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

SEPTEMBER 2008

L I V I N G

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CONTENTS

106

Features 84 life

Meeting of Minds

How a city, national park and resort created Cavallo Point Lodge. story mandy behbehani photos tim porter

92 fashion

Autumn’s Sweet Retreat

Fall attire shot at Cavallo Point—the Lodge at the Golden Gate. photos sasha gulish stylist somer ﬂaherty

106 photo essay

Marin Up Close

Miniature landscapes photographed in Marin County. photos william dreskin

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2008

114 CONTENTS

122

Features 114

home Danehill—a Danish Dream Nicasio’s Karin Dilou and her equestrian homestead. story p. j. bremier photos barbara ries

122 journey Romancing the Tourist Cartagena—Colombia’s city of many faces. story & photos tim porter

Departments

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2008

letters

at a glance

album

Readers respond to Marin Magazine.

Hot tips day by day for the Bay Area.

Angel’s Eye by tim porter

130

CONTENTS

Departments 38

currents

snap

fashion trends

life style

fyi

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

Out and about, in and around Marin.

Earth’s delights. by somer ﬂaherty

Belvedere’s Liz Canady shares her thoughts on fashion. by mimi towle

Green: Marin couple cools the earth. by mimi towle Causes: The Leukemia Cup. by somer ﬂaherty Home Decor: Drab walls get a makeover. by somer ﬂaherty Outreach: Power of one. by samantha bronson People: Rosenthal brothers. by amelia glynn

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2008

conversation Mill Valley’s Leonard Shlain. by jim wood

130

142

looking back

Green Hawaii. by mimi towle

The Marin Music Chest. by jim wood

CONTENTS

146

226

Departments 146 books

Upcoming literary events. by samantha berry

152 galleries

New exhibits at four Bay Area galleries. by anne crump ray

157 calendar

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

164

flavor Recipes from Bay Area restaurants. Dine Out, an insider’s guide to Bay Area restaurants.

194 microclimate

Community spirit is alive and well in Terra Linda. by jim wood

226 dialogue

Marin author Amy Tan. by mimi towle

Columns

The Cover Photo by Marin photographer Sasha Gulish. More of her work can be seen in

view from mount tam

pov

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

Fashion on page 92. For information visit sashagulish.com, or to purchase go to marinmagazine.com/coverart. 16

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2008

Getting up close and personal. by jim wood

michaelstars.com 100% american Corte Madera Glendale Las Vegas Los Angeles Manhattan Beach Santa Barbara Santa Monica

EDITORIAL EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Nikki Wood

ext 105 | nwood@marinmagazine.com EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Jim Wood

ext 106 | jwood@marinmagazine.com SENIOR EDITOR

Mimi Towle

ext 101 | mtowle@marinmagazine.com EDITOR-AT-LARGE

Tim Porter

tporter@marinmagazine.com DEPARTMENTS EDITOR

Somer Flaherty

ext 103 | sflaherty@marinmagazine.com WEB EDITOR

Daniel Jewett

ext 116 | djewett@marinmagazine.com COPY EDITOR/PROOFREADER

Cynthia Rubin

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Mandy Behbehani, Samantha Berry, P. J. Bremier, Samantha Bronson, Amelia Glynn

ART ART DIRECTOR

Anne Walzer

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Alex French

ext 111 | production@marinmagazine.com PRODUCTION ARTIST

Stephen Spoja

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Drew Altizer, Sheri Montgomery, Barbara Ries

A D M I N I S T R AT I O N CONTROLLER

Maeve Walsh

ext 104 | mwalsh@marinmagazine.com OFFICE MANAGER

Linda Reid

ext 100 | lreid@marinmagazine.com

MARIN MAGAZINE ONE HARBOR DR, STE 208, SAUSALITO, CA 94965 PH 415.332.4800 FAX 415.332.3048 MARINMAGAZINE.COM EDITORIAL@MARINMAGAZINE.COM

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2008

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ADVERTISING PUBLISHER

Lisa Shanower

ext 107 | lshanower@marinmagazine.com

Courtney Q. Roberts

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

ext 108 | croberts@marinmagazine.com ACCOUNT MANAGER

Michele Johnson

ext 110 | mjohnson@marinmagazine.com ACCOUNT MANAGER

Leah Bronson

ext 109 | lbronson@marinmagazine.com ACCOUNT MANAGER

Rebecca A. Novack

ext 113 | rnovack@marinmagazine.com ADVERTISING ART DIRECTOR

Alex French

ext 111 | production@marinmagazine.com

REGIONAL SALES OFFICES SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

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destination marketing | Debbie Joseph, Shana Wong 808.739.2200

MARIN CUSTOM MEDIA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Michael Earls

ext 120 | mearls@marincustommedia.com Volume 4, Issue 9. Marin Magazine is published in Marin County by Marin Magazine LLC. All rights reserved. Copyright 2008. Reproduction of Marin Magazine content is prohibited without the expressed, written consent of Marin Magazine LLC. Unsolicited materials cannot be returned. Marin Magazine reserves the right to refuse to publish any advertisement deemed detrimental to the best interests of the community or that is in questionable taste. Marin Magazine is mailed monthly to homes and businesses in Marin County. Subscription rates are $12 per year. Marin Magazine, One Harbor Drive, Sausalito, CA 94965. Phone 415.332.4800, fax 415.332.3048, e-mail editorial@marinmagazine.com, website marinmagazine.com.

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MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2008

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Home for your life.

Leather craftsmen inside the Monastery of Santa Croce, Firenze

Scuola del Cuoio Trunk Show • September 12 & 13 designers Francesca Gori and Tommaso Melani Gori will present the Fall Collection

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

CAVALLO POINT—THE LODGE AT THE GOLDEN GATE the

Towle visits Hawaii, where a green vacation is easy to find

new hotel and retreat at Fort Baker, plays a big role in

and island sustainability practices abound.

this issue, both as subject and as backdrop. First, in Life,

This issue also introduces a new feature in Flavor—

Mandy Behbehani tells the story of how Cavallo Point

recipes from Organic Marin, Recipes from Land to Table, a

came to be, beginning with a visionary man and a dog

hot-off-the-press cookbook produced by Marin Magazine

that needed a walk. Then, the resort serves as a roman-

and written by Tim Porter and Farina Wong Kingsley that

tic setting as we fall forward into autumn Fashion, with

celebrates the organic farmers and ranches of Marin.

Somer Flaherty showing us the shape of styles to come and Sasha Gulish providing the beautiful photography.

Tan, FYI People profiles restaurateurs Mitch and Steven

where the horse is—in this case at Danehill, the hilltop

Rosenthal, the guys behind Town Hall and two other hot

hideaway high above the Nicasio Reservoir whose owner

San Francisco eateries, and Microclimate wends its way

wanted to create a homestead that embraced her European

through Terra Linda.

We travel south and west this month. In Journey, editor-at-large Tim Porter crosses the Caribbean for a wed-

MARIN

author Dr. Leonard Shlain, Dialogue checks in with Amy

In Home, P. J. Bremier learns that, at times, home is

heritage and her love of all things equestrian.

Also in this issue, Conversation talks with Mill Valley

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

ding in Cartagena, Colombia, and discovers a hot-blooded

Lisa Shanower, Publisher

(and hot) city where the food is magnetic, the culture

Nikki Wood, Editorial Director

eclectic and the future one of contradictions. In Go, Mimi

Jim Wood, Executive Editor

SEPTEMBER 2008

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

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LE TTE RS

THROW YOUR KID AN O U T- O F THIS-WORLD B I R T H D AY PA R T Y.

Readers respond and we would like to know, where can we ob-

❯❯ Four recycling commandments

tain more of them? Not only were they fun

I enjoyed Jim Wood’s Point of View on trash

doing, but we all felt we got smarter trying

and recycling (August). I am a conscientious

to solve them! Miriam Gross, Larkspur

person who does her best to remember to take reusable shopping bags into the market and recycles everything I possibly can. I appreci-

❯❯ Marin writers unite

ated Wood’s Four Commandments regarding

Thank you so much for this wonderful article

recycling because he made clear what to do

on Mary Ann Shaffer “Pen Pals” (August). I

and what not to do. I’ve printed them out (on

was one of the fellow writers in her writing

twice-recycled paper) and posted them above

group, in fact several writing groups over the

our office printer for my co-workers to read.

years. We were all so thrilled that the book

Deirdre Clark, via e-mail

went to a worldwide audience with such spectacular success. I’m looking forward to

I appreciated the article “Marin’s Trash

Annie Barrows’s appearance at Book Passage

Crunch” and agree that Marin can do more.

on September 10 to talk about it. I have just

After moving from San Francisco to Corte

subscribed to your magazine. Pat Arrigoni, via e-mail

Madera, I’ve been shocked that there is no concerted effort to compost in Marin. I am not sure if residents may be opposed to com-

❯❯ Editors’ choice

posting because they are frightened of “stinky

As a new resident of Marin I especially loved

food” in a bin. But maybe they should con-

getting your August issue in the mail. The

sider adding this to an environmental-mind-

editors’ choice coverage was fantastic! For a

ed lifestyle that includes driving a Prius and

newbie like me or an old-time local it’s great

using reusable bags when shopping. Again,

to read and learn about Marin’s top picks in

thanks for the article and I hope that the Four

fashion, restaurants and food. The issue even

Commandments regarding recycling are tak-

gave me ideas on where my kids can learn to

en to heart by Marin residents.

sail, where I can get my shoes repaired and

Michelle, Corte Madera

the top spot to bring my dog on a run! Keep the information coming and kudos to your

❯❯ Gary Gruber fans The article on Gary Gruber (FYI Education,

team of editors. Christina Feduska, via e-mail

August) was very inspiring. I loved the questions at the end, which made me realize what

Correction: In the Home story “Pool

was meant by the term “critical thinking” in

House Perfection” (July), the photo for the

the article. I am looking forward to obtaining

Architecture Studio’s project was taken by

Gruber’s 2009 calendar, which I believe has

Charles Callister Jr.

more of these questions. J. Parkinson, San Rafael

Letters to the editor may be edited for clarity and brevity. Send letters to Marin Magazine, One

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2008

Thank you for the informative article on Gary

Harbor Drive, Suite 208, Sausalito, CA 94965.

Gruber. Our entire family enjoyed his puzzles

Or e-mail jwood@marinmagazine.com.

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

SIG HTSE E I NG

T I M E S I N F I N I T Y.

E XPAN D YOU R U N IVE R S E Take a virtual tour at GoToChabot.org

POV

Up Close and Personal Friday Forums will spark county dialogue

BY JIM WOOD

Marin citizens, including Gary Tobin, Elissa

hour for lunch, same for the speaker, and 30

Giambastiani and Bonnie Nixon Gardiner,

minutes more for discussion between speaker

Friday Forums will be a monthly opportunity

and those attending. Due to its central loca-

for members of the public to connect on mat-

tion, the luncheons will be held at Jason’s in

ters of local concern. (Full disclosure: I am also

the Drake’s Landing Office Park near the Sir

one of the founders, but the group has no oth-

Francis Drake Boulevard and Highway 101 in-

er connection to Marin Magazine.) There is no

terchange in Greenbrae. The fee is $40, which

political or commercial agenda. The mood will

covers lunch and the expense of an indepen-

be upbeat, inquisitive and community orient-

dent administrator informing members of

ed. Anyone wanting to attack, accuse or rant in

upcoming meetings, tallying responses and co-

any way won’t feel welcome. If Friday Forums

ordinating with the restaurant.

has a mantra, it’s this: “to learn about—and discuss—Marin’s countywide issues.”

Anyone who attends a Friday Forum is considered a member. Members of the media

In order to work out kinks, Friday Forums

are welcome, but remarks made at meetings

egular readers know this column’s

has held a few dry runs in front of limited,

are off the record. If you promise to attend

tag line: “That’s my point of view.

word-of-mouth-driven audiences. Those gath-

(via e-mail) but fail to do so without cancel-

What’s yours?” I believe many peo-

erings dealt with last June’s primary elec-

ing at least 48 hours in advance, you’ll be

ple in Marin want to know what others in the

tion, Marin General Hospital and Marin Clean

charged the $40.

county are thinking. It may surprise you, but

Energy (all three speakers will reappear in the

If Friday Forums interest you and you are

I’m referring to those who hold key positions,

future). Now the concept is ready to play to a

ready to commit to the September 19 luncheon

like the general manager of our water district,

wider Marin audience.

discussion with Dr. Tom Peters of the Marin

a county supervisor, or the head of a group

Scheduled Friday Forum appearances in-

Community Foundation, e-mail your response

wanting to build workforce housing. Based on

clude Dr. Tom Peters, president and CEO of

to friday.forums@gmail.com. Attendance is

my experience, they truly want to know what

the Marin Community Foundation (September

limited to the first 100 people who respond.

you’re thinking. They want feedback.

19), San Rafael Mayor Al Boro speaking on

You will be notified by September 2 if you

However, except for formally convened (and

the Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit, aka

were among the first 100. Meeting reminders

often laborious) official meetings, I don’t sense

SMART (October 31), and Fairfax resident

will be emailed on September 12. All e-mail

much civic dialogue occurring within the county.

Susan Kennedy, chief of staff to Governor

responses will be retained so you can be no-

There are few places where the so-called mov-

Arnold Schwarzenegger, discussing state is-

tified of future meetings (and Friday Forums

ers and shakers can interact with the ones they

sues pertinent to Marin (November 21).

won’t use your e-mail address for any oth-

hope to move and shake—and vice versa. There

Others soon to be scheduled include Marin

er reason). If demand justifies it, additional

are not enough opportunities wherein you can

Municipal Water District General Manager

meetings will be arranged.

personally talk with a city mayor, an organic

Paul Helliker, Marin IJ political columnist

Marin County can use a more involved,

farmer or rancher, or the CEO of a successful en-

Dick Spotswood, and Marin Health Care

two-way personal approach in addressing its

terprise, be it commercial or nonprofit.

District CEO Lee Domanico.

countywide issues. That’s my point of view.

A new group named Friday Forums hopes

Friday Forums will meet at noon on a

to change that. Put together by a number of

Friday of each month for 90 minutes—half an

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2008

What’s yours? E-mail jwood@marinmagazine.com.

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

women’s clothing & accessories Diane Von Furstenberg • Nanette Lepore • Rebecca Taylor • Milly Twelfth Street • Velvet • Ella Moss • Rachel Pally • Corey Lynn Calter Splendid • Michael Stars • Sanctuary • Twill 22 • and lots more! Denim Lines: True Religion • Paige • Hudson • J Brand • Rock and Republic Shoes: Cole Haan • Nanette Lepore • Delman • Jeffrey Campbell Sam Edelman • Dolce Vita • Goldenbleu • Lilly Pulitzer

www.shopkismet.net 601 San Anselmo Avenue San Anselmo . 415.454.2629

AT A G LANC E

EVE NT S I N MAR IN & B EYO ND

S E PT EM BER SEPTEMBER 1 Labor Day Travel, barbecue or just relax—this day is dedicated to the American worker.

THRU SEPTEMBER 7 Claudia Chapline

SEPTEMBER 3 S.F. Symphony Gala

Waves, an exhibition of oil and pastel paintings and prints by West Marin artists Michael Knowlton and Nancy Stein. 3445 Shoreline Hwy (Stinson Beach). 415.866.2308

The black-tie evening begins with a preconcert promenade and continues with dancing and savories. 415.864.6000, sfsymphony.org

SEPTEMBER 4— OCTOBER 12 Spring Awakening Broadway’s new rock musical and coming-of-age tale kicks off a national tour in San Francisco. Curran Theatre (SF). 415.512.7770, shnsf.com

SEPTEMBER 5— OCTOBER 12 Ross Valley Players

SEPTEMBER 6 Boutique Bliss Don’t miss Marin Magazine’s first annual shopping extravaganza featuring local boutiques and a raffle for designer prizes. IDESST Hall (Sausalito). 415.332.4800

The season begins with Moonlight and Magnolias, an off-Broadway comedy about life in Hollywood in 1939. Barn Theatre (Ross). 415.456.9555, rossvalleyplayers.com

SEPTEMBER 6 & 7 Pet Fair & Adoption

SEPTEMBER 12 & 13 Wilkes Trunk Show

SEPTEMBER 13 Marin Designers Event

Pet-related products and services along with hundreds of adoptable animals are at this annual fair. Marin Center (San Rafael). 415.229.3174, bayareapetfair.com

Don’t miss Florence’s famed leather masters, Scuola del Cuoio, as they host a trunk show. WilkesSport (Mill Valley). 415.381.5183, wilkesbashford.com

The Designers Showcase presents a gala event featuring fine wine, dining, dancing and the presentation of the first annual award for volunteers. JCC (San Rafael). 415.479.5710, marindesignersshowcase.com

SEPTEMBER 13 Search for the Cause

SEPTEMBER 21 Saul Kaye

SEPTEMBER 17 Made in the Shade

The annual Just Green event, features organic cuisine from local restaurants and biodynamic wines to support Search for the Cause. Mill Valley Community Center. 415.289.1001, searchforthecause.org

Town Center Summer Music Series presents independent musician and songwriter Saul Kaye. Town Center (Corte Madera). 415.924.2961, shoptowncenter.com

Gump’s gave basic lampshades to artists and celebrities to create works to be auctioned off on behalf of the California College of the Arts at this exciting event. Gump’s (SF). 415.984.9250, gumps.com

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2008

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

My family has been in the investment business for the better part of the last century. My grandfather, Henri de la Chapelle, was an early partner at Paine, Webber, Jackson & Curtis. My grandfather, Rudolph Eichler, founded Bateman Eichler & Co. in 1929. My father, Peter Eichler Sr., became chief executive of Bateman Eichler in the 1970s. I worked on the floor of the NYSE, developed investment products for E.F. Hutton and launched a money management division for Bear Stearns. To say that I have worked in this business my entire life is not an overstatement. My forbears taught me that to be a successful investor one must be an independent thinker. At Aletheia, we have always done our own research. Another important family trait I have incorporated is common sense in terms of valuation, risk and return expectations. I also believe common sense guides the amount of effort needed to achieve superior results. It takes an incredible amount of time and effort to add value in today’s challenging financial markets. At Aletheia we have combined a rich heritage, creative thinking and a tireless work ethic. We look forward to hearing from you. Peter J. Eichler, Jr. Founder, Chairman, CEO

No taglines. No gimmicks. Just one thing: Performance. ALETHEIA: Performance, Excess Return and Alpha Rankings (Since Inception – period ended 12/31/06) Large Cap Growth Composite

Income Composite

Balanced Composite

Aletheia 100 Core Composite

Large Cap Value Composite

(NS

0 10 20

International Growth Composite

(NS

30 40 50 60 70 80 90

A l e t h e i a

™

R esea rc h a nd M a na gement

100

Gross Performance 330.60% Performance( Excess Return N Alpha S Inception Date

206.53%

251.75%

188.71%

196.04%

115.51%

1 1 1

1 2 2

1 1 1

17 17 18

1/1998

4/1999

9/1999

4/2000

7/2002

2008 YTD

Aletheia Growth Aletheia Value Aletheia Int’l Growth

4.57% 7.15% 5.77%

2007 17.18% 3.35% 27.10%

2006 20.11% 23.19% 24.60%

2005 30.39% 19.38% 17.72%

2004 17.18% 15.07% 7.73%

2003 62.16% 30.52% 45.61%

Since 12/31/97 391.78% 209.35%* 185.43%**

S&P 500‡

(-2.06%)

5.49%

15.80%

4.91%

10.88%

28.69%

73.90%

Aletheia Research and Management 100 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 1960, Santa Monica, CA 90401 (310) 899-0800 aletheiaresearch.com Past performance is not indicative of future performance.*Value performance since 3/31/00. The S&P 500 performed 9.23% over the same period. **International Growth performance since 6/30/02. ‡ The S&P 500 performed 60.66% over the same period. S&P 500 performance includes reinvested dividends. 2008 returns net of fees estimated through 5/19/08. Performance results are net of management fees.

M A R I N ALBUM

Angel’s Eye “It is always sunrise somewhere.”

BY TIM PORTER

THIS PHOTOGRAPH OFFERS A LESSON IN SERENDIPITY , one that embraces a simple yet

enduring truism: often what we seek most is directly behind us. I came to be overlooking Angel Island at dawn because of this month’s story on the Lodge at Cavallo Point. I wanted to make a picture that captured the grand sweep of the

— JOHN MUIR

setting—the gleaming white buildings, the rising Headlands, and, of course, the Golden Gate. The sun lit the scene best at ﬁrst light. For two weeks I rose early, checked the sky and rued the fog that obscured the dawn. Time was short. Deadline was near. Then, just days before this issue closed, I saw stars above. I rushed to Sausalito, climbed a steep hill, tripod and cameras in hand, and waited. As the sky lightened, my heart fell. Rather than being awash in rich colors, Cavallo Point was bathed in gray.

the fog, I began packing up, but it reappeared suddenly, burning brightly through a ﬂeeting hole in the clouds. I looked behind me again, this time westward, and there, as I had hoped, was the picture you’ll ﬁnd on page 84. 36

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2008

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTO: TIM PORTER

The wind picked up, stinging my eyes, so I turned my back to the Gate and saw, surprisingly, the sun winking coyly from behind Angel Island. As the glowing orb rose into

for Relaxing

for Comfort

BEVERLY HILLS, CA / SCANDIA DOWN

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C U R R E NT S

Organic Marin celebrates local farmers and restaurants Where to buy it

ALICE WATERS calls Organic Marin, Recipes from Land to

Table a “beautiful book, full of recipes for delicious and seasonal meals” that “is a tribute to Marin County farmers, artisan and cooks.” Written by Tim Porter (editor-at-large for Marin Magazine) and Tiburon chef Farina Wong Kingsley and produced by Marin Magazine, Organic Marin celebrates the contributions of the farmers and ranchers of West Marin with 200 pages of photographs, stories and nearly 50 recipes from more than two dozen local restaurants. Sales of Organic Marin, Recipes from Land to Table (Andrews McMeel, $29.95) help support Marin Organic’s school lunch program.

Organic Marin can be found at Bay Area bookstores and retail outlets including Point Reyes Books, Book Passage and Borders or by visiting marinmagazine.com/ organicmarin.

Meet the Authors of Organic Marin Sunday, August 31, 2 p.m. Book Passage.

Saturday, September 13, 10–11 a.m. Point Reyes

Ferry Building, San Francisco. Reading by Tim Porter.

Farmers’ Market. Cooking demonstration by Farina

Saturday, September 6, 1 p.m. Book Passage.

Wong Kingsley with Helge Hellberg of Marin Organic.

Corte Madera. Slide show on “Photographing

Friday, September 19, 5–8 p.m. Ruth Livingston

Food and Landscape” with Tim Porter.

Interiors. 74 Main St., Tiburon. Photos and wine tasting

Friday, September 12, 7 p.m. Copperﬁeld’s Books.

with Tim Porter and Farina Wong Kingsley.

140 Kentucky St., Petaluma. Reading by Tim Porter.

Saturday, September 20, 4 p.m. Mrs. Dalloway’s. 2904 College Ave., Berkeley. Reading by Tim Porter.

hot off the press! THIS SMALL-SIZED COFFEE TABLE BOOK is the ideal gift book for that

history/architecture buff in your life. Written by Donald MacDonald, who redesigned the toll booths, installed a new bike rail and is instrumental in the suicide barrier talks, and Ira Nadel, a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the book takes the reader through the journey of creating an icon. From deciding on the perfect “international orange” color (the U. S. navy’s blue and gold was also an option) to its art deco feel, every detail was debated and calibrated. The result: a treasured national landmark visited by over 9 million people each year. Golden Gate Bridge, published by Chronicle Books, is available at most bookstores and at chroniclebooks.com. 38

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2008

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

C U R R E NT S

JT LeWho?? R E M E M B E R T H AT little scuttlebutt

back in 2006 over the true identity of the not-so-true-to-life male runaway prostitute, JT Leroy? Turns out his tell-all autobiography was penned by a female fortyish red-

Loka Retreat Center

head named Laura Albert, creating

You’ll have to ﬁgure out the “who” and

what the San Francisco Chronicle

“what” but when it comes to your next

referred to as the “greatest literary

local group meeting or function, check

hoax in a generation.” Part of the

out the newly opened Loka Retreat

hoax included the many public ap-

Center. Located near Cascade Falls in

pearances of JT, spotted with celebs

Mill Valley, this former artist studio has

like Winona Ryder, Calvin Klein and

been turned into a 1,100-square-foot

Gus Van Sant. Who posed as JT?

conference room with bamboo ﬂoors

Albert’s teenage sister-in-law, Marin native Savannah Knoop, whose memoir of her ex-

and huge windows ideal for medita-

perience, Girl Boy Girl, published by Seven Stories Press, will be coming out in October.

tive arts, yoga or even team-building.

Besides making this foray into publishing, Knoop also runs an organic clothing com-

Check out ohanloncenter.org for more

pany, Tinc, with her sister, Hennessey. Their goods can be seen in September’s online

information.

Fashion Trends section of marinmagazine.com.

POUF! T WO N O RT H BAY B U S I N E S S E S , the kid-favorite sticker compa-

ny Mrs. Grossman’s and San Rafael’s Guide Dogs for the Blind, have joined forces to aid fur-covered-pet lovers. Pouf! (Pat Off Unwanted Fur) packs are made up of aesthetically pleasing, card-size adhesive (fur-grabbing) sheets created by Mrs. Grossman herself, who is donating a portion of net proceeds to Guide Dogs. mrsgrossmans.com

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2008

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

C U R R E NT S

Sweet Corte Madera

Mmm organic mini doughnuts Craving a delicious, satisfyingly sweet,

atisfy your sweet tooth with a trip to the recently opened Teacake

transfat-free doughnut but trying to curb

bakeshop in Corte Madera. One of founder Agnes Hsu’s three re-

your hydrogenated oils, maltodextrin, mono-

tail locations, the Marin store stocks dry mixes to bake at home as

diglycerides, sodium acid pyrophosphates,

well as an assortment of various cookies and cupcakes perfect as an in-

potassium sorbate, high fructose corn syrup

dulgent reward or a delicious gift—such as the hand-frosted baby-themed

and sodium propionate intake? Check out

cupcakes complete with yellow fondant duckies, green bottles and

Dee’s Mini Organic Doughnuts available at

pink teddy bear toppers. Hsu, who holds a master’s degree in nutrition,

Woodlands Market, Comforts and Playdate

also hopes to sweeten the lives of others. Teacake has designed a chil-

Café, Northpoint Coffee as well as the

dren’s cupcake box for which 50 percent of the proceeds go to support

Discovery Museum. These snack-sized treats

Children’s Hospital and Research Center of Oakland. Also be on the lookout for original limited-edition treats that have been baked up by Teacake employees. All proceeds from the sales of those items are donated to the charity of the employee’s choice. Teacake Bakeshop, 119 Corte Madera Town Center, Corte Madera, 415.924.2000, teacakebakeshop.com

are the brainchild of business partners Dee Firmage of Mill Valley and Rick Hirsh of San Anselmo. “So far we’ve had an overwhelming response, people love the small size and the fact that they are all organic,” says Firmage. Flavors include cinnamon sugar, Meyer lemon, raspberry, Dagoba chocolate, maple crunch and more, all made with fresh and organic ingredients. organicdoughnuts.com

Lollipop lollipop! Locals Michael and Mary Gassen, who also own the much-loved Noe Valley Bakery in San Francisco, have created a colorful kids’ fantasy shop complete with shelves full of jars of candies in every shape and size, freezers stocked with bake-at-home cookie dough, ice cream cakes and handmade ice cream to take home as well as cupcakes in nine sweet-tooth-satisfying ﬂavors. 415.380.1976, lollipopicecream.com 42

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2008

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

Whether you’re headed back to school or looking for some last minute summer fun, you’ll find whatever suits your mood at one of Town Center’s 65 unique shops and restaurants. Over 65 unique shops and restaurants including: BARNES & NOBLE BOOKSELLERS

* THE CONTAINER STORE * SHOE PAVILION PANDA ROOM * CIAO BELLA GELATO * NOODLE SOUP STORE FOR CHILDREN To wn C e n te r Gift C ar ds now available at the Town C enter Managem ent Offic e or online at www.shoptowncenter.com

We are located off the Tamalpais Drive exit. For more information, call 415-924-2961. Visit our 65 unique shops and restaurants including Z Gallerie, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, west elm and more.

news from the north

CASTLE OF LOVE Napa Valley has a new landmark—and we’re not talking about an extension of the famed Kenwood-based winery. After 15 years of construction, the Castello di Amorosa (Castle of Love) is ﬁnally open to the public. The public tours show off fruits of the estate winery as well as the property itself. A castaldo (concierge) will lead you over a drawbridge through caves and tasting rooms. The entire 121,000square-foot property is built on three acres. castellodiamorosa.com

Holy Karakasevic! The 12th- and 13th-generation distillers Miles and Marko Karakasevic, of the family-owned

Ma(i)sonry

spirits company Charbay, have just

New venue in Yountville: as of September 1,

Westin Verasa!

released a whiskey to rave reviews.

Ma(i)sonry (rendering below), a 1904 pri-

On September 18, Napa Valley’s newest

“Holy wow,” said Stephen Schuler,

vate home listed on the National Register

luxury property will be opening its doors

of Historic Places, is open for private par-

just blocks away from COPIA. For more

ties and casual get togethers. This in-

information, visit intrawest.com

door-outdoor locale features private wine

buyer at Morrell Wines & Spirits in New York City. “This seriously might be one of the best-made

tasting rooms, great rooms, outdoor seating, ﬁre pits—all the comforts of your own club or genteel country home. Visitors are always welcome,

American whiskeys I have ever laid my lips on.” Want some? The ﬁrst release is sold out and release two,

wine tasting appointments are

which debuts this month, is nine

encouraged. For more infor-

years old and available at select

mation call 707.252.4444 or visit maisonry.com

ﬁne spirits stores nationwide by allocation. charbay.com

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2008

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Visit our beautiful showroom complimentary consultation | 415.455.1200 | californiaclosets.com Address Address 610A DuBois Street, San Rafael

SNAP NICK’S COVE AND COTTAGES

STOP THE SPRAY

Susan Pey, Adam Mali, Jon Pey

Ryder Darcy, Theron Nelson, Xavier H

FOUNDATION FOR REED SCHOOLS

Around Town Oenophiles and gourmands headed to Nick’s Cove and Cottages in Marshall for a PeyMarin and Mount Tamalpais Vineyards “Grown in Marin” dinner. Chef Adam Mali created dishes from meats, ﬁsh and produce grown in Marin, including wild mushrooms on toast, crab cakes, halibut sashimi and more. At Reed School’s annual Regatta Fundraiser, parents and supporters enjoyed the Viva Las Vegas theme to support the Foundation for Reed Schools’ goal to underwrite music, technology, foreign language, physical education and art classes for Tiburon public schools. Over 100 guests sipped on organic wine and beer at the Chic for a Cause: Stop the Spray fundraiser. The event’s fashion show opened with botanical couture by Theron Nelson including bikinis made from grass, twigs and ﬂowers; recycled denim looks from Love, Melody Originals; and more. Organic boutiques Tela D and Eco Citizen also showcased eco-friendly labels. And in San Francisco, more than 650 guests attended the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s annual Hope Gala at the Fairmont, raising $2.4 million for research. Guest John Lasseter offered a surprise live auction item of a voice-over role for a child in his next animated movie, Toy Story 2, which sold for $200,000. Arndt Schottelius, “Elvis,” John Kenneally

Jennifer Jeffries, Diana Nelson

MARIN SEPTEMBER 2008

Phil Stapleton, Jane and Robert Kahan

Robert Stein, Terry Nelson

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTO CREDIT: JUVENILE DIABETES/DREW ALTIZER

JUVENILE DIABETES

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Narada Michael Walden, Michael and John Goddard

Pete Lewis, Merry Alberigi, Ben Fong-Torres

SENIOR ACCESS

Happenings This past summer Marinites showed their philanthropic side at local fundraisers. At the Mill Valley Community Center guests supported Marin History Museum’s fundraiser “Marin Makes Music.” The event, emceed by Ben FongTorres, raised almost $50,000 for the museum. Over 100 guests attended the former Designers Showcase home of Ann-Marie and Jerry Parker in San Rafael to raise money Ignatius Tsang, Cris Chater, Lynda Mackin

Martha Hollenbeck, Terry Aman

to support Senior Access’s adult day programs. Guests enjoyed catering by Drake Terrace chef Jess Cenica

ART WORKS DOWNTOWN

and wine from Artesa Vineyards & Winery. Art Works Downtown held its annual fundraiser ArtRageous, a Warhol-themed event, which raises money for public programs. The University of San Francisco hosted the ﬁrst annual California Prize Dinner at the Merchants Exchange Building in San Francisco. The award was presented to entrepreneur Lynn Fritz, founder of the Fritz Institute, a nonproﬁt that improves both the preparation for disasters and the operational effectiveness of disaster relief Amy Anderson, Nini Lion

organizations.

CALIFORNIA PRIZE DINNER

Trpti Todd

Alexandra Fritz, Natalie Fritz Eid, Lynn Fritz, Emily Fritz Veloso, Leslie Fritz PHOTO CREDIT: MARIN HISTORY MUSEUM/HERMAN PRIVETTE

Lisa Long and Jay Yinger

Petrina Wielgos

MARIN SEPTEMBER 2008

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SNAP COMEDY FOR KIDS

Glenn Motola, Dan Feshbach, Larry Goldfarb, Sammy Hagar, Kari Hagar, Maureen Block, Lisa Reed

MCCALL AND ASSOCIATES

Rob Weir

S.F. SYMPHONY

Elizabeth Folger

The Arts Nearly 700 attendees and headliners Robin Williams and Dana Carvey made the Comedy for Kids with Autism beneﬁt at the Regency Center an unforgettable night. Adding to the night’s success were Sammy Hagar and Lawrence Goldfarb, who surprised the audience when they jumped onstage and each pledged $50,000 to Oak Hill School and the Ryder Foundation. Marin County’s Oak Hill School

Dennis Agnos, Anette Harris, Rowland Weinstein

Karen Jung, Barbara Brookins-Schneider

provides an integrated therapeutic education for children with autism and other developmentally based learning challenges. Recently, the San Francisco Symphony Opening

S.F. BALLET

Gala Committee and event chairman Karen Jung hosted a gala launch party at the Weinstein Gallery in Union Square. Also in preparation for the gala, committee members along with symphony musician Rob Weir sampled items from the gala’s opening night menu at McCall and Associates. At the Four Seasons Hotel and the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, over 200 guests, including artistic director Helgi Tomasson, board of trustees member Dick Barker and executive director Glenn McCoy, attended the San Francisco Ballet student showcase.

