat in Sausalito. With Bridget’s sisters and nieces grow ing up in Marin, they don’t want to miss dance recitals, birthdays and other extended-family moments. In this era of teleconferencing, they otherwise could grow their advi sory business and e-commerce retail site from wherever they chose.
Bridget observes that many female entrepreneurs di ffer from their male counterparts. “Female entrepreneurs crave community and connection — and they ask for help more.” Advisory Guild is designed to provide a safe and empower ing arena for that. Without advertising or even a company website, the company has already attracted clients from the wellness, bridal, conscious clothing and other productbased businesses.
All signs currently point to rapid growth for the advisory concept. But no matter what the future brings, Bridget and Nick are committed to navigating it by being as helpful as possible to others, using processes that make the world bet ter, and living life fully. m
The San Francisco Bay Area is many things, but synonymous with fashion it is not. While cities like New York, Miami and Los Angeles have distinct footholds in the apparel field, the design we’re more often affiliated with involves iPhones and other devices. But it makes sense that the Silicon Valley ethos of sustainability and streamlining would bleed into local clothing culture. In the Bay Area, e-commerce — especially in directto-consumer brands and the secondhand market — is what’s making a splash.
From Everlane, which makes apparel and shoes from recycled materials in ethical fac tories, to The RealReal, which sells luxury con signment online, here are some local clothing brands making a posi tive impact.
Now on their third business, this husband-and-wife team puts values first.Susan B. Noyes is the founder and chief visionary officer of Make It Better Media Group, as well as the founder of Make It Better Foundation’s Philanthropy Awards. A mother of six, former Sidley Austin labor lawyer and U.S. Congressional waide and passionate philanthropist, she has also served on many boards. • Allbirds Athleta Everlane Filbert • Hill City Rothy’s Stitch Fix thredUp The RealReal
BY
IN LATE 2017, artist Eric Zener was on the hunt for a new family abode. His initial instinct was to stay in Mill Valley, a community he and his kids had called home for more than 15 years. But after touring dozens of properties, he found none that resonated. So he expanded his search to Sausalito, near his studio.
The property that soon became home appeared on his radar serendipitously: “I was on my way to see another place in Sausalito and hap pened to see a sign for a different open house.”
The place needed work, but for Zener its pros far outweighed its cons. “I love that it was less than a block from Caledonia Street, but because it’s set back from the street, it feels private,” he says. Another benefit: “It has this amazing sunroom. At night you can look up and the stars are all around you; when it rains it’s like being in a car wash.” And the house is just a short stroll from his studio.
Zener closed on the property on New Year’s Eve of 2017, and while he had grand plans for
a redesign, he made only minor tweaks before moving in: “I raised the ceiling height in two of the kids’ rooms because they were really low.” The more ambitious projects took some time to map out. Priority one was opening up the floor plan. “The home is more than 100 years old and had been added on to by di fferent families at di fferent times, so it kind of developed this labyrinth feel to it,” he says. Fortunately, he has two buddies with serious construction skills and they were up to the challenge. Together the trio breathed new life into the space.
Besides removing several walls, they replaced a traditional staircase with a dra matic floating one and shrank the master bedroom to allow a proper powder room. “In the old layout, my guests would have to walk through the master bedroom to use the bathroom,” Zener notes. Other major changes included carving out a fourth bedroom from a workshop space and remodeling an existing bathroom.
For an artist, flat walls and proper art light ing are essential, and Zener made these integral to the design. “We replaced all the Sheetrock with level-five drywall so it’s super smooth.” Every window in the home was swapped out; some were even removed to create dramatic art walls, and a few small windows were added to capture peekaboo views of the bay.
With the interior complete, Zener rethought the outside. Down came the yellow siding; up went a new white stucco exterior, with cedar accents. A large-scale eave brings dappled light into the front entry area.
