story p. j. bremier photos barbara ries journey Istanbul
It’s not Constantinople, but still worth a visit.
story & photos liza gershman
story
Departments
16 20 22 24 26 28 31 26
letters
Readers respond to Marin Magazine.
at a glance
Hot tips day by day for the Bay Area.
currents
Bay Area news, books, openings, people and events. by somer flahery
news from the north
Wine country tastings and happenings. by mimi towle
lifestyle
Marin’s Ken Catton on personal style. by somer flaherty
trends
Tee time in style. by somer flaherty
fyi
People: Laura Levine. byjim wood
Environment: Harvesting greenhouse gases. by jim wood
Home Decor: Tiburon kitchen is high on design. by somer flaherty
The
Cover
Summer Golf, by Marin photographer Tim Porter. To see more of his work visit timporter.com, or to purchase a print of the cover, go to marinmagazine.com/coverart.
Departments
conversation
Bank of Marin CEO Russ Colombo. by jim wood
Grammy award—winning Sammy Hagar. by mimi towle 38 62 66 76 78 91 122
go
Las Vegas: your new old favorite. by somer flaherty
calendar
A roundup of performing arts, events, galleries and more.
snapshots
Out and about, in and around Marin.
flavor
Marin Magazine’s Organic Marin: recipes from local restaurants. Dine Out, an insider’s guide to Bay Area eateries.
microclimate
Stinson Beach—small-town life in a tourist mecca. by daniel jewett
dialogue
Columns
view from mount tam
For sale: stunning Marin home, Ferrari included. by ian charles 14 18 102
The founders of Marin Magazine welcome you to share their vision.
pov
Essential Marin. by jim wood
real estate pulse
taste transform tease
Sample and purchase over 300 fine wines from five continents, enjoy fresh Mediterranean tapas and encounter the world of wine and food during complimentary weekend wine and culinary classes.
Call 440-0772 or visit www.cellar360.com for schedule of events.
Relax with one-hour free parking, enter on Beach Street, just east of Polk. try a wine — risk free! bring in this ad for a free wine tasting
Wine Tasting | Wine Retail Sales | Charcuterie | Culinary Education | Events In Historic Ghirardelli Square | San Francisco, CA 94109 | 415-440-0772 | 866-236-8863 | www.cellar360.com
EDITORIAL
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Nikki Wood ext 105 | nwood@marinmagazine.com
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Jim Wood ext 106 | jwood@marinmagazine.com
ADVERTISING ART DIRECTOR Alex French ext 111 | production@marinmagazine.com
–darla fisher, founder
Splendid Littles
Mikey Stars
Tea Collection
Kicky Pants
Aden + Anais
Under the Nile
Amber Hagen
San Diego Hat Co.
Baby Soy & Many Others
PHOTO: KICKY PANTS
GOLF IS A MYSTIFYING GAME. Success—whether you define it as breaking 100 or shooting par—can be elusive, “like catching lightning in a bottle,’’ as one Masters winner put it. That’s why there are so many golf schools and why they are so popular. Art Spander reviews the best of them this month in Golf—from the Kingdom to the Classroom. After you’ve perfected your swing, then work on your look. Trends shows you how to arrive for your tee time in style.
Journey travels to Turkey, where writer-photographer Liza Gershman wanders the alleys of Istanbul, cruises the Aegean and goes clubbing along the shores of the Bosporous. In GO, Somer Flaherty does Las Vegas and returns with a guide to what you shouldn’t miss when deciding among its kaleidoscope of hotel and entertainment choices.
In Home, P . J. Bremier visits the rejuvenated but trueto-its-roots Eichler home of Marika Sakellariou, a former choreographer and director for the San Francisco Opera ballet company, and FYI Home Decor highlights a Tiburon
kitchen that is high on design. In Real Estate Pulse, Ian Charles reviews the current Marin market.
Also in this issue, Conversation discusses the state of the economy with Russ Colombo, president and CEO of Bank of Marin; FYI Environment profiles John Wick, a Nicasio cattle rancher who is working to end global warming with innovative grazing techniques; FYI People meets Laura Levine, who once needed help finding housing and now helps find it for others; Dialogue meets local rocker Sammy Hagar; and Microclimate finds smalltown life still exists in the tourist mecca of Stinson Beach.
As always, our wish is for your good reading. Enjoy Marin Magazine , as we continue to celebrate this extraordinary place!
Lisa Shanower, Publisher Nikki Wood, Editorial Director Jim Wood, Executive Editor
LETTERS
Marin Catholic College Preparatory High School
Marin Catholic celebrates a year of accomplishments. . .
Congratulations Class of 2009!
Heading to Boston College, Carnegie Mellon, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Duke, Georgetown, NYU, San Diego State, UC Berkeley, UCLA and many more.
Unveiling the New Student Center
“The people who came before us built this school and made Marin Catholic possible. For me, it’s one way of thanking those who came before us and making sure that what they did will continue well into the future.”
- Frank Noonan, benefactor
This Fall, Marin Catholic will nish its campus-wide Master Plan with the dedication of the 27,423 sq. foot Pope John Paul II Student Center featuring:
- an assembly hall/cafeteria - state of the art music center - six new classrooms
For more information visit www.marincatholic.org/marin
Faith Knowledge Service
Readers respond
❯❯ Misses Marin
The state of the economy tore me from Marin County last fall. Although Colorado and the snowcapped Rockies are magnificent, I desperately miss Marin’s rolling hills, mild climate and friendly neighbors. I eagerly await each issue of Marin Magazine to immerse myself in the beautiful photographs and articles about life in Marin. After reading the issue from cover to cover, I share each new issue with friends and family here. Thank you so much . . . keep them coming!
Rachel, via e-mail
❯❯ Organic Marin
As a recent graduate of the Environmental Forum of Marin, as well as a member of the current inaugural Organic Farming class at the College of Marin (IVC), I just want to applaud your recent column (POV, June). We forget that until the post-World War II era, “organic” farming was the only way to farm. It was a sustainable practice that incorporated the principles of crop diversity, perennial planting, crop rotation, green manure (cover cropping) and various other nonchemical (i.e., organic) farming methods. It was not until the 1950s that the chemical leftovers from the war chest inspired the production of artificial fertilizers, herbicides and insectides that created the behemoth industry that we know as farming today. Small farmers have historically been the backbones of human civilization. Thank you so much for publicly voicing your interest and support. And yes, we are all in this together.
Hilary Jeffris, via e-mail
Letters to the editor may be edited for clarity and brevity. Send letters to Marin Magazine, One Harbor Drive, Suite 208, Sausalito, CA 94965. Or e-mail jwood@marinmagazine.com.
Essential Marin
In 2009, this is a good place to be
IN 1978, AN NBC NEWS SPECIAL “I Want It All Now,” discussed among other things, how people in Marin soaked in hot tubs, enjoyed both white wine and white powder, and failed to discipline their children while tickling each other with peacock feathers.
Were these accurate depictions? Are we hedonistic? For years, I’ve searched throughout Marin for signs of Bacchus-like behavior. No luck. Rarely a hint. My conclusion: these aged perceptions are now absolutely not true. Yet this image has hounded the county for 30 years. A recent addition is that mostly wealthy and indifferent people live here. Regarding this latest perception, there could be some truth to it—but no more than in other upscale areas throughout the world.
So what is the essence of Marin?
A week ago, flying out of Oakland, I caught a glimpse of Marin from 22,000 feet. Shrouded in hills and pines and appearing just north of densely packed San Francisco, the county’s 520 square miles gave little clue that 258,000 people live here. That dichotomy alone—an almost hidden collection of cities and towns
BY JIM WOOD
located within minutes of a world-class city— makes Marin a special place in today’s world. However, there’s more.
At that altitude, if by some miracle I could see Marin’s people, I would’ve found them for the most part to be caring and concerned and committed to making life better—both for themselves and for others. Scattered among Marin’s populace are artists like the 228 Marin Arts Council members who last month invited the entire county into their studios to critique and possibly purchase their creative efforts. That took guts. My view would have also included accomplished authors, not just Anne Lamott, Dave Eggers and Isabelle Allende, but also writers whose works took years to complete and were published to worldwide audiences. My point: There are an inordinate number of creative people living in Marin— including, most definitely, both active and retired entrepreneurs.
Speaking of business, if blessed with super-long-range vision, my glimpse after leaving Oakland would have spotted a dozen or so “Main Street” downtowns plus several up-todate retail centers—yet nothing fancy or glitzy. In rural West Marin, communities haven’t changed much in the past half century. In the county’s populated areas, restaurants and cafes serve dishes from around the world and markets sell locally grown foods raised as they were decades ago—free of chemicals. And every day in Marin, an outdoor farmers market is occurring somewhere.
What I couldn’t have seen from high above—but know to be woven into Marin’s fabric of life—are Dominican University; COM; Marin Theatre Company; a fine K-12 school system; Marin Community Foundation; the Dipsea; the I.J.; 142 Throckmorton; the
Rafael Film Center; wonderful libraries; the Marin Symphony; Book Passage; the Bolinas Museum; the Mill Valley Film Festival; Marin MOCA; the Marin Speakers Series; the Frank Lloyd Wright–designed Marin Civic Center; the Mountain Play; and the Marin County Fair.
Besides the prominence of Mount Tam, what I could clearly see after leaving Oakland were the Marin Headlands; Muir Woods; Point Reyes National Seashore; Tomales Bay; Samuel P . Taylor, Tamalpais and Angel Island state parks; nearly 100 miles of coastline and shoreline, half a dozen lakes and several open expanses, which hold incredible opportunities for hiking, biking, birding, sailing, surfing, tennis and golf.
And yes, for a few seconds I saw Highway 101 conveniently running up the county’s middle and those two prominent structures— one yellow, one white—San Quentin and the Buck Institute, which couldn’t be greater opposites, architecturally and culturally. What didn’t come into my view were Pickleweed Center, the county’s new Health and Wellness Campus, the Mill Valley Community Center, or any of the community clinics and facilities that offer a helping hand to Marin’s less fortunate. Nor did I see any evidence of SMART, the 70-mile eco-friendly commuter rail line, or Marin Clean Energy, the effort to make green power available countywide—as both are still in planning.
Stated as objectively as possible, the message here is that Marin, in 2009, is a very special place to live and work. Does it have its faults? Sure, several. However, over the years those negatives have received plenty of attention. Simply put, it’s time to recognize that Marin is like no other place in the world. That’s my point of view. What’s yours?
E-mail jwood@marinmagazine.com.
JUNE 4–7
DjangoFest Mill Valley
Celebrate the music and lively spirit of the lengendary French/ Belgian gypsy guitarist. 142 Throckmorton (Mill Valley). 415.383.9600, 142throckmortontheatre.org
EVENTS
JUNE 9–10
Neko Case
JUNE 4–JULY 24
Bright Waters
John Maxon grew up on a Wyoming ranch, but found the Bay Area, where effects of light and color led him to become an artist. Robert Allen Fine Art (Sausalito). 415.331.2800, robertallenfineart.com
JUNE 6
Marin Rocks Gala
Join Narada Michael Walden for an evening of cocktails, dinner, live and silent auctions and an onstage jam session to help raise money for the Marin History Museum’s 2009 fall opening of Marin Rocks. Osher Marin JCC (San Rafael). 415.454.8538, marinhistory.org
The former New Pornographers singer comes to San Francisco. Case brings her unique brand of original, do-it-yourself music and maybe a story or two. The Warfield (SF). 415.567.2060, thewarfieldtheatre.com
JUNE 21
Father’s Day
JUNE
JUNE 6
MSA Art Auction
Help benefit the Marin Society of Artists and pick up some great bargains on local art. Marin Society of Artists (Ross). 415.454.9561, marinsocietyofartists.org
JUNE 20
Pinot Noir Celebration
Marin County pinot noir producers will launch their new vintages, pour library selections and offer previews of 2009 barrel samples at this event benefiting the Marin Agricultural Land Trust. Historic Escalle Winery (Larkspur). 707.953.0923, malt.org
Mrs. John B. Dodd was one of the first to celebrate Father’s Day in the U.S. She conceived of the day after listening to a Mother’s Day sermon in church in 1909 and held a celebration for her father a year later.
JUNE 28
Mill Valley Wine & Gourmet Food Tasting
Enjoy a large selection of hard-to-find wines coupled with delicious culinary creations and live jazz music. Lytton Square (Mill Valley). 415.388.9700, millvalley.org
JUNE 12–SEPT. 20
Lords of the Samurai
A look at the warrior lords of feudal Japan. The exhibit features more than 160 works from a powerful group of military nobles with a 600-yearold lineage. Asian Art Museum (SF). 415.581.3500, asianart.org
JUNE 20
Tiburon
Classic Car Show
Experience the beauty of foreign and domestic classic cars produced before 1971. Shoreline Park (Tiburon). 415.297.2615, tiburonclassiccarshow.org
JUNE 6
Bookstock 2009
More than 5,000 are expected at the art and movie festival held at AT&T Park, featuring live music, an art show and an advanced screening of the new film Touching Home. AT&T Park (SF). inorintheway.com
JUNE 20–21
Marin Art Festival
More than 250 master artists will show and sell their work at this lawn party for the arts, which also features music, gourmet coffee, wine and Italian soda. Marin Civic Center Fairgrounds (San Rafael). 415.388.0151, marinartfestival.com g ma m rinartfest s ivval.com
BOOKSTOCK
2009
The Man’s from La Mancha –BUT (ALMOST) EVERYONE ELSE IS FROM MARIN
Ever watch a show and think to yourself “I think I went to school with that guy?” Well, chances are you did. Here is a rundown of who is in this summer’s Mount Tamalpais Mountain Play, Man of La Mancha, directed by Jim Dunn. Sancho Panza is played by Randy Nazarian (Novato). The others are Aldonza: Linda Gaudianni (Ross), Innkeeper: Ray Martin (San Anselmo), Antonia: Sophia Rose Morris (San Rafael), Dr. Carrasco: Michael Cassidy (San Anselmo), Padre: Buzz Halsing ( San Rafael), Housekeeper: Sandi Weldon (Fairfax) and the Barber: Greg Wolff (Mill Valley). The chorus includes Jennifer Boynton, Dana Cherry (Greenbrae), Morgan Eichwald (San Francisco), Jessie Feller (San Rafael), Lindsey Herrera (San Rafael), Don Hodge (San Anselmo), Heather Lane (Santa Rosa), Mistyann Loetterle (San Francisco), Sean O’Brien (San Rafael), Clifford M. Parker (Novato), Joel Pathman (Mill Valley), James Pfeiffer (Petaluma), Peter Sorensen (Mill Valley), Maurice Thouvenin (Woodacre). mountainplay.org
The Search Is On
A flower of singular beauty and occurrence grows on Ring Mountain’s grassy slopes. Endemic to one hillside, the Tiburon Mariposa lily (Calochortus tiburonensis) blooms in early summer as the grasses turn brown. Searching for the flower is half the fun, but please stay on trails and give the plant the respect it deserves.
ORGANIC CONVERSATION
Marin Organic Executive Director Helge Hellberg has launched An Organic Conversation, a Saturday morning radio show on Clear Channel’s affiliate, Green 960 AM. The one-hour discussion features topics involving groundbreaking initiatives and ecology-based thinking. Listen live each Saturday, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
The Miller brothers, who were featured in the May issue of Marin Magazine, will be on hand at Bookstock 2009 at AT&T Park on June 6. The event includes live music, an art show, an advance screening of the twins’ film Touching Home, starring Ed Harris, and the launch of
their memoir Either You’re In Or You’re In the Way. The event is also budget-friendly: admission is free for anyone purchasing a copy of the featured book in advance at Book Passage or any participating independent bookstore. Book Passage (Corte Madera). 415.927.0960, inorintheway.com
Milly
Vince Velvet Theory
Bernardo
Susana Monaco
Fidelity Denim
news from the north
SPA Local
The Spa Hotel Healdsburg has created Beyond Organic treatments by using local and seasonal fruits, owers and herbs, including Meyer lemon, sage, honey, olive oil and wine —all from Stella Flora Botanicals in Sebastopol and Quivira Vineyards & Winery in Healdsburg. Both farms are certified biodynamic. hotelhealdsburg.com
GET YOUR MOTORS RUNNING
Head out to Infineon for The NASCAR Sprint Cup, which falls on Father’s Day. The series makes its only Northern California stop during the 2009 racing season at Infineon Raceway for the Toyota/SaveMart 350. The weekend will also feature up-and-coming, top racing stars in the Bennett Lane Winery 200, presented by Supercuts (NASCAR West Series). Want to save $100? Order the NASCAR Family Pack for $195, which includes four reserved tickets, hot dogs and sodas, bring your own sunscreen. infineonraceway.com
Napa History by Foot
Thanks to TripAdvisor’s recent ranking of No. 3 best attraction in Napa, former Marinite George Webber’s dance card, or rather “tour” card, is full. One new resident and trip advisor-er wrote, “I recently moved to Napa, and when my mother came to visit I thought it would be fun to take this tour. What a great time!... George was very knowledgeable and I feel like I learned so much about my new hometown.” Throughout the summer, the Napa River Inn, a National Historic Landmark built in 1884, is offering complimentary tours to its guests. For more info, go to napariverinn.com or check out napawalkingtour.com
{ CAPTÛRE WINES }
A taste of Bordeaux from Alexander Valley’s Pine Mountain
Denis Malbec, third-generation winemaker from Bordeaux’s famed Château Latour, and his wife, May-Britt, a celebrated sommelier who has also spent time at the hallowed house, have partnered up with vintners Benjamin and Tara Sharp to introduce Captûre’s inaugural release, the 2008 Tradition Sauvignon Blanc. “Usually, I like to take a few years to understand the terroir, but I am very happy with how this wine has developed in our first year,” says Malbec. Learn more about Captûre Wines and join their mailing list by visiting capturewines.com.
NEW CHEF IN TOWN
Guests have a new reason to dine at the private Lakehouse Restaurant at Calistoga Ranch. Recently appointed executive chef Aaron Wright has a new menu rooted in dishes that showcase Mediterranean, French and Japanese traditions and techniques. Think quail eggs and white sturgeon caviar and American Wagyu tenderloin with root vegetable emulsion and crispy shallots. aubergeresorts.com
lifestyle
Name: Ken Catton Home: Ross Occupation: Partner/Baldauf Catton Von Eckartsberg Architects (BCV)
AlthoughCatton’s firm specializes in diverse lifestyle and culturally oriented projects worldwide, odds are you have enjoyed one of its local designs—whether at the San Francisco Ferry Building Marketplace, Franciscan Winery or Oxbow Public Market in Napa, a restaurant for Marin-based Il Fornaio, the just-completed urban wine bar Press Club in the Four Seasons Hotel, or even one of your friends’ homes. The Redwood High School graduate spends weekends visiting the new puppies at the Marin Humane Society, where he’s on the board of directors; chasing his daughters Haley and Maya; and visiting his son Ryan in Portland. Catton says places in Marin like the Farmers’ Market at the Civic Center are a great touchstone for remembering why his family lives here. “Having Frank Lloyd Wright’s work looming as the backdrop to the market is pretty cool, too.”
Describe your personal style. I am a practical, minimalist aesthete—meaning I prefer well-crafted things that are both simple and beautiful. My search is for design that has an enduring style, as opposed to what’s fashionable at the moment.
What do you wear to the office on a normal day? I need to be dressed to go between the office and a construction site, which usually means dark jeans, urban shoes, a quality dress shirt and an extra layer in case I hit the fog.
What advice do you have for young future architects? Don’t think of architecture and interior design as separate crafts.
How is architecture in the Bay Area different than other parts of the United States? Our temperate (and therefore accessible) climate, combined with our unique passion for connecting with our surroundings, results in a regional style, which is distinguishable.
Who are some of your design influences?
Architects Louis Kahn, Carlo Scarpa, Glenn Mercutt, William Turnbull and designer Christian Liaigre are but a few.
What is always in your bag/pockets? My iPhone and a credit card. I can’t wait until they figure out how to turn the iPhone into a credit card and then I can really simplify.
What is your best cheapo secret? Il Fornaio is underrated as a great value and a terrific place to bring the kids when Mom and Dad don’t want to compromise their experience.
PHOTO: BARBARA RIES
What is your view of Marin style? It’s a place where you can be comfortable in your own skin, whatever that means to you.
