Marin Magazine December 2020

MAXIMIZE THE VALUE OF YOUR HOME

The lush tapestry of Sonoma wine country welcomes a new arrival.

Tucked away within 258 acres of rolling vineyards, Montage Healdsburg invites guests to share stories and break bread under a canopy of centuries-old oaks. Here, time is measured not in minutes, but in moments. Where loved ones cozy up in contemporary, bungalow-style guestrooms. And cherished rituals— from grape to glass and garden to table—celebrate nature’s wonders. Discover the alluring charm of Healdsburg and savor Sonoma wine country the way it was meant to be.

DEER VALLEY Opening

RECOVERYimagine...

During shelter in place, problem drinking has increased, more so in women.

As the resolutions and hopes for the New Year approach, particularly during the pandemic, we can help. Targeted medication, psychotherapy, family engagement, and peer support are always made available when needed.

Dr. Kornfeld has over 30 years of experience in the treatment of alcohol problems, addictions, and pain conditions. He is board certified in Addiction Medicine, Emergency Medicine, and Pain Medicine.

We assure our patients that privacy and confidentiality are stringently maintained.

Dr. Howard Kornfeld, M.D. Founder and Medical Director

Recovery Without Walls is a unique office based medical practice for those who are questioning or concerned about their relationship to alcohol and other substances.

The phrase “recovery without walls” describes a philosophy unencumbered by either reductionist thinking or the need for the walls of a residential facility. We treat most patients privately in our office and utilize selected “rehabs” when needed, where we supervise the care.

Our multidisciplinary team consists of physicians, psychologists, a psychiatric nurse practitioner, and eating disorder and recovery specialists. We develop an individually-tailored plan to enhance recovery and resilience.

We are on the cutting edge of introducing medication strategies years ahead of other practices. Our team of seasoned psychotherapists is unrivaled in the field.

A

PHOTO: JORDAN PHOTOGRAPHY

FEATURES

MARIN HOME 111

A Love Letter To My Hometown Writer Paige Peterson pens a love letter to her hometown, Belvedere, and shows lesser-known parts of the tony enclave in the process.

42

La Cañada de Gerónimo

How did San Geronimo — the village and the valley — receive its name?

46

Keeping the Faith Writer Kirsten Jones Neff talks to local spiritual leaders to see how they are adapting and connecting with their communities in an unforeseeable year.

Backstory

A Mill Valley Mediterranean home turns modern and gets all decked out for a growing family.

COLUMNS

20 View from the Team

138 Reflections

Marin Gives Back

Here are just some of the local organizations making an impact. Spaces

Special Section: Two stunning homes in Marin, featuring top designers + four pages of the latest in home decor.

IN MARIN

Currents

A look behind the lens at Marin’s top photographers, an annual Christmas Day bird count in Point Reyes, holiday playlists and more.

37 Shop Local

There’s no denying that the world is heating up, just look at our increasingly devastating fires. Give your loved ones and Mother Earth a gift this year with these climate-friendly picks.

EAT & DRINK

92

What’s Hot

A fixture of nearly every culture’s food landscape, chicken is a universal comfort food, a balm for the day’s (or year’s) aches. Here are some options to savor anytime it feels right.

94

Dine Listings of Marin and San Francisco restaurants — most of them offering delivery or takeout options.

For more up-to-the-minute articles, subscribe to our Better Letter and follow us online at @marinmagazine and marinmagazine.com.

For the cover, photographer Roger Davies. This page, Historical map of San Geronimo from 1853, for more go to page 42.

We advisor to meet you, no matter where you are on life’s journey.

Todd Reed December 4th through December 6th

Join us for these holiday trunk shows: the season to sparkle

Moritz Glik December 11th through December 13st

Sethi Couture

December 18th through December 20th

80 throckmorton avenue mill valley, ca 94941 415.388.8776

www. sofiajewelry.com

FOUNDER, MAKE IT BETTER MEDIA GROUP PUBLISHER, BETTER & MARIN MAGAZINE

Susan B. Noyes

Editorial

MARIN MAGAZINE EDITOR IN CHIEF NATIONAL PRINT EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Mimi Towle

EDITOR IN CHIEF NATIONAL DIGITAL CONTENT DIRECTOR

Brooke Geiger McDonald

SENIOR DIGITAL EDITOR

Jessica Gliddon

MANAGING EDITOR – CHICAGO Macaire Douglas

MANAGING EDITOR – BAY AREA Kasia Pawlowska

DINING EDITOR Christina Mueller

ASSISTANT EDITOR Sabrina Tuton-Filson

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Lisa Boquiren, Owen Clapp, Dawn Margolis Denberg, Carrie Kirby, Liz Logan, Paige Peterson, Zack Ruskin

Art

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Lisa Hilgers

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Alex French

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Roger Davies, Ken Gutmaker, Nick Vasilopoulos

Administration

CIVIC DEVELOPMENT Sharon Krone

CONTROLLER Maeve Walsh

TECHNICAL OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Jennifer Speaker

Volume 16, Issue 12. Marin Magazine is published in Marin County by Marin Magazine Inc. owned by Make It Better Media LLC. All rights reserved. Copyright©2020. Reproduction of Marin Magazine content is prohibited without the expressed, written consent of Marin Magazine Inc. Unsolicited materials cannot be returned. Marin Magazine reserves the right to refuse to publish any advertisement deemed detrimental to the best interests of the community or that is in questionable taste. Marin Magazine is mailed monthly to homes and businesses in Marin County.

Marin (USPS 024-898) is published monthly by Marin Magazine Inc., One Harbor Drive, Suite 208, Sausalito, CA 94965. Periodicals Postage Paid at Sausalito, CA, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Marin Magazine, One Harbor Drive, Suite 208, Sausalito, CA 94965.

Superior Housekeeping Is Essential

for anyone who values an inviting home in which to live and entertain. For over 33 years The Cooperative Cleaning Company has met this need for the Bay Area’s most discerning clients.

The Cooperative Cleaning Company (CCC) delivers superior green housekeeping services while providing employees with compensation, health care, and paid time off benefits xceeding the industry average. A native of France, owner Sarah Neil holds a master’s in anthropology from the Sorbonne in Paris and speaks eight languages. Mike Neil, a fourth-generation San Franciscan, spent 30 years in IT before “retiring” to help with CCC. And when not studying at university, daughter Roxane Raphael rounds out the management team.

The Cooperative Cleaning Company, 510-845-0003, CoopCleaning@gmail.com, CooperativeCleaning.com

Media

MEDIA DIRECTOR

Leah Bronson | lbronson@makeitbetter.com

SENIOR MEDIA CONSULTANT

Lesley Cesare | lcesare@makeitbetter.com

MEDIA CONSULTANT

Sharon Coleman | scoleman@makeitbetter.com

STRATEGIC EVENTS AND MEDIA CONSULTANT

Jennifer Woolford | jwoolford@ makeitbetter.com

MARKETING MANAGER

Natasha Romanoff | atasha@makeitbetter.com

MEDIA ART MANAGER Alex French

Regional Sales O ffices

WINE COUNTRY

Lesley Cesare | lcesare@makeitbetter.com

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA / TAHOE

Leah Bronson | lbronson@makeitbetter.com

NEW YORK

Karen Couture, Couture Marketing | 917.821.4429

HAWAII

Debbie Anderson, Destination Marketing | 808.739.2200

Reader Services

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Virtuoso

You are unique. Choose a philanthropic partner who understands that. Virtuoso at MCF.

The modern alternative to a private foundation. With O ces in Marin and San Francisco. www.marincf.org | 415.464.2507

So Long 2020

Last December — I think it’s safe to say — we all looked towards the year 2020 as the restart but ton. Good riddance to everything that didn’t work out for us prior to midnight 2019. “The best is yet to come!” was supposed to actually happen, not become a contest on Twitter. Safe to say, most of us were intending on basically becoming better ver sions of ourselves. The first month was promising, our staff here at Marin Magazine travelled; Leah was at Kailua Beach for two weeks introducing her tod dler twins to her favorite place on the planet, Mimi visited cousins in Miami and fell in love with yet another coast, Kasia went to Todos Santos and got kicked by a wild horse on the beach.

And then came the lockdown. Newsy tidbits of a virus started to trickle into daily life, but the danger felt so faraway. Until our fan favorite, public health officer Dr. Matt Willis, appeared on KRON morning news talking about his symptoms. Hold on. If Willis, the picture of health and caution (he’s the guy who creates our protocols for staying safe and alive here in Marin) contracted this virus, anyone could. The World Health Organization (WHO), named it, CO for corona, VI for virus, D for disease, and 19 for the year the outbreak was first recognized. As simple as the name is, everything else about this pandemic has been complicated. And it has turned our entire planet upside down. Here in Marin, as of November 12, there have been 5,085 total cases, 4,816 that have recovered, 181 total hospitalizations, 160,489 people tested, 99 total deaths. As we were going to print, an uptick of cases took our country under siege. Cities like Minot, North Dakota, Sioux City, Iowa were on the front lines, and in New York City alone, there have been over 24,000 confirmed deaths. Luckily, most of the people affected recover. However, the ripple effect of trying to prevent the spreading of this dis ease has created lasting changes.

Christina Mueller, our hard-working, homeschool-Zooming, dine editor, wrote about how this has affected restaurants around the country and especially here in Marin on page 93. Sadly, our small restaurant community lost a few of our own, without the help of the virus. Among them, Cecilia Chiang, famous for introducing authentic Northern Chinese cuisine to the masses, and credited for inventing the Chinese chicken salad and Todd

Shoberg, who amused us with his culinary talents and entertained us with spot-on record pairings. Let’s just say that if this ever becomes a bigger thing, Shoberg started a trend, in the precious oneroom eatery, Molina on Madrona Avenue in Mill Valley. A fixture in the community for years, the sudden passing of Fred Obayashi, of Robata in Mill Valley, was also a shock.

For us here at the magazine, we still can’t believe Maurice Franjieh is not here anymore to roll his eyes when a customer took too long to figure out what to order. Maurice and his wife Vivian owned and ran Louie’s Deli for many years on Bridgeway. Maurice was the deli owner out of central casting— more interested in chatting then getting your order right. We all knew to wait for Vivian or Esteban to catch our eye and take our orders. However, now that he’s gone, we realize it was the neighborly con nections and gossip from Maurice that gave Louie’s Deli soul and a place in our hearts.

Heading into the 2020 Holiday Season, we are thinking it will be a survival story discussed at future holiday dinners. Besides coming out of the most politically divisive election in our lifetime and a world-wide pandemic, our government has asked us to avoid social gatherings. Despite the emotional challenges of these get-togethers, family and com munity is usually the glue of the holidays. As we abide by safety rules, this means they will be visit ing via Zoom or FaceTime. To bolster our spirits, we tasked writer extraordinaire, Kirsten Neff, to do a deep dive into how to cultivate a positive attitude amidst such change and uncertainty. As usual, she delivered. On page 46, you will find the advice from five humans who have devoted their life to helping humanity finding peace and hopefully happiness.

While we say goodbye to 2020, our team here at Marin Magazine is exceedingly grateful to you, our community. We love hearing from you, even when you’re upset with an article or just happy that we featured someone who inspired you — it’s all good. We don’t take the honor of Marin Magazine lightly, and we look forward to keeping it going in 2021 and if you haven’t Googled “the best is yet to come” (not Sinatra video, the other one), enjoy.

The Marin Magazine Team

In a career that spanned 7 decades, Ed Moses is known for his restless intensity and ever-evolving style and considered one of the foremost postwar abstract expressionist painters.

Oh, What a Year!

2020 has been full of surprises to say the least. Here at Make It Better Media Group we have taken our digital offerings to the next level and want to offer you a chance to reach our audience.

VIRTUAL EVENTS

Via Zoom, we have connected our readers to thought leaders, industry insiders and our advertising partners on topics ranging from women in business to sustainable investing. We plan to do more of the same in 2021. All of our virtual events can be found online at marinmagazine.com/webinars

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marinmagazine.com

Grit + Glamour

Newsom’s former communications director, Nathan Ballard, chronicles the ascension of Gavin and his wife Jennifer from growing up in Marin to becoming California’s leaders. This story received over 10,000 pageviews within days of being posted and garnered close to 500 likes on Instagram.

Top Gram Up

What’s Hot: RH Rooftop Restaurant Marin

Marin’s famed furniture brand, RH, opened a long-awaited rooftop res taurant in Corte Madera’s Village shopping center. The story was one of our most shared in the months since it appeared in print.

Best of the County: Top Vegan Restaurants

We asked local foodie Troy Quintillan-Rios to shine a light on some of his favorite vegan restau rants for our annual Best of the County issue. Turns out, Marin County is a good place to be vegan. This post shared over 50 times on Instagram.

New in Town: November

A roundup of this month’s new est eats, drinks, other happenings in and around the county. This story...received over 300 likes on Instagram.

What’s Hot: Marin’s Black-Owned Restaurants

Writer Christina Mueller high lights a few of the Black-owned businesses that call Marin home including Forrest Fire BBQ, SoulKitchenMarin and Carribean Spices. This story was our most shared the month it was published.

A New Wine Country Hotel

Finally some good news from the Wine Country — huge congratula tions to our new partner, Montage Healdsburg, on their opening this month! From spending time with Montage’s resident beekeeper at the resort’s on-site apiary to enjoy ing an exclusive Harvest Honey Ginger Infusion Ritual at the spa, or dining in Hazel Hill’s semi-private, glass-encased Oak Room, there is no shortage of ways to unwind and indulge here. montagehotels.com

Have them unwrap yourbest gift yet

’Tis the season to be jolly and celebrate with friends and family (safely, of course). It’s also the chance to give them something unique. Find the right gift for that special person in your life. The following pages have gift suggestions for everyone, including spouses, moms and dads, pets, kids and co-workers. Make this holiday season your best ever!

Sofia Jewelry offers you a one stop shop for all the jewelry lovers in your life. From stacking rings to colored gemstones to silver jewelry, come in and find the perfect gift to celebrate the season! 415.388.8776, Mill Valley, sofiajewelry.com

Poet and/the Bench It’s as fun to give as it is to receive. With 45 artists and designers inspired by diverse narratives, we’ve got you covered. We couldn’t be more excited by the highly curated mix of jewelry, fine art, home goods, ethical pantry, apothecary and vintage we’ve been stocking for you. Come say hi! 415.569.4383, Mill Valley, poetandthebench.com

Julie Tuton Boutique. As an artist and energy worker, Julie Tuton’s creations are elixir adornments, energetically designed to empower, nurture, and attract abundance. When you are drawn to her work, what if that is your knowing, showing you a piece that will contribute to your body and life? Custom requests happily made to order in magical timing! 415.871.4236, Mill Valley, julietuton.com

This award winning 7 piece knife block is more than a knife set, it is a collection of precision tools for the culinary artist. Hand-crafted hardwood provides an apt setting for the elite, USA-made kitchen knives described by Bon Appetit as “the perfect balance of power and grace.” 707.244.5188, St. Helena, newwestknifeworks.com

Holiday spirit abounds at West End Nursery. Find the perfect ornamanents and unique decorations for your friends, family, and especially yourself. Get inspired! 415.454.4175, San Rafael, westendnursery.com

California Collection Why do we live here? Here are three 14K golden reminders: the delicate petals of the California Poppy, the green peaks of Mt. Tamalpais or the majestic arches of the Golden Gate Bridge. 415.459.5808, San Rafael, stephanhill.com

One thing is certain...(especially in 2020) jewelry will always bring joy! Shop Local. Moonstruck Fine Jewelry. Drop by our sunny studio in downtown Mill Valley or contact us for a personal appointment and let’s bring some sparkle into your holidays. 415.383.0462, Mill Valley, @moonstruckfinejewelry

The Marine Mammal Center Adopt-a-Seal® is a perfect gift for the animal lover in your life. Each symbolic adoption includes a photo and certificate, or add a plush! An eco-friendly gift that gives back to this Marin-based nonprofit. 415.289.7339, Marin Headlands, marinemammalcenter.org/adopt

Get a $500 gift card for only $250. Marin Medical Aesthetics Gift Certificate! Emsculpt is a popular goto method of effective fitness treatment triggering your body to quickly build muscle and burn excess fat. Dr. Bacchi is one of Northern California’s premier providers of Emsculpt for the ultimate in body sculpting. 415.785.4604, San Rafael, marinmedicalaesthetics.com

The Perfect Provenance features curated luxury goods from around the world including designers Ba&sh, Perrin Paris, Hartford, Acqua di Parma, and more. Join our Perfect Loyalty program for 15% off. Open seven days a week for your holiday shopping. Art Home Men’s & Women’s Fashion, Gifts. 415.797.6054, Tiburon, @theperfectprovenance, theperfectprovenance.com

New in Town

EDITED BY CHRISTINA MUELLER

Piezzi Provisions

In the same building in downtown Tomales that houses Route One Bakery & Kitchen and Tomales Deli, Piezzi Provisions opened its doors earlier this autumn. Owned by the same team behind Toluma Farms, Tomales Farmstead Creamery and San Francisco’s Daily Driver, the petite store features locally-made foods and handcrafted housewares. A coffee bar is scheduled to open in December. piezziprovisions.com

Maison Nico

Best Fried Chicken Hawaiian Style for their Korean BBQ Chicken on the Aloha Plate. A wide patio shaded by umbrellas welcomes customers until indoor dining resumes in Sonoma County. aprilpantry.com

SHOP Salty

PLAY SkyStar Observation Wheel

EAT & DRINK

Brewster’s Beer Garden

The team at Marin Magazine mourns the loss of revered local chef Todd Shoberg, who built a career on honor ing our local food shed at Mill Valley’s Piatti, el Paseo and Molina before defining the menu at Brewster’s Beer Garden in Petaluma. We would like to honor his memory in a small way by calling your attention to the ShoBurger, chef Shoberg’s daily creation inspired by whatever ingredients caught his attention that morning.

