50 Rethinking the Farm Marin ranch families are keeping tradition alive with hard work and plenty of innovation.
58 Did Drake Really Do it? A preponderance of proof points to the explorer’s 1579 landing in Marin.
64 Mountain, Surf and Valley From luxurious to rustic, these second homes offer completely different ways to experience the beauty and wealth of nature.
THE COVER Warm November by Ross Penhall. Find more of his work at caldwellsnyder.com or by calling 415.392.2299.
In Marin
29 Currents An onthe-street interview in San Anselmo, wandering the stores of Main Street Tiburon, a style update with Julie Chaiken, 10 questions for Johnny Heineken and more.
38 Shop Pack these pretty portables for football tailgating.
40 Conversation We connect with Marin Cancer Institute’s Dr. Francine Halberg to fi nd out the latest on breast cancer treatment.
Destinations
71 Go Fall — postharvest, pre-holiday — is the ideal time to visit wine country.
Out & About
79 Calendar A roundup of what to do in Marin and beyond.
94 Dine An insider’s guide to restaurants and tidbits in the Bay Area.
108 On the Scene Snapshots from special events in Marin and San Francisco.
Marin Home
115 Backstory A Colorado transplant fi nds “Pleasantville” in the heart of Marin — and takes it with a diner on the side.
COLUMNS
16 View From Marin 18 POV 138 Looking Back
76 Travel Buzz Four spooky sojourns, a visit to eco-friendly Copenhagen and a 90th anniversary for Yosemite’s Evergreen Lodge. OCTOBER
Editorial
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Nikki Wood
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Jim Wood
MANAGING EDITOR Julie Sinclair
SENIOR EDITOR Mimi Towle
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Daniel Jewett
EDITOR-AT-LARGE Tim Porter
STYLE EDITOR-AT-LARGE Somer Flaherty
COPY EDITOR Cynthia Rubin
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
PJ Bremier, Jacoba Charles
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Logan Link
INTERN David Pascoe
CONTACT editorial@marinmagazine.com
Art
ART DIRECTOR Veronica Sooley
PRODUCTION MANAGER Alex French ext 111 | production@marinmagazine.com
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Drew Altizer, Mo Delong, Nike Van Der Molen
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Leah Bronson ext 109 | lbronson@marinmagazine.com
NEW YORK Couture Marketing | Karen Couture 917.821.4429
HAWAII Destination Marketing | Debbie Anderson 808.739.2200
The Marin Store
WEB CONTENT AND MERCHANDISING MANAGERS Tanya Naouri ext 113 | tnaouri@themarinstore.com Peter Thomas pthomas@themarinstore.com
Marin Custom Media
CONTACT: PUBLISHER Lisa Shanower ext 107 | lshanower@marinmagazine.com
MARIN MAGAZINE One Harbor Dr, Suite 208, Sausalito, California 94965 PH 415.332.4800 FAX 415.332.3048 WEB marinmagazine.com
EMAIL advertising@marinmagazine.com TO SUBSCRIBE marinmagazine.com/subscribe
MEMBER OF THE BPA WORLDWIDE
FALL IS IN the air — a signal that family-filled holidays are just around the corner. If you’re feeling like you need a bit of a respite before the busy times ahead but don’t want to venture out too far, our Go coverage this month just might come in handy. We’ve taken on the tough job of exploring a few wine country destinations to find the best places for sipping a fine cabernet by the fireplace, sampling Michelin-star cuisine and treating yourself to a wine country–inspired spa treatment.
Family also played a part in this month’s “10 Questions With….” We tracked down world champion kitesurfer Johnny Heineken, who took inspiration from his water-loving parents and then journeyed on to the top of his sport after only six years. Traveling around the world representing the U.S. takes funding, and while Heineken is sponsored by gear companies such as Ozone and Mikes Lab, he and his fellow kitesurfers are looking for corporate sponsorship. Anyone know someone at Heineken USA?
What’s in a name? Here in Marin County (where Sir Francis Drake’s is known in every household) one might be surprised to hear that some people — as in many scholars — don’t believe that the 16th-century privateer landed here at all. In fact, Nova Albion, as he named his landing place, has been thought to be located as far north as Oregon and as far south as Santa Barbara. However, we’ve uncovered some pretty compelling evidence (by way of Bay Area historian Edward Von der Porten) in our feature story “Did Drake Really Do It?” that strongly supports the notion this English explorer took refuge just a few miles from the terminus of his namesake boulevard in Tomales Bay.
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
We’ve uncovered some pretty compelling evidence that supports the notion Sir Francis Drake took refuge just a few miles from the terminus of his namesake boulevard in Tomales Bay.
PHOTO OUTTAKES
We wanted to be sure these four-legged West Marin residents and Sally Gale (center photo), who didn’t make it into our “Rethinking the Farm” story (beginning on page 50), didn’t get left behind.
BARBARA
Marin’s Roadside Panhandlers
Is there an effective solution?
BY JIM WOOD
PEOPLE WHO ASK for money at intersections and freeway off-ramps make me uncomfortable — and I don’t know why. Do I resent their intrusion into my space while I’m listening to the radio? Do they make me feel guilty? Or do they take my mind in a direction I’d rather not go at that moment?
If I pass them a few dollars, I don’t think it helps long term. I even get upset when a person in the car in front of me hands one of them money. It’s only going to make the problem worse, I tell myself. Yet most of these folks look like they can use the money.
To further this issue, I talked with several roadside panhandlers — and the results were inconclusive. For whatever the reason — mental challenges, drug or alcohol abuse — many had trouble communicating, others were fl ippant, and one said, “Hey man, it’s good money.” Never did I hear, “I’m out of work; I’ve tried everything and nothing’s working,” or a similar expression of desperate need. (Admittedly, it was not a scientific survey; I had eight brief conversations.)
I also checked on what Marin does to help such people. My conclusion: This county
does a lot to help the less fortunate. “Our free dining room is open 365 days a year,” says Christine Paquette, development director at St. Vincent de Paul Society of Marin County. “We serve hot breakfasts starting at 6:30, hot lunches at noon and offer a take-away dinner before closing at one in the afternoon.”
According to Paquette, about 400 people a day avail themselves of St. Vincent de Paul’s free dining room on B Street in San Rafael.
“Also on weekdays, we operate a Help Desk, where people come in off the street and, hopefully, get their immediate needs met,” Paquette says. By that she means clothing; job counseling; personal hygiene; and directions, even help — which might include bus or train fare — with returning to whatever family they may have.
When I asked Paquette about giving money to those standing at off-ramps and intersections, her answer was direct: “You will probably be giving cash to someone we know very well.” In other words, many of these panhandlers are well aware of where in Marin to go for help.
At her suggestion, I’m printing up 3-by-5 cards to give to roadside panhandlers. The cards will read: “If you really want help, these local organizations will help you.” The cards will have St. Vincent de Paul’s location and phone number: 820 B Street, San Rafael, 415.454.3303, along with the names and addresses of other Marin agencies that offer assistance — Ritter Center, Gilead House, Homeward Bound, Novato Human Needs Center and even Image for Success.
This is one simple solution. Will it help? I honestly don’t know. If you have another idea, let’s hear it. This is an issue that needs to be discussed; hopefully, it can be resolved. That’s my point of view. What’s yours?
Email pov@marinmagazine.com.
When I asked Paquette about giving money to those standing at off-ramps and intersections, her answer was direct: ‘You will probably be giving cash to someone we know very well.’
“Tony”, Marin Humane Society
Editors’ Choice, 2011
I read your August issue cover to cover. I have lived in this beautiful county for 30 years, and your editors absolutely hit all of the real Marin County places to go in “The Hot 101 Editors’ Choice” (August 2011). LINDA ZANIDES, SAN RAFAEL
I loved the “Hot 101 Editors’ Choice.” It’s a great rendition of Marin and all it has to offer. I am very disappointed, though, that The Cantina — the one staple that every local has a story about — was not included. With its reopening last year, how could that place be overlooked? JOE COLLINS, VIA MARINMAGAZINE.COM
Tanks and Covers
I agree with Jim Wood’s POV (August 2011) on the overuse of military vehicles at the July 4th parade in Corte Madera. And regarding cover blurbs, I love the cover of the magazine — great art or photo — undisturbed by lists of articles to be found inside. ARLENE HALLIGAN, SAN RAFAEL
The Buck Institute
What a great article on the Buck Institute and its expansion project (“The Buck Is Growing,” September 2011). However, you did not mention that the architectural/ engineering team carrying out the project is an all–Bay Area team led by Perkins+Will of San Francisco, national experts in buildings for scientific research with projects in the Bay Area, around the country and around the world. They were chosen by the Buck Institute to design the addition consistent with the master plan and design guidelines developed by I. M. Pei, who was not involved in the project in any capacity. HOWARD WEISS, SAN FRANCISCO
Redesign Feedback
Wow! I just received the September 2011 issue and love the new look. I have to admit, I did not read “View From Marin” my fi rst time through. As I turned the pages, I realized that something really special was unfolding and needed to fi nd out what motivated this change. Your “View” explains all — I believe you have
Your Letters
truly realized your goal. Congratulations and best wishes for many, many more successful years. JANE SCURICH, MILL VALLEY
I am a longtime reader of Marin Magazine and think that it is very well done. However, the new larger format is not as easy to hold and read, and the paper quality is not as good.
MARTIN PFLUGHOEFT, TIBURON
Input on Parks
I read Jim Wood’s POV (“Marin Dreaming,” September 2011) with great interest and wholeheartedly agree with the idea of many solutions that will allow our state parks to remain open. Private/public partnerships are one way to achieve this, yet the public sector
must never assume that the private sector places the public interest as their primary priority. Tony Magee would like to help keep Samuel P Taylor Park open. This is an exceptional offer, and perhaps he is already connected with the coalition that Jared Huffman put together to explore ways to keep the mission of our state parks alive while also joining with private sector monies to achieve this. The private sector is just that, private. The public parks are exactly what they claim, public. There must be some sort of check and balance when we allow private money to support the maintenance of our public parks. It is very heartening to see many private businesses offering support. We must also have the necessary public oversight of that support. TERESA
FERRARI, MILL VALLEY AND MARSHALL
ON FACEBOOK, WE ASKED YOU
If Marin County had a mascot, what would it be?
“A Peacock in a hot tub.”
Christiana Vergari McNair, Novato
“An oyster!”
Alicia Brooke Gray, Novato
“A
mountain biker!”
Marti Joyce, San Anselmo
“Hands down, Mt. Tam.”
Debbie Wade Carney, Mill Valley
“Half elephant head and half donkey behind, as we’re liberal on social causes and conservative on fiscal issues and property values.”
John Philipp, Sausalito
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 20
O‘AHU: Sheraton Waikiki; The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort, Waikı¯kı¯;
Mailbox Fun
Congratulations are in order for Tiburon resident Ann Davis, who won a $50 gift certificate for Horizons in Sausalito for sending us a photo of herself in front of her very cute mailbox. Although Davis’
mailbox wasn’t pictured in “We’ve Got Mail” (September 2011, page 131), we couldn’t resist adding her name to our drawing after she sent in these photos — and she won!
Correction
In this year’s Bay Area Private School Guide (which ran as an insert in our September 2011 issue), we incorrectly listed the affi liation of Marin’s San Domenico School. It should be listed as an independent Catholic school. To view this listing online, visit marinmagazine. com/privateschoolguide. m
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Your comments may be edited for clarity and brevity. Send letters to Marin Magazine, One Harbor Drive, Suite 208, Sausalito, CA 94965, or email us at letters@ marinmagazine com . Please include the town where you live and a daytime phone number.
Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa; Sheraton Princess Kaiulani MAUI: Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa; The Westin Maui Resort & Spa; The Westin Ka‘anapali Ocean Resort Villas KAUA‘I: Sheraton Kauai Resort; The St. Regis Princeville Resort; The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas THE BIG ISLAND: Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort & Spa
[UPCOMING EVENT]
MARIN DESIGNERS SHOWCASE
Thursday, November 30
6–9 p.m.
Villa Belvedere, Belvedere
Tour the newly constructed 15,000-square-foot home overlooking the San Francisco Bay, where 24 of the top Bay Area designers will transform each room into a showcase of understated elegance. The opening night event will be memorable with delicious offerings from Bay Area restaurants and selected wines.
Proceeds benefit the Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership in Marin.
$150 per person (opening night); tours: $30, or $50 with lunch
415.479.5710; marinshowcase.org
Want
The scoop on Bay Area fundraising events
[UPCOMING
EVENT] RIVERBOAT GALA
Saturday, October 15, 6 p.m.
Pier 3, San Francisco
Attendees at the New Orleans–themed event will be greeted on board the San Francisco Belle with New Orleans–style drinks and Dixieland jazz. As you sail on the San Francisco Bay, casino gaming, premium open bar, seated dinner, and silent and live auctions guarantee to make it a memorable evening.
All proceeds benefit Marin Charitable, where every dollar raised will go to disadvantaged youth in our community.
Individual ticket: $185; sponsorship levels available
415.377.0531; marincharitable.org
Friend us to tag and share RSVP Hot Ticket photos and join the conversation on local happenings at facebook.com/marinmagazine.
[UPCOMING EVENT] CS FOUNDATION GALA
Saturday, October 15, 6–10 p.m.
New Delhi Restaurant, San Francisco
The event will be held at New Delhi Restaurant, San Francisco’s finest Indian restaurant. The menu will include gourmet hors d’oeuvres, a traditional Indian family-style dinner, dessert display and open bar.
The CS Foundation is focused on making a difference and bringing medical care to the people of South India. This event is dedicated to raising awareness as well as receiving donations to help build a community hospital. Your contribution will make a significant difference, as 100 percent of all proceeds go towards this cause.
$150 per person, $275 per couple, $1,100 for a table of eight 866.256.3466; cs-foundation.org; RSVP by September 30 (if after this date, please call Catherine Scott, 415.526.1013, for availability)
What Are Your Friends Up To?
A new Facebook module right on our home page shows what posts have been recommended by other Marin Magazine readers. And if you’re logged on to Facebook, you can even see some recent Marin Magazine–related comments and “Likes” by your friends. marinmagazine.com
(4 REASONS TO LOG ON NOW)
Facebook Comments
We’ve added a new way to comment on your favorite Marin Magazine stories. At the bottom of each online article you’ll see a Facebook commenting area. Just make your comment and choose to either have it appear only with the story or also get posted to your page where others can see it. Did we miss something in our coverage? Did we do a great job? Is there more to the story? Let us know. marinmagazine.com 2
Buy Cover Art
We know our covers are pretty, and we know they look great on your coffee table — but what about on your wall? Through a partnership with Art Brokers Inc., we offer almost every cover framed and in glorious detail. So clear up some wall space and check out what’s available. marinmagazine.com/coverart
Marin Magazine’s Wedding Photo Contest
Enter your funniest wedding photo and ask your friends to vote!
Win a Second Honeymoon!
Remember when the best man fainted and the bouquet was stolen by the family dog? Well, now those humorous wedding moments can win you a four-night stay at Waikiki’s Moana Surfrider, a Westin Resort & Spa, when you enter our wedding photo contest. Winners will be featured in the January issue of Marin Magazine. Join the fun! marinmagazine.com/weddingcontest
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In Marin
CELEBRATING THE PEOPLE, PLACES AND CAUSES OF THIS UNIQUE COUNTY
ON THE STREET
Staysea Colteaux, Owner, Dogville, San Anselmo Morton, one of her four dogs
Nice shirt. This one? It’s a Giants’ Pat Burrell T-shirt. I love Pat Burrell. I don’t care how many people say he’s old and he can’t run and he can’t hit the ball. I think he’s wonderful. I think he’s dang handsome. Where are you from? San Anselmo. And where do you live now? Fairfax [laughing]. Far away. How many dogs do you have? Four. And how many children? One. Two horses, four dogs, one child. And a husband who puts up with all of that. More hooves and paws than feet, for sure. Your name is unusual. It’s been that way since I was 12. Originally it was Stacy. I was at a slumber party with four of my friends and we decided to change the spellings of our names. We thought it was going to be a really cool thing to do and we all went to school on Monday and they were like, oh, I don’t know, I don’t think I can do that, and I was like, hey, I’m doing that. Changed my name. Done! My mother still hates it and my dad absolutely refuses to spell it my way. INTERVIEW BY TIM PORTER
S Nasimiyu Designs
African art, tapestries woven (literally) for kings, and intricate, colorful, beaded necklaces as soulful as the designer (and owner) herself. 80 D Main, nasimiyudesigns.com
Main Street and Ark Row, Tiburon
Running along the waterfront block from the Tiburon ferry terminal around the corner to the shady arc of Ark Row, so named for its past life as a houseboat haven on Belvedere Cove, Main Street is a mélange of enticements for tourists and staples for stylish locals. TIM PORTER
WANDERINGS
N May Madison
Cool cookware, from the really good stuff (Le Creuset) to the really fun stuff (big, bad barbecue mitts). Named after the owner’s two daughters. 10 Main, maymadison.com
Main Treat
Wear your inner predator (tiburon is Spanish for “shark”) on a T-shirt. A must stop for visitors and locals who just gotta represent. 21 Main, 415.435.6071
Ruth Livingston Studio
No other Marin interior designer was once an officer in the Israeli army, but that’s only one reason Ruth Livingston’s gallery of wondrous furnishings and objets d’art is uniquely fascinating. 74 Main, ruthlivingston.com
N Citrus
Old Gringo boots to drool over, up to 60 styles of shoes, bags, belts and more of everything you don’t need a dressing room to try on. 13 Main, shopcitrus.com
Koze Beginnings
When you’re not old enough to appreciate (or tall enough to fit into) Koze’s stylish boutique-wear, start here with clothes and accessories for kids. 16 Main, getkoze.com
Flying Horses
Remember your neighborhood toy store? Whaddya mean, no? Then experience one here — wooden trains, board games, hula hoops, Schleich animals. 17 Main, 415.464.7035
S Schoenberg
Guitars
Eric Schoenberg sells his own line of marvelous guitars as well as several walls full of vintage Martins, Gibsons, Eastmans and more. Schoenberg’s is to guitar lovers what Paris is to francophiles. 106 Main, om28.com
E Christopher Home
Hair-cutter extraordinaire Christopher Downs isn’t content to make just you look fabulous, he also wants your decor to match (his home-centered store is right next door). A bit of France, a touch of the Hamptons, a lot of Marin. 88 Main, christopher-salon.com
E Prima Palate
Old World wine by the bottle or by the glass, with an emphasis on all vintages Italian. Stay for a taste, or rent the whole place for a party. 84 Main, primaplate.com m
Left: A buttery from Koze Beginnings. Below: Toys from Flying
Inset: Unique objets d’art from Ruth Livingston Studio.
KEY TO THE CURE
Get the shirt.
Shop the weekend.
Show your support.
Join Saks Fifth Avenue in the fight against women’s cancers. Get the shirt, designed by Elie Tahari, available exclusively at Saks Fifth Avenue this October. Then shop October 20 to 23, when Saks will donate 2% of sales to local and national women’s cancer charities.*
Special thanks to Jennifer Hudson, the 2011 Ambassador for EIF’s Women’s Cancer Research Fund and Saks Fifth Avenue’s Key To The Cure.
*Saks will donate 2% of sales Thursday to Sunday, October 20 to 23, up to $500,000. Visit saks.com/KTTC to learn more.
Style File
LIVING IN MARIN has its advantages, as we all know. For Julie Chaiken, founder and CEO of Chaiken and Capone, it could mean fi nding inspiration for an upcoming line. While much of the U.S. fashion industry is centered in Manhattan, Chaiken believes there’s an advantage to being outside that milieu in terms of how she looks at the world and the customer.
“I could see someone at school dropping off her kids and notice how her clothes work,” she says.
“It could be just one detail. I think about what she’s doing in her life and how each piece will fit into that … who she is; how she fits in the clothes.”
Julie Chaiken
FASHION GURU
Chaiken’s new line, relaunched this year and available in Marin at The Store in Mill Valley, is the embodiment of style with purpose — which also aptly sums up Chaiken herself. Nationally, Chaiken promotes the reproductive rights of women; locally, she’s involved with the Jewish Federation and recently joined the board of trustees at Marin Primary & Middle School. Why Marin? “There’s no better place to live,” she says. “I feel grounded and strong and centered here.”
JULIE SINCLAIR
I think about what she’s doing in her life and how each piece will fit into that.