Wally and Eve Wertsch

Patricia TeRoller, Glenn McCoy

Holly Suich, Lorrae Rominger, Deborah Taylor

MARIN SEPTEMBER 2008

Marlene and Helgi Tomasson, Dick Barker, Catherine Schmidt

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

“The Fine Art of Fine Property” Tracy McLaughlin Named Marin’s top producing agent for 2007 with 100 million sold. Specializing in Marin County Properties since 1997.

Tracy McLaughlin 415/464-8686 www.marinfinehomes.com tracy@marinfinehomes.com

SNAP BANK OF MARIN

Kevin Harrington, Peggy Harrington

Janet Alix, Heidi Duckor, Jane Castle, Irv and Myrna Lane

Openings In recent months, grand opening celebrations were held around the bay. Bank of Marin celebrated its grand opening of the new downtown Mill Valley ofﬁce on Sunnyside Avenue Russell A. Colombo, Lynn Colombo, Joel Sklar

with branch manager Heidi Duckor and Bank of Marin president and CEO Russell Colombo. Larkspur Hotel Union Square celebrated its reopening with cocktails, live jazz music and a charity rafﬂe. Formerly the Cartwright hotel, Larkspur

LARKSPUR HOTEL UNION SQUARE

Hotel Union Square has been renovated with new furnishings and décor. Fashionable locals headed to the grand opening party of the John Varvatos Boutique on Maiden Lane in San Francisco. In Napa, Norman and Norah Stone welcomed friends and art world notables to an encore opening of their Stonescape property. Guests viewed the current installation in the couple’s art cave and those who swam in the pool were treated to the James Turrell Skyspace art piece, which is located in the pool and can be experienced only by swimming

Karl Hoagland, Suzie Yang, Dennis Markus, Joey Miranda

underwater.

John Varvatos, Kit Codik

MARIN SEPTEMBER 2008

STONESCAPE

Scott Duffy, Rachel Magen

Allison Arieff, Brian Burkhart

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTO CREDIT: STONESCAPE/DREW ALITZER

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INSPECTED, EXAMINED, OR QUALIFIED THIS OFFERING. No Federal agency has judged the merits of value, if any, of this property. Access to amenities may be subject to payment of fees, membership requirements and other restrictions.

FA S H I ON TRENDS

fall colors reign supreme Embrace the fall season with a neutral color palette, which flatters any skin type. Looking for a practical reason to indulge? As singersongwriter Stephin Merritt, who chooses to keep his wardrobe a monochromatic brown, says, “The great thing about brown is when it fades you can’t tell what color it originally was.” — somer flaherty

1. Cashmere coat by Tuleh, $7,500 at Tuleh. By special order at tuleh.com 2. Rory sweater by Lily McNeal, $ 273 at Gala (Larkspur). 415.924.7680

3. Derby sweater by Trina Turk, $248 at Allie G (Mill Valley), 415.381.2554, allie-g.com, and Sandbox (Greenbrae), 415.461.2133 4. Essie Sweater by Velvet, $311 at Viva Diva (San Rafael). 415.256.8380, vivadivaboutique.com

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2008

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FA S H I ON TRENDS

earth’s delights Autumn heralds the start of falling leaves, weather changes and new collections straight from the runway. Take a hint from this season’s designers and look toward earthy colors for inspiration. —S.F.

1. Balthazar bag by Sobella, $395 at Sobella (SF). 415.489.7526, sobella.com 2. Kamiko dress by Sweeties, $156 at Nancy Koltes (Mill Valley). 415.383.5811, nancykoltesathome.com 3. Pearl neck dress by Bordeaux, $202 at Lawrie Webb (Corte Madera). 415.927.1793

5 PH OTO: CY NTHI A STEF FE/ DAN LEC CA

4. Margot dress in camel by Cynthia Steffe, $350 at Two Skirts (SF). 415.441.6727, cynthiasteffe.com

5. Bag by Louis Vuitton, price upon request at Louis Vuitton (SF). 415.677.9360, louisvuitton.com

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2008

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FA S H I ON

lifestyle Name Elizabeth Canady Home Belvedere Occupation Advertising/Marketing Describe your personal style. I’m not sure I have one. As with all women, no matter how large my closet is, there is never enough room for all the shoes. I am also As an associate

known for having my share of Liz Logie

publisher for

blouses (38 at last count); they are my uni-

Martha Stewart

form. I like to put them with a pair of jeans

Omnimedia

and Jack Rogers (sandals) or Chanel flats,

who spends

depending on the season. I guess you could

the week in

say that when I like something, I like it a lot

either New

(much to my husband’s chagrin). My friends

York or L.A.

also came up with “colorful and classic and

and a frequent

likes to incorporate the latest ‘it’ thing into

co-chair of the

her mostly traditional wardrobe.”

Reed School Annual Fashion

What are you wearing? Well, it is Indian

Show, Liz

summer, so I am in my favorite white

Canady should

pants—these are Trina Turk—and a tunic and

be able to offer

sandals, both by Tory Burch. Always need a

a few choice

splash of Jo Malone (French Lime Blossom)

words on style.

and my staple pair of pearl earrings.

But when it came time to

Where do you love to shop in Marin? With

answer our

a soon-to-be-teenage daughter, I spend

questionnaire,

a lot of time at the trio of Abercrombie,

she gathered

J. Crew and Juicy Couture at the Village

some trusted

in Corte Madera. I do love M in Larkspur,

friends and a

where Marni, the owner, always has a great

bottle or two

selection of clothes and I always find a

of wine to

new treasure from a designer like Milly or

help out.

Nanette Lepore. Item and Pearl are great to toe; you can get a terrific party dress and stylish shoes without leaving the parking lot. For unique hostess gifts, Citrus in Tiburon never lets me down. They have fun bags and shoes as well.

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2008

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

P H OTO: BARBA RA R IE S

for special-occasion shopping from head

What is always in your bag/pockets? I carry a BlackBerry for e-mails, Motorola Razor for my phone calls, and a Palm Treo for my addresses and my August-to-August calendar. On the beauty front, I always have a couple of lip glosses including the new Chanel brush-on style (color #73 is great for the summer), a ponytail holder for that bad hair day, and unsalted almonds from my last plane trip. Where do you go to pamper yourself? Huntington Spa (SF) or Carneros Inn for a spa treatment, followed by sitting by the pool in the warm Napa sunshine with a glass of bubbly and catching up with friends! In Marin, both Evo Spa and Stellar Spa are great spots, especially as they are open on Sundays (except for when I have sports activities with the kids). How would your friends describe you? They kindly suggest that I am a “go-to friend” for many things, including house projects, party favors, birthday gifts or the latest vacation spot. I am also considered an organized friend, as, for example, by summer’s end I have usually planned and completed our family holiday cards and sometimes I’m already working on theirs. What was the last book you read, and why? I am still compiling both my summer reading list and that of my kids. I just returned from our annual trip to East Hampton, where I happily jumped into the latest issue of Vanity Fair. Other than that, I am partially through Ken Follett’s Pillars of the Earth, as I enjoy historical fiction. What was the last movie you saw? Sex and the City. Opening day, first show, Northgate theater, with the rest of the Marin moms! If your life was a movie, what would be your theme song? “Beautiful Day” by U2. Living each day in Marin, surrounded by wonderful family and friends—what more

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MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2008

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FOR YOUR INFORMATION GREEN

Marin Couple Cools the Earth BY MIMI TOWLE | CARLEEN AND JEFF CULLEN AREN’T YOUR TYPICAL ENVIRONMENTALLY MINDED MARIN PARENTS. Neither came from a commune; nor do they have geological, astrological or mythological middle names. In fact, a couple of years back they were prototypical Manhattanites

PH OTO: TI M PORTER

enjoying the hard-earned but surprisingly big success generated from the sale of Carleen’s biotech company, Ovid Technologies, which she founded with her brother. They could live anywhere and they chose Marin. They could do anything—and they created a countywide school-based anti-global warming campaign called Cool the Earth (cooltheearth.org). Their first foray into making a difference was Cancel-a-Car, based on the concept that every 12,000 pounds of carbon emissions prevented is equal to taking a car off the road. How does it work? A simple coupon book. Students are given point-based actions in the form of coupons, to be returned to school once their parents complete specific energy-saving tasks. Examples: replace five lights with compact fluorescents to save 900 pounds of carbon; walk or bike to school (saves 540 pounds); turn down the hot water heater to 120 degrees (and save 550 pounds); use the

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MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2008

cold wash cycle (save 1,500 pounds). As these actions are taken at home, the carbon-savings coupons are handed back to the teacher, tallied up and recorded, much like a fundraising chart. To date, the program has “canceled” 10,320,477 pounds worth of carbon emissions, translating to taking 860 cars off the road. “We really hadn’t been part of the environmental movement,” Carleen reflects. “We had a Prius because it made sense, and we happened to see An Inconvenient Truth, because we were looking for a movie near Sushi Ran.” However,

D I S C O V E R M A R I N ’S M O S T E XTRAORDINARY MARKET!

they were so inspired by footage of stranded polar bears and shrinking ice caps, they spent the next six months researching the topic. “I can’t be 100 percent sure that global warming is ‘true,’” says Carleen. “But something is happening, and doing nothing is a tremendous risk to our future—and most importantly the future of our kids.” Their first step was a private screening of that same movie at the Christopher B. Smith theater in San Rafael for fellow parents and administrators from the Bacich elementary school in Kentfield. That night the audience brimmed with enthusiasm for change. A month later, nothing had happened. They decided people need motivation, goals and most of all incentives.

full service catering

“The program has four simple elements, says Carleen. “All that needs to happen is for one parent to bring it to the school, and for the adminis-

local ﬂoral delivery

tration to allow it to happen.” The program starts off with a play about a polar bear who lost his habitat (costumes provided by Cool the Earth). Coupon books are distributed, a tracking banner is displayed on campus, and then teachers (if they choose to) can spotlight particular areas of focus, such as junk mail or walking to school. “There are those parents who don’t believe that global warming is real, and they object to our program,” notes Carleen. “We don’t want to ruffle any feathers, or teach children something contrary to their parents’ beliefs. However, in the end this is not a political statement; it is energy conservation—and the actions are simply

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good habits.” Last year, 27 schools in Marin em-

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braced the program, the Cullens say; for next year they’re hoping for 50.

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2008

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

Cool at School Marin Elementary students share their cool the Earth Tips:

“We got twisty light bulbs. Try to use the car less. We play outside and don’t always watch TV. If we don’t take care of the earth in my future the world will be a giant mess.” —Luke Dahlin, 4th grade

“I love Cool the Earth. It made me want to get involved. Once I heard the information, I said, ‘Mom, I want to help the earth by changing the light bulbs and not wasting water.’” —Violet Loo, 3rd grade

“I walk to school almost every day because of Cool the Earth. I try to make less garbage by eating all of my snack; if I can’t ﬁnish it I take it home. I think our school made a very big difference in the world.” —Sara Wilson, 3rd grade

“I learned what happens when people are driving their cars too much and taking long showers. I think we can make the world a better place and the ice will stop melting and the animals will live.” —Eli Neiman, 3rd grade

“I walked when I could and changed my lights and took shorter showers.” —Michael Bowen, 3rd grade

“I try to use less carbon by walking and biking instead of driving; carpool, too. Recycle, and don’t buy plastic water bottles at the store; use metal reusable bottles. I take shorter showers. Turning lights off when you leave a room saves energy and saves money.” —Katherine Neal, 5th grade

“To cool the earth, you need to use less water, less cars and less electricity and recycle a whole lot of garbage. When I wash my hands, I turn the water off while I am rubbing the soap all around on my hands, and after, I put the soap away and I turn the water back on.” —Kian Afrookteh, 1st grade

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MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2008

F Y I CAUS E S

Leukemia Cup Regatta Sailors hit the bay for charity BY S O M ER FL A H ERT Y

t was only last year that Tiburon’s Ian Charles first became involved with fundraising for the Leukemia Cup Regatta, a benefit for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, at the San

Francisco Yacht Club. Committee chair Bill Nolan asked Charles to sponsor the event through Rex & Co., his home equity investment company. Charles agreed, not only writing a sponsorship check but jumping passionately into fundraising to bring in almost $30,000. Months later, Nolan was looking toward the 2008 regatta and invited Charles to chair this year’s event. one hesitation,” recalls Charles, who lives in

A Leukemia Cup entry under sail on Richardson Bay. RIGHT : Ian Charles and Jonny Moseley at last year’s regatta.

Tiburon. “I didn’t have a personal connection with cancer. I was concerned about chairing an event designed around a cause that I had no experience dealing with.” In the end he ac-

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2008

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P H OTO: DAVID BE CK

“I was honored to be asked but I had

cepted the role, and unfortunately his dilemma resolved itself when he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, an incurable blood cancer, in April. “Now it is personal and my goal is to raise $100,000 this year.” Charles is co-chairing the October 5 regatta at the San Francisco Yacht Club with 10-year-old Campbell Nolan, a leukemia survivor and Bill Nolan’s son. What started as an event held by the Eastport Yacht Club in Annapolis, Maryland, to help fund the fight against leukemia and blood cancers has now gained national attention— with over 50 regattas held across the country— largely due to a 2003 presentation at an annual leadership conference by America’s Cup winner and ESPN commentator Gary Jobson, a lymphoma survivor. Ironically, Jobson was also diagnosed with the disease after almost 10 years of heading up the Leukemia Cup Regatta. More than 11,000 people participated in last year’s regattas, which raised over $3.5 million and brought the total thus far to $23 million. Regatta participants not only pay the $1,000-per-person or $1,500-per-couple entry but also raise additional money through friends and family to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. On October 4, the 2008 regatta weekend kicks off with a reception and dinner featuring sailing enthusiast and News Corporation chairman/CEO Rupert Murdoch. October 5 is Sunday on the Bay, when seafarers will compete in the thrilling race, including spinnaker and non-spinnaker divisions; one design class for fleets with six or more boats; and a separate youth regatta. After the race comes a barbecue celebration and awards ceremony for the top finishers and fundraisers on the San Francisco Yacht Club deck in Belvedere. Those who raise at least $8,500 will win a weekend trip to the Pink Shell Resort and Spa in Florida and a sail with Gary Jobson.

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SEPTEMBER 2008

F Y I H OM E DECO R

2 1

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it is feasible, for the experienced do-it-yourselfer with an eye for accuracy. At the St. Regis, wall coverings that mimic stitched leather panels for the guest room entrance vestibules and upholstered floor-to-ceiling panels, which slide back to reveal an entertainment unit in the presidential suite, give the rooms a sense of grandeur. In the presidential suite the feature is made even more dramatic by the use of a large-scale damask fabric, which adds texture to the piece. In your own home, Stinson says, upholstered wall panels can be used to aid in noise reduction and for spaces where you want to evoke a more intimate feeling. 2. It may be worth hiring an interior designer just to gain access to the SHEARS AND WINDOWS showroom in the San Francisco Design Center, which is only the second showroom in

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3. In San Francisco’s Design District B. MORI is known for silk wall coverings. The company not only spins and dyes all of its silk threads; artisans also create the hand-embroidered and hand-painted wall coverings. Turn your walls into an exotic garden with the company’s Springtime Bloom coverings. $250 per square yard at B. Mori & Co. (SF). 415.431.6888, bmori.net 4. In her converted Victorian home in San Francisco, designer SONDRA ALEXANDER creates handcrafted wall coverings, which are displayed on the walls at Tiffany’s, Saks

Fifth Avenue and the presidential suite at the Hilton Waikoloa. With the NEPTUNE BY

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can take Alexander’s designs home with you. $70 a yard at Pacific Showrooms West (SF). 415.621.7638, yangki.com 5. SILK DYNASTY’s classic handpainted silk wallcoverings were originally introduced as one small collection of colors in the early ’80s. However, new pigments and specialized painting techniques allowed the company’s master artist, Stephen Yee, to develop several collections. The CALAIS CARNELIAN collection is available at William Switzer & Associates (SF). 415.621.0575, silkdynasty.com — S . F.

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SEPTEMBER 2008

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F Y I OUT R E ACH

POWER OF ONE These Marinites took individual action to lend a helping hand BY SAMANTHA BRONSON

ABOVE: Emebet Bellingham in Ethiopia with two

young girls, MIDDLE: Olga Murray snuggles on a couch with Nepalese children, RIGHT: John Wilhelm with young student from Brazil.

merica’s political stature is taking a beating around the globe,

than $5 million to that country and helped open two dental schools. The

but its generous spirit remains strong. Marin residents are no ex-

group has also launched a rural community program for orphans.

ception. Three who formed their own nonprofits show how one

person really can make a difference.

The program promotes self-sufficiency by providing orphans and the community with access to such resources as health care, vocational training, farming and livestock development, water filtration, nutrition and

Emebet Bellingham

educational opportunities. The aim is to weave together a comprehen-

For Emebet Bellingham of San Anselmo, the desire to provide help and

sive response to the needs of orphans. A single-track approach focus-

hope to Ethiopia hits close to home. Bellingham grew up in Ethiopia and

ing on, say, education alone will ultimately be weakened if other needs

was shocked when she visited in 2003 to see the devastation AIDS had

are not addressed as well, Bellingham explains. “We’re not there just to

wrought—about 6 million children were orphaned when their parents

bring money from the U.S.

died from AIDs, malaria, TB, water born and other preventable diseases.

and say, ‘Here you go, go live

“Africa in general gets lots of foreign aid and help, but most is not sus-

your life.’ This has to be their work.”

The World Family theworldfamily.org

We need a program that gives people a tool to make them self-sufficient.”

Bellingham takes a larg-

Bellingham cofounded the World Family, an organization that col-

er view of global action. “I

Nepalese Youth Opportunity Foundation nyof.org

lects outdated U.S. hospital equipment and donates it to health centers

see us as one world. We’re

AYUSA ayusa.org

in Ethiopia. Since 2003, World Family has sent equipment worth more

all interconnected; we’re all

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SEPTEMBER 2008

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P H OTO: TIM P ORTER

tainable. It’s not long term,” Bellingham says. “That’s always bothered me.

For more information:

people,” she says. “It doesn’t matter if there’s a problem in China or a problem in India or a problem in Ethiopia—we should see the world as one. We should come up with some kind of way to support each other because it always

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affects the world when one part of the world is not doing well.”

Olga Murray In 1984, Olga Murray of Sausalito had just retired as a lawyer working with the California Supreme Court and was pondering what to do with her life. “I knew I didn’t want to sit around and eat bonbons and polish my toenails,” says Murray, who was nearly 60 at the time. “I think subconsciously I was looking for something that would excite me as much as my work. I always knew it would be something with children, but I thought it would be something like advocating for a teenager in court.” A trip to Nepal changed everything. The impoverished children Murray met there so inspired her with their “amazing capacity for joy” that she returned in 1987 to offer four of them college scholarships she had paid for herself. Not long after, Murray founded

Most children arrive unable to smile, play or even react to anything because they are so malnourished. They leave alert and active. the Nepalese Youth Opportunity Foundation, which has provided scholarships to more than 3,500 Nepalese children. Today the foundation today also runs two homes for orphaned, disabled and other needy children and works to free girls who have been sold into servitude by their impoverished families. In addition, because half of Nepal’s children under age 5 are malnourished, the organization operates a nutritional rehabilitation home. There children and their mothers live for about five weeks while the children are nourished and the mothers learn to prepare nutritious meals

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child pair, and the results are dramatic, Murray

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says. Most children arrive unable to smile, play or even react to anything because they are so malnourished. They leave alert and active. Murray, now 84, lives in Nepal six months of the year to check in on the children and their progress, bringing their stories back to Marin. “A child is a child is a child wherever they are, whether they are here in Sausalito or in Kentfield or in Africa or Asia,” she asserts. “They have the same needs, the same capacity, the same prospects for turning into wonderful human beings.”

John Wilhelm John Wilhelm of Tiburon is trying to change the worldview of Americans promulgated by the relentless export of media images and pop culture, and he’s trying to do it one student at a time. Wilhelm is cofounder and chairman of AYUSA Global Youth Exchange, which for more than 25 years has sent American students abroad and brought foreign students to the United States. He calls this “public diplomacy.” “The experiences (the students) have during six months or a year in the U.S. will impact the attitude toward us for the rest of their lives,” he points out. “One student goes back and tells his classmates and coworkers about the experience

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in the U.S. and that has a ripple effect.” That’s increasingly important in this post– 9/11 world, Wilhelm says. In fact, one of the group’s most notable programs brings Muslim students for 10 months to the United States, where they live with American families and attend local high schools. The program is so popular in some predominantly Muslim countries that only a fraction of students who apply are accepted, he says. The program is underwritten by a State Department grant. In the organization’s first year, fewer than 10 students, all Japanese, participated. Today more than 1,500 students from about 70 countries are involved annually. Each represents a chance to promote a side of Americans not often perceived abroad. “They’re amazed at what a friendly people we are,” Wilhelm says.

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SEPTEMBER 2008

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Livestock Aid You don’t have to start a nonproﬁt to be involved in global issues. Last year Michelle Stern of San Rafael traveled to Honduras with Heifer International, which gives families cows, chickens and other livestock to raise for food. Here’s her account of the trip.

Our airplane flew carefully between two mountains and made a steep turn before an abrupt on the short runway. The jolt was an appropriate welcome to what would be an adventure of a lifetime. By participating in this study tour, I hoped to collect personal accounts that would help me motivate my students to use food and cooking as a way of helping others. I also wanted to learn more from Heifer about how people work together to make sustainable food choices and protect the environment. For seven days we nearly lived on our bus as we traveled to projects all over the country. Each community had its own story of how Heifer International had helped transform its people’s lives. Women told us about the school uniforms and food they were able to purchase from the sale of their piglets. One mom earned enough money to build an enclosed kitchen with a fuel-efficient stove for her family, and another was able to buy furniture for her home for the first time. At a beekeeping cooperative, a young woman said she was grateful to have a business so that she was no longer considered “just a housewife.” Another woman beamed with delight as she declared that she had become an expert at breeding chickens and was a mentor for other local families. A man named Jorge told us about the milk his cow provides for his children and how the protein is improving their performance in school. whatscookingblog.com, heifer.org.

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SEPTEMBER 2008

F Y I PEO P LE

Two Jersey Guys Walk into a Bar... How the brothers Rosenthal wound up living in Marin BY A M EL I A G LY N N ersey-boy restaurateurs Mitch and

Steven Rosenthal bought homes in Mill Valley on the same day nine years ago.

Living in Marin gives the brothers a geographical break from their work as owners of a trio of popular San Francisco eateries, which means they’re not tempted to go in on their days off. “Once we drive over the bridge, we’re in another world,” says Mitch. The types of homes the brothers bought — and how they bought them — mirror their contradictory natures. Mitch fell in love with and bought the first and only house he saw. Steven looked at more than 20 houses (“I needed to be convinced that houses really cost that much,” he says), but in the end still bought the first one. Mitch’s 1920s Spanish stucco is on a cul-de-sac in a bustling neighborhood (his garage even connects to his neighbor’s). Steven’s 1950s cottage ranch sits alone on a hilly half acre. He’s proud that his driveway is 140 feet long and that his closest neighbor is 350 feet away. “There’s lots of plants and wildlife on the property, but I can’t afford to manicure it,” he says, not unhappily. Unlike his restaurants, he likes his land wild. Anchor & Hope is the newest offering of the Rosenthals’ company, Threefold Restaurants. it’s within walking distance of their other two, Town Hall (342 Howard) and Salt House (545 Mission), and, for a seafood and shellfish resSteven and Mitch Rosenthal

taurant, appropriately close to the bay. Its long, elegant bar, tall ceilings and plethora of

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P H OTO: TIM P ORTER

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Maine fish shack and Manhattan posh. Mitch and Steven grew up in Edison, New Jersey, described by Mitch as “Central Jersey. It’s like the armpit.” He studied photography at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan while Steven went to the Culinary Institute of America. Steven has worked in restaurants since he was 14, humbly beginning with Dunkin’ Donuts. Mitch toyed with the idea of becoming a photojournalist until he realized it wasn’t so easy to pay the bills. For him, cooking in restaurants was a means to get through school. The brothers first worked together at Jack Cooper’s Celebrity Delicatessen in their home-

Mitch and Steven grew up in Edison, New Jersey, described by Mitch as “Central Jersey. It’s like the armpit.” He studied photography at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan while Steven went to the Photos: Eliot Holtzman

Culinary Institute of America. town of Edison. After moving to California in 1989 (with a few detours here and there), they worked their way up to become chefs at Wolfgang Puck’s Postrio. They opened Town

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er. Anchor & Hope makes three restaurants in four and a half years. There was no grand

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plan, they say, just some serendipity and success born of hard work. “Now we’re finally stepping back to see the big picture and catch our breath,” says Mitch. On a steamy summer evening at the elegant bar of Anchor & Hope, two decades after their foray into deli subs and gyros, they reflect on

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days of scruff and his arms are sleeved in tattoos. Steven quietly shuffles in a few minutes later in glasses and a button-down shirt, looking tired. Mitch talks. Steven listens—mostly—

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staring off into space for the first few minutes and occasionally defl ecting light j abs from his older brother. At o n e p o i n t t h e i r p a r t n e r, D o u g Washington, walks by and M itch raz z es him about not being included in the interview. “Yeah, it’s for the New York Times,” he says, “but they don’t want to talk to you.” Asked to describe M itch’s personality, Doug replies, “He’s the opposite of bossy. M itch is utterly dismissive.” Does Steven agree? He shrugs. “Yeah. Pretty much.” Steven is the straight man, M itch the comedian. Everything about them seems at odds. Steven is narrow; M itch is more round. Steven is contemplative; M itch is off-the-cuff. Steven is the tight technical genius; M itch is the looser creative force. But this yin-yang duality is what makes their restaurants work. Anchor &

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once casual and complicated, manicured and wild. There’s an underlying OCD-ness to the place, like you’re being feng-shuied proper, but it also has an air of spontaneity and community. The menu also has a few unexpected twists and “Southern comfort” turns ( the sea urchin with crab and mashed potatoes soothes a troubled soul) . “When we opened Anchor &

Hope people

decided that they wanted to give us things,” says M itch. Two maps from the 18 00s hang on one wall—

both on loan from a customer.

An authentic foghorn is propped by the front door, also a gift ( purchased on eBay) . M itch freq uently fields req uests to give the horn a blow, and he graciously performs for the small crowds that gather on the sidewalk outside. A taxidermied gar hangs behind the bar ( beq ueathed to M itch by his aikido sensei) , and a fishbowl that once contained three goldfish aptly named M itchell, Steven and Doug sits on the counter below. There are now only two fish and M itch explains solemnly that the fish named Doug died. The fishbowl is a nod to “another San Francisco restaurant” ( Waterbar) that has an impressively large aq uarium. “We couldn’t afford that now, but our tank is only going to get bigger,” M itch

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says with a wink.

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C O N V ERSAT ION

Leonard Shlain, M.D. Renaissance Man

BY J I M WO O D

I T H O N E B E S T S E L L E R (Sex, Time and Power: How Women’s Sensuality Shaped

Human Evolution) behind him, Dr. Leonard Shlain is eager to talk about what he’s writing now. “The title is Leonardo’s Brain: The Left and Right Roots of Creativity,” he

says. “It deals with where we are going as a species, and Leonardo da Vinci is a fascinating character to use as a template because the more I read about him, the more I’m utterly amazed at how much he accomplished.” Shlain’s achievements are also impressive. Born in Detroit in 1937, he graduated

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P H OTO: TIM P ORTER

Mill Valley surgeon, inventor and best-selling author discusses Leonardo da Vinci, human evolution and steroids.

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from high school at 16, from college at 19, and

an award-winning filmmaker who created the

the Serengeti—we’re not the largest, strongest

from medical school by the time he was 23. “At

Webbies, those annual prizes for outstanding

or the fastest, yet we somehow prospered.

first, I wanted to be a psychiatrist,” he says.

websites,” Shlain says. Son Jordan, who lives in

So how did we pull this off? We accomplished

“I’ve always been intrigued by how the mind

San Anselmo, started the Doctors On Call ser-

this because we “split” our brains. And now, have

works.” Instead, he started a surgical residency

vice, whose physicians make house calls. Eldest

our virtues become vices? Over centuries, we’ve

at New York’s Bellevue Hospital and retired 50

daughter Kimberly, married to the actor/direc-

become the planet’s most dangerous predator—

years later as associate professor of surgery at

tor Albert Brooks, is a mother of two, an ac-

a trait that currently seems to be destroying us.

UCSF and as chair of laparoscopic surgery at

complished writer and artist, and the founder

Also, for eons, evolution was controlled by mu-

California Pacific Medical Center. Shlain was

of the new-media design firm lightray.com.

tations and genes and mankind only spoke and listened. Then we developed languages and writ-

“I’m fascinated by the left brain/right brain dichotomy. The left hemisphere is for language and linear reasoning; the right side is for holistic reasoning, sensuality, et cetera. No other mammals have this arrangement — not even chimpanzees and gorillas, our closest relatives.”

ing and reading skills, which allowed us to learn about many things without even seeing them in their natural state. This allowed us to objectify nature, to think we’re not part of nature. Thus we’ve evolved to think we could use it up, and destroy it, primarily because we don’t feel we’re part of nature. But we are part of it. And now we’re in the midst of this massive

actually a nationally recognized pioneer of the

Stepdaughter Anne, a lawyer, recently moved to

destruction of resources and, possessing a capac-

laparoscopy procedure itself, which employs a

Brussels, where her husband is conducting clini-

ity to be very cruel, we are destroying each oth-

tiny inserted telescope to perform many kinds

cal trials of a revolutionary new heart device;

er. The problem is our desire for action is in the

of surgical explorations and repairs. In the

and stepson Rob has been living in Costa Rica

brain’s left hemisphere and most emotions are

1980s, he developed several patents on micro-

while writing a book on Latin American music.

right-brain traits. Our brains are out of balance;

Shlain, 71, came to Marin 42 years ago and

we’ve become markedly left brained. Our only

scopic medical devices. As he scaled back his medical involvements,

his admiration for the county has never waned.

hope is that we can reconfigure our brains to a

his desire to write grew. In 1991 came his first

“After all these years, I’m still love with the

more central position, one where we see nature

published book, Art and Physics: Parallel Visions

place,” he says. “I’m convinced this is the best

as part of us and we stop being so warlike.

in Space, Time and Light, an exploration of how

place in the world to be and I’m never leaving.”

art has presaged physics over the centuries.

Laughing, he explains his plan to make that lit-

How do we reconfigure our brains?

Eight years later he wrote The Alphabet Versus

erally the case: “It’s written into my will that

Humans are reconfiguring their brains through

the Goddess: The Conflict Between Word and

my ashes will be placed inside my waterbed.

technology. After tools, the first technology we

Image, summarized by one reviewer as “how

Seriously, the kids can add some chlorine occa-

had was writing, which is dramatically differ-

literacy has promoted the subjugation of wom-

sionally—but I’m staying right here.”

ent from speaking. That was 5,000 years ago and it took several centuries for humans to

en by men throughout all but the recent history

Regarding life and death, many believe

master the skills so that many could read and

“And in 2004, I hit my ‘home run,’” Shlain

mankind is currently destroying itself. Do you

write. People are programmed to speak, but

jokingly says, referring to Sex, Time and Power,

agree? If so, is there hope? One reason I’m

not read and write—which has to be taught.

which details how differences between men

writing about Leonardo is I want to understand

And over those centuries, all that reading and

and women enabled humans to evolve beyond

if his creativity was a matter of degree—or, as

writing transformed us as a species. It led to

all other mammals.

with few humans, something else. Were his left

what I call the text-based society. Then, fairly

of the West.”

Shlain considers his family his greatest ac-

and right brain equally balanced, which is some-

recently, came the invention of photography;

complishment and is clearly proud of their

thing the rest of us could aspire to bring about?

next were motion pictures, with everyone gath-

achievements. He has been married to Ina

I’m fascinated by the left brain/right brain di-

ering in front of one screen; then television,

Gyemant, a retired Superior Court judge, for

chotomy. Basically, the left hemisphere is for

for which each person had his/her own screen.

11 years and is a father of five (three biologi-

language and linear reasoning; the right side is

Now think about all the different handheld de-

cal, two stepchildren). Gyemant was recently

for holistic reasoning, sensuality, et cetera.

vices and technological advances that allow

recognized by the American Institute for Public

No other mammals have this arrangement—

us to get information from images on screens

Service for her work with at-risk teenagers.

not even chimpanzees and gorillas, our closest

rather than from language. And whereas lan-

“Daughter Tiffany lives in Mill Valley and is

relatives. It worked for us when we were on

guages are a function of the left brain, images

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SEPTEMBER 2008

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are perceived by the right brain. As a result,

we now know we’re not different. The reason

impacted by advances in technology. Humans

our culture is shifting from the left hemisphere

we know we began as a species 150,000 years

are becoming cyborgs.

to our right because of our technologies. That

ago is that it can be traced back on molecular

As for drugs as a problem, I believe that its

shift is very subtle and, from everything I can

clocks, and we discover we all came from one

existence is a result of television. Over recent

see, will continue and intensify far into the fu-

individual woman, Mitochondrial Eve; the varia-

decades, the world has become divided into the

ture. Given time, it could lead to a balancing of

tion in genetic makeup between one individual

economic and social haves and have-nots. Then

the hemispheres of our brains.

and the next in the human species is less than

the have-nots received television and said, “I

one tenth of 1 percent. So a tall, thin Masai war-

want to live like they do, meaning ‘the haves.”