“Todd was a legend, and he touched everyone’s life in a positive way, whether it was through

his cooking, his bike riding or his friendship. He was the most loved and respected human being I have ever met and I strive every day to be more like him,” said owner Mike Goebel. To support Shoberg’s family, please visit gofundme.com/f/ in-honor-of-todd-shobergfor-his-loving-girls. brewstersbeergarden.com

Smiley’s Cantina

The self-proclaimed old est saloon on the West Coast and best party in town reopened in October after a lengthy remodel to improve everything from the deck to the sewer system. The new menu at Smiley’s

Cantina includes local catch mezcal ceviche, vegan tortilla soup and family style plates. Yes, the house margaritas are still here. smileyssaloon.com

The Cheese School

New proprietors Jeanine and Kelly Egan reopened this all things dairy restaurant and takeout shop in late October for outdoor dining and limited takeout. The Cheese School remains perched on an upper terrace at San Francisco’s Ghirardelli Square so the views — and cheeses — are as epic as ever. thecheeseschool.com

Specializing in the French tradition of pate en croute, brioche, tarts, terrines and other Parisian-style treats, downtown San Francisco’s Restaurant Nico completed a recent pivot from sit down affair to casual café in Maison Nico. A well-curated list of wines, cocktails and coffees ensures an experience a la française. maisonnico.com

April Pantry

Comfort food favorites at breakfast (farmer’s frittata, avocado toast) and lunch (squash and corn ravioli, Pantry burger) are already winners at this Petaluma newcomer. Sonoma Magazine recently bestowed April Pantry with an award for

Longtime Sausalito resident Angela Johansen brings an extensive background in retail and residential design to curating the goods at her new gift and home store in downtown Sausalito, Salty. A modern lifestyle shop, it features furniture, art, home goods and gift items with a focus on natural materi als. saltydesignshop.com

Just Enough Wines San Anselmo native Kaitlyn Lo and cofounder Jessica Hershfield, along with winemaker Ross B entley, launched a line of consciously-crafted premium wines — Just Enough Wines — in cans earlier this autumn. The 250 ml cans equate to 1.5 glasses of wine, providing a practical serving size and reduced carbon foot print compared to glass. Look for them at Dillon Beach’s general store, Sausalito’s Bar Bocce and Due West Market in Olema for now. justenoughwines.com

To help celebrate Golden Gate Park’s 150th anniversary, the long-awaited modern Wheel opened in late October, bringing rid ers 15 stories above the earth. Bedecked with LED lights at night, the SkyStar Observation Wheel resides on the Music Concourse near the de Young Museum and is by reservation only. skystarwheel.com

SENIOR LIVING Oakmont of Novato

A new senior living community, Oakmont of Novato, in Novato offers assisted living and memory care in private studio, one-bedroom or two-bedroom apartment homes. In addition to on-site nursing staff and concierge physicians, there is an award winning culinary program. oakmontseniorliving.com

Drake’s Terrace

Senior living commu nity Drake’s Terrace in San Rafael began using pooled saliva PCR testing in October, a method similar to that used by professional sports teams, to create a “safety bubble,” and giving the company the confidence to open up operationally.

Recently approved by the Food and Drug

New in Town is an ongoing bulletin on new businesses throughout the Bay Area. To be considered for future listings, email christina@marinmagazine.com.

ShoBurger

See what else is new in Marin County at www.marinmagazine. com/new-in-town

Administration, the saliva PCR test was and will be given to all residents once a week and all associates twice a week. kiscoseniorliving.com

EDUCATION

Winston Preparatory School

Serving students in grades 4–12 with learning differences including dyslexia, nonverbal learning disorders and executive functioning difficulties (ADHD), Winston Preparatory School opened in San Rafael this fall. Students are accepted on a rolling basis and follows strict Covid-19 guidelines for learning. winstonprep. edu/our-campuses/sf

PROMOTION

WATERFALLS IN WINTER turn to icy wonders! Our classic “Waterfall” ring in frosty 14K white gold with 1.04 carat total weight in flushand bead set diamonds.

STEPHAN-HILL JEWELRY DESIGNERS 1226 Fourth Street, San Rafael 415.459.5808, stephan-hill.com

CELEBRATING BY KASIA PAWLOWSKA

Marin’s Paparazzi

Despite a pandemic, social unrest and a historic election, meet the photographers who have kept our Instagram feed reflecting the beauty of Marin.

BY KASIA PAWLOWSKA

ELYSE OMERNICK, @shhhhclick

Hometown: Larkspur, California

Favorite spots to shoot in Marin : Point Reyes National Seashore. Each season brings something exciting to explore and enjoy. From the bugling Tule elk and the arrival of migratory birds in fall to the rolling green hills and the return of the Elephant seals in winter, the blooming of wildflowers and the beginning of nesting season in spring or the mystical foggy mornings in the summer… there is some thing for everyone out there!

Hometown: Mill Valley, California

What you love most about taking and sharing photos: Most of the photos I snap are meant just for me. More and more, though, photography has become one way I engage with the world. Words fall short sometimes, but a photograph might resonate with a friend or stranger, start a conversation, evoke a feeling, connect me to others — and remind us that we're not alone.

NATE ROGERS, @natethaaaagreat

Hometown: San Jose, California What you love most about taking and sharing photos : I enjoy how a photo can inspire others, and by “inspire” I mean help individuals get out of their comfort zone. A photo can prompt you to seek a new adventure; appreciate how beautiful life really is; elicit raw emotions, creativity, imagination; or provide a sense that it's a dream worth achieving — with the right mindset and goals put in place. I usually write some words or a poem with the photos I take to help others see the world in a positive light and give them a daily push to find their own happiness in their own lives as we all continue this life journey together.

JENNIFER TESTA, @jennifertestaphotography

Hometown: Greenbrae, California (but I was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

What sparked your interest in photography: I went through some personal challenges back in 2019 and found photography as a creative outlet for helping me overcome those hurdles. Photography for me is not about “looking,” it is about “feeling.” Photography provides the ability to see and feel the emotion and beauty in everyday life.

MATT FRASER, @mattfraser9

Hometown: San Jose, California (but currently living in Roseville, California)

What sparked your interest in photography: Photography started as an outlet for me to freeze moments in time, primar ily in San Francisco and Marin County. I had been struggling through many different stresses to live in the moment while I was in college and working my retail job. So, I started taking a photograph here and there when I would escape to San Francisco or Marin, so that I could have a memento and I guess, somewhat of a keepsake to look back on those escapes from reality. Those moments in time I have continued to freeze and the art has become something for me that I never imagined, an outlet for me to pursue both personally and professionally.

AUGUSTO ANDRES, @lifeofgusto

In Good Spirits

Cheers to good health with zero-proof cocktails.

BY SABRINA TUTON-FILSON

Holidays are known for their “celebrate and be merry” spirit, but traditional beverages have a reputation for waning our good cheer come the next morn ing. Ahem, the infamous holiday hangover. But as we wrap up 2020 — a notably uncontrollable, unpredictable year — if there’s anything that might be enticing to us all, it’s to feel a little more in control. And now, we can. Innovators are concocting realistic options for alcohol-free cocktails that provide a healthminded approach and high-quality flavors. Whether you’re sober-curious, sober for the night, or enjoy the flavor but want to swap out the alcohol, check out these Bay Area-based companies who are leading the way.

The Free Spirits

Not only are these spirit alternatives crafted to be bold, delicious and non-alcoholic, they are also each infused with B vitamins and amino acids to help elevate your mood, energy and experience. The Free Spirit Company uses a process called Distillate Reconstruction wherein they source natural ingredients like American White Oak, European Juniper and Mexican Blue Agave then distill and extract the essential oils and flavors in ways that honor the nose, taste and mouthfeel of traditional spirits while skipping the fermentation process. They currently offer three nonalcoholic alternatives inspired by the greats: The Spirit of Bourbon, Gin and Tequila. drinkfreespirits.com

Proposition Cocktail Co. Designed to arouse the palette and excite the senses, these hempderived CBD and adaptogenic cocktails are non-intoxicating social lubricants made from organicallysourced botanicals, herbs, fruits and spices found in modern cocktails. The ready-to-serve Turmeric Ginger Mule and Smokey Margarita are the newest additions to Proposition’s craft cocktail alternatives. Relieve stress, fatigue and mental disarray — what more is there to say. propositioncocktail.co

Gift Your Playlist Some New Holiday Tunes

Five new songs to add to your rotation, plus ten all-time favorites.

BY ZACK RUSKIN

When it comes to the holidays, choosing the perfect soundtrack is a must. Seasonal music is a genre unto itself, stretching from the standard classics of crooners like Bing Crosby to today’s diverse array of reworked and original holiday tunes. In hopes of giv ing you more time to bake gingerbread men and spike the eggnog, we’ve compiled the ultimate playlist. Check it out in full at marinmagazine.com/holiday-songs

NEW HOLIDAY SONGS

“Snow in California”

Ariana Grande (Christmas Kisses EP, 2013) A love song disguised as a letter to Santa, “Snow in California” finds pop superstar Ariana Grande hoping for an unlikely blizzard to keep her love from leaving.

“You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch”

Aimee Mann (One More Drifter in the Snow, 2006) For as long as holiday music has existed this song has been covered by new generations of artists and things are kicked into overdrive in Aimee Mann’s take, which fea tures Grant-Lee Phillips.

“I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus”

Dolly Parton (A Holly Dolly Christmas, 2020)

TOP 10 CLASSIC HOLIDAY SONGS

“All I Want for Christmas Is You”

Mariah Carey

“Little Saint Nick”

The Beach Boys “Feliz Navidad” José Feliciano

“Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”

Darlene Love

“Rockin Around the Christmas Tree”

Brenda Lee

Country legend Dolly Parton adds a fresh of dash of spice to this sweet tale of a child mis takenly thinking mom is cheating on dad with Kris Kringle. Delivered with Parton’s vibrant twang, the mock horror of a kid spying a Christmas Eve smooch is captured perfectly by the ten-time Grammy winner.

“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”

Judy Garland

“Blue Christmas”

Elvis Presley

“Santa Claus Is Coming to Town”

Bruce Springsteen

“Santa Baby”

Eartha Kitt

“Run Rudolph Run”

Chuck Berry

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POINT REYES CHRISTMAS

BIRD COUNT Since the year 1900, the National Audubon Society has been holding an annual gathering in late December or early January. Thousands of volunteers around the world venture out to count all the birds they observe through out the day, making this is one of the longestrunning citizen science projects in the country. The count will be held in Point Reyes this year — with Covid-19 safety measures in place — as it has since 1970. Here are some numbers that reflect the count. pointreyescbc.com KP THE NUMBERS

GIFT FOR THE PLANET

There’s no denying that the world is heating up – just look at our increasingly devastating fires. Give your loved ones and Mother Earth a gift this year with these climate-friendly picks.

BY KASIA PAWLOWSKA

U-Konserve, Round Nesting Trio, $25, ukonserve.com

These are the perfect wastefree solution for lunches, picnics items and family leftovers. Pack pasta salad, cut fruit, crackers, veggies and more while reducing singleuse packaging.

Gift a Growler

Growlers are a way to enjoy the fresh beer from smaller brewers. Grab one at a local spot like Creekside Pizza, Marin Brewing Company, Pond Farm, Iron Springs or Indian Valley Brewing. marinmagazine.com/ beer-trail

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Lifefactory, 22oz Water Bottle with Silicone Sleeve and Active Cap, $25, lifefactory.com

Between the classic 16 oz bottle and the "all-you-can-gulp" concept, there is a perfect middle. Ample room for your water, tea, or smoothie, but still easy and graceful in the hand.

AIM, Bounty Box, $30, agriculturalinstitute.org

Bounty Boxes are filled with a local, seasonal assortment of fruit, herbs and veggies. Buying one directly supports local farmers and AIM’s mission to support our regional food system.

The New Wheel, Gazelle Medeo T9 bike, $2,499, newwheel.net Get everything you need in a low-step ebike with this beauty. Designed and built in the Netherlands, it features a full-sized chain ring for both smoother pedaling and a quieter ride.

Shop Secondhand

Good for the earth and kind to your wallet, secondhand apparel has had quite the makeover in recent years. Find the timeless classics and latest fashions at places like Encore, Knimble Revente and Sax. marinmagazine.com/ secondhand-apparel

Rough Linen, St. Barts Linen Napkin Set, $79, roughlinen.com

A solid napkin set reduces reliance on deforestation-dependent dispos ables — ahem, paper. Create your own assorted set by adding a comment in checkout with your desired colors.

Purchase a Native Plant

If you’re looking to make insects and birds happy, there’s no better bet than keeping it native in your yard. Check out the list of nurseries from the California Native Plant Society to find yours. cnpsmarin.org

Growing Up In Belvedere

A Love Letter to myHometown

By Paige Peterson

My 94-year-old mother lives in our family home in Belvedere. For much of the year, I leave my apartment in New York City and live there with her. My sister Laurie, who lives close by, and I use the house as we did when we were kids — like a closet. We sleep outside. We eat outside. We read, write, paint, visit with family and friends and tend to the garden. We swim, kayak, paddle, sail and float on the lagoon. We have fierce ping pong battles on the patio. We sit quietly watching the light change. And we are flooded with memories of our childhood on the Belvedere Lagoon.

Behind our gate we are nestled into nostalgia. The old apple tree. The same white posts holding up the house. The bricks that my grandfather laid down seventy years ago. The warm pea gravel under my bare feet on the beach that extends out into the brackish lagoon.

In the morning I warm my legs next to the heating duct in the dining room wall that warmed me as a child. I look out the same windows that once showed me empty hills dotted with black and white cows and not a house in sight. The golden hills are now covered with oak and pine trees and copious houses, but my memories are of mid-century architecture by Joseph Eichler, Appleton and Wolford and George Rockrise. One level.

Glass to let the light in. Elegantly pitched roofs. More recently, FEMA has forced some new homes to start seven feet above sea level; these towering new houses are eclipsing the sweetness of the homes that dominated my childhood.

We made forts under the eucalyptus trees and sucked on the stems of oxalis — we called it sourgrass. Wild California poppies sprung up in the most delightful places. The sweet smell of plum, apple, orange, pear and lemon trees lingered in the air. You could walk a few steps and the bay trees with eucalyptus gifted you with a forest scent. Honeysuckle and rose bushes with fresh air from the Paci fic could stop you in your tracks.

There was a particular hill that was covered with ice plant. We would stash waxed boxes from the grocery store under a tree. When the mood came, we would hike up to the top of the ice plant hill and — God help u s — fly down, careening into the street below.

Going to Richardson Bay when the tide was out, we would overturn rocks and send crabs futilely scattering. New kids would get pinched with every grab, but we were good at catching them — we knew just how to dance with the claws until a clear moment came when you

could hold the back of their shells. We would skip stones across the water; twelve skips is my personal best.

I remember scavenging under the Farr Cottages that cantilevered over the San Francisco Bay looking for sand glass, usually in my bare feet, the bay mud squish ing between my toes. There were so many colors, but we always coveted the blue.

Most weekends and all holidays our cousins came with their sleeping bags in hand to spend family time with us. Our cousins made us a gang of five. We were often involved in competitive games; king of the raft was a favorite. The boys frequently fi shed from the dock, only rarely reeling in striped bass or a completely harmless leopard shark. Often there were young bat rays that entered the lagoon. They sometimes grew to a five-foot wingspan, calmly skimming on the surface.

We walked with buckets to what is now West Shore Road and dug in the mud flats. We’d look for an air bubble and then dig like mad until we found clams, then haul them back to my grandmother, who had a pot of boiling water ready. Within minutes we would be feasting.

My sister and I would go to the Embee Market on the Boardwalk and ask the produce manager if he had any old carrots or apples that we could take to Blackie, the horse pastured by the train trestle. He always obliged us. We’d walk with our bag of treats down the railroad tracks. Along the way we would feel the rails for vibrations and listen for the train. We’d put pennies and nickels on the tracks and wait for the train to flatten them out. The engineer leaned out his window, waved and pulled his whistle. Anise Hyssop — we called them licorice plants — lined the tracks and made a nice snack for us as we made our way to Blackie’s pasture to feed carrots, apples and sugar cubes to that beloved old swaybacked horse.

We’d crawl under the Boardwalk to fi nd nickels, dimes and quarters, then race to the Standard 5 &10 to buy Sugar Daddies, Milk Duds, red licorice and Pall Mall or Kool bubble gum cigarettes.

On the lagoon we were ecstatic when the wind wa s fierce... all the better for sailing our Sail fi sh. There was no such thing as sailing clothes. Not a life jacket in sight. We capsized on purpose, throwing ourselves over the side, landing on the centerboard and righting the boat without touching the water. There was great pride in the glory of riding the boat upright. And playing in the lagoon until our lips were blue. My sister and cousin Teresa would run to the shower to warm up, leaving absolutely no hot water for the boys.

This island has always been a haven for birds. Located on the Paci fic Coast Flyway, it’s a stop for migrating ducks, cormorants and terns. Year-round residents include pelicans, geese, great blue herons, snowy egrets and king fi shers. Playful families of river otters enjoyed the lagoon, too.

We hiked for hours on Tiburon hills in search of Miwok arrowheads, which we

occasionally found. We were usually covered in dust, dirt and foxtails from the fields of gold. Oak trees gave us shade. Lizards were a thing of humor and delight. Snakes were to be avoided, at least by me, but I knew kids who loved to catch them. Tall-eared jack rabbits would leap into sight, our dogs on their trail in seconds. But they were no match for wild hares. We were all ver y fit, muscled from hours of play. Endurance athletes had nothing on us.

There was a favorite dead end on one of the roads on Belvedere Island. It was flat for quite a ways but then became extremely steep. We would walk our bikes up as far as we could. Turn the bike around. Our passenger would get seated on the spring-loaded book holder on the back fender, and on the count of three we would lift our feet and let the bike zoom down the hill, never thinking a car might be backing out of a driveway. And then we’d do it again.

I could ride my bicycle anywhere… well, almost anywhere. I wasn’t allowed to go to the arcade on Main Street because that was where the “bad kids” hung out. No helmet. I rode sitting on the handlebars while my childhood friend Graham peddled us to our destination. There was no interaction with parents until the 4:30 p.m. whistle blew and we knew it was time to head home.

On Sundays we would be excused half way through the service at St. Stephen’s to go to Sunday school in the lower half of the building. The hallway was dank and dimly lit, and it was always thrilling to be a little scared as we raced to class. I was baptized, con fi rmed and married in that glorious church.

Our grandfather had a workshop attached to the carport. The small shop had a distinctive musky, wood-and-rust scent. His tools were carefully organized. Hammers and screw drivers on the pegboard. Little baby food jars fi lled with nuts and bolts according to size tacked to the bottom of a shelf. Coffee can s fi lled with odd shaped nails. A metal cabinet housed a variety of Blue Diamond smoked nut cans that held paper bags of screws and assorted functional parts.

My grandfather was a Harvard-educated mining engineer who built his five grandchildren paddle boards — he was ahead of his time — and rafts, and, for me, a dollhouse out of thin plywood. It was a simple box with partitions that created four rooms. I would spend hours fi nding small objects for tables and chairs, and sew bedspreads and curtains from old fabric. As I got older, I would hide it in my closet so my friends wouldn’t see it and tease me, but at night I’d open the closet door and work on my little house. I made paintings. I glued my mother’s compact mirrors on the walls. I created elaborate doors that didn’t open. For special occasions, I repainted the rooms and rearranged the furniture.

