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MARI N E X T R A O R D I N A R Y

JULY 2008

L I V I N G

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CONTENTS

Features 64

life West Marin Hospitality Is life as an innkeeper all it’s cracked up to be? story mandy behbehani photos tim porter

home Surf, Sand & Memory A love affair inspires beach house design. story p. j. bremier photos barbara ries

80 journey

Virgin Gorda

One of the Caribbean’s best-kept secrets. story & photos alissa everett

Marin (Volume 4, Issue 6) is published monthly by Marin Magazine, LLC, One Harbor Drive, Suite 208, Sausalito, CA 94965. Application to Mail at Periodicals Postage Rates is Pending at Sausalito, CA and at additional mailing ofﬁces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Marin Magazine, One Harbor Drive, Suite 208 Sausalito, CA 94965.

MARIN

JUNE 2008

CONTENTS

Departments 22 letters

Readers respond to Marin Magazine.

26 at a glance

Hot tips day by day for the Bay Area.

32 snap

Out and about, in and around Marin.

38 trends

Men’s and women’s accessories. by somer ﬂaherty

42 life style

San Rafael’s Scott Carter Thunes discusses his personal style.

45 fyi

Community: Youth in Arts. People: David Lee Hoffman. Father’s Day: Celebrating all things Dad. Business: The woman behind Boyd Lighting. Home Decor: Trends in kitchen hoods.

MARIN

JUNE 2008

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CONTENTS

Departments

162

conversation

looking back

101

calendar

A talk with the state Senate candidates. by jim wood

Las Vegas lures travelers with unbeatable luxuries. by somer ﬂaherty

Tamalpais High School. by jim wood

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

1 10 flavor

Local bartenders take on the mojito. Dine Out: An insider’s guide to Bay Area restaurants.

120 giving back

Volunteering opportunities for Marin causes.

129

microclimate

162

dialogue

Muir Beach. by jim wood

Journey’s Jonathan Cain. by mimi towle

Columns The Cover Cape Wind Wellﬂeet, by artist Mark Beck.

view from mount tam

pov

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

More of his work can be seen at Caldwell Snyder Gallery in San Francisco: 415. 296.7896, caldwellsnyder.com.

MARIN

JUNE 2008

A cleaner and greener Marin. by jim wood

The fusion between Ceramic, 18K Red Gold and Rubber.

“Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève”

272 Post Street, San Francisco, CA 94108 • 415-392-1200 Hublot TV on: www.hublot.com

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

copy editor/proofreader Cynthia Rubin

editorial contributors Mandy Behbehani, P. J. Bremier, Samantha Bronson, Alissa Everett, Anne Crump Ray

IMAGINE THE KITCHEN OF YOUR DREAMS...

Art art director Anne Walzer

production manager Alex French ext 111 production@marinmagazine.com

production artist Stephen Spoja

contributing photographers For over 30 years Plath & Company has been

Drew Altizer, Sheri Montgomery,

building dreams into reality from custom home

Nike Van der Molen

Barbara Ries,

building, renovation and remodeling to historic

web master rehabilitation and commercial construction.

Nancy Williams

Administration P L AT H & C O M PA N Y, I N C .

controller

GENERAL CONTRACTORS LIC. #395458

Maeve Walsh ext 104

C O R P O R AT E O F F I C E 4 1 5 - 4 6 0 - 1 5 7 5

mwalsh@marinmagazine.com

NAPA VALLEY 707-963-2800 S O U T H B AY 6 5 0 - 2 9 9 - 9 4 0 0

Marin Magazine, One Harbor Dr, Ste 208, Sausalito, CA 94965, phone: 415.332.4800, fax: 415.332.3048, web: marinmagazine.com,

w w w. p l a t h c o . c o m

MARIN

JUNE 2008

e-mail: editorial@marinmagazine.com

Advertising publisher Lisa Shanower 415.332.4800 ext 107 lshanower@marinmagazine.com

advertising director Courtney Q. Roberts ext 108 croberts@marinmagazine.com

account manager Michele Johnson ext 110 mjohnson@marinmagazine.com

account manager Genevieve Luckel ext 109 gluckel@marinmagazine.com

sales coordinator Alex Reno ext 100 areno@marinmagazine.com

regional sales offices southern california dorie leo and associates Dorie Leo 310.822.4938

new york couture marketing Karen Couture 917.821.4429

southeast tlc media Cindy Taylor 404.459.6578

hawaii destination marketing Debbie Joseph Shana Wong 808.739.2200

advertising art director Alex French ext 111 production@marinmagazine.com Volume 4, Issue 6. Marin Magazine is published in Marin County by Marin Magazine LLC. All rights reserved. Copyright©2008. 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. marin magazine is printed on 10% post-consumer waste paper member of the bpa worldwide: fsc-certified products originate from well-managed forests.

MARIN

JUNE 2008

V I E W F R O M M O U N T TA M

AH TO BE AN INNKEEPER! To hold reign over a pasto-

In an election year, politicians are everywhere. We

ral domain of hospitality, good cheer and the company of

have three of them in Conversation, which puts questions

people who have a taste for life lived slow. A dream? Yes,

regarding Marin’s priorities to the Democratic state Senate

but for the many innkeepers of West Marin a dream come

candidates: Mark Leno, Carole Migden and Joe Nation.

true. Mandy Behbehani introduces us to the proprietors of

Dancing to a different tune, Lifestyle riffs with bass play-

the Blackthorne and Black Heron inns, Druids Hall, Olema

er Scott Carter Thunes of San Rafael, who played with

Cottages and the Old Point Reyes Schoolhouse.

Zappa, and Dialogue queries former Journey keyboardist

In Home, we stay in West Marin and visit the Seadrift

Also in this issue, FYI Community highlights Youth in

charms more than 50 years ago and with his late wife,

Arts, the group behind San Rafael’s Italian Street Painting

Mari Ann, built their dream house there.

Festival—a must-experience community celebration of art;

Journey takes us to Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands. Photographer and writer Alissa Everett reports

MARIN

Looking Back explains the beginnings of Tam High; and Microclimate visits Muir Beach.

back from the luxurious surroundings of the Biras Creek

As always, our wish is for your good reading. Enjoy

Resort, where the iguanas don’t bite but the cocktails do.

Marin Magazine, as we continue to celebrate this

And, go straight to GO if your idea of luxury and sand also

extraordinary place!

includes a lot of neon. Somer Flaherty ventures into the

Lisa Shanower, Publisher

unwilds of the Nevada desert, Las Vegas, and finds that

Nikki Wood, Editorial Director

betting on comfort there is never a gamble.

Jonathan Cain about his life in Marin.

hideaway of Richard Volk, who fell prey to Stinson Beach’s

JUNE 2008

Jim Wood, Executive Editor

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

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LE T T ERS

Readers respond

❯❯ No more plastic bags PLEASE OH PLEASE— stop sending out the

along with dredging the harbor and its en-

magazines in plastic wrap! Even if the plastic is

trance. The description of a mess is incorrect.

made from potato skins, it’s still using resourc-

Such a statement from “a local leader” is in

❯❯ In appreciation

es to produce — and production usually creates

fact, incorrect. I am merely pointing out that

LOVE LOVE LOVE MARIN MAGAZINE! Keep

emissions. The magazine covers are beautiful.

presently, June 2008, has to be the descrip-

up the good work as we look forward to its ar-

They are not precious. It seems particularly

tion’s focal point, not yesterday—remember-

rival in the mail every month.

ironic in this environmentally focused county.

ing the date of this issue is May 2008, not May

Kim Sutton, Woodacre

2007, when such a negative comment would

Frannie & Jonathan Field, Sausalito

have been accurate. In addition, such a comI DON’T UNDERSTAND how Marin Magazine

FIRST OFF THE GOOD NEWS! There are cer-

ment detracts from the beauty of the article

can make each issue better than the last, but

tain aspects of your magazine that I really en-

and photos—like a kiss, then a slap. The pho-

that continues to be the case. The May 2008

joy. Especially the POV editorial column and at

tos were excellent. I just want readers to know

articles —“Children of the Canal,” “Just Call

least one other article per issue. But, I was dis-

that as far as we are concerned, Tom has done

Her Mom” and “Journey Indonesia,” among

appointed in my latest issue. It came in a plas-

a fine job. True, quite a bit late, but as they say,

others — as always made for great reading.

tic bag. All of my previous issues arrived quite

better late than never.

And those aerial photos by Robert Campbell

nicely. Maybe this was a decision based in part

were simply unbelievable. Once again, they il-

on your advertisers, maybe not. I am sending

lustrate what an outstanding place we live in.

the wrapper back to make a basic point. I hope

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ARTICLE on Paradise

it can create some small change.

Cay. We have lived here for four fabulous

Wes Starratt, San Rafael

Michael Conti, Fairfax

❯❯ Pesty point

Nicholas J. Caputo, Paradise Cay

years, and consider it the best-kept secret in all of Marin County. We enjoy the perfect

I APPRECIATED JIM WOOD’S POV on the light

Editors note: The plastic bag for the May is-

weather without the tourists; proximity to the

brown apple moth (LBAM), but key points are

sue was necessary because of the insert deliv-

freeway and shopping within five minutes of

missing: UC Davis entomologist Dr. James R.

ered along with the magazine. We agree that

scenic drive, without the traffic; we are rare-

Carey has talked to numerous esteemed UC

it is better to deliver without the bag, but there

ly, if ever, in the local police and fire report;

entomologists, and not one believes the LBAM

are a few times throughout the year when we

we have wide streets, underground utilities

can be eradicated. Carey says that given its

are required to send the magazine in a bag to

and sidewalks; homes have garages and flat

widespread distribution, the LBAM is not a

keep all materials intact.

yards; and the neighbors are neighborly. After

recent invader, but has been here for up to 50

Charles McGlashan was elected, the Cay (not

years! Dr. Daniel Harder, director of the UC

❯❯ Paradise Cay feedback

Mosleyville!) saw some teeth in the laws pro-

Santa Cruz arboretum, says the LBAM needs

MY WIFE AND I HAVE BEEN RESIDENTS in

tecting the zoning of the Yacht Club, so Tim

evaluation as to whether the moth is even

Paradise Cay since January 1972. We have wit-

Mosley is making huge progress on the new

an actual pest, as there has been no quantifi-

nessed its growth and enjoyed the “paradise”

marina. It is beautiful, and its completion is

able crop damage in California. He believes

of the Cay, over these many years. Your article

inevitable and imminent. Despite previous

we need to integrate the containment model

hit a few high notes to which I would like to

plans to retire closer to our children, both my

of New Zealand where LBAM has posed no

add my comments and objections as well. First

husband and myself, as well as our neighbors,

damage, and where they do not spray for the

Tom Mosely, not Tim, his dad, has been receiv-

have decided that the only way we will ever

moth. Natural predators can control 80 to 90

ing fines for work not completed as directed.

leave the Cay is in a pine box!

percent of LBAM populations. Both Harder

He has done a fine job in clearing out what

and Carey believe we need to use alterna-

were the items and issues involved, and has

tive containment methods and revisit U.S.

worked diligently in completing the expansion

Letters to the editor may be edited for clarity and

trade policies to get the LBAM off the most

of the Marina berthing capacity, driving con-

brevity. Send letters to Marin Magazine, One

wanted list!

crete piles to retain newly constructed berths,

Harbor Drive, Suite 208, Sausalito, CA 94965.

and so on. It has been a massive undertaking,

Or e-mail jwood@marinmagazine.com.

Jill Robinson, Corte Madera

MARIN

JUNE 2008

Margaret Bannerman, Paradise Cay

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

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POV

The Green Option Does Marin Clean Energy make sense? BY JIM WOOD green, sources such as solar, wind and geo-

San Diego, San Francisco and Los Angeles

thermal. The state has mandated this be in-

Counties are also moving in that direction.

creased to 20 percent by 2013, but PG&E has

One CCA, the San Joaquin Valley Power

indicated it cannot not meet that target.

Authority, has already been formed. The mo-

In any event, that isn’t fast enough or good

tivation is not only to reduce greenhouse gas

enough for Charles McGlashan, president

emissions but to stabilize or even reduce the

of the County Board of Supervisors. “Marin

cost of electricity.

could easily take 350,000 tons of greenhouse

“It’s also a huge upside for the local econo-

gases out of the atmosphere by increasing our

my,” says McGlashan. “Of the 240 megawatts

percentage of renewable power sources start-

Marin consumes, as much as 40 percent could

ing in 2010,” he says.

responsibly be generated locally and building

For that to happen, though, at least some of Marin’s 11 cities and the county, which rep-

that kind of an energy source will provide a lot of jobs.”

resents unincorporated communities such as

So what’s not to love about a Community

Marin City, Point Reyes Station and Kentfield,

Choice Aggregation, especially one named Marin

must approve joining Marin Clean Energy, the

Clean Energy? Two things: Should municipalities

name given to the county’s CCA.

be in the competitive and complicated business

about Community Choice Aggregation,

Here’s how it works: If your local govern-

of buying energy (remember Enron)? Moreover,

but I don’t think the message is getting across.

ment rejects joining Marin Clean Energy, you’ll

are green, or renewable, energy sources less

Let’s see if I can explain it.

stay with PG&E—same sources, same rates, etc.

costly than those that produce greenhouse gas-

However, if your governing body joins Marin

es? “Right now, renewables cost considerably

Clean Energy, you’ll have three options:

more and the energy business is a very intricate

uch has been written and said lately

The state Legislature created Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) in 2002. It allows cities, counties or regions to decide what

1. You can opt out of any change, mean-

enterprise,” says Severin Borenstein, director of

type of electrical power—fossil fuel or re-

ing you stay with PG&E and have its rates,

the University of California Energy Institute in

newable—they want to use. Marin is explor-

which fluctuate depending on fossil fuel pric-

Berkeley. “Given time this might change, but it’s

ing that option. If your city or the county (if

es and other conditions.

many years away.”

you live in an unincorporated area) approves

2. Go Light Green, meaning the percent-

Over the coming months, local cities and

a CCA, Pacific Gas & Electric will still deliver

age of your renewable power sources will

the county will be discussing Marin Clean

the power, read the meters and send out the

grow from 25 to 50 percent over five years—

Energy. If it can be shown that the costs of

bills. What would be different are the sources

and your rates will remain about the same or

renewable energy are reasonably competi-

of power.

possibly lower.

tive with what we have now—and a solid and

Currently, PG&E provides electrical pow-

3. Go Dark Green, meaning your energy

simple business plan is presented—there is no

er to Marin from sources which include coal

sources will be 100 percent renewable—solar,

reason the program shouldn’t be approved. It

and natural gas burning power plants, hydro-

wind, biomass, geothermal—and your rates

would be especially meaningful if all 11 Marin

electric dams in the Sierra, the Diablo Canyon

will probably go up 5 to 10 percent over the

cities and the county unanimously joined in

Nuclear Power Plant, and several solar plants

first five years, then level off or drop.

this effort to reduce greenhouse gases. That’s

and wind farms. Marin’s electrical “load” is

Hang in there, we’re almost finished.

about 240 megawatts of electrical power, 12

Marin County is not alone in its de-

percent of which comes from renewable, or

sire to get greener. Berkeley, Beverly Hills,

MARIN

JUNE 2008

my point of view. What’s yours? E-mail jwood@marinmagazine.com.

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

Russ Colombo President & CEO, Bank of Marin

BACK PEDAL? NEVER. For Bank of Marin President Russ Colombo, switching into high gear comes with the territory. A veteran of commercial lending in San Francisco and Marin, Russ approaches every business relationship the same way he takes on every ride: seriously, passionately, and with commitment. Now that our San Francisco office is open, you can count on Russ and our dedicated staff for quick, flexible, and creative financing. So enjoy the short ride to Bank of Marin, now in the heart of San Francisco. Commercial Banking Office: 235 Pine Street, San Francisco, (415) 403-5580

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San Rafael

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AT A GLAN C E

EVE NT S I N MAR IN & B EYO ND

JU NE

JUNE 2—28 Artisans Art Gallery

JUNE 7 & 8 Marin Home Show

Timothy Horn juries Americana, including paintings, prints and sculpture by Bay Area artists. Artisans Art Gallery (San Rafael). 415.460.5208, artisanartgallery.com

The 350 exhibits at this year’s show feature the latest products for home and garden and trends in environmental alternatives. Marin Center (San Rafael). 415.472.3500, marinhomeshow.com

JUNE 8 Contemporary Jewish Museum Opening The museum opens its $47.5 million 63,000-square-foot building by architect Daniel Libeskind. 736 Mission St (SF). 415.665.7800, thecjm.org

JUNE 8 Dance Palace Auction

THRU OCTOBER 4 Ranch Tour

Bid on over 300 items including overnights in West Marin, theater tickets, wine, massages and more to support the community center. Dance Palace (Point Reyes Station). 415.663.1075, dancepalace.org

Visit McEvoy Ranch for a rare opportunity to experience a garden, orchard and olive milling tour at the 550-acre property. McEvoy Ranch (Petaluma). 707.778.2307, mcevoyranch.com

JUNE 12 Marin/Scapes 2008

JUNE 15 Father’s Day

JUNE 20—JULY 12 Porchlight Theatre

Don’t miss the artists’ reception for this exhibition and sale, which depicts the life and landscape of Marin. Bank of Marin (Corte Madera). 415.457.6964, marinscapes.org

In 1966 President Lyndon Johnson made the holiday a celebration on the third Sunday in June, but we can thank President Richard Nixon for officially recognizing the day in 1972.

This outdoor production of Under Milk Wood is the tale of villagers in a small seaside town and features live original music. Redwood Amphitheatre (Ross). 415.251.1027, porchlight.net

JUNE 23 Tee It Up

THRU JULY California Closets

To Celebrate Life Breast Cancer Foundation’s mixed scramble and hole-in-one contest raises funds for the group’s granting program. Sonoma Golf Club (Sonoma). 415.999.7171, tocelebratelife.org

Three Painters, Life in Color features the work of three award-winning Marin Artists including Marin Open Studios founder Kay Carlson. California Closets (San Rafael). 415.455.1200, calclosets.com

JUNE 23 Wimbledon

JUNE 27 & 28 Overnight Trip

If you can’t head to the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London for this year’s championships, be sure not to miss the televised play as Roger Federer tries for a sixth straight win.

Spend the night on a historic sailing ship in the bay and hike the coastal trail with the nonprofit Coastwalk organization. Balclutha ship (SF). 707.829.6689, coastwalk.org

MARIN

JUNE 2008

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

M A R I N ALBUM

… And They Will Come

BY TIM PORTER

“Little League baseball

YOGI BERRA, THE LANGUAGE-MANGLING NEW YORK YANKEE, ALSO ONCE SAID, “YOU

is a good thing ‘cause it

What you observe when you watch the boys (and a few girls) take to local Little

keeps the parents off the streets and it keeps the kids out of the house.”

can observe a lot just by watching.” League diamonds is that this diminutive form of baseball depends as much on the coaching talents of fatherhood as the hitting and ﬁelding skills of the sport. Take a night game, for example. The fathers arrive fresh from work, some in their suits, others already changed into colorful T-shirts bearing the names of their children’s teams —Thunder, Storm or Raptors, outsized words for such pint-sized players. Out come the gloves, the bats and the balls. A simple ritual begins. Catch. A child

—YOGI BER R A

throws. A father catches. Back and forth. Back and forth. Encouragement is given, adjustments made. The moment is timeless, the lessons eternal.

dren who look up to him. A good coach, like Eric Dahlke of the Timber Rattlers in the Mill Valley Little League, takes a knee before his team, knowing that little ballplayers need men who are big enough to meet them at their level. 28

MARIN

JUNE 2008

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTO: TIM PORTER

As game time nears, the young players gather around their coach. He makes eye contact, commands attention. A man never seems so large as when he is surrounded by chil-

M A R I N GR E E N

Green Dad Father of three is founder of Green Fusion Design Center BY MIMI TOWLE

I N 2 0 0 4 , W H E N G R E G S N OW D E N O P E N E D G R E E N F U S I O N

Design Center in San Anselmo, he was fulﬁlling not only his own longheld dream of a business to promote sustainability, but also the aspirations of his three sons. Even at ages 7, 8 and 13, the boys traded high

ﬁves at the sight of a biodiesel sticker, and when he left for work they’d call out, “Have a good day, Dad—make a lot of money and save the planet!” With his history as a “sustainability advocate” throughout 26 years in the construction industry, Snowden says, creating an eco-friendly showroom for both the general public and industry folks was a natural career progression. Did becoming a father change his worldview? “Not really. I hear my boys ask the same questions I did, looking for heroes too. They love the environment and wonder how science works to make life better.” They also come up with some pretty creative scenarios of doom to describe how things might be if climate change and other environmental issues are not dealt with soon: a postapocalyptic chaos, perhaps, with super-bacteria from landﬁll oozing out to contaminate our planet? In a more somber mode, Snowden’s eldest son tells his dad his generation has gone beyond angst and closer to existential nihilism on the subject. Fortunately, they feel their dad, and what his business represents, is a step forward. “They think a lot of the stuff here is cool,” Snowden says. “At a deep level I believe they love it because I am going after my dream, and because of

P H OTO: TIM P ORTER

the hope it gives them for their future.”

From left to right: Jeremy, Michael, Christopher and Greg Snowden

MARIN

JUNE 2008

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

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SNAP LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION

Dr. Alisa Burgess

Shapur Mozaffarian

Marge Bartolini, Hoyt Smith

Lou Bartolini

John and Maria Pitcairn, Amber Marie and Christopher Bently

On a High Note It was Lights, Camera, Action as Marin Symphony supporters descended on the Mill Valley Community Center for a ﬁlm-themed evening to raise funds for symphony programs and honor Lou and Marge Bartolini. Marilyn Monroe and Groucho Marx impersonators mingled with red-carpet-ready guests who were treated to a martini bar, Grgich Hills wine and tantalizing auction items. In late March, members of the Marin Symphony and the Marin Music Chest (a music scholarship organization celebrating its 75th anniversary this year) gathered for a preconcert reception to welcome guest artist Hai-Ye Ni, principal cellist of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Ni is a former Marin resident and a recipient of a Marin Music Chest scholarship.

David and Allie Davari, Robert Herbst

David and Jennifer Bailey

MARIN JUNE 2008

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Craig Lipton, Mary Rabb, Glenn McCoy

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Madeleine Morgan, Charlotte Crockley, Noorisignh Saini, Chloe Lewis, Nicole Braham

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Spotlight on Kids In Larkspur, Lehrer Jewelry Design opened its doors to Marin Montessori School to show the kids the process of carving gemstones and making ﬁne jewelry as part of their study of gems and minerals. In San Francisco, Lycia Carmody Fried and Ann Ferrell Millham cochaired the Boys and Girls Clubs of San Francisco’s largest fundraising event, which brought out 340 locals and raised $520,000 to support the groups’ programs and services. Phoebe Hicks, Andrea Pressman

Cindy Koehn, Zoe Cassinelli, Phyllis Pottish-Lewis

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MARIN JUNE 2008

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The San Francisco Garden Club held its annual luncheon benefit at the San Francisco Four Seasons Hotel, auctioning off 21 “bouquets to go” by local floral designers. At Macy’s Annual Flower Show, a rare exhibit of work by late photographer David George, with son Donn Tice appearing on his behalf, brought crowds eager to see the images that were discovered in George’s home. Recently, the Larkspur Children’s Cottage Cooperative Preschool held its annual fundraiser at the Corte Madera Recreation Center with an auction to benefit the general fund of the school. Back across the bridge in San Francisco, Marin natives Serena Dugan and Lily Kanter, cofounders of Serena & Lily, an upscale children’s linen and furniture company, raised money for Holy Family Day Home at a luncheon to celebrate the release of their new Roberto and Alicia Zamora, Juan Del Gastor and Luci Rozario

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MARI N E X T R A O R D I N A R Y

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FA S H I ON TRENDS

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1. Racy T-Strap by Nanette Lepore. $360 at nanettelepore.com

2. Silver cuffs by John Hardy. $695 to $995 at Neiman Marcus (SF). 415.362.3900, neimanmarcus.com

3. Koi clutch by Sobella. $248 at Canvas (Mill Valley). 415.383.0520

4. Canvas t-strap sandals by Chanel. $650 at Chanel (SF). 415.981.1550, chanel.com

5. Gold Moroccan Garden necklace by Vicente Agor. $2,185 at Manika Jewelry (SF). 415.399.1990 by somer flaherty

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FA S H I ON

lifestyle Name: Scott Carter Thunes Home: San Rafael Occupation: Stay-at-home dad Describe your personal style. Extreme casual with flashes of pseudo-cool. What are you wearing? Black pants, black shirt and black tie. Who are your fashion influences? My wife, Georgia who looks stylish in everything she buys, and people who don’t look good. Since I react to them by trying to look nice, I have to put them down as influences. Where do you love to shop in Marin? I wish I had enough money to shop. I have no budget for clothes, so I have to bust out once a year at the Gap and Macy’s sale racks. I get my Levis at Sears. What is always in your bag/pockets? Bag: pens, music paper, crossword puzzles, camera and reading glasses. Pockets: tons of change, iPhone, 60-gig iPod and my Swiss army knife.