Clockwise from top: Julie Chaiken; the Jen Tank in Mulberry inside the brushed plaid Jodie Jacket in Blue/ Black; Erin Sweater in Mink over the Kara dress in Black; luxe wool Stretch Susan Skinny Trouser in Charcoal; Serena Skirt in Black Leather.
A Ghostly Return
Just in time for Halloween, the legendary horror fi lm producer and director William Castle (1914–1977) has returned from the dead with his first new work in decades: From the Grave: The Prayer ($15.99, William Castle Productions) — a novel actually penned (or should we say ghostwritten?), by his daughter and Belvedere resident Terry Castle. Set in Hollywood and Southern France, the work is a compelling thriller geared toward young adults that’s infused with history and suspense.
Castle will be holding a special reading and book signing on October 21 at 7 p.m. at Book Passage in Corte Madera — all ghouls welcome. JULIE SINCLAIR
CONGRATS!
Don’t be surprised if you start seeing red-and-white Latvian fl ags fl ying high throughout the county. During his recent visit here, His Excellency Valdis Dombrovskis, prime minister of the Republic of Latvia, installed Marin resident Liga Hoy as the fi rst-ever Honorary Consul of Latvia for Northern California. The ceremony took place at the San Francisco Yacht Club’s Cove House in Belvedere. Congratulations to Liga for receiving this great honor. DAVID PASCOE
Caption utat, sequat, sum irilis ea faciduisci et lum nit lutat.
Update: Marin City School Gardens
In last year’s August issue, we ran a story about Carlos Santana’s philanthropic work in Marin, focusing on four gardens that were built at Marin City and Sausalito schools with the help of GrowingGreat. More than a year has passed, and we’re checking in to see how things are going now. We couldn’t be happier to report that the student-run gardens are doing wonderfully. Located at Martin Luther King, Jr Academy Middle School; Bayside Elementary; and Willow Creek Academy, these gardens provide children with a hands-on opportunity to learn about the wonderful benefits of a healthy lifestyle that a garden supports. Not only do kids work and play in the garden, but with a little patience they also get to literally taste their hard work when the gardens yield. And so far, the yields have been great. D. P.
Marin City and Sausalito student-run gardens — built with the help of Growing Great — are doing well.
10 QUESTIONS FOR
Johnny Heineken
Kitesurfer
LARKSPUR
Like the tallest redwood in Muir Woods, 23-year-old Johnny Heineken of Larkspur has had the ideal Marin County conditions to find himself at the top of his game. Last summer he clinched the World Champion title in kitesurfing — a sport he took up just six years ago — and this year he was North American champ, too. His parents, both doctors, are avid sailors; his father, Paul, directed St. Francis Yacht Club’s junior sailing program and instilled in both Johnny and his sister, Erika, a passion for the water. So it’s no surprise that when we met him, Johnny had recently returned home as winner (as did Erika) of the Canadian National Championships in kitesurfing. MIMI TOWLE
1
Did you play other sports growing up? I played basketball and baseball just like most kids, but when I was old enough my dad took me windsurfing with him at Larkspur Landing. After that I knew I loved being on the water more than anything else.
2
Did you get your board at Big 5? Nope, it was made by Mike Zajicek of Mikes Lab in El Sobrante, a local windsurfi ng guru I met through a friend, Chip Wasson, who had convinced Mike to start building kiteboards. I bought a board in 2009 and ever since have worked closely with Mike on design. On the 2011 Worlds podium, fi rst, second and third (place winners) were all riding his boards — we defi nitely couldn’t be sailing this fast without Mike!
3 At what point did sailing become a priority? I started racing 29ers (skiffs) after middle school — the adrenaline of high-speed sailing was totally addictive. By my sophomore year at Marin Academy, I’d dropped off the basketball team and started traveling all over the West Coast and even internationally to compete. I was hooked.
4 Scariest fall? There were some big ones in Germany at the WC — head-high chop, it was nuts!
5 How do you train? I spent the summer with Adam Koch (world champ in 2010) and Bryan Lake, at Sherman Island, the best training spot in California — maybe even in the world. It’s no coincidence that we swept the podium at the Worlds in Germany. We pushed each other and improved as a team.
6
Favorite drink? Lagunitas at the Silver Peso; I can skate there and walk home.
7 Planning to use your degree in mechanical engineering? I’d love to work in the area of alternative power — wind energy. While I was training last spring I had an internship at Makani Power in Alameda — loved it!
8
Best pizza in Marin? Defi nitely Stefano’s chicken pesto.
9 Where should people learn?
Sandy and Donny with Kitopia on Sherman Island; they’ll take you out on Jet Skis and really make it easy to learn.
10
How do you pay for this?
Sponsors give us gear, like Ozone kites. And Mikes Lab helps us with boards, but we are looking for corporate sponsorships. m
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.
1
The Perfect Picnic
Pack these pretty portables for football tailgating this fall.
BY PJ BREMIER
4
2
3
1 Designer Donna Wilson’s durable wool Picnic Blanket for Nos Da, woven in England in the traditional double-cloth method, has a waxed canvas backing for moisture protection. $478 at Design Within Reach (San Francisco); dwr.com 2 Tuck this 4-inch portable Red Galvanized Citronella Candle in a cheerful pail to keep your picnic mosquito-free. $9.95 at Sur La Table (Corte Madera); surlatable.com 3 Elevate your picnic with this 30-square-inch eco-friendly wooden Table in a Bag or Picnic Chair. Both are easily assembled and come with a canvas sling bag. $39.95 and $49.95 respectively at Crate & Barrel (Corte Madera); crateandbarrel.com 4 Picnic treats stay visible, but protected from insects, with this charming screened Ladybugs Food Tent by Woodard & Charles. $12.95 at David M. Brian (Greenbrae); davidmbrian.com 5 Be prepared for any picnic with this Wicker Picnic Basket for four: Porcelain plates, hand-blown wineglasses, insulated cooler, wine bag and flask, thermal mugs, food containers, fl atware, corkscrew and cheese board included. $249.95 at Williams-Sonoma (Corte Madera); williams-sonoma.com m
5
The Paul May and Frank Stein Interventional Endoscopy Center at CPMC
Meet the Helping Hands of CPMC
Paul May and Frank Stein helped reduce recovery time to 10 minutes
Center, part of the Sutter Health Network, can deliver a proven alternative to invasive gastrointestinal surgery — with no incisions, no pain and virtually no recovery time.
Thank you, Mr. May and Mr. Stein, for helping make our new endoscopy center a reality.
Learn more about the Paul May and Frank Stein Interventional Endoscopy Center at CPMC.org/helpinghands
Francine Halberg, M.D.
FOctober is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so we connected with one of Marin Cancer Institute’s radiation oncologists to find out the latest on breast cancer treatment.
BY JULIE SINCLAIR • PHOTOS BY TIM PORTER
RANCINE HALBERG, M.D., is a busy woman. In addition to participating in state and national boards, studies and committees — including her involvement as a steering committee member of the Marin County Women’s Study (marinwomensstudy.org), a project undertaken to determine why breast cancer risk factors do not affect all women in the same way — Halberg is a radiation oncologist at Marin Cancer Institute, where the majority of her own patients are in treatment for breast cancer. Halberg, who graduated medical school from Cornell University and completed an Internship at Stanford University Hospital, has practiced radiation oncology at Marin General Hospital since 1991; the institute was formed in 1992. This year, the Commission on Cancer Accreditation Program of the American College of Surgeons awarded the institute (located adjacent to the hospital in Greenbrae) eight out of eight possible commendations, and cancer survival rates at the hospital surpass the national average — results that reflect the innovative, holistic approach and pioneering techniques of Halberg and her colleagues.
Opposite, clockwise from top left: Dr. Francine Halberg; a patient receiving radiation; the spalike lobby of the Marin Cancer Institute; an inside view from an MRI machine. Below, from top: A computer shows a scan; a patient relaxing as she receives chemotherapy.
What is the relationship between the Marin Cancer Institute and Marin General Hospital?
Marin Cancer Institute is a flagship program of Marin General Hospital — an integral part of the hospital’s mission to serve the residents of Marin. The institute offers a full array of medical and radiation oncologists, surgeons, urologists and breast specialists who provide cancer care in Marin. We collaborate to continuously improve and seamlessly integrate inpatient and outpatient cancer care. We provide services at both ends of the spectrum, from community and physician education and prevention to helping people through the challenges that may face them after treatment.
On average, how many patients does the institute treat in a year — and how does that break down by types of cancer? We currently treat about 700 new cases and follow close to 15,000 patients whom we’ve treated in the past. The most common cancers treated are breast cancer (24 percent of patients), prostate cancer (21 percent) and lung cancer (10 percent). Colorectal and non-prostate urologic cancers each make up about 7 percent of the total. We treat many other types of cancer as well.
What are the average demographics of the breast cancer patients you see at the institute?
We have patients in their 20s and all the way up to their 90s. Breast cancer disproportionately affects well-educated Caucasian women, although we certainly see women of all races and ethnic backgrounds at Marin Cancer
Institute. The message is that breast cancer is often diagnosed in women with no known risk factors; it can hit anyone. Because our county has so many women diagnosed with breast cancer, we have put together a truly exceptional program to provide the very best possible care. Part of that includes participating in research to determine what causes breast cancer. Marin General Hospital, the County of Marin, Zero Breast Cancer and others are committed to fi nding out why so many women with excellent access to health care and prevention still have a higher level of risk.
The initial results from the Marin Women’s Study (MWS) add weight to other statewide and national investigations showing that when women stopped taking estrogen and progestin therapy, striking reductions in breast cancer incidence followed. How was the Marin Cancer Institute involved in this study? And what are your thoughts on it? Marin General Hospital has played a key role in the study — with our patients having the highest participation rate of any group — and the importance of the results can’t be over-emphasized. Our investigation of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and breast cancer was one of the numerous analyses that will eventually come out of the MWS. The fact that our HRT utilization patterns and breast cancer rates both decreased in the time following the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) gave us some great clues about why overall breast cancer rates declined.
One thing we have learned, however, is that eliminating HRT alone will not stop breast cancer. We need to continue to raise awareness of other factors that increase risk. For example, alcohol consumption: It appears that consumption of more than 4 to 6 drinks per week begins to significantly increase your risk. Additionally, we’re learning that excessive alcohol consumption as a teenager may lead to higher lifelong risk. And there’s a relationship between being overweight and higher breast cancer risk — especially if the weight gain takes place later in life. There also
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appears to be a strong correlation between risk and not getting enough exercise. We are not out of the woods yet, and Marin Cancer Institute will continue to promote research and education about risk reduction.
What education programs does Marin General Hospital and the Marin Cancer Institute have about breast cancer? There will be a wide array of community education events during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, including our annual breast forum. Look for registration information on our website, marincancerinstitute.org.
You’ve been a radiation oncologist for 20 years. How has the treatment of breast cancer changed in that time? And how has your own approach to and thinking about the disease changed? Our patients are amazing, and their courage and strength inspires us daily. Throughout my career we have kept making progress: Cure rates are up, and patients experience fewer side effects. Cancer treatment today is a team effort with the patient and all of the involved physicians. Each patient is presented to a multidisciplinary tumor board, so she gets a built-in second opinion. By having all the physicians involved in breast cancer work so closely together, we can push our program to be even better. We also review open research studies for each patient — both the initial findings and whether our patients might benefit from participation.
The biggest change I’ve seen during my career is the realization that breast cancer isn’t a single disease — it is many different diseases that we can now defi ne. Understanding that has allowed us to begin to tailor treatment to each individual patient and her specific tumor situation, with improved effectiveness.
The variety of options for patients is greater than ever. Often this allows us to do less than we might have in the past, whether it is a breast-conserving approach, less radiation, avoiding removal of lymph nodes or avoiding chemotherapy when possible. If a mastectomy is chosen, we now have skin and nipple-sparing surgery and a gifted team that makes the latest reconstruction techniques available. We’re now applying personalized medicine — including individual genetic traits — to decide how best to tackle each person’s case.
Because clinical trials have driven tremendous advances in cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment, we have been participating in them since the late 1970s. Since 1990, we have enrolled 1,346 patients in various trials, approximately 64 patients a year. We have participated in 56 breast cancer trials aimed at prolonging life-effecting cures. Scores more have been done to study drugs that relieve or prevent the symptoms and side effects of the illness and the treatments we use. You don’t have to go to an academic medical center — or even cross a bridge — to have access to the latest research.
Of course, improved technology also is driving improved outcomes, and we have invested to provide the most advanced technology to our patients, from digital mammography to radiation therapy CT simulators, state-of-the-art linear accelerators, 3D-CRT, IMRT, IGRT, Respiratory Gating and stereotactic radiosurgery. Our community has been very generous in helping us acquire this technology, and we are incredibly grateful.
The biggest change I’ve seen during my career is the realization that breast cancer isn’t a single disease — it is many different diseases that we can now define. Understanding that has allowed us to begin to tailor treatment to each individual patient and her specific tumor situation, with improved effectiveness.
We take tremendous pride in having the highest possible levels of certification. Just this past week, our oncology physicians obtained QOPI Certification. QOPI, the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, is a national certification designed to promote excellence in cancer care by helping practices create a culture of self-examination and improvement — and fewer than 100 practices across the
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Marin Cancer Institute has pioneered techniques in radiation oncology, one of them being synchronizing the treatment with the breath. Please explain how this is done and what the benefi ts are. Were you involved in the development of this technique? We are very proud of the fact that our department has pioneered important advances in breast cancer radiation therapy, like this one. We were involved in the development of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) to improve the ability to deliver very uniform radiation therapy to the breast, minimizing side effects. More recently we helped develop respiratory gating. The idea is that a deep breath moves the patient’s breast up and away from the patient’s heart, making breast radiation therapy even safer for our patients.
Currently there is a debate about how often and at what age women should receive mammograms. Your thoughts on this issue? We have a superb and highly regarded breast imaging program headed by Dr. Vida Campbell. She recommends that all women begin annual screening mammography at the age of 40 and notes that the most controversial part of these recommendations seems to be for younger women in their 40s. These young women get some of the most aggressive cancers that we see. It is critical for them to be screened each year in order for us to have the best chance of fi nding their cancers early. The largest breast cancer trial to date, published in the journal Cancer in February of this year, addressed the efficacy of screening mammography for women between the ages of 40 to 49. This study involved a million women over 16 years and it found a reduction of breast cancer deaths by 29 percent.
Many cancer programs now emphasize a more holistic approach that goes beyond traditional medical treatments of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. How has the protocol of care for breast cancer changed? We absolutely believe that you cannot just treat cancer — you must treat the whole individual. Patient-centered
care involves not just providing the best medical care but also, and very importantly, being attuned to each patient’s emotional and psychosocial needs. When patients are called in for diagnostic testing, they are introduced to a nurse navigator who serves as their advocate and explains their treatment options. The navigator provides education and support throughout the treatment process.
We offer our patients a full spectrum of support services and educational resources through the Marin General Hospital Cancer Resource & Recovery Center and Center for Integrative Health & Wellness, designed to help them heal and continue living with hope. We make sure our patients never feel they are alone and that their entire care team is always there for them.
Marin Cancer Institute’s palliative care specialists also work as an integral part of each patient’s team of caregivers — which includes doctors, nurses, registered dietitians, pharmacists and social workers — to improve and maintain our patients’ quality of life. Palliative care begins at diagnosis and continues during cancer treatment and beyond, helping to address the emotional, physical, practical and spiritual issues of cancer. Family members may also receive palliative care.
Are there lifestyle changes women can make to help prevent breast cancer, or that can help ease treatment during recovery? If I were advising my own daughter, here’s what I would say: Exercise at least four hours a week. We have clinical results that show this significantly reduces breast cancer risk. Reduce or maintain your weight at a healthy level. This is especially important as women get older but applies at all ages. Limit your alcohol intake to less than six glasses per week. Don’t smoke. Just don’t. Even though we are still accumulating all of the data, avoid drinking water from plastic bottles, and limit exposures to phthalates, parabens and other hormone-disrupting compounds such as pesticides in food, cosmetics and home products. Eat lots of vegetables and fruit. No hormone replacement therapy (HRT) if possible. Finally, be a strong advocate for continued research and improved care. There’s so much more to be done. m
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FEATURES OCTOBER 2011
This month, we learn how West Marin farming families are adapting to the times, explore whether Sir Francis Drake really landed here and tour the second homes of Marin locals.
The barn on the Stemple Creek Ranch in Tomales, where Craig Ramini has his buffalo mozzarella operation. Oppostie: The logo for Ramini Mozzarella.
Rethinking the FARM
West Marin families are keeping tradition alive with hard work and plenty of innovation.
BY JACOBA CHARLES • PHOTOS BY TIM PORTER
Inside a bright, highceilinged room, students watch chef Tracey Shepos Cenami of KendallJackson winery make a summer salad of melon and prosciutto. As she peels a honeydew, people take notes and sip wine.
A screen mounted on the wall shows a close-up view of the demonstration. This is The Fork, the Giacomini family’s latest enterprise. A center for cooking classes and other events, The Fork sits in the middle of the family’s working dairy farm on a hillside north of Point Reyes Station. Students, paying upwards of $100, are offered a behind-the-scenes tour full of gritty detail: Newborn calves, grassy fields, feeding barns and muck — it’s all there.
“We think it’s important to show how everything they see outside translates to the flavors on the plate,” says Jill Giacomini Basch, one of four sisters who are now running — and diversifying — the family business. Eleven years ago the sisters started the Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company, and in 2010 they opened The Fork. “We decided to quit our day jobs, come back to the farm to really give it a go,” Basch says.
Marin County has a strong agricultural heritage, with many ranching families such as the Giacominis going back five to seven generations. Dairy farming is a $26 million-a-year business in Marin, and small, family-run dairies and cattle ranches still dominate Marin’s rural west side. But keeping these ranches fi nancially sustainable — and keeping younger generations involved — has been a struggle.
Roughly half the land in Marin is still used for agriculture, but ranching has never been a way to get rich, especially here in one of the most expensive places in the country to live. Phyllis Faber, one of the founders of the Marin Agriculture Land Trust, which buys the development rights to rural land in order to preserve
it for agricultural use, notes that ranchers are challenged by the high price of land and fuel, combined with demand for low-cost food.
Moreover, “a lot of our farmers don’t have the big acreage necessary to compete if they are just producing conventional milk and conventional beef through the normal markets,” says Dave Lewis, director of the University of California Cooperative Extension program in Marin, which provides agricultural resources to farmers and ranchers as well as consumers. So local farmers are turning their small size, their prime location and a growing demand for local, fresh food to their advantage through value-added products.
Instead of simply selling their milk at low prices to traditional dairy cooperatives, local dairy families such as the Giacominis of Point Reyes Station, the Lafranchis of Nicasio and the Strauses of Marshall are making cheese, yogurt or ice cream that they sell directly to consumers or grocery stores. Instead of traditional cornfed beef, local ranchers such as Dave Evans of Point Reyes Peninsula’s Marin Sun Farms, the Pancias of Tomales’ Stemple Creek Ranch and the Gales of Chileno Valley Ranch are switching to grass-fed herds and adding other livestock such as sheep, goats and pigs.
Below: Rancher Bob Giacomini leads a tour of his dairy farm for a group of visitors to The Fork. Opposite, clockwise from top left: Chef Tracey Shepos Cenami prepares a melon during a cooking demonstration at The Fork; salad of melon, prosciutto and Toma cheese; Shepos Cenami and Jill Giacomini at The Fork; the menu from a Fork food-andwine event.
We think it’s important to show how everything they see outside translates to the flavors on the plate.
We’re a 90-plus-year-old dairy operation, and now we’re engaging in cheesemaking traditions from the same village in Switzerland that our grandfather was born in.
In addition, many West Marin ranchers are responding to the growing demand for fresh, local food by going organic, or cutting out the middleman and selling straight to customers at farmers’ markets or on the ranch. Some, such as the Pancias, also lease their land to up-andcoming organic farmers and other agricultural entrepreneurs such as cheesemakers. From making jams and jellies to sausages and steaks, people are still finding a way to earn their living from the land.
“In the last 10 years the value-added concept has gone from a few pioneers and innovators to being part of the norm,” says Lewis of UC Extension. “What’s really great is that the next generation sees this as their addition to the farm. They love that they are continuing the family tradition while bringing some new business skills and their own motivation.”