In “Growing Up Belvedere,” I write about the joy and beauty of Belvedere. Like any town we had our share of tragedy. In the 1960s and ‘70s at least six of my

Paige Peterson

As a journalist, Paige Peterson has contributed to Marin Magazine, New York Social Diary and the National Council on U.S. Arab Relations. As an illustrator, she has collaborated on A Christmas Carol, adapted by Jesse Kornbluth, and Blackie: The Horse Who Stood Still, which she co-authored with Christopher Cerf. As a painter, she is represented by Gerald Peters Gallery in New York City and has been honored by The Guild Hall Academy of the Arts in East Hampton. She is a consul tant to the Attitudinal Healing International organization and the Huntsman Cancer Foundation. Paige is the Author and Artist in Residence at Literacy Partners. As a photojournalist, Paige has reported extensively about the Middle East. She serves on the board of the National Council on U.S. Arab Relations, is an International Conservation Communication Specialist at Safari West, and Cheetah Conservation Fund Ambassador to the Middle East. Paige and her two grown children live in New York. Ms. Peterson splits her time between New York City and Belvedere, California. PaigeMPeterson.com

friends died before the age of 20. Some from drugs, others by suicide. I see some of the parents of those children now; all these decades later, there is still sadness in their eyes. As my grandmother would say, “There but for the grace of God go I.”

But it’s the things that stay the same that stay with me. The bellowing of foghorns is still the music of my morning. We hike the lanes in Belvedere. We get out on the water as often as possible. My grandfather’s workshop is now my studio. I tend his garden, hang my paintings on his walls and gaze up at St. Stephen’s Church. And if I blink, I’m back in the Belvedere I knew as a child.

“Growing Up Belvedere-Tiburon,” a table top book, will be published in September by the Belvedere-Tiburon Landmarks Society. It is filled with spectacular archival images of Belvedere and Tiburon. Belvedere resident Phillip Moffitt, the former Editor-in-Chief of Esquire magazine served as an advisor on this project. All proceeds of the book will go to support the Belvedere-Tiburon Landmarks Society.

For more personal stories from Marin locals, visit marinmagazine.com/ voices

La Cañada de Gerónimo

The mystery and different potential histories of the San Geronimo Valley.

BY OWEN CLAPP

We are at a juncture where, in a world that is increasingly spreading outwards, people are more and more looking to root down in their communities.”

“

In the San Geronimo Valley, there are four villages. The oldest is San Geronimo, second from the east. Historians have been trying to answer a seemingly straightforward question for decades: how did San Geronimo — the village and the valley — receive its name? This valley, even with a colonial history that spans over two hundred years and an indigenous history at least three thousand before that, has, it seems, been just far enough offthe beaten path to have eluded in-depth historical research.

When J.P. Munro-Fraser wrote his 1880 History of Marin County, California, the settlement at San Geronimo is mentioned just a few times, and in passing — it was part of Nicasio township and had just ten homes (its train station was named “Nicasio/San Geronimo,” in that order.) Coast Miwok oral history doesn’t locate any year-round Native American village sites in the valley before the Spanish arrived in the Bay Area at the turn of the 18th century, and archeologists haven’t identified any either. There is a pervasive sense that the Valley was, and continues to be, an outlier.

Two historians have delved into the naming of the Valley, but neither were able to reach a defi nitive conclusion. Louise Teather’s 1986 Place Names of Marin suggests a theory — that its namesake is a Coast Miwok man baptized ‘Geronimo’ by the Spanish. But as recently as 2007, Marin historian Betty Goerke contradicts Teather’s thoughts in her book Chief Marin, and reminds us that further investigation is needed.

How did this beautiful valley end up bearing the name of the Catholic church’s patron saint of archaeologists, librarians and students? How did the settlement of San Geronimo go from a single ranch to become the Valley’s community hub of today? And how do we reconcile the existence of slavery in a place that is now so peaceful?

I’ve found myself becoming steadily more fi xated on this overlooked history since I started studying the San Geronimo Valley, maybe because I can’t help but feel that there is more at stake than just knowledge of a place name for my hometown. It feels like there is an opportunity, in find ing the answer to this question, to in some small way begin to make right a terribly imbalanced historical narrative, one that has heavily favored colonists’ voices over Indigenous Peoples’ truths.

We are at a juncture where, in a world that is increasingly spread ing outwards, people are more and more looking to root down in their communities. We see this in the local and organic food cultivation move ments, and in land conservation, especially in Marin County. But when it comes to the history of the Americas, embracing place means uncovering painful truths about the treatment of Indigenous Peoples and coming to terms with them. It also means feeling encouraged by an understanding of how thousands of years of Native American knowledge can help us move forward more gracefully in place, and how descendants of these tribes are still very much here, striving for the preservation and continu ation of their cultures.

We do know a few things for certain: San Geronimo was the fi rst colo nial settlement established in the Valley proper. The name La Cañada de San Gerónimo (Spanish for ‘San Geronimo Valley’) was in place by 1834 when it appeared on a map of former mission lands in the area we now know as Marin County. Most remarkably, we know there surely was a Coast Miwok Native American named Jumle who was about 24 years old when he was baptized Geronimo at San Francisco’s Mission Dolores on April 23, 1808. Geronimo advanced in status through the mission system. He was recognized for his skills as a vaquero (cowboy), reaching the level of alcalde, a type of overseer position that granted him some authority and a certain amount of freedom to leave Mission San Rafael for official mission business — for one, some think, to tend to herds of livestock in the San Geronimo Valley.

Armed with this foundational knowledge and a healthy dose of specu lation, Goerke and Teather come to two di fferent conclusions. Teather seems to have found evidence that the San Geronimo Valley was named in honor of this valued Coast Miwok alcalde. But Georke thinks it’s unlikely that the Spanish would place the honorific San (Spanish for “saint”) in front of an Indigenous person’s name. She suggests that the San Geronimo name had some other, still unknown, derivation. Perhaps both theories are correct. Maybe Geronimo was so much associated with the area that “Geronimo,” his baptismal name, stuck, and the “San” was later added in the tradition of Spanish place saints’ names across the state.

We know for certain that this happened in nearby San Anselmo, which had earlier been known as La Cañada de Anselmo. Anselmo was the baptized name of the alcalde who oversaw that area under Mission San Rafael. Without further examination of correspondence between mis sion officials, we can only guess, but San Anselmo gives us a crystal clear parallel model, and I am motivated to uncover the full story.

A disturbing truth we do know is that subjugation of Native Americans was the basis of the mission system — including in Marin. By 1833, the

system of Native American forced labor that made the existence of Mission San Rafael pos sible was coming apart at the seams during the secularization of California’s missions. Mexico had become independent of Spain in 1821 and had been gradually dismantling the Spanish mission system from within in part to distrib ute mission lands to Mexican settlers. During this time the missions’ Native American inhab itants were to be released from servitude and the missions’ property was to be distributed. All said and done, it had taken just 57 years for colonizers to destabilize thousands of years of relatively peaceful Coast Miwok cultural growth and existence.

By 1850, in the wake of the mission sys tem’s demise, the last traditional Coast Miwok villages were all the way north in Bodega Bay, while mission survivors formed settle ments across Marin. Back in San Geronimo, a Mexican military officer named Rafael Cacho had been taking advantage of the upheaval of Mission San Rafael’s demise by freely grazing cattle in San Geronimo as early as 1839 on land that should have been the Miwoks’. The Coast Miwok had been promised by the Mission a fair allotment of the former Mission’s land and property holdings, but instead many were coerced into working for Mission San Rafael with nominal compensation, even after its official closing.

Meanwhile, the livestock, the Mission’s greatest material asset, were siphoned offto colonial landowners like General Mariano Vallejo and Timotheo Murphy under the auspices of “safe keeping.” Joseph Warren Revere, grandson of Paul Revere, describes purchasing the San Geronimo Valley in 1846 from Cacho in his 1878 autobiography Keel and Saddle During his four years as rancho owner, Revere raided, captured and enslaved Coast Miwok from the Bodega Bay area, ostensibly as retribu tion for a horse theft, ordering them to produce adobe bricks for building on the San Geronimo rancho. His adobe home was near the southwestern corner of the former golf course property, just across Nicasio Valley Road from the San Geronimo Community Presbyterian Church of today.

His perspective was quite typical of colonists of the era. “The prison ers thus pressed into our service were divided equally among our party, s ubmitting resignedly and even joyfully to their fate,” he wrote in Keel and Saddle. He lauds the success of his party’s raid on the Bodega Miwok rancheria where he and his ranch-owning allies fi red “shot after shot” against the Miwoks’ “ruder Indian weapons.” This wild account defi ni tively places enslaved labor in the San Geronimo Valley sometime between 1846 and 1850.

Today, 175 years later, if you walk the green open fields of the former San Geronimo National Golf Course on a warm spring afternoon, you can almost feel the weight of the land’s past and these accumulated hundreds of years of history. Despite this burden, the land is resilient and forgiving, and it’s not hard to imagine why people have gravitated for centuries to this bright sunny spot that is

nearly at the geographic center of the San Geronimo Valley floor.

There is more to learn about the town of San Geronimo and Jumle’s presence in La Cañada before his death in 1824. Where did he live? Did he indeed operate a ranch, and what was its extent? Who were the Miwok who tended the ranch with him, if any? Was the San Geronimo Valley or the settlement of San Geronimo fi rst to receive the name? And so, our original question leaves us with many more.

In the same harsh reality where the US economy was built on the backs of enslaved African Americans, the painful truth is that Indigenous Peoples’ slavery and coerced labor built our early economy, paving the way (sometimes quite literally) for its future growth. Whether or not we will ever know the exact truth behind the geographic place named San Geronimo is important, but it is less meaningful than the truth before our eyes: it is long overdue that Marin’s Native American voices take their rightful place at the forefront of the county’s past and present.

Today’s Coast Miwok descendants have no land in Marin County — many live outside of and far from Marin, yet visit frequently with their families and feel a powerful connection to the earth here. Maybe, someday soon, we can fi nd a way to return some pieces of this paradise to the descendants of its original inhabitants. If we could, it would be a start.

For more on Marin’s history, visit marinmagazine.com/ history

There are many ways to learn more about the Coast Miwok people: marinmiwok.com (run by Coast Miwok activistLucinaVidauri);BettyGoerke’s Chief Marin;the book Interviews with Tom Smith and Maria Copa,edited bytheMiwokArcheologicalPreserveofMarin(MAPOM), and Dawn of the World byC.HartMerriamarejustsome. MAPOM also offers classes and events.

Keeping the

By Kirsten Jones Neff

Before the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, Novato resident Marianne Hill attended Catholic mass once or twice a month. “Every time I go to mass, I am in a community of people in the same space, a community opening themselves up to something greater than themselves, and I feel it,” says Hill. “Gratitude flows and I feel hope.”

Hill’s parish closed due to the pandemic, and she says she now craves the physical experience of going to church and plans to attend mass on a weekly basis when restrictions on in-person worship are lifted. “I am tired. We are all tired of this pandemic. I miss that feeling of being lifted up when I am attending mass with others.”

Where, in the midst of a global viral outbreak, when we may have lost our livelihood or, in the worst case scenario, might have lost someone we love, do we seek solace and hope? In times of cri sis, humans traditionally rely upon faith, seeking the comfort of a religious community and connection to a higher spiritual power. Attendance at churches, synagogues, mosques and Buddhist centers tend to spike after major social upheaval, as they did after the 9-11 ter rorists attacks on the World Trade Center. Yet, the Covid-19 pandemic has presented a unique challenge for the faithful: while many strive

to nurture and deepen their faith, spiritual centers have been identi fied as hotspots for the spread of the Coronavirus. Across the country, places of worship have been required to shut down or drastically restrict attendance. In this moment when so many are facing physi cal , fi nancial and emotional hardship, and the unknowns of the future remain both daunting and haunting, we may desire the guidance and ritual that come with attendance at a place of worship, but we are being asked to stay home and nurture our faith from a living room couch or a kitchen table.

Across the Bay Area spiritual leaders are fi nding ways to embrace and encourage their communities — everything from Facebook Live sermons to social distance preaching in parking lots. We spoke to spir itual leaders from the Bay Area to hear their perspective and advice about “keeping the faith” in the time of Covid-19.

How local spiritual leaders are adapting and connecting with their communities in an unforeseeable year.

Minister Marvin White

Glide Church, San Francisco: “A Theology of Covid”

As the Minister of Celebration at Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco, a church that draws congregants from as nearby as the streets of the Tenderloin and as far away as other states — it is known as a sanctuary offering the transformative power of in-person song and celebration — Minister Marvin White has had a unique challenge in asking his congregation to stay home. He says the challenge has grown with each passing month. White likens the task of closing the physical church and going online for sermons to getting everyone in his congregation onto a spaceship.

“In the beginning of the pandemic it was easy because it was scarier and it was like I had to get everyone on the spaceship very quickly. It was like earth was getting ready to blow up and we needed to get out of here,” says White. “It was problematic because we had to leave some of our community. The elderly who said, ‘I’m too old to have a smartphone or a computer’ or, in the Tenderloin, a lot of folks who are homeless who are a large part of our congregation and they can’t get online, so they couldn’t get on the spaceship.”

White says he feels called into this moment as a minister. As “Corona fatigue” sets in, White asks his community to embrace the moment and to grow in their faith. “I keep saying, this is not a version of church we are doing, or something to hold us over until we can come back to the physical space,” says White. “This is where it is. We need to be in this moment. And we must have a faith that allows us to adapt. It is a Theology of Covid. With physical distance, you lose one sense, but other senses heighten.”

At home spirituality is more intimate, says White, and he reminds his congregation of this in his sermons. “I tell my congregation to invite God in and say ‘Come into my house. This is where I pray and prepare for you.’” With active shooters and active shooter drills becoming increasingly necessary in churches before the pandemic, White says he believes it was written that people needed to come out of the buildings and stay at home to worship for a while.

Glide has offered two Facebook Live sermons on Sunday, at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., which White says are very well attended. The comment section, he adds, is especially lively during his sermons. “Imagine if they were doing that much talking in church!” he laughs.

Fred Fox

As Fred Fox of Tiburon will be the first to tell you, “I am not a rabbi, I just sound like one.” In 1995, with a long-term successful career a s a financial advisor under his belt, Fox co-founded a gym and became a spinning instructor as a hobby. He discovered that while he moti vated spinners on their cycles, he could use his platform to share his spiritual philosophies and inspire people in their daily lives. He further articulates his wisdom on a blog called The Spinning Rabbi and has gradually built a following of people who come to his classes and/or blog to gain wisdom and insight they might take with them as they face challenges beyond the gym.

Fox’s parents, along with several in his family’s community, survived the Holocaust. The words and example of his parents, who went on to lead ful fi lling lives after gaining freedom, along with the teachings of the ancient Kabbalah and Hasidic traditions of Judaism, were the building blocks of Fox’s philosophy. He has also studied the work of Auschwitz survivors Viktor Frankl (Man’s Search For Meaning) and Edith Eger (The Choice), repeatedly turning back to both authors for spiritual and practical guidance in times of struggle. The underlying message in his over-500 blog posts, says Fox, is that, “You cannot lower your mountain, but you can elevate yourself.”

Although the Covid-19 pandemic cannot be compared to the Holocaust, Fox believes we can take lessons about our response to

“The Spinning Rabbi”:

“You cannot lower your mountain, but you can elevate yourself.”

“

Developing the ability to be fully present in the moment, suggests Brensilver, allows us to both embrace the depths of our troubled reality and also to put the weight of it down at times to restore ourselves. ”

For more about influential leaders in Marin, visit marinmagazine.com/ local-leaders

su ffering from the survivors of Hitler’s regime. When Fox’s parents passed away and he was sorting through their belongings, he found photographs from after they had been released from the camps. The photos depicted smiling individuals, his parents amongst them. “These people were smiling and it is impossible to believe that they had endured the unimaginable, the unendurable. They were moving forward and focused on building a life,” says Fox.

The key question, says Fox, is “Do you have a strength of conviction that life has meaning?” It is the belief that our lives have meaning that we can build upon in times of struggle.

Fox returns regularly to a favorite Frankl quote: “The way in which a man accepts his fate and all the su ffering it entails, the way in which he takes up his cross, gives him ample opportunity — even

under the most di fficult circumstances — to add a deeper meaning to his life.”

Fox’s message to his readers over the past half-year of the pandemic? We can see this moment as an opportunity for growth, a chance to enhance meaning in our lives. “With the proper attitude we can create who we truly are and meant to be when we come out of this,” says Fox. “This is a chance to look at our priorities in life and ask ourselves if they really should have been priorities. We may be learning new priorities now. We may be learning lessons — this is where my focus and love and other priorities should be.” In moments of uncertainty, Fox points his fol lowers to another Frankl quote: “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

Orin Carpenter

Artist and Educator, Marin Catholic and Boston College: “Art is healing.”

Orin Carpenter is an artist and the Visual and Performing Arts Director at Marin Catholic High School. He also teaches an online course at Boston College entitled “Educating for Racial Justice Through Art.” Over the years as an art instruc tor, Carpenter has become a mentor for the young people he teaches, infusing his instruction with spiritual guidance and practical life lessons. At the heart of his work are questions about identity and purpose. These questions, he says, have only become more relevant with the pandemic and issues around social injustice.

“There’s a global aspect and a national aspect that we are looking at. This is not how things were supposed to look, and that makes us ques tion our identity and our purpose. People are questioning the meaning of their life,” says Carpenter. “High school has always been a time of identity theft, a time when we are trying to figure out who we are. In high school art classes we create a space, to help students find their true purpose, their true identity without feeling like an outcast. There are two things I’d like to know my students take away from my class; they are Identity and confidence, two things that go hand in hand, like grace and mercy.”

Carpenter believes the creative process is a powerful tool and a healing balm, and that is why art is having a resurgence in the time of Covid-19. “Since the start of this pandemic, everyone is seeking online

classes and private lessons,” says Carpenter. “Art is a wanted and desired outlet that everyone needs, that should have been a part of our lives always, but because of the system we grew up in, it was always considered a luxury, not something that is necessarily needed. But now people are seeing that it is needed.”

Carpenter’s personal artistic practice has deepened over the recent months. “This is one of the most fruitful periods of my life as an artist,” he says. “Prayer has always been a component of my faith. This time is making me more reflective, and my relationship with God is more in tune because it is forcing me to look at things differently. Art is always that space to dig deeper.” Carpenter hopes that people will use art as a way to cope with hardship, and also to better understand themselves and their vision. “This is the time to open a journal and do doodles, sketch, write poetry, write a song, get on the keyboard and make music,” he encourages. “Whatever it is, it will help you to tap into that spiritual connection.”

