Marin Magazine February 2009

M A R I N

EXTRAORDINARY LIVING

purveyors of luxury goods since

Juliska, Match, Jan Barboglio, Arte Italica, Anichini

Dividing

letters

Readers respond to Marin Magazine.

at a glance

Hot tips day by day for the Bay Area.

currents

Bay Area news, books, openings, people and events.

snap

Out and about, in and around Marin.

life style

Marin’s Sylvia Kwan on personal style. by mimi towle

fyi

Romance: Love online. by somer flaherty

Home: Annual kitchen tour. by somer flaherty

Green: Marin House Cleaning LLC. by mimi towle

The Cover

Far Out by Bay Area artist Michael Cutlip currently showing at Donna Seager Gallery. For information call 415.454.4229 or go to donnaseagergallery.com.

42 64 68 70 78 94 122

conversation

Marin Superintendent of Schools Mary Jane Burke.

go

Five new destination spas in the West. by mandy behbehani

galleries

Tom Marioni at Crown Point Press. by anne crump ray

calendar

A roundup of performing arts, events, galleries and more.

flavor

Marin Magazine’s Organic Marin: recipes from local restaurants. Dine Out, an insider’s guide to Bay Area eateries.

microclimate

Greenbrae: Why the locals love it. by daniel jewett

dialogue

Longtime Bay Area broadcaster Ross McGowan. by mimi towle

view from mount tam

California’s antiquated constitution. by jim wood 16 20

The creators of Marin Magazine welcome you to share their vision.

pov

PHOTO

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EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Nikki Wood ext 105 | nwood@marinmagazine.com

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Jim Wood ext 106 | jwood@marinmagazine.com

SENIOR EDITOR Mimi Towle ext 101 | mtowle@marinmagazine.com

EDITOR-AT-LARGE Tim Porter tporter@marinmagazine.com

DEPARTMENTS EDITOR Somer Flaherty ext 103 | sflaherty@marinmagazine.com

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Daniel Jewett ext 116 | djewett@marinmagazine.com

COPY EDITOR/PROOFREADER Cynthia Rubin

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Mandy Behbehani, P. J. Bremier, Alissa Everett, Anne Crump Ray, Lili Weigert

ART

ART DIRECTOR Anne Walzer

PRODUCTION MANAGER Alex French ext 111 | production@marinmagazine.com

PRODUCTION ARTIST Stephen Spoja

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Drew Altizer, Alissa Everett Sheri Montgomery, Barbara Ries

ADMINISTRATION

CONTROLLER Maeve Walsh ext 104 | mwalsh@marinmagazine.com

OFFICE MANAGER Linda Reid ext 100 | lreid@marinmagazine.com

WEB

WEB EDITOR Daniel Jewett ext 116 | djewett@marinmagazine.com

Volume 5, Issue 2. Marin Magazine is published in Marin County by Marin Magazine LLC. All rights reserved. Copyright©2009. Reproduction of Marin Magazine content is prohibited without the expressed, written consent of Marin Magazine LLC. Unsolicited materials cannot be returned. Marin Magazine reserves the right to refuse to publish any advertisement deemed detrimental to the best interests of the community or that is in questionable taste. Marin Magazine is mailed monthly to homes and businesses in Marin County. Subscription rates are $12 per year. Marin Magazine, One Harbor Drive, Sausalito, CA 94965. Phone 415.332.4800, fax 415.332.3048, e-mail editorial@ marinmagazine.com, website marinmagazine.com.

AAA Travel invites you on a 9-day regal journey packed with centuries of history that will unfold before your eyes. Get ready to escape your every day and discover the wonderment that rests along the Danube River. Here, you’ll sail from one enchanting city to the next – including culturally rich Budapest, the charming village of Dürnstein and the lush vineyards of Wachau Valley. Departing from Passau, you’ll climb aboard the new River Beatrice where you’ll enjoy classical European cuisine with a twist of contemporary elegance, taste world-class wines, and choose from numerous onboard activities. Departures are available March–November 2009, so book your vacation today and get ready to have the time of your life.

ADVERTISING

PUBLISHER Lisa Shanower ext 107 | lshanower@marinmagazine.com

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Michele Geoffrion Johnson ext 110 | mjohnson@marinmagazine.com

ACCOUNT MANAGER Leah Bronson ext 109 | lbronson@marinmagazine.com

ACCOUNT MANAGER Stephanie Ericson ext 108 | sericson@marinmagazine.com

ADVERTISING ART DIRECTOR Alex French ext 111 | production@marinmagazine.com

REGIONAL SALES OFFICES

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

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SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

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NEW YORK

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SOUTHEAST tlc media | Cindy Taylor 404.459.6578

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destination marketing | Ashli Taguchi 808.739.2200

MARIN CUSTOM MEDIA

CONTACT: PUBLISHER Lisa Shanower ext 107 | lshanower@marinmagazine.com

AH, MARIN—THE LAND OF COVETED VIEWS of city and sea, comforting groves of redwood and oak and churlish neighbors ready to sue over one or both. In Think, Lili Weigert takes us through the forest of Marin County laws governing trees and all things arboreal, rules that change from city to city.

For a view that doesn’t involve lawyers, travel with photographer Alissa Everett in Journey, up Alaska’s Inland Passage in search of glaciers, bears and scenery worth risking your camera for. For those whose comfort zone doesn’t include an ursine experience of any kind, Mandy Behbehani provides a tempting guide to the best of the new spas in the West, from Sausalito to Santa Fe.

If you can’t decide between getting away and staying home—do both. In Home, P . J. Bremier entertains us with

the tale of Marin’s David Schwartz, whose life straddles the worlds of Belvedere and Puerto Vallarta. Andale!

Also in this issue, Somer Flaherty discovers local stories of love found online in FYI Romance; Conversation meets Mary Jane Burke, Marin’s Superintendent of Schools; Dialogue queries broadcaster Ross McGowan; and Microclimate ventures into the town of Greenbrae.

As always, our wish is for your good reading. Enjoy Marin Magazine , as we continue to celebrate this extraordinary place!

Lisa Shanower, Publisher Nikki Wood, Editorial Director Jim Wood, Executive Editor

eventWhite

LETTERS

Readers respond

❯❯ Absent musicians

Though I appreciated the informative Fourth Annual Wedding Resource Guide, one group was conspicuously absent: musicians and DJs who can provide the spirit of the wedding. As we all know, Marin has quite a lively and richly diverse history of musicians who have lived here for years.

Bill Quist, Stinson Beach (The first pianist with Windham Hill Recordings)

❯❯

Love for Marin Magazine

I love the magazine, it’s a fine piece of art that I get to read, literally devour every month. The editorial section is superb. Not even the Internet or my Blackberry could take the place of holding the magazine in my hands.

Kathleen Olmsted, via e-mail

❯❯

Keeping me current

I just wanted to let you know that I really appreciate all the Marin specific events you put in the calendar section. It makes it easy to plan my weekend with exciting gallery openings, dance shows, intriguing lectures and travel deals. The only thing that’s missing are more charity events. Keep up the good work keeping Marin informed!

John Gothard, via e-mail

Correction: On page 51 of the January issue the phone number for feng shui expert Nancy Bennett was not included. To reach Bennett contact her at 415.456.7989. Marin Magazine regrets the omission.

Letters to the editor may be edited for clarity and brevity. Send letters to Marin Magazine, One Harbor Drive, Suite 208, Sausalito, CA 94965. Or e-mail jwood@marinmagazine.com.

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California’s Antiquated Constitution

Constitutional Convention Summit slated for February 24

Ilove California. Yosemite; Death Valley; San Diego and San Francisco; Mount Whitney and Mount Shasta; Southern California’s beaches; Mendocino; and yes, West Marin—I love it all. I came to California when I was six, graduated from the University of California (Los Angeles branch) and can’t imagine living anywhere else.

My love and admiration, however, can no longer blind me to the reality that the state of California has become seriously dysfunctional. We are the only U.S. state that has yet to pass its annual budget (as has happened in 19 of the past 23 years!). Also, we fight over water rights, our schools are falling way behind, our infrastructure is deteriorating and our prisons are overflowing. If you haven’t noticed that the Golden State is tarnishing, you soon will. Your income tax rebate might arrive as an IOU.

The root problem, knowledgeable observers agree, is California’s 160-year-old constitution. This 110-page document hasn’t been completely revamped since 1879. Meanwhile, our gerrymandered legislative districts produce lawmakers from the extremes of both

parties, making passage of a budget all but impossible. Only two other states, Rhode Island and Arkansas, require a two-thirds legislative majority to pass their budgets.

The solution, most observers concur, is to convene a constitutional convention and completely rework, or rewrite, California’s governing document. For our Legislature to do this also requires a nearly impossible-to-attain twothirds majority, so don’t count on it.

There’s another way to approach this problem, however. The Bay Area Council, a 64-year-old progressive and highly successful (it championed BART and the Richmond–San Rafael Bridge) business organization whose members include Google, Yahoo, Marin’s AutoDesk and Fireman’s Fund, is proposing a citizen-convened California Constitutional Convention. A public summit to decide the topics and process for the consitutional convention scheduled for February 24, at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Sacramento.

The summit will be led by the council president Jim Wunderman and will center on four areas: realistic requirements for budget approval; election reform; the state vs. local government fiscal relationship; and ways of reducing the state’s entrenched bureaucracy. However, that doesn’t mean the death penalty and requiring executions be held only at San Quentin State Prison are off the table. According to one source: “The February 24 summit will determine just such issues.”

Organizations planning to attend include California’s League of Women Voters; Common Cause; Leon Panetta’s California Forward; plus numerous school districts and chambers of commerce. “I think it’s a great idea,” said Marin Assemblyman Jared Huffman recently. “Anything that makes the case for a more

BY JIM WOOD

governable state has my support.” In addition, Andrew Giacomini, a San Geronimo Valley resident, is a Bay Area Council board member and his law firm, the 160-attorney strong Hanson Bridgett, did pro bono legal work for a possible California Consitutional Convention.

Still, revising California’s constitution is no easy task. First, a majority of the state’s voters must agree on such matters as when and where a constitutional convention would convene; how delegates would be chosen; and what provisions will be up for revision. Optimistic planning says this could be on the ballot by the end of the year. Then, assuming the ballot measure passes, a convention could complete its work in three months, reliable sources say. This makes final approval a matter for a statewide election in November of 2010. Which is none too soon if you ask me.

Registration for the California Constitutional Convention Summit is $89 (including lunch) and available at repaircalifornia.org or by calling Melanie at 415.946.8725. The Marin Airporter is offering a Sacramento round trip for $35. These coaches will leave the Smith Ranch Road Park and Ride at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, February 24, and return by 4:30 p.m. (To make a credit card reservation call 415.256.8830.) Also, Friday Forums will discuss the summit at lunch on January 30 at Jason’s in Greenbrae. The speaker will be BAC VP and Marin resident John Grubb. ($35, e-mail friday.forums@yahoo.com for reservations.)

Rewriting California’s constitution is definitely a challenge—maybe a long shot. But an axiom in politics goes like this: “Nothing much happens until the status quo becomes more painful than change.” Our beloved California is in pain; change is needed. That’s my point of view. What’s yours?

E-mail jwood@marinmagazine.com.

EVENTS IN MARIN & BEYOND

THRU FEBRUARY 13

Boots, Bags and Bikinis

Mixed media by Carol Durham, Antonia “Tuppy” Lawson and Melissa Woodburn. Art Works Downtown (San Rafael). 415.451.8119, artworksdowntown.org

FEBRUARY 6

WildCare Gala 2009

Enjoy wine, hors d’oeuvres and a gourmet dinner in support of WildCare. Mill Valley Community Center (Mill Valley). 415.453.1000, wildcarebayarea.org

FEBRUARY 14

Valentine’s Day

Looking for a sweetheart?

Our article “At long last love... online,” page 35, offers a few online dating tips.

THRU MAY 31

Life of Luxury

Artistic Luxury: Fabergé, Tiffany, Lalique is the first comparative study of the work of three jewelry designers from the early 20th century. Legion of Honor (SF). 415.863.3330, legionofhonor.org

THRU JUNE 2

New Works/Old Story

80 Artists at the Passover Table offers a reexamination of the Passover plate by various artists. Contemporary Jewish Museum (SF). 415.655.7800, thecjm.org

FEBRUARY 7

Pilobolus

Dance and acrobatics combine to push the human body to its outermost limits. Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium (San Rafael). 415.499.6400, co.marin.ca.us

FEBRUARY 26

Jackie O!

The work of musical director Paul Smith is featured in the West Coast premiere of this 90-minute chamber opera. College of Marin Fine Arts Theatre (Kentfield). 415.485.9460

FEBRUARY 1

Super Bowl XLIII

Are you ready for some football?

Grab those snacks, drinks and a good seat on the couch as America’s favorite game comes to Tampa Bay.

FEBRUARY 22

Oscar Night America

The California Film Institute hosts the only official Oscar Night America party in the Bay Area. Smith Rafael Film Center (San Rafael). 415.454.1222, cafilm.org

FEBRUARY 28

Crab Fest

The fifth annual All You Can Eat Crab Fest benefits The Redwoods senior community. The Redwoods (Mill Valley). 415.383.1600, theredwoods.org

FEBRUARY

THRU APRIL 5

Style, Grace & Fame

Explore the designs that made Yves Saint Laurent famous at the only United States showing of this exhibit. deYoung (SF). 415.863.3330, thinker.org

FEBRUARY 24

Mardi Gras

“Fat Tuesday” marks the last day of Carnival celebrations. Hosting a party? Don’t forget the three main colors: green for faith, purple for justice and gold for power.

FEBRUARY 28

Corinne West and the Posse

Enjoy an evening of rowdy bluegrass music and fun. The Stairwell Sisters will kick off the evening. Lark Theater (Larkspur). 415.924.5111, murphyproductions.com

strolling through our array of delightful shops featuring fine home furnishings, gifts and entertainment items. Then relax at one of our patio café areas or enjoy a leisurely meal in one of our fine restaurants. Whatever your pleasure, you’re sure to find it at Town Center Corte Madera.

Crate & Barrel Opens Next Spring!

PAMPER YOURSELF

Did you know that Stellar Spa offers a gentleman’s black tie facial with microdermabrasion or Evo Spa features acupuncture and Chinese medicine or Shibuy Gardens has three private outdoor hot tubs?

We’ve updated our online spa guide to give you a peek at the delectable settings and pampering services local and international spa destinations offer. Whether you can sneak in an hour away for a massage or a week away for some serious retooling, this guide will help you choose the right spa. Check it out at marinmagazine.com/spaguide

Local Restaurant Happenings

On February 18th head to the Melting Pot in Larkspur for a Girl’s Night Out event with specially priced wine and cocktails and a set menu. A percentage of the proceeds supports the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The Melting Pot Larkspur, 415.461.6358, meltingpot.com

Also in February head to the Lark Creek Inn for the restaurant group’s annual Dungeness Crab Festival. The monthlong celebration sources everything in accordance with the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch guidelines, which monitors sustainable seafood.

Mike’s Bikes in Africa

Ken Martin and Matt Adams have brought their Marin-based Mike’s Bikes shop to Africa with the opening of the store’s first sister location in Gaborone, Botswana. The venture was made possible by hundreds of customers who donated used bikes over a three-month period.

TOYS WITH FEELINGS

When Marin mom Nina Rappaport-Rowan wanted to bring peace to her household and the local playground she created a line of plush pillows with words like happy, sad, silly or brave printed on one side and a corresponding facial expression on the other. They’re called Kimochis— which means “feeling” in Japanese.

Large Kimochi characters have a special pocket where kids can store the smaller Kimochi expression pillows to get in touch with their emotions through puppetry and play. Kimochis (San Anselmo). 415.454.4600, kimochis.com

Protecting the Salmon: One Year Later

The numbers of spawning salmon observed during the 2007-2008 surveys were at their lowest levels in 12 years of measurement. Last February, the Marin Board of Supervisors issued an interim ordinance prohibiting, with certain exceptions, the issuance of building permits in stream conservation areas in the San Geronimo Valley watershed for up to two years, while the county carries out the studies to develop a plan to support the restoration of functions in the watershed. “Right now we’re in the middle of that study and we’re hoping that will inform the county and the residents in how to move forward in protecting the fish while creating a vibrant human and fishfriendly community,” says SPAWN (Salmon Protection and Watershed Network) director Todd Steiner. “It’s basically a time-out for us to understand where we are on the threshold level in regards to negative impacts on the fish and how can we move forward with the best available rules to set for the future.”

To get involved visit spawnusa.org, where you’ll find volunteering opportunities with the group’s restoration projects and information on landowner consultations to help you create a more fish-friendly environment on your property.

news from the north BARDESSONO!

This month marks the opening of the highly anticipated Bardessono, a 62-guestroom resort and spa with a 92-seat restaurant and bar in the heart of Yountville. Touted as the “greenest” luxury hotel in the country, the familyowned development is applying for platinum LEED certification—the highest and most rigorous form of green development accreditation in the United States. In keeping with the low carbon footprint, eco-minded developer Phil Sherburne hired sawyer Evan Shively of West Marin to reclaim wood within a 100-mile radius of the Napa Valley for the furniture and decor of Bardessono. bardessono.com

Summer Bike Tour?

As of last month the final stretch of a planned 1.8mile bike path along Napa Valley Wine Train tracks will be built next summer. This extension will make it easier and safer for cyclists of all levels to pedal from downtown Napa to the intersection of Highway 29 and Redwood Road.

NEW TASTING ROOM

Ga-ga for Gewürztraminer

Mark your calendars: February is a great time to visit Anderson Valley. The winegrowers’ association there is hosting the 4th Annual International Alsace Varietals Festival on the weekend of the 21st. Besides visiting the local wineries such as Arista, Gundlach-Bundschu and Robert Sinskey, visitors can learn more about Alsace-style wines at the Alsace Varietals Technical Conference, hosted by Milla Handley of Handley Cellars and Glenn McGourty, UC Cooperative Extension, Mendocino County. These aromatic white varietals include gewürztraminer, riesling, pinot gris, pinot blanc and muscat. Check out avwines.com

Boutique operation Teira Wines has partnered with five other local family-owned vineyards to create a tasting room as well as an idyllic wine country event venue. “Only minutes away from the town square, the building was originally the Roma Wine Company in the 1800s,” says Daniel Donahoe, owner of Teira Wines. Look for the doors to be opening soon at 428 Hudson Street (Healdsburg). teirawines.com I h wine nally ook

Kids Sail Free

Most 3-Night Cruises this Winter and Spring

Kids 12 and under sail free on most 3-Night Bahamian Cruises 1/22/09 - 5/28/09 when traveling with two full fare Guests in the same stateroom. Government Taxes and Fees not included.

Onboard, you’ll discover something magical for every member of your crew with separate areas for kids, teens, adults and families. There’s even a stop at Castaway Cay, Disney’s own private island paradise.

Hurry and book before this offer sails away!

Mention booking code: FREE

Offer applies to new bookings only. Offer applies to stateroom categories 4-12. The number of staterooms allocated for this offer is limited. Other offers, discounts or onboard credits do not apply. See Disney Cruise Line® brochure for details and applicable terms and conditions.