While Scott Thunes’s (pronounced Too-nis) bass-playing career is extensive, his stint with Frank Zappa from ’81 to ’88 is why fans like Fabrizio from Italy write, “Thanks a lot for the many emotions!!! I love you!” Tomas Ekeberg from Norway sends his “greetings” and Petehead in the UK wants to know if he’ll consider touring again with the “Z” brothers. Much to

his hallowed instrument to be home with his daughter Hazle Nova Thunes and son Virgil Mars Thunes, who attend Novato Charter School in Hamilton Field. But fans and friends can find him and his ongoing blog on his website geoscott.com.

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JUNE 2008

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

P H OTO: BARBA RA R IE S

the chagrin of his dedicated followers, Thunes has turned in

What is your best cheapo secret? Buying a double espresso and asking for a glass of ice at my coffee shop. Use the milk or halfand-half from the pitchers and you’ve got

e ss e n t i a l !

an iced latte at around half the price.

“

What’s your fashion pet peeve? Tracksuits on men. Sweats on women. Crocs on adults. Fleece on anybody. Hair bands with bows for infant girls and sweater vests for infant boys.

dressing is a way of life.

What is your view of Marin style? Unfortunately, it’s mostly fleece.

–yves saint laurent

Where do you love to eat in Marin? Joe’s Taco Lounge in Mill Valley (spicy fish tacos). The Buckeye in Mill Valley—we’ve had our wedding anniversary dinner there for the past 11 years. Hilda’s in San Anselmo. Sonoma Taco Shop in Terra Linda. How do you spend your weekends? Whatever the children want to do. Whatever the wife wants to do. Then whatever I want to do, in that order. Where do you go to pamper yourself? Amsterdam. How would your friends describe you? Obnoxiously intelligent. Annoyingly lovable. Adorably flaky. Consistently inconsistent. What was the last movie you saw? Horton Hears a Who! Loved it. If your life were a movie, what would be your theme song? The first movement to Charles Ives’s first String Quartet. I decided years ago that it would be played at my wake. Its archaic Americana is refreshingly sweet, but it’s spicy and rhythmically adventuresome, just like me. Or, to pick a pop song: “You Only Live Twice,” the version sung by Björk Guomundsdóttir. I love the Nancy Sinatra

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FYI

FOR YOUR INFORMATION COM MU NI T Y

A RT

The Italian Street Painting Festival, sponsored by Youth in Arts, takes place on June 14 and 15 in downtown San Rafael.

Art for Kids’ Sake Youth in Arts sees to it that visual and performing arts are an integral part of young people’s lives MARINMAGAZINE.COM

by bonnie monte ❙ Ironically, the fact that Youth in Arts isn’t a household name may be a reflection of its success. The programs it runs span so many disciplines that people aren’t always aware one organization is at the root of them all. “Youth in Arts is Marin’s most widely known secret,” says Jim Farley, director of Cultural and Visitor Services for the county. “So many people are inspired and educated by their work. But it’s my guess that if you ask

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JUNE 2008

the audience after a performance who put this

“Study after study has shown the impact of

on, they won’t know who’s behind the scenes.”

arts education,” Lee says—and it goes beyond

The nonprofit not only brings visual and

the obvious connections between, say, theater

performing arts to 85 percent of Marin’s

and language arts or rhythmic movement and

schools through its Artists in Schools and other

math. “Arts has a tremendous effect on self-es-

programs, it also sponsors the Performing Arts

teem, school attendance and parental involve-

Series at the Marin Center, San Rafael’s annu-

ment. The ripple effect is so broad.”

al Italian Street Painting Festival and the teen a cappella group ’Til Dawn.

Thanks to support from the Marin Community Foundation, which gave the or-

Youth in Arts began in 1970, when Joanne

ganization about $140,000 in grants last year,

Dunn, Phyllis Thelen and other local patrons of

Youth in Arts is piloting a new program in Corte

the arts responded to funding cuts that threat-

Madera–Larkspur and Marin City schools called

ened arts education in Marin schools. The first

Sequential Thematic Arts Reaching All Schools,

program launched was the Performing Arts

or STARS, which will integrate visual arts, mu-

Series, an annual season of professional music,

sic, dance, theater, new media and literary arts

theater, and dance matinees created expressly

into classes over a five-year period. “It provides

for student audiences.

an organizational and conceptual structure that

Marin Maestro

will infuse the arts into the curriculum in a se-

GENNA PANZARELLA has been a participat-

quential, cohesive manner,” says Marilyn Clark,

ing artist since Youth in Arts’ first Italian

principal of Neil Cummins Elementary in Corte

Street Painting event 15 years ago. These

Madera. “I believe the potential for positive re-

days she teaches an after-school chalk

sults is unlimited.” If successful, the program

painting class as a mentor artist for Youth

will be implemented countywide.

in Arts at Lynwood Elementary School

Two events this summer will showcase the

in Novato as well as an after-school art

ways YIA enriches the cultural fabric of Marin.

class at Strawberry and Tam Elementary

On June 14 and 15, the Italian Street Painting

schools in Mill Valley. Below, Panzarella

Festival in downtown San Rafael will bring to-

shares her Italian Street Painting prepara-

gether 300 professional artists and 150 per-

tion timeline with us, and at right, she com-

forming artists, with the help of 500 volunteers.

ments on her paintings.

One of the featured artists will be Mill Valley’s Genna Panzarella, who was part of the 1994

THREE MONTHS: A good time to gather

debut festival. She went on to earn the title

ideas from images that I would love to

“maestro,” at the International Street Painting

draw. I reference my studio library and

Competition. “There are only a dozen people in

ﬁles of magazine photos looking for ideas.

the world with the title,” Lee says proudly. She The Artists-in-Schools program sends men-

points out that the fair was initially started as a

TWO MONTHS: I start working on the com-

tor artists into classrooms and “runs the gamut

fundraiser but has grown to be so much more.

puter, scanning in the images and moving

from providing a school’s entire music pro-

“Now, it’s our gift to the community.”

them around to get a good composition

gram to finding an artist for a one-time need,”

And July 2 is “Youth in Arts Day” at the

says Youth in Arts executive director Miko Lee.

Marin County Fair, with free admission for kids

An adjunct program called VSA arts serves

12 and under. YIA has art activities planned

ONE MONTH: I print out my finished

special-needs kids.

throughout the day, along with a gallery maze

Photoshop image to discuss with others, then rework it to make it exact.

that will work on the sidewalk.

One purpose of the program is “to train

of student work and a performing arts stage

teachers, so they can incorporate art into ev-

showcasing student and mentor artists. Jim

erything they teach,” says Lee. “We don’t want

Farley is delighted by the opportunity to honor

ONE WEEK: I take the finished image to

teachers to see art as a burden, one more thing

YIA at the fair. “Youth in Arts was one of the

Kinko’s to print three copies as large as

to add to their plate. Art can be the plate itself.”

four founding organizations that created the

possible. I also enlarge details like faces

A portraiture project, for instance, can sync up

Marin Center,” he says. “They have a special

and hands and laminate for durability.

with a lesson on writing autobiographies.

place in our hearts.”

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JUNE 2008

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

THE NIGHT BEFORE: I draw a grid on

one of my copies, usually approximately an inch for every foot of allotted space for the ﬁnished drawing. FIRST MORNING: I lay a tape border

around my space. Measure out each foot to correspond with the inches on my gridded picture. Ask a passerby to help hold a snapline to set the grid onto the street. The snapline is a chalk-covered string that sets a straight line when you snap it! Fun! ONE HOUR LATER: I sketch the outline of

TRANSFORMATIONS: “This painting is from a Maxfield Parrish painting and a Bernini sculpture with my filly Ritza rearing twice. It is about facing your fears. Isn’t my filly a beauty?”

the drawing by looking where it crosses the lines of grid. I use “Chalk on a Stick,” chalk taped to a long dowel, so I can stand while I draw. If I draw in the wrong squares, I have the ability to erase with a wet sponge and draw it again. FIRST AFTERNOON: Start the draw-

ing! I start by coloring and emphasizing the sponsor’s name to bring it into the artwork. I always start the drawing at the top and back up as I fill it in. At my age I work best sitting on a cushion with my chalks by my side. Joy! LAST DAY: I have paced my drawing

throughout my allotted time, planning the complexity of the image to fit the time I

CIRCLE OF DESTINY: “When I became a Maestro in Italy, I was the featured artist in San Rafael the next year. And reproduced my winning painting in color. But I added extra black and white images around it of the Pieta. I think this was 2001. I was getting better at taking photos!”

will have. In my mind I set deadlines along the way to plan more time for faces and hands. The real timeline is in how I plan my time in the drawing. I plan to ﬁnish at 6 p.m. on the last day. It is always a rush at the end. AFTERWARD: When I ﬁnish I try to look at

it for the ﬁrst time. Then I ﬁnd a ladder to take a good photo. The photo is important as it will be all I have later. Hopefully I then have time to enjoy the wonderful work of my colleagues, before racing off to catch a plane! —M.T.

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

MAN’S SEARCH THROUGH THE CENTURIES FOR MS. RIGHT: “It shows a man with binoculars searching a crowd of famous paintings from each century, including Mona Lisa and the Girl with the Pearl Earring. [Dedicated to Sue Carlemagno, who managed the show for 15 years. “Our Ms. Right”]

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JUNE 2008

F Y I PEO P LE

CUP DE GRACE David Lee Hoffman at home with his wife, Bee Ratchanee Chaikamwung

The pure essence of tea is this Lagunitas resident’s quest BY S A M A N T H A B R O N S O N

o say that David Lee Hoffman is passionate about

the best leaves steeped in hot water, their taste complex but

tea is an understatement. For Hoffman, tea is much

decidedly pleasurable.

more than a calming drink to sip on a cold after-

noon. Tea is Hoffman’s life. For two decades Hoffman has devoted himself to tea,

MARIN

“It’s so easy to become distracted by all the complexities in life and for me tea symbolizes the opposite,” he says. “It symbolizes the simplicity of life.”

journeying around the world in search of the finest leaves

Like most Americans, Hoffman once knew little about

to share with others. His devotion was the subject of All in

tea. During a break from his college studies, he traveled

This Tea, filmmaker Les Blank’s 2007 documentary about

the globe, eventually landing in Asia and drinking various

Hoffman’s tea-seeking trips throughout China.

local teas. After returning to his eclectic hillside home in

Hoffman, 63, ventured to some of that country’s re-

Lagunitas, where he lives with his wife and business partner,

motest regions, often on foot, in search of handcrafted tea

Bee Ratchanee Chaikamwung, he searched unsuccessfully

leaves. He sought tea to drink in its purest form—no tea

for that same authentic taste, visiting the Chinatowns of San

bags, no flavorings, no cream or sugar. Nothing more than

Francisco and Vancouver.

JUNE 2008

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

P H OTO: TIM P ORTER

Hoffman saw only one solution: go directly to the source. He began seeking out Chinese farmers who grew premium tea leaves without pesticides. Such an approach was unheard of in China at the time, especially from a foreigner. Yet Hoffman’s persever-

The Artistry of Our Craftsmanship Is Set In Stone.

ance and increasingly large purchases helped spread his reputation across China. “He’ll taste all the teas, learns all the methods of processing tea, of serving tea, [and] he becomes an expert,” says Blank, who coproduced and codirected All in This Tea with Gina Leibrecht. “And he does it in such a way that people are glad to provide him with answers because of his interest and enthusiasm.” Hoffman attended tea tastings with Chinese government officials, appeared on television and was eagerly sought after by local tea merchants during his visits. He was often in their country four months out of the year. Back home, word spread about Hoffman’s premium leaves and he found himself doing $1 million in sales out of his garage. He formed a company but, not interested in being a businessman, he eventually sold it. “I simply wanted to find tea and bring it back here,” he says. Hoffman now visits Asia about once a year

Photos: Eliot Holtzman

and focuses primarily on undiscovered rare teas in Burma and Thailand. He’s aging more than 300 different types of Pu-ehr tea (named after a county in southwest China) on his property in underground caves. He hopes to turn those raw leaves into finished tea by constructing a production facility there as well. A tea house he’s building for appointmentonly tastings will impart such fine points to visitors as the origin of each leaf, the nuances of its flavor and the recommended way to steep it. Yet he’s not aiming to force-feed his expertise — only to reveal the pleasures of a good cup of tea and the conversations it may inspire. “People are always asking me… how to make a good cup of tea and I always tell them one thing: there are no rules for making tea,” he says. “Do whatever you want and trust your own palate. There are no right or

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wrong answers for tea.”

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

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JUNE 2008

F Y I FATHE R’ S DAY

Fathers Do Their Best Local dads making the world better G R E E N S CA P E R A 20-year veteran at the quintessentially eco-minded retailer Patagonia, Mill Nash was interested in environmental issues long before most of us. Now that he has a one-yearold daughter, he is even more committed to doing anything he can to ensure the world she grows up in is beautiful, safe and healthy. Hence he has brought Clean Air Lawn Care to Marin (and all of the Bay Area). This green gardening company uses only electric lawn mowers and equipment, powered by solar and wind energy, to maintain both residential and commercial properties. “Our services are safer for children and pets and better for the Marin environment than traditional, polluting methods,” says Nash. “The lawn equipment is charged daily by a unique system of solar panels mounted on top of our trucks. In addition, all fertilizers used are 100 percent organic and our weed killers are nontoxic and pesticide free.” In an attempt to be fully carbon neutral, the com-

Carry On

pany also buys carbon credits in the form of wind energy, to

For Marin dads Eric Ryan, Alastair

Visit cleanairlawncare.com to ﬁnd out more.

offset energy used in the company’s ofﬁces and trucks. MT

Dorward, George Shumny and Josh Handy–among others who work at eco-household-product maker Method in San Francisco—clean equals green. One of Method’s new offerings is the reusable market tote, designed by green living expert and author Danny Seo. The bag is made with nontoxic inks and is responsibly produced. Want one? Go to methodhome.com.

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JUNE 2008

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

Fueled Father

Bedtime stories at the McVickar home often included the classic book Miss Rumphius. “The story is about a young

girl who wanted to grow up to be just like her grandfather,” recalls Douglas McVickar, father of Sophie, age 14, and Rosemary, 12. “As the little girl told him this the grandfather said, ‘But there is one more thing you must do; you must do something to make the world a more beautiful place.’ ” When McVickar learned of a fuel additive called BlueSky Fuel Conditioner that would reduce emissions and increase gas mileage, he thought of this story. “I had to do that ‘one more thing’ to make the world a more beautiful place for my girls and future generations. The government and the EPA want to reduce vehicular pollution by 25 percent in 20 years. BlueSky can do that right now.” Does it work? In a 1,500-mile test conducted by California Environmental Engineering, the EPA-registered substance increased fuel economy of a 1991 Ford Thunderbird by 7 percent and lowered oxides of nitrogen emissions by 96 percent, McVickar says. Dave Buchholz at B&B Auto Parts in Corte Madera is a fan. He uses it in his truck and claims it cleans the fuel injection, saving him cash at the pump. To learn more, check out blueskycleanair.com.

The Power of Truth

ow does an award-winning writer and editor better our world? If you’re David Sheff, you can write truthfully about your life as the father of an addict, and in so doing help families in a similar

situation know they are not alone. In Beautiful Boy, published by Houghton Mifﬂin, that’s exactly what the Inverness-based journalist and author did. Sheff was inspired to write this book, about the methamphetamine addiction struggles of his son Nic and the effects on the family, after an overwhelming response to his New York Times Magazine article “My Addicted Son.” “I was not naive about drugs,” Sheff told an Oprah audience this spring. “I used drugs when I was a kid . . . but I still thought, like most of us, ‘This could never happen to our family.’ When it did, we were blindsided and devastated. I realized that this is something we have to talk about.” The Oprah show marked the end of a book tour that included the Today show and Starbucks locations (a distribution point) nationwide. Once the tour was over, Nic went back to his home in Savannah to work on a follow-up to his own memoir about his struggle, Tweak, and is now making plans to move to L.A. with his girlfriend, two cats and a rescued hound dog. We caught up with David Sheff at his home in West Marin to learn more about him and this experience. Is that Nic on the book jacket? The boy jumping is indeed Nic. When he attended grade school in San Francisco, a photographer-dad named Tom McAfee took these gorgeous pictures in the place of traditional school photos. Daisy, his youngMARINMAGAZINE.COM

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JUNE 2008

er sister, is the one who suggested that the inner jacket include the rest of the picture.

Friedman & Associates

What brought you to Inverness? We lived in the Mission District of San Francisco before moving to Inverness. Our family would visit Inverness and Point Reyes and fell in

Winner of Charles Schwab Institutional’s Best-in-Tech IMPACT Award®

love with it. We met some of our best friends there. A friend, the Sausalito-based architect John Marsh Davis, was selling a piece of property on which he had built a small cabin and garden. He helped us ﬁnance it and we went for it though still without plans of moving out [there] full time. But the draw of the Point Reyes Peninsula was irresistible. Soon we left the city for Inverness. Do you think all of this attention is good for your and other families dealing with addiction? Initially I was unsure about exposing our family to this kind of scrutiny, but the result of the attention to the books has been remarkable. It has been like ongoing rehab for Nic and me—continuing the healing dialogue about addiction and the related issues among ourselves and so many, many others who have been affected by addiction. It has been humbling, of course—often overwhelming—but also useful as ongoing therapy, for us and hopefully others as well. When early on my editor asked [psychologist and author] Mary Pipher to consider reading Beautiful Boy, she provided a quote that the publisher

Caring for Your Wealth and Well-Being

put on the jacket: “When one of us tells the truth, he makes it easier for all of us to open our hearts to our own pain and to that of others.” Opening up in this way has prompted a ﬂood of dialogue with many people— some of whom say that they’ve never talk-

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ed with anyone before about whatever it is they’re going through—that feels so useful. In the 12 steps, they say, “You’re as sick as your secrets.” On the other hand, openness is the ﬁrst step toward healing.

Friedman & Associates and its employees are independent of and are not employees or agents of Charles Schwab & Co. Inc. (“Schwab”). Schwab does not prepare, verify or endorse information distributed by Friedman & Associates. The IMPACT Award is not an endorsement, testimonial endorsement, recommendation or referral to Friedman & Associates with respect to its investment advisory and other services.

Was Nic OK with you writing the book? I never would have written the New York

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JUNE 2008

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

Times story that led to the book or the

No w Car r y ing Swimwear!

book itself if Nic wasn’t OK with it. On the contrary, he encouraged me to write it. He understood that there was value in telling our family’s story. He thought it might help people who were going through some version of what we went through. In addition, a book editor approached him to see if he was interested in writing a memoir, which resulted in Tweak, his extraordinary book about the same period of time covered from my perspective in Beautiful Boy. Starbucks is distributing Beautiful Boy. Did you spend time writing there? In truth I got my caffeine at Toby’s Coffee Barn in Point Reyes, but also at Starbucks in Corte Madera when I was in central Marin. Actually, I wrote some of the book at the Corte Madera public library and elsewhere, but mostly I wrote at home in Inverness. Which is not to say that I didn’t (and don’t) often search out Starbucks when I want good coffee and I’m on the road. Also, Nic and I had readings at Starbucks throughout the country and it was extraordinary having these intense, powerful conversations about addiction and parenting and much more in the intimate coffeehouse settings. So many Starbucks employees opened up and told us their extraordinary stories. For a while it felt as if Nic and I had been invited in to be part of a very closeknit, supportive family. In a perfect world, what is the title of your next book? I don’t have a title yet, but I do have a subject. I learned about the horrors of addiction and told a personal story about it in Beautiful Boy. Now I’m going to wrestle with the broader issues around addiction in America—public policy, the real cost to society (everything

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from health care costs to crime and prisons), the disaster that passes for a mental health care system in America, the disaster that’s the war on drugs, and what needs to be done. MARINMAGAZINE.COM

MT MARIN

JUNE 2008

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The Brilliance of Boyd

P H OTOS : BOTTOM LEF T/ MIC H AEL NELSEN; MID D LE/ TIM P ORTER

TOP LEFT : Jack Sweet and Dorothy Boyd Sweet in 1945, after Jack returned from China. MIDDLE : Dorothy Boyd Sweet and her son Jay Sweet in their San Francisco ofﬁce. BOTTOM LEFT : Jack, Dorothy and Jay in front of their 12th Street showroom in San Francisco, 1977.

A long-time Marinite looks back on a vintage family business BY SOMER FLAHERTY

n a world of big-business home furnishings and cookie-cutter home design, Dorothy Boyd Sweet is an inspiration. A still-hardworking octogenarian at the helm of her family lighting business, she muses on how it all happened.

“They were idyllic summers, so innocent, pleasant and happy,” recalls Sweet of her life in the late ’20s

at the family summer home in Kentfield. “Our neighbors had a pool, we had a lighted tennis court and we’d basically live there during the day and they’d come over at night. And my sister and I still talk about Dinah’s Shack on Magnolia in Larkspur. It had the most fabulous chicken and biscuits but somehow nobody remembers it,” she says with a sigh. Sweet leans back in her office chair, surrounded by mementos of Boyd Lighting’s 85 years in the business. “It was a wonderful time.”

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MARIN

JUNE 2008

Back then, her father, William Boyd, took the ferry and the train into the city to work at his custom lighting shop in downtown San Francisco. This was before the Golden Gate Bridge, his daughter is quick to point out.