So where is mankind headed? I’m optimis-

rior in Africa varies from a blue-eyed blonde in

So they either brought themselves up by their

tic. I think we’re in a state of profound transi-

Latvia by less than one tenth of 1 percent. When

bootstraps—or they altered their consciousness

tion. If you made a graph of creativity it would

you look at that you wonder how much of race

with drugs. And, by the way, conscious alter-

go like this: Four and a half million years ago,

is cultural as opposed to genetics; that there’s

ing is not necessarily negative. Was Timothy

hominids, the precursors of humans, appeared;

so little variation in the genome has sort of de-

Leary on to something when advocating taking

the Stone Age, when some tools were made, was

stroyed the notion of race.

LSD in controlled environments? Absolutely. It

two and a half million years ago and we var-

Are we becoming one race? It certainly

was amazing the way the government became

ied our tools very little for a million years; then

looks that way: consider one of our current

so terrified of people accessing their altered

Homo erectus appeared and we made slightly

presidential candidates. Sixty years ago, if a

states of consciousness. After all, there are al-

better tools; 800,000 years later Homo sapiens

black man had sex with a white woman he’d

tered states and they’re not all drug induced.

appeared and we morphed from a two-pound

be lynched. Now we have a presidential can-

There are autistic children who can’t tie their

brain to a three-pound brain. Although we made

didate that’s the product of such a union.

shoelaces, yet at age 5 they can draw horses

slightly better tools at the onset, it was 40,000

Look how far we’ve come in such a short time.

galloping with the fineness of a Leonardo. Now

years ago that humans first put art on cave walls

Again, who can predict what the future holds?

where did that come from? They didn’t learn it.

and consistently buried their dead; 30,000 years

Who can tell?

You have chess masters that can play 15 games

ago the fishhook and sewing needle were in-

For example, think about the year 1390

of chess blindfolded, at the same time, and win

vented; 15,000 years ago came the bow and ar-

when the Hundred Years’ War was under way

them all. And when they’re asked how they did

row; 8,000 years ago agriculture was developed;

and the bubonic plague had killed hundreds of

it, they’ll say, “I envisioned the board and.…”

and 5,000 years ago we first started reading and

thousands of people. Plus, there was famine; it

In other words, they can’t explain it. No one

writing. Just 200 years ago the industrial revolu-

was the very worst of times—and if Mr. Gallup

can. They’re now giving LSD to people who are

tion began and a mere 50 years ago the techno-

was conducting a poll regarding thoughts

dying in order to enhance their final days. What I

logical revolution started.

about the future, who would’ve said that the

find intriguing is every day we take pills that are

Renaissance was about to begin? The future

250 or 500 milligrams. Meanwhile, LSD comes

can’t be predicted.

in micrograms, or one thousandth of a milli-

So we’re on a graph that’s making a sharp upward curve that is unsustainable. Therefore, one of two things is going to happen: the graph col-

gram. Think about it—something that is 25 mi-

lapses and we become extinct, or we go through

What is the evolutionary impact of artiﬁcial

crograms, which is barely anything, could have

a phase change and become something totally

body parts and performance-enhancing drugs

a physiological effect as profound as LSD does.

different. I think we will become something un-

and steroids? Well, that’s our brave new world.

You’ve got to ask yourself what’s that all about?

recognizable from what we are now, but I don’t

Frankly, I think it’s been a long time coming. Back

Another question I ask in my book, unrelat-

think we’ll change our form. But no one can pre-

in medical school, I thought the major revolution

ed to drugs of any kind, is this: Did Leonardo

dict where humankind is headed. Right now we

in the human species would be a pharmacologi-

have a different kind of consciousness? Or did

are on a rocket ship and we don’t know our des-

cal one. That we’d take a pill and think clearer,

he reach a level where he was not thinking the

tination. This thing has blasted off and you can

be nicer, and so on. But it didn’t happen.

way we do? There are three vectors of space—

condemn these changes—or you can ask what’s going on here.

Now, 38 years later, when I ask, “What medi-

height, length and depth—and there are three

cations are you taking?” I can’t believe the an-

dimensions of time: past, present and future.

swers. Patients are taking Prozac, Paxil, all kinds

And that’s how we live our lives, organize our

Getting back to human evolution, what has

of mood elevators. But the real revolution is the

reality. In the last century Einstein and the

happened with the concept of race? The con-

replacement of body parts with silicon transist-

physicists have told us that is an illusion.There

cept of race disappeared with the fairly recent

tors. People now come in with morphine pumps,

is actually another, higher dimension called

discovery of genetics. No one talks scientifically

diabetes pumps and pacemakers. Evolution used

spacetime. And my question is what is in it? I

about race anymore because, thanks to genetics,

to be controlled by mutations in genes; now it’s

want to know about these things.

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SEPTEMBER 2008

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How a city, a national park and a resort crafted a gorgeous eco-retreat by the bridge

Meeting of Minds BY M A N DY B EH B EH A N I

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SEPTEMBER 2008

P H OTO S T I M P O RT ER

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“We’re not flippers. I have spent half my life involved with Post Ranch Inn and almost 10 years doing this project… We see it as a long-term investment and we’re not looking for a quick return.” —Mike Freed

Mike Freed, managing director for Passport Resorts (left) and Tom Sargent, principal of Equity Community Builders

ne day in 1998, Mike Freed was walking his Rhodesian Ridgeback near Cavallo Point in the former military post Fort Baker. As he stood in that dreamy old place too beauteous for battle contemplating the magical views of San Francisco Bay and the city skyline, he recalled business partner Peter Heinemann telling him there was a proposal for the area, soon to be part of the Golden Gate National Parks National Park Service, to be developed into a retreat and conference center of up to 350 rooms. Freed and Heinemann had both felt such a project was too large. “I told him I wasn’t interested,” says Freed, managing director for Passport Resorts, whose proper-

ties include the environmentally responsible Post Ranch Inn, Hotel Hana-Maui and Honua Spa, and the Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort. “Neither of us thought it the right match for the site at all.” Soon after, again while walking his dog at Fort Baker, Freed stopped to talk to Jane Woodman, who chaired Sausalito’s Citizens’ Task Force on Fort Baker. She said some of the big hotel chains, including Marriott, were eyeing the site like a cat eyes cream. Once she found out what business Freed was in, she urged him to make a proposal. Freed, then a resident of Sausalito, again demurred, but he was intrigued enough to start investigating the subject with Heinemann and soon found himself dreaming about what might work and what he might like to create on the site.

A Decade in the Making Ten years and $99 million later, we see the culmination of that dream in Cavallo Point–the Lodge at the Golden Gate. The Bay Area’s first urban national-park lodge, it sits in one of the world’s most visually arresting settings: at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge where the undulating bay meets the thrashing Pacific. Cavallo Point, which opened in June and was immediately rated one of 31 top summer destinations by the New York Times, is part of a revitalization that restored Fort Baker, preserved the verdant national parklands surrounding it and created access (for the public as well as lodge guests) to a range of recreational and cultural activities, from naturalist-led hikes to wellness classes. Getting here took a vision, amply articulated by Freed and several other Marin residents, that entailed converting Fort Baker, whose roots extend to the the Civil War era, into something that not only paid homage to its history, but was self-sustaining and respectful of the site’s fragile nature. It’s also an example of how compromise between competing interests can ultimately make everyone happy. The road to redevelopment was not a smooth one. The early National Park Service environmental impact statement, released in 1998 and allowing for the conference center and retreat, was opposed by the city of Sausalito, whose leaders feared car traffic to and from the hotel would further clog the already crowded streets of their picturesque former fishing village.

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A long and contentious battle between the city and the park service ensued, with the U.S. District Court eventually ruling against Sausalito. The city appealed, and though most of its case was discounted, it won on a couple of key points. At 350 rooms, the retreat would have been nearly as big as San Francisco’s landmark Mark Hopkins hotel, which has 380 rooms. “I thought, ‘definitely not here,’” says four-time Sausalito Mayor Amy Belser. “There’s one lane in and one lane out and although every road can be widened, we didn’t want that. The site is so captivating and it just needed to be protected and restored and made what it could be. And the happy part of all this is that I think they have achieved that.”

and Sargent’s Fort Baker Retreat Group—to fashion a detailed proposal.

Belser spent eight years working on the Fort Baker issue, starting

Freed and Sargent submitted a plan that proposed no more than 150

with a letter to the park service outlining Sausalito’s concerns. That led

rooms and included a guaranteed space for establishment of a new orga-

to talks between the city, the park service and Rep. Lynn Woolsey, who

nization, the Institute at the Golden Gate (see sidebar on page 91), that

secured $14.1 million in federal funds for infrastructure for Fort Baker,

would focus on issues of environmental stewardship.

separate from the $99 million raised for development of Cavallo Point.

In May 2002, the park service selected the Retreat Group for exclu-

“We talked with all these people like Lynn who really cared,” says

sive negotiations. Design and construction drawings were begun in 2005,

Belser. “And I am sure that the park service cared, too, but they mostly

the same year Sausalito and the park service reached an out-of-court

were concerned with what would make financial sense for them, how

agreement that set the limit on overnight rooms at 225. Construction on

they were going to afford and support the site. There were some dire

Cavallo Point began in December 2006. The Fort Baker Retreat Group

moments and we weren’t always friends. The park service had legiti-

has a 60-year lease on the site that pays $400,000 annually to the park

mate concerns but so did we. I wanted to find someone who would

service for public safety, maintenance and other operations fees.

preserve what I wanted preserved while also making it economically viable. And we finally achieved that with all parties involved. The restoration is simply gorgeous.”

A Win, Win, Win The result was a deal that depended on what Freed calls “the syner-

A Powerful Partnership

gy between public, private and nonprofit” in which everyone sacrificed something to gain something.

In 1999, when the NPS and the nonprofit Parks Conservancy began

Freed and Sargent built what they like to think of as the Bay Area

an extensive screening process to find a developer for Fort Baker,

version of Yosemite National Park’s famed Ahwahnee Hotel, but with

Freed knew he could not enter the competition alone. In what would

fewer rooms. The park service got a project that could have generat-

become a unique partnership between public and private interests,

ed more money, but instead ensured a redevelopment of Fort Baker it

he got together with Tom Sargent, principal of San Francisco–based

could not have afforded and the promise that income from the Retreat

green builder Equity Community Builders, who also built the Thoreau

Group will preserve the site’s beauty. Sausalito got an acceptable num-

Center for Sustainability at San Francisco’s Presidio, to form the Fort

ber of extra tourists, while seeing development reduced to levels it

Baker Retreat Group LLC.

could live with. The Parks Conservancy got a spectacular space to con-

“Notwithstanding the reference to 350 rooms in the environmen-

duct important environmental education. And the Bay Area got access

tal impact statement, it was clear from the study that the NPS wanted

to more jobs, a good restaurant, a spa, lifestyle and environmental pro-

the smallest economically viable project,” says Freed. “At meetings, the

grams, and a large trail system.

NPS emphasized that the smallest project with the least traffic impact stood the best chance of being selected.” To that end, both the park service and the Retreat Group hired a

“This was not a one-man show,” says Sargent. “An unusually cooperative and creative group of people came together and sacrificed collectively to save a landmark in an extraordinary location.”

traffic engineer to study optimal traffic patterns for such a project.

And though some involved in the difficult process still find some

Freed’s team concluded a facility with around 150 rooms would work.

of what went on hard for them to forgive, both sides now agree the

In April 2001, the park service invited four firms—among them Freed

result makes it all worthwhile. “What happened was what was best for

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OPPOSITE : Cuisine from a recent cooking school class at Cavallo Point. CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT : The new spa is a favorite with both hotel guests

and locals; the rocking chair is featured in public spaces and hotel room porches; the 1904 buildings were meticulously restored in accordance with original plans and photos.

“We wanted more of a social feeling here than you find in a regular hotel. We’re committed not only to have you stay with us but also to foster an exchange of views between people— and porches help with that.” —Tom Sargent

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Sausalito, Fort Baker and the owners of the national park, who are the

was designated to be transferred to the park service. The base officially

citizens of the United States,” task force leader Woodman says.

changed from post to park in 2002.

Ultimately, Freed and Sargent built a site with only 142 rooms, many fewer than they could have. How is that good business?

Freed and Sargent were committed to honoring the site’s history while also creating a retreat center that both respected the environ-

Customarily, “in the hospitality world, Wall Street needs to achieve

ment and provided a comfortable, luxurious setting. They restored rath-

a quick return on the dollar to maximize the project value right away,”

er than razed 29 historic white two-story buildings, among them 11 of

acknowledges Freed, a former lawyer whose silver beard and uniform of

the bayside Colonial Revival–style brick duplexes built between 1901

jeans and casual shirt belies the stereotype. “In that world, the larger the

and 1915 that surround Fort Baker’s central 14-acre parade ground.

numbers of rooms, the more—arguably—money you make. Our group is

Originally officers’ residences, barracks and a gym, four of the buildings

different. We’re not flippers. I have spent half my life involved with Post

around the parade ground now house the hotel reception and the res-

Ranch Inn and almost 10 years doing this project. This is a real treasure—

taurant Murray Circle, with its locally produced organic fare overseen

a long-term investment—and we’re not looking for a quick return.”

by two-star Michelin chef Joseph Humphrey of San Rafael; the adjacent

“Fort Baker was a military village,” says Greg Moore, executive director of the Parks Conservancy. “Now it’s going to be a civilian village

Farley Bar, named for the late San Francisco Chronicle cartoonist Phil Frank; event spaces; a cooking school; and a wine-tasting room.

in a national park. This project provides lodging for overnight guests

The remaining seven parade-ground buildings now are home to 68

but also provides meeting space that responds to the National Parks’

simple but stylish rooms and suites, many offering vistas of the bridge,

preservation and environmental mission.”

bay, Alcatraz and San Francisco. All were restored with the aid of ar-

Brian O’Neill, superintendent of the Golden Gate National Recreation

chival photographs.

Area, says the park service never wanted a large hotel. “It was wonder-

The rooms ended up to be larger than most because the group re-

ful when the Fort Baker Retreat Group came in with a proposal on a

fused to cut up the original officers quarters into small rooms. “Many of

smaller scale that respected the purposes of what is a national park site

our rooms are junior, regular and two-bedroom suites” says Freed. “We

and was so sensitive to the fragility of the site. What their proposal did

ended up with fewer rooms, but larger than the norm.”

was to include historic preservation, foster environmental stewardship and create a business atmosphere that’s profitable.”

Each of the restored rooms has authentic pressed-tin ceilings that were de-leaded and reinstalled, along with the original wood floors, hand-carved stairways and fireplaces, highly desirable in a San Francisco

Where Horses Roamed

summer. Local artisans used reclaimed materials to make furniture and

Fort Baker and its environs have a storied past. The name Cavallo dates

and lampshades made with early park service or Fort Baker maps.

accessories. Artist Jim Misener created lamps from old surveyor tripods

back to 1775, when the Spanish supply vessel San Carlos sailed into

In green building, “reuse is the number one rule,” says Sargent, who

San Francisco Bay and its commander named a rocky point near Fort

was required to maintain the integrity of the old construction—includ-

Baker “Punta de Caballo” for the wild horses that galloped there. Early

ing not removing any original windows—yet integrated LEED design

California settlers started using “Cavallo” and the sobriquet stuck. In

standards as well. “If you’re using old material, you’re not making new

1866, the U.S. Army acquired the site for a base to fortify the north

material to create most of the project. We did a lot of recycling.” In the

side of the Golden Gate. Fort Baker remained active through World War

common buildings, the counter in Farley Bar and the table in the wine

II; in 1972, when the Golden Gate National Parks were established, it

room were fashioned from a reclaimed fallen walnut tree in San Anselmo where Sargent lives. “It’s really fun to bring something back to life.”

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OPPOSITE FROM LEFT : Murray Circle dining room; Farley Bar was named in honor of the late Sausalito cartoonist Phil Frank, whose photo hangs above the ﬁreplace; the original chapel has been upgraded so that it can be used for yoga, special events and music with a state-of-the-art sound system.

Institute for the Earth

he Institute at the Golden Gate,

In addition, the Retreat Group rebuilt the rotting porches on all of the lodging houses and, in accordance with original plans and photos, returned the early 1904 two-level porches for

a project of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy

the reception and restaurant buildings. Rocking chairs on those porches are key components of

and the National Park Service, was

Sargent’s desire to create a porch culture. “We wanted more of a social feeling here than you find

conceived as a catalyst for action at a

in a regular hotel. We’re committed not only to have you stay with us but also to foster an ex-

time of unprecedented public aware-

change of views between people—and porches help with that.”

ness of such environmental concerns

The Retreat Group was also required to landscape the 30 acres of land that were restored,

as climate change. In November 2009,

and to use plants native to the site. Of the more than 58,000 plants, 30,000 were raised from

the institute, based in one of Cavallo

seeds collected in adjacent parklands and grown in park service nurseries. Cars are discouraged

Point’s restored buildings, will partner

on the grounds and guests are invited to walk, bike or take a shuttle.

in a program with the newly formed

In the contemporary section of the resort, 14 new buildings housing 74 rooms and suites were built not on virgin land but on the pads of several former 1960s nonhistoric army homes. The views from the uppermost newer rooms are the site’s most dramatic: when you brush your teeth, the

Aspen Environment Forum, sponsored by the Aspen Institute and National Geographic magazine. “This is an invaluable opportunity

Golden Gate Bridge is reflected in the mirror before you. The buildings feature solar panels embed-

to use the area as a world-class site for

ded into the steel roofs; radiant heating; low-VOC glues, paints and carpets; denim wall insulation;

everything the park does, to get the

low-E glass windows to suppress heat loss; and headboards made from bamboo. All rooms feature

community involved and to have private

plush Coyuchi organic linens, flat-panel HD televisions and Wi-Fi access.

interests be represented,” says Cleve Justis, the Parks Conservancy’s direc-

A Place for Retreat — and Activity

tor of programs and strategic initiatives.

The lodge’s new 11,000-square-foot spa offers everything from massages and facials to nutritionist

are engaging the local, regional and

and acupuncture sessions. There is a tea bar with light fare and handcrafted herbal drinks, a bask-

world community on the environment

ing pool and apothecary. Spa guests can select their own massage oil infused with local herbs.

with free lectures and many other pro-

The spa is open to the public, as are the restaurant, bar and various programs. “The community is an important part of our concept,” says Freed, and the cross-pollination of uses for the site enhances that beneficial aspect. “We have the largest urban park in the country and the goal for

“A key part of this was to make sure we

grams.” The institute will host conferences for policy makers and global government and business leaders. Qualiﬁed

the park service and the conservancy and the lodge is to have the lodge as a center for hospitality,

organizations will receive special re-

learning and community impact.”

duced rates under an agreement be-

Guests can do yoga in the hilltop chapel and join guided wildflower walks in the Marin

tween the institute and the lodge, with

Headlands. They can pursue personal growth in multi-day “learning vacations” focusing on the

10 percent of guest rooms set aside

culinary or creative arts or fitness and wellness adventures. San Francisco chef Traci Des Jardins

for environmental group use each year.

and chef Dan Barber of Manhattan’s Blue Hill Restaurant are leading two-day to three-day pro-

“The lodge is not just a luxury hotel,”

grams at the culinary school, starting September 9 and November 9, respectively. Participants can

Justis says. “Yes, it’s comfortable, but

bone up on the slow food movement, tour the area’s myriad organic farms, wineries and farmers’

there will be an intellectual and commu-

markets, and discover firsthand how to select and prepare seasonal, sustainable fish and shellfish.

nity component here.”

There are creative arts courses in knitting and animation, hiking and biking on miles of easily accessible trails, and the opportunity to take a scenic run with ultra-marathon man Dean Karnazes along the Marin Headlands. “One reason I really cared about what happened to Fort Baker is that I knew that whatever

The Bay Area will beneﬁt in many ways, he adds. The institute “will bring the big names in the green world out here and give the local community access to them.” To that end, Tony Perkins,

was the result of all our efforts would be there forever,” says Sausalito Mayor Belser. “I thought,

a founder of Red Herring magazine, is

how can you build this great big development and have people bumping into each other in the

mounting his “Going Green” conference

sanctity of a place like that? A piece of geography as beautiful as that should not be compro-

at Cavallo Point September 15 to 17..

mised. Today, it hardly looks like anything has changed. And yet it has, and that’s because of

—M.B.

the efforts of the Fort Baker Retreat Group.”

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SEPTEMBER 2008

FA S H I O N

Autumn’s Sweet Retreat PHOTOS SASHA GULISH EDITOR/STYLIST SOMER FLAHERTY STYLIST TRACY KIRST/ARTIST UNTIED HAIR & MAKEUP PRESTON NESBIT/FORD MODELS DAN AND JULIE/ STARS AGENCY SHOT AT CAVALLO POINT IN SAUSALITO

On Dan Fedora hat, $36 at Marc Jacobs (SF) 415.362.6500. Henley shirt by John Varvatos, $376 at John Varvatos (SF) 415.986.0138. Collared shirt by Marc Jacobs, $318 at Marc Jacobs. On Julie Cashmere wrap by Minnie Rose, $299 at Koze (Tiburon) 415.435.1916. Dress by Isda & Co., $329 at Koze. Blanket by West Elm, $59 at West Elm (Corte Madera) 415.927.0202.

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On Julie Classic tank in white and charcoal by Zobha, $54 at Mill Valley Yoga Studio (Mill Valley) 415.380.8800. Essential long pant in charcoal by Zobha, $74 at Mill Valley Yoga Studio. Opposite page on Julie Cashmere turtleneck by Michael Stars, $230 at Michael Stars (Corte Madera) 877.782.7833. Jersey ankle leggings by Eileen Fisher, $88 at Eileen Fisher (SF) 415.346.2133. Prairie Hoodie by Prairie Underground, $210 at Embodies (Larkspur) 415.461.6462.

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On Julie Teal blouse by Seven for all Mankind, $159 at Nordstrom (Corte Madera) 415.927.1690. Global Player Jacket by Schumacher, $682 at Pearl Larkspur (Larkspur) 415.464.1808. Jeans by True Religion, $216 at True Religion (Corte Madera) 415.945.9004. Summer Cooler Trilby hat by Danielle Schubert for the Mill Valley Hat Box, $285 at Mill Valley Hat Box (Mill Valley) 415.383.2757. Boudoir ballet shoe by Nanette Lepore, $270 at Item Shoes (Larkspur) 415.925.0109. On Dan Classic shirt by Seven for all Mankind, $149 at Nordstrom. Crewneck sweater by TSE, $495 at TSE (SF) 415.391.1112. Relaxed ﬁt jeans by Seven for all Mankind, $210 at Nordstrom. Sunglasses by Gold and Wood, $619 at 20 20 Optical (San Rafael) 415.453.2020. Shoes by Etnies.

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Opposite page on Dan Merino wool cardigan by Gucci at Gucci (SF) 415.392.2808. Pants by John Varvatos, $325 at John Varvatos (SF) 415.986.0138. Leather studded-heel slouch boot by Gucci at Gucci. On Julie Pleated shirt with red embroidery by Gucci at Gucci. Red sash by Gucci at Gucci. Chloe pants by Level 99, $118 at Mode Marche (Novato) 415.898.0322. Celebrity shoes by Bettye Muller, $398 at Item Shoes (Larkspur) 415.925.0109. This page on Julie Jersey dress by Eileen Fisher, $258 at Eileen Fisher (SF) 415.346.2133. Cashmere dolman cardigan by Eileen Fisher, $358 at Eileen Fisher. Necklace by Marya Dabrowski, $3,435 at Julianna’s Fine Jewelry (Corte Madera) 415.924.9711. Earrings by Marya Dabrowski, $965 at Julianna’s Fine Jewelry.

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Opposite page on Julie Fitted dress by Juicy Couture, $348 at Juicy Couture (Corte Madera) 415.927.2797. Om earrings by Alix and Company, $1,500 at Alix and Company (Mill Valley) 415.380.0880. Gold chain necklace by Alix and Company, $19,000 at Alix and Company. Bracelet by David Yurman, $5,200 at Shreve and Company (SF) 415.421.2600. Ring by David Yurman, $3,900 at Shreve and Company. On Dan I.D. Jacket, $1,495 at Gene Hiller (Sausalito) 415.332.3636. Pants by Gene Hiller, $295 at Gene Hiller. Pantheon Silver Dial watch by Gucci, $1,895 at Gucci.

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On Julie Knit top by Bogner, $580 at WilkesSport (Mill Valley) 415.381.5183. Skirt by Bogner, $650 at WilkesSport. Shoes by Gunmetal, $550 at WilkesSport. Clutch by Noah, $175 at Embodies. On Dan Jacket by Luciano Barbera, $2,995 at WilkesSport. Pants by Luciano Barbera, $585 at WilkesSport. Shoes by Paraboot, $335 at WilkesSport. Opposite page on Dan Suit by John Varvatos, $1,795 at John Varvatos. Crewneck sweater by TSE, $495 at TSE. Collared shirt by John Varvatos, $265 at John Varvatos. Namib shoe by Ted Baker, $210 at Piperlime.com 877.747.3754. Pantheon watch by Gucci, $1,895 at Gucci. On Julie Dylann wrap top by Diane von Furstenberg, $265 at Kismet (San Anselmo) 415.454.2629. Sparta Skirt by Catherine Jane, $338 at Catherine Jane (Mill Valley) 415.381.1255. Celebrity shoes by Bettye Muller, $398 at Item Shoes. Necklace by Lehrer Jewelry, $31,000 at Lehrer Jewelry (Larkspur) 415.461.2212. Earrings by Lehrer Jewelry, $1,860 at Lehrer Jewelry.

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This page from left Ring by David Yurman, $3,900 at Shreve and Company. Pearl and turquoise necklace by Alix and Company, $495 at Alix and Company. Nina Shoe by Anyi Lu, $445 at Arthur Beren (SF) 415.397.8900. Turquoise and gold necklace by Alix and Company, $8,500 at Alix and Company. Amber earrings by Alix and Company, $4,050 at Alix and Company. Persian turquoise ring by Alix and Company, $5,500 at Alix and Company. Opposite page on Julie Wool turtleneck by Yves Saint Laurent, $690 at Yves Saint Laurent (SF) 415.837.1211. Heavy loden skirt by Yves Saint Laurent, $2,335 at Yves Saint Laurent. Tahitian pearl necklace by Stephan Hill Jewelry, $4,500 at Stephan Hill (San Rafael) 415.459.5808. Four corner ring by Stephan Hill Jewelry, $3,500 at Stephan Hill Jewelry. San Francisco coat by Loro Piana, $8,995 at Loro Piana (SF) 415.593.3303. Shirt by Marc Jacobs, $318 at Marc Jacobs. Pants by TSE, $295 at TSE.

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SEE

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William Dreskin’s miniature landscapes

an Anselmo fine art photographer William Dreskin likes to get up close and personal with

his subj ects. For Dreskin, 6 0, the macro lens view is the most compelling. “I am interested in the overlooked things,” he says about his subj ects, which are most often selected from the natural environment. “When you look carefully, you get interesting, subtle and unnoticed features that can be as dramatic as the grander things in nature.” The photographer’s uniq ue take on nature can be experienced in local galleries and on his Website, dreskinfineart.com. — DA N I E L J EW E T T

Pelagic jellies, known as by-thewind sailors, crowd Abbotts Lagoon at the Point Reyes National Seashore (opener). Shells at Agate Beach (above) and mussels, goose barnacles and sea stars ﬁll the tide pools (right).

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The sun lights up a sea of cattails at Lake Lagunitas, part of the Marin Municipal Water District.

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This eelgrass caught the light of the setting sun and reminded Dreskin of a Japanese painting at Agate Beach.

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The interplay of light and water creates the feel of an impressionistic painting at Devil’s Gulch in Samuel P. Taylor State Park.

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Madrone bark curls at Lake Lagunitas (top), sand patterns at Limantour Beach (middle) and crustose lichens on rock (bottom).

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H OME

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danehill

A DANISH

DREAM BY P. J . B R E M I ER

P H OTO S B A R B A R A R I E S

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ver since she took riding lessons as a child in her native Denmark, Karin Dilou wanted to live surrounded by her beloved horses, but not just in any house and not just on any piece of land. “I had a dream about a little place in the countryside where I could have my horse and no neighbors and, because I’m a Viking, a view of the water,” she says. In 1996, Dilou found her dream: a 35acre grassy perch high above picturesque Nicasio Reservoir, where weekend fishermen set their lines on the shore and waterbirds preen and glide in the sparkling water. There was only one obstacle. The property wasn’t for sale — yet. “After I saw it, I knew I didn’t want anything else,” she says. She knew she’d “never

see anything as beautiful again no matter where I went. I had to have it.” Dilou made an unsolicited offer to the landowner, and he accepted. Her next thought: “I’ll never be able to afford to build a house there.” An importer/exporter of Danish products and, at the time, a

young single mother of two boys, Dilou concentrated on expanding her business while paying for each stage of her new home’s construction. She oversaw the project from a trailer parked on site with two loose telephone lines, an outhouse, a generator and no water. “I always say, ‘If you start to pursue a dream, you’re halfway there, but be careful what you dream for. It’s a lot of work.’” From the reservoir’s shore below, Dilou’s two-story, L-shaped home, named Danehill, rises like a small European castle, its sharply peaked rooflines and strong facade creating an imposing solitary presence. Off to the side, a long driveway wends its way uphill past a neighbor’s acreage and dead-ends at hers, where a roundabout separates the house and barn. “It’s a fabulous party house,” she says. Guests move through the house, wander onto terraces, gather in the poolside court-

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LEFT: Karin Dilou with her sons Peter and Marc-Christian. ABOVE: Dilou’s home sits on a bluff overlooking the Nicasio Reservoir.

yard or visit the horses. She’s hosted hunt breakfasts for

Although she initially drew upon the talents of a local

the Los Altos Hounds, held events for various charities and

designer, Dilou concedes the design is all hers. While there

entertained members of the Danish Warmblood Registry

is some resemblance to a Danish slot, or castle, she actually

of America, of which she is president.

wanted the look of a Danish farmhouse or even its American

Dilou has also offered her home to friends for wed-

equivalent, the Southwestern adobe. But building costs cur-

dings and parties. One of these friends, former KGO-TV

tailed some architectural details: there are the deep-set win-

meteorologist Joel Bartlett, held his retirement party there

dows and round-edged interior walls and two kiva-style

recently and pastures his horse, Domingo, there.

fireplaces, but not the more expensive, curved gables she

“It takes your breath away when you first come over

had envisioned. She smiles and shrugs. “I’m frugal.”

the ridge and see the house, the reservoir in the back-

The house is sited near a large rock outcropping, part

ground and, beyond that, the coastal Marin hills,” Bartlett

of which extends into the living room wall, and a 400-

says. “It’s pretty spectacular.”

year-old spreading Bay Laurel tree with massive exposed

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SEPTEMBER 2008

117

roots. Landscaping is kept natural, with only select-

landscape, with a blue Pebbletec surface for the saltwater

ed areas cultivated with plantings of drought-tolerant

pool that mirrors the water of the reservoir, an exterior

Mexican sage, lavender and rosemary. Inside, there are

stucco that reflects the yellow grass of summer, and con-

four bedrooms, an office, mudroom and wine cellar.

crete floors in the exact color of the native soil. It makes

“Danish people used to have saunas in their homes, but

her feel “like I live in a piece of art.”

it cost too much to heat so they turned them into wine

She also insisted on using natural and economical ma-

cellars,” she says. She skipped a step and “built the wine

terials. Salvaged redwood from a dismantled warehouse in

cellar directly.”

San Francisco’s China Basin was fashioned into a 14-foot-

Her master bedroom, bathed in morning light, is close to

long dining table, a kitchen ledge and extra-wide spacers

the pool and hot tub for quick dips before work and linger-

in the concrete floor. Concrete was also used for the coun-

ing soaks at dusk, or what she calls the “blue hour” of the

tertops, terraces and patio table.

evening, “one of the things I miss most about Denmark.”

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MARIN

She clad the pedestals of the dining room table in

Dilou’s design philosophy holds that “a home should

sheets of weathered copper, complementing the copper

be where you exhale and rest with nothing to disturb the

backsplash and curved wall sconces she designed. “They

eye.” So her refrigerator is tucked away in the pantry, and

give the room a warm glow and make it cozy,” she says,

there are no draperies to block the view and no distracting

“but they’re just wrapped around a $2.95 light fixture

lamps overhead. A restful color palette is pulled from the

from Home Depot.”

SEPTEMBER 2008

Dilou used copper to surround the dining room table’s pedestal, as a backsplash for the kitchen range and to create light ﬁxtures throughout the home.

The bronze horse in the living room was purchased on a business trip to Mongolia and reﬂects Dilou’s passion for all things equestrian.

Dilou decorates with an easy mix of her heritage and

and the master suite dressing room. “Even when I get

her passion. From Denmark, there are her mother’s an-

dressed, I don’t want to miss a second. From everywhere,

tique rosewood secretary, an ancestral portrait and a pair

I can still see my horses.”

of inherited carved dining room chairs; from the eques-

The barn may have been the primary motivation for

trian world, there are framed riding prints and a large

building the house, but the horses are rarely stabled.

cast-iron replica of a Ming dynasty horse purchased on a

Her eight dressage-trained Danish Warmbloods, a breed

business trip to Mongolia.

known for beauty and athleticism, spend their days graz-

Still, the view is the main focus and she “squeezed in

ing in the two large pastures that compose most of the

as many windows as the law allowed. Every room has a

acreage. “It’s so much healthier for them and horses really

view,” she says, including those in the barn, the tree house

don’t like to be inside, especially if they’ve been brought up in pastures.” Still, the barn has not escaped Dilou’s attention. She designed the stall latches and clever collapsible saddle racks herself, embellishing them with tiny horseshoes. And her penchant for design hasn’t escaped her youngest son’s eye. Marc-Christian, a 17-year-old student at Sonoma State University, is considering a career in architecture. “This is such a unique house and my mom did it all,” he says. “I remember it was a lot of work, but it was fun at the same time.”