Living through all that construction might sound tough, but Zener embraced the chaos. “I loved being there for brainstorming when the team had to make changes on the fly,” he recalls. It did entail somewhat precarious conditions: “At one point we were relying on a ladder to access the home’s upper level.”
All told, the transformation took two years, but the family couldn’t be happier with their new digs and hometown. m
WHAT HE BOUGHT A three-bedroom, two bath “vintage-eclectic” turned four-bedroom, 2.5 bath modern
WHERE HE BOUGHT The Sausalito Flats neighborhood
SELLING AGENT Scott Kalmbach of Ahern + Kalmbach
LISTING AGENT Patti Cohn of Compass Real Estate
THE STATS Average cost per square foot for homes in the neighborhood: $1,000
Opener: The artist at home. Opposite: A light, bright dining area. This page, from top: At the top of the new staircase; at night you can see the stars through the glass; Eric Zener; Zener’s piece “No Matter Where it Starts. No Matter Where It Ends” anchors this space; small details that make a house a home.
KEN DARA KAREN FAIRTY
BEAT BOSSARTJENNIFER BOWMANCHRISTINE CHRISTIANSEN
BITSA FREEMANKAREN Z. HARDESTY
ERIC MCFARLAND
TROY LUCHESSI
TYLER
CHELSEA E. IALEGGIO
“
After 38 years in one home, I finally started to house hunt. I could not have done this without the expertise of Bowman Real Estate Group. I had a long list of criteria that Jennifer took and directed me to homes that fit what I was looking for. She is an excellent agent, with a reputation built on trust, integrity and professionalism. After I bought my new home, I knew she would sell my former home which she did in just two weeks! It was lucky for me and the buyer!”
— Onnie B.
1 Madrona, Belvedere
5 Bed | 5.5 Bath | $5,995,000 1madronaave.com
Gated and private, this peaceful sanctuary is located in the heart of Belvedere Island. The updated residence has a gracious living area, separate and spacious family room, an informal dining area along with an updated kitchen and a second eating area. Five en suite bedrooms with wonderful privacy in this luxurious estate. Meticulously manicured gardens, large level lawn, private patios, gazebo with spa, and a large sparkling pool make this the oasis you can call home.
Stacy
1864 Centro West, Tiburon
5 Bed | 3.5 Bath | $4,995,000
This custom crafted masterpiece has arguably the greatest location in allof Tiburon. With sweeping 180-degree views from almost every room,this home allows you to enjoy all the splendor of Mt Tam, Sausalito, the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco and Angel Island, all while still beingan easy walk into town. This beautifully built home boasts numerous large comfortable living spaces, 5 spacious bedrooms, 3 full bathrooms and 2 half baths, spacious decks as well as a generous level lawn, pool and spa. Whether for an evening of entertaining, a day of quality family time or a tranquil afternoon of taking in the spectacular views, 1864 Centro West offers it all!
Seasoned Realtor and Marin mom, this former urbanite helps families make the move across the bridge, expertly navigating niche neighborhoods, top schools and headache-free commutes with ease. A reputable resource and proven partner, there’s no better agent to help your family find their forever home. Bridge Loan Services
Here at ECH, we understand that the key to unlocking value for your home lies in the ability to showcase its beauty and then deliver a compelling storyline to the widest possible audience. Whether that essence shines brightly from the curb or is deeply embedded in the history of the property... find the EXCEPTIONALLY C OOL H OMES
Jon DiRienzo |
Joe Hosni |
Photo of Jerry Garcia’s studio door by Brian McCloud Photography
Integrity. Expertise. Exceptional results.
We know Marin inside and out. We’re longtime locals with 20 years of navigating the ever-changing real estate market. Our experience and masterful negotiating skills set us apart.
Plus, nearly half a billion in sales. First-class, above-and-beyond service. Boundless integrity. Candor when it counts. Genuine caring.
Ready to open new doors in Marin? Let’s talk.
See our newest listings. Available now.