Around Town

At Green Apples, new owner Shelley Mosby welcomed guests with festive holiday cocktails to give them a look at the store’s redesign. At Sophie Kurik’s opening party for Sausalito’s Bluebird Yarn and Fiber Crafts, local knitters enjoyed drinks and appetizers while they shopped for supplies. In Greenbrae, Robyn and Johann DeBlaauw along with Paul and Sarah Comerford welcomed guests to a “Hearts on Fire” holiday party at their Bon Air shopping center location of Johann Paul Jewelers. At Cavallo Point guests were decked out for a Masquerade Ball put on by the Sausalito Chamber of Commerce, which included dinner by Michelin two-star chef Joseph Humphrey. In San Rafael, guests were in the holiday spirit at Shamrock Materials’ annual party. In San Francisco, Marinites were out to celebrate the opening of the new Gucci store and raise money for the San Francisco Film Society. Also in the city, Matt Damon and Marin’s Carlos Santana were out to support ONExONE, a nonprofit foundation founded by Diesel Canada president Joelle Berdugo Adler. The group is committed to supporting children locally and globally. Many Marin folks also turned up for V Wine Cellar’s first winemaker dinner series in Napa.

1. Amy Nobile, Shelley Mosby, Keira Muller, Nora Clifford 2. Cassia O’Black 3. Chiaki Hayashi, Sophie Kurnik, Jan Ryan 4. Paul and Sarah Comerford, Robyn and Johann DeBlaauw 5. Oonagh Kavanagh, Tom Campagna, Sally Calef 6. Lee Ceccotti, Eugene Ceccotti, Eva Ceccotti, Leanne Ceccotti Coyne 7. Wyclef Jean, Carlos Santana 8. Haroula Spyropoulos, Alexander Payne 9. Aimee Zolezzi 10. Martha Irmer 11. Christian Moueix

JOHANN PAUL

Oscar Night® America

Black Tie Blue Jeans Red Carpet

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2009

Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center

Presented by the California Film Institute

Celebrate the magic of the 81st annual Oscars ® with your friends, family and fellow film aficionados!

• Live HD telecast in the Rafael’s state-of-art theaters

• Delicious food and wine

• Of ficial Academy Awards ® program for each guest – the same one given out at the actual awards ceremony

• Stellar silent auction and raf fle items

• Only of ficial Bay Area Oscar night event sanctioned by the Academy

The event benefits CFI’s renowned Education and outreach programs.

Tickets on sale starting January 22. $50 general/$35 CFI members

For more information and to order tickets, please call 415.383.5256 or visit cafilm.org.

5. Courtney Rudnick, Jet Manfredi 6. Nancy Koltes, Staci Kochmann 7. Becky DeShields, Tommy Castro.

8. Peter Noerr, Katie Toepel, Lindsay Bettinger, Isabel Kashefi, Ramteen Rafii, Sean Haechler

Nights in Marin

Golden Gate Opera general manager Roberta Becker and board president Laurence Lyons were on hand for the Golden Gate Opera’s “Meet the Artist” reception. At Maison Reve, owner Yasmine McGrane celebrated her new larger location in downtown Mill Valley. At the Marin Symphony prelude recital, Orion Weiss performed works by Beethoven and Schumann at the Tiburon home of Rhonda and Fred Soofer. At Bungalow 44, Pilates Wellness Institute held its first fundraiser, “A Gift of Hope and Wellness,” benefiting cancer survivors living in Marin. In Strawberry, owner Nancy Koltes introduced a new cashmere and bedding collection at her store’s champagne shopping event. At the Corte Madera Recreation Center, a sold-out audience of 350 rocked to Tommy Castro’s Rock Your Soul Benefit Concert. Proceeds, which reached over $25,000, benefit San Rafael City Schools’ Coleman Elementary and Davidson Middle School. Last fall, Marin kids volunteered to help get the Everyone Deserves a Life party started at the Corte Madera Recreation Center

GATE OPERA

1. Ron Reich, Mimi Timberlake

2. David, Finnegan and Yasmine McGrane

3. David Davari, Rhonda Soofer 4. Sandy Kleiman, Victoria Silverman, Harlan Kleiman, Lloyd Silverman

Our covers.

Your walls

Now you can buy Marin Magazine covers for your home or office. Available in various sizes, framed or unframed, with or without the Marin Magazine logo, these professional quality prints are a beautiful addition to any wall. Visit marinmagazine.com/coverart today.

lifestyle

Names: Sylvia Kwan Home: Kent Woodlands Occupation: Architect

While fashion was important to Sylvia Kwan in her stint on CBS’s Survivor, the producers ended up doing the final vetting.

“Ninety percent of what I brought was rejected,” she said.

“I was left with: one pair of underwear, a pair of socks and one pair of shoes, a pair of shorts and a pair of long pants, a T-shirt and a long-sleeve shirt plus bathing suit and a hat.” Apparently, they wanted the contestants to look authentically stranded. Left to her own devices, Kwan looks anything but “washed up on a deserted isle.” She shares her fashion do’s and don’ts.

Describe your personal style. I try to find things that are compatible with my architectural influences—the style of I. M. Pei and Richard Meier—sleek, modern and no fuss.

What are you wearing? I just had my hair colored and cut by Nina Husen of NH2 Salon in Novato. They’re “Manhattan in Marin” as far as I’m concerned! My Henley top is by Free People; my poncho is a free trade item made of alpaca from Peru. I bought it from Baksheesh, a wonderful store that helps third world countries develop their micro-enterprises by paying fairly. The pants are from Banana Republic.

Who are your fashion influences? Anything Giorgio Armani—no, really, anything. I also love my personal shopper, Lea Perez at Macy’s.

Where do you love to shop in Marin? My favorite places to shop in Marin are the small locally owned boutique shops. Think Catherine Jane and Margaret O’Leary in Mill Valley. San Anselmo also has a great downtown.

What is your best cheapo secret? Hunting for the best deal is one of my favorite pastimes. Sax Consignment Store in San Anselmo is where I frequently hunt for stylish bargains; Loehmann’s in San Francisco and Filene’s Basement on the East Coast are other favorites.

What’s your fashion pet peeve? Anyone can look fashionable on any budget. You

PHOTO: BARBARA RIES

just have to find what works for you and your personal style. I don’t like lazy fashion — where someone looks like they just got out of bed and forgot to change.

What is your view of Marin style? Marin style is casual and relaxed, but with an eye toward quality brands. Think Kobe beef hamburgers with a Stags’ Leap Cabernet.

Where do you love to eat in Marin? I love to eat! Le Garage in Sausalito, a casual French bistro next to the water; Bungalow 44 in Mill Valley, an inviting place that makes you feel good just being there; Picco in Larkspur, which I would describe as Italian tapas — again, the design and atmosphere are as delectable as the food.

How do you spend your weekends?

Outside! If you love the outdoors, living in Marin is paradise.

Where do you go to pamper yourself?

Tea Garden Springs in Mill Valley is a really special place for me. I also like the Sanctuary Spa at the Bay Club, which is also my gym.

How would your friends describe you?

Gregarious. Fun-loving. Full of energy— sometimes maybe a little too much energy if you ask the people around me! One of my oldest friends calls me the “Asian Oprah”!

What was the last book you read and why?

Loving Frank by Nancy Horan. It’s a novel based on the real-life love affair of architect Frank Lloyd Wright and Mamah Borthwick, one of his clients. This book knocked my socks off!

If your life were a movie, what would be your theme song? “Still Crazy After All These Years” by Paul Simon. Doesn’t that sound like me?

What is your favorite reality show?

Survivor, of course.

CALL for ENTRIES

Get Covered!

ATTENTION ARTISTS: Enter the Third Annual MARIN MAGAZINE Cover Art Contest.

WINNERS: A winner for each of the following categories: painting, photography and illustration, will be featured in the May 2009 MARIN MAGAZINE.

EXPOSURE: Each winner will be featured on the May 2009 impact cover unit and will display their work to the public at the opening of the MARIN ART SALON May 7, 2009.

ENTER NOW AT: MARINMAGAZINE.COM/GETCOVERED

ROMANCE

At long last love… online

Marinites forget tradition and give Internet dating a chance

BY SOMER FLAHERTY

“ONLINE DATING WAS A FASCINATING PROCESS,” says Novato resident Suzanne Crawford. “For one thing, the people we encountered online before we found each other were far more delightful, intelligent and engaging than we ever would have imagined.” Suzanne, who met her husband, Joe, on Match.com, says the entire online dating process was very empowering. “We both got to pick and choose and really consider our choices more than we ever had in a relationship before. As a result, we wound up in

taste transform tease

Sample and purchase over 300 fine wines from five continents,

enjoy fresh Mediterranean tapas and encounter the world of wine and food during complimentary weekend wine and culinary classes.

a partnership that feels perfect for both of us. We’ve been together four years and got married a year ago, right in front of the Christmas tree. Joe keeps saying he’s only sorry that we didn’t meet when we were younger so we would have had more time! I just keep feeling grateful. Honestly, I say to myself, “Thank God for Joe” several times a day.

Breaking Up Online

BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO, but perhaps even harder in the world of online social networking sites like Facebook or Myspace. Take it from one anonymous Marin resident who learned that lesson in a very public way. She says she had no idea that by changing her relationship status from “engaged” to “single” it would be broadcast out via the site’s news feed to her 300-plus list of friends. However, the embarrassing moment did have a silver lining. She did get a few dates because of her newly publicized single status. According to Simon Axton in Facebook’s privacy and public policy team, the best way to reflect a breakup on Facebook without notifying all of your friends is to uncheck the “Remove Relationship Box” in the “News Feed and Wall” section on the Wine Tasting | Wine Retail Sales | Charcuterie | Culinary Education | Events In Historic Ghirardelli Square | San Francisco, CA 94109 | 415-440-0772 | 866-236-8863 | www.cellar360.com

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“Privacy Settings” page and then remove your relationship status from your profile entirely. This will ensure that no stories show up either on your wall or in your friends’ news feeds. You can then break the news to the appropriate people offline, and when ready, enter your new status on Facebook.

Your Ex Could be Someone’s Next

OKAY, HE WASN’T THE PERFECT MATCH FOR you, but your ex-flame could be someone else’s great catch — as long as you give the seal of approval. Elle advice columnist E. Jean’s new site greatboyfriends.com is a referral-based dating service, which only offers potential suitors that are preapproved through profiles written by a friend or even an ex. The site gets all the details including the person’s ring-buying potential, ego level and commitment readiness. Eligible men and women have to be recommended by a third party — and yes, the site even checks to see if the recommendation is real and true. Best part? Great Boyfriends is international and there are more than a few great options who live in Marin.

Find Your Niche

SURE, SITES LIKE EHARMONY.COM AND Match.com are two of the most well-known and some say successful Internet dating sites, but singles looking to find a very specific date — say someone who practices the same religion —have options too. Take jdate.com, one of the leading Jewish singles sites, which has almost a dozen eligible Marin members of the faith just waiting to be connected. The Internet is booming with dating sites for only the ivy-league educated, Italians, those in the military, Catholics, and even a site dedicated to “nerds, geeks and those who love them.”

ANNUAL KITCHEN TOUR DAZZLES AGAIN

Tiburon kitchen is a chef’s dream (remodeled)

BY SOMER FLAHERTY

In this state-of-the-art kitchen featured on February’s Belvedere-Hawthorne Nursery School Tour you’ll find (1) natural beige Anealaya limestone countertops, (2) a Rohl faucet, (3) an Anealaya limestone backsplash, (4) a Miele dishwasher, (5) a Dacor six-burner cooktop, (6) a Dacor double oven, and (7) a Kitchen Aid refrigerator. Not pictured are the Dacor microwave and a U-Line wine refrigerator. Most or all the appliances can be purchased from Standards of Excellence (San Rafael), 415.453.6070, standardsofexcellence.com and Bay Area Built Ins (San Rafael), 415.457.2226.

ENTERTAINING SPACES

Kitchen tour designer builds from the ground up

“I started at 18 buying houses,” says Tami Gendel, owner of Marin Fine Living, a real estate brokerage and design group. Gendel sells and lists houses for clients as well as redesigns to maximize returns. “We might tear down a house and then rebuild it. We can do kitchens or an entire house, whatever scope of work they want — even something as simple as just painting and redoing the hardwood floors.”

At this year’s Belvedere Hawthorne Nursery School Kitchen Tour, one of Gendel’s refinished homes (pictured at left) will be featured. “I found the house for the client, he bought it, I put a tenant in for six months while I designed the new house and got it approved. When the tenant moved out we took bulldozers and started rebuilding it.” Gendel says previously the home was a “lava rock and dark brown type” that was on a good lot but needed to capture the views. “I’m all about indoor and outdoor living; previously the home just had a galley kitchen.” Gendel transformed the kitchen into a naturally flowing space that includes a family room and dining room that opens up to the outside area, where there’s a grill and fireplace, giving the owner, a local restaurateur, one large place to entertain.

“I like timeless design. The cabinetry and stones in a home should be very neutral; that’s why I chose limestone countertops in the kitchen.” Gendel also included a large island with a second dishwasher and sink to provide two complete workspaces.

The Belvedere-Hawthorne Nursery School celebrates the 31st annual kitchen tour on February 3. Tours leave continuously from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. from the San Francisco Yacht Club in Belvedere. Admission is $45 at the door. 415.490.2767, belvedere-hawthorne.com

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THE GREEN GRAD

Jorge Lee of Marin House Cleaning LLC is open for business

BY MIMI TOWLE

Think back to the 1960s classic The Graduate . Remember Mr. McGuire’s sage advice to Dustin Hoffman’s young, rudderless Benjamin? “I just want to say one word to you,” he said. “Just one word.” Instead of “plastics,” in 2009, an army of matured Benjamins are responding to a new mantra “green.” And in turn, a legion of bright young men and women are poised to clean up the mess caused by plastic (and its byproducts). One of these grads, Jorge Lee, who recently returned to Marin with a degree from Cornell University, started a “green” housecleaning service. For Lee, green housecleaning was an easy choice: not too much start-up capital, and he could work from home. “Having grown up in Mill Valley,” he explains, “I have been socialized to be green. It was always second

nature to me and is a large reason I decided to start a sustainable business.” Lee spent hours in the local libraries researching both nontoxic housecleaning products and the essentials of starting a business. With help from Microsoft Word’s basic 26-page “how to start a business” template, he was forced to think about every aspect of the business, and turned “a vague idea into a vivid map for the business.” Nearly a year later, he is up and running with an already impressive list of clients, plans to sell his own line of all-natural cleaners, and his company, Marin House Cleaning, is a green certified business.

Why do you think Marin is appropriate for your business?

As the county fair this past year would suggest, we may be

the greenest county on earth. Marin residents care about their health. Surprisingly, I have found that many people are still not on board when it comes to green cleaning. Once informed of the dangers of toxic products and presented with green alternatives that work, people I have spoken with want to make the switch. My goal is to help them by providing a professional yet personal experience.

Any surprises? Something that wasn’t on the business plan? I hadn’t planned on the community education requests. I’ve been asked (and am happy) to do PowerPoint lectures on how to go nontoxic while cleaning the home. I’ve also been able to partner with other like-minded companies in the community such as Teens Turning Green to help them with their Teens for Healthy Schools program.

But the biggest surprise has been my clients asking to buy the products I make. Soon I will sell them under the name Bay Area Health Company.

Have you always been a clean kid? By leading as example, my mother has shown me how to keep things in order. She grew up in a traditional Peruvian village where she did the majority of the housework for her five brothers.

When I was growing up, she was too proud to have my sister and I do cleaning, and even now that I run a cleaning business, my mom still won’t let me clean her house. But she is the reason I know how to clean a house.

Do your peers think you’re crazy? Fellow Tamalpais High School grads have occupations ranging from an associate at AIG to the owner of a late-night cookie delivery service (mrsmunchies.com). At first they were skeptical but now that my company has become Bay Area Green Business Program Certified and my client base has grown during these bleak economic times, I think they are taking me more seriously.

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Mary Jane Burke

“My values are instilling pride and a good work ethic in kids,” says Marin County’s Superintendent of Schools. BY JIM WOOD

MARY JANE BURKE IS HAVING a tough day. Her face is flushed, her red dress rumpled, her sentences are arriving in disconnected bursts. “I’ve got a critical budget briefing first thing in the morning,” says the Marin County Superintendent of Schools. “Sacramento is in a state of flux. It’s day to day with them; it’s impossible for us to plan with any certainty.” Obviously, her long day is taking its toll.

An offer to reschedule the interview is refused. “No way,” she says, suddenly appearing relaxed and smiling. “I love to talk about Marin’s schools. They’re doing such a great job. And I’m the one who’s the face of public education in Marin.”

Burke came to Marin nearly 40 years ago — and never left. Back then she was 18 years old and a freshman at Dominican College, then a bucolic Catholic girls’ college in San Rafael (and now Dominican University).

“I guess you could say I was the quiet type,” Burke says. “I really wanted to be a special education teacher; that’s all I thought about and worked for.”

Today, Burke still loves kids and teaching. Only now she’s responsible for overseeing the education of 40,000 students. “My values are instilling pride and a good work ethic in kids,” she says, talking with passion and animation that nearly knocks over a Styrofoam coffee cup.

Working alongside Burke in that process are Marin’s 19 school districts, which encompass the county’s 74 public schools and 3,300 principals, teachers and certified personnel. Under Burke’s immediate supervision at the

county Office of Education in Terra Linda are three assistant superintendents and more than 300 employees whose jobs range from accounting to special education to security.

How Burke, the once-reticent college student, arrived at such a lofty spot is an intriguing story. “I did it the now-fashionable way,” she jokes. “I was elected.” It was 1994 and Burke had worked with the Office of Education for 20 years, first as a special education teacher dealing with developmentally challenged youngsters, next as a special ed principal, and then as a program manager. Following that, she was assistant superintendent of educational services for 10 years.

“In 1994, when I heard Bryon Mauzy was retiring as superintendent, a bell in my brain went off and — even though I’d never imagined myself running for elective office, I thought ‘why not?’” Burke ran for superintendent and won. “I was unopposed in that first election,” she says, “and I’ve yet to have a contested election.” All told, counting her 20 years as teacher and administrator, Burke has been with the Office of Education for nearly 35 years. In fact, she has never worked anyplace else.

Burke is proud of her work — and justifiably so. In 2008, 72 percent of Marin’s public schools exceeded state academic standards (scoring more than 800 on the state Academic Performance Index), up 4 percent from 2007, when, as Burke points out, Forbes magazine named Marin schools as providing the best “bang for the buck” of any district in the country. The ranking was based on per-pupil annual spending (adjusted for cost of living, Marin’s is $6,579), SAT scores (the Marin average is 1,133) and the percentage of students graduating high school (98 percent in Marin).

Burke is swift to refuse credit for such performance. “Don’t forget for one minute,” she says, “all those local districts with all that local control, all the wonderful teachers, administrators and elected school board members, and all those fantastically involved and supportive

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parents and communities — that’s what really makes Marin’s schools succeed; the district office is here to support them. That’s what I do, and I love what I do.”