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121

✻ 122

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SEPTEMBER 2008

MAP C REATED BY TIM REED

✻ ROMANCING

✻ THE TOURIST

J OU RNE Y

Cartagena—Colombia’s city of many faces S TO RY A N D P H OTO S BY T I M P O RT ER

OPPOSITE : A dancer’s bright smile and sparkling costume light up a party in Cartagena; THIS PAGE : Reproductions of paintings by Colombian artist Fernando Botero hang on the wall of a gift shop.

MARIN

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123

✻ A few minutes before 7 o’clock on a sulfurous summer evening the

fruit. There was a bride to the left of me, a bride to the

bride and groom stood on a sidewalk in Cartagena.

right of me, grooms to the front and back.

She, a lovely L atina from G uadalaj ara, was resplendent,

Two hours later, a span spent blessedly under a chilly

her olive skin and white gown unruffl ed by the Caribbean

fan powerful enough to restore G reenland’s icecap, we fol-

heat. He, a gringo from cool, gray San Francisco, was al-

lowed our newly sanctified friends out of the church and

ready wilting in his linen suit. Their 100 or so guests were

were met by an incoming surge of tuxedoed men en route

gussied up tropical style, crisp guayaberas for the guys,

to the next wedding. Could it be that a scene such as this

fl ouncy dresses for the ladies.

inspired G abriel G arcia M arq uez to write Love in the Time

We were all waiting at the church of Santo Toribio de

of Cholera? M aybe, but there is no doubt that in the colo-

M ongrovej o, whose 17 th-century nave held a prospect

nial city of Cartagena de las Indias romance is always in

even more exciting than the upcoming nuptials of my

the air —

friends —

Before the wedding could start and we could seek ha-

V ery, very late the next morning ( let’s j ust say it was only

had to end —

minutes short of buenas tardes) , we shuffl ed downstairs

ABOVE : A canoe

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JUAN VALDEZ WHERE ARE YOU?

ven in a bit of freon-fueled heaven, two other weddings at the same time.

Thanks to the generosity of a Colombian NASCAR race guide in a mango wetland; the church of San Pedro Claver; Castillo San Felipe de Barajas; display of local hats and bags. OPPOSITE : A portal in one of Cartagena’s famous walls; the cathedral rises above the colorful buildings in Old Cartagena.

especially when it’s air-conditioned.

air-conditioning.

car driver who paid for the AC a few years back when he married a model in Santo Toribio, the tiny church stacks up summer weddings like 7 4 7 s on an SFO runway.

from our room at the Hotel Sofitel Santa Clara and made two key discoveries. First, the hotel, a former 15 th-century convent, was lush in ways the holy sisters of Saint Claire never prayed for— a

Suddenly, the ancient wooden doors of the church

lovely ( and large) pool where genial waiters bring you tart

opened, exhaling a cold whoosh of air. Then came one

limonadas at the lift of a finger, a cool sanctuary of a spa in

wedding party, followed by the other. L atins like big bodas

which to refresh from the rigors of sightseeing and roof-top

—

terraces overlooking the Caribbean, where warm breez es

all the relatives, all the neighbors and the more bridesmaids the better. One large cluster of young women wore lime green prom dresses; another glowed in mango orange shifts. They looked like pulchritudinous platters of

SEPTEMBER 2008

blow and cold moj itos fl ow well into the night. Second, we missed the hotel’s sumptuous breakfast buffet by minutes.

✻

Thanks to the generosity of a Colombian NASCAR race car driver who paid for the AC when he married a model in Santo Toribio, the tiny church stacks up summer weddings like 747s on an SFO runway.

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125

In need of chemical revival, we went off in search of

ABOVE : Evening

clouds gather above the Caribbean, creating a dramatic backdrop for the young people who gather nightly along the city’s walls. OPPOSITE : Pictures of Che Guevara and Fidel Castro adorn the walls of La Bodeguita del Medio restaurant.

one of Colombia’s best-known exports (no, not that one!)

For Cartagena, the free-spending extranjeros are a welcome break from the city’s historical past.

—coffee. Sadly, in the land of 100 percent pure Colombian

In the 250 years the Spanish crown controlled the city,

coffee there is precious little of what a Peet’s addict would

after wresting it from the native Calamari people, Cartagena

consider drinkable. There is plenty of tinto, to be sure, a

was the punching bag of the Caribbean. A major trad-

heavily sugared, slightly watery brew sold on nearly every

ing port — exporting South American gold and importing

corner and served in Dixie cups, which later litter the streets

African slaves — it endured one invasion after another from

like leaves. If it’s caffeine you crave and you’re not choosy

rival nations and marauding pirates, including a lengthy

about the source, tinto delivers, but to my yanqui taste buds

siege by an Englishman much honored in Marin County: Sir

it had all the appeal of super-sweet Southern ice tea.

Francis Drake. In 1586, seven years after Drake’s sojourn

Aptly, we found the pride of Juan Valdez in an epony-

along the Northern California coast, he held Cartagena hos-

mous cafe located near Plaza Santo Domingo, a popular

tage for seven weeks, leaving only after burning much of

tourist hangout dominated by Colombian artist Fernando

the city and extorting a $200 million ransom.

Botero’s massive sculpture of a reclining, buxom and completamente desnuda woman, La Gordita.

After Drake’s plundering, the Spanish began two centuries of military construction, rimming what is now Old

Juan Valdez Cafe, one of an international chain

Cartagena with seven miles of 12-foot-high cannon-stud-

launched by the Colombian coffee federation to promote

ded walls and eventually building the Castillo San Felipe

the national bean, had what we needed — dulce de leche

de Barajas, a massive stone fort atop a 400-foot hill. A

lattes with extra espresso. Once we were fortified, old

trip to the bastion (just minutes from the city center) of-

Cartagena awaited our exploration.

fers 360-degree views of Cartagena and the opportunity to navigate some of the fort’s many “secret” tunnels.

CARTAGENA INVADED! AGAIN

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Tourism is on the rise in Colombia. While great swaths

INSIDE THE WALLS

of the interior are controlled by competing drug cartels

It is the walls—las murallas—that truly define Cartagena,

or leftist rebels, coastal centers like Barranquilla and

separating the neighborhoods of the well-preserved colo-

Cartagena are drawing international visitors (as well as

nial Old Town from the burgeoning expansion of wealth

wealthy Colombianos from cooler cities like Bogotá who

in Bocagrande on one side and the poorer, Third World–

are snatching up new beachfront condos). A spate of re-

like barrios of the working classes on the other.

cent articles on the attractions of Cartagena in publica-

Cheap cabs abound, but Old Town’s narrow streets are

tions like the New York Times and Travel & Leisure should

better walked. Twenty minutes on foot gets you across

only add to the influx of tourists.

town from Plaza San Diego, where the Sofitel Santa Clara

SEPTEMBER 2008

is located, to Plaza Santa Teresa, site of the city’s other highend hotel, Charleston Santa Teresa, another onetime convent. (Take the elevator to the roof-top pool, order a limeade mixed with coconut milk—an alluring concoction we wedding guests termed a Key Lime Pie—and drink in the view.) On the patchwork of side streets in between are numerous numbers of the three things most tourists need most—shops,

✻

Cartagena endured one invasion after another from rival nations and marauding pirates, including a lengthy siege by an Englishman much honored in Marin County: Sir Francis Drake.

museums and restaurants. Seafood dominates most menus in Cartagena, especially mero (grouper), robalo (sea bass) and pargo (red snapper), pulled from the sea by local fishermen. I tried variations of all three. Our first post-wedding-reception recovery meal was at La Bodeguita del Medio, a six-table Cuban cafe decorated with dozens of Fidel and Che photos. The staff welcomed us by turning on the drippy air-conditioning unit over front door and with a plate of crispy tostones (fried bananas) slathered in garlicky red salsa. A piece of pargo, breaded, sautéed, and large enough to cover a dinner plate, arrived accompanied by a mound of rice cooked in coconut milk and sugar. Think brown. Think not overly appetizing to the eyes. Take a bite—and then think again. Que viva la revolución! Over the next few days we put away pounds of fish—robalo baked al ajillo and robalo grilled with herbs

A bottle of Argentine Malbec lasted until dessert, a warm, buttery pie de

at the very traditional Cocina de Socorro, the pricier of two similar-

coco with vanilla ice cream.

ly named, feuding restaurants in the Getsemani neighborhood; pargo

A calorie-burning walk back to the hotel was in order, but the smil-

grilled with lime, herbs and olive oil at El Santisimo, a lively, popular

ing driver of a horse and carriage enticed us. We boarded and beneath

place considered by some to be Cartagena’s best seafood restaurant;

the night sky we lay back in the seat, serenaded by the steady clip-clop

and, my favorite, mero blackened and grilled at Palma, whose minimal-

of hooves.

ist design belied the warmth of its owners, who thankfully talked us into ending our meal with a gooey plate of profiteroles.

A CITY OF CONTRADICTIONS

Do not despair, meat eaters, there is beef aplenty in Cartagena. We

Travel & Leisure called Cartagena “one of the prettiest cities anywhere:

ate our best meal — sorry, Santisimo —at La Vitrola, a clubby, nuevo

Imagine Havana with a fraction of the population, or San Juan or New

Colombiano restaurant whose indoor palms, live Cuban combo play-

Orleans without the sophomores on spring break. It’s both crumbling

ing sons and stiff-necked, white-aproned waiters create a Tadich Grill

and majestic.”

meets Harry’s Bar atmosphere. Icy, limey margaritas offset perfect-

All true. The majesty of Old Cartagena is readily visible—ornate co-

ly the crunchy, cheesy breadsticks on the table. Crunchy empanadas

lonial architecture, brightly painted buildings, wooden balconies brim-

Vietnamitas prepared us for a pair of Brangus steaks from Barranquilla,

ming with bougainvillea, soaring 400-year-old churches and the great

one a la parilla (grilled), the other encebollado (smothered in onions).

sweep of the city wall along Avenida Santander, where you can walk

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127

✻

The past does live on within Old Cartagena, although the line between historic preservation and theme park contrivance is one the neighborhood sometimes crosses.

among the locals who gather for the sunset, take in the

tinted windows soar upward, creating a gated community

cool of the evening breez e and slurp mango-fl avored pop-

both figuratively and literally out of reach of the less-privi-

sicles sold by cart-pushing vendors.

leged Cartagenos who pass their weekends on the narrow

The crumble is also in full view. Flourishes of prosperity

beaches below, renting open-ended cabanas emblaz oned

are set amid wider pockets of poverty. Behind Cartagena’s

with Pepsi logos for $ 4 a day.

facade of modernity, its beautiful hotels, air-conditioned

In the other direction, blocks of seafront condos march

restaurants and glut of j ewelry stores hawking Colombian

toward Boq uilla, a dusty fishing village often mentioned as

emeralds, there is another Cartagena, the one in which

a place to experience the laid-back costeño culture of old.

wiz ened men and their school-age sons still fish from dug-

On the beach, rows of ramshackle fish huts stand empty

out canoes, in which some people bathe in the sea because

and groups of fit young men sit around idle during the off-

their homes lack plumbing and in which museums and

season. The land is much more valuable now for pending

other public buildings operate with toilets that don’t work

development than for selling pargo by the pound. Expect

and electrical wires hanging loose from the ceiling. Here

Boq uilla to be j ust a memory in a decade or so.

the facade crumbles.

This rising tide of six-figure condominiums is not going

Cartagena seems, like many other L atin American cities,

to elevate everyone eq ually. With a per-capita income of

in transition. Its colonial past was one of military ambience,

about $ 7 ,2 00 in Cartagena, the rich-poor gap will widen,

oppressive religiousness— both well displayed in the Museo

leaving those at the bottom to find new ways to earn pesos

Naval del Caribe and Palace of the Inq uisition, where hor—

rific devices of human torture serve as a snapshot props for

a hotel concierge says when asked directions to Boq uilla,

tourists —

you don’t want to go there. “M uchos problemas.”

and, of course, slavery, whose legacy lives on in

and that might not be a good thing for tourism. Already,

the dark, beautiful faces of the Afro-Colombians who make up the maj ority of the tri-ethnic population.

OUTSIDE THE WALLS

Cartagena’s future is springing from the ground on ei-

The past does live on within Old Cartagena, although the

ther side of the old city. In Bocagrande, an L -shaped spit

line between historic preservation and theme park contriv-

south of downtown, high-rise condos walled with blue-

ance is one the neighborhood sometimes crosses. Despite the genuine languor of the locals who lounge in the town’s many small plaz as and the frantic mercantile activity of the openair street markets ( blenders, underwear, cheaters) , at times life within las murallas lacks a certain authenticity. That’s when you need to j ump the wall and head for the beach. We passed on the popular boat ride to Islas del Rosario, an archipelago about 2 0 miles southwest of Cartagena that includes Playa Blanca, a white sand beach on Isla de Barú . Time was tight and it’s an all-day trip. If you do go to

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SEPTEMBER 2008

the islands, negotiate a boat and price through your hotel. The scene at M uelle Turistico, the boat pier, is madcap and even a bit scary, with groups of touts storming every tourist who approaches. Instead, we opted for an afternoon on a city beach in Castillogrande, the outermost arm of Bocagrande. The long sprit of sand was narrow and certainly not pristine, but with the city skyline rising in the background, apartment houses right across the street and families of every configuration in the water, it felt real— a true escape from the tourist bubble. We celebrated our freedom at a sidewalk arepa stand, scarfing down several orders of these fried maiz e fritters, some filled with eggs, others with cheese. When two wellfed Cartagena motorcycle cops pulled up to the stand, we knew we had the right place. Walking back to Old Town, we stopped at Hotel Caribe, the oldest hotel in Bocagrande, dating to the 19 3 0s. Its luxury is a bit worn, but its classic architecture, humming

After a walkabout on the sand and dip in the

ceiling fans and spacious but retro pool evoke Caribbean

Caribbean, we settled in poolside with a couple of cold

atmosphere to the max.

Aguilas, Colombian beer. The glass towers of Bocagrande

On our last afternoon in Cartagena, we taxied a few

glimmered far down the beach in one direction, the empty

miles north to Hotel L as Americas, a ’6 0s-style “all-in-

sands of Boq uilla rested tranq uilly in the other. It was day’s

clusive” resort with several pools, an expansive open-air

end, the sun j ust enough above the horiz on to silhouette

restaurant and a long stretch of wide semiprivate beach

a canoe of fishermen poling their way home through the

marked by rows of thatched palapas. This is the place to

shallow water.

bring a family, with room rates nearly half of those downtown and the beach j ust a stroll from your room.

Overhead, a toucan screeched in the palms. Cartagena

OPPOSITE : A boy

dives from his ﬁsherman father’s dugout canoe. TOP , CLOCK WISE : Canoes on the beach; new condos rise above ancient walls; a coachman awaits a passenger. ABOVE : Walking the city’s walls.

was indeed romancing us.

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129

Power in Paradise Surging seas, wild winds and vexing volcanoes offer fresh energy ideas BY M I M I TOW L E

ropical breezes, year-round sun and

“Right now we are living in a paradox,” says Ted Peck,

pulsing tides are not just feathers in

chief of energy planning and policy for Hawai‘i’s Department

Hawai‘i’s tourism cap. These alluring

of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT).

natural features are also the key to the

“Hawai‘i is the greenest (visually) place in the U.S. and

island’s and possibly the world’s energy

we are the most petroleum dependent.” According to the

future. Back in January, Governor Linda

DBEDT, the state relies on imported oil for about 90 percent

Lingle, along with the U.S. Energy Department, announced

of its primary (raw fuel) energy, mostly from foreign na-

the state’s Clean Energy Initiative, which aims to use locally

tions and increasingly from the Middle East.

produced alternative fuels for 70 percent of the state’s energy needs by 2030.

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SEPTEMBER 2008

As a small, naturally energy-rich state, these isolated islands in the Pacific have turned into a world-scale, living en-

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

ergy lab in the Pacific. “Hawai‘i is the ideal proving ground

personal inspiration for seeking planet-wide solutions

for renewable resources,” explains Peck, “and it doesn’t hurt

to our environmental and energy crisis came during an

that the Energy Department not only agrees, but thinks

ambulance ride during a near-fatal heat attack. With re-

we can be the first economy in the world to be based

newed sense of purpose, he funneled his entrepreneur-

on clean renewable energy, and we can do it within one

ial energies into forming the Blue Planet Foundation,

generation.”

which last April hosted the Blue Planet Summit, the first

Ambitious? Yes, but with soaring oil prices and a na-

100 percent carbon-neutral event in the state. The chop

tion ready for change, the timing couldn’t be better for

suey of convening thinkers included Jim Woolsey, former

a bold initiative to alter the earth’s energy culture, says

head of the CIA; environmental activist/lawyer Robert

Oahu entrepreneur/environmentalist Henk Rogers. His

F. Kennedy Jr.; Nobel-winning climate change expert Dr.

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SEPTEMBER 2008

131

“If we are able to pull this off, it will totally mesh with the green reality of the nature of Hawai‘i,” says Ted Peck. “It is consistent with who we are as a culture and a community.”

cast this fall on public television stations

the challenge is not just finding solutions but

and a second program to be distributed

getting everyone to agree. For instance, this

internationally. A coordinated dialogue

month the governor, a strong advocate for re-

of key players in Hawai‘i’s energy future

newable energy, nevertheless vetoed a “right to

was begun, and Rogers is determined to

dry” bill that pitted energy-conserving residents

continue working toward a sustainable

who want to line-dry their laundry against

economy, using Hawai‘i as a model for

their aesthetically inclined neighbors who don’t

renewable energy development around

want to see it. While this could be seen as a hit

the world.

to environmental efforts, she just approved a

Changing energy direction is a “mon-

bill mandating that all new homes install solar

Stephen Schneider; government, business and

umental” undertaking, says Peck, a Bay Area

technology experts; and sociocultural lead-

native who spent part of his childhood explor-

“If we are able to pull this off, it will total-

ers. “We wanted to include leading experts

ing the Kentfield hills. “The scale and complex-

ly mesh with the green reality of the nature of

with differing voices as well as young people

ity of the task are striking. It’s not like changing

Hawai‘i,” says Peck. “It is consistent with who

whose insights and awareness would create a

a tire—it will be a portfolio of changes.” And

we are as a culture and a community.”

water heaters by 2010.

mix to generate positive energy,” says Rogers. “We made a point of inviting indigenous people from different cultures, including Hawai‘i, who have a generational understanding of sustainability—something we’ve forgotten in our quest for shareholder value. Our mission is to get the world off carbon-based fuel. Hawai‘i is an ideal place to monitor success, since we can physically count the oil tankers coming in.” Rogers can actually count the tankers from his high-rise office near Aloha Towers, and according to DBEDT, in 2006, 50 million barrels of oil chugged across the sea to the port and other products, including residual fuel oil

The Power Pioneers

for the state’s power plants. Considering the

HAWAI‘I’S SMALL SIZE AND ABUNDANT NATURAL RESOURCES make it a uniquely equipped

state’s population is 1.3 million, that’s about

proving ground for alternative energy sources. From old technologies like burning sugar cane

38 barrels a head. Yet “Hawai‘i is also ideal be-

debris to emerging ones like capturing and storing solar energy via mirrors and lenses, our 50th

cause of our natural resources,” Rogers says.

state just might be the birthplace of tomorrow’s fuel source(s).

of Honolulu for refining into jet fuel, gasoline

“Since we’re so close to the equator, the solar energy potential is excellent. Strong trade

Biomass from Sugar For generations, Hawai‘i’s extensive cane fields have provided electric-

winds blow from the same direction about 95

ity through burning of their fibrous debris, called bagasse. Now the sugar juice itself, possibly

percent of the time, making it another good

supplemented by another sweet byproduct, molasses, is being considered as a feedstock for etha-

renewable energy resource. Ocean thermal en-

nol production, a technique being implemented in Brazil. A 15-million-gallon ethanol plant for

ergy is another good option here in the islands.

the island of Kaua‘i is being planned by sugar producer Gay & Robinson, Inc., and Pacific West

And while the Big Island has already tapped

Energy LLC; ClearFuels Technology, Inc. The plan is to set up a demonstration cellulose-to-ethanol

into geothermal, we could do more.” The Blue

facility, which would work in concert with the plant’s producer, Kaua‘i Ethanol. Other firms inter-

Planet Summit resulted in two television pro-

ested in making ethanol from sugar have proposed projects on Maui and O‘ahu, including Hawai‘i

grams—a Fred Friendly seminar to be broad-

BioEnergy (partnership of Kamehameha Schools, Grove Farm Co., Maui Land and Pineapple

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SEPTEMBER 2008

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

Co. and other major landowners) TRIPADVISOR’S MOST HONORED

and Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar

HOTEL COMPANY IN WAIKIKI

Company. Biodiesel from Vegetable Oil Keep eating those fries. Hotels and restaurants are sending their cooking oil to

skyrocketing, harvesting sun-warmed tropical

the Pacific Biodiesel company’s facilities on

water to generate electricity seems more entic-

Maui and O‘ahu to create fuel usable in exist-

ing than ever.

ing diesel engines in trucks, buses, boats, and

Concentrating Solar Sopogy Inc. has de-

stationary generators. Pacific Biodiesel plans

veloped a “micro-concentrating solar power”

additional production on the Big Island.

device that will focus the sun’s rays to heat

Pollution to Power Latest word is the gar-

liquid to very high temperatures. A different

bage-to-electricity HPower plant on O‘ahu is

approach is taken by SolFocus, which con-

adding a boiler. Besides trash from land, this

centrates solar energy on tiny photovoltaic

facility also culls its raw material from the sea.

cells, generating electricity while using a frac-

According to the state energy office, “tons of

tion of the semiconductor material necessary

marine debris floats on the ocean surface, pos-

for standard photovoltaics. Both technologies

ing a threat to shipping and putting marine

are being demonstrated at the Natural Energy

life, including the endangered monk seal, at

Laboratory of Hawai‘i Authority, adjacent to

risk. Diverting these wastes to HPower provides

Kona International Airport.

electricity and protects the environment.”

beach life. urban vibe.

Wave Energy Head-high or ankle-slappers,

heading up a test venture in Hawai‘i to turn

the waves continue to roll onto these island

oil-rich algae into fuel. As with other experi-

shores in the form of ocean energy. Research

mental processes, once the kinks are worked

has been conducted since 2004 at the Kaneohe

out, expect to see algae-processing plants else-

Marine Base, on the windward side of O‘ahu,

where, such as Maui, where a plan has been

on how to convert this wave energy into us-

announced for a full-scale commercial algae

able power. The international firm Oceanlinx

farm to fuel Maui Electric Company’s power

is also testing these waters by building a 2.6-

plant at Ma‘alaea.

megawatt wave-energy-conversion project just off Maui’s northern shores.

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SEPTEMBER 2008

Algae into Fuel Royal Dutch Shell PLC is

Geothermal Energy Puna Geothermal Venture (PGV) currently delivers up to 30

Deep-Sea AC Ocean-derived air condi-

megawatts of firm (guaranteed-available) ener-

tioning is already happening in places like

gy for the Big Island, providing sufficient pow-

Vancouver, and now Ever-Green Energy LLC

er for about 30,000 residents and visitors, the

of St. Paul, Minnesota, will soon be cooling off

company claims. In 2007, as a result of PGV’s

Honolulu office buildings by piping in cold wa-

operations, about 400,000 fewer barrels of oil

ter from way down under the sea. If it works

had to be imported into the state, reducing

there, we could be using this technology in the

pollution from oil-based generation and risk of

Bay Area in the not-too-distant future.

oil spills. PGV contributes significantly to the

Ocean Thermal Energy Conservation

Big Island’s and the state’s economies through

Hawai‘i’s Natural Energy Laboratory was the

employment of 30 full-time workers, payment

first place in the world to demonstrate net elec-

of tax and royalty revenues, and keeping mon-

tricity production from open-cycle OTEC sev-

ey that would otherwise go to imported oil in

eral decades ago. Today, with electricity prices

the state’s economy.

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

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Moana Surfrider This iconic Waikiki hotel, just finished a multi-million dollar renovations with energy efficent upgrades. tial

condominium properties.

Low-Impact Luxury Whether it’s for good karma or energy savings, many favorite Hawai‘i destinations are going green. WHILE THE STATE AND PRIVATE ENTERPRISE GET TOGETHER TO SOLVE THE ENERGY SITUATION,

Hawai‘i hotels and resorts have also been doing their part. Some properties like Kona Village have been treading lightly since their inception: the 125 thatched-roof bungalows on the property are built aboveground without foundations and the in-room “no TV/telephone” policy keeps energy use to a minimum. Newer properties like the 390-villa Ka`anapali North Beach Resort, scheduled to open in fall of 2011, are setting new standards as they aim for LEED certification. Here are other exciting sustainable changes:

Kaua‘i Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i Resort and Spa Thanks to a comprehensive environmental plan instituted by this 602-room resort in 1995, 12 tons of trash have been kept out of landfills each month, and composted kitchen food waste and oils are collected and processed into biofuels. Lately, a conversion to compact fluorescent bulbs has saved the resort over 800,000 kilowatts a year; electric timers on fans and water pumps have conserved 250,000 kilowatts. But the big news is an 8,500-square-foot 280-kilowatt photovoltaic project installed above the parking lot. This system is expected to generate 438,000 kilowatt hours of power each year, reducing the hotel’s CO2 emissions by more than 237,000 tons, and translating into about 7,000 fewer barrels of oil. kauai. hyatt.com Marriott Resort & Beach Club Starting this month, the 26,000-square-foot, 850,000-gallon swimming pool here will be warmed year-round with renewable energy from a combined heat and

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power plant: two propane-fueled Caterpillar engines that will produce approximately 30 percent of the resort’s energy. Waste heat generated from the engines will also provide 100 percent of the resort’s hot water. Guest rooms and suites now have water-conserving showerheads and faucets; laundry facilities use a water reclamation system; and rain sensors calculate precipitation to prevent wasted irrigation of the landscape. Coffee grounds from the dining facilities’ kitchens go into a compost soil additive, and the takeout utensils and containers at the Aupaka Terrace restaurant are made from fully biodegradable potato- or corn-based plastic. marriotthawaii.com.

Enjoy Waikiki’s most luxurious and exclusive condominium, the W A I K I K I B E A C H T O W E R . This resort surrounds its guests in elegance and offers priceless ocean views from every suite.

Sheraton Kaua‘i Resort This ’60s classic will be one of the first properties in Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide’s program to install energy-efficient backup diesel generators called EnviroGen Energy Modules, made by

Call 866-77-HAWAII or your travel specialist.

BluePoint Energy. Recipient of a 2006 Green

ResortQuestHawaii.com

Business Award from the state of Hawai‘i, Sheraton Kaua‘i implemented many projects geared to conserve energy, reduce waste, control expenses and benefit the environment, including recycling of aluminum cans, plastics, glass, office paper, newspaper, cardboard, batteries, fluorescent light bulbs and green waste. Money earned by the recycling program is donated to the Arc, the nation’s largest organization devoted to individuals with intellectual disabilities. sheraton-kauai.com

O‘ahu Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa at Ko Olina is the first property in Hawai‘i and one of the first in the nation to adopt the PURE™ system, which creates an allergy-friendly environment for guests. The hotel’s topmost 17th

Our guests call The Wyland Waikiki one-of-a-kind.

We call it an original.

floor, which includes 13 guest rooms and the Presidential Suite, has recently been converted to be allergy-friendly; indoor meeting facilities and the Ihilani Spa are scheduled to begin their PURE™ conversions by the end of the year. marriotthawaii.com The Kahala Hotel & Resort For the past

Art on the Avenue Wyland Art Tour $50 Wyland Galleries Gift Certificate Admission to Bishop Museum’s “Whales: Wonders of the Ocean”

A cool, water-inspired oasis in the heart of Waikiki. The Wyland Waikiki reflects the design inspiration, and marine life art of renowned artist, Wyland. Immerse yourself in a world of art, nature and serenity.

From $225 per room per night. Minimum three nights required and based on double occupancy. Valid May 17 to September 21, 2008.

year, this beloved grande dame has undergone a rather extensive restorative face-lift. Besides

Reservations 1 877-995-2638 • WylandWaikiki.com 400 Royal Hawaiian Avenue, Honolulu Hawaii 96815

the low-VOC interior and exterior paint for cos-

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137

metic improvements, the property was updated

Banyan Wing, which is on the National Registry

its oceanfront Kealohilani Tower, this 605-room

with a long list of “energy efficiencies,” from

of Historic Places. moana-surfrider.com

property was placed on Travelocity’s IgoUgo.

replacing old boilers, laundry equipment, and

Royal Hawaiian Slated to reopen in

com list of “10 Hotels Where Every Day Is Earth

lighting with new technologies to low-flow sink

January 2009 after a multimillion-dollar ren-

Day.” However, this property has been green for

faucets and environmentally friendly refrigera-

ovation, the “Pink Lady” of Waikiki will enjoy

a while, earning the Energy Star seal of approv-

tors. To keep things cool and promote a good

not just aesthetic but energy upgrades. Heat

al three years in a row. Last year’s tally for its

night’s sleep, guest rooms feature blackout cur-

pumps and exchangers will be installed to re-

recycling program (established in 2000) broke

tains. kahalaresort.com

cover waste heat for hot water, and energy

down as follows: 33.6 tons of glass, 287.9 tons

Moana Surfrider Built in 1901, this colo-

glass and/or window film and energy-saving

of wet waste, 28.2 tons of cardboard, 13.3 tons

nial Beaux Arts Hawaiian classic, now a Westin

thermostats will be included in all guest rooms.

of fryer oil, 3.8 tons of mixed paper and 2.9

(Starwood) resort, is just about finished with

royal-hawaiian.com

tons of white paper. The pool and spa will soon

an extensive remodel, which included an effi-

Sheraton Princess Ka‘iulani This property

be treated with a chemical-free saline system

ciency blitz of the air conditioning, plumbing

ranks third for energy efficiency within the entire

instead of chlorine. Even the staff gets into the

and lighting. Other changes include in-room

worldwide Starwood group. It is also the first ho-

ecological act with activities like the annual

recycling and use of nontoxic cleaning products

tel and second building in Hawai‘i to receive the

Adopt A Beach program, wherein employees

in all 795 guest rooms and suites. Products and

national Energy Star award, in part for install-

and their families clean up Kuhio Beach on

treatments will incorporate locally grown in-

ing a high-efficiency AC chiller, heat pump and

O‘ahu’s south shore. marriottwaikiki.com

gredients at the new 16,000-square-foot ocean-

exchangers to recover waste heat for hot water,

front spa, Moana Lani. History buffs will be

resulting in 50 percent less gas use. The hotel re-

Lana‘i

relieved to know the century-old banyan tree

cycles all wet waste, paper, cardboard, cooking

Four Seasons at Manele Bay, the Lodge at

gracing the property was not touched during

oil and glass. princess-kaiulani.com

Koele, and Hotel Lana‘i There are basical-

the renovations; nor were the original banis-

Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa

ly three lodging options on Lana‘i: two Four

ters or basic foundations of the rooms in the

After a $28 million guest-room renovation in

Seasons properties and the recently renovat-

No strings or roof attached. General admission to the Polynesian Cultural Center

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For Reservations, call 1-800-527-0700 or visit us at www.budget.com Subject to availability and change without notice. Refueling, taxes, state and government surcharges, concession fees, vehicle license fees and optional items are extra and are subject to change without notice. Normal rental requirements apply. One free gift from each Budget coupon program participant per set of Budget car keys and rental contract. Coupons are available at Budget.com. We feature Lincolns, Mercurys and other fine cars and trucks. ©2008 Budget Rent a Car System, Inc. A global system of corporation and license owned locations.

Child admission to Bishop Museum

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ed and more casual Hotel Lana‘i. If billionaire

ers and utensils with similar but biodegradable

the near future, resort management also hopes

David Murdock (who currently owns 98 per-

products made from cornstarch, recycled pa-

to install a saline treatment system that would

cent of the island) has his way, all these proper-

perboard and sugarcane bagasse. There’s also

use seawater in the swimming pools and spas,

ties will be fueled by alternative energy before

an eco-shopping option for guests: every re-

drastically cutting the chlorine content, and to

long. A 1.5-megawatt solar farm and a wind

tail item made with recycled, organic or eco-

replace plastic food packaging with biodegrad-

farm are being built on formerly agricultural

friendly materials is sold with a Turtle Tag. The

able options. grandwailea.com

land; Murdock predicts these projects alone will

tag itself is also biodegradable and, if watered

Hotel Hana Maui Owned and operated by

reduce Hawai‘i’s oil imports by 3 million barrels

and planted, will sprout forget-me-not flowers.