At 20 years old [Dorothy] took charge. With the help of the rest of the staff, she went from answering phones to drilling and riveting. “When the bridge was built you’d have thought they built it just for my father—he was overjoyed,” Sweet recalls. “So the day it opened we were one of the first to walk across.” The business actually started back in 1921. Communism was taking hold around the world, Cal defeated Ohio State in the Rose Bowl and

55 Throckmorton Ave., Mill Valley 415-380-0880 www.alixandcompany.com

in San Francisco William Boyd founded his business manufacturing high-end lighting fixtures and custom crystal chandeliers. “Right off the bat my father was successful,” says Sweet. “Everyone trusted him and he was charismatic.” Back then she was a student at Stanford and toyed with the idea of getting a job at a local radio station. Her father suggested she instead work for Boyd, launching her career in the family business and making her the first woman to work for the company. Months later, in November, William passed

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away. The rest of the family wanted to sell the business, but Dorothy refused, and at 20 years old she took charge. With the help of the rest of the staff, she went from answering phones to working on drilling and riveting as well. One of her first tasks was helping out with the ongoing war effort—but without the guidance of her father. “We were making hospital trays and when our first shipment went out we loaded them into a delivery truck and I remember Edmund [a family friend and Boyd employee] drove the car away with the entire company cheering.” This recollection, however, takes a backseat to an even sweeter memory, one made possible by her friend Jane Richmond. “Jane brought a group of us women to the Clift Hotel to social-

MARIN

JUNE 2008

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

ize with her cousin and nine of his friends.” One of them was Jack Sweet. Jack resembled John Wayne in a pressed lieutenant army uniform. He and Dorothy were instantly taken with each other and their romance endured his three-year deployment to China. In 1945 Jack returned from military duty, they settled into the family home in Kentfield, and he began working on the engineering side at Boyd. They had their only son, Jay, who now lives in Mill Valley with his wife and three sons. After graduating from Santa Clara University and working in advertising and the wine business, Jay joined the team at Boyd and took the company to the next level by increasing sales

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and opening a 30,000-square-foot zero-discharge facility (100 percent wastewater recycling) in Colorado. “I think there’s a big change in our knowledge of energy efficiency in America and with sustainability comes responsibility,” says Jay, now president of the company. In keeping with

Currently, the company is providing dimming options for many of its ﬂuorescent products and hopes to introduce LEDs, a high-efﬁciency lighting source even greener than CFLs, within the next year. its pioneering spirit, Boyd was also one of the first in the lighting industry to adopt fluorescent options for decorative and architectural lighting products; a decade before legislation was introduced to phase-out incandescent light bulbs. Currently, the company is providing dimming and fluorescent options for many of its products and hopes to introduce LEDs, a high-efficiency lighting source even greener than CFLs, to its clients within the next year. As for the lady who led the way, Dorothy still drives to work at Boyd twice a week. The traffic’s gotten really bad, she concedes, but when she crosses the Golden Gate Bridge it’s

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business began.

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

MARIN

JUNE 2008

F Y I H OM E DECO R

Creative Designs for a Kitchen Requirement

Interior architect Nicolas Sauzier, who with Alia Meyer of Jessica Hall Associates designed the blue Greenbrae kitchen at bottom left, says one thing to always remember is that “a hood is a suction engine in a box. Therefore you pick the power you need and the rest is up to you. But do not compromise; a hood is required by code in California, so use that constraint and make your hood part of your design and not something you forgot to think about.” For inspiration, take a look at these designs that run the gamut from sleek steel to custom-made objet d’ art. —SF/MT

1. Custom copper and stainless steel hood by Will Built. Price available upon request at Will Built (Mill Valley). 415.381.2246, willbuilt.com 2. Euroline Pro series Vent-a-Hood. Starting at $1,388. Available at Bay Area Built-Ins (San Rafael). 415.457.2226, bayareabuiltins.com 3. Palermo hood by Zephyr. Approximately $1,400 at Standards of Excellence (San Rafael). 415.453.6070, standardsofexcellence.com 4. Botticelli hood by Metallo Arts. $4,926 at Metallo Arts. 717.739.1088, metalloarts.com

MARIN

JUNE 2008

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

EMILY H

Hoods: No Afterthought Nicolas Sauzier gives us his take on the subject. What are the trends in kitchen hoods? T h e g eneral p ub lic h as b ecome attach ed to cook ing television sh ow s, and th erefore th ey are b ecoming more ad venturous w ith th eir recip es to entertain friend s. B ecause of th at, p eop le are aw are of p rofessional eq uip ment. Manufacturers h ave tak en th is factor into consid eration. T h ey h ave d evelop ed eq uip ment lines w ith p rofessional cap acities in an aesth etic sh ell. A real p rofessional k itch en is p urely functional and freq uently sacrifices th e aesth etic. N ow p eop le can h ave it all; it w ork s lik e a p ro and it look s g ood . Is there ever a time you would want a hood to be a focal point of k itch en layout. T h e h ood can b ecome a focal p oint w h en, for ex amp le, you h ave ventilation in th e mid d le of a room.

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you d ecid e to accentuate th e h ood and mak e a focal p oint, using more sculp tural lines or creative materials. What are some things to consider when buying a hood? A h ood is an integ ral p art of your k itch en d esig n. Y ou w ill h ave to consid er th e aesth etic and th e efficiency w ith out h aving to sacrifice one or th e oth er. Y ou w ant to mak e sure your h ood w ill b e ap p rop riate to your future cook ing need s. I f you g rill or steam, you w ill need a p ow erful suction. Y ou w ant it to b e q uiet, since more and more your k itch en is a p art of your living sp ace as th e k itch en is often th e most social room in your h ouse.

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MARIN

JUNE 2008

C O N V E R S AT I O N

STATE SENATE SHOWDOWN Migden, Nation and Leno battle for the seat in Sacramento BY JIM WOOD

hree Democrats are vying to represent Marin County in the state Senate—incumbent Carole Migden, Assemblyman Mark Leno and former Assemblyman Joe Nation. Marin is in California’s Third Senate District, which also includes western San Francisco and southern Sonoma County. About 744,000 people live in the district, 472,500 of them regis-

tered voters. Over half of those voters live in San Francisco, about a third live in Marin and the remaining 18 percent reside in Sonoma. Migden and Leno are from San Francisco; Nation recently moved to Sonoma from Marin. It’s interesting to consider how the geography of the district Migden and Leno split the San Francisco vote, while Nation captures the North Bay electorate and wins handily? Sounds logical, but Nation entered the fray late and hasn’t made much political news in the two years he’s been out of office. Will Migden, a fiery competitor,

Get Out and Vote The election is Tuesday, June 3, with polls open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. If you have questions about your polling place, contact the county Registrar of Voters, 415.499.6456.

cruise to victory as incumbents often do? The political winds haven’t

MARIN

JUNE 2008

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTO: TIM PORTER

might influence the results of the June 3 primary election. Will

been at her back of late. That leaves Leno. He’s

a dearth of affordable housing stock, increased

“On these and other fronts I am proud of

neither the four-year incumbent who’s endured

traffic congestion, and the need for major in-

my work for Marin County. I would be hon-

turbulent times nor the local boy made good.

frastructure upgrades of levees and sewer

ored to continue to do this work and would

Will being a new political voice in the North Bay

systems. I delivered real solutions on these is-

love the opportunity to continue to deliver for

help him? Or hold him back?

sues through legislation and budgetary nego-

the residents of Marin.”

“It’s going to be a real barn burner,” says

tiations, whether it was securing $105 million

attorney Dick Spotswood, former Mill Valley

for Highway 101 or bringing back $25 million

Joe Nation

mayor, opinion page columnist for the Marin

to the county for affordable housing services

POLITICAL EXPERIENCE:

Independent Journal and the county’s unoffi-

through legislation (SB418 in 2007).

Third District, Assembly,

cial political pundit. He maintains the number

“However, I would have to say that the

2000 to 2006; Marin

to watch is not voter registration, but turn-

three most pressing issues facing Marin County

Municipal Water District,

out. “Demographics such as age and affluence

currently are the continued protection of the

director, 1992 to 2000.

point to north-of-the-bridge districts having a

environment, cuts to education funding, and

MAJOR ENDORSEMENTS: Thirty current or for-

higher turnout than their urban counterparts,

access to truly affordable health care.

mer city and county leaders, 50 current or for-

and that’s what counts,” Spotswood says. “It’s

“On the environment, I authored the na-

been a hard-fought campaign among three

tion’s strongest clean water act and saved

Sacramento veterans.”

thousand of ancient redwoods with legisla-

leaders, all from Marin and Sonoma.

What Migden, Leno and Nation have in

tion securing the purchase of the Headwaters

CAMPAIGN STATEMENT: “I believe that protect-

common is that all served six years in the state

Forest. Moreover, I wrote the law that will

ing our environment is one of the most impor-

Assembly, all are in their fifties (Nation is 51,

bring greener and cheaper power to Marin

tant issues facing not only Marin County, but

Leno 56, Migden 59) and all, of course, are

County through community choice aggrega-

this district, this state, this country and this

Democrats. Given the district’s overwhelm-

tion. I am proud that Marin County is moving

planet. It is the primary reason I am running

ingly Democratic and Independent registra-

forward with a model to realize a public green

for the state Senate. As a climate change ad-

tion (Independents can vote Republican or

power system as provided by my work.

viser for an environmental consulting firm and

Democrat in a primary election), whoever

“On school funding, I enacted a state law

teacher on climate change policy at Stanford

wins the primary is all but assured of winning

(SB 556 in 2005) to ensure that the Novato

University, I know we can make real progress

the seat in November’s general election.

schools are backfilled $500,000 annually for

in solving our environmental crisis.

We asked each candidate two questions:

revenue losses to charter schools. Moreover, I

“As an Assembly member representing

• What are Marin County’s three most press-

will continue to stand with teachers and par-

Marin and Sonoma counties, I coauthored one

ents at rallies in Ross Valley, Novato and San

of the most aggressive global warming pieces

• How are you best qualified to resolve them?

Rafael to fight the governor’s budget cuts. I re-

of legislation passed in this country, AB 32.

Read on and listen for the similarities and

fuse to accept a proposal that hands out hun-

As state senator, I will continue this work and

dreds of pink slips to Marin teachers.

fight for policies to develop clean alternative

ing problems?

the differences in their answers.

PHOTO: TIM PORTER

mer school district trustees, and 20 community

“On health care reform, I have led the state

energy sources and help reduce our depen-

Carole Migden

by enacting laws that give patients whose

dence on foreign oil. I will author legislation

POLITICAL EXPERIENCE:

care has been denied by their HMO the abil-

requiring carbon labeling of products to let

Third District, Senate,

ity to seek review from an independent group

consumers know how much global warming

2004 to present; state

of doctors. I am a coauthor of Single Payer

pollution is emitted by products they buy.

Board of Equalization,

Healthcare (SB 840), a bill that would by-

“I have lived in the North Bay nearly all

2002 t o 2004; Th ird

pass the insurance industry to ensure that

my adult life and can tell you the progressive

District, Assembly, 1996 to 2002; San Francisco

every California receives coverage. I created

thinking of Marin residents puts us in a unique

Board of Supervisors, 1990 to 1995.

California’s Safe Needles program to ensure

position to lead the state on environmental

MAJOR ENDORSEMENTS: U.S. Sens. Dianne

that accidental needle sticks do not infect

health. Our cancer rate is staggering; there are

Feinstein and Barbara Boxer; Rep. Lynn

nurses. I am extremely proud to have made

toxins in the air and water that are making us

Woolsey; Marin County Supervisors Hal Brown,

California the first state in the nation to for-

sick. We absolutely must tackle this problem

Judy Arnold, Susan Adams and Steve Kinsey.

mally oppose President Bush’s escalation of the

head-on, and right now.

war in Iraq. This war costs more each week

“Also, as a parent of two daughters who are

CAMPAIGN STATEMENT: “Marin County faces

than what it would cost to provide health care

attending Marin public schools, I know first-

challenges on many different fronts including

to every Californian.

hand the importance of protecting education

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

MARIN

JUNE 2008

funding. While I was in the Assembly, the governor proposed to suspend Prop. 98, the constitutional guarantee to fund public schools and increase per-pupil funding to greater than the national average. I opposed the governor’s proposal and the suspension. I’ve pledged to again oppose any suspension. Education is vital to the future of our state and our community. By destroying our children’s education, we will destroy their future chances of providing for themselves and their community. Undermining education is a dangerous path and I won’t support going in that direction. “Finally, health care is not a privilege, but should be a right for every Californian. I fought to pass universal health care in the assembly, and I will do it again. My plan closely resembles those advanced by Senators Clinton and Obama. My goal is to develop a system of shared responsibility among government, employers and individuals, so that everyone has a stake in the outcome.”

Mark Leno POLITICAL EXPERIENCE:

Thirteenth District (eastern San Francisco), Assembly, 2002 to present; San Francisco Board of Supervisors, 1998 to 2002. MAJOR ENDORSEMENTS: Assembly Speaker

Karen Bass and 16 current Assembly members; former state Treasurer Phil Angelides and former Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez; San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, District Attorney Kamala Harris, and Police Commissioner Joe Alioto Veronese (a former rival candidate); and Marin County Supervisor Charles McGlashan. CAMPAIGN STATEMENT: “I believe the most

pressing problems Marin faces today are

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the breakdown of our health care system, the lost prioritization of education, and the threat climate change presents to our environment. “Regarding California’s health care system, nearly 6.5 million Californians—almost one in five—have no health insurance and those who

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

do are required to pay far too much only to receive inadequate care and minimal coverage. “SB 840—the Single-Payer Universal Health Care Act—embodies the comprehensive plan we need to provide health care for all. I am proud to be a principal coauthor and dedicated proponent of Sen. Shelia Kuehl’s bill and will take up her leadership on this issue (she’ll be termed out this year) if elected to the state Senate. “California is the world’s eighth-largest economy, yet our education system doesn’t reflect this strength. California ranks 46th out of 50 states in per-pupil spending. Next year we will spend more on incarcerating criminals than on our colleges and universities. This is unacceptable. “One of the best solutions to the state’s financial crisis is restoring the 50-year-old Vehicle License Fee that Gov. Schwarzenegger eliminated. This irresponsible act has cost California more than $6 billion annually and it is the reason 100,000 teachers may be laid off this year. “My record of supporting education is strong and that’s why both the California Teachers Association and the California Federation of Teachers have endorsed my candidacy.

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MARINMAGAZINE.COM

MARIN

JUNE 2008

LI F E

West Marin

Hospitality Is the life of an innkeeper all it’s cracked up to be? BY M A N DY B EH B EH A N I

P H OTO S T I M P O RT ER

Guest room at Blackthorne Inn in Inverness. OPPOSITE : Signage at Olema Cottages.

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JUNE 2008

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JUNE 2008

Susan and Bill Wigert Susan and Bill Wigert converted their weekend retreat for friends and family into the five-room Blackthorne Inn in 1982. The whimsical four-story structure, cut into a wooded mountain canyon, has been likened to a giant redwood tree house—narrow spiral staircase, turrets, stained glass windows, a huge stone fireplace, carved wood beams, and numerous decks overlooking the pine and oak forest. The octagonal uppermost abode, Eagle’s Nest, has a private sundeck. The Wigerts fell in love with the area on their first date in 1972 when Bill, an intellectual property rights attorney, and Susan, once manager of the art department at Rolling Stone, went hiking at McClures Beach. They returned every weekend thereafter.

“We kept thinking, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to have a place to stay here and not have to

ow many of us have thought about cashing out our homes, retiring early and opening a little bed-and-breakfast somewhere?

it was really more the desire to get away from our jobs in San Francisco and out here and

antiques, floral valances and the aroma of French toast. Here,

have gatherings with our family and friends.”

we fantasize, a panoply of chatty and beguiling travelers will

In 1973, Bill bought a small cottage

come to sit on our porch and share our Madeira, arriving as

an aria from Aida, as two opera singers once did at the Blackthorne Inn in Inverness. The reality of innkeeping, of course, is far less romantic. The hours are long, the work unglamorous, and if you forget the poppy seed cake or run out of bath gel you’re no hero. Not to mention the expenses—huge. Still, for many there is a pull to the idea of welcoming people into a personally created homeaway-from-home, one where BlackBerrys and cell phones are useless accoutrements of a hectic life left behind. In the western reaches of Marin, many small inns sit among the rolling hills, quaint hamlets and expansive coastal pastures. Here, out in the good old salt air, visitors have access to the wonders of the Point Reyes National Seashore, and traffic is slowed not by too many cars but by just enough deer. It’s no surprise this idyllic setting is what first attracted many of West Marin’s innkeepers. What is surprising, however, is that they opened their B and Bs not to fulfill a longtime desire to own an inn, but to pay for fulfilling their dreams of living here themselves.

MARIN

I’m asked if it was my dream to own an inn,

We envision a charming inn full of hand-sewn quilts, Granny’s

strangers and leaving as friends. Or even dive naked into the hot tub and serenade us with

drive back to the city?’” Susan recalls. “When

JUNE 2008

where the Blackthorne Inn now stands. “Soon we saw what a wonderful, peaceful place this is,” he recounts, “and our friends said, ‘Why can’t you build some rooms for us?’” He and a carpenter friend did just that.

In early 1982, however, ferocious storms hit. “We had mud slides and the trees came down,” says Susan. “Our road, electricity, water and telephone were all wiped out.”

Heron Inn opened in 2004 and the Wigerts left San Francisco to live there full time.

Kelly Emery

The Black Heron, a tall structure crafted from redwood, cedar and Douglas fir, has un-

While the Wigerts’ properties are true B and

Facing extensive repairs, the Wigerts’ co-

impeded views of Tomales Bay and Inverness

Bs, Kelly Emery’s funky Olema Cottages en-

owners in the house wanted out. “There was

Ridge with front-door access to the nation-

clave in Olema is more like life on the farm.

no way we could pay for the repairs,” says

al seashore. Its three rooms, while not fancy,

Eight friendly chickens, three cats, Yogi the

Susan. “It was either sell or become innkeep-

are comfortable and have private bathrooms,

dog, and two ducks greet and escort you across

ers. We had to rebuild and make the place

small fridges, phones and free Internet wire-

the paths as you make your way through the

pay for itself.”

less access for guests.

one-acre farmstead to three homey one-bedroom cottages or two private-entry rooms in a

They got to work, using salvaged items like

The inn sits on a tranquil dead-end road

windows originally designed by Julia Morgan

next to a pond that’s home to turtles, herons

for University High School in San Francisco

and ducks. There is self-check-in, help-your-

Rooms, abutting horse farms and pasture,

and planks milled from a 180-foot Douglas fir

self-breakfast in the room and lots of peace

are modestly furnished and have private

on the property that was dying. By Memorial

and privacy. The Wigerts live on site but stay

baths, queen beds with down comforters,

Day they had three rooms up and running.

out of the way of guests.

All kinds of interesting visitors soon arrived, including a group of jugglers.

“Some people don’t necessarily want to interact with the innkeeper,” says Bill. “For

“They asked if they could entertain the

guests who do want to talk to you, you’d bet-

guests and we said, ‘Fine,’” says Susan. “But

ter have a getaway line in mind. Otherwise

when they started trying to juggle flames I

you’ll never get any work done.”

had to step in and insist they stop. One flame

The Wigerts agree that innkeeping is fun.

over that deck and the whole place would

“However, it’s a lot more work than people

have gone up!”

think it is,” says Bill. “ It’s a lifestyle job, not a

Dividing their time between San Francisco

renovated farmhouse dating back to 1892.

moneymaking job.”

and Point Reyes, the Wigerts decided they

The couple advises prospective B and B

needed a place of their own again. In the late

proprietors to make sure they understand

’90s, with some partners, they bought a house

this is a capital- and labor-intensive pursuit.

in Point Reyes Station and remodeled with the

“We are constantly in a state of repair,”

intention of using it for guest overflow from

says Susan. “You have to keep maintaining and

the Blackthorne Inn. Once again, their part-

upgrading, like putting in Wi-Fi. Recently we

wireless Internet, DVD and CD players and

ners opted out and so, once again, the Wigerts

lost electricity and I was so upset. I moaned to

mini kitchens. Two of the cottages have

turned their home into a B and B. The Black

Bill, ‘I don’t want to be a pioneer anymore.’”

woodstoves and full kitchens; Sunflower Cottage has a skylight perfect for star-watching at night. Life is casual with no check-in deadline and no front office. Emery, who grew up on a farm in Maine and looks much younger than her 47 years, moved to the Bay Area in 1990 and lived in San Francisco and Fairfax before buying her property eight years ago. “I wanted to have chickens and ducks and a big garden,” she says. “When this place became available I bought it to fix up and live in.” opposite from left: The popular Eagle’s Nest at Blackthorne Inn is a magical place to view the moon and the stars; Susan and Bill Wigert, owners of both Blackthorne Inn and Black Heron Inn. this page from left: Black Heron Inn entry; Kelly Emery, innkeeper at Olema Cottages.

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Garden at Olema Cottages. OPPOSITE : Karen Gray has operated Old Point Reyes Schoolhouse for 25 years.

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Four years later, she was thinking differ-

Karen Gray

ently. “It’s just so costly to fix up a property out here, yet I love being here. I decided I

says. “This was before cell phones and computers. I worked from home and did Jasmine as a way to create a business.”

Karen Gray has operated Old Point Reyes

In 1990, Gray added the barn-style struc-

Economics also affected her decision to

Schoolhouse for 25 years, first as a B and B

ture that now houses Gray’s Retreat and the

scrap the breakfast service. “We would drop

and more recently as a vacation rental, break-

Barn Loft, whose high French windows and

breakfast off at the cottages in the mornings

fast not included. Gray bought the 1879 for-

doors frame the views of the Point Reyes

with all this organic stuff and sometimes the

mer schoolhouse and private home in 1977

Peninsula to the west and the sunrise over

food would just sit at the door for hours and

with her husband.

Elephant Mountain to the east. The rooms

had to turn the place into an inn.”

then get thrown away. You can keep your rates more reasonable by not doing breakfast.”

“When we bought it, it was an old pile of sticks with a saggy roof and a rock under

have small televisions, patios, fireplaces, kitchens and a laundry room.

Emery advises would-be inn owners to

each corner instead of a foundation,” she

Though turning the property into an inn

make sure they want to live in the place

says. But Gray liked it because it sat at the

was a business move, it coincided with other

where they open an inn. “Because it’s almost

top of a hill bordering open pasture and over-

concerns that are important to her.

impossible to get away unless you’re will-

looking the town and Inverness Ridge. She

“I come from a ranching family in a tiny

ing to have someone else run the show,” she

and her husband gutted the house, moved in

town in the San Joaquin Valley where hos-

says. “I try to anticipate everything my guests

and renovated.

pitality is in the blood,” says Gray. “And the

need. Did I give them enough kindling? Did I give them enough towels?”

“We had no water or heat for the first two

idea that I could combine that with being a

winters,” she recalls. “We were such fools.

guide to show people the enchanted environment out here was just irresistible.”

She stays away from guests to preserve

But we didn’t have enough money and no

their privacy, although once in a while a guest

one would loan on the place and we wanted

will approach her saying he or she found an

to live here.”

egg on the doorstep. “I tell them Yogi prob-

She recommends writing a support staff into a business plan and maintaining guests’

Once work on the schoolhouse was fin-

privacy. “I can’t do that Martha Stewart

ished, Gray, who has a degree in landscape

thing,” she says. “Many times I never meet

Tongue slightly in cheek, Emery says the

architecture, turned the property’s carriage

my guests at all and so I’m not drained by

most important thing in running her prop-

house into Jasmine Cottage, complete with

their constant chitchat. It has to be like that;

erty is to make sure there’s enough cracked

full kitchen and fireplace, as a way of mak-

otherwise I’d end up like John Cleese,” she

corn in the bin for the chickens. “Because if

ing money.

adds, referring to the actor who played the

ably found it and put it there as a gift.”

there isn’t, they’re at the guests’ front doors begging for—and getting—their bagels.”

“At that time there was no way to make a living here besides waiting on tables,” Gray

harried innkeeper in the British comedy Fawlty Towers.

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Victoria Swift

to make it through the winter,” she adds, laughing. “We lived

There is nothing faulty about the Olema

without heat for two winters.”

Druids Hall. In contrast to the bucolic ethos

After a time, Cain and

of most of West Marin’s B and Bs, the inn is

Swift, who also own Cove

a more luxurious animal, rated by Travel &

Construction, built themselves a

Leisure as the area’s “Best Place to Stay.”

house in Point Reyes and rent-

With three large guest rooms and a grand

ed out the former Druids Hall.

suite in the main house and a separate cot-

“And then we realized we had

tage set amid a Tuscan-style garden, the place

to do something with it,” Swift

feels like a grand European estate.

says. “As much as we would

Victoria Swift and her husband, Robert

have liked to improve the prop-

Cain, meticulously restored the 1885 structure,

erty for ourselves, the scope and

a former meeting hall for the pagan Druids

cost of the work was reliant on

Association. The renovation is swank, com-

a more expanded use. We said,

fortable and replete with amenities: art and

‘How can we do this so it can

fine antiques, spacious rooms with fireplaces,

generate income?’”

private decks, tile and Jerusalem Gold mar-

The makeover took six

ble baths, plush linens, Aveda bath products,

years and the inn opened in

wireless Internet and heated Douglas fir floors.