RETURNING TO THEIR ROOTS
“We’re a 90-plus-year-old dairy operation, and now we’re engaging in cheesemaking traditions from the same village in Switzerland that our grandfather was born in,” Rick Lafranchi says, sitting at a table in the salesroom of Nicasio Valley Cheese Company, which opened last year on Nicasio Valley Road. A large glass window in one wall enables visitors to watch Rick’s brother Scott work in a white-tiled room making one of the company’s six varieties of farmstead cheese.
Down the road, Randy Lafranchi manages the family’s organic dairy.
“We started talking about cheese after a visit to Switzerland,” says Rick. “We looked on it as a chance to allow the ranch to continue, because the dairy business has been really hard for the last 10 years.”
The new venture not only is financially stable but has also enabled Rick and his siblings to rejoin the family business. “We wanted something that would let the dairy survive as well as thrive and also make the best use of the land,” he says. “Cheese seemed to make the most sense — and we have a passion for it. It’s been very exciting, very challenging and very rewarding.”
The Lafranchis are part of a growing coterie of local cheese-makers. Though Marin French Cheese has been operating since 1865, the opening of Cowgirl Creamery in Point Reyes Station nearly 15 years ago marked the beginning of an explosion in cheesemaking in the county. Now numbers of artisan cheesemakers are increasing throughout California, and more than half are located in Marin and Sonoma counties. A third of them opened their doors within the last three years, with more set to open soon.
BUILDING A BETTER BUFFALO
One of those budding cheesemakers is Craig Ramini, who left his Silicon Valley job to launch a second career making America’s first water buff alo mozzarella. “It’s exciting to think that
Opposite, clockwise from top left: Natalie Lafranchi and customers at her family’s Nicasio Valley Cheese Company; the cheese company’s tasting room and store on Nicasio Valley Road; wheels of cheese in cold storage; making farmstead cheese at the Nicasio Valley Cheese Company. This page, above left: Craig Ramini and part of his water buffalo herd. Below right: Water buffalo enjoy a shower from a hose on a warm day in Tomales.
cheese is emerging as an artisan industry in the county,” says Ramini, who leases 25 acres of ranchland from the Poncia family, near Tomales. He expects to produce his first experimental batches in a few months.
While there is inherent value in using an exotic animal like water buff alo — which are renowned in Italy for making a delicious mozzarella — there also are challenges, Ramini says. Because the breed that is common in the United States has always been a meat animal, they are not temperamentally or physically suited to producing milk.
“Imagine if someone said, ‘We want you to start a cheese business, but you have to use beef Angus,’ ” says Ramini. “It’s really hard. It would be lovely if you could just load a bunch of these buffalo on a plane in Italy and fly them over, but the USDA won’t let you do that.”
BRANCHING OUT
Cheese isn’t the only field in which ranchers have been diversifying. “In the last fi ve years, what we see at the farmers’ market has changed drastically,” says Brigitte Moran, CEO of the Agricultural Institute of Marin, which operates the weekly farmers’ markets at the Civic Centers as well as others throughout the region. “A bunch of ranchers have transitioned into selling directly to the consumer. And we’ve seen a lot of diversity from farmers who used to only do one crop; they are going back to the old ways where they had a diversified farm.”
One example of this diversification is Chileno Valley Ranch, a 600-acre spread that sits in a broad valley between Petaluma and Tomales. As twilight throws a rosy glow on the surrounding hills, owner Mike Gale crosses a pasture to check
on three 900-pound steers that have been put in a corral, ready to be shipped to slaughter in the morning. “Our main business is our beef business,” Gale says. “Everything else is secondary and complementary to the raising of beef.”
Yet the beef business that Gale runs along with his wife, Sally — who is the fi fth generation of a local ranching family — is far from conventional. Instead of selling their cattle to brokers who fatten them up on feedlots as far away as Idaho or Oregon, the Gales sell a minimum of a quarter of an animal, and only to individuals. The steers stay on the property until they are sent to the slaughterhouse in Petaluma; customers can pick up their cut and wrapped steaks at Ibleto Meats in Cotati. A quarter of a steer yields about 100 pounds of steaks and other cuts and costs about $375 fully butchered.
“We learned within a year that the traditional model wasn’t going to work for us,” says Gale. “Ranching is a lot like biology: You have to evolve or die.” Since the couple moved to Marin in 1993, they have experimented with different ways to make ranching pay. Today they sell pasture-raised eggs, heritage breed pork, and lamb in addition to beef. During the fall, they also have a you-pick produce business. Visitors can drop by the farm on Sundays and harvest the certified organic apples, pears and tomatoes that grow in tidy rows in the lee of a weathered barn. “Basically we are selling a story — it’s the story of how we do ranching,” says Gale. “But if people don’t like your product you don’t have a business.” m
Above left: Sally and Mike Gale, of Chileno Valley Ranch, with organic apples. Below: The Gales’ picturesque home is the centerpiece of their 600-acre ranch. Opposite: Two young cows graze with a herd of sheep on Chileno Valley Ranch.
We learned within a year that the traditional model wasn’t going to work for us. Ranching is a lot like biology: You have to evolve or die.
REALLY Do It? DidDrake
JIM WOOD
A preponderance of proof points to the explorer’s 1579 landing in Marin. BY
Gordon Miller’s oil-on-canvas painting, A Fair and Good Bay, depicts Sir Francis Drake’s ship — the Golden Hind —being careened in Drakes Estero.
In 1577, a 37-year-old sea captain set sail from England for the Pacific Ocean, which the Europeans had only recently discovered. The journey was extremely risky.
“These men faced far greater danger than today’s astronauts,” says Bay Area historian Edward Von der Porten. “They hardly knew where they were going; they were gone nearly three years, and when they returned people were astounded they were alive.”
That captain was Francis Drake, who was knighted by England’s Queen Elizabeth on his return from the almost inconceivable feat of circumnavigating the earth. In 1521, Ferdinand Magellan’s expedition was the first to make it around the world, but Magellan was killed before his voyage’s completion.
Von der Porten is steeped in knowledge of Drake’s epic journey. He and many other historians believe that as part of that adventure, Drake — on June 17, 1579 — entered what is now Drakes Bay for a 36-day stay on the shores of West Marin.
Or did he? Did Drake indeed repair and replenish his ship, the Golden Hind, less than a mile from where today’s Sir Francis Drake Boulevard nears its western terminus on the Point Reyes Peninsula? Or did he stop in Oregon? Near Santa Barbara? Or the seemingly obvious: inside San Francisco Bay?
Answering that question with certainty has captivated adventurers, amateur sleuths, nautical historians and even archaeologists for almost 200 years. It has held Von der Porten’s attention since 1956. Among many of its facets, the answer involves mentions of “38 degrees” of latitude, crates of Chinese bowls and plates, and the confi rming assertions of one of World War II’s great heroes.
“Of course, Drake and his men landed and encamped in Marin County,” says Von der Porten, a 77-year-old retired history and archaeology teacher who lives in San
Francisco. “There are approximately 50 pieces of evidence about Drake’s landing site, and they fit only one place: Drake’s Cove at Drakes Bay.” (Modern maps do not use the apostrophe.) Von der Porten’s confidence rests primarily on three factors:
E A mid-1800s cartographer cruised the coast in a squarerigged ship and determined Drakes Bay was the “general area” where Drake put in.
E Comparisons between a sketch made in the late 1570s and photos taken in 1952 that confirmed passage into Drakes Estero was possible.
E A 1978 hearing of the California State Historical Resources Commission, where 27 expert witnesses said
their studies showed Drake landed in West Marin. All theories advocating other locations were rejected. “This was not a ‘smoking gun’ situation,” Von der Porten says of the hearing, “but a constant parade of irrefutable evidence.”
Still, the only pieces of hard evidence presented to the state commission were shards of late-16th-century Chinese bowls and plates Von der Porten and his Santa Rosa archaeology students had uncovered in the late 1960s and early 1970s while excavating Coast Miwok campsites.
With the aid of then–Asian Art Museum curator Clarence Shangraw, Von der Porten says, one-third of those fragments were convincingly linked to cargo that Drake left with Coast Miwok people at what is now called Drakes Bay. The remaining porcelain pieces were dated to a 1595 shipwreck.
“The controversy had defi nitely been ended,” says Von der Porten. “Sir Francis Drake landed and spent time in what is now known as Drakes Bay.” But that state historical commission failed to reach a conclusion. Why?
Setting Sail
In the mid–16th century, Spain and Portugal controlled the bulk of the known world’s sea routes. England was only awakening to the concepts of commerce and empire. Queen Elizabeth I wanted to challenge other nations that had staked claims along the coasts of Africa and the New World. Captain Francis Drake was the man she sent forth.
Drake, who already made several journeys to the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, departed England’s Plymouth Harbor on November 15, 1577, for the relatively uncharted Pacific. His armada comprised 164 seamen on five relatively small ships. The Golden Hind (“hind” was a heraldic term meaning “deer”), about 80 feet long and displacing 150 tons, was the largest. Drake also possessed a letter from the queen entitling him to raid a Spanish ship in retribution for an attack he had suffered on an earlier Atlantic voyage.
After nearly a year at sea, Drake lost four ships and more than half his crew to storms and a near mutiny while passing through the Strait of Magellan into the Pacific. Near Ecuador, according to logs maintained by Drake’s nephew, John, the Golden Hind “legally” raided the Spanish galleon Cacafuego and made off with 26 tons of silver as well as crates of Ming porcelain dinnerware the Spaniards had acquired in Manila with the intent of trading with Peruvians for more silver.
Weeks later, on the coast of Costa Rica while taking time to scrape the hull of the Golden Hind , Drake captured an oceangoing craft small enough to pilot the bigger vessel into tight coves. Upon reaching Mexico, the two ships left the coastline and began sailing hundreds of miles on a north-northwest course. Then Drake turned northeast to approach the coast again.
Accounts from those who viewed firsthand the logs and charts from the voyage (which were destroyed when London’s Whitehall Palace burned in 1698) indicate Drake was looking for the legendary Northwest Passage, hoping to expedite his return to England. But all he found were frigid weather and dangerous seas, and off the coast of Oregon he turned around and headed south along the shore in search of a safe harbor where he could repair his battered craft. On June 17 (June 27 by the modern calendar), 1579, he put ashore somewhere on the Pacific coast. Exactly where Drake landed isn’t absolutely certain, although the predominant historical consensus is that it was what would become, some 270 years hence, Marin County.
White Cliffs of the Pacifi c
Drake’s 36 days on the coast of the Pacific are minimal compared to his nearly three-year journey around the globe. Nonetheless, they were significant. He made the fi rst English encampment in what eventually became the United States, led the fi rst encounter between Englishmen and Native Americans, and laid England’s first claim to land in the New World. Drake named the land Portus Novae Albionis or Port of the New White Land (or New England, depending on interpretation), sometimes also referred to as Nova Albion — reportedly because the white cliffs of Drakes Bay reminded crewmen of similar cliffs along the English Channel, Von der Porten says.
The Golden Hind ’s chaplain, Francis Fletcher, recorded the interaction between Drake’s crew and the Coast Miwoks, an account repeated in The World Encompassed,
Opposite: Crispin de Passe’s Portrait of Sir Francis Drake.
Below: A late 1500s sketch by Dutch cartographer Jodocus Hondius suggests Drake landed in Marin.
Of course Drake and his men landed and encamped in Marin County. There are approximately 50 pieces of evidence about Drake’s landing site, and they fit only one place: Drake’s Cove at Drakes Bay.
a book by Drake’s nephew published in 1628. According to both accounts, although the Miwoks’ welcoming ceremonies “used unnatural violence against themselves; tearing their flesh from their cheekes with their nailes in a monstrous manner,” they were later found to be “a people of a tractable, free and loving nature, without guile or treachery.” Both accounts also mention distinctively woven baskets that helped identify Coast Miwoks as the peoples Drake had met, Von der Porten says. Coast Miwoks are specific to Marin’s coast.
While ashore, the crew repaired the Golden Hind by using a hazardous process called careening, laying the 150-ton vessel on its side in order to clean, patch and resurface its undersides. To accomplish this required unloading cannons, supplies and captured treasures. The crates of Chinese porcelain taken from the Spanish were left behind when the ship was reloaded. Conjecture is they were left as gifts for the Coast Miwoks.
Prior to embarking, Drake’s crew trekked inland to what is now Inverness Ridge and the Olema Valley: “It was farre different from the shoare,” Fletcher wrote, “a goodly country with fruitful soil and many blessings for the use of man.” Then, according to Fletcher, Drake erected a monument, with a “plate of brasse,” that compared the white bluffs of Drakes Bay to the famous white cliffs of the English Channel, laid England’s claim to the surrounding countryside, and stated
that no Spaniards had ever been so far north. Neither the monument nor the brass plaque have ever been found.
On or about July 27, 1579, the Golden Hind sailed for home. The passage across the Pacific and Indian oceans and around the Cape of Good Hope at the tip of Africa took more than a year. When Drake sailed the Golden Hind into Plymouth Harbor on Sept. 26, 1580, he and what remained of his crew had completed a voyage of two years and 10 months.
The Captain and Marin
Additional evidence suggests Drake indeed landed in Drakes Bay and not elsewhere on the Pacific Coast. In addition to the numerous shards of Chinese porcelain linked to his raid of a Spanish ship, there is the matter of “38 degrees north latitude.” Historians from the 16th century who saw Drake’s charts and logs later stated this was the location recorded for his June 1579 landing. And Marin’s Drakes Bay is located at 38.034 degrees north latitude.
Another supporting document is a world map made in the late 1500s by Dutch cartographer Jodocus Hondius, who claimed to have seen the charts maintained by Drake’s navigator. In the chart’s upper left corner is an insert titled “the Portus Novae Albionis view of Drake’s haven in California.” Exhaustive research in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s — including photography and tidal studies — by the Drake’s Navigators Guild, a nonprofit advocacy group that supports the theory of Drake’s Marin landing, clearly correlates the Hondius sketch with today’s Drakes Bay.
Perhaps the most prominent supporter of the theory that Drake landed in Marin was Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, head of the U.S. Pacific fleet during World War II, a lifelong man of the sea and honorary chairman of the Drakes Navigator Guild. Nimitz, who died in 1966, once gave a statement summarizing the evidence validating the landing of Sir Francis Drake on Marin’s shores in 1579:
“Unless Drake’s calculations of latitude can be proven wrong, the landmark White Cliffs be termed a falsification, the naming of the land ‘Nova Albion’ be considered a figment of nostalgia, and the charting of Portus Novae Albionis be declared an imaginative invention … I take great pleasure in declaring Drakes Bay the site of Drake’s 36-day encampment in 1579.” m
Above: Bay Area historian Edward Von der Porten.
Below: Dishes similar to that believed to have been left behind by Sir Francis Drake. Opposite: A sculpture of Drake in Larkspur.
Drake’s Legacy
leads the way R
Marin
Sir Francis Drake was the fi rst person to lead — and complete — a journey around the world. And his life had only just begun. After returning home, in 1588 he led England’s fl eet against the Spanish Armada, and then led several voyages, including attacks, throughout the New World. Drake died in 1596, at age 56.
According to many historical accounts, in addition to being a globe-circling adventurer, Drake was also a privateer (some say a pirate) and a slave trader.
Possibly that explains why — except for in Marin County — few places are named for the diminutive mariner with red whiskers. In his hometown of Plymouth, England, only a traffi c roundabout bears his name — and it’s called Drake’s Circus.
Yet locally, the 16th-century sea captain is virtually exalted. In West Marin, you will fi nd Drakes Bay, Drakes Estero and, the one-of-a-kind Drakes Beach Cafe. Sir Francis Drake High School, whose outstanding school newspaper is the Jolly Roger, is on Marin’s most critical east-west thoroughfare, Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. And in San Francisco, there’s the popular Sir Francis Drake Hotel.
If you’d like to walk in the shadow (literally) of the courageous captain who — more than four centuries ago — likely strolled the shores of Marin, visit San Rafael sculptor Dennis Patton’s 30-foot tall metal likeness near the Larkspur Landing Ferry Terminal on — where else? — Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Finally, consider joining forces, fi nancially as well as cinematically, with Kentfi eld’s Corinne Swall, who is writing the fi lm script for The Story the Porcelains Tell, a documentary short on the time Sir Francis Drake, a world adventurer if there ever was one, is believed to have spent in Marin County. Swall can be reached at 415.461.0313 or corinne.swall@comcast.net.
Mountain,Surf
Dan and Kathleen Toney’s Maple Forest Cottage–style home at Lake Tahoe’s Martis Camp.
From luxurious to rustic, these second homes offer completely different ways to experience the beauty and wealth of nature.
BY PJ BREMIER
and Valley
DAN AND KATHLEEN TONEY vacationed at Tahoe for years, but when they discovered Martis Camp, a forested 2,200-acre planned luxury community between Truckee and North Lake Tahoe, they found their home away from home — and, to Dan’s infi nite glee, it’s right at the far end of the golf practice area.
“I can put on some steaks, hit some golf balls, come back and flip the steaks,” Dan says with a grin. “It’s really turned out to be one of the most desirable lots, and the house is beautiful.”
Charmed by the setting and impressed with the amenities, these San Rafael residents purchased their Tahoe lot in 2008.
Family Fun
The couple chose Kurt Reinkens of MWA, Inc. to design the Maple Forest Cottage–style home featuring four bedrooms, a 1,200-bottle wine cellar and separate guest quarters. Gray Construction built the cottage, and Lila Friday & Associates — a Marin firm with whom the Toneys have worked previously — designed the interior. “We couldn’t have done it without Lila,” Kathleen says.
At the lake, Kathleen likes to relax. She hikes the various parts of the 26 miles of groomed paths that wind through the community, often stopping at the Lost Library, an elegant cottage at the end of a trail, to sit by the fire, sip coffee and check out a book. “I especially like the attention the developers have paid to preserving the natural
environment and the respect for the flora and fauna, including the bears,” she says.
Full access to the amenities is accorded to members’ children and grandchildren. “It’s an unbelievably wholesome family experience,” Kathleen notes. Everyone in her family can fi nd something to love, including a Tom Fazio–designed golf course (Dan made the first hole-in-one here) and an 18-hole putting park as well as two swimming pools, basketball and bocce ball courts, a three-acre catch-and-release fishing lake, a ski lift to Northstar-at-Tahoe, an on-call motorboat on Lake Tahoe, summer concerts, classes ranging from painting to fly-fishing and access to bicycles, snowshoes and cross-country skis. There’s also a post office, a fitness center and spa and three restaurants, and soon there will be a private ski lodge and tennis pavilion.
Their grandchildren enjoy bowling or playing pinball, ordering a snack at the soda fountain and watching family-friendly movies at the 44-seat theater.
“Everyone wants to come up and see our new place; we tell them to take a number,” Kathleen jokes.
“And, once we’re up here, there’s no reason to leave Martis Camp. We only leave to go to church.”
Opposite top: The kitchen was designed for easy entertaining. Opposite bottom: The homeowners, Dan and Kathleen Toney. This page: The furnishings in the great room and dining room are from Wroolie & Company; custom area rugs are from Floordesign; the “Junior Suite” and “Loft Lounge,” with recessed beds, offer private spaces for guests.
FROM HER MONTANA HOME in a quiet ravine between the Philipsburg and Flint Creek valleys, Martha Cherry glimpses scenes she never sees from her house in San Rafael: a night sky twinkling with countless stars, wild animals passing through her backyard and the noticeable absence of neighbors.
It was love at first sight when she introduced her husband, Bob, to the Montana wilderness in 1974. It might sound romantic, but Cherry lightheartedly concedes that with the area’s abundant rivers, creeks and fishing holes, the love “was mostly about the fi shing.”
The couple lucked into their five-acre paradise in 1999 when a friend decided to sell it. “What we discovered — a small property set up for horses — is really hard to find in Montana,” she says. Part of an original sheep ranch, the property has wilderness views and a compound of five buildings including a two-story, two-bedroom log cabin built in 1932.
Big Sky,
Big Beauty
Over the past 12 summers, the Cherrys — with help from friends, their son Jason and daughter-in-law Michele — have remodeled and expanded the main house to include a family and dining room, mud porch and deck. Today, the old granary is an equestrian tack room, the old farm garage now protects the boat, the summerhouse — former sleeping quarters set in a cool Aspen grove — is a guest cottage, and a new garage was built for Bob’s woodworking.
The barn shelters the Cherrys’ horses (including a Shagya Arabian named Z, who was born on the ranch), who almost always travel here for the summers.
Grocery shopping and social opportunities are an hour away, but there’s always something to do around the ranch — trails to clear, grass to mow, buildings to repair — before fresh fish or pork chops are thrown on the grill for dinner and Cherry can sink into bed with a good book to read. “Sometimes I close my eyes before I even open the book,” she admits with a laugh. “I work harder here than I do in Marin.”