Passport Resorts of San Francisco, this property

per year. In the meantime, both Four Seasons

The hotel green team has also initiated the pro-

is part of an eco-minded network that was earn-

resorts have already installed energy-efficient

cess of switching the chlorine-treated pool to a

ing accolades for environmentalism long before

lighting, washing machines and heating and

healthier rock salt system, worked out a way to

most of had heard of the spotted owl. The lat-

cooling systems. They use 100 percent of resort

get food scraps to local pig farmers, and made

est good deed is the Good Night Foundation, a

“gray” water for irrigation, and cooking oil is re-

sure the used cooking oil is recycled into bio-

nonprofit (co-founded by Passport’s managing

used to power the equipment and vehicles of lo-

fuel. fairmont.com/kealani

partner Mike Freed) that teams with socially

cal construction crews. fourseasons.com/lanai, hotellanai.com

Maui

Grand Wailea Resort & Spa One might

responsible hotels and resorts to direct guests’

be surprised to know this beachfront 40-acre

travel dollars toward organizations focused on

property some call a mini-Disneyland has been

health, education, the environment and pover-

racking up awards for energy efficiency. In

ty relief. hotelhanamaui.com

The Fairmont Kea Lani Even before people

2007 came an award from the Maui Electric

The Sheraton Maui Resort Energy effi-

were taking notice, this property has had a

Company; the resort was also honored for an

ciency is starting from within at this Ka‘anapali

green team of employees dedicated to steward-

Energy Industries project that will reduce elec-

beachfront resort. Management has instituted a

ship of their island home. Some efforts include

tricity consumption by over 549,00 kilowatts,

few staff “motivating” moves: for instance, em-

replacing plastic cups and disposable contain-

which translates to 989 fewer barrels of oil. In

ployees who leave a computer or office lights

Enjoy your

6th Night Free with our compliments

+ $200 resort credit Reserve Ocean View or Partial Ocean View accommodations now for stays through December 20, 2008

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

Enjoy a longer stretch of beach. Our little beach cove on the Kohala Coast promises pleasure for days on end. May we stretch your stay an extra day?

For reservations: 1-800-845-9905 or www.fairmont.com/orchid

MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2008

139

on when departing for the day will be greeted

Hawai‘i

with a not-so-smiley-face sticker in the morn-

Keauhou Beach Resort Guests at this newly refurbished resort can enjoy the sapphire

ing. Guest incentives are more subtle: if they

Four Seasons Hualalai Resort has restored a

sea of Kona’s Kahalu‘u Bay while contributing

leave the lights on, maids discreetly turn them

complex system of 13 natural anchialine ponds

to one of the island’s most important cultural

off (no stickers). One of the resort’s biggest en-

(whose waters connect underground to the

attractions. At Keauhou, a piece of Hawaiian

ergy expenses came from keeping the large (of-

ocean) and designed and constructed two man-

history is being restored one rock at a time.

ten empty) meeting rooms cool; an occupancy

made aquaculture ponds. One of these, the en-

Kamehameha Investment Corp., owner of the

sensor AC system installed by Inncom has re-

ergy-efficient and self-sustaining Punawai Pond,

309-room hotel, is rebuilding several heiau

solved that issue, thus far saving about $7,200

produces enough shrimp, clams and oysters for

(ancient temples) and sacred sites along the

a year. sheraton-maui.com

all the resort’s restaurants—winning recogni-

shore. In this case the rocks are coming from

Wailea Beach Marriott Resort and Spa

tion for this “living technology” from the U.S.

the island, not mailed back by visitors from

takes special care of its unique and delicate en-

Environmental Protection Agency. Three of

the mainland (see Waikoloa Beach Marriott,

vironment. Its staff, teaming up with Marriott’s

five swimming pools have been switched from

below). The restoration lets visitors learn

Maui Ocean Club, participate in the cleaning,

chlorine-based sanitization to a natural sodium

about local tradition while soaking up the sun.

preservation and monitoring of fragile reefs in

chloride (salt) system. Green waste is compost-

keauhoubeachresort-hawaii.com

waters just offshore. The hotel has also retrofit-

ed and reintroduced into the landscape; grease

Kona Village Kona Village has been quietly

ted lighting to be energy efficient; outsourced

waste is shipped to a biodiesel conversion plant

practicing sustainability for over four decades.

laundry to reduce water, propane and electricity

on Maui. An on-property well, for drinking wa-

In its keiki program, for instance, kids can wit-

use; and added VFDs (variable frequency drives)

ter as well as landscaping, promotes self-suffi-

ness bamboo-pole catch-and-release in ancient

to decrease electricity use. Last fall it was laud-

cient water use; “gray” water irrigates the golf

Hawaiian fishponds or learn how to make ti-leaf

ed by the Maui Electric Company for such ef-

course and surrounding grounds; and plants

skirts and flower leis with all recyclable mate-

forts and ranked runner-up in MECO’s Energy

are sprayed with compost tea made on site.

rials. The thatched roofs on the restaurants,

Efficiency Hall of Fame. marriotthawaii.com

fourseasons.com/hualalai

fitness center and 125 individual guest hales

Excitement is invited. With the best deals on rooms, our VALUE IN PARADISE RATE makes your Hawaiian vacation even more pleasurable. A variety of cultural and fun, ocean activities help plan a great day, and our intuitive services ensure a memorable time for one and all. Because you don’t just stay here, you belong.

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Book today at sheraton-waikiki.com or call toll free at (866) 716-8109.

* This offer is not combinable with any other offers/promotions/packages. Above rates are per room per night are exclusive of applicable taxes and resort charges.

140

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one of the “World’s Top

Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort & Spa

Earth-Friendly Getaways”

A multimillion-dollar renovation has brought

by Conde Nast Traveler

“reduce, reuse, recycling” and energy-efficient

magazine. Mauna Lani’s

measures similar to those at other Marriott

solar energy innova-

resorts, but this one’s Lava Rock Restoration

tions now generate the

program merits special mention. The Hoaka

most solar electric power

Ho‘omalu program was created to allow for-

of any luxury resort in

mer visitors to send lava rocks back to their

the world: covering three

natural home. Many of us recall the Brady

acres, the PowerLight

Bunch episode “Hawai‘i Bound,” when Bobby

photovoltaic system pro-

learns about the vengeful side of ancient

vides operating power

Hawaiian culture by accidentally taking a sa-

and the majority of the

cred rock; apparently, misfortune has followed

(bungalows) incorporate fronds from on-site

resort’s daytime water pumping. More than

enough real-life travelers home to warrant an

coconut trees; the coconuts were made into do-

50 percent of the golf operations are so-

amnesty program. When a rock is returned,

not-disturb signs. Ocean breezes and tropical

lar (including solar-paneled golf carts) and

the spiritual energy (mana) is restored to

trade winds provide natural air conditioning. No

drought-resistant grass on the greens consid-

its origin. Hoaka Ho‘omalu happens the first

in-room TVs, radios or phones means minimal

erably reduces fertilizer and herbicide use. In

Wednesday of every month in a ceremony with

noise pollution and electricity use. Sandy paths

a “turtle ambassador” environmental aware-

chanting, in a lava rock garden surrounded

are edged by low-density lighting and naturally

ness program, juvenile honu (green sea tur-

by native plants; hotel guests are welcome

growing vegetation. konavillage.com

tles) are raised in saltwater pools until they

to attend. Some 20 pounds of lava arrive

are large enough to be released into the wild.

in the mail at the resort each month.

maunalaniresort.com

marriotthawaii.com.

Mauna Lani Resort This Big Island resort is the only beach resort in Hawaii named

THE TIMELESS REMEDY FOR MODERN DAY STRESS. now stay longer with our 5th NIGHT FREE SPECIAL. visit us on the web for details.

more specials revealed at www.konavillage.com • 1-866-906-0454

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

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SEPTEMBER 2008

141

LO O K I NG BACK

THE MARIN MUSIC CHEST BY JIM WOOD

ABOVE LEFT: Retired opera singer, Kentﬁeld resident and a Marin Music Chest founder Maude Fay Symington in 1933. ABOVE RIGHT: Internationally known cellist Gregor

Piatigorsky surrounded by Marin Music Chest posters for years gone by. BELOW: A concert in the late 1950s at Forest Meadows Amphitheatre in Dominican area.

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P HOTOS C OURTESY OF M ARIN MUSI C CH EST

An opera singer’s 75-year legacy lives on

n 1936, a newly formed group called the Marin Music Chest had approximately 8,500 members. Why would you care to know this? Because in 1936, the

county’s population was only 43,503. Which means nearly 20 percent of residents here

Diplomate: American Board of Plastic Surgery American Board of Surgery

belonged to that one group. Today, only the

American College of Surgeons, Fellow

Democratic Party attracts a greater share of

Harvard College, A.B., 1961, cum laude

Marinites. No nonprofit comes close.

Harvard Medical School, 1965, cum laude

Furthermore, in addition to its population, today’s Marin differs significantly from the county of 1936. Back then Highway 101 was a two-lane paved road and the Golden

Today’s Marin diﬀers signiﬁcantly from the county of 1936. Back then Highway 101 was a two-lane paved road and the Golden Gate Bridge hadn’t been completed. Getting to San Francisco was quite an endeavor; heading there for an evening concert was more adventure than cultural enrichment.

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Gate Bridge hadn’t been completed. Getting to San Francisco was quite an endeavor; heading there for an evening concert was more adventure than cultural enrichment. However, a statuesque retired opera singer, then living in Kentfield, worked to change all that. Seventy-five years ago, Maude Fay Symington—born in San Francisco and famed throughout Europe as a Wagnerian soprano—founded the Marin Music Chest along with other Marin music lovers. “It was an organization that brought world-renowned musicians to Marin County,” says John Rando

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The Premier Center for Sports Medicine, Orthopedic Surgery and Spine Care in Marin County of Lucas Valley, this year’s president of the organization’s board of directors. Performers included operatic tenor Tito Schipa (in 1934), popular baritone Nelson Eddy (1935), cellist Gregor Piatigorsky (1949) and violinist Isaac Stern (1957). Rando remembers going door to door with his father soliciting Music Chest memberships. “People were charged what they could afford, whatever they felt membership was worth. It could be a dollar or one

www.mttamorthopedics.com

Rando remembers going door to door with his father soliciting Music Chest memberships. “People were charged what they could aﬀord, whatever they felt membership was worth. It could be a dollar or one hundred dollars; remember, the Great Depression was still not over.” hundred dollars; remember, the Great Depression was still not over.” He recalls membership reaching between

Robert H. Byers, MD Lisa M. Elvin, NP Jon R. Goff, MD David H. Goltz, MD John C. Keohane, MD Michael J. Oechsel, MD Ernest H. Sponzilli, MD Michael S. Stock, MD Charles A. Stuart, MD

eight and nine thousand before it trailed off with the opening of the bridge and the outbreak of World War II. “Once people were

Mt. Tam Orthopedics proudly unveils our new G.E. 1.5 Tesla High Deﬁnition MRI scanner!

members,” Rando adds, “they’d pay just a

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quarter for concerts at various Marin venues, certs at the Forest Meadows Amphitheatre in the San Rafael community of Dominican.” It was in 1906 that Maude Fay Symington made her European debut as Marguerite in Faust at the Munich Royal Opera; in 1916, she debuted at New York’s famed Metropolitan

18 Bon Air Road, Larkspur 2 Bon Air Road, Suite 120, Larkspur • 415.927.5300

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Opera House. Soon after leaving the stage, she married naval captain Powers Symington. In 1927 the

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

couple settled in Kentfield ( though their home no longer stands, Kentfield does have a Fay Drive) . “Aunt M aude was larger than life,” says grandniece M olly Arthur of Tiburon. “I’m proud of her legacy and what it’s meant for music in M arin.” In addition to arranging concerts, for the past 75

years the M arin Mu sic Chest has been

annually offering scholarships to as many as a doz en deserving young local musicians. “Over 50 years ago, I won a $200

scholarship,” says

M ichael G erling of San Rafael, “and it definitely encouraged me to pursue a career as a concert violinist.” He was a senior at Tam High School at the time, playing on a violin his father purchased for him at a San Rafael pawn shop. “I went on to play 4 4 years with the San Francisco Symphony, as well as stints as a violinist with the M arin Symphony and the San Francisco Opera.” G erling’s history with the M usic Chest is long and varied: in 19 5 1 famed pianist Artur Rubinstein autographed his program after performing at Forest M eadows, and today G erling serves on the organiz ation’s board of directors. After 4 0 years of concerts, the M arin M usic Chest made the scholarship program its primary mission. “This year we’ll make 14 awards ranging from $ 7 00 to $ 1,000,” says Rando. “One group of recipients ranges in age from 9 to 13 ; the other is from 14 to 19 .” Besides G erling, past recipients now on the group’s board include violinists Dan Smiley and M ariko Smiley, both of M ill V alley; bass player Charles Chandler of San Francisco; and cellist Hai-YeNi of Philadelphia. The Marin Music Chest celebrated its 75th anniversary with performances at the Marin Art & Garden Center in Ross on August 31. Current scholarship winners are available for luncheon and evening appearances; for a booking, call John Rando at 415.479.2314.

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BOOKS

The Literary Life Readings, events, and classes for bookworms, barﬂies, and bon vivants by samantha berry

h, the Bay Area, lucky in so many ways. Breathtaking to behold. A gorgeous stretch of water. A world-class city. Lovely weather. Great food. And just to top it off, a literary hot spot, right up there with New York and Paris

when it comes to all things bookish. Not only do we buy more books per capita than any other city (take that, New York!), we have more locally owned independent bookstores, and some of the country’s best and most beloved writers live in our midst. It all makes for a very lively literary life. What follows is just a sampler of the book-inclined action—from monthly series at bars to bookstore readings to literary festivals—where you can rub elbows with the literati. Get out those black berets.

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Fava Bean Bruschetta MarketBar, San Francisco This tapas-style appetizer is a simple and delicious start to a spring meal. MarketBar uses Marin Star Route Farm’s young, tender fava beans. Because of the simplicity of this dish, use a good-quality sea salt and extra-virgin olive oil.

1 pound fava beans, shelled

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil over

1 clove garlic, minced

high heat. Blanch the fava beans for 5 minutes, then

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed

Organic Marin

lemon juice

2 tablespoons 1⁄ 2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more

for sprinkling 1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground

Fava beans, also called broad beans, have been cultivated in Southwest Asia and the

Put the beans in a food processor. Add the garlic, lemon

beans are eaten fresh when picked early in

juice, and thyme and pulse for several seconds until the

the season, or as a dried bean when allowed

Mediterranean for thousands of years. The

beans are coarsely chopped. With the machine running,

to mature on the vine. To cook fresh favas,

add the 1⁄4 cup olive oil until well combined. Stir in the

shell the beans from the spongy pods. Bring

1⁄ 2 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Set aside.

a large pot of salted water to a boil and

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Cut the baguette into 1⁄4 -inch

beans and refresh with cold water. Peel the

diagonal slices. Using a pastry brush, coat both sides of

beans by pinching the dark green ridge on

pepper 1 sweet or sourdough baguette

recipes from land to table

blanch the favas for 3 minutes. Drain the

the bread slices with the 2 tablespoons olive oil. Place the

the round side of the bean and pulling open

bread in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast in

the skin. Slip out the bright green bean and

the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until light golden brown.

discard the skin. One pound of fava bean

Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Using

pods will yield 1 cup of shelled beans.

a butter knife, spread 1 teaspoon fava bean puree on each toast. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and serve at room temperature. Makes 30 to 35 bruschetta

Written and photographed by Tim Porter and Farina Wong Kingsley, and produced by Marin Magazine, this seasonal cookbook celebrates the organic farmers and ranchers of Marin County, and the local restaurants who have provided over 40 delicious recipes that use these organic ingredients. The book can be purchased for $29.99 at local bookstores or by going to marinmagazine.com/organicmarin

“Organic Marin gives you a taste of what has become one of America’s most vibrant local food scenes; indeed, this beautiful book is the next best thing to eating there.” —Michael Pollan, author of Omnivore’s Dilemma and In Defense of Food

1 Peeling Fava Beans 3

drain and plunge into an ice-water bath. Once the beans are cool, peel them by pinching off the skin.

1⁄ 2 tablespoon minced fresh thyme 1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus

Book Passage bookpassage.com BASIC PLOT: Through its classes and genuine

enthusiasm for good books, Book Passage has launched the careers of more than one writer. If you’re literate and you live in Marin, you’ve been to Book Passage. It bills itself as the “Bay Area’s liveliest bookstore,” and that’s not a boast, but a fact. Rare is the day when B.P. has only one reading scheduled, and in addition to readings and signings by the world’s best authors, it hosts writing workshops, con-

Clothes that make women feel special.

ferences, classes, a cooks-with-books series and book groups.

Grotto Nights sfgrotto.org BASIC PLOT: Grotto Nights are your chance to

get that clubby, member-of-the-Grotto feeling. The San Francisco Writers’ Grotto is a warren of offices occupied by busy authors and

415.927.1793 125 Corte Madera Town Center • Corte Madera, CA

artists. It may just well be our answer to New York’s famed Algonquin round table (with more writing and fewer martinis). Founded more than a decade ago by Ethan Watters, Ethan Canin and Po Bronson, the Grotto hosts occasional public events and readings. Next event: October 4 at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco.

Literary Death Match literarydeathmatch.com BASIC PLOT: The competition, held in a bar,

isn’t completely tongue-in-cheek; these writers are in it to win it. A monthly reading in which four authors, invited by Opium magazine, read for 10 minutes each in a battle for the evening’s title of champion. S.F. venues change monthly.

Litquake litquake.org BASIC PLOT: Litquake has become the Bay

Area’s signature literary event, occupying the space left vacant by the long-gone Book Festival. This annual weeklong festival contin-

www.tischberndesignstudio.com 415.924.7664 • LARKSPUR, CA

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SEPTEMBER 2008

ues to get bigger and better. Events range from the respectable — lunch with Ann Patchett or a panel on Science and Religion — to the rowdy

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

and wild: Lit Crawl, the festival’s final event, in which hundreds of writers read at multiple venues in S.F.’s Mission District. October 3–11.

Original Vintage Jewelry from the 18th, 19th & 20th Centuries

Narrative Night narrativemagazine.com BASIC PLOT: Marquee writers like Jane

Smiley, Barry Gifford and T. C. Boyle side-byside with unknowns. You’ll have to wait until March for Narrative Magazine’s next soiree, but you can get your fix of fiction, essays and poetry edited by husband-and-wife dream team Carol Edgarian and Tom Jenks at the online journal.

Point Reyes Books ptreyesbooks.com BASIC PLOT: This little bookstore that could

has held back the tide of huge chain stores by becoming an integral community member. Not only does it hold traditional author

415-982-2213 www.langantiques.com 323 Sutter Street, San Francisco

readings; it hosts a Spanish reading group and a Monday night Knit Lit group and publishes the new West Marin Review, a journal featuring work by literary luminaries like Robert Hass alongside artwork by local schoolchildren.

Porchlight porchlightsf.com BASIC PLOT: No notes. These storytellers rely

strictly on memory and quick wit.

Champagne Salon

& Day Spa

An almost-monthly series of themed storytelling that features writers and nonwriters alike, as long as they can weave a good yarn; founded by local funny-girl Beth Lisick and Arline Klatt six years ago. Recent themes have included “brushes with fame,” “friends on all fours” and “I quit.” At the Swedish American Hall, SF

Marin’s Premier Full Service Luxury Day Spa Hair • Nails • Facials • Air Brush Spray Tanning Skin Rejuvenation • Massage • Wax & Tint • Hair Extensions

Bumble & Bumble Rene Furterer OPI

SkinCeuticals Bare Escentuals True

Writers with Drinks writerswithdrinks.com BASIC PLOT: Drag queens and stand-up come-

dians might appear with best-selling authors. A distinctly unstuffy mishmash of all things word-related—essays, poetry, fiction and lots of what falls squarely into the “other” category—sponsored by Other magazine. At the Make-Out Room, SF

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

(415) 380-9111 • 1 Blackﬁeld Dr., Tiburon (Cove Shopping Center) www.champagnesalonanddayspa.com UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP ~ OPEN MONDAY THRU SATURDAY MARIN

SEPTEMBER 2008

149

O T H E R P L A C E S T O G E T L I T E R A R Y:

Zoetrope: All Story (zoetrope.com), City Arts & Lectures (cityarts.net), the Depot Bookstore (depotbookstore.com), Writing Mamas (writingmamas.com), Left Coast Writers (leftcoastwriters.com), Inside StoryTime at the Edinburgh Castle (insidestorytime.com), Babylon Salon at Cantina S.F. (babylonsalon.com).

LOCAL TYPE Clean, Well-Lighted Sentences by Janis Bell ($22, W. W. Norton) Janis Bell is the warm, smart English teacher

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

you wish you’d had, and her new guide to grammar, at once authoritative and good-humored, is the grammar book you’ve been waiting for. It’s not everything, just the most common mistakes.

A16 Food + Wine by Nate Appleman and Shelly Lindgren ($35, Ten Speed Press) A16 in San Francisco has long been known as the place chefs go to eat. This new cookbook from the restaurant’s chef and wine director is a celebration of southern Italian cooking and includes recipes such as chili-spiked seafood stew, delicate antipasti and Naples-style pizza.

Nicasio by Anne M. Papina and Point Reyes Peninsula by Carola DeRooy and Dewey Livingston ($19.99, Arcadia Publishing) Marin County history is brought to life through these two new additions to the Images of America series. Both books are full of vintage photos and historical tidbits. Available at bookstores throughout the Bay Area.

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presents

XOJET and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society are pleased to announce that Rupert Murdoch, Chairman and CEO of News Corporation, one of the world’s largest diversified media companies, will be our VIP Dinner Special Guest special guest speaker at the Rupert Murdoch VIP Reception and Dinner on Saturday, October 4th, 2008 from 6-9PM at The San Francisco Yacht Club in Belvedere. The evening will include dinner, silent auction and presentation. All proceeds to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Tickets are $1,000 per seat or $1,500 for a party of two. For event details contact Leslie Crouch at 415-625-1133 or leslie.crouch@lls.org Event Dates VIP Dinner - Saturday, October 4 Leukemia Cup Regatta - Sunday, October 5 San Francisco Yacht Club, Belvedere CA www.leukemiacup.org/sf

Sponsors

PHOTO: DAVID DIBBLE

GA L L E R IES

Autumnal Color Vibrant works headline fall shows at Painters Place, Haines Gallery, Robert Green and Paul Thiebaud BY ANNE CRUMP RAY

hristin coy traces her love of the land to her childhood in Norway. For the last three decades, however, she has channeled her affection through the inspirational set-

tings of Marin County, where she has lived and painted since 1981. And from September 1 through 30 art lovers have a chance to experience Coy’s vision of Marin through a solo exhibition of her works at The Painters Place in Larkspur. “I truly enjoy painting the area close to my home, where I am able to observe the changing landscape throughout the seasons,” Coy notes. “It is incredibly invigorating trying to capture the fog with my quick brushstrokes as it blows in over the hills on a summer evening.” Coy’s depictions of Lucas Valley, Bolinas Lagoon and other West Marin locales have earned her widespread recognition, not to mention spots in numerous gallery exhibitions and high demand at fundraisers—participation in which is a particular passion. She is a founding member of BayWood Artists, a coalition of landscape painters devoted to open-space causes, and an active supporter of several Northern California community organizations, such as the Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT), Napa Valley Land Trust, Truckee Donner Land Trust and the Bucklew Foundation. “Her plein air paintings are all about the local light, and her studio paintings bring it all to a crescendo of composition, technical ability, knowledge of color and light, and emotion,” says Krystal Allen, Painters Place gallery director. “We feel that Christin is quickly becoming a real treasure and someone that Marin can be proud of saying is ours.” The public is invited to an opening reception at the gallery on September 4 from 6 to 8 p.m. The Painters Place, 1139 Magnolia St., Larkspur, 415.461.0351, thepaintersplace.com; 10–5:30 Mon–Sat, closed Sun ABOVE TOP: Detail from Afternoon Light, Loma Alta, by Christin Coy at The Painters Place. ABOVE BOTTOM: X-2, 2007, by Ed Moses at Robert

Green Fine Arts. OPPOSITE PAGE LEFT: Library of Dust (1207), 2006, by David Maisel at Haines Gallery. OPPOSITE PAGE RIGHT: Self-Portrait, 1960, by Joan Brown at Paul Thiebaud Gallery.

From September 4 through October 4 Haines Gallery in San Francisco presents a pair of provocative exhibitions that challenge viewers’ perspectives on ordinary objects. Though they work in different media and subject matter, artists David Maisel and Zhan Wang share the ability to create pieces that straddle the line between beautiful and disquieting. In his series Library of Dust, Maisel—best known for dramatic aerial pictures of degraded landscapes—photographed copper canisters containing the cremated remains of patients at a state-run psychiatric hospital. Over the decades, the canisters have corroded, thwarting the hospital’s attempts to maintain a record of otherwise forgotten souls, but providing Maisel

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with strikingly beautiful—if disturbing—subject matter. Much like the Technicolor landscapes in his aerial photographs, the canisters exhibit unexpected explosions of color: the visuals are seductive, the content unsettling. Though Beijing-based Wang takes a very different approach in his work, he similarly

Gallery created a loophole for itself: its

uses alluring aesthetics to address compli-

roughly annual Twenty-Five Treasures show,

cated issues. In Gold Mountain his subject

which gives visitors an opportunity to see

is the Chinese immigrant experience dur-

more than two dozen objects that the gal-

ing California’s gold rush. Wang collected

lery holds in high esteem, even if it might not

rocks from the Sierra Nevada, whose gold

ing to shape American art in the post–World

lured so many across the Pacific Ocean,

War II era, contributing to the development

For its 13th presentation of Twenty-Five

and wrapped them in stainless steel; he

of Abstract Expressionism by showcasing an

Treasures the gallery collected an impres-

then painstakingly removed the steel skin

aesthetic breadth, through their use of both

sive assortment of modern masterworks,

and refashioned it as a hollow, glitzy coun-

innovative techniques and a variety of me-

contemporary standouts and a few requisite

terpart to its nondescript original. An exten-

dia. This exhibition offers a peek at the dy-

nods to the quirky, on view from September

sion of his work related to “scholars’ rocks”

namism of postwar American art with an as-

9 to November 8 in its North Beach store-

in China—massive boulders that traditionally

sortment of stylistically linked works that re-

front space. The works run the gamut from

served as peaceful contemplation—his Gold

ﬂect each of the artists’ unique approaches.

drawings and paintings to sculptural objects

Mountain sculptures raise questions about

Barrett’s sculptures provide a three-dimen-

to three vintage Cadillacs, presented here

the substance of gains realized, in relation

sional complement to the two-dimensional

in photographic form.

to both the Chinese immigrants and modern

paintings and works on paper.

otherwise devote space to them.

“We look for items throughout the year

The gallery follows the group show with a

in order to ﬁnd 25 really high-caliber works

The gallery will host a public opening re-

solo exhibition of works by Grillo that opens

of art or cultural objects that we consider

ception for the exhibitions; contact Haines

September 16, offering a more in-depth

to be treasures,” says gallery director Kelly

for details.

look at his oeuvre. Grillo is credited with be-

Purcell. Highlights of the current selection

Haines Gallery, 49 Geary St., San Francisco,

ing among the earliest practitioners of ac-

include Edward Hopper’s 1966 painting Two

415.397.8114, hainesgallery.com; 10:30–5:30

tion painting—a term most often associated

Comedians, a portrait of the artist and his

Tue–Fri, 10:30–5 Sat, closed Sun–Mon

with the frenetic, gestural works of Jackson

wife that was the last work he completed

Pollock and Franz Kline—and with having

before his death; a classical nude by Arshile

Each year Robert Green Fine Arts in Mill

a profound influence on the evolution of

Gorky; a jungle scene by Henri Rousseau;

Valley devotes a group show to the pan-

Abstract Expressionism on the West Coast.

and a drawing by Jean Auguste Dominique

theon of artistic stars in its stable. From

Robert Green Fine Arts, 154 Throckmorton Ave.,

Ingrès that dates back to 1817. Also in the

August 5 through September 14 the gallery

Mill Valley, 415.381.8776, rgﬁnearts.com; 1–7

mix are pieces by Joan Brown, Richard

presents a selection of works by celebrated

Tue–Fri, 11–5 Sat–Sun, closed Mon

Diebenkorn, Henri Matisse, Mel Ramos and

industrialization.

Abstract Expressionists Paul Jenkins, Sam

Wayne Thiebaud, plus an African carved ﬁg-

Francis, John Grillo and Ed Moses as well as

Art galleries handle a terrific vol-

contemporary sculptor Bill Barrett.

ume of intriguing objects every year, but

The gallery hosts an opening reception

ure and a pre-Columbian artifact.

The gallery’s emphasis is on color field

not all have a chance to make it into the

on Tuesday, September 9; contact the gal-

abstraction, and Jenkins, Francis, Grillo and

viewing space. Some are too big or too

lery for details.

Moses ably exemplify this style with exuber-

unconventional—they don’t fit with the

Paul Thiebaud Gallery, 718 Columbus Ave., San

ant, colorful paintings rife with energy and

gallery’s curatorial focus. So about 10

Francisco, 415.434.3055, paulthiebaudgallery.

emotion. Each artist is recognized for help-

years ago San Francisco’s Paul Thiebaud

com; 10–6 Tue–Sat, closed Sun–Mon

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153

James C. Leonard Ancient Signs 48 x 68 inches Acrylic on Canvas

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Simon Parkes California Landscapes

www.simonparkes.com

Breezy on the Bay • Oil on Wood panel • 6” x 6”

Susan Landor Keegin Peaceful Little Paintings

A little painting every day • susanlandorkeegin.blogspot.com

susanlandorkeegin.com • 332-3093 susan@susanlandorkeegin.com

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Rid in g th e Bre e ze , Mixe d Me d ia o n P a n e l, 7 2 ” x 7 2 ” x 3 ”

Sharon Booma Recent Paintings | September 2008

1328 Main Street St. Helena, CA 94574 707.200.5050 caldwellsnyder.com

CA L ENDA R

SEPTEMBER ARTS & EVENTS GUIDE THEATER Thru 21 Hail Caesar Teatro ZinZanni brings back one of its most popular shows, which premiered in 2006, and is sest in an imaginary Valley of the Kings. The show stars Frank Ferrante, and veteran Broadway actor and star of the Moulin Rouge in Paris Debbie de Coudreaux. Pier 29 (SF). 415.438.2668, zinzanni.org 4—October 12 Spring Awakening Broadway’s new rock musical, coming of age tale kicks off a national tour in San Francisco. Curran Theatre (SF). 415.512.7770, shnsf.com

5—October 12 Ross Valley Players The season begins with Moonlight and Magnolias, an off-Broadway comedy about life in Hollywood in 1939. Barn Theatre (Ross). 415.456.9555, rossvalleyplayers.com

11—October 5 Marin Theatre Company Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune is the romantic comedy about waitress Frankie and short order cook Johnny who over the course of one night reveal their souls to eachother. Marin Theater Company (Mill Valley). 415.388.5208, marintheatre.org 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, 142throckmortontheatre.com DANCE 11—13 Liss Fain Dance Highlights of the

The Box Show at Gallery Route 1 through September 14.

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dance company’s 12th season include the premiere of Looking, Looking, which is set to Bela Bartok’s Concerto for Viola. Novellus Theater (SF). 415.978.2787, ybca.org MARIN

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157

MUSIC Tuesdays Open Mic Night Erin Hines hosts an evening of beat boxers, accordions, blues players and more. Sweetwater Station (Larkspur). 415.706.1164 Tuesdays Swing Fever The band plays tribute to jazz artists and composers, playing selections from its roster of over 1,000 tunes. Panama Hotel (San Rafael). 415.457.3993, panamahotel.com Thru September Town Center Music Series On select dates see performances by independent musician and songwriter Saul Kaye, Audrey Shimkas and Black Olive Band. Town Center (Corte Madera). 415.924.2961, shoptowncenter.com 5 San Francisco Opera The season opens

Art, Gifts & Accessories Mon. - Sat. 10:30 am - 6:00 pm

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

with Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra, starring Russian baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky in the title role. The opera’s opening night festivities also include Opera Ball 2008 and Bravo Club’s opening night gala. 415.565.3204, sfopera.com

13 Judy Collins and Leo Kottke The singer and guitar virtuoso come together for one evening in Marin. Marin Center (San Rafael). 415.499.6800, marincenter.org

20 Etta James The three time Grammy Award winner and Blues Hall of Fame and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee plays in Marin. Marin Center (San Rafael). 415.499.6800, marincenter.org 20 Opening Gala Renee Fleming stars in a fully staged performance of scenes from three different operas to celebrate the Met’s 125th season opening. Lark Theater (Larkspur). 415.9245111. larktheater.net 26—28 San Francisco Blues Festival The annual event includes bands Hot Tuna and headliner Johnny Winter. Fort Mason (SF). 415.979.5588, ticketmaster.com Pink Chicken • Egg & Avocado • Bóboli Poesia • Jean Bourget • Miss Grant, and more . . . 467 magnolia avenue, larkspur, ca 94939 415.924.2500

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27 Kenny G The multi-platinum musician celebrates his new album Rhythm and Romance with a performance in Marin. Marin Center (San Rafael). 415.499.6800, marincenter.org MARINMAGAZINE.COM

GALLERIES

MARIN

Marin Symphony Aperture F/64 Light Hallowed Places Work by Linda Connor, Steve Dzerigian and Roman Loranc, thru September 6. 635 San Anselmo Ave, San Anselmo. 415.482.0480

Alasdair Neale, Music Director

| 09

56TH SUBSCRIPTION SEASON A showcase of classical

Artisan Art Gallery Works on paper by various artists, thru September. 853 Fourth Street, San Rafael. 415.460.5208 Art League of Northern California Realities and Illusions A juried national exhibition by Kenneth Baker, thru September 21. 781 Hamilton Pkwy, Novato. 415.246.2541, artleagueofnortherncalifornia.org Art Works Downtown Assemblage Ivan Majdrakoff juries this exhibition, which uses objects to create a dimensional composition, thru September 19. 1337 Fourth St (San Rafael). 415.451.8119, artworksdowntown.org Claudia Chapline Gallery Waves Work by Michael Knowlton and Nancy Stein, thru September 7. 3445 Shoreline Hwy, Stinson Beach. 415.868.2308, cchapline.com Gallery Bergelli Contemporary original paintings and sculptures housed in a historical building in downtown Larkspur. 483 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur. 415.945.9454, gallerybergelli.com Gallery Route One The Box Show The annual show displays creative, ingenious and amusingly designed boxes, thru September 14. 11101 Highway One, Point Reyes Station. 415.663.1347, galleryrouteone.org Marin Society of Artists Open ﬁne arts juried show, thru September 14. Fall rental show, September 21—October 19. 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Ross. 415.454.9561, marinsocietyofartists.org Milk and Honey Art Gallery Life Aquatic Exotic Aquatic Life Forms by Artists Kadie Salﬁe, Andrew Dewitt, Jessica Niello, thru September 2. 384 Miller Ave, Mill Valley. 415.383.7580, web.mac.com/milkandhoneygallery

symphonic music that has provided the musical foundation and inspiration for dance through the centuries.