Carpenter also points out that the pandemic has offered us an opportunity to see society around us more clearly. “With social issues, we are having to pay attention.” If not for the pandemic, he believes, society might not have responded to the murder of George Floyd in the same way. “This unfortunate incident woke us up and brought us together, and now we are questioning, and that is a good thing. We are alert, our heads are up not just looking down at our phones. We are looking around the world seeing both the beauty and the ugliness that is out there.”

“

With active shooters and active shooter drills becoming increasingly necessary in churches before the pandemic, White says he believes it was written that people needed to come out of the buildings and stay at home to worship for a while.

”

Matthew Brensilver

Spirit Rock Meditation Center:

For many, the retreats at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in West Marin are the bedrock of a Buddhist practice. Meditation teacher Matthew Brensilver serves on the Spirit Rock Teachers Council and reg ularly leads retreats at Spirit Rock, all of which have moved online during the pandemic. Although Brensilver was skeptical about the extent to which online retreats could o ff er solace and guidance, he has been surprised by the success of these virtual gatherings.

“We are overwhelmed and Zoomed out and, yet, simultaneously longing for a sense of connection and community,” Brensilver says. “People are leaning on each other to help stabilize their own hearts in this time when there is so much to worry about. It feels like we’re supposed to be worrying all the time. We have this redemptive hope in worrying. To put that down, to rest in the experience of being human, can feel like a betrayal of our worry itself.”

Brensilver does not suggest that we should not worry at all, or that current struggles and the associated worries are not real. Instead, he believes the practices of meditation and mindfulness allow us to put worry down for a moment: “There’s a way that coming together with others who are committed to exploring a sensory experience in the

moment as it unfolds, helps us to rest,” he says. That rest does not resolve all the complexities and problems of being human, adds Brensilver, but he believes that life can look di fferent when we rest. Developing the ability to be fully pres ent in the moment, suggests Brensilver, allows us to both embrace the depths of our troubled reality and also to put the weight of it down at times to restore ourselves.

“As a Buddhist practitioner, one of the commitments is not to squander su ffering. The pre cariousness of life can make us love or hate. It can draw us into a deeper sense of tenderness and honoring of life, or it can lead us to scramble and cling more tightly,” says Brensilver. In the months since the pandemic began, he has seen a heightened sensitiv ity to goodness. “In witnessing common decency and kindness and the solidarity of goodhearted people everywhere — the heroism of people on the frontline who are caring for folks with Covid — recognizing that they are the moral heroes of our time. Our hearts are sensitized to them. There is goodness in the world and that can be a North Star even amidst the great swathes of su ffering.”

Through virtual courses, Brensilver and other Buddhist spiritual guides help individuals incline their minds toward care and compas sion, using grief as raw material. “There is a lot to grieve, and the depth of grief can be overwhelming,” he says. “Our practice is to fi nd ways of transmuting the grief into love.”

Rabi’a Keeble is the founder of a progressive mosque known as Qalbu Maryam Women’s Mosque in Berkeley, California. She is both a spiritual leader and an activist who works on issues of homelessness, a ffordable housing, female genital mutilation, and protection of refugees. Since the mosque closed due to the pandemic, she has fielded a consistent stream of emails from her Muslim community, wondering when they will be able to meet and pray together again.

“People ask me, when are we meeting? And I say to them, you are doing the most beautiful faith-driven thing you can do, and that is protecting other people. You are protecting somebody’s grandmother or grandfather,” says Keeble. “Then they ask me for guidance: where do we pray? And I tell them, you can pray anywhere. I remind people, God is everywhere.”

“Muslims pray five times daily, and these are concrete hard and fast rules of Islam,” says Keeble. “So Muslims are familiar with the home being a faith center, and women in particular have long held down their faith lives from the home.” Keeble instructs her community to refocus on the home and to center the home in faith. She also reminds followers that the Koran instructs them to practice justice. “So this moment of

social justice protest is a very powerful moment for us,” she says. “And, If everybody hadn’t been at home and off f work and school because of Covid, police brutality might have been swept under the rug. People might have said ‘Oh, just another hashtag’ and gone to work.”

From Keeble’s perspective, the pandemic is teaching us important lessons. “There are times when I realize, oh that is a Covid lesson,” she says. “2020 has been a year of vision — we see everything with 20-20 vision. There’s no muddling around the edges. Clearly we have to get out and vote. Clearly we need to look at how we work with one and another in terms of race. The universe decided, this is the year I’m going to take people by the shoulder and give everyone a good shake.”

“Our practice is to find ways of transmuting the grief into love.”

Rabi’a Keeble Founder and Imam of Qalbu Maryam Women’s Mosque: “We see everything with 20-20 vision.”

GOOD TIME TO give

2020 BROUGHT UNPRECEDENTED NEED AS WELL AS EXCEPTIONAL TAX BENEFITS FOR GIVING. BY CARRIE KIRBY

Many of us may have been distracted from philanthropy in the pandemic-bred chaos of 2020. Yet need is greater than ever, with organizations from food banks to disaster recovery efforts to bail funds seeing greater demand for their services. As the year draws to a close, it’s time to take stock of how much we can give and select the most advantageous methods for giving.

The past few years have registered record levels of charitable giving by Americans, with $450 billion donated in 2019, according to Giving USA, which publishes an annual report of philanthropy in the U.S. based on research by the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

Will the pandemic and associated recession interrupt the generosity trend? It’s not clear. More than half of U.S. charities expect to raise less money this year, according to a May survey conducted by the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Yet other studies have shown increases in giving, as people heed increased calls for help.

If you are able to give this year, you could qualify for unprecedented tax benefits, thanks to the CARES Act Covid-19 response bill passed in

March. The law allows individuals who itemize deductions to deduct up to 100 percent of adjusted gross income for qualified donations in 2020, compared to 60 percent of AGI in other years. For those who take the standard deduction, the law allows an additional deduction for charitable gifts of up to $300 per individual. “2020 has brought much hardship to many people and institutions, including charities. So many non-profit organizations can really use the extra charitable donations,” said Ramsay Slugg, Managing Director in National Wealth Planning Strategies Group at Bank of America Private Bank. How much charitable giving can save you on taxes depends on your marginal personal income tax rate. For example, a person in the highest tax bracket of 37 percent who itemizes deductions will save about $370 on their tax bill for every $1,000 donated to a quali fied charitable organization.

Beyond simply writing a check, there are other, more complex ways to give to charity that may yield greater tax benefits, especially to high net worth taxpayers. But this can get complicated. “Not all assets are created the same, and it may be advisable to use stocks, bonds, real

For more advice on finance, visit marinmagazine.com/ finance

estate or other assets, as well as cash and checks, to make gifts. There are numerous rules in this area, so it is best to seek out competent counsel,” Slugg says.

For instance, the use of donor-advised funds has been growing like crazy in the past decade, accounting for nearly 13 percent of all individual contributions in 2018, according to National Philanthropic Trust, which publishes an annual report on what it calls “the fastest-growing vehicle in philanthropy.”

This is how a DAF works: The donor deposits money or other assets in the fund and reaps an immediate tax deduction. Once in the fund, the money grows tax free until the donor decides to grant it to a qualifying charitable organization. If you regularly give at least $5,000 a year, you might want to look into a DAF, Slugg says.

Some high net worth individuals and families with at least several million dollars to give choose to set up a charitable trust, or private family foundation. “Most family offices donate money to the charities that have special meaning to the family member[s],” says Ryan Liss, president of

Caliber 88 Tax & Wealth Planning Services, in the Chicago area. “A family foundation allows them to create an entity which greatly furthers family unity and acts as a fantastic teaching tool for the younger generations.”

Wealth planners can set up family trusts to provide benefits beyond tax deductions, such as a reliable income stream or estate planning functions, using a technique called split-interest giving. In this scenario, the donor sets up a charitable remainder trust that gives an asset to a charity while retaining the interest generated by that asset as income for the donor. At the end of life, because the asset is no longer part of the donor’s estate, this method can reduce estate taxes owed, if applicable.

Finally, some givers prefer to delay some or all of their giving until the end of life, using bequests in their will or trust. This method safeguards you from running out of assets because you gave too gen erously. However, postponing generosity until the end of life has one big downside. “The main disadvantage is that they miss out on rather generous income tax benefits if they otherwise qualify to deduct the gift,” Slugg says.

MARIN GIVES BACK

IN AN ESPECIALLY CHALLENGING YEAR, it takes the effrts of many to make Marin and the Bay Area a better place. If you’re in a position to give — whether it’s time, money, or items — your donation will be felt deeply by our communities and their residents. Here are just some of the local organizations making an impact.

Marin Center for Independent Living

MarinCIL assists older adults and persons with all types of disabling con ditions in achieving their maximum level of sus tainable independence as contributing, responsible and equal participants in society. It provides critical wrap around safety net services to

physical wellness is a truth Vivalon has wit nessed for years. vivalon.org

Guide Dogs for the Blind

More than an industryleading guide dog school, this is a passionate community serving people who are blind or low vision. All of the services for its clients are

members in need of help with a trusted person for errands, driving to critical appointments, outdoor help around the house, pet walk ing, much-appreciated companionship calls and more. marinvillages.org

Schurig Center for Brain Injury Recovery Harnessing the healing power of community, Schurig Center for Brain Injury Recovery is Marin’s only nonprofit helping survivors and their families thrive after a brain injury, like TBI, concussion or stroke. Brain injury survivors and their families are among those who have been affected significantly by the pandemic, now even more isolated than before. schurigcenter.org

support individuals living independently and those regaining their inde pendence after a severe illness, age-related dis ability or life-altering accident. marincil.org

Vivalon Vivalon helps older adults and other vulnerable Marin residents lead fuller, healthier, happier lives through rides, meals, classes, care and advice, all fueled by the power of human connection. The fact that human con nection is a vital force that drives mental and

provided free of charge, including personalized training and extensive post-graduation support, plus financial assistance for veterinary care, if needed. guidedogs.com

Marin Villages Marin Villages reimagines aging and community for older adults who want to live at home, make new friends and stay engaged with life. The “village” is a community of members who live independently in the comfort of their own homes, and vol unteers who provide

Corte Madera Recreation REC. Inc Programs These programs aim to bring the maximum number of people with develop mental disabilities into recreational activities, local events, and philan thropic service, thereby em powering them and helping them find a place in the larger com munity. By networking wi th people with disabil ities, parents, caregivers, lo cal artists and agen cies the recreation de partment can best provide high-quality, low-cost recreation pro grams and opportunities fo r this special popula tion. recinc.org

ExtraFood is the only organization that rescues excess fresh food — 4 million pounds so far — from any Marin business and immediately delivers it to programs serving Marin's most vulnerable children, seniors and families, reaching 8,000 people. And, ExtraFood's Community Meals pro gram uses the excess capacity of restaurants and caterers to give meals to people in need — 85,000 meals during Covid-19. extrafood.org

Marin City Health & Wellness Center From chronic disease to child birth, African Americans face higher incidences of disease and mortality than any other ethnic group. Created by long time residents of Marin City who demanded high quality, culturally relevant healthcare, this is the only public health clinic known in the U.S. to have the mission of African American health equity. marincityclinic.org

Halleck Creek Ranch

The door to the great outdoors is opened for children and adults with physical, psychological and developmental dis abilities at Halleck Creek Ranch by using the four strong legs of a horse. Providing challenging experiences in a sup portive environment will make a lasting, positive change in the attitudes and abilities of children and adults with disabili ties, and in the people who care for them. halleckcreekranch.org

Casa Allegra Community Services

Founded in 1975, Casa Allegra supports people with intellectual and developmental disabili ties one person at a time by providing treatments catered to individualized needs. casaallegra.org

Homeward Bound of Marin With services ranging from emergency shelter to permanent supportive housing, Homeward Bound of Marin supports home less individuals and families moving from

crisis to stability to thriv ing. The organization also works to expand housing options for vet erans, seniors and others working to rebuild their independence. hbofm.org

The Good Medicine Project The Good Medicine Project exists to improve the outcomes for breast cancer patients by activating the healing force of social support: non-medical, informal help that friends, family and community pro vide to someone going through a difficult time. youaregoodmedicine.org

The Tutor Corps Foundation The founda tion strives to inspire a love of learning in stu dents of all backgrounds and abilities by providing 1:1 tutoring scholarships, community service grants and awards for teachers. The leader ship team donates their time so the Foundation has zero overhead and administrative costs and 100% of dona tions go directly to paying tutors. tutorcorpsfoundation.org

ExtraFood.org

Vivalon

Marin Villages

CHILDREN

Little Wishes Founded in 2003, Little Wishes grants the immediate and ongoing wishes of chronically and critically ill, hospitalized children to ease their discomfort and bring them moments of joy. littlewishes.org

education, health and wellness, sports, and safety. marinfostercare.org

Sparkle Foundation Inc. Every dollar donated to the Sparkle Foundation goes back to the com

The group has helped young moms finish high school and start college, acquire and stabilize income and housing, become emancipated, deal with courts, fam ily challenges, car and legal issues, and health crises among the other day to day issues of parenting and learning about healthy lifestyles. stpaulssanrafael.org

NatureBridge The experience NatureBridge provides to kids — living and learning in our national parks — is not just important, it’s trans formative. Programs inspire kids to find new possibilities within themselves and connect with one another and the natural world. naturebridge.org

Marin Foster Care Association MFCA is at the forefront of sup port and advocacy for foster children and their dedicated caregivers. Its Opportunity Project, and the recently created Covid Support Program, has distributed $67,685 in grants and mate rial goods supporting

munities it serves. The group assists single mothers and their chil dren as it understands that women rarely ask for help, and that many times children are vic tims of circumstances. sparklenow.org

Beyond Differences

A student-led organiza tion that focuses on ending social isolation among youth. It provides all of its materials and curriculum free of charge to more than 6,000 schools in all 50 states. beyonddifferences.org

Young Moms Marin This support group that pro vides weekly parenting and personal support to young and teen mothers.

Marin Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Marin CASA provides a voice for abused, neglected and abandoned children in the Marin County Juvenile Court System. The CASA is often the only consis tent adult the child can rely on during a time of extreme disruption and loss. marincasa.org

Dedication to Special Education This all-volun teer parent organization enhances the quality

of special education in Marin County and con nects families, educators and the community. Its fundraising efforts impact all school dis tricts in the county to help the 4,000 children with special needs learn to their fullest potential. specialed.org

DrawBridge DrawBridge provides children who are under served or experiencing homelessness with the opportunity to tap into their creativity, build self-confidence and experience joy through expressive art.

It provides free, weekly expressive art programs for underserved children, providing a safe space for individual expression and creative exploration. drawbridge.org

ScreenSense ScreenSense empowers local families to achieve a healthy relationship with technology. It curates research, suggests action steps and builds com munity support to help families stay human. screensense.org

Kids Cooking For Life Kids Cooking For Life teaches nutrition and inspires lifelong healthy cooking and eating habits through hands-on cook ing classes to students, including those from lowincome communities and those with special needs. Through Kids Cooking @ Home virtual connec tions are made straight from students’ kitchen countertops. kidscookingforlife.org

Side by Side Side by Side walks with young people impacted by adversity on their unique journeys to heal from trauma, restore

resilience and embrace their own potential. It provides critical and comprehensive services that honor the young person’s unique needs and strengths to prevent the escalation of dan gerous conditions and behaviors and set them on a positive path. sidebysideyouth.org

Beyond Differences

Drawbridge

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: BARBARA ZAMOST; JULIE SCRIBNER JOURNEE INSTAGRAM; BETTY LITUANIO

Dedication to Special Education

Cooking For Life

Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary Richardson Bay Audubon works towards nature-based solutions to protect those most vulnerable. It protects open water space in Richardson Bay for migratory birds and works with volunteers of all economic and social backgrounds to form a strong community committed to improving wildlife habitat. richard sonbay. audubon.org

All About Owls The group offers presenta tions with live owls to schools, environmental organizations and for events. It teaches about the natural history, identification and the amazing facts of our local owls. The message is one of conservation and stewardship to inspire positive change through understanding the key role raptors play

in our environment. allaboutowls.org

Resilient Shore

Resilient Shore's objec tive is to assist the City of San Rafael in funding and preparing a com munity based Shore and Watershed Adaptation Master Plan. The group provides leadership, deep local knowledge and subject matter expertise in wetland science, flood risk man agement, community engagement, engineer ing and landscape scale planning and design. resilientshore.org

WildCare WildCare delivers world-class medical care in an open admission wildlife hospital, along with envi ronmental education, community engagement and advocacy for the protection of wildlife and our shared habitat. The vast majority of Wildlife

Hospital patients come to WildCare because of negative interac tions with humans, our vehicles or our pets. discoverwildcare.org

The Marine Mammal Center The Marine Mammal Center is the world's largest marine mammal hospital and edu cation center. As a critical first responder to threats facing our ocean, the Center is leading the field in ocean conservation. marinemammalcenter.org

River Otter Ecology Project By engaging the public in supporting con servation and restoration — by linking river otter recovery to the health of our watersheds through education, research and community science — the River Otter Ecology Project inspires personal connections and moti vates meaningful actions to preserve our shared natural landscapes for future generations. riverotterecology.org

Novato Baylands

Stewards The Novato Baylands Stewards is dedicated to the restora tion, improvement and appreciation of baylands

along the San Pablo Bay shoreline. The group uses innovative meth ods for restoring large wetland areas, including farming native plants in the ground. novatobaylandsstewards.org

Turtle Island Restoration Network

Species extinction rates are accelerating at an unprecedented pace — tens to hundreds of times higher than they have been in the past 10 million years — due to human-driven forces. Turtle Island Restoration Network’s mission is to mobilize people in local communities around the world to protect marine wildlife and the oceans and inland watersheds that sustain them. seaturtles.org

YardSmartMarin Rodent control, espe cially rats, is a big focus at this time of year. YardSmartMarin empowers Marin resi dents and businesses to reduce their pesticide usage through aware ness and education about safer, effective alternatives. yardsmartmarin.org

MARIN GIVES BACK NON PROFIT GUIDE

Wildcare

Richardson Bay Audubon

The Pacific Pediatric Neuro-oncology Consortium foundation (PNOC) is an international association dedicated to the research of innovative therapy for children and young adults with brain tumors. The PNOC is currently treating 140 children with cutting edge treatments and aims to offer care to at least 200 children per year in the future. With 225 brain tumor specialists and 16 di fferent clinical trials, PNOC has been able to help children in places as far as Europe, Australia, and Canada. These skilled specialists are able to personalize their treatments because of their understanding that each tumor is as unique as each child. By raising critical research funds for the PNOC Consortium, we at Nice Guys

Delivery realized the importance of the PNOC Foundation’s determined approach to improving outcomes for children with brain cancer. “Raising more funds for more research means that we can help in the fight for more innovative therapy. That is what this is all about at the end of the day. Helping as many children as we can.” (Monica Gray, COO Nice Guys Delivery).