Cherry relaxes at home in Marin when she returns in autumn. That’s when the ravine, which doesn’t see the sun in wintertime, goes into a deep freeze and the ranch is closed.
Why do all this for a vacation house? “Because it’s absolutely gorgeous,” she says. “You’re surrounded by so much nature here. We hear coyotes on the mountain at night; see whitetail deer, elk, moose, and foxes in the pastures; watch little cottontails sit at the door and tease the dogs; and see sandhill cranes fly overhead,” Cherry says, adding, “and, as you know, Montana is ‘Big Sky Country.’ There’s this huge blue sky everywhere you look.”
From top: The Cherry Ranch is part of a former sheep ranch; the home’s new dining room; homeowner Martha Cherry with Jubilee in Marin.
THE SEA RANCH, a community of about 1,700 private homes on a 10-mile stretch of rugged Sonoma coastline near Gualala, was always intended to be a place where the development paid homage to nature.
And even though that goal has been met, civilization and recreational activities aren’t far from hand: There are swimming pools, tennis courts and golf links, an airstrip and the Sea Ranch Lodge, a 20-room dog-friendly hotel with a restaurant, art galleries and a clothing and gift boutique. There are also playgrounds, picnic areas and hiking trails, and social activities for residents and guests. Grocery shopping is nearby, and fresh fish can be bought right off the boats on Bodega Bay.
“Everybody comes here for a different reason, and each season is different,” says Mill Valley resident and mother of three Susan Durham, who’s owned a Sea Ranch home with her husband, Ben, for 12 years. The couple recently renovated their three-bedroom contemporary oceanfront home and rent it out when they’re not using it themselves.
How to spend the summer, she says, “is obvious, with kayaking on the Gualala River, swimming in the swimming holes or just exploring the small beach coves. You can play golf or tennis, and there’s an extensive trail system for mountain-biking.”
Autumn has the most consistently fog-free weather, she adds, meaning fabulous conditions to see the arriving
monarch butterflies and the fall whale migration (the whales pass by again in spring). “We see the whales playing from our living room window,” she says. “You just catch their spouts and realize they’re huge.”
On spring hikes, Durham and her family witness cormorants nesting in rock walls, tiny sea life in abundant tidal pools and hillsides and meadows covered with wildflowers. “It’s just spectacular,” she says.
Serenity on the Sea
Her favorite season, though, is winter, when it’s time for the fireplace, a window seat and a book. This is when it’s warmer at their vacation home than in Marin and when the trails are romantically mossy and misty.
“We had looked at vacation areas with similar price points such as the Lagoon at Stinson Beach or Bodega Bay, but Sea Ranch had so much more to do,” Durham says. “And, I love the drive. It’s curvy, but it’s only two-and-a-half hours from Mill Valley — and you drive past sheep ranches and pumpkin farms and wild rhododendron groves. It’s a wonderful journey.” m
Clockwise from top left: A wall of windows opens up the dining area; a deck offers views of the Sonoma coastline; an exterior view of the Sea Ranch Lodge. Below right: Ben and Susan Durham in their Mill Valley home.
Destinations
THE LATEST LOCAL TRAVEL DEALS AND GETAWAYS PLUS JOURNEYS AROUND THE GLOBE
WINE COUNTRY
POST-HARVEST, PRE-HOLIDAY
Fall is an ideal time to visit the wine country
BY DANIEL JEWETT, MIMI TOWLE AND NIKKI
WOOD
La Plage, Auberge du Soleil’s inviting pool sanctuary.
AS CRUSH SEASON wanes and the colorful leaves start to fall, it’s a great time to head to the wine country. Autumn events include the Napa Valley Film Festival, November 9–13, and Flavor! — a four-day farm-to-table feast benefiting the scholarship program at Culinary Institute of America at Greystone (CIA), November 17–20. But you don’t really need a reason to visit beyond maybe wanting a quick respite before the holidays. Where to stay? Here’s a close look at five wine country properties we think you’ll enjoy.
E Auberge du Soleil
THE ROOMS Overlooking the Napa Valley, Auberge du Soleil was first developed as a restaurant in 1981 by legendary French restaurateur Claude Rouas; in 1985 he opened the inn with business partner Robert Harmon. A toptier French-inspired wine-country destination for three decades, the resort in 2010 underwent a renovation led by award-winning designer Suzanne Tucker, who spruced up the rooms and revitalized the outdoor pool, now renamed La Plage. Each room has comfortable oversize furnishings, handmade tile floors and French doors leading to a private terrace, often with views of the valley below, as well as down bedding, Italian linens, Wi-Fi connections, plasma TVs, complimentary snacks, beverages and fresh fruit daily.
THE MEALS With arguably the best view of the valley, the on-site Michelin-starred restaurant has been led by executive chef Robert Curry for more than eight years. Signature dishes include seared ono with wakame, bacon-wrapped veal with foie gras ravioli and Liberty Farm duck with figs. Previously, Curry was executive
chef just down the road at the Wine Spectator Greystone at CIA.
THE SPA The 7,000-square-foot Auberge Spa is for hotel guests only, enhancing the tranquility of the space. There are three outdoor pools: cold, hot, and warm —the warm one being an infinity pool with views of the valley. Eight treatment rooms each feature a private patio with outdoor shower or tub.
THE LOCATION Located in the heart of Napa Valley on Rutherford Hill Road off the Silverado Trail, Auberge is a short drive to downtown St. Helena to the north and Yountville to the south. Wineries abound within a two-mile radius, including Rutherford Hill, Niebaum-Coppola, Frog’s Leap and Sawyer Cellars, to name a few.
NOT TO MISS Indulge in that last sweet bit of decadence with the resort’s unique Madeira pairings. Head sommelier Kris Margerum has curated three hard-to-find vintages to accompany house-made confections by executive pastry chef Paul Lemieux, including chocolate hazelnut truffles, pistachio caramels sprinkled with fleur de sel and amandes au chocolat. After all, when in Rome … BOOK IT Rooms start at $675 per night, auberge dusoliel.com. N.W.
E Carneros Inn
THE ROOMS Situated on sprawling acreage in the Carneros region of Napa County, the property includes 86 individual cottages and a lushly landscaped private courtyard with teak
furniture great for entertaining. Some units have soaking tubs; all have outdoor showers. Wood-burning fireplaces, flat-screen TVs and wireless connections are standard with every room. Bathrooms are spacious, with both tub and shower, limestone countertops and heated slate floors. Walking to and from the spa, pool area and restaurant on the native-landscaped paths is a central aspect of the ambience here and confirms you are truly in wine country.
THE MEALS Executive chef Steven Tevere oversees the resort’s three restaurants, incorporating seasonal ingredients from the organic garden. A graduate of San Francisco’s California Culinary Academy, he’s led such respected kitchens as La Folie, Left Bank, Boulevard and The Lodge at Pebble Beach.
THE SPA Spa director Jeannie Jarnot has been with the inn since its inception and has made it her mission to provide guests with a memorable spa experience. The Spa at the Carneros Inn features nine indoor and three outdoor treatment rooms. Treatments include wine country–inspired wraps, massages and facials showcasing indigenous ingredients like chardonnay oil, Carneros-grown-and-pressed olive oil, goat milk and goat butter. The Carneros Healing Gem and Stone and the Flower Power Pulse Point massages are client favorites. A sauna and steam room are infused with herbs from the garden; the fitness center has state-ofthe-art equipment and a motion studio.
THE LOCATION Only a 45-minute drive from southern Marin, the inn is on Carneros
Highway (121) between Napa and Sonoma. Wineries such as Viansa, Gloria Ferrer, Buena Vista and Domaine Carneros are a short drive away. The di Rosa art gallery and Cornerstone Gardens are unique nearby attractions.
NOT TO MISS Whether you’re a serious swimmer or a weekend kickboard warrior, start your day with a dip in the heated main pool near Hilltop Dining Room, an optimal spot to catch the sunrise as it illuminates the entire valley.
BOOK IT Rooms start at $395 per night, thecarnerosinn.com. N.W.
E Solage Calistoga
THE ROOMS Solage Calistoga had to clear more wall space for awards this year. Solbar, the on-site restaurant, earned yet another
Clockwise from top left: Complimentary bicyles at Solage Calistoga; a luxurious bath at Bardessono; a typical cottage at Carneros Inn; open-air “hallways” of Bardessono; couples massage at Spa Solage; a room at Auberge du Soleil; the hilltop pool at Carnerons Inn.
Michelin star, and the entire resort secured a spot on Travel + Leisure ’s world’s-best list. Situated on 22 acres, Solage features 89 cottages and suites, a 130-foot lap pool and a 2,000-square-foot spa and fitness area. The eco-friendly freestanding cottages, described by San Francisco design fi rm Dowling Kimm Studios as “Napa barn meets San Francisco loft,” have gas fi replaces and 400-threadcount sheets, and many of the cottages come with private patios and fi re pits. One other perk popular with all ages: the bicycles available for getting around the property or for jaunts to wineries or downtown.
THE MEALS A two-time Michelin star winner, the 125-seat indoor-outdoor Solbar is a valley-wide destination; make reservations if you plan to eat here. Executive chef Brandon Sharp learned his craft working alongside chefs such as Gary Danko and Thomas Keller. While a few signature dishes such as the
Lucky Pig or Mount Washington eggs are always offered, the menu changes daily.
THE SPA A prominent feature of the resort, the award-winning Spa Solage and fitness area has partnered with beauty industry celebs like Kate Somerville and locally based Marie Veronique Organics to provide unique treatments, including the Solage facial, which incorporates both product lines as well as Éminence Organic Skin Care from Hungary.
THE LOCATION Minutes from downtown Calistoga, Solage is on the northern end of the Silverado Trail. Complimentary bikes allow easy cruising to restaurants, shops or wineries.
NOT TO MISS Amid the wining and dining, make time for a fitness class and a soak in the spa’s three geotherapeutic thermal pools — all resort guests have access, spa appointment or not.
BOOK IT Rooms start at $425, solage calistoga.com. M.T.
E Bardessono
THE ROOMS Since opening in 2009, the 62-room Bardessono Hotel in Yountville — one of only three LEED Platinum hotels in the world — has upped the standard for luxury wine country lodging. The name is a nod to the Bardessono winery and its family legacy of three generations of wine-growing in Yountville. To earn the sustainability salute, the hotel’s sleek exterior was crafted from reclaimed wood, corrugated steel and nontoxic recycled materials, and energy is sourced from geothermal heating and solar power. Even the gray water here is put to good use, for irrigation in town. Inside the spacious suites, the custom-crafted furnishings and original artwork are complemented by organic cotton bed linens and robes from Coyuchi of Point Reyes. Other touches include Fiore bath products, motion-controlled exterior shutters, and fi ltered “house”
Left: Solbar at Solage Calistoga. Above: The guestonly spa at Auberge du Soleil.
water in clear milk bottles, stocked in the fridge to keep thirst at bay.
THE MEALS Latest news is that chef Victor Scargle has taken the toque in the main dining room, after prior stints as instructor at CIA, the now-closed Julia’s Kitchen of Copia, and Go Fish just up Highway 29. Beside the dining, there’s a spacious bar lounge featuring an array of artisanal spirits; cocktails are also served on the second-story pool deck in the warmer months.
THE SPA Most guest rooms can serve as private spa rooms, with steam and outdoor showers as well as a space for a massage table. But there’s also a central spa on the property with an infrared sauna and steam room and an East-meets-West-inspired treatment menu chock-full of organic skin care options.
THE LOCATION It’s centrally located in Yountville, which means walking distance to wine tasting rooms and world-famous restaurants like Bouchon, French Laundry, Ad Hoc, Bottega Ristorante, V Wine Cellar and Bistro Jeanty.
NOT TO MISS Greet the morning or end the day swogging (swim jogging) in the 75-foot solar-heated saline lap pool — the only second-story hotel pool in the Napa Valley, with commanding views of the town and surrounding vineyards.
BOOK IT Rooms start at $550, bardesonno. com. M.T.
E h2hotel
THE ROOMS In one short year since opening, h2hotel has pulled at the heartstrings of local and farther-flung travelers, keeping
the occupancy at near capacity regardless of the season. Just one look at this 36-room, LEED Gold–certified Healdsburg jewel — the younger, hipper sister (who refuses to use capital letters) of Hotel Healdsburg— tells you why. This place isn’t just green in name; everywhere you look you see evidence, and a certain amount of joy, in the interpretation of that standard. From reclaimed wood, rainwater capture systems and a living green roof to the commitment to the upkeep and rehabilitation of Foss Creek (visible from the back balconies) to the 10,000-square-foot native meadow just beyond the lobby, it’s all here. The rooms don’t disappoint either, featuring elegant and tasteful touches such as striped bamboo floors and showing support for local companies with Peace Industry rugs, Coyuchi organic cotton linens and robes and even Heath Ceramics tile in the bathroom.
THE MEALS For both drinking and dining, spoonbar is a destination in itself, set just off the town square and hence a prime peoplewatching spot for guests and locals alike. That’s especially true on warm nights, when the streetside glass doors are flung open to provide an almost alfresco experience. The food and exceptional cocktails, locally sourced to the extreme, are meticulously prepared by chef Rudy Mihal (formerly of Windsor’s Odyssey) and mixologist Scott Beattie (formerly of Cyrus). It’s a combination that will have you thinking about a return trip almost as soon as you’ve left.
THE SPA Guests of h2 need only walk up the block to Hotel Healdsburg to take advantage
of its spacious spa, which has six treatment rooms (including a couples’ suite), a relaxing garden patio and its own line of customblended premium products.
THE LOCATION The hotel is just off Healdsburg’s charming main square and walking distance to nearby restaurants and shops; Sonoma wineries are a short drive away. Many tasting rooms are also nearby including Simi Winery, which celebrates its 135th anniversary this year.
NOT TO MISS Be sure to check out the local artwork on display, including a fi replace made of bound Steinway piano strings by Oakland artist Leonidas Kyriakopoulos, a photographic study of California oak trees by Sonoma State professor Stephen Galloway and a sculpture made of espresso spoons by Sebastopol’s Ned Kahn. Even the bikes for guest use are local, made by Design Within Reach’s Rob Forbes. BOOK IT Rooms start at $215 per night, h2hotel.com. D.J. m
Left: Alfresco dining at h2hotel’s spoonbar. Below: An artisanal cocktail prepared there.
Ghostbusters
For those who like a little spook in their sojourn, here are some spirited side trips. DAVID PASCOE
1 Truckee Ghost Tour This year’s third annual historical walking tour of Truckee (October 20–21) starts at Moody’s Bistro and Lounge for a cup of courage, then continues through downtown Truckee and its many historical sites including stops at the Tourist Club, Cabona’s, Masonic Hall and the Train Depot. $30, truckeehistorytour.org
2 Ghosts in the City Widely acclaimed as the city’s best, the San Francisco Ghost Hunt begins at the historic Queen Anne Hotel; your host meets you in the lobby six nights a week at 7 p.m. to take you through almost three hours of entertainment, stories and even a little magic. $20, sfghosthunt.com
3 Scary Widow Pay a visit to the specter of Sara Winchester, widow of the gun manufacturer, in her lavish and spooky San Jose mansion home. Tours are offered year-round except Christmas; reserve ahead. $22 to $33, winchestermysteryhouse.com
Copenhagen, the Emerald City
“GREEN IS THE NEW BLACK,” a travel-mate remarked during our 2010 visit to Copenhagen. We were there to see if the city that burnished its green cred by hosting the 2009 U.N. Climate Change Conference was truly a model of successful sustainability.
4 Spooked Off Your Feet Try Old Monterey’s Trolley Ghost Tour, a 90-minute journey through the old capital of Mexican California fi lled with intrigue, murder, swindles and shipwrecks. Visit ancient burial grounds, discover hidden treasure and try not to jump at the frequent spirit sightings. $28, tours monterey.com.
One bit of proof in the affi rmative was the organic farm we visited on the city’s northern outskirts, home to one of the world’s largest farm-to-table operations. Twenty thousand Danish schoolchildren visit the farm annually to learn about sustainability. (TV’s healthy chef Jamie Oliver would be proud.) I think we saw as many kids that night when we visited Tivoli, the world’s fi rst carbon-neutral (and second-oldest) amusement park and Copenhagen’s biggest attraction.
Copenhagen also launched the world’s fi rst major bike-sharing program, which I experienced fi rsthand — almost. When I tried to secure one of the 1,500 free bikes they were all taken, so I rented. Still, it was cool to maneuver through miniature bike-only stoplights, timed so that cyclists keep hitting greens during rush hour if they average 12.5 miles an hour. If the passion for bikes in Marin is an affair, in Copenhagen it’s a lifetime romance.
All that pedaling built up an appetite, which was satisfied by a few of the city’s green-minded eateries, among them 11 Michelin-starred restaurants. Not surprisingly, Copenhagen also scores green points as the world leader in organic food consumption.
Upon departing, I concluded that the famous line from Hamlet — “something is rotten in Denmark” — couldn’t be less true (unless you’re talking composting). Denmark’s capital city may be the freshest and greenest place on earth, and maybe that’s also why it’s statistically the happiest. BOB COOPER
Museum Maharaja: The Splendor of India's Royal Courts
LISTING ON PAGE 84
Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala
Calendar
THEATER
/ COMEDY / MUSIC / GALLERIES / MUSEUMS / EVENTS / FILM EDITED BY
DANIEL JEWETT
THEATER
19–29
Richard III Kevin Spacey plays Richard III in this William Shakespeare classic directed by Sam Mendes. The Curran Theatre is the only U.S. venue other than BAM in New York, to host this event. Curran Theatre (SF). 888.746.1799, shnsf.com
W THEATER
THROUGH OCTOBER
16 Don’t Dress for Dinner A classic farce complete with mistaken identities and frustrated infidelity. Barn Theatre (Ross). 415.456.9555, rossvalleyplayers.com
5–23 Nymph Errant
An English schoolgirl travels the continent in search of adventure, romance and sex, all set to the songs of Cole Porter. Eureka Theater (SF). 415.255.8207, 42ndstmoon.org
6–30 Bellwether Things aren’t what they seem in the nice, quiet town of Bellwether. Written by MTC's 2010 Playwright in Residence Steve Yockey. Marin Theatre Company (Mill Valley). 415.388.5208, marintheatre.org
20–NOVEMBER 13 On the Twentieth Century
A train full of wouldbe playwrights cause havoc on a run to New York. Novato Theater Company Playhouse (Novato). 415.883.4498, novatotheater company.org
25–NOVEMBER 20
Hair The '60s and '70s changed American and also generated a Tony Award–winning musical. Golden Gate Theatre (SF). 888.746.1799, shnsf.com
28–29 Sexy Liberal Comedy Tour Liberal comedians Stephanie Miller, Hal Sparks and John Fugelsang will keep you laughing.
Orpheum Theatre (SF). 888.746.1799, shnsf.com
COMEDY
TUESDAYS Mark Pitta and Friends The comic hosts an evening for up-and-comers and established headliners to work on new material. 142 Throckmorton Theatre (Mill Valley). 415.383.9600, 142throckmorton theatre.com
20 Laugh With Will Durst: Cartoonist In Words Laugh with San Francisco–based comedian Will Durst as he presents an evening of witty political satire. Showcase Theater (San Rafael). 415.499.6800, marincenter.org
E MUSIC
TUESDAYS Swing Fever The band pays tribute to jazz artists and composers, playing selections from its roster of over 1,000 tunes. Panama Hotel (San Rafael). 415.457.3993, panamahotel.com
TUESDAYS Kortuzday
Jonathan Korty and Danny Uzilevsky host a weekly invitational jam that often attracts some big-name players and always produces some great music. 19 Broadway (Fairfax). 415.459.1091, 19broadway.com
S 14–15 Alex Call Enjoy a performance, book signing and reading from the man who wrote the classic hit “867-5309/Jenny.” The Playhouse (San Anselmo). 415.456.8555, alexcall.net
THROUGH NOVEMBER
25 S.F. Opera The season opens with Puccini’s fi nal masterpiece featuring music direction by Nicola Luisotti. War Memorial Opera House (SF). 415.864.3330, sfopera.com
THROUGH OCTOBER
2 Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Artists include Robert Plant, Buckethead, The Jayhawks, Chris Isaak and more. Speedway Meadow (SF). strictlybluegrass.com
1 Dark Star Orchestra
Relive the greatest moments in Grateful Dead history with faithful set list reproductions. Regency Ballroom (SF). 800.745.3000, the regencyballroom.com
2, 4 Marin Symphony
Pianist Orion Weiss returns as Alasdair Neale conducts an evening featuring the music of Tchaikovsky. After the concert on October 2, celebrate Neale’s 10th year with the symphony with a special dinner event. Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium (San Rafael). 415.479.8100, marinsymphony.org
15 Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers This popular band performs classics by jazz greats such as Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington and more. George’s (San Rafael). 415.226.0262, georgesnightclub.com
15–16 Treasure Island Music Festival Enjoy music from Death Cab for Cutie, Explosions in the Sky, Empire of the
“The piece has a lot of different influences. There is some minimalism, polytonality, jazz influences, Latin influences, and a Rachmaninoff-like section. It has this potential to really communicate to everybody.”
