Marin Magazine December 2014

Marin’s Gateway to the Luxury Market.

Marin Community Foundation marincf.org

TIM

COVER ART BY PATRICK ST. CLAIR

Bling in the Holidays.

Valentino Gianvito Rossi Ferragamo Sergio Rossi Roberto Cavalli Stuart Weitzman Freda Salvador

In

Marin

27 Currents

WildCare winners, for the birds, Presidio and more. 30 Author Talk Meet Christopher Kostow. 32 Q&A Dr. Elmo’s famous song. 34 Collectors For the love of Disney. 36 On the Job Locals at work. 40 Made by Marin Margaret O’Leary. 44 Conversation Uniting around an iconic mountain.

Destinations

71 Go Where to fi nd the snow. 74 Journey Christmas magic in Copenhagen.

Out

& About

81 Calendar A roundup of what to do in Marin and beyond. 90 Dine An insider’s guide to restaurants and food in the Bay Area. 98 Flavor When biscuit meets scone. 104 On the Scene Snapshots from special events in Marin and San Francisco.

Marin

81 40

115

Home

115 Backstory A vacation life in the village. COLUMNS 16 View From Marin 146 Looking Back

71

ERIK TOMASSON (TOP LEFT); TIM PORTER (TOP RIGHT); JEFF ENGERBRETSON (BOTTOM)

‘Tis the Season for Science

Now through January 4

The reindeer are back! Meet our Arctic friends and learn how they adapt to extreme conditions in this one-of-a-kind interactive experience. Plus, enjoy indoor snow flurries, music and other festivities at our annual holiday exhibit. Get tickets at calacademy.org

PUBLISHER / EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Nikki Wood

Editorial

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Mimi Towle

MANAGING EDITOR

Daniel Jewett

FASHION EDITOR

Veronica Sooley

SENIOR WRITER Jim Wood

EDITOR-AT-LARGE

Tim Porter

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Calin Van Paris

COPY EDITOR Cynthia Rubin

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Lynda Balslev, Ben Davidson, Marc Hershon, Laura Hilgers, Dawn Margolis Denberg, Marc Sapoznik Art

ART DIRECTOR

Veronica Sooley

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Alex French

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Lynda Balslev, Ben Davidson, Mo DeLong, Glen Graves, Debra Tarrant, Nike van der Molen

Administration / Web

CONTROLLER Maeve Walsh WEB/IT MANAGER Peter Thomas DIGITAL CONTENT EDITOR Leigh Walker

Kirstie A. Martinelli

Luxury Boots and Shoes Handmade in Italy since 1960

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WE MADE IT — another amazing year in this beautiful county is drawing to a close. We wrap up ou r fi nal issue of 2014 with a little fun. We take a look at the cars and bars (not to be enjoyed together, of course) that make Marin so interesting, starting with bars — dive bars, to be speci fic. These usually dark watering holes can be the perfect place for a respite in between family holiday visits. We pull up a stool at eight of the most unique.

Next, writer and photographer Ben Davidson takes a look at Marin’s hot and fast cars and the enthusiasts who love to collect them. Buckle up; you’ll get a VIP garage pass to see Sammy Hagar’s Ferraris, Martin Lauber’s vintage racers and Charlie Goodman’s classics.

With all that fun, we don’t want to forget about what the holidays are really about: giving back. Writer Dawn Margolis Denberg introduces you to five locals who have put their time, money and effort into doing just that all around the globe.

Up front we’ve got some wild photographers, the second installment of Reading List, a Q&A with the man who brought you “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,” and our new Collectors department, and we introduce you to the crafty Margaret O’Leary and the man at the helm of the new Tamalpais Lands Collaborative.

In Destinations we ask an expert where to fi nd the perfect snow for skiing and snowboarding adventure. We also follow writer Lynda Balslev as she discovers Christmas magic in Copenhagen.

We might not have the snow here in Marin, but we certainly have the holiday magic. Get out and enjoy the county and thanks for continuing to enjoy Marin Magazine. Wait until you see what we have in store for you next year.

LIGHT IT UP

It takes 17 Mize family decorators (that’s three generations) 21 days to set up the displays, arrange the Disney memorabilia and hang the more than 200,000 lights that decorate their Marinwood home every Christmas. It’s a good thing, too; they’ll receive more than 10,000 eager visitors over a threeweek period. Read more about it in our new Collectors department.

These dark watering holes can be the perfect place for a respite in between family holiday visits. We pull up a stool at eight of the most unique.

Marin Magazine Staff Editors

Above, from left: Mimi Towle, Nikki Wood, Dan Jewett

Your Letters

Neighborhood Nitpick

Thanks for the November snapshot of my community (Neighborhoods), Marinwood. I beg to differ about the low walkability score of 20, however. Within walking or biking distance of most residents are the wonderful Marinwood Market, Saturday farmers’ market, Mary E. Silveira, Dixie and Miller Creek schools, the Marinwood Community Center and pool, and the YMCA. My dentist, Bob Hoffman, is only two blocks from my house. We have a multitude of well-used creekside and other walking paths and miles of open space trails. I look forward to redevelopment of Marinwood Village, with possible new tenants that include a coffee shop, postal annex, salon and housing for residents who work nearby or who are priced out of Marinwood’s escalating real

estate market. Perhaps we’ll gather with our neighbors at a spiffy new brewpub in 2016 when the Giants go to the World Series again. Marinwood is a great place to live and raise a family. KATHLEEN GAINES, MARINWOOD

Civic Struggle

Thank you for that nicely written article in the November issue of your magazine on the iconic Civic Center in Marin (“New Details, Old Controversy”). We moved to Marin in September 1957 after buying ou r fi rst house in Terra Linda . Before all the boxes were unpacked, we were involved in the controversies of the establishment of the recreational district in Terra Linda and the building of the Civic Center. T his article brought back to me many memories of the struggle and of the accomplishments of all the visionary civic

ONLINE, WE ASKED YOU

101

“Insalata’s.”

Beth Casey

“Molina.”

Alexis Cohen

“The Buckeye Roadhouse is so cozy and festive.”

Caroline Nelson

“Picco.” Madeline Schaider

“El Paseo has nice private rooms.”

Carol Pott

What is the best Marin restaurant to take guests to for the holidays?

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SAN FRANCISCO LARKSPUR BERKELEY LOS GATOS CARMEL WALNUT CREEK

leaders who worked tirelessly to make this dream a reality. In addition to Vera Schultz and other supervisors, civic leaders like Catherine Munson, whom we recently lost, also played critical roles. She worked countless hours trying to convince the naysayers about this project . In fact, she was the one who converted me, as I thought our county at that time seemed too small to consider such a grandiose project. I am so glad that I was proven wrong and we can now have such an edi fice that defi nes the forward-thinking spirit of our county. SY

YUAN, SAN RAFAEL

Vaccine Questions

You can’t selectively believe in science (“Calling the Shots,” September 2014). If scienti fic, peer-reviewed study after study disproves any link between vaccinations and autism, yet nonscienti fic Internet blogs continue to claim a link, why would you choose to believe the Internet blogs over the peerreviewed science? All anti-vaccine arguments have been scienti fically debunked: there is no link to autism; there is no harmful exposure to mercury; the risks of serious side effects are so minimal they are statistically insigni ficant; there is no validity to the argument that “too many vaccinations are given too soon” and should be spaced out (delaying immunization is far more dangerous). So why do people still choose to believe that vaccinations are more harmful to children than risking the diseases themselves? The Internet makes it very easy to fi nd arguments to support what we want to believe. This “con fi rmation bias” is not easy to overcome. And with childhood vaccinations, the stakes are high. We all know that in order for a community to be considered “safe” from vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles or whooping cough, a minimum of 85 percent to 95 percent of children need to be immunized. When parents choose not to immunize their children they put the rest of the community at risk.

ABBY YOUNG, VIA EMAIL

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Your comments may be edited for clarity and brevity. Send letters to Marin Magazine , One Harbor Drive, Suite 208, Sausalito, CA 94965, or email us at letters@marinmagazine com . Please include the town where you live and a daytime phone number.

PHOTO: KEN VIALE

TRENDSETTERS - POWERMD

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THE ABSOLUTE LATEST IN SCIENTIFIC SKINCARE utilizes growth factor biotechnology to repair and restore skin for a more youthful appearance. Growth factors are the powerful proteins that naturally signal collagen synthesis and trigger skin repair. Only two product lines contain these highly effective human growth factors and PowerMD offers them both! A luxurious and transformative gift anyone would appreciate!

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Holiday Recipes

Last month you enjoyed online recipes from Molina’s Todd Shoberg. But we’ve got more holiday recipes from local chefs including Tyler Florence and Michael Mina on our website that we’d love to share. From appetizers and entrees to cocktails and desserts, we have you covered for your holiday gatherings this year. Be sure to tell us which dishes you make by snapping a photo and tagging @marinmagazine on Instagram or Twitter. To access the recipes, go to marinmagazine.com/holidayrecipes/.

Get Covered

Are you a painter, illustrator or photographer? Then keep reading. Marin Magazine is pleased to announce its ninth annual cover contest . We are seeking work from outstanding artists who live, show in or create images of the county. One lucky entrant will see his or her art on our May 2015 cover and will join several other finalists whose work will also appear in a feature story in the same issue. The deadline is March 2 and the contest is open to illustrators, painters and photographers. We can’t wait to see the art. To enter, go to marinmagazine.com/getcovered/.

Jeff Faust was last year’s winner.

In Marin

CELEBRATING THE PEOPLE, PLACES AND CAUSES OF THIS UNIQUE COUNTY

WINNERS IN THE WILD

WildCare, the wildlife rescue and recovery organization based in San Rafael, wrapped its eighth annual “Living With Wildlife” photography contest in mid-October, selecting winning imagery from a pool of more than 200 amateur entries. “The judges [who included Marin Magazine’s own Tim Porter] based their decisions on suitability of subject matter, composition, lighting and technique,” says WildCare Communications Manager Alison Hermance. “They had a real challenge judging all the amazing California photographs we received.” Twenty-one finalists were selected, with winners in categories like “California Birds in Their Natural Settings,” “General Nature” and the namesake “Living With Wildlife.” wildcarebayarea.org CALIN VAN PARIS

For the Birds

According to Audubon scientists, global warming threatens the very existence of nearly half of all bird species in the United States and Canada. And of these 314 climatethreatened and climate-endangered species, many are California favorites. Get involved with your local Audubon chapter and check out these five simple ways to create a more bird-friendly backyard. audubon.org JORDAN WELLWOOD

DRINK Not only is a birdbath a pretty addition to any yard, it provides necessary drinking and bathing water.

FEED Join the 54 million others in the U.S. who feed birds around their home.

GROW Install native plants that have different sizes. Varying sizes and types mimic a natural area and allow birds to use layers for different purposes. Also, curb growth of invasive plants.

WATCH Help protect wildlife by keeping an eye on your cat — the domestic predators kill millions of U.S. birds and small animals each year.

FORAGE Allow your yard to get a little cluttered. So-called “leaf litter” provides foraging opportunities for ground-feeding birds.

Made in the West

West Coast Craft is back for its second year, bringing a bevy of designers, artists and makers — each with aesthetics inspired by the Golden State — together for a weekend of creative appreciation. Here, we ask three of the participating Marin-based companies what the “West Coast lifestyle” means to them when it comes to their craft. Check out West Coast Craft December 6–7 at Fort Mason Center. westcoastcraft.com C.V.P.

1

M ineral Workshop

“I like the stories that lie within creative work, so my aim is to have my heart and hands animated by the heartbreak and beauty of the land and all of us upon it — West Coast lifestyle to me is feeling that, and honoring it.” — Carrie Crawford, founder of Mineral Workshop. mineralworkshop.com

2 N ative Textile

“The West Coast is a place where creativity ca n flourish. There is a sense of lightness, both in nature and in the people, and an opportunity to draw endless inspiration from the natural beauty that surrounds us.” — Meghan Bogden Shimek, founder of Native Textile. meghanshimek.com

3 Winston Made

“West Coast makers are healthy, whimsical, inventive go-getters who won’t take no for an answer and I think that is reflected in the kinds of businesses and products produced here. We don’t take ourselves too seriously, and we don’t give up when we feel passionate about something.” — Sam Kraus, founder of Winston Made. winstonmade.com

USE YOUR IMAGINATION

The Presidio Trust is in talks with five hyper-creative design teams (CMG Landscape Architecture’s concept is shown) to conceptualize and bring about the New Presidio Parklands Project, with a shared goal of maximizing the space and bringing attention to the surrounding beauty. “The response of these internationally acclaimed design teams is a testament to the potential of this site, which is one of the most iconic and beautiful in the world,” says Presidio Trust Executive Director Craig Middleton. The Imagine stage of the project will continue into next year, with design and building taking place from 2015 to 2018. Visit the website to share your ideas and opinions. newpresidioparklands.org C.V.P.

I heard the bells ring and thought to myself: remember this.

Re member being the last ones to leave the dance floo. Thinking that a massage truly might be Sweden’s greatest contribution to the modern world. Perfecting my left-handed coin toss at the Trevi Fountain. And, listening to the sounds of Venice slowly fade behind the ship’s wake .

It’s funny; I don’t remember a single thing from our Celebrity cruise—I remember everything.

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Author Talk

MM: How would you sum up Napa’s new cuisine in five words? CK: Honest, dynamic, agrarian, wild and artisanal.

MM: Has writing a cookbook always been a goal of yours? CK: No, I really had no intention of writing a cookbook until much later on in my career. This book isn’t a complete retrospective or a summation, but more of what we’ve done up until this point. It’s a kernel of an idea that is by no means completely fleshed out yet, but it seemed like a good time to plant the flag.

MM: So this could potentially be the first in a series? CK: Yes.

MM: What made you decide to add personal elements (essays, etc.) to the book? CK: I think the personal elements are really the thrust of the book. Recipes are great, but this isn’t an instructional book. The recipes and dishes included function as part of the overarching narrative. While the book does cover work that we’ve done at the Restaurant at Meadowood, it has a more personal tone throughout,

and it details my path and experiences — which is why I thought it was important that I write it myself.

MM: What did you learn while creating this book? CK: We learned a lot about self-editing, as sometimes a favorite dish isn’t the correct dish to complement a certain chapter or theme.

MM: What separates the Restaurant at Meadowood from other Napa Valley eateries? CK: I think it’s a desire or willingness to embrace where we are, not just in terms of the type of clientele that the location attracts, but rather the opportunities we are given in a creative sense — foraging, farming, really making use of what’s around us. This mentality benefits us, our guests, the artisans and the growers, and the entire community is better off or it.

MM: Quick dedication? CK: There are (and have always been) many great chefs in the valley, and the work we are able to do is due in great part to the pioneering work of the chefs who came before us. CALIN VAN PARIS

Page Turners

The Slanted Door Cookbook: Modern Vietnamese Food by Charles Phan, Ten Speed Press, $40. The cookbook the Bay Area has been craving is finally here. Gorgeous photographs will make your mouth water as you remember the incredible food at this uniquely San Franciscan restaurant. With clear instructions and a healthy dose of inspiration, Charles Phan provides recipes that will excite.

Blue Chair Cooks with Jam and Marmalade by Rachel Saunders, Andrews McMeel Publishing, $45. This delightful cookbook demonstrates how preserves can improve many of your favorite foods. From scrumptious jam-filled doughnuts to Brussels sprouts with kumquats and smoked salt, Rachel Saunders presents a new way to think about jam.

A New Napa Cuisine by Christopher Kostow, Ten Speed Press, $50. This cookbook reflects the Napa setting that inspired it — Christopher Kostow is the head chef at the three-Michelin-starred Restaurant at Meadowood. Along with the remarkable recipes, it also spotlights the artisans, gardeners and landscapes that influence Kostow. Eye-catching photographs help make this book a true ode to the beauty and food of the Napa Valley.

Della Fattoria Bread: 63 Foolproof Recipes for

Yeasted, Enriched & Naturally Leavened Breads by Kathleen Weber, Artisan, $29.95. Della Fattoria Bakery was named one of America’s 10 Best Bread Bakeries by Bon Appétit in 2010 and provides all the bread for Thomas Keller’s restaurants. This immersive cookbook teaches readers to bake using all five senses, taking the fear out of creating delicious flavorful breads. Learn how much fun and easy artisanal baking can be.

Twelve Recipes by Cal Peternell, HarperCollins, $26.99. Enjoy the fundamentals of cooking as taught by the Chez Panisse chef. Inspired by a desire to impart more than 20 years of cooking wisdom to his son, Cal Peternell has created a comprehensive guide. Elevate your kitchen confidence as you learn 12 enticing recipes. Appearing at Left Bank Restaurant as part of Book Passage’s Cooks With Books series December 7, 12:30 p.m.

Book picks by Book Passage’s Luisa Smith.

We sat down with head chef Christopher Kostow of the Restaurant at Meadowood to discuss his new book, A New Napa Cuisine

8 QUESTIONS FOR

Dr. Elmo Shropshire

It’s the holiday season, a time of decorated trees, wrapped gifts, family dinners — and Christmas music. In two separate radio surveys conducted in 2007, the one song that was at the top of both the most liked and the most hated holiday tune list was “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.” The song was first played on the radio in 1979 and is probably known by just about everyone. What may be less known is that Dr. Elmo Shropshire, who recorded the song with his then-wife Patsy and his bluegrass band, was a musician and veterinarian living in Novato, where he still lives today. MARC HERSHON

Veterinarian/ Musician NOVATO

1

How did you come up with the concept for the song?

I was playing in Lake Tahoe and this friend of mine, Randy Brooks, came to see our show. Afterwards he said, “I have a song that would be perfect for you!” I handed him my guitar and said, “Let’s hear it.” And he played “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” and I said I’d do it.

2

Was he surprised with what happened to the song after it was recorded? We were all surprised. Most of us who were involved with it thought it was going to be funny for a little while. After I made the recording, I didn’t know what to do with it. If you wanted to press any vinyl copies, 500 was the least amount that you could press. Thought I’d end up with 490 of ’em in my garage after I gave a few of them to friends as kind of a gag gift for Christmas. Our drummer’s father was an opera singer and a friend of Gene Nelson, my favorite morning DJ on KSFO in San Francisco at the time. So the drummer gave him a copy of it.

3

And after that? I was on my way to work one morning and Nelson was on the radio. He said, “We played a song a little while a go and a lot of people called in and said they wanted to hear it again. A lot of other people said they never wanted to hear it again. So if we get 50 requests, we’ll play it.” So I’m thinking, “What song could possibly be like that?” He comes back on and says, “We got the 50th request for that song, so here it is …” Suddenly I hear myself on the radio for the first time. That was really a big thrill for me.

4

What did it do for you in terms of your career? After that song came out, I was much more popular at Christmas. I was still working at the veterinary hospital to make my living, though. The rest of the year everybody forgot that I had a band and a good act. So it kind of killed my bluegrass career. But it made me someone who became known in the recording industry.

5

What are some of your favorite Christmas songs? My favorite Christmas songs are “The Christmas Song” — Chestnuts roasting on an open fire … — and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” I wrote a parody of that with Rita Abrams called “Have Yourself a Chubby Little Christmas.”

6

Have you heard of people singing “Grandma” when they’ve gone caroling? Everybody tells me that’s their favorite song to sing when they go caroling.

7

You live in Novato — any particular favorite Marin haunts where you like to hang out or eat? One of our favorite dinner places is in San Rafael: the Falafel Hut. We like kind of funky stuff and the food is fantastic there. It’s homey and very easygoing.

8

A ny advice for someone who might be interested in putting out a Christmas song? This is one thing that I believe: The “Grandma” song has Grandpa watching football, the eggnog, the goose, blue and silver candles — it has all the trappings of Christmas but with this bizarre twist. So I think if you’re going to do a Christmas song, you have to keep the traditional in it and then look for something that throws people for a little bit of a loop. m

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A Mickey Mouse Operation

While the home lights up the neighborhood, the collection inside really shines.

THE MIZE FAMILY are collectors. They are also well known in the community for the Mickey Mouse–themed Christmas lights they put up each year in Marinwood. The home is so popular it was even featured on the inaugural season of the hit ABC show The Great Christmas Light Fight. Here is more about the collection.

COLLECTOR Les Mize (and family including wife Patty)

COLLECTION Mickey Mouse/Disney memorabilia

YEARS COLLECTING 40-plus

HOW MANY PIECES? 10,000-plus (not including a closet full of T-shirts, sweatshirts, neckties, wristwatches and more)

WHY? It brings me joy. Walt Disney was an artist and innovator and inspired generations to believe in their dreams — that’s the American spirit.

FIRST PIECE Mouse ears and a souvenir Mickey Mouse ashtray I brought home from my first visit to Disneyland in 1974.

FAVORITE  A fabulously patriotic Mickey, Goofy and Donald Fife-and-Drum porcelain piece I saw in a shop on Disneyland’s Main Street USA during the bicentennial Spirit of ’76 celebrations. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to bring it home.

VALUE What’s the value of a lifetime of fun for the entire family? Priceless!

HIGHEST-PRICE ITEM I’m not collecting to sell and haven’t kept track of the increase in value through the years, so I’m not sure if it would be a limited-edition figurine by artist Giuseppe Armani of Mickey Mouse as the Sorcerer’s Apprentice from Fantasia or a Classic Collection “Cinderella’s Dress” or any of the signed-by-the-artists pieces of now-deceased artists who worked directly with Walt Disney.