Pictured: Monica Gray, COO and Adam Fong, CEO, both of Nice Guys Delivery

415.855.5914, niceguysdelivery, Marin County

Green River Sustainable Financial Services supports Fossil Free California marin gives back

Investors can combat climate chaos and improve investment results by divesting from fossil fuel stocks. Green River Sustainable Financial Services is honored to support Fossil Free California (FossilFreeCA.org), a grassroots non-profit that lobbies the two gargantuan CA pension plans to divest from Fossil Fuels. The research group Corporate Knights issued a report in 2019 showing that CA pension plans have lost 17 billion dollars over ten years by holding onto fossil fuel stocks. State teachers, employees and taxpayers are paying a heavy price for this myopic refusal to divest. The world is turning ever more quickly to a low-carbon economy. Aspiring Low-Carbon investors can contact Green River’s founder Patrick Costello at PCostello@ProtectedInvestors.com, or learn more by visiting the website: GreenRiverFinServ.com.

Pictured: J Patrick Costello, CFP®, CLU 415.453.6000, greenriverfinserv.com, San Anselmo, CA

marin gives back

Cooking With Consciousness

In 2013, Judi Shils, Executive Director of Turning Green , approached natural and organic grocer Good Earth Natural Foods with her dream of shifting school meals from pre-packaged and processed to scratch-made, local, and organic food. Inspired by her mission, Good Earth co-owner, Al Baylacq, pledged his support, and provided the equipment and guidance needed to help Judi launch a pilot of Turning Green’s Conscious Kitchen program at Bayside MLK Academy in Marin City.

The partnership between Good Earth and Conscious Kitchen is still thriving, and in March, when the pandemic hit, Conscious Kitchen pivoted to provide over 60,000 meals to Marin families in need, with Good Earth helping them source the organic ingredients needed for this important work.

Pictured: Al Baylacq, co-owner of Good Earth Natural Foods and Judi Shils, Executive Director of Turning Green & Conscious Kitchen

415.454.0123, genatural.com, Fairfax, CA

Marin resident Carolyn Margiotti came to Bay Area Lyme Foundation looking for answers. Despite severe symptoms and a tick bite, doctors couldn’t find the cause and told her ‘you’ve always been healthy, you’ll be fine’. As a previously healthy person and past Ironman triathlete, she knew she wasn’t fine! Eventually diagnosed with Lyme disease, Carolyn sought an organization to eliminate this awful disease.

“Bay Area Lyme stood out because their targeted, databased approach is making huge strides in finding accurate diagnostics, effective treatments and a cure.” Their mission - to make Lyme disease easy to diagnose and simple to cure - matched her goals. “Not enough patients get tested and the tests often give inaccurate results, so it appears no one has it. Who suspects or donates to a disease that nobody has?!” In Marin, Carolyn turned to her community to share her story.

“It’s important to share what I wish I’d known. Be informed, recognize the symptoms and seek help immediately, even if you have to fight for a test. Though Bay Area Lyme is changing that.” She became an advocate and resource, spreading awareness through mother’s clubs, schools and bringing Bay Area Lyme speaker events to Marin. Because of her tireless efforts, Carolyn now serves on the Advisory Board of the foundation. “Marin is about 70% protected space, it’s not surprising we’re impacted by the critters among us. Residents need to be aware of the presence of Lyme disease in our beautiful county.”

Carolyn lives in San Anselmo with her husband and two very active sons.

650.530.2439, bayarealyme.org, Portola Valley, CA

Carolyn Margiotti - COMMUNITY CRUSADER

INTRODUCING VANGUARD VALET

With our custom concierge service, we’ll manage the process for you. Access professional staging and high-impact cosmetic renovations designed to maximize your home’s value with no cash out-of-pocket or up-front fees. Learn more at VanguardValet.com 415.32.3000

Make yourself at home

This page: The living room furnishings are, like the architecture of the home itself, a celebration of curves, including a castglass sofa surround that was made by a renowned glass workshop in Berkeley.

Opposite: This custom sofa in the master sitting room was made to fit perfectly with the home's curved windows.

A Watery OASIS

BY LIZ LOGAN • PHOTOS BY ROGER DAVIES

WHEN KATHY BASKETT DECIDED TO UPDATE

the interior of the Sausalito home she shares with her husband, Forest, she was apprehensive. “This house is his baby,” she says. “It’s his happy place.” Forest had worked closely with the late architect Donald Olsen to have the house built in the mid-90s, before he and Kathy were married. The property descends a steep hill on a small point of land, giving the house a lot of privacy as well as a 180-degree view of the bay. The architecture celebrates the view with huge, curved-glass windows throughout. The bay is visible from every room, and being inside the house feels like being on a boat — appropriate, as Forest loves to sail.

THIS SAUSALITO HOME CELEBRATES ITS EXPANSIVE VIEW OF SAN FRANCISCO BAY.

“The structure itself is a feat of engineer ing,” says Paul Vincent Wiseman, founder and president of San Francisco’s The Wiseman Group, which was brought in to reinvent the interior spaces. He notes that the curvature of the glass was precisely determined to minimize distortion, allowing for pure views of the water. The task for Wiseman and his team, including design director Brenda Mickel and architec tural team Mauricio Munoz and Megan Munoz, was to update every aspect of the interior to make it feel fresh while honoring the unique, original structure. A major component was changing the color scheme and adding textures.

“Before, it felt more like Santa Fe than Sausalito, with lots of tan, peach and brown,” Kathy says. “I told Paul, let’s bring in the color of the water, with blues and greens and grays, so you feel the water immediately when you walk in.”

The house comprises four floors descend ing the hillside; the top floor is the largest and where the main living spaces are. Because of the terrain, there’s no road directly to the house — the couple parks at the top of the hill and walks down a set of stairs through the garden or rides the funicular. Originally, the building materials for the house were brought in from the water by barge. Getting the new furniture in was also challenging.

For the door, which is an abstract work of stained glass art, The Wiseman Group reen listed the original glass artist to remove burgundy pieces and replace them with clear, creating a fresh look. A custom, embroidered window covering and towels repeat the door’s motif in the powder room. “We connect the dots to create a cohesive whole,” says Mickel, speak ing to the fi rm’s approach. “Our goal is for the coloration to feel harmonious and for the design to blend.”

Wood floors were replaced with planks in a gray finish, and custom carpets were placed throughout the home. “When I told Paul I wanted to bring a sense of the water inside, he said, ‘Okay, we’ll have a rug made, and it will look as if you’ve taken a pebble and dropped it,’” Kathy recalls. In the living room, The Wiseman Group added a 15-foot, white

Tasmanian glass feature that elegantly wraps around the sofa. Custom cast by a renowned Berkeley glass workshop, this piece has a texture reminiscent of water and is exception ally pure, according to Wiseman. The curved sofa and side tables were made custom and a bronze coffee table by Vladimir Kagan is also fittingly curvaceous.

In the dining room, Wiseman updated the couple’s live-edge black-walnut dining table by cutting it into three pieces that can be con nected with leaves. He also added modern bases and treated the wood to give it a gray, rather than a reddish, hue.

A dramatic spiral staircase — which descends all four floors and features views of the bay — was originally made by a local artisan and is a very dear element to Forest. “I was con cerned it would lose its character,” Forest says. “But The Wiseman Group did a wonderful job updating it. Instead of a rosy cherry, it’s now a beautiful dark gray.”

On the second floor down, the master bed room and master bath are, again, a celebration of curves. A custom sofa was made to fi t into the curved window. The master bath features a shower with a large window set into a curved wall. The Wiseman Group put in new tiles that are a serene blue. A luxurious soaking tub is another place for enjoying the pristine view.

On the bottom level there’s a cheerful lounge with dreamy elements in shades of blue and orange — a custom teal sofa under a long woodblock print of a fish by Julian Meredith, a Vladimir Kagan chair with blue upholstery and translucent lens tables by Holly Hunt. A Murano glass vase by Fabio Micucci adorns the side table. The wall covering, by Phillip Jeff ries, is made of mica chips that sparkle in the light.

Artwork throughout the house carries on the sinuous and naturalistic tone. In the powder room vestibule, there’s a sculptural black shelf by Carol Egan, along with a graphite artwork by Hiromichi Iwasita, from Gallery Japonesque. Below the spiral staircase, there’s a display of quartz crystals from the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show. “Kathy has a great eye for art and has visited many fairs,” Mickel observes. Forest and Kathy love to watch the sun go down over the bay and see the light re flecting back from windows in Berkeley, Oakland and Tiburon. “We call it twinkle time,” Forest says. Now the interior reflects everything they love about the view (sometimes literally — there are many mirrors). Kathy recalls, “I wanted this all to just flo.”

Visit spacesmag.com to view more gorgeous homes

Opposite: The Wiseman Group updated the couple’s live-edge blackwalnut by cutting it into three pieces that can be connected with leaves and adding modern bases.

This page: (Clockwise from top left) The living room includes a sinuous bronze coffee table by Vladimir Kagan. Custom carpets throughout the home bring in the shapes and texture of the water. The master sitting room, all the furniture is custommade. The art is by John Mayberry. Being inside this home and on the deck feels like being on a boat, observes designer Paul Vincent Wiseman. The curved staircase was created by a local artisan. The Wiseman Group treated the wood to change the hue from reddish to gray.

Retro REVIVAL

THIS HILLSIDE HOME IN CORTE MADERA IS PLAYFUL AND BURSTING WITH COLOR.

BY LIZ LOGAN • PHOTOS BY KEN GUTMAKER

“IT’S A MODERN-MEETS-‘70S, FUNKY, AWESOME place,” says Trent Michels of the hillside home he shares with his wife, Debbie Lewis. The couple purchased the ‘70s-era house in 2015 and spent the next few years renovating it and building a substantial addition. They brought in San Francisco’s Loczi Design Group to consult on the floor plan and all aspects of the interior.

Left: In the bedroom, a custom headboard is reminiscent of Eastern temples. The living room's fireplace wall is covered in stone tiles. "They throw beautiful light on each other, like waves on sand,” observes Debbie, who owns the house along with her husband, Trent.

The result is an airy adobe filled with retro details and saturated colors that nod to the sur rounding landscape: the blue and greens of the San Francisco Bay, which is visible from most of the rooms, as well as rust reds and marigolds.

“The whole house is about light and playfulness, with lots of rich textures and natural materials,” says Paige Loczi, founder and creative director, who worked on the project along with Catrina Cooper, the fi rm’s senior project manager and senior designer. “It’s a characteristically Northern California house that’s all about casual elegance.”

The house is made up of several levels descending down a hillside, and the addition involved excavating to add a garage and a mas ter suite above it. The living room was extended to include a deck with sweeping views of the Bay, and the kitchen — originally a small room cut off rom the rest of the house — was moved to make the main level into a great room.

The open-plan kitchen and living room space is the focal point of the house, as Debbie loves to cook and has worked as a vegan chef. The kitchen has a soaring ceiling. Loczi added trusses to bring down the ceiling while maintaining the light, airy feeling. The couple loved the original knotty pine ceilings, which gave the house a mountain-lodge feel, but they weren’t practical, so they replaced them with red heart cedar.

A large Bover light fi xture hanging above the massive Caesarstone island was key to making an otherwise overwhelmingly space feel comfortable. The modern island chairs are Muuto. Cabinets with walnut vaneers and chunky white enamel hardware helped create the fun, ‘70s vibe the couple was hoping for. “We’re not traditional people,” Debbie muses. Loczi suggested the backsplash tile from Fireclay Tile in part because it reminded her of a pattern from The Partridge Family.

The couple have two rabbits and wanted them to be able to roam freely, so, there’s lots of carpet (“wood is too slippery,” Deb says), the stairs aren’t too steep and the deck’s glass sides extend all the way down to the floor. The kitchen even includes a bunny cubby.

The fun and eclectic mood flows into the living room, where there’s a floral carpet from the Rug Establishment and a teal couch from Dzine. The fireplace wall, which includes a TV, is one of Debbie and Trent’s favorite details. “I knew I didn’t want the TV right above the fireplace,” Debbie says, “I wanted something more interesting.” Loczi responded with an asymmetrical design featuring floating wooden shelves and textured stone tiles that would cover the wall. “When the overhead light is on, the stone tiles throw beautiful light on each other, like waves on sand,” Debbie observes.

The couple also adore their new master suite. Wallpaper featuring a large-scale flower motif extends down the hallway and wraps around onto a wall in the master bedroom. “It’s spectacular,” Trent says. “I wanted it to feel magical when they wake up in the morning and walk to their bathroom,” Loczi says, “like walking through a secret garden.” A custom, upholstered headboard designed by Loczi has a shape reminiscent of Eastern temples. The couple have an extensive collection

of plants, some of which are hanging in macramé hangers made by Debbie. Opposite the bed, her sculpture made up of macramé cords hangs above a carved Jonathan Adler console in which the couple stores hay for the rabbits.

The master bath features custom tiles from Fireclay in a turquoise that’s reminiscent of the Bay. Above the tub hangs a light fi xture that resembles a cloud of butter fl ies. “It’s defi nitely dreamy in there,” Debbie says.

Elsewhere in the house, graphic elements and wallpaper abound at every turn. There’s a floral wallpaper from Hygge & West in Debbie’s craft room, a cheerful bunny wallpaper by Groundworks Hutch in the laundry room and a geometric wallpaper in the dining room. The powder room includes a decidedly custom trip tych with ‘70s colors by artist Jennifer Frisbie. Throughout the house, light fi xtures that resemble baskets are a nod to the rabbits’ hay.

“The team at Loczi is not afraid to play with texture, color, print and pattern,” Debbie says, “I love that about them, because I would have been afraid to play with it by myself.”

Visit spacesmag.com more inspiring home design

Opposite: In the dining room, a basketlike light fixture is a nod to rabbits' hay—a subtle reference to the owners' beloved pets. This page: (Clockwise from top left) Custom turquoise tiles in the master bath bring in the colors of the Bay. Carpeting throughout the house makes it easier for the owners' pet rabbits to roam. In the master bath, pendant lights are by Ladies & Gentleman and the mirror is from Rejuvenation. Walnut cabinets and enamel hardware in the kitchen contribute to the home's '70s vibe.

LOUNGEWEAR

THESE SOFAS MAKE A STYLISH STATEMENT ON COMFORT.

PACHA 3-SEATER SOFA designed by Pierre Paulin for Gubi features a black wood base and suede upholstery (as shown). From $9,595; koncept22.com

PIERSON SOFA is made in Texas and features a bench-made hardwood frame with webbing seat suspension. From $2,599; roomandboard.com, 415.252.9280

BYRON SOFA is made in Italy and features an aluminum base and optional removable bolster armrests. Available in a wide variety of configurations, sizes, fabrics, and leathers. $6,100 (as shown); resourcefurniture.com, 415.872.9350

TORII SOFA by Nendo for Minotti features a metal frame and a backrest with vertical quilting. Available in 100% eco leather (as shown) or 100% fabric or fabric with leather base. Price upon request at arksf.com, 415.565.7200

Shapes of METAL

SCIENCE AND DESIGN TRANSFORM RAW MATERIALS INTO REFINED OBJECTS OF BEAUTY.

GRAND QUARTZ designed and manufactured in Burlingame, CA, by David Copello Guild features hand-finished, solid brass construction with real quartz points. Price upon request hewnsf.com, 415.962.7833

POMMER PENDANT designed by Matthew Fairbank and made in Brooklyn, NY, features a brushed brass shade, satin brass accents and black ebonized walnut top. $3,300 at ateliergarylee.com

LINHA DINING TABLE by Studio MK27 for Minotti features a marble top on a frame with matte black, lacquered-finish aluminum sides and bronzed satin copper finish. Price upon request at arksf.com, 415.565.7200

COLUMN TABLE II by Tom Corbin for Corbin Bronze is made in the and features a light golden brown patina.

OPAL BUD VASE by Stephen Serra is machined from a block of aluminum alloy. (Flower not included) at sloanm.com Details

Shades of WHITE

FROM CREAMY AND WARM TO COOL AND IRIDESCENT, THE COLOR FOR ALL SEASONS REPRESENTS BEGINNING ANEW.

BY LISA BOQUIREN

STELLA COSMOS by Design for Macha is a large-scale ceiling lamp, handmade in Italy in brass with blown Murano glass. $7,200 lunaria.us, 415.461.0588

ORO BIANCO 4-DOOR BUFFET

Made in NYC, this wood and glass piece sits atop a hand-forged metal base in natural steel finish. Price upon request at ercolehome.com, 212.675.2218

004 SCULPTURAL CONSOLE TABLE

by Casey McCafferty is designed and hand-carved in Los Angeles. Shown in white-washed ash, also available in ebonized ash. $10,625 at coupdetatsf.com, 415.241.9300

TOBIA WALL LAMP

by Ferruccio Laviani for Foscarini is made in Italy from liquid-coated metal and aluminum. $902-$1,175 at luminaire.com

Lamperti Contracting & Design lampertikitchens.com

ROB JORDAN PHOTOGRAPHY

Seating PLAN

PULL UP A CHAIR FROM THIS MODERN SELECTION.

BY LISA BOQUIREN

LEATHER SLING LOUNGE CHAIR is handcrafted in Bali, Indonesia, from natural matte Javanese teak and features a semi-vegetable tanned leather seat and back. $995; saffronandpoe.com

SUIT by Monica Forster for Artifort features a metal insert frame covered with molded form upholstered in various leather and fabric options. $1,458; artifort.com

KITE LOUNGE CHAIR DEEP by Nendo features a powdercoated steel frame and upholstered shell in various fabric options. $1,720; morlensinoway.com

SEJOUR LOUNGE CHAIR designed by GamFratesi for Gubi features a metal frame with black American walnut armrests and various upholstery options. From $3,495; koncept22.com

SUMO LOUNGE CHAIR from HOLLY HUNT is made in the USA and features a walnut base and a variety of upholstery options. To the trade only at kneedlerfauchere.com, 415.487.6180

CITIZEN CHAIR by Konstantin Grcic for Vitra features a powder-coated steel frame and polyurethane foam seating in a variety of fabrics. $3,705 (low back, as shown) or $5,045 (high back with feather neck pillow); dwr.com, 415.638.4700 and vitra.com

PIPER CHAIR is made in Vietnam and features an exotic hardwood frame, two-toned wood arms and faux fur upholstery. $1,794; sunrisehome.com, 415.456.3939

Destinations

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

WORK-FROM-HOTEL

Sanitizer on hand, maintaining a six-foot distance from others and coordinating masks with bikinis — traveling in 2020 amidst the ebb and flow of mandatory travel restrictions is tricky, yet for this restless mom, well worth the extra effort, even if it meant changing her own sheets.