–Monica Ohuchi
Your Marin Symphony’s Second Concert of the Season
Visionary Mahler
Acclaimed worldwide for her passion, virtuoso Japanese-American pianist Monica Ohuchi opens this concert performing a contemporar y concerto created by Kenji Bunch. His composition is dynamic and distinctive —a vibrant American voice for the new century.
The concert finale: Mahler’s masterful Symphony No. 1. Mahler took the world by storm with his First Symphony— an audacious and utterly original creation that still brings audiences to their feet.
Sunday, November 6, 2011 at 3pm Tuesday, November 8, 2011 at 7:30pm
MSMarin Symphony
Alasdair Neale, Music Director
Concerts made possible by Montecito Plaza Shopping Center and Kaiser Permanente. Guest artist sponsored by Hoytt Enterprises.
Alex Call
Out & About / CALENDAR
Sun and more right on Treasure Island. treasureisland festival.com
16–17 The Musical Box This Montrealbased band performs The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway by Genesis in its entirety. Regency Ballroom (SF). 800.745.3000, the regencyballroom.com
18 Adrian Belew Power Trio The twang bar king is joined by legendary players Tony Levin and Pat Mastellotto. Regency Ballroom (SF). 800.745.3000, the regencyballroom.com
19 Lindsey Buckingham The Fleetwood Mac guitarist, vocalist and songwriter takes the stage. Regency Ballroom (SF). 800.745.3000, the regencyballroom.com
21 Ponticellos Cello player Rebecca Roudman invites a few guests along for the release of her new CD Eclectic Cello 142 Throckmorton Theatre (Mill Valley). 415.383.9600, 142throckmorton theatre.com
28, 30 Golden Gate Opera Enjoy a Halloween encore performance of Hansel and Gretel. Showcase Theater (San Rafael). 415.499.6800, marincenter.org
29 Halloween Dance Party Celebrate Halloween with the jam band ALO. Palm Ballroom (San Rafael). 415.388.2550, murphyproductions.com
29 Ghost Stories and Jazz The stories of Brenda Wong Aoki are given a jazzy feel by composer Mark Izu, who is joined by taiko drummers and a saxophone player. 142 Throckmorton Theatre (Mill Valley). 415.383.9600, 142throckmorton theatre.com
30 The Phantom of the Opera Organist Cameron Carpenter provides accompaniment for the classic silent fi lm. Davies Symphony Hall (SF). 415.864.6000, sfsymphony.org
E GALLERIES
MARIN
Acacia Gallery New works from Kathleen Lipinski, Steve Emery and Birgitta Kappe. 4162 Redwood Hwy, San Rafael. 415.479.3238, acaciagallery.net
Art Abloom Studio and Gallery Places and Faces Oil on canvas exhibit, through October. 751 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, San Anselmo. 415.256.1112, artabloom.com
Art Works Downtown
Day of the Dead New works. 1337 Fourth St, San Rafael. 415.451.8119, artworksdowntown.org
Claudia Chapline
Gallery Paintings and sculptures by Fred Blackman, Claudia Chapline, Italo Scanga and Harold Schwarm, through October. 3445 Shoreline Hwy, Stinson Beach. 415.868.2308, cchapline.com
Community Congregational Church
The Zimbabwe Project Multimedia wall hangings handmade by local village women,
October 20–November 30. 145 Rockhill Dr, Tiburon. 415.435.9108, ccctiburon.net
Falkirk Cultural Center
Biannual Juried Exhibition Work from 45 Marin and Bay Area artists in multiple mediums juried by Carole Beadle. 1408 Mission Ave, San Rafael. 415.485.3438, falkirkculturalcenter.
Gallery Bergelli Iconic Marin Paintings by Bryn Craig, through October 19. 483 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur. 415.945.9454, bergelli.com
Gallery Route One
Photography from Geraldine LiaBraaten. 11101 Hwy One, Point Reyes Station. 415.663.1347, galleryrouteone.org
Marin Arts Asia
Observed Modern and traditional Asian art, through November 12. 906 Fourth St, San Rafael. 415.666.2442, marinarts.org
Marin Society of Artists
84th annual members show Oct. 16–Nov. 12. Also, the California Watercolor Association 42nd national exhibition, through October 9. 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Ross. 415.454.9561, marin societyofartists.org
Marine Mammal Center
Washed Ashore Giant sculptures by Angela Haseltine Pozzi made from plastic ocean pollution. The show features 15 pieces from this nationally touring exhibit. 2000 Bunker Road, Sausalito, 415.289.7325, marinemammalcenter.org
Mona Lease
Gallery Paintings by Harry Cohen, through December. 39 Greenbrae Boardwalk, Greenbrae. 415.461.3718, monalease.net
Northbay ArtWorks Artists for Awareness New work, through October 7. 7049 Redwood Blvd, Ste 208, Novato. 415.892.8188, northbayartworks.com
O’Hanlon Center for the Arts What’s the Big Idea? Conceptual art show juried by the O’Hanlon Center Exhibits Committee. 616 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley. 415.388.4331, ohanloncenter.org
Robert Allen Fine Art Group Exhibition
Celebrate the colors of autumn with works by
Bryn Craig at Gallery Bergelli
Mark Erickson at Robert Green Fine Art
Susan Adame, Tracey Adams, Marla Baggetta, Stephen Duren, Larry Gray, Carol Lefkowitz, John McCormick and Kazuko Watanabe, through November. 301 Caledonia St, Sausalito. 415.331.2800, robert allenfi neart.com
Robert Beck Gallery Early California plein air landscape show. 222 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, San Anselmo. 415.456.7898, beck gallery.org
Robert Green Fine Arts New paintings by Mark Erickson. 154 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley. 415.381.8776, rgfi nearts.com
Rock Hill Gallery From the Earth Pastels by Carol Allen. 145 Rock Hill Dr, Tiburon. 415.435.9108, ccctiburon.net
Smith Andersen North Vintage black and white photography of Paris in the 1950s by Benjamin Chinn. 20 Greenfield Ave, San Anselmo. 415.455.9733, smithandersennorth.com
Studio 333 Ongoing exhibition featuring more than 50 Bay Area artists working with mixed media. 333A Caledonia St, Sausalito. 415.331.8272, studio333.info
Studio 4 Art Work by local artists and workshops offering materials and classes. 1133 Grant Ave, Novato. 415.596.5546, studio4art.net
The Image Flow Photographs of rock musicians from the 1970s by Bill Green, through October 31. 401 Miller Ave, Ste F, Mill Valley. 415.388.3569, theimageflow.com.
The Painters Place Oil paintings from Teresa Dong of Shanghai. 1139 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur. 415.461.0351, thepaintersplace.com
Tomales Fine Art Fine art oil paintings by Timothy Horn. 27050 Maine St, Tomales. 707.878.2525, tomalesfi neart.com
Payne at
N Donna Seager Gallery Full Circle
Installation in the main gallery by Emily Payne, through October 20. 851 Fourth St, San Rafael. 415.454.4229, donnaseagergallery.com
Emily
Donna Seager Gallery
Out & About / CALENDAR
E MUSEUMS
MARIN
Bay Area Discovery
Museum Goblin
Jamboree Children and their families are invited to come in costume and explore the Bay Area Discovery Museum, October 15–16 (Sausalito). 415.339.3958, baykidsmuseum.org
Bolinas Museum
Coastal Californios: Spanish Life in West Marin 1776–1876 An examination of life on the coast, curated by historian Dewey Livingston, through November 13 (Bolinas). 415.868.0330, bolinasmuseum.org
Marin History Museum
Come see examples of local history from the museum’s 75 years of collecting community artifacts (San Rafael). 415.454.8538, marinhistory.org
Marin Museum of Contemporary Art Legends of the Bay Area Work by Manuel Neri, through November 15 (Novato). 415.506.0137, marinmoca.com
Marin Museum of the American Indian Silver Stone Shell Jewelry of California and the Southwest including a look at the tools, materials and methods that artists have used over the centuries, through January 15, 2012 (Novato). 415.897.4064, marinindian.com
BAY AREA
Asian Art Museum Museum Maharaja: The Splendor of India’s Royal Courts See paintings, photography, textiles and dress, jewelry, jeweled objects, metalwork and furniture from princely India, October 21–April 8, 2012 (SF). 415.581.3500, asianart.org
California Academy of Sciences NightLife
Enjoy music, creatures and cocktails for adults only and take some time to explore the exhibits and aquarium displays every Thursday night (SF). 415.379.8000, calacademy.org
Conservatory of Flowers Wicked Plants
A garden of sinister delights inspired by
Amy Stewart’s 2009 bestseller, through October 30 (SF). 415.831.2090, conserv atoryofflowers.org
Contemporary Jewish Museum Houdini: Art and Magic The fi rst major exhibition to examine Houdini’s life, legend and influence includes more than 160 objects, fi lms and photographs, through January 16, 2012 (SF). 415.655.7800, thecjm.org
de Young Picasso: Masterpieces from the Musée National Picasso, Paris More than 100 masterpieces by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso are on display from the permanent collection of
SFMOMA
W SFMOMA Less and More: The Design Ethos of Dieter Rams
See work by one of the most influential industrial designers of our time whose “less but better” ethos was built into products made by the German household appliance company Braun and also served as inspiration for products like Apple computers, through February 20, 2012 (SF). 415.357.4000, sfmoma.org
Paris’s Musée National Picasso. This once-ina-lifetime exhibition is made possible by the closure of Musée Picasso for renovations, through October 10 (SF). 415.750.3600, thinker.org
di Rosa Preserve
Preview and Artists
Party: Auction X Get a fi rst look at more than 50 works donated by several top local artists that will be auctioned on October 15
(Napa). 707.226.5991, dirosapreserve.org
Exploratorium Creature
Features Dress up in your favorite Halloween costumes and see giant insects, tarantulas, blood-sucking leeches and more at this special spooky event, October 30 (SF). 415.397.5673, exploratorium.edu
Legion of Honor Pissarro's People
More than 100 images highlighting Camille Pissarro’s unique and
lifelong interest in the human figure are on display, October 22–January 22, 2012 (SF). 415.750.3600, legionofhonor.org
Museum of the African Diaspora See exhibitions that blend art and innovative technology with the African tradition of storytelling at this unique museum (SF). 415.358.7200, moadsf.org
San Francisco Museum of Craft and Folk Art Wrapping Traditions: Korean Textiles Now Artists from Korea and 10 other countries display different examples of traditional Bojagi, the art of making wrapping cloths, through
October 22 (SF). 415.227.4888, mocfa.org
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Imagecity: Selections from Video Cubano, a project of the 8th Floor, New York. Recent videos
Stepping Out Gala
from established and emerging artists based in Cuba, through January 22, 2012 (SF). 415.978.2787, ybca.org
W EVENTS
1 Vintage Vegas Presented by the Ross Valley Women’s League to benefit Adopt a Family of Marin. Private home (Ross). rvwl.org
1 Stepping Out Gala
More than 500 guests and supporters will celebrate like James Bond at this annual gala benefiting the To Celebrate Life Breast Cancer Foundation. Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium (San Rafael). 415.455.5882, tocelebratelife.org
N 14-15 Fairfax Feis Take in a two-day Gaelic arts and culture festival. Downtown (Fairfax). fairfaxfeis.net
1–2 Leukemia Cup Regatta Enjoy bay boat race for a good cause. San Francisco Yacht Club (Belvedere). 415.625.1132, leukemiacup.org/sf
1–30 S.F. Open Studios explore studios all over town and see work from more than 900 artists. Various locations. 415.861.9838, artspan.org
5 City Arts and Lectures A conversation with musician and composer Ry Cooder. Herbst Theatre (SF). 415.392.4400, cityarts.net
8 A Night in Venice Music, food, lights and gondola rides mark this unique celebration. China Cabin (Belvedere). 415.435.1853, landmarks-society.org
9 Le Petit Marché French Market Shop for antiques, collectibles, books, vintage furniture, jewelry, retro decor and more at this French-style market. Memorial building parking lot (San Rafael). 415.499.6800, marincenter.org
14 Annual Gala Join friends and supporters of the Marine Mammal Center at its 15th annual gala. Ferry Building (SF). 415.289.7330, marinemammalcenter.org
14–16 Bioneers Conference Find solutions to the world’s most pressing environmental and social challenges. Exhibit Hall (San Rafael). 415.499.6800, bioneers.org
15 Riverboat Gala Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Marin Charitable aboard the San Francisco Belle. 415.457.3594, marincharitable.org
16 Yerba Buena Family Day Take advantage of free access to SFMOMA, the Contemporary Jewish Museum, Museum of the African Diaspora, Children’s Creativity Museum and Yerba Buena Gardens.
Culann's Hounds
Various Locations (SF). 415.614.3216, visityerbabuena.org
19 Senior Information Day Jan Wahl hosts a day full of helpful information, tips and health screenings for seniors. Exhibit Hall (San Rafael). 415.499.6800, marincenter.org
22 A Garden for all Seasons Marin Master Gardeners and the Marin Art and Garden Center partner to offer a daylong festival celebrating horticulture and edible gardening. MAGC (Ross). 415.455.5260, marinmg.org
22 Authors Luncheon
The 23rd annual event emceed by Michael Krasny
features Marin authors Kathryn Otoshi and Jacqueline Winspear. Marriott Hotel (SF). 415.543.3303, kidney.org
28 Lidia’s Italy in America Tour Join the popular chef for a cooking demonstration, question-and-answer session and book signing. Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium (San Rafael). 415.499.6800, marincenter.org
28 Journey Home Gala This black-tie gala supports the Ronald McDonald House. Palace Hotel (SF). 415.673.0891, sfgala. com
29 Spooky Soiree Grab your favorite costume for the Bay Area
S 6–16 Mill Valley Film Festival This is your chance to see new independent and international films including many that may be Oscar contenders next year. Also, be sure to bring the kids to the many films included as part of the 17th Children’s FilmFest. Various locations (Marin). 877.874.6833, mvff.com
Circus Dreams, Mill Valley Film Festival
Discovery Museum’s fi rst Halloween masquerade party for adults. One Leidesdorff (SF). 415.339.3900, baykidsmuseum.org
FILM
1–NOVEMBER 12 Italian Film Festival See fi lms by Italian fi lmmakers every Saturday. Showcase Theater (San Rafael). 415.499.6800, italianfi lm.com
2 Rafael Film Center Meet fi lmmakers Nancy Kelly and Kenji Yamamoto and hear about their new fi lm, Trust: Second Acts in Young Lives. Rafael Film Center (San Rafael). 415.454.1222, cafi lm.org
3 Lark Theater Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet and Ward Bond star in the Maltese Falcon, with an introduction by author Jeff rey Meyers. The Lark Theater (Larkspur). 415.924.5111, larktheater.net
NATURE WALKS & TALKS
1 Sunset Hike and Wine
Join this local club for a monthly twohour hike on Mount Tamalpais. Mountain Home Inn (Mill Valley). 415.331.0100, meetup. com/sunsethike
12 Moonlight Hike and Picnic Take part in the Marin Moonshiners’
monthly four-mile hike to experience the sunset, moonrise and a picnic. Reservations required. Meet other people interested in the great outdoors. Pelican Inn Pub (Muir Beach). 415.331.0100, meetup. com/moonshinershike
26 Marin Scuba Club
Join Flip Nicklin as he signs copies of his new book Among Giants: A Life with Whales Fish (Sausalito). 415.456.5628, marinscuba.org
29 WildCare Family Adventures Look for signs of autumn and then gather under the “Halloween tree” for a story. Deer Park (Fairfax). 415.453.1000, wildcarebayarea.org
Marin Scuba Club
The best little town on the bay!
Deleuse Jewelers
1771 Tiburon Blvd
415.435.2484
deleusejewelers.com
Come visit our showroom in beautiful downtown Tiburon across from the Bay to see our selection of fine European jewelry and watches. We are a full service jeweler specializing in fine jewelry repair and restoration. Online at www.deleusejewelers.com
Koze
16 Main Street
415.435.1916
getkoze.com
Koze welcomes women of all ages to enjoy fashion that is both forward and affordable. We offer collections that look fabulous and feel amazing! New fall collections are arriving daily, please call, click or stop by.
Open Daily 10-6
Sweet Things Bakery
1 Blackfield Drive, Cove Center
415.388.8583
sweets@sweetthings.com
Ruth Livingston Studio
74 Main Street
415.435.5264
ruthlivingston.com
Award-winning designer Ruth Livingston collaborates with architects, artists and craftsmen to create luxury interiors and custom furniture and accessories. Natural forms are integrated with modern simplicity, resulting in elegant organic interior spaces.
A Tradition and Destination for over 34 years. A Marin Favorite. Specializing in custom decorated birthday cakes. Wedding cakes. Over a dozen flavors of cupcakes, including red velvet and mudpuddles. An extensive variety of cookies, including seasonal shapes. Don’t compromise.
Arcadian Design
116 Main Street
415.789.9800
julietuton.com
Discover treasure at the end of Main Street. An abundant variety of jewels to delight your body, and art to warm your home. This enchanted boutique is also the artist’s workshop, so you can have pieces custom created for you while you wait.
Koze Beginnings
18 Main Street
415.435.1916
getkoze.com/beginnings
A baby boutique created in the spirit of our women’s store featuring beautiful clothes and essential first gifts. All items are lovingly selected with baby’s comfort in mind. Free gift wrapping available. Please call, click or come by.
Open Daily 10-6
The Lodge at Tiburon
1651 Tiburon Blvd.
415.435.5996
tiburongrill.com
The Lodge at Tiburon is a quaint retreat nestled among cafes, boutiques and galleries. Adorned with a relaxing décor and ambiance, our lodge, as well as our popular Tiburon Grill, will rejuvenate your senses for a well deserved vacation right in your own back yard.
At Home at Sweet Things
1 Blackfield Drive, Cove Center
415.388.8566
Next door to Sweet Things find special pieces for yourself and your home. Astier and Seda candles, Etro scarves, Deborah Rhodes placemats, Kim Seybert napkins, Armand Diradourian sweaters, Mariage Freres tea, pillows from Dransfield and Ross, frames, jewelry, and books.
MARIN ADVERTISERS SPEAK UP
ad lib
Julie Stanton, Once Around, Mill Valley
Once Around is a unique store that carries high-quality arts and crafts products from around the globe. “We like to think of ourselves as a general store for crafts — with inspiration and supplies in a variety of areas including stamping, embroidery, knitting, candle-making, fabric-painting, quilting, scrapbooking, fine art and much more,” says owner Julie Stanton.
Briefly describe your business philosophy.
I have two. First, take a leap of faith every day that what pleases you will also please your customers. In my experience, as soon as you try to anticipate and cater to “the market,” your vision starts to fade and you lose what makes you special. Second, it is a very real option for most of our customers to buy their arts and crafts supplies online. Therefore, I insist on trying to make shopping at Once Around as pleasant an experience as
Gail Ann, Evo Spa, Mill Valley
Evo Spa is a green-oriented lifestyle boutique that uses natural and organic products in their treatments as well as in the products they sell.
What is your business philosophy?
We believe in educating and supporting our clients to help them look and feel amazing. Our highly trained staff is dedicated to your self “evo-lution,” the idea that your body can heal itself when provided with the support of nurturing and caring therapies that help to unlock the body’s innate wisdom.
Yours is a family business. How is it to work with a family member?
Working with my daughter, Neka, is a blessing. She is the Wellness Manager and brings her cold-pressed juices, Urban Remedy, to Evo as part of our Detox and Slimming programs as well as for sale individually.
What makes your work worthwhile?
I just received an email from a friend telling me about a gift certificate that he gave to a friend going through a very difficult time. The friend let him
possible. Everyone who works for me knows that the two most important parts of their job are to be really nice to the customers and keep the store looking pretty. Period.