Burke’s husband, the esteemed educator Dr. Larry Lyon, died in 1997. She lives alone in Novato.

How can Marin’s schools, with 19 districts— each with its own superintendent, administrative staff, etc.—working to educate fewer than 40,000 students, be anything but inefficient? First, let me clarify: I superintend four of Marin’s smaller, rural districts—and then Lagunitas and San Rafael appear like four districts, but they’re really just two districts. So that brings Marin down to, say, 14 districts. That said, essentially what we do is this: when it’s good for the kids to operate as one big

“The bottom line is we have great schools. People move here because of these schools and it’s not just because our schools do a great job on a test score.”

school district, we do that. And when it’s best for the kids to operate as small units, we do that. As for parents and the surrounding community, when you vote in your own school board in a small district, you’re more likely to support that district’s schools. And just a reminder, we can’t consolidate schools without voters’ approval. And usually, people like their school district and their schools. So for the last seven years we’ve been operating on what’s called the “shared services” model and it’s amazing what we are doing. It’s efficient and effective.

As superintendent of schools, what specifically do you do? The job is mandated in the state constitution. Marin is one of 53 of California’s 58 counties that elect its superin-

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tendent of schools. So I hold responsibility like you can’t believe. Meaning that if we can maintain the public trust, we’ll continue to have a level of support the kids deserve and taxpayers demand. The bottom line in this community is that we have great schools. People move to this area because of these schools and it’s not just because these are schools that do a great job on a test score. It’s because these are schools that strive to provide a well-rounded education to get kids ready for life, not for a test.

As we head into 2009, what are your greatest concerns? My biggest concerns are two-fold: meeting the needs of all the students in our community — and I mean all students — and being able to recruit and retain the best possible staff. Regarding the latter, young people just aren’t moving into the field of teaching. To counter this, we have a countywide approach to attracting and supporting new teachers that includes a new teachers’ hotline as well as an application process that works for all the districts. Yet we’re having difficulty finding special ed teachers, speech and language therapists, teachers of color and teachers who are bilingual. And if teachers can’t afford to live here, they might come here for an initial job, but they won’t stay very long. So the district is challenged. I believe to my core that, next to the parent, a teacher is the most important person to ever come in contact with a child.

As Marin, the nation and the world settle into the 21st century, what skills would you like to see our high school graduates possess? We want every graduate to have a strong schoolwork experience. I’m not talking about visiting the workplace; I’m talking about working. You show up on time and you’re dressed appropriately. Second, I would like to see everyone graduate with a fluency in at least two languages. This means those who can speak Spanish will be ahead of those who cannot. And then there’s French, Italian and even sign language — proficiency in two languages before graduating from high school; let’s just think about it. We need hardworking people of character who are willing and able to give back to their community.

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Tree Wars

LIFE IN LEAFY MARIN CAN BE VERY LITIGIOUS

BY LILI WEIGERT PHOTOS TIM PORTER

When a tree falls in the woods it might (or might not) make a sound, but one thing is certain: if a tree falls in Marin County, it’s likely to cause a lawsuit.

One Stinson Beach resident we’ll call Jessem learned this the hard way. The 53-year-old property manager came home one afternoon a few years back to find a big hole through the leafy pittosporum grove bordering his bungalow. His new next-door neighbors (whom the 27-year West Marin resident describes as “hotshot stockbrokers from the city”) argued that the trees had been blocking their ocean view. “Then they told me to pound sand,” says Jessem.

After a year of trying to resolve the situation amicably, Jessem took the neighbors to court. Five months of trial later, a jury awarded him $50,000—

the attorney: Barri Bonapart

“The trees become a lightning rod for disgruntled temperaments.”

half of what he says he spent on surveyors, appraisers and lawyers. Today, the trees, which the jury also ordered the neighbors to replant, are almost grown back, but Jessem says the ordeal killed the Stinson vibe he loved so much. “There used to be a lot more good energy around here,” says Jessem, who’s scrapped his plans to retire in Marin. He’s put his house—and his resurrected trees—on the market and plans to move to Hawaii.

More and more tree disputes

Tree-related conflicts in Marin County are on the rise. One culprit is the battle over views; another is the plethora of trees themselves, many of them aging and in disrepair.

In towns such as Tiburon and Sausalito, where homeowners pay plenty for unobstructed views of San Francisco, the bay or simply city streets far below, a neighbor’s overgrown tree can block a vista of the Golden Gate Bridge and, subsequently, slash up to a million dollars from a home’s resale value.

In heavily wooded communities, aging trees threaten not only the homes of their owners, but of neighbors as well. Mill Valley is a case in point. There, towering Monterey pines and blue gum eucalyptus were planted for quick landscaping during the development boom of the 1950s; today, these trees

have outgrown their roots and started to threaten the homes they originally enhanced.

Compounding this mix is the fact that many Marin homeowners have a sense of self-righteousness as high as their property values. Their elevated willingness to fight for what they believe is theirs — whether it’s a redwood leaning precariously over a neighbor’s roof or a breathtaking view — brings more and more such conflicts into court.

“Marin seems to have an unusual share of tree disputes and litigation,” says Ray Moritz, an urban forester and owner of Moritz Arboricultural Consulting in Mill Valley. For 30 years, Moritz has advised California homeowners about arboreal issues and served as an expert witness in tree-related litigation. Marin’s biodiversity and hilly terrain, he notes, attract residents who want to feel like they’re living in a private forest — and one with great views. “You can’t have it both ways.”

Moritz can rattle off one egregious case after another. There was, for example, the Mill Creek Canyon man who cut down 17 of his neighbor’s redwoods while he was away in Hawaii. Why? “He wanted more light.” Then there was the Tiburon man who drilled holes and poured Roundup herbicide into dozens of his neighbor’s trees, one of which had been planted to commemorate the birth of the neighbor’s daughter. “You’d be amazed at what neighbors do to each other.”

Indeed, says Moritz, most neighbor vs. neighbor tree litigation is — ahem — rooted in an un-neighborly hostility that goes far beyond the fate of an outsize redwood or a drooping black acacia. “I’ve seen cases where neighbors have fought for years about parking or the color of a house,” he says. “The tree is just an excuse for an argument.”

Tangled thicket of laws

Sausalito attorney and mediator Barri Bonapart, one of a handful of lawyers in the country who specialize in tree-related disputes, agrees. “There’s always an underlying issue that gives rise to a dispute,” she says. “People harbor resentment and the trees become a lightning rod for disgruntled temperaments.”

While many of the laws regarding trees are based on common law and basic legal principles such as ownership,

the urban forester: Ray Moritz

“You’d be amazed at what neighbors do to each other.”

negligence and nuisance, the issue in California is more complicated. Local cities and townships have enacted hundreds of tree laws, some of them diametrically opposed to those in neighboring cities. Mill Valley, for example, classifies and protects redwoods as “heritage trees.” Sausalito, though, has a “right to a view” ordinance and designates the fast-growing redwood as undesirable.

In 23 years of practicing tree law in Marin, Bonapart has litigated all sorts of cases: blocked views, damaged property, injured people, cracked driveways, and even trees that were murdered or kidnapped (that is, burned down or stolen).

While her clients include tree-care companies, municipalities and businesses, the majority of her cases, and the ones increasing the most, are neighbors in dispute with neighbors.

“There’s the old Marin and the new Marin,” Bonapart says. “The new people can tend to have a little too much money and an overdeveloped sense of entitlement, as in ‘what’s mine is mine, and what’s yours will someday be mine as well.’”

Yesterday’s forest, today’s problems

Ironically, while many of Bonapart’s cases concern the “new Marin,” many of the current tree conflicts result from the flawed judgment of the “old Marin.”

In the 1950s and ’60s, local housing developers planted thousands of fast-growing pines and cypress throughout the county. At the time, these pop-up forests made the new homes more valuable. Today, many of these trees have outgrown their root systems and are at risk of falling over. They are lawsuits waiting to happen.

“People planted trees foolishly then and they still do,” says Rick Misuraca, superintendent of parks in Mill Valley. “It’s not an issue at the time because they plant for short-term benefit. It’s the homeowners decades later who have to deal with their driveways being pulled up by poplar roots or their neighbor’s redwood falling onto their house in a storm.”

Misuraca is responsible for Mill Valley’s 60,000 city-owned trees as well as for ensuring that homeowners obtain permits before removing or planting trees. Owners can tear down any tree, he says, as long as it’s for the right reason. And while just about any reason will do if the tree is an invasive, nonindigenous species such as eucalyptus, it’s more difficult when the tree is classified as a heritage tree, such as a redwood or a

A VIEW FROM AN UPSTAIRS CLOSET ISN’T NEARLY AS VALUABLE AS ONE FROM THE LIVING ROOM OR HOT TUB. A WESTERN VIEW OF THE SUNSET MIGHT BE COMPROMISED BY FOG AND WIND. A VIEW OF SAN FRANCISCO’S

FINANCIAL DISTRICT COMMANDS MORE THAN A VIEW OF THE AVENUES.

madrone. To cut down a mature redwood, Misuraca says, the owner must prove it’s either dying or a safety hazard.

Homeowners may also plant any tree, but Misuraca urges residents not to sow foolishly, lest they reap trouble years into the future. “When someone asks about planting a tree, I ask them what they want it to do,” he says. “If they want to screen out their neighbor’s 20-foot-tall house, they don’t need a redwood that will grow to 120 feet.”

Similarly, if the tree will be near pavement, Misuraca recommends not using species with aggressive or shallow root systems—the liquid amber, for example. “It’s a pretty tree with bright fall colors, but eventually it’ll break your sidewalk.”

Mill Valley resident Jane Parker (a pseudonym) encountered this in 2007 with a curly willow tree her neighbors had planted just inside their property. One day she noticed that the tree’s roots were buckling the earth under her brick path. When she asked the neighbors to move the tree, they declined.

Parker hired Bonapart and spent thousands on fees and surveys, including a report from Moritz confirming that the tree could cause substantial damage. But before any litigation could start, fate intervened. In January 2008, a heavy windstorm sent the tree crashing through Parker’s roof. “It would have killed my daughter if it’d fallen one inch over,” says Parker, who has since sold her house and moved. She was so tired of the controversy she moved without seeking damages.

What’s a tree or a view worth?

Lawsuits often arise when homeowners skip the permit process and take matters into their own hands, not realizing the extent of their liability. “They’ll cut down a tree, thinking, ‘It is easier to beg forgiveness than seek permission,’ and then the valuation comes in at tens of thousands of dollars,” says Bonapart. Because statutory multipliers are or three times the value of the tree, damages add up quickly.

Determining the value of a tree is part of Misuraca’s job. He uses an equation determined by the International Society of Arboriculture that factors in diameter, species, condition and location. The going price for a healthy, mature redwood could be up to $40,000.

But if a redwood is worth $40,000, the view it blocks can be worth even more. “It’s important to take pictures of your view

before your neighbor’s tree starts to block it,” says Sausalito attorney Ben Kilgore. In one case in Mill Valley, his clients asked neighbors to cut down a row of trees that blocked a valley view. They refused. “It’s easy for these issues to get contentious,” he says, “because both parties believe they’re right.”

In this case, a compromise was struck: the owners kept the trees trimmed at 20 feet tall, just low enough to protect the view, and both neighbors split the cost of the trimming. They keep a 20-foot measuring staff on hand to avoid any future disputes.

Hillside cities such as Sausalito and Belvedere, where property prices are linked to views, have ordinances that help protect a homeowner’s view. This can mean “leveling off” tree lines at a certain height or “windowing” a large tree — cutting a hole through the branches so the view shows through. In cities with view ordinances, tree litigation usually means demanding damages not for the value of a tree, but for the price of the view it blocks — and that price can be hefty.

Curt Thor, president of North Bay Real Estate Appraisals in Novato, has been appraising Marin properties and their views for 17 years and recites a long list of considerations: Is the view uninterrupted? Is it 360 degrees? Which direction is it facing and from which rooms? A view from an upstairs closet isn’t nearly as valuable as one from the living room or hot tub. A western view of the sunset might be compromised by fog and wind. A view of San Francisco’s Financial District commands more than a view of the avenues.

Moreover, says Thor, the value of a view is subjective and depends on the personality of the homeowner. A sailor, for example, might pay a premium to live above Tiburon so he could see boats below. Someone who craves privacy might prefer a Mount Tam hideaway with a view of San Francisco. Thor does his best to evaluate views based on asking and selling prices of similar homes in the area. When a home’s view is obstructed, he has deducted up to $1 million from its value.

Solar power struggle

Tree law experts believe the next big point of conflict will involve solar panels. The California Solar Shade Control Act stipulates that a tree must not shade more than 10 percent of a solar installation’s panels between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., but Bonapart

“When someone asks about planting a tree, I ask them what they want it to do.”

points out that the statute was recently rewritten to exempt preexisting trees even if they did not shade at the time the solar panels were installed.“We haven’t heard much about this issue yet because up until recently, the technology was too expensive for most homeowners,” she says. “Now we’re seeing more and more installations and the recent amendments will likely be a breeding ground for disputes.” In the residential solar cases she’s handled so far, Bonapart has been successful in helping the parties to reach agreements in virtually every matter.

Moritz dreads the idea of cutting down trees to protect solar panels. “The leaf is by far our best solar collector,” he says, “while solar panels are in their infancy. Why should we automatically defer to the man-made option?” No one has analyzed the tree’s energy contribution, he adds, which includes carbon sequestration, shade and wind protection. “We

need to look at all the environmental considerations before cutting down more trees.”

Bonapart and Moritz hope that future changes to the solar shade act (which Bonapart considers “on the cutting edge of law”) will take into account both sides of the issue. They stress that it’s never too late to cut back and maintain a tree and, as with all other tree-related disputes, advise addressing these concerns sooner rather than later. “As with most problems, tree disputes do not improve with age,” says Bonapart, who almost invariably encourages her clients to attempt a collaborative resolution, such as mediation, before taking an adversarial approach. “Litigation between neighbors ought to be a last resort,” states the Sausalito attorney. She adds, “following the Golden Rule is not only the right thing to do, it is usually the most effective.”

the park superintendent: Rick Misuraca

TWO HOME FRONTS

Dividing life between Belvedere and sunny Puerto Vallarta

BY P. J. BREMIER

Maybe it was the quaint pueblo homes dotting the crooked hillside streets, the way villagers gathered on their front porches on warm evenings, or the lilting peal of the town’s church bells, but somehow, when David Schwartz’s parents took him to Puerto Vallarta on vacation in the late 1960s, he knew he would own a home there one day.

“I was hooked on the place right then and there,” the Belvedere resident and Coldwell Banker realty agent says. “It struck me as an incredible place, an old city with a soul. It was only later that I realized what a seductive place it

Five years ago, Schwartz bought a similar home, also built by the Belvedere Land Company, and had it remodeled and re-landscaped. The two-bedroom, two-bath house has two full kitchens; it’s in the outdoor one under a heated, open-sided pavilion, that he typically entertains friends. There Schwartz has everything he needs for a relaxed evening: sink and stove, refrigerator and dishwasher, a long stainless steel counter and a center island, cable TV. “It’s great for cooking and sitting around and talking all night.”

His house is near town, close to everything he needs, and he likes “that most of the year I get sun all day long.”

He might say the same about Puerto Vallarta, where he owns a vintage one-bedroom casa in the hills above town

was, and that feeling has stayed with me all these years.”

Belvedere is special to Schwartz, too. As a child, he spent time there at his grandmother’s weekend retreat, one of the original cottages built by the Belvedere Land Company.

Back then, he says, “Belvedere was a sleepy little place without the stature it has today. Our family spent a lot of time here. The lagoon was just a quiet pond, and we’d go fishing off the dock, play ‘pirates’ in boats or conquer vacant lots, of which there were many in those days. It was a real playground.”

and recently invested in an ultramodern condominium on the beach. “Both Belvedere and P.V. are hillside communities with access to the waterfront, but Belvedere is very quiet and residential and P.V. is anything but that,” he notes. “It’s exciting and busy and the nightlife doesn’t get started until midnight.”

That might surprise those who recall Puerto Vallarta from its days as a drowsy fishing village, but the city is indeed now a thriving mix of five-star restaurants and world-class hotels, glamorous high-rises and old-world architecture.

OPPOSITE : A former chef, David Schwartz enjoys cooking and entertaining in his Belvedere home.

THIS PAGE : Outdoor covered patio has full kitchen and informal seating area.

PHOTO: BARBARA RIES

ABOVE FROM LEFT :

Hacienda Angelito was once owned by Mary Sue Morris, a well-known boutique owner; tile roofs dot the hills of Puerto Vallarta. OPPOSITE : 3,500-square-foot condo on the 21st floor has three bedrooms and views of the bay.

Dining out is Schwartz’s favorite activity, both here and south of the border, though he’s always ready to suggest other activities for guests. In the Bay Area there are trips to San Francisco and the wine country and days on the bay in his powerboat. In Puerto Vallarta, he points his friends to art galleries and shopping spots (“both elegant Beverly Hills–style malls and little Mexican shops”). Water sports buffs can find various wave-running, parasailing, waterskiing and snorkeling concessions on the beach. Nature lovers might choose exotic bird or orchid tours in the mountains, boat trips up the river, hiking or dirt-biking on area trails, or zip-lining through jungle canopies.

When Polly Johnston, Schwartz’s friend and colleague, visited him in Mexico last spring, she chose activities close to town. “Puerto Vallarta is charming and the beaches are serene,” she says. “I’m a water person, so we walked up and down the Malecon (a sculpture-lined oceanfront promenade) every day; (we also) went to several art museums and lots of shops and ate at very sophisticated restaurants.”

She stayed in the garden casita behind Schwartz’s house, located on the edge of Gringo Gulch, one of the original enclaves of Americans expats living in Puerto Vallarta.

The area dates back to the 1960s when the movie Night of the Iguana and its stars Richard Burton and Liz Taylor put Puerto Vallarta on the international map.

Three years ago, Schwartz spotted a house for sale on his way to lunch at Burton’s former home, now the Hacienda San Angel, a luxury boutique hotel owned by San Anselmo expatriate Janice Chatterton. He wasn’t sold on that home, but when his realtor showed him another one, right near the Hacienda but on another street, “I knew I was a sucker for it from the minute I walked through the door,” he recalls. “ It was perfect.” He bought it and renamed it Casa Angelito.

The home’s top floor has big views of the famous horseshoe-shaped Banderas Bay and the crown-shaped bell tower of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe, glimpsed over red tile rooftops. From the two-story-high wall of open fretwork there’s a view into the private garden, filled with tropical blossoms and flowering vines.

“The minute you walk in, there’s an incredible feeling and allure about the house,” Schwartz says. “There are views of the bay from point to point and the location is fantastic, within walking distance to great restaurants

and shops.” The place even came with furnishings from the previous owner, Mary Sue Morris, a Texan well known in Puerto Vallarta for her fashionable boutiques. “I didn’t have to decorate,” Schwartz says. “I just added some personal pieces to put my own signature on it.”

The garden is embellished naturally with sunbathing iguanas, brightly colored parrots and cheerful songbirds— plus sounds from the neighboring homes. “It’s very common to have livestock in and around the houses here,” Schwartz says. “I often hear roosters and pigs or the bray of a donkey. It’s a beautiful thing.”