The Wind Beneath the Wings S I N G L E T I C K E T S O N S A L E B E G I N N I N G S E P T E M B E R 2 AT 415. 499. 6800. PROGRAM ONE October 5 & 7, 2008 at 7:30pm

PROGRAM FOUR March 1 & 3, 2009 at 7:30pm

Tango with Quartet San Francisco

Of Britain, Bizet and Balanchine

Alasdair Neale, conductor Quartet San Francisco with cameo tango performance by Sandor & Parissa

WORLD PREMIERE

Capriccio espagnol, Opus 34 Boléro Ravel Various/arr. Cohen A selection of jazz and tango arrangements including the most successful tango of all time, La Cumparsita Rimsky-Korsakov

PROGRAM TWO November 2 & 4, 2008 at 7:30pm

Orion Weiss performs Beethoven Alasdair Neale, conductor Orion Weiss, piano Mendelssohn Mozart Beethoven

Cello and Courtship Alasdair Neale, conductor David Requiro, cello with cameo performance by Aaron Thayer and Erin Yarbrough-Stewart, Smuin Ballet

Prokofiev

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

PROGRAM FIVE April 5 & 7, 2009 at 7:30pm

The Rite of Spring Alasdair Neale, conductor Monica Daniel-Barker, flute Dan Levitan, harp Sierra Mozart

Carnaval Concerto for Flute and Harp in C Major, K. 299 The Rite of Spring

Excerpts from A Midsummer Night’s Dream Symphony No. 36 in Stravinsky C Major, K. 425, “Linz” Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Opus 58 PROGRAM SIX May 3 & 5, 2009 at 7:30pm

PROGRAM THREE January 18 & 20, 2009 at 7:30pm

Bartók Tchaikovsky

Alasdair Neale, conductor Jeremy Constant, violin Marin Symphony Chorus with guest pre-concert appearance by Katita Waldo, San Francisco Ballet

The Miraculous Mandarin Variations on a Rococo Theme, Opus 33 Romeo and Juliet, Suite No. 1, Opus 64a

Tribute to Aaron Copland Alasdair Neale, conductor Copland Copland Copland

“Hoe Down” from Rodeo Appalachian Spring Symphony No. 3

Season subscriptions now available at 415.479.8100. The sooner you order, the better your seats. All concerts at Marin Center, San Rafael.

www.marinsymphony.org

O’Hanlon Center for the Arts Gratitude A one woman show by Peller Marion, thru MARINMAGAZINE.COM

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September. In the loft gallery, Asian Spaces Asian Faces Photography by Ginna Fleming, thru September. 616 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley. 415.388.4331, ohanloncenter.org Robert Allen Fine Art Dialogues in Light New encaustic works on panel by Berkeley artist Mari Marks and Kim Bernard, September 4—October 24. 301 Caledonia St, Sausalito. 415.331.2800, robertallenﬁneart.com

Studio 333 Ongoing work. 333A Caledonia St, Sausalito. 415.331.8272, studio333.info The Art Bar Figurative oil paintings by Renaissance master Adam Miller. 46 Main St, Tiburon. 415.435.5999, theartbar.us

SAN FRANCISCO ArtHaus Outward Appearances Work by Joanne Landis, thru September 27. 411 Brannan St, 415.977.0223, arthaus-sf.com

Gregory Lind Gallery Beacons, Floaters and Lost Objects Work by Sarah Walker, September 4—October 11. 49 Geary St, 415.296.9661, gregorylindgallery.com Hackett-Freedman Gallery The Dance Series Antiwar paintings by Frank Lobdell, September 12—November 1. 250 Sutter St, 415.362.7152, hackettfreedman.com Meyerovich Gallery Recent and new works by Donald Sultan, September 11—November 4. 251 Post St, 415.421.7171, meyerovich.com

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

Berggruen Gallery Watercolors by Al Held, September 4—October 4. 228 Grant Ave, 415.781.4629, berggruen.com

Robert Green Fine Arts Work by gallery artists include John Grillo, Dennis Hare, Ray Jackson, Mary Jones, Peter Boiger and others. 154 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley. 415.381.8776, rgﬁnearts.com

Caldwell Snyder Gallery Recent paintings by Peregrine Heathcote, thru September. Works by Sharon Booma in the St. Helena gallery. 341 Sutter St, 415.296.7896, caldwellsnyder.com

MUSEUMS

Sam the Butcher Abattoir Giant oil paintings of steaks by Sergio Lobato, thru October. 19 Ross Common, Ross. 415.902.1019, samthebutcherart.org

George Krevsky Gallery Work by Theresa Bernstein, September 18—October 11. 77 Geary St, 415.397.9748, georgekrevskygallery.com

Bay Area Discovery Museum Tales from the Land of Gullah Design a quilt, make music, create and act in your own story and ﬁnd your “Gullah nickname” in this exhibit, thru

Rena Bransten Gallery Photographs by Matthias Hoch, September 4—October 11. 77 Geary St, 415.982.3292, renabranstengallery.com

MARIN

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September 14 (Sausalito). 415.339.3958, baykidsmuseum.org Bolinas Museum Works by Barry McGee, Inez Storer and others are up for auction at this annual event. Proceeds support the museum’s exhibitions and programs and is the major fundraiser of the year, September 20 at the Buell Barn (Bolinas). 415.868.0330, bolinasmuseum.org Falkirk Cultural Center Work that examines food from a variety of perspectives. Culturally, environmentally and aesthetically, the topic of food is ripe for exploration, September 5—October 4 (San Rafael). 415.485.3438, falkirkculturalcenter.org

de Young For Tent or Trade: Masterpieces of Turkmen Weaving Over 40 examples are on view in the Textile Gallery. The pieces were almost all given to the museum by four donors, thru September 7 (SF). 415.863.3330, thinker.org Legion of Honor Women Impressionists: Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt, Eva Gonzalès, Marie Bracquemond Work by four female impressionists, thru September 21 (SF). 415.863.3330, legionofhonor.org SFMOMA Half Life of a Dream: Contemporary Chinese Art from the Logan Collection Almost 50 works by Chinese artists including shadows, masks, costumes and more on display, thru October 5 (SF). 415.357.4000, sfmoma.org

EVENTS

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

Thru September Film Night in the Park Catch a ﬂick outdoors at a community park in Marin or San Francisco. Films being shown during September include Il Postino, Oklahoma, Enchanted, Amelie and more. Various locations. ﬁlmnight.org

1 Sausalito Art Festival More than 20,000 original works of art including paintings, sculpture, ceramics, jewelry, ﬁber art, ﬁne glass, woodwork, mixed media, and photography from around the world will be on display at this year’s festival. Marinship Park (Sausalito). 415.332.3555, sausalitoartfestival.org

3 San Francisco Symphony Gala The black-

BAY AREA Asian Art Museum Power and Glory: Court Arts of China’s Ming Dynasty The exhibition explores the grandeur and opulence of one of the most important dynasties in Chinese history, thru September 21 (SF). 415.581.3500, asianart.org

Dance Theater (SF). 415.608.4503, boomercize.com

Sundays Boomercize Classes This low-impact ﬁtness program features dance steps and music from the American Bandstand hit parade. Instructor Marci Judelson leads this one-hour workout for any level. Presidio

tie evening begins with a pre-concert promenade and continues with dancing and savories. 415.864.6000, sfsymphony.org

5—7 Tiburon Guitar Festival This three day event features New West Guitar Quartet, Andrew York and an evening with Marin gui-

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After Glow, by Mill Valley Art Festival poster artist Doug Herr.

RETAIL THERAPY September Bliss Launch Following in the footsteps of the brand’s successful triple oxygen face mask, Bliss has unveiled a triple oxygen instant energizing eye mask, which releases three forms of oxygenation to brighten, de-puff and hydrate. The eye pads can even be stored in the fridge prior to using to get a chilled-version of the de-pufﬁng treatment. Sephora (SF). 415.614.2704, blissworld.com

September Juicy Couture Product tarists. Old St. Hilary’s Landmark (Tiburon). 415.435.1853, landmarks-society.org

6 & 7 Pet Products and Adoption Fair Pet-related products and services along with hundreds of adoptable animals are at this annual fair. Marin Center (San Rafael). 415.229.3174, bayareapetfair.com 10 Garden Feast The garden party and beneﬁt luncheon for the San Francisco Botanical Garden Society features a midday meal, live music and more. Golden Gate Park (SF). 415.661.1316, ext. 307.

13 Marin Designer’s Event The Designer’s Showcase presents a gala event featuring ﬁne wine, dining, dancing and more. JCC (San Rafael). 415.479.5710, marindesignersshowcase.com 13 Marin Wine Auction Keiretsu Forum hosts the ﬁrst annual Marin Wine Auction, which will feature 25 wineries and tasting stations. Marin Art and Garden Center (Ross). marinwineauction.com

17 Made in the Shade Gump’s gave basic lamp shades to artists and celebrities to create works to be auctioned off on behalf of the California College of the Arts at this exciting event. Gump’s (SF). 415.984.9250, gumps.com

tors to San Francisco’s Marina District to raise funds for charitable outreach efforts. Marina District (SF). 415.775.4100, jlsf.org

20 & 21 Mill Valley Art Festival Over 130 craftspeople from across the country will feature work plus a selection of live music from bay area performers. This year’s poster art is by local artist Doug Herr. Old Mill Park (Mill Valley). 415.381.8090, mvfaf.org 24 Marin Charitable Association Wine Dinner The event honors honors Peter Paul and Jude Blake for their contributions to the Marin community. Corinthian Yacht Club (Tiburon). 415.461.0725 25 The Big Bang The rebuilt California Academy of Sciences is unveiling its new facility with an opening gala and weekendlong celebration of historic proportions. The entire Academy will be open for exploration. California Academy of Sciences (SF). 415.379.5420, calacademy.org 25—28 Big Book Sale Friends of the San Francisco Library is hosting its 44th annual Big Book Sale. Fort Mason (SF). 415.626.7500, friendssfpl.org 27 Marin Humane Society Join Celeste Perry for the Society’s birthday bash. Marin Humane Society (Novato). 415.883.4621, marinhumanesociety.org

18 SPCA Gala Guests can enjoy a sit down dinner, live fashion show and auction at this 140th anniversary gala. Julia Morgan Ballroom (SF). 415.522.3564, sfspca.org

20 Junior League Home Tour This year’s annual Junior League Home Tour takes visi162

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NATURE WALKS/TALKS 6 Sunset Hike and Dine A two hour group walk on moderate to steep trails on Mt. Tamalpais. Reservations required. Mountain Home Inn (Mill Valley). 415.331.0100

Launch Viva La Juicy fragrance is the latest launch from the multi-million dollar lifestyle brand. The fragrance features the scent of mandarin orange, wild berries, gardenia, creamy amber and honeysuckle. Juicy Couture (Corte Madera). 415.927.2797, juicycouture.com

September Hourglass Cosmetics Product Launch Founder Carisa Janes, not only attended Parsons School of Design (think Project Runway) but was an original member of Urban Decay’s creative team. Recently, Janes branched out on her own to create Hourglass Cosmetics. Just in time for Marin’s Indian Summer the line has come out with the Illume Creme-to-Powder Bronzer and Highlighter along with a self-tanning primer—the perfect way to fake a day in the sun without all that pesky damage. Sephora (SF). 415.614.2704, hourglasscosmetics.com

September 12 & 13 WilkesSport Trunk Show Florence’s famed leather masters, Scuola del Cuoio, host a trunk show. WilkesSport (Mill Valley). 415.381.5183, wilkesbashford.com TRAVEL BUZZ Intercontinental San Francisco This South of Market hotel features 550 guest rooms, three outdoor terraces, a ﬁtness center, indoor lap pool and a ten treatment room spa. The “Staycation Package” offers all California residents overnight accommodations for two, complimentary overnight parking, breakfast for two at Luce Restaurant and a $20 gas card. Prices start at $189 per night. 888.811.4273, intercontinentalsanfrancisco.com MARINMAGAZINE.COM

Mii Amo at Enchantment Resort Guests at this Arizona resort can enjoy this one day complimentary workshop, The Feminine Journey, in which Leslee Vogal explains the unique events that affect a woman’s body, emotion and spirit. 888.749.2137, miiamo.com Ojai Valley Inn and Spa This Southern California AAA Five Diamond resort offers the Spa Ojai Discovery Package, which includes choice of room type and a 50-minute classic spa treatment in the 31,000-square foot spa village. Package starts at $535 a night. 800.422.6524, ojairesort.com

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.

Rancho Las Palmas The resort now features Kidtopia, a kids camp to complement Splashtopia, the resort’s new two-acre water complex. The complex features 100-foot waterslides, a lazy river, sandy beach and cliff-side Jacuzzi. Other new features include an adult tranquility pool and a refurbished spa. The “Kidtopia Package” includes accommodations, a full-day admission to Kidtopia and a camp shirt. Package starts at $169. 800.422.6524, ojairesort.com Scheid Vineyards On select days in September celebrate California Wine Month with a “Vineyards to Table” experience. Four top chefs from Monterey County have created four-course menus that pair local cuisine with Scheid Vineyards wines. 831.375.4155, scheidwines.com Westin San Francisco Market Street The hotel’s new California Wine Country Experience includes a two night stay, chauffeured car for as many as six people through Napa and Sonoma, a picnic provided by Ducca restaurant and four bottles of your choice of wine from the Westin list. Package starts at $934. 415.974.6400, westinsf.com Westin St. Francis If you’re looking to stay ﬁt while traveling book a night at San Francisco’s Westin St. Francis, which has unveiled Nintendo’s Wii console and Brainbody Fitness program to help guest maintain physical and mental health. Westin Hotels is the ﬁrst hotel company to partner with Nintendo to create the custom-designed console for its hotel rooms. 415.397.7000, westinstfrancis.com MARINMAGAZINE.COM

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

P H OTO: TIM P ORTER

marinmagazine.com/organicmarin.

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FL AVOR

Café Crab Cakes with Watercress and Blood Oranges At Drake’s Beach Café in Inverness, the best crab cakes are made from Dungeness crabs cooked the day they are caught. Watercress and blood oranges add color and a refreshing counterpoint to the fresh seafood. Grapefruit and arugula are also a good combination.

CHIVE OIL

meshed sieve. Discard the solids and re-

B⁄e cup minced chives

serve the oil. The chive oil keeps refriger-

B/d cup grapeseed oil

ated for 4 days.

B⁄i teaspoon salt

For the crab cakes Combine the crabmeat, CRAB CAKES

crème fraiche, shallot, lemon zest and juice,

1 pound fresh lump Dungeness crabmeat, picked over for shell

egg, 1 cup of the panko, the herbs, salt and

B/c cup crème fraiche

into a B⁄e-cup dry measuring cup and invert

1 large shallot, minced

onto a baking sheet, repeating to use all the

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

mixture, yielding 6 crab cakes. Cover and re-

1 large egg, beaten

frigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.

pepper. Firmly pack the crabmeat mixture

2 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs) B/e cup minced mixed fresh herbs (chives, ﬂat-leaf parsley and tarragon)

Preheat an oven to 250°F. Line a baking

B/c teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

maining Panko on a plate and season with

B⁄i teaspoon ground white pepper, plus more to taste

salt and pepper to taste. Melt the butter in a

2 tablespoon unsalted butter

Dredge the crab cakes in the panko to coat

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

evenly and sear for 5 to 7 minutes on each

D⁄e teaspoon aged balsamic vinegar

side, until golden brown. Transfer to the pre-

1 bunch of watercress or arugula, stemmed, or leaves from 1 head frisée lettuce

pared pan keep warm in the oven until ﬁn-

sheet with parchment paper. Place the re-

large non-stick sauté pan over medium heat.

ishing the dish.

Salt and freshly ground pepper 2 blood oranges, peeled and segmented, juice reserved (reserve 1 tablespoon of juice)

Whisk 1 tablespoon of the reserved blood orange juice, the olive oil, salt and pepper together in a small bowl to make vinaigrette.

Segmenting citrus Use a knife to remove the skin and white pith from the fruit.

To serve, place a crab cake on each of 6

Carefully slice between the membrane of

salad plates. Dress the watercress and or-

each segment and remove the slices.

ange segments with the vinaigrette and

Remove any seeds.

place a small handful along side each crab cake. Drizzle B⁄i teaspoon of the balsamic

For the chive oil Combine all the chive

vinegar and B⁄e teaspoon of the chive oil

oil ingredients in a blender and puree un-

around each serving. Serve immediately.

til smooth. Set aside and let stand for 30 minutes. Strain the mixture through a ﬁneMARINMAGAZINE.COM

Serves 6 as a ﬁrst course. MARIN

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INSIDER’S GUIDE

DINE OUT CORTE MADERA BENISSIMO Italian Benissimo means “really really good” in Italian. From margherita pizza to veal parmagiana to mocha mud pie, Benissimo serves a taste of Italy in a casual neighborhood venue. 18 Tamalpais Dr, 415.927.2316 benissimos.com CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN Cal/Eclectic Be prepared for chaos. Easy place to meet with kids; Mom/Dad can enjoy a tasty Thai crunch salad and decent glass of wine while the little ones feast on basic kid-size portions of pasta and pizza. 347 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.945.0401 IL FORNAIO Italian Sausalito’s Larry Mindel hit a home run with this upscale Italian 23-restaurant franchise. Besides the award-winning breads, pizzas and pastas, the menu boasts a variety of salads and noncarb entrées. 223 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.927.4400, ilfornaio.com IZZY’S STEAKS & CHOP HOUSE American The legendary San Francisco steak house has moved

north. Known for great steaks and seafood as well as its ﬁne wine selection, this is a great spot for a group or intimate dinner for two. 55 Tamal Vista, 415.924.3366, izzyssteaksandchops.com LA MAISON DE LA REINE Vietnamese A refreshing change amid the plethora of Italian, Mexican and Chinese options. The crunchy cabbage chicken salad with peanuts, fresh spring rolls, and combinations of pho are delicious. 346 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.927.0288 MARIN JOE’S Italian Pasta and other Italian dishes have been served up here for over 50 years. Pick from soup, salad, seafood mesquitegrilled or sautéed meats and over 10 pasta options guaranteed to satisfy. Have a drink and hear local musicians at the well-known piano bar. 1585 Casa Buena Dr, 415.924.2081, marinjoesrestaurant.com MAX’S CAFE American Located across from Town Center, Max’s is renowned for casual ambience and large portions. The menu changes with the season but features year-round favorites like matzo ball soup and BLTs. Besides decadent portions or comfort food and desserts, the menu also offers seasonable local produce and healthy items too. 60 Madera Blvd, 415.924.6297, maxsworld.com PACIFIC CATCH Pan-Asian This well-priced fresh grill eatery offers a bounty of Paciﬁc Rim—inspired small or main plates, like the generously portioned wasabi bowls filled with rice (white or brown), veggies and your choice of fresh or raw fish,

Interior of Joe’s Taco Lounge in Mill Valley.

chicken or beef. 223 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.927.3474, paciﬁccatch.com P.F. CHANG’S CHINA BISTRO Chinese As of 2008, Marin diners don’t have to travel in order to enjoy the famed orange chicken, salt-and-pepper calamari or Mongolian beef. The restaurant serves lunch, dinner and takeout. 301 Corte Madera Town Center (Corte Madera). 415.413.9890. pfchangs.com RICK’S WINE CELLAR California This one room, bar and wine shoppe is located at the same spot as Marin’s first wine bar, which opened back in 1988. Now owned and operated by Marin natives Rick and Candy Mendell, their customers call it the “Cheers of Corte Madera.” Offerings include a glass, a ﬂight, or a bottle –all of which pair nicely with their cheeses, salami and hot Panini’s. 207 Corte Madera Ave, 415.927.9466 rickswinecellar.com

FAIRFAX DEER PARK VILLA Italian This “best place for a party” (Paciﬁc Sun) sits on four garden acres; the Ghiringhelli family has been turning out Italian favorites here since 1937. Come for the famous veal parmesan—or your next big celebration. 367 Bolinas Rd, 415.456.8084, deerparkvilla.com 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 PANCHO VILLA’S Mexican A Fairfax favorite for over 30 years. Since 1976, head chef Francisco has been turning out treats like chile relleno stuffed with jack cheese, cilantro and onion and crab enchiladas topped with a mild tomatillo sauce and sour cream. 1625 Sir Frances Drake Blvd, 415.456.4331, panchosfairfax.com SORELLA CAFÉ Italian Not only is the food satisfying and tasty; the service is friendly and the ambience is warm and inviting. 107 Bolinas Rd, 415.258.4520

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

Cocktail seating area at E & O Trading Company in Larkspur Landing

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WIPEOUT BAR AND GRILL American Former Pan American Airlines pilot (and Belvedere resident) Warren Simmons — also the founder of the popular Chevy’s chain — has brought his San Francisco Pier 39 Wipeout Bar and Grill to the Bon Air Center. The location features a full bar, outdoor patio and family-friendly items like burgers, salads and pizzas in a T-shirt-and-sandals atmosphere. 302 Bon Air Center (Greenbrae). 415.461.7400, wipeoutbarandgrill.com MARINMAGAZINE.COM

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

OLD GOLD www.oldgoldjewelry.com

Tiburon

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

415 789-9583 Mendocino 707 937-5005

LARKSPUR CAFE Z American A pleasant surprise in the Bon Air shopping mall. Dishes like grilled chicken pesto pianni and savory crepes have quickly made this intimate spot a local favorite, and inventive meals keep people coming back for more (Greenbrae). 282 Bon Air Center, 415.461-9444, cafez.com CJ CHINESE CUISINE Chinese Great spot to satisfy a craving for wonton soup before catching a show at the Lark Theater; lunch and takeout are popular too. 435 Magnolia Ave, 415.924.0717 E & 0 TRADING COMPANY Southeast Asian Chef Edwin Cabriloa-Torres is keeping the restaurant’s innovative plates like Indonesian corn fritters and Thai seafood clay pot as tasty as ever. Without reservations, try a spot at the large communal table, or on a warm evening enjoy the patio. 2231 Larkspur Landing Circle, 415.925.0303, eotrading.com EMPORIO RULLI Italian Pastry chef Gary Rulli is renowned for his Northern Italian specialties and treats. The Larkspur location (there are three others) is a popular spot for lunch as well as coffee and a sweet. 464 Magnolia Ave, 415.924.7478, rulli.com

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FABRIZIO RISTORANTE Italian Traditional Italian dishes with an extensive wine list from regions all over Italy; outside seating makes the experience even more special. 455 Magnolia Ave, 415.924.3332 LARK CREEK INN American This ﬂagship eatery for the Lark Creek Restaurant Group opened back in 1989 and was hailed by the New York Times as having “the best home cooking you can imagine.” It remains a perennial special occasion spot and is still known for inventive country cooking—as well as a cozy bar scene. 234 Magnolia Ave, 415.924.7766, larkcreek.com LEFT BANK RESTAURANT French Known for award-winning French cuisine and its lively brasserie ambience, this corner spot has rated high with local for well over a decade. Those with a petite appetite/budget can opt for happy hour (4–6 M–F) and enjoy appetizers, all priced under three dollars. Outdoor patio dining is popular for lunch or early dinner. 507 Magnolia Ave, 415.927.3331, leftbank.com MARINMAGAZINE.COM

gift cards available in store or online at eotrading.com

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MARIN BREWING CO American Grab a cold beer made right on site and pair it with fish and chips—fresh cod dipped in Mt. Tam pale ale batter, served with steak fries and homemade tartar sauce. 1809 Larkspur Landing Circle, 415.461.4677, marinbrewing.com PICCO California Chef and celebrated restaurateur Bruce Hill deserves the accolades he has received for this eclectic shared-plate heaven. Dishes like mini-burgers and seasonally driven menu items, along with risotto made every half hour, keep people coming back. The Picco Pizzeria and Wine Bar next door is cozy (not many seats) but already famous for its wood-fired pizzas, great wine selection and soft-serve Straus Family Creamery ice cream. 320 Magnolia Ave, 415.924.0300, restaurantpicco.com RUSTIC BAKERY California Organic mouthwatering pastries, breads, and sandwiches are on the menu here. The Meyer lemon mascarpone danish and the bacon, avocado and heirloom tomato sandwich with mesclun are perennial temptations. 1139 Magnolia Ave, 415.925.1556, rusticbakery.com TABLE CAFÉ Indian/American Indian-inspired cafe offers a unique menu featuring entirely organic ingredients. Dishes include seasonal salads, incredible soups and fresh juices. The specialty of the house is dosia, filled with a variety of ingredients and served with savory homemade chutneys. You can also take home a choice of three or four gourmet dinners freshly packed daily. 1167 Magnolia Ave 415.461.6787 TAM CELLARS Winebar This wine shop includes an elegant bar with seating for up to 36 people, 30 wines by the glass and tasting flights. Tam Cellars specializes in hard to find wines and small production wineries. Enjoy a glass or bottle to pair with the selection of appetizers. Live music on Thursdays. 1803 Larkspur Landing, 415.461.9463, tamcellars.com THE MELTING POT French Just across the street from the Larkspur Ferry terminal is a round red-brick haven for fondue fans. Share the “Big Night Out” feast featuring chef’s specialties, or design your own spread with cheese fondue, salad, choice of meat entrée and chocolate fondue dessert. 125 E. Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.461.6358, themeltingpot.com YANKEE PIER American This family-friendly casual clam shack is harbored in a quaint house built in 1924 as a private residence. Though known for beer-battered fish’n’ chips, clam chowder and tasty salads, Yankee Pier serves fresh seafood delivered daily from both coasts with special dishes by new chef Brian Beach. 286 Magnolia Ave, 415.924.7676, yankeepier.com Facials • Massage • Body Polishes & Wraps • Waxing Natural Face-Lifting • Detox/Wellness Programs • Airbrush Tanning

MILL VALLEY

Acupuncture • THERMOGRAPHY • SPA BOUTIQUE • GIFT CARDS 216 Strawberry Village, Mill Valley, CA 94941 • www.evo-spa.com Call for Reservations 415.383.3223 Monday – Saturday 9am – 9pm • Sunday 10am – 7pm

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

cocktails, conversations or a light meal. 15 Shoreline Hwy, 415.331.2600, buckeyeroadhouse.com BUNGALOW 44 American Much like sister restaurant Buckeye Roadhouse, Bungalow 44 offers a mean dose of homey carbo- and lipidladen dishes, such as the burger, fried chicken and truffle fries, as well as a few lighter items. The bar is a neighborhood favorite, serving up tasty spirits and eye candy. 44 E. Blithedale Ave, 415.381.2500, bungalow44.com CACTUS CAFE AND TAQUERIA Mexican Recently under new management; the food is better than ever. They still offer the lunchtime bargain burrito, as well as fish tacos and Caesar salads with grilled chicken or shrimp. Be sure to opt for the diablo sauce on enchiladas and burritos. 393 Miller Ave, 415.388.8226 CAFE DEL SOUL California Beware of addiction. Once you stop in for the deliciously fresh Hummus Yummus wrap, you’ll have to come back to sample the chipotle Sunrise Rice Bowl; then it will be the Thai It Up wrap with peanut sauce washed down with ginger limeade that brings you back, and so on. Casual lunch spot, great for takeout. 247 Shoreline Hwy, 415.388.1852, cafedelsoul.net DIPSEA CAFE Comfort One word: biscuits. This longtime breakfast spot has been serving up tasty pancakes and egg dishes with homemade biscuits since 1986. Try a biscuit with a poached egg, a biscuit with sausage –or just plain butter. Lunch specialties include BLTs and tuna melts and generous Cobb salads. Now serving dinner. 200 Shoreline Hway. 415.381.0298, dipseacafe.com EL PASEO French Keiko Takahashi, a prominent Tokyo chef known for her modern French cuisine, transports her flair to Mill Valley. With a cottagelike feeling, this fine dining restaurant serves meals that are nothing less than exquisite. Reservations recommended. 17 Throckmorton Ave, 415.388.0741, elpaseorestaurant.com FRANTOIO RISTORANTE ITALIANO Italian Known for its in-house olive press, superior olive oil and excellent Italian cuisine, this is a great location for large groups. Chef Duilio Valenti creates authentic Italian cuisine. Ask to sit in the press room for private parties. 152 Shoreline Hwy, 415.289.5777, frantoio.com INDIA PALACE Indian Known as “that great restaurant in the Travelodge,” India Palace is a favorite among the takeout crowd; however, eating on site is a treat too. 707 Redwood Hwy, 415.388.3350 JOE’S TACO LOUNGE Mexican A long-time local favorite, Joe’s serves up regular fare such as tasty fish tacos, burritos and enchiladas as well as more unusual items like Mexican pizza, tofu salad, burgers and crab tostados. Colorful interior and (usually) quick service makes this a fun, easy stop. And if there are too many unsupervised kids for a peaceful meal –take out is easy too. Alone? Grab a magazine and seat at the counter and enjoy the action along with an agave margarita. 382 Miller, 415.383.8164 MARINMAGAZINE.COM

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33 Montecito Drive, Corte Madera, CA 94925

LA GINESTRA Italian A favorite family spot for over 30 years; getting a table or booth can take a while. While this old-school Italian eatery is known for traditional pastas, veal dishes, pizzas and dry martinis, the familiar wait staff is also part of the attraction. 127 Throckmorton Ave, 415.388.0224 LUCINDA’S MEXICAN FOOD Mexico Singled out for “best burrito” by the Paciﬁc Sun in 2005, this is a prime place to grab lunch and head back to the ofﬁce. 930 Redwood Highway, 415.388.0754 MAMA’ S ROYAL CAFE American No one should miss this fabulous kitsch-decorated spot. Appetizing crepes, brioche French toast and other breakfast treats are served all day; stay awhile and try the sandwiches for lunch. 387 Miller Ave, 415.388.3261 MARIA MARIA Mexican The menu at Maria Maria draws from diverse regional cuisines of Mexico, including slow braised duck tacos, guacamole prepared tableside and Guajillo Marinated Red Snapper Filet. 651 E. Blithedale, 415.381.1070. mariamariarestaurants.com MILL VALLEY COFFEE SHOP American Sure, it could use a steam clean, but the regulars keep coming back for the pancakes and eggs. Great place to bring the kids. 4 Locust Ave, 415.388.6958 PIAZZA D’ANGELO Italian It’s always a party at this long-standing hot spot. A great place to meet up with friends for a fresh plate of pasta, zuppa di pesce or pollo novello, or make some new friends at the bar. 22 Miller Ave, 415.388.2000, piazzadangelo.com

Interior of Joe’s Taco Lounge in Mill Valley. PIATTI RISTORANTE AND BAR Italian Reopened, after an extensive remodel, with chef Chris Fernandez onboard leading the kitchen with a menu coinciding with seasonal food from local producers. The crudo and pizza is not to be missed. 625 Redwood Hwy, 415.380.2525, piatti.com RAIN TREE CAFÉ American/Homestyle In the newly remodeled Strawberry Village shopping center wonderful American fare: soups, salads, burgers, sandwiches and gourmet crepes. Savor the Mill Valley Crepe: smoked salmon, capers, spinach, and Dijon in a fresh warm wrap. Breakfast is served all day. 610 Strawberry Village, 415.380.8886, caferaintree.com SMALL SHED FLATBREADS California As a slow food chef, Ged Robertson uses only local, mostly organic ingredients. Crowd favorites include the Mt. Tamal-Pie, a delicious fresh salad atop a flatbread. 17 Madrona St, 415.383.4200, smallshed.com

gift certiﬁcates • relaxing massage luxurious facials • therapeutic body treatments skin, bath & body care products ( 415 ) 9 24 -7 3 0 0 • w w w . s t e l l a r s p a . c o m 2 6 TA M A L PA I S D R I V E , C O R T E M A D E R A , C A 9 4 9 2 5

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THEP LELA Thai This jewel is tucked away in the back of the new Strawberry Village. Diners come for the tasty kee mao noodles, pad thai, fresh rolls and extensive bar menu. It’s also a great place for lunch. 615 Strawberry Village, 415.383.3444 VASCO Italian Whether you’re at a table, the bar or the back counter, you can expect an intimate and tasty dining experience at this one-room trattoria. Don’t miss trying one of the restaurant’s MARINMAGAZINE.COM

pasta dishes or thin crust pizzas. 106 Throckmorton Ave, 415.381.3343

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

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

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CHRISTOPHER’S Italian/American A hidden place worth the effort to ﬁnd in Bel Marin Keys. Christopher, the owner, offers a casual menu of innovative “Italian”-type fare. 8 Commercial Blvd, 415.382.8488 WILDFOX American Perched on the hillside off Highway 101, this rustic mesquite grill offers a menu full of comfort food and drinks, like the smooth cosmos, and seafood risotto, with bits of butternut squash. In the mood for a cigar? The restaurant has an extensive list. 225 Alameda del Prado, 415.883.9125, wildfoxrestaurant.com

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ROSS CAFE MARMALADE French This quaint oneroom coffeehouse is centrally situated near Ross Common. Get there early for the full selection of pastries to enjoy with fresh-squeezed orange juice. 22 Ross Common, 415.461.2205 MARCHÉ AUX FLEURS French This gem of a restaurant serves up locally farmed produce, wild and fresh seafood and free-range meats prepared with an artisan’s touch. The wine and beer list are extensive. 23 Ross Common, 415.925.9200, marcheauxﬂeursrestaurant.com 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