What is your competitive edge?
Unfortunately, our edge comes from a lack of arts-and-crafts stores in our area. The economy has not spared this industry and we’ve seen some wonderful places close down in the past year.
Which product or service that you offer is your favorite?
Right now, it’s a tie between La Blanche rubber stamps from Germany (enchanting works of art), luscious Madelinetosh yarn (I’m making a cardigan with some right now) and our antique hardwood spools of paper twine from Paperphine in Austria (amazing colors).
From a business standpoint, who’s your inspiration?
I guess it would have to be Martha Stewart. I am always delighted by her designs, and it’s impressive to me how her “look” extends across every aspect of her business. She does nothing halfheartedly, and from what I understand she is involved in every design decision. I’m sort of bossy like that as well. My employees humor my obsessiveness with everything from the particular kind of pen I want them to use to write price stickers to my infamous insistence on all things displayed in rainbow order. I really do think that kind of attention to detail makes a difference, though.
ONCE AROUND, 352 MILLER AVENUE, MILL VALLEY, 415.389.1667, ONCEAROUND.COM
know that when he came to Evo to redeem his gift, it was bliss. He was cared for, and that makes it worthwhile.
Who’s your inspiration?
When I watched the behind-the-scenes Oprah show, I was very inspired. She has a great team to support her vision and all the research that goes into each show. I feel that way about my team and the research that goes into each treatment and product in order to bring our beloved clients the very best.
EVO SPA, 216 STRAWBERRY VILLAGE, MILL VALLEY, 415.383.3223, EVO-SPA.COM
ON MEALS
Deals on Meals
Enjoy local restaurants and save 30 percent on meals. Check out the participating restaurants in our “Deals on Meals” section and experience big savings. Spend only $35 for a dining certificate worth $50. Simply go to marinmagazine.com/dineout to purchase a dining certificate from a restaurant in this section and we will mail it to you. Try a new restaurant or purchase a certificate for an old favorite. A perfect gift for any occasion. Limited supply each month.
Dine local — save big time!
Amici’s offers a taste of the Northeast’s distinctive Italian fare, including authentic thin-crust pizzas, and freshly made pastas and salads. Amici’s offers dine-in and takeout as well as delivery of their entire menu to local homes and businesses. A Gluten Free menu is also available at the San Rafael location.
Amici’s East Coast Pizzeria 1242FourthStreet
Chianti Cucina, a family friendly Italian restaurant in Novato, welcomes you to our family, where great food, service and atmosphere await you. We invite you to our table, offering a casual and memorable experience. At Chianti Cucina, you’ll feel like a neighborhood regular. OpenTable.com Diner’s Choice Winner 2011.
415.455.9777 SanRafael,CA amicis.com
Chianti Cucina 7416RedwoodBlvd.
415.878.0314 Novato,CA chiantinovato.com
The historic Cliff House offers awesome views from every angle and one of nature’s best shows every day. Dine in the casual Bistro Restaurant or the elegant Sutro’s at the Cliff House. Sunday Brunch in the Terrace Room is a Bay Area tradition with free-flowing champagne and a delicious buffet.
Serving Marin for over 25 years with delicious Szechwan, Mandarin cuisine. Always fresh food and friendly service, nice
PHOTO: LEE RUE, INTELITE-DESIGN.COM
Frantoio tantalizes your taste buds with it’s authentic Italian cuisine. Serving locally produced fruit, vegetables, seafoods and meats the restaurant supports the local economy wherever possible whilst remaining loyal to its Tuscan roots. Enjoy fantastic salads, pasta, pizza and entrees in an elegant yet relaxed setting.
Frantoio Ristorante
152ShorelineHighway
Perched on the Sausalito waterfront , Horizons offers diners spectacular views and a classic Northern California menu featuring fresh seafood, steaks, pasta and seasonal specialties. Deck dining, a full bar and an extensive wine list also make Horizons a favorite destination for bayside cocktails and aperitifs.
415.289.5777
MillValley,CA frantoio.com
Specialties include mesquite-grilled steaks and fish , house-made pastas, fresh salads and soups, a wide variety of desserts, and fresh baked bread along with artisan cocktails and a Wine Spectator award-winning wine list. Each month, a special regional dinner menu is featured. Groups of all sizes are welcome!
Il Fornaio
223CorteMaderaTownCtr
Horizons 558Bridgeway
415.331.3232 Sausalito,CA horizonssausalito.com
LoCoco’s Pizzeria has been a favorite in Marin for over 40 years. Our antique family recipe is the secret to our success, and our authentic pasta sauces reflect the traditional Sicilian style. Dishes such as cannelloni, seafood, and salads complete a picture-perfect comforting meal.
415.927.4400 CorteMadera,CA ilfornaio.com
In Italy, every meal is a journey...the same is true at Milano. Start with appetizers featuring a selection of bruschetta and pizza straight from our wood-burning oven; then move on to a traditional menu. Discover the Italian art of lingering over dinner with family and friends, making conversation and enjoying wine, in a setting that is both urban and relaxing.
Milano Restaurant
1BlackfieldDrive,#1
415.388.9100
Tiburon,CA tiburonmilano.com
LoCoco’s Pizzeria 638SanAnselmoAve.
415.453.1238 SanAnselmo,CA lococossananselmo.com
Dining in? Try one of the great recipes in Organic Marin. Produced by Marin Magazine, this seasonal cookbook celebrates the organic farmers of Marin County and over 40 delicious recipes from local restaurants. 35% off with the code DINEIN. Go to themarinstore.com/organicmarin
Servino Ristorante, located on Tiburon’s charming waterfront, is proud to welcome Wesley Shaw as our executive chef. Enjoy locally farmed produce and seafood prepared with Italian passion. Find information online about our Upstairs Banquet Room.
Servino Ristorante 9MainStreet
Taj of Marin offers exquisite North and South Indian cuisine in a luxurious setting. The menu includes meat, seafood, vegetarian, glutenfree, and vegan options. We carry a wide selection of beer, fine wine, and traditional Indian drinks. Live music Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday evenings. Certificate for dinner only.
415.435.2676 Tiburon,CA servino.com
The Counter offers all-natural, humanely-raised beef and 312,120+ combinations to build your own burger. The Counter is a great place for family, friends, great music and a full bar. Voted best burger in Bay Area by SFGate.com readers on Baylist 2011. ‘LIKE’ us on www.facebook.com/ TheCounterCorteMadera !
The Counter 201TownCenter
415.924.7000 CorteMadera,CA thecounterburger.com
A fun, vibrant neighborhood restaurant featuring delicious tapas, sangria and reasonably priced organic specials. The California-Caribbean cuisine blends local farm fresh ingredients with Latin flavors. Open for lunch and dinner, great for parties, catering and carryout. Enjoy the back patioit’s a tropical oasis!
Whipper Snapper
16134thSt(at“F”&“G”)
415.256.1818 SanRafael,CA whipsnap.biz
Taj of Marin 9094thStreet
415.459.9555 SanRafael,CA tajofmarin.com
serves delicious, contemporary
With two outdoor patios and two indoor fireplaces, Tiburon Grill is the ideal place to relax and enjoy an evening with family and friends. Open daily, featuring a popular happy hour, from 4–7pm and ALL DAY Sunday with a 50% off selected menu.
Tiburon Grill 1651TiburonBlvd.
415.435.5996 Tiburon tiburongrill.com
This locally-owned bar and grill features Niman Ranch
hand tossed pizzas, salads and sandwiches. Dine on the outdoor patio, enjoy drinks from the full bar and watch sporting events on numerous giant screens. Wipeout is proud to be a Green Certified Business. Specials like $5 Pizza Wednesdays listed online.
Wipeout Bar & Grill 302BonAirCenter
415.461.7400 Greenbrae,CA wipeoutbarandgrill.com
burgers,
The Tiburon Grill
grill cuisine.
BAY AREA EDITED BY MIMI TOWLE
N BOCA STEAK & SEAFOOD
CORTE MADERA
BENISSIMO Italian Benissimo means “really really good” in Italian. Besides the daily 4-to-7 happy hour where drinks are $3 to $5 and small plates $5 to $7, this popular family-style (and family-run) eatery has something happening every night of the week. Monday: happy hour
all day. Tuesday: free corkage. Wednesday: martini night. Thursday: live jazz. From margherita pizza to veal parmigiana to mocha mud pie, you’ll fi nd a taste of Italy in a casual neighborhood venue. 18 Tamalpais Dr, 415.927.2316, benissimos.com
South American Bring a date or celebrate a special event at this classic steak house, which features founding chef George Morrone’s Argentinean heritage. The grass- and grain-fed steaks are cooked over oak and almond. 340 Ignacio Blvd, 415.883.0901, bocasteak.com AN INSIDER’S GUIDE TO RESTAURANTS AND TIDBITS IN THE
BRICK & BOTTLE
California Sourcing local and artisan ingredients, executive chef Scott Howard brings simple California cuisine to Corte Madera’s Brick & Bottle, opened in May 2010. With a cheerful vibe and a comfortable design, the restaurant features a large bar area, a beautiful outdoor patio and family-friendly dining. 55 Tamal Vista Blvd, 415.924.3366, brickandbottle.com
IL FORNAIO Italian Sausalito’s Larry Mindel hit a home run with this upscale Italian restaurant franchise. Besides the award-winning breads, pizzas and pastas, the menu offers a variety of salads and noncarb entrées. 223 Corte Madera Town Ctr, 415.927.4400, ilfornaio.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 popular menu items. 346 Corte Madera Town Ctr, 415.927.0288, lmvietnamese-cuisine.com
MARIN JOE’S Italian Authentic Italian dishes have been served here for over 50 years. Pick from soup, salad, seafood, mesquite-grilled or sautéed meats, and more than 10 pasta
options guaranteed to satisfy. Have a drink and hear local musicians at the well-known piano bar. 1585 Casa Buena Dr, 415.924.2081, marinjoesrestaurant.com
MAX’S CAFE American Located across from Town Center, Max’s is known for casual ambience and large portions. The menu changes with the season but features year-round favorites like matzo ball soup and BLTs. Besides heaping helpings of decadent comfort food and desserts, the menu includes healthier choices and dishes made with seasonable local produce. 60 Madera Blvd, 415.924.6297, maxsworld.com
PACIFIC CATCH PanAsian The well-priced menu here offers a bounty of fresh-grilled items and Pacific Rim— inspired small or main plates, including generously portioned wasabi bowls fi lled with rice (white or brown), veggies and your choice of chicken, beef, or cooked or raw fi sh. It’s modeled after the Paia Fish House on Maui, down to the chalkboard menu and Hawaiian music. 223 Corte Madera Town Ctr, 415.927.3474, pacificcatch.com
SEA THAI BISTRO
Asian SEA stands for Southeast Asian, and co-owner and executive chef Tony Ounpamornchai infuses his cooking with Thai and other Asian fl avors to create innovative dishes. The menu
Boca Steak & Seafood in Novato
features sustainable and local ingredients when possible and includes an extensive wine list. 60 Corte Madera, 415.927.8333, seathaibistro.com
THE COUNTER
California/American
The folks at the Counter have taken the “have it your way” motto to a new level. Mostly known for all-natural Angus beef (humanely raised and handled, of course), turkey, chicken or veggie burgers, the restaurant also offers options like a bowl (all the ingredients without the bun) or salads. Cheese choices range from an herb goat spread to gruyère to plain ol’ cheddar; toppings and sauces are equally varied. And if you want a martini with your burger, no problem; there’s a full bar. 201 Corte Madera Town Center 415.924.700, thecounterburger.com
FAIRFAX
FRADELIZIO’S Italian Home-style comfort food, fresh fi sh and good wine add up to an excellent place for a family night out. 35 Broadway Blvd, 415.459.1618, fradelizios.com
IRON SPRINGS PUB & BREWERY American
Grab a beer and a grilled portobello mushroom sandwich — which one Chronicle reviewer calls “the best mushroom dish I have ever tasted” — at the former Ross Valley Brewing Company. 765-A Center Blvd, 415.485.1005, ironspringspub.com
SORELLA CAFFE Italian
Open for over six years and run by sisters Sonia and Soyara, Sorella, which means “sisters,” serves up fresh Italian food with a northern influence. Customer favorites include cioppino, butternut squash ravioli and eggplant parmesan. Another highlight is the giant wheel of Grana Padana cheese, which is passed around the tables. Easy place to bring the kids. 107 Bolinas Rd, 415.258.4520, sorellacaffe.com
GREENBRAE
JASON’S California The restaurant’s Greenbrae location (it was formerly on Andersen Drive in San Rafael) fi lls the space that was formerly Giorgio’s. A crowd of regulars enjoys creative seafood dishes with Asian and Italian fl air. Try the ceviche, crab cakes or blackened salmon; seating options include a covered outdoor patio. 300 Drakes Landing Rd, 415.925.0808, jasonsrestaurant.com
WIPEOUT BAR & GRILL American This family-friendly hot spot has surfb oards hanging from the ceiling, fun-in-the-sun music, a full bar and large televisions displaying surfers riding waves. Menu includes fi sh tacos, salads and burgers.The only thing missing is the sand at this surf-style, upbeat eatery. Kids eat free on Tuesdays with a purchase of each adult entree. 302 Bon Air Ctr, 415.461.7400, wipeoutbarandgrill.com
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101 California Street, 3rd Floor San Francisco, CA 94111
Italian Pastry chef Gary Rulli is renowned for his Northern Italian specialties and treats. The Larkspur location (there are three others) is a favored 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, fabriziorestaurant.com
LEFT BANK
RESTAURANT French
Known for awardwinning French cuisine
and its lively brasserie ambience, this corner spot has rated high with locals for well over a decade. Those with a petite appetite/budget can opt for happy hour (4–6:30 M–F) and enjoy appetizers, all priced under six dollars. 507 Magnolia Ave, 415.927.3331, leftbank.com
PICCO California This has been a popular place ever since opening in 2005 . 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-fi red 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, including Meyer lemon mascarpone danishes and a bacon, avocado and heirloom tomato sandwich with mesclun. 1139 Magnolia Ave, 415.925.1556, rusticbakery.com
No Gluten, No Problem
With so many Marinites going gluten free, it’s only natural that some of our favorite eateries are following suit. LOGAN LINK
E Sans Gluten Free Grocery
Owned by gluten-intolerant and celiac siblings Marisa and Chad North, the San Rafael grocery is a one-stop-shop for gluten-free items and advice. Stop by on Fridays for local, gluten-free fresh baked goods. 821 B Street, San Rafael, 415.454.8888, sansglutenfreegrocery.com
E Teacake Bake Shop Looking for a gluten-free sweet treat?
The vanilla almond cupcakes with either chocolate or vanilla frosting are “the bomb.” 119 Corte Madera Town Ctr, Corte Madera, 415.924.2000, teacakebakeshop.com
E Table Cafe Their signature item, the dosa, is a gluten-free Indian crepe with seasonal fi llings. 1167 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur, 415.461.6787, table-cafe.com
E Amici’s East Coast Pizza
Offering a variety of gluten-free pizzas and salads, Amici’s takes several precautions to assure that these items do not come into contact with fl our or wheat. 1242 Forth St, San Rafael, 415.455.9777, amicis.com
E Café Gratitude With a glutenfree central kitchen, a wide variety of options are available including raw and cooked entrees, desserts and raw breads. 2200 Forth St, San Rafael, 415.578.4928, cafegratitude.com
E Ambrosia Gluten-free pastas and pizzas are available along with several gluten-free soups. 1159 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur, 415.925.9292, ambrosiapizza.com
YANKEE PIER American
TAVERN AT LARK
CREEK American The next chapter in the 1888 Victorian Murphy House is being written by chef Aaron Wright and culinary director Adrian Hoff man. 234 Magnolia Ave, 415.924.7766, tavernatlarkcreek.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, meat entrée and chocolate fondue dessert. 125 E. Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.461.6358, themeltingpot.com
This family-friendly casual clam shack is harbored in a quaint house built in 1924 as a private residence. Though known for beerbattered fi sh ‘n’ chips, clam chowder and tasty salads, Yankee Pier serves fresh seafood delivered daily from both coasts with special dishes by chef August Schuchman. 286 Magnolia Ave, 415.924.7676, yankeepier.com
MILL VALLEY
AVATAR’S PUNJABI
BURRITOS Indian A small and friendly place with only a few tables but myriad Indianinspired burrito dishes to choose from. Try the curry chicken or Jamaican jerk wrapped in warm naan. Cash only, but worth the trip to the ATM. 15 Madrona St, 415.381.8293
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. 38 Miller Ave, 415.381.7321, balboacafe.com
BEERWORKS BREWERY AND BEER CAFE American Beverage menu includes handcrafted beers made on site, imported and local microbrews and housemade kombucha and root beer, this Mill Valley brewery is set to keep the local palate pleased. Don’t miss the small beer hall selection of pretzels, salumis and cheeses. 173 Throckmorton Ave, 415.336.3596, millvalleybeerworks.com
BOO KOO Asian Finally Mill Valley has an Asian street food restaurant and best of all, dishes are $10 and less. The menu offers something for every eater
Bubba's Diner in San Anselmo
GLUTEN FREE
W BUBBA’S DINER
American Kids will be begging for seconds and so will adults at this hopping local hangout. Burgers, shakes and fries, and homemade apple pie. 566 San Anselmo Ave, 415.459.6862, bubbas-diner.net
— vegan, wheat-free, vegetarian, carnivore. 25 Miller Ave, Mill Valley, 415.888.8303, eatbookoo.com
BUCKEYE
ROADHOUSE American
Oysters Bingo, baby back ribs and chili-lime “brick” chicken are a few of the satisfying, comfort-food menu items that have made this classic roadhouse a favorite since the ’30s. 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, known for tasty spirits and eye candy. 44 E. Blithedale Ave, 415.381.2500, bungalow44.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 HOUSE OF CHOPS American The award-winning dining destination has been purchased and revamped (with House of Chops added to its name) by Mill Valley musician/restaurateur
Sammy Hagar and celebrity chef Tyler Florence. Defi nitely making a splash in the local restaurant scene; word is both service and prices are over the top. 17 Throckmorton Ave, 415.388.0741
Voices of Dominican Choices Fall 2011 Leadership Lecture Series
David McCullough
The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris
Thursday, October 13, 2011 7:00 p.m.
Angelico Hall, Dominican Campus Free lecture and book signing
Bill Bryson At Home: A Short History of Private Life
Monday, October 24, 2011 7:00 p.m.
Angelico Hall, Dominican Campus
Tickets are $20 per person and include a copy of At Home: A Short History of Private Life
Chris Matthews Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero
Wednesday, November 9, 2011 7:00 p.m.
Angelico Hall, Dominican Campus Free lecture and book signing
To purchase tickets: call Book Passage at 415-927-0960, visit the Corte Madera or San Francisco stores, or go to www.bookpassage.com.
COMING SOON
Tamalpie Pizza
E Co-owned by Karen Goldberg — a longtime Mill Valley resident and former owner of restaurants Rustico and Anabelle’s — and Jeannine Berman (nicknamed “J9”), also of Mill Valley, Tamalpie is scheduled to open in November. “I wanted to create a place that the entire community can enjoy, from adults to children to teens to cyclists,” Goldberg says.
“We will be like three restaurants in one, with a private dining area, a fast takeout entrance with stand-up dining, and a relaxed lounge with fi replaces.” Besides thin-crust pizza and innovative salads, the all-organic menu
FRANTOIO
RISTORANTE
ITALIANO Italian
Known for its in-house olive press, superior olive oil and excellent Italian cuisine, this spot is a great location for an intimate dinner, 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. 152 Shoreline Hwy, 415.289.5777, frantoio.com
includes panini, baked pastas and house-made sausages as well as gluten-free pizza. In addition to the great food, it should be aesthetically pleasing, as well.
“Our architect is Cass Calder Smith, who is known for great New York City and San Francisco restaurants,” Goldberg notes.