2001. Swift takes pride in having trans-

notably when it comes to the occasional

The cottage and grand suite have full kitchens,

formed the property from shabby to show-

difficult guest.

wood-burning fireplaces and whirlpool tubs.

place. “The grandeur of the structure made it

Swift grins. “The daughter of a famous fe-

The hall was Cain’s family vacation home

right for developing a refined elegance,” she

male newspaper publisher came to stay one

while he was growing up. Cain and Swift

says. “Also, our construction company has al-

time,” she says. “At night, we always get the

moved into the house in 1972 and raised

ways been geared to innovative projects and

coffeemaker ready for the morning in the

their children there. The place had been ne-

quality finishes. We had long-term working

kitchen bar area next to the main gathering

glected. “When we first moved in there was

relationships with great craftspeople. It is

room. That way, all guests have to do when

no hot water, the kitchen was a lean-to, and

rewarding for us to create environments we

they get up is go in there and push a button.

the bathtub was in the garden,” says Swift.

love and are proud of.”

The first morning, the publisher’s daughter

“So we had to heat water on a hot plate and

Swift aimed for a style that was quietly

came in and said, ‘Where’s the coffee?’ And

take it out in pots to the garden and pour it

luxurious but unpretentious, along the lines

we said, ‘Oh, it’s all ready, all you have to do

into the tub!”

of the gracious small inns of Europe she and

is push the button.’”

Winters were a challenge. “We had a pot-

Cain have visited. “We wanted the inn to

The woman drew herself up to her consid-

belly stove that you had to be within six feet of

be different from a ‘regular’ B and B expe-

erable height and said, “I don’t push buttons.”

rience,” she says. “To offer what we love to

“So every morning after that we waited un-

find ourselves.” Running an establishment like that takes a lot of time, attention to detail and patience,

til we heard sounds coming from her room,” says Swift. “And as soon as we heard her moving around, we ran and pushed the button.”

Black Heron Inn 51 Cypress Rd., Point Reyes Station, 415.663.0871,blackheroninn.com Blackthorne Inn 266 Vallejo Ave., Inverness, 415.663.8621, blackthorneinn.com Old Point Reyes Schoolhouse 11559 Shoreline Hwy., Point Reyes Station, 415.663.1166, oldpointreyesschoolhouse.com Olema Cottages 9970 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Olema, 415.663.1288, olemacottages.com Olema Druids Hall 9870 Shoreline Hwy. One, Olema, 415.663.8727, olemadruidshall.com

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OPPOSITE ABOVE : Druids

Hall living room and area where breakfast is served to guests; Victoria Swift. THIS PAGE : Both the exterior and interior of Druids Hall were meticulously restored by Victoria Swift and her husband, Robert Cain.

H OME

SURF SAND &

MEMORY 72

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A Stinson love affair inspired this beach house design STORY P. J. BREMIER PHOTOS BARBARA RIES

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LEFT : Bay windows in hallway connecting living area to bedrooms create a spacious feeling. ABOVE : Richard Volk. ABOVE RIGHT : Exterior shot taken from the beach shows how the “house blends into the beauty of the surroundings,” as Volk intended.

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W H E N R I C H A R D A N D M A R I A N N VO L K W E R E P L A N N I N G T H E I R

Their blended family— his daughter, her son and the daughter they

final beach house, the one they would enjoy in their retirement years,

had together— spent summer and fall months together, swimming, sun-

they decided there was only one place to build: Stinson Beach.

bathing, fishing and hiking the local trails. Evenings were often focused

For Richard, the love affair with Stinson began when he first swam in its surf during a break from college in 1955. “I t reminded me of the

on entertaining visiting friends and family, barbecuing that day’s catch of salmon or dining with neighbors.

J ersey Shore where I spent time as a boy, and Stinson Beach hasn’t changed. I t’s still the small little town I saw then.” Volk’s love affair with Mari A nn began in 1978, years after he had

Beach house essentials

moved to San Francisco, where he built apartments for a living and rent-

The new Stinson home, a 3,6 00-square-foot home in Seadrift defined

ed homes at Stinson Beach for the summer. A fter they met, she moved

by simple lines, varied roofl ines and an intentionally low profile, re-

from Newport Beach to San Francisco and became a founding broker at

fl ects Mari A nn’s passion for entertaining and his insistence on building

Sotheby’s I nternational Realty there. Within two years, they had married

“a house that blends into the beauty of the surroundings.”

on the sandy beach in front of his home in Seadrift, the private Stinson

The three-bedroom house and detached guesthouse, constructed by

Beach neighborhood whose homes front either the ocean or the lagoon.

Paul Hughes of San A nselmo and completed last year, is complemented

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ABOVE : The living

room is open to dining area and kitchen at right, which reﬂects Mari Ann Volk’s personality—she loved to entertain family and friends. Kitchen cabinets, including facades on refrigerators and dishwashers, are painted to match the cabinetry in the living room.

by a wraparound deck with a glass-topped sunroom, a spa tub deck and

met Mari Ann, although “Richard and I had a lot of conversations about

simple landscaping that relies on bubbly fountains, antique olive jars and

her,” she recalls. “Richard said, ‘These are the pieces but I want you to

exotic containers potted with succulents as a low-maintenance garden.

use your talent to bring it together.’ I felt honored that he trusted me.”

It’s all situated on one of the largest lots on Seadrift’s oceanfront,

Moran used the color values of sea glass—blue, green and opal-

which allowed the Volks to conform to the new Federal Emergency

ine—for the palette of various rooms, but kept the great room a creamy

Management Agency standards for floodplain-level homes without sac-

white. She gave only one room, the chocolate-brown den, a saturated

rificing any square footage.

shade and painted the second master bedroom, on the guest floor, a

As with any of the other dozen homes the Volks built or renovated in Stinson over the years, they divided the design responsibilities: he drew up the exterior, the elevations and the floor plan; she worked on the interior.

lovely lilac. “I deferred [on] all the paint colors to her and people rave about them,” Volk says. She placed one of Mari Ann’s favorite Oriental carpets in the entry under a large skylight and a pair of favorite Kreiss chairs in the living room along with a new custom sofa in a practical but pretty pecan-colored, chev-

Sea change When Mari Ann died in 2003 the mission changed from completing the house with her to completing the house for her.

ron-patterned chenille. And because “it’s barefoot living out there,” Moran says, she chose sandy-blond jute area rugs bound in a nubby suede to lay across the great room’s walnut floors for a durable textured surface. A wide wall of French doors in the great room facing the ocean was

Volk chose Caitlin Moran, a San Francisco interior designer who

left undressed (“it’s all about the view!”), but other windows are draped

had worked for Vicente Wolf in New York before opening Caitlin Moran

in a Henry Calvin linen resembling a tightly woven fishermen’s net and

Interiors on Union Street four years ago, for the endeavor. She had never

offering both privacy and filtered light.

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The clean-lined kitchen is the room that reflects Mari Ann most. “She was an outstanding entertainer and wanted a house where our family could gather,” her husband says. “I could tell her at four o’clock in the afternoon that 20 people would be here at seven and she would throw together something wonderful without batting an eye.” The Thermador range, warming drawer, wine refrigerator, pot filler, and pewter bar sink that she specified were installed and the Sub-Zero refrigerator and double pairs of Fisher & Paykel dishwasher drawers she chose are integrated with the white-painted cabinetry she designed and had crafted by Jim Hamilton of Petaluma. Moran picked up the blue of the vein in the white marble countertops and carried it through to the gray-blue paint of the center island, which is topped with a large slab of butcher block, set with woven chairs from Sloan Miyasato, and lit with a fixture specifically selected for the space by Mari Ann. What makes this a great beach house “is that it’s not overly interior-designed,” muses Moran. “It’s a great place to live, to entertain and to relax. There’s an emotional response to just being there, opening the doors and hearing the waves pounding the beach.” She pauses. “I hope Mari Ann would be happy with the results.”

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This outdoor entertaining alcove captures the oceanfront view and is protected from the wind by glass window enclosures.

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VIRGIN GORDA

THE ISLAND COLUMBUS

MAP C REATED BY TIM REED

BY ALI S SA E VER E T T

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J OURNE Y

PH OTO: ZAC H ARY C OFF MAN

CALLED THE “FAT VIRGIN” OFFERS A LAID-BACK ESCAPE

Biras Creek Resort is the ultimate getaway—an island within an island and only accessible by boat from Tortola.

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traw hat atop my head and beach bag in

Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, offering a laid-

my basket, I pedal my bike along a shady

back Caribbean escape from the crowds.

lane to a private sun-drenched beach. With

The jewel of this chain of islands and islets is Virgin

cerulean skies overhead, aqua waters and

Gorda, the third largest. Christopher Columbus is said

brilliant sand beckoning, I speed up so

to have named the island “Fat Virgin” for her protruding

I’ll have more time to savor in a king-size

coastline, reminding him of a voluptuous woman. Quieter

hammock under a coconut palm.

than the other islands in the chain, Virgin Gorda offers the

A warm breeze blows, ruffling palm fronds, softening

most exclusive accommodation and much more to do and

distant laughter and carrying the scent of fresh barbecued

see than its neighbors.

mahimahi from the beach restaurant. The ocean’s end-

Biras Creek Resort on Virgin Gorda is my destination.

less motion, rhythmic wave upon wave, hypnotizes and I

The ultimate getaway—an all-inclusive island within an is-

drift off, only to be awakened by the words, “Excuse me,

land and longtime hideout for the rich and famous —it is

ma’am, I don’t mean to disturb you. Here is the piña co-

only accessible by boat from Tortola. Captain Blondie pi-

lada you requested.”

lots our vessel through the rough channel expertly into the

Am I dreaming? One sip of that cool sumptuous drink

haven of the North Sound. Passing several mega-yachts,

brings me back. I really have checked out from the world

I see Biras Creek cradled in a valley between two moun-

to enjoy a long weekend on one of the Caribbean’s best-

tains. The long arm of its jetty reaches out, creating a wel-

hidden secrets, Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands.

coming harbor.

(BVIs) with their calm, clear waters have been known for decades as the “sailing capital” of the Caribbean. Despite their reputation, they have eluded the mainstream tourism that has inundated their neighbors,

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Quieter than the other islands in the chain, Virgin Gorda offers the most exclusive accommodation and much more to do and see than its neighbors.

PHOTO: AL IS SA EV ER ETT

The British Virgin Islands

D usk approaching, I am brought to my suite to freshen up for dinner. There I find simple lux ury with a sound system, sundeck, outdoor shower and a bicycle for ex ploring the property. A Relais &

Châ teaux property,

Biras Creek has only 30 secluded ocean and garden suites, accommodating 6 0 people on 150 acres. The only other living creature I see as I make my way to the Hilltop Restaurant is an iguana. A n open-air pavilion greets me with sweeping views of the sun setting over the North Sound to one side and the A tlantic to the other. Clinton, in charge of the bar, hands me his special concoction, the I guana Bite, with a chuckle and a warning: “Y ou best not drink more than one of those!” The nex t few days I ex plore the property and surrounds in between sessions on the hammock and free lessons on the resort’s Hobie Cats, windsurfers and sea kayaks. Each night ends with a scrumptious meal at

IGUANA PHOTO: AL IS SA EV ER ETT

the Hilltop.

The only other living creature I see as I make my way to the Hilltop Restaurant is an iguana.

OPPOSITE : Visitor

lounges in one of the hammocks on the property. UPPER : Iguana is a common sight on Virgin Gorda. LOWER : Guest suite at Biras Creek Resort.

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The resort’s lush gardens are still cared for by the man who created them more than 30 years ago, Alvin. He shows me trails he hand-cut and lovingly points out turpentine trees he planted. Later, long hikes along ridgetops reveal the island’s austere beauty: arid mountains peppered with blue agave, aloe and cactus; steep cliffs dropping dramatically into the sea; gardens rich with scarlet bougainvillea and tiny orchids. When I feel like venturing to far reaches of the island, I take a day cruise to the Baths, massive granite boulders rounded by the weathering of time, strewn along a stunning white beach. Climbing through the rocks feels like an Indiana Jones adventure as I discover hidden caves and pools where sunbeams dance across the rippling water. Emerging from the boulders, I don my mask and snorkel—an underwater turquoise adventure through rock crevices accompanied by bright tropical fish. Near the Baths is Copper Mine National Park, an area worked by Cornish miners in the mid1800s. The ruins include a chimney, boiler house,

IF YOU GO ■ Travelwizard:

travelwizard.com ■ BVI Travel:

cistern and mine shafts in a stunning scenery with dramatic coast. On my last afternoon, the marina staff sends me off on a Boston Whaler for an afternoon to visit a nearby beach and snorkel, then cross to the famous

bvitravel.com

Bitter End for lunch. I’m back in time to board the

■ Lonely Planet:

sailing vessel for a sunset cruise and stop at the col-

lonelyplanet.com

orful Leverick Bay resort, where I dance the night away to the sultry beat of West African drums.

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OPPOSITE : The Mandalay Bay Hotel. TOP : The Bellagio Hotel is ﬂanked by a massive man-made lake. BOTTOM : The dining room at the Russian-inspired Red Square restaurant.

all dressed up with everywhere to go BY S O M ER FL A H ERT Y

LAS VEGAS LURES GUESTS WITH ACTIVITIES OFF THE CASINO FLOOR

AT THE REQUEST OF MARGARET, OUR 95-YEAR-OLD GRANDMA, THIS PAST MOTHER’S DAY THREE GENERATIONS

headed to Sin City, aka Vegas, baby, entertainment capital of the world. We were looking forward to seeing what the “new” Vegas offered; the last time Grandma was here Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin were playing the Strip. Once we hit the Strip we immediately slipped our way around the roulette tables, in between rows of slot machines and past the discerning eye of the pit boss. Our first mission: to leave the clanging of quarters and cheers MARINMAGAZINE.COM

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MARINMAGAZINE.COM

P H OTO C RED IT: BELLAG IO EXTERIOR, M ANDALAY BAY EXTERIOR/CO URTE SY O F MGM MI RAG E ; CO N TO RT I O N I ST S/ R I CH A R D T E R M I N E

TOP LEFT : The Wynn Las Vegas hotel opened in 2005. TOP RIGHT : The Four Seasons Hotel is a nongaming Las Vegas option for travelers. BOTTOM LEFT : Charlie Palmer’s Aureole restaurant features “wine angels” who ﬂy through the wine tower to retrieve bottles of wine on demand. BOTTOM RIGHT : Contortionists display their ﬂexibility in the very popular Cirque du Soleil O show at the Bellagio Hotel.

of victory and defeat behind and duck into Bellagio’s Yves Saint Laurent, so I could do a little window-shopping and Margaret could take advantage of any spring sales. After scouring the racks like barracudas in a sea of sardines and oohing and aahing over the collection of Muses and Downtowns (fashion-speak for really nice purses), we popped next door to Chanel to ogle the fine jewelry collection; the Vegas location is one of the few boutiques in the world to carry it. I sipped a gratis bottled water and tried on an aquamarine flower ring with a pavé sapphire leaf detail—one of the many items that seem so reasonable to purchase with what feels like Monopoly money in this fairy-tale land. But alas, I returned the sparkling ring to one of the kind security guards, and we headed back outside to the unrelenting desert heat.

The city’s hotels are drawing visitors to on-site museums that hold some of the world’s most sought-after pieces of art, including works by Georgia O’Keeﬀe, Stuart Davis and Marsden Hartley.

SANDRA BIRD DESIGNS

Although casino owners hope you find respite from the weather in their perfectly airconditioned refuges, Las Vegas isn’t just for gamblers. The Strip boasts four AAA five-diamond-rated restaurants this year, and throngs of tourists descend on the Forum Shops at Caesars each day, where the 636,000-squarefoot collection of designer stores is said to be the most profitable mall in the country. And the new Shoppes at the Palazzo, with an 85,000-

A DESIGN BUILD FIRM

square-foot flagship Barneys New York, sit on what’s been dubbed the power corner: right across from the retail offerings of the Trump International and the Wynn Las Vegas. What’s more, the city’s hotels are drawing visitors to on-site museums that hold some of the world’s most sought-after pieces of art, including works by Georgia O’Keeffe, Stuart Davis

240 Magnolia Avenue, Larkspur CA • 415.927.1171

and Marsden Hartley in the Bellagio Gallery of

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

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JUNE 2008

Fine Art’s American Modernism exhibit. And

Luxury cars aren’t the only hotel extras

If you don’t mind a few baccarat tables, op-

don’t forget the shows—Cirque du Soleil’s LOVE

you can expect. The Las Vegas Convention

tions include the Mansion, a luxury property

production spent a whopping $130 million to

and Visitors Authority predicts 39.8 million

modeled after a 200-year-old Italian building,

retrofit the old Siegfried and Roy venue at the

people will visit this year; to lure their share

where most of the 29 villas boast a baby grand

Mirage. The new theater features three speakers

of guests, properties are reinventing them-

piano, Jacuzzi and pool. A private gated mo-

in each guest seat, one of the most complex the-

selves with unexpected luxuries and perks.

tor court handles guest arrivals and a secure

atrical audio systems in the world.

The Four Seasons, on the top floors of the

foyer connects the hotel to the MGM Grand.

The magic of the “new” Vegas doesn’t start

main hotel tower at Mandalay Bay, is one of

The property is home to the Joël Robuchon

when you hit the Strip; it happens the mo-

the area’s nongaming hotels; guests here get

restaurant, where a 16-course tasting menu

ment you step off the plane—or onto the tar-

private check-in as well as cucumbers for the

served under Swarovski crystal teardrop chan-

mac, if you’ve scored one of the private jets

eyes and spritzes of Evian at the pool, and

deliers will set you back $385 per person, not

that account for nearly 10 percent of all traffic

the on-site Charlie Palmer Steakhouse sits

counting wine, tax or tip. For high-roller life at

at McCarran International Airport. Regardless

far from the noise of drunken bachelor par-

a fraction of the Mansion’s price tag, try one

of how you arrive the Skylofts at MGM Grand

ties spilling onto the casino floor. Also in the

of the Palms fantasy suites, like the Hardwood,

will even send a Maybach 62 to fetch you

Mandalay Bay, The Hotel, a stylish modern

a 10,000-square foot two-story offering with

when you land. If a limo will do, most hotels

property, has one-bedroom suites as the stan-

its own indoor basketball court, professional

have them on hand; ask the concierge before

dard guest room, and both bathroom and ele-

locker rooms and a scoreboard. Or the Wynn,

you arrive. Or shell out $6 and hop on one of

vators have plasma TVs. Off the Strip, the new

a 215-acre, $2.7 billion property (one of the

the many shuttles just outside baggage claim

Platinum Hotel and Spa features 255 residen-

most expensive casino-hotels ever built) tucked

that drop off passengers at Strip, off-Strip and

tial-style suites, the smallest being 900 square

behind a 140-foot-tall man-made mountain

downtown hotels.

feet, with full kitchens and private terraces.

with its own golf course and Ferrari-Maserati

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MARINMAGAZINE.COM

dealership. Off the Strip, the Red Rock Resort

Square. The Russian-inspired

INSIDER VEGAS

and Casino has a 25,000-square-foot “adven-

restaurant in the Mandalay Bay

Fitness That Never Sleeps

ture spa” complete with indoor climbing gym

has a frozen bar top (to keep

and daily guided rock-climbing, kayak and

the martinis extra chilled) and

horseback trips plus after a day in the desert,

a private below-freezing vodka

the in-room martini bar never looked so good.

vault where guests wrap up

The country’s sixth-busiest airport has its share of delayed ﬂights. If yours is one, skip the sports bar and hit the treadmill at 24 Hour Fitness in McCarran’s main terminal—nonmembers pay only a $10 fee.

On top of such over-the-top options, each

in Russian army coats or full-

big resort on the Strip has at least one celeb-

length furs. As Grandma doesn’t much care

Midler nights that role will be filled by Elton

rity-chef restaurant under its roof. Marin local

for the cold, we sipped our martinis in the

John’s show.

Michael Mina owns Stripsteak, Michael Mina

comfort of a plush red velvet banquette and

at Bellagio, and Seablue and Nobhill at MGM

feasted on lobster bisque and chicken Kiev.

After O we made our way to the casino floor, where Grandma had earlier been en-

Grand. Yountville chef Thomas Keller’s Bouchon

Just as the restaurant started filling up we

joying a lucky run at the slots, and watched

is at the Venetian. Chef Hubert Keller of Fleur

were off to the 10:30 p.m. show of Cirque

revelers with yardstick beers mingle with

de Lys has opened another namesake restau-

du Soleil’s aquatic-themed O, featuring

decked-out “whales” (high rollers) at the

rant in the Mandalay Bay. Bradley Ogden, of

world-class synchronized swimmers and div-

craps tables. Before Grandma could win any

the Lark Creek Inn, has an eponymous restau-

ers galore. Had our vacation been longer we

more money all the vodka, the lights and the

rant at Caesars, and Charlie Palmer, whose Dry

could have seen Phantom of the Opera at the

noise began taking their toll, and it was time

Creek Kitchen is a Healdsburg favorite, owns

Venetian, in a $40 million theater modeled on

to head to the room, for a much-needed rest

Aureole at the Mandalay Bay.

the Paris Opera House, or caught Bette Midler

in our goose-down beds.

For our dinner out we took Grandma, who

at Caesars Palace, where she’s the new head-

has a penchant for caviar, to dinner at Red

liner in the wake of Celine Dion. On non-

Enjoy your

6th Night Free with our compliments

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MARINMAGAZINE.COM

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MARIN

JUNE 2008

LO O K I NG BACK

A Century of Memories Tam High turns 100 this year BY JIM WOOD

MOST OF US KNOW THE GREAT SAN FRANCISCO

earthquake and fire occurred in 1906 , but how many realize that two years later the first 70 students reported for classes at Mill Valley’s still-unfinished Tamalpais Union High School? Or that these two events were cause and effect? “I n 1906 , ABOVE: Faculty at

Tamalpais High School; E. E. Wood, principal, at far right (date unknown). RIGHT: Tamalpais

P HOTOS C OURTESY OF LUC RE TIA LI TTLE H ISTORY ROOM, MI LL VALLE Y LIBRARY

High School in the late 1930s; Northwestern Paciﬁc Railroad tracks ran in front of the gymnasium.

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JUNE 2008

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

Tam High’s WPA Mural Restoration work needed on huge Depression-era artwork IT WAS THE MID-1930S, FDR WAS IN HIS SECOND TERM and America

painted in 1934, underwent a $14,000 restoration in 2004 and

was fitfully exiting the Great Depression. In Marin County,

is available for viewing daily at the GVCC corner of Sir Francis

Maurice Del Mué , who had earlier designed the Arm & Hammer

Drake Boulevard and Meadow Way in San Geronimo.

Baking Soda box and the Hills Brothers coffee can, could no lon-

Another of Del Mué’s WPA efforts, this one larger at 8 feet

ger ﬁnd work as a commercial illustrator. So he took a job with

by 38 feet and titled The Golden Hills of Marin, was complet-

the Works Progress Administration (WPA), a Roosevelt-inspired

ed in 1938 and hung in Tamalpais High School’s assembly hall.

program designed to get people back to work.

“But in 1961 it was taken down, rolled up, and put in storage,”

Del Mué , who was born in Paris in 1875 but was then living

says Judith Wilson, a mother of two Tam alums, “and now there’s

in San Francisco, was working in a division of the WPA that did,

a fundraising drive under way to restore it and hang it in the

of all things, artwork. In fact, he was a mural painter, one of

school’s newly renovated library.”

several such artists who created an estimated 2,500 works of

Because The Golden Hills of Marin is so enormous and has

art in municipal buildings across America prior to the WPA be-

been stored for so long, its restoration costs are signiﬁcantly

ing phased out in 1943.

high. “Working with Anne Rosenthal,” says Wilson, “we esti-

“I believe Del Mué’s ﬁrst Marin mural was for the Lagunitas

mate it could cost as much as $200,000 to have it restored

School, which now is the San Geronimo Valley Community

and mounted.” Included in the cost is space for the yearlong

Center,” says Anne Rosenthal of Anne Rosenthal Fine Art

restorative work to be completed. “So if anyone has an emp-

Conservation of San Rafael, a prominent Bay Area restorer of

ty warehouse, they’d gain a nice tax credit by making it avail-

artworks. That mural, which measures 6 feet by 26 feet, was

able,” says Wilson.

a major earthquake and fire destroyed a large

establishing a public high school (in southern

portion of San Francisco and created a crowd

Marin) was initiated.”