As much as he loved his casa, Schwartz later began to “fixate” on the Peninsula, a collection of three sleek steeland-glass condominium towers going up on the beach along Banderas Bay. “They were such a juxtaposition to everything else.” Last year he bought a 3,500-square-foot 21st-floor unit there and plans to use it as a vacation rental. The air-conditioned three-bedroom, four-bath condo wraps around three sides of the building with nine-foot-high windows framing views of the sparkling bay. He’s outfitted it with “custom furnishings, selected art, hotel-style mattresses, high-thread-count sheets and Bulgari bath products.”

Maybe it’s the real estate agent in him, but Schwartz believes more Marinites would consider a second home in Puerto Vallarta if they knew how easy it was to purchase one these days. “North Americans used to have to pay all cash to buy a house here because there were no mortgages available,” he says. “But local banking laws have changed now, and there are really good lenders in Mexico who look at the real estate market quite favorably.”

He’s so encouraged that he’s now opened a mortgage company catering to North Americans called Conficasa Mortgage International.

“Mexico is the number one place where North Americans retire,” he points out. “The weather is ideal most of the time, just like in Marin; the cuisine compares with that of San Francisco; health care is geared toward North Americans; the cost of living is lower; and we have Costco, Wal-Mart and Home Depot.”

Traveling between the two countries is easy, too. “It’s only three hours on the plane and there are a couple of direct flights to P.V. every day,” Schwartz says. “A lot of my friends have weekend homes up at Tahoe; that’s a four-hour trip. Instead of Tahoe, I have my weekend place in P.V.”

JOURNEY

Kayaking to Lamplugh Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park.

OPPOSITE ABOVE : Brandt’s cormorant flying over Glacier Bay. BELOW : Looking for wildlife from the top deck of the

Safari Quest.

STORY & PHOTOS BY ALISSA EVERETT

G LA C IER BAY Alaska’s

MY PADDLE DIPS SILENTLY, PULLING THROUGH the still, gray water. A bald eagle soars overhead, its scream primal and piercing. Salmon leap from the water in balletic synchronicity. We glide our kayak through the wispy fog, searching for Alaskan brown bear.

Alli, my best friend from college, sits behind me and points quietly to the shore. A small black bear is ambling toward the water’s edge. He looks cautiously in all directions, then dips his paw into the bay, grabbing a bite of food. It is his season, summer in Alaska, when the salmon are spawning and cruise ships are running. But not in this bay — here our smaller boat, the 120-door Safari Quest, is the only ship in sight.

ABOVE FROM LEFT : Brown bear walking along the shoreline of Alaska’s Inside Passage; kayaking in Glacier Bay National Park. OPPOSITE : Natural beauty of the Inside Passage.

We boarded the luxury yacht in Sitka, a picturesque town celebrated as the site of Alaska’s discovery in 1741. We were looking for a break from our hectic Bay Area lives and found an eight-day trip of a lifetime, a unique private tour of the spectacular scenery and wildlife of the coastal waterway known as the Inside Passage.

The Inside Passage extends more than 1,000 miles from Vancouver, B.C., through southeast Alaska to Juneau. Alaska is one of the most popular cruising destinations and each year more than 100 ships visit its waters, bringing upwards of 350,000 people to its best-known destination, Glacier Bay and its 12 tidewater glaciers that calve into the bay. When the 10-person crew of the Safari Quest greeted us, smiling, immaculately dressed, with hot hors d’oeuvres and champagne, I realized this wasn’t a typical cruise to Alaska. The boat featured a Jacuzzi and exercise equipment on the top deck, a salon and bar next to the main dining room, a cozy living area with books and DVDs. It felt like we were boarding a good friend’s private yacht.

We left Sitka on a sunny afternoon and cruised north to explore some of the lesser-known bays and channels of the Inside Passage. The Safari Quest’s itinerary is designed to spend time off the beaten track, away from the massive cruise ships, with the flexibility to spend time observing wildlife.

The first few days we journeyed through long, narrow passages, each with scenery as serene as it was dramatic. Every morning we found ourselves in a new bay with kayaks ready for us in the water. We could venture forth on our own or join one of the onboard naturalists for a guided tour of the region’s wildlife. We kayaked next to grizzly bears, harbor seals and sea otters, hiked through pristine

wilderness, and stopped our gourmet meals for sightings of humpback whales and porpoises. We hot-tubbed at midnight as the sky finally grew dark enough to see the stars, and sipped hot chocolate while curled up reading books in the comfy salon.

Baranof Warm Springs was one of the most beautiful bays we would see, crowned with a waterfall at the far end. We tied up to an old wooden dock and followed the handcrafted walkway to the two-person general store. Our plan was to reach the hot springs and take a dip. Snow on the trail was still deep—no challenge for our group, armed with mud boots from the boat. We tramped quite easily through snowpack and muddy puddles to the natu-

If you go

American Safari Cruises operates two yachts in Alaska: the 120foot Safari Quest (22 passengers) and the 105-foot Safari Spirit (12 passengers). The company offers a variety of itineraries in the Inside Passage from mid-April through the end of September. Average rates are about $5,500 per person on the Safari Quest and about $6,400 on the Safari Spirit. 888.862.8881; amsafari.com

ral springs next to a gushing river. A quick change in the chill air and we were soaking in the springs, laughing when our guide pulled out a surprise bottle of champagne and fresh chocolate chip cookies.

For us, as for so many others, the highlight of the trip was Glacier Bay. Safari Quest is small enough to anchor in the bay, giving us time to explore for a full two days. We hiked through rain forest, saw humpbacks bubble-net feeding, rode inflatable skiffs through labyrinthine iceberg channels to watch calving glaciers and finally kayaked, dwarfed, next to the three-quarter-mile-long Lamplugh Glacier.

Our final day, Alli and I set out on our own. Wearing rain gear, we took our kayak out in light mist to see what we could find. A curious harbor seal popped up and stared at us with thoughtful brown eyes. As I tried to predict where it would appear next so I could photograph it, I heard a loud exhale — so loud I knew it wasn’t from a human. We turned to see a spray of water. A humpback had joined us in the small bay.

As we came in for breakfast, the staff greeted us with warm towels and steaming mugs of coffee for the last time before we cruised back to Juneau.

ABOVE : Margerie Glacier calving, Glacier Bay National Park. OPPOSITE FROM LEFT : The Safari Explorer, Inside Passage; Sitka, Alaska’s forest.

comfort

When times get tough, the tough go spa-ing.

While a day of rubs, scrubs and tubs may not seem like the most intuitive personal response to an economy in free fall, the numbers tell a different story: more and more people are going to spas, and more and more spas are opening to accommodate them.

“In bad times people come more to the spa, not less,” says Tom Voss, president of the company that owns the lavish Grand Del Mar spa in San Diego. “People want to feel good.”

Certainly that was true before the big downturn. Spa visits leaped 25 percent to 138 million in 2007 from 2006, generating $10.9 billion in revenue, according to the International Spa Association (ISPA). The number of spas grew 24 percent between July 2007 and June 2008.

“There are now more spas than Starbucks,” says Melisse Gelula, editor in chief of the online publication SpaFinder Lifestyle. True, the recession does seem to be taking a toll. SpaFinder, a marketing and in-

formation company, reports that of 400 spas surveyed last September, two thirds reported fewer bookings than a year earlier. More than half said revenue was off. Yet most of that decline was in medical spa visits, not day or resort spa use, says SpaFinder president Susie Ellis. As antidotes to turbulent times, spas still promise a respite.

“The number one reason that people go to spas is to reduce stress and relax, so in times of stress we tend to go to a place where we feel nurtured and safe,” says Lynne McNees, president of ISPA. “Maybe with the economy the way it is now, people are not staying as long or (are) getting one service instead of three, but the most important thing is they are still going. The spa gives us permission to pause, and in this 24/7 world we don’t give ourselves that permission very often.”

Indeed, according to SpaFinder, travel agents reported more bookings for spa vacations last summer than in 2007, perhaps as a result of a weakened dollar convincing people to vacation near home. “The spa industry is resilient,” Ellis says. “And that’s because people are getting more of the basic, stress-reducing treatments like a massage or a facial.” Spas are also benefiting from the public’s greater interest in health; accordingly, many places have shifted their focus from pampering to wellness. “Going to a spa is not viewed as an occasional occurrence or frivolous pam-

Spas can be more than a luxury in these troubled times. Here’s a look at the best new ones.

BY MANDY BEHBEHANI

zones

pering anymore, but as part of a health and well-being (-oriented) lifestyle — like shopping at Whole Foods,” says spa editor Gelula.

“I’m not a medical person, but I do know a lot of people are disappointed with Western medicine. And one could argue that there’s a lot more creativity and alternative health options in a spa setting. Acupuncture and massage have been proven to benefit the body.”

Some mainstream doctors agree. “People ‘taking the waters’ for medicinal purposes or having a massage either for general well-being or to help (them) recover from an illness is ancient wisdom,” says Dr. Bill Stewart, founder of the Institute for Health & Healing at California Pacific Medical Center, one of the largest integrative medicine centers in the country. Practitioners there treat health problems using more than 35 holistic therapies, including traditional Chinese medicine, integrative psychotherapy and spa-familiar services like skin care.

“If what you’re providing is doing some good, like a massage, where the risks are small and the benefits are great, then it becomes the kind of healing that’s easier to recommend than even a supplement,” Stewart says. “We all value being cared for, attended to, being touched.” Spiritual wellness is also increasingly a focus; the thinking now is that bolstering the psyche is at least as important as reducing the thighs. At one

new spa, a shaman will, for $250, send you home without the emotional baggage you packed in. Of course you can still “spa” for hedonistic reasons — all the way up to a La Prairie facial infused with 24-karat gold. Here’s a look at some new great spas in the West.

THE GRAND DEL MAR, SAN DIEGO

When Freud conceived of the pleasure principle he must have been thinking of The Grand Del Mar spa. Part of the $300 million Renaissanceinspired Grand Del Mar resort (voted among the world’s top 100 resorts by Conde Nast Traveler readers), the opulent 21,000-square-foot facility transports you to the glories of that era with its sparkling crystal glass tiles, multiple arches, imported white Carrara marble and warm wood accents. Enter its hushed women’s lounge and find an embarrassingly sybaritic haven decorated in calming ivory, taupe and robin’s egg blue with gold accents and framed Hermès scarves. The relaxation room has plush canopied daybeds, lush fringed silk draperies, glossy travertine and mosaic floors and glittering gilt mirrors.

The men’s retreat is accented with dark wood, rich brown hues, a stone fireplace and high-back lounging chairs in crimson leather. Every practical essential is anticipated, from the European-style wet rooms and

full-height keypad lockers to aromatic teas to sip on while waiting for a massage.

The services menu would make the original hedonist Aristippus weep for joy. One treatment, the Decompression (ask for Claude Jacobs), includes an exfoliating body scrub of salt and organic rosemary, a Vichy shower (Jacobs sets the nine jets and one rain showerhead to the right temperature for you) and a hydrating body wrap of goat butter and blankets enjoyed while you float for 20 minutes on an immersion bed that fills with warm bubbling water at the touch of a button. During that 20 minutes Jacobs massages your feet and neck. Then he does your whole body. Rapture! ($360)

Information: thegranddelmar.com

THE SPA AT ENCANTADO

In contrast to The Grand, the spa at Auberge Resorts’ new Encantado, in New Mexico seven miles north of Santa Fe, is a study in quiet minimalism, with floors of watery limestone and bleached wood, open beamed ceilings, pale stone counters and glass walls that overlook a tranquil, light-filled meditation garden.

Opened last August, the 10,000-square-foot spa’s “warming room”— where you wait for treatment in a robe made of bamboo as soft as a kiss — is octagonal, furthering a sense of coziness. The room has the requisite citrus water and soulful, Enya-like chanting music, but I particularly loved the butter cookies (of which I ate far too many). All 15 treatment rooms incorporate the outdoors with private courtyards that have soaking tubs and rain showerheads.

Many services honor the mystic healing traditions indigenous to the region and incorporate local ingredients such as adobe clay, sage, juniper, apricot and piñon.

Eastern medicine is also on tap. I feared my classic Indian Ayurvedic massage ($155) would not be deep enough to uncoil the spasms plaguing my back. My therapist, however, a cheerful Austrian named Wolfgang Blumel, begged to differ. He was right. The warm rose-infused oil, repetitive motions and hot compresses were more than enough to provide a therapeutic massage. I, who can never nap, actually fell asleep for a minute. Now if he could only get that nerve pain around my trapezius to disappear forever!

Therapist Kim Plinovich started my Mountain Spirit Purification treatment ($300) with a smudging ceremony to clear negative energies and purify my auric field. Burning sprigs of sage, she whipped the smoke with a feather across and down my body. After an exfoliation, she applied a Sedona clay mask, wrapped me in warm blankets and massaged my scalp with juniper oil while telling me that juniper “is the telephone from the plant world to God.” Say what?! In performing reflexology on my feet, Plinovich divined that the chakra related to my kidney was out of whack. She advised me to ingest more water and iron and get more sleep. Wow, I knew that! After a shower, it was time for a massage using hot stones. Native Americans believe stones hold wisdom and healing properties. After that massage, I just might have to agree.

Information: encantadoresort.com

THE HEALING CENTER AND SPA AT CAVALLO POINT

THE LODGE AT THE GOLDEN GATE

With its serene, light-filled atrium lounge, library and fireplace, comfy furniture and wide array of services, this 11,000-square-foot spa is just the place for a soul long under house arrest to come out and play.

Nestled in a stand of pine and eucalyptus with views extending to Coit Tower, the Healing Center and Spa opened last July, part of the new lodge at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge in the former Fort Baker. Outside, a heated basking pool awaits and inside is a tea bar with exotic drinks. Try the heavenly Mayan Frozen Cacao—raw chocolate with coconut milk, dates, mesquite pods and maca. The spa offers a complete menu of feel-good treatments, all of which incorporate exclusive blends of organic or wild-crafted ingredients.

But what sets it apart, says director Jenny Helling, is its roster of wellness treatments that range from nutrition guidance and acupuncture to counseling in stress reduction and smoking cessation. During my stress relief consultation ($150), Western herbalist Katie Delwiche assessed my general health and then concocted a tincture of Siberian ginseng (stress), black cohosh and kava kava (muscle relaxants), passionflower (more stress) and wild oats (nerves).

Did I feel calmer afterward? Yes, until I hit the freeway!

On the spiritual plane, there are shamanic treatments ($250) with healer Jon Rasmussen, who spent three years training with the Q’ero

CAVALLO POINT SPA VILLAGIO

Indians of Peru. He works on unloading emotional histories (more of that baggage) in what he calls the “mythic and energetic levels.”

Using stones, crystals, a snow goose feather, rattles and spritzes of Agua de Florida, Rasmussen worked to clear blockages of what he divined were negative and stagnant energy in my body—accumulated not only during my life but those of my ancestors. Rasmussen also performed soul retrieval on me, designed in part to reveal the source of past traumas. Mine, he said, went back centuries.

And there I was, still blaming that witch who ran off with my boyfriend in high school.

Information: cavallopoint.com

SPA VILLAGIO

Unabashedly indulgent, this 13,000-square-foot haven in Yountville offers pamperings that run from a facial with a mask of crushed pearls, citrus, bearberry and licorice extracts ($145) to a reshaping cellulite treatment ($145) aimed at diminishing that horrid dimpling on the thighs. My therapist applied a warm full-body wrap of exotic active ingredients designed to improve skin compactness, encourage fluid reabsorption, accelerate metabolism and reduce fat accumulation. After a shower, there was a brief but vigorous massage to oxygenate and reshape tissues.

The Villagio Inn’s original 4,500-squarefoot spa grew too small too quickly. The new, Tuscan-style one gives the feeling of being in someone’s luxurious but comfortable living room, replete with Napa Valley fieldstone, Douglas fir floors, comfy sofas and European

antiques. Plates of truffles, chocolate-covered raisins, fresh fruit kebabs and scented teas make one feel welcome — and can take the place of dinner. Locker rooms have rustic wood-beamed ceilings, polished marble counters and outdoor thermal soaking tubs.

The spa has 16 treatment rooms, but its five suites, designed for customized multiple services, are the ultimate in luxury. With views of the Napa Valley, the suites have fireplaces, experience showers, wet bars, jetted soaking tubs and private terraces. If you have trouble getting into the groove of the three-and-a-half-hour, $575-aperson treatments, there is Bose surround sound to pipe in jazz or New Age music and a flatscreen television to present a Renoir masterpiece or a calming landscape painting.

Information: villagio.com

SPA TERRA AT THE MERITAGE RESORT

This unique 9,000-square-foot spa in southern Napa Valley is the first to be developed completely underground, carved out of an estate wine cave 40 feet under the resort. Go in and turn right for wine tasting or wander left and enter the spa’s serene and luxurious world of custom mosaics, Florentine masonry, steam grottoes, water walls and lavish treatments. Instead of being claustrophobic, the experience is one of tranquil cocooning.

I had the oxygen facial, an application of a stream of moisturizer, minerals, vitamins, enzymes and amino acids aimed at restoring natural collagen to produce smoother, youngerlooking skin. I didn’t look exactly like Elizabeth

Taylor in A Place in the Sun afterward, boo-hoo. But a girl can dream, can’t she?

Information: spaterra.com

Future spa openings

LA PRAIRIE SPA AT THE RITZ-CARLTON, RANCHO MIRAGE

One of only four La Prairie spas in the country will be located in a swanky new Ritz-Carlton resort slated to open this fall. Perched on a 650foot bluff above the Coachella Valley, the hotel is designed to provide vistas of Palm Springs and the dramatic bare Santa Rosa Mountains. The spa will have 15 treatment rooms, 10 with private terraces and outdoor showers.

Because of La Prairie’s history at the forefront of the anti-aging revolution, many of its offerings will be age-defying treatments.

Information: ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/ RanchoMirage/Default.htm

THE SPA AT L’AUBERGE, DEL MAR

Originally opened in 1989, this hotel in the picturesque seaside village of Del Mar reopened last summer following a $25 million renovation. Its new, larger 4,500-square-foot spa is reportedly set to open in late February or early March with 10 treatment rooms, many with partial ocean views; a complimentary wine bar; and an array of treatments employing organic and exotic ingredients like Indonesian ginger and frankincense, long considered helpful to address inflammatory conditions.

Information: laubergedelmar.com

GRAND DEL MAR

SPA TERRAENCANTADO

Tom Marioni at Crown Point Press

BY ANNE CRUMP RAY

HUMOR IS A HALLMARK OF TOM MARIONI’S WORK. That’s apparent in pieces as diverse as his landmark installation The Act of Drinking Beer with Friends Is the Highest Form of Art (1970) — currently enjoying a restaging at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art — and a new book of playfully updated fairy tales just released by Crown Point Press.

Self-described as a sculptor who also makes drawings and prints, Marioni is a stalwart of the Bay Area art world and an influential practitioner of conceptual art. The husband of Crown Point Press founder Kathan Brown, he has a unique and long-standing relationship with the renowned San Francisco printmaking studio and gallery, and his most recent collaboration highlights nearly three decades of projects there.