“Not only are we lucky to have huge murals painted by an amazing local artist, but we will also be throwing in lots of unique surprises — like a real fallen redwood tree shooting from the back of the restaurant to the front.” 475 Miller Ave, Mill Valley, 415.388.7437, tamalpiepizza.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, india palacemillvalley.com
GIRA POLLI Italian Pick up a wood-fi red rotisserie chicken or family dinner from this hot spot, or stick around for the specialty pasta. 590 East Blithedale Ave, 415.383.6040, gira-polli.com
a savory sauce; fresh mussels are accented with red chili and Thai basil. Pair your pick with wine, beer or tea. Strawberry Village, 415.381.5300, harmony restaurantgroup.com
JOE’S TACO LOUNGE
Mexican A longtime local favorite, Joe’s serves up regular fare such as tasty fi sh tacos, burritos and enchiladas as well as more unusual items like Mexican pizza, tofu salad and crab tostadas. Colorful interior and (usually) quick service make 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 a seat at the counter and enjoy the action. 382 Miller, 415.383.8164
MAMA’S ROYAL CAFE
American Old-timers love this fabulous kitsch-decorated breakfast spot. The menu offers crepes, brioche French toast and other a.m. specialties served all day; stay awhile and try the sandwiches for lunch. 393 Miller Ave, 415.388.3261
PEARL’S PHAT
BURGERS American
Dubbed a silver-spoon alternative to a greasy spoon diner by The New York Times, Pearl’s has a loyal following forthe big juicy all-natural patties (vegetarian, turkey, beef, buffalo or grilled chicken) served up with tasty sides
such as garlic or sweet potato fries, shakes and seasonal smoothies. 8 East Blithedale Ave, 415.381.6010
PIAZZA D’ANGELO
Italian It’s always a party at this longstanding 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 The staff prides itself on capturing the warm and welcoming atmosphere of a traditional Italian trattoria. Try for a table at the window for a truly exceptional view right on the water. Take
GRILLY’S
RESTAURANT Mexican
Both the Mill Valley and Fairfax locations offer “healthy Mexican food” like grilled chicken, steak or veggie-fi lled burritos with glutenfree and vegetarian options. 493 Miller Ave, 415.381.3278, grillys.com
HARMONY Chinese
Dishes here are an infusion of many flavors. The barbecue pork bun is fi lled with housemade roasted meat in
Surfers Grill in Stinson Beach
Forthcoming Mill Valley pizzeria Tamalpie Pizza has created quite the buzz. L.L.
a peek at the impressive collection of Italian wines to go with your rustic seasonal Italian meal. 625 Redwood Hwy, 415.380.2525, piatti.com
PIZZA ANTICA Italian
Although a recent Yelp reviewer praised it for having “by far the best thin-crust pizzas in Marin,” this Strawberry shopping center spot also offers antipasti and hearty salads. Wine is served by the glass, half carafe or bottle. 800 Redwood Hwy, 415.383.0600, pizzaantica.com
ROBATA GRILL AND SUSHI Japanese Robata translates as “by the fi reside”; fittingly, food here can be cooked on an open fi re and served in appetizer-size portions to pass around the table. Or simply order your own sushi or entrée from the menu. 591 Redwood Hwy, 415.381.8400, robatagrill.com
SMALL SHED FLATBREADS
California
Slow food chef Ged Robertson uses only local, mostly organic ingredients. Crowd favorites include the Mt. Tamal-pie, a delicious fresh salad atop a fl atbread. 17 Madrona St, 415.383.4200, smallshed.com
TOAST American
Take the kids out for an omelet or pancake breakfast at this cozy venue; lunch and dinner are served, too. 31 Sunnyside Ave, 415.388.2500, toastmillvalley.com
TSUKIJI SUSHI
Japanese Named for the largest fi sh market in world, Tsukiji is owned by Roy and Chanel Liu. The couple earned their sushi stripes operating Morpho in San Francisco and Akira in San Rafael. Helping them behind the sushi bar is former Sushi Ran head sushi chef Haruo Komatsu. 24 Sunnyside Ave, 415.383.1382, tsukijisushimv.com
W SURFERS GRILL American
The view doesn’t get better than this — nor does the surf salad. Built right out on Stinson Beach, this casual lunch spot offers up tasty fresh organic salads alongside corn dogs, burgers and fries. Stinson Beach Park, Hwy 1, 415.868.1777, surfersgrill.com
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—Jonathan Izen, Class of 2009
JOIN US FOR OPEN HOUSE ACTIVITIES OCT. 18, 6 PM TO 8:30 PM, 707-545-1770 WWW.SONOMAACADEMY.ORG
Sonoma Academy is a college preparatory high school in southeastern Santa Rosa.
VASCO Italian Whether you’re at a table, the bar or the back counter, you can expect an intimate and tasty dining experience at this one-room trattoria. Try one of the restaurant’s pasta dishes or thin-crust pizzas. 106 Throckmorton Ave, 415.381.3343
NOVATO
BOCA STEAK & SEAFOOD South
American Bring a date or celebrate a special event at this classic steak house, which celebrates chef George Morrone’s (Aqua, Fifth Floor) Argentinean heritage. The grass- and grain-fed steaks are cooked over oak and almond. 340 Ignacio Blvd, 415.883.0901, bocasteak.com
GOLDEN EGG OMELET HOUSE American
Previously called the Old Town Bistro, this
Novato favorite is back by popular demand with its original name and menu. Open for breakfast and lunch, the Golden Egg Omelet House offers an assortment of organic and locally grown foods and 101 different types of omelets. 807 Grant Ave, 415.897.7707, goldeneggnovato.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-be-missed destination. 5800 Nave Dr, 415.382.1144, toastnovato.com
TUSCANY COUNTRY
GRILL Italian The chicken pesto panini and eggplant parmigiano are among many of the favorites at this charming and spacious Italian eatery. The menu is eclectic, prices are fair and the portions are enormous, so be prepared for leftovers throughout the week. There’s a bit of a rush at lunch, so make reservations or arrive early. 1516 Grant Ave, 415.998.2800
WILDFOX American
Perched on the hillside off Highway 101, this rustic mesquite grill features smooth cosmos and other beverages and a menu full of comfort dishes like seafood risotto with bits of butternut squash. 225 Alameda del Prado, 415.883.9125, wildfoxrestaurant.com
ROSS
MARCHE AUX FLEURS
French This gem of a restaurant is known for cuisine showcasing 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, marcheauxfleurs restaurant.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, frescotrattoria.com
SAN ANSELMO
COMFORTS CAFE
This cozy spot features local ingredients and serves breakfast, lunch and weekend brunch. Be sure to try the Philly cheesesteak and Chinese chicken salad, both classics. 335 San Anselmo Ave, 415.454.9840, comfortscafe.com
INSALATA’S
Mediterranean Awardwinning chef Heidi Insalata Krahling offers Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes prepared with local organic produce and artisan meats. 120 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.457.7700, insalatas.com
L’APPART RESTO
French It’s the second (and highly anticipated) Marin restaurant for the team behind Le Garage Bistro. In the former AVA spot, owners Bruno Denis and Olivier Souvestre are
offering a menu most Francophiles would be proud of, complete with items like smoked herring, bone marrow and cassoulet de legumes. 636 San Anselmo Ave, 415.256.9884, lappartresto.com
LOCOCO’S PIZZERIA
Italian Worth driving to from all over Marin, and it’s an easy place to meet up with friends. The pizza crust is divine, as is the house salad. Closed Mondays. 638 San Anselmo Ave, 415.453.1238, lococossananselmo.com
ORCHID THAI Thai
Owners Peggy and Tom Thongnopneua create an inviting atmosphere with their warm smiles and helpful menu suggestions. The fare here has won “Best of Marin” awards many times over. 726 San Anselmo Ave, 415.457.9470, orchidthairestaurant.com
SAN RAFAEL
AMICI’S EAST COAST
PIZZERIA California
The array of pizzas includes gluten-free crust options and the new Siciliano, an enticing mix of mozzarella, slow-roasted garlic, sausage, broccoli and crushed red pepper fl akes, sans tomato sauce. 1242 Fourth St, 415.455.9777, amicis.com
BOMBAY GARDEN
Indian Here you’ll fi nd a large menu showcasing richly fl avored Northern and Southern Indian cuisine. There are often Bollywood movies or videos showing on a flat-screen TV to add a little entertainment to the meal. 909 Fourth St, 415.459.9555, dinebombaygarden.com
CAFE GRATITUDE Raw
The waiters might push the affi rmations 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
CHALET BASQUE
French This familystyle restaurant serves dishes inspired by the Basque regions of France and Spain, including frog legs in a garlic butter and lemon sauce, a veal calf liver sauté and rack of lamb. On a warm Marin night enjoy alfresco dining on the outdoor patio. 405 North San Pedro Rd, 415.479.1070, chaletbasquemarin.com
LOTUS RESTAURANT
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, lotus restaurant.com
MIKEY’S Cuban New chef Freddy Caamel has added a Cuban menu to the mix in this casual restaurant. Try “Mikey’s special” for breakfast, nachos for lunch, or the ropa vieja from the new Cuban menu for dinner. 783 Anderson Dr, 415.454.6453, eatatmikeys.com
Whipper Snapper Restaurant in San Rafael
PANAMA HOTEL
RESTAURANT
American The tropical garden is a prime dining spot for people-watching and taking advantage of San Rafael’s warm weather. The Sunday brunch menu is a hit with kids, who can’t get enough of the Panama Waffle served with bananas, warm chocolate sauce and whipped cream. 4 Bayview St, 415.457.3993, panamahotel.com
SABOR OF SPAIN
Spanish Opened in 2003, this tapas and wine bar is a great place for a romantic date or a big party (catering available). Old-world values and a healthy olive oil–based Mediterranean diet have preserved the authentic flavors found throughout Spain’s history. 1301 Fourth St, 415.457.8466, saborof spain.com
SUSHI TO DAI FOR
Japanese Snagging a seat in this popular
sushi spot can be a challenge, but patience will be rewarded with tasty and fresh sashimi, unique sushi rolls and great prices. 869 Fourth St, 415.721.0392
WHIPPER SNAPPER RESTAURANT
California/Caribbean
Owner and chef Bill Higgins serves reasonably priced and delicious tapas. Save room for delicious fi sh tacos and yummy chocolate bread pudding. On Sundays, try the $3 glasses of sangria. 1613 Fourth St, 415.256.1818, whipsnap.biz
YET WAH Chinese
Named after the founder’s wife (Yet refers to the moon, Wah to brightness), this beloved mainstay offers dim sum daily along with the traditional Chinese menu. Groove to live music in the Kung Fu Lounge. 1238 Fourth St, 415.460.9883, yetwahsanrafael.com
Left Bank Restaurant in Larkspur
BLUESTONE MAIN
Home Furnishings & Accessories
SAUSALITO
ANGELINO RESTAURANT Italian Father-and-son chefs Pasquale and Alfredo Ancona offer handmade pastas and seasonal antipasti at this authentic Italian restaurant, which has been featuring cuisine of the Campania region for the past 24 years. 621 Bridgeway, 415.331.5225, angel inorestaurant.com
CIBO Cafe Husbandand-wife team Alfredo and Tera Ancona offer a menu of tarts, croissants, cookies, paninis and soups. Every dish is made with local and seasonal products. 1201 Bridgeway. 415.331. CIBO, cibosausalito.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. Valet parking and docking facilities available. 558 Bridgeway, 415.331.3232, horizons sausalito.com
LA HACIENDA BAR & GRILL Mexican This festive 23-table new location with a wellstocked bar is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Owner Jose Sahagun recently decided to set up in
Ralph Lauren Home, Baker, Hancock & Moore
Sam's Anchor Cafe in Tiburon
Sausalito after years in the business (he also owns La Hacienda Taqueria in San Rafael). 2633 Bridgeway, 415.332.1677
LE GARAGE French
The atmosphere is animated with light French music playing in the background (think Amélie). The Kobe Burger, though not as Parisian as the other menu items, is to die for. And the much-adored croque-monsieur is under $10. Opt for indoor or outdoor seating. 85 Liberty Ship Way, 415.332.5625, legaragebistro sausalito.com
LIGHTHOUSE
American Blueberry pancakes, omelets and Danish-influenced dishes are the draw here. It’s a small space, so be prepared to wait. 1311 Bridgeway, 415.331.3034
MURRAY CIRCLE
American Enjoy the sun on the deck of this Cavallo Point restaurant. Locals say they come back for the fresh seasonal specials like wild sturgeon and Wolfe Ranch quail. 601 Murray Circle, 415.339.4750, cavallopoint.com
OSTERIA DIVINO
Italian Whether you’re stopping by for your morning coffee and pastry or looking for a charming place to dine, Osteria DiVino offers delicious rustic Florentine eating. It’s a great party place (with its separate room) for families and singles alike. Live jazz piano on the baby grand Friday nights. 37 Caledonia St, 415.331.9355, divinosausalito.com
SEAHORSE Italian The spacious dining area, stage and dance floor make Seahorse perfect for both small and large celebrations. Enjoy a modern twist on classic Tuscan coastal cuisine while shaking your booty to the nightly live music and entertainment. 305 Harbor Dr, 415.331.2899, sausalito seahorse.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 are required in the main room. 107 Caledonia St, 415.332.3620, sushiran.com
SWEET GINGER
Japanese Owner and chef Edna and Wayne Chiang know their way around good sushi. Try fresh sashimi, the classic Dragon Roll, 49er’s Roll or Rock ’N Roll, or be adventurous and have Wayne whip you up something off the menu. Good sake and a comfortable setting round out the reasonably priced meal. 400 Caledonia St, 415.332.1683, sweet gingersausalito.com
TASTE OF THE HIMALAYAS Himalayan Born in the foothills of the Himalayas, siblings Pemba, Dawa and Pasang serve up favorites from Nepal, Tibet and India. The restaurant focuses on blending different cultures and cuisines: spices from
Sunday Oct 23 2-4:30pm
E LOTUS RESTAURANT
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 pinktablecloth setting. 704 Fourth St, 415.456.5808, lotusrestaurant.com
India, spirituality from Tibet, hospitality from Nepal and the freshness of ingredients from California. 2633 Bridgeway, 415.331.1335, himalayaca.com
TASTE OF ROME Italian
This local landmark has evolved from a cafe into a full-service restaurant offering pasta, pizza, sandwiches, and salad in an authentic Italian ambience. Find the green, white, and red awning and you’re there. 1000 Bridgeway, 415.332.7660, taste-ofrome.com
TOMMY’S WOK
Chinese Scrupulously fresh ingredients and free-range chicken make the yellow coconut milk curry here divine. Nice atmosphere and good takeout. 3001 Bridgeway, 415.332.5818, tommyswok.com
WELLINGTON’S
California British transport Jeremy John and his wife, Jill, have
created an expansive (2,400-square-foot) wine bar with a homey feel, board games, views of the bay and a worldly cellar featuring affordable bottles and special reserves. The menu offers wines by the glass for $5 to $20 and tasting fl ights of any three wines for $12. 300 Turney St, 415.331.9463, wellingtonswine.com
WINSHIPS
RESTAURANT
American The morethan-four-decades-old nautical-themed restaurant is luring locals and tourists with hearty breakfasts and lunch options like tender fried calamari, clam strips, mussels and a giant prawn cocktail. 670 Bridgeway, 415.332.1454, winships.com
TIBURON
CAPRICE California
Book the private party room for large groups or just relax in what one
Yelp reviewer called “the perfect romantic dinner spot.” Midweek take advantage of the restaurant’s wellpriced three-course dinners for less than $25. 2000 Paradise Dr, 415.435.3400, thecaprice.com
DON ANTONIO
TRATTORIA Italian
Located in Tiburon’s historic Ark Row, this trattoria offers authentic Italian cuisine in a quaint setting. The menu includes traditional courses with selections such as chicken piccata, organic roasted rack of lamb, and house-made pesto. 111 Main St, 415.435.0400, don atoniotrattoria.com
GUAYMAS Mexican
Situated right next to the Tiburon ferry terminal on the waterfront. The touch-
you, younger
Fade away leg veins with nonsurgical tr eatmentby Board
Certified Vascular MD. Special on rapid wrinkle repair + Obagi, too.
350 Bon Air Rd, Greenbrae 945.9555 newskinclinic.com
it-you’re-so-close city views and outdoor seating make it a great place to bring visitors on a warm summer night. Happy hour is 5 to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Menu includes specialties like puerco macho — pork loin chop with grilled plantain, topped with an ancho chile, garlic and onion sauce. 5 Main St, 415.435.6300, guaymasrestaurant.com
MILANO Italian
Located in the Cove Shopping Center, this family-owned neighborhood spot is known for its pasta and friendly service. A good place to take the kids — or catering option for your next birthday party. 1 Blackfield Dr, 415.388.9100
Lotus Restaurant in San Rafael
Out & About / DINE
MING’S Chinese Hospitable service and large portions are just two of the reasons this family-run business is a favorite. Try the sautéed mango chicken with rice and don’t miss the lunch specials. 1550 Tiburon Blvd, 415.435.4312
SALT & PEPPER
American Tiburon’s New Morning Cafe owner Paul Monterroso opened this bright, one-room dining place in the Main Street hot spot formerly known as Rooney’s. Hits from the old menu — crab cakes with jalapeño dipping sauce, rib-eye steak and beet salad — remain popular. Open for lunch and dinner. 38 Main St, 415.435.3594
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 transfat-free calamari, fresh fi sh, seasonal salads and pastas. 27 Main St, 415.435.4527, samscafe.com
SERVINO RISTORANTE
Italian With people like Warren Buffett and Bill Gates raving about his pizza, Angelo Servino is doing something right. Some people come for the spacious and popular bar; some people come for the great food and friendly service; the titans of industry, it seems, opt for the pepperoni. Spacious bar, and weekend music is also a big draw. 9 Main St, 415.435.2676, servino.com
TIBURON GRILL
California The atmosphere here is truly enchanting, with two outdoor patios, two indoor fi replaces, and candlelit tables at dinner. No item is more than $20, including the steak, with entrées falling in the $14 to $18 range. Happy hour
Point Reyes
Osterio Stellina in
is Monday through Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. 1651 Tiburon Blvd, 415.435.5996, thelodge attiburon.com
WEST MARIN
DRAKES BEACH CAFE
American 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). 1 Drakes Beach Rd, 415.669.1297, drakesbeachcafe.com
OLEMA INN California
One of the most charming settings around, this inn and restaurant is a great destination lunch spot for a Sunday drive, or dinner every night. (Olema). 10000 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.663.9559, theolemainn.com
OSTERIO STELLINA
California Whether it’s to cap off a day of hiking or celebrate a romantic anniversary, Osterio Stellina suits any occasion. The menu is Italian-inspired using organic, local ingredients. If you’re looking for something unusual try the goat shoulder, a favorite of locals and tourists alike. Don’t leave without indulging in the standout lemon ice cream sandwich (Point Reyes). 11285 Hwy 1, 415.663.9988, osteriastellina.com
PARKSIDE CAFE
American Most people know it as the ultimate breakfast spot but lunch and dinners are great here too. Choose from an array of organic locally grown produce and artisan meats and wild seafood. (Stinson). 43 Arenal Ave, 415.868.1272, parksidecafe.com
PINE CONE DINER
American Vintage china and homemade curtains complement the eclectic but homey menu. A favorite for locals as well as tourists, bicyclists and motorcyclists (Point Reyes Station). 60 Fourth St, 415.663.1536, thepineconediner.com
RANCHO NICASIO,
American Known for live music and an extensive menu featuring everything from dungeness crab burgers to walnut crusted goat cheese, Rancho Nicasio is open seven days a week. Be sure to stop by for happy hour from 4-6pm. 1 Old Rancheria (Nicasio) Rd, 415.662.2219
SAND DOLLAR
American Enjoy live music along with local barbecued oysters and New England clam chowder. (Stinson). 3458 Shoreline Hwy, 415.868.0434, stinson beachrestaurant.com
STATION HOUSE CAFE
American Fresh local homegrown foods, served when available, are showcased on the chef’s menu. 11180 State Route One, 415.663.1515, stationhousecafe.com
SURFERS GRILL
American The view doesn’t get better than this — nor does the surf salad. Built right out on Stinson Beach, this casual lunch spot offers up tasty fresh organic salads alongside corn dogs, burgers and fries. Stinson Beach Park, Hwy 1, 415.868.1777, surfersgrill.com
For even more local listings, vistit us online at marin magazine.com/dine.
S ANDRA B IRD D ESIGNS
Mon. - Sat. 10:30 am - 6:00 pm www.fancythatgiftshop.com
On the Scene
SNAPSHOTS FROM SPECIAL EVENTS IN MARIN AND SAN FRANCISCO EDITED BY SOMER FLAHERTY
E ART EXHIBIT
Locals are calling it a oncein-a-lifetime event, as some of the world’s best private collections of 17th-century Dutch and Flemish paintings were placed on view at the Legion of Honor. In celebration, museum supporters feted the rarely seen masterworks.