Tamalpais Union High’s inaugural student body had 40 freshmen and 21 sophomores, but

of homeless refugees. Many sought shelter in

Trustees worked with officials from the

only five juniors and four seniors. (San Rafael

Mill Valley, where there was only minor dam-

Northwestern Pacific Railroad before selecting

High was already up and running, and not many

age,” wrote Henri M. Boussy in the March 1998

the appropriate site. “On March 7, 1907, a cam-

older kids wanted to leave their classmates just

issue of the Mill Valley Historical Society Review.

pus on the proposed Mill Valley branch line was

for the sake of a shorter commute aboard the

“Construction of a high school had been con-

picked over a runner-up choice at Manzanita,”

railroad’s “School Special.”) Original Principal

templated since 1905. The new families added

according to Barry Spitz’s Marin: A History. “Two

Ernest Everett Wood, a congenial, meticulous-

impetus to the demand and the procedure for

parcels were purchased for a total of $3,309.”

ly dressed young educator, remained in that

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

MARIN

JUNE 2008

HANE Y

O R T H O D O N T I C S

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position for 36 years. According to historical accounts, he aimed for a “practical school that, in addition to cultural subjects, taught training for the world of business and manual labor.” His advice to students: “Play the game fair.” Gene Stocking of Mill Valley, who graduated from Tam in 1941 and is still in touch with half a dozen classmates, recalls referring to Wood

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(behind his back, of course) as “Old E. E.” or “the Duke.” (That’s because “Mr. Wood, who also taught history, often referred to Miss Keyser, who taught English and drama and remained at Tam until 1947, as ‘the Duchess,’” she says.) “I don’t have any bad memories of Tamalpais High. It was a wonderful school,” she says. “The grounds and gardens were so beautiful they were tourist attractions. Students were so proud we wouldn’t think of littering.” One especially good memory: “I met my future husband there,” she says. “But he wasn’t a student. He drove the school bus.” With the

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railroad curtailing its operations in the ’40s as World War II approached, buses were being phased in, and young Bert Stocking became a driver while waiting to join the Army Air Corps. “I used to flirt with him in the rearview mirror,” Gene says. The couple married in 1945, had two children, both Tam High graduates, and now have four grandchildren, two of them also Tam alums. Tam High’s early years were infused with Wood’s philosophy of “learning through doing”; reportedly, his two most prized possessions were his carpenters union card and his Phi Beta Kappa key. Machine shop students built or helped build the tables and classroom music stands; the school stationery, yearbooks and newspaper were produced in the school print shop; and the home economics classes cooked and served cafeteria meals. By 1921 enrollment included kids from San Anselmo, Fairfax, Ross, Larkspur, Corte Madera, Tiburon and Belvedere. “You could hitchhike with the greatest of ease,” Bud Ortman told a newspaper reporter in 1998. “You’d put out your thumb and almost the first car would pick you up.” Wood and his family lived on campus for most of his tenure; he commemorated his four daughters’ births with the four towering red-

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JUNE 2008

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

woods that now dominate the school’s landscape. By 1927, the school had 15 departments offering 98 courses, 14 in music alone. Wood strove to make a “poor man’s college” out of Tam High—and in many ways, he did. In 1937 during the Great Depression, teacher salaries were cut, volunteers coached

Machine shop students built or helped build the Diplomate: American Board of Plastic Surgery American Board of Surgery

tables and classroom music

American College of Surgeons, Fellow

stands; the school stationery,

Harvard College, A.B., 1961, cum laude Harvard Medical School, 1965, cum laude

yearbooks and newspaper were produced in the school print shop; and the home economics classes cooked and served cafeteria meals.

AESTHETIC AND RECONSTRUCTIVE PLASTIC SURGERY

Massachusetts General Hospital Internship and Residency in General Surgery The Johns Hopkins Hospital Chief Residency in Plastic Surgery United States Air Force Regional Hospital Chief of Surgery Houston Society of Plastic Surgeons, Past President Mt. Tam Laser and Skin Care, Kentﬁeld Medical Director

athletic teams and the Works Progress Administration, aided by Tam wood shop students, built Meade Theater, still in use today (see “Tam High’s WPA Mural,” page 93). Still, through the 1930s and into the ’40s, Tam was recognized as one of the top high schools in California and, some say, in the nation. The school lost some students and top teachers with the opening of San Anselmo’s Drake High School in 1951 and Larkspur’s Redwood High in 1958. In many ways Tamalpais High School has left its mark. Its illustrious alumni include Eunice Quedens, class of ’26, better known as Eve Arden, star of the ’50s sitcom Our Miss Brooks; Sam Chapman, ’34, a football All American at Cal and for years a Major League Baseball player; George C. Cory Jr., ’37, who wrote the music for the song “I Left My Heart in San Francisco”;

Dominican congratulates the graduating class of 2008!

Matt Hazeltine, ’51, an All American at Cal and later an All-Pro linebacker for the 49ers; Pat Paulsen, ’45, TV comedian and erstwhile presidential candidate; Tom Killion, ’71, noted woodblock artist; Kathleen Quinlan, ’72, actress in the films American Graffiti and Apollo 13; Joe Breeze, ’72, an inventor of the mountain bike;

We wish the best to our over 500 undergraduate, graduate, and certiﬁcate students who have called Marin their home in recent years. They come from nine Bay Area counties, twelve states, and from nations across the world, including Brazil, Germany, Nepal, China, Taiwan, Thailand, and the United Kingdom. Marin will miss you!

and Anne Killion, ’79, sports columnist for the San Jose Mercury News.

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

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MARIN

JUNE 2008

GA L L E R IES

Views Across the Bridge Photos and paintings on both sides of the bay BY ANNE CRUMP RAY

ore than a decade of works by local photographer Kimberly Austin get top billing at San Francisco’s Braunstein/Quay Gallery from May 22 to June 21.

Austin imbues each piece with an air of nostalgia, fueled by her preference for vintage processes—such as Van Dyke, cyanotype and gum bichromate — and sometimes, vintage source materials. She hand-paints photographic emulsions onto surfaces as varied as paper, wood and delicate fabrics, which lends a painterly effect and an ethereality to her images. She often incorporates texts as well, layering elements to give the pieces added richness and depth. Braunstein/Quay’s exhibition includes works from several of Austin’s series produced over the last 12 years, including Learning Normalcy, Aphrodesia, Contra Natura, How to Live and Adam and Edna. Though their subjects vary, they are united by a shared interest in exploring human behavior—namely the notion of what constitutes normalcy, and the often hidden and surprising departures from it. During the same period, the gallery presents an exhibition of drawings by William Noguera, a self-taught artist currently serving time in San Quentin prison, on death row. The gallery hosts an opening reception for both exhibitions from 3 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 24. Braunstein/Quay Gallery, 430 Clementina, San Francisco, 415.278.9850, bquayartgallery.com; 11–5:30 Tue–Sat, closed Sun–Mon Claudia Chapline Gallery offers summer visitors to Stinson Beach a double dose of Marin throughout the month 96

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of June. Complementing its seaside location along Shoreline Highway, the gallery presents an exhibition of paintings by Bryn Craig that feature Marin landmarks and landscapes. Craig works in oils and watercolors, creating vibrant depictions of Marin’s natural and manmade settings. The works on view at Claudia Chapline concentrate particularly on his Point Reyes series, which presents panoramic views of cliffs and rocky shorelines, sometimes accented by human figures that add a sense of drama and scale. Craig divides his time between Stinson

ic series published in books by the University

and San Rafael, and he photographs his en-

of California Press: The Intertidal Wilderness

virons regularly—at various times of day and

and Wave-Swept Shore: The Rigors of Life on

in a variety of conditions—as a means of gath-

a Rocky Coast, both of which examine coastal

ering information for his paintings. While his

organisms and ecosystems. These pictures,

style is photorealistic, he takes painterly lib-

Rosenfeld says, strive to highlight the overlap

erties with his subject matter, altering colors

of art and science, drawing attention to the

and compositions to suit his artistic interests.

physical beauty at the heart of scientiﬁc re-

The current presentation consists of near-

search and study.

ly two dozen paintings, most of which are

Anne W. Rosenfeld: Infinity of Elements–

new works. The exhibition is on view June 7

Recent Photographs will be on view through

through 29. The gallery hosts an opening re-

August 23. The gallery hosts a public opening

ception for the artist from 5 to 7 p.m. on June

reception June 6 from 6 to 9 p.m.

7; the event is open to the public. Claudia Chapline Gallery, 3445 Shoreline Hw y., Stinson Bea ch , 415 .868 . 230 8 ,

Sam the Butcher Contemporary Art, 19 Ross Common, Ross, 415.902.1019, samthebutcherart.org; call for hours, or by appointment

cchapline.com; noon–5 Sat–Sun and by appointment, closed Mon–Fri

New works by San Francisco–based painter Henry Jackson are on view at MMGalleries

Beginning June 6, Sam the Butcher

throughout May and June.

Contemporary Art in Ross spotlights the pho-

Jackson’s paintings continue the tradi-

tographs of Marin artist Anne W. Rosenfeld.

tions of the Bay Area Figurative movement

OPPOSITE ABOVE LEFT: Point Reyes Series Shell Beach, by Bryn Craig at Claudia Chapline Gallery. LOWER: Untitled, by Henry Jackson, at MM Galleries. ABOVE: Love Dad, by Kim Austin at Braunstein/Quay Gallery. LOWER: Luminous Revelation by Anne W. Rosenfeld at Sam the Butcher Contemporary Art.

Rosenfeld creates photographic mosaics

and Abstract Expressionism, aligning gestur-

that bring together multiple images in a single

al marks and vibrant color with suggestions—

work for a play on the way we see. Looking at

some overt, some discreet—of the human

an object or a scene is not an isolated action,

form. This exhibition, his ﬁrst solo presentation

the artist explains; we infuse the composition

at MMGalleries, includes both the large, color-

such as painting knives, which force him to es-

with physical and visual memories, as well

ful canvases for which Jackson is known and a

chew intricate details and instead draw atten-

as the content of our peripheral vision. “You

suite of smaller, monochromatic paintings that

tion to the movement of the artist’s hand.

can’t look at the leaf without being aware

showcase a new dimension in his work.

Henry Jackson: Descendants continues

of the mountain or the air or vice versa,” she

In both cases his technique remains the

through June 28 at MMGalleries. The gallery

says. Sometimes the effect of her technique

same. He favors a combination of dry pig-

hosts an opening reception from 5 to 7:30

is kaleidoscopic; other times it mimics collage.

ment, cold wax, graphite and oil—a mixture

p.m. on May 15.

Whether featured in mosaics or straightfor-

that gives the artist greater creative control

MMGalleries, 101 Townsend St., Ste.

ward photographs, Rosenfeld’s subject mat-

over the material elements while adding tex-

207, San Francisco, 415.543.1550, mmgal-

ter is the natural environment. In fact, the ex-

ture and dimension to each piece. He also

leries.com; 11–5 Tue–Fri, noon–4 Sat, and by

hibition includes works from two photograph-

prefers to apply his media with imprecise tools

appointment; closed Sun–Mon

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

MARIN

JUNE 2008

ROBERT ALLEN FINE ART

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CELEBRATING OUR 29TH YEAR IN BUSINESS 301 Caledonia Street, Sausalito, CA 94965 415.331.2800 phone . 415.331.2801 fax www.robertallenﬁneart.com Gallery Hours: Mon - Fri 10 - 5 p.m. or by appointment

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Giancarlo GiancarloBertini, Bertini,"Countryside", "Countryside",oiloilononcanvas, canvas,32"32"x 40" x 40"

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MARIN JUNE 2008

MARK

BECK

E xh ib i ti o n | Ju n e 2008

341 S UTTER S TREET S AN F RANCISCO , CA 94108 415.296.7896 CALDWELLSNYDER . COM

100

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CA L ENDA R

JUNE ARTS & EVENTS GUIDE

Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris at the Marin Theatre Company thru June 15

THEATER Thru 15 Brooklyn Boy Pulitzer Prize winner Donald Margulies’s funny and moving tale of a novelist who returns home on the verge of success to reconcile with his past, thru June 15. Ross Valley Players Barn Theatre (Marin Art and Garden Center). 415.456.9555, rossvalleyplayers.com

Thru 15 Mountain Play Join artistic director James Dunn and music director Debra Chambliss for the annual outdoor production on top of Mount Tamalpais. Each year

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

the group performs one musical; in 2008 the production will be the classic Wizard of Oz. Mountain Theater (Mill Valley). 415.383.1100, mountainplay.org

Thru 15 Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris Marin Theater Company presents a diverse blend of ballads, tangos, boleros, rock and classics in this production that examines the themes of love, war and adventure. The production is directed by Kent Nicholson with music by Jacques Brel. Marin Theater Company (Mill Valley). 415.388.5208, marintheatre.org

Thru 21 I’m Still Standing: A Celebration of the Music of Elton John Pop phenom Bennie trades in Hollywood fame, a movie star boyfriend and a diva agent for a simple life at a Wisconsin high school to learn what being a teenager is all about. American Conservatory Theater (SF). 415.749.2228, act-sf.org

1 A Midsummer Night’s Dream San Francisco hosts the North American premiere of this production, which combines the skills of actors, dancers, martial arts experts and street acrobats from across

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101

Ford Man Blues by Marin artist Tim Horn, can be seen at Artisan Art Gallery thru June 28.

India and Sri Lanka. Curran Theatre (SF). 415.512.7770, shnsf.com

20—July 12 Under Milk Wood Randall Stuart directs this outdoor production about villagers in a small seaside town. The cast of actors portray more than 30 characters in this production ﬁrst presented as a radio play in 1954. Redwood Amphitheatre (Ross). 415.251.1027, porchlight.net

MUSIC Tuesdays Open Mic Night Erin Hines hosts an evening of beat boxers, accordions, blues players and more. Sweetwater Station (Larkspur). 415.706.1164 Tuesdays Swing Fever The band plays tribute to jazz artists and composers, playing selections from its roster of over 1,000 tunes. Panama Hotel (San Rafael). 415.457.3993, panamahotel.com

COMEDY Tuesdays Mark Pitta and Friends Locals head to downtown Mill Valley for an evening of up-and-coming comics and established headliners to work on new material. A past guest comic has been Marin native Robin Williams. 142 Throckmorton Theatre (Mill Valley). 415.383.9600, 142throckmortontheatre.com

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3 San Francisco Opera The season opens with a production of Wagner’s Das Rheingold, the ﬁrst installment in the complete American Ring cycle directed by Francesca Zambello. War Memorial Opera House (SF). 415.864.3330, sfopera.com 10—22 Hairspray Tracy Turnblad’s only wish is to dance on the Corny Collins Show.

When her dream comes true, Turnblad goes from social outcast to star, but she must use her celebrity to win the heart of the handsome Link Larkin, vanquish the teen queen and integrate the television network. Orpheum Theater (SF). 415.512.7770, shnsf.com

21 The David Grisman Quintet Back for its 18th annual performance, the quintet includes guitarist Frank Vignola, who brings a touch of gypsy jazz and bluegrass sounds to the group. Osher Marin JCC (San Rafael). 415.444.8000, marinjcc.org

25—28 Dvorak’s Cello Concerto David Robertson conducts Alisa Weilerstein in this concerto. On the last day of the concert series, don’t miss the informal question-and-answer session immediately following the show. Davies Symphony Hall (SF). 415.864.6000, sfsymphony.org

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GALLERIES MARIN Artisan Art Gallery Americana Timothy Horn juries this show, which features paintings, prints and sculptures by some of the best Bay Area artists, thru June 28. 853 Fourth St, San Rafael. 415.460.5208 Art League of Northern California Paperworks A national juried exhibition, in which artists showcase the use of paper in art, June 14—July 13. 781 Hamilton Pkwy Novato. 415.246.2541, artleagueofnortherncalifornia.org

Champagne Salon

& Day Spa

Marin’s Premier Full Service Luxury Day Spa Hair • Nails • Facials Skin Rejuvenation • Massage • Wax & Tint

Art Works Downtown Singular Impressions: Monotypes Work by Charles Eckert, Angela Frascone, Kim Frohsin and others, thru June 13. 1337 Fourth St, San Rafael. 415.451.8119, artworksdowntown.org Claudia Chapline Gallery Oil and watercolor paintings by Bryn Craig on display, June 7—29. 3445 Shoreline Hwy, Stinson Beach. 415.868.2308, cchapline.com

(415) 380-9111 • 1 Blackﬁeld Dr., Tiburon (Cove Shopping Center) UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP ~ NOW OPEN MONDAYS!

Gallery Bergelli Works by New York-born self-taught artist Tim Weldon. 483 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur. 415.945.9454, gallerybergelli.com

Gallery Route One Loss and Found Work by Madeline Nieto Hope in the Center Gallery. The Museum of Curious Thought presents Optical Illusions Work by Betty Woolfolk and photography by Steve Brock in the Project Space, thru June 15. Gallery Route One Members are also celebrating their 25-year anniversary with a special members’ exhibit, June 20 thru July 27. 11101 Hwy One, Point Reyes Station. 415.663.1347, galleryrouteone.org Marin Society of Artists Panarama of Patterns Work by gallery artists, June 22— July 13, and an auction of works by gallery artists like Ken Potter and Anne Hamilton, June 14. 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Ross. 415.454.9561, marinsocietyofartists.org O’Hanlon Center for the Arts Thousand Facets of Wabi-Sabi: The Fifth Annual

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Retirement Living At Its Finest!

Villa Marin

Celebration of the Newly Seen A juried group show. 616 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley. 415.388.4331, ohanloncenter.org Robert Beck Gallery Ongoing work. 222 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, San Anselmo. 415.456.7898 Robert Green Fine Arts New paintings by James Shay, thru June 15. 154 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley. 415.381.8776, rgﬁnearts.com

Villa Marin is designed for comfort, security and the enjoyment of leisure. • Purchase your condominium with 100% equity, from $260K to $1.5M. Governed 100% by homeowners’ association.

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

• 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.

Contact Bobbie O. Heldt for a personal tour at (415) 492-2408 www.villa-marin.com Cal. Lic. # 210108102 CCRC Lic. # 158

Sam the Butcher Photography by Marin resident Anne Rosenfeld, thru August 23. 19 Ross Common, Ross. 415.902.1019 Studio 333 Ongoing work. 333A Caledonia St, Sausalito. 415.331.8272, studio333.info The Art Bar Work by Karen Zilly. 34 Main St, Tiburon. 415.435.3999, theartbar.us

SAN FRANCISCO ArtHaus City Lights Urban paintings by Carolyn Meyer, thru June 28. 411 Brannan St, 415.977.0223, arthaus-sf.com Berggruen Gallery Recent paintings by Christopher Brown, thru June 28. 228 Grant Ave, 415.781.4629, berggruen.com Caldwell Snyder Gallery Paintings by Mark Beck, June 4—June 30; artist reception June 5, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. 341 Sutter St, 415.296.7896, caldwellsnyder.com Elins Eagles Smith Gallery Selection of gallery artists, thru June. 49 Geary St, 415.981.1080, eesgallery.com George Krevsky Gallery Building a Team: The Art of Baseball, thru June 7. 77 Geary St, 415.397.9748, georgekrevskygallery.com Gregory Lind Gallery Road Work Art by Karla Wozniak, thru June. 49 Geary St, 415.296.9661, gregorylindgallery.com Hackett-Freedman Gallery Works on paper by David Park, thru June 28. 250 Sutter St, 415.362.7152, hackettfreedman.com Meyerovich Gallery Ongoing work. 251 Post St, 415.421.7171, meyerovich.com

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MM Galleries Works by Henry Jackson, thru June 28. 101 Townsend St, 415.543.1550, mmgalleries.com Rena Bransten Gallery Works on paper by Chris Hellman and Jennie Smith, thru July 5. 77 Geary St, 415.982.3292, renabranstengallery.com

SFMBY NBSJO TUZMF

MUSEUMS MARIN Bay Area Discovery Museum In the Science by the Bay series kids can explore the wind with hands-on demonstrations, projects, lectures and more, June 7 (Sausalito). 415.339.3958, baykidsmuseum.org Bolinas Museum Work by Ed Musante and photography Seth Dickerman, thru June 22 (Bolinas). 415.868.0330, bolinasmuseum.org Falkirk Cultural Center The Parlor of Earthly Delights Wood turners, metal artists, ceramic sculptures and furniture makers come together to create unique hybrid art objects, June 13—August 16. Presented by the Baulines Craft Guild and the wine country wood turners (San Rafael). 415.485.3438, falkirkculturalcenter.org

-ILL6ALLEY 2EDWOOD(IGHWAY;!T3TINSON"EACH%XITNEXTTO3EA0LANES= 7ALNUT#REEK -OUNT$IABLO"OULEVARD;%XIT AT INTERCHANGE= TERRATEAKANDGARDEN COM

BAY AREA Asian Art Museum Later Chinese Jades: Ming Dynasty to Early 20th Century View 73 examples of later Chinese jades that are presented in a special installation to coincide with the publication of a major catalog documenting the collection (SF). 415.581.3500, asianart.org

di Rosa Preserve Lewis deSoto: Tales of Power Recent work from notable artists in the di Rosa collection, thru July 19 (Napa). 707.226.5991, dirosapreserve.org

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©R ANDALL PHOTOGRAPHY 2005

de Young For Tent or Trade: Masterpieces of Turkmen Weaving Over 40 examples are on view in the Textile Gallery. The pieces almost all were given to the museum by four donors, thru September 7 (SF). 415.863.3330, thinker.org

www.kitchensplusdesign.com 901 A Street Suite D San Rafael CA 94901 Telephone: 415/453-9589 Fax: 415/257-4332

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Exploratorium Superstition Obstacle Course Special interactive exhibits test your reactions to superstitions from around the world. Break mirrors, walk under ladders and spill salt in this exhibit that investigates your ideas on risk and fear, thru September 1. Exploratorium (SF). 415.561.0377

tographer creates portraits of urban environments marked by a notable absence of people, thru June 15 (SF). 415.357.4000, sfmoma.org

became the assistant to the technical director of the San Francisco Opera. She eventually started studying sculpture and painting with artists Wayne Thiebaud and Squeak Carnwath. Gump’s Art Exhibition (SF). 415.982.1616, gumps.com

EVENTS 1 Larkspur Flower and Food Festival The

Legion of Honor Highlights from the Israel Antiquities Authority: The Dead Sea Scrolls and 5,000 Years of Treasures One of the greatest archaeological discoveries in history, the Dead Sea Scrolls were uncovered by Bedouin herders and excavated by archaeologists in caves along the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea. Fragments of the scrolls were pieced together to form more than 800 documents, many of them biblical and apocryphal manuscripts. Most of the documents on view have never been seen outside of Israel; thru August 10 (SF). 415.863.3330, legionofhonor.org

Sundays Boomercize Classes This low-impact ﬁtness program features dance steps and music from the American Bandstand hit parade. Marci Judelson leads this onehour workout. Presidio Dance Theater (SF). 415.608.4503, boomercize.con

daylong event includes ﬂower-related arts and crafts, gourmet food and wine. Participating restaurants include Ward Street Café and the Melting Pot, Magnolia Ave between King and Ward St (Larkspur). 415.383.3470, teamproevent.com