LOWEST-PRICE ITEM Random Happy Meal toys or other promotional giveaway items

Eye for Beauty

BY TIM PORTER

AT 34, LUCAS PRIOLO has already retired once. So it goes for a talented young man who left his Fairfax home as a teenager to become a principal dancer with the Texas Ballet Theater in Fort Worth and returned to work in the 20-year-old family business, Sofia Jewelry. How did you learn to design jewelry? From my father, and he learned from his father, so I am third generation. What did your dad teach you? He instilled in me the passion for creating something from zero and turning it into a beautiful thing. What was his important lesson? That you don’t have to know everything. What are you most passionate about? Right now, my favorite thing is fabrication, working with the actual metal itself. I like taking a sheet of metal and forging, hammering and shaping it into something that never went through any other process other than what I did to it with my bare hands. What personal characteristics does a jeweler need? You have to follow your mind and your heart wherever it leads. Sometimes an idea evolves in a di fferent way and as it forms you say, “Oh, man, that is awesome.” And then you have a whole new piece of jewelry that you didn’t see coming at all. I put out some pieces like that on my fi rst day back at the store and they sold hours later. How did that feel? Fantastic. Such a high. It’s the high of performing. Do you miss dancing? Not yet. You’re still in great shape. Well, it’s only two months. Any overlap between being a ballet dancer and being a jeweler? This may sound cheesy, but in ballet I was a partner and I made women look beautiful with me behind the scenes. Now, I do that again by making something beautiful that makes them feel beautiful. In a way, I still get to take care of my partners. What’s it like to be back home? I could not be happier. Are you kidding? There’s no way to even compare it. Tell us about your family. My wife was a dancer, too. We danced all around the world. We did everything together. She was my Juliet. We have a 7-year-old boy, Jordan, and a 5-year-old girl, Olivia. Is one of them a fourth-generation jeweler? Jordan’s an artist. He’ll go wherever that art takes him. And Olivia? She’s a ballerina. She loves to dance and be a princess. We’ve got a happy life right now. m

Lucas Priolo, Jeweler, Sofia Jewelry, 80 Throckmorton Avenue, Mill Valley

A former dancer returns to the family business to continue exploring his creative side.

Lucas Priolo with his mother, Susan, and wife, Julie.

TIM PORTER

Paragon is with you as you move through life’s stages & places.

Surf and Turf

On land and on the water, this local park ranger loves his job.

BY TIM PORTER

XAVIER “ZAVE” SIMON has been keeping people safe for 30 years. A Stinson Beach kid who surfed his way through high school, he became a teenage lifeguard at his hometown beach and today, as part of his job as a supervisory ranger, manages the National Park Service rangers who patrol the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and still oversees Stinson’s lifeguard squad. What makes a good lifeguard? A lot of ocean experience. For me that just came from sur fi ng and hanging out at the beach. That’s what we did in high school — go surf and hang out. With that you learn your water skills, like a sailor. You’re a Marin guy? I am. I lived in Stinson until junior high, then moved to Bolinas and then back to Stinson. I went to Bolinas-Stinson School — to every grade they had — and then to Tam High from 1980 to ’84. Always lived in West Marin? Except for when I went to UC Santa Barbara and after college when I was supervisory lifeguard. I spent those winters traveling. I’d surf in Indonesia. I did it every winter from 1992 to 2000, when my daughter was born. Sounds sweet. It was. Still surf? I do, mostly at Stinson and Bolinas. Those are my spots. What’s the job like? I became a ranger in 2003. Now I’m more of a supervisor and it’s mostly administrative work — time sheets, scheduling, juggling all those things. I still go out and do the fun stu ff, though, like cliff escues and water rescues. Cliff rescues? The Headlands are just notorious for the cli ffs. People are always trying to fi nd shortcuts or that special spot and they get somewhere where they can’t be and they lock up. Panic? Yes, they’re there with their sandals or thei r fl ip-flops and weren’t expecting to be on a cliff ace. Boat rescues? This time of year there’s a lot. Summer’s almost over and people are taking out old Cindy Lou for the fi rst time and they run adrift off ocky Point or Duxbury Reef. You’re armed? Law enforcement is part of our job. What’s the biggest challenge there? The worse behavior on the Marin side is the drinking, the alcohol consumption at the beaches. And, of course, tra ffic. What do you like about your job? There’s so much, but mostly it’s being out there with the people. It’s working on those busy days at Stinson or up here at Battery Spencer and hearing people say, “Hey, thanks for being here today.” What kind of stuff do they ask you? No. 1 is “How do I get your job?” No. 2 is probably “How do I get to Muir Woods?” m

Xavier Simon, ranger, National Park Service, nps.gov

TIM PORTER

MADE BY MARIN

Margaret O’Leary

MARGARET O’LEARY WAS raised on a farm in County Kerry, Ireland, with only two out fits. “I had a daily out fit, and a Sunday out fit,” O’Leary says. “I was born into a working world, knitting at my mother’s knee when I was 3.” When she grew up, O’Leary relocated to the Bay Area in search of an excitement that was lacking in Ireland. What she found was sweater weather. “This really is the perfect place to create knitwear,” she says. In creating sweaters for her eponymous company, “we take full advantage of the Bay Area climate to experiment with our designs.” All Margaret O’Leary pieces are conceptualized in San Francisco using the fi nest yarns and have found fans in celebrities like Kate Hudson, Jennifer Garner, Halle Berry and more. PHILOSOPHY “My motto is ‘Live every day in style,’ and by that I mean the Marin lifestyle, which so often involves a blend of activities, from work to kids,” O’Leary says. “The Margaret aesthetic allows you to transition from day to evening in comfort and style; perfectly suited to our unique part of the world.” THE SCOOP Margaret O’Leary specializes in luxurious sweaters crafted from cotton, lambswool, cashmere and angora, with the occasional leather jacket or silk T-shirt thrown in for good meassure. Prices range from $150 to 575 for sweaters, with artfully made leather jackets clocking in at around $900. BEYOND MARIN With 10 stores in addition to her downtown Mill Valley flagship — including a recently opened New York City shop — Margaret O’Leary’s sweaters are wellknown around the world. The collections are sold in boutiques internationally and are also available online. WHAT THEY SAY “I am a real person who designs for the needs of other people like me,” O’Leary says. “I wake up every day thinking about what my friends would like to wear. Then I go to my stores and meet our customers — ages 20 to 60 — who tell me what they like about our collections. My celebration of personal style comes from designing for my friends, then discovering that lots of people like what I do.” margaretoleary.com CALIN VAN PARIS

KNEE-

ELONGATED FUNNEL IN ALABASTER COMBO, $285

DUBLIN CARDI IN MINK, $290

CONNEMARA BOMBER IN CARBON, $290

inspired choices for amazing gift giving

Find the right gift for your special someone. We’ve uncovered the best and latest for everyone in your life from moms and dads, to pets, kids and co-workers. Make this holiday season your best.

Union Street Goldsmith

The Client + The Design Team + The Craftsman. It all happens here. This collaboration facilitates the creative atmosphere. The result is evident in our work. 415.776.8048, San Francisco, unionstreetgoldsmith.com

Rustic Bakery specializes in handmade baked goods for the holiday season. We offer beautiful gift baskets filled with organic treats, nostalgic decorated sugar cookies, hand cut glazed spiced gingerbread tiles and delicious desserts for your holiday table. Larkspur 415.925.1556, Novato 415.878.4952, MCM 415.461.9900, rusticbakery.com

PowerMD Aesthetics. This year, ask for the gift of looking and feeling forever young. From clinically proven skincare to cutting edge, non-surgical facial rejuvenation, there’s the right fit for every face. The perfect gift for men and women! 415.785.7995, Bon Air Center, PowerMD.com

Visit Terrestra in downtown Mill Valley for the USA’s largest selection of Mywalit fine wallets and handbags from Lucca, Italy. Fine leather goods, jewelry, and thousands of handcrafted gifts for your home in a warm gallery setting. 888.808.GIFT, Mill Valley, terrestra.com

Lang Antiques. One-of-a-kind antique and estate heirloom jewels are always the right gift. In our store or online, expert advice is part of the Lang shopping experience. 415.982.2213, San Francisco, langantiques.com

Mill Valley Potter’s Studio. Give the gift of pottery classes this Holiday Season! We provide a relaxed atmosphere for adults and children to decompress from their busy schedules and explore their creative side with clay! 415.888.8906. Mill Valley, millvalleypottersstudio.com

Tutu School. Give the gift of twirling to an aspiring little dancer in your life! Classes and parties at Tutu School in the Marin Country Mart, for children 18 months to 8 years old. Andrew Weeks Photography. 415.419.5610, tutuschool.com

Sofia Jewelry Mill Valley’s Destination Jewelry Store since 1994. Find the perfect gift for everyone on your list! Sparkling gold bangles with white and colored diamonds by Sethi Couture. 415.388.8776, Mill Valley, sofiajewelry.com

Stephan-Hill Jewelry Designers. Give the iconic gift of a Mt. Tam pendant to those who love Mount Tamalpais as much as we do. “Made in Marin” and available in yellow gold with diamonds or Sterling with white sapphires. 415.459.5808, San Rafael, stephanhill.com

The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone

Give the food and wine enthusiast on your list the gift of fun and flavor. CIA gift cards can be used for any of our Boot Camp or weekend classes, as well as in our award-winning restaurants. 888.248.2064, St. Helena, enthusiasts.ciachef.edu/giftcards

Kathleen Dughi Jeweler showcases hand fabricated, one-of-a-kind creations, along with sophisticated and timeless jewelry that will be cherished forever. Shown are the signature KDJ Struzzo cuffs. Beautiful, handdyed ostrich cuffs in an array of irresistible colors. 415.383.0462, Mill Valley, kathleendughi.com

Greg Moore

BY NATE SELTENRICH

PHOTOS BY TIM PORTER

FOR DECADES MOUNT Tamalpais has been a patchwork of public lands, a quilt whose seams are only visible on a map. Technically that’s still true, but last March the four public agencies that own and manage Mount Tam’s 46,000 acres (the M arin Municipa l Water D istrict, Mari n C ounty Open Spac e D istrict, California State Parks and the National Park Service in partnership with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy) formally gathered for the fi rst time under a common umbrella, the Tamalpais Lands Collaborative.

“It became pretty clear that that was the way to go,” says Mike Swezy, watershed manager for the water district. “We get to do more of what’s needed, but certainly there’s a social aspect to it, and the collaboration among the agencies makes sense. It’s more efficient, more effective.”

Marin resident Greg Moore serves as president and CEO — and has been at the helm for nearly three decades — of the collaborative’s fi fth member, the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. The nonprofit organization partnered with the National Park Service in 1981 to support the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and its 80,000 acres, including Crissy Field, Alcatraz, the Marin Headlands, Stinson Beach, the Presidio and Muir Woods.

Now, thanks to its new role in the Tamalpais Lands Collaborative, the conservancy will also support conservation efforts across Mount Tam, which sees 1.8 million visitors every year. We talked with Moore about the history of the TLC and what it means for Marin’s favorite mountain.

First things first: how did we end up with four agencies and a nonprofit managing one mountain? It’s an interesting conservation history. The fi rst piece was Muir Woods, which happened in 1908. It was threatened by logging

and damming, and William Kent decided to buy it himself, and then donated it as the fi rst gift of land to what became the National Park Service. His vision was to protect much of the open space of Marin County, in some type or form. So he was instrumental in saving Muir Woods, he was instrumental in helping save the water district lands and he took advantage of whatever route through which the place that he loved could be saved for the future. Ultimately we ended up with the watershed being established and the state parks coming in with Mount Tam State Park. The last piece came in 1972, when Marin County Open Space formed and began to designate lands around Mount Tam as open-space preserves. Also that same year, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area was created, and Muir Woods was folded into this larger national park.

What is the history of collaboration among them? We were lucky that in the beginning stage of thinking about this collaborative, there had already been decades of coordination among the di fferent people involved. It came together in a more focused and long-term way when there was a collaborative plan developed for the Redwood Creek Watershed in 2003. Then something unexpected happened in 2012 with the state parks crisis and the potential closure of the Marin state parks. The park service reached out to help with that situation, adding an extra $2 admission fee for Muir Woods, to work in collaboration with the state parks to keep those sites open. Around the same time MMWD was thinking about how to bring in public support for its mission and even philanthropic giving for some of its priorities. And bit by bit as people talked, we began to see that although there was one mountain and it should have one vision for its care and stewardship, that there were four agencies and a nonprofit that could come together to take advantage of the community’s love a ff air with the mountain and to set some common goals for conservation and stewardship.

Were there any practical or logistical challenges with the previous arrangement that made this collaborative necessary? Sure. There was a growing acknowledgement that

the stewardship obligations of the agencies, whether it was around invasive species, or trail repair, or restoration work, or even public enjoyment and understanding of the mountain, needed to work across boundaries. The trails didn’t stop at one line, nor did invasive species, nor did the need for restoration. And there was a realization that over time, each agency would have di fferent resources, sta ff expertise and volunteers available, so there was strength in a collaborative, almost bringing the same diversity of a natural ecosystem to the care of the mountain. And also the belief that if we wanted to encourage volunteers to play a stewardship role, or contributors to make gifts to further the mountain’s stewardship, a model that showed collaboration and a single vision for the mountain would not only achieve better

results, but would be more compelling to people giving because they could see that we had looked beyond our boundaries and to what’s best for the mountain.

Will there be anything imposed on any of the agencies, as far as balancing different needs or ways of doing things in order to achieve this collaborative focus? Nothing really is imposed. It’s really the belief that a collaborative structure can accomplish more. So for each agency, whatever public review process they have stays in place, whatever policies or guidelines they are bound by in the mission that fuels their work stays in place, yet within that the missions of all the organizations are very similar: to preserve the mountain for its benefits, whether water for the water district or biodiversity for the parks service, and to at

And there was a realization that over time, each agency would have different resources, staff expertise and volunteers available, so there was strength in a collaborative, almost bringing the same diversity of a natural ecosystem to the care of the mountain.

So it’s about embracing those commonalities rather than forcing a middle ground — taking the existing points of agreement and fostering them. That’s a great way of putting it. Even if we restore part of MMWD or remove invasive species, often that has downstream positive effects on other land managers, because invasive species in one place carry over to the next. Or a trail that’s eroding into one stream, as that stream makes its way down through the watershed, it’s causing sedimentation. Or a hiker on one trail wants to know how to get to the next. So they’re really simple and obvious points of interconnection.

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Can you tell us what’s happened in the last 10 months, and what’s under way that was brought about by the collaborative? There are a number of things — some that have been brought to conclusion and some that are under way. There’s been trail repair work on the Bootjack Trail and in a number of other places. There’s coordination on signage, and a complete inventory of all the signage, to make certain that as you cross between

The conservancy’s role, including providing support to the overall effort in terms of staff and teamwork, is to help bring philanthropic funds in to the priority projects.

one or another jurisdiction that there’s a seamlessness in that visitor experience. There’s been quite a bit of vegetation mapping and invasive species mapping, just to understand collectively what we’re dealing with and how to handle it. And we’ve begun to consider, looking ahead, what projects and programs could not only be the priorities of the agencies in the collaborative, but bring community benefit as well. As you look at the mountain as each agency puts together what’s on its plate, it’s a big list.

415.209.1464 novatocommunity.org

some level allow for public enjoyment. There was pretty consistent mission overlap, and that gave us the comfort that we could create a common vision for the mountain.

The conservancy’s role, including providing support to the overall effort in terms of sta ff and teamwork, is to help bring philanthropic funds in to the priority projects.

Was some of this work deferred due to challenges arising from the complex management environment? Yes, I think so. To some degree, when you want to go to scale with this work, it’s hard to do it alone. If you have more partners in there, believing in the outcome and providing resources to get there, and having the perseverance to get to the goal, you can accomplish a bigger ambition. Depending on the funding cycles of the di fferent agencies, at times they may have a certain strength and at other times not, and the partnership will provide a more even approach to resources being in place.

Are you looking for volunteers yet for any of these efforts? Yes, we are. Previously volunteers were coming to us through each agency portal, so to speak. Our hope is that OneTam.org, launched in November, will be the new galvanizing force for volunteers. For anyone who wants to help Mount Tam, it’s hard to know where to go. There are almost too many choices. OneTam.org is a more user-friendly portal, and although the collaborative has primary partners, we’re also intersecting with the nonprofit organizations that have a proud history of conservation work on Tam as well. We need them too. They’ve provided a valuable role and we’re not trying to take that role, but to bring them in as part of the overall team. m

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The Private Ocean Business Owner Services team (L to R): Greg Friedman, Bill Bockwoldt, Richard Stone, Susan Dickson, Frank Jones, Fred Dopfel, Chip Pyfer, Justin DeTray

DIVE BARS

The local haunts of Marin can be dark, loud, a little worn-out and absolutely perfect.

BY MIMI TOWLE AND CALIN VAN PARIS • PHOTOS BY TIM PORTER

What denes a “dive bar” (like Smiley’s shown here)? We asked you, we asked the experts, we racked our brains for descriptors and quickly embraced the notion that some stereotypes are based in truth — and that dive bars are no exception. Here are our ndings in the form of eight reader- favorite Marin watering holes from south to north, ending with a West Marin bar that is one of the oldest in the state.

SMITTY’S BAR

214 Caledonia Street, Sausalito

THE OLDEST BAR in Sausalito to retain its original construction, Smitty’s has been a popular watering hole in Marin for decades. But the location has a history dating back as far as 1925, when soda pop bottler John Bettencourt started also bottling beer and moved his operation to Smitty’s present location on what was then the main thoroughfare in Sausalito, Caledonia Street. Prohibition reared its head and put Bettencourt out of business, but in 1938, railroad man Frank “Smitty” W. Smith came to the rescue, leased the space and turned it into a bar and Chinese restaurant. While there have been numerous owners over the years, Chuck Keller, John Larkin and Bill McDonald have been running the two-room game-filled establishment since 1992. And if you are a Bloody Mary fan, you have to try one from Nancy the bartender. Her signature “Bloody Good” mix, which she says is “to die for,” is so good she’ll even sell you a bottle of the stuff o take home.

WHAT THEY SAY

Is Smitty’s a dive bar? Yes.

Your definition of a dive bar? A dive bar is an unpretentious establishment with nononsense bartenders, where patrons feel comfortable enough to be themselves and have a great time. It’s a “back in the day” fun place to be

DIVE BAR CHECKLIST

Games? Four pool tables, shufeboard, darts, foosball, pinball, Pac-Man video game, six TVs and a jukebox that does just about everything including play every song imaginable.

Celebrity photos? Some patrons act like they are celebrities, so we’ve got their photos hanging.

TV is always on? Yes.

PBR available? Yes.

Muddled cocktails? If you want to see a Smitty’s bartender roll his/her eyes, ask for a muddled cocktail.

Fake replace? No, it’s been covered over with fake wood paneling.

Food is served in bags (chips, nuts, etc.)? Lay’s regular and barbecue, pretzels, Fritos. And if you look hard enough, an assortment of nuts.

Smitty’s T-shirts? When we have them. And hoodies, too.

Carol Keller, first wife of co-owner Chuck Keller

ATRUE BEACON for the thirsty, the 2am club, a ffectionately known as “The Deuce” and now owned and run by Dave Marshall and Amanda Solloway, has been holding court on the corner of Miller and Montford in Mill Valley for decades.

In its first iteration the one-room saloon was called “The Brown Jug” but underwent a bit of a hibernation during Prohibition, reopening in the early 1930s. By early 1940 it had became the 2am Club, the name a reference to the late closing hour the bar enjoyed because it was located just outside city limits — the curfew across the street was midnight. Throughout the decades it has been a popular spot for watching sports and congregating with like-minded locals for a drink. The bar is also well known as a see-and-be-seen meeting spot for Tamalpais High alumni the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Don’t miss the guitar fashioned from a toilet seat hanging behind the bar, created by local legend Charlie Deal — his unique instruments were not only conversation pieces, they could also hold a tune.

WHAT THEY SAY

Ryan Jameson, manager

Is the 2am Club a dive bar? T his bar has been labeled a dive bar for many decades and we don’t mind still sticking with it.

Your definition of a dive bar? It’s a local bar that has been around for quite a while, has a lot of the same clientele, serves cheaper beer and cocktails than most other places and is a little rough around the edges. All the bartenders know your name, your wife and kids’ names and probably even your pet’s name. A place where young and old and rich and poor can come together for drinks and entertainment.

Describe the 2am Club. A dive bar with a lot of history. A local bar with a ffordable prices, where the neighborhood can come down and have a drink, watch some sports, catch up with friends, listen to music, shoot some pool and overall, have a great time.

2AM CLUB

380 Miller Avenue, Mill Valley

DIVE BAR CHECKLIST

Games? Yes, we have two pool tables, a at-screen Golden Tee video game and a sit-down Ms. Pac-Man video game table.

Celebrity photos? We have a couple pictures of Huey Lewis and also his album covers, which they shot in the corner of our bar for their “Sports” album.

TV is always on? Yes. we have seven at screens and carry the baseball package and NFL Sunday Ticket, where we get every game, every Sunday.

PBR available? Yes, on tap.

Muddled cocktails? Denitely not, unless one of the bartenders is feeling high-spirited (pun intended).

Fake replace? Yes, even with fake re ambience.

Food is served in bags? Yes, served fresh out of its sealed packaging.

2am Club T-shirts? Yes, but currently on back order.

SILVER PESO

450 Magnolia Avenue, Larkspur

WHAT THEY SAY

Rick Adams, owner

Is Silver Peso a dive bar? Yes.

Your definition of a dive bar? It’s the ultimate equalizer — the kind of place where everybody is the same, from your tech guy to your construction guy, and everyone in between. You can have a shot and a beer, or two shots and two beers, and no one is going to look at you funny.

Describe the Peso. Old, rickety, cluttered, cozy, comfy. This building is more than a century old; fortunately we have lots of ventilation.

DIVE BAR CHECKLIST

Games? Shufeboard, three pool tables, pinball machine and Buck Hunter.

Celebrity photos? No.

TV is always on? Yes, all seven of them. PBR available? In cans and on tap. Muddled cocktails? Nope. Fake replace? No. Food served in bags? Yes.