BY MIMI TOWLE

Mission Bay Resort, San Diego

It’s also a clever survival tactic for hotels to attract business. I started noticing the fi rst #WFH newsletters when Marin was covered in an unrelenting smokey haze from the wildfi res. A bright blue sky overhead, matched by an equally brilliant blue ocean framing a content, “could be anyone” model working on her laptop in a cabana. #WorkCations.

Hotels up and down the coast were cautiously yet also aggressively promoting their picturesque settings. The ads were relentless, and… hook, line and sinker, effective. I was making plans. “Why not,” I said. With the goal of San Diego for a friend’s birthday, among

other things, I started planning the ultimate #workfromhotel adventure. Traveling during the pandemic means a few creature comfort compromises, as in no maid service, or coffee bars, but it was all worth it.

California’s Various Stages of Openness

While the state seemed to be slowly opening at the end of last summer, Marin to me seemed to be uniquely stuck in the purple and red “risk” zones. The cautious folks at Visit California did a good job of updating those of us who write about travel on the latest CDC

safety protocols, basically, giving a yellow/ green light on getting out on the road. Follow the rules: wear a mask, practice social distancing ps and qs, and be cool. The latter refers to the fact that people are testy, from the drivers on the road, to the hotel clerk and baristas. As I researched this article, a headline from the Orange County Register caught my eye, “Passenger slaps bicyclist from moving minivan, both die: ‘Open murder’ charges fi led,” point is, we are all on edge. Not to sound too preachy, but it seems like it’s time we all adopted a zen approach to life: be kind, patient and lower expectations.

FIRST STOP: SANTA CRUZ

Easy as a day trip, even better as a weekend or longer getaway. The beautifully funky Santa Cruz has a population of just over 65,000, and in a normal year makes room for three million visitors. The mild climate and beautiful beaches have made this south-facing coastal town a popular destination for well over one hundred years.

The name Santa Cruz, meaning Holy Cross, comes from the Spanish explorer Don Gaspar de Portola. He happened upon what he described as rolling hills above a beautiful flowing river, which he called San Lorenzo, in 1769. Both names stuck. The 12th California mission, which followed in 1791, was built in what is now downtown Santa Cruz, and within another century, Hawaiian royalty was reported to be sur fi ng the waves on locally milled redwood boards at the mouth of the San Lorenzo River.

Sur fi ng is a big draw, and Santa Cruz claims the distinction of being the historical birthplace of mainland sur fi ng in the United States. The wetsuit was even created here by local legend Jack O'Neill, elevating the sport of sur fi ng to the world stage and enabling surfers globally to stay in the water longer since

"it's always summer on the inside." During the pandemic, the city came up with a Let’s Cruz Safely, Covid-19 safety campaign, which promoted wearing masks and social distancing.

When I saw the Dream Inn’s “Endless Summer in Santa Cruz” email in my inbox last August, I forwarded it to my annual Santa Cruz getaway group of which only my friend Katy was brave enough to don a mask and walk the tightrope of social distance travel. Rezzies made and masks packed, we hit the road. Crossing the Golden Gate is always a thrill, but knowing I wa s finally getting out of town reminded me that normalcy is within reach. Even debating something as mundane as the pros and cons of eating sushi vs. a burrito

for lunch was an exercise in the return to what matters. What wasn’t normal was that our conversation occurred via FaceTime since we drove in separate cars.

Considering check-in wasn’t until 4 p.m., we went for lunch in Half Moon Bay. We usually opted for Sam’s Chowder House , a Food Network fave where we stop for salads and lobster rolls, followed by a beach walk. With coronavirus however, we went for a masked beachwalk, where we ordered grab ‘n go sushi via our phones from Shiki Japanese Cuisine on Stone Pine Road. We then enjoyed, in the aforementioned separate cars, the jawdropping scenery on the 45-minute drive from Half Moon Bay to Santa Cruz. Usually, this drive offers many opportunities to park and explore wild, empty beaches; however, many of the parking lots were closed.

DREAM INN

Our destination: the classic oceanfront Dream Inn Hotel . Majestically fronting the Paci fic Ocean since 1963, our friend group became acquainted with the 165-room property awhile back, when Joie de Vivre took over management for a few years, waved their magic cool wand on the decor, and upgraded the restaurant. Their most recent renovation

#WFH IT’S A THING, THERE’S A HASHTAG, ADS RUNNING AND SIGNS. Work from Hotel, the new WFH, is not only trending on Instagram, it’s a way to allow a somewhat essential errand to turn into a well-deserved mental getaway.

included renaming the restaurant, Jack's, after the aforementioned O'Neill founder. There is something so insidery about sipping a signature Jack Martini whilst watching surfers frolic and toasting the man who made it all possible. While the restaurant is temporarily closed, the parking lot has been transformed into Jack’s Patio, offering open air dining and live music Thursdays through Sundays.

Back to the #WorkCation. Every room has an ocean-facing balcony, a table and a comfy bed, in other words, plenty of “desk” options. I took advantage of them all throughout the day and there are cabanas at the pool with wi fi The property’s central location is ideal — only minutes from the Boardwalk and downtown's shopping and restaurants.

To be sure we had enough oxygen flowing in our brains, we took a few breaks to walk the beach or the multi-use trail that meanders along the edge of the blu ff. During one morn ing stroll, we witnessed a classic Santa Cruz moment: a masked woman being pulled by her pit bull on a quasi-scooter dogsled. Luckily, she took a break to enjoy the view, and we were able to ask her about the dogsled. She then launched into one of the most fascinat ing life stories I’ve ever heard. This involved growing up as a preacher’s daughter and regional gymnastics star, traveling the world with a backpack and getting pregnant by a G.I. in Italy who happened to be a descendant of the McCoys (of the Hat fields and McCoys). She then thrived as a stripper (gynmastics came in handy), and is now living in bliss ful happiness in a van with her boyfriend, a pioneering surfer and, murder suspect. Thankfully, LeeAnn has written it all down:

her book Around the World in a G-string is available on Amazon. The dogsled can be pur chased on BarkPost.

Another not-to-miss activity is Chardonnay Charters out of Santa Cruz harbor. This twohour sunset booze cruise (wine and beer) often includes whale and shark (great white) sight ings. Upon booking, we had been assured that the crew would be very careful about keeping passengers apart and to keep guests from com mingling around a cheese platter, they handed out individual pizza slices. The wine and beer wa s flowing as usual, as were the easy con versations. A couple from England recreated the “King of the World” Titanic scene for their Instagram account and another group from

Orinda said they gather every year to go out on this cruise. The pandemic wouldn’t stop the tradition. We felt safe on the open ocean, kept our masks on the entire time (except, of course, to drink the wine) and experienced the most memorable whale tail show of our lives.

We’ve chosen Santa Cruz for the past few years, because within two hours of Marin, you’re in a classic California beach town. It’s not too pricey, there’s an abundance of healthy food options, and it’s just so easy. As Katy put it, “You don’t feel bad about being in sweats here — that’s a true vacation.” Covid-19 has made things no different except that the Boardwalk was closed, and most people were wearing masks. Check VisitSantaCruz.com for updates.

Dream Inn Room Patio

Dream Inn Room

Dream Inn Firepit

THINK OF SANTA BARBARA AS THE PRETTY SISTER OF CALIFORNIA CITIES. She doesn’t try to be, but she’s got that “wow” factor, and it just comes easy. Her white sand beaches, surrounded by the Santa Ynez mountain range with meticulous mission-style architecture, have earned her the trademarked moniker, The American Riviera.

A beach town with world-class wineries, it’s also home to California’s 10th mission, aptly called the Queen of the Missions, founded in 1786. According to Karna Hughes of Visit Santa Barbara, in a typical year some 7.2 million visitors come to the Santa Barbara South Coast region (made up of the communities of Santa Barbara, Montecito, Goleta and Summerland). Travel restrictions initially

took a toll during the spring, but once they lifted in the summer, travel rebounded.

There have been some unexpected perks that have resulted from the pandemic’s restrictions, including the closing of the State Street pedestrian promenade, spanning 10 blocks from Sola to Gutierrez streets. It’s one of the largest street closures in California, and it has revitalized the downtown corridor,

which will remain open until at least March 2021.

And as a result of the pandemic, Visit Santa Barbara has created a healthy traveler guide, which includes a link to their latest travel advisories to give visitors information to aid with travel planning and answer many frequently asked questions around Covid-19 travel to the region.

SECOND STOP: SANTA BARBARA

The second stop on the ultimate #WorkfromHotel tour of California was Santa Barbara, to deliver “essentials” to my daughter, Grace, who is attending UCSB.

The skies were bright blue (just as the newsletters promised) as I pulled off nto Storke Boulevard. towards what I’ve been calling Cola Vista (Covid + Isla = Cola). Life looked very “normal” on these streets. The array of tanned abs and bright smiles (masks were few and far between) enjoying the metabolism of youth made the news that the virus had an increase in cases make perfect sense. Driving along Del Playa with my windows up, just in case a biker hap pened to cough in my direction, I spotted Grace's house. Her directions were perfect, right across from dog sh*t park and “our living room is on the front yard.” In most places you’d think, “This is the ultimate Spring Break photo shoot,” but it’s just another day at UCSB. Due to the crowd, I decided to wave from the car and FaceTime her to make plans for dinner.

Lured by the Stay Longer, Pay Less offering, I opted for Hotel Milo, named for the proli fic historical hotelier, Milo Potter, whose popular Potter Hotel helped to put Santa Barbara on the tourism map back in 1903. Today, all that is left of this grand dame is a park lined with palm trees, which is now a

convenient courtyard in the center of the 2.5 acre property. A bounty of fi re pits and seating areas were ideal locations to #WFH and fun to share on zoom. The hotel is also right next to the aforementioned Sambo’s location, which is now called Chad’s — same great pancakes, with lots of outdoor seating.

Speaking of food, Grace had a list of restaurants to explore, Arigato on State Street, as her roommates say, “it’s where your parents take you.” There was East Beach Tacos at 226

S Milpas St, with the best take-out for a beach picnic, and Empty Bowl Gourmet Noodles, ideal for a picnic at the Mission and Toma on Cabrillo, with delicious Italian food and abundant parklet seating. Now that she’s working at Margerum Wine Bar, she insisted we do some research on the Urban Wine Trail, since they have expanded outdoor seating.

Luckily, Santa Barbara has as many healthy activities as noteworthy restaurants. From sur fi ng and stand-up paddling to running

and hiking, my time in Santa Barbara always feels like a balance of calories in, calories out. Annual events such as Fiesta or the Film Festival are great reasons to visit. However, traveling to Santa Barbara mid-week and in the shoulder season (fall-winter) are also good ideas for those who are seeking maximum social distance. When it’s safe to travel, Visit Santa Barbara is promoting a Third Night Free travel promotion for lodging properties throughout the Santa Barbara South Coast through March 2021, as long as the booking is made by December 24, 2020.

THIRD STOP: SAN DIEGO

Biggest for last. With just over 35 million visitors in a normal year, San Diego is one of the most popular destinations in the country. Considered by many to be the the birthplace of California, it’s home to the fi rst mission, built in 1769. This metropolis is named for Diego de San Nicolás, a saint, who lived three hundred years before Cabrillo honored him by naming his fi rst stop in Alta California. Fun fact: sticking with the conquering theme, Diego was among the fi rst group of missionaries to the newly conquered Canary Islands in the 1400s. Its proximity to Mexico, miles of white sand beaches, natural deep-water harbor, thriving foodie scene and tons of shopping means there is truly something for everyone.

A quick Google search revealed that the San Diego Mission Bay Resort was offering their own Work by the Bay Package #WFH. I had to do a search, since the name was new to me. I was thrilled to figure out that it was formerly the Hilton San Diego, one of my family's favorite spots in town. It’s centrally located in Mission Bay, on a very calm beach with plenty of sail boats, stand-up paddling and even jet skis to rent. The property has just undergone a multimillion dollar renovation to the entire property, including room updates, pool,

restaurants and grounds. Ironically, I’ve been to conferences held at this property, so my #WFH #Workcation felt completely normal. The package includes a room with a private patio or balcony, complimentary parking and a daily $25 food and beverage credit starting at $185. They are not just targeting the #WFH crowd, Mission Bay Resort is also offering the Stay More, Save More Package, and Distance Learning Package.

The complimentary parking also meant that I could park right in front of the unit, which came in handy, considering I had meetings all over the county. Some of the highlights of the trip included shopping on Encinitas Boulevard — most people wore masks, and the shops and restaurants were open. I always have to stop in at Eve, the open air, vegan eatery that made me fall in love with garbanzo beans. Nada Shop is a new, super chic sustainability boutique, and has my grandmother’s

name. I told the clerk that besides meaning “nothing” in Spanish, it means “hope” in Yugoslavian. She wasn’t as excited by this double entendre. Encinitas is hip, fun and colorful, and the boutiques have unique, fun, and often locally made items.

San Diego tourism is running a campaign called WeekYAYS to invite locals and visitors to enjoy local hotels during the week. When you visit San Diego midweek, you’ll experience the same good vibes for a lower rate.

ALLERGY CARE FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY

FamilyCare Allergy & Asthma is your trusted partner in the diagnosis and treatment of allergies and asthma, with three convenient locations in the region. We remain open and available to provide you with the care you need during these challenging times, and have implemented numerous measures to keep you safe in our offices. Our practice has been serving the community since 1979 and we are excited to open a new office in San Rafael, staffed by our three allergists. Nuestras doctoras hablan español.

New office in San Rafael!

To schedule an appointment, call 415.847.4022. FamilyCareAllergy.com

San Rafael • Petaluma • Santa Rosa

Christine Royer, M.D. Board-Eligible Allergist

Julie Caraballo, M.D. Board-Certified Allergist

Maria Petrick, M.D. Board-Certified Allergist

Broadway Spectacular

Eat & Drink

both the buttermilk marinade and coating of its signature Buttermilk Fried Chicken. “It complements our cayenne-infused maple syrup and our applebacon braised cabbage,” says owner-operator Mark Edwards. The popular protein makes its way onto pizza and can be found beneath clay in the Citrus Brick Chicken, too. revelroostkitchen.com, 415.870.9946

in operation, the fried chicken is an old-timey classic. Three pieces of chicken are served on the bone with sides of mashed potatoes, a biscuit and gravy, plus some feel good sautéed vegetables. casaorinda.net, 925.254.2981

Bird is the Word

Comfort food is getting a lot of attention for good reason. A fixture of nearly every culture’s food landscape, chicken is a universal com fort food, a balm for the day’s (or year’s) aches. These are just a few of the myriad options to savor anytime it feels right.

Fast Food Français

When Susannah Souvestre and Bruno Denis put the longrunning fried chicken entrée in a bucket at their Sausalito restau rant when Covid-19 shelter-in-place launched in March, it took off. “Sales tripled,” Souvestre says. “Comfort foods are what people want to eat.”

Revel & Roost The timing now seems fortuitous for San Rafael’s Revel & Roost, a chicken-named restau rant which opened in the months preceding Covid Times. But it remains popular because of the Cajun spice blend in Hot

A whole chicken cut into and mostly deboned pieces a la française — the bird is marinated for 24 hours in spices and hot sauce but no butter milk. It does come with buttermilk dressing, if you must, and a side of mashed potatoes with plenty of butter. “As the French do,” Souvestre jokes. eatf3.com, 415.887.9047

Gravity Tavern A classic buttermilk presentation at Mill Valley’s Gravity Tavern provides room for experimentation. Squeeze the griddled lemon over the deepfried Mary’s chicken to amplify the meat y flavor or try it with a drizzle of organic honey or house made hot sauce. An accompanying sausage biscuit makes it brunchy

or lunchy. gravitytavern.com, 415.888.2108

April Pantry A newcomer to the Petaluma dining scene, this comfort food café won Best Hawaiian Style Fried Chicken from Sonoma Magazine for its Aloha Fried Chicken Plate. Pankocrusted chicken breast is designed for dipping in Korean BBQ sauce and served atop macaroni salad (or red quinoa salad). Jalapeño coleslaw and two scoops of coco nut lime rice complete the Pacific rim vibe. aprilpantry.com, 707.658.1236

Casa Orinda Served for the duration of this East Bay favorite’s 87 years

Curio The Fried Chicken Strips are a spin on Sweet Tea Chicken from the deep south at San Francisco’s Curio. Ritual Coffee ably stands in for the tea, making its way into the brine and the glutenfree rice flour and corn starch dredge for deep flavor. Choose from three sauces, including a Fernet Branca BBQ Sauce, for your dipping pleasure. curiobarsf.com, 415.551.7306

Hotbird It’s all in the name at San Francisco’s Hotbird, which serves up Nashville style chicken breasts dipped in chili oil and spices and then even more spices before sliding onto a soft bun, accompanied by slaw and dill pickles. All that’s left to do is choose the spice level — no heat, mild, medium, hot, xtrahot, or burnin’ — and decide if you want any of the comeback sauce (you do). hotbirdsf.com, 415.553.8667

CHRISTINA MUELLER

Gravity Tavern

Revel & Roost

Hotbird

Want more great local eats? Visit marinmagazine.com/ food-drink

Calling It

With the end of 2020 tantalizingly in sight, let’s pause for a moment and remember what the restaurant industry has lost in Marin.

Twenty twenty has been a year of reckoning in every industry and every life. An industry that relies on social contact, restaurants have been particularly hard-hit, furloughing or laying off orkers as doors closed in March, some closing their doors completely. According to the National Restaurant Association, California had 76,201 licensed restaurants, employing 1,457,000 people or 11% of employment in the state, and generating an estimated $97 billion in sales.

This year, that changed. A lot. Yelp’s Coronavirus Impact Report states that almost 24,000 restaurants listed on their platform closed permanently in 2020, or roughly 1,200 in the San Francisco Bay Area.

According to Vanessa Sink of the National Restaurant Association, “3% of restaurants have closed permanently.” If there are 1,735 restaurants in Jared

CHEFS WE HAVE LOST

Chef Todd Shoberg A participant in both the chef and the mountain biking communities, chef Shoberg found his footing in the “every thing local” ethos of Marin and wine country, stamping his personal brand on res taurants from Piatti and Molina to Brewster’s Beer Garden. Chef was tragically killed in a driving accident in October.