ABOVE LEFT: Tom Marioni, It’s Not Easy Being Green, 2008 (color drypoint with aquatint and flat bite etching, 34˝ x 30˝ in., ed. 20)

ABOVE RIGHT: Cover of Fabliaux: Tom Marioni Fairy Tales by Tom Marioni, 2009

Titled Fabliaux: Tom Marioni Fairy Tales, the book contains Marioni’s own humorous versions of classic tales—including “Hansel and Gretel,” “The Three Little Pigs,” “Little Red Riding Hood,” “Cinderella,” and others—updated for adults and illustrated with 33 etchings and woodcuts that date from 1981 to the present.

The title refers to the “short, usually comic, frankly coarse and often cynical tales in verse” that prospered in the 12th and 13th centuries. It also serves as the name of an accompanying exhibition at Crown Point Press that showcases Marioni’s prints from the book, anchored by two brand-new works.

The exhibition opened in January and continues through February 24. Copies of Fabliaux can be purchased at the gallery for $15 each.

Crown Point Press, 20 Hawthorne St., San Francisco, 415.974.6273, crownpoint.com; 10–6 Tue–Sat, closed Sun–Mon

Bryn Craig The Lark At Night 30 x 40 inches, oil on canva s

Bryn Craig The Lark At Night 30 x 40 inches, oil on canvas

CALENDAR

FEBRUARY ARTS & EVENTS GUIDE

THEATER

Thru 8 Marin Theatre Company My Children! My Africa! is a tale of friendship between two teenagers in apartheid-torn South Africa. Marin Theatre Company (Mill Valley). 415.388.5208, marintheatre.org

Thru 14 Children’s Theatre See the Evil Queen defeated by Snow White and her seven little friends at this Children’s Theatre Association of San Francisco performance. Florence Gould Theater (SF). 415.248.2677, ctasf.com

Thru 22 Ross Valley Players Glengarry Glen Ross is the story of four small-time real estate salesmen who will do anything to make a buck. Barn Theatre (Ross). 415.456.9555, rossvalleyplayers.com

Thru June 27 Wicked The cultural phenomenon that got its start in San Francisco is back for an extended stay. Orpheum Theatre (SF). 415.512.7770, shnsf.com

7–8 Live at the Met The Lark Theater hosts the entire Metropolitan Opera season live in high definition. This month’s production is Lucia di Lammermoor. Lark Theater (Larkspur). 415.924.5111, larktheater.net

24–28 Solo Players Festival The Ross Valley Players’ opens up its Barn Theatre for five unique solo performances over five nights. Barn Theatre (Ross). 415.456.9555, rossvalleyplayers.com

28 An Evening with Groucho Legendary comedian Groucho Marx is brought to life by Teatro ZinZanni audience favorite Frank Ferrante. Jewish Community Center of San Francisco (SF). 415.292.1233, jccsf.org

COMEDY

Tuesdays Mark Pitta and Friends An evening to work on new material hosted by comedian Mark Pitta. 142 Throckmorton Theatre (Mill Valley). 415.383.9600, 142throckmortontheatre.com

DANCE

Thru February 7 SF Ballet The 76th season begins with a program featuring three great ballets including a Yuri Possokhov world premiere. War Memorial Opera House (SF). 415.865.2000, sfballet.org

6 Kodo Japan’s premiere taiko percussion ensemble returns to Marin. Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium (San Rafael). 415.499.6400, co.marin.ca.us

7 Pilobolus Dance and acrobatics combine to push the human body to its outermost limits. Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium (San Rafael). 415.499.6400, co.marin.ca.us

15 The Art of Bellydance This art form is gaining popularity in America; find out why as the Superstars of Bellydance expand their repertoire. Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium (San Rafael). 415.499.6400, co.marin.ca.us

MUSIC

1 Tenaya Classical Guitar Gareth Loy and Jonathan Braun present a concert of guitar duos. The Dance Palace (Point Reyes Station). 415.663.1075, dancepalace.org

5 Scott Weiland The leader of the popular grunge band Stone Temple Pilots takes the stage. The Grand Ballroom (SF). 415.421.8497, goldenvoice.com

6 Ben Stolorow Trio The Berkeley pianist brings his jazz sounds to Old St. Hilary’s. Old St. Hilary’s (Tiburon). 415.435.1853, landmarks-society.org

6–8 Yoshi’s San Francisco Guitar virtuoso Al Di Meola demonstrates his musical mastery at Yoshi’s. Yoshi’s (SF). 415.655.5600, yoshis.com

8 San Francisco Symphony Welcome the Year of the Ox with the San Francisco Symphony. Davies Symphony Hall (SF). 415.864.6000, sfsymphony.org

11 NOFX Since 1983 NOFX has delivered fun and energetic music; see them with Smoke or Fire and the Singularity. Great

Kodo drummers perform February 6 at Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium.

American Music Hall (SF). 888.233.0449, gamh.com

16 Philip Glass The composer and pianist presents the long-awaited West Coast premiere of his classic minimalist piece Music in Twelve Parts, created in the ’70s. Davies Symphony Hall (SF). 415.392.2545, performances.org

20 Blue Star Music The youth performers of the Blue Star Music Camp present a concert. Marin Youth Center (San Rafael). 877.331.7827, bluestarmusiccamps.com

27 Guitar Blues Join Jorma Kaukonen, Robben Ford and Ruthie Foster for an evening celebrating the six-string instrument. Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium (San Rafael). 415.499.6400, co.marin.ca.us

28 Corinne West and the Posse Enjoy an evening of rowdy bluegrass music and fun. The Stairwell Sisters kick off the evening. Lark Theater (Larkspur). 415.924.5111, murphyproductions.com

GALLERIES

MARIN

Art Abloom Studio and Gallery Growth Through Flames Oil paintings by Gabriella Spina Drake, thru February. 1527 San Anselmo Ave, San Anselmo. 415.256.1112, artabloom.com

Art Works Downtown Boots, Bags and Bikinis Mixed media by Carol Durham, Antonia “Tuppy” Lawson and Melissa Woodburn, thru February 13. 1337 Fourth St, San Rafael. 415.451.8119, artworksdowntown.org

Claudia Chapline Gallery Color 4 Abstract works on paper by Claudia Chapline, Etta Deikman, Paul Redaelli and Harold Schwarm, thru February. 3445 Shoreline Hwy, Stinson Beach. 415.868.2308, cchapline.com

Community Congregational Church of Tiburon Prints by Chaen Chan at the Community Congregational Church, thru February 26. 145 Rock Hill Drive, Tiburon. 415.435.9108, ccctiburon.org

MSMarin Symphony

Alasdair Neale, Music Director

08 | 09 SEASON

Britain, Bizet and Balanchine f

Sunday, March 1 and Tuesday, March 3, 2009 at 7:30pm

Alasdair Neale, conductor Jeremy Constant, violin Marin Symphony Chorus

Vaughan Williams The Lark Ascending Vaughan Williams Dona Nobis Pacem BizetSymphony No. 1 in C Major

Marin Center, San Rafael

Tickets $27 / $50 / $65 (students half price) at 415.499.6800

Concerts made possible by Bank of Marin, Peter Levi Plumbing and Taddei, Ludwig & Associates.

www.marinsymphony.org

Pre-concert in Marin Center

How a great piece of music became a great ballet 6:30-7:00pm – Pre-concert talk in the auditorium with Maestro Neale and San Francisco principal dancer Katita Waldo They will discuss Bizet’s Symphony No. 1, staged as Symphony in C by George Balanchine.

Have a free glass of wine on us

7:00-7:30pm – Adjourn to the Green Room to sip a complimentary glass of wine while you meet Katita Waldo. Pick up your wine ticket from an usher at the pre-concert talk.

Charlie Palmer’s 4th Annual Pigs & Pinot Celebration!

March 20th ~ 21st, 2009

A benefit for Share Our Strength ®

Join Chef Charlie Palmer at Hotel Healdsburg for a celebratory weekend offering a series of intimate dining and educational events. A cast of Master Sommeliers and international celebrity chefs including Michael Mina (San Francisco) and Graham Redman (New Zealand) will showcase a selection of the world’s finest Pinots with perfect pork pairings.

EVENTS & SEMINARS:

Friday, March 20th

Taste of Pigs & Pinot – Enjoy 50 acclaimed Pinot Noirs while savoring special pork dishes created by renowned chefs

Saturday, March 21st

Ultimate Pinot Smack Down – 16 Pinots, Four Master Sommeliers, Only One winner!

Piggy Back – Demonstration cooking class with Chef Palmer

Gala Dinner – Sumptuous 5-course wine pairing dinner

For complete event details and information on weekend packages and a la carte tickets visit www.pigsandpinot.com or call 800.889.7188

Sponsored by Relish Culinary Adventures and Marin Magazine

Donna Seager Gallery Ex Libro Work by Lisa Kokin, thru March 15. 851 Fourth St, San Rafael. 415.454.4229, donnaseagergallery.com

Gallery Route One The 24th annual juried show, thru February 16 11101 Hwy One, Point Reyes Station. 415.663.1347, galleryrouteone.org

Marin MOCA Depth of Perception, thru March 1. 500 Palm Dr, Novato. 415.506.0137, marinmoca.com

Marin Society of Artists Portraits and Figures, February 8–March 1 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Ross. 415.454.9561, marinsocietyofartists.org

Milk and Honey Art Gallery Group artists’ textile show, thru February 15. 384 Miller Ave, Mill Valley. 415.383.7580

Northbay ArtWorks Members’ ongoing work. 7049 Redwood Blvd, Ste 208, Novato. 415.892.8188, northbayartworks.com

O’Hanlon Center for the Arts Twins and Triplets, thru February. 616 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley. 415.388.4331, ohanloncenter.org

Robert Allen Fine Art California

Landscapes Group show gallery by artists, February 2–27. 301 Caledonia St, Sausalito. 415.331.2800, robertallenfineart.com

Robert Beck Gallery Early California and contemporary plein air paintings on display. 222 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, San Anselmo. 415.456.7898, beckgallery.org

Robert Green Fine Arts Contemporary paintings and other nonobjectionable work. 154 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley. 415.381.8776, rgfinearts.com

Sam the Butcher Creative Destruction

Work by Georgia June Goldberg. 19 Ross Common, Ross. 415.902.1019, samthebutcherart.org

Smith Andersen North Black-and-white photography from the 1950s by Stan Zrnich, thru March 14. 2240 A Fourth St, San Rafael. 415.455.9733, smithandersennorth.com HOTEL HEALDSBURG

Studio 4 Art Work by local artists at this brand-new gallery and workshop offering materials and classes. 1133 Grant Ave, Novato. 415.596.5546, studio4art.net

The Art Bar The painting of Pete Hackett, thru February. 46 Main St, Tiburon. 415.435.5999, theartbar.us

The Painters Place Oils and watercolors from gallery artists. 1139 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur. 415.461.0351, thepaintersplace.com

SAN FRANCISCO

ArtHaus The Abstractors. thru March 28. 411 Brannan St, 415.977.0223, arthaus-sf.com

Berggruen Gallery Bay Area figurative show, thru February. 228 Grant Ave, 415.781.4629, berggruen.com

Cain Schulte Gallery What World Behind Those Ruby Eyes Oil painting by Michael Tole, thru February 14. 101 Townsend St, 415.543.1550, cainschulte.com

Caldwell Snyder Gallery Curtis Fields, thru February 14. 341 Sutter St, 415.296.7896, caldwellsnyder.com

Elins Eagles-Smith Gallery Recent paintings by John Goodman, February 5–28. 49 Geary St, 415.981.1080, eesgallery.com

George Krevsky Gallery Work in metal, wood and paper by Ken Kalman, February 5–March 14. 77 Geary St, 415.397.9748, georgekrevskygallery.com

Gregory Lind Gallery Ongoing work. 49 Geary St, 415.296.9661, gregorylindgallery.com

Hackett-Freedman Gallery Synchronies: Undercurrents in Postwar European and American Abstraction, thru February 28. 250 Sutter St, 415.362.7152, hackettfreedman.com

Meyerovich Gallery New work from Guy Dill. 251 Post St, 415.421.7171, meyerovich.com

Rena Bransten Gallery Complicity Group show curated by Leigh Markopoulos, thru February 21. 77 Geary St, 415.982.3292, renabranstengallery.com

Curiosa Natura

Patrick Sequi, an artist known for his intricately carved dioramas, will be debuting his Edwardian-inspired collection “Curiosa Natura” at San Francisco’s the Shooting Gallery this month. In his words: “My show is inspired by 19th-century scientific iconography, which features the genesis of these unusual characters, perfectly befitting their place in a compendium of scientific anomalies. It’s my grand tour of the laboratories of natural science.” shootinggallerysf.com

MUSEUMS

MARIN

Bay Area Discovery Museum Create a lucky red envelope or a paper lantern at this special Chinese New Year celebration, February 16 (Sausalito). 415.339.3958, baykidsmuseum.org

Bolinas Museum Wood sculpture by Peter Boiger will be on display, thru March 1. (Bolinas). 415.868.0330, bolinasmuseum.org

Falkirk Cultural Center Always open to the public (San Rafael). 415.485.3438, falkirkculturalcenter.org

Marin History Museum The new exhibit Growing the Future: Farming Families of Marin opens this month and tells the history of farming in Marin. San Rafael Council Chambers. 415.454.8538, marinhistory.org

Marin Museum of Contemporary Art Linda Connor juries the fourth national photography exhibition, Depth of Perception, show-

ing thru March 1 (Novato). 500 Palm Dr., 415.506.0137, marinmoca.com

BAY AREA

Asian Art Museum Arts of the Islamic World from Turkey to Indonesia About 60 paintings, manuscripts, ceramics, textiles, metal wares, photographs and even puppets representing the variety of Islamic culture, thru March 1 (SF). 415.581.3500, asianart.org

California Academy of Sciences Starting February 12, patrons over the age of 18 will be able to experience the museum at night every Thursday with music, science, mingling and cocktails. Also, the academy presents special “Evolve 2009” events in February celebrating the 150th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species (SF). 415.379.8000, calacademy.org

Contemporary Jewish Museum New Works/ Old Story: 80 Artists at the Passover Table The Passover plate is reexamined by 80 artists, thru June 2 (SF). 415.655.7800, thecjm.org

de Young Yves Saint Laurent Explore the designs that made Saint Laurent famous at the only United States showing of this exhibit, thru April 5 (SF). 415.863.3330, thinker.org

di Rosa Preserve (un)Natural Work by emerging Bay Area artists, February 21–May (Napa). 5200 Carneros Hwy. 707.226.5991, ext. 34, dirosapreserve.org

Exploratorium The Exploratorium celebrates Charles Darwin’s 200th birthday and the 150th anniversary of On the Origin of Species with special events February 7–14 (SF). 415.561.0377, exploratorium.edu

Legion of Honor Artistic Luxury: Fabergé, Tiffany, Lalique The first comparative study of the work of three of the greatest jewelry and decorative arts designers from the turn of the 20th century, thru May 31 (SF). 415.863.3330, legionofhonor.org

SFMOMA Swiss artist Mai-Thu Perret has spent the last 10 years imagining a world free from capitalism. The Crystal Frontier

examines her vision, thru March 1 (SF). 415.357.4000, sfmoma.org

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Experience art created by the new wave of craft artists from Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden as the YBCA presents Irreverent: Contemporary Nordic Craft Art, thru April 12 (SF). 415.978.2787, ybca.org

EVENTS

Thru 6 Dream House RaffleYour last chance to enter to win a $2 million San Rafael home is February 6. Community Action Marin (San Rafael). 800.431.5166, marinraffle.com

3 Kitchen Tour Belevedere-Hawthorne Nursery Schools presents the 31st annual kitchen tour, boutique and raffle. San Francisco Yacht Club (Belvedere). 415.490.2767, belvedere-hawthorne.com

6 WildCare Gala 2009 Enjoy wine, hors d’oeuvres and a gourmet dinner in support of WildCare, a group that promotes animal

aid, advocacy and education. Mill Valley Community Center (Mill Valley). 415.453.1000, wildcarebayarea.org

13–15 Rare Book Fair The 42nd California International Antiquarian Book Fair is a rare treat for book lovers everywhere. Concourse Exhibition Center (SF). 415.962.2500, sfbookfair.com

14 Tapas and Tango Enjoy great food and music all benefiting the nonprofit CorStone. Alexander Hall (San Anselmo). 415.331.6161, attitudinalhealing.org

22 Oscar Night America The California Film Institute hosts the only official Oscar Night America party in the Bay Area sanctioned by the Academy of Mation Picture Arts and Sciences. Smith Rafael Film Center (San Rafael). 415.454.1222, cafilm.org

26 Ciji Ware Emmy award–winning broadcaster Ciji Ware offers retirement tips. The Tamalpais (Greenbrae). 415.464.1754, thetam.org

of…

26 Jackie O! The work of musical director Paul Smith is featured in the West Coast premiere of this 90-minute chamber opera composed by Michael Daughtery and directed by James Dunn. College of Marin Fine Arts Theatre (Kentfield). 415.485.9460

28 Crab Fest The fifth annual All You Can Eat Crab Fest benefits The Redwoods senior community. The Redwoods (Mill Valley). 415.383.1600, theredwoods.org

NATURE WALKS/TALKS

7 Marin Sierra Club Take a hike to Mount Tamalpais. Meet at Deer Park (Fairfax). 415.461.9255, sanfranciscobay.sierraclub.org

7 Moonlight Hike Join the Marin Moonshiners for a monthly three-mile hike to experience the sunset, moonrise and a picnic. Reservations required. Pelican Inn Pub (Muir Beach). 415.331.0100, whatshappeningcalendars.com

8 Sunset Hike and Dine Join this local club for a monthly two-hour hike on moderate to steep trails on Mount Tamalpais with a midhike wine and cheese break. Reservations required. Mountain Home Inn (Mill Valley). 415.331.0100

11 Master Gardener Class The BelvedereTiburon Landmarks Society is hosting a master gardener class on sowing seeds for vegetables and flowers. Art & Garden Center (Tiburon). 415.435.1853, landmarks-society.org

18 Marin Scuba Club Brian Huse discusses the state of the world’s coral reefs. Seafood Peddler Restaurant (San Rafael). 415.453.9556, marinscuba.org

19 Nature of the Bay Join wildlife biologist Denise Greig as she discusses the health and safety of harbor seals. Richardson Bay Audubon Center and Sanctuary (Tiburon). 415.388.2524, tiburonaudubon.org

RETAIL THERAPY

Kiehl’s Since 1851 The famous New York–based purveyor of skin and hair care products has a new North Bay location. The Village at Corte Madera (Corte Madera). 800.543.4572, kiehls.com

Rick’s Wine Cellar Tucked away in Old Town Square in Corte Madera, Rick’s is a boutique wine bar and shop featuring an eclectic mix of premium and hard to find wines. Now Rick’s has three new wine clubs accessible to anyone in the United States. Old Town Square (Corte Madera). 415.927.9466, rickswinecellar.com