Silver Peso T-shirts? Yes.

THE BUILDING THAT houses the Silver Peso opened in 1905 as a blacksmith shop. It wasn’t until the 1930s, after another incarnation as a market, that a bar was born. The Silver Peso came into being after World War II when a former GI bought the building with — wait for it — silver pesos. The pesos were “recovered from Manila Bay after the GI learned the Philippine government had sunk its bank reserves to prevent them from falling into Japanese hands,” according to the Marin History Museum. The bar has been one of Marin’s premier blue-collar institutions ever since, drawing a wide variety of patrons either coming from or going to or simply pulling up a stool and staying put for the night

Games? Two pool tables.

Celebrity photos? Several pictures of old celebrities on the walls and the Blues Brothers on the roof.

TV is always on? Yes.

PBR available? Yes, on tap.

Muddled cocktails? We’ll muddle your cocktail.

Fake replace? Gas replace and AC.

Food served in bags? Yes.

Matteucci’s T-shirts? Great T-shirts for sale.

HEN I WAS a kid in San Anselmo there were at least nine bars. Now there is only one, and I have been the proud owner of it for 36 years,” says current proprietor Dan Tieri. Matteucci’s was born when Harold Matteucci, a former member of the San Anselmo Police Department, began buying up local bars. First came the Knot Inn in 1960, followed by the Escrow, which Harold renamed Matteucci’s, in 1973. “All the bars in Marin are survivors of many generations and changing times,” says Tieri, who insists his bar is much more than just a dive. He, his employees and his patrons enjoy golfing, bocce, cribbage tournaments and even trips to Italy and Mexico.

MATTEUCCI’S

114 Greenfield Avenue, San Anselmo

WHAT THEY SAY Dan Tieri, owner

Is Matteucci’s a dive bar? Defi nitely not. I think not only my bar, but all the bars that are left in Marin are all great bars, not dives. Our longevity is due to our commitment to and our care for our patrons.

Your definition of a dive bar? A place where you may fi nd yourself uncomfortable for a variety of reasons. The bathrooms tell a story in and of themselves

Describe Matteucci’s. Matteucci’s is a great neighborhood bar with a diverse clientele who respect us as much as we respect them.

“W

PETE’S 881 CLUB

721 Lincoln Avenue, San Rafael

WHEN A.P. “PETE” PELLOLIO sat down for a game of poker at one of his favorite watering holes at 881 Fourth Street back in 1951, he wasn’t expecting to win not only the game, but a family business that would span three generations and counting. But he did. Today at the helm is grandson John Pellolio, just back from time spent in Europe as a gemologist. Now located at 721 Lincoln in San Rafael, this spacious one-room (plus an outdoor patio) saloon is possibly more sports bar than actual dive, but it still made our list. Secret to the longevity? It could be that it’s the only legal gambling spot in Marin with a daily Texas hold ’em game or that the kitchen stays open until 1 a.m. or that there are 10 TVs constantly broadcasting sports games. However, most would agree it’s the warmth of the Pellolio family — patrons love to order Grandpa Pete’s Chicken Anselmo — that keep folks coming back for more.

WHAT THEY SAY

John Pellolio, owner

Is Pete’s 881 a dive bar? By definition, yes. Your definition? Beer, booze, sports, pool table, darts, strong local clientele.

Define Pete’s 881? Patrons are like family. Great place to watch a game, have a cheap cocktail and enjoy great food.

DIVE BAR CHECKLIST

Games? Four poker tables, one pool table, two dartboards.

Celebrity photos? Yes, autographed Joe Montana, Mr. Miyagi and Seabiscuit.

TV is always on? Yes, all 10.

PBR available? Yes, on tap.

Muddled cocktails? Only for old-fashioneds.

Fake replace? No.

Food is served in bags? No — chef on site.

Pete’s 881 T-shirts? Yes.

PIER 15

15 Harbor Street, San Rafael

DIVE BAR CHECKLIST

Games? Yes, we have a pool table.

Celebrity photos? No, but we do have a written story about Bob Dylan experiencing an epiphany at Pier 15 framed on the wall.

TV is always on? Yes.

PBR available? Of course we have Pabst Blue Ribbon.

Muddled cocktails? No.

Fake replace? Yes.

Food is served in bags? Food is in the attached restaurant; chips are at the bar.

Pier 15 T-shirts? Available upon order.

WHAT THEY SAY

Adriano Orsi, owner

Is Pier 15 a dive bar? Yes, in a sense — but an upscale, classy version.

Your definition of a dive bar? A disreputable nightclub where fights break out.

Describe Pier 15. Like a Cheers bar where everybody knows your name.

OFFICIALLY THE ONLY dive bar one can swim or paddle to, the longtime hot spot is located on the water in San Rafael. This boat-repair shop/ restaurant-and-bar came into existence when the owner of the property, Pete Lind, decided cocktails and pool tables were more fun than valves and engine repairs. So he opened Pete’s Pier 15 in 1957 and the rest is history. Sort of like an inverted mullet haircut, Pier 15 is business in the back, with a popular waterfront restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner and party in the front, with a fabulously dark, as in everyonelooks-great-in-this-light, bar. While there have been many owners throughout the years, in 2006 local restaurateur Adriano Orsi took over and highlighted food while maintaining the classic feel of the bar. And just in case you need a boost to swim or paddle home, it has the unique distinction of offering Red Bull on tap.

PAPERMILL CREEK SALOON

1 Castro Avenue, Forest Knolls

THE PAPERMILL OPENED in 1907 as a general store and was eventually named for the paper mill (the first on the West Coast) that was then operating at what is now Samuel P. Taylor State Park. During Prohibition, the building functioned as a soda fountain/ ice cream shop, but in 1937, milk shakes were tossed out in favor of alcohol. “The whole back-bar wood construction is from 1937, but the actual bar and floors and most of the building are original from 1907,” says manager Jared Litwin. Thomasina Wilson purchased the bar, then known simply as “The Lodge,” in 1967; at the time, Janis Joplin and the Holding Company were Lagunitas residents and regular patrons. Wilson succeeded in transforming the once-rough bar into the cozy dive that it is today. “Thomasina turned 90 this November,” says Litwin. “And she is definitely still the boss.”

DIVE BAR CHECKLIST

Games? Two pool tables. Celebrity photos? Yes.

TV is always on? Usually, yes. PBR available? Yes.

Muddled cocktails? No.

Fake replace? We have a real replace. Food served in bags? No.

Papermill T-shirts? Not yet, but I’m trying to make that happen.

WHAT THEY SAY

Jared Litwin, manager

Is Papermill a dive bar? I would consider the Papermill a dive bar. I don’t think that’s a bad thing like perhaps it once was — dive bars are endearing i n a way, and sought out.

Your definition of a dive bar? Unpretentious, funky and definitely old. Independently owned and operated. No Wi-Fi, only one kind of wine.

Describe the Papermill. A rustic spot for friends to gather; everyone really does know your name. We’re like a family, but don’t worry — we are welcoming to outsiders.

DIVE BAR CHECKLIST

Games? Yes, pool, video, pay computer, jukebox.

Celebrity photos? The 1800s version.

TV is always on? No.

PBR available? Yes.

Muddled cocktails? What?

Fake replace? No.

Food is served in bags? Yes. We also have corn dogs.

Smiley’s T-shirts? When we have them.

SMILEY’S HAS BEEN in continuous existence for more than a century. And thanks to current owner Don Deane, the former editor of the Coastal Post, the colorful history has not been forgotten. Said to be built for a young Captain Isaac Morgan, who arrived in Bolinas (or Jugville) in 1849, the iconic property survived Prohibition by blacking out all the windows but one and positioning a barber chair and other such paraphernalia in it so they were visible to passersby. The bar was then accessed through a secret door; the likes of Al Capone crossed the threshold. Other owners and names came and went until, in 1955, an Italian immigrant named Ismaele “Smiley” Biachini purchased the building. A meticulous refurbishing occurred in the 1980s under then-owner Robert Glen, who eventually passed it on to Deane. As of print time, the bar is for sale, but Deane promises to only sell to buyers who agree to retain the property’s unique charm.

SMILEY’S SCHOONER SALOON & HOTEL

41 Wharf Road, Bolinas

WHAT THEY SAY

Don Deane, owner

Is Smiley’s a dive bar? Absolutely. Your definition of a dive bar? It’s a tricky question. Extemporaneously it’s a neighborhood bar that has an attraction for outsiders who want to be there to experience the bar. There is nothing polished about it.

Describe Smiley’s. It is the oldest continuously operating saloon in the state of California. And there is always something that amazes the new visitor.

CRAZY

Three Marin aficionados who share a love of speed, metal and chrome.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY BEN DAVIDSON

There’s something about automobile collecting that ignites an unbridled passion in certain folks. For three Marin car enthusiasts — a rock star, an advertising agency owner and a lumber store magnate — the fervor for classic automobiles and exotic sports cars can only be described as turbocharged.

Sammy Hagar: Ferrari Amore

MILL VALLEY’S SAMMY HAGAR is one fun-loving guy, a well-known rocker and a bona fide motor head. The curly-coifed Red Rocker’s wildly successful career — lead singer and guitarist for Montrose, Van Halen and supergroup Chickenfoot; tequila tycoon, nightclub owner (Cabo Wabo), restaurateur (El Paseo) and author ( Red ) — has fueled his passion for luxury sports cars, Ferraris in particular.

Hagar’s San Rafael warehouse doubles as an office, music studio and repository for tons of amps, speakers and guitars. But also deep inside is his prized collection of Ferraris, along with a vintage Jaguar, Lotus Elise, Aston Martin Vanquish S, and muscle cars like an El Camino 454, a Ford GT and a custom-made ’68 Shelby Mustang replica (some paperwork lists it as a 1967), which, says Hagar, “makes too much noise, smells like gas and burns rubber. It’s too much for Marin.”

Hagar arrives at his San Rafael warehouse in a black BMW Z8 Alpina convertible with a red interior, one of 555 made. He parks it next to another rarity, the aforementioned Aston Martin, one of only 43 made. “It’s a little heavy and sounds fantastic,” he notes. “It’s one of the most beautiful cars on the planet.” Keeping company with the Aston: a 2008 599 Fiorano Ferrari, a two-seater supercar that’s a “scary death car,” according to Hagar. “It’s a real race car.”

Another of Hagar’s Italian steeds is a black 1984 400i Ferrari automatic, a four-seater V-12 “that makes a nice racket,” he says. “It’s a luxury car and Ferrari don’t make many luxury cars. I bought it brand new in 1984 when my son Andrew was born and I needed a four-seater.” Since Hagar is a diehard Ferrari guy, this mean machine was a perfect family car, Sammy-style.

But Hagar’s most prized Ferrari is a 1972 GTB Daytona, a front-engine V-12, all hand-made aluminum and glowing in classic Ferrari red. “When it fi rst came out, it was the world’s fastest production car, 180 miles an hour,” says Hagar. “It’s a little scary on a track.”

Parked next to the Ferraris is one of Hagar’s favorite drives: the Lotus Elise, which he describes as “just a little race car, only 240 horsepower, but it’s as fast as anything here, especially around the track. It’ll burn any one of these cars; it’ll rip them out. It goes around a corner fl at out. I’ve never been in any go-cart like this. This is a go-cart for the street. I drive this car and the Z8 more than any of my other cars.”

Hagar, who tours with his band Chickenfoot, one of the world’s premier bands, is rocking as hard as ever. But he’s also a family man. Outside his garage is a classic 1956 Chevy station wagon that his son Aaron converted into a whimsical woody, “a rum runner” complete with a slide-in tiki bar in the back. “I bought my wife a Tesla, which for a motor head is a giant step, but I love it. It’s an unbelievable car. I can’t say enough about what a different mindset you get driving that car,” he says. “I’m sure all the Mill Valley residents have seen all these cars at some point sitting out front of El Paseo.”

Hagar pretty much sums up his rock-star life in the lyrics to Chickenfoot’s “Soap on a Rope”: Got money, got fame, fast cars and everythang. With a custom-fitted LaFerrari, one of the world’s most exotic supercars, coming soon to his collection, the guy defi nitely can’t drive 55, even if he wanted to.

“It’s a little heavy and sounds fantastic. It’s one of the most beautiful cars on the planet.”

Sammy Hagar poses with his 1972 GTB Daytona Ferrari and 1977 Gibson Explorer electric guitar.

“It’s always been a good hobby and has been a bit of an investment strategy as well.”

Martin Lauber is pictured sitting by his vintage pink Formula Atlantic racer (with original sponsor decals by Excita condoms).

Martin Lauber: The Eclectic Collection

“THE TERM PEOPLE USE to describe people like me is a car enthusiast, and I’m defi nitely more on the enthusiast side, “ says Martin Lauber, a tall, handsome Swirl advertising executive of GermanGuatemalan descent. Over the past three decades, Tiburon-based Lauber has amassed a wonderfully diverse, fun-loving car collection he describes as “mostly ’60s and ’70s stuff nd very eclectic.”

“As a kid, I spent several summers in Germany and Guatemala. In Germany, I got to see a lot of cool cars and car races and, in Guatemala, out in the countryside, I got to drive tractors and trucks at a very early age, and the experience fueled my love of cars,” he adds. “I have an older brother and he and I race together. He was always fiddling with cars in the garage and I watched and learned a little bit from him. It’s always been a good hobby and has been a bit of an investment strategy as well.”

Lauber says instead of buying a particular type of car he just buys “cars that I like,” resulting in a collection that he keeps in a couple of garages at the Sonoma Raceway, one of the tracks where he races his blue Formula Ford and vintage pink Formula Atlantic racers.

Collecting and racing vintage race cars is one of Lauber’s main interests. The first race car that got him hooked was a 1965 Alfa Romeo Spyder Veloce, which he bought because he wanted a “cool convertible,” but he soon discovered it had some racing history too. “I love racing with my friends and my brother and his friends. We race here in Sonoma, at Laguna Seca in Monterey and at Thunder Hill in Willows. I’ve raced as far away as Majorca, Germany, England and Italy.”

His first collector car was a 1965 Beetle, which he restored and still has today. Some of his other vehicles include a beige ’31 Ford hot rod with a Ford flathead V-8 from a ’51 Ford truck and two muscle cars: a ’70 Ford Boss 302 and ’67 Pontiac LeMans convertible, which he often cruises in around Tiburon and brings to the big Tiburon car show on Father’s Day weekend. Tucked in the corners of his garage are a classic 21-window VW microbus, a couple of Porsche 911s, a 1965 Alfa Romeo Super and a 1960 Fiat Millecento with backward-opening “suicide doors” that Lauber calls “a little clown car” and plans to convert into an electric car.

Lauber loves to drive the cars in his collection. “I have a lot of cars here that my collector friends wouldn’t be caught dead sitting in,” he says. “I’m very proud of the fact there’s dog hair in every car I own. My dog Lucy and I have logged many, many miles going over to Stinson for breakfast and driving up to Calistoga and Napa. I’m not really precious about any of these cars; they’re all a lot of fun.

“I love how on the side of the road you meet people, get the thumbsup and smiles, and when people tell you stories about their first date in a similar car. That’s what I love about it — they’re all little pieces of history,” Lauber says. “It’s less about how much they’re worth or fast they go and more about how much enthusiasm the cars engender and how happy they make me. I’ve made some of my best friends in the world just hanging around with cars.”

Charlie Goodman: Classic Americana

CHARLIE GOODMAN, SCION OF the Goodman Lumber family, was born and raised in Marin and has lived in Ross for more than 50 years. “My very fi rst car was a ’58 Chevy convertible. It was a god-awful yellow with a green top and green upholstery. I had that for a couple of weeks and my father sold it,” he says with a chuckle.

The amiable former town councilman and three-time mayor of Ross bought his fi rst car, a 1926 Model T Ford Coupe, in 1965 at age 20. The price: $600, a relative bargain. “But, as it turned out, what I really wanted was a Model A Ford because the Model T only has a two-speed transmission and can only go, maybe, 40 miles an hour, downhill. A few years later I bought a Model A Ford, which has a conventional three-speed transmission and 40 horsepower instead of 20. That’s what I used to drive around for a number of years.”

By the time he was 28, Goodman had 26 cars, mostly prewar Fords, and an undying passion for car collecting that today has resulted in a famed collection of lovingly restored classics from the late ’20s and early ’30s. Some of his prized vehicles include a 1930 Duesenberg Judkins sedan, a Studebaker Avanti, a supercharged 1937 Cord convertible and a 1938 DeSoto convertible sedan, but he also collects specimens of modern-era classics like Mustang, Mercedes, DeLorean and Alfa Romeo, all of which he keeps in a large warehouse in San Rafael.

Goodman has participated in a number of car rallies in California and beyond. In 2009 he originated the Marin-Sonoma Concours d’Elegance, which he chaired until 2012. That car event faded away but has reemerged as Shifting Gears, which hosts an annual three-day car rally attracting collectors from as far away as England and Australia. Rally participants tour the back roads of Marin

and Sonoma wine country and each year the rally and its black-tie gala raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity. This past October the event benefited Roots of Peace; next fall Shifting Gears will benefit another local charity, Beyond Differences, which strives to end social isolation in schools “If you visit our website in January, you can register your pre-1972 vehicles and sports and exotic vehicles for the rally,” he says. It’s civic-minded car collecting at its best. m

“A few years later I bought a Model A Ford, which has a conventional three-speed transmission and 40 horsepower.”

Charlie Goodman with one of his latest acquisitions: a curvaceous art deco 1938 Chrysler Imperial.

GIVING GLOBALLY

From mobility for South Africans to peace-inducing Frisbee games on the West Bank, these Marin residents are making a difference around the world.

BY DAWN MARGOLIS DENBERG

Marin County is a community known for its natural beauty, liberal politics and affluence. But it is also a population deeply committed to philanthropy. When it comes to charitable giving, locals are generous with money, time or both. Some take things a step further. When they see a problem not being adequately championed, they start their own charitable organizations to combat it. Meet five area residents who founded nonprofits intended to better the lives of strangers half a world away.

Ken Martin

MIKE’S BIKES AFRICA mikesbikesafrica.com

KEN MARTIN OF Novato and his partner at Mike’s Bikes, Matt Adams, earn their keep doing what many people dream about. They’ve turned a lifelong passion — in their case cycling — into a lucrative business. But their passion for the sport has done more than just put money in the bank. They’re also putting bikes on the streets of dozens of communities in Southern Africa. “In some of the rural communities our bikes provide the only means of transportation other than walking,” Martin says.

Of course, Martin is the fi rst to admit that theirs is not the fi rst or only nonprofit shipping bikes into Africa. “Many programs are well-intentioned, but the first time something goes wrong with the bike, it gets chucked to the side of the road because nobody has the skills or the parts to fi x it,” he adds.

To eliminate this problem, the Mike’s Bikes Africa program takes a novel approach. It seeks out local partners in each of the communities it serves and teaches them the basics of how to run a bike shop. “Then we give them the bikes and encourage them to price them at a cost that’s reasonable to the area,” Martin says. “In this way, we give each of our partners a means to earn a decent living. But we also increase the likelihood that our bikes will stay on the streets because the owners then have someplace to take the bicycle when it needs to be serviced.”

To date, the program, which began in 2007, has delivered more than 10,000 bikes to sub-Saharan Africa. And, says Martin, “As far as I know, all are still on the road.”

Victoria Cressman

TENTS TO SHANTI

facebook.com/tentstoshanti

DURING A 2012 service trip to Haiti, Victoria Cressman of Mill Valley witnessed firsthand how extreme poverty can devastate a family. She met dozens of

children who were living unsupervised in tents provided by humanitarian groups following the 2010 earthquake. “In many cases, their parents were living in other towns trying to get work,” Cressman says. To reunite parents with their children and to literally put roofs over their heads, she and her daughter founded Tents to Shanti, an organization that builds simple but permanent homes made from cinder block and plywood for struggling families in Jacmel, Haiti. “Shanti is a Sanskrit word for peaceful living,” Cressman says.

To date, they’ve completed six homes that now house 25 people. Tents to Shanti doesn’t just build the structures and hand over the keys. Instead, it empowers the beneficiaries to be part of the process. “The recipients fi nd the contractors and work with them to put their own stamp on the structures,” Cressman says. “One woman we worked with, for example, asked the builder to design her home with a space for a retail shop in the front. This allowed her to have a place to live and also to earn a living.”

The organization, which gets its funding through the Marin Community Foundation, has also helped build a Creole language library and put a dozen students through school. “We are a small charity, and progress is slow, but we are making a di fference,” Cressman says.

Barry Hoffner CARAVAN TO CLASS caravantoclass.org

BARRY HOFFNER OF Sausalito loves to travel. So he decided to mark the occasion of his 50th birthday by attending a music festival in Timbuktu. “It was a place I’d always read about as a kid,” he says of the destination fabled to be in the middle of nowhere.

One morning he awoke in Timbuktu and decided to take a camel ride to a nearby village (off the beaten path from the middle of nowhere). During his visit, he struck up a conversation with the village leader and his wife. “I asked them what their village needed most, and they both agreed it was a school,” says Hoff ner. “I didn’t ask because I was looking for

Opposite, clockwise from top left: Tents to Shanti; Mike’s Bikes in Africa; bike repair; Ultimate Peace; Caravan to Class; Murray and the Nepal Youth Foundation.

a project or planning on any humanitarian effort. I just kind of got swept up with the feeling that maybe I could do some little thing that might help.” After he departed, the conversation stuck in his head. “And after thinking on it some more, I decided if I could make it happen, why not.”

Of course, the logistics of overseeing the building and sta ffi ng of a school in a remote village while living in Marin County are not without complications. But he kept to his commitment and built a school in the town he visited. “After going back and seeing the fi rst school built, I remember kind of saying to myself, ‘Show me a sign to continue this and I will,’ ” Hoff ner says.