Restaurateur and chef Cecilia Chiang Known as the Grand Doyenne of Chinese food in America, Ms. Chiang fled the Japanese in her native China dur ing World War II and went on to found the Mandarin Restaurant in 1960’s San Francisco, introducing generations of Americans to what were then unfamiliar tastes of pot stickers, moo sho pork and siz zling rice soup. She died peacefully at 100 in October.

RESTAURANTS WE HAVE LOST

Corte Madera Benissimo A family-run place known for its “take care of family” respect and its pizza.

Moseley’s Johnny Moseley and Karen Goldberg had just over a year since opening to develop a sports bar following, but its loss is deeply felt by sports fans and teens alike for its sport on every screen and hang out vibe.

Fairfax Peri’s The pink exterior was well-known in town as were the large well drinks, which attracted local pool sharks and fans of local color.

Tamal The amazing back patio returns to action at Stillwater, but Tamal will be missed for the deep selection of mez cal and tequila and the handmade tortillas.

Larkspur

Belcampo This may have been Marin’s one spot to eat off-cuts of meat, gussied up and delicious,

pulled straight from the butcher’s block up front.

Three Twins Ice Cream

The world won’t be the same without their lemon cookie ice cream.

Mill Valley BOL Café A newcomer at The Lumberyard, the acai bowls and adapto gen smoothies quickly developed a loyal following.

BY CHRISTINA MUELLER

Hu ff man’s house district, which sweeps north from Marin along the coast to the Oregon border, that is 52 restaurants.

While we do not yet have a complete picture of the state of Marin’s restaurants during Covid times, we know that many favorite restaurants have closed.

But this particular space will honor the restaurants, bars and the people we lost this year, those which shared their unique spirit with us for a month or a generation. Some are permanently closed, shuttered in the face of a global virus, its economic reverberations. Others faced a personal tragedy or the end of a chapter, retiring from the business as rents remain too high to sustain mom and pop businesses. I hope you will take a moment to remember your favorite locale and what made it special for you.

proportions and tradi tional sour dill pickles were hallmarks.

Hilltop 1892 This was the place in Novato to take a date for a special night or just hang out at the round bar.

Wildfox The huge menu always had something for everyone, the bar was always packed and you could bring your dog to lounge on the terrace.

San Rafael Le Col Rouge A new comer that never got its footing before Covid forced its closure.

tiramisu and touch of southern Italy in the pastas and pizzas can still be found at their Larkspur location.

Foodnik’s Tiburon locals will grieve this quick-service cafe that served up diverse hors d'oeuvres, entrees and casseroles, as well as beer and wine on tap.

West Marin Osteria Stellina

Dipsea Cafe The great views over Coyote Creek were eclipsed only by the giant plates of pancakes.

Novato Boca Tavern Known for the steak topped with blue cheese and crisp fries, Boca favorites live on at Boca Steak and Boca Pizzeria.

Checker’s NY Deli Sandwiches piled to epic

Yuzu Ramen The huge size of this place shrank to intimate proportions with one sip of the soulwarming soup.

Sausalito

Louie’s Deli A classic, old school deli where salads were weighed by the quarter pound and menu changes were frowned upon.

Tiburon Don Antonio Though the Tiburon location is no more, the mile-high

The Michelin Guide gave a nod to this cozy spot years ago for its laser focus on locallysourced produce and meats and the exacting execution of dishes by chef Christian Caiazzo.

Station House Café

The little touches — fresh tartar sauce with the oysters, fresh herbs in the yogurt dressing — turned the homey food at this little cafe into a classy, low-key meal.

Hilltop 1892

Keep up to date on the best places to eat out at marinmagazine. com/where-to-eat

CORTE MADERA

Burmatown Asian COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for takeout, Tuesday–Saturday, 3–8 p.m. or delivery 3–7 p.m. The small homestyle Asian fusion restaurant offers fresh, light meals like tea leaf salad and basil shrimp stir-fry, as well as

curries, coconut rice and chili-garlic green beans. Extra heat optional. Prepare for a short wait if dining in, or order for takeout. 60 Corte Madera Ave, 415.945.9096

Cafe Verde Californian COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for takeout and delivery daily, 11 a.m.–9 p.m. This revamped cafe offers Neapolitan pizza, pasta, risotto,

and salads nearly all day long. Enjoy any of these items inside or out on the patio along with local and international wines and beers. 502 Tamalpais Drive, 415.927.1060

Il Fornaio Italian COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for outdoor dining and takeout daily, 5–9 p.m. Delivery available daily, 4–9 p.m. Aside from pizzas and pastas,

this upscale-Italian fran chise serves a variety of salads and carb-free entrées. 223 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.927.4400

La Maison De La Reine Vietnamese COVID19 UPDATE: Open for takeout daily, 11:30 a.m.–9 p.m. Dine on family-style Vietnamese fare in the Town Center. The crunchy cabbage

chicken salad with peanuts, fresh spring rolls and pho options are popular picks. 346 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.927.0288

Marin Joe's Italian COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for takeout daily, 4–8 p.m. Delivery via Dine-In Marin. A Marin mainstay for over 50 years, with a menu of soups, salads, seafood,

mesquite-grilled or sautéed meats and a plethora of pasta options. 1585 Casa Buena Drive, 415.924.2081

Pig In A Pickle American COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for patio dining, takeout, and curbside service daily, 11 a.m.–7:30 p.m. Delivery via Dine-In Marin. Fresh and locally sourced brisket, pork,

ribs, and chicken get star billing at this Town Center eatery. Sauces are crafted to represent various American bar becue regions, including Memphis and South Carolina. 341 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.891.3265

RH Marin American, COVID-19 update: Opened July, 2020 for outdoor dining and takeout daily, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Ride up the golden-hued elevator to the top floor to a restaurant bedecked in RH style and linger over a shaved vegetable salad, a truffled grilled cheese sandwich on Panorama Bakery sour dough or a namesake RH Burger. This rooftop sunroom boasts glass ceilings and walls for an epic view of Mount Tam and a feeling of

floating above it all. 1750 Redwood Highway at The Village, Corte Madera, 628.266.2040

Veggie Grill Vegan/ Vegetarian COVID-19

UPDATE: Takeout daily, 11 a.m.–8 p.m. Delivery via DoorDash. Veggie Grill is a fast-casual restaurant chain that celebrates the veggie by offering a variety of hot sandwiches and burgers, entree salads, bowls, home-style plates, shareable sides, organic teas and housemade desserts prepared only with vegetables, fruits, grains, and nuts.

147 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.945.8954

World Wrapps

Californian COVID-19

UPDATE: Open for takeout daily, 11 a.m.–8 p.m. Delivery via GrubHub.

Owners Keith Cox and Matt Blair have revamped this “fast food” joint to feature healthy and flavorful items like a Hawaiian poke wrap and a tahini tofu summer roll that’s vegan-friendly. Exotic housemade beverages include boba tea, mango lassi, and Vietnamese iced coffee. 208 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.927.3663

FAIRFAX

Fradelizio's Italian COVID-19 UPDATE: Takeout and contactless curbside available Wednesday–Monday, 3–8 p.m. Fradelizio’s blends Northern Italian with California-inspired healthy fare, featuring natural beef and freerange chicken

dishes. 35 Broadway Blvd, 415.459.1618

Iron Springs Pub & Brewery American COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for takeout, Thursday, 4–9 p.m, Friday–Sunday, 12–9 p.m, Monday, 4-9 p.m. Pair your pick from the extensive beer list with an ale-braised barbecue pork sandwich, shrimp tacos or the houseground-chicken bacon cheeseburger. 765 Center Blvd, 415.485.1005

The Lodge American COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for patio dining and takeout, Tuesday–Sunday, 8 a.m.–9 p.m. Delivery via Uber Eats and DoorDash. Beer, cider and wine to go in Growlers and Cans. The Lodge features all-American eats like a

breakfast burrito stuffed with eggs, spinach and salsa; share plates like a sausage board served with Lodge tots and slaw; and pour-over coffee and draft beer for riders and hikers alike. 1573 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.456.8084

Sorella Caffe Italian COVID-19 UPDATE: Takeout available, Tuesday–Sunday, 4:30–8 p.m. Run by sisters Sonia and Soyara, Sorella serves fresh Italian with a northern influence. Customer favorites include the cioppino, butternut squash ravioli, and Pollo alla Sorella. Another highlight is the giant wheel of Grana Padano cheese. 107 Bolinas Rd, 415.258.4520

Way Station American COVID-19 UPDATE: Outdoor dining, takeout and delivery available, Tuesday–Friday, 4–9 p.m.; Saturday–Sunday, 12–9 p.m. Delivery in Fairfax and San Anselmo residents via TOWN FLYR program; or GrubHub, DoorDash, Uber Eats. The ‘cue gets all the love but salads, flatbread piz zas, and a wide selection of tapped and bottled beers plus wines round out the menu. Kidfriendly and dog-friendly with outdoor seating.

2001 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.300.3099

LARKSPUR

Farmshop American COVID-19 UPDATE: Patio dining daily, 5:30–9 p.m. Takeout and curbside pickup

available daily, 4–9 p.m.

Located in the Marin Country Mart since 2013, Farmshop Marin has quickly become a top spot here in the county and earns raves for its avocado hummus. Indoor and outdoor seating available. 2233 Larkspur Landing Circle, 415.755.6700

Hog Island Oyster Co. Seafood COVID-19

UPDATE: Open for patio dining and takeout Wednesday–Sunday, 11:30 a.m.–8 p.m.

Delivery available with DoorDash and Caviar.

The full-service Marin Country Mart location features a full bar with seasonal cocktails, beer and wine and the same bay-to-bar philosophy as the Tomales Bay original. Oysters, raw and grilled are a must, then check the day’s menu to see what was most recently pulled from Marin’s waters before decid ing what to eat. 2401 Larkspur Landing Circle, 628.253.5905

Left Bank Restaurant French, COVID-19

Update: Open for patio dining and takeout, Monday–Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday–Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Delivery with DoorDash and Uber Eats. The restaurant is also playing host to "virtual" restaurant concepts for takeout and delivery only, Kebabery by Meso (Mediterranean) and Lito's Cocina Hispana (Spanish/Mexican). This authentically clas sic brasserie has been serving the Larkspur community for more than two decades. Whether on the patio, at the European-style bar or in the casually elegant main dining room with a huge fireplace, it’s a fun and French experience in downtown. 507 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur, 415.927.3331

Marin Brewing Co American COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for patio dining, takeout beer and food, Sunday–Thursday, 12–7 p.m.;

Friday–Saturday, 12–9 p.m. Grab a cold beer made on-site and pair it with fish ’n’ chips — in this case, fresh cod dipped in Mt. Tam pale ale batter, served with steak fries and home made tartar sauce — or anything from the allAmerican menu. 1809 Larkspur Landing Circle, 415.461.4677

Perry's American COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for patio dining (reservations strongly recommend, please call to reserve) and takeout, Monday–Thursday, 3–9 p.m.; Friday–Sunday, Bruch 12–3 p.m.; Dinner, 3–9 p.m. Delivery via Caviar. Perry's on Magnolia has the quintessentially American fare, bustling bar and warm personality the San Francisco original has always been famous for. Along with three separate dining rooms in a historic building, there’s outdoor dining on the patio and in the redwood grove. Lunch and dinner daily, brunch on weekends and holidays; valet parking in the

evenings. 234 Magnolia Ave, 415.927.1877

Posie American COVID19 UPDATE: Open for takeout only, ThursdaySunday, 1–9 p.m. This hip artisan ice cream shop opened by Kyle Caporicci, former pastry chef of Michelin-starred Commis, is making a name for itself with seasonal flavors, home made gluten-free cones, and vegan ice cream. For lunch, you’ll find meticulously prepared open-faced tartines and Instagram-ready pastries. Menu changes weekly. 250B Magnolia Ave, 415.891.8395

Rustic Bakery Californian COVID-19 UPDATE: Open daily, 7 a.m.–2 p.m. for counter orders to-go or curbside delivery via phone or ChowNow. Delivery via Caviar and DoorDash. Catering via ezCater. The homegrown bakery is known and loved the world over: Pope Francis famously requested Rustic Bakery flatbread and crostini when he visited the U.S. in 2015.

Organic bread, crois sants and pastries baked fresh each morning and salads, sandwiches, and soups for lunch make Rustic a local staple. 2017 Larkspur Landing Circle, 415.461.9900

MILL VALLEY

Buckeye Roadhouse American COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for patio dining, takeout, and contactless curbside, Monday–Thursday, 4–8 p.m; Friday–Sunday, 12–8 p.m. Delivery via Dine-In Marin. Coffee Cart open Monday–Friday 6–10 a.m. Oysters Bingo, baby back ribs, and chili-lime “brick” chicken are a few of the satisfying comfort-food menu items that have made this classic roadhouse a favorite since the ’30s. 15 Shoreline Highway, 415.331.2600

Bungalow 44 American COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for outdoor dining, takeout and curbside pick-up daily, 5–8 p.m. Reservations recom mended. One of Mill Valley’s neighborhood hot spots, featuring contemporary California comfort food, signature cocktails, fine wine, and one-dollar oysters from 5–6 p.m. every day. 44 E Blithedale Ave, 415.381.2500

Cafe Del Soul

Californian COVID-19 UPDATE: Takeout avail able, Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–7:30 p.m; Sunday, 10 a.m – 7 p.m. Healthy options become addictive at this eatery that now has locations in both Tam Valley and San Rafael. Once you stop in for the deliciously fresh quinoa wrap, you’ll want to return to try the chipotle rice bowl. A casual lunch spot and great for takeout, they also serve

smoothies and pressed juices. 247 Shoreline Highway, 415.388.1852

Gravity Tavern American COVID-19

UPDATE: Open for patio dining, takeout, and curbside pickup daily, 12–8 p.m. Delivery via Uber Eats, Postmates and DoorDash. Updated with ingredients to reflect modern tastes, American classics like grilled chicken Waldorf salad with pickled grapes, lobster roll with toasted challah and veggie slaw, and a land and sea pasta with housemade egg pasta, pork belly and crab. 38 Miller Ave, 415.888.2108

Joe’s Taco Lounge

Mexican COVID-19

UPDATE: Open for takeout, Monday–Friday, 11 a.m.–9:30 p.m.; Saturday–Sunday, 11:30 a.m.–10 p.m. Cup of Joe's coffee cart, Monday–Saturday, 7 a.m.–12 p.m. Joe’s serves up fish tacos, burritos and enchiladas as well as more unusual items like Mexican pizza, tofu tostada, and crab tostadas. A colorful interior and quick service make this a fun stop. 3 82 Miller Ave, 415.383.8164

Piatti Ristorante and Bar Italian COVID-19

UPDATE: Open for takeout daily, 12–8 p.m. Delivery via DoorDash and Caviar. The staff prides itself on capturing the warm and welcoming atmosphere of a traditional Italian trattoria. Peruse the impressive selec tion of Italian wines to accompany your rustic seasonal meal. 625 Redwood Highway, 415.380.2525

Charcuterie board from Le Comptoir, San Rafael

Piazza D’Angelo Italian COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for patio dining (walk-in only) and takeout (including items from their new Alimentari) daily, 4–8 p.m. Delivery via DoorDash, Dine-In Marin and Uber Eats. Piazza D’Angelo evokes a traditional trattoria dining experience. Enjoy a variety of house-made pastas, meat and seafood dishes, wood-fired pizzas, and gluten-free offerings with organic and locally sourced ingredients. 22 Miller Ave, 415.388.2000

Prabh Indian Kitchen Indian COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for patio dining and takeout, Monday–Saturday, 11:30 a.m.–10 p.m.; Sunday, 11:30 a.m.–9:30 p.m. Delivery via Uber Eats, DoorDash, Caviar, Grubhub. This restaurant emphasizes healthy, organic, sustainable eating in choices like chicken pakora, veg etable biryani, and basil garlic naan foods, with options for the vegan and gluten-free. At lunch, the thali menu lets you try several Indian dishes at once. 24 Sunnyside Ave, 415.384.8241

Sol Food Puerto Rican COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for takeout daily, 11 a.m.–8 p.m. Delivery via Caviar. This Marin favorite has opened in Mill Valley, still serving 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

The Junction American, COVID-19 update: Opened July, 2020. Open for patio dining and takeout, Monday–Friday, 11:30 a.m.-9

p.m.; Saturday–Sunday, 11 a.m-9 p.m. Owner Dez Fielder’s devotion to micro-produced and local beer is evident from the 30 taps and a robust can program including Woodfour New Ridge Lager, and experimental bottlings, like Barebottle Brewing’s Tangberry Typhoon, all easy to pair with pizzas from Pizzahacker. Grab your fleece to sip one by a fire pit on the huge backyard patio. 226 Shoreline Highway, 415.888.3544

Vasco Italian COVID19 UPDATE: Open for takeout daily, 5–8 p.m. Whether at a table, the bar or the back counter, you can expect an intimate dining experi ence in this one-room trattoria. Try one of the pasta dishes or thincrust wood-fired pizzas. 106 Throckmorton Ave, 415.381.3343

Watershed Californian COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for patio dining and takeout daily, 12–8 p.m. The Stemple Creek Ranch burger and fresh pastas are matched with a bevy of simply prepared, easy to share dishes (like spicy rock cod lettuce cups or lamb riblets) that reflect chef Kyle Swain’s careful sourcing and focus on local flavor. 129 Miller Ave, 415.888.2406

NOVATO

Boca Pizzeria Italian COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for outdoor din ing and takeout, daily 12–9 p.m. Delivery via DoorDash. Enjoy authentic pizza prepared with fresh mozzarella made in house and tomatoes imported from Italy, or go for a grilled rosemary chicken sand wich or the braised beef

LATER LIFE LUXURY MEETS A HISTORIC LANDMARK

Novato’s historic Spanish revival-style Hamilton Hospital will soon transform into a relaxed luxury senior living community. Residents will enjoy spectacular 270 degree views, three unique dining options, a serene spa and salon, fitness center, and on site wellness for discreet care and doctor visits. Secure your apartment and schedule a private tour by calling 415.766.0569.