262 Santa Rosa Avenue, Sausalito
3 Bed | 3 Bath | $1,295,000
Amazing price for this remodeled SFR with great water views close to
14-A Marie Street, Sausalito
2 Bed | 2.5 Bath | $1,498,000
Townhome with jaw-dropping, panoramic water views, and yard.
Nadine 01332210
Camara
26 Ross Rd, Sausalito
2 Bed | 1.5 Bath | $895,000 Mt. Tam
Artistic Rendering
Artistic Rendering
Artistic Rendering
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity awaits with your purchase of Valhalla, one of the San Francisco Bay Area’s most iconic residential/ mixed-use waterfront compounds. Located in the heart of old town Sausalito, offering world-class, panoramic views of the San Francisco skyline, Angel Island, Bay Bridge, Richardson Bay and beyond, Valhalla is available for the first time in nearly a decade. Asking $11,800,000. Valhalla is ready for final stages of development into a world-class, Riviera-style estate with over 11,000 square feet of living space across three independent residences; the main home, adjacent guest house, and a separate finished single family home. The main residence has approximately 4,000 square feet of terraces, including a massive view-side terrace adjacent the proposed master suite with captivating San Francisco Bay views, and an approximately 1,000 square foot covered veranda. One of the most anticipated properties to ever grace the Sausalito market, this opportune moment in history calls for the most discerning of buyers to re-imagine and custom-finish one of Marin’s most legendary properties into an unrivaled resort-style estate. Rendering 01159670
The Coastal Artillery Corps facility, built in 1905, now attracts resort visitors
IT HAPPENED TOWARD the end of the “Endicott Period,” between the end of America’s Civil War and the start of the Spanish-American War. In those 30 years Secretary of War (his title now would be Secretary of Defense) William C. Endicott maintained that “in order to stem desertion, boost morale and attract a better class of recruits,” military barracks should have running water and indoor toilets. One beneficiary was Fort Baker, an installation of the newly formed Coastal Artillery Corps that was being built on the southernmost tip of Marin County in Sausalito. The fort’s 335 acres would house soldiers in charge of heavy artillery at nearby concrete batteries named Yates, Spencer, Kirby and Hunter. Not only would the soldiers’ housing have indoor plumbing, but also such Colonial Revival elements as ornate columns, wraparound
Not only would the soldiers’ housing have indoor plumbing, but also wraparound porches and decorative windows.
BY JIM WOODporches and decorative windows. And they would be clustered around a massive main parade ground. Evidently, Endicott’s policy worked. Not only did Fort Baker thrive as a military post for nearly 100 years (National Park Service records state the last soldiers left Fort Baker in 2000), but most of its buildings are still standing, including the guardhouse and two-story structure in the above photograph. Of course, these buildings have since been completely renovated, restored and updated: today they’re Cavallo Point “the Lodge at the Golden Gate,” a world-class resort with gourmet restaurant, healing arts center and spa, cooking school and wedding venue, where guest room rates, including many in the former Colonial Revival barracks facing the manicured main parade ground, run from $400 to over $1,000 a night. m
For the 14th straight year, Tracy McLaughlin was named the single top producing agent in Marin County with $176,428,400 in sales for 2019 and over $2.5 billion worth of residential real estate sold to date. Tracy has consistently ranked in the top 75 agents in the United States per the Wall Street Journal Real Trends. Tracy’s pre-listing design and renovation services, a proven formula for a very high ROI based on years of first hand development experience, are an integral part of her continued success for maximizing her client’s proceeds on both the buy and sell sides. It is the subject of Tracy’s book coming out in April of 2020 called Real Estate Rescue. If you are considering buying or selling in 2020, please contact Tracy at 415.699.6680 or by email at Tracy@TracyMcLaughlin.com.
Tracy gives a percentage of every closing to Marin’s Center for Domestic Peace, which has provided safe housing for women and children in Marin County for the past 41 years. Tracy@TracyMclaughlin.com | 415.699.6680 01209397