Shortly thereafter, he received an unexpected grant from a private family foundation; “this was a turning point, and the anchor funding for our second school.” To date, Caravan to Class has built five schools and financially supports an additional three throughout Mali. In each of these cases, the children are the fi rst generation in their village to be literate.

David Barkan ULTIMATE PEACE ultimatepeace.org

THE TENSION IN the air was palpable in the weeks leading up to last summer’s seven-week conflict between Hamas and Israel. “A few rockets had been shot in the south from Gaza, and the search was on for three kidnapped Israeli teens,” says David Barkan of San Anselmo, founder of Ultimate Peace, an organization that strives to defuse conflict and encourage respect for cultural differences through its Ultimate Frisbee camps and clinics. “People were definitely on edge.” Nevertheless, he and a team of more than 80 volunteers from around the world arrived in Israel to bring together a group of 200 Jewish, Muslim and Christian Arab children for a weeklong summer program. “We don’t talk politics there,” Barkan says. “But they learn to build trust in one another by working as a team.”

The idea for Ultimate Peace took shape after Barkan, whose own team won the 1995 Ultimate Frisbee World championship, attended an Israeli Frisbee tournament in 2003. “I retired after my 1995 win, but decided to form a new team I named the Matza Balls because it was made up of old and young Jewish players,” says Barkan. “Anyway, somehow the Israeli event organizers heard about us and invited us to be part of their tournament.” The Matza Balls also agreed to run some free clinics to boost interest in the sport, which was just starting to catch on in Israel.

Though the clinics were well attended, Barkan noticed that only Jewish athletes showed up. That’s when it occurred to him that the game he loved was also a great way to build cultural bridges. “It’s a game that teaches con fl ict resolution

skills because even at the most competitive levels there’s no referee,” he says. Ultimate Frisbee also hews to the credo that while winning is important, it shouldn’t come without earning the respect of your opponent. “It’s not about throwing an elbow and hoping you won’t get called for it,” Barkan says. “It’s about learning to self-regulate.”

In addition to its summer camp, Ultimate Peace sponsors year-round leagues in 18 communities throughout Israel and the West Bank. Often parents are ambivalent about letting their kids participate. But according to Barkan, they usually come around: “Often it’s the parents who were most resistant who become our biggest supporters.”

Olga Murray NEPAL YOUTH FOUNDATION nepalyouthfoundation.org

IN 1984, THEN 59-year-old Olga Murray decided to travel to Nepal. “I knew nothing about the country,” she recalls, “but I was already in India and had heard it was a great place to go trekking.” What she found was a country filled with kind, hardworking people, most of whom were unbearably poor. “The children I met were dressed in rags, dirty and malnourished but also the happiest kids I’d ever seen.”

While on a trek, she ended up meeting a Nepali man who was glowing with pride as his three children completed their homework in their dirt-floored home: “He was so proud they went to school because at the time it was an opportunity few Nepali kids had.” And as it happened, Murray was just recently contemplating how she would keep busy in her retirement years. “I got back in my sleeping bag that night and said to myself, ‘you know what, I’m going to educate the children of Nepal.’ ”

It began with a personal check that allowed five Nepali orphans to attend college. On a subsequent trip, Murray broke her ankle and ended up in the clinic of a doctor in Katmandu who had opened a small hospital committed to treat poor disabled children. “They had no way of getting to school in their villages so I collected money from family and friends to pay for them to attend boarding school in Katmandu,” says Murray. By 1990, she had raised the money for 200 scholarships and decided to start a foundation to help in a more organized way.

Aside from providing scholarships, NYF effects change in a variety of ways. Projects include establishing 16 hospitals to treat malnourished children and educate parents about nutrition and child care; rescuing girls who have been sold into slavery; and providing homes for children with severe disabilities as well as those who have been abandoned or orphaned. Next year, NYF turns 25 and Murray turns 90 — but she has no plans to give up her retirement job. m

marin gives back

Serving as Conscientious Stewards of Capital

With a mission to serve as a conscientious steward of capital, we at Dipsea Capital fi nd partnering with stewards in the community a logical fit. Our mission is to help these organizations put funds to work more efficiently in order to help broaden their impact.

The Dipsea Race Foundation is a charitable non-profit organization with a mission to “foster national amateur sports competition by sponsoring, maintaining, perpetuating, and inspiring, through charitable contributions and endowments, the Dipsea Race, the Dipsea Trail, the Dipsea Hall of Fame, the Dipsea Kidz program and educational scholarships.”

Dipsea Capital has partnered in this mission by managing foundation funds to support even greater reach with programs such as Dipsea Kidz and endowment efforts. “This partnership is a great opportunity to place stewardship before profits,” explains Chris Antonio, Founding Partner of Dipsea Capital.

“From running the race in the past to current opportunities for the team to volunteer their time, we felt a logical, local connection to the Dipsea Race Foundation.”

Pictured (left to right): Mervyn Regan, President of the Dipsea Race Foundation Board of Directors and Chris Antonio, Managing Partner of Dipsea Capital, LLC 415.925.9022, DipseaCapital.com, Greenbrae, CA

Destinations

THE LATEST LOCAL TRAVEL DEALS AND GETAWAYS PLUS JOURNEYS AROUND THE GLOBE

SNOW GUARANTEED

A Mavericks approach to chasing the best white stuff n the West.

BY MARC SAPOZNIK

TOM ZIKAS

Hitting the slopes at Alpine Meadows.

ALL SERIOUS SKIERS or snowboarders, in their mind’s eye, can envision that perfect powder day, the cold chill, the bold thrill. These are resplendent moments in the making. However, as recent winters have taught us, sufficient snow, let alone perfect powder, may be scarce in some locales. Perhaps skiers can learn something from big wave surfers. Think Mavericks. Powerful winter storms are needed to create the massive waves required for Mavericks Invitational to take place. Surfers go when conditions are right.

If you are an accomplished skier or snowboarder, following storms can prove to be a wise decision. Case in point: several Tahoe resorts received more than 800 inches of magica l fluff on their upper peaks during the 2010–2011 season — with snowfall recorded on 66 days that winter. Can you count the powder days? The following year, Mother Nature delivered a near shutout, with as much dirt showing as snow well into ski season. That winter Mother Nature also snow-starved Colorado resorts, and they suffered one of the worst seasons in history. At the same time, powder hounds found phenomenal skiing in the Pacific Northwest in places such as Stevens Pass Resort in Washington, which received 561 inches of snow, more than double what Vail saw that year.

In virtually any year, abundant snow can be found somewhere in the West. Last year, for instance, weather patterns brought Jackson Hole 500 inches of dreamy white stu ff, making many extraordinary, fi lm-worthy days for skiers in Corbet’s Couloir.

Plentiful snow for a ski getaway is not merely about powder; diehards also want to know if a resort has had adequate cover to open steeper, more challenging terrain. So for planning a trip, what is the best course of action? One suggestion is to pay attention to websites like snowforecast.com or opensnow.com, which feature experts like Bryan Allegretto, a forecaster with OpenSnow. Like his counterparts at OpenSnow, Allegretto is not merely a weather predictor; he specializes in snow forecasts. A Tahoe local with a lifetime snow-obsession, he brings together all the big data science can muster along with in-depth knowledge of storm patterns, microclimates and nuances that make up Sierra weather.

Allegretto notes that signi ficant pattern changes can be spotted two to three weeks out. But for actual powder predictions, his comfort zone is much shorter. “I usually won’t start talking about speci fic snowfall numbers unti l five days out,” he says. At that point, it’s time to wax the boards, book that room and lock in that plane fl ight if needed.

“I pay close attention to how each storm specifically affects each mountain,” Allegretto says . “ Snow lines and snowfall amounts at different resorts can vary with each storm, and that can have a big impact on where skiers choose to go within the Tahoe region.” Along with Allegretto’s nearly daily updates, OpenSnow offers a Powder Finder, which highlights the deepest

snow locations and provides a five-day powder forecast.

So it might be Granite Chief, Squaw Valley’s enviable tree, chute and cliff-drop powder playground, that delivers the prime cover for your vacation this year, or possibly Kirkwood’s vast Sentinel Bowl. Or maybe Big Sky Resort’s Dictator Chutes with its vivid sun-kissed, snow-sparkling days, or perhaps Whistler, Taos or Snowbird is the call. With a little flexibility and patience, follow the forecasts and you’ll considerably up your ante for a big payoff.

Granted, if any region is having a banner snow year, plan away. Also, beginner- or intermediate-level skiers won’t be taking that much of a gamble by reserving ahead, given the

heaps of cash major resorts have poured into sophisticated snowmaking systems. And auxiliary pastimes like snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, sledding or sipping hot chocolate next to the fire don’t require much snow.

Powder dream trip: If abundant snow hits Nevada’s remote Ruby Mountains this season, book a trip, or get on the standby list with Ruby Mountain Heli-Experience (helicopterskiing.com). This heli-ski operation, run by Marin native Joe Royer, services stunning open bowls, chutes and glades surrounded by crowns of minarets. Lucky standbys or last-minute takers may land a late-cancellation spot — often at half price, or they may fi nd enough fee savings to pay their last-minute airfare into Elko. m

Opposite, clockwise from top left: Great views in Squaw Valley; skiing the ridgeline at Alpine; sunny conditions at Squaw. This page, clockwise from top left: In the trees at Squaw; obstacles at Squaw; Alpine lifts; fun for kids at Alpine; heli-skiing in the Ruby Mountains.

BY LYNDA BALSLEV

COPENHAGEN

The perfect Christmas fairy tale can be found in Denmark.

Opener: Nyhavn’s harbor canal. This page: Signs of winter. Opposite page: Shops, snaps at Torvehallerne and bikes in Copenhagen.

YOU MIGHT THINK it’s cold and dark in Denmark in December. (It is.) You might suspect that Denmark’s smattering of islands has no altitude worth shaking a ski at. (It’s true.) What you might not know is that what this royal kingdom lacks in balminess and vertical drop is massively compensated for by hygge (pronounced hoo-ge) — a uniquely Danish term, which encompasses all that is warm, cozy and festive. While hygge is ever present in the Danish culture as a desired state of, well, happiness, the best time to experience hygge is in the winter, and there is no better place than Copenhagen at Christmas.

Denmark’s cosmopolitan capital, a former Viking fi shing village and medieval forti fication perched on the eastern shores of the island of Zealand, is an elegant contrast of classic and modern, timelessly reflecting an ingrained balance of Scandinavian tradition and contemporary sensibilities. Home to the world’s oldest monarchy and a relaxed, open-minded population, a 1,000-year-old Viking heritage and oodles of Danish design icons, historic castles, cuttingedge architecture, gads of bicycles and high-tech windmills, Copenhagen is charming and progressive at once. It’s also home to what some studies say are the happiest people on the planet. And while Danish happiness can certainly be credited to Copenhagen’s many charms, it also, quite likely, has something to do with Christmas.

From the fi rst day of Advent until the fi reworks of the New Year, every day is a celebration. Danes and tourists flock to Copenhagen to shop the markets, admire the displays and generally indulge in copious amounts of eating, drinking and partying. Old-fashioned Christmas markets fi ll the city squares with timber stalls displaying handcrafted decorations, chestnuts roasting on fi res and kiosks doling out sugar-dusted æbleskivers (pancakes) and mugs of steaming gløgg (mulled wine). Fir garlands and strings of white lights tastefully drape and link the picturesque streets lined with gleaming shops displaying sleek Danish wares, elegant porcelain and artisanal crafts. Crooked halftimber buildings housing ancient tea shops, trendy bars and whitewashed cafes beckon wit h fl ickering candles. Tivoli, one of the world’s oldest amusement parks, is awash in hundreds of thousands of twinkling lights, its maze of torch-lit paths winding around carnival rides, ice sculptures, grazing reindeer and award-winning restaurants. Sure, it might be cold outside, but Copenhagen is bright and festive, oozing holiday spirit in a seamless blend of old and new.

It’s understandable that the notion of a Nordic winter might give travelers from warm-weather California pause. For inspiration and answers, look to the Danes, who do dark and cold so well. Take their cues and you will be well on your way to a hyggelig holiday. Just remember to pack your mittens.

Drink Frequently To get into the spirit, drink plenty of snaps (a distilled spirit flavored with botanicals, traditionally poured as a shot). Year round, this national pastime is considered the equivalent of a morning coffee, an aspirin and a sleep aid. In the winter, snaps is embraced as an effective heating element, and at Christmastime it’s a requisite table accessory; celebratory lunch and dinner courses are punctuated by shots of Gammel Dansk. If spirits are not your thing, no worries. Denmark is blessed with hops, which means there is plenty of beer worth sampling — especially at Christmas when the local breweries roll out their holiday specials, appropriately concocted and fortified to warm the heftiest Viking.

Mind the Bikes When imbibing (and any other time for that matter), watch out for the bikes — even in the dead of winter. In this eco-friendly and proudly DIY nation, bikes are the green vehicle of choice, considered the sacred cow of transportation and arguably a national symbol on par with the Little Mermaid and Lego. In all of their forms (and there are many), bicycles always have the right of way, whether you are on foot or driving (which you would not be if you are drinking snaps). The only di fference in the winter is that the bikes are moving faster because it’s cold.

Stay Warm Got boots and a parka? Then you are good to go. In fact, take a good look at Nordic winter fashion exquisitely displayed in swanky Illum and the designer boutiques lining the shopping streets (or even better, modeled by the gorgeous Danes themselves). Scandinavian design does not merely apply to stackable side chairs and wine decanters. Sumptuous downs, flu ffy fleece, elegant furs, darling woven and knitted accessories are guaranteed to bring hygge to your wardrobe. You will be craving the cold and snow faster than you can say Hans Christian Andersen, grateful for the excuse to indulge in a Christmas shopping spree, so you can wrap and pull on warming layers, scarves, throws and boots. Still not convinced? Then drink more snaps

Prepare to

Walk All the outerwear will come in handy when you are walking, which is the best way to see this compact and accessible city. Copenhagen is easily navigated along Strøget, the longest pedestrian street in Europe, connecting Rådhuspladsen (City Hall Square), with its monumental Christmas tree at one end, to Kongens Nytorv, the elegant plaza at the foot of Nyhavn, the colorful and iconic harbor canal. Along the two-kilometer stroll are elegant flagship shops guaranteed to satisfy every design, fashion and gastronomic whim, high- and low-end boutiques, cobblestoned squares and grand plazas lined with cafes, restaurants and bars. If the status quo and fellow tourists are not your thing, there are plenty of side streets and crooked passageways to veer into and explore, leading to half-timbered enclaves,

fashionable neighborhoods and monuments. The Royal Palace and the Parliament at Christiansborg Palace are a walking bridge and stroll away; wander along the canals of Christianshavn, the arty residential neighborhood lined with houseboats, lofts and cafes; sip an espresso in the hip and funky Latin Quarter, original home to Copenhagen’s 500-year-old university; or if you crave a trendy experience, head to Kødbyen, the edgy meatpacking district, where you can mingle with butchers, baristas and bartenders.

Embrace the Dark Just because the sun sets in the afternoon doesn’t mean it’s time to retire. Quite the contrary, this is the best time to be out and about, admiring the full monty of twinkling lights glowing in the dusk. The pedestrian streets, Tivoli and Christmas markets are at their prettiest as the day grows dim, and luckily that applies to a good chunk of the winter day. The setting sun is also an excuse to take a warming break indoors. Stroll through the city’s many galleries and world-class museums and drink in the rich Danish culture, Norse history, ancient and modern art and royal jewels. Or relax and treat yourself to an apero at the champagne bar in the elegant and historic Hotel D’Angleterre, and watch the passersby and ice skaters from the great windows overlooking Kongens Nytorv; or duck into Mikkeller and choose from the 15 brews on tap (tip: for immediate grati fication you can also check out the San Francisco location); or if you crave something sweet, indulge in a slice of lagkage (layered cake) at La Glace, the city’s oldest konditori, or a gluten-free cake at Emmerys. Just be sure to save your appetite for dinner, because you will need it.

Sample the Fare Copenhagen has catapulted to the top of the international culinary world, with no fewer than 15 Michelin-starred restaurants and a slew of noteworthy eateries creating traditional fare and innovative Nordic cuisine. Classic and modern coexist in a laundry list of venues dishing out Christmas must-haves such as herring and roasted pork with crispy cracklings and smørrebrød, the artful open-face sandwich that multitasks as a holiday starter and a substantial lunch. Try Kähler in Tivoli, a pristine mid-century time capsule, for gastronomic smørrebrød compositions served on its award-winning pottery, or experience Aamann’s for clever and minimal selections inspired by the farmers’ market — think Scandinavian Design on a plate.

While the traditionalists are tucking into their rice pudding, a number of Danish chefs are paying homage to their Scandinavian roots while propelling Denmark’s unfussy cuisine to new levels, crafting innovative farm-to-table plates, prepared with foraged and sustainable ingredients. At the forefront of Copenhagen’s New Nordic food movement is Rene Redzepi’s Noma, crowned best restaurant in the world three times, which unfortunately makes it one

of the most di fficult tables to book. Fortunately, there are plenty of other locally celebrated chefs creating equally inspired cuisine. Claus Meyer, a cofounder of Noma, has a collection of restaurants, including the always-fresh Radio in the leafy neighborhood of Frederiksberg, and The Standard, a jazz music and restaurant emporium in Nyhavn’s renovated Customs House. Relæ, helmed by Chef Christian Puglisi, prides itself on a no-nonsense and unpretentious gastronomic experience with a Michelin star to boot. If choosing from restaurant menus is not your forte, then head directly to Torvehallerne, a glass-and-steel food hall, fi lled with cafes, bars and more than 60 stalls selling delicacies and artisanal foods from Denmark and beyond.

Get Out of Town Luckily, the Christmas spirit extends beyond Copenhagen’s center, and the region’s small size, efficient train system and a ffordable car rentals make excursions an easy proposition. Head north along Strandvejen, a coastal road winding through posh residential neighborhoods, to Klampenborg, home to a cluster of Arne Jacobsen buildings and Dyrehaven, the old royal hunting grounds where you can find hundreds of deer, ancient oak trees and a popular winter sledding venue. Stop in the tiny village of Skovshoved, where thatched-roof cottages and walled villas mingle with diplomatic residences. Nestled in the center of the picturesque enclave is Skovshoved Hotel, dating back to 1660 as a stopping point and watering hole for weary travelers. Today it’s a charming and hip hotel, with a bright Danish-French brasserie and pub — perfect for a 21st-century pit stop.

Continue up Strandvejen to Humlebæk, where you will discover the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art perched on a bluff oerlooking the Øresund strait separating Zealand from Sweden. It houses an extensive permanent collection of contemporary art displayed throughout the villa-museum and the rolling grounds, themselves an impressive integration of art, architecture and landscape, and is well worth the stop.

From there continue north along the coast to Helsingør, where Kronborg Castle, Hamlet’s old haunt, is ominously perched at the northeastern tip of Zealand with a watchful eye to Helsingborg, Sweden. Throughout the month of December, the castle’s vaulted cellars transform into a medieval Christmas market with arts and crafts, sweets and gløgg, while its surrounding half-timbered ancillary buildings host local artist expositions. Cross the moat and stroll into the historic cobblestoned trading town, past the subterranean glass-and-concrete Maritime Museum, evoking a submerged ship and somehow completely in sync with its medieval surroundings. For a late lunch step down into the 17th-century Rådmand Davids Hus, a lopsided cafe with an equally crooked interior, and enjoy a traditional “shoppers’ lunch” — a hearty platter of smoked fi sh and herring washed down with a cold Christmas beer.

By now, you will have traveled a mere 30 miles, yet you will have spanned a millennia of history, design and culture. If castles are still on your mind and you are not ready to return to the city (because you’ve been drinking beer and gløgg), stay overnight at nearby Køkkedal Slot, the only castle on Zealand that doesn’t belong to the royal family or house a museum; the sumptuous 250-year-old residence has been painstakingly restored to its classic splendor with state-of-the-art amenities, a refi ned Danish restaurant and sparkling views over the sea.

If the city lights beckon, then head back to Copenhagen and treat yourself to a glittering night at Nimb, Tivoli’s 100-year-old Moorish palazzo and the city’s only Michelinstarred hotel. After a dinner at the Nordic-elegant farm-to-table Nimb Terrasse, retire to your luxury customdesigned suite (which could stand in as a Bang & Olufsen showroom) and your private patio opening to Tivoli with views of the midnight fi reworks. When you wake in the morning, relaxed, happy and full of hygge, you will agree that fairy tales do indeed come true. m

Opposite page, from top: The lights of Tivoli; smørrebrød at Aamann’s; a cozy restaurant; Skovshoved Hotel. This page: Køkkedal Slot.

IF YOU GO

GETTING THERE:

SAS flies direct from SFO to Copenhagen, flysas.com

Norwegian Air provides service from Oakland to Copenhagen via Oslo, norwegian.com

WHERE TO STAY:

Admiral Hotel A restored granary providing reasonably priced, modern deluxe accommodations, a short walk from Nyhavn and the Royal Palace, admiral-hotel-copenhagen.com/en Hotel D’Angleterre, dangleterre.com Nimb Hotel and Terrasse A lavish boutique hotel situated in Tivoli, nimb.dk/en Kokkedal Slot, kokkedalslotcopenhagen.dk/en Skovshoved Hotel & Restaurant, skovshovedhotel.com

EAT AND DRINK:

Aamanns, aamanns.dk/us Geist, restaurantgeist.dk/en Kähler, kahler-i-tivoli.com Mikeller, mikeller.com Radio, restaurantradio.dk Relæ, restaurant-relae.dk/en The Standard, en.thestandardcph.dk Torvehallerne, torvehallernekbh.dk

ATTENTION ARTISTS:

Enter the Ninth Annual Cover Art Contest.

WINNERS:

A winner from one of the following categories: painting, photography and illustration.