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SAN ANSELMO AVA California Chef Dan Baker, of Marché aux Fleurs in Ross, has another winner with AVA, which features a California-only wine list and a menu where nearly all the ingredients come from within 100 miles—if not the Marin County Farmers’ Market. The small menu includes seasonal flatbreads, pasta and six seasonal main dishes. 636 San Anselmo Ave, 415.453.3407 CUCINA RESTAURANT AND WINE BAR Italian Proprietor Jack Krietzman (of Pacific Heights’ Jackson Fillmore) has brought Milan to Marin with his 42-seat family restaurant. Relax with a glass of wine and have a slice from the to-die-for thin MARINMAGAZINE.COM

Cabo Wabo Room ~ Perfect for Holiday Parties, Rehersal Dinners & Special Events www.SaylorsRestaurantandBar.com ~ (415) 332-1512 ~ 2009 Bridgeway, Sausalito MARIN SEPTEMBER 2008

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pizzas, topped with items like truffle oil and fontina cheese. 510 San Anselmo Ave, 415.454.2942 DEBBIE DOES DESSERT Bakery Besides sweets, the menu offers tapas on weekends and savory dishes such as grilled duck aux pêches with lavender honey sauce on galette de mais. Brunch served on Saturday and Sunday from 9 til 2. 556 San Anselmo Ave, 415.721.2901, debbiedoesdessert.com FORK California This intimate spot was awarded “Top Food in the Bay Area” by Zagat for 2007. Opt for the five-course tasting menu or seasonal à la carte options. The three-course special for $20 is available during the first seating. 198 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.453.9898, marinfork.com INSALATA’S Mediterranean Award-winning chef Heidi Insalata Krahling offers Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes prepared with local organic produce and artisan meats. 120 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.457.7700, insalatas.com LOCOCO’S PIZZERIA Italian Worth driving to from all over Marin, and it’s an easy place to meet with friends and family. The pizza crust is divine as is the house salad. Easy spot to come with the entire family.Closed Mondays. 638 San Anselmo Ave, 415.453.1238, lococossananselmo.com

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

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Jane’s crema. 21 Tamalpais Ave, 415.454.6562, tacojanes.com

SAN RAFAEL BOMBAY GARDEN Indian The restaurant offers a large menu of richly flavored Northern and Southern Indian Cuisine. There are often Bollywood movies or videos playing on a ﬂat-screen TV to add a little entertainment to the meal. 909 Fourth St, 415.459.9555 dinebombaygarden.com CAFE GRATITUDE Raw The waiters might push the affirmations theme a bit too much, but the tasty (and healthy) food is worth it. Besides the knowledge you’re supporting local farmers and sustainable agriculture, the raw food and vegan samosas are hard to resist. Best to bring a group and sample lots of items on the menu. 2200 Fourth St, 415.824.4652, withthecurrent.com CREPEVINE American Bistro/Creperie Offering casual dining, outdoor seating and a diverse menu of savory crepes (such as the Italian crepe ﬁlled with roasted peppers, eggplant, onions, artichoke hearts, tomato sauce and mozzarella). Sweet and savory crepes are available all day long, as is breakfast. 908 Fourth St, 415.257.8822 MULBERRY STREET PIZZERIA Italian Chef Ted Rowe won first place in the Food Network Television Pizza Challenge with his Mushroom Lover’s Pizza—sautéed mushrooms in a creamy garlic sauce atop a fresh pizza crust. Located

across from the Smith Ranch Road movie theaters, it’s a great place to grab dinner and a movie. 101 Smith Ranch Rd, 415.472.7272, mulberry-streetpizzeria.com SABOR OF SPAIN Spanish Named Best Tapas/ Small Dishes restaurant in Marin by the Paciﬁc Sun in 2006, this Spanish-wine bar is a great place for a date or a big party. 1301 Fourth St, 415.457.8466, saborofspain.com SAN RAFAEL JOE’S Italian Guido and Theresa Farina are now running this Marin institution, which has been famous for serving up sophisticated yet casual Italian fare since 1947. 931 Fourth St, 415.456.2425, srjoes.com SEAFOOD PEDDLER Seafood A great place to seek out fresh seafood in a warm and inviting environment. Varieties of East and West Coast fish flown in daily. Dine indoors or out, or better yet, rent out the banquet room for a party. 100 Yacht Club Dr, 415.460.6669, seafoodpeddler.com SOL FOOD Puerto Rican With south-of-theborder treats like yellow rice, beans, plantains and authentic Puerto Rican dishes, this tiny one-room eatery on Fourth Street just off Highway 101 can be hard to get into, but worth the wait. 732 Fourth St, and 901 Lincoln Ave, 415.451.4765 SUSHI TO DAI FOR Japanese Snagging a seat in this popular sushi spot can be a challenge, but patience will be rewarded with tasty and fresh

click and be served.

sashimi, unique sushi rolls and great prices. 869 Fourth St, 415.721.0392

SAUSALITO ANGELINO RESTAURANT Italian Father-andson chefs Pasquale and Alfredo Ancona offer handmade pastas and seasonal antipasti at this authentic Italian restaurant, which has been serving food from the Campania region for the past 24 years. 621 Bridgeway, 415.331.5225, angelinorestaurant.com ARAWAN THAI RESTAURANT Thai Known for its consistently tasty Thai food and efﬁcient, gracious service. For light fare try the imperial or Siamese rolls (vegetarian), or dig into the delicious pad thai noodles or garlic and pepper prawns. Arawan Thai has been a local favorite for over nine years. 47 Caledonia St, 415.332.0882 arawan.com CAFFÉ DIVINO Tuscan Locals come for the tasty pastas and salads, as well as coffee drinks in a funky one-room setting. Free delivery in Sausalito. 37 Caledonia St, 415.331.9355, caffedivinosausalito.com FENG NIAN Chinese Busy at lunch and dinner, this spacious hangout has been a popular spot for wonton soup, potstickers and daily specials for nearly two decades. For an indulgent treat order the Szechwan crispy calamari or honey-glazed walnut prawn. Free delivery. 2650 Bridgeway, 415.331.4500, fredscoffeeshop.com

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GAYLORD INDIA Indian Rated a “Restaurant of Excellence” by Zagat, Gaylord’s new location in Sausalito also features million-dollar views of San Francisco and the bay. All the dishes including samosas, curries and tandoori are made with fresh local produce, seafood and artisan meats. 201 Bridgeway, 415.339.0172, gaylord.com KITTI’S PLACE Pan-Asian Watch out Comforts (aka the best chicken salad in town), Kitty’s serves up a delicious crunchy fresh chicken salad, as well as light tasty spring rolls too. Popular with the lunch and take-out dinner crowd. 3001 Bridgeway, 415.331.0390

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

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LE GARAGE French Olivier Souvestre left his position at executive chef at San Francisco’s Chez Papa Bistro to open his new waterfront café in Sausalito with partner Bruno Denis. Le Garage features standard french bistro fare like croque monsier and brunch items like eggs benedict with an emphasis on fresh seafood and a large selection of charcuterie. 85 Liberty Ship Way, 415.332.5625 PARADISE BAY American Enjoy the sun or dine under the stars at this waterfront restaurant. Locals say they come back for the organic beef sandwiches and fresh Maine lobster clubs. 1200 Bridgeway, 415.331.3226, paradisebaysausalito.com POGGIO Italian A great place to celebrate a special occasion or simply enjoy a night out. Executive chef Peter McNee cooks up delicious Northern Italian cuisine using fresh and local ingredients, including produce from the nearby Poggio chef garden. 777 Bridgeway, 415.332.7771, poggiotratoria.com SAYLOR’S RESTAURANT AND BAR California/ Mexican Owner and chef Sean Saylor has created a new menu, keeping some traditional favorites and has moved the restaurant to a new location. The large menu is impressive but the bar’s selection of over 100 tequilas is hard to beat. 2009 Bridgeway, 415.332.1512, saylorsrestaurantandbar.com SCOMA’S Seafood Whether it’s for the view of San Francisco or the historical background, visitors flock to this location for a romantic setting. The array of fresh seafood and meat dishes are appetizing as the Italian pasta dishes. 588 Bridgeway, 415.332.9551, scomassausalito.com SUSHI RAN Japanese Fresh, innovative small plates are just big enough to share, the traditional sushi is melt-in-your-mouth good and the wine, cocktail and sake lists keep the pickiest barfly well satisfied. Even the prices don’t deter the herd of sushi enthusiasts, who line up nightly to partake; reservations required in main room. 107 Caledonia St, 415.332.3620, sushiran.com

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WELLINGTON’S California British transport Jeremy John and his wife Jill have created an expansive (2,400 square foot) space wine bar with a homey feel, board games, views of the bay and a worldly cellar featuring affordable bottles and special reserves. The menu features wines by the glass for $5 to $20 and tasting ﬂights of any three wines for $12. 300 Turney St (Sausalito). 415.331.9463, wellingtonswine.com

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

TIBURON THE CAPRICE California Expansive Angel Island and San Francisco Skyline views and an intimate atmosphere, make this waterfront restaurant a top pick for romance. Beyond these attractions, locals come for the food including a three to ﬁve course menu created by executive chef Gregg Sessler —who according to Michael Bauer “has crafted a menu that can stand up to the big boys.” 2000 Paradise Drive, 415.435.3400, thecaprice.com COTTAGE EATERY California This one room, recently-remodeled, eatery is the latest restaurant addition to Tiburon’s Ark Row. Having opened to rave reviews, owners Edward Carew and Jennifer Rebman both formerly of New York—each with stints cooking at Gramercy Tavern—are attracting regulars with seasonal entrees like grilled branzino served with boulanger potatoes, watercress and a taggiasca olive vinaigrette and crispy suckling pig with Umbrian lentils, braised romaine, tomato and saba. Open Thursday through Sunday. 114 Main St, 415.789.5636 thecottageeatery.com

Dominican University of California, in partnership with the Buck Institute for Age Research, is proud to announce the new Master of Science in Biological Sciences. This highly selective program, taught by Dominican faculty and Buck Institute faculty, affords students the opportunity to work directly with renowned scientists and to conduct research on age related diseases and stem cells. For more information, call 415-485-3280 or e-mail graduateprograms@dominican.edu

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GINZA Japanese The old Tiburon Tommie’s space on Main Street has been buffed and polished and reopened as a sleek, upscale sushi spot with the famous waterfront San Francisco views. This intimate setting offers menu items like sliced yellowtail, avocado, radish sprout, tobiko and spicy Ponzu sauce as well as a variety of tempura and terriyaki dishes. The double hamachi roll is not to be missed. 41 Main St, 415.789.5123, ginzasushi-tiburon.com GUAYMAS Mexican Situated right next to the Tiburon ferry terminal on the waterfront. The touch-it-you’re-so-close city views and outdoor seating makes it a great place to bring visitors on a warm summer night. Happy hour is 5 to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Menu includes specialties like puerco macho—pork loin chop with grilled plantain, topped with an ancho chile, garlic and onion sauce. 5 Main St, 415.435.6300, guaymasrestaurant.com

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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 MARINMAGAZINE.COM

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

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ROONEY’S CAFÉ & GRILL American If you’re old enough to remember Cheers on prime time, this is your dinner spot. There’s not a long bar, nor a bartender named Sam (he’s across the street); however, there is an undeniable neighborhood feeling in this one-room cottage dining room. 38 Main St, 415.435.1911 SAM’S ANCHOR CAFE American Everyone knows Sam’s deck is the prime spot for brunch on a lazy sunny Sunday, and its bar is the town’s historic watering hole, but Sam’s is also a great place for lunch or dinner. Enjoy trans-fat-free calamari, fresh ﬁsh, seasonal salads and pastas. 27 Main St, 415.435.4527, samscafe.com

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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

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SWEDEN HOUSE BAKERY Swedish A cozy spot and local favorite, the blue storefront opens into bay front windows with sweeping views of Racoon Straits and Angel Island. The menu is straight from Stockholm with Swedish and Danish pastries in the morning and open-faced sandwiches, Swedish meatloaf and light salads for lunch. 35 Main St, 415.435.9767 THREE DEGREES California Opt for the outside patio, white tablecloths in the dining room, or the swank modern setting of the bar, and enjoy the local, seasonal menu options like grilled Niman Ranch New York “cowboy” strip steak or seasonal risotto. 1651 Tiburon Blvd, 415.435.5996, threedegreesrestaurant.com

WEST MARIN DRAKES BEACH CAFE Local If you’re OK with the long drive, you can’t beat the view and the fresh local ingredients used to make the burgers, salads and soups at this casual spot (Inverness). Walk on the beach after lunch. 1 Drakes Beach Rd, 415.669.1297, drakesbeachcafe.com OLEMA INN California One of the most charming settings around, this inn and restaurant is a great destination lunch spot for a Sunday drive, or dinner Wednesday through Sunday. The menu includes imaginative combinations using regional and organic greens (Olema). 10000 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.663.9559, theolemainn.com PARKSIDE CAFE American Most people know it as the ultimate breakfast spot (think Guatemalan scramble or wafﬂe with blood orange-strawberry compote and whipped cream, alfresco) but lunch 176

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Kentfield Schools Foundation 2007-2008 Partners for Education Business & Community Supporters During the 2007-2008 school year, over 330 businesses and professionals have joined us in a mutually beneficial partnership between our business community and our public schools - the Partners for Education Campaign. Thank you to the following businesses and families for their support of the Kentfield Schools Foundation. COMMUNITY BENEFACTORS ($15,000 +) California Pacific Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine Woodlands Market Foundation California Wine Merchant COMMUNITY PARTNERS ($10,000 +) Cartelligent Woodland’s Gas & Mart Coldwell Banker Destination Marin 1440 DISTRICT PARTNERS ($5,000 +) Dr. Santucci Wellness Group Bank of America FrameCrafters Gallery Half Day Café Glass Concepts Kipling Capital Golden Gate Golf & Tennis Steve & Kate’s Camp Gorton & Schmohl Orthodontics FOUNDATION PARTNERS ($2,500 +) Innovative Remodeling & Design, Inc. Bay Club Marin Jack L. Hunt Automotive Carey Condy, Morgan Lane Jennifer Skinner Portraits Casto Travel Jones, Schiller & Company, LLP The Comer Family The Kragh Family Donelan–Lavin Wealth Management Ladan Vakili, D.M.D. Group of Wachovia Securities, LLC Law Offices of Scott J. Kauffman E & O Trading Co. Lexus of Marin Fairview Capital Light Rain Imaging Fidelity Investments Litman/Gregory Asset Management, LLC Jenn Pfeiffer, Pacific Union Lucky Drive Brushless Car Wash Jackson’s Hardware M Clothing Law Offices of Jeffrey M. Greenberg Mahoney Architect Mt. Tam Racquet Club Marin Acura Patio World The McCormish Family Payroll Resource Group Monetta Law Group San Francisco Design Center Mortgage Loan Specialists Smith & Hawken Nicole DeAvilla Whiting Yoga Susan Van Liere, Pacific Union Odenberg, Ullakko, Muranishi & Co. LLP Union Bank of California Ongaro & Sons PIumbing Wells Fargo Bank Padilla Construction The Paff Family SCHOOL PARTNERS ($1,500 +) Paradise Flowers Ace Printing Patricia Oxman, Frank Howard Allen Autohaus Schuhmann Petite Paperie Bayview Limousine Polsky Perlstein Architects Bon Air Development, L.P. Prandi Propery Management Constellation Brands Inc. Pyramid Gymnastics Ginger Wilcox, Pacific Union Rafael Jewelers Innovations Personnel Services, Inc. Ross Valley Pharmacy Ken Linsteadt Architects Shades of Green Maple Creek Winery Sleuth Antiques Ltd. Mark A. Michna, D.D.S. Sloat Garden Center Martin Sinai Rayman, D.D.S. Stefano’s Mill Valley Services Stellar Spa Mills Uniforms StoneTree Golf Club Mollie Stone’s Markets Sunrise Home Morgan Lane Town Center Corte Madera Nob Hill Capital Tracy McLaughlin, Morgan Lane The Odyssey Group Willie’s Cafe R.A.B. Motors Raymond H. Katz, D.M.D. Ross Valley Little League Seiler Epstein Ziegler & Applegate, LLP SPG Solar, Inc. Susan Bowman, Morgan Lane Tamalpais Bank Think Blink Design Thomas Mulvey & Associates Treadwell & Rollo, Inc. Vine Connections Washington Mutual Home Loans Willow Creek Capital Management Zemansky & Zemansky / Sadler & Co. CLASS PARTNERS ($800 +) Alan S. Cascio, D.D.S. Alex’s Dry Cleaning Valet Ambrosia Pizza & Pasta Art of the Eye Bay Area Built-Ins Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts of America

SCHOLASTIC PARTNERS ($450 +) A TLC Painting The Aiello Family American Blue Chip Investment Mgt Anne M. Cummings, M.D. Associated Securities / Myra Natter Atlas Window and Carpet Cleaning Atmosphera Baldwin Production Services Bartlett Tree Experts Baskin Robbins Ice Cream and Yogurt Store Bob Nadjibi, D.D.S. Boudin Bakery Caletti Construction Cammie Barbash, Coldwell Banker Capital Guardian CCI General Contractor City Carpets Claus Eben

Kentfield Schools Foundation 750 College Avenue, Kentfield 415.458.5140

Computer Connection of Marin Dan Fix Landscape Dermatology Consultants of Marin Diego Bros. Inc. Donahue Gallagher Woods LLP Douglas Lawrence Computers Drivesavers Data Recovery Envision Builders etcetera First Federal Savings & Loan Five Corners Partners Gallery Bergelli Gamescape Garage Solutions Gold’s Gym, Corte Madera Hennessy Funds Hunt Hale Jones Il Fornaio Restaurant The Jaquiss-Pyle Family jarman travel Just Nails/Ross Nails Kelly Pacific Construction Kenneth Maring, Morgan Stanley Lark Creek Inn / Yankee Pier Law Offices of Andrew Gaudin Law Offices of Russell Leibson Law Offices of Susan Marchant Angel Let Rex Do It Lisa Barry Berg / Rafael Racquet Club Lois Tema Photography Lotus Cuisine of India Lucca Delicatessen M&G Marc Geissberger, D.D.S. Marin Dermatology Associates Marin Luxury Cars Marin Movement Center Marin Sanitary Service McLeran Inc. Roofing Michelle J. Gonzalez, D.D.S. Moscone, Emblidge, & Quadra, LLP Nancy Barton, Frank Howard Allen Nike Sports Camps Noscaasi Ink Pacific Mortgage Consultants Paragon Restaurant & Bar Patti Cohn / Frank Howard Allen Popapery Ralph McLeran Properties Redwood Security Systems The Rhoads Family Ross McKenna, Realtor Ross Recreation Ross Valley Storage The Ryder/ Fogarty Families Sabor of Spain Scott & Warner Builders Simmonds & Associates, Landscape Architects Sparler Law Office Sport & Spine Therapy of Marin Standard 5 & 10 Ace Stephan-Hill Jewelry Design Sternberg Benjamin Architects Studio Home Suzanne Gaudin Design Suzmann & Cole Design Associates The Sweet Family The Sylla Family Taco Jane’s Trips for Kids / Recyclery Union Trust Mortgage

Victoria Wells, Coldwell Banker Village Peddler Wanger Associates Film & Video X Gym

John Chapman Guitar Institute John Clarke Architects John F. Herschleb, D.D.S. Judy Domenici Just Carpets SUPPORTING PARTNERS ($275 +) Just Dance Academy A Child’s Delight Keith Eric Johnson AIA Architect Ahmed’s Moving & Storage Lark Shoes & Repair All California Mortgage Larkspur Landing Veterinary Hospital Andes General Construction Larry’s Painting Andrea Pannes Interiors Laura Larkin Interiors Anita Berman, Frank Howard Allen Law Offices of Green & Green Angelino Restaurant Law Offices of Ragghianti / Freitas LLP Aquascape Custom Pools LittleHouse ArchRival Longs Are We There Yet? / Kay Merrill Luxton Optical Asher Clinic Mail Boxes, Etc. Avid Green Landscaping Margot Friend, Private Jeweler Bancroft & McAlister, Cynthia de Nevers Marin Enrichment Trutner Marin Mazda / Subaru Bank of Marin Marin Square Cleaners The Bar Method Martin & Harris Appliances Benvenuto Salon McArdell Landscape, Inc. Bill Arnold BMW Repair Meaders Cleaners Brian Byers Realtor, Pacific Union MEGA Gymnastics Burgess & Company CPA Mellow Motors Cafe Marmalade Mercedes Corbell, Architect Café Z Épicerie Merrill Lynch, Len Tallerico California Graphics Mertel Carpets Capisce? Meyer Painting Caren Horstmeyer, Frank Howard Allen Michael Foster, D.D.S. Carol Dean, Frank Howard Allen Molie Malone Interiors Chrisman Consulting Northgate Garage Doors Clean Team Solutions Pacific Design Group Clothilde Designs Pacific Home Design Colleen Fitzpatrick, Pacific Union PB Development Comforts Pearl Coquelicot Pedersen Associates Landscape Architects Corbet’s Ace Hardware Physiotherapy Associates Core Chiropractic & Fitness Rana Creek Living Architecture The Croner Company Red Robin Caterers The Dailey Method Reliv Nutrition Deborah Shafer Window Treatments Rent-A-Parent Personnel Services Deirdre G. Burke, D.D.S Rustic Bakery Dr. Theodore A. Murray, Jr. D.D.S. Shamrock Materials Dr. David Goltz / Mt. Tam Orthopedics Sinclair Dr. Michael Oechsel / Mt. Tam Orthopedics Smooth Operations Extreme Pizza Solaria’s Toy World Fabrizio Larkspur Sonnen BMW Fifi’s Diner Stapleton School of the Performing Arts Food Glorious Food Stein & Lubin LLP Frances H. Yankie, D.D.S Sunnyside Nursery Frank Bidaurreta Landscape Swing Frellen’s Casual & Outdoor Furniture Swiss Garage French Academie T & B Sports Gala Table Cafe Gardens & Gables Tamalpais Paint & Color Gila C. Dorostkar, D.D.S Tamalpais Tutoring Gilpin Associates Taqueria Mexican Grill Glen Gardening Services Terra Teak & Garden Green Fusion Design Center Tha Siam Greg Ferrando Painting The Children’s Garden Co. Herzer Financial Services, Inc. The Laser Center of Marin Hillside Church of Marin The Melting Pot Hull, Eisenbarth & Associates, Inc. Town & Country Resources Imperial Automotive Uli Seiler Ski Shop In The Closet Urban Brothers’ Painting Item Van Midde & Son Concrete Jane Baker, Certified NPL Vetrazzo Janet Polachek Design Victor Musso Interiors Johann Paul Jewelers Woodlands Pet Food & Treats John Boland, M.D. Yet Wah

Anthony G. Bacich Elementary School 25 McAllister Avenue, Kentfield 415.925.2220

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Adaline E. Kent Middle School 800 College Avenue, Kentfield 415.458.5970

Shopping without pants on.

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Of all the neat things about the internet, shopping in bed tops my list. You too? Well good, because this is why I’ve just made all of my perfectly aged USDA Prime beef cuts, available on-line to all of my loyal customers who happen to not be wearing pants. In fact, you can order all of your favorite cuts and have them packed tight as a drum and shipped 2nd Day Air from your jammies – doing a crossword puzzle, reading a good book or snoring like a freight train. From Pittsburg to Peoria to Provo and both Portlands (OR and ME), you’re good. So if you’re out of local range yourself, or just want to place an order in the comfort of your own undies, heck, call me. Or go to: www.bryan’sﬁnefoods.com. As for pants or no pants, totally your call.

How o well d ow n k you in? Mar

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 Just off the main road, Joannie Kwit has re-created the ultimate neighborhood diner. Vintage china and homemade curtains complement the eclectic but homey menu featuring local fare (Point Reyes Station). 60 Fourth St, 415.663.1536, pineconediner.com SAND DOLLAR American Originally built from three barges in Tiburon in 1921, the Sand Dollar Restaurant was ﬂoated to Stinson that same year and still exists today. Enjoy live music along with local barbecued oysters and New England clam chowder. Sunny deck for afternoon enjoyment (Stinson). 3458 Shoreline Hwy, 415.868.0434, stinsonbeachrestaurant.com SURFER’S GRILL American The view doesn’t get better than this—nor does the surf salad. Built right out on Stinson Beach, this casual lunch spot offers up tasty fresh organic salads alongside corn dogs, burgers and fries (Stinson). Stinson Beach Park, Hwy 1, 415.868.1777, surfersgrill.com

SAN FRANCISCO

Bryan’s Fine Foods Corte Madera Town Center

927.4488 www.bryansﬁnefoods.com 178

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AME Pan-Asian On the ground floor of the St. Regis Hotel, Ame Restaurant was designated “Best New Restaurant in 2007” by the Zagat guide. Known for raw treatments such as sashimi, crudo, tartare and carpaccio. Dinner only, reservations recommended. 689 Mission St, 415.284.4040, amerestaurant.com

Call the Shot has a simple premise: Tell us what this is a picture of and win a $100 gift certiﬁcate for E & O Trading in Larkspur Landing. To win, you must be speciﬁc. Sure, it’s an elephant, but what city is it in. Even better, name the park. Hint: Tourists pass by this daily. Here’s how to play: Go to marinmagazine.com, agree to the rules and submit your answer. Simple. We’ll choose the winner randomly from all the correct answers. Good luck! And the winner is: Akira J. Robinson of Stinson Beach won July’s Call the Shot by correctly identifying the mural on Bolinas Market in Bolinas.

BOBOQUIVARI’S THE STEAK Steak/Seafood In the mood for surf and turf? Head out to Bobo’s and be sure to order the iron skillet-roasted mussels, Dungeness crab, and of course, the steak dry-aged for four to six weeks. The proprietors (also of the Stinking Rose) claim it’s the only one of its kind on the West Coast. 1450 Lombard St, 415.441.8880, boboquivaris.com BONG SU Vietnamese Brainchild of Tammy Huynh, executive chef and co-owner of the popular Tamarine in Palo Alto. The interior is a mix of the modern and traditional; silk, wood and steel elements such as a giant bong su (plumeria), and ﬂoating orchids in towering glass vases. Recently voted one of Esquire magazine’s top 20 in 2006. 311 Third St, 415.536.5800, bongsu.com CANTEEN Cali/French It’s not easy to get a seat in this nationally noted California-French restaurant, partly because of its reputation and partly because there aren’t many. Ever since the former Rubicon chef Dennis Leary turned a run-down downtown coffee shop into one of the best spots in the city, people have been lining up to sample the goods. 817 Sutter St, 415.928.8870 HARRIS’ RESTAURANT Steak house A San Francisco institution for nearly a century. Wine Spectator ranked Harris’ as one of the nation’s top ten steak houses. 2100 Van Ness Ave, 415.673.1888, harrisrestaurant.com JONES RESTAURANT Comfort If you’re thinking of crossing the bridge, check out the brand new Jones Restaurant in the spot formerly occupied by the Marina Sports Bar. The bar manager, MARINMAGAZINE.COM

Tony Devencenzi, has created a menu featuring fresh ingredients and inventive takes on the classics. Don’t miss the muddled CucumberBasil Gimlet or the freshly squeezed 2400 Greyhound. 2400 Lombard, 415.440.2000, jones-sf.com MAMACITA Mexican Located in the former Cafe Marimba space, chef Sam Josi has made Mamacita a dining destination, drawing in locals with authentic Mexican cuisine and 100 percent pure agave tequila margaritas. The menu features a large number of small plates but save room for the churro dessert, served with a cup of Mexican hot chocolate. 2317 Chestnut St, 415.376.1629, mamacitasf.com MYTH Cali/French Innovative cuisine has made this one of the most popular spots in town. Located in Jackson Square, the space was home to failed restaurant MC2 before Myth’s original owner Tom Duffy scored a hit. 470 Paciﬁc Ave, 415.677.8986, mythsf.com PERBACCO Italian The seasonal Italian menu focuses on the northern Piemontese region, featuring handcrafted charcuterie, homemade pastas and regional dishes such as quail with persimmon and apple salad. 230 California St, 415.955.0663, perbaccosf.com PRES À VI International/Small plates Known for a wine list that’s sure to please any oenophile, including a large selection of flights and by-the-glass choices to pair with chef Kelly Degala’s shared small plates menu. One Letterman Dr, Building D, Ste 150, 415.409.3000, presavi.com

Fall Luxe

at Pearl Larkspur

Brochu

Walker

Maria

Ripabianca

Christopher

Fischer

Vince Theory M.

Missoni

Rhys

Dwfen

Marika White

Down coats by Moncler Vibrant knits by M. Missoni CashmereWraps byWhite & Warren Luxe basics by Majestic

Charles Warren

1020 Magnolia Avenue, Larkspur 415.464.1808

PRESIDIO SOCIAL CLUB California Originally the barracks for enlisted men; menu features steaks, pork chops and fresh oysters. Throwing a party? Try the private room, which can accommodate 30 people. 563 Ruger St, 415.885.1888, presidosocialclub.com QUINCE California Book a reservation at least a month in advance to get a seat at one of the 15 tables in this tiny restaurant. The farmers’ market creations by chef Michael Tusk, formerly of Chez Panisse and Oliveto, are sure to please. 1701 Octavia St, 415.775.8500, quincerestaurant.com UMAMI Japanese Named for the “fifth flavor,” Umami is a member of the Sustainable Restaurants family, owned by partners Nate Valentine, Chef Sam Josi, and General Manager Stryker Scales, who also own Mamacita in the Marina. Locals say the hamachi ceviche, edamame hummus, and kobe beef skewers are not to be misssed. The restaurant also features a sushi menu with traditional rolls, nigiri and more. 2909 Webster St, 415.346.3432, umamisf.com YO S H I ’ S Japanese The recently opened 28,000-square foot, two-story restaurant and jazz club features robata and Shabu Shabu cooking by executive chef Shotaro Kamio along with private rental spaces for events. 1330 Fillmore St, 415.655.5600, yoshis.com MARINMAGAZINE.COM

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INSIDER’S GUIDE MARIN COUNTY

HOTELS BOLINAS SMILEY’S SCHOONER SALOON AND HOTEL As one of only 14 bars in California continuously in existence for over 100 years, the saloon and hotel has a storied past. The hotel offers simple rooms with private bathrooms in the heart of downtown Bolinas. Rates start at $139. 415.863.1311

CORTE MADERA CORTE MADERA INN Relax in the oversized heated swimming pool or one of the two whirlpool spas, practice on the professional putting green or hit the basketball court at this 110-room property. Guests looking to shop can leave the hotel’s ﬁve acres and head to both the Town Center and the Village at Corte Madera. Rates start at $139. 415.924.1502, cortemaderainn.com

FAIRFAX FAIRFAX INN Owner Jay Papel built this quaint bed-and-breakfast in 1998. Each of the 12 rooms has a Jacuzzi tub and ﬁreplace and many feature views of Mount Tamalpais. Complimentary continental breakfast. Rates start at $120. 415.455.8702, fairfaxinn.com

INVERNESS BLACKTHORNE INN Nestled in a beautiful rustic setting adjacent to Point Reyes National Seashore, the unique hotel resembles a giant treehouse. In fact, it was crafted from redwood, cedar and a 180-foot Douglas ﬁr. The inn welcomes guests to indulge in the huge buffet breakfast alone in their room or with others on the property’s 3,500-square foot-deck. Rates start at $195. 415.663.8621, blackthorneinn.com

junior suites feature ﬁreplaces. Rates start at $149. 415.380.0400, marinhotels.com MILL VALLEY INN Tucked away in a redwood grove at the foot of Mount Tamalpais but still steps away from galleries, ﬁne restaurants, boutiques and theaters, the location couldn’t be better. Ask for a room with a deck or one of the property’s cottages. Rates start at $199. 415.389.6608, marinhotels.com

MANKA’S INVERNESS LODGE Tucked in the hills of Inverness is a hunter’s paradise complete with flannel-covered couches and deer-head trophies. The post-ﬁre accommodations still include 10 rooms above the wetlands of Tomales Bay. Rates start at $285. 415.669.1034, mankas.com

MOUNTAIN HOME INN Towering redwoods set the scene for legendary hikes at this rustic (and romantic) retreat. Although there aren’t televisions, guests can test their Scrabble skills by the blazing ﬁre in the property’s game room. Don’t miss a meal at the on-site organic-cuisine restaurant. Rates start at $195. 415.381.9000, mtnhomeinn.com

MARSHALL

MUIR BEACH

NICK’S COVE Pat Kuleto in partnership with Mark Franz brought back to long-awaited life the funky quarters of Nick’s Cove. Most of the 12 seaside cottages feature an over-the-water or water-view deck, potbellied stove, fireplace, heated bathroom ﬂoors and copper bathtub. For dinner head to the 130-seat Nick’s Cove restaurant, with a glassedin deck, a mahogany bar and a 400-foot pier that extends off the restaurant deck and into the bay. Rates start at $295. 415.663.1033, nickscove.com

THE PELICAN INN Stay in one of seven snug bedrooms and enjoy a pint and a game of darts at the attached English pub. Rates start at $208. 415.383.6000, pelicaninn.com

MILL VALLEY ACQUA HOTEL The hotel blends modern elegance with the surrounding natural environment. Design highlights include the nine-foot glass-and-wood doors and the serene lobby waterfall. All 25 junior suites feature large entry parlors, soaking tubs and private balconies with views of Mill Valley. The third-floor

NOVATO BEST WESTERN NOVATO OAKS Relax on the hillside patio or in the heated pool and spa of this 107-room property. Extended-stay suites include a full kitchen and dining. Rates start at $129. 415.883.4400, novatooaksinn.com

OLEMA OLEMA COTTAGES Chickens, cats, ducks and a dog greet you as you enter the one-acre farmstead, which houses the Olema Cottages. Rooms are modestly furnished with queen beds with down comforters, wireless Internet and mini kitchens. Two of the cottages have woodstoves and full kitchens. Life is casual here, with no check-in time and no front ofﬁce. Owner Kelly Emery, who grew up on a farm in Maine, bought the property eight years ago. Rates start at $155. 415.663.8621, olemacottages.com OLEMA DRUIDS HALL History buffs ﬂock to this site, built in 1885 as a meeting hall for the Druids Association. An extensive renovation has added urban comforts, like an apartment-size suite and an on-site boutique, Vita Collage. Rates start at $195. 415.663.8727, olemadruidshall.com THE OLEMA INN Antique furniture, Ralph Lauren linens and down comforters make for ultimate relaxation in this six-room inn. When hunger hits, seek out the inn’s restaurant, a former San Francisco Chronicle top-100 choice. Don’t miss the included breakfast in the dining room—hot croissants, local cheeses, seasonal fruit, coffee and juice. Rates start at $145. 415.663.9559, theolemainn.com

The Blackthorne Inn

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POINT REYES SEASHORE LODGE Looking for a little rest and relaxation? Take refuge in the lodge for a quiet evening in the country. Guests can play a game of pool or take a short walk to the Farm House MARINMAGAZINE.COM

Restaurant next door. The 23 rooms and two cottages all feature heated ﬂoors and down comforters. Rates start at $135. 415.663.9000, pointreyesseashore.com

POINT REYES ABALONE INN The restored Victorian has three guest rooms, a parlor with a fireplace, a library, antiques and local art. After a day of hiking unwind with a soak in the private hot tub or meditate in the cozy gazebo. An organic breakfast is served each morning. Rates start at $110. 415.663.9149, abaloneinn. com BLACK HERON INN Susan and Bill Wigert, who also own the Blackthorne Inn, first bought a house in Point Reyes Station to have a place of their own but after the high cost of renovations and their financial partners opting out, the couple turned their property into an inn open to the public. The property is crafted from redwood, cedar and Douglas fir and has unimpeded views of Tomales Bay and Inverness Ridge with front-door access to the national seashore. Rates start at $175. 415.663.0871, blackheroninn.com HOLLY TREE INN Located in a secluded 19-acre valley, the inn features four guestrooms, an herb garden, organic vegetable garden, greenhouse, gazebo and year-round creek. Since 1979, guests have been coming back to Holly Tree for the full breakfast, sunny rooms and outdoor hot tub. Rates start at $130. 415.663.1554, hollytreeinn.com

HANE Y

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

We would like to invite you to become a patient in our family orthodontics practice. We welcome new patients of all ages, and look forward to caring for you and your family. Specializing in both braces and Invisalign®

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(415) 453-7880 p (415) 453-0602 f info@haneyorthodontics.com

Photo: Elisabeth Fall

OLD POINT REYES SCHOOLHOUSE Karen Gray bought the former 1879 schoolhouse and private home in 1977 with her husband. After much renovation work the inn is now used for corporate retreats and guest quarters. The inn features gardens, barbecue area, ﬁreplaces and private bathrooms. Well-behaved dogs are also welcome for a $75 fee. Rates start at $185. 415.663.1166, oldpointreyesschoolhouse.com TERRI’S HOMESTAY Rooms include the Huichol, where Sierra Madre Huichol Indian artwork is displayed throughout and guests can take advantage of the private deck, entrance and propane stove, or La Casita, which is a charming round cottage with a kitchenette, private deck and bathroom. Rates start at $170. 415.663.1289, terrishomestay.com

SAN ANSELMO SAN ANSELMO INN The inn’s French wine bar, Sunday afternoon tea session and easy access to downtown are sure to impress. Try the homemade scones at breakfast in the banquet room. Of the inn’s 15 rooms, 13 have private baths and the other two share a bathroom in the hall. Throwing a party? The banquet room can accommodate 60 seated guests and the property has a full commercial kitchen with a list of approved caterers. Rates start at $99. 800.598.9771, sananselmoinn.com

SAN RAFAEL EMBASSY SUITES Each suite includes a spacious living room, two televisions, a refrigerator, microwave MARINMAGAZINE.COM

A Special Invitation to Escape, Explore, Experience

A distinctive Joie de Vivre Hotel. Receive a 20% discount when you conﬁrm your reservation by October 31, 2008. Book online at marinhotels.com using promo code: marinmag marinhotels.com • 25 Main Street, Tiburon, CA 94920 • 415.789.5999 Receive 20% off the Best Available Rate at time of booking. Sunday-Thursday night only. Rate subject to availability and blackout dates may apply. Must book by October 31, 2008. Not valid on existing reservations, preferred corporate rates or group blocks.