Thru 18 James Stewart Birthday

1 Union Street Festival The 32nd annual

Celebration The Smith Rafael Film Center pays tribute to the Hollywood actor’s centennial with screenings of ﬁlms Stewart starred in. Smith Rafael Film Center (San Rafael). 415.454.1222, caﬁlm.org

event will promote green living with an organic farmers’ market, arts and crafts created with recycled and sustainable materials and eco-friendly exhibits. Cow Hollow District (SF). 800.310.6563, unionstreetfestival.com

Thru 30 Maria Olivieri Quinn: New Works SFMOMA Gabriele Basillico: From San Francisco to Silicon Valley The Italian pho-

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After graduating from Sarah Lawrence College, she moved to San Francisco and

7 & 8 Marin Home Show Attendees will see new products and trends in energy and

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eco-friendly options for the home. Garden structures, decorative outdoor items and furniture will be presented in the garden and landscape pavilion. Marin Center Exhibit Hall (San Rafael). 415.472.3500, marinhomeshow.com

8 Dipsea Race One of the oldest cross country races in America, runners take on steep trails and stairs in this 98th running of the Dipsea. Mill Valley to Stinson Beach. 415.331.3550, dipsea.org

14 & 15 Italian Street Painting Festival Hundreds of street painters transform the city into a color-splashed gallery for almost 60,000 visitors. Fifth Ave and A St (San Rafael). 415.457.4878, ext 15

23 To Celebrate Life Breast Cancer Foundation The nonproﬁt’s Tee It Up To Celebrate Life event includes a mixed scramble and a $20,000 hole-in-one contest. Sonoma Golf Club (Sonoma). 415.999.7171, tocelebratelife.org

NATURE WALKS/TALKS Ongoing Sonoma History Local actor George Webber morphs into Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain, as he retells the history of Sonoma through Twain’s eyes; speciﬁc dates on website (Sonoma). 707.694.5097, georgewebber.com

22 & 26 Sierra Club Hike Join other hikers for an easy-to-moderate trek to Hearts Desire Beach. Carpools from Fairfax Parkade at 9:30 a.m. Or on June 26 meet the group for the Dipsea and Muir Woods hike at 9:30 a.m. or 5:45 p.m. at Miller Ave and Locust (Mill Valley). 415.461.9255

RETAIL THERAPY 6—13 Item Shoes and Accessories Sale Join Item’s owner Joy Goldberg for this one week sale where the entire store inventory

will be 20 percent off. Don’t miss (Larkspur). 415.925.0109, item-shoes.com

WINE COUNTRY 6—8 30th Annual Health and Harmony Festival Over 500 vendors, four outdoor stages, nationally renowned speakers and musical acts will come together for this festival, which focuses on creating a healthy lifestyle and environmental sustainability. Sonoma County Fairgrounds (Santa Rosa). 707.861.2035 28 Breathe Easy Ride Join hundreds of other cyclists who care about clean air, the environment and healthy lungs with the 11th annual Breathe Easy Ride. Choose from a 10-, 35- or 65-mile fully supported route that leads through the beautiful backroads of Sonoma and Marin counties. Sonoma Mountain Village (Rohnert Park). 707.527.5864, breatheeasyride.com

77 Connecticut Street, San Francisco t. 415.552.5001 f. 415.552.0714 www.bathandbeyond.com

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Interior of the Kennedy Cottage at San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito

TRAVEL BUZZ Jim Russell Racing School Guests of the St. Regis San Francisco can book this twoday package that starts with dinner at the hotel with Jim Russell instructors in attendance. The next morning, guests depart for Inﬁneon Raceway in Sonoma for a full day on the racetrack. Guests will participate in a curriculum focusing on car control and fundamental skills on a challenging course; after, wind down with a relaxing massage at Remède Spa at the St. Regis. $4,200 per person, includes deluxe room accommodations for two nights. Arrival must be on June 23 with a departing date for the package of June 25. For reservations and more information contact Thomas Wang, 415.284.4112, stregis.com/aﬁcionado Julien Hotel and Spa Choose the “Boulder Biking and BBQ Experience” and the hotel’s executive chef Jason Rogers will lead you on a personalized mountain-biking tour, followed by a post-workout massage at the spa and a gourmet dinner on the terrace. The package includes the mountain bike rental. $250 per person. For reservations contact Seva Kouremetis at 720.562.4041, stjulien.com

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L’Auberge Del Mar The property has just ﬁnished a comprehensive $25 million renovation and to complement the new look is offering a wining and dining package, which includes two nights’ accommodations, wine tasting for two and private wine dinner, starting at $575. Or opt for the romantic retreat package, complete with accommodations, in-room champagne and strawberries, dinner for two and valet parking, starting at $475 per night. 858.259.1515, laubergedelmar.com Mustards Grill Anniversary To celebrate 25 years of extraordinary food, chef Cindy Pawlcyn will be rolling out the St. Helena restaurant’s greatest hits, including Chinese chicken salad, ripe garden tomatoes with basil and warm goat cheese salad. Also throughout June, special selections from the early wine lists will be available, including hard to ﬁnd and sold out vintages. 707.944.2424, mustardsgrill.com Osmosis Day Spa Known across the United States for the Japanese cedar enzyme bath, this season, the spa is offering a summer bath infused with notes of local lavendar from Matanzas Creek Winery’s Lavender Gardens. 707.823.8231, osmosis.com

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San Ysidro Ranch Exchange vows inside the same walls where John and Jackie did with the Kennedy Cottage Wedding Package. The sunlit morning ceremony on an enclosed, expansive deck overlooking the Paciﬁc Ocean will be followed by a brunch or luncheon for up to 40 guests. The package includes accommodations in the Kennedy Cottage and three one-bedroom cottages and one junior suite for the wedding party; a custom wedding arch, bouquet and boutonniere, hors d’oeuvres, champagne toast, wedding cake and coordination fees. Two nights starting at $16,500. 805.565.1700, sanysidroranch.com Sedona’s Enchantment Resort Take your three best girlfriends to the resort for a four-night package designed to rekindle friendships. The experience includes accommodations in an adobe-style casita, daily breakfast, choice of a driving tour or hiking tour, private yoga or meditation and welcome wine or champagne upon arrival. Rates start at $3,320. 800.826.4180, enchantmentresort.com

Pink Chicken Egg & Avocado Boboli Poesia Jean Bourget Miss Grant and more . . . 467 magnolia avenue, larkspur, ca 94939 415.924.2500

Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort and Spa Book the resort’s Sunsational Savings Package and receive a third night free plus buffet breakfast daily. The hotel’s Love Your Family program also offers free activities like resort scavenger hunts, stargazing and poolside movies. Package available through December 25, 2008. 866.716.8109, sheratonkeauhou.com Surf and Sand Resort Don’t miss the Art of Relaxation package at this Laguna Beach resort. Running in conjunction with the Pageant of the Masters festival, the package includes tickets to the show, dinner at Splashes restaurant and accommodations for two nights. Starting at $1,200. 888.869.9299, surfandsandresort.com The Spa at Rancho Bernardo Inn To celebrate the property being ranked the number-one spa resort in North America by readers of Conde Nast Traveler magazine, the resort is offering the Travelers Best Spa Escape, which includes two nights’ deluxe accommodation, a couples massage, his-and-hers pedicures, facials and more. Starting at $899. 800.770.7329, ranchobernardoinn.com

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Facials • Massage • Body Polishes & Wraps • Waxing Natural Face-Lifting • Detox/Wellness Programs • Airbrush Tanning Acupuncture • THERMOGRAPHY • SPA BOUTIQUE • GIFT CARDS 216 Strawberry Village, Mill Valley, CA 94941 • www.evo-spa.com Call for Reservations 415.383.3223 Monday – Saturday 9am – 9pm • Sunday 10am – 7pm

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F LAVO R

The Magical Mojito According to a legend repeated by the Mojito Company, the precursor to the mojito was introduced to Cuba in the 1500s via Richard D rake, an English pirate, who mix ed aguardiente (an unrefined rum), sugar, lime and mint. He coined the drink “El D raque” (meaning “the dragon”) after the nickname of his head honcho, Sir Francis D rake. A few centuries later, here is how a few local bartenders create their own magic with similar ingredients. MT/ SF

Desman Coronado, lead bartender

Le Bank Brasserie (Larkspur)

❉

Ryan Altick, bartender

Three Degrees (Tiburon)

❉

Eric Mejía, bartender

Noonan’s Bar and Grill (Larkspur Landing)

“The ideal mojito is

“First place the ice, a lime

“We use fresh organic mint

well balanced, not

wedge and a handful of

and limes plus 100 percent

too sweet, not too

locally grown mint in the

pure agave nectar instead of

tart. At Left Bank,

bottom of a snifter. Add a

simple syrup. I like to muddle

we muddle fresh

dash of freshly squeezed

the mint leaves with a couple

mint leaves, add a

lime juice and house-made

lime wedges and the agave

splash of lime juice

simple syrup and muddle

nectar first. This releases the

and add lots of ice, up to the rim of the

the ingredients for full flavor. Add one shot of

mint flavor and the lime oil while keeping the mint

glass, so it chills the alcohol instead of

10 Cane Rum and top with ice and soda water.

leaves whole. There’s nothing worse than picking

‘watering’ it. We then pour in light rum

Garnish with a lime wedge and enjoy!

bits of mint out of your teeth the whole night.

and a little simple syrup (a mixture of water and sugar), shake it, and add chilled soda water on top and a splash of dark rum.”

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According to the Bacardi Rum company, “The name mojito comes from the African word mojo, which means to place a little spell.”

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P H OTOS : NIKE VA N D ER M OLEN

❉

We went to Italy last summer... and came back with a whole

To Health!

new look.

Well known for its medicinal traits including soothing a nervous stomach, this deep green leaf is also said to contain a phytonutrient called perillyl alcohol, which in studies on animals has been shown to prevent the formation of colon, skin and lung cancer. A nd according to Hippocrates, mint was blessed with powerful aphrodisiac powers. According to Classical Greek mythology the herb mint got its name when the alluring nymph Minte attracted the attentions of A de and was then transformed into a plant by a jealous Persephone.

Backyard Mixologist If you’re planning to mix mojitos in your own

From our chic new look to the critically acclaimed cuisine of Chris Fernandez, Piatti Mill Valley has changed a lot. Come see for yourself what all the talk is about.

home , try the new 10 Cane Mojito K it, which comes complete with a bottle of the premium rum made from first press Trinidadian sugar cane and a specially formulated mint mix . J ust

PIATTI MILL VALLEY. LOCAL FLAVOR. ITALIAN TASTE.

piatti.com

fill glasses with ice, add the rum and mix , stir and enjoy!

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A LA CA RTE

Products with Passion THANKS TO BILLIONS OF MARKETING DOLLARS TRANS

MOVED TO ACT AFTER LOSING HIS FATHER TO CANCER

fats, sodium and high-fructose syrup are a major staple

real estate investor Wilson Ling recently created LIVE

of the American diet. And we wonder why we can’t lose

Energy Drink. Fifty percent of profits from each of

the baby fat. With help from nutritious snack foods like

the four organic flavors go to a different charity: for

San Francisco–based Pop Chips, those of us who crave

instance, green tea dollars go to fight global warming;

salt and crunch can have our cake and eat it too.

açai berry for AIDS- and HIV-related concerns; sugar-free

“It’s our mission to bring the fun back to snacking,” says

for breast cancer; and funds from the “original” flavor go

Pop Chips marketing director Russell Barnett of Mill

to organizations that benefit youth.

Valley. The chips come in nine flavors; cheddar corn, salt

“America is a capitalist nation; millions of companies are

and pepper, barbecue, salsa corn, sea salt and vinegar,

started every year,” Wilson says. “But in the pursuit of

parmesan, wasabi, sea salt and original. And they’re

success and profits, humanity gets left behind. The equation

compliant with the recently passed SB 12, a bill that

of developing efficiency and revenue does not include

established limits on fat, sugar and portion size for à

caring for our planet; it does not care about the millions

la carte foods sold at schools or for school fundraisers.

infected and dying with HIV and AIDS; it does not take into

Which pops are tops? “Salt-and-pepper are my current

account helping the children who are less fortunate but

favorite,” Barnett says, “and barbecue is a close second

can be the leaders of tomorrow. ‘Live’ is taking a different

depending on my mood. The fact that they’re all natural

approach. Let’s use capitalism to better the lives of others.”

and have all the flavor and less than half the fat of fried

Look for these colorful cans at Whole Foods and Safeway

chips is just a bonus.” popchips.com

this spring. drinklive.org

INSIDER’S GUIDE

DINE OUT CORTE MADERA BENISSIMO Italian Benissimo means “really really good” in Italian. From margherita pizza to veal parmagiana to mocha mud pie, Benissimo serves a taste of Italy in a casual neighborhood venue. 18 Tamalpais Dr, 415.927.2316 benissimos.com CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN Cal/Eclectic Be prepared for chaos. Easy place to meet with kids; Mom/Dad can enjoy a tasty Thai crunch salad and decent glass of wine while the little ones feast on basic kid-size portions of pasta and pizza. 347 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.945.0401 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

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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, izzyssteaksandchops.com

—M.T.

comfort food and desserts, the menu also offers seasonable local produce and healthy items too. 60 Madera Blvd, 415.924.6297, maxsworld.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

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

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

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 (Corte Madera). 415.413.9890. pfchangs. 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

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

Just in time for lazy summer afternoons. Former executive chef at Chez Papa Bistro in San Francisco, Olivier Souvestre has partnered with Bruno Denis to open Le Garage—a full service French bistro in Schoonmaker Point Marin in Sausalito, in the former location of Waterfront Café. The menu will have an emphasis on fresh seafood and a large selection of charcuterie and cheeses and will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 415.332.5625, legaragesausalito.com MARINMAGAZINE.COM

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

JUST FOR THE GUYS...

FAIRFAX CAFE AMSTERDAM American-European The former Broadway Video store is now a cozy spot to enjoy live music, a weekend brunch, dining on the heated patio and a large selection of local beers on tap. 23 Broadway, 415.256.8020, cafeamsterdamlive.com 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 IRON SPRINGS PUB & BREWERY American Grab a beer and a grilled portobello mushroom sandwich—which one Chronicle reviewer calls “the best mushroom dish I have ever tasted”—at the former Ross Valley Brewing Company. 765-A Center Blvd, 415.485.1005, ironspringspub.com

T H E S PA AT W I N E & R O S E S has a variety of treatments and packages designed just for men! W&R also provides a gentlmen’s retreat area with private steam room. This Father ’s Day give the gift of relaxation with a W&R gift card, available in any amount. Ask about our hotel & spa packages! FA C I A L S • M A S S A G E S • B O D Y T R E AT M E N T S C O U P L E ’ S R E T R E A T PA C KA G E S • S A L O N S E R V I C E S T R A N Q U I L I T Y R O O M • WA R M & C O O L P L U N G E P O O L S

SORELLA CAFÉ Italian Not only is the food satisfying and tasty; the service is friendly and the ambience is warm and inviting. 107 Bolinas Rd, 415.258.4520

T H E N E S T: S PA P R O D U C T S & G I F T S

For reservations: spareservations@winerose.com 209-371-6165 • winerose.com • 2505 W. TURNER RD. LODI

GREENBRAE CAFE Z American A pleasant surprise in the Bon Air shopping mall. Dishes like grilled chicken pesto pianni 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 WIPEOUT CAFE American Former Pan American Airlines pilot (and Belvedere resident) Warren Simmons — also the founder of the popular Chevy’s chain — has brought his San Francisco Pier 39 Wipeout Bar and Grill to the Bon Air Center. The location features a full bar, outdoor patio and family-friendly items like sandwiches, salads and pizzas in a T-shirt-and-sandals atmosphere. 302 Bon Air Center (Greenbrae). 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

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www.paradisebaysausalito.com -- phone - -- fax -  Bridgeway, Sausalito

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LARKSPUR CAFE Z American A pleasant surprise in the Bon Air shopping mall. Dishes like grilled chicken pesto pianni and savory crepes have quickly made this intimate spot a local favorite, and inventive meals keep people coming back for more (Greenbrae). 282 Bon Air Center, 415.461-9444, cafez.com E & 0 TRADING COMPANY Southeast Asian Chef Edwin Cabriloa-Torres is keeping the restaurant’s innovative plates like Indonesian corn fritters and Thai seafood clay pot 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. 464 Magnolia Ave, 415.924.7478, rulli.com LARK CREEK INN American This flagship eatery for the Lark Creek Restaurant Group opened back in 1989 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 local 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

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organic ingredients. Dishes include seasonal salads, incredible soups and fresh juices. The specialty of the house is dosia, 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 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 renowned chef Anthony Bowman. 286 Magnolia Ave, 415.924.7676, yankeepier.com

MILL VALLEY 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 BUNGALOW 44 American Much like sister restaurant Buckeye Roadhouse, Bungalow 44 offers a mean dose of homey carbo- and lipidladen dishes, such as the burger, fried chicken and trufﬂe fries, as well as a few lighter items. The bar is a neighborhood favorite, serving up tasty spirits and eye candy. 44 E. Blithedale Ave, 415.381.2500, bungalow44.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 Hway. 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 FRANTOIO RISTORANTE ITALIANO Italian Known for its in-house olive press, superior olive oil and excellent Italian cuisine, this is a great location for large groups. Ask to sit in the press room for private parties. 152 Shoreline Hwy, 415.289.5777, frantoio.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 long-time 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 –take out 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 ORA Pan-Asian An inventive small and large plate menu mixed with an impressive wine list and original bar menu, including sake flights. It’s an easy place to pop in for a drink and bite to eat, but call ahead for large groups. 24 Sunnyside Ave, 415.381.7500. oramv.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 onboard leading the kitchen with a menu coinciding with seasonal food from local producers. The crudo and pizza is 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

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SMALL SHED FLATBREADS California As a slow food chef, Ged Robertson uses only local, mostly organic ingredients. 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 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

Celebrating 30 Years in Marin! Restaurant & Wine Bar

NOVATO 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. 1200 Grant Ave, 415.898.2234, cactigrill.com

415-388-9100 1 Blackfield Drive, Tiburon, The Cove Shopping Center

CHRISTOPHER’S Italian/American A hidden place worth the effort to ﬁnd in Bel Marin Keys. Christopher, the owner, offers a casual menu of innovative “Italian”-type fare. 8 Commercial Blvd, 415.382.8488 PORTELLI ROSSI Italian In the former Kitchen restaurant space, co-owner Henry Hautau and chef John Ruggieri have created an extensive Italian and Californian wine list to complement menu items like panini sandwiches, chicken parmesan and grilled skirt steak. Enjoy a heated outdoor patio. 868 Grant Ave, 415.892.6100

Largest Selection of Organic Bedding Anywhere

WILDFOX American Perched on the hillside off Highway 101, this rustic mesquite grill offers a menu full of comfort food and drinks, like the smooth cosmos, and seafood risotto, with bits of butternut squash. In the mood for a cigar? The restaurant has an extensive list. 225 Alameda del Prado, 415.883.9125, wildfoxrestaurant.com

ROSS CAFE MARMALADE French This quaint oneroom coffeehouse is 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 are extensive. 23 Ross Common, 415.925.9200, marcheauxﬂeursrestaurant.com

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816 4th Street, San Rafael • (415) 459-2220 www.TheNaturalMattressStore.com • Open Every Day - Parking in Rear

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CALL THE SHOT!

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 Aprilé 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 pêches with lavender honey sauce on galette de mais. 556 San Anselmo Ave, 415.721.2901, debbiedoesdessert.com FORK California This intimate spot was awarded “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 $20 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

How o well d ow n you k in? Mar

Call the Shot has a simple premise: Tell us what this is a picture of and win a $100 gift certificate for E & O Trading in Larkspur Landing.

To win, your answer must be specific. Sure, it’s a building, but what is its name and where is it? Here’s a hint: That awning is only one of many.

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: Alison Bricker of Corte Madera won April’s Call the Shot by correctly identifying the old railroad bridge over Corte Madera Creek off Highway 101.

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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 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

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knowledge you’re supporting local farmers and sustainable agriculture, the raw food and vegan 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

Enjoy casual dining in our new Sausalito location. We have the old favorites you expect and new dishes you’ll want to try. Visit us today!

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-streetpizzeria.com

Private Room Happy Hour Live Music Catering

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. 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. 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

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

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www.SaylorsRestaurantandBar.com ~ (415) 332-1512 ~ 2009 Bridgeway, Sausalito

SEARCHING FOR A PLACE TO

DINE? EVENTS I TRAVEL I DINE I CALENDAR I REAL ESTATE AB O UT M AR I N CO U NT Y I R E S O U RC E S I A R C H I V E S Our website has info on hundreds of choices in Marin, Napa, Sonoma and San Francisco. Search by cuisine or by neighborhood at marinmagazine.com/dine —and make your reservation online with Open Table’s participating restaurants.

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About those Chakras.

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, 415.331.4500, fredscoffeeshop.com

Don’t ask me why, but I am told it’s a very good idea to get these little guys all lined up. Well, like I always say,

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

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) space wine bar with a homey feel, board games, views of the bay and a worldly cellar featuring affordable bottles and special reserves. The menu features wines by the glass for $5 to $20 and tasting flights of any three wines for $12. 300 Turney St (Sausalito). 415.331.9463, wellingtonswine.com WINSHIPS RESTAURANT American The more than 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

what better way to do that than with meat. Perfectly aged, top drawer, corn-fed, Prime USDA cuts of yummy beef from me, Bryan. Starting from the top and working your way on down, I’d suggest you bust out of the gate with my 1) Filet Mignon, followed by (2) New York Strip, (3) Rib Eye, (4) Chateaubriand, and bring it on home with a (5) big ‘ol juicy Porter House. Yep, take it from me, Bryan. If this lineup of beef doesn’t rattle those wandering Chakras right back into a tidy little row, sorry, but I don’t think I can help.

GAYLORD INDIA Indian Rated a “Restaurant of Excellence” by Zagat, Gaylord’s new location in Sausalito also features million-dollar views of San Francisco and the bay. All the dishes including samosas, curries and tandoori are made with fresh local produce, seafood and artisan meats. 201 Bridgeway, 415.339.0172, gaylord.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. Popular with the lunch and take-out dinner crowd. 3001 Bridgeway, 415.331.0390 PA R A D I S E BAY American Enjoy the sun or dine under the stars at this waterfront restaurant. Locals say they come back for the organic beef sandwiches and fresh Maine lobster clubs. 1200 Bridgeway, 415.331.3226, paradisebaysausalito.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 Poggio chef garden. 777 Bridgeway, 415.332.7771, poggiotratoria.com

Come buy everything. 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 but the bar’s selection of over 100 tequilas is hard to beat. 2009 Bridgeway, 415.332.1512, saylorsrestaurantandbar.com

Bryan’s Fine Foods Corte Madera Town Center

927.4488 www.bryansﬁnefoods.com

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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 appetizing as the Italian pasta dishes. 588 Bridgeway, 415.332.9551, scomassausalito.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 come 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 Drive, 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 entrees 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. Open Thursday through Sunday. 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

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with grilled plantain, topped with an ancho chile, garlic and onion sauce. 5 Main St, 415.435.6300, guaymasrestaurant.com MILANO Italian The classic Italian cuisine and friendly service makes this restaurant and wine bar a neighborhood fovorite. 1 Blackfield Drive, 415.388.9100

MARIN BEAUTIFUL

ROONEY’S CAFÉ & GRILL American If you’re old enough to remember Cheers on prime time, this 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

Dr. David W. Kim and the Division of Facial Plastic Surgery at UCSF are pleased to announce the opening of our Marin office beginning January, 2008. We hope to bring the quality for which UCSF is known to your backyard in Marin. Please call for a consultation or visit online at www.dkimmd.com.

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. 27 Main St, 415.435.4527, samscafe.com

nouncing Our New Office 1300 South Eliseo Drive, Suite 204 Greenbrae, CA 94904 (415) 885-7700

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. 9 Main St, 415.435.2676, servino.com

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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 or seasonal risotto. 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 in the county, this inn and restaurant is a great destination lunch spot for a Sunday drive, or dinner Wednesday through Sunday (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. (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 (Point Reyes Station). 60 Fourth St, 415.663.1536, pineconediner.com

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G I V I NG BACK

volunteermatch.org

Marin Conservation Corps volunteers help members obtain their high school diploma.