W A LOOK AT COUTURE
Some of Marin’s most fashionable crossed the bridge for an exclusive showing of Giambattista Valli’s first couture collection at Saks Fifth Avenue. The haute couture line, which featured pieces priced up to $80,000, is only available at a handful of stores in the United States.
Arlene Sullivan, James Krohn
Burgess and Elizabeth Jamieson, Quita and Marc Cruciger
John Buchanan, Marion Cope, Amanda RileyNicole, Nils, Eijk, Rose-Marie and Sander van Otterloo
Jamie Wong, Nancy Kukacka
Mary Ossovskaya
N DANCE PARTY At the Dancing the Night Away fundraiser, which benefits the Always Dream Foundation — a program that supports tsunami relief efforts and children’s groups — local celebrities like Kristi Yamaguchi performed their best dance moves for a cheering crowd.
W SAVING LAKE
TAHOE Marinites turned out for League to Save Lake Tahoe’s annual Oscar de la Renta fashion show. Now in its 42nd year, the tradition started in the late ’60s and has become a widely anticipated fundraising event that includes support from Saks Fifth Avenue.
S TOASTING IN TIBURON Oenophiles toasted at the Tiburon home of Elisabeth Thieriot to taste some of the superlative sippers (Hanzell, Schug Carneros Estate and Pride Mountain, among others) available at the charitable Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction. Proceeds from the auction benefit vineyard workers, children and locals in need.
Malia and Jonny Moseley
Oscar de la Renta, Dede Wilsey
Georgette Gelbard, Elisabeth Thieriot, Zoe Sexton
Cheryl Fordham, Joe Boitano
Carolyn Stone, Maureen Cottingham
Tanya Powell, Robert Fountain, Karen Caldwell
Deborah Rocha, Robin Duffy
Create a Wine-Country Farm & Garden
• Fresh Grapes, Fruits, Vegetables
• Seasonal Wildflowers
• Butterflies, Birds, Bees, Hummingbirds
• Majestic Trees
• Beautiful Stonework
• Efficient Irrigation
• Sustainable, Organic Living
OCTOBER 29-30, 2011 • MCNEARS BEACH, SAN RAFAEL, CA FOR DETAILS AND SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, CALL BLUERUSH BOARDSPORTS 415-339-9112 OR EMAIL: INFO@BLUERUSHBOARDSPORTS.COM
BECAUSE EVERY TREE IS A FAMILY
more than ever, property value is as much about your landscape as it is your home. The trees and shrubs that grow along with you and your family are valuable assets that deserve care and protection. For over 100 years, Bartlett Tree Experts has led both the science and services that make your landscape thrive. No matter the size or scope of your needs, our arborists bring a rare mix of groundbreaking research, global resources and a local service approach to every task at hand. Trees add so much value to our lives. And Bartlett adds even more value to your trees.
Sarah Zimmerman Architect
“It is rare to find someone so skilled in every aspect of their craft, but Sarah is just that - drawing on both her left and right brain to go from the tiniest, but most critical engineering detail, to unique, creative design, to expert construction oversight. She was an outstanding partner and truly took a vested interest in creating our home. We were incredibly lucky to find her and would highly recommend her.”
Mul ple Sclerosis
Skylar Ulrich, MD, MPH Medical Director
A fundraiser to benefit Marin's youth
October 15, 2011
Join us for an unforgettable, New Orleans-themed evening aboard the San Francisco Belle! www.marincharitable.org
For more information please visit our website
A Gala Event
The CS Foundation, a local non-profit organization, cordially invites you to attend a fun-filled evening of exciting bollywood dancing, a silent auction, dinner and cocktails. Join us, meet CS Foundation founder John Christensen and learn more about how you can get involved in helping make a real difference in the lives of people who lack access to medical care in the Ranipet region of South India.
Place: New Delhi Restaurant 160 Ellis St. San Francisco, CA 94102
Date: Saturday, October 15, 2011
Time: 6:00pm – 10:00pm
Cost: $150/person
$275/couple
$1,100/table (seats 8)
RSVP by September 30, 2011 to (866) 256-3466
To learn more about our foundation or make a donation, please visit our website at: www.CS-Foundation.org
Marin Home
BY PJ BREMIER • PHOTOS BY TIM PORTER
The back garden is a pleasant spot to relax in this San Anselmo residence.
Marin Home /
As managing director of Public Radio Capital, Marc Hand makes a living transforming properties — turning commercial radio stations into public radio stations.
But when the Napa native — who had been residing in Colorado for the past 22 years — happened upon a San Anselmo house with a “for sale” sign on it, he discovered a location that was perfect just as it was.
The updated 1905 Victorian farmhouse–style home with original windows, hardwood floors and an old-fashioned front porch has a newer two-story addition in the rear, giving Hand what he calls “the best of both worlds.”
It’s “sophisticated but homey, and that’s what I love most,” he says. It’s also situated in the flatlands — perfect for his two older dogs — and is almost equidistant to both his mother in Napa and his youngest daughter, who attends UC Berkeley.
“I love the town,” he says. “It’s like (the movie) Pleasantville. There’s a Carnegie library and a nice mix of interesting people, and it has a genuine classic downtown with such warmth to it. And, it’s on the right side of the fog line.”
His realtor, Julie Leitzell, helped him through the lease option process. “It’s complicated and can be a risk for the tenant-turned-buyer,” she says. “In Marc’s case, he had a couple of different ways he knew he could make the purchase work. When the lease was up, we put all the pieces together for the home he had already taken for a test drive.”
The home wasn’t Hand’s only purchase. Soon after he moved in, Bubba’s Diner, the longtime employer of his friends Garrett and Ryan Sathre, went on the market. Hand decided to back the brothers, who grew up in the town, and buy the popular restaurant. “I don’t like to cook,” he says, laughing. “This is my way of not having to cook.” m
Clockwise from top: The original part of the house; the lightfilled dining room, with a table given to owner Marc Hand by a friend; Hand with Cooper and Max.
THE DETAILS
WHAT HE BOUGHT
A three-bedroom Victorian farmhouse–style home in San Anselmo
SELLING AGENT Julie Leitzell, Realtor, Alain Pinel Realtors, Mill Valley
STATS Average cost per square foot for homes in neighborhood: $562
187 Acres, Anderson Valley Offered at $1,200,000
Just two hours north of S.F. at the end of a road, this ranch is secluded, private, pristine and oh so beautiful. The views are amazing in every direction. The ranch offers many acres of open grazing ground, and lovely forests. Abundant water, with rights to huge spring, and a great well. A lovely Tahoe Style Cabin and 2 car garage provide quality living quarters. Gardens, fruit trees, gravity water, grazing land, and solar power give this ranch much sought after self sufficient qualities.
Tim Mathias tim@rancheriarealty.com (707) 895-3333 www.rancheriarealty.com
Left: The updated kitchen. Above:
A glimpse of the property from behind its simple gate.
3owlswood.com
$3,800,000
McClay Road, Novato 2002 Mediterranean encompassing over 5000 square feet of single level living area. Situated on approximately 1.5 level acres of beautifully landscaped, private grounds. 6 bedrooms, 5.5 baths.
NovatoParadise.com
$2,695,000
Lei Ann Werner
415.710.0117
Summit Drive, Corte Madera Large, 5+bd/4ba, contemporary Craftsman built in 2006 with a formal entry, great room with stone fireplace & skylights, family room with fireplace, gorgeous kitchen, master bedroom with adjacent office and views.
CorteMaderaRetreat.com
$1,850,000
Marti Grossman
415.250.3446
Crecienta Lane, Sausalito 1-level, 5bd/5ba, mid-century modern with fantastic design and architecture. Bay, Belvedere and Mt. Tam views, soaring windows, two master suites, an office, 2-car garage, huge level lawn and minutes to SF.
40CrecientaLane.com
$2,495,000
Bernard Link
415.336.8676
Lowell Avenue, Mill Valley 4bd/4ba. Magnificent, gated, Mid-Century masterpiece hidden down a quiet country lane. Extensively remodeled with innovative and artful design features throughout.
378LowellAve.com
$1,995,000
Kristine Tiret 415.310.0269
South Knoll, Mill Valley
Sophisticated, 4bd/3.5ba, two-year new home. Formal entry hall, flowing open floor plan, gourmet kitchen, private master suite on main level, two fireplaces, exceptional finishes throughout, great commute location.
59SouthKnoll.com
$1,799,000
Suzanne Shelhart
415.613.0100
Leona, San Rafael Elegant Living! Built in 1999, this custom, 4bd/3.5ba, 4100+sf villa on .75+acre offers a resort lifestyle with a private pool, spa with waterfall, gazebo, level lawn, gardens, media room and surround-sound inside and out.
$1,795,000
Lindy Emrich 415.717.4005
Yolanda Drive, San Anselmo Authentic Craftsman updated in 2008 yet maintaining Vintage character. 4bd/3.5ba plus bonus room/office, formal living and dining rooms with box beam ceilings, gourmet kitchen, family room. Large, flat backyard.
$1,695,000
Suzanne Shelhart 415.613.0100
Corte Las Casas, Tiburon
4bd/2.5ba home on a quiet cul-de-sac in the Reedlands neighborhood. Spacious, remodeled kitchen, vaulted ceilings, large patio, lawn, hot tub and built-in grill area. 2-car garage and Reed School District.
4CorteLasCasas.com
$1,649,000
Randy Norton
415.298.3744
Bill McKeon
415.828.6130
La Cuesta Drive, Greenbrae Lovely, 4bd+/2.5ba, Greenbrae home on the lower part of desirable La Cuesta. 2900+/-sf, updated kitchen, high ceilings, great light, wonderful outdoor atrium and A+ schools.
LaCuestaDrive.com
$1,497,000
Gwyn Jones 415.298.6119
Red Rock Way, San Rafael
Upscale horse property. Private and sun drenched, this spacious, turn-key, 5bd/4+ba, contemporary mini-estate is situated on a 1.1+acre lot and offers views from almost every room.
16RedRock.com
$1,495,000
Marlys Hooper
415.717.8200
Summit Avenue, San Rafael
True estate potential. Gated & located in Country Club, this 5bd/3.5ba 1903 Victorian offers 3754+/-sf and is set against a romantic backdrop of 2.25+acres of glorious, private land. Rare, authentic and stunning.
311Summit.com
$1,595,000 Marlys Hooper 415.717.8200
Linda Vista Avenue, Tiburon Magnificent Bay, San Francisco and Golden Gate Bridge views. Contemporary, 2bd/2.5ba condominium with 3 decks, vaulted ceilings, fireplace and overlooking a gorgeous pool/spa.
14LindaVista.com
$1,045,000
Sherri Belluomini
415.497.2884
LUXURY PROPERTY SPECIALISTS
415.531.4091 DRE# 00709300
PJRichmond@pacunion.com
13 Cypress Road Pt Reyes Station
Vacation all year!
4BR/2.5BA home set on a private level acre. French doors open onto the courtyard from almost every room. www.13Cypress.com Offered at $1,700,000
Marguerite Burbank
LUXURY PROPERTY SPECIALIST
415.613.5254 DRE# 01030998
MHBurbank@yahoo.com
8 Old Landing Tiburon
East Coast Beauty!
Gorgeous views, gourmet chefs kitchen, French tumbled tiles, high ceilings, & private cul-de-sac location. www.PacUnion.com
Offered at $1,949,000
Leonie Denney
LUXURY PROPERTY SPECIALIST
415.516.1080 DRE# 00961134
LDenney@pacunion.com
104 Bulkley Ave #5 Sausalito
Stunning & Unique Pied-de-terre in Historic & gated Mediterranean Villa Ladera of Sausalito. 1BR condo in the heart of Sausalito. www.104BulkleyAve.com Offered at $949,000
Michael Fanelli
LUXURY PROPERTY SPECIALIST
415.205.9117 DRE# 00222197
MFanelli@pacunion.com
67 Yolanda Drive San Anselmo
Situated on one of the most sought after streets in Marin. A warm & inviting classic offers 3BR/2BA, expansive flat grassy yard & fine period details. www.YolandaDrive.com
Offered at $1,195,000
Dorinne Low
LUXURY PROPERTY SPECIALIST
415.388.9000 DRE# 00776295
DorinneLow@pacbell.net
40 Partridge Drive San Rafael
Best location & large lot adjacent to open space. 4BR/3BA end unit townhome w/high ceilings, hardwood floors, 2 master suites, 2500 sf. www.40Partridge.com Offered at $745,000
Young
LUXURY PROPERTY SPECIALISTS
25 Crescent Lane Novato
Great location! 3Br/2BA + office/family rm hardwood floors, dual pane windows, formal living/dining, great lawn & garden areas. www.25CrescentLane.com
8 Woodside Way, Ross Delightful 3BR/2BA home in desirable Old Ross with swimming pool. www.8WoodsideWay.com Offered at $1,195,000
11 Rock road, Kent woodlands Spectacular 3BR/2.5BA mid-century modern with a pool and views. www.11RockRoad.com Offered at $2,395,000
10 Poplar Drive, Kentfield Fantastic value in this endearing 4BR/2.5BA home in Ross School District. www.10PoplarDrive.com Offered at $1,499,000
37 Allen Avenue, Ross Attractive 4BR/3BA family home in excellent location near Ross School. www.37AllenAvenue.com List Price $1,850,000 Gorgeous 4BR/4BA estate with a pool on over an acre in bucolic Sleepy Hollow. Represented The Buyer List Price $2,495,000
Sotheby’s International Realty 415.706.5804 | Danielle.Chavanon@SothebysHomes.com livemodernmarin.com
DRE#: 0113068
(BACK ROW from left to right: Melanie Victor-Smith and Jeffrey Smith Branch Manager. FRONT ROW: Marian Jung, Judy Stern and Karen Burrous.)
10 Lafranchi Lane, Nicasio • $1,699,000
Sonoma County • 6650 Eagle Ridge • $4,950,000 Turnkey
This magical Wine Country estate is situated on nearly nine acres just one hour from S.F. The gated six-building compound features 7 bedrooms, 7 baths, 9 fireplaces, a theater suite, pool, spa, gym, tennis court and a world-class recording studio. A private paradise with no detail spared. SonomaMountainEstateandStudio.com
A short drive through rural Marin, brings us to this superb residence on 2.850+/- pristine acres. Numerous upgrades over the past two years include a kitchen worthy of Pacific Heights fine dining. Separate, private guest quarters are located in an orchard setting.
Jay Patterson
415.380.4631 jpatterson@fhallen.com
Avril Couris 415.380.4626 acouris@fhallen.com
Dana Kreuzberger
707-696-3653
dkreuzberger@fhallen.com NorthBayHomesNow.com
250 Belvedere Avenue Stinson Beach • $1,180,000
An opportunity to live in a sleepy coastal town in Marin County. This home has it all, drama, style, incredible views, fabulous entertaining areas and unbelievable cabinetry. Close to the village and local beaches. The extra garden studio is perfect for guests.
2248 Mar East, Tiburon • $2,100,000
2248MarEast.com
Stunning three-bedroom, three-bath waterfront home in Tiburon oozes charm and will delight you with incredible views. The floor plan is very open with a wonderful kitchen, dining, and great room with a deck over the water for indoor/outdoor living. Close to the village of Tiburon, this location gives you a front row seat for all the happenings on the San Francisco Bay. Watch the tides and currents in Raccoon Straits, enjoy the splashes of color from the spinnakers and enjoy the sound and flight of sea birds. Gaze across the water at the Golden Gate Bridge, a stunning vision during the day and night. Views over the water to parts of San Francisco including Twin Peaks and the Palace of Fine Arts. Fall asleep to the sound of fog horns and know you are in Paradise. It does not get any more romantic than this. This IS the quintessential beach cottage.
Karen Z. Hardesty
415.265.3344 • kzhardesty@fhallen.com
KarenZHardesty.com
DRE #00684137
Committed to Extraordinary Service
Chelsea E. Ialeggio
415.300.6881 • cialeggio@fhallen.com
ChelseaInMarin.com
DRE# 01394011
Redefining Service in Real Estate
Lagoon –
93 Dipsea Road, Seadrift Lagoon – Available
149 Dipsea Road, Seadrift Lagoon – Coming Soon
265 Belvedere Avenue, Stinson Beach – Sold
STINSON BEACH
TIBURON . A 5,000 sq. ft. residence elegantly blends tradition with con-ate a breathtaking panorama. Listed at $4,995,000
MILL VALLEY. Sought after Middle Ridge location, this stunning modernist home offers sweeping views of the San Francisco Bay with privacy and style. 141Tamalpais.com Listed at $2,400,000
&22%OVERASKINGPRICE
SAN FRANCISCO. Rare offering, not on the market in over 80 years this 1920’s 2 unit Edwardian residence has been beautifully updated to showcase original charm and grace. Located in sought after Cole Valley. Listed at $1,250,000
I recognize that every home is unique and must be presented in the right style to be appealing to a broad market without losing that uniqueness. I create a focused and specialized strategy on all of my listings that consistently gets results quickly and for top dollar.
STINSON BEACH This contemporary estate features approx. 70 feet of lagoon frontage, steps from the beach, exquisitely appointed throughout with meticulous attention to every detail. Walls of glass open out onto breathtaking lagoon vistas. Listed at $2,495,000
MILL VALLEY with majestic redwoods. Nearly 3250 sq. ft. with 4+ bedrooms and a setting tailor made for domestic life and gracious hospitality. Listed at $2,225,000
ROCKRIDGE, EAST BAY. Located in one of the most sought after neighborhoods of the East Bay, this charming Rockridge home has not been on the market in over 25 years! Beautifully updated, 3 bedrooms, 2+ baths. Listed at $1,150,000
Tiburon Highlands
Grand Traditional Estate
Delightful Family Home
Recently Sold Properties
Belvedere. Stunning
EXTRAORDINARY OPPORTUNITY
Located on a private street, this stunning ±4,000 sq. ft. home fe atures world class 180-degree views spanning from the Golden G ate Bridge to Mt. Tam. Set high atop Belvedere Island, the commanding setting provides an interior courtyard with pool, expanding windows and remarkable feel throughout. Designed by renowned architect John Marsh Davis creator of landmarks such as Chateau Souverain, Joseph Phelps Winery, and Rutherford Hill Winery. 16Crest.com
more than 30
Mark
and
$4,995,000
CORINTHIAN ISLAND
Located at the entrance of Corinthian Island, this 3 bedroom, 3 bath home features ±2,569 square feet. Just remodeled, the home is light and bright with great picture views of the water, yacht club, and north. Large living room features high ceilings and stunning sitting area showcasing view. Literally steps to town.
7Bellevue.com
$2,295,000
This elegant, yet practical residence located in coveted San Rafael Park is situated at the end of a private cul-de-sac on over one third of an acre with expansive views of the surrounding hills of Lucas Valley. Custom built in 1984, the sunny west-facing property boasts
outdoor entertaining. Backing to open space and with its close commute proximity to shopping, theater, wine country and points north, this home is a mustsee property. 4 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths. $949,000 www. 31Santiago.com
Dubious Cargo
This area’s “most infamous delivery” arrived in 1934.
BY JIM WOOD
IT WAS EARLY in the morning of August 22, 1934, when a three-car train of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad (similar to the train pictured above) crossed the then-50-year-old trestle over Tiburon Boulevard. What made this train special was that passenger trains had not been making the run into Tiburon for some 26 years — the town was a freight-only destination. But what made it extra special were its passengers. “Gangster Al Capone, then America’s public enemy No. 1 — along with 52 other inmates — were being transferred from the federal penitentiary in Atlanta to the new, escape-proof prison on Alcatraz Island,” says Belvedere-Tiburon Landmarks Society historian David Gotz. “It was certainly this area’s ‘most infamous delivery.’ ” Citing newspaper accounts of Capone’s dash across Marin, he adds, “The train was expected to go to Sausalito, where the convicts would be transferred to a
waiting prison boat and taken to Alcatraz.” However, the feds were taking no chances. “Instead, in San Rafael, they were diverted onto the freight line, sent across the trestle and into Tiburon,” says Gotz. “Then the two prisoner cars and the guard’s car, with everyone still inside, were pushed onto a barge and towed out to Alcatraz.” As for the 800-footlong trestle, it was torn down in 1968, a year after all railroad operations in Tiburon ended. “However,” says Gotz, “on the berm overlooking Blackie’s Pasture, thanks to a recent vegetation clearance project funded by the Tiburon Peninsula Foundation, some of the original timbers are visible.” m
CIRCA
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