ASSISTED LIVING & MEMORY CARE

short rib pappardelle. Weekly specials include half off all wines by the bottle on Wednesdays and half off draft beers on Thursdays. 454 Ignacio Blvd, Novato, 415.883.2302

Chianti Cucina Italian COVID-19 UPDATE: Takeout available, Sunday–Thursday, 4:30–7:30 p.m. and Friday–Saturday, 4:30-8 p.m. Order via phone or Drive-Thru app. This cozy eatery offers an array of Italian and American dishes, including a long list of pastas; try the housemade ravioli cooked up by chef Edgar DeLon. 7416 Redwood Highway, Novato, 415.878.0314

ROSS

Crown & Crumpet American COVID-19 UPDATE: Opened September, 2020 for patio dining and takeout only, Tuesday–Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. A tidy back patio shaded by roses and cascading pear trees is ideally suited for sipping a pot of loose leaf tea, cup of pour-over coffee or a hot chocolate at this outpost of the Japantown original. Savory croissants and crumpets are just part of the breakfast menu and a traditional sausage roll and chicken pot pie are highlights at lunch. A signature Afternoon Tea service is available on weekends.

Finnegan's American COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for patio dining, takeout, and contactless curbside, Wednesday–Sunday, 11:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Please call to order. Delivery via DoorDash. The dark wood paneled booths and high backs on bar stools mean it is easy to linger over Irish-inspired meals like corned beef and cabbage or nachos made with waffle fries instead of corn chips. 877 Grant Ave, Novato, 415.899.1516

Hopmonk Tavern American COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for patio dining, takeout and delivery, Sunday–Thursday, 11:30 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Friday, 11:30 a.m.–10 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.–10 p.m. The beer garden-style outdoor patio and live music keep fans coming back to this Novato brewhouse. 224 Vintage Way, Novato, 415.892.6200

22 Ross Common, Ross, 415.771.4252

Tony Tutto's Pizza COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for patio dining and take out, Wednesday–Saturday, 11:30 a.m.–9 p.m.; Sunday, 11:30 a.m.–8 p.m. After nine years in Mill Valley, owner Greg DiGiovine relocated to Ross.The vegan pies are still here and a gluten-free crust is now available.

16 Ross Common, Ross, 415.383.8646

SAN ANSELMO

Comforts Cafe American COVID19 UPDATE: Open for take out, delivery and curbside pick-up, Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturday–Sunday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. A large takeout section offers fresh bakery items, seasonal salads, soups, sandwiches and even entrees for dinner at home. Besides the famous Chinese chicken salad, other winners are the stuffed pecancrusted French toast, CA

Johann deBlaauw

Paul Comerford

and Chicken Okasan. 335 San Anselmo Ave, 415.454.9840

Cucina sa Italian COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for patio dining and take out daily, 4–8 p.m. Delivery 4:30–8 p.m. Homemade pastas, seasonal sal ads, and wood-fired pizzas strike a balance between southern Italy and northern California at Cucina. Proprietor Donna Seymour recently revamped the cozy space on San Anselmo Ave, adding a 30 seat bar and outdoor seating on the bridge. Plans are in the works for the upstairs mezzanine to become a lounge. 510 San Anselmo Ave, 415.454.2942

Insalata’s Mediterranean COVID19 UPDATE: Take out available daily, 11 a.m.–6:30 p.m. (order by 4 p.m.). Award-winning chef Heidi Krahling’s restaurant features delicious, soulful Mediterranean fare, as well as food-to-go at a counter inside. 120 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.457.7700

M.H. Bread and Butter Californian COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for patio dining and take out, Thursday–Monday, 8 a.m.–3 p.m. A onestop shop for everything from coffee and pastries to artisan bread, with a seasonal brunch menu. High-quality ingredi ents and a comfortable atmosphere make MH worth checking out. 101 San Anselmo Ave, 415.755.4575

Valenti & Co. Italian COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for courtyard dining, take out and curbside pickup, Tuesday–Sunday, from

5 p.m.; pickup 5–7 p.m. This bright and cozy space is the ideal environment for authentic Italian dishes made with local ingredients. A seat at the chef’s table gives a prime view of the open kitchen. 337 San Anselmo Ave, 415.454.7800

SAN RAFAEL

Amici’s East Coast Pizzeria Californian COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for delivery, pickup, and contactless curbside daily, 11:30 a.m.–9 p.m. A wide array of thin-crust pizzas, freshly made pastas, and salads are the ticket here, along with flameroasted lemon chicken wings, for dine-in, takeout, and delivery. Gluten-free pizza crust is available. 1242 Fourth St, 415.455.9777

Boiadeirus Steak Brazilian COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for takeout daily, 11 a.m.–8 p.m. and delivery through DoorDash or Uber Eats. The picanha is the signature cut at this Brazilian-style steak house where gauchos carrying grilled meats on long swords cruise the room, offering portions of up to 10 meats. A huge salad bar offers everything from feijoada and potato salad to yucca and deviled eggs. 925 Fourth St, 628.253.5854

Caribbean Spices Caribbean COVID-19

UPDATE: Open for takeout, TuesdaySunday, 4–10 p.m. Jerk chicken with just the right amount of heat is a menu highlight at this brick-and-mortar San Rafael extension of chefowner Frantz Felix’s food truck of the same name. Go for the Caribbean sangria and Haitian

Home For The Holidays

Let us be your winter escape or extra room for the holidays! O Accommodations & Spa December 31, 2020

specialties like griot or goat curry and African American–inspired ver sions of creole snapper and seafood gumbo. 819 Fourth St, 415.299.2680

Flatiron American COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for takeout, Thursday–Saturday, 4–8 p.m. Please call to order. Delivery via Grub Hub. The remodeled Flatiron is where refined American bar food lives happily in its ideal environment — with a bevy of craft beers. This polished sports bar serves noshes like chili lime cauliflower, classic sand wiches, and truffle and waffle fries in a space that also features classic arcade games. 724 B St, 415.453.4318

Il Davide Italian COVID19 UPDATE: Open for curbside pick-up and delivery, Tuesday–Saturday, 3–7:30 p.m. The large selection of innovative and classic Tuscan dishes and house-made pasta has kept locals coming back for years. Ingredients are organic and locally sourced where possible, and there’s a vast selection of both Italian and California wines by the glass. 901 A St, 415.454.8080

LaVier Cusine Mexican COVID-19 UPDATE: Open daily, 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Please call for curbside pickup. Freerange meat and fresh seafood are the focus at this all-organic Latin fusion eatery run by Gabriela and her husband Guillermo, who

hails from Yucatán. Try the popular puffy fish tacos with slaw and black beans. Brunch is served on weekends until 2 p.m. 1025 C St, 415.295.7990

Le Chalet Basque French COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for patio dining, takeout, and delivery, Wednesday–Sunday, 4–8:30 p.m. Order by phone, through Dine-In Marin, or with DoorDash. This familystyle place features dishes inspired by the Basque regions of France and Spain, like frog legs in a garlic butter and lemon sauce, a veal calf liver sauté and sweetbreads with port wine sauce and mushrooms. 405 North San Pedro Road, 415.479.1070

RangeCafe American COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for patio dining (reservations recom mended), takeout and delivery daily, 9 a.m.–7 p.m. Call or order online. The cuisine is local, seasonal, made with naturally raised ingredients and served in a casual, comfortable and refined setting, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the grand Peacock Gap lawns. 333 Biscayne Drive, 415.454.6450

Sabor a Mexico Mexican COVID-19 UPDATE: Opened June, 2020 for takeout and sidewalk dining, daily, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Fresh margaritas know no border while salmon fish tacos are topped with chopped onion and cilantro a la Distrito Federal.

Pambazo, a sandwich stuffed with chorizo and potato, is done up with a Jaliscan style sauce. A six table patio offers outdoor seating. 1559 Fourth St, 415.306.9404

Sol Food Puerto Rican COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for takeout daily, 8 a.m.–9 p.m. Sol Food whips up traditional Puerto Rican dishes just like the ones owner Sol Hernandez grew up eating. Favorites include the bistec sandwich, mofongo and anything tastes good with a dash of the signature hot sauce, also for sale by the bottle (as is the lemon-garlic salad dressing). 901 Lincoln Ave, 415.451.4765

Whipper Snapper Restaurant Caribbean COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for takeout or contactless curbside, Tuesday–Sunday, 4:30 – 8 p.m. Owner/chef Bill Higgins serves tapas, sangria and reason ably priced organic dishes. The CaliforniaCaribbean lunch and dinner cuisine blends local farm-fresh ingredi ents with Latin flavors. Be sure to try the popular fish tacos. 1613 Fourth St, 415.256.1818

SAUSALITO

Angelino Restaurant Italian COVID-19 UPDATE: Patio dining and takeout available Tuesday–Sunday, 5–9 p.m, orders taken via phone. Angelino Pastry Bar (with classic croissants and focaccia and

a raspberry-polenta Pop Tart), is open for pick-up at 8 a.m, Tuesday–Sunday. Authentic Italian eatery with handmade pastas and seasonal antipasti, showcasing cuisine of the Campania region for more than 20 years. 621 Bridgeway, 415.331.5225

Avatar’s Indian COVID19 UPDATE: Open for patio, takeout and delivery, Monday–Saturday, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. and 5–9:30 p.m. If you’re on the hunt for innovative Indian fare, head to Avatar’s. Sip masala chai sweetened with brown sugar in this casual one-room restaurant, ideal for a quick lunch or dinner. 2656 Bridgeway, 415.332.8083

Fish Seafood COVID-19 UPDATE: Outdoor din ing daily, 11:30 a.m.–8 p.m. for groups of 6 or less. Fish market is open; to-go orders via phone or website, delivery via Caviar. The ultimate place for freshly caught fare. Order the fish tacos, ceviche and a bottle of wine and take in the bay views on the open-air deck. Though cash is still king, credit cards are now accepted (woot!). 350 Harbor Drive, 415.331.3474

Kitti’s Place Thai COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for takeout, Monday–Friday, 12–6 p.m. This home-style family restaurant has been in Sausalito 20 years and features favorites like lettuce cups, soft spring rolls and weekly specials.

3001 Bridgeway, 415.331.0390

Poggio Italian COVID19 UPDATE: Open for patio dining, reserva tions recommended, Monday–Thursday, 6:30–11 a.m.and 4–8 p.m.; Friday–Sunday, 6:30–11:30 a.m. and 2–8 p.m. Call for takeout or curbside pick up. Delivery via GrubHub. Executive chef Benjamin Balesteri creates Northern Italian fare using fresh and local ingredients. 777 Bridgeway, 415.332.7771

Saylor’s Restaurant and Bar Mexican COVID19 UPDATE: Agave Terrace open for al fresco dining, Monday–Saturday, 4–8 p.m. Takeout available with same hours or delivery through Dine-In Marin, DoorDash, and Uber Eats. Chef/owner Sean Saylor uses fresh local ingredients and seafood to create a distinctively Cabo combination of California and Mexican cuisine. 2009 Bridgeway, 415.332.1512

TIBURON

Luna Blu Italian COVID19 UPDATE: Outdoor dining, takeout and local delivery (Tiburon, Belvedere, Strawberry) available Wednesday–Monday, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 5-8:30 p.m.

Executive chef Renzo Azzarello serves Sicilian seafood and homemade pastas with a Californian touch. The seasonal menu incorporates fresh and organic produce, local naturally grown meat and poultry from small farms. The restaurant complies with Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch, so all the seafood is sustainable. A recent expansion tripled the size of the patio to accommodate more diners. In 2014,

diners voted Luna Blu one of the Top 100 Neighborhood Gem res taurants in America. 35 Main St, 415.789.5844

Milano Italian COVID19 UPDATE: Takeout available daily, 11:45 a.m.–11 p.m. Located in the Cove Shopping Center, this familyowned neighborhood spot is known for its pasta and friendly ser vice. Favorites, like the cheesy garlic bread and pesto, keep customers coming back. 1 Blackfield Drive, 415.388.9100

Salt & Pepper American COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for patio dining and takeout daily, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. and 5–8 p.m. With its hardwood floors and blue-check ered tablecloths, the sun-filled, one-room restaurant is an area favorite. Scallops, ribeye steak, a beef burger and traditional crab cakes with jalapeño dipping sauce are some of the popular choices. 38 Main St, 415.435.3594

Sam’s Anchor Cafe American COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for dining on the deck, takeout and delivery. Sam's boathouse feel and boat tie-ups are intact and spiffy white umbrellas and deck chairs line the waterfront patio. Allday cocktails remain a fixture as does the signature cioppino, while offerings like crab toast and a raw bar reflect the menu's enduring sea food focus. 27 Main St, 415.435.4527

Servino Ristorante Italian COVID-19 UPDATE: Outdoor dining and takeout via online order system available, Sunday–Thursday, 4–7:30 p.m.; Friday–Saturday, 4–

8 p.m. Mercato also open for online orders. Pick-up, contact-less pick-up, and delivery available. Chef and owner Angelo Servino highlights organic ingredients in an array of rustic Italian dishes, including house-made pastas, wood-oven pizzas, and seasonal specialties. Located on the bay in Tiburon, Servino also prides itself on its extensive sustainable seafood program. Savor la dolce vita on the waterfront patio. 9 Main St, 415.435.2676

Via Piccola Trattoria Italian COVID-19 UPDATE: Opened August, 2020. Patio dining and takeout available, Monday–Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m.; Friday–Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday 4-9 p.m. Pedro and Maria Ulloa (formerly of San Rafael’s Arrivederci) opened a new spot

with dishes like veal saltimbocca and hand made pappardelle alla Abruzzese (gluten-free pasta is available) at lunch and dinner with tiramisu or key lime pie for dessert. 1 Blackfield Dr. #11, Tiburon, 415.388.9100

Waypoint Pizza Pizza COVID-19

UPDATE: Takeout and delivery available, Sunday–Thursday, 12–8:30 p.m.; Friday–Saturday, 12–9 p.m. Family-friendly, with cooked-to-order gour met pies, slices, fresh salads and, for sports fans, a large-screen TV. Order online for quick pickup or delivery. 15 Main St, 415.435.3440

WEST MARIN

Nick’s Cove American COVID-19 UPDATE: Outdoor dining and takeout available daily, 11 a.m.–8 p.m. Flower

bouquets available for Saturday pickup at William Tell House via the Tomales Farmers' Market. This escape along Tomales Bay is famous for barbecued local oysters, Dungeness crab mac ’n’ cheese and cocktails incorporating homegrown ingredients.

Large windows in the 120-seat restaurant pro vide picturesque views of Tomales Bay and Hog Island and a fireplace in the main dining room makes the most of fog-whipped and rainy days. 23240 Highway 1, Marshall, 415.663.1033

For more compre hensive restaurant listings, visit us online at marinmagazine. com/food-drink

Outdoor dining at The Junction, Tam Valley

adlib

GARY FORER, DIRECTOR OF SALES AND MARKETING

WindChime of Marin is a boutique senior living community located in beautiful Kentfield, CA specializing in caring or people with dementia like Alzheimer’s. Our community provides exceptional care for those people suffering from dementia. The focus and strength of our efforts revolve around the care we offer. It’s based on this concept “can we take really good care of this person, make them happy and comfortable and can we please their family”.

We pride ourselves on being the Premier Memory Care Community in Marin County. We have consistently provided excellent care for those suffering from dementia for the past 19 years. It’s what we do and we are excellent at it.

Briefly describe your business philosoph. We will do whatever it takes to provide the care and comfort for those suffering from dementia.

What is your competitive edge?

Our competitive edge is our highly trained dementia trained staff, our amazin activity program with a full-time activity director and our commitment and focus being on care.

What makes your work worthwhile?

What makes my work worthwhile is the heartfelt effort I can be part of that helps those families make a very difficult decision as to how best to te care of someone with dementia.

What is your dream client?

My dream client is one that understands the difficulty it tes to properly take care of someone with dementia and appreciates the amount of time and effort we spend to make sure that person is happy and comfortable.

WINDCHIME OF MARIN 1111 SIR FRANCIS DRAKE BLVD. KENTFIELD, 415.482.4100, WINDCHIMEOFMARIN.COM

PROMOTION

Celebrate

COMFORTS

335 San Anselmo Ave, San Anselmo, CA 415.454.9840 comfortscafe.com

Cucina is now open for dinner on our Bridge with new heat lamps! Serving dinner Tuesday thru Sunday al fresco. Also come and join us Fridays through Sundays for “On the Avenue”, when San Anselmo Avenue becomes a car-free zone! Offering limited available indoor seating. We will have tables on the Avenue on these nights to accommodate more diners. Reservations through our website.

CUCINA SA 510 San Anselmo Ave, San Anselmo, CA 415.454.2942 cucina-sa.com

MARIN ADVERTISERS SPEAK UP

Happy Holidays offer a unique blend of the in CARE! Explore the many features that contribute to a stimulating day that enhances the quality of life for those Our highly trained staff, full-time activity director, and beautiful courtyard and relaxing patios off each resident floor contribute to a peaceful and loving environment. Our goal, our focus, is to take great care of those living

VIRTUAL EVENTS

DEC 2 Bay Area Book Festival #UNBOUND

Pulitzer Prize winning novelist Jane Smiley was bound and determined to release her latest novel, Perestroika in Paris, in 2020, because she knew we all could use a pleasurable escape. In live conversation

with Brooke Warner of She Writes Press, Smiley will welcome you into another world: one in which the glitter of city lights pales in comparison to the bond all creatures share in their yearning to fi nd kinship and be free. (included in Women Lit Membership, $35 for non-members; live stream 7 p.m. PT) baybookfest.org

BOOK PASSAGE (LIVE) Website allows audience members to ask a question beforehand. Conversations rather than readings.

DEC 6 Zeyn Joukhader

Multiple awardwinning author joins Catherine Hernandez, a proud queer woman of color and Artistic Director of b current performing arts,

to talk about about his new novel, The Thirty Names of Night, which follows three generations of Syrian Americans. (live stream 4 p.m. PT) bookpassage.com

DEC 9 Paige Peterson American artist, author, photojournalist and Belvedere native discusses her book Blackie: The Horse Who Stood

Still, a (mostly) true tale about the beloved mascot of Tiburon, California. (live stream 4 p.m. PT) bookpassage.com

DEC 12 Jane Smiley Join Pulitzer Prize winning author Jane Smiley in conversation about her newest novel, an imaginative story of three extraordinary animals — and a young boy — whose lives intersect in Paris. (live stream 4 p.m. PT) bookpassage.com

COMMONWEALTH (LIVE) Must preregister for these free events, donations are appreciated.

DEC 1 7 1/2 Lessons About the Brain Are we rational creatures? If

rationality is not the absence of emotion, what is it? Why does loneliness make people physically sick? In 7 ½ steps, Lisa Feldman Barrett will take you on a scienti fic journey that explores why we even have a brain and what that means for all of us. (live stream 10 a.m. PT) commonwealthclub.org

DEC 1 Alicia Garza: The Power of Purpose Activist and one of the pioneers behind the phrase #BlackLivesMatter, started a movement that changed how we think about race. She remains a seminal leader in the