EXPOSURE:

The winner will be featured on the cover of the May 2015 issue.

ENTER NOW AT: MARINMAGAZINE.COM/GETCOVERED/

Out

/ ON THE SCENE / DINE

THEATER

THRU DEC 11 Jane Austen’s Persuasion

Jane Austen’s fi nal novel, featuring the author’s characteristic wit, intelligence and social satire, is brought to life in this adaptation by Marin native Jennifer LeBlanc. Marin Art and Garden Center (Ross). 415.455.5260, magc.org

Calendar

DEC 18–21 A Christmas

Carol: The Musical This adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic tale boasts a musical element. Curmudgeon Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by spirits on Christmas Eve, each looking to help change his sel fish ways. Drake Little Theatre (San Anselmo). 415.454.5759, stapletonschool.org

DEC 19–24 A Charlie Brown Christmas Join the San Francisco Symphony on a journey through a variety of Christmas classics, including a live-action performance of A Charlie Brown Christmas with live accompaniment. Davies Symphony Hall (SF). 415.864.6000, sfsymphony.org

DANCE

showcase of student performances in celebration of 20 years of its youth outreach program Rites of Passage, which offers instruction in dance, music and spoken word. Castlemont High School (Oakland). dimensionsdance.org

DEC 11–14 Private Life A series of stories centering on the emotional havoc of military life and what it means to survive. Written by Deborah Cooks and brought to life through original choreography and direction by Deborah Slater and music by Bruno Louchouran. ODC Theater (SF). 415.863.9834, odcdance.org

THRU DEC 14

Something for the Boys Three cousins team up to create a boardinghouse for soldiers’ wives from an inherited San Antonio plantation. With music and lyrics by Cole Porter. Eureka Theatre (SF). 415.255.8207, 42ndstmoon.org

THRU DEC 21 The Complete History of Comedy Reduced Shakespeare Company aims to make audiences laugh with this 90-minute deconstruction of the history of comedy. Marin Theatre Company (Mill Valley). 415.388.5208, marintheatre.org

DEC 12–28 Elf the Musical Enjoy the hilarious tale of Buddy, an orphan who crawls into Santa’s bag and is subsequently raised by elves, in musical form. Join Buddy on a trip to New York City to fi nd his father in this modern-day Christmas classic. Curran Theatre (SF). shnsf.com

THRU DEC 14 The Velveteen Rabbit ODC’s KT Nelson brings her much-loved interpretation of Margery Williams’ children’s book to a live stage, appealing to adults and children alike. YBCA (SF). 415.978.2787, odcdance.org

DEC 7 Rites of Passage

Dimensions Dance Theater shares a

DEC 13–15 Marin Ballet: Nutcracker Celebrate 51 years of Marin Ballet with a full-length version of The Nutcracker that combines Victorian costumes, expansive sets and more than 175 dancers. Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium (San Rafael). 415.473.6400, marincenter.org

DEC 13–21 Mark Foehringer’s Nutcracker Sweets This unique 50-minute production of the classic

THEATER / COMEDY / MUSIC / GALLERIES / MUSEUMS / EVENTS / FILM EDITED BY CALIN VAN PARIS

Portrait of Sybil, Countess of Rocksavage by John Singer Sargent

ballet is designed for families with small children. The show boasts a nine-piece chamber orchestra. Fort Mason Center (SF). 800.838.3006

DEC 18–27 Uncorked: The Christmas Ballet

The popular dance show — in its 21st season — incorporates several styles, including ballet, tap, swing and several others drawn from international holiday traditions. YBCA (SF). 415.912.1899, smuinballet.org

DEC 20 Sophie and the Enchanted Toyshop Marin Dance Theatre brings together more than 125 dancers for this well-loved production that follows Sophie on a journey to the Snow Kingdom, where she meets snow princesses and fairies, and then to a toy shop where the playthings come alive. Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium (San Rafael). 415.473.6400, marincounty.org

DEC 20 Sherry Studio’s Tapcracker Join Clara and the Tapcracker as they encounter dancing Christmas trees, presents, “flaky” snow flakes, sugarplum Barbies and more in this updated version of the classic Nutcracker. Showcase Theater (San Rafael). 415.473.6400, marincounty.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, throck mortontheatre.org

DEC 4 Mort Sahl Social satirist Mort Sahl — the fi rst entertainer ever to appear on the cover of Time — shares his brand of politically motivated comedy. Throckmorton Theatre (Mill Valley). 415.383.9600, throck mortontheatre.org

DEC 31 Best of San Francisco Stand-up Comedy Competition

Bring in 2015 with lots of laughs as a diverse pool of seasoned local entertainers gather to compete. Showcase Theater (San Rafael). 415.473.6400, marincounty.org

DEC 31 Stand-up Comedy Celebration

Join Don Gavin with Nato Green, Brendan Lynch and Chris Garcia for a New Year’s Eve comedy celebration.

Osher Marin JCC (San Rafael). 415.785.8873, theothercafe.com

MUSIC

TUESDAYS

Swing Fever

The band pays tribute to jazz artists and composers with selections from its roster of more than 1,000 tunes, every fi rst and third Tuesday.

Panama Hotel (San Rafael). 415.457.3993, panamahotel.com

DEC 3 Ryan Bingham

The Oscar-winning singer and songwriter performs a solo acoustic set featuring selections from his four studio albums, as well as teasers from his forthcoming album.

Sweetwater Music Hall (Mill Valley). 415.388.1100, sweet watermusichall.com

DEC 4 Glide’s Holiday

Jam: Legends Live This annual event features live performances by a bevy of legendary

SPOTLIGHT

Get Kinky

LOOKING FOR LEVITY this holiday season? The multiple Tony Award–winning (including Best Musical) Kinky Boots is playing December 2–28 in San Francisco at the SHN Orpheum Theatre. We spent some time last month with Harvey Fierstein, who wrote a book based on the musical, and Cyndi Lauper, who made history with the show as the fi rst woman to receive the Best Score Tony for a solo creation, to learn about their collaboration. Kinky Boots is about a drag queen named Lola fi nding the perfect pair of boots as well as her place in the world — a journey both these artists can relate to. The pair met years ago when Fierstein brought the world-famous songstress in to work with him on an AIDS benefit, and they’ve been fi nish-each-others’-sentences tight ever since. MIMI TOWLE

What is the play’s message? HF Healing yourself. It’s about that hole in yourself that has been left by a parent — it’s particularly about disappointing your father. CL Daddy issues.

Cyndi, what’s the difference between working on Broadway and in the pop world? CL In the pop world there are plenty of rules to adhere to; in the Broadway world, all I got was there are no rules. Suddenly all the gatekeepers I knew were gone — so I could really write and experiment.

Does the show have a special connection with the Bay Area? CL For me, yes. I played lots of clubs and gay clubs here, and Lola’s voice is built on Sylvester (James Jr.), who to me was one of the greatest singers and dancers out of San Francisco. I played with his song “Stars,” You are a star and you only happen once, and mixed in a little piece of My Fair Lady and a little piece of South Pacific

Cyndi, you’ve said you are a drag queen. What is the appeal? CL Dressing in a way that makes you feel inspired; there is a line in the play I love that Lola says: “So I jumped in my dreams and found an escape.” That’s the crux of the story. HF Or when she says, “And the world seemed brighter six inches off the ground …”

Do you have a favorite pair of boots? CL My combat boots. My feet are a little beat-up after years of glamour and performing. So now I like comfort (yeah, of course I still love glamour so I do suffer when I have to) and my combat boots do the trick. HF Right out of college I had a pair of cowboy boots. They were much too big for me, but I couldn’t get a smaller size to fit my wide feet and high arches. I loved those stupid things. But I was substitute teaching at an inner-city junior high school where a gay man who shuffled along in oversize cowboy boots made a big impression.

entertainers, including Joan Baez, Rita Moreno and Paula West, and benefits Mo’s Kitchen and Glide programs. The War field (SF). 415.674.6001, the war fieldtheatre.com

DEC 4 Michelle Schmitt Holiday Benefit Concert

Join the singer for her sixth annual holiday concert. Proceeds benefit ExtraFood, an organization that provides food for various outlets helping to feed the hungry in Marin. 142 Throckmorton Theatre (Mill Valley). 415.383.9600, throck mortontheatre.org

DEC 5–7 Steve Kimock

The guitarist is joined by friends Bobby Vega, Jeff himenti, Dan Lebowitz, Bill Vitt and John Morgan Kimock for three nights of favorites from Jerry Garcia’s roots and R&B repertoire. Sweetwater Music Hall (Mill Valley). 415.388.1100, sweetwater musichall.com

DEC 6 Paula West and Trio San Francisco’s own Paula West heads across the bridge to showcase her brand of soulful jazz vocals, which have garnered rave reviews from the likes of The New York Times. The Drake High School Jazz Band will open the show. Osher Marin JCC (San Rafael). 415.444.8000, marinjcc.org

DEC 7 Finding the Balance Broadway star

Sierra Boggess, known for her starring role in The Little Mermaid, The Phantom of the Opera and more, puts on a solo concert. Fairmont (SF). 415. 392.4400, bayareacabaret.org

DEC 7 Heavenly Light: Christmas Vespers VIII The Sausalito Presbyterian Church presents its eighth annual Christmas concert with new carols, chants and choruses. Sausalito Presbyterian Church (Sausalito). 415.332.3790, sausalitopres.org

DEC 7 Steve Hackett: Genesis Extended Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett performs hits from Genesis’ repertoire, as well as his numerous solo albums. The War field (SF). 415.674.6001, the war fieldtheatre.com

DEC 7 Sung and Strummed Left Coast Chamber Ensemble presents a concert curated by Left Coast guitarist Michael Goldberg featuring an unusual combination of plucked instruments like the mandolin, harp and guitar, all combined wit h flute and vocals. 142 Throckmorton Theatre (Mill Valley). 415.383.9600, throck mortontheatre.org

DEC 7 Traditional Irish Music Jam Grab your pennywhistle and head to this Irish jam session, where locals play their favorite instruments in an impromptu performance that’s great fun whether you’re watching or playing along. Sleeping Lady (Fairfax). 415.485.1182, sleepinglady fairfax.com

DEC 7 White Christmas Celebrate the 60th anniversary of the classic fi lm with the S.F. Symphony, Michael Feinstein and Debby Boone. Davies Symphony Hall (SF). 415.864.6000, sfsymphony.org

Cyndi Lauper and Harvey Fierstein want to make sure your Christmas is a drag.

DEC 11 Assembly of Dust In the vein of Neil Young, Assembly of Dust plays a collection of Americana music featuring catchy melodies, poetic lyrics and strong musicianship. Sweetwater Music Hall (Mill Valley). 415.388.1100, sweet watermusichall.com

DEC 13–14 Marin Oratorio Sings The Messiah Handel’s timeless masterpiece will be presented by Marin’s premier oratorio society with full orchestra and guest soloists Erina Newkirk, Heidi Waterman, Michael Belle and John Bischoff. College of Marin (Kent field). 415.485.9385, marinoratorio.org

DEC 16 Marin Symphony Holiday Pops Concert The Marin tradition returns with an exciting collection

of holiday-inspired music conducted by Alasdair Neale. The Marin Symphony Chorus and Children’s Chorus join the orchestra to perform tunes from A Charlie Brown Christmas, The Polar Express and many more. Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium (San Rafael). 415.473.6400, marincounty.org

DEC 20 Narada Michael Walden The multiplatinum Grammy- and Emmy-winning producer and friends come to Mill Valley for a holiday jam. 142 Throckmorton Theatre (Mill Valley). 415.383.9600, throck mortontheatre.org

DEC 21 ’Tis the Season…Cheers!

Singers Marin celebrates the season with a cheerful sing-along of holiday favorites including Christmas

carols, Hanukkah songs and popular winter standards, all accompanied by unique visual and lighting effects. Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium (San Rafael). 415.473.6400, marincounty.org

DEC 30–31 The Flaming Lips The Flaming Lips head to San Francisco for two nights of New Year’s Eve fun featuring front man Wayne Coyne and the band as they perform selections from their latest album, a tribute to the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper. The War field (SF). 415.674.6001, the war fieldtheatre.com

GALLERIES

MARIN

Art Abloom Studio and Gallery Classes for artists. 751 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, San Anselmo. 415.256.1112, artabloom.com

• DEC 12–29 San Francisco Ballet: Nutcracker Since its American debut on Christmas Eve 1944, The Nutcracker has brought ballet to the masses through the telling of the whimsical tale of Clara, Drosselmeyer and a larger-thanlife nutcracker. War Memorial Opera House (SF). sfballet.org

415.663.1347, galleryrouteone.org

Headlands Center for the Arts Set Lists for a Setting Sun Works by Dario Robleto, through March 29. 944 Simmonds Rd, Sausalito. 415.331.2787, headlands.org

Marin Society of Artists

The 87th annual members’ show with music accompaniment by Kash Killion, through December 13. 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Ross. 415.454.9561, marinsociety ofartists.org

Mine Gallery Original contemporary art. 1820 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Fairfax. 415.755.4472, gallerymine.com

Art Works Downtown Small Works Show

A juried exhibition, through January 2. 1337 Fourth St, San Rafael. 415.451.8119, artworks downtown.org

Atrium Gallery The American Car: A Family Portrait Works by Gale McKee, through January 2. 1350 South Eliseo Dr, Greenbrae. 415.454.1411

Bubble Street Featuring genres of fantastic art, imaginary realism, neo-Victorian and steampunk. 565 Bridgeway, Sausalito. 415.339.0506

Claudia Chapline Gallery and Sculpture Garden Amie Lute Abstract figure painings and drawings by the artist. 3445 Shoreline Hwy, Stinson Beach. 415.868.2308, cchapline.com

Falkirk Cultural Center

Three Ways of Seeing Paintings by Will Noble, Mary Wagstaff and Nelson Hee, through December 27. 1408 Mission Ave, San Rafael. 415.485.3328, falkirk culturalcenter.org

Fine Art Etc. Featuring a collection of sculptures and paintings by artists from Northern California and around the world. 686 Bridgeway, Sausalito. 415.332.1107, finearttc.com

Gallery Bergelli Group Show New work from gallery artists. 483 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur. 415.945.9454, bergelli.com

Gallery Route One

The Takeaway Show Small and affordable art you can buy right off the all, December 19–January 4. 11101 Hwy One, Point Reyes.

O’Hanlon Center for the Arts Illumination: The Art of Spirit A juried show, through December 20. 616 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley. 415.388.4331, ohanloncenter.org

Petri’s Fine Arts

Featuring contemporary works in various mediums. 690 Bridgeway, Sausalito. 415.332.2626, petrisfineart.com

Robert Allen Fine Art Winter Group Exhibition A group exhibition of works on canvas and panel, December 4–January 30. 301 Caledonia St, Sausalito. 415.331.2800, robertallenfineart.co

Robert Beck Gallery

Early California and contemporary plein air paintings. 222 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, San Anselmo. 415.456.7898, beckgallery.org

Robert Green Fine Arts John Grillo: Now and Then Works from

1946 to 2006. 154

Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley. 415.381.8776, rgfineart.com

Roberta English Art by Cheung Lee, Mayumi Oda, Li Huayi, Ju Ming and Toko Shinoda. 1615 Bridgeway, Sausalito. 415.331.2975, robertaenglish.com

Room Art Gallery

Works by both Bay Area artists and major masters, housing the largest collection of Picasso, Chagall and others in Marin County. 86 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley. 415.380.7940, roomartgallery.com

Seager Gray Gallery

Freefall Work from Jeffrey Beaucham, through December 7. 108 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley. 415.384.8288, seagergray.com

Smith Andersen North

The Jungle Road Work from John Upton, December 13–January 17. 20 Greenfield Ave, San Anselmo. 415.455.9733, smith andersennorth.com

Studio 333 Why There Are Words Literary series featuring New York Times best-selling authors and other award-winning writers. 333A Caledonia St, Sausalito. 415.331.8272, studio333.info

Studio 4 Art Work by local artists, classes and workshops with materials included. 1133 Grant Ave, Novato. 415.596.5546, studio4art.net

The Blissful Gallery

3-D works by local artists. 3415 Shoreline Hwy, Stinson Beach, 415.868.2787, the blissfulgallery.com

Zener Schon

Contemporary Art Contemporary works in various mediums from Eric Zener, Paige Smith, JD Wilson and more. 23 Sunnyside Ave, 415.738.8505, zener schongallery.com

SAN FRANCISCO

ArtHaus An intimate presentation of diverse works in various styles and mediums by New York and Bay Area artists. 411 Brannan St, 415.977.0223, arthaus-sf.com

Electric Works Works by David Schubert. 1360 Mission St, 415.626.5496, sfelectricworks.com

Fouladi Projects Art by Pip Culbert, through December 6. 1803 Market St, 415.621.2535, fouladiprojects.com

Gregory Lind Gallery

Cary Smith and Don Voisine Pieces by the artists, through December. 49 Geary St, 415.296.9661, gregorylindgallery.com

March The Bodegon Series Works by Paulette Tavormina, through December 15. 3075 Sacramento St, 415.931.7233, marchsf.com

Meyerovich Gallery

Pat Steir: Waterfalls Monoprints and silk screens of dripping dreamscapes. 251 Post St, 415.421.7171, meyerovich.com

Pier 24 Photography

Art from the Pilara Foundation Collection. Pier 24, 415.512.7424, pier24.org

MUSEUMS

MARIN

Bolinas Museum Ocean Wonders and Wellness A museum-wide program highlighting the wonders of the sea and the impact of human consumerism on the health of the ocean, through January 4 (Bolinas). 415.868.0330, bolinasmuseum.org

Marin History Museum An Afternoon in a Victorian Parlor A display of an old-fashioned sitting room in the historic Boyd Gate House (San Rafael). 415.454.8538, marinhistory.org

Marin Museum of the American Indian Explore Native American history,

languages, art and traditions (Novato). 415.897.4064, marinindian.com

Marin Museum of Contemporary Art Irregularities of Attention Works exploring the integration of photographs, drawings and symbols, December 6–January 11 (Novato). 415.506.0137, marinmoca.org

BAY AREA Asian Art Museum Roads of Arabia Archaeology and history of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, through January 18 (SF). 415.581.3711, asianart.org

California Academy of Sciences Enjoy an adults-only experience after 6 p.m.

every Thursday. (SF). 415.379.8000, calacademy.org

Conservatory of Flowers Aquascapes The art of underwater gardening, through April 12 (SF). 415.831.2090, conservatory offlowers.org

Contemporary Jewish Museum J. Otto Seibold and Mr. Lunch A history and drafts from J. Otto Seibold’s Mr. Lunch books, through March 8 (SF). 415.655.7800, thecjm.org

de Young Anthony Friedkin: The Gay Essay Photographs chronicling the gay communities in Los Angeles and San Francisco from 1969 to 1973, through January

11 (SF). 415.750.3600, deyoung.famsf.org

Exploratorium Ongoing interactive exhibits exploring science, art and human perception (SF). 415.397.5673, exploratorium.edu

Museum of Craft and Design Wendy Maruyama: Executive Order 9066 The final stop of this traveling exhibition, through January 4 (SF). 415.773.0303, sfmcd.org

Oakland Museum of California Fertile Ground: Art and Community in California A collaboration between SFMOMA and OMCA exploring how California artists have in fluenced and have been in fluenced, through April 12 (Oakland). 510.318.8400, museumca.org

San Francisco Botanical Garden Cloud Forest

A colorful jungle of flowering plants representative of typical cloud forest plant communities in southern Mexico and throughout Central America, through December 31 (SF). sfbotanical garden.org

Sonoma Valley Museum of Art Eleanor Coppola: Quiet, Creative Force Works by Eleanor Coppola, through January 25 (Sonoma). svma.org

The Walt Disney Family Museum All Aboard: A Celebration of Walt’s Trains A comprehensive exhibit exploring the in fluence that railroading had on Walt Disney’s life and work, through February 9 (SF). 415.345.6800, waltdisney.org

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts 4Trains Poetic and visual storytelling comes to life at this innovative and immersive show by TED Fellow Christine Marie, December 4–6 (SF). 415.978.2787, ybca.org

EVENTS

THRU DEC 21 Great Dickens Christmas Fair Step back in time with this Dickens-era Christmas celebration complete with tearooms, shops, pubs, dancing, actors and recreations of old London streets. Cow Palace (SF). dickensfair.com

DEC 5 Tree Lighting Ceremony Jack London Square rings in the holiday season with a tree lighting ceremony on the Oakland waterfront. Enjoy live entertainment, reindeer, hot chocolate and a visit from Santa Claus at this annual event. Jack London Square (Oakland). 510.645.9292, jack londonsquare.com

DEC 5–7 ICB Winter Open Studios This year’s open studios centers on a “Beyond the Mask” theme. Step into the world of the mask as 100 artists share their interpretations and creations. Industrial Center Building (Sausalito). icbartists.com

DEC 6 Landmark’s Holiday Art and Craft Sale Get some holiday shopping done at this annual favorite featuring arts and crafts from local artists and including everything from bath products to jewelry. Twenty percent of all sales benefit the Belvedere-Tiburon Landmarks Society. 841

Tiburon Blvd (Tiburon). landmarks-society.org

DEC 6–7 West Coast Craft The second annual art and design show returns to San Francisco to share what embodies the best of the West right now. The lineup of more than 175 vendors includes several from Marin. Fort Mason Center (SF). westcoastcraft.com

DEC 12 Winterfest! Enjoy live music, arts and crafts, holiday treats, face painting, a bounce house and a chance to get your picture taken with Santa. Community Center (Marinwood). 415.479.0775, marinwood.org

DEC 12–14 Sausalito Winterfest With food and wine tastings, a children’s holiday fair, arts and crafts, fi reworks and a lighted boat parade, Sausalito Winterfest is a fun and festive way to celebrate the season. Various locations (Sausalito). 415.990.1630, sausalitoon-the-waterfront.org

DEC 13 Marin Indoor Antique Market Christmas Show Step back in time at this holiday-themed antique market boasting more than 70 booths full of antique and collectible jewelry, china, silver, glass, pottery, books, posters, linens and more. Marin Center Exhibit Hall (San Rafael). golden gateshows.com

FILM

DEC 4 The Last Ocean Ecologist David Ainley presents a special screening. The Last Ocean centers on the Ross Sea in Antarctica,

Paula West appears at Glide’s Holiday Jam at The Warfield, S.F.

the most pristine stretch of ocean on the planet, and the fi shing fleets that could potentially destroy it. Smith Rafael Film Center (San Rafael). 415.454.1222, ca fi lm.org

DEC 12–13 Home Alone

Enjoy this holiday favorite featuring a score by composer John Williams, accompanied live by the San Francisco Symphony.