Halleck Creek 4-H Riding Club

Marin Literacy Program

This Nicasio club brings together disabled

The program provides Marin County adults

developed a partnership with

children and adults, retired riding and work

with free, student-centered instruction in

volunteermatch.org to bring

horses with volunteers for a fun-ﬁlled day of

reading, writing and speaking, to help them

awareness of the numerous

horseback riding. Contact Molly Scannell,

reach their full potential at work, at home

415.662.2488, halleckcreekranch.org

and in the community. Volunteers are need-

MARIN MAGAZINE has recently

local volunteer opportunities

ed for tutoring at various sites throughout

to our readers. To start giving

Marin Conservation Corps

the county and in the jail and state prison.

back, ﬁnd a complete list at:

A charter school academic mentor is

Contact Susan Charlton, 415.485.3318,

marinmagazine.com/volunteer

needed to educate members of the Marin

marinliteracy.org

Conservation Corps as they attempt to gain

Extra Hands for ALS

proﬁciency in English and obtain their high

Marin Municipal Water District

school diploma. Contact 415.454.4554,

Help protect the Foothill Yellow-Legged

marincc.org

Frog by volunteering to help educate the public about this federally listed species

Student volunteers are needed to provide basic services to ALS patients, like

Marin Headlands Visitor Center

of special concern. There are also many

yard work, housecleaning, opening and

The visitor center is seeking a volunteer to

other volunteer opportunities from building

reading mail, using the computer or

provide information about the area and as-

bridges to restoring habitat, available to

providing companionship.

sist in the day-to-day operation of the cen-

match your skills, interests and time

Contact Linda Allen, 908.208.3674,

ter. Contact Terry Kreidler, 415.561.4755,

commitment. Contact Janet Klein,

extrahands.org

nps.gov

415.945.1169; marinwater.org

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Rancho Elementary School Volunteers are needed to help with the Novato school’s annual PTA fundraiser June 10 at the Marin Civic Center Exhibit Hall in San Rafael. Volunteers will assist in the silent and live auctions and with data entry. Contact Cathe Anderson, 415.884.0239, ranchoschool.org

San Francisco Paramedics The pre-hospital trauma life support class needs volunteers to role-play the victim of a traumatic injury for ﬁve hours in June at the Bay Model Visitor Center. The group needs someone who’s willing to wear fake blood and makeup and lie on a stretcher for certain scenarios. Contact Theresa Farina, 415.543.1162, sfparamedics.org

SingersMarin This nonproﬁt performing arts organiza-

Art, Gifts & Accessories

tion is seeking a volunteer to help with

Mon. - Sat. 10:30 am - 6:00 pm

47 C Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera (415) 945-8863 • Across from Book Passage

general administrative tasks, and computer skills are required. The group could use help on weekday mornings and volunteers can sign up for as little as one day or or as

The bride will turn heads. What about the moms?

many as multiple days per week. Contact Jan Pedersen Schiff, 415.383.3712, singersmarin.org

The Marine Mammal Center The center is seeking animal care crews to assist with pen cleaning, laundry, dishes, weighing animals, maintaining animal charts, food preparation, assisting with medical procedures and feeding the animals. Contact Kathleen, 415.289.7374, marinemammalcenter.org

Trips for Kids The San Rafael group is seeking volunteers

All eyes and cameras will be on the moms, too. Get camera-ready: our gentle pulsed light will restore your skin’s brightness + tone + erase age + red spots. We also specialize in plumping lines and smoothing wrinkles, fading away leg veins + unwanted hair. You’ll glow.

that can teach environmental education in a fun, exciting way to kids on

Privately located in the Sanctuary day spa, Bay

mountain bike rides and at the group’s

Club Marin, Corte Madera Town Center. Nonmembers welcome. Weddings are more beautiful

after-school earn-a-bike program. Contact Marilyn Price, 415.458.2986,

www.newskinclinic.com

at NewSkin Clinic: 415.945.9555.

tripsforkids.org MARINMAGAZINE.COM

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JUNE 2008

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ADVE RT IS IN G P R OMOT ION

adl i b

Acacia Salon and Day Spa, San Rafael In June 2007, Acacia Hair Salon merged with Marin Skin Care, to form Acacia Salon and Day Spa. “With our 18 years of expertise and a beautifully renovated setting, enjoy a complete day spa experience at competitive rates,” say owners Anne Trinh and Madeleine Linh. Employees Emily Ackerman, Becky Lynch and Monica Benitez offer services such as hairstyling, manicures and pedicures, skin care, body treatments and more. “We also provide high-end skin care products by SkinCeuticals and hair care by Eufora.”

Robin Allen

Ron Parks

Lifescape Portraits by Robin Allen Photography

Vision Real Estate, Mill Valley

Lifescape Portraits are a fresh approach to the art of

formed by an entrepreneurial group of profession-

portraiture. “We create a beautiful studio portrait of our clients, then work with them to find interesting and evocative pictures from their past to photo -montage into the final picture,” says owner Robin Allen. The resulting “memoir at a glance” distills

Vision Real Estate is a boutique brokerage firm als whose vision is to bring a new level of service to the real estate process. “The company’s purpose of focused solutions provides a true client-centric approach to solving your real estate needs,” says owner Ron Parks. Vision has offices in Marin, So-

treasured memories into a distinctive piece of art.

noma and San Francisco.

Describe your business philosophy.

Brieﬂy describe your business philosophy.

Customer satisfaction. My clients are more than just the person who buys a product from me—they are the muse, the inspiration and the collaborator as well. Together we create a portrait with lasting

High touch, exceptional service, data intensive. We provide the client with the data necessary to make the best decision based upon market and personal needs.

What is your competitive edge?

artistic and emotional value.

Unique services, friendly licensed staff and our cus-

What is your competitive edge?

We are a leader in technology implemented to list

I offer a unique product: a photo-montage portrait

and sell homes in the shortest period of time. All of

tomers set us apart. Our greatest satisfaction comes from repeat customers who refer us to friends.

Describe your business philosophy.

that shows the span of a person’s life in one picture. Never before have they been combined like with

What is your competitive edge?

our systems are web based for real-time access.

Describe your dream client.

We tailor each client’s experience with initial in-

my technique.

terview information and feedback during the

Describe your dream client. My dream client

fied with the process that he refers our firm to his

treatments, to ensure complete comfort and satis-

respects the artistic process, is comfortable commis-

network of friends and colleagues.

faction. Only the finest products, treatments, light-

sioning art, seeks out fresh ideas and embraces the

ing, music, and comfortable plush decor are used

concept of a fresh approach to portraiture. Clients

throughout the spa to enhance the client’s overall

enjoy revisiting their past and appreciate not hav-

What were you going to be when you grew up?

spa experience.

ing to rummage through their attic or a bunch of

I was going to medical school but realized I

old albums to see special moments from their lives.

wanted to grow a business.

What makes your work worthwhile?

What makes you excel at what you do?

As you can tell from the testimonials on my web-

I am a certified public accountant and have run

site, Lifescape Portraits resonate with their owners

many businesses over the past 20 years. This expe-

fication, a soothing cascading Vichy shower and an

in an extraordinary way.

rience adds a great deal to our clients’ buying and

aromatherapy massage.

Robin Allen, Lifescape Portraits by Robin Allen Pho-

What is your favorite service? Acacia’s signature body exfoliation package begins with a body scrub, followed by a variety of wraps to improve body firming and contouring or detoxi-

Anne Trinh and Madeleine Linh, Acacia Salon and Day Spa, 1015 B St, San Rafael, 415.453.8899

tography, 690 Fifth St, Suite 107, San Francisco, 415.215.1622, robinallenphoto.com

Our dream client is one who is so completely satis-

selling process. Ron Parks, Vision Real Estate, 104 Tiburon Blvd, Mill Valley, 415.297.9000, visionrealtors.com

PHOTOS: SHERI MONTGOMERY

Emily Ackerman, Becky Lynch, Monica Benitez

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415.250.7830 Information on GreatHomes.org is provided by the 10,000 Real Estate Professionals of Bay Area Real Estate Information Services, Inc.

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MARIN JUNE 2008

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Design to Completion

NORTHBAY Kitchen & Bath

822 Petaluma Blvd North • Petaluma • 707.769.1646 1916 Yajome • Napa • 707.224.1020

www.4kitchens.com

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A Century of Service Painting • Wood Preserving • Waterprooﬁng • Pressure Washing • Restoration of Natural Wood Homes & Decks •

Kelli, Nick & Julie Johnny & Shane

Free Estimates Kunst Bros. Painting Contractor Inc. www.kunstbros.com, (415) 456-4044 phone, (415) 457-6261 fax 76 Belvedere Street, San Rafael CA Lic. #256121

EST. 1965

Marin’s Original Reclaimed Wood Company Marin’s Finest Cabinet Source A professional approach to kitchen, Bath and Total remodel of your home

1241 Andersen Drive • San Rafael

415-454-1623 • Lampertikitchens.com

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wide plank flooring, siding and beams www.blacksfarmwood.com San Rafael Showroom By Appointment 415.454.8312

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A Summer You Will Never Forget! Established 1947

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Create your own day over 25 activities available! • Waterfront Activities • Equestrian Programs • Sports Programs • Ropes Course

• Treasure Hunts • Drama • Photography • Talent Shows • Dance • Riﬂery • Archery

• Hikes • Campouts • Arts/Crafts • Batting Cage • Biking • Basketball • Swimming • Campﬁres

• Fishing • Football • Tennis • Trail Rides • Soccer • Zip Line

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Call and Register Today! • 707.545.5906 3892 Old Redwood Hwy., Santa Rosa www.cloverleafranch.com

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DENT

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MARIN JUNE 2008

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M I CR O C LIM AT E

MUIR BEACH Oceanfront enclave only fifteen minutes to Mill Valley BY JIM WOOD

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PHOTOS TIM PORTER

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ships (the concrete bunkers are still standing). In 1958 the Muir Beach Community Services District (MBCSD) was formed. Half a century later, it occupies an office and clubhouse on Seacape Drive that’s pretty much the heart and soul of the Muir Beach community today. “We don’t know exactly how many people live in Muir Beach,” MBCSD district manager Maury Ostroff says. “We do know there are about 150 homes.” Directions to Muir Beach are easy: Take the Highway 1 exit from 101 and, after six mostly twisting miles, you’re there. Surrounding landmarks include the Green Gulch Farm Zen Center, the educational farm Slide Ranch, and, two miles due north, Muir Woods National Monument, which now attracts over a million visitors annually. “LIVING IN MUIR BEACH,” says Debra Allen, a realtor who’s lived in this

As communities go, Muir Beach is a hybrid. “We have Sausalito’s zip

tiny, scenic, serene coastal community for 22 years, “is like living in the

code (94965),” says realtor Allen, “and our kids go to Mill Valley’s schools.”

middle of nowhere.” After saying that, Allen proudly declares her se-

PG&E provides electricity, SBC the phone service; the CHP and the Marin

cluded community is just a 15-minute drive from her Pacific Union office

sheriff’s department frequently patrol; MBCSD provides water; sanitation

in downtown Mill Valley.

is by septic tank. Cell phone service is spotty, cable nonexistent.

And it’s undoubtedly a far cry from how it was back in 1898, when

As for fire protection, meet John Sward, chief of the Muir Beach

Portuguese immigrant Constantino Bello operated his Golden Gate Dairy

Volunteer Fire Department since 1970. “I moved to Muir Beach in 1967,

here on the three ranches he bought on surrounding lands. Twenty years

when I was 24, during San Francisco’s Summer of Love,” says Sward

later brother Antonio Bello built a beachside hotel that stood 10 years

with a confident smile, “and my wife Kathy and I have lived pretty much

before burning down; in fact, until 1940 the area was called Bello Beach.

in the same house ever since. I’m a community-minded guy who loves

Most say the name “Muir” was picked not to honor naturalist John Muir

fog; Muir Beach has been perfect for us.”

but to capitalize on Muir Woods, the nearby national attraction that even then was drawing tens of thousands of tourists each year.

Apparently, the Swards have returned the favor. Next winter on December 11 and 12, Kathy will help stage the Quilters of Muir Beach

A bar-restaurant-snack stand complex known simply as the Tavern,

Annual Holiday Craft Fair at the community center. And recently on

built in the mid-1930s, was Muir Beach’s main amenity until 1967, when

Sunday, May 25, John Sward, now 65, presided over the 14-member Muir

the state acquired the beach and a parking lot was needed. During World

Beach Volunteer Fire Department’s 36th Annual Community Picnic. “Back

War II a navy artillery spotting station called the Overlook, on a prom-

in the ’70s, when we started, we had a hundred or so turn out,” he recalls.

ontory just to the north, protected San Francisco Bay from enemy war-

“Now, every year, we’re serving barbecue chicken and homemade desserts

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nated by the requisite dartboard; the inn has seven cozy rooms upstairs for overnight guests. “Pelican was the original name of Sir Francis Drake’s 70-foot galleon that sailed from Plymouth in 1577 and reached nearby Point Reyes in 1579,” inn manager William Koza recounts. “Drake’s 18gun vessel was later renamed the Golden Hinde.” If more than an overnight stay in Muir Beach is of interest, you might face a long wait, realtor Debra Allen says. “During a busy year no more than three or four homes change hands. Some people wait years before finding a Muir Beach home that meets their needs.” And many properties are sold “off market”—privately among relatives or friends. for between two and three thousand—and it’s all been by word of mouth.

Acquiring anything with an ocean view for “around a million” means

We’ve never advertised. People come from everywhere.” As for actual blaz-

you should “be prepared to do a lot of work,” she adds. Nonview lots

es to put out, “we’ve gone a long time without any serious fires,” Sward,

sell in the $600,000 to $900,000 range. Allen’s highest-priced recent

knocking on a nearby wooden railing, reports.

Muir Beach sale was $1.9 million for a “beautiful, lower-level property

Possibly Muir Beach’s greatest crisis ever was the development contro-

with ocean and hillside views.” A half-acre parcel with two small cottag-

versy over the Pelican Inn, a Tudor-style authentic English pub and hotel

es recently went for $1.4 million. At press time a newer three-bedroom

at the corner of Shoreline Highway (Highway 1) and Pacific Way—today

plus guest cottage home was available through Marty Bautista of Frank

Muir Beach’s only commercial enterprise. Opened in 1979, it was the fan-

Howard Allen’s Greenbrae office for $1,349,000.

tasy of Englishman Charles Felix, an advertising executive who endured eight years of community opposition before he could build.

Currently, three homes are under construction in Muir Beach, a sight Allen doesn’t recall witnessing in all her years in this unconventional en-

Nowadays, during electrical outages in winter storms, Muir Beach

clave. “Muir Beach isn’t for everyone,” she says. “But those of us lucky

residents often seek refuge in front of the inn’s massive brick fireplace or

enough to live here really love it. It feels like we’re in ‘the middle of no-

in its heavily beamed dining room, patio eating area, or tiny bar domi-

where,’ but we really aren’t.”

President, Marin Women’s Council of Realtors

Judy LeMarr FRANK HOWARD ALLEN REALTORS 415-380-4642 judy@MarinDreamHome.com www.MarinDreamHome.com

Service Experience

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They have Vision. Do you? Contact Ronald Parks Broker, CPA and Founder of Vision Real Estate 415.297.9000 rparks@visionrealtors.com www.AllHomesMarin.com

Focused Solutions

Marin

Sonoma

San Francisco

www.visionrealtors.com

Karen Z. Hardesty & Vision Real Estate Present Simply Sensational!

90 Gilmartin Drive, Tiburon Offered at $4,495,000 Located in one of Tiburon’s most exclusive neighborhoods, this spacious four-bedroom residence provides the setting for an exquisite lifestyle. Formal living and dining plus a kitchen and breakfast room with adjacent family room and game room are the perfect gathering places. Stunning views of Mt. Tam, Richardson Bay and the Golden Gate. Close to the village of Tiburon and only minutes to the Golden Gate Bridge for a painless commute by car or ferry. It doesn’t get any better!

The Enchanted Cottage!

50 Piedmont Road, Larkspur Offered at $1,095,000 The winding brick path through the garden leads you to this brown shingled charmer. Open the front door and feel the cozy warmth surround you. Arched doorways, hardwood floors, redone kitchen, street-to-street lot, decks, patios, spa, gardens studded with ferns, hydrangeas and camellias. Full basement and garage on lower level. Oh so close to downtown Larkspur and hiking trails. Not to be missed.

Karen Z. Hardesty Principal / Broker Associate 415.265.3344 . kzhardesty@visionrealtors.com Committed to Extraordinary Service

Marin

Sonoma

San Francisco

www.visionrealtors.com

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Ross

19 WOODSIDE WAY

harming one level property on a very private street to street lot. This beautiful 3 bedroom, 2 bath home features a kitchen with updated appliances, family room with fireplace opening to deck and pool, living room with fireplace opening to level lawn, updated bathrooms, open beamed ceilings, skylights and oak floors. Located in Old Ross and within walking distance to the award winning Ross schools. Offered at $3,195,000

Ross

6 DUFF LANE

his is a magnificent 5 bedroom, 5 bath traditional home with an abundance of privacy. Special features include a gourmet kitchen with granite countertops and two large pantries, spacious family room with fireplace and French doors to pool and terrace, master suite with gallery entrance and fireplace, separate maid’s quarters with bath and private entrance, spectacular high ceilings and hardwood floors. This very special property is located in a most desirable community with excellent schools. Offered at $6,500,000

Kent Woodlands 221 S. RIDGEWOOD ROAD

irst time on market for this rebuilt, brown shingle, sophisticated one level home with privacy and all the modern touches! Four bedrooms, 3.5 baths, living room with fireplace, open plan dining/kitchen/family room with sliding doors leading to pool, deck and patio area. Kitchen includes state of the art appliances, a stylish bar and wine storage. There is a bonus room with a window seat to view the pool and yard. Offered at $2,495,000

Offered exclusively by

For additional information, please call:

Susan Bowman Morgan Lane Marin

The Fine Art of Fine Property

415/448-1111 www.morganlanemarin.com sbowman@morganlane.com All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Jimmy Marin’s Real Estate Market in a Minute!

to achieve flat to moderate appreciation over

rest of the Bay Area, California

kets like Stockton, Sacramento, Modesto,

previews fewer homes before purchasing

and the United States. Despite constant

and the Central Valley are projected to drop

than the traditional buyer, it is exceed-

media predictions, Marin County has once

20% in 2008.

ingly important to make sure that your

HE MARIN REAL ESTATE mar-

Considering that the Internet buyer

ket continues to outperform the

the next 12 months. In contrast, inland mar-

spends less average time shopping and

again proven the fundamental truth in real estate: Location, Location, Location.

Young advised that real estate is now

listing is supported with a comprehensive

more micro-marketed than ever. She sug-

marketing campaign that includes a well-

Recently I attended two real estate semi-

gests that prospective buyers and sellers

presented web presence, a state-of-the-art

nars about Luxury Real Estate in California.

consult a seasoned realtor who has a reputa-

video format, in addition to first-class print

The first seminar featured guest speaker

tion as being a location’s specialist, as they

collateral.

Lesley Appleton Young, the Chief Econo-

are best equipped to understand the cur-

The bottom line—especially in the face

mist for the California Association of Real-

rent market nuances and explain changes

of a stream of negative headlines concern-

tors. Young pointed out differences in Cali-

in valuations.

ing real estate and a tough global econo-

fornia real estate based on location. Her rule

The Spring Luxury Real Estate Confer-

my—it’s important for me to ensure my cli-

of thumb “if you are close to water, then you

ence in San Diego was attended by 250 top-

ents understand the particulars of Marin.

are okay” is directly applicable in the Marin

performing luxury realtors from around the

Whether it’s helping a client navigate the

and San Francisco markets. In general, Cali-

world. The focus was on the impact of tech-

nuances of our diverse micro-locations or

fornia markets located close to the coast, the

nological advances on the real estate market.

developing a well-thought out, comprehen-

San Francisco Bay, or to Lake Tahoe, are per-

Internet companies like Google, Trulia and

sive listing campaign, I’m confident that

forming well and are expected to continue

Zillow are taking market share from com-

I can maximize results for my clients and

panies like realtor.com, and are leading the

that ultimately Marin’s resilient real estate

“Listing Syndication,” of real estate.

market will persevere.

Jimmy Wanninger | TEL 415.990.8990 24/7 | www.JimmyMarin.com

24/7

2008 SALES & LISTINGS FOR JIMMY WANNINGER SOLD $3,850,000 305 Highland Avenue, San Rafael

REAL ESTATE KNOWLEDGE

PENDING $2,850,000 125 Marion Avenue, Mill Valley

YOU CAN TRUST

SOLD $1,750,000 11 Madrono Avenue, Corte Madera

Go to www.JimmyMarin.com CURRENT LISTINGS Check out Jimmy’s site daily for his latest listings and for free access to Clean Offer and its MLS search.

SOLD $2,299,000 459 Redwood Avenue, Corte Madera CONTINGENT 97 Del Casa, Mill Valley

$1,998,000

CONTINGENT $1,499,000 11 Fairview Avenue, Corte Madera ACTIVE $1,425,000 28 Buena Vista Avenue, Corte Madera PENDING $1,275,000 146 Granada Drive, Corte Madera SOLD $975,000 32 Staghound Passage, Corte Madera

NEWSLETTER Be sure to keep up-to-date and informed by reading Jimmy’s newsletter, filled with current information

COMING SOON

and statistics on the real estate market. MILL VALLEY 3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths, Pool

TAM CAM Get breathtaking views LIVE from our exclusive Tam Cam. See the Bay Bridge, San Francisco, Pacific Heights, Sausalito, Mill Valley, and a straight-on shot of Mt. Tam with Corte Madera’s Christmas Tree Hill in the foreground.

$1,900,000

MILL VALLEY $1,499,000 3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths, 2nd unit, Sycamore Park MILL VALLEY $899,000 3 Bedrooms, 3 Baths, Cascade Canyon SAN RAFAEL 3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths, Cottage

$800,000

Jimmy Wanninger | TEL 415.990.8990 24/7 | www.JimmyMarin.com

JUST LISTED

15 WILLIAM AVENUE, LARKSPUR Chic, Stylish, Baltimore Park home. Ideal location, close to town and bike paths. 2 bedroom, 2 bath + large bonus area and 1-car garage. Beautifully, updated w/top of the line kitchen. Fabulous indoor/outdoor connection. $1,175,000.

JUST SOLD

386 ELM AVENUE, LARKSPUR

105 KING STREET, LARKSPUR

60 CORTE DEL BAYO, LARKSPUR

Palm Hill Show Stopper with Panoramic views of Bay and Hills. Represented Seller, $2,155,000

Historic downtown masterpiece on +- acre. Represented Buyer, $3,200,000

Contemporary waterfront beauty with Mt. Tam views. Represented Buyer, $1,640,000

Victoria Love, Realtor Victoria.Love@pacunion.com

(415) 377-4370 HOT OFF THE PRESS Sexy Madrone Canyon Sanctuary 3 bed / 2 bath. Under $1.1M, call for details

A PLACE TO CALL HOME - Sited on nearly one half acre of south-facing land, in the sought after Del Mesa area of Kentfield, this gracious five bedroom + office, three and one-half bath home integrates comfortable interior spaces with the natural outdoors. The heart of the home opens to the Connecticut blue stone patio, swimming pool, stone walls, gardens, and level lawn areas. High ceilings, three fireplaces and true-divided light French doors enhance this beautiful home. Perfect for entertaining family and friends. Privacy and tranquility in a great neighborhood location. Ross schools.