TRAVEL BUZZ

Anderson Valley Winegrowers Association

The fourth annual international varietals festival is a great chance to try wines and meet winemakers from many California vineyards, February 21-22. 707.895.9463, avwines.com

Bear Valley Inn This traditional West Marin bed and breakfast is a great spot to relax and explore the Point Reyes area. Arrive on foot or by bicycle and receive 15 percent off your stay. Those who arrive on the West Marin Stagecoach enjoy a 10 percent discount. 415.663.1777, bearvinn.com

Calistoga Ranch February is the last month to take advantage of the “Rest and Renew” package for weekend travelers or the “Calistoga Escape” for midweek travelers who want to enjoy one of the 46 guest lodges located in a private 157-acre canyon. 707.254.2800, calistogaranch.com

Cavallo Point Lodge The luxury resort located just across the Golden Gate Bridge has a special getaway for locals and Marin Magazine readers. Enjoy an overnight stay for two which includes a 90-minute massage per person at the Healing Arts Center and Spa, a morning yoga class, all-day access to the fitness suite and a steam in the eucalyptus steam room followed by a dip in the heated pool. Just $455 for two (double occupancy). Single occupancy is available upon request. Offer is good through March 31. Ask for the Marin Magazine rate. 415.339.4700, cavallopoint.com

Furnace Creek Inn & Ranch Resort This winter the resort is offering a “Stay and Play” golf package for accommodations and golf on its year-round course. Rates are $204 at the ranch and $338 at the inn thru February 13 and $262 at the ranch and $438 at the inn after that through April 19. 888.236.7916, furnacecreekresort.com

Martini House Co-owner Pat Kuleto and executive chef Todd Humphries have launched an economic relief package of their own at St. Helena’s Martini House. The “Temporary Wine Economic Relief Program” (TWERP) offers guests free corkage at lunch Friday through Monday as well as 50 percent off select bottles of wines on Monday nights. It’s a great way to drink away those recession blues. 707.963.2233, martinihouse.com

Mauna Kea Beach Hotel The Grand Dame of the Big Island has reopened after a multimillion-dollar renovation and is offering great packages for your winter escape. 866.977.4589, maunakeapreview.com

Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort It is time to plan that perfect ski getaway with packages celebrating the expansion of terrain on Lookout Mountain and the completion of the $55 million Village at Northstar project. Packages start at $108 but look for a more than $26,000 package that includes a rare $10,000 black diamond necklace. 800.466.6784, northstarattahoe.com

Pura Vida Adventures The surf and yoga specialists for women announce a new beachfront location at the Hotel Tropico Latino located on a local surf break in Malpais, Costa Rica. Pura Vida is now offering $100 off for Marin Magazine readers who book a trip through August 2009. 415.465.2162, puravidaadventures.com

Seven Gables Inn One of California’s most romantic inns wants to put travel getaways back in the budget for 2009. This Victorianera inn is built on the Monterey Bay oceanfront and has special packages through April 30. 831.372.4341, sevengablesinn.com

Sonoma Valley The annual three-month Season of the Olive celebration culminates with Finale Weekend over President’s Day weekend. Call for rates and information. 707.996.1090, olivefestival.com

The Carneros Inn Enjoy dinner, breakfast, one night’s accommodations and special organic scrub and massage treatments as part of the “Crush on You” package offered in February. The inn is located on 27 acres in the heart of the Carneros wine-growing region. 707.299.4900, thecarnerosinn.com

Rustic Bakery’s Cacao Nib Almond Sticks

These thin, crisp butter almond cookies are sold by the dozen at the Rustic Bakery in Kentfield. Baker Carole LeValley uses Straus’s organic butter and Scharffen Berger cacao nibs. The sophisticated finger cookies pair well with gelato or an espresso.

1 B/d cup all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

B/c cup blanched almonds

B/e teaspoon kosher salt

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

B/i teaspoon almond extract

2 ounces cacao nibs

COMBINE the flour, sugar, almonds, and salt in a food processor. Pulse for 4 to 5 seconds, until the mixture becomes a fine meal. Add the butter to the mixture and pulse again for 3 seconds, until the mixture is crumbly.

In a small bowl, combine the water and the vanilla and almond extracts. Add to the food processor and pulse until the dough becomes crumbly and just comes together. Add the cocoa nibs to the dough and pulse 2 to 3 quick times until just incorporated. Be careful not to overmix. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and form into a ball. Divide the dough in half, form each half into a disk and place each disk between 2 large sheets of parchment paper. Roll and shape each piece into a 6-by9 inch rectangle about B/e inch

Organic Marin

RECIPES FROM LAND TO TABLE

Written and photographed by Tim Porter and Farina Wong Kingsley and produced by Marin Magazine, this is a seasonal cookbook that celebrates the organic farmers and ranchers of Marin County. Flavor will feature a recipe from Organic Marin each month. The book can be purchased at local bookstores or at marinmagazine.com/ organicmarin.

thick. Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.

Preheat an oven to 325°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a sharp knife, slice the dough crosswise into B/c-inch-wide strips and lay the strips 1 inch apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes, or until a light golden brown. Let cool on the pans for 10 minutes and transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Makes 30 to 40 cookies.

DINE OUT

CORTE MADERA

IL FORNAIO Italian Sausalito’s Larry Mindel hit a home run with this upscale Italian 23-restaurant franchise. Besides the award-winning breads, pizzas and pastas, the menu boasts a variety of salads and noncarb entrées. 223 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.927.4400, ilfornaio.com

IZZY’S STEAKS & CHOP HOUSE American The legendary San Francisco steak house has moved north. Known for great steaks and seafood as well as its fine wine selection, this is a great spot for a group or intimate dinner for two. 55 Tamal Vista, 415.924.3366, izzysrestaurant.com

LA MAISON DE LA REINE Vietnamese A refreshing change amid the plethora of Italian, Mexican and Chinese options. The crunchy cabbage chicken salad with peanuts, fresh spring rolls, and combinations of pho are delicious. 346 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.927.0288

MARIN JOE’S Italian Pasta and other Italian dishes have been served up here for over 50

years. Pick from soup, salad, seafood mesquitegrilled or sautéed meats and over 10 pasta options guaranteed to satisfy. Have a drink and hear local musicians at the well-known piano bar. 1585 Casa Buena Dr, 415.924.2081, marinjoesrestaurant.com

MAX’S CAFE American Located across from Town Center, Max’s is renowned for casual ambience and large portions. The menu changes with the season but features year-round favorites like matzo ball soup and BLTs. Besides decadent portions or comfort food and desserts, the menu also offers seasonable local produce and healthy items too. 60 Madera Blvd, 415.924.6297, maxsworld.com

PACIFIC CATCH Pan-Asian This well-priced fresh grill eatery offers a bounty of Pacific Rim—inspired small or main plates, like the generously portioned wasabi bowls filled with rice (white or brown), veggies and your choice of fresh or raw fish, chicken or beef. 223 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.927.3474, pacificcatch.com

P.F. CHANG’S CHINA BISTRO Chinese As of 2008, Marin diners don’t have to travel in order to enjoy the famed orange chicken, salt-and-pepper calamari or Mongolian beef. The restaurant serves lunch, dinner and takeout. 301 Corte Madera Town Center. 415.413.9890, pfchangs.com

RICK’S WINE CELLAR California This one-room bar and wine shop is located at the same spot as Marin’s first wine bar, which opened back in 1988. Now it’s owned and operated by Marin natives Rick and Candy Mendell, whose customers call it

the “Cheers of Corte Madera.” Offerings include a glass, a flight or a bottle, all of which pair nicely with the cheeses, salami and hot paninis. 207 Corte Madera Ave, 415.927.9466, rickswinecellar.com

FAIRFAX

DEER PARK VILLA Italian This “best place for a party” (Pacific Sun) sits on four garden acres; the Ghiringhelli family has been turning out Italian favorites here since 1937. Come for the famous veal parmesan—or your next big celebration. 367 Bolinas Rd, 415.456.8084, deerparkvilla.com

PANCHO VILLA’S Mexican A Fairfax favorite for over 30 years. Since 1976, head chef Francisco has been turning out treats like chile relleno stuffed with jack cheese, cilantro and onion and crab enchiladas topped with a mild tomatillo sauce and sour cream. 1625 Sir Frances Drake Blvd, 415.456.4331, panchosfairfax.com

GREENBRAE

CAFE Z American A pleasant surprise in the Bon Air shopping mall. Dishes like grilled chicken pesto panini and savory crepes have quickly made this intimate spot a local favorite, and inventive meals keep people coming back for more. 282 Bon Air Center, 415.461.9444, cafez.com

JASON’S Italian The restaurant’s new Greenbrae location (it was formerly on Andersen Drive in San

Rafael) fills the space that was formerly Giorgio’s. A crowd of regulars enjoys creative seafood dishes with Italian flair. Enjoy the ceviche, crab cakes or blackened salmon on the large outdoor covered patio. 300 Drakes Landing Rd, 415.925.0808, jasonsrestaurant.com

WIPEOUT BAR & GRILL American Belvedere residents Nancy and Scooter Simmons, known for the popular Chevy’s chain, have brought their San Francisco location of the surf-themed Wipeout Bar & Grill to the Bon Air Center. The restaurant features a full bar, outdoor patio and familyfriendly items like sandwiches, burgers and pizza in a T-shirt-and-sandals atmosphere. 302 Bon Air Center. 415.461.7400, wipeoutbarandgrill.com

KENTFIELD

HALF DAY CAFE American A tucked-away setting of intertwining ivy and great white windows makes the perfect breakfast nook. The setting is casual but elegant; the menu includes lattes, exceptional pastries and much more. Dine on the outdoor patio or inside where the view is just as divine. 848 College Ave, 415.459.0291

WILLIE’S CAFE American Stop here for down-toearth atmosphere and reasonable prices. This cozy spot offers breakfast, lunch and dinner; favorites include corn pancakes and veggie frittata. 799 College Ave, 415.455.9455

LARKSPUR

CJ CHINESE CUISINE Chinese Great spot to satisfy a craving for wonton soup before catching a show at the Lark Theater; lunch and takeout are popular too. 435 Magnolia Ave, 415.924.0717

E & 0 TRADING COMPANY Southeast Asian New chef Arnold Eric Wong is keeping the restaurant’s innovative plates as tasty as ever. Without reservations, try a spot at the large communal table. 2231 Larkspur Landing Circle, 415.925.0303, eotrading.com

EMPORIO RULLI Italian Pastry chef Gary Rulli is renowned for his Northern Italian specialties and treats. The Larkspur location (there are three others) is a popular spot for lunch as well as coffee and a sweet. Be sure to ask to see the extensive wine list. 464 Magnolia Ave, 415.924.7478, rulli.com

FABRIZIO RISTORANTE Italian Traditional Italian dishes with an extensive wine list from regions all over Italy; outside seating makes the experience even more special. 455 Magnolia Ave, 415.924.3332

LARK CREEK INN American This flagship eatery for the Lark Creek Restaurant Group opened back in 1989 by Bradley and Jody Ogden and Michael and Leslye Dellar and was hailed by the New York Times as having “the best home cooking you can imagine.” It remains a perennial special occasion spot and is still known for inventive country cooking—as well as a cozy bar scene. 234 Magnolia Ave, 415.924.7766, larkcreek.com

LEFT BANK RESTAURANT French Known for award-winning French cuisine and its lively brasserie ambience, this corner spot has rated high with locals for well over a decade. Those with a petite appetite/budget can opt for happy hour (4–6 M–F) and enjoy appetizers, all priced under three dollars. 507 Magnolia Ave, 415.927.3331, leftbank.com

MARIN BREWING CO American Grab a cold beer made right on site and pair it with fish and chips—fresh cod dipped in Mt. Tam pale ale batter, served with steak fries and homemade tartar sauce. 1809 Larkspur Landing Circle, 415.461.4677, marinbrewing.com

PICCO California Chef and celebrated restaurateur Bruce Hill deserves the accolades he has received for this eclectic shared-plate heaven. Dishes like mini-burgers and seasonally driven menu items, along with risotto made every half hour, keep people coming back. The Picco Pizzeria and Wine Bar next door is cozy (not many seats) but already famous for its wood-fired pizzas, great wine selection and soft-serve Straus Family Creamery ice cream. 320 Magnolia Ave, 415.924.0300, restaurantpicco.com

RUSTIC BAKERY California Organic mouthwatering pastries, breads, and sandwiches are on the menu here. The Meyer lemon mascarpone danish and the bacon, avocado and heirloom tomato sandwich with mesclun are perennial temptations. 1139 Magnolia Ave, 415.925.1556, rusticbakery.com

TABLE CAFÉ Indian/American Indian-inspired cafe offers a unique menu featuring entirely organic ingredients. Dishes include seasonal salads, incredible soups and fresh juices. The specialty of the house is dosa, filled with a variety of ingredients and served with savory homemade chutneys. You can also take home a choice of three or four gourmet dinners freshly packed daily. 1167 Magnolia Ave, 415.461.6787

TAM CELLARS Wine bar This wine shop includes an elegant bar with seating for up to 36 people, 30 wines by the glass and tasting flights. Tam Cellars specializes in hard-to-find wines and small production wineries. Enjoy a glass or bottle to pair with the selection of appetizers. Live music on Thursdays. 1803 Larkspur Landing, 415.461.9463, tamcellars.com

THE MELTING POT French Just across the street from the Larkspur Ferry terminal is a round red-brick haven for fondue fans. Share the “Big Night Out” feast featuring chef’s specialties, or design your own spread with cheese fondue, salad, choice of meat entrée and chocolate fondue dessert. 125 E. Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.461.6358, themeltingpot.com

YANKEE PIER American This family-friendly casual clam shack is harbored in a quaint house built in 1924 as a private residence. Though known for beer-battered fish’n’ chips, clam chowder and tasty salads, Yankee Pier serves fresh seafood delivered daily from both coasts with special dishes by new chef Chris Ball. 286 Magnolia Ave, 415.924.7676, yankeepier.com

MILL VALLEY

BALBOA CAFE MILL VALLEY California The San Francisco institution makes its debut in Mill Valley. Come for the pan-roasted Alaskan halibut or risotto but stay for the amazing burgers. 38 Miller Ave, 415.381.7321, balboacafe.com

BUCKEYE ROADHOUSE American Oysters Bingo, baby back ribs and chili-lime “brick” chicken are a few of the satisfying, comfort-food-type menu items that have made this classic roadhouse a favorite since the ’30s. The warm dark-wooded bar with red leather booths is a popular spot for cocktails, conversations or a light meal. 15 Shoreline Hwy, 415.331.2600, buckeyeroadhouse.com

CACTUS CAFE AND TAQUERIA Mexican Recently under new management; the food is better than ever. They still offer the lunchtime bargain burrito, as well as fish tacos and Caesar salads with grilled chicken or shrimp. Be sure to opt for the diablo sauce on enchiladas and burritos. 393 Miller Ave, 415.388.8226

CAFE DEL SOUL California Beware of addiction. Once you stop in for the deliciously fresh Hummus Yummus wrap, you’ll have to come back to sample the chipotle Sunrise Rice Bowl; then it will be the Thai It Up wrap with peanut sauce washed down with ginger limeade that brings you back, and so on. Casual lunch spot, great for takeout. 247 Shoreline Hwy, 415.388.1852, cafedelsoul.net

DIPSEA CAFE Comfort One word: biscuits. This longtime breakfast spot has been serving up tasty pancakes and egg dishes with homemade biscuits since 1986. Try a biscuit with a poached egg, a biscuit with sausage—or just plain butter. Lunch specialties include BLTs and tuna melts and generous Cobb salads. Now serving dinner. 200 Shoreline Hwy, 415.381.0298, dipseacafe.com

EL PASEO French Keiko Takahashi, a prominent Tokyo chef known for her modern French cuisine, transports her flair to Mill Valley. With a cottagelike feeling, this fine dining restaurant serves meals that are nothing less than exquisite. Reservations recommended. 17 Throckmorton Ave, 415.388.0741, elpaseorestaurant.com

INDIA PALACE Indian Known as “that great restaurant in the Travelodge,” India Palace is a favorite among the takeout crowd; however, eating on site is a treat too. 707 Redwood Hwy, 415.388.3350

JOE’S TACO LOUNGE Mexican A longtime local favorite, Joe’s serves up regular fare such as tasty fish tacos, burritos and enchiladas as well as more unusual items like Mexican pizza, tofu salad and crab tostados. Colorful interior and (usually) quick service makes this a fun, easy stop. And if there are too many unsupervised kids for a peaceful meal, takeout is easy too. Alone? Grab a magazine and seat at the counter and enjoy the action. 382 Miller, 415.383.8164

LA GINESTRA Italian A favorite family spot for over 30 years; getting a table or booth can take a

while. While this old-school Italian eatery is known for traditional pastas, veal dishes, pizzas and dry martinis, the familiar wait staff is also part of the attraction. 127 Throckmorton Ave, 415.388.0224

MAMA’S ROYAL CAFE American No one should miss this fabulous kitsch-decorated spot. Appetizing crepes, brioche French toast and other breakfast treats are served all day; stay awhile and try the sandwiches for lunch. 387 Miller Ave, 415.388.3261

MARIA MARIA Mexican The menu at Maria Maria draws from diverse regional cuisines of Mexico, including slow braised duck tacos, guacamole prepared tableside and Guajillo Marinated Red Snapper Filet. 651 E. Blithedale, 415.381.1070. mariamariarestaurants.com

PIAZZA D’ANGELO Italian It’s always a party at this long-standing hot spot. A great place to meet up with friends for a fresh plate of pasta, zuppa di pesce or pollo novello, or make some new friends at the bar. 22 Miller Ave, 415.388.2000, piazzadangelo.com

PIATTI RISTORANTE AND BAR Italian Reopened, after an extensive remodel, with chef Chris Fernandez on board leading the kitchen with a menu coinciding with seasonal food from local producers. The crudo and pizza are not to be missed. 625 Redwood Hwy, 415.380.2525, piatti.com

RAIN TREE CAFÉ American/Homestyle In the newly remodeled Strawberry Village shopping center, wonderful American fare: soups, salads, burgers, sandwiches and gourmet crepes. Savor the Mill Valley Crepe: smoked salmon, capers, spinach, and Dijon in a fresh warm wrap. Breakfast is served all day. 610 Strawberry Village, 415.380.8886, caferaintree.com

SMALL SHED FLATBREADS California As a slow food chef, Ged Robertson uses only local, mostly organic ingredients. Crowd favorites include the Mt. Tamal-Pie, a delicious fresh salad atop a flatbread. 17 Madrona St, 415.383.4200, smallshed.com

THEP LELA Thai This jewel is tucked away in the back of the new 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

TONY TUTTO PIZZA Italian Tony has been pouring his passion for pizza into his cooking for two decades, and is now sharing his family recipes. “It’s all about excellence in pizza, sprinkled with musical flavors and kissed with colorful passion. We feature creative artisan styled pizza using the best imported, natural and local organic ingredients.” Mostly outdoor seating, so dress accordingly. Stop by or take out. 246 East Blithedale Ave, 415.383.8646