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The Waters Edge Hotel

deer in the garden and gourmet breakfasts (made to order) make it hard to leave. Try a night in a king suite, which offers a Jacuzzi tub and luxury linens. Rates start at $189. 415.721.7611, gerstleparkinn.com PANAMA HOTEL This historic bed-and-breakfast boasts a lively neighborhood restaurant with alfresco dining and jazz nights. No two rooms at the hotel are alike but sailors should feel at home in the Captain’s Cabin, nautical-themed room, while a bride and groom might opt for the Honeymoon Room, complete with claw-foot tub and a Victorian bed. Rates start at $100. 415.457.3993, panamahotel.com

SAUSALITO oven and coffeemaker. If there’s still work to be done try the hotel’s business center, which offers videoconferencing and meeting rooms. Rates start at $169. 415.499.9222, embassysuites.com FOUR POINTS SHERATON Work out in the ﬁtness center or swim laps in the outdoor heated pool at this 235-room hotel. The Northgate mall is within walking distance of the property. For long stays, the hotel’s guest laundromat makes traveling easy. Rates start at $145. 415.479.8800, starwoodhotels.com GERSTLE PARK INN The property may seem intimate with only eight rooms and four cottages but with the 2.5 acres of land owned by the inn, guests have ample room to explore. Fresh ﬂowers, grazing

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CA SA M A D R O N A H OTE L A N D S PA The hotel exudes the charm of a bed-and-breakfast, with the amenities of a luxury hotel. When not indulging in a treatment at the 3,000-squarefoot spa, relax in one of 63 rooms, all featuring wood-burning stoves and claw-foot tubs. Rates start at $199. 415.332.0502, casamadrona.com CAVALLO POINT LODGE This brand new 142room hotel not only offers dazzling views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco Bay, but a gourmet restaurant, an inviting spa with 11 treatment rooms and on-site activities such as cooking classes. Rates start at $250. 415.339.4700, cavallopoint.com HOTEL SAUSALITO Said to have been a former bordello, the hotel underwent an extensive renovation

in 1996 and now features 16 rooms and suites with furnishings by local artisans. Guests can take in views of the park and harbor while reading the complimentary morning newspaper and indulging in the hotel’s selection of breakfast pastries and coffee. Film buffs may remember the hotel as the location for several movies including Mother and Serial. Rates start at $155. 415.332.0700, hotelsausalito.com THE INN ABOVE TIDE Most rooms have private decks, fireplaces and oversize tubs, while the vista suite and penthouse offer entertainment centers and wet bars; cocktails, anyone? Rates start at $295. 415.332.9535, innabovetide.com

TIBURON THE LODGE AT TIBURON Guests seeking a fullservice luxury retreat, with shopping a stone’s throw away, can look toward the renovated Lodge at Tiburon. Set amid three acres of landscaped gardens complete with swimming pool and patios, the hotel is surrounded by more than 40 shops, art galleries and restaurants. Rates start at $189. 415.435.3133, thelodgeattiburon.com WATERS EDGE Located on a dock along picturesque Main Street and flanked by a bustling restaurant scene—the Caprice, Guaymas, Sam’s Anchor Cafe, Rooney’s and Servino—the hotel offers 23 guest rooms and a state-of-the-art ﬁtness center. Many rooms have views of the San Francisco Bay and city skyline. Rates start at $169. 415.789.5999, marinhotels.com

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

BLIS

E U Q I T BOU

20 08

A N EXCLU SI V E S H OP P I N G EVE N T F R OM MARI N MAGA Z IN E Come and join in the fun—attend Boutique Bliss, a shopping extravaganza featuring local boutiques. Get exclusive savings on fall fashions with fantastic deals on summer selections. • Raffle for prized designer items • Fashion shows, music and refreshments BR I N G YOU R FRIE NDS AND SHOP ’ TI L YOU D ROP!

Saturday, September 6th • 10am—4pm IDESST Hall, 511 Caledonia Street, at Bee Street, Sausalito • Admission Fee $5 A portion of the proceeds go to Marin Abused Women’s Services

PART ICIPATI NG MER C HA N TS

Event Production:

Beverages sponsored by:

G I V I N G BACK

volunteermatch.org

Children enjoy a fun-ﬁlled day of riding at Halleck Creek 4-H Riding Club.

Halleck Creek 4-H Riding Club

ministrative duties one speciﬁc day each

MARIN MAGAZINE has recently

This Nicasio club brings together disabled

month. The council’s mission is to improve

developed a partnership with

children and adults, retired riding and work

the availability of affordable child care.

volunteermatch.org to bring

horses with volunteers for a fun-ﬁlled day of

Contact Cathy, 415.472.1092, mc3.org

awareness of the numerous local

horseback riding. Contact Molly Scannell,

volunteer opportunities to our readers.

415.662.2488, halleckcreekranch.org

Marin Conservation Corps A charter school academic mentor is

To start giving back, ﬁnd a complete list

Kule Loklo Cultural Exhibit

needed to educate members of the Marin

Volunteers are needed to assist park staff

Conservation Corps as they attempt

in maintaining and constructing traditional

to gain proﬁciency in English and ob-

Miwok structures and cultural exhibit land-

tain their high school diploma. Contact

Extra Hands for ALS

scaping, which may involve gathering trees,

415.454.4554, marincc.org

Student volunteers are needed to provide

framing structures and more, August 9.

basic services to ALS patients, like

Contact Loretta Farley, 415.464.5140.

at marinmagazine.com/volunteer.

Marine Mammal Center The center is seeking animal care crews

yard work, housecleaning, opening and reading mail, using the computer or

Marin Child Care Council

to assist with pen cleaning, laundry, dish-

providing companionship. Contact Linda

A committed volunteer with strong orga-

es, weighing animals, maintaining animal

Allen, 908.208.3674, extrahands.org

nizational skills is needed to help with ad-

charts, food preparation, assisting with

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SEPTEMBER 2008

MARINMAGAZINE.COM

medical procedures and feeding the animals. Contact Kathleen, 415.289.7374, marinemammalcenter.org

Marin Headlands Visitor Center The visitor center is seeking a volunteer to provide information about the area and assist in the day-to-day operation of the center. Contact Terry Kreidler, 415.561.4755, nps.gov

Marin Literacy Program The program provides Marin County adults with free, student-centered instruction in reading, writing and speaking. Volunteers are needed for tutoring at various sites throughout the county and in the jail and state prison. Contact Susan Charlton, 415.485.3318, marinliteracy.org

Marin Municipal Water District Help protect the foothill yellow-legged frog by volunteering to educate the public about this federally listed species of special concern. There are also many other volunteer opportunities from building bridges to restoring habitat available to match your skills, interests and time commitment. Contact Janet Klein, 415.945.1169; marinwater.org

SingersMarin This nonproﬁt arts organization is seeking a volunteer to help with general administrative tasks. They could use help on weekday mornings; volunteers can sign up for as little as one day or or as many as multiple days per week. Contact Jan Pedersen Schiff, 415.383.3712, singersmarin.org

Trips for Kids The San Rafael group is seeking volunteers and bike enthusiasts to teach environmental education in a fun, exciting way to kids on mountain bike rides and at the group’s after-school earn-a-bike program. Contact Marilyn Price, 415.458.2986, tripsforkids.org —S.F. MARINMAGAZINE.COM

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SEPTEMBER 2008

185

ADVE RT IS IN G P R OMOT ION

adl i b

MARIN ADVERTISERS SPEAK UP

Warren Simmonds

Robert Allen

Judy LeMarr

Simmonds & Associates, Inc., San Anselmo

Robert Allen Fine Art, Sausalito Robert Allen Fine Art is a fine art gallery and dealer

Realtor, Frank Howard Allen, Mill Valley

“We are landscape architects with a primary focus

specializing in contemporary works on paper and

“I am a dedicated, award-winning, full-time

owner Warren Simmonds. “We develop our clients’ ideas for their outdoor spaces into artistic, inspirational places. We provide service in all aspects of a project, from initial design to public approvals and building permits, to bidding and contract preparation to construction oversight.”

canvas by midcareer artists. “We also provide fine art consulting services as well as framing, delivery and fine art installation services,” says owner Robert Allen.

Describe your business philosophy. We have developed a business that crosses over into two areas of the art industry. One, we have

real estate professional with knowledge of current market trends and values, marketing experience and negotiating skills,” says realtor Judy LeMarr, who has represented both buyers and sellers in Marin County for over 10 years.

Describe your business philosophy.

a beautiful gallery location on a great street in

I am an experienced, thoughtful and caring real es-

Sausalito where we can feature talented artists in

tate professional. It is my desire to make the buying

a venue that highlights their work. Second, we use

and selling process a pleasant experience by being

spires them to connect to the natural world.

the gallery resources, along with other galleries,

sensitive to my clients’ needs, providing personal

studios and ateliers, to provide artwork to the

service and attention, and working honestly with

From a business standpoint, who is your inspiration?

architectural/design community as well as to other

all parties who are involved in the real estate trans-

businesses.

action.

Describe your dream customer.

What is your competitive edge?

Brieﬂy describe your business philosophy. Our goal is to create a sanctuary for clients, one that nourishes their spirit, fits their lifestyle and in-

We draw inspiration from many sources—not just landscape design, but architecture, graphic design, sculpture and art. My first employer in the Bay Area, Paul Leffingwell in Sausalito, taught me a great deal about the human side of business.

Five years from now, what changes will your business experience? We are already seeing more environmental con-

In the art world many customers are finished buying artwork once they have finished accessorizing their office or home. A dream customer in the art industry is one that has multiple needs in artwork such as satellite offices, franchise locations, etc. Then they become repeat customers, which is somewhat rare.

I empower my clients to make informed and timely decisions regarding their real estate investment opportunities. I am able to do this by combining my in-depth knowledge of local inventory (including homes not sold through the MLS), market trends and property values with extensive networking with other agents, both countywide and country-

sciousness, with trends toward native plants, re-

What did you want to be when you grew up?

wide. Having an assistant and a resource team of

cycled materials, and rainwater harvesting. In five

I was born and first raised in San Francisco. Back

trusted service providers allows me to support both

years, we won’t have to talk about “being green”;

then the garbagemen moved these huge trash cans

buyers and sellers to maximize their real estate in-

it will be accepted. I think fewer people will desire

on their shoulders and rode up and down streets on

vestments.

large lawns, water conservation will be a priority,

the back of trucks. That looked really macho and

and rainwater harvesting and gray water use will

cool to me so I wanted to be a garbageman. Maybe

be more prevalent.

that’s why I’m a volunteer firefighter now. Big trucks.

Warren Simmonds, Simmonds & Associates, Inc.,

Robert Allen, Robert Allen Fine Art, 301 Caledonia

330 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Ste. F, San Anselmo,

St, Sausalito, 415.331.2800, robertallenfineart.com

415.460.0460, simmonds-associates.com

What makes your work worthwhile? Assisting people to make their dream home a reality here in our magnificent county. Judy LeMarr, Frank Howard Allen Realtors, 1204 Strawberry Village, Mill Valley, 415.380.4642, marindreamhome.com

PHOTOS: SHERI MONTGOMERY

on residential or residential-scaled projects,” says

ADVE RT IS IN G P R OMOT ION

adl i b

MARIN ADVERTISERS SPEAK UP

David and Jamie DuPont

Lawrie Webb

Gloria and Maggie Baron

The DuPont Group/ Decker Bullock Sotheby’s Realty

Lawrie Webb Elements of Style, Corte Madera

Baron + Baron Design, San Rafael

Lawrie Webb Elements of Style is a new women’s

sign and Staging firm based in San Rafael. “We are

“We are one of Southern Marin’s top listing teams,” say realtors David and Jamie DuPont. “In all client relationships and every transaction we see an opportunity to extend Sotheby’s reputation for distinctive properties, prestigious heritage and, above all, the highest level of service.”

Brieﬂy describe your home listing process. Our proprietary process for marketing clients homes is coined “flash branding.” Residential real estate has a short shelf life and proper marketing must be generously budgeted and perfectly executed.

What is your competitive edge? The analytical training we both received in our prior careers in banking has served us well in pricing homes and in the resulting negotiations. Dave’s MBA focus was marketing and e-commerce—a skill set essential in presenting real estate online.

What makes your work worthwhile? The majority of our clients are families with young children. Having two young children of our own, we find the process of helping people realize their vision for their families provides meaning and fulfillment.

PHOTOS: SHERI MONTGOMERY

What is the nicest thing that’s happened to you in course of your business? It was after our dog, Hui, passed away. He was a superlative dog, great soul, distinct member of the family; it was a sad day. A few months later while showing a home to a family moving from London, the owner offered to give her Weimaraner to us. David and Jamie DuPont, the DuPont Group, Decker Bullock Sotheby’s Realty, 100 Tiburon Blvd, Mill Valley, 415.846.0306, thedupontgroup.net

clothing boutique located at the Town Center in Corte Madera. “We fill a need for women who love fashion and want more than the cookie-cutter look offered at department stores,” says owner Lawrie Webb. “Our clothes are fun, elegant, flattering and meant to make every woman feel good about her looks.”

Describe your dream client. Our dream client loves to have fun with clothes, likes to try different styles and enjoys looking good. She appreciates the difference that quality makes in how you look and wants clothes that make her feel special.

What did you want to be when you grew up? When I was very young I wanted to be a female Perry Mason— although I realized that all my clients wouldn’t be as innocent as his were! I never would have guessed that I’d eventually follow in my mother’s footsteps; she had a very successful women’s clothing boutique in Ross for many years.

Who is your inspiration? Gloria Steinem. She’s a lovely human being: 73

Baron + Baron Design is a full service Interior Departners and sisters-in-law entering our fifth year of business,” say owners Maggie and Gloria Baron. “We create exceptional custom interior designs that reflect the personalities and lifestyles of our clients. We also work closely with homeowners and realtors who are preparing their homes for resale, creating custom staging designs that result in quicker sales and higher sales prices.”

Describe your design philosophy. It’s simple: we create exceptional interior and staging designs that complement the lifestyles and needs of our private clients and homeowners wishing to sell their homes quickly and for the highest profit.

Why is your business successful? We love what we do! As sisters-in-law, we share a deep friendship and respect for each other. We have fun and work hard to exceed our clients’ and real estate partners’ expectations. We have the best design team: Jan and Candis are top-notch assistant designers. We are four powerhouse women!

What makes you excel at what you do?

years old, intelligent, articulate and gorgeous.

With our sales, marketing, merchandising and busi-

What is your competitive edge?

viable and successful design business that offers

There are so few women’s clothing stores like ours.

employment and supports a number of Marin busi-

Every week we get new styles and lines. My custom-

nesses. This is very motivating and gives us great

ers want fresh looks and new, fun options. With ev-

satisfaction.

ery visit you will see something new in our store.

Maggie and Gloria Baron, Baron + Baron De-

Lawrie Webb, Lawrie Webb Elements of Style,

sign, 3095 Kerner Blvd, Suite G, San Rafael,

125 Corte Madera Town Center, Corte Madera,

415.456.4890, baron2design.com

415.927.1793

ness backgrounds we have been able to create a

Photo by Curtis Myers

Meet Your local cheesemakers at the Marin Civic Center Farmers MArkets

It’s no coincidence that “say cheese” is the tried and true method of getting people to smile. After all, nothing prompts a camera-ready grin like a taste of handmade artisan, farmstead, local cheese. Given our growing community of cheesemakers, we can’t help but embrace our cheesy tendencies. What started 25 years ago with one cheesemaker from Oakdale, CA, has been perfectly aged. Today, Marin Farmers Markets is proud to embrace local dairy traditions and the evolving Cheese Corridor of Marin and Sonoma by hosting a half dozen local cheesemakers. Even Straus’ milk in glass bottles has made an appearance at the market. Pt. Reyes Blue, we’re awaiting your arrival. Whether you’re looking for a slice of cheddar or a dollop of crème fraîche, you’ll ﬁnd it at the Marin Farmers Markets. Wearing their cheesiest smiles are Eric Patterson, cheesemaker of Cowgirl Creamery; Larry Peter, owner and cheesemaker of Spring Hill Jersey Cheese; Patty Karlin, owner and cheesemaker of Bodega Artisan Goat Cheese; and Liam Callahan, co-owner and cheesemaker of Bellwether Farms. For the full interviews, visit marinfarmersmarkets.org.

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BRAND NEW ON THE MARKET! The answer to a breathable vacuum hairpiece, worn by our client pictured below. Designed by Charle to look as natural as a vacuum piece with the benefit of being cooler and more comfortable. Sensitive solutions for hair loss due to: Alopecia Areata/female hereditary thinning/Chemotherapy/radiation treatments/Trichotillomania Offering human hairpieces for women, men and children Toll Free: (888) 680-HAIR (4247) (Northern CA) San Rafael

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M I C RO CLIMATE

TERRA LINDA This north San Rafael enclave is defi nitely a family community BY JIM WOOD PHOTOS TIM PORTER

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icture this: a four-lane divided thoroughfare that exits a free-

way, passes a shopping mall and goes for a mile through residential neighborhoods, then suddenly turns into … a biking and

hiking trail. No way, you say? “Welcome to Terra Linda,” say the 10,000 residents of this spirited north San Rafael community. The thoroughfare in question is the Manuel T. Freitas Parkway, named for the pioneer Marin rancher who once owned the land where Terra Linda now sits, and it does indeed exit Highway 101, pass the Northgate mall, and then travel a mile through lovely streets lined with homes (Terra Linda is Latin for “beautiful land”) before abruptly stopping at a sign stating, “Bike Trail.” “I often wish they would have continued Freitas on through,” says Roberta Peek, who moved with husband Chuck and four-year-old son

OPPOSITE : Munson Park is one of three in Terra Linda. TOP LEFT : The Terra Linda Community Center, with its large pool, is a summertime gathering spot. TOP ABOVE : The community was started in the 1960s, mostly completed by 1970. BELOW : Three Twins Ice Cream is in the middle of Terra Linda, next to La Coco’s Pizzeria and Scotty’s Market.

Jimmy into a brand-new house in Terra Linda on a June day in 1960. “On the other hand, I’m thrilled to death the county bought the rights to all that open space.” Interpretation: in the early 1970s, the Marin Open Space District purchased the ridge between Terra Linda and Ross Valley, thus precluding the four-lane Freitas Parkway from ever reaching its intended destination, the San Anselmo community of Sleepy Hollow. The open space that now thrills Roberta Peek was appropriately named the Terra Linda–Sleepy Hollow Divide. What excites Peek’s next-door neighbor about Terra Linda is the way the city of San Rafael listens to what its residents have to say. “Democracy is alive and well here,” Shirley Fischer enthuses. “The planning process is very effective.” Specifically, she appreciates the way the Northgate mall and San Rafael are going about the 42-year-old shopping center’s multimillion-dollar renovation. “They’ll not only be spending 18 months and doing the job right,” she says, “they’re building a promenade between Northgate and Scotty’s Market that will create a new atmosphere in the center of our community.” Fischer, a 29-year resident of Terra Linda, has long been active in the town’s affairs. Another involved resident is attorney Damon Connolly, who last November was elected to the San Rafael city council, effectively rep-

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RIGHT : The Terra Linda-Sleepy Hollow Open Space Preserve precluded

the Freitas Parkway from reaching the Ross Valley. BOTTOM : According to realtors, Terra Linda’s “buy-in” price is $775,000. BELOW : A community landmark is the gazebo below the Villa Marin housing complex.

resenting Terra Linda. “What I like about the place is its great mix of old and new residents and the terrific Dixie School District that gives kids a great education,” he says. “There’s also a number of homeowner associations that really take an interest in the community and get things done.” Among his favorite family hangouts: Three Twins Organic Ice Cream Store and Lo Coco’s Pizzeria next to the venerable Scotty’s Market, which opened in the early 1960s. Other Terra Linda institutions include Terra Linda High School, Kaiser Permanente Hospital, a spectacular neighborhood swimming pool at the Terra Linda Community Center and, of course, Northgate (as part of its current renovation, the word “Mall” has been dropped from all references to the 725,000-square-foot retail, dining and entertainment complex). As for those lovely homes, realtor Lori Saia Odisio says the “buy-in” price here is “about $775,000, give or take $10,000.” That will get you a four-bedroom, two-bath single-story home with about 1,800 square feet. “Terra Linda is a family community,” adds the 25-year area resident, who works out of Frank Howard Allen’s downtown San Rafael office. “If it’s too far for kids to walk to school, the bus service gets them there no problem.” The lowest Terra Linda home price in recent memory, Odisio says, was “$550,000 for a four-bedroom, two-bath home on an 8,000-squarefoot lot.” And the highest? “In 2008, the record so far is $1,325,000 for a seven-bedroom, six-bath, two-story pool home on a 10,000-square-foot lot.” The highest-priced-ever sale in this area was nearly four years ago: “It was $1.5 million for a one-of-a-kind hillside home with commanding views and an acre-size lot,” says Odisio, who sold 24 homes in 2007. So how’s business now? “I’m working twice as hard and, well, getting good results. Terra Linda is consistent; there’ll always be a market for homes here.”

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#HRISTIE S 'REAT %STATES )NTERNATIONAL ,UXURY 2EAL %STATE 3PECIALISTS

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RONALD PARKS’ LISTINGS:

THE MOST VALUED DATA…

RECENT SALES 30 Prospect Ave, San Anselmo $1,895,000 RB

1011 Erica Road, Mill Valley $1,409,000 44 Macondray Lane, San Francisco $1,900,000

570 Oak Avenue, San Anselmo $2,195,000

…can be found at your ﬁngertips, anytime — just go to

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$1,605,000

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100 Thorndale Drive, San Rafael

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277 Cascade Dr, Mill Valley

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Because Ron wants your vision of the market to be 20-20.

330 Ridgewood Ave, Mill Valley $1.295,000 7200 Wildwood Mountain Rd, Santa Rosa $2,499,000 323 Orchid Drive, San Rafael $1,195,000 COMING SOON 402 Eldridge, Mill Valley Call for price 406 Eldridge, Mill Valley Call for price

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Ron Delivers Your Vision If your vision is to live in Marin, Ron drives you home. He has developed Focused Solutions—a set of tailored programs for buyers and sellers, and the results have consistently placed him among Marin’s Top Producers. Ron knows Marin and the market.

Ronald Parks

415.297.9000

rparks@visionrealtors.com

www.allhomesmarin.com

Sunny Blithedale Canyon Home

316 Eldridge Ave

Your Dream Home Awaits

Mill Valley

Vintage charm shines through in this 3+ bedroom, 2 bath home that has mature landscaping on a sunny lot with outdoor retreats and sweeping views of Mt. Tam. A separate artist’s studio and 2 car garage completes the package in this home that awaits your personal touch. (Available in September)

7 Via Vandyke

Ocean Oasis

Mill Valley

This majestic lot is now available for those who dream of building their own custom home. Adjacent to the hiking trails of Blithedale Summit and close to all the amenities that Mill Valley has to offer, this 20,000 sq. ft. lot is located on an exclusive gated street in the coveted Country Club area.

40 Issaquah Dock

Sausalito

Enjoy the Aquatic Lifestyle and all that Sausalito has to offer. Imagine sipping your coffee and watching the sunrise from the deck of this tastefully updated 3 bedroom, 2 bath floating home with gourmet kitchen. With convenient access from S.F., you’re minutes away from relaxation. (Available in September)

Please call Victor Fisher to make an appointment and for pricing. Victor Fisher Founding Partner 415.720.6100 • victor@visionrealtors.com www.MarinHomeSale.com

TIBURON TOWN HOUSE WITH VIEWS! Two bedroom, two and a half bath stand alone town house with hardwood floors, stainless steel appliances, two fireplaces, and a laundry room. Views of Belvedere Island, lagoon and Richardson Bay.

Offered at $799,900

Navigating the Nuances of Marin…Consistent Results John Zeiter Broker Associate / Realtor 415.720.1515 • jzeiter@visionrealtors.com www.JohnZeiter.com Marin

Sonoma

San Francisco

www.visionrealestate.com

Heidi Ellyn & Pat Skipper - Current Listings -

TIBURON

LARKSPUR

1 Via San Fernando 4 bedroom / 2.5 bath 1/3 Acre Lot

133 Ward Street 5 bedroom / 3 bath Victorian in Downtown Larkspur

366 Larkspur Plaza 2 bedroom / 2 bath Downtown Larkspur

$1,850,000

$1,893,000

$500,000

CORTE MADERA

LARKSPUR

MILL VALLEY

870 Meadowsweet 2 bedroom / 2.5 bath Water Views

689 Magnolia Avenue 27,000 sq ft lot Downtown Larkspur

379 Marin Avenue 3 bedroom / 2 bath Mid-Century Modern

$730,000

$350,000

$739,000

Top-Producing Team - We Sell Marin! Heidi Ellyn, Esquire Top Producer 2004, 2005 & 2007 (415) 786-6807 heidiellyn@comcast.net

Pat Skipper (415) 823-3009 p.skipper@comcast.net

Call us for more details about these fine properties. Also, be sure to ask about our Free Staging Credits Program.

Mill Valley R are, gated and fenced family compound, with over 1 0 ,0 0 0 square feet of interior space in two lavishly appointed homes, on approximately one acre in the heart of downtown Mill V alley. The main residence is exquisitely detailed, with huge patio, 6 0 -foot lap pool, K oi pond, second kitchen, movie theater, private well and six bedrooms and nine and one-half baths. The second home, all on one level, features four bedrooms and four full baths and is configured to accommodate two occupants in entirely separate living arrangements. Total of ten bedrooms, thirteen and one-half baths, and seven enclosed garages. Offered at $19,500,000

Tiburon A pproximately 9 ,0 0 0 sq. ft. of interior luxury on over two acres, resort-like Mediterranean estate with exquisite pool area, separate one-bedroom guest house/cabana and separate executive office suite. Four en-suite bedrooms in main residence, gorgeous viewside kitchen/family room with breakfast bar and separate breakfast area, formal living and dining rooms and huge master suite with separate study, luxurious bath and dressing area. Media/billiards room with wet bar and beautiful temperature-controlled wine cellar. Gated, private, circular drive, indoor/outdoor fireplaces, two BBQ s, spa, four-car garage, and stunning San Francisco Bay, skyline and Golden Gate Bridge views. Five bedrooms, five and one half baths. Offered at $13,900,000

For more information, visit globalestates.com

LYDIA SARKISSIAN (415) 258-8381

BILL BULLOCK (415) 258-2400

Ross

Originally built circa 1902, now elegantly and superbly renovated and enlarged to create a family compound of over 10,000 square feet of exquisitely designed and appointed living space, with state-of-the-art communications and entertainment technology, and situated on approx, two level acres of secured privacy in Ross’ premier location. Features a stunning, approx. 2,500 square foot, three-room master suite occupying the entire top floor, with large bedroom, retreat, study, his-and-hers baths and dressing areas, and two fireplaces. The children’s wing comprises the child’s study with built-in computer and network wiring, and two bedrooms, each with full bath. Spectacular kitchen with chef’s sink and refrigerator and walk-in butler’s pantries. Private guest room with fireplace and full bath, a separate, approx. 800 square foot studio with full bath and a luxurious, approx. 1,500 square foot, two-story, three-room guest house with full bath, kitchen and fireplace. Seven bedrooms, eight full and three half-baths. Offered at $17,500,000

For more information, visit globalestates.com

LYDIA SARKISSIAN (415) 258-8381

BILL BULLOCK (415) 258-2400

Tiburon Gated, entirely fenced and private, on one acre, ± 7 ,9 0 0 square feet of extensively expanded and luxuriously remodeled interior space. I mpressive gallery entry with Santos mahogany floors, large living room with Bay views from Mt. Tam through the Golden Gate Bridge and the entire San Francisco skyline. Stunning kitchen with informal dining area, built-in banquette and huge family/media room with full bath and laundry. Five ensuite bedrooms, six and one-half baths in the main residence, plus separate ± 8 0 0 square foot, one-bedroom apartment with kitchenette and full bath.Wonderful outdoor living with grand, view-side central terrace with retractable overhead, level lawns and extensive gardens, pathways and fountains.Total of six bedrooms, seven and one-half baths. Offered at $10,299,000

Tiburon The most prominent structure on Mt.Tiburon, gated and entirely private, this world-class contemporary offers approximately 7 ,5 0 0 sq. ft. of glass-walled interior space and absolute unsurpassable views of the entire San Francisco Bay area. Enormous living room with twostory ceilings and walls of glass, large, formal dining room and stunning kitchen, family room with fireplace and separate breakfast area. Top-floor master suite with his and her baths, lavish dressing areas and covered view-side balcony. Two guest suites, au pair quarters, indoor and outdoor spas, courtyard pool and secured parking for seven cars. Four bedrooms, five full and two half baths. Offered at $9,950,000

For more information, visit globalestates.com

LYDIA SARKISSIAN (415) 258-8381

BILL BULLOCK (415) 258-2400

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

Belvedere Exquisite finishes and attention to detail, smooth, comfortable floor plan offering opulent flexibility and wide appeal for the large family or the work-at-home executive. Dazzling views of the Bay, the entire Golden Gate Bridge, the San Francisco skyline and financial district. Formal living and dining rooms, beautiful kitchen with Wolf, Sub-Zero and Miele appliances, adjacent family area, long view-side terrace and breakfast nook with close-up views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Sausalito waterfront. Master suite with large bedroom, adjacent sitting room with built-ins and fireplace, his and her baths/ dressing areas and intimate view-side terrace; large central lounge adjacent to second viewside terrace; separate executive study with full bath; and large media room/gym with sauna and half-bath. Five bedrooms, six full and two half-baths. Offered at $7,250,000

For more information, visit globalestates.com

LYDIA SARKISSIAN (415) 258-8381

BILL BULLOCK (415) 258-2400