Davies Symphony Hall (SF). 415.864.6000, sfsymphony.org

DEC 13 Die Meistersinger von Nürenburg Wagner’s most popular comedic opera is broadcast in high defi nition live from the Metropolitan Opera. Lark Theater (Larkspur). 415.924.5111, larktheater.net

DEC 21 It’s a Wonderful Life An angel helps a man rediscover his life by showing him what the world would be like if he had never existed. See this holiday favorite on the big screen. Smith Rafael Film Center (San Rafael). 415.454.1222, ca fi lm.org

NATURE WALKS & TALKS

DEC 2 An Ocean Garden: The Secret Life of Seaweed Artist and beachcomber Josie Iselin shares the unexpected beauty of seaweed — from sea grapes to nori — which is often overlooked and contains great value for human health. The Bay Model (Sausalito). 415.332.3871

DEC 5–7 Writing Out of Darkness: New Poems Workshop Focus your thoughts at this peaceful, pre-holiday writing workshop. Centering on the theme of solstice, travel through the darkness and toward the light with walks on the beach, good literature, food and discussion.

Various locations (Point Reyes). 415.663.1200, ptreyes.org

DEC

13 Bay Model Tour

Join WildCare on a family tour of the Bay Model Visitor Center to view the complete baydelta system at a glance. Enjoy an overview and a one-hour tour followed by a walk along the bay. Bay Model (Sausalito). 415.456.7283, wildcare bayarea.org

DEC 13 Photographing Waves Partake in this workshop to learn about the role of patterns in composition, as well as how to use short shutter speeds to halt wave motion. Begin with an orientation before visiting two lovely locations to practice your new skills. Various locations (Point Reyes). 415.663.1200, ptreyes.org

DEC 14 49ers Football on the Big Screen Cheer on the San Francisco 49ers on a theater-size screen in the company of other fans while savoring Sweetwater’s cocktails and appetizers. Sweetwater Music Hall (Mill Valley). 415.388.1100, sweet watermusichall.com

Marin is the wealthiest county in California. Yet nearly a quarter of our older adults are living in poverty.

They need rides, meals, classes, community. That’s where Whistlestop comes in.

We’re the largest Marin organization serving older adults. For sixty years, we’ve been helping people age with grace, dignity, and independence.

We offer 6 to 8 classes a day, five days a week. We serve over 7,400 meals each month. We provide more than 130,000 rides each year.

Won’t you help with a monthly gift? Just $10 a month buys fifteen homebound seniors a good meal and a friendly visit.

Help us take care of our own at AgingInMarin.com

IN MARIN, WE TAKE CARE OF OUR OWN.

Dine

AN INSIDER’S GUIDE TO RESTAURANTS AND GOOD FOOD IN THE BAY AREA

CORTE MADERA

BEST LIL’ PORKHOUSE

American For a selection of fried appetizers, ribs, sliders and barbecue sauce, head to this authentic barbecue joint. The bar area boasts a pool table and several televisions perfect for entertaining the family while you chow down on Texas-style barbecue. 60 Madera Blvd, 415.927.7427, bestlilporkhouse.com

BLUE BARN GOURMET

American The first Marin outpost of the S.F.–based Sustainable Restaurant Group, Blue Barn Gourmet has proven to be very popular. The menu consists of customizable salads, toasted sandwiches, soups and more, prepared with locally harvested produce and proteins. 335 Corte Madera Town Ctr, 415.927.1104, bluebarngourmet.com

BRICK & BOTTLE

IL FORNAIO Italian

Sausalito’s Larry Mindel hit a home run with this upscale Italian restaurant franchise. Aside from the pizzas and pastas, the menu offers a variety of salads and carb-free entrées. 223 Corte Madera Town Ctr, 415.927.4400, ilfornaio.com

MARIN JOE’S Italian

This Marin mainstay has been around for over 50 years. Choose from a menu of soups, salads, seafood, mesquite-grilled or sautéed meats and a plethora of pasta options guaranteed to satisfy. For a fun addition to your dining experience, order the Caesar salad — the server will prepare the dressing at your table. Not looking for a meal? Enjoy a drink and hear local musicians at the well-known piano bar. 1585 Casa Buena Dr, 415.924.2081, marinjoesrestaurant.com

PACIFIC CATCH

• PIZZALINA Italian Pizzalina is the perfect place to relax and unwind with friends, family and neighbors. Pizzas are handmade and cooked in a wood oven; other classic Italian items include shrimp risotto and a burrata antipasto dish. Menus change daily according to the seasonal markets. 914 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.256.9780, pizzalina.com

California From private parties to catered events, chef Bob Simontacchi’s menu offers seasonal selections made with local ingredients. Enjoy signature dishes like orzo mac ‘n’ cheese with smoked Gouda and local favorites like sa ff ron fettucine and tomato braised short ribs. The restaurant also hosts one of the best happy hours in town. 55 Tamal Vista Blvd, 415.924.3366, brickandbottle.com

Pan-Asian The wellpriced menu features a bounty of freshly caught items and Paci fic Rim–inspired small or main plates, including generously portioned wasabi bowls fi lled with white or brown rice, veggies and your choice of chicken, beef or fi sh (cooked or raw). Paci fic Catch is successfully modeled after the Paia Fish House on Maui, down to the chalkboard menu and Hawaiian music. 133 Corte Madera Town Ctr, 415.927.3474, pacificcatch.co

PEI Mussels al Forno

EDITED BY MIMI TOWLE

Beauty. Simplicity. Creativity. The elegance of clean, modern design. Free gift-wrapping. Attentive, experienced sales staff. All this plus thousands of handcrafted designer gifts for your home and tabletop, wearable art, jewelry, and much more await you at Terrestra in downtown Mill Valley. Featuring the largest-in-USA selection of fine leather goods from Mywalit of Lucca, Italy.

Wish granted.

PIG IN A PICKLE Barbecue/American

Fresh, local ingredients and the highest quality brisket, pork, ribs and chicken comprise the menu of this Town Center eatery. House made pickles, buns and sausages will keep you coming back. 341 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.717.7093, pigin apicklebbq.com

THE COUNTER California/American

The folks at the Counter have taken the “have it your way” motto to a whole new level. Known for all-natural Angus beef, turkey, chicken and veggie burgers, the restaurant also offers a burger bowl (all the ingredients without the bun). And if you want a martini with your burger, no problem—there’s a full bar. 201 Corte Madera Town Ctr 415.924.7000, thecounterburger.com

VEGGIE GRILL Vegan/ Vegetarian This restaurant’s menu of vegan/ vegetarian items — think quinoa bowls supplemented with tempeh or vegetablebased proteins and sides like crispy portobello — ensures that there is something for every kind of eater. 100 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.945.8954, veggiegrill.com

FAIRFAX

123 BOLINAS California

This Fairfax spot was created by four friends who aimed to showcase seasonal fare in a relaxing, intimate environment. Enjoy locally brewed beer, small-productionwines and one of the many cheese boards as you take in the view of Bolinas Park through

the floor-to-ceiling windows. 123 Bolinas St, 415.488.5123, 123bolinas.com

IRON SPRINGS PUB & BREWERY American Choose from an extensive beer list, and enjoy your selection with an ale-braised BBQ pork sandwich, prawn tacos or the house-ground chicken bacon cheeseburger. 765 Center Blvd, 415.485.1005, ironspringspub.com

SORELLA CAFFE Italian Run by sisters Sonia and Soyara, Sorella — which means “sister” in Italian — serves up fresh Italian food with a northern in fluence. Customer favorites include the cioppino, butternut squash ravioli and Pollo alla Sorella. Another highlight is the giant wheel of Grana Padana cheese, which is passed around from table to table. 107 Bolinas Rd, 415.258.4520, sorellacaffe.co

GREENBRAE

JASON’S California

Head to Jason’s for seafood dishes with an Asian and Italia n fl air. Try the bacon-wrapped scallops, miso-glazed Chilean sea bass or the brandy chicken. 300 Drakes Landing Rd, 415.925.0808, jasonsrestaurant.com

WIPEOUT BAR & GRILL American The family-friendly spot has sur fb oards hanging from the ceiling, fun-in-the-sun music, large televisions displaying surfers riding waves, a full bar and a menu that includes fi sh tacos, salads and burgers. 302 Bon Air Ctr, 415.461.7400, wipeoutbarandgrill.com

‘‘Wish I could skip the shopping crowds this season!’’

KENTFIELD

AMBROSIA Italian This family friendly Italian joint serves traditional pizzas and homemade pastas, with one of the best wine-by-the-glass programs in Marin. Owner Mark Leslie is bringing his pizza, pasta and passion for good wines by the glass to Kent field— check Facebook for details. 800 College Ave, 415.454.9292

HALF

menu that follows what is fresh and local, chef David Monson creates dishes such a s flu ff y omelets stu ffed with local meats, cheeses and vegetables, and made with Glaum eggs from the South Bay. 25 Ward St, 415.891.8577, farmhouselocal.com

FARMSHOP California

DAY CAFE

American Tucked away in a setting of intertwining ivy and large open windows, this Cafe is the perfect breakfast nook and is also open for brunch and lunch. The menu includes coffee drinks, exceptional pastries and much more. Enjoy a casual meal inside or on the outdoor patio. 848 College Ave, 415.459.0291, halfdaycafe.com

LARKSPUR

BELCAMPO MEAT CO. American The goods at this meatery are delivered from the certi fied-organic Belcampo Farms near Mount Shasta, dedicated to practicing a holistic approach to pasture management. Try the classic grilled items, like the roasted tri-tip sandwich or the sloppy joe. Marin Country Mart, 2405 Larkspur Landing Circle, 415.448.5810, belcampomeatco.com

FARM HOUSE LOCAL

California Downtown Larkspur’s newest gem is sure to please with simple, healthy food in a warm, cozy atmosphere — both inside and outside on their covered patio. With a seasonal

Originally based in L.A., Farmshop Marin has customers clamoring for cocktails and a delicious assortment of California-centric cuisine. Call ahead for a reservation — this place is always packed.

Marin Country Mart, 2233 Larkspur Landing Circle, 415.755.6700, farmshopla.com

LEFT BANK

RESTAURANT French

Known for awardwinning French cuisine and a lively brasserie ambience, this corner spot on Magnolia Avenue rates high with locals. Those with a small appetite (or budget) can opt for happy hour (4 to 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. to close, M–F) appetizers, most priced under $6. 507 Magnolia Ave, 415.927.3331, leftbank.com

MARIN BREWING

CO American Grab a cold beer made on site and pair it wit h fi sh ‘n’ chips — fresh cod dipped in Mt. Tam pale ale batter, served with steak fries and homemade tartar sauce — or another item from the all-American menu.

Marin Country Mart, 1809 Larkspur Landing Circle, 415.461.4677, marinbrewing.com

RUSTIC BAKERY

California Try a large house-made pastry, an artisanal salad or a mouthwatering

• PICCO California

Popular since its inception, dishes like mini-burgers , seasonally driven menu items, and risotto made every half hour, keep patrons coming back. The Picco Pizzeria and Wine Bar next door is cozy (not many seats) and 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

sandwich at this Marin favorite. Two Larkspur locations: Marin Country Mart, 415.461.9900; 1139 Magnolia Ave, 415.925.1556, rusticbakery.com

MILL VALLEY

BALBOA CAFE MILL

VALLEY California The San Francisco institution has already become a place to see and be seen in Mill Valley, especially after the 142 Throckmorton comedy nights. Menu items include Niman Ranch fl at iron steak, braised beef brisket risotto and classic burgers. 38 Miller Ave, 415.381.7321, balboacafe.com

BOO KOO Asian

Authentic Asian street

food is now available for $10 or less. The restaurant offers options for every eater—vegans, gluten-frees, vegetarians and carnivores alike. Menu items include chicken pho, vegan summer rolls, pad thai and five-spice pork satay, all made with organic, locally sourced veggies and proteins. 25 Miller Ave, 415.888.8303, eatbookoo.com

BUCKEYE ROADHOUSE

American Oysters Bingo, baby back ribs and the Chili-Lime “Brick” Chicken are a few of the satisfying, comfort-food-style menu items that have made this classic roadhouse a favorite since the ’30s. The warm, dark-wood bar with

red leather booths is a popular spot for cocktails, conversations or a light meal. 15 Shoreline Hwy, 415.331.2600, buckeyeroadhouse.com

DIPSEA CAFE Comfort

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 and sausage — or just plain butter. Lunch specialties include BLTs, tuna melts and generous Cobb salads; enjoy Greek-inspired dinners in the later hours. 200 Shoreline Hwy, 415.381.0298, dipseacafe.com

EL PASEO American

This Marin chophouse continues to impress

as the years pass — the restaurant itself has been around since 1947. The menu speaks to the restaurant’s elegance, with offerings like roasted bone marrow, crispy duck wings and the El Paseo short rib. 17 Throckmorton Ave, 415.388.0741, elpaseomillvalley.com

HARMONY Chinese

Enjoy a lighter take on Chinese at this restaurant, nestled in the Strawberry Village. The barbecue pork bun is fi lled with housemade roasted meat in a savory sauce, and fresh mussels are accented with red chili and Thai basil. Pair your pick with wine, beer or tea. Be sure to check out the weekday lunch special for an excellent

deal. Strawberry Village, 415.381.5300, harmonyrestaurant group.com

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

LA GINESTRA Italian

A favorite family spot for over 30 years; getting a table or booth here can take awhile. While this old-school Italian eatery is known for traditional pastas, veal dishes, pizzas and dry martinis, the familiar waitstaff s also part of the attraction. 127 Throckmorton Ave, 415.388.0224, laginestramv.com

MILL VALLEY BEERWORKS American Known for handcrafted beers, imported and local microbrews and house-made kombucha and root beer, this popular downtown Mill Valley neighborhood brewery recently doubled its space and expanded its food and beverage menu. Choose from a large selection of small plates, including king oyster mushrooms, roasted potatoes and grilled squid, and a small list of large portions like rabbit con fit. 173 Throckmorton Ave, 415.888.8218, mill valleybeerworks.com

NOURISH GRILL American This restaurant for the Club at Harbor Point is situated on the waterfront and open to the public. Open for brunch, lunch and dinner, it serves classics

like grilled shrimp, and an all-American clubhouse burger. 475 E Strawberry Dr, 415.381.4400, nourish.harbor-point.com

PIAZZA D’ANGELO

Italian It’s always a party at this longstanding hot spot. A great place to meet up with friends for a fresh plate of pasta, or to make some new friends at the bar. Chef Andrea Guilini, originally from Venice, is known for his creative, seasonal dishes like the stu ffed veal loin with wild mushrooms and house-made mozzarella. 22 Miller Ave, 415.388.2000, piazzadangelo.com

PIATTI RISTORANTE AND BAR Italian The staff rides itself on capturing the warm and welcoming atmosphere of a traditional Italian trattoria. Get a table by the window or on the outdoor deck for a truly exceptional view right on the water. Peruse the impressive selection of Italian wines to accompany your rustic seasonal meal. 625 Redwood Hwy, 415.380.2525, piatti.com

PIZZA ANTICA Italian

This Strawberry Shopping Center spot boasts amazing thincrust pizza along with an array of antipasti and hearty salads. Wine is served by the glass, half carafe or bottle. 800 Redwood Hwy, 415.383.0600, pizzaantica.com

THE PLANT CAFE

California One of San Francisco’s favorite organic cafes has found a home north of the Golden Gate. The Plant offrs affrdable, delicious and

Avocado Bruschetta

healthy food made from local, organic ingredients. Stop by for the California-inspired meal, raw organic juice, a diet-supplementing smoothie or a delicious dessert. Strawberry Village Shopping Center, 415.388.8658, theplantcafe.com

PRABH INDIAN KITCHEN Indian Owned and operated by the Singh family, this restaurant is dedicated to serving healthy, organic and sustainable food with gluten-free and vegan options. Dishes include chicken pakora, vegetable biryani and basil garlic naan. Try the Thali menu (offered at lunch), a selection of several Indian dishes served at once. 24 Sunnyside Ave, 415.384.8241, prabh indiankitchen.com

ROBATA GRILL AND SUSHI Japanese Robata translates as “by the fi reside”; fittingly, food here can be cooked on an open fi re and served in appetizer-size portions to pass around the table. Or simply order your own sushi or entrée from the menu. 591 Redwood Hwy, 415.381.8400, robatagrill.com

SOL FOOD Puerto Rican

This Marin favorite has opened doors in Mill Valley, where they continue to serve up everyone’s favorite Puerto Rican cuisine. The line can get long, but the food is well worth it. 401 Miller Ave, 415.380.1986, solfoodrestaurant.com

SWEETWATER MUSIC

HALL CAFE American

Located at the entrance of Sweetwater Music Hall, the cafe is a small oasis of calm, dedicated

to the F.L.O.S.S. philosophy: Fresh, Local, Organic, Seasonal and Sustainable. O ffering breakfast, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch, the menu includes brown-butter scrambled eggs on avocado toast, crispy chicken sliders with gingery cabbage slaw and vegan Thai spring rolls with sweet and sour sauce. 19 Corte Madera Ave, 415.388.3850, sweet watermusichall.com

TAMALPIE Italian Pizzas are crafted from a 1,500-year-old recipe, with organic ingredients gathered from the farmers’ market twice weekly. Sit indoors or out and enjoy starters like creamy polenta, salads and pies with names like Hoo-kooE-koo and Railroad Grade. 477 Miller Ave, 415.388.7437, tamalpiepizza.com

THEP LELA Thai This jewel is tucked away in the back of 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, theplela.com

TOAST American Take the kids out familystyle breakfast at this cozy venue; Toast is on the small side, so be sure to allot time for a wait. Lunch and dinner are served, too. 31 Sunnyside Ave, 415.388.2500, toastmillvalley.com

TONY TUTTO PIZZA Italian Tony has been pouring his passion for pizza into his daily dishes for two decades and his menu now includes family recipes. Expect

• COMFORTS CAFE American

This cozy spot features local favorites made with local ingredients. Stop in for breakfast, lunch, weekend brunch and offerings from the delicious deli selection. Be sure to try the Philly cheesesteak and Chinese chicken salad, both classics. 335 San Anselmo Ave, 415.454.9840, comfortscafe.com

creative, artisan-style pizza featuring the best imported, natural and local organic ingredients. Take out or dine in; mostly outdoor seating, so dress accordingly. 246 E. Blithedale Ave, 415.383.8646, tonytuttopizza.com

NOVATO

HILLTOP 1892 California Situated on a historic estate in Novato with sweeping views, Hilltop 1892 offers classic favorites with a California flair. Open lunch through dinner, as well as Sunday brunch. 850 Lamont Ave, 415.893.1892, hilltop1892.com

LEFT COAST DEPOT

American Located in Old Town Novato, this eatery serves breakfast, lunch and dinner prepared by chef Mike Garcia,

formerly of Toast. Menu items include sticky ribs, roasted beet and cauli flower salad and old-fashioned meatloaf. Ask your server about the nightly three-course Depot Dinner Meal. 807 Grant Ave, 415.897.7707, leftcoastdepot.com

RUSTIC BAKERY

California Organic mouthwatering pastries, breads and sandwiches are on the menu here. Try the Marin Melt — Cowgirl Creamery’s Mt. Tam and Point Reyes’ Toma cheeses grilled on honey whole wheat bread, served with dressed baby greens and crisp apple slices. 1407 Grant Ave, 415.878.4952, rusticbakery.com

SMASHBURGER

American This burger joint invented, and makes use of, a patented

tool that smashes a meatball into the perfect burger patty while it’s on the grill. Enjoy that newfangled burger with a Häagen-Dazs milkshake and a side of haystack onion rings. 7320 Redwood Blvd, 415.408.6560, smashburger.com

SONOMA LATINA GRILL Mexican The menu includes standbys like tacos, burritos and enchiladas (all prepared with local and organic ingredients) plus a list of favorites from the original Sonoma location. In keeping with the unprocessed theme, tortillas are made by hand with natural and organic whole grains. 5800 Nave Dr, Ste D, 415.883.2662, sonomalatinagrill.com

TOAST American Sister to the popular Mill Valley location, Toast Novato features

outdoor dining and contemporary architechture by Stanley Saitowitz. The spacious restaurant is ideal for large parties and families looking for a large plate of comfort food. 5800 Nave Dr, 415.382.1144, toastnovato.com

SAN ANSELMO

BUBBA’S DINER American Kids and adults will be begging for seconds at this hopping local hangout that offers burgers, shakes, fries and homemade apple pie. 566 San Anselmo Ave, 415.459.6862, bubbas-diner.net

FLOUR CRAFT BAKERY

California Flour Craft is San Anselmo’s answer to local gluten-free needs: Artisan pastries, fresh bread, desserts, special occasion cakes and lunch items are all

gluten- and peanutfree. Customer favorites include the Earl Grey Chocolate Tea Cake and Flourless Hazelnut Fudge. 702 San Anselmo Ave, 415.453.3100, flourcraftbakery.co