VASCO Italian Whether you’re at a table, the bar or the back counter, you can expect an intimate and tasty dining experience at this one-room trattoria. Don’t miss trying one of the restaurant’s pasta dishes or thin-crust pizzas. 106 Throckmorton Ave, 415.381.3343

NOVATO

AURORA RISTORANTE ITALIANO Italian Locals have already discovered this cheery and bright new Italian restaurant serving large portions of traditional food. Enjoy your spaghetti or pizza on the large outdoor deck. 8 Commercial Blvd, 415.382.8488

BOCA STEAK & SEAFOOD South American Serving up an Argentinean-inspired menu in Novato with much ado. House specialties include provolenta, gambas al ajillo, and empanadas, as well as hand-cut (grass- and grain-fed) steaks. 340 Ignacio Blvd, 415.883.0901, bocasteak.com

CACTI GRILL American Grill A former bell tower church, the family-friendly restaurant now boasts a covered patio and serves a 21-day dry-aged steak and filet mignon enchiladas. Catch 22 Tuesdays feature $22 dinners. 1200 Grant Ave, 415.898.2234, cactigrill.com

FINNEGAN’S MARIN American This pub-style restaurant features tasty appetizers, grilled flatbread pizzas and entrées, including New York steak, garlic herb chicken and a braised beef and pork ragu that will really stick to your ribs. Wine, beer and cocktails are available. 877 Grant Ave, 415.899.1516, finnegansmarin.com

PORTELLI ROSSI Italian The owners of Kitchen at 868 Grant have reopened as Portelli Rossi—which means red door in Italian. This casual cafe offers huge portions (most priced under $20), a garden patio and a family-friendly environment. 868 Grant Ave, 415.892.6100, portellirossi.com

ROSS

CAFE MARMALADE French A quaint one-room coffeehouse centrally situated near Ross Common. Get there early for the full selection of pastries to enjoy with fresh-squeezed orange juice. 22 Ross Common, 415.461.2205

MARCHÉ AUX FLEURS French This gem of a restaurant serves up locally farmed produce, wild and fresh seafood and free-range meats prepared with an artisan’s touch. The wine and beer list is extensive. 23 Ross Common, 415.925.9200, marcheauxfleursrestaurant.com

TRATTORIA FRESCO Italian Every neighborhood deserves a one-room trattoria like this one. The service is friendly and the farmers’-market-fresh food is fabulous—especially the gnocchi. 13 Ross Common, 415.464.0915

SAN ANSELMO

AVA California Chef Dan Baker, of Marché aux Fleurs in Ross, has another winner with AVA, which features a California-only wine list and a menu where nearly all the ingredients come from within 100 miles—if not the Marin County Farmers’ Market. The small menu includes seasonal flatbreads, pasta and six seasonal main dishes. 636 San Anselmo Ave, 415.453.3407

CUCINA RESTAURANT AND WINE BAR Italian Proprietor Jack Krietzman (of Pacific Heights’ Jackson Fillmore) has brought Milan to Marin with his 42-seat family restaurant. Relax with a glass of wine and have a slice from the to-die-for thin pizzas, topped with items like truffle oil and fontina cheese. 510 San Anselmo Ave, 415.454.2942

DEBBIE DOES DESSERT Bakery Besides sweets, the menu offers tapas on weekends and savory dishes such as grilled duck aux pêche with lavender honey sauce on galette de mais. 556 San Anselmo Ave, 415.721.2901, debbiedoesdessert.com

FORK California This intimate spot was touted for “Top Food in the Bay Area” by Zagat for 2007. Opt for the five-course tasting menu or seasonal à la carte options. The three-course special for $29 is available during the first seating. 198 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.453.9898, marinfork.com

INSALATA’S Mediterranean Award-winning chef Heidi Insalata Krahling offers Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes prepared with local organic produce and artisan meats. 120 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.457.7700, insalatas.com

LOCOCO’S PIZZERIA Italian Worth driving to from all over Marin, and it’s an easy place to meet with friends and family. The pizza crust is divine as is the house salad. Easy spot to come with the entire family. Closed Mondays. 638 San Anselmo Ave, 415.453.1238, lococossananselmo.com

TACO JANE’S Mexican Named after the owner’s mother, this casual but colorful place welcomes the whole family. Don’t miss out on Jane’s handmade agave margarita or griddled plantains with Jane’s crema. 21 Tamalpais Ave, 415.454.6562, tacojanes.com

SAN GERONIMO

RED TAIL BAR & GRILL California The beautiful views overlooking the San Geronimo Valley redwoods and wildlife will captivate you while you indulge in the new menu featuring West Marin meats, cheeses and produce. 5800 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.488.4030

TWO BIRD CAFÉ California This roadside cafe has it all, including fresh fish and goodies from the garden. These guys were doing local and sustainable even before it was so popular. 625 San Geronimo Valley Dr, 415.488.0105, twobirdcafe.com

SAN RAFAEL

BOMBAY GARDEN Indian The restaurant offers a large menu of richly flavored Northern and Southern Indian Cuisine. There are often Bollywood movies or videos playing on a flat-screen TV to add a little entertainment to the meal. 909 Fourth St, 415.459.9555, dinebombaygarden.com

CAFE GRATITUDE Raw The waiters might push the affirmations theme a bit too much, but the tasty (and healthy) food is worth it. Besides the knowledge you’re supporting local farmers and sustainable agriculture, the raw food and vegan

Board certi ed vascular MD: non-surgical treatment for varicose and spider veins. NewSkin Clinic’s expert medical skin repair includes Botox and line-erasing dermal llers whose FDA labels include 18 month duration. Sanctuary Spa, Bay Club Marin, Corte Madera Town Center • SF Bay Club • The Gym, Tiburon. Non members welcome. NewSkinClinic.com. 415.945.9555.

Retirement Living At Its Finest!

Villa Marin Villa Marin

• Purchase your condominium with 100% equity. 28 distinctive oor plans from under $300K to over $1.3M. Governed 100% by homeowner s association.

• Physician and rehab services in our clinic. Skilled nursing and personal care onsite.

samosas are hard to resist. Best to bring a group and sample lots of items on the menu. 2200 Fourth St, 415.824.4652, withthecurrent.com

CREPEVINE American Bistro/Creperie Offering casual dining, outdoor seating and a diverse menu of savory crepes (such as the Italian crepe filled with roasted peppers, eggplant, onions, artichoke hearts, tomato sauce and mozzarella). Sweet and savory crepes are available all day long, as is breakfast. 908 Fourth St, 415.257.8822

MULBERRY STREET PIZZERIA Italian Chef

Ted Rowe won first place in the Food Network Television Pizza Challenge with his Mushroom Lover’s Pizza—sautéed mushrooms in a creamy garlic sauce atop a fresh pizza crust. Located across from the Smith Ranch Road movie theaters, it’s a great place to grab dinner and a movie. 101 Smith Ranch Rd, 415.472.7272, mulberry-street-pizzeria.com

SABOR OF SPAIN Spanish Named Best Tapas/ Small Dishes restaurant in Marin by the Pacific Sun in 2006, this Spanish wine bar is a great place for a date or a big party. The gazpacho is world class here and a must-try. 1301 Fourth St, 415.457.8466, saborofspain.com

SAN RAFAEL JOE’S Italian Guido and Theresa Farina are now running this Marin institution, which has been famous for serving up sophisticated yet casual Italian fare since 1947. The Pacific red snapper meuniere and roast sirloin of beef are standouts. 931 Fourth St, 415.456.2425, srjoes.com

SEAFOOD PEDDLER Seafood A great place to seek out fresh seafood in a warm and inviting environment. Varieties of East and West Coast fish flown in daily. Dine indoors or out, or better yet, rent out the banquet room for a party. 100 Yacht Club Dr, 415.460.6669, seafoodpeddler.com

SOL FOOD Puerto Rican With south-of-theborder treats like yellow rice, beans, plantains and authentic Puerto Rican dishes, this tiny one-room eatery on Fourth Street just off Highway 101 can be hard to get into, but worth the wait. 732 Fourth St, and 901 Lincoln Ave, 415.451.4765

SUSHI TO DAI FOR Japanese Snagging a seat in this popular sushi spot can be a challenge, but patience will be rewarded with tasty and fresh sashimi, unique sushi rolls and great prices. 869 Fourth St, 415.721.0392

Contact Bobbie O. Heldt for a personal tour at (415) 492-2408 Villa Marin is designed for comfort, security and the enjoyment of

• Activities, excursions, lectures and entertainment.

• Exercise classes, indoor pool, hot tub and more!

• A perfect place for active seniors to have fun, share intellectual pursuits and make new friends.

THERESA & JOHNNY’S COMFORT FOOD American Cooking like Mom used to make. Stop in for eggs Benedict, tuna melts, coffee and some of the best milk shakes around. 817 Fourth St, 415.259.0182, theresa-and-johnnys.com

SAUSALITO

ANGELINO RESTAURANT Italian Father-andson chefs Pasquale and Alfredo Ancona offer handmade pastas and seasonal antipasti at this authentic Italian restaurant, which has been serving food from the Campania region for the past 24 years. 621 Bridgeway, 415.331.5225, angelinorestaurant.com

ARAWAN THAI RESTAURANT Thai Known for its consistently tasty Thai food and efficient, gracious service. For light fare try the imperial or Siamese rolls (vegetarian), or dig into the delicious pad thai noodles or garlic and pepper prawns. Arawan Thai has been a local favorite for over nine years. 47 Caledonia St, 415.332.0882, arawan.com

CAFFÉ DIVINO Tuscan Locals come for the tasty pastas and salads, as well as coffee drinks, in a funky one-room setting. Free delivery in Sausalito. 37 Caledonia St, 415.331.9355, caffedivinosausalito.com

FENG NIAN Chinese Busy at lunch and dinner, this spacious hangout has been a popular spot for wonton soup, potstickers and daily specials for nearly two decades. For an indulgent treat order the Szechwan crispy calamari or honey-glazed walnut prawn. Free delivery. 2650 Bridgeway, 415.331.5300, fengnian.com

FRED’S Coffee Shop A local hot spot for over 40 years. Don’t miss the famous deepfried French toast or the traditional Swedish breakfast. Not a breakfast person? The bacon bleu cheeseburger on a sourdough roll with fries is delicious too. Open daily 7 to 3. Breakfast served until 2. 1917 Bridgeway, 415.332.4575, fredscoffeeshop.com

KITTI’S PLACE Pan-Asian Watch out Comforts (aka the best chicken salad in town): Kitty’s serves up a delicious crunchy fresh chicken salad, as well as light tasty spring rolls too. 3001 Bridgeway, 415.331.0390

LE GARAGE French Olivier Souvestre left his position at executive chef at San Francisco’s Chez Papa Bistro to open his new waterfront cafe in Sausalito with partner Bruno Denis. Le Garage features standard French bistro fare like croque monsieur and brunch items like eggs Benedict with an emphasis on fresh seafood and a large selection of charcuterie . 85 Liberty Ship Way, 415.332.5625

MURRAY CIRCLE American Sit under the stars or enjoy the sun on the deck of this Cavallo Point restaurant. Or have a locally made wine in the traditional Farley Bar and toast it’s namesake, Phil Farley Locals say they come back for the fresh seasonal ingredients like wild sturgeon and Wolfe Ranch quail that chef Joseph Humphrey cooks up. 601 Murray Circle, 415.339.4750, cavallopoint.com

PARADISE BAY American Enjoy the sun or dine under the stars at this waterfront restaurant. Patrons’ favorites are the organic beef sandwiches and fresh Maine lobster clubs. 1200 Bridgeway, 415.331.3226, paradisebaysausalito.com

PICCOLO TEATRO Italian Travis Flood takes over as executive chef and brings breakfast, finger foods, main courses and wine to the table. 739 Bridgeway Blvd, 415.332.0739, piccoloteatrodisausalito.com

POGGIO Italian A great place to celebrate a special occasion or simply enjoy a night out. Executive chef Peter McNee cooks up delicious Northern Italian cuisine using fresh and local ingredients, including produce from the nearby

EcoLuxury EcoSmart!

Patsy Krebs Selected Paintings

February 2 – March 8, 2009 San Marco Gallery Alemany Library

CALL THE SHOT! How

welldo youknow Marin?

CALL THE SHOT has a simple premise: Tell us what this is a picture of and win a $100 gift certificate for Wipeout Bar & Grill in Greenbrae.

To win, you must be specific. Sure, it’s a church, but what city is it in? Even better, give us its name. Hint: It’s a great place to hear a concert, see wildflowers, take a tour or have a wedding.

Poggio chef garden. 777 Bridgeway, 415.332.7771, poggiotratoria.com

SAYLOR’S RESTAURANT AND BAR California/ Mexican Owner and chef Sean Saylor has created a new menu, keeping some traditional favorites, and has moved the restaurant to a new location. The large menu is impressive and the bar’s selection of more than 100 tequilas is hard to beat. 2009 Bridgeway, 415.332.1512, saylorsrestaurantandbar.com

SCOMA’S Seafood Whether it’s for the view of San Francisco or the historical background, visitors flock to this location for a romantic setting. The array of fresh seafood and meat dishes are as appetizing as the Italian pasta dishes. 588 Bridgeway, 415.332.9551, scomassausalito.com

SUSHI RAN Japanese Fresh, innovative small plates are just big enough to share, the traditional sushi is melt-in-your-mouth good and the wine, cocktail and sake lists keep the pickiest barfly well satisfied. Even the prices don’t deter the herd of sushi enthusiasts, who line up nightly to partake; reservations required in main room. 107 Caledonia St, 415.332.3620, sushiran.com

WELLINGTON’S California British transport

Jeremy John and his wife Jill have created an expansive (2,400-square-foot) wine bar with a

Here’s how to play: Go to marinmagazine.com, agree to the rules and submit your answer. Simple. We’ll choose the winner randomly from all the correct answers. Good luck!

And the winner is: Reena Rosskopf of Corte Madera won December’s Call the Shot by identifying Cheda’s Garage in Point Reyes Station.

homey feel, board games, views of the bay and a worldly cellar featuring affordable bottles and special reserves. The menu offers wines by the glass for $5 to $20 and tasting flights of any three wines for $12. 300 Turney St, 415.331.9463, wellingtonswine.com

WINSHIPS RESTAURANT American The morethan-four-decades-old nautical-themed restaurant is luring locals and tourists with hearty breakfasts and lunch options like tender fried calamari, clam strips, mussels and a giant prawn cocktail. 670 Bridgeway, 415.332.1454, winships.com

TIBURON

THE CAPRICE California Expansive Angel Island and San Francisco skyline views and an intimate atmosphere make this waterfront restaurant a top pick for romance. Beyond these attractions, locals like it for the food, including a three- to five- course menu created by executive chef Gregg Sessler —who according to Michael Bauer “has crafted a menu that can stand up to the big boys.” 2000 Paradise Dr, 415.435.3400, thecaprice.com

COTTAGE EATERY California This one-room, recently remodeled eatery is the latest restaurant addition to Tiburon’s Ark Row. Having opened to rave reviews, owners Edward Carew and Jennifer

Rebman, both formerly of New York—each with stints cooking at Gramercy Tavern—are attracting regulars with seasonal entrées like grilled branzino served with boulanger potatoes, watercress and a taggiasca olive vinaigrette and crispy suckling pig with Umbrian lentils, braised romaine, tomato and saba. Closed Mondays. 114 Main St, 415.789.5636, thecottageeatery.com

GINZA Japanese The old Tiburon Tommie’s space on Main Street has been buffed and polished and reopened as a sleek, upscale sushi spot with the famous waterfront San Francisco views. This intimate setting offers menu items like sliced yellowtail, avocado, radish sprout, tobiko and spicy ponzu sauce as well as a variety of tempura and terriyaki dishes. The double hamachi roll is not to be missed. 41 Main St, 415.789.5123, ginzasushi-tiburon.com

GUAYMAS Mexican Situated right next to the Tiburon ferry terminal on the waterfront. The touch-it-you’re-so-close city views and outdoor seating makes it a great place to bring visitors on a warm summer night. Happy hour is 5 to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Menu includes specialties like puerco macho—pork loin chop with grilled plantain, topped with an ancho chile, garlic and onion sauce. 5 Main St, 415.435.6300, guaymasrestaurant.com

MILANO Italian Located in the Cove Shopping Center, this family-owned neighborhood spot is known for its pasta and friendly service. A good place to take the kids—or catering option for your next birthday party. 1 Blackfield Dr, 415.388.9100

NEW MORNING CAFE American Sit outside or indoors, casual cafe. On a sunny morning, tables will be filled with locals enjoying the sun and extensive breakfast menu; lunch served as well. 1696 Tiburon Blvd, 415.435.4315

ROONEY’S CAFÉ & GRILL American If you’re old enough to remember Cheers on prime time, here is your dinner spot. There’s not a long bar, nor a bartender named Sam (he’s across the street); however, there is an undeniable neighborhood feeling in this one-room cottage dining room. 38 Main St, 415.435.1911

SAM’S ANCHOR CAFE American Everyone knows Sam’s deck is the prime spot for brunch on a lazy sunny Sunday, and its bar is the town’s historic watering hole, but Sam’s is also a great place for lunch or dinner. Enjoy trans-fat-free calamari, fresh fish, seasonal salads and pastas. 27 Main St, 415.435.4527, samscafe.com

SERVINO RISTORANTE Italian With people like Warren Buffett and Bill Gates raving about his pizza, Angelo Servino is doing something right. Some people come for the spacious and popular bar; some people come for the great food and friendly service; the titans of industry, it seems, opt for the pepperoni. Spacious bar, and weekend music is also a big draw. 9 Main St, 415.435.2676, servino.com

SWEDEN HOUSE BAKERY Swedish A cozy spot and local favorite; the blue storefront opens into bay front windows with sweeping views of Racoon

Straits and Angel Island. The menu is straight from Stockholm with Swedish and Danish pastries in the morning and open-faced sandwiches, Swedish meatloaf and light salads for lunch. 35 Main St, 415.435.9767

THREE DEGREES California Opt for the outside patio, white tablecloths in the dining room, or the swank modern setting of the bar, and enjoy the local, seasonal menu options like grilled Niman Ranch New York “cowboy” strip steak, fresh fi sh tacos or seasonal risotto . Also a great place to catch the game with multiple tvs in the bar. 1651 Tiburon Blvd, 415.435.5996, threedegreesrestaurant.com

WEST MARIN

DRAKES BEACH CAFE Local If you’re OK with the long drive, you can’t beat the view and the fresh local ingredients used to make the burgers, salads and soups at this casual spot (Inverness). Walk on the beach after lunch. 1 Drakes Beach Rd, 415.669.1297, drakesbeachcafe.com

OLEMA INN California One of the most charming settings around, this inn and restaurant is a great destination lunch spot for a Sunday drive, or dinner Wednesday through Sunday. The menu includes imaginative combinations using regional and organic greens while the bar features a full wine list (Olema). 10000 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.663.9559, theolemainn.com

PARKSIDE CAFE American Most people know it as the ultimate breakfast spot (think Guatemalan scramble or waffle with blood orange–strawberry compote and whipped cream, alfresco) but lunch and dinners are great here too. Choose from an array of organic locally grown produce and artisan meats and wild seafood as well as a wine list featuring local vitners. Or opt for an ice-cream cone from their snackbar window. (Stinson). 43 Arenal Ave, 415.868.1272, parksidecafe.com

PINE CONE DINER American Just off the main road, Joannie Kwit has re-created the ultimate neighborhood diner. Vintage china and homemade curtains complement the eclectic but homey menu featuring local fare. A favorite for locals as well as tourists, bicyclists and motorcyclists (Point Reyes Station). 60 Fourth St, 415.663.1536, thepineconediner.com

SAND DOLLAR American Originally built from three barges in Tiburon in 1921, the Sand Dollar Restaurant was floated to Stinson that same year and still exists today. Enjoy live music along with local barbecued oysters and New England clam chowder. Sunny deck for afternoon enjoyment (Stinson). 3458 Shoreline Hwy, 415.868.0434, stinsonbeachrestaurant.com

SURFER’S GRILL American The view doesn’t get better than this—nor does the surf salad. Built right out on Stinson Beach, this casual lunch spot offers up tasty fresh organic salads alongside corn dogs, burgers and fries (Stinson). Stinson Beach Park, Hwy 1, 415.868.1777, surfersgrill.com

Something Different Mon. - Sat. 10:30 am - 6:00 pm www.fancythatgiftshop.com

Art, Gifts & Accessories

47 C Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera (415) 945-8863 • Next to DMV

UNWIND?