Offered for $3,900,000

For more information and photographs, please visit: www.MarilynRich.com. Marilyn Rich

415.464.3741

Rare Seadrift Bolinas Lagoon Sanctuary

R arely does an exclusive Seadrift property located on the deepwater Bolinas L agoon wildlife preserve come available for sale. H ere, an idyllic 1 bedroom, 1.5 bath modern home seems light years away from the bustling San Francisco lifestyle. Y ou are transported to another world, where your gaz e takes in the pristine Bolinas L agoon where pelicans, seals and an abundance of wildlife thrive. This is simply pure serenity. Set back from the road, pathways through native plantings and raised garden beds lead to a home with vaulted ceilings, expansive walls, skylights and an open floor plan, creating crisp interiors and elegant scale. A master bedroom suite is privately situated, and the open living area has breathtaking views of the lagoon and Mt.Tamalpais, which are among the fi nest in Stinson Beach. A short walk to the beach and access to private tennis courts nearby complete the perfect Seadrift lifestyle. A rchitectural plans which incorporate the existing home have been drawn to allow for potential expansion to a 3 bedroom 3 .5 bath home. R are, exclusive and beautiful - truly a World A part. Offered at $2,550,000

PATRICIA SCOTT WINSLOW ps.winslow@

4 15 .5 77.1106 deckerbullocksir.com

Kentfield

k W ee 1 st g in nd Pe

1 st

W ee

Pending

A sking $ 3 ,195 ,000

Corte Madera

A sking $ 3 ,885 ,000

Resort Living in Sunny, Most Sought-After Dominican Area San Rafael This wonderfully restored 1912 C olonial Style H ome is perfect for those who appreciate a wonderful lifestyle. L ocated on a flat, manicured 1.2 acre lot, this traditional home includes a beautiful pool, spa, cabana, extensive lawn, incredible rose gardens, and so much more! The living space is approx. 5 ,700 square feet featuring a spacious C hef’ s kitchen, 5 or 6 bedrooms, 6 .5 bathrooms, an extensive family/ billiard room, a media room and an elevator. The grounds include a separate guest house, an offi ce building, and two separate garage units with space for six cars. This is the house everyone wants, a D ominican C lassic, with resort style living. P lease call for a private tour of this lovely home. Offered at $4,588,000

The L uxury Group www.SanFranciscoFineH omes.com OLIVIA DECKER 4 15 .4 3 5 .16 00 cell o.decker@ deckerbullocksir.com

KAREN PLASTIRAS 4 15 .816 .2 2 5 6 cell k.plastiras@ deckerbullocksir.com

Gated Estate Just Completed Belvedere’s Gold Coast This 6 bedroom, 10 bath Contemporary Residence is over 11,000+ sq. ft. plus 5,000 sq. ft. (approx) of stone terraces overlooking Bridge-to-Bridge San Francisco skyline views. Relax on your lawn listening to the waves lapping against the shore. Enjoy the chef’s kitchen, family room, breakfast room, living room, and dining room which all open to a huge expanse of sunny terraces overlooking the bay. Spacious media room/home theatre off the family room. Wine cellar ideally located off the living room. Master bedroom suite with onyx bath opens to a private balcony for morning coffee. In the tradition of a small European hotel, this home boasts its own health club/spa including: Indoor 60 ft, 2 lane salt water lap pool, commercial steam room, dry sauna, weight lifting area, spa, and full kitchen for entertaining. Separate Guest Suites with private entrance. Sweeping driveway with parking galore. 3 car garage. All this and more in Belvedere’s premier location. Visit BestAddressBelvedere.com Price Upon Request

Ross Estate on 18+ Acres Absolute Privacy Why buy a 2nd home in Napa? It is all here. Built in 2002, this Tuscan Villa is an entertainer’s delight. Three separate buildings: Stately main residence, spacious guest quarters, and entertainment pavilion/pool house, plus a large 4 car garage. Get in your all-terrain vehicle and drive! Enjoy the rolling lawns, smooth sculptural rock outcroppings, knoll tops, play areas, and plentiful fruit trees. Large family room off gourmet kitchen. Step out of the breakfast room door into the rose garden where the fountain and wine tasting table are center stage. Have a party...parking is abundant and the long brick circular driveway adds formality and convenience. Take the trail down to Lagunitas Club and Ross School. Built like an authentic Tuscan Estate inside and out, even down to the antique roof tiles imported from Italy. Property is located in Ross/Kentfield. Visit RossOasis.com. Offered at $15,950,000

ISOBEL WIENER 415.730.5556 www.isobelwiener.com

Belvedere Lagoon Classic Belvedere This home exemplifi es all the beauty and tranquility of the Belvedere L agoon. O ffering over 5 ,100 square feet of living space. This may be one of the largest homes on the L agoon. The amenities include: • 6 Bedrooms, 4 .5 Baths • Formal L iving R oom • K itchen with Breakfast A rea • O ffi ce overlooking L agoon • P rivate P atio with in-ground P ool • L ibrary/D en • Formal D ining R oom • Master Suite with views of the SF Skyline • Spacious Family R oom adj oining the pool • Multi-level decks and floating dock on L agoon. Offered at $3,995,000 Presented by: ELIZABETH NICHOLSON ( 4 15 ) 92 5 -6 5 4 2 direct • ( 4 15 ) 6 99-086 0 cell www.deckerbullocksir.com

Home with Rental Unit Mill Valley This charming 3 bedroom, 2 bath home is close to P ark School, Boyle P ark and down town Mill V alley an ideal location for easy access to all Mill V alley has to offer! Main level features 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, offi ce, formal living room with peek-aboo Mt. Tamalpais views and dining room with doors opening on to large private garden complete with meditation ‘ temple’ . D ownstairs is ample storage space two additional rooms and a large remodeled bath which doubles as guest space or a legal rental unit with separate entrance. L ive in this wonderful home as is or create a 5 bedroom, 3 bath dream home! Offered at $1,450,000

Presented by: MELISSA CRAWFORD ( 4 15 ) 3 02 -005 7 cell ELIZABETH NICHOLSON ( 4 15 ) 92 5 -6 5 4 2 direct • ( 4 15 ) 6 99-086 0 cell www.deckerbullocksir.com

World-Class View Estate

Sausalito This is the crown jewel of San Francisco Bay Area real estate and is truly unique to the world. From London to Dubai to Hong Kong, few real estate opportunities rival. Two and one half acres of ridge-top property soars above San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. This parcel is surrounded by nature preserve and offers unparalleled privacy, and panoramic views spanning the entire Bay Area. Resting beyond private gates and down an exclusive tree-lined drive this dramatic property is quite possibly the most prominent perch in the United States. Please call for additional details or a personal tour. Offered at $18,000,000

Visit www.WolfbackEstate.com www.TheDuPontGroup.net

JAIME DUPONT 415.846.0306

DAVE DUPONT 415.867.6611

5 Monte Vista Ave.

Mill Valley A rchitectural elegance in a serene Mill V alley location, j ust a short walk from downtown. This 4 bedroom 3 bath grand-scale home features soaring 2 5 foot ceilings and walls of custom windows. A n eat-in kitchen flows into a formal dining room, and huge, airy living room— an entertainer’ s delight. L arge and peaceful master suite with private patio, hot tub, and walk-in closets. Separate family room, home offi ce, 2 car garage, and artist’ s loft. P riced at $ 5 03 per square foot. Offered at $1,595,000

V isit www.5 MonteV ista.com www.TheD uP ontGroup.net “Dave and Jaime duPont exhibit all of the virtues we sought in a real estate advisor and more. They are trustworthy, professional, knowledgeable and experienced. David and Jaime took the time to understand our objectives and wishes as they developed a strategy to market and sell our home. By the time we put our home on the market, we had already moved cross country, and we were nervous about the prospect of selling a home long distance. David and Jaime exceeded our expectations and eased our fears by taking care of all the necessary details to get the house ready for sale. We were extremely impressed with their attention to detail and superb marketing skills. Due to David and Jaime’s hard work, excellent process, and ability to close the deal, our home —Seller of 110 Hazel Ave, Mill Valley

sold quickly. We feel fortunate to have worked with them.”

“Dave had a level of professionalism and intellect that was by far the best that I have encountered in a residential real estate transaction. He was excellent throughout the entire process to include determining our objectives, identifying properties that matched our objectives, analyzing alternatives, presenting our offer and managing the close of the transaction. This excellent support continued even after the close of the purchase. Dave was able to leverage his strong analytic and presentation skills to put together a compelling case that convinced the seller to accept an offer that was a significant discount to the listing price. We always knew that Dave was our advocate and had a commitment to finding us the right home.”

JAIME DUPONT 415.846.0306

DAVE DUPONT 415.867.6611

—Buyer of 9 Wilkins Court, Tiburon

Belvedere

E xquisite resort-like waterfront villa with private central courtyard, pool, and enormous waterside deck. Formal living room with fi replace and built-ins, formal dining room with views of the abounding rose garden, pool and bay, library with wine cellar, and stunning kitchen/ family room with limestone counters, Wolf range and fi replace, adj acent to courtyard, pool and waterside deck. Top-floor master suite with waterside balcony, luxurious his and her baths with fabulous closet and dressing area, and unobstructed bay and mountain views over the courtyard. L avish guest suite on entry level ( for use as master bedroom if single-level living is desired) . Three bedrooms, four and one-half baths. Offered at $7,495,000

For more information, visit globalestates.com

LYDIA SARKISSIAN (415) 258-8381

BILL BULLOCK (415) 258-2400

Tiburon

Gated, entirely fenced and private, on 1 acre, ±7,900 square feet of extensively expanded and luxuriously remodeled interior space. Impressive gallery entry with Santos mahogany floors, large living room with Bay views from Mt. Tam through the Golden Gate Bridge and the entire San Francisco skyline. Stunning kitchen with informal dining area, built-in banquette and huge family/media room with full bath and laundry. Five ensuite bedrooms, six and one-half baths in the main residence, plus separate ±800 square foot, one-bedroom apartment with kitchenette and full bath. Wonderful outdoor living with grand, view-side central terrace with retractable overhead, level lawns and extensive gardens, pathways and fountains. Total of six bedrooms, seven and one-half baths. Offered at $10,299,000

For more information, visit globalestates.com

LYDIA SARKISSIAN (415) 258-8381

BILL BULLOCK (415) 258-2400

Resort-like waterfront villa, courtyard 6,500+ sf of dramatic interior, pool, top-flr mstr, huge waterfront gorgeous kit/fam, library, level lawn, $7,495,000 3-car gar, 5 bd, 6.5 ba… $6,495,000 deck & dock, 3 bd, 4.5 ba…

Rare gated family compound with 2 sep homes, ±8500 sf, huge patio & 60' lap pool, 10 bd, 10 ba… $20,000,000

Waterfront ±2.1 acres, pool/spa, boat Currently under construction, ±5,000 hse, built ca. 2001, ±5,100 sf, gardens, sf, SF & GG Bridge vws, discount for 5 bd, 4.5 ba… $4,750,000 early purchase, 5 bd, 4.5 ba… $7,495,000

±9,000 sf, ±2.2 acres, stunning pool/ guest hse/office complex, SF & GGB vws, 6 bd, 5.5 ba… $13,900,000

Stunning SF & GG Bridge vws, kit/ Secluded, gated, private , fam rm, frml LR & DR, mstr w/sitting contemp, 1.7 acres plus open $7,250,000 space. 4 bd, 3.5 ba… $4,495,000 rm & his/hers baths, 6 bd, 5.5 ba…

World-class contemp w/ riveting views of entire San Francisco Bay area, gated, pool, 4 bd, 5.5 ba… 10,750,000

6 separate waterfront lots, Expanded and remodeled. Wndrfl west side, Mt Tam through new kit/fam, top-flr mster, gated, private, pool, 6 bd, 4.5 ba… $3,998,000 SF skyline views... $4,500,000 - $6,500,000

±7900 sf, gated, private, 1 ac, remodel, lvl lawn, SF & GGB vws, 5 ensuite bd, 7.5 ba + 1 bd, 1 ba aupair… $10,299,000

For more information, visit globalestates.com

LYDIA SARKISSIAN (415) 258-8381

BILL BULLOCK (415) 258-2400

Since the founding of Sotheby’s Auction House in 1744, the Sotheby’s name has earned renown as a marketer for many of the world’s most valuable and prestigious possessions.

4FBESJę 3PBE t 4UJOTPO #FBDI Listed at $5,850,000, Representing Seller

SOLD

5BSUBO 3PBE t .JMM 7BMMFZ for $2,520,000, Represented Seller

SOLD

7JTUB 3FBM t .JMM 7BMMFZ for $2,025,000, Represented Buyer

UI 4USFFU t 4BVTBMJUP Listed at $1,750,000, Representing Seller

SOLD

3JDBSEP 3PBE t .JMM 7BMMFZ for $1,535,000, Represented Seller

3PTT 3PBE t 4BVTBMJUP Listed at $699,000, Representing Seller

8JMEĘPXFS $PVSU t $PSUF .BEFSB SOLD for $1,112,000, Represented Buyer

(SFBU $JSDMF %SJWF t .JMM 7BMMFZ Listed at $3,895,000, Representing Seller PENDING!

5PEBZ "MJY #VJMET PO UIF 4PUIFCZ T 5SBEJUJPOy "MJY T :FBS UP %BUF 3FTVMUT

Alix Fagersten 415.596.6231 a.fagersten@deckerbullocksir.com

"MDBUSB[ "WFOVF t #FMWFEFSF LEASED for $16,000 per month, Represented Owner

Rare Belvedere Waterfront Lots

AIDLIN DARLING DESIGN

Belvedere The land and location are exceptional, with stunning views of San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, Sausalito and Mt Tamalpais. Nestled in a secluded cove, protected and private, and surrounded by native Oak groves, these may be the ﬁnest home sites remaining on the Island of Belvedere. The property is a total of 1.23 acres, comprised of 3 separate, buildable parcels. Currently on one of the lots there is a 3 bedroom home that could either be renovated or replaced. Plans have been previously approved for the construction of a marvelous 7500 sq.ft. contemporary home and breathtaking inﬁnity pool. This jewel of a site is located in the prime area of Belvedere, and enjoys a rare micro-climate and level areas, affording an ideal indoor-outdoor lifestyle. The features are too numerous to list, yet prized among them is exclusive access to the water - truly priceless. Offered at $6,485,000

For more photos and description, please visit www.135Belvedere.com

MAX APPLEGARTH 415.298.7600 max@applegarth.net • www.greatmarinhomes.com

CUSTOMIZE YOUR MANSION A PALACE ATOP A PRIVATE HILL – ADJACENT TO CHINA CAMP STATE PARK

A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO CUSTOMIZE YOUR OWN MANSION: 6,300+ square feet of elegant living with 6 bedrooms (including 2 master suites) and 4.5 baths. 1.2-acre hilltop with mature trees and landscaping. Huge kitchen and dining area. Spacious grand rooms ideal for entertaining, meetings or workshops. Sweeping views overlook water, hills, wetlands, and town. Adjacent to 1,600 acres of hiking & biking trails in China Camp State Park. Beautifully maintained & ready for your own taste, ﬂair and additions. Ideal for for an extended family with au pair, mother-in-law, or teenagers, or

Lion Goodman, Owner

as shared housing. The ultimate private retreat for lovers of both nature and city life.

(415) 472-6500 lg@goodmangroup.com Agent Inquiries Welcomed

Offered at $2,357,000. Visit www.spectacularhouse.info.

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TIBURON $1,550,000 4 BD/2.5 BA Waterfront Home with Deep Water Boat Dock, 2 Yards. Deck, Open Floor Plan and Direct Access to SF Bay.

TIBURON $1,749,000 3 BD/3 BA Home on Large Estate Lot with San Francisco Bay Views Throughout. Large Decks and Private Pier.

IN PE

SA R FO

TIBURON $1,590,000 Last Avail. 3 BD/3.5 BA Brand-new Town Home Across from Marina on Gated Street, Private Yard. www.273TrinidadDrive.com

MILL VALLEY $400,000 Sequoia Valley Road Lot with Breathtaking Bay and Hillside Views.

TIBURON COMING SOON 3 BD/3 BA Waterfront Home with Brandnew 90+ ft Deep Water Dock, Open Floor Plan, Deck and Direct Access to SF Bay.

N D

IN G

TIBURON $2,450,000 4 BD/3 BA Waterfront Home with San Francisco Bay Views, 63+ ft Deep Water Dock, Large Yard, Deck and Direct Access to SF Bay. www.106Trinidad.com

TIBURON $1,680,000 4 BD Waterfront Home with Large Enclosed Yard, Deck and Deep Water Boat Dock. www.6SaintLucia.com

TIBURON COMING SOON 2 BD Recently Remodeled Unit in Old Tiburon with Pool, Lush Garden, Bay Views, Minutes to Downtown Tiburon.

Anchor Realty is a family owned, Boutique Real Estate Brokerage that offers individualized & custom services to its clients. The major advantage of working with a small company like ours is that we are dedicated to giving you exceptional service by being flexible, creative, dedicated, & non-traditional. We have been specializing in view, waterfront & private beach properties on the Tiburon Peninsula for nearly 30 years! We strive to maintain an eclectic portfolio of properties that satisfy all demographics. We currently have an assortment of properties including vacant lots, Town Houses, waterfront homes, homes with a private boat dock or pier, Leases, & numerous houses for sale that are not yet on the market. In fact, 44% of our transactions in 2007 occurred before the houses ever reached the market. If you are considering moving, contact us first! We have a large pool of buyers & sellers who are interested in moving. If you are ready for a change, let us help you get Anchored in Marin.

KRISTIN MOSELEY - TIBURON PENINSULA SPECIALIST (415) 250-5642 Kristin@AnchoredInMarin.com JEFF MOSELEY, BROKER (415) 602-7272 Jeff@AnchoredInMarin.com

P R I VAT E M O R TG A G E B A N K I N G

Focused expertise. Insightful service. When you work with Wells Fargo Private Mortgage Banker Steve Vella, you have the added confidence that only comes from working with a local professional and a well-capitalized, diversified financial services company. Steve has the knowledge and resources to lend in all 50 states and provide costeffective financing for your purchase or refinance needs regarding a: QPrimary residence, second home vacation retreat or investment property QWealth-management strategy for a complex income and asset profile Experience a solutions-driven difference with a professional.

Steve Vella • Private Mortgage Banker 770 Tamalpais Dr, Suite 220 • Corte Madera, CA 94925

415-945-2322 Direct • 866-493-7603 eFax Steven.vella@wellsfargo.com

J ENNIFER L IVINGSTON COMPLETE HOME STAGING DESIGN (415) 453-5538 PHONE

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MARIN JUNE 2008

•

(415) 453-5537 FAX

•

JENNIFER @ JLIVINGSTONHOMEDECOR . COM

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

Just a few minutes north of the Golden Gate, yet a million miles away, is Seadrift at Stinson Beach. For over 30 years, Seadrift Company has been the expert in Real Estate sales and premium vacation rentals in Stinson Beach and the private gated community of Seadrift. Call us today to reserve your beach house... for a week, a summer or a lifetime.

PHOTO CREDIT: WWW.CARNEYPHOTO.COM

VIEW OUR PROPERTIES ONLINE AT WWW . SEADRIFTREALTY . COM AND CALL US AT 415.868.1791

Entering our Fifth Year of Business With Over 200 Staged Properties Sold We are a Full Service Design Firm Offering Real Estate Staging and Interior Design Services See Our Website for More Information on The Beneﬁts of Staging

BARON + BARON DESIGN 3095 Kerner Blvd., Suite G, San Rafael 415.456.4890

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

www.baron2design.com

MARIN JUNE 2008

161

D I A LO GUE

Jonathan Cain

BY MIMI TOWLE

You could live anywhere. Why Marin? When I come home to Marin I can relax and unwind. Marin is a safe and friendly place to raise our three children. We have also found the public schools excellent. What makes you happy in Marin? Going to Blackie’s Pasture to ride bikes, having lunch in Tiburon, riding mountain bikes up on Mount Burdell, watching our kids do well in academics and special concerts and playing golf at StoneTree with my son, Weston. What bothers you here? Traffic. Since I’ve lived here, Highway 101 has never been as bad as it is right now. I hope there is a pause in building new homes because the roads can’t take any more cars. What do you value every day? My health, the love of my family and friends and the blessings I have been given in my life. What is your desert-island favorite book or album? I recently read a self-help book by Wayne Dyer called The Power of Intention, which I couldn’t put down—great stuff to ponder. I also love The Power of Now

aving lived in Marin for nearly 30 years,

by Eckhart Tolle.

Jonathan Cain, keyboardist with the megapopular rock group Journey, is living the

What person has influenced you the most? My father has had the

dream. His dream includes enjoying what he calls the

most influence on me. He was a strong, determined self-made man

finest weather in all of California in his north Marin

with a heart of gold and a true passion for life. He passed away about

backyard, where he has written some of his favor-

20 years ago and I still think about him nearly every day. I can trace

ite songs and has recently planted a vineyard of pinot

every note I play on the piano back to my dad. I am writing a memoir

clones. In his spare time, between helping out at his

about growing up in Chicago in the ‘50s called Mixed Blessings. Dad

children’s schools (talent show production is his forte)

is a big part of the story.

and working on his craft — he has been collaborating with friend Dennis De La Montanya on a label called DelaCain, and they plan to release their ﬁrst pinot noir, “Chanconne,” this summer. It’s an event he might miss, since Journey will be touring as they have for the past

What has been the most fulfilling moment in your work? There has been many, but I have to say that when the show The Sopranos used our song “Don’t Stop Believin’ ” in the closing episode it redefined the song and its message. That was a revelation for me — that a song I helped write 25 years ago could be so relevant in a powerful series.

20 years. “It’s hard to leave my wife and family,” says What do you like about yourself? I think I am still open-minded

hurts when I leave.” This year the tour will include ‘70s

about the future and I view life with all the trials and tribulations

rock legends Cheap Trick and Heart. Can’t make the

as an opportunity to grow and learn.

tour? Head up to Rohnert Park to buy Journey’s new

162

CD, Revelation (sold exclusively at WalMart) and then

How do you want to be remembered? I hope that I would be remem-

keep driving north to Healdsburg (De La Montanya

bered as husband, father, songwriter and a member of this community

Winery & Vineyard), grab some Chanconne, and enjoy!

who made a difference.

MARIN JUNE 2008

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTO: BARBA RA RIES

Cain. “We say we have gotten used to it but it always

Lu xu r y E sta t e s a nd Pr o p e rt ies f r om $ 2 Mi l l i o n New Listings! Sage Creek, St. Helena $17 million (approx. 520 acres) or $28.5 million (approx. 950 acres)

Novato

$2,400,000

Ren aissan ce a t S t onet r ee Go lf Club

Larkspur

$2,595,000

S u n n y p a r t o f M a d r o n e C a n y o n, Le v e l Ya r d w i t h Po o l & Wa t e r f a l l

Mill Valley

$1,895,000

Z e n Re t r e a t with Po o l & Water f all

All property descriptions can be viewed on www.worldclassproperties.com. I specialize in Exclusive Luxur y Properties not listed on the Multiple Listing Ser vice and that are discreetly offered for sale. ◊ ◊

Ros s $14.25 M illio n

◊

Son o ma $6. 5 millio n

◊

Beautiful Estate Grounds & Mt. Tam View New 7,000 sf home on approx 2 acres

◊

S a u s a l i to $ 4 . 2 m illio n

Approx 3,700 sf with SF Views

Ti b u r o n $ 6 . 4 M i l lio n

Views of Sausalito & Golden Gate Bridge

C al i s to g a $ 8 m i l l i o n

Approx 11 acres, farmhouse, cabins, restaurant

For up-to-date market information and new listings for luxury properties in your area visit my website: www.worldclassproperties.com.

Anna K. Pennington-Boucher Luxury Home Specialist

415.860.1399

anna@worldclassproperties.com www.worldclassproperties.com

www.omegawatches.com

WATER IS MICHAEL PHELPS’ NATURAL ELEMENT, PLANET OCEAN IS HIS CHRONOGRAPH.