L’APPART RESTO French Owners Bruno Denis and Olivier Souvestre of Le Garage fame offer a menu most Francophiles would be proud of, complete with items like roasted bone marrow and cassoulet. 636 San Anselmo Ave, 415.256.9884, lappartresto.com

VALENTI & CO. Italian This bright and cozy space is the ideal environment for a sampling of authentic Italian cuisine from Chef Valenti, a Milanese transplant. Though Valenti sticks to his culinary roots, the dishes at his Marin restaurant make use of local ingredients. A seat at the vinobar offers a prime view of the open kitchen. 337 San Anselmo Ave, 415.454.7800, valentico.com

SAN RAFAEL

FENIX California An intimate live-music venue in the heart of downtown San Rafael. Fenix features globally inspired California cuisine with a Southern French twist. Dishes like fried green tomatoes or 72-hours sous-vide short ribs — accompanied by a glass from the extensive wine list — defi ne the experience. 919 Fourth Street, 415.813.5600, fenixlive.com

IL DAVIDE Italian A large selection of both Italian and California wines by the glass, along with the tiramisu,

have kept locals coming back for years. Don’t leave without sampling the limoncello. 901 A St, 415.454.8080, ildavide.net

MULBERRY STREET

PIZZERIA Italian Chef Ted Rowe won fi rst place in the Food Network Television Pizza Challenge with his For the Love of Mushroom pizza — sautéed mushrooms in a creamy garlic sauce and a red wine reduction atop a fresh pizza crust. Be sure to try other unique pies, like the spicy Three Beer pizza and the clam and garlic pizza, as well. 101 Smith Ranch Rd, 415.472.7272, mulberry-streetpizzeria.com

NAPOLI Italian This family-owned-andrun restaurant boasts a special craft beer program: They keep the prices down and the libation s flowing, and about 45 wines and 25 beers (including some from Marin) are on the list at any given time. The pizza and pasta are East Coast Italian, with Marin and Bay Area accents. Gluten-free pizza and pasta available. 869 Fourth St, 415.459.3315, napolirestaurant.biz

PIZZA ORGASMICA

American Enjoy indulgent favorites like the Serpent’s Kiss or Inspiration Point pies with a crisp beer, Orgasmica style. Eat in or order a halfbaked pizza to cook and enjoy at home. 812 Fourth St, 415.457.2337, pizzaorgasmica.com

RANGE CAFE American With floor-to-ceiling windows positioned overlooking the grand Peacock Gap lawns,

Asian Chicken and Veggie Salad

the Range Cafe is the perfect place to enjoy comforting American classics with an elegant twist. This inviting lunchtime cafe with its ice-cold lemonade and refreshing chardonnays makes a great dinner spot once the sun sets. 333 Biscayne Dr, 415.454.6450, rangecafe.net

TERRAPIN CROSSROADS

American This waterfront restaurant and music venue — opened by local musician Phil Lesh — houses fresh food and local talent. The menu includes salads, savory dishes and wood-fi red pizzas to go with a wide selection of beers, wines and cocktails. Come for the food, stay for the music. 100 Yacht Club Dr, 415.524.2773, terrapin crossroads.net

THERESA & JOHNNY’S COMFORT FOOD

American A favorite of everyone from kids to the foodie set, this charming eatery serves up food like Mom used to make. Drop by for eggs Benedict, tuna melts, coffee and some of the best milk shakes around. 817 Fourth St, 415.259.0182, theresa-and-johnnys.com

VIN ANTICO American

This resurrected restaurant offers seasonal market-inspired cuisine like stone oven-baked fl atbreads, handmade pasta and organic salads. The kitchen is open to the dining room, so try to snag a seat at the chef’s counter. 881 Fourth St, 415.721.0600, vinantico.com

SAUSALITO

ANGELINO RESTAURANT Italian Father-and-son chefs Pasquale and Alfredo Ancona offer handmade pastas and seasonal antipasti at this authentic Italian restaurant, which has been showcasing cuisine of the Campania region for over 20 years. 621 Bridgeway, 415.331.5225, angelinorestaurant.com

AURORA RISTORANTE & PIZZERIA Italian Novato’s Auror a fi nally has a counterpart in southern Marin. Aurora offers traditional Italian food, a full bar and friendly service, making it a great option for families, groups, dates and sports enthusiasts, who can keep up to date on the game via large fl at-screen TV. 300 Valley St, 415.339.8930, aurora-sausalito.com

AVATAR’S Indian If you’re on the hunt for innovative Indian fare, head straight to Avatar’s and let owner Ashok Kumar order for you. Sip Masala Chiar sweetened with brown sugar in this casual, one-room restaurant. 2656 Bridgeway, 415.332.8083, enjoyavatars.com

BAR BOCCE American Food just tastes better when you’re dining on a bayside patio with fi re pits and a bocce ball court. Order one of the sourdough bread pizzas and a glass of wine, and you’ll see why this casual eatery has become a local favorite. 1250 Bridgeway, 415.331.0555, barbocce.com

Artistry and Craftsmanship Artistry and Craftsmanship

to

Biscone

SERVES 8

Ingredients

2½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cut into ½-inch chunks

8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, lightly floured and cut into 8 even slices

1 cup caramelized onions

1 cup bacon lardons (¼-inch chunks of bacon that have been cooked to a slightly crispy texture)

1 cup hard cheddar cheese, cut in ½ -inch chunks

1 ¼ cups cold buttermilk

1 tablespoon fresh thyme

To Prepare

1 Preheat oven to 325°F. 2 Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in vegetable shortening. Add butter, pressing butter slices with fingers to flatten until they are thin and coated with flour, but still intact. 3 Freeze mixture for 30 minutes. 4 Remove mixture from freezer. 5 Working quickly, add onions, bacon and cheese. Add cold buttermilk and gently mix until just combined. 6 Pour dough onto floured countertop. 7 Pat until 1 inch thick and cut into 8 squares. Brush with melted butter. 8 Bake at 325°F for 15 minutes or until golden brown (baking time may vary). 9 Remove from oven, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with thyme to finish. Note: Do not overwork or handle the dough too much — this will result in a tough biscone.

A Community Dining Room

IF YOU ARE a fan of food, learning and good company, you should probably pay a visit to Taste Kitchen and Table, Fairfax’s newest culinary venture. Opened in September by partners Lorenzo Jones, who handles the business, and Rochelle Edwards, who cooks up the fare, Taste offers breakfast, lunch, healthy snacks, special dinners, assorted pastries, fresh bread and more. The “more” will soon include monthly cooking classes, catering services, artisan demonstrations and lectures. Jones and Edwards want Taste to be a gathering place for like-minded locals, but they’ve started by offering tasty treats aplenty. Edwards inherited her passion for cooking and baking from her grandmother, whom she grew up watching prepare meals for her family on the East Coast. At Taste, she enjoys the opportunity to cook for an appreciative community, using fresh and local ingredients to create such healthy yet indulgent goods as the biscone, a cross between a biscuit and a scone. “As a mother of three with a career, I know that having quality food that’s delicious, is easy to prepare and can be served at any time of day is great for everyone; the biscone fits the bill,” Edwards says. “It’s equally satisfying whether it’s functioning as breakfast, lunch, dinner or a savory snack.” tastekitchenandtable.com CALIN VAN PARIS

BARREL HOUSE

TAVERN California

Stop by Barrel House for great local food enhanced by fantastic bay and city views. The relaxed urban envrionment is ideal for enjoying one of the restaurant’s barrel-aged cocktails. 660 Bridgeway, 415.729.9593, barrelhousetavern.com

BIO French Enjoy fresh crepes and a bevy of fresh, glutenfree options at this casual eatery. Stop by for breakfast, lunch or dinner to sample omelets, galettes, duck con fit or beef bourguignon. 2633 Bridgeway, 415.324.7080, biologiquesf.com

CIBO Cafe Located in a historic brick building on Sausalito’s main drag, Cibo is a great place to a sip a quick cup of coffee outdoors. Husband-and-wife team Alfredo and Tera Ancona offer a menu of tarts, croissants, cookies, paninis and soups. Every dish is made from scratch with local and seasonal products. 1201 Bridgeway, 415.331.2426, cibosausalito.com

COPITA Mexican Chef Joanne Weir serves up fresh Mexican fare in the heart of downtown Sausalito. The ever-changing menu is always 100% gluten-free, and the in-house tequila bar offers over 30 varieties, available blanco, reposado or añejo. Enjoy your meal at the bar or on the outdoor patio. 739 Bridgeway, 415.331.7400, copita restaurant.com

FAST FOOD FRANCAIS

French Owned and operated by the owners of Le Garage and L’Appart Resto, F3 serves brunch, lunch and dinner, all featuring “Frenchi fied” American comfort food. Sample a rotating menu including items like the Luxe burger (Diestel turkey, brie, lettuce and a fried egg topped with tru ffle aioli). Enjoy with a side of Brussels sprout chips or pomme dauphines (tater tots). 39 Caledonia St, 415.887.9047, eatf3.com

FENG NIAN Chinese

This spacious hangout has been a popular spot for wonton soup, pot stickers and daily specials for nearly two decades. For an indulgent treat, order the Szechwan crispy calamari, honey-glazed walnut prawn or lemon chicken. Staying in?

Feng Nian offers free delivery. Free delivery. 2650 Bridgeway, 415.331.5300, fengnian.com

LE GARAGE French

Escape tourist-fi lled Sausalito for an indulgent brunch right on the water. The atmosphere is animated with light French music (á la Amélie), and the much-adored croquemonsieur is under $10. Opt for indoor or outdoor seating. 85 Liberty Ship Way, 415.332.5625, legaragebistro sausalito.com

LIGHTHOUSE American

A great spot to grab a classic breakfast — the fruit pancakes, omelettes and Danishin fluenced dishes will make you a return customer. This is a small but popular space, so arrive early or be prepared for a

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wait. 1311 Bridgeway, 415.331.3034, light house-restaurants.com

MURRAY CIRCLE

American Cavallo Point’s acclaimed restaurant, features local seasonal fare by executive chef Justin Everett, with pairings from an extensive wine list and tempting desserts. Don’t forget to visit Farley Bar for cocktails with a view. 601 Murray Circle, 415.339.4750, cavallopoint.com

NAPA VALLEY BURGER

COMPANY American Incorporating local, all-natural and organic produce and meats, this burger joint serves up classic and inventive gourmet patties (gluten-free buns available), fries, root beer floats and more. With

outdoor and indoor tables, the space can accommodate up to 100 people. 670 Bridgeway, 415.332.1454, napavalleyburger company.com

OSTERIA DIVINO

Tuscan Locals come for the live music, tasty pastas and coffee drinks, all served in a funky one-room setting. Stop by for their Sunday brunch that features more music and creative breakfast plates. 37 Caledonia St, 415.331.9355, caffedivinosausalito.co

POGGIO Italian A classic trattoria with comfortable neighborhood charm and destination-caliber cuisine. Executive chef Benjamin Balesteri creates delicious Northern

Italian fare using fresh and local ingredients, including produce from the nearby Poggio chef garden. 777 Bridgeway, 415.332.7771, poggiotratoria.com

SALITO’S Seafood

Enjoy a cocktail or a signature dishes like whole roasted Dungeness crab, housemade kettle bread served with Straus butter and sizzling iron skillets of mussels in a casual, whimsical ambience 1200 Bridgeway, 415.331.3226, salitoscrabhouse.com

SAYLOR’S

RESTAURANT AND BAR Mexican Marin’s fi rst tequila bar offers more than 100 varieties. Enjoy the festive atmosphere with a margarita, grilled snapper

tacos or an avocado stu ffed with Dungeness crab salad. Happy hour M-F from 4 to 7 p.m. 2009 Bridgeway, 415.332.1512, saylorsrestaurant andbar.com

SEAFOOD PEDDLER Seafood A great place to seek out fresh seafood in a warm and inviting environment. East and West Coast fi sh are flown in daily, and the recipes are adjusted to accommodate the freshest options. 303 Johnson St, 415.332.1492, seafoodpeddler.com

SEAHORSE Italian The spacious dining area, accompanied by a dance floor and stage, make Seahorse ideal for both small and large celebrations. Enjoy a modern twist on classic Tuscan

coastal cuisine while grooving to the nightly live music and entertainment. 305 Harbor Dr, 415.331.2899, sausalitoseahorse.com

SUSHI RAN Japanese Sample innovative small plates just big enough to share before enjoying some of the best sushi the Bay Area has to offer; the prices don’t deter the herd of enthusiasts who line up nightly to partake. Just stopping by? The wine, cocktail and sake lists keep even the pickiest bar fly satisfied. Reservations are required in the main room. 107 Caledonia St, 415.332.3620, sushiran.com

TASTE OF THE HIMALAYAS Himalayan Born in the foothills

of the Himalayas, siblings Pemba, Dawa and Pasang serve up favorites from Nepal, Tibet and India. The restaurant focuses on blending di fferent cultures and cuisines: spices from India, spirituality from Tibet, hospitality from Nepal and the freshness of ingredients from California. 2633 Bridgeway, 415.331.1335, himalayaca.com

THE TRIDENT Seafood Set in a turn-of-thecentury building constructed in 1898 for the San Francisco Yacht Club, this waterfront restaurant is a shoe-in for date night. Executive chef James Montejano — known for supporting local farmers, fi shermen and organic food producers

— prepares dishes like Sugar Spice Grilled Loch Duart Salmon and Trident Cioppino. 558 Bridgeway, 415.331.3232, thetridentsausalito.com

WELLINGTON’S California British transplant Jeremy John and his wife, Jill, have created an expansive (2,400-square-foot) wine bar with a homey feel including comfy leather couches, board games, views of the bay and a worldly cellar featuring a ffordable bottles and special reserves. The menu offers wines by the glass for $5 to $20 and tasting fl ights of any three wines for $12. 300 Turney St, 415.331.9463, wellingtonswine.com

TIBURON

CAPRICE California Book the private party room for large groups, or just relax in this romantic dinner spot. Take advantage of the restaurant’s well-priced three-course dinners for less than $25, and don’t miss Prime Rib Mondays. 2000 Paradise Dr, 415.435.3400, thecaprice.com

MILANO Italian Located in the Cove Shopping Center, this familyowned neighborhood spot is known for its pasta and friendly service. Favorites like the cheesy garlic bread and pesto pasta keep customers coming back. 1 Blackfield Dr, 415.388.9100, tiburonmilano.com

NEW MORNING CAFE

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

SALT & PEPPER

American This sunfi lled, one-room restaurant, featuring hardwood floors and blue-checkered tablecloths, is a local favorite. Popular items include scallops, ribeye steak, a beef burger and traditional crab cakes with jalapeño dipping sauce. 38 Main St, 415.435.3594

SAM’S ANCHOR CAFE

American Everyone knows Sam’s deck is the

prime spot for brunch on a lazy sunny Sunday, and its bar is the town’s historic watering hole, but Sam’s is also a great place for lunch or dinner. Enjoy transfat-free calamari, fresh fi sh, seasonal salads and pastas. 27 Main St, 415.435.4527, samscafe.com

SERVINO RISTORANTE

Italian Executive Chef Massimo Covello comes to the kitchen via Frantoio and Piazza D’Angelo; here, he cooks up an array of rustic Italian dishes, including house-made pastas, wood oven pizzas and seasonal specialties. A member of Marin Organic and one of Marin’s fi rst eateries to become certi fied as a green business, Servino uses fresh, local and

organic ingredients whenever possible. 9 Main St, 415.435.2676, servino.com

TIBURON TAVERN

California The atmosphere here is truly enchanting, with two outdoor patios, two indoor fi replaces and candlelit tables at dinner. No item is more than $25, including the steak, with entrées falling in the $14 to $18 range. Happy hour is 4 to 6:30 p.m. M–F. 1651 Tiburon Blvd, 415.435.5996, tiburontavern.com

WEST MARIN

THE LUNCH BOX American Spending the day on the coast? Stop by this modern day mom and pop deli for some beach bites.

In addition to deli offerings, Lunch Box offers a full Mexican menu on Thursday and Friday evenings, with recipes from the chef’s hometown of Colima (Stinson). 15 Calle del Mar, Ste 2, 415.868.8884, lunchboxmarin.com

NICK’S COVE American Large windows provide picturesque views of Tomales Bay and Hog Island. The 130seat eatery’s menu consists of fresh local seafood, oysters and bounty from nearby West Marin farms (Marshall). 23240 Hwy 1, 415.663.1033, nickscove.com

OSTERIA STELLINA

California Whether it’s to cap off a ay of hiking or celebrate a

Healdsburg 434 Hudson St Healdsburg, CA 95448 (707) 431-3630

Marin 3773 Redwood Hwy San Rafael, CA 94903 (415) 924-8300

Napa 1551 Soscol Ave Napa, CA 94559 (707) 299-5110

www.hlc-inc.com

“The kitchen of your dreams... make it a reality with Crystal Cabinets & Hudson Street Design”.

romantic anniversary, Osteria Stellina suits any occasion. The menu is Italian-inspired and features local, organic ingredients. If you’re looking for something unusual try the goat shoulder, a favorite of tourists and locals alike (Point Reyes). 11285 Hwy 1, 415.663.9988, osteriastellina.com

PARKSIDE CAFE

American Perfect for a sit down, alfresco meal or for grabbing a burger to enjoy on the beach. Choose from an array of organic, locally grown produce, artisan meats and wild seafood (Stinson). 43 Arenal Ave, 415.868.1272, parksidecafe.com

RANCHO

roadhouse-style restaurant featuring rustic decor and a delicious yet a ffordable menu. Try the housemade bread and honey butter, the kale Caesar and the stu ffed quail, or take the plunge and sample the entire menu — the majority of items are $20 or less (Olema). 10000 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.663.1034, sirandstar.com

SAN FRANCISCO

NICASIO

American Known for live music and an extensive menu featuring everything from Dungeness crab cakes to the Garlic and Rosemary Lamb Medallions dish, Rancho Nicasio is open seven days a week. Be sure to stop by for happy hour, 4 to 6 p.m. M–F. 1 Old Rancheria (Nicasio) Rd, 415.662.2219, ranchonicasio.com

SAND DOLLAR

American Originally built from three barges in Tiburon in 1921, the Sand Dollar Restaurant wa s floated to Stinson that same year. Enjoy live music along with barbecued local oysters and New England clam chowder. The sunny deck is great in the afternoon (Stinson). 3458 Shoreline Hwy, 415.868.0434, stinson beachrestaurant.com

SIR & STAR AT THE OLEMA California

The historic inn has reopened as a

AQ RESTAURANT & BAR California AQ takes seasonal to a new level, not only adapting the menu but also transforming the decor of the entire venue to match the weather outside. This summer the warmly lit space parallels the dishes made with fresh veggies, nuts and fi sh. 1085 Mission St, 415.341.9000, aq-sf.com

BENU Asian/French Plan an evening at Benu for a formal and sophisticated meal. The breathtaking compositions are offered on a tasting menu that gives you the full experience of this restaurant’s unique Asian fusion cuisine. 22 Hawthorne St, 415.685.4860, benusf.com

BOULI BAR American/ Mediterranean Head to Boulettes Larder’s new bar and dining room for the savor y fl avors of spicy lamb, feta and mint or the bittersweetness of salad topped with barberries, bulgur and pomegranate, all in a setting of handsome wood tables and an open kitchen. 1 Ferry Building, 415.399.1155, bouletteslarder.com

CAPO’S CHICAGO

Italian If you’re craving classic Chicago-style Italian and a venue to match, the endless pizza choices and fl avorful pasta and meat selections here will more than satisfy your appetite and take you back in time to the mobster days of the 1920s. 641 Vallejo St, 415.986.8998, sfcapos.com

ESPETUS CHURRASCARIA

Brazilian This steakhouse boasts a tasting menu of 14 meat courses grilled in the traditional Brazilian method. Patrons control the pace of the pri x fi xe experience with colored signal cards. 1686 Market St, 415.552.8792, espetus.com

FRANCES California

San Francisco elegance meets comfort food. The local, seasonal menu is a must-try on any trip to the city. Beware of the wait, however; make a reservation. 3870 17th St, 415.621.3870, frances-sf.com

KIN KHAO Thai Fullfl avored Thai: From spicy curries to crab sen chan (a fresh seafood pad thai) to off-the-wall cocktails designed by Bon Vivants, this new San Francisco eatery is sure to impress. 55 Cyril Magnin St, 415.362.7456, kinkhao.com

NOPA California The easy California menu shows off oasted chicken and pork chops, with a bouquet of appetizers to set the mood. Although this

S.F. destination is busy almost every night (a good sign), the wait at the legendary bar is half the fun. 560 Divisadero St, 415.864.8643, nopasf.com

RICE, PAPER, SCISSORS Vietnamese

Don’t be fooled by the casual setting in this Vietnamese pop-up cafe — the grilled steak bahn mi is five-star-worthy. Take a seat on one of the bright red stools on Mission Street and stay warm with a pot of jasmine tea. 1710 Mission St, 415.878.6657, ricepaperscissors.com

STATE BIRD PROVISIONS American

With an overwhelming variety of choices, from seafood to spicy kimchi to pancakes, not to mention a full range of poultry, this uncommon dim sum–style setup features a little bit of everything. 1529 Fillmore St, 415.795.1272, statebirdsf.com

TOWN HALL American

The exposed brick and warm, unconventional lighting turn Town Hall’s large space into an intimate yet elegant environment. With a more-than-adequate wine list and savory American classics like pork tenderloin with honey grits, a visit here should be on everyone’s list. 342 Howard St, 415.908.3900, townhallsf.com

For more local restaurant listings, visit us online at marinmagazine. com/dine

On the Scene

SNAPSHOTS FROM SPECIAL EVENTS IN MARIN AND SAN FRANCISCO EDITED BY DANIEL JEWETT

MO DELONG (ANGELS, ART BY THE INCH); DREW ALTIZER (MAGICAL BALL)

Chris Darrouzet and Barbara Klare

• ART BY THE INCH The artists of MarinMOCA created a giant mural inspired by San Rafael–based WildCare and sold pieces October 25 as part of the Marin Museum of Contemporary Art’s seventh annual fundraiser.