Pamper yourself.

Discover more than 110 spas in Marin, Wine Country, Tahoe, Hawaii, Mexico and other locations.

Everything you need to know from shower, sauna and locker availability to parking and pricing.

Let Marin Magazine be your guide to a new and relaxed you!

Cal Stamenov

Bernardus Lodge, Carmel Valley

Nestled among the oaks and vineyards of Carmel Valley is Bernardus Lodge, a resort and winery with an award winning restaurant. “Bernardus Lodge is the proud recipient of the 2008 Mobil Travel Guide Four Star award, Conde Nast Gold List 2008 and Travel and Leisure Top 100 Hotels 2008,” says Bernardus Lodge executive chef Cal Stamenov, whose onsite restaurant Marinus has received honors from Zagat Survey, Gayot.com and the San Jose Mercury News.

Briefly describe your culinary philosophy. If your eyes are closed you should know what you’re eating. Sun-drenched, heirloom tomatoes or aromatic black truffles are the highlight of a dish during the peak of their season.

Where do you get your ingredients?

My friendships with local fishermen, growers and foragers are truly invaluable. They provide the best local ingredients like Monterey Bay spot prawns, Big Sur chanterelle mushrooms and other organic produce.

How did you discover your love of cooking?

Ever since I can remember I’ve felt at home in the kitchen. A love of the land, of good food and cooking were at the center of my family life.

What do you do when you aren’t in the kitchen?

I spend a lot of time in my garden, having discovered both the satisfaction of watching something grow and the thrill of harvesting what I have planted.

Cal Stamenov, Bernardus Lodge, 415 Carmel Valley Road, Carmel Valley, 831.658.3400, bernardus.com

Rhonda Kobe, Karen Creighton, Marty Weissensee

Country Gardens Gift Shoppe, Larkspur

“We are a unique gift shop,” says owner Marty Weissensee. “We have had a very successful 27 and a half years.” Country Gardens Gift Shoppe features children’s gift items such as blankets, bibs, booties, puzzles and clothing along with fine stationary imported from Italy, approximately 20 lines of greeting cards and glass ornaments from Germany. “We carry green products and our beauty products are 100% natural. Our store is a great place to shop for the entire family.”

What is your competitive edge?

We have great customer service. We treat each person with the utmost kindness and respect. Customer service is our specialty! If we don’t have what you’re looking for we will do our best to try and locate the item. Great service has been our motto since we opened the business.

How is it working with a family member?

My daughter Karen and I have worked and operated the business together with occasional help from my other daughter Rhonda. We work well together and bounce great ideas off one another.

Describe your ideal customer.

My ideal customer would be someone who enjoys the store and appreciates our efforts to do our best to please them; a customer who is looking for items that aren’t typically found at big box stores and understands the importance of shopping locally.

Marty Weissensee, Country Gardens Gift Shoppe, 482 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur, 415.924.6784

MARIN ADVERTISERS SPEAK UP

Kimberly Sherry and Scott Agueros

Interior Floor Design, San Rafael

“Interior Floor Design has thousands of square feet filled with thousands of ways to dress your floors,” say owners Kimberly Sherry and Scott Agueros. “We are passionate about floors and the positive environmental impact choosing the perfect floor can make. As seasoned designers we are equally passionate about creating the most stunning floors imaginable.”

Briefly describe your business philosophy. We genuinely feel that our floors will keep you beautifully grounded. We believe that the term green or eco-friendly is synonymous with beautiful, durable and smart. To us, green is more than a trendy label it’s the foundation of our business.

What is your competitive edge?

We search out unique, exotic and sustainable flooring solutions and intuitively have an eye for future trends. Interior Floor Design is proud to be a “Build It GREEN™” Certified Green Building Professional.

Describe your dream client.

Someone who is aware, involved, particular and open.

Why did you change your name from Marin Floor Company to Interior Floor Design?

For the same reason we changed our location: to expand our ability to reach more designers, builders and homeowners—people who are passionate about great flooring and want to explore a vast array of options.

Kimberly Sherry and Scott Agueros, Interior Floor Design, 600 Irwin Street, Suite B, San Rafael, 415.453.3310, interiorfloordesign.net

“Why I Quit Medical School to Get Sick People Well”

Dear friend,

Back in 1974, when I was a medical student, my low back just about exploded. I was walking all bent over, like I was 100 years old, and then, I began losing control of my bladder. I was only twenty-three! My orthopedist wanted to fuse my entire lumbar spine. Then, a friend referred me to a totally different kind of doctor, a chiropractor. He gently “adjusted” my spine. I stood up straight and pain-free for the first time in months!

My son, Abraham, is the little guy in the photo. He received his Ph.D. in theoretical physics at Penn State last year, and now, at the age of 24, he is a post-doc at the Enrico Fermi Institute at the University of Chicago. Yes, Abraham had been under Wellness/ Straight Chiropractic care since birth. I began adjusting him at five minutes old.

People like you, from Marin, have come to see me, over the last 27 years, with insomnia, anxiety, migraines, depression, fibromyalgia, hormonal issues, heart conditions, arthritis, digestive problems, dizziness, arthritis, rotator cuff, urinary problems, knee and hip pain (even “bone on bone”)… just to name a few. What do the members of my practice have to say?

“Best sleep in 5 years!” - GERRY ZALKOVSKY, MILL VALLEY

“Since being adjusted by Dr. Harte, the clarity of my brain has improved. I have experienced a feeling of renewal. I find that my senses are sharper and I enjoy a general sense of well-being.” - ELLEN SPAETHLING, LARKSPUR

I don’t treat or cure anything. I remove the cause, through gentle, specific, scientific chiropractic adjustments, allowing the body to heal itself.

So, why did I quit med school to help sick people get well? I knew that the standard medical approach would have ruined me. I knew that a chiropractor, quite literally, saved my life. I wanted to do the right thing, so I dedicated my life to saving lives through Chiropractic.

Peace of Mind Offer: When you bring in this article by Tuesday, February 10th, you’ll receive my entire new patient exam for $47 (The regular fee is $370.) What I do includes analysis of your spine and nervous system... X-rays... two kinds of neurological scans! My main chiropractic technique is Directional Non-Force Technique.

We are centrally located at 21 Tamal Vista, Suite 170, in Corte Madera, right next to the movie theatre. We are open late (Monday through Thursday, 10-12:30, 4-7). Call me for now at 460-6527.

“I will help you.” --Dr. Don Harte (D.C.). The Harte of Chiropractic, P.C. Where Chiropractic Lives, So You Live Better!™

P.S.: Your spouse or partner can get this Amazing Offer for an additional $10. Kids of parents getting examined come along for only $1.

P.P.S.: I’m not your “regular chiropractor.” I see people all the time who have been to chiropractor after chiropractor, and they get well here. You benefit from my serious, scientific approach, my gentle chiropractic techniques, my caring, and my devotion to serving you and your family.

Real Estate - A Good Investment

MICRO CLIMATE

GREENBRAE

Why the locals love it

BY DANIEL JEWETT PHOTOS TIM PORTER

IF THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE TAKE SOME SEARCHING TO FIND, then the community of Greenbrae is the rarest of treasures.

“It is hard to tell when you are in the city and in the county,” admits two-time Larkspur Mayor and Greenbrae resident Don Graff. “People can’t figure out where they belong.”

But wait, what is a resident of Greenbrae doing on the Larkspur city council?

“Forty percent of Larkspur is in Greenbrae; people don’t think about it,” Graff clarifies. “The creek [Corte Madera] serves as a major barrier, both physical and psychological.”

So here is the breakdown: part of Greenbrae is in the city limits of Larkspur while the rest is in an unincorporated part of Marin County. Greenbrae police services are provided by the Twin Cities Police Department, which also serves Corte Madera and Larkspur, while its fire protection and zip code are shared with Kentfield. School districts are Kentfield for middle and elementary

and Tamalpais Union for high school. As for city council, Greenbrae doesn’t have one, but residents located within Larkspur city limits can be elected to the Larkspur council, although that hasn’t happened for almost 20 years.

“The area should be combined,” Graff says. “I don’t know why this little piece of county is here; it is logical to include all of Greenbrae in the city [of Larkspur].”

That opinion might not be shared by all, but one thing that everyone seems to agree on is the many charms of the city, originally named Kentmore, carved out of the hills in the 1940s by developer Niels Schultz Jr.

“They perfectly capitalized on the views,” says resident Jeanice Skvaril, who, along with her husband and two kids, was able to buy and move back into the house she grew up in as a kid. “When I first opened the door with my mom and sisters we noticed the same tile in the floor entry. We even found old cans of paint in the basement that were used to paint our bedrooms.”

The family redecorated the house—which was featured in California Home and Design about a year ago—and loves the way light streams in from large windows facing Mount Tamalpais. The light was perfect for a recent catalog photo shoot for Skvaril’s successful work-from-home enterprise, Boodalee, which sells modern bedding for children. “The photographers kept going on and on about the lighting,” she says.

And children are a big part of Greenbrae, which boasts a very attractive school system and lots of young families. “It’s really good for raising kids and when you talk to people whose kids are in school they tell you it is like getting a private school education,” Skvaril says. “We have seen a lot of turnaround; couples in their 30s with children are moving in.”

That observation is shared by Morgan Lane real estate agent Marilyn Rich, who has lived and worked in Marin County for 37 years. “Greenbrae is special because it is a favorite for the young and empty-nesters and is more affordable than towns with similar amenities,” she says. “Greenbrae makes sense.”

According to Rich, new buyers can purchase a condo (a housing option that sets Greenbrae apart) starting in the mid-$300,000s and can get into a home for an average $1.15 million. She reports that a few “fixers” have sold for under a million and, on the higher end, a few homes sold for over $2.5 million this year. Last year, about 60 single-family homes sold and closed while, as of press time this year, that number was around 33. Great pride in the neighborhoods, mature landscaping, amazing schools and the accessibility of the Bon Air Center are huge draws for new buyers, Rich says.

Going forward there are two exciting projects in the works that promise to make the area even more desirable. One is the possible construction of a new county library on the Niven Property in Larkspur, which is also be-

ing developed with homes and senior housing. According to Graff, who serves on the Larkspur Library Board, the new facility promises new spaces for youth and community meeting rooms—“everything a modern library should have.”

The other is a renovation of Creekside Park, one of two park master plan projects implemented by the county Department of Parks and Open Spaces. According to Director and General Manager Sharon McNamee, the county assessed which parks needed work and assigned priorities; Creekside Park in Greenbrae and McInnis Park in San Rafael topped the list. “The parks are in good shape but overused, and the way they are being used has changed,” she says.

For Creekside Park only minor changes are proposed, including an upgrade to the bike trail, a new children’s playground, an upgrade to the amphitheater and bathrooms, more community spaces and a repair to the bridge connecting the bike trail to the main park area.

With these projects already in the pipeline—park construction could begin as early as spring 2010—it appears Greenbrae might well be a place worth discovering.

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241 WILLOW AVENUE, CORTE MADERA

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istoric Ross craftsman style home that was the original hunting lodge for the Winship Park estate. Located on a gated, south facing hillside with incredible views of Mt. Tam, Mt. Baldy and the Seminary, this spacious home of 5 bedrooms and 5 baths has a versatile oor plan and indoor/outdoor access with a screened in porch, sunny balconies, several terraced outdoor areas, replaces and a hot tub!

For additional information, please call:

Morgan Lane Marin, Inc. 901 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Kent eld, CA 94904 415/448-1111 sbowman@morganlane.com www.morganlanemarin.com

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In today’s tight money market The Barry S. Slatt Mortgage Company can secure low interest rates on great terms for your retail, office, industrial, or multi-family property through our exclusive relationships with life insurance companies. Jordan Angel is a fourth generation Marin native specializing in arranging financing for commercial buildings throughout the country. Jordan has coordinated over a billion dollars worth of purchase and refinance transactions from $500,000 to $74 million. Call today for a free competitive quote.

As you turn up this cypress-lined drive, be prepared to feel the allure of Tuscany. You will not be disappointed when you reach the gated entry and first view this elegantly designed European-style home. Wonderful space, volume and light await you through the front door. The distinctive living room, with fireplace, and dining room are separate enough for formal entertaining. Nearby you will find a sumptuous kitchen with a center island, custom cabinetry and granite countertops. An informal dining space and a welcoming family room with fireplace finish off this comfortable area. Windows and doors of glass focus on the pastoral view of trees, the hills and a breathtaking view of Mt. Tam. Enter from here onto an exquisitely positioned terrace with steps leading to the expansive level lawn, stunning pool & spa. The master suite is a true retreat, spacious and comfortable; it features a fireplace and elegant bath. The pool cabana could be used as a guest suite. This approximately 4,300 square foot home (from appraisal measurement, not counting the guest house/cabana or garage) perfectly sited on a 1.388 acre lot (tax records) is located in the prestigious Country Club area. Convenient to shopping and the highway and yet you feel as if you are hundreds of miles away from civilization behind the gates of this very special, private property. Offered at $4,295,000

Real estate is local, but the importance of national and international exposure is undeniable, especially for luxury properties. Frank Howard Allen is a member of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World and Luxury Portfolio Fine Property Collection.

This powerful affiliation allows us to:

• Deliver national and international exposure for our clients’ luxury properties with luxuryportfolio.com , the only luxury real estate website that is translated into nine languages and displays property values in 22 currencies, drawing traffic from over 150 countries

• Offer unparalleled marketing resources, including regional and international editions of the Wall Street Journal, Unique Homes magazine, the duPont Registry, and vast web exposure

• Connect to an overall network which includes 700 firms with 5,500 offices and 170,000 associates producing nearly $370 billion in annual home sales in 38 countries

When you’re ready, contact us. We’ll apply 98 years of service and the power of our entire team to make your experience a rewarding one.

Jim King’s Clients Say...

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Waterfront Living at its Finest

Tiburon. This 2006 architecturally stunning home and guest house showcases truly the finest materials, technologies, design and finishes in over 6,300 square feet. The main residence is over 5,000 square feet with three bedrooms and three and one half baths. Magnificent entry hall, Cumaru hardwood flooring throughout. Weiland curved sliding doors. Formal living room, dining room, family room, gourmet kitchen, wine/champagne cellar, master suite with his/her closets, mudroom and laundry, exercise room with sauna, Whole House System includes Crestron, Lutron, security and cameras. Olympian Generator. Resort-like outdoor living with pool, waterfall, and two spas. Guest house has 2 bedrooms, kitchenette and 2 car garage with Rotary and Revolution car lifts. 154-foot boat dock on a protected deep water channel with easy access to San Francisco Bay. Total of 5 bedrooms, 5.5 baths, 5 garages. www.12StLuciaPlace.com

Offered at $7,599,000

ROSS McGOWAN

BY MIMI TOWLE |

As Ross McGowan enters his 31st year on Bay Area television, many of us still associate him with the “Ross” of “Ross and Ann” on KPIX’s long-gone People Are Talking. It’s an easy mistake to make, since time has been kind to his boyish good looks. For the past 15 years, McGowan has hosted Mornings on Two, where he brings local and national celebrities to his Bay Area audience every weekday morning. Throughout the past few decades McGowan has collected a bevy of television industry awards, including a Gold Award from the New York Film Festival, the Cable Car Award for Outstanding Broadcast Journalism, and the Communications Excellence to Black Audiences award. Locally McGowan can be found cohosting fundraisers such as Bay Area March of Dimes Telethon and the Children’s Miracle Network Telethon. Since his career could take him anywhere in the country, here we learn why he has chosen to return to his roots.

You could live anywhere. Why Marin? When I moved here in 1987 I was coming back home. The first place I lived as a child was at 1 Summit in Mill Valley, the second was 77 Matilda. My grandfather built the garage on that house…a house that set my parents back $4,500. And I was at Old Mill School through the third grade.

What makes you happy in Marin? The water, mountains, and the weather. Not to mention that by living here, you’re within minutes of a world-class city.

What bothers you here? Highway 101, it’s like a parking lot. Too many NIMBYs refused sensible planning! (The SMART train is a bright light.)

What do you value everyday? My two sons, the new woman in my life, and that I was able to spend the bulk of my career in the most beautiful spot in the country.

What is your personal idea of luxury? The bed pulled back and dark chocolate on the pillow!

What person has influenced you the most? Three people: Delia Ybarra, Dennis Friend and Mrs. Bunting—all teachers of mine at Cupertino High School. I never did well in their classes but they always treated me like I was a success.

What has been the most fulfilling moment in your work? Taking television viewers to places they might not ordinarily go. For instance: a nudist camp in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and then the Mustang Ranch was a hoot. And then inside “AIDS WARD 5A” at San Francisco General Hospital, which was an opportunity to put a human face on a terrible disease.

What’s your desert island (favorite) book or album? I’d take one of Harlan Coben’s early books with Myron Bolitar, the sports agent, as the main character. Bolitar has kind of a jaded sarcastic sense of humor. Just perfect!

What’s your favorite place to unwind? Sunday morning in the living room with a cup of coffee, a roaring fire and the newspaper.

Do you have a favorite Marin view? From my front window… it looks over the Tiburon harbor past the ferry dock toward the Golden Gate Bridge and all along the San Francisco skyline. Can’t get any better than that. Too bad I don’t own the place.

What do you like about yourself? I look for the humor in life.

How do you want to be remembered? He refused to wear a lampshade, but he was a lot of fun and caring! Oh yeah, he was a good dad, too.

PHOTO: BARBARA RIES

Stunning new home with soaring ceilings, huge master suite, plus

en-suite bedrooms, guest house, pool and spa. New constructi on by Architect Jerry Kler.

SAGE CREEK, ST. HELENA

Private estate in Sobre Vista. 5BD 5.5 BA w/views, 50’ pool, spa, vineyd & wine room. New construction – not on MLS.

SONOMA $5,700,000