Where do you love to eat in Marin? Picco in Larkspur is a favorite that is close to home and always hits on all cylinders. Marché aux Fleurs in Ross is a local jewel.
How do you spend your weekends? A regular favorite activity is to head to West Marin, usually grabbing some oysters at Hog Island, and setting up day camp somewhere on Tomales Bay. At the end of the day hopefully there is still some time left to chase my beautiful wife, Chris, around.
What is your favorite project you’ve worked on and why? The San Francisco Ferry Building Marketplace renovation is hard to top because of the importance of re-envisioning a use for a neglected civic landmark. The result is a wonderful and collaborative reflection of our world-class local food and wine culture. Other than that I would say I most enjoy creating new homes for people because each is such a unique and personal experience.
Where do you go to pamper yourself? Any golf course or any mountain bike trail.
How would your friends describe you? They have called me many things. Hopefully the good things would include “thoughtful” and “good-humored,” as are they.
What was the last book you read and why?
THE GRAIL: A Year Ambling and Shambling through an Oregon Vineyard in Pursuit of the Best Pinot Noir Wine in the Whole Wild World by Brian Doyle, because winemaking is such a fascinating blend of art, earth and influences…kind of like architecture.
If your life were a movie, what would be your theme song? “Time of your Life” by Green Day, but like most music lovers I could probably come up with 10 songs.
Ellen Rosenthal, M.D. Internist and Hiker
An admiration for the body’s complexities drew her to medicine.
Her patients bring the medicine she practices to life.
Welcoming New Patients
Ellen Rosenthal, M.D. INTERNAL MEDICINE
1350 South Eliseo #220 Greenbrae, Calif. Tel: 415-464-0411 www.pfcpmc.org
Most insurance plans accepted
We believe in the power of medicine. We look intently at each individual and treat the whole person, not just the illness.
Medicine can transform a body. Going beyond medicine can transform a life.
Not sure what to wear on the course? Louise Harrison, owner of Link Works in Corte Madera, says, “Our customers want to know that their golf wear can transition from the course to anything else you’re doing in your life.” With that in mind, take a look at this season’s newest offerings for everything from your clubs to your feet and hit those 18 holes with style.
— somer flaherty
1. Women’s shoes by Ecco, $150 at Link Works (Corte Madera). 415.927.9009, ecco.com
2. Air Zoom by Nike Golf, $270 at Nike (SF). 415.392.6453, nike.com
3. Parker plaid button knee short by Lija, $110 at the Meadow Club (Fairfax). 415.462.0980, lijastyle.com
4. Tina golf bag by Keri Golf, $300 at Keri Golf. 888.332.5053, kerigolf.com
5. Luxe golf bag by Wilson, $130 at wilson.com
Enjoy your 5th night free and daily breakfast for 2.
Extend your story, with an extra night in paradise. Some restrictions apply. Subject to availability.
Tales you tell. Stories you sing. And legends you re-live.
Play in the art of Hawaiian mo‘olelo, or storytelling, as you recall long Fairmont Kea Lani days.
Nestled on Polo Beach in Wailea, Maui. Call your travel professional or 888.870.9993. fairmont.com/kealani
Every 3rd Night Free plus $200 Resort Credit starting in Ocean View Rooms.
Offer available from 1/5/09 through 12/20/09. Minimum 3 night stay required. Some restrictions apply.
Days of freedom. And nights, free.
In Paradise, dreams really do last longer. Extend yours, with welcome gifts that will make this vacation one you’ll value for years.
Located on the Kohala Coast, Big Island. Call your travel professional or 800.845.9905 fairmont.com/orchid
Coming Full Circle
Ten years ago, Laura Levine needed help finding housing. Now she provides it.
BY JIM WOOD
Laura Levine (center) with her family of five sons, clockwise: Daniel (14), Christopher (22), Rex (20), David (17) and Michael (23) and family pets Gus and Kimbo.
We’ve all heard (and used) the expression “It’s payback time.” Here’s a person who every working day — and in a positive way — lives those words. Laura Levine is vice president and chief operating officer of Northbay Family Homes, a Novato nonprofit dedicated to helping lowand moderate-income families find housing throughout the Bay Area.
Ten years ago, Levine, now 40, was fortunate to find the help she now provides for others.
“In 1999, I was a single mom with five boys and people were reluctant to rent their home to us,” says Levine. “I had doors slammed in my face and phones suddenly go dead.”
You should see Levine now. In heels and skirt, she’s dressed for success; her blond hair is shoulder length, her smile is radiant; her
adoptive mom, Levine married at 16 and had her first son at 17. “We moved around the Bay Area a lot, always struggling,” she says, “but pregnant with my fifth child I knew it was time for me to start out on my own.” Levine will only say that her husband, the father of her boys, met with “a tragic situation” and “is no longer with us.” She clearly remembers wanting to live in Marin, yet being told repeatedly that it was way too expensive for a person in her situation. Undaunted, Levine looked at Marin rentals.
After being interviewed by a real estate agent, she heard that she was the top candidate for a home she and the boys deemed “perfect.” Once word got out that Levine had five boys, though, that was the end of the deal. Heartbroken, Levine turned to Fair Housing of Marin, which helped her file a complaint
Levine says, “Whoever said ‘It takes a village’ sure got it right; the whole town of Novato was my village. I couldn’t have done it without them.”
On her honor roll of those who helped the family survive are Jeanne Larraine, the secretary at Pleasant Valley YMCA Day Care; Art and Sandie McClary of Miss Sandie’s Preschool; the Rev. Philip Rountree of St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church; and the Novato Human Needs Center. “I could never ever forget any of them,” Levine emotionally states. “They were all so great.” With no hesitation, she also talks of being on food stamps, welfare and Medicaid, and spending years “cleaning up my credit.”
“Now when people come to me and say they just can’t do it,” Levine says, “I tell them, ‘Oh yes you can.’” Her advice includes finding good mentors, never failing to call for help
She heard that she was the top candidate for a home she and the boys deemed “perfect.” Once word got out that Levine had five boys, though, that was the end of the deal. Heartbroken, Levine turned to Fair Housing of Marin, which helped her file a complaint with the Department of Fair Employment and Housing.
second-floor office has a courtyard view, and interviews are conducted in her firm’s glasswalled conference room. Over a recent threeyear period, Levine’s Northbay Family Homes claims to have helped 870 working people into homes they now own — and placed another nearly 300 low- and moderate-income families in new and attractive rental units.
“I love what I’m doing,” says Levine, trying unsuccessfully to suppress one of her frequent smiles. “I have a great job and I’m a fully participating member of my community.”
Life was not always this way for Levine. Adopted, never knowing her birth parents and only having a close relationship with her
with the Department of Fair Employment and Housing. “The state’s criteria is that two people to a bedroom plus one person is the norm,” says Caroline Peattie, the Fair Housing of Marin counselor who handled Levine’s case. “And Laura was only looking at three-bedroom homes that were being offered for rent.”
After prevailing at her hearing (Levine donated 30 percent of her settlement to Fair Housing of Marin), the Levines moved in and never looked back. “My first job was selling appliances at Sears,” she says. “It paid $6.50 an hour, but one day Frank Howard Allen bought 24 computers from me and I got a nice bonus.” Looking back on those years,
and, most important, never giving up. She tells those who hope to purchase workforce housing that “filling out all the forms and completing the interviews will, at least, take the energy of a part-time job.” In addition to her role as vice president and COO of Northbay Family Homes, Levine is a licensed real estate broker, founded Employers Empowering Homeownership, and serves on the board of directors of Fair Housing of Marin.
Levine’s oldest boy is now 23, the youngest 14. “They’re doing fine, just great,” she says. “Except for the oldest two, we’re together in the house that I own. It’s near their schools and work. I’m really lucky, extremely fortunate.”
Vintage Oaks
photos by Bob Morris
Photography
Greener Pastures
A Nicasio rancher works to end global warming
BY JIM WOOD
RANCHER JOHN WICK TALKS LIKE A MAN CONVINCED HE’S ON TO SOMETHING— something big. His words exude confidence. His demeanor comes across as “can’t you see how great this is? To me it’s plain as day.”
What Wick and his wife, children’s book author Peggy Rathmann, are confident they possess is a tool to combat global warming. “As far as we’re concerned, the days of hands-off environmentalism are over,” he says. “Just as humans are part of the problem, we can also be part of the solution.”
Wick’s approach involves cattle, West Marin grasslands, and employing them together to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) — a leading ingredient of greenhouse gases, the culprit that causes climate change — from our air. It’s part of an effort called the Marin Carbon Project that also involves agronomists from UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC Cooperative Extension, the Marin Agricultural Land Trust, Marin Resource Conservation District and Marin Organic.
“Our earth has three ‘reservoirs’ or ‘sinks’ that absorb carbon dioxide,” Wick says, setting out to explain the endeavor that now occupies much of his time. “The atmosphere, the oceans and the land.” Obviously, space and the seas are beyond his purview; however, his 539 acres of land are not.
“You could say I’m a carbon farmer,” he says. “I want to get as much carbon dioxide as possible out of the atmosphere…and into the land.”
This is where Wick’s grasses come in. As Biology 101 teaches, trees and shrubs draw CO2 out of the atmosphere and store it in their leaves, branches and trunks—with a portion going into roots. As Wick points out, grass also takes carbon dioxide out of the air. “However, with grass, almost all the storing is done in the roots, and from roots CO2 enters into the soil.” Furthermore, he reasons, if a ranch’s grasslands could remain viable for longer periods of time, increased amounts of carbon dioxide could be drawn into the land.
Here is where cattle enter the picture. “Typically, grass-fed cattle graze for long periods of time and leave pastures looking like barren ground,” Wick says. Once that happens, the grazing acreage is plowed up and reseeded and, after a few weeks, the grasses reappear.
With carbon farming (“carbon sequestering” is the official term) as practiced by Wick and other eco-oriented ranchers, cattle feed on a small plot of grass for only half a day; then they’re moved to an adjacent piece of land. “They only have time to eat the top half of the grasses,” Wick says, “so the grasses continue to grow and land doesn’t get trampled.” In the meantime, carbon dioxide is being removed from the atmosphere.
When time to reseed does arrive, a “no-till” plow that thinly slices into the land rather than abruptly turning it over is used. “This is when we put compost on the land,” Wick says, “so a more nutrient-rich grass develops.” The cattle are healthier and the drawing of CO2 from the air continues almost without interruption.
Under normal circumstances about half the organic matter in topsoil is carbon. Wick says that if that carbon content were bumped up by as little as 1.6 percent throughout the world’s agricultural land, global warming could be solved. In the near future, through the process known as cap and trade, it’s possible that “harvesting” measurable amounts of carbon dioxide will become a viable agro-business in itself.
To learn more about the Marin Carbon Project, go to marinclimateinitiative.org.
Our covers.
Your walls .
Now you can buy Marin Magazine covers for your home or office. Available in various sizes, framed or unframed, with or without the Marin Magazine logo, these professional quality prints are a beautiful addition to any wall. Visit marinmagazine.com/coverart today.
TIBURON KITCHEN IS HIGH ON DESIGN
Local couple takes on contemporary remodel after European vacation
BY SOMER FLAHERTY |
When the owner of this modern Tiburon home visited the ALNO contemporary kitchen cabinet store on a trip to London, she decided it was time to give her own cooking quarters a complete renovation. Once back in Marin, she contacted Chris Chapek, principal designer of Novato-based Alliance Custom Builders, a design and construction firm. Chapek came up with an overall clean and symmetrical design by implementing glass art shelves with aluminum edging, which matched the edging on the kitchen cabinet doors, stainless steel appliances and the same CaesarStone surfaces for both the fireplace and countertops.
ALNO San Francisco owner Deganit Albalak, who handled the design of the cabinetry, says the kitchen needed a “fitted” look. “The doors and panels were built directly around the appliances so that they fit seamlessly into niches and spaces, without fillers attached to the wall, creating smooth transitions with contemporary flair.”
To continue the symmetrical aesthetic, pairs of identical-height refrigerators, pull-out pantries, appliance garages and frosted glass cabinets were also added. To top it all off, Chapek created contrast with distressed hickory flooring.
ABOVE : Chris Chapek, principal designer of Alliance Custom Builders, and Deganit Albalak, ALNO San Francisco store owner.
The Kitchen Components
1. Wine refrigerator by Sub Zero, available at Cherin’s Home Furniture (SF). 415.864.2111, subzero.com.
2. Microwave by Miele, available at Standards of Excellence (San Rafael). 415.453.6070, standardsofexcellence.com.
3. Oven by Miele, available at Standards of Excellence.
4. Warming drawer by Miele, available at Standards of Excellence.
5. Refrigerator by Sub Zero, available at BSC Culinary Resource (SF). 415.626.6246, bscculinary.com.
6. Countertops by CaesarStone, available at Cabinet Design Studio (San Rafael), 415.459.8001, cabinetdesignstudio.com, and Lamperti Contracting and Design (San Rafael), 415.453.4500, floorsofmarin.com.
7. Cooktop by Miele, available at ALNO Showroom (SF). 415.541.0754, alno.com.
8. Plumbing fixures by Blanco, available at Jackson’s Hardware (SF). 415.454.3740, jacksonshardware.com.
9. Dishwasher by Miele, available at Northgate Sewing and Vacuum (San Rafael). 415.472.1281, miele.com.
10. Cabinetry by ALNO, available at ALNO. Fireplace by Valor, available at Hearth and Home of Marin (San Rafael). 415.479.2876, milesfireplaces.com.
For over 30 years Plath & Company has been building dreams into reality from custom home building, renovation and remodeling to historic rehabilitation and commercial construction. PLATH & COMPANY, INC. GENERAL CONTRACTORS LIC. #395458 CORPORATE OFFICE 415-460-1575 NAPA VALLEY 707-963-2800 SOUTHBAY 650-299-9400
RUSS COLOMBO
Marin banker discusses the economy— local, state, national and global
BY JIM WOOD
REMEMBER GEORGE BAILEY THE CHARACTER JIMMY STEWART PLAYED IN IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE the movie everyone watches at Christmastime? Bailey was the 1940s Bedford Falls banker who seemingly did everything right: loaned money to local businesses, encouraged the town’s charities, even—and here he was ahead of his time—advocated for affordable housing.
Meet Russ Colombo, president and CEO of Bank of Marin.
“I was born in Marin,” Colombo said, “and went to San Rafael High School where my dad was a teacher for 35 years.” In 1974, Colombo graduated from nearby UC Davis with a B.S. in agricultural science and business management; later, after marrying Lynn, his college sweetheart, he added an MBA in banking and finance
from Golden Gate University. “I have two grown children,” the 56-year-old banker added with pride, “Angela, 28, who’s about to be married and is Assemblyman Jared Huffman’s field representative in Sonoma County, and Kevin, 25, who’s in commercial real estate in San Francisco.”
Matching George Bailey’s persona, Russ Colombo has civic involvements that include roles as a director of Sonoma’s Hanna Boys Center; chairman of College of Marin’s President’s Circle and treasurer of the Marin Workforce (read “affordable”) Housing Trust.
Yet unlike Bailey, whose shaky Building and Loan was constantly hounded by the film’s evil Mr. Potter, Colombo’s Bank of Marin has ridden a solid wave of success to where it is now: Marin’s largest independent bank. “Including Mill Valley, our newest location, we now have 12 branches,” he says, “and we’ll soon be opening in Greenbrae’s Bon Air Center.” With more than $1 billion in assets, Bank of Marin had first-quarter ’09 profits of an impressive $3.2 million, up from $2.8 million for the last quarter of 2008.
Are you aware a national recession is taking place? Possibly leading to a depression? What is the secret of your bank’s business model? There’s no secret—we just keep things simple. We bring deposits in and we lend money out. Big banks have made banking way too complicated.
Can you continue to “keep it simple” and tell us what has happened to the economy? The thread running through all the problems we now face are the big real estate developments along with the concept that’s been driving this economy for many years: that everyone should own a home. Unfortunately, that concept got out of control and the subprime mortgage industry grew. This resulted in people buying homes they couldn’t afford and developers building like crazy. In California—in Sacramento, Stockton, Modesto, even Santa Rosa—there was overbuilding and buying with 100 percent financing and even negative amortized loans. It was crazy. People were counting on real estate continuing to appreciate, but unfortunately the market went the other way. In turn, this negatively impacted commercial real estate that was built to support these residential developments. As a result, there have been millions of foreclosures, businesses have closed and people have lost their jobs and declared bankruptcy. This has happened throughout the country, even throughout the world.
How has Marin County fared in these times? Marin has fared better than most in California, maybe even in the country. This is a fairly affluent, high-income area. Also, Marin doesn’t have the big new developments. Like it or not, our no-growth at-
titude enabled us to dodge that bullet. However, Marin is not an island—everyone will be impacted. There have been more foreclosures than before and unemployment, which is usually at 5 percent, is now up to 7.4 percent. On the other hand, Marin nonprofits and businesses enjoy strong community support. Look at Book Passage: in spite of the economy and “big box” retailers, they seem to be doing fine. Accountants have a saying about recessions: “last in, first out.” I believe that will be the case this time.
What about the recession as it affects the country? Here’s a sobering statistic: America needs about 1.2 million housing starts a year to remain static—that is, to replace old homes and provide for newly created families. Yet in past years, with the overbuilding, we’ve far exceeded that and now, with foreclosures, our current housing supply far exceeds demand. It’s estimated there are over 4 million unoccupied homes in America today. Do the math: this means it will take two and a half years just to regain equilibrium. It’s ugly now in many places and it’s going to remain ugly for some time. That’s very unfortunate.
Any observations about the recovery process? Let’s be honest: the nation is trillions of dollars in debt and creating more debt. What concerns me is it’s hard to spend our way out of a problem. That’s because a massive debt and spending has the potential to create inflation. It will take time, but in a year or two you’ll start to see it. And inflation is the cruelest form of taxation because it particularly impacts working people the hardest. Their fewer dollars will have to go much further.
Let’s discuss the global economy. I’m not an economist—but as I see it, in their attempt to generate more profits America’s financial community created these subprime mortgage products and Wall Street sold bonds based on their cash flows to China, Ireland, Iceland, Germany and other nations, states, even cities. The crash of the subprime market has impacted the entire world and it’s a very complicated problem.
As for a solution? I’m not even close to a person who has the ability to analyze the global situation. As to how the United States will get out of this, I tend to think community banks, like us, will have a big role to play. What’s already happening is that the nation is trying to get back to the simple basics I mentioned earlier, but it’s hard for big banks to do this because they’re so big. However, there are a lot of banks, again like ourselves, that are doing the right things for their communities and, in return, the communities are supporting their banks. For me, that’s a big part of how we’ll recover as a nation.
An Eichler remodel stays true to its architectural
When one of San Francisco’s most accomplished ballerinas remodeled a home built by one of the Bay Area’s most iconic builders, the result was nothing short of glamorous.
“I have always been acutely sensitive to my surroundings and aware that I could make them rather than just observe them,” says Marika Sakellariou, a former choreographer and director for the San Francisco Opera ballet company.
After an injury in 2003, the dancer needed new expressive outlets. So she delved into real estate and purchased the first of several Marin homes she would update and renovate.
Sakellariou had dreamed for years of an elegant, art-filled home conducive to creativity and inspiration, where she could “turn up the music, turn down the lights and consider myself and my part in realizing the possible.” Three years ago she found a house built by Joseph Eichler in 1960 that was still in its original condition. Set on a quiet, shaded cul-de-sac in San Rafael, the 2,000-square-foot home has been transformed into a space both serene and chic.
Determined to honor her home’s architectural roots, Sakellariou reinvented it “the way Joseph Eichler would build it now, with our sensitivity to energy and the environment and the way we live and use space today.”
Eichler “would be so proud of this house,” says Catherine Munson, owner of LVP Realtors, a firm that specializes in Eichler homes. Munson worked with Eichler for years as manager of several subdivisions. “I have seen a lot of Eichler remodels, many of them beautiful and very well done, but this one is truly the zenith of Eichler interpretations.”
OPPOSITE : Marika Sakellariou
CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER LEFT : Exterior of home shot from backyard at dusk; kitchen counter with white barstools; inner courtyard features a Mark Chatterley sculpture titled Swimmer.
Munson praises Sakellariou and her architects “for keeping the idiom of the post-and-beam structure but taking it into the 21st century at an entirely new level with quality finishes, materials and design.”
The architects, Marek Slosar and Lucian Rosciszewski of San Francisco, share Sakellariou’s appreciation for modern design and the philosophical approach that considers both the interior and exterior as a whole. “Lucian has been such an inspiration to me,” Sakellariou says. “We see art and architecture the same way. That’s why it’s been such an easy collaboration.”
It’s not so surprising that Sakellariou, who pushed the envelope with ballet, would find excitement dancing on the fine edges of modern design. “I’m passionate about space,” she says. “There’s this whole other art form. And because I’m not trained in architecture, I don’t know what’s not possible!”
Rosciszewski says his goal was “to create a sophisticated, subtle design that didn’t overshadow the home’s assets of a simple floor plan and lots of light.” He wanted to accomplish that without altering the home’s inherent integrity. “Adding a second floor, a fake entry, columns, ornate bathtubs or Tuscan-style tiles [would be] an abomination,” he says. “These homes were beautiful because of their simplicity.”
The main common space, with its wall of floor-to-ceiling double-paned glass, its natural light and exquisite details, is dramatic. Sakellariou’s signature palette of “10 shades of white” has as much to do with memories of the whitewashed buildings in her native Greece as it does with a dance-inspired aesthetic.
ABOVE LEFT : A Mark Chatterley sculpture, Lovers, is the focal point for the backyard.
ABOVE RIGHT : An Alan Magee stone tapestry graces the living room wall.
“I didn’t want the colors of the sofa or the walls to be the focal point,” she says. “As a dancer, I was trained to wear only black and white. You can see the body’s lines better that way. I believe it’s the same with design and architecture.”
Removal of a wall opened the living and dining areas to each other. They flank a kitchen that has twin 12-foot-long floating islands. This open floor plan allows Sakellariou the joy of seeing guests interact on the subtle “stage” she’s created at home.
There are no upper cabinets in the kitchen to impair visual flow; instead there are undercounter storage drawers. The reconstituted-quartz countertops are made by Zodiaq and the custom cabinetry is a wood veneer laminate from Treefrog. The sink, by Blanco, has crisp, 90-degree angles and the low-profile Italian-made hood is by Futuro Futuro.
ARCHITECTS
Marek Slosar, Slosardesign; Lucian Rosciszewski, Lucian Design Group
CONTRACTOR
Polan Construction
INTERIOR DESIGN / SPACE PLANNING
Marika Sakellariou
LANDSCAPE DESIGN
Lucian Rosciszewski
The ceiling was dropped throughout the house, with original planks covered to create room for track light wiring. Energy-efficient radiant heating was installed under a ceramic tile floor.
The furnishings are Italian: a curvy modular Aspen sofa by Cassina, a low In-Out bench by Cappellini, a Piero Lissoni plank dining table, and, in the bedroom wing, a Tokyo bed by Porro and a Mies Van Der Rohe daybed.
Outside there’s a restrained garden, with gently sloping open space beyond the midnight-gray cement board fence. The fence acts as a backdrop, similar to a gallery wall, for sculptures and a minimalist landscape accented with small plant groupings and onyx in both crushed and sculptural forms.
Sakellariou particularly prizes two Mark Chatterley sculptures, Lovers and Swimmer, which she purchased from A New Leaf Gallery in Sonoma. “Chatterley’s work reminds me a little of (Polish sculptor) Magdalena Abakanowicz,” she says.
Four bedrooms form an L around the central courtyard, each with access to intimate, personal gardens. Sakellariou uses one room as master bedroom, the others as guest room, dressing room, and office. In the office, open shelves are stacked with design magazines, and a glass desk displays an architecture book featuring the works of her late friend and mentor Raphael Soriano. A noted architect, he worked with Eichler on several projects and in the 1970s introduced Sakellariou to the world of modern architecture.
Today it is Sakellariou who is influencing friends. “Many of them have asked me to design their homes,” she says, “and I always say, ‘Yes…but only if I can do it in 10 shades of white.’”
Istanbul’s cultural mix delights the senses
STORY & PHOTOS BY LIZA GERSHMAN
Home to many of the most intact Roman ruins in the world, Turkey’s infamous Ephesus (110–35 A.D.), is a worthwhile day trip from Istanbul. Though the facade is all that remains of the reconstructed Library of Ceisus, its marble archways and statuary are an awe-inspiring sight. Thousands of visitors flock to Ephesus every day and it is best to arrive early to miss the crowds and the heat.
RIGHT : Constructed in 1609, Istanbul’s iconic Blue Mosque, named for the 20,000 handmade ceramic multihued blue tiles covering the interior of the structure, is a must-see.
OPPOSITE : On Turkey’s southern coast, charming seaside towns line the shore. A boat trip is the best way to wander from village to village, where you’ll find fresh cuisine and friendly people. Kas, situated at the base of a mountain, is lined with waterfront coffeehouses, pebbly beaches and archaeological Lycian sites.
“Marlboro cigarettes, alcohol, women?” the cop asks, his jovial smile framed by the omnipresent symbol of Turkish virility—a brimming mustache.
We are six friends packed into a Toyota minivan on an adventure through Turkey’s rugged western landscape. The guidebook puts the speed limit on the motorway as 120 kilometers per hour (about 75 mph), and we’ve been sticking to it.
“Yes, yes, but on this section,” explains the officer in charge, peeling himself lazily from a lounge spot in the shade, “here, on this part, it is only 80.”
Likely story, but when we suggest he charge the fine to the rental car company rather than take cash, another officer offers an alternate solution: “Marlboro cigarettes, alcohol, women…or photo?”
Photo? You bet. I break out the camera. The cops pose with pleasure. And off we go. When it comes to ripping off tourists, the Turkish police have a lot to learn from their Mexican counterparts.
PIRATES OF THE AEGEAN
Our Nikon moment happens during the daylong drive from Istanbul to Izmir, a midsize port on the Aegean
where we’ll board a 40-foot gulet boat (Turkey’s version of a Pirates of the Caribbean ship) for four days of coastal cruising and village hopping.
“It’s Europe, no, it’s the Middle East, no, it’s Europe!” my friend shouts as we drive south on the way to meet our boat. Everything is a contrast of East vs. West — ancient fishing villages brimming with bountiful farm markets abutting shabby high-rise apartments, monuments to concrete and rebar. We can never quite grasp where we are and we like that.
The chic way to travel the Aegean is by chartered boat. We, however, are on a budget, and our fare is less than $300 apiece (on the Blue Cruise by V-Go Yachting). Once aboard, we meet our 12 shipmates, the captain, the first mate and the cook. Everyone is delightful and from a variety of countries, making for interesting conversations over meals.
The cabins are small and down below, where the swaying of the boat is accentuated. The first mate, a young shy man, suggests in halting English, “Sleep outside on the deck. There are mats.” The deck is expansive and accommodates us all. I fall asleep in the warm night on a blue pad that sucks me comfortably in like a sponge. In the morning, I wake to the captain’s voice.
“Today you eat, you suhwim, we go town. We suhwim, you eat,” he says in an accent that is a mélange of French, Spanish and English.
And tomorrow, we ask.
“Yeeesss,” he says, pointing out our course on a tattered map, “we eat, we suhwim, we go to other town if you like, you suhwim. The map, eet doesn’t go there.”
I gaze at the sea—deep, blue, somewhere between cobalt and cerulean, gentle, the temperature of a cool bath— and think, I could get used to this.
One afternoon we make port at Kas, a small seaside town that matches Santa Barbara for boutiques, restaurants and inns. Fruit stands abound. We shop for costume Ottoman hats in a small bazaar and wrap ourselves in thick bath towels that would be the envy of any luxury spa.
In a nearby fishing village on Kale Island, a cafe welcomes us by its comedic name, I Am Here. Fresh orange juice quenches my thirst from a hike up to ruins of a nearby castle. A village matriarch, an elderly woman with the face of an apple doll, strokes one of the town’s ubiquitous cats. The cat purrs, and so do we, lulled by the languid, welcoming tempo of life here.
ISTANBUL, CITY OF MANY CULTURES
After the boat drops us in Antalya, we return to where we began—Istanbul, a city in which Turkey’s ancient history and collision of empires is wrapped in a modern topcoat. The magic of Istanbul is the duality of old world and new, the mingling of Western culture and Eastern traditions, a tug-of-war between ancient and modern that remind you it was once the center of the world.
My grandmother used to sing, “C with an I with a Constan-ti. With an Ople and a Pople and that’s how you spell Constantinople.” In her generation, Turkey was wild and exotic. Today, Istanbul, like San Francisco, is urban, modern, architectural and culturally rich, and possesses a goliath structure as its landmark. The Bosporus Bridge—the Golden Gate Bridge’s transcontinental twin—traverses the Bosporus Strait, connecting Asia and Europe in a milelong marriage of steel. Nighttime views of the city lights and gleaming Bosporus are sought after on balconies of posh restaurants such as the axiomatically named 360 Istanbul. With panoramic views, the 360 offers high-end dining and tasty libations. Cocktails and wine are taxed heavily in Turkey’s Muslim-influenced culture, but are in high demand.
Turkey is no longer the travel bargain it once was. Istanbul’s prices are on par with the euro and $8 beers or $50 cover charges in clubs are not uncommon. If you want a meal of Mediterranean and European cuisine like lamb and couscous, dates and roast duck in a polished restaurant, be prepared to pay. But there are also plenty of less expensive options if you’re willing to venture down a cobblestone alleyway and into one of Istanbul’s many hookah bars, which serve up a Turkish version of dolmas and kebabs for a few dollars.
On the Asia side of the Bosporus, which is mainly residential, my friends and I ate at the trendy Ulus 29, a bird’s nest of tables overlooking the Bosporus. The view came with a price — a jaw-droppingly expensive wine list that could rival most restaurants in Napa Valley.
Istanbul’s exotic past is best explored at the famed Topkapi Palace. This Ottoman-influenced landmark is a World Heritage site. Standing guard to one of the world’s largest diamonds and home to the Harem, a magnificent tiled ruin, the palace is a reminder of not only Turkey’s more formidable past but also its ongoing old-vs.-new paradox. Green-and-blue tiled fountains line the corridors where hundreds of ladies-in-waiting to the sultan and their children lived under the watchful eyes of barely clad African eunuchs charged with keeping the women in and the men out. It is easy to see here in the Harem how mystifying this land must have been to Western European visitors.
On my final day in Istanbul, some of my friends head out for a traditional Turkish bath, but I choose to meander through the lavish Grand Bazaar, eyeing spices, gold bangles, vibrant colored jewels and belly dance outfits. I munch on a piece of lokum, a squishy jelly candy also known as Turkish Delight.
I stroll over to the Blue Mosque and wait for prayers to conclude. A man is selling fez caps at a street stand. “It is the Middle East,” says my friend, who in our two weeks in Turkey has grown a mustache in tribute to Turkish manhood. Yes! We have decided—for now.
Later that night at Riana, an open-air Miami-style club perched under the Bridge to Asia, I mingle among the fashionista crowd of young Turks sipping raki, a licorice-flavored aperitif, and dancing to the “untz, untz” beats of DJs. My gold sequin top shimmers like the Bosporus beyond. “It’s Europe!” I declare — and head back to the dance floor.
ABOVE : Open-air farmers’ markets in smaller towns are a wonderful way to see Turkey like a local.
LEFT : Inside the Harem at Topkopi Palace, a remnant of Turkey’s Ottoman past, it is easy to feel like you’ve wandered back in time.
GOLF FROM THE KINGDOM TO THE CLASSROOM
Schools teach you to play better (on and off the course) BY
ART SPANDER
A mystifying game, golf.
An irritating, frustrating game that may be clutched for a while but even by the experts rarely for long. “You think you have it,’’ said the late George Archer, 1969 Masters champion from San Francisco, “and then you don’t. Like catching lightning in a bottle.’’
A good walk spoiled, wrote Mark Twain. Deceptively simple and endlessly complicated, confirmed Arnold Palmer. The only sport where the most feared opponent is one’s self. We are alone on a golf course, without a coach, without a teammate, succeeding or maybe merely surviving. Digging that errant drive out of the rough, keeping that skulled wedge barely on the green. Then at the most inopportune moment, everything comes apart and, feeling like Humpty Dumpty, we wonder if it ever will be put together again.
ABOVE : Pebble Beach Golf Course. RIGHT : Students take advice from Director of Instruction Keith Lyford at the New Golf Academy at Old Greenwood in Truckee.
“Most people are clueless,’’ insists Kris Moe. He played the PGA Tour in the 1980s and early ’90s. He now directs the Kris Moe Golf Schools, based at Chardonnay Club in Napa.
“It’s funny,” says Moe. “In every sport you need a good coach, help with technique, with ways to become comfortable and confident. Tiger Woods is the best golfer in the world, and he has a coach. But the average golfer just goes out and plays. Everybody would benefit from instruction. Yet not a lot of people get instruction.’’ The great Jack Nicklaus put it succinctly. “Don’t be too proud to take a lesson. I’m not.’’
The most rewarding lessons arguably are at golf schools or clinics— “I don’t like that word,’’ says Moe. “Sounds too much like something to do with medicine’’— or academies, where the individual finds reassurance in a group setting. Places professionally operated and technologically advanced, with instructors who understand the swing and, no less significantly, mood swings. They utilize intuition, experience and devices such as videotape machines. Places where golfers get a grip on their putters and their emotions, joining others of similar abilities and intent.
Places that, like the Kapalua Academy on Maui, Pebble Beach Golf Academy on the Monterey Peninsula or Old Greenwood at Tahoe, also provide an opportunity to escape the daily grind as well as the skill to escape a bunker.
Practice Doesn’t Make Perfect
Practice, practice, practice? Not exactly. Unlike the old line about how one gets to Carnegie Hall, the issue isn’t one of doing something repeatedly, if it’s wrong. In golf it’s about doing something properly. This is where a golf school enters the equation.
We deal here with nine schools. Three are in Hawaii—Kapalua, David Leadbetter Academy at Wailea, Maui and Darrin Gee’s Spirit of Golf Academy on the Big Island. The others are in Northern California: Old Greenwood (May to October); Ben Alexander Golf Academy at Poppy Hills Golf Course, Pebble Beach; Extraordinary Golf, Carmel Valley Ranch, Carmel Valley (May to October); Seaver Golf Academy, Pleasanton; and the Pebble Beach Academy and Kris Moe School in Napa.
Each has variations on a theme, a personal difference or two, but any good school—and these nine come with high ratings and excellent reputations—gives students methods to improve and understanding of the reasons for the improvement. Then it gets down to location, price and personal preference.
Golf schools are work, but the pleasurable kind. The decision to attend is made voluntarily. You want to stop missing 3-footers. Or coming over the top with a 5-iron. Or topping tee shots. You want to end the misery of fading the final holes of a match. You don’t want to feel like the author George Plimpton, who wrote that when he commit-
ted himself to a swing he sensed his body “changed from its corporeal status completely and becomes a mechanical entity, built of tubes and conduits.…”
At Pebble Beach Academy, which has sessions lasting from a half day to three days, Laird Small, a former PGA of America teacher of the year, wants golfers to comprehend why they do what they do.
“We want you to be able to make on-court corrections,” Small says. “Most golfers get into a funk and they don’t know what to do. We want you to understand cause and effect. ‘Why did that happen?’ Then make it stop happening.” Pebble’s schedule includes a program in emotional management—how to control the stress factor when, say, you’re grouped with three strangers on a resort course. “No one else is doing this. People can transfer this over to their daily lives.”
Moe was a fringe player on Tour, which very well could be an advantage in teaching. In baseball, for example, the less skilled, needing to examine every phase of the game, end up as managers and coaches. They know exactly what to do, even if they could not do it.
Choosing a Golf School
Napa; instructor at Pebble Beach teaches follow-through; Old Greenwood Academy indoor tee box for golf swing video analysis; Ben Alexander, Poppy Hills pro and 2008 nominee for PGA Teacher of the Year for Northern California.
“How do you pick a school?” Moe asks rhetorically. “As you pick anything. Read about it. Ask your friends. Find out how long they’ve been in business. Teaching golf is about communication. To get someone to go from shooting 100 to 95 is not like learning calculus. Almost any place can teach. It’s a commodity.
“You have to have your goals. What do you want to do? Get better at the short game? We’ll work on that. You need a school that doesn’t get boring or tiring. You can’t guarantee anything, but I used to tell people we could probably take one stroke off their score for each part of the game: driving, putting, chipping, sand and approaches.’’
Jerry King is in charge of the Kapalua Golf Academy, which faces the Maui channel and the island of Molokai. Not a bad place to start any day. “It has reached a point where so many people have been to a golf school or taken a golf lesson,’’ says King, “some will say they’ve done it all before. So we offer a more comprehensive approach. We work on club fitting and physical fitness. We’re giving them an experience, not just lessons.
“Golf, after all, is supposed to be fun. Coaching is the biggest part of what we do, as opposed to teaching. Coaching is the holistic ap-
OPPOSITE CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER LEFT : Kris Moe Golf School at Chardonnay Golf Club in
proach. We’re telling you, ‘Here’s the information. Here’s what you need to make your game better and here’s how to train yourself. You understand what is needed to produce change.’”
The David Leadbetter Golf Academy is at the other end of Maui, Wailea. David Lee has been instructor there since 1997. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is among Lee’s former students. Lee says the cornerstones of golf are the three P’s: position at the start, the path of club and the pivot.
Darrin Gee’s Spirit of Golf Academy is held at two courses on the island of Hawaii: Hapuna at Mauna Kea Resort and Big Island Country Club. A pioneer and innovator, Gee created what he calls “the Seven Principles of Golf,’’ which he insists will help players of any ability.
At Old Greenwood, the Nicklaus-designed course in the Sierra, Keith Lyford has developed a program to identify swing faults and then, with the assistance of fitness consultant Mark Tedsen, prepare your body to eliminate the faults. Lyford speaks of a “nonintimidating environment.”
Not that any golf school should be intimidating. None of this old-style methodology that baffles the student. “We want the body to react differently than it did,” says Jo Hardy of Extraordinary Golf, who has a spring and summer school at Carmel Valley Ranch. “Otherwise, you’re just redoing what you did when you arrived.”
Ben Alexander, whose school is at Poppy Hills, one of the courses used in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am each February, requests students return for free sessions to make certain they are not backsliding.
At the Seaver Academy in Pleasanton, Eric Jones works mostly with juniors. But he also has parent-child weekend camps, teaching both good golf and good manners. Can anyone think of a better combination?
SWING TRAINING:
Ben Alexander Golf Academy, Poppy Hills, Pebble Beach. Alexander, the pro at Poppy Hills, was a nominee for 2008 National PGA Teacher of the Year and was chosen 2004 PGA Teacher of the Year for Northern California. He runs a threeday coed academy and also offers men- and women-only sessions.
“I give free coaching sessions when golfers return to make sure they are actually getting better,” he says. “I have them write down what they are taught so they don’t forget and have them email when they might be having problems. You can tell somebody how to ride a bike, but he’s not going to know how until he gets on the bike.” Info: 831.277.9001, benalexandergolf.com
Extraordinary Golf, May to October: Carmel Valley Ranch, Carmel Valley; November to April: Golf Club at Terra Lago, Indio. An innovative program customizes lessons to a golfer’s physical abilities. The basic program is three days; there are also classes for couples and women.
“We also emphasize doing extraordinary business through playing extraordinary golf,’’ says CEO Jo Hardy, creator of the program with her husband, Fred Shoemaker. “We are a different animal. We take the culture of learning to the course. We try and strip away what people have done and rekindle all the instincts. Golfers are so buried under information, they sometimes forget just to
play. We start early each day and personalize the lessons. We want the golfer to figure it out.’’ Info: 800.541.2444, extraordinarygolf.com
Kapalua Golf Academy, Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii. Oh, those views— plus a 23-acre practice facility and top-level staff—helped make Kapalua one of Golf magazine’s Top 25 Golf Schools in America. Its two playing courses include the Plantation, site of the Mercedes-Benz Championship, the opener for the PGA Tour.
“We train you in every phase of the game,” says director Jerry King, fivetime Aloha Section PGA of America teacher of the year. “People are now looking for an experience, so we take a comprehensive approach, whether it’s a half-day or three days: going clubfitting, a practice routine, and the best technology available. It’s all about the individual. Our student-to-teacher ratio is very small, never more than four to one.’’ Info: 808.665.5455, kapalua.com
David Leadbetter Academy, Wailea, Maui. Hawaii’s top golfer in 2005 and 2008, according to Golf Digest, Eddie Lee has been at Wailea since 1997 and affiliated with world- famous David Leadbetter, whose pupils have included Nick Faldo and Michelle Wie, since 2006.
“We believe in the three P’s,’’ says Lee, “position, plane and pivot. Our teaching is based on a holistic approach.
A SCHOOL FOR EVERY GOLFER
I have instructed Notah Begay and Dorothy Delasin, who have won on the pro tours.’’ Info: 808.281.4436, leadbetter.com
Darrin Gee’s Spirit of Golf Academy, Hapuna Golf Course, Big Island Country Club, Island of Hawaii. Gee, whose academy has been rated among the Top 20 by Golf magazine, has written two books on golf teaching. The course is designed to help players eliminate distractions lurking when out of a four-hour round there’s only three minutes of actually swinging a club.
“Our goal is to help every golfer be his or her best, to play to that potential,’’ said Lee. “We deal from the mental perspective, how to relax under pressure, and we do it in a fun-filled way.’’ Info: 808.887.6800, spiritofgolfacademy.com
Kris Moe Golf School, Chardonnay Golf Club, Napa. Moe, a onetime touring pro, runs a school dubbed one of the top 25 in the country in the November 2008 issue of Golf magazine. He and James Favel also give lessons at an indoor location in San Francisco’s Financial District.
“Before starting in any school, a person should know his or her priorities,’’ Moe says. “What’s the quality of the staff, of the resort? Some of the schools are based on volume.
“We don’t need a system,” he adds. “You might have totally different goals than the guy next to you. Some of the larger schools have a five-to-one ratio,
students to teacher. Ours is three to one. We’re aware that after a couple hours people get tired just knocking balls, so we go out and play.’’ Info: 888.713.4653, krismoegolfschools.com
New Golf Academy, Old Greenwood, Truckee. A 900-acre resort community, Old Greenwood has an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus course and a 1,500-square-foot learning center fully dedicated to instruction. There are indoor and outdoor hitting bays.
“We want the golfer to know his own tendencies,’’ says former Tour player Keith Lyford, director of instruction and a Golf magazine Top 100 Teacher. “I try to concentrate on the movement of the club, the body and scoring. We want golfers to have a good pre-shot routine and to learn course management. Most golfers just want to go out and hit balls, but the short game is where you score.”
Info: 530.550.2670, oldgreenwood.com
Pebble Beach Golf Academy, Pebble Beach. Director Laird Small is a former National PGA of America teacher of the year. He’s joined by Katherine Marren, a Top 50 teacher in Golf for Women magazine. Students have the opportunity to play Pebble Beach, which in 2010 will be the site of the U.S. Open for a fifth time; Spyglass Hill; and Spanish Bay.
“We find out where you are in your game and how we can help make you better right away,” says Small.
“Why do things happen on a course, and how can we correct them? It’s all based on a client’s request. We use different tools, balance machines, the Sam Putt lab. Tiger uses that. There’s also an emotional management program. You go to the first tee and find you’re playing with someone you don’t know or with your boss. How do you handle the adrenaline, the emotions?” Info: 831.622.8650, pebblebeach.com
Seaver Golf Academy, Pleasanton Golf Center, Pleasanton. Director Eric Jones won the 2003 ReMax Long Drive Championship with a knock of 381 yards. His curriculum is geared toward ages 10 to 17, but there’s also a weekend parent-child program in which moms and dads are reminded how to act when golfing with their offspring. There’s a nine-hole executive course adjacent to the center.
“Too many schools and instructors focus only on the technique,” says Jones, who has a master’s in sports psychology. “To me, golf is shot-making. We’re working on performance improvement, not technique improvement. Golf is the only sport where you don’t have a coach with you. So we created something called the coach program, a 30-day lesson plan in which you are in front of an instructor as much as possible. And (you learn) to visualize a shot. We have people come to a par-3 and describe the shot they want to make as if they were a TV announcer. It stays with them.’’ Info: 650.274.3890, seavergolf.com
RESORT AT SQUAW CREEK
North Lake Tahoe’s Most Complete Resort
The Resort at Squaw Creek, Lake Tahoe’s most complete 4-diamond luxury hotel, features an on-property chair lift with access to Squaw Valley USA’s 4,000 acres of skiable terrain during the winter and the Audubon certified 18-hole Robert Trent Jones, Jr. championship course in the summer. Guests enjoy four distinct restaurants plus in-room dining, outdoor water garden with heated pools and Jacuzzis, a full-service spa and fitness center, boutique shopping promenade and supervised children’s programs. Not only is the 405 room resort is a vacation sanctuary, but it is also a meeting planner’s dream. It features 24 conference rooms comprising 33,000 square feet of meeting space that accommodate both large and small programs and include the services of our professional event and catering staff. The resort is 5 miles from California’s North Lake Tahoe, 200 miles from San Francisco, and only 45 minutes from the Reno/ Tahoe International Airport. Squaw
Lake Tahoe, CA visitsquawcreek.com
www.westinmaui.com www.kaanapaligolfresort.com
www.westinkaanapali.com Put yourself in play.
KA’ANAPALI GOLF RESORT IN SUNNY MAUI
Take your mind, body, and game to a whole new level at the Ka’anapali Golf Resort. Surrounded by the serene beauty of West Maui mountains and shimmering Pacific Ocean, the resort destination boasts two scenic 18-hole golf courses and two world-class Westin oceanfront resorts complete with lagoons and pools, spa, choicest restaurants, watersports, beach fun, shopping and sightseeing attractions nearby.
With 45 years of golf tournament history and host of the Champions Tour’s Wendy’s Skins Game (2008-2010), it is the idyllic place to enjoy five nights of luxurious stay at The Westin Maui Resort & Spa (rates from $1,610) or The Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas (rates from $1,760). The Golf Five Night package also includes: Four rounds of golf per stay at the Royal Kaanapali or Kaanapali Kai course
• Golf club rental
• Two sleeves of resort logo golf balls and golf towels
• High speed Internet access
• Shuttle service to Lahaina
• Call (866) 716-8112 or book online (rate code GOLF5R). Call (808) 661-3691 to book tee times prior to arrival.
Rates are per room based on single/double occupancy and subject to availability and blackout dates. Valid until October 31, 2009 and not applicable to groups. Not to be combined with other offers or promotions.
(c) 2008 Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
Las Vegas is anything but a homogeneous travel experience. Where else can you gawk at a $150,000 Carrara marble replica of Michelangelo’s David, be serenaded by gondoliers on the Venetian-inspired Grand Canal, and sample from a kaleidoscope of both celebrity chef and unforgettably tasty strip mall restaurants in all the same day? And although the neon-lit city is no untouched travel secret—in fact, 1.48 million visitors from Northern California headed there just last year—the unending options can seem as vast as the desert horizon if you don’t have assistance navigating them. To help, we’ve gathered those in the know, from the city’s best concierges to one of its most connected local journalists, to tell us what you shouldn’t even think of missing in what’s sure to become your new-old-favorite playground.
hotels
The city has around 141,000 hotel rooms, so deciding which one will command your attention can be hard; check out these recently renovated picks for modernism on the strip.
ENCORE If you weren’t lured in by the commercial—yes, the one where the billionaire hotelier Steve Wynn literally sits on top of the hotel (check it out on YouTube), feet dangling 28 stories in the air, then this sententious little blurb on the Encore sure isn’t going to do it. However, the luxurious six-month-old newcomer shouldn’t be missed. Connected to sister-hotel the Wynn by a retail alley, the $2.3 billion hotel features over 2,000 guest rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows and a casino floor draped in all things red, including chandeliers and select walls bathed in the crimson hue. 702.770.8000
TRUMP Last year the 24-karat-gold glass-encased Trump International Hotel Las Vegas opened its doors with 1,282 suites, rising 64 stories above the city. Each hotel suite treats guests to panoramic views through floor-to-ceiling windows; options range from studio suites to three-bedroom penthouse suites, all outfitted with kitchens. 702.982.0000
FLAMINGO Some people are still nostalgic for the old Vegas vibe, but to compete with the glitz and glamour of newer billion-dollar hotels, old standbys like the Flamingo, originally opened by Bugsy Siegel in 1946, have had to revamp or face being shuttered. Luckily, Las Vegas design firm Cagley and Tanner has updated rooms with a modern theme that still stays true to its retro self. Called Go rooms, these feature interiors with white-vinyl headboards, white drapery
and white midcentury-style cabinets. The Flamingo’s suites include the Go Metropolitan, a two-bedroom, 1,500-squarefoot room with hardwood floors, marble bathrooms and colorful splashes of brown and orange. 702.733.3111
CAESARS PALACE Already a go-to for some of the best dining options on the strip, the four-plus-decades-old hotel will see a billion-dollar expansion, with a new 665-room Octavius Tower, new swimming pools and a convention center. 702.731.7110
restaurants
When it comes to choosing where to spend your dining dollars in a city that has everything from designer fare to under-the-radar strip mall favorites, take advice from former Vegas Magazine editor-in-chief Melinda Sheckells, who gave us a culinary tour of five favorite restaurants on and off the Strip.
BEIJING NOODLE #9 If you’re in the mood for dim sum, dumplings and noodles (which are hand-tossed in view of diners), look no further than this 100-seat hip northernChinese-focused contemporary restaurant. Caesars Palace, 877.346.4642
BOTERO Named after Colombian Artist Fernando Botero, whose paintings line the restaurant’s walls, this young, modern steak house is run by chef Mark LoRusso, formerly of Wynn Las Vegas’s Tableau. The restaurant overlooks Encore’s pool and connects to the resort’s nightclub, XS. Encore at Wynn Las Vegas, 702.248.3463
OPPOSITE : The Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay. A view of a Trump Hotel Las Vegas room. Guests beat the heat at Minus 5 Ice Lounge.
marin dental wellness
Dentistry
Mercury-free restorations
Biocompatible materials testing
Gentle teeth whitening
Natural approach to gum health
Ozone therapy
Treatments for TMJ, Snoring, Sleep Apnea
Accepting new patients
Accept most insurances 33 Montecito Drive, Corte Madera, CA 94925
LOTUS OF SIAM Who knew some of the best Thai food around could be found in a nondescript strip mall? The restaurant, which Pulitzer Prize–winning food writer Jonathan Gold of Gourmet magazine called the best Thai restaurant in North America, features a pick-your-own spicy scale of one to 10 for each menu item, but beware — the scale tends to be hotter than you’d think. 953 E. Sahara Ave., 702.735.3033
ORIGIN INDIA Across from the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, this Indian restaurant serves up impressive tandoori and vegetarian options with its own in-house sommelier to help you choose the perfect wine pairing. 480 Paradise Rd., 702.734.6342
VINTNER GRILL It’s worth the cab ride to head to this Michelin Guide recommended bistro, about 12 miles northwest of Las Vegas’s downtown area. It features a large outdoor patio with custom-made couches and drapery along with cozy fire pits. 10100 Charleston Blvd., Number 150, 702.214.5590
family
If you’re traveling with the kids to Las Vegas, there’s plenty to do beyond the nightclub and gambling scene. Lisa Carson, chief concierge at Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas, says the key to picking out the perfect family activity is to follow the lead of someone who has experienced it all firsthand. Check out her tested top picks for enjoying the city with tots in tow.
THE LION KING The new showing at the Mandalay Bay is the first Disney theatrical production ever to debut in Las Vegas. 877.632.7400
POLE POSITION RACEWAY Have a future Mario Andretti? This indoor race track is perfect for all ages and provides all the necessary safety gear. 702.227.7223
FLYAWAY INDOOR SKYDIVING If you aren’t keen on your teenager jumping 10,000 feet out of a plane, give her the next best thing:
an indoor skydiving session, where a mix of gravity and a high-powered fan keep you afloat. 877.293.0639
THE GRAND CANYON Nearly five million people see the one-mile-deep wonder each year, but Carson recommends visiting it via helicopter. Contact your concierge or nps.gov.
beat the heat
It might seem ironic to go to Las Vegas to cool off, but the desert town’s hotels are a climate utopia offering indoor attractions galore. Jake Jacobson, concierge manager for THEhotel at Mandalay Bay, reveals his favorite ways to stay out of the sun.
SHARK REEF AQUARIUM AT MANDALAY
BAY What better way to stay cool than under the sea? You’ll see more than 2,000 dangerous and unusual aquatic animals, including 15 types of sharks, stingrays, sea turtles — there’s even a rare Komodo dragon. 702.632.7777
MINUS 5 ICE LOUNGE If the casino’s airconditioning doesn’t chill you enough, head to this lounge made entirely of ice. Guests can enjoy signature cocktails where the temperature is a constant minus five degrees Celsius. 702.632.7714
LUXOR EXHIBITION COMPLEX The new complex on the resort’s atrium level offers BODIES. . . The Exhibition, a showcase of more than 260 full and partial body specimens. 800.557.7428
THE BEACHSIDE CASINO Want to gamble with a view? Head to the only climate-controlled poolside gaming in Las Vegas, where you can play blackjack, roulette and craps in your flip-flops and swim suit. 702.632.7777
BELLAGIO GALLERY OF FINE ART The temperature has got to be just right for fine art, so head into the air-conditioned gallery to see work by Luchtenstein, Warhol, Frank Stella and more. 877.957.9777 415.927.9009
CALENDAR
JUNE ARTS & EVENTS GUIDE
THEATER
Thru June 21 A View from the Bridge Playwright Arthur Miller tells the tale of a man who betrays his most prized possession, his family. Barn Theatre (Ross). 415.456.9555, rossvalleyplayers.com
Thru June 21 Man of La Mancha Don Quixote’s quest to right the wrongs of the world. Mount Tamalpais Amphitheatre (Mill Valley). 415.383.1100, mountainplay.org
Thru June 27 Wicked The cultural phenomenon that got its start in San Francisco
is back for an extended stay. Orpheum Theatre (SF). 415.512.7770, shnsf.com
Thru July 5 Spamalot The outrageous comedy inspired by the classic Monty Python and the Holy Grail film comes to San Francisco. Golden Gate Theatre (SF). 415.512.7770, shnsf.com
4–28 Marin Theatre Company What the Butler Saw is a classic Joe Orton comedy about a man who tries to seduce his secretary. The play is directed by directed by Amy Glazer. Marin Theatre Company (Mill Valley). 415.388.5208, marintheatre.org
18–July 11 Porchlight Theatre Company Join Three Sisters on a search for meaning in the modern age. The play was written by Russian author and playwright Anton Chekhov in 1900. Redwood Amphitheatre (Ross). 415.251.1027, porchlight.net
28 Bridge Tolls at the Barn The Ross Valley Players presents two performances of Bridge Tolls at the Barn and a reception and silent auction. Barn Theatre (Ross). 415.456.9555, rossvalleyplayers.com
DANCE
6 Love2Dance Spring Performance TaraCaprice Broadwater is joined by more than 200 local performers from the Love2Dance studio in Novato as they dance to a medley of songs from the ’80s and ’90s. Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium (San Rafael). 415.499.6400, marincenter.org
6–28 Ethnic Dance Festival The 31st annual San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival brings performance from the temples of India to the village squares of Mexico on Saturdays and Sundays in June. Palace of Fine Arts (SF). 415.392.4400, cityboxoffice.com
MUSIC
Ongoing Jazz and Blues by the Bay Bring your lawn chairs, wine and a snack and listen to great blues on the water. June 5–August 28. Gabrielson Park (Sausalito). ci.sausalito.ca.us
2–4 Yoshi’s San Francisco This June the prolific trumpeter Herb Alpert is joined by his wife, singer Lani Hall, at Yoshi’s. Alpert is also famous for being a recording industry executive—he is the “A” in A&M records—and for musical accomplishments including five number one hits. Yoshi’s (SF). 415.655.5600, yoshis.com
2–26 SF Opera Tosca, the dramatic opera by Giacomo Puccini first staged 1887,
San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival , June 6–28.
PHOTO: RJ MUNA
is every bit as timely as it was on opening night. War Memorial Opera House (SF). 415.864.3330, sfopera.com
4 Mayflower Community Chorus Hear live music from 40 volunteer Marin residents at this annual summer concert. Showcase Theater (San Rafael). 415.499.6400, marincenter.org
4–7 DjangoFest Mill Valley Celebrate the music and spirit of the French/Belgian gypsy guitarist. 142 Throckmorton (Mill Valley). 415.383.9600, 142throckmortontheatre.org
5 Rock Music Tribute Night Rock out to the Sun Kings and the Unauthorized Rolling Stones at the Mystic. Mystic Theatre (Petaluma). 707.765.2121, mystictheatre.com
9-10 Neko Case The former New Pornographers singer comes to San Francisco. The Warfield (SF). 415.567.2060, thewarfieldtheatre.com
18–21 San Francisco Symphony Gilbert and Sullivan’s seventh collaboration, Iolanthe, is conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas. Davies Symphony Hall (SF). 415.864.6000, sfsymphony.org
20 The David Grisman Quintet The summer nights concert under the stars series kicks off with mandolinist David Grisman and his band. The Kanbar Center for the Performing Arts (San Rafael). 415.444.8000, marinjcc.org
20 Les Claypool The legendary Bay Area bassist and leader of the classic alternative band Primus comes to the Warfield and is joined by the Yard Dogs Road Show. The Warfield (SF). 415.567.2060, thewarfieldtheatre.com
20–28 Tiburon Music Festival This celebration of chamber music and chamber opera features eight performances and several free concerts. Old St. Hilary’s (Tiburon). 415.457.5226, tiburonmusicfestival.org
26 Dave Alvin & the Guilty Women The California singer, guitarist and songwriter presents songs from his new album, West of West: Songs from California Songwriters: Volume 1. Great American Music Hall (SF). 888.233.0449, gamh.com
GALLERIES
MARIN
Aperture F/64 Fine art and black-and-white photography. 635 San Anselmo Ave, San Anselmo. 415.482.0480
Art Abloom Studio and Gallery Artwork on display and classes. 1527 San Anselmo Ave, San Anselmo. 415.256.1112, artabloom.com
Art Bar Ongoing work. 46 Main St, Tiburon. 415.435.5999, theartbar.us
Artisans Art Gallery Ongoing work. 853 Fourth St, San Rafael. 415.460.5208, artisansartgallery.com
Art Works Downtown Baulines Craft Guild, thru June 26. 1337 Fourth St, San Rafael. 415.451.8119, artworksdowntown.org
Barefoot Art Gallery The Birth of Life Work by Indian artist Laxman Pai, thru June 28. 20 Sunnyside Ave, Mill Valley. 415.384.0104, barefootartgallery.com
Claudia Chapline Gallery Americana Recent paintings by Stinson Beach painter Jon Francis, June 6–28. 3445 Shoreline Hwy, Stinson Beach. 415.868.2308, cchapline.com
College of Marin Art Gallery Ongoing work. 835 College Ave, Kentfield. 415.485.9493, marin.cc.ca.us
Community Congregational Church of Tiburon Photographs by Ernest Braun and paintings by Ted Allen, thru June 18. 145 Rock Hill Dr, Tiburon. 415.435.9108, ccctiburon.org
Donna Seager Gallery The Lightness of Gravity painting and sculpture by Brigitte McReynolds. 851 Fourth St, San Rafael. 415.454.4229, donnaseagergallery.com
Gallery Bergelli New works by Sanjay Vora, thru June. 483 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur. 415.945.9454, gallerybergelli.com
Gallery Route One Usual & Unusual Sightings by Andrew Romanoff and Pauline Greenfield. Nature’s Pharmacopoeia by Mardi Burnham and Will Thoms, thru June
21 11101 Hwy One, Point Reyes Station. 415.663.1347, galleryrouteone.org
Marin Society of Artists Food for Thought, June 14–July 9 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Ross. 415.454.9561, marinsocietyofartists.org
Mayne Gallery Work from Linda Mayne. 1544 Redwood Hwy, Corte Madera. 415.847.1346, themaynegallery.com
Milk and Honey Art Gallery Work from Michael Mersereau and Melanie Barna, thru June 16. 384 Miller Ave, Mill Valley. 415.383.7580, milkandhoneyartgallery.com
Mona Lease Gallery Painting with Friends Gloria Matuszewski, thru July 15. 39 Greenbrae Boardwalk, Greenbrae. 415.461.3718, monalease.net
O’Hanlon Center for the Arts Wabi Sabi Exposition Group show juried by Dart and Esther Cherk, thru June. 616 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley. 415.388.4331, ohanloncenter.org
Robert Allen Fine Art Bright Waters: New Works on Paper and Canvas John Maxon, June 4–July 24. 301 Caledonia St, Sausalito. 415.331.2800, robertallenfineart.com
Robert Beck Gallery Early California and contemporary plein air paintings on display. 222 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, San Anselmo. 415.456.7898, beckgallery.org
Robert Green Fine Arts New paintings from James Shay, thru July 26. 154 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley. 415.381.8776, rgfinearts.com
Sam the Butcher Monotypes Work by Mary Lee Rybar, thru June 12. 19 Ross Common, Ross. 415.902.1019, samthebutcherart.org
Studio 4 Art Work by local artists at this brand-new gallery and workshop offering materials and classes. 1133 Grant Ave, Novato. 415.596.5546, studio4art.net
Tomales Fine Art Barns and Barnyards, thru June. 27050 Maine St, Tomales. 707.878.2525, tomalesfineart.com
SAN
ArtHaus In Black and White Sausalito artist Carolyn Meyer and Kenney Mencher, thru June 28. 411 Brannan St, 415.977.0223, arthaus-sf.com
Berggruen Gallery Work from Robert Kelly, thru June. 228 Grant Ave, 415.781.4629, berggruen.com
Cain Schulte Gallery A Measure of Art Work on canvas by Diane Althoff, June 12–July 25. 714 Guerrero St, 415.543.1550, cainschulte.com
Elins Eagles-Smith Gallery Abstract collages from William Theophilus Brown. 49 Geary St, 415.981.1080, eesgallery.com
George Krevsky Gallery Annual baseball exhibition, thru June 15. 77 Geary St, 415.397.9748, georgekrevskygallery.com
Gregory Lind Gallery Garden Ruin Work by London artist Bob Matthews, thru June 27. 49 Geary St, 415.296.9661, gregorylindgallery.com
Meyerovich Gallery Russian Nonconformist Art 1980s Works by Moscow and St. Petersburg artists. 251 Post St, 415.421.7171, meyerovich.com
Rena Bransten Gallery Photographs from Eirik Johnson, thru June 27. 77 Geary St, 415.982.3292, renabranstengallery.com
MUSEUMS
MARIN
Bay Area Discovery Museum Clap, jump, wiggle and sing to the music of museum favorite Miss Kitty, June 3-4 (Sausalito). 415.339.3958, baykidsmuseum.org
Bolinas Museum Contemporary watercolorists exhibit, thru June 14 (Bolinas). 415.868.0330, bolinasmuseum.org
Falkirk Cultural Center The historic Queen Anne Victorian located in the heart of San
S ANDRA B IRD D ESIGNS
SIDEBAR?
D ESIGN /B UILD F IRM
your new lashes: newskin clinic grow, lengthen, thicken & darken your natural lashes (and brows!) with Latisse, the only FDA approved eyelash treatment. Rx only. Gratis MD consultation. See Brooke on our website!
www.newskinclinic.com
Magnolia
Rafael is open to the public (San Rafael). 415.485.3438, falkirkculturalcenter.org
Marin History Museum Since the first pioneers arrived to homestead in the mid1800s, farming has been a way of life in Marin. A new exhibit, Growing the Future: Farming Families of Marin, tells the history of farming in Marin and runs all year (San Rafael Council Chambers). 415.454.8538, marinhistory.org
Marin Museum of Contemporary Art Alchemy: Transmutation from the Base to the Precious features art made from reclaimed items, thru July 5 (Novato). 415.506.0137, marinmoca.com
BAY AREA
Asian Art Museum Lords of the Samurai An intimate look at the daimyo, the provincial lords of the warrior class in feudal Japan, who were much more than just warriors. The exhibit features more than 160 works from the Hosokawa, powerful military nobles with a 600-year-old lineage, family collection,
June 12–Sept. 20 (SF). 415.581.3500, asianart.org
California Academy of Sciences Patrons over 18 can experience the museum at night every Thursday with music, science, mingling and cocktails. (SF). 415.379.8000, calacademy.org
Contemporary Jewish Museum Susan Hiller: The J. Street Project Film and photographs of the 303 roads, streets and paths In Germany that refer to a Jewish presence, June 18–October 20 (SF). 415.655.7800, thecjm.org
de Young Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs After 30 years the boy king is back in San Francisco. The exhibit features more than 130 works from the tomb of Tutankhamun, as well as those of his royal predecessors, his family and court officials, June 27–March 28, 2010 (SF). 415.863.3330, thinker.org
di Rosa Preserve New work from painter and musician Mike Henderson, June
Exploratorium Outdoor Exploratorium Get outside more and learn about your environment with this brand-new collection of innovative experiments. Waterfront/Fort Mason (SF). 415.397.5673, exploratorium.edu/outdoor
Legion of Honor Waking Dreams: Max Klinger and the Symbolist Print See the dreamlike etchings of German symbolist artist Max Klinger, thru July 5 (SF). 415.863.3330, legionofhonor.org
SFMOMA An examination of the work and friendship of Georgia O’Keeffe and Ansel Adams, who first met in 1929, thru September 7 (SF). 415.357.4000, sfmoma.org
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Meet Me at the Center of the Earth The Chicagobased artist Nick Cave presents the largest display of his multilayered, mixed-media
and wearable sound suits, thru July 5 (SF). 415.978.2787, ybca.org
EVENTS
Ongoing Summer Theater Camps
Children ages 2 to 12 can ignite their passion for theater on the MTC stages, June 22–August 15. Marin Theatre Company (Mill Valley). 415.388.5208, marintheatre.org
Thru 21 Art at the Cheese Factory
See the debut exhibit, Terroir: A Sense of Place, at this new arts venue. Marin French Cheese Company (Petaluma). 707.762.6001, marinfrenchcheese.com
5 Moya Library Fundraiser Jeweler Sidney Mobell will a show a video about his art at this annual fundraiser. Moya Library/Ross Historical Society (Ross). moya-rhs.org
6 Bookstock 2009 More than 5,000 are expected to attend the art and movie festival held at AT&T Park. The event features live music from local bands, a live art show and an advanced screening of the new film
Touching Home staring Ed Harris. AT&T Park (SF). inorintheway.com
6 Marin Rocks Gala Cocktails, dinner, live and silent auctions and an onstage jam session will help raise money for the Marin History Museum’s fall 2009 opening of Marin Rocks, a new exhibit featuring past and present Marin musicians. Osher Marin JCC (San Rafael). 415.454.8538, marinhistory.org
6 MSA Art Auction Help benefit the Marin Society of Artists and pick up some great bargains on local art. Marin Society of Artists (Ross). 415.454.9561, marinsocietyofartists.org
6-7 Union Street Festival The 33rd festival features 150 arts and crafts booths, 25 gourmet food booths, two stages with live entertainment, bistro-style cafes and more. Union Street (SF). 800.310.6563, unionstreetfestival.com
6-7 Art Deco and Modernism More than 150 dealers offer the chance to find
one-of-a-kind items dating from 1900 to 1980. Concourse Exhibition Center (SF). 650.599.3326, artdecosale.com
7 Masterworks Fine art made by children is for sale at this event benefiting Masterworks Children’s Art Studio. Masterworks (Corte Madera). 415.945.7945, masterworkskidsart.com
12 Film Night in the Park Bring your blankets, chairs and family for film night in the park. Check the website to confirm show times. Central Field (Fairfax). 415.453.4333, filmnight.org
13 Pinot Noir Celebration Marin County pinot noir producers will launch their new vintages, pour library selections and offer previews of 2009 barrel samples at this event benefiting the Marin Agricultural Land Trust. Historic Escalle Winery (Larkspur). 707.953.0923, malt.org
13-14 North Beach Festival Music, arts and crafts, celebrity chefs and chalk art are just some of the many things to do at the 55th
READING RECOMMENDATIONS
BY JIM WOOD
Uranium: War, Energy, and the Rock that Shaped the World by Tom Zoellner, Viking, 2009, $26.95 Written at Mesa Refuge, a Point Reyes Station writers’ retreat, Uranium is non-fiction but reads like a novel packed with interesting episodes like Atoms and Armageddon.
Tamalpais Walking: Poetry, History, and Prints by Tom Killion and Gary Snyder, Heyday Books, 2009, $50 All things Mt. Tam: Kent, Kerouac, art and anecdotes. Snyder, the revered poet and Killion, the Inverness printmaker are both longtime admirers of the “Sleeping Maiden.”
annual festival. Washington Square Park (SF). 415.989.2220, sfnorthbeach.org
14 Dipsea Race The 99th annual Dipsea Race is a scenic and treacherous 7.4-mile course from Mill Valley to Stinson Beach. Race starts in Mill Valley. 415.331.3550, dipsea.org
20 Tiburon Classic Car Show Experience the beauty of classic cars produced before 1971. Shoreline Park (Tiburon). 415.297.2615, tiburonclassiccarshow.org
20-21 Marin Art Festival More than 250 master artists will show and sell their work at this lawn party for the arts that also features music, gourmet coffee, wine and Italian soda. Marin Civic Center Fairgrounds (San Rafael). 415.388.0151, marinartfestival.com
21 Golden Gate Opera Help the GGO expand its programming while enjoying a great party. The party is held in a private home in Greenbrae; call for details. 415.339.9546, goldengateopera.org
22 Operation CHEF A series of nine oneweek camps running through August 21 teaches children how to enjoy and cook
The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker, Grand Central Publishing, 2009, $24.95 Raised in Belvedere, now a mom in Tiburon, Baker, with a Ph.D in literature, writes about love, hatred, separating and reconnecting. “It’ll be a shame if this doesn’t race up best-seller lists,” says Publisher Weekly.
healthy meals. MYC Youth Center (San Rafael). 415.497.3710, operationchef.com
23 Gordon Getty Honored The San Francisco Conservatory of Music honors philanthropist Gordon Getty in an evening hosted by Frederica von Stade. SF Conservatory of Music (SF). 415.503.6291, sfcm.edu
24 Tam Valley Speaker Series Author Fred Runner reads from his book and shows photos from the heyday of the Mount Tamalpais scenic railroad. Tam Valley Community Center (Mill Valley).
26 Friday Forums The monthly luncheon offers discussions of Marin issues. Jason’s Restaurant (Greenbrae). friday.forums@gmail.com
28 Mill Valley Wine & Gourmet Food Tasting Enjoy a large selection of hardto-find wines coupled with delicious culinary creations and live jazz music at this annual event. Lytton Square (Mill Valley). 415.388.9700, millvalley.org
29 Kid Lit Salon Beginning and established children’s book authors and illustrators are invited to the monthly salon. Book Passage
Paintings in Proust: A Visual Companion to In Search of Lost Time by Eric Karpeles, Thames and Hudson, 2008, $45 Karpeles, a Bolinas artist, spent four years researching and writing this award-winning must-have for Proust-lovers. Artworks include those of Vermeer and Botticelli.
(Corte Madera). 415.927.0960, bookpassage.com
NATURE WALKS/TALKS
Ongoing Sonoma History Local actor George Webber morphs into Mark Twain as he retells the history of Sonoma (Sonoma). 707.694.5097, georgewebber.com
4 Marin Sierra Club Take a hike around Bon Tempe and Lagunitas lakes. Carpools leave from the Fairfax Parkade at 9:30 a.m. 415.461.9255, sanfranciscobay.sierraclub.org
6 Moonlight Hike Join the Marin Moonshiners for a monthly three-mile hike to experience the sunset, moonrise and a picnic. Reservations required. Pelican Inn Pub (Muir Beach). 415.331.0100, whatshappeningcalendars.com
13 Sunset Hike and Dine Join this local club for a monthly two-hour hike on moderate to steep trails on Mount Tamalpais with a mid-hike wine and cheese break. The hike is a great way to meet some new friends and see a beautiful sunset. Reservations required. Mountain Home Inn (Mill Valley). 415.331.0100
13 Marin Art and Garden Center Learn about 4 to 6 species of plants suitable for Marin gardens at a summer plant seminar. Marin Art & Garden Center (Ross). 415.455.5261, magc.org
17 Marin Scuba Club “Ken Howard: From Manatees to Mantas and More.” The Flatiron (San Rafael). 415.453.9556, marinscuba.org
RETAIL THERAPY
Edition by Banana Republic This new Banana Republic store features limitededition women’s handbag and jewelry collections and is exclusive to San Francisco. The new store opened on May 15. Westfield San Francisco Centre, 865 Market St (San Francisco). bananarepublic.com
Left Bank Master chef Roland Passot invites the public to experience the new TGV Express Lunch, named after the express train in France, featuring new items at low prices. Left Bank, 507 Magnolia Ave (Larkspur). 415.927.3331, leftbank.com
TRAVEL BUZZ
Aqua Hotels and Resorts The “Obamarama” special offers a great deal in honor of the president who was born and raised on O‘ahu. $159 for boutique hotels and $139 for lite hotels thru June. 866.406.2782, aquaresorts.com
El Capitan Canyon The “Canyon to Wine Country Adventure” features a two-night stay in a Creekside King Cabin, passes to a local tasting room, bottle of wine, firewood and s’mores in the Santa Barbara area. $575 thru June 18. 866.352.2729, elcapitancanyon.com
Four Seasons Resort Hualalai More than $40 million in enhancements mean new suites and an expanded spa. Check out the new look and receive a $1,000 resort credit thru September. Rates start at $725 per night. 808.325.8000, fourseasons.com
Hotel Hana-Maui and Honua Spa In June 1959, the Hawaiian islands joined the Union, bringing the number of states up to 50. Celebrate that fact with great deals and offers this summer as part of the “Hawai‘i
Something Different Mon. - Sat. 10:30 am - 6:00 pm www.fancythatgiftshop.com
Art, Gifts & Accessories
47 C Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera (415) 945-8863 • Next to DMV
Childcare Available 208 Bon Air Center, Greenbrae (behind Mollie Stone s) (415) 461-4461 www.barmethod.com
The Season of the Scribe
MSMarin Symphony
Alasdair Neale, Music Director
Program highlights
Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons Mozart’s Requiem Brahms’ Violin Concerto
World Premiere of Magnum Opus commissioning for soprano Christine Brewer
Celebrated authors
Five-O” package. $500 per night for at least five nights thru August. 808.248.8211, hotelhanamaui.com
La Quinta Resort & Club This legendary desert oasis features deluxe accommodations and amazing outdoor activities. Get in some golf, tennis or basketball with the “Play It Your Way” package. Starts at $299 thru September. 800.598.3828, laquintaresort.com
La Valencia Hotel This classic hotel opened in 1926 and overlooks the scenic La Jolla Cove. Get tickets to Birch Aquarium and a picnic for up to four people with the “Seal of a Deal” package. $329 thru December. 800.451.0772, lavalencia.com
Ritz-Carlton, Palm Beach After a $120 million renovation, the updated hotel unveils the new 42,000-square-foot Eau Spa. “Escape to the Spa” packages start at $599 per night thru September. 561.533.6000, ritzcarlton.com
The Claremont Resort & Spa Perched in hills overlooking San Francisco Bay—nothing quite beats the classic Claremont. Enjoy accommodations, seasonal fruit, poolside cocktails and more with the “Beat the Heat” package thru September 7. Rates start at $229. 800.551.7266, claremontresort.com
The Spa at Pebble Beach The 22,000-square-foot spa offers 25 treatment rooms, a full-service salon, a flotationwrap suite and a picturesque sanctuary for rest and relaxation. Packages start at $1,550 thru September 6. 866.226.5442, pebblebeach.com
Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa
Located on 15 oceanfront acres, the Waikoloa offers privacy and state-of-the-art accomodations and amenities. $199 room rate through December. 800.922.5533, waikoloamarriott.com
Congratulations to Our Winner
Congratulations to Erika Davito of Mill Valley, who won our contest and a three-pack of wine from Mad Housewife Cellars, complete with its own portable gift box. madhousewifecellars.com
Tobias Wolff Barbara Quick
Susan Kinsolving
Jane Anderson Roger Housden
MARIN ADVERTISERS SPEAK UP
Patrick and Dana Vande Weg
Stellar Spa, Corte Madera
Stellar Spa offers state-of-the-art skin care, spa treatments, and retail products focusing on the use of natural, organic and sustainable products.
“Our staff are specially trained and compassionate spa professionals, and our spa is a sophisticated environment for men and women to relax,” say owners Patrick and Dana Vande Weg.
Your thoughts on working with a spouse?
We both bring such different strengths to the business. Fortunately, we really complement each other in a way that works well and generates mutual respect.
What makes you excel at what you do?
Dana’s passion really drives the creative development of the products and services that we offer and she has a wonderful ability for seeing the overall vision. I’m more of a numbers and organizational guy who just tries to keep up with her.
What is your competitive edge?
Dana, the incredible experience level and professionalism of our staff, and our commitment to innovation, quality and the desire to stay on the leading edge of our industry.
What makes your work worthwhile?
We receive such positive feedback from our clients about our staff, products and services that it generates energy and enthusiasm in us. The great relationships we’ve built with many clients and being able to give back to the community through our outreach programs.
Patrick and Dana Vande Weg, Stellar Spa, 26 Tamalpais Dr., Corte Madera, 415.924.7300, stellarspa.com
Jeff Burton
The Bath + Beyond, San Francisco
“The Bath + Beyond is unlike any other showroom in the country,” says owner Jeff Burton.
“We are a full-service, decorative plumbing and hardware reseller and we provide solutions for every design requirement and budget. Our 18,000-square-foot showroom in San Francisco features a large selection of fixtures, furniture, lighting, hardware and tile and our clients have access to over 200 brands and a combined 200plus years of staff experience. I assure you it’s unlike any other business one would experience when shopping for products for the home.”
What is your competitive edge?
It takes constant creativity, training in both product knowledge and customer service, and a continuing investment in products and merchandising to win our customers’ business and loyalty. Not many of our competitors remain focused on these important aspects of their operations. I have a great team and we realize, at times like these more than ever, that we must provide an exceptional experience. This is what makes us unique.
Describe your client/customer base. From the one-off residential bath to large architectural projects, or even families wanting to build their entire home with environmentally safe and healthy products; our staff works with the owners, architects, developers, contractors, independent designers and professional design firms to ensure the choices of products are within the budget and add substantial value to the overall design.
Jeff Burton, The Bath + Beyond, 77 Connecticut St., San Francisco, 415.552.5001, bathandbeyond.com
Veronica Plasencia
Neneshoes, Ross
“At Neneshoes you can be sure to find unique and good-quality shoes and clothes for kids,” says owner Veronica Plasencia. “We have a great selection of party shoes as well as casual shoes. You can also find special-occasion dresses, swimwear, jackets, fun pajamas and everyday clothing. We try to make the shopping experience as pleasant and fun as possible.”
What is your competitive edge?
All of our products are made in Spain, Italy or France. We carry unique European styles and designs in fun colors and fabrics. We also carry a variety of shoes for kids as well as teenagers and moms.
What product or service is your favorite?
Probably our swimwear collections. We carry bathing suits for babies all the way up to size 14. They are all made in Spain with excellent materials. They have fun appliqués and the fabrics feature daring colors and beautiful prints. We also have dresses, towels and shirts that go with the bathing suits to ensure that the kids have all they need for a fun day at the beach.
What makes you excel at what you do?
I am very passionate about our products and our customers. I truly care about good customer service and when a customer leaves Neneshoes happy, I can consider my job done.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
I was born in Spain and came to the United States when I was 14 years old. When I was a young girl I always wanted to be a journalist. Veronica Plasencia, Neneshoes, 30 Ross Common, Ross, 415.259.5707, neneshoes.com
A Cultural Affair
Marin Arts Council hosted its annual Marin Arts Fund Brunch in San Rafael, where individuals and arts received grants totaling $45,000. The Marin Arts Fund provides direct monetary support to artists for assistance in advancing their careers and grants to artists and groups who partner for community-based projects. At right, from left: Jeanette Harrison, Jim Flavel, Judy Arnold, Gretchen Klein
More than 400 guests packed the RitzCarlton in San Francisco to celebrate International Women’s Day with the International Museum of Women, a nonprofit social change museum dedicated to valuing the lives of women around the world. Emmy-winning broadcast journalist Jan Yanehiro emceed the evening and global council member Zainab Salbi inspired with a personal story about growing up in the shadow of Saddam Hussein and her work on behalf of women survivors of war. Above, from left: Catherine Bradford, Katie Cardinal. Above right, from left: Marie Hurabiell, Jan Yanehiro, Stacey Fleece.
Local Shefali Razdan Duggal, who most recently was active in then-Senator Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, posed with Senator Bob Menendez, chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, at a DSCC reception in SF.
Phyllis Thelen, above, founder of Art Works Downtown and current Citizen of the Year of San Rafael, posed with her fiber art and mixed media piece Swan at her and Wendy Lilienthal’s art opening “Old Hands, New Works” at Art Works Downtown.
Almost 200 people attended the Luxury Marketing Council’s recent event in Tiburon, where Lewis Schiff, author of The MiddleClass Millionaire, was featured.
Above: Elisabeth Yvrot, Kim Roberts.
Leslie Mueller and Paul Costanzo were on hand at a local Oscars party to pour Mad Housewife wine. The name isn’t just catchy; the wine tastes good too! Buy a bottle and try for yourself at Cost Plus World Market, Whole Foods and Safeway. At left: Leslie Mueller, Paul Costanzo.
San Anselmo’s newest culinary destination, Marinitas, celebrated its opening in grand style with a benefit for Adopt a Family of Marin. At right: Pam Meyer, Heidi Krahling.
Around Town
At this year’s Belvedere Historic Walking Tour, guests Olivia Decker, Lyn Lear and Diane Castle took in the water views.
Over 1,000 guests came out to support the Junior League of San Francisco at its 83rd annual fashion show, “The Art of Fashion,” at the Fairmont Hotel. Above: Catherine and David Markwell.
Organic Marin
RECIPES FROM LAND TO TABLE
Written and photographed by Tim Porter and Farina Wong Kingsley and produced by Marin Magazine, this is a seasonal cookbook that celebrates the organic farmers and ranchers of Marin County. Flavor will feature a recipe from Organic Marin each month. The book can be purchased at local bookstores or at marinmagazine.com/ organicmarin.
CRAB DEVILED EGGS, MARKETBAR, SAN FRANCISCO
Fresh local crab and spinach make this decadent twist on a classic party dish a favorite at the MarketBar in San Francisco. The eggs can be made the day before and served as an appetizer.
6 large eggs
2 cups packed spinach leaves, well rinsed
4 ounces fresh lump crabmeat, picked over for shell
B/e cup good-quality mayonnaise
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
B/c teaspoon sugar
B/e teaspoon salt
B/e teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Put the eggs in a saucepan and add cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, remove from the heat, cover, and let stand for 15 minutes. Drain and peel the eggs. Let cool.
Place the wet spinach in a small sauté pan and sauté over medium heat until wilted. Put the spinach in a tea towel and wring out all the water. Finely chop the spinach.
Cut the eggs in half lengthwise and carefully remove the yolks, reserving the whites. Mash the yolks in a medium bowl with a fork. Add all the remaining ingredients and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Spoon 1 heaping teaspoon of egg yolk into each egg white half. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Makes 12 deviled eggs
DINE OUT
CORTE MADERA
IL FORNAIO Italian Sausalito’s Larry Mindel hit a home run with this upscale Italian 23-restaurant franchise. Besides the award-winning breads, pizzas and pastas, the menu boasts a variety of salads and noncarb entrées. 223 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.927.4400, ilfornaio.com
IZZY’S STEAKS & CHOP HOUSE American The legendary San Francisco steak house has moved north. Known for great steaks and seafood as well as its fine wine selection, this is a great spot for a group or intimate dinner for two. 55 Tamal Vista, 415.924.3366, izzysrestaurant.com
LA MAISON DE LA REINE Vietnamese A refreshing change amid the plethora of Italian, Mexican and Chinese options. The crunchy cabbage chicken salad with peanuts, fresh spring rolls, and combinations of pho are delicious. 346 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.927.0288
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
RICK’S WINE CELLAR California This one-room bar and wine shop is located at the same spot as Marin’s first wine bar, which opened back in 1988. Now it’s owned and operated by Marin natives Rick and Candy Mendell, whose customers call it the “Cheers of Corte Madera.” Offerings include a glass, a flight or a bottle, all of which pair nicely with the cheeses, salami and hot paninis. 207 Corte Madera Ave, 415.927.9466, rickswinecellar.com
FAIRFAX
CHAD’S GARDEN & GRILL CAFE California
Pop in for a fennel-apple-and-walnut salad on the deck or one of the savory paninis or wraps. Menu includes lots of healthy vegetarian selections. 85 Bolinas Rd., 415.454.7864, chadscafe.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
DOMINICAN CONGRATULATES THE CLASS OF 2009
We wish the best to our over 500 undergraduate, graduate, and certificate students. They come from nine Bay Area counties, including 34% (nearly 200 students) originally from Marin, twelve states, and from nations across the world, including China, Japan, Nepal, Singapore, Thailand, and the United Kingdom.
Congratulations!
415-457-4440
50 Acacia Avenue San Rafael, California 94901
www.dominican.edu
the former Ross Valley Brewing Company. 765-A Center Blvd, 415.485.1005, ironspringspub.com
GREENBRAE
JASON’S Italian The restaurant’s new Greenbrae location (it was formerly on Andersen Drive in San Rafael) fills the space that was formerly Giorgio’s. A crowd of regulars enjoys creative seafood dishes with Italian flair. Enjoy the ceviche, crab cakes or blackened salmon on the large outdoor covered patio. 300 Drakes Landing Rd, 415.925.0808, jasonsrestaurant.com
WIPEOUT BAR & GRILL American Belvedere residents Nancy and Scooter Simmons, known for the popular Chevy’s chain, have brought their surfthemed Wipeout Bar & Grill in the Bon Air Center. The restaurant features a full bar, outdoor patio and a family-friendly menu in a T-shirt-and-sandals atmosphere. 302 Bon Air Center. 415.461.7400, wipeoutbarandgrill.com
LARKSPUR
E & 0 TRADING COMPANY Southeast Asian New chef Arnold Eric Wong is keeping the restaurant’s innovative plates as tasty as ever. Without reservations, try a spot at the large communal table. 2231 Larkspur Landing Circle, 415.925.0303, eotrading.com
EMPORIO RULLI Italian Pastry chef Gary Rulli is renowned for his Northern Italian specialties and treats. The Larkspur location (there are three others) is a popular spot for lunch as well as coffee and a sweet. 464 Magnolia Ave, 415.924.7478, rulli.com
FABRIZIO RISTORANTE Italian Traditional Italian dishes with an extensive wine list from regions all over Italy; outside seating makes the experience even more special. 455 Magnolia Ave, 415.924.3332
LARK CREEK INN American This flagship eatery for the Lark Creek Restaurant Group opened back in 1989 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
PICCO California Chef and celebrated restaurateur Bruce Hill deserves the accolades he has received for this eclectic shared-plate heaven. Dishes like mini-burgers and seasonally driven menu items, along with risotto made every half hour, keep people coming back. The Picco Pizzeria and Wine Bar next door is cozy (not many seats) but already famous for its wood-fired pizzas, great wine selection and soft-serve Straus Family Creamery ice cream. 320 Magnolia Ave, 415.924.0300, restaurantpicco.com
RUSTIC BAKERY California Organic mouthwatering pastries, breads, and sandwiches are on the menu here. The Meyer lemon mascarpone danish and the bacon, avocado
and heirloom tomato sandwich with mesclun are perennial temptations. 1139 Magnolia Ave, 415.925.1556, rusticbakery.com
TABLE CAFÉ Indian/American Indian-inspired cafe offers a unique menu featuring entirely organic ingredients. Dishes include seasonal salads, incredible soups and fresh juices. The specialty of the house is dosa, filled with a variety of ingredients and served with savory homemade chutneys. You can also take home a choice of three or four gourmet dinners freshly packed daily. 1167 Magnolia Ave, 415.461.6787
TAM CELLARS Wine bar This wine shop includes an elegant bar with seating for up to 36 people, 30 wines by the glass and tasting flights. Tam Cellars specializes in hard-to-find wines and smallproduction wineries. Enjoy a glass or bottle to pair with the selection of appetizers. Live music on Thursdays. 1803 Larkspur Landing, 415.461.9463, tamcellars.com
THE MELTING POT French Just across the street from the Larkspur Ferry terminal is a round red-brick haven for fondue fans. Share the “Big Night Out” feast featuring chef’s specialties, or design your own spread with cheese fondue, salad, choice of meat entrée and chocolate fondue dessert. 125 E. Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.461.6358, themeltingpot.com
MILL VALLEY
BALBOA CAFE MILL VALLEY California
The San Francisco institution has already become a place to see and be seen in Mill Valley, especially after the 142 Throckmorton Comedy nights. Come for the pan-roasted Alaskan halibut or risotto but stay for the amazing burgers. 38 Miller Ave, 415.381.7321, balboacafe.com
BUCKEYE ROADHOUSE American Oysters Bingo, baby back ribs and chili-lime “brick” chicken are a few of the satisfying, comfort-food-type menu items that have made this classic roadhouse a favorite since the ’30s. The warm dark-wooded bar with red leather booths is a popular spot for cocktails, conversations or a light meal. 15 Shoreline Hwy, 415.331.2600, buckeyeroadhouse.com
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
CHAMPAGNE French Enjoy a croque monsieur alfresco, linger over a flaky, buttery croissant with a cappuccino, or pick up chocolatedipped strawberries for your next dinner party. All that and more, at this French bakery cafe. 41 Throckmorton Avenue, 415.380.0410, millvalley.champagnebakery.com
DIPSEA CAFE Comfort One word: biscuits. This longtime breakfast spot has been serving up tasty pancakes and egg dishes with homemade biscuits since 1986. Try a biscuit with a poached egg, a biscuit with sausage—or just plain butter. Lunch specialties include BLTs and tuna melts and generous Cobb salads. Now serving dinner. 200 Shoreline Hwy, 415.381.0298, dipseacafe.com
EL PASEO French Keiko Takahashi, a prominent Tokyo chef known for her modern French cuisine, transports her flair to Mill Valley. With a cottagelike feeling, this fine dining restaurant serves meals that are nothing less than exquisite. Reservations recommended. 17 Throckmorton Ave, 415.388.0741, elpaseorestaurant.com
FRANTOIO RISTORANTE ITALIANO Italian Known for its in-house olive press, superior olive oil and excellent Italian cuisine, this is a great location an intimate dinner, a large groups and anything in between. Happy hour starts at 4:30 in the sizable, comfortable bar area, where you can snack on antipasti or order your whole meal. Owned by Roberto Zecca and Chef Duilio Valenti, both from Milano; the kitchen uses local and organic ingredients -it’s the Italian way. For special occasions and private parties, reserve the olivepress room. 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 longtime local favorite, Joe’s serves up regular fare such as tasty fish tacos, burritos and enchiladas as well as more unusual items like Mexican pizza, tofu salad, and crab tostados. Colorful interior and (usually) quick service makes this a fun, easy stop. And if there are too many unsupervised kids for a peaceful meal, takeout is easy too. Alone? Grab a magazine and seat at the counter and enjoy the action. 382 Miller, 415.383.8164
MARIA MARIA Mexican The menu at Maria Maria draws from diverse regional cuisines of Mexico, including slow braised duck tacos, guacamole prepared tableside and Guajillo Marinated Red Snapper Filet. 651 E. Blithedale, 415.381.1070. mariamariarestaurants.com
PIAZZA D’ANGELO Italian It’s always a party at this long-standing hot spot. A great place to
meet up with friends for a fresh plate of pasta, zuppa di pesce or pollo novello, or make some new friends at the bar. 22 Miller Ave, 415.388.2000, piazzadangelo.com
PIATTI RISTORANTE AND BAR Italian Reopened, after an extensive remodel, with chef Chris Fernandez on board leading the kitchen with a menu coinciding with seasonal food from local producers. The crudo and pizza are not to be missed. 625 Redwood Hwy, 415.380.2525, piatti.com
SMALL SHED FLATBREADS California As a slow food chef, Ged Robertson uses only local, mostly organic ingredients. Crowd favorites include the Mt. Tamal-Pie, a delicious fresh salad atop a flatbread. 17 Madrona St, 415.383.4200, smallshed.com
THEP LELA Thai This jewel is tucked away in the back of the new Strawberry Village. Diners come for the tasty kee mao noodles, pad thai, fresh rolls and extensive bar menu. It’s also a great place for lunch. 615 Strawberry Village, 415.383.3444
TONY TUTTO PIZZA Italian Tony has been pouring his passion for pizza into his cooking for two decades and is now sharing his family recipes: “It’s all about excellence in pizza, sprinkled with musical flavors and kissed with colorful passion. We feature creative artisan-style pizza using the best imported, natural and local organic ingredients.” Mostly outdoor seating, so dress accordingly. Stop by or take out. 246 East Blithedale Ave, 415.383.8646
NOVATO
BOCA STEAK & SEAFOOD South American Bring a date or celebrate a special event at this classic steakhouse, which celebrates chef George Morrone’s (Aqua, Fifth Floor) Argentinean heritage. The grass- and grain- fed steaks are cooked over oak and almond. Head to the restaurant early for a three-course prix-fixe dinner. 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
CHEZ PIERRE French No need to book a flight to Paris. Owners Peter and Isabelle Awad serve up traditional French fare in this oversized Novato restaurant. Try the baked brie, escargots en coquille or a simple cheese plate. 7330 Redwood Blvd, 415.898.4233, chezpierremarin.com
GRAZIE Italian Locals love this family-owned and run Grant Avenue restaurant for delicious paninis, salads and the unbeatable homemade cookies. Enjoy good weather on the outside patio or people watch in this always-bustling restaurant. 823 Grant Ave, Ste E, 415.878.0202
PORTELLI ROSSI Italian The owners of Kitchen at 868 Grant have reopened the space as Portelli Rossi, which means red door in Italian. This casual cafe offers huge portions (most priced under $20),
a garden patio and a family-friendly environment. 868 Grant Ave, 415.892.6100, portellirossi.com
SONOMA LATINA GRILL Mexican As if Novato didn’t already have some great taquerias, the owners of La Tortilla Factory in Sonoma have brought us Sonoma Latina Grill. The menu includes standbys like tacos, burritos and enchiladas made with fresh, local and organic ingredients, plus a list of favorites from the Sonoma location. In keeping with the fresh/non-processed theme, the tortillas are made by hand with natural and organic whole grains. 5800 Nave Dr, Ste D, 415.883.2662, sonomalatinagrill.com
TOAST American Sister to the popular Mill Valley location, Toast Novato features outdoor dining and architecture by Stanley Saitowitz and still has the great dishes by executive chef Michael Garcia that have made the southern Marin spot a not-to-bemissed destination. 5800 Nave Drive, 415.382.1144, toastnovato.com
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
MARCHÉ AUX FLEURS French This gem of a restaurant serves up locally farmed produce, wild and fresh seafood and free-range meats prepared with an artisan’s touch. The wine and beer list is extensive. 23 Ross Common, 415.925.9200, marcheauxfleursrestaurant.com
TRATTORIA FRESCO Italian Every neighborhood deserves a one-room trattoria like this one. The service is friendly and the farmers’-market-fresh food is fabulous—especially the gnocchi. 13 Ross Common, 415.464.0915
SAN ANSELMO
AVA California Chef Dan Baker, of Marché aux Fleurs in Ross, has another winner with AVA, which features a California-only wine list and a menu where nearly all the ingredients come from within 100 miles—if not the Marin County Farmers’ Market. The small menu includes seasonal flatbreads, pasta and six seasonal main dishes. 636 San Anselmo Ave, 415.453.3407
DREAM FARM California As their website claims, a taste of rural Marin in downtown San Anselmo. Showcasing the bounty of our areas’ award-winning farms, dairies, and fisheries. Best yet is their price point: dishes range from under $6 to nothing over $20. 198 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.453.9898, dreamfarmmarin.com
MARINITAS Mexican This Sir Francis Drake eatery, formerly known as Eat, is now a south-ofthe-border dining spot created by Heidi Krahling of Insalata’s and Frank Villa, former chef de cuisine at Mamacita in San Francisco. The family-friendly
fare includes classics like taco de pescado, here made with grilled Alaskan cod, crushed avocado, three-seed cabbage slaw and house-made tabasco crema, and unique offerings like queso fundido, a mix of three cheeses, crushed potatoes and pumpkin seeds blended with smoky chile sauce, cilantro crema and warm tortillas. 218 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., 415.454.8900, marinitas.net
TACO JANE’S Mexican Named after the owner’s mother, this casual but colorful place welcomes the whole family. Don’t miss out on Jane’s handmade agave margarita or griddled plantains with Jane’s crema. 21 Tamalpais Ave, 415.454.6562, tacojanes.com
SAN GERONIMO
RED TAIL BAR & GRILL California The beautiful views overlooking the San Geronimo Valley redwoods and wildlife will captivate you while you indulge in the new menu featuring West Marin meats, cheeses and produce. 5800 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.488.4030
TWO BIRD CAFÉ California This roadside cafe has it all, including fresh fish and goodies from the garden. These guys were doing local and sustainable even before it was so popular. 625 San Geronimo Valley Dr, 415.488.0105, twobirdcafe.com
SAN RAFAEL
CAFE GRATITUDE Raw The waiters might push the affirmations theme a bit too much, but the tasty (and healthy) food is worth it. Besides the knowledge you’re supporting local farmers and sustainable agriculture, the raw food and vegan 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
LOTUS RESTAURANT North Indian Lotus Restaurant has earned Hall of Fame kudos from Pacific Sun readers for nearly a decade. Family owned and operated, it serves up North Indian cuisine with vegan and vegetarian options in a casual pink-tablecloth setting. 704 Fourth St., 415.456.5808, lotusrestaurant.com
MULBERRY STREET PIZZERIA Italian Chef Ted Rowe won first place in the Food Network Television Pizza Challenge with his Mushroom Lover’s Pizza— sautéed mushrooms in a creamy garlic sauce atop a fresh pizza crust. Located across from the Smith Ranch Road movie theaters, it’s a great place to grab dinner and a movie. 101 Smith Ranch Rd, 415.472.7272, mulberry-street-pizzeria.com
SABOR OF SPAIN Spanish Named Best Tapas/ Small Dishes restaurant in Marin by the Pacific Sun in 2006, this Spanish wine bar is a great place for a date or a big party. The gazpacho is world class here and a must-try. 1301 Fourth St, 415.457.8466, saborofspain.com
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
THERESA & JOHNNY’S COMFORT FOOD American Cooking like Mom used to make. Stop in for eggs Benedict, tuna melts, coffee and some of the best milk shakes around. 817 Fourth St, 415.259.0182, theresa-and-johnnys.com
SAUSALITO
ANGELINO RESTAURANT Italian Father-andson chefs Pasquale and Alfredo Ancona offer handmade pastas and seasonal antipasti at this authentic Italian restaurant, which has been serving food from the Campania region for the past 24 years. 621 Bridgeway, 415.331.5225, angelinorestaurant.com
FENG NIAN Chinese Busy at lunch and dinner, this spacious hangout has been a popular spot for wonton soup, potstickers and daily specials for nearly two decades. For an indulgent treat order the Szechwan crispy calamari or honey-glazed walnut prawn. Free delivery. 2650 Bridgeway, 415.331.5300, fengnian.com
HORIZONS Seafood/American There isn’t a better place for waterfront deck dining with stunning views of Angel Island, Alcatraz and the San Francisco skyline. Horizons is a favorite with locals and visitors. Enjoy lunch, dinner and brunch daily, featuring fresh seafood, salads, sandwiches, pasta and steak. Deck dining, valet parking and docking facilities available. A full bar serves draft beers and specialty cocktails and has an extensive wine selection. 558 Bridgeway, 415.331.3232, horizonssausalito.com
LE GARAGE French Olivier Souvestre opened this new waterfront cafe in Sausalito with partner Bruno Denis. Le Garage features standard French bistro fare like croque monsieur and brunch items like eggs Benedict with an emphasis on fresh seafood and a large selection of charcuterie Indoor and outdoor seating. 85 Liberty Ship Way, 415.332.5625, legaragebistrosausalito.com
MURRAY CIRCLE American Enjoy the sun on the deck of this Cavallo Point restaurant. Locals say they come back for the fresh seasonal ingredients like wild sturgeon and Wolfe Ranch quail that chef Joseph Humphrey cooks up. 601 Murray Circle, 415.339.4750, cavallopoint.com
PARADISE BAY American Enjoy the sun or dine under the stars at this waterfront restaurant. Patrons’ favorites are the organic beef sandwiches and fresh Maine lobster clubs. 1200 Bridgeway, 415.331.3226, paradisebaysausalito.com
POGGIO Italian A great place to celebrate a special occasion or simply enjoy a night out. Executive chef Peter McNee cooks up delicious
How welldo youknow Marin?
CALL THE SHOT!
CALL THE SHOT has a simple premise: Tell us what this is a picture of and win a $100 gift certificate for Piatti Restaurante & Bar in Mill Valley.
To win, you must be specific. Sure, this historic landmark might be a bit “cheesy,” but where is it? Even better, give us the name of the restaurant that now inhabits it.
Northern Italian cuisine using fresh and local ingredients, including produce from the nearby Poggio chef garden. 777 Bridgeway, 415.332.7771, poggiotratoria.com
SAYLOR’S RESTAURANT AND BAR California/ Mexican Owner and chef Sean Saylor has created a go-to spot for locals with an extensive menu and impressive bar selection of more than 100 tequilas. 2009 Bridgeway, 415.332.1512, saylorsrestaurantandbar.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
WINSHIPS RESTAURANT American The morethan-four-decades-old nautical-themed restaurant is luring locals and tourists with hearty breakfasts and lunch options like tender fried calamari, clam strips, mussels and a giant prawn cocktail. 670 Bridgeway, 415.332.1454, winships.com
TIBURON
THE CAPRICE California Expansive Angel Island and San Francisco skyline views and an intimate atmosphere make this waterfront restaurant a
Here’s how to play: Go to marinmagazine.com/shot, 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: Karen Lafranchi of Mill Valley who won April’s Call the Shot by identifying the baseball field in Rancho Nicasio.
top pick for romance. Beyond these attractions, locals like it for the food, including a three- to fivecourse menu created by executive chef Gregg Sessler —who according to Michael Bauer “has crafted a menu that can stand up to the big boys.” 2000 Paradise Dr, 415.435.3400, thecaprice.com
COTTAGE EATERY California This one-room, recently remodeled eatery is the latest restaurant addition to Tiburon’s Ark Row. Having opened to rave reviews, owners Edward Carew and Jennifer Rebman, both formerly of New York—each with stints cooking at Gramercy Tavern—are attracting regulars with seasonal entrées like grilled branzino served with boulanger potatoes, watercress and a taggiasca olive vinaigrette and crispy suckling pig with Umbrian lentils, braised romaine, tomato and saba. Closed Mondays. 114 Main St, 415.789.5636, thecottageeatery.com
ROONEY’S CAFÉ & GRILL American If you’re old enough to remember Cheers on prime time, here is your dinner spot. There’s not a long bar, nor a bartender named Sam (he’s across the street); however, there is an undeniable neighborhood feeling in this one-room cottage dining room. 38 Main St, 415.435.1911
SAM’S ANCHOR CAFE American Everyone knows Sam’s deck is the prime spot for brunch on a lazy sunny Sunday, and its bar is the town’s historic watering hole, but Sam’s is also a great place for lunch or dinner.
Enjoy trans-fat-free calamari, fresh fish, seasonal salads and pastas. 27 Main St, 415.435.4527, samscafe.com
TIBURON GRILL California New name, new style and new menu. The bar space at Three Degrees was so popular it’s been opened up to create a more loungy seating area. Chef Bruce Bowers, formerly of Real Restaurants, together with Fred Lam, the chef de cuisine, have redesigned the menu to offer more, casual, seasonal California pub fare. No item is more than $20 except for a steak, with entrées falling in the $14 to $18 range. Happy hour will be Monday through Friday from 4 to 7p.m.. 1651 Tiburon Blvd, 415.435.5996, thelodgeattiburon.com/restaurant
WEST MARIN
DRAKES BEACH CAFE Local If you’re OK with the long drive, you can’t beat the view and the fresh local ingredients used to make the burgers, salads and soups at this casual spot (Inverness). Walk on the beach after lunch. 1 Drakes Beach Rd, 415.669.1297, drakesbeachcafe.com
OLEMA INN California One of the most charming settings around, this inn and restaurant is a great destination lunch spot for a Saturday or Sunday drive, or dinner seven nights a week. The menu includes imaginative combinations using regional and organic greens while the bar features a full wine list (Olema). 10000 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.663.9559, theolemainn.com
OSTERIO STELLINA California Celebrated chef Christian Caizzo has opened Osterio Stellina in the space formerly occupied by the taqueria on Main Street. Caizzo has earned his chef stripes in a few San Francisco top spots such as Globe, and Postrio. He also started Toby’s Coffeebar. In his words, “I opened Stellina to reflect and focus on the incredible bounty that West Marin has to offer. We are all-organic, or local, and/or sustainable, and not just ‘whenever possible.’ ” Look for menu items such as Point Reyes broccoli, baby greens, linguine with Paradise Valley kale and Dungeness crab and Devil’s Gulch pork leg (Point Reyes). 11285 Hwy 1, 415.663.9988, osteriastellina.com
PARKSIDE CAFE American Most people know it as the ultimate breakfast spot (think Guatemalan scramble or waffle with blood orange–strawberry compote and whipped cream, alfresco) but lunch and dinners are great here too. Choose from an array of organic locally grown produce and artisan meats and wild seafood. The grilled quail, the Hawaiian butterfish and the rib-eye steak are standouts (Stinson). 43 Arenal Ave, 415.868.1272, parksidecafe.com
PINE CONE DINER American Just off the main road, Joannie Kwit has re-created the ultimate neighborhood diner. Vintage china and homemade curtains complement the eclectic but homey menu featuring local fare. A favorite for locals as well as tourists, bicyclists and motorcyclists (Point Reyes Station). 60 Fourth St, 415.663.1536, thepineconediner.com
National Association of the Remodeling Industry www.northbaynari.org
ARCHITECTS
Michael J. Harlock A.I.A. (415) 924-5714 www.harlockarch.com
CONTRACTORS
Barkley Builders Inc. (415) 893-9098 www.barkleybuilders.com
Dan LeVine Mellion G. C. (415) 435-5611 DLMellion@gmail.com
Back in 1974, I was a medical student. Home for the summer, my lower back just about exploded with horrible pain that shot down both legs. Then, I began losing control of my bladder. My orthopedist wanted to fuse my entire lumbar spine. (Years before, I saw my own father ruined by back surgery.) Then, a friend referred me to a totally different kind of doctor. This chiropractor gently “adjusted” my spine. I stood up straight and pain-free for the rst time in months!
My son, Abraham, received his Ph.D. in theoretical physics from Penn State in 2007, when he was just 22. How did he get so far, so fast? Well, Abraham has been under Straight Chiropractic care since birth. My wife, Carole, said “goodbye” to a lifetime of asthma from her rst adjustment.
For the last 27 years, besides those facing risky back surgery like I was, they’ve come to see me with migraines, anxiety, stenosis, arthritis, heart problems, herniated disks, vertigo, bromyalgia, uncontrolled diabetes, insomnia, GERD, knee and hip problems,… just to name a few.
What’s the connection here? The answer is in the guarantee… I don’t treat anyone, and I don’t cure anyone. I remove interference to the nervous system, from spinal injuries healed wrong, allowing your body to heal itself. It’s as simple as that.
“More energy than I though humanly possible.”
–HOLLY NEWMAN, SAN FRANCISCO "First time in 10 plus years that I've not suffered from spring seasonal allergies (no runny nose or itchy eyes).”
–CAROL RUSSELL, PETALUMA
The ALMOST FREE Offer: When you bring in this article by Monday, June 8th, you’ll receive my entire new patient exam for $47. The regular fee is $370. This includes analysis of your spine and nervous system... X-rays... neurological scans… the whole enchilada!
I’m a Governor of the World Chiropractic Alliance, and I was honored in 2006 as “Chiropractor of the Year.”
Our of ce is friendly and warm, located in Corte Madera, right next to the movie theatre. Call me now at 460-6527. Oh, the rst step of the process, our “Chiropractic: The Big Idea” class, is absolutely free! And you will receive a book, Chiropractic Works, a $12.95 value, just for attending. –Dr. Don Harte (D.C.). The Harte of Chiropractic, P.C. Where Chiropractic lives, so you live better. TM
P.S.: Please let me clear away some confusion. Most of you have been lead to believe that Chiropractic is just for backaches. Not so here. Find out more at the class.
P.P.S.: RECESSION-PROOF YOURSELF! Many people like you no longer have health insurance. You need the best kind of health care so you’ll be better able to deal with stress, and continue to be productive and happy. Call me!
A customized approach.
Many people can implement an organizing system or revamp a current system to make it more functional. But Organize for Joy listens to clients. We take into account your needs before getting to work. Then, after the organizing project is complete, we discuss workable methods of maintaining order for the long term. We also talk about the pitfalls of even a tiny bit of clutter and ways to keep your space, and your mind, clear.
TIP Starting with your kitchen, begin to lighten your load by clearing out duplicate products and those with an expired shelf life, as they can be toxic to your family!
Belinda@organizeforjoy.com www.organizeforjoy.com
STINSON BEACH
Small-town life in a tourists’ mecca
TBY DANIEL
wisting through the winding road off Highway 101 as it climbs and falls through the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, you begin to wonder if the roller coaster ride will ever end. Just when you think it won’t, you begin to glimpse beautiful ocean views and smell the salty breeze and before long you are on a high bluff overlooking a picturesque town and a long open beach and you know you have arrived.
In a sense, coming down the hill on Highway 1, also known as Shoreline Highway, and rolling into town is kind of like going back in time, an effect that locals wouldn’t have any other way.
“I like coming over the hill; I love the bookstore, the post office, the market where I can actually keep an account,” says Frank Howard Allen real estate agent Judy LeMarr, who has lived in town with her husband since 1981. “It’s like Cheers, where everybody knows your name.”
JEWETT PHOTOS TIM PORTER
PREVIOUS PAGE : A lifeguard station looks out over the open beach. THIS PAGE : The charming stretch of downtown offers one-of-a-kind galleries, shops, bookstores, hotels and restaurants such as the historic Sand Dollar and is seconds away from the rolling surf.
RUN THE DIPSEA RACE
June 14 The 99th running of the 7.4-mile Dipsea race is the best way to arrive in Stinson Beach. It is one of America’s oldest trail races and is run on a beautiful course that is often treacherous and grueling offering entrants the challenge of steep trails and steps. The course starts in Mill Valley and ends in Stinson Beach. 415.331.3550, dipsea.org
Stinson Beach is a true beach community LeMarr says. “You can go into town and leave your dog outside; you can take your dog with you everywhere,” she adds. “It totally relaxes me; my shoulders do not feel attached to my ears. I just let it all go.” LeMarr, who works in Mill Valley and makes the trip every day with ease because she “doesn’t get carsick,” says the trick is to leave early enough to “not get stuck and not want to leave.” But coming home is her favorite part. “My husband is already at the [Bolinas] lagoon and has a picnic bag out and the grill going,” says LeMarr, who keeps a packed picnic bag at the ready. “We watch the seals and have dinner and a cocktail.”
Longtime resident Annie Rand also likes the slow pace and natural beauty of Stinson but doesn’t have to commute nearly as far. “It’s not a bad life,” she says about Stinson Beach Books, which she has owned and operated in town for 33 years. “I just walk down the hill to get to work.”
Rand moved to town full-time in 1972 after her husband, Kendrick Rand, purchased the historic Sand Dollar restaurant—a location that began life as three barges made in Tiburon in 1921. She says all you need to know about the town you can learn by understanding what happened when her husband retired as fire chief and sold the Sand Dollar in 2000.
“The town kept it a secret,” Rand says about the New Year’s Eve party the 800 or so residents planned for Kendrick Rand Day. “They had 23 floats, closed down part of Highway 1 and offered free lunch.” The list of what Stinson Beach residents can accomplish goes on and
on, according to Rand. She points to the going-away party for longtime doctor Kimberly Young that happened last month, renovation of the village greens and construction of a beautiful new library as just a few examples. “If you want to get something done around here you can make it happen,” she says.
Local gallery owner, resident and West Marin Citizen columnist Claudia Chapline couldn’t agree more. “The environment is so fabulous, you couldn’t ask for more,” she says. “It is quiet; you have the time and energy to be creative.” Chapline has run Claudia Chapline Contemporary Art since 1987 and has featured more than 1,000 Bay Area artists during that time. She says her involvement was part time until “the weekends got longer and longer and it got harder and harder to leave.” She quit her regular job, moved to town and opened the gallery full time in 1989; it is now a hot spot for local artists and collectors.
According to LeMarr, those who want to move beyond the vacation house rental market and become full-timers like Chapline can expect to pay about $6.5 million on the very high end and as low as $375,000 for a condo on the low end of the scale. She adds that, in the last calendar year, 18 homes have sold from the 49 that were listed in this one-of-akind market.
But if peace and quiet is your goal—except on Sundays when the motorcycle enthusiasts invade town—then Stinson Beach is well worth a few twists and turns.
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.
Jimmy Marin’s Real Estate Market in a Minute
QYou’ve had success selling in this tough market. What’s the secret?
AWe start every conversation by presenting a study of recent sales and current list prices. We build our pricing and listing strategy around the unique facts relevant to each property. From there, we take a hard look at the anticipated objections and create a Property Preparation Proposal to address those concerns. Whether it be as simple as landscaping, remodeling a dated bathroom that stands out, or repainting tired walls begging for new colors and a fresh coat of paint, we develop a plan for turning these potential deficits into positives. We want to erase these concerns before ever presenting the property to the buying public. Buyers want value and “move in” condition they are proud to immediately show to their friends. Because today’s buyers aren’t able to secure the equity lines for extensive remodeling they once could – the importance of presenting the property at its best— becomes critical. If this isn’t convincing enough—we just look at the number of listings vs. sales within our price category. When only 10% of available properties has sold—it makes it easy to understand why we have to do all we can to make sure our listing stands out as “best in class.”
QWith declining sales, why would I want to sell now? Wouldn’t I be better off to wait for the market to turn around?
AInmany Marin communities, selling now may mean settling on a price 25 to 30% less than the “peak” of the market. So why sell now and instead of “waiting it out”? Since last fall, we’ve given the same advice. If you’re thinking about selling at any time in the near future—within the next 1 1/2, to 3 years—we recommend making that trade sooner rather
than later. We just returned from the annual Luxury Real Estate conference in Las Vegas, where a panel of the nation’s top producing luxury realtors validated our expectation of a continued decline in prices. I encourage my sellers to look at the total and longer term picture. Even once we do hit the long awaited “bottom”—most experts are forecasting a slow annual appreciation of 1 to 3%. I tell clients to do the math at this rate, to see how many years it will take to regain that top dollar price position. On the flip side—and I call this the “give and take” theory— while sellers may give more than they want on the sale price, they are also in a position to purchase their next property at a much better price as well. Looking at the net of the total transaction, will make you feel a lot better about your total estate portfolio.
QWhat
if I’m looking to buy now? I’m hearing there are lots of buyers on the sidelines. Is it time to jump in?
AThis may be the best buying market Marin County has seen in forty years. There are indeed many outstanding values out there. However, I caution people from just concentrating a search based purely on finding a “screaming deal”. Beyond price, look for a prime location, a spectacular view, or a desirable, walk-to-town, neighborhood —some inherent attribute that will help ensure the property sustains its value and appreciates competitively over time. I also encourage clients to remember why they are buying in the first place. Often, this question reminds them that what they really want is a place to raise a family and make a lifetime of memories. These are the priorities that really count—and in the end easily outweigh simply “scoring a great deal.”
Stephanie Wickham Witt and Pacific Union Present
One of Mill Valley’s most sought-after neighborhoods – Sycamore Park!
Flat, level corner lot location close to schools, downtown & parks. This single level 3/1.5 plus a den & 4th bedroom staged as a dining room, is the best of the rest! A spacious kitchen with center island completes the floor plan. Wrap-around yard with decks & patios. One car garage. View of Mt. Tam!
www.350Sycamore.com
Offered at $925,000
In the heart of Mill Valley, near downtown & in one of the town’s most prestigious locations – W. Blithedale Canyon – this spacious home is pristinely updated & exceptionally versatile. Two living areas – one up, one down; both equally done & with comparable floor plans. Room to easily add 3rd bedroom! Multiple outdoor areas & large two-car garage. www.321CorteMadera.com
Offered at $1,124,000
One level living in this wonderfully updated 2/2 top floor end unit (in elevator building) with wrap-around deck & views of the harbor, Bay & to Angel Island. Great Room features – living, dining & breakfast bar; beautiful hardwood floors; spacious master suite.
www.80Lincoln.com
Offered at $625,000
Snuggled alongside a meandering creek, in a park-like setting, this one level 3/1.5, with an open & inviting floor plan is surrounded by decks & gardens. This California cottage’s engaging charm includes a “great room” living area with fireplace, dining & kitchen. Separate home office & onecar garage.
www.182OakdaleAve.com
Offered at $925,000
182 OAKDALE AVENUE, MILL VALLEY CLOSE TO DOWNTOWN
80 LINCOLN DRIVE, #3A, SAUSALITO BAY VIEWS IN SAUSALITO
321 CORTE MADERA AVENUE, MILL VALLEY SINGLE FAMILY OR TWO UNITS IN ONE!
350 SYCAMORE AVENUE, MILL VALLEY A WINSOME BROWN SHINGLE
Nan Allen and Pacific Union Present
VIVIAN KAUFMAN
Coldwell Banker
36 Tiburon Boulevard Mill Valley, California 94941 415.215.8480
vivian.kaufman@yahoo.com viviankaufman.com
COLDWELL BANKER SOUTHERN MARIN WELCOMES
YOUR CONNECTION TO LUXURY REAL ESTATE
Coldwell Banker, Northern California’s luxury real estate leader, is proud to share the exciting news that Vivian Kaufman, a highly respected Realtor® in Marin County, has joined our Southern Marin team.
Prior to joining Coldwell Banker, Vivian was a top producer at Sotheby’s International Realty where she specialized in high end properties and served high profile clients. Her years of experience in the local real estate marketplace combined with her background in the construction and development of residential properties for sale enable her to provide her clients with trusted expertise and unsurpassed service. A resident of Mill Valley and Napa, Vivian is an active suppor ter of several charity organizations including the Marin Foundation, Napa Land Trust and AFHU.
Says Vivian, “Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage is synonymous with real estate and service. When I tell people I’m with Coldwell Banker, they immediately know what I do and the comprehensive assistance I provide. I knew that joining this company would benefit my contacts and affiliations and vice versa.”
We are proud to welcome Vivian home. For expert representation of your real estate needs, contact Vivian today.
Chic San Francisco Living
81 Ashbury Terrace, San Francisco
Offered at $3,550,000
This beautiful four bedroom, three bathroom home was recently renovated and features fine attention to detail throughout. Exquisite views of the City, Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay are found throughout many of the rooms.
For more information about this exquisite property, visit VivianKaufman.com or call 415.215.8480.
321
2
FOR SALE:
Stunning Marin home, fully loaded, navigation, low miles, Ferrari red…
BY IAN CHARLES
As with most things in life, the condition of today’s real estate market in Marin is a matter of perspective. There are as many indicators on one side that point to better times as there are those pointing to the next leg down in real estate prices. The question is, what signals do we focus on to validate our opinions about whether to sell or buy in the current environment?
The recent emergence of wealthy buyers paying with cash has resulted in a number of $5 million to $10 million Marin properties closing in the first quarter. Encouraging, yes— but while the market for high-end properties appears to have strengthened, many agents say the market for middle and low-end singlefamily homes remains anemic. Condo sales in southern Marin are still weak, but sales in Petaluma and Santa Rosa are on the rise.
In southern Marin, agents say open houses are packed with tire kickers, but actual buyers are few and far between. In fact, according to BAREIS MLS, sales of homes in Marin during the first quarter declined 13.2 percent year over the year and 28 percent from the fourth quarter of 2008. Sales activity is the strongest in
Novato and San Rafael, with 38 percent and 28 percent respectively of all homes for sale in contract. This is largely due to a greater percentage of short and distressed sales in those areas. And although prices are still declining, national real estate database Dataquick reports that the rate of decline is slowing, indicating the market may be near its bottom.
The reliable indicator of changing market conditions is new escrow activity. The chart illustrates activity over the past 13 months. New escrow activity bottomed out in December 2008 and began a modest ascent through January and February 2009. This increase in new escrows in March 2009 is a combination of demand returning to the market and the cyclical nature of the business. April and May closings should rise accordingly.
extent to which prices have fallen in the upscale markets is more difficult to gauge because many of those areas are essentially in hibernation, with scant sales.”
Some sellers have resorted to creativity to spark the sale. Bill Smith of Frank Howard Allen in Tiburon has one client who is selling a $3.4 million Tiburon property. The seller is a collector of exotic sports cars and has thrown in his $200,000 Ferrari F430 Spider as an incentive for a full-price offer. It’s a unique idea and I suppose houses in Paradise Cay will soon be sold with yachts listed under the amenities.
To keep things in perspective, last year’s March sales figures for the entire Bay Area were the slowest on Dataquick’s statistics going back to 1988. This past March was the third slowest, ahead of last year and March 1995.“More than any other region, the Bay Area is waiting for socalled jumbo loans to come back on line,” says John Walsh, MDA DataQuick president. “Even with prices off their peaks, most home purchases in the upper half of the market still require a mortgage for more than $729,450 (current conforming loan limit), which are far more difficult to come by. We think there’s a good chance those larger loans will become more available during the second or third quarter. For now, the
As a seller, pricing for “perceived value” has proven to be a very successful approach. Homes sold in the first 60 days on the market generally close at or above 95 percent of the original list price. Homes sold after 120 days generally bring less than 80 percent of the original list price. One additional important fact: Marin County singlefamily homes costing more than $500,000 experienced only 173 closings in the first quarter, less than 20 percent of the available listings. Mark McLaughlin of Morgan Lane Real Estate said that trend indicates that it is still a buyer’s market. In turn, average sale prices are still approximately 10 percent below listing prices. However, with buyers and sellers aware of this, listings are inherently mispriced to compensate and offers are made with this spread priced in.
“We are frequently asked, where is the bottom?” says McLaughlin. While some Marin communities have already seen the bottom, others still have some room to fall. Unless the stock market loses its footing again, McLaughlin views current trends as positive. As demand returns, prices should stabilize and begin to climb. McLaughlin believes the bottom has formed. If that’s the case, the worst could be over for those wanting to sell and buyers need to ask themselves if they want to be partially right or miss the current market opportunity.
Stinson Beach. This Balinesian inspired masterpiece was completely renovated in 2002 and boasts exquisite design and finishes throughout. Private and gated, this three bedroom, two bath one level residence with separate three car garage enjoys a state of the art Macintosh surround sound projection home theater. Sited on the second largest lot in Seadrift and located on the ocean, this beachfront sanctuary enjoys stunning views of the mountains and the beach. Offered at $5,850,000
. This historic, 6-bedroom, 5.5-bath Victorian home dates back to 1894 and has been lovingly maintained and restored with much of the original details including intricate molding, antique lighting, and spacious rooms with high ceilings. There is an 80-foot, four-story octagonal tower, paned windows and four terraces with spectacular views of the Bay, Angel Island, Corinthian and San Francisco Yacht Clubs. The large living room offers a circular seating area, fireplace, French doors and a tiled terrace to enjoy the views. Deep water boat dock. Offered at $5,395,000
is located on the water with a deep water boat dock and has mature landscaping, western exposure and easy access to the San Francisco
at $2,950,000
Stateof-the-art kitchen, 3 fireplaces, formal living room and dining rooms, a hot tub and a 3 car garage. This home offers the ultimate indoor/outdoor connection with world class views. Located in coveted Reed School District and is close to the
Belvedere
Tiburon This is a dramatic 3 bedroom + office, 2.5 bath Mediterranean style waterfront home built in 1998 with meticulous attention to detail. It
Bay.
Tiburon Yacht Club. Offered
Middle Ridge Mill Valley
Downtown Mill Valley
Tiburon View Condo
This 5 bedroom, 4 bath 3200 sq ft home sits on .42 acres with 2000+ sq ft of decks & stone patios in serene location. This home typifies peaceful living with hiking & biking on Mt. Tam, meticulous owners, year-around garden & beautiful views with all day sun, and warm breezes.
Dave DuPont
415.867.6611
www.225Tamalpais.com www.TheDuPontGroup.net
$2,790,000
Charming Home, Great Location
Charming 3 bedroom, 2 bath single-story home with fenced yard, patio & gardens. Situated on the CM/Larkspur border on a corner lot just blocks to town, parks & schools. Features include wood floors, fireplace, formal dining room, bright kitchen with tile counter tops & stainless steel appliances. $868,000
This cozy 2 bedroom 2 bath home lies in the heart of Mill Valley, and was recently remodeled with great attention to detail and quality. This house has great flow, skylights throughout, very usable outdoor space, and is easy walking, riding & hiking to all Mill Valley has to offer. $775,000
Dave DuPont
415.867.6611
www.134Wblithedale.com www.TheDuPontGroup.net
3 bedroom, 3 bath home with forest views. Imported Italian light fixtures, birdseye maple flooring, natural stone finishes. Master suite has sitting area, walk-in closet with built-ins, & luxury bath. Gourmet kitchen with stainless steel appliances, beautiful cabinet & counter finishes. $2,550,000
This wonderful home watches over the alluring vistas of the San Francisco Bay and is steps away from scenic morning strolls thru parkland. This 2 bed, 2 bath home was recently remodeled with the finest Sub Zero and Wolf appliances, granite counters and marble tile and attention to details. $795,000
Dave DuPont
415.867.6611
www.1410Vistazo.com www.TheDuPontGroup.net
Panoramic Bay View Duplex Both 2 bedroom, 1 bath, flat units have the same floor plan. New hardwood floors, carpet & kitchen flooring, fleshly painted inside/outside, & slate fireplaces. Bay views from deck of each unit plus the common patio. Extra locking storage, common laundry room. $1,199,000
Deborah Hamilton
415.261.8344
Anna Pennington-Boucher 415.860.1399
Charming Mill Valley Home
Charming 2-level, 3 bedroom, 2 bath Mill Valley hillside home offers a kitchen with many improvements, a sep. laundry/mud room, master-upstairs and doors slide open to yard. Vinyl fencing, deck, nice yard for entertaining & enjoying the views! Sep. of fice/cov. 2 car pkg. $799,000
• A newly complete Dwell Magazine branded “Dwell Home” is a testament to success, and the definition of value for the modern aesthetic aficionado.
• This 4,200 square foot, 5 bedroom, 4.5 bath custom residence was recently completed in 2009 and boasts floor-to-ceiling walls of glass that invite the always mesmerizing, and constantly changing views of San Francisco and Bay into every room – day or night.
• A radiant-heat-warmed home with custom high-end finishes throughout has wonderful living spaces that flow freely to over 2300 square feet of decks and outdoor living areas.
• This award-winning Charlie Lazor design was featured on the cover of Dwell Magazine, and in the New York Times,Wall Street Journal and other notable issues.
Offered at $3,650,000 www.61Wolfback.com
Mill Valley
• REAL VALUE! This executive 3867+ square foot, fivebedroom, four-bath family home lies on one-third acre lot with views of the Bay and southern exposure.
• Wonderful open floor plan and high end finishes. Main level includes formal living and dining rooms, eat-in chef’s kitchen, family room with bay windows, formal entry and fifth bedroom.
• The upper level features a grand master suite with bay views and vaulted ceilings, plus three other large bedrooms, two baths and a spacious laundry room.
• The lower level includes a large bonus au pair/rec and generous three-car garage.
Offered at $1,925,000 www.15VistaDelSol.com
Sensational views of the San Francisco skyline, the Bay, Sausalito, Belvedere Island and Ring Mountain open space from nearly every room. Built in 1993, this stunning, custom-built, architectural achievement by David Hale offers an artful balance of contemporary design, function and attention to detail. Enter through the magnificent front door and you are greeted with the warmth of cherry wood floors and the dramatic use of glass. Soaring ceilings and skylights fill the home with the brilliance of sunlight and open space. The formal living room with fireplace and the formal dining room provide a spectacular place for entertaining. Spacious gourmet kitchen with granite countertops and adjoining family room. The elegant master suite includes tall windows, with views of open space, the bay, San Francisco and Sausalito, and his and her separate baths with joining dressing room. There are two additional bedrooms, each on its own level, two more full baths, a half-bath, and an office. 216-bottle wine cellar, warm floor heating, solar panels, two car garage with motor court. Total of three bedrooms (two en suite), four and one half baths… $3,195,000
For more information, visit globalestates.com
Classic Japanese country dwelling melded into its natural setting and the graceful serenity of its stunning gardens, serene water features and calming water views. Elaborate built-in cabinetry in Tansu style with hand-forged iron pulls, translucent shoji screens, engawas opening to gardens and views, traditional tatami mat room with tokonoma, bath with soaking tub, indoor rock garden and exquisite outdoor gardens with rocks, waterfalls, ponds, stone bridge and pathways, and the majestic hipped gable and shed roofs, of copper, with their deep and graceful overhanging eaves. With nearly invisible mortise and tenon, and dovetail joinery, massive spanning logs of pine and fir and curved beam of incense cedar, rough timbers and hand-planed surfaces of over 18 carefully-chosen wood species, this residence reflects the richness of centuries-old architectural woodworking techniques and the quintessence of fine artisan craftsmanship. Containing the crucial elements of an authentic 16th-century Japanese country home, designed for easy indoor/outdoor living and supplied with technically advanced 21st-century electronic communications and comfort amenities, this home provides a rare and privileged opportunity to experience American life , Japanese style. Five bedrooms, three of which serve as master suites, and five full baths…
$7,900,000
For more information, visit globalestates.com
Originally the Blanding Estate Carriage House, now beautifully transformed into one of Belvedere’s most prominent vieworiented residences. Gracious patio/garden entry and inviting foyer with captivating Golden Gate Bridge view. Kitchen/ family area with granite-top center isle, butler’s pantry and adjacent terrace with San Francisco skyline and bay view. Formal living and dining rooms with adjacent water-side terrace with riveting bay views from the Bay Bridge through Mt. Tam, study with fireplace, powder room and bedroom with full bath complete the entry level. Downstairs level comprises approximately 1400 square foot master bedroom with fireplace, small pantry with fridge, large water-side terrace and stunning marble bath, walk-in closet and second full bath. A second guest suite with full bath completes this level. A third level with its own separate entrance comprises a large living area, two bedrooms and one bath. Two-car enclosed garage and multi-car off street parking. Five bedrooms (four en suite), five and one- half baths, including the master with his and her baths… $14,800,000
For more information, visit globalestates.com
As you turn up this cypress-lined drive, be prepared to feel the allure of Tuscany. You will not be disappointed when you reach the gated entry and first view this elegantly designed European-style home. Wonderful space, volume and light await you through the front door. Convenient to shopping and the highway and yet you feel as if you are hundreds of miles away from civilization behind the gates of this very special, private property. Offered at $4,295,000.
4 Bedrooms ♦ 4.5 Bathrooms ♦ Guest House / Cabana with 1 Bedroom & 1 Bath ♦ Pool & Spa Stunning Landscaping & Expansive Level Lawns ♦ 1.388 acre lot (per tax records) Approx. 4,300 sq ft (per appraisal measurement) ♦ www.283Summit.com
Karen Z. Hardesty • Principal / Broker 415.265.3344 • kzhardesty@visionrealtors.com www.KarenZHardesty.com Committed to Extraordinary Service
Chelsea E. Hardesty • Principal 415.300.6881 • chardesty@visionrealtors.com www.ChelseaEHardesty.com Redefining Service in Real Estate
The moment you drive up to this lovely Peacock Gap home you will sense the serenity that awaits you. The entry path leads through a secret garden featuring an ancient oak & Japanese maples. An abundance of lavender, impatiens and other flowers add color. Open the front door to a formal entry that opens to a living room with a vaulted ceiling and fireplace with French tile surround. The formal dining room is large enough for elegant entertaining. The remodeled kitchen is a confection featuring Caesar Stone counters and Cherry cabinets. Italian tile floors add to the warmth. An adjacent breakfast room has sliding doors to a private garden and opens to an office featuring built-in cherry cabinetry. The comfortable family room is the perfect place to sit by the fire with a good book or curl up on a rainy day and watch your favorite TV shows enhanced by surround sound (wiring and speakers built-in, equipment is not). This room features a wall of glass that slides open to provide access to a deck that runs the length of the home. Perfect for barbecuing and dining al fresco, it provides a view through the trees to the golf course beyond. Oak floors in the main rooms add style. The luxurious master is located on this level with the same wonderful views and a remodeled bath. The additional bedroom would make a perfect study. The main level is completed by a powder room and large laundry room with sink and access to the two-car garage. On the lower level you will find two additional bedrooms with bath. Easy access from here to the lower yard with a wonderful pool in a sunny, private, weather-protected area. Several patios add room to entertain and relax. A true spa-like getaway. The quality in this lovely home is impressive. Open the door and know you are home! Price upon request. 4 Bedrooms ♦ 2 1/2
929 Alturas, M.V.
Crisp and Contemporary
Spectacular views of lush green hills and dramatic sunsets embrace you from every room of this 4Bd/3Ba home.
A private location on a quiet cul-de-sac, a generous fenced yard, award-winning M.V. schools & close proximity to S.F.
See photos at www.929alturas.com
Affordably Priced at $1,025,000
388 Cecilia, Tiburon Opportunity Knocks
This well-appointed townhome with 3BD/2.5BA, hardwood floors, stainless appliances, spacious, sun-filled rooms and fully fenced backyard is your ticket to the Tiburon lifestyle. Award-winning schools, walking/biking paths along the water and close proximity to S.F.
See photos at www.388cecilia.com
Offered at $849,000
arge home with gated entry and cottage features beautiful lawns, grand porches, level land and two garages. Entry hall, formal living and dining rooms, great room kitchen with eating area, replace, den, desk areas and powder room. Rear porch leads to an outdoor replace and deck. The lower level has a bedroom and full bath, laundry room and areas for living, entertaining and storage. Within minutes from the renowned Ross School.
Offered at $3,495,000
eld 116 LAUREL GROVE
xtensively remodeled bright and sunny one level home situated on a at lot with mature fruit trees, large lawn areas, huge entertainment area, close to the Priory Swim and Tennis Club and the renowned Kent eld Schools. Set back from the street and gated, this home consists of 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, kitchen with eating and desk areas, laundry and mud room, attached garage and outbuilding ideal for of ce, gym or playhouse. Window walls provide an indoor/outdoor feel. A must see in a terri c location!
agni cent property with unbelievable views of Mt.Tam in the heart of Kent Woodlands. Lush gardens abound and provide an indoor/outdoor setting that is amazingly quiet and lends itself to dining al fresco in the patios. Great oor plan with 4 bedrooms,6 baths, formal living and dining rooms, plus a bonus room with bath perfect for an of ce, exercise or guest room. All in a resort setting ideally located with cabana, pool and spa.
Offered at $3,995,000
Offered at $1,925,000
www.MorganLaneMarin.com
For additional information, please call:
Lane Marin, Inc. 901 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Kent eld, CA 94904 415/710-0208 sbowman@morganlane.com
352 Molino Avenue, Mill Valley
This large custom Craftsman style home. Offers three bedrooms, three baths, plus an office and wine room, A rare additional au pair/in-law cottage, is also on the property. It is on a bright and sunny- private level lot. There are dual pane windows, and hardwood floors- throughout. A gourmet chef’s kitchen with breakfast counter, open to the family room. There is off street parking for 8 cars, plus 3 spots for the cottage. Flagstone walkways and patios in both the front and back yards, that are professionally landscaped. It is very close to Molino Park, the pixie trail, and downtown Mill Valley, with views of the mountains. Don’t forget the excellent local schools. This is a very special property, not to be missed.
View online at www.352Molino.com
Offered at $2,350,000
COMING SOON FOR SALE: Fabulous Cape Cod on the Ocean in Exclusive Seadrift
421 East Strawberry Drive, Mill Valley
Spectacular bay and city views surround this 4,000+/- square foot, 5 bedroom, 3 ½ bath waterfront Strawberry home on almost an acre. Private gated new boat dock, large remodeled gourmet kitchen, hardwood floors, large garage, level lawn, expansive redwood decks and more. Completely remodeled with new roof, 2 new furnaces, new 200 amp electrical, upgraded plumbing, newly painted exterior and interior, new carpet, and new construction of third level which includes large media/great room, two bedrooms, bathroom, second laundry room and decks for entertaining. Easy San Francisco commute location, excellent Mill Valley Schools.
Offered at $2,797,000
SAMMY HAGAR
BY MIMI TOWLE | Sammy Hagar discovered his path to success long ago, and it had nothing to do with bottom lines, compounded interest…or even making music. “I like making people happy,” he says. “As an entertainer I decided I wouldn’t take on issues or be political. When I’m up on stage and I see the audience smile and put their hands in the air, it feels great.” After multiple Grammys, other music awards and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (and an infamous feud with the brothers Van Halen), it’s clear the formula has worked. Besides his music, Hagar also peddles positivity via taquitos and tequila, which has netted him a pretty peso via his Cabo Wabo Cantina and tequila company. Committed to philanthropy both local (Kiddo!, Ritter House, Homeward Bound, 142 Throckmorton and Oak Hill School) and national (Blessings in a Backpack), he says his main concern is children. “I can’t stand the thought of the kids suffering,” he says. Hence his latest restaurant group, Sammy’s Beach Bar and Grill, whose profits benefit families with terminally ill children. As a veritable king of the party scene, how does he relax? “I will come home after 10 to 12 hours at the studio and cook. I go to the grocery store with an idea for a menu, come home, grab an amazing bottle of wine, and just get into the zen of making a meal. That’s my meditation.” Born down the coast in Monterey, Hagar has called Marin home for over three decades. Why? Read on—and for more on Hagar’s outlook on life, go to marinmagazine.com.
You could live anywhere. Why Marin? There is so much to do here on a beautiful sunny day—go to the beach, climb to the top of the mountain, or take the boat out. You can get exhausted thinking about it. For a day trip you can go to the greatest city in the world, S.F.; the wine country; or skiing or boating in Tahoe. Why would anyone not live in Marin?
What bothers you here? Too much traffic. I’ve lived here for over 30 years, and sometimes I’ll come back from a tour and there’s a new stop sign.
What is your personal idea of luxury?
My wife and I filling up one of my gasguzzling exotic cars, heading out to Nick’s Cove, renting a cottage, eating oysters and caviar, and having fine wine, a margarita or two while watching the sunset.
What person has influenced you the most? Recently, Paul Newman. He has set a great example for giving back.
What has been the most fulfilling moment in your work? There have been many: the awards, the multiplatinum LPs, being able to give back to others because of the dedicated fans. But being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is pretty darn special.
What’s your favorite place to unwind? Outside of Cabo San Lucas, I would have to say my Jacuzzi in Marin.
Do you have a favorite Marin view? From a boat in the bay, looking back at Mount Tam, Sausalito, looking across to Tiburon/ Belvedere, around to Alcatraz, the East Bay, Bay Bridge, and the most beautiful city in the world, San Francisco; another corner turn, and you’re looking at the Golden Gate Bridge. That could be the best 360 degrees on the planet.
How do you want to be remembered? Hopefully, as a person who brought a lot of love and joy into other people’s lives, but just to be remembered will be fine with me.
PHOTO: BARBARA RIES
CHRISTIE’S GREAT ESTATES IS ALL OURS
When Christie’s Great Estates selected Pacific Union as its exclusive Marin County affiliate, it confirmed our position as the Bay Area’s most trusted resource for luxury home buyers and sellers. Because, unlike other auction houses which sell franchises, Christie’s chose Pacific Union to represent them and their clients.
Christie’s Great Estates is far and away the largest and most prestigious resource for luxury real estate around the world – serving more than 40 countries, with their average home selling for $3.5 million. And last year’s sales totaled more than $129 billion. That was in 2008, before every number you heard had a “billion” after it.
What does that do for you? For one thing, any estate property listed with a Pacific Union agent is automatically listed globally by Christie’s. That means anyone, anywhere in the world, looking to Christie’s for a distinctive property in the Bay Area can see your home online.
Does that make us a more perfect Pacific Union? Whether you judge an agent by local knowledge, integrity and professionalism, marketing capability, or the number of little circles after the dollar sign, Christie’s is convinced that you can’t do better in the Bay Area.
To talk to a Pacific Union agent grounded in your community and connected around the world, call or visit our nearest office.