• BEWITCHING MAGICAL BALL Guests enjoyed dinner, cocktails, a live auction and dancing November 1 at the Marin Civic Center to benefit Hospice by the Bay.

Nick Kunst, Kitty Whitaker and Doug McConnell

• ANGELS BY THE BAY The Marin Center for Independent Living celebrated its 35th anniversary October 11 at the Meadow Club with wine, food and music.

Jim Lazor, Kathleen Woodcock and Robert and Melissa Bradley

Fabian Mach, Dorothy Gogol-Mach, Liza Warner and Bob Simon

Chris and Colleen Arnold, Jamie Gibson and Jesse Pasquale

Deals on Meals

Bio – the only creperie in Sausalito offers a wide array of gluten free and vegan foods. A casual French organic breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner services. Stop in for a balanced children’s school lunch or pick up macaroons, beignets, sandwiches, salads and much more. See you soon! 20% off with this ad.

Bio 2633 Bridgeway 415.324.7080 Sausalito, CA biologiquesf.com

YOU OUGHTA ROBATA! In Japanese, Robata means “by the fireside” and refers to the grill-style cooking of northern Japanese fishermen. Our menu offers traditional as well as contemporary fare. Over 25 premium sakes. Come see why we’ve been Marin’s favorite Japanese restaurant for over 30 years.

Robata Grill & Sushi 591 Redwood Hwy. 415.381.8400 Mill Valley, CA robatagrill.com

Brick & Bottle 55 Tamal Vista Blvd 415.924.3366 Corte Madera, CA brickandbottle.com

• MILL VALLEY FALL ARTS

FESTIVAL The work of 150 fine artists was on display in the redwoods at the 58th annual fall arts festival. Attendees took in the art and enjoyed music from Tim Weed and Dirt Cello.

• WOMEN AT WORK This event held October 14 at the Mill Valley Community Center gave women the chance to get together to connect, shop, network and have fun.

DEBRA TARRANT (FALL ARTS); MO DELONG (WOMEN AT WORK)

John Herrguth, Michelle Beare and Bex Bishop

Dagmar Alexandersson

Karen Kilian

Emily Dvorin, Carol Hearty, Youngbok Park, Leonardo Nunez and Mi Jung Penzien

Thomas Roedoc and Leonardo Nunez

John Bucklin

L

Judy Stern, Erin Whalen, Jeff Smith, Marian Jung, Nolan Misitano, Karen Burrous

DETAILS

BY LAURA HILGERS • PHOTOS BY TIM PORTER

WHEN THE PERIPATETIC Barbara and Matthew Anderson were looking for a home in Marin, one thought dominated their minds: vacation. “Whenever I look at a house, I think, if we had two weeks off, is this where we’d want to go?” says Barbara. “Every place we’ve lived has felt like a resort.”

Their waterfront cottage in Point San Quentin Village is no exception. Two paddleboards hang below the deck. A stone pathway leads to a tiny beach. A deck overlooks the San Francisco Bay, where seals and otters swim by. All this, in a quaint village unfamiliar to most Marinites, a cluster of 40-plus homes that time has passed by.

Barbara and Matthew came to San Quentin Village by way of Los Angeles, Florida and New Zealand. Shortly after arriving in San Francisco, where Barbara took a job and Matthew joined a start-up, they began looking for a waterfront property in Marin. They were priced out of Tiburon and Belvedere, and Bel

Marin Keys wasn’t a match. “The neighborhoods in Novato are more traditional,” says their realtor, Jeff terley, “and these two are not traditional.”

When they saw the three-bedroom cottage, they were immediately interested — despite the location, just a few doors from a maximum security prison. “I initially thought that’s a weird place to live,” says Barbara, “but the second I came out here, I never thought about it again. It just feels good. It really is like a village.”

The 1928 cottage, too, really is like a vacation home. Renovated by owner/realtor Marika Sakellariou, the house is all about the water. The living room’s glass doors open to an upper deck. The lower deck, just off he master suite, was designed to show seamless in fi nity views of the bay.

Like most elegant beach houses (and all of Sakellariou’s designs), the home is done entirely in white. The walls are painted white, all three bathrooms are white, and the kitchen (which has three echoing skylights) is entirely white, except for a stainless-steel refrigerator

and oven. A modular Italian couch and modern laminate coffee table in the living room are also in white.

The modern feel is offset by a circular stairway that has old-fashioned carved balusters, as well as by the more traditional pine furniture that the Andersons have accumulated on their travels. The stark white is also interrupted by the endless sand their puppy, Mojito, tracks in. “The whole house has sand in it all the time,” says Barbara. “But if it didn’t, it would mean we weren’t using the beach, wouldn’t it?” And that wouldn’t be much of a vacation. m

This page, from top: lower deck; private beach. Opposite page, clockwise from top: The Andersons, beach bound; the great room; family room; a bookshelf; master bedroom; cottage’s exterior; circular staircase.

Dining in the Round

Modern

takes on a timeless tradition.

BY PJ BREMIER

IF ANYONE KNEW the power of the round table, it was King Arthur. According to legend, the wise ruler employed the circular shape to keep peace among his quarrelsome knights. Round tables are at home in the foyer, the dining or media room, the library or home office — anywhere important decisions are made like “who’s coming to dinner?” or “how do we launch this new campaign?” Who’s the guest and who’s the host? Who’s the leader and who’s the rank and file? A pulled-up chair-with-arms may give it away, but the round table never will.

1

$3,036,

Within

415.638.4700, dwr.com 2

Dining Table in

choice of three sizes and 23 tops, $649 to $2,399, Room and Board, 415.252.9280, roomandboard.com 3 Como Round Dining Table, aluminum base with Carrara marble top, $2,299 for 48-inch or $2,499 for 60-inch, Crate and Barrel, 415.924.5412, crateandbarrel.com 4 Arc Base Pedestal table, wood base with engineered wood top, $424 for 42-inch or $509 for 60-inch, West Elm, 415.388.2950, westelm. com 5 Marais Mirrored Dining Table with glass top, $899 for 54-inch or $999 for 60-inch, Macy’s, 415.892.3333, macys.com

Platner Dining Table by Warren Platner for Knoll, nickel-finished steel and glass,

Design

Reach,

Benson

stainless steel with

Privately tucked away on over one-third of an acre, this four-bedroom, two-bath Reedlands home, designed by award-winning architect Joe Drosihn, has the timeless quality of the rugged barns along the Pacific. The openness of this home creates a fantastic sense of space. There is a formal living room with vaulted ceilings and a formal dining room. The kitchen has a casual breakfast bar and opens onto a great room with

sliding doors out to the front patio and level, grassy yard. The backyard blends seamlessly with the surroundings and features a loggia, deck, large patio, and pool. This home was one of the winners of the Homes for Better Living Program in 1967, sponsored by The American Institute of Architects, House & Home, and American Home. Close proximity to Tiburon schools, restaurants, shopping, hiking trials, and San Francisco.

The Home You’ve Been Waiting For! $2,295,000

Build Your Coastal Family Retreat $1,149,000

The plans are in place and approved to build your coastal dream home of approximately, 2,500 sq. ft. on a wonderful 5 acre parcel that feature views of Tomales Bay, the East Shore ranches, and Black Mountain. The building site is surrounded by mature trees, established gardens and walking paths.

Majestic

This is an extremely rare offering. One of the only large acreage properties (21± acres ) zoned for residential in close proximity to the Coastal village of Point Reyes Station. A fantastic location offering complete privacy and bordered by 70,000 acre Pt. Reyes National Seashore on three sides with easy access to world class hiking trails, Limantour Beach and Tomales Bay.

Rick Trono 415.515.1117 rick.trono @ sothebysrealty.com

400 Upper Toyon, Kentfield

$3,995,000

Private, peaceful, quiet, and sunny with expansive views of bay, hills, and night lights. This spectacular 4,500 sq ft home is sited on 2.5 acres convenient to Ross, San Rafael and Highway 101. Renovated in 2007 with top of the line finishes. Room for expansion.

COMING SOON

NOT ON MLS

Sharon Ham 415.265.1838 s.ham @ deckerbullocksir.com

130 Rancho Drive, Tiburon

$1,895,000

Wonderful home in the desirable Cypress Hollow neighborhood. 3 bedrooms plus office, 2.5 baths, master suite with two walk-in closets, newly landscaped level yard and a 3-car garage. Neighborhood park, easy access to freeway, Paradise Foods, and bike path.

Judy Noyes

LiveLoveMarin.net 415.205.1202 judy.noyes @ sothebysrealty.com

Farmhouse Chic!

$1,595,000

Rare opportunity to own a chic 1-level home on a beautiful flat acre! Modern 4 BD + office home with a light-filled open floor plan and sleek kitchen. Huge great room & spacious living room! Vaulted ceilings. Upscale finishes throughout. 2nd unit potential! 677AthertonAvenue.com

Gwyn Jones 415.298.6119 gwyn @ sothebysrealty.com

Marin Country Club Estates, Novato $1,029,000

The perfect blend of indoor/outdoor living on 1.4 acres just a block from the golf course. 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, custom kitchen, vaulted ceilings, A/C, 2700 sq. ft. 20Wentworth.com

Julie Widergren MarinRealEstateNow.com 415.827.8727 j .widergren @ deckerbullocksir.com

641 Goodhill Road, Kentfield

This amazing home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. It is extremely private on an acre of land, with great water views to the east bay, and huge Mt. Tam views. It’s approx. 2600 sq ft. It offers a wonderful great room with vaulted ceilings and a designer chef’s kitchen, looking out to a big flat back yard...Solar covers all PG&E bills, and there’s a putting green to practice and relax on. Very special home.

Not on MLS; Call for appointment.

641Goodhill.com $2,595,000

109 Via La Paz, Greenbrae

Just completed modern residence with style, sophistication and amazing views! Impeccably transformed with beautiful cedar siding and stucco exterior, this 5 bedroom, 3.5 bath home features a great room, chef’s kitchen with highend appliances, private master suite on main level, office, a large private level lawn and bay or Mt. Tam views from nearly every room. Amazing location for city commute and access to everything Marin has to offer.

109ViaLaPaz.com $2,495,000

169 Rose Avenue, Mill Valley

Just 6 minutes from downtown Mill Valley. Nestled in the beautiful majestic redwoods. Is a super private, elegant contemporary 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom hillside home. It features a great room, living room, and chef’s Kitchen that all have cathedral ceilings. Beautiful Brazilian cherry hardwood floors with radiant heat throughout. It is spacious and light, with wraparound decks. Separate studio in-law unit.

169RoseAve.com $2,495,000

Happy Holidays

May your home be filled with peace, love, and laughter.

A long, tree-lined driveway leads to a fabulous gated estate on over four acres of superbly landscaped, natural terrain. This elegant four bedroom Craftsman home enjoys spacious living areas with custom design and quality features. French doors open to surrounding patios, gardens, pool, sport court and guest house.

SAUSALITO

Offered at $2,375,000

Exquisite home offering three bedrooms, two and one-half baths plus office. Remodeled kitchen opens to view deck and hot tub. Spacious master bedroom-suite with luxurious, remodeled bathroom, fireplace and office. Two-car garage.

199CazneauAve.cbrb.com

TIBURON Offered at $3,450,000

Five bedroom, four bath home with fabulous views of the bay. Stunning chef’s kitchen with Italian cabinets and high-end appliances opening to breakfast area and large family room. Ideal indoor/outdoor living; immaculate garden and sprawling lawn area.

25MarkTerrace.cbrb.com

Newly built, contemporary home with stunning views of Mount Tamalpais boasts elegance and style! Expansive main living space with open floor plan bordered by 40 feet of retractable glass. 1600 sq. ft. terrace with outdoor kitchen & multiple entertaining spaces. Spacious kitchen has large island with bar seating & breakfast nook with modern dining booth. Other features include large office (or 5th bedroom), 10 ft. ceilings throughout, oversized two car garage & elevator!

offered at $3,995,000

Paul Cingolani (415) 726-9630

Expanded and newly constructed, sophisticated and elegant, this four bedroom, three and one-half bath home offers a dramatic floor plan with spectacular Mt. Tam views. Brand new living area includes grand foyer, formal dining room and kitchen, with Viking appliances, that opens to a light and bright family room with glass doors leading to the mountain view and patio. Vaulted ceilings on the main floor. Cozy second family room near the bedrooms, each with a south facing deck. Two master bedrooms. Great, easy commute location yet spacious and private.

offered at $2,395,000

Dana DuChaRMe (415) 307-2445

more photos and information, please visit www.107ParadiseDr.com

offered at $2,149,000

C.Jay Key (415) 699-5747

Step back to the 1920’s in this authentic California bungalow. This home was upgraded in 2008 to provide for modern living and offers three bedrooms and a fourth room for office or guests, and two bathrooms with granite and marble finishes. Featuring a formal dining room, great for entertaining and a living room with a fireplace for those cold winter nights. The level back yard has ample room for various activities and there is a wood deck and stone patio. A bonus doll house/garden shed adds to the charm of the garden setting. Close to award winning schools, public transportation, recreation path, hospital and more.

offered at $1,595,000

RalPh MCleRan (415) 717-5562

Stunning Contemporary View Home in Kentfield

Mount Tam View from Kentfield Flats

Newly Built with Spectacular Views in Mill Valley

Stunning San Francisco and Bay views anchor this luxury two bedroom, two bath, Point Tiburon Bayside condo. Only blocks from downtown Tiburon, shops, ferry, restaurants, theater and yacht clubs. This tastefully remodeled gem features travertine floors, open updated kitchen, upscale appliances, fireplace, and luxury master bath with jetted tub, plus a private two-car garage. For

Bay Point Tiburon Luxury Living

Very rare opportunity to acquire one of San Rafael’s historical mansions. 1910’s, turn of the century, shingle and stone, Queen Anne style architecture, featuring four expansive levels from full basement to enormous living attic space. Main level offers massive living room with box beam ceiling, dining room, library, sitting room and elevator to next level. Second level has seven bedrooms including a master suite with Mt Tam views. Attic living with two additional bedrooms. Unbelievable potential! 9BR/6BA.

offered at $1,495,000

GeorGe De Salvo (415) 722-7851

Magical Gated Mini-Estate in Marin

Sited adjacent to GGNRA open land, this recently transformed contemporary home features the quintessential elements of form and function. Soaring ceilings and abundant natural light filter the sights of meadow, valley and bay views. A spacious great room, with updated kitchen, living room and French doors leading to the deck. Featuring: Two master bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms; updated kitchen with quartz counters, SS appliances; bay view deck; newly landscaped yard with huge lawn, mature trees and room for a garden; detached outbuilding perfect for home office/art studio/ guest quarters.

offered at $1,375,000

matt tHomaS (415) 342-7293

This offering includes two parcels on almost five acres of land. The first parcel sits on nearly four acres and includes a spacious 4BR/3.5BA home with a big country chef’s kitchen, living room with fireplace and large master suite. Enjoy peace and privacy from multiple view decks. Plus a detached studio and sport court. There is a separate 1 acre buildable parcel (buyer to verify), making this a special and unique opportunity just a few minutes from Fairfax. This beautiful San Geronimo Valley location is just minutes to Fairfax and an easy ride to the beauty and beaches of West Marin. Excellent schools and community.

offered at $1,295,000

eric Gelman

(415) 686-1855

Magical Fairfax Property on Over an Acre

This gracious three bedroom, two bathroom log home is on over an acre of land in a private park-like setting. There is also a huge studio/workshop with a half bath and loft on the property. The Great Room has cathedral ceilings, sky lights, fireplace and a fabulous kitchen. The upper level is dedicated to an enormous master suite including a jetted tub with light show! The extra-large deck creates a wonderful outdoor area to entertain. This unique Fairfax property, close to downtown and near trails for hiking and biking, is waiting for you.

offered at $1,100,000

Diane Hoffman (415) 482-3139

Old World Charm in San Rafael

Forest Knolls Retreat

TH INK STRAT EGIC & PROACTIV E

Think Zephyr.

Highly competitive and famously complex, the San Francisco real estate market can be both challenging and rewarding. Zephyr turns savvy, informed Bay Area urbanites into successful homeowners, investors and sellers.

ZephyrSF.com

Realtors for The Redwoods Supporting Senior Housing in Marin

The Redwoods is an award-winning, activity-oriented, non-profit community for seniors of all income levels serving Marin. Realtors for the Redwoods is an initiative to support the Redwoods Revitalization Capital Campaign, with a goal of $50,000 to assist in the remodeling costs of five independent living apartments. Affordable, high-quality senior housing and services are among the greatest needs facing Marin County. A sincere thank you to Stephanie Witt, Jane Richmond, and Deborah Cole for championing this effort. And thank you to those who have donated and continue to give so we can reach our goal!

ank you to our corporate donors for supporting the Realtors for e Redwoods Campaign! Paci c Union ($2,500), Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate ($2,500), Paragon ($1,000), and Bank of America Foundation ($1,000).

A special thank you to Barbara Chambers of Chambers + Chambers Architects for sponsoring this page.

Karen

Also contributed: Linda Mayne (Mayne and Company), Audrey DiFilippo (Terra Bella Properties), Niz Brown (Niz Realty), Sharron Baker (The Madison Company), Nicole Burton, Nana Meyer, Yvonne Young (Pacific Union). Marti Grossman, Bernard Link, Carol Olrich, Carolyn Svenson, Wayka Bartolacelli, Kathleen Ryan (Alain Pinel Realtors). Kathi Elliot, Judy LeMarr, Sylvie Zolezzi, Corey Graham, Judy Klayman-Smith (Decker Bullock Sotheby’s). Lauren Hamblet, Darlene Hanley & Sharon Luce, Margo Schein, Stephanie Rice (Coldwell Banker). Catherine Cook McRae, Diane Watson (ReMax).

$1,000 Donor

Bill Smith

Pacific Union

Anne Knuut & Paul Bragstad- Pacific Union

Josh Burns Pacific Union

Cristina di Grazia

Decker Bullock Sotheby’s

Sherrie Faber First California Realty

Bitsa Freeman Vanguard Properties

Kevin Kearney Vanguard Properties

Michelle Klurstein Alain Pinel Realtors

Sharon Kramlich

Pacific Union

Jean Ludwick

Alain Pinel Realtors

Sharon McKeon

Alain Pinel Realtors

Warren Mullen Pacific Union

Penny Wright-Mulligan Pacific Union

Marcus Robinson Coldwell Banker

Lisa Salmon Decker Bullock Sotheby’s

Anne DeChelbor Alain Pinel Realtors

Tom Dreyer Alain Pinel Realtors

Cyd Gardner Paragon Real Estate

Madeline Schaider Madeline Schaider Real Estate

Hannah Tai Vanguard Properties

Deborah Cole Decker Bullock Sotheby’s

The Redwoods wishes to thank the participating members of Realtors for The Redwoods and the business sponsors of our 2014 events – all in support of a not-for-profit community that helps seniors thrive as they age.

innovative

“ As a manager, I know what to look for in a real estate agent — integrity, high standards, enthusiasm and an unwavering commitment to clients. Every agent here at Vanguard Properties has these qualities and more. They’re incredibly knowledgeable about the market, work hard for their clients, and deliver impeccable service. Plus they’re a pleasure to work with. I’d highly recommend any one of them to a buyer or seller in Marin.“

Kevin Patsel direct 415.758.6801 kevin@vanguardmarin.com BRE# 01395261

integrity

“I grew up in both San Francisco and Marin and have over 14 years of experience in our local real estate market. A strong sense of ethics, integrity, superior negotiating skills and deep roots on both sides of the bridge are key factors in my success. I would love to guide you through the process of buying or selling your home or answer any questions you have about the state of the market.“

Erin Howard direct 415.497.5878 erin@vanguardproperties.com BRE# 01356252

“Helping our clients buy and sell a home is an involved process. It requires team work, attention to detail, strategic thinking, negotiations and flexibility. We listen to concerns, provide counsel when necessary, and work collaboratively throughout the entire process. It’s our goal to make each transaction a seamless and enjoyable event.“

Traci Thiercof and Howard Grothe direct 415.793.0111 traci@ vanguardproperties.com I howard@vanguardproperties.com BRE# 01817886 I BRE# 01179217

Holiday Angel Lights

For more than half a century, people have wondered how they got there.

ABRIGHT LIGHT HAS been shining from the top of Angel Island every holiday season for more than 50 years. One story as to how the tradition started comes from Angel Island Conservancy board member Gail Dolton. According to her, “in the late 1950s, an electrician was sent to deactivate one of the island’s last Nike Missile transformers, but he got lonely during the holidays, plugged a string of lights into the transformer and put them on a pole at the top of the peak.” Every year the lights were lit with few exceptions until 2001, when 15 feet of soil were added to the island to restore its original profile, which had been diminished by construction of the Nike

Missile site — and the old pole and its circuitry were lost in the process. Enter filmmaker George Lucas, then of Industrial Light and Magic in San Rafael; he restored the island’s holiday brilliance. The Angel Island fire of 2008 destroyed what Lucas’ crews had done. By 2009, the State Park Conservancy, with the help of PG&E, had installed a new energyefficient solar-powered LED beam that has been shining during the holidays ever since. And this year, Dolton says, a team of local artists is planning to “make this year’s lights more beautiful and dramatic than ever before.” For information on the December 4 Angel Lights Countdown Benefit at the Observation Post in the Presidio, go to angelisland.org or call 415.435.3972. m

BY JIM WOOD

He got lonely during the holidays, plugged a string of lights into the transformer and put them on a pole at the top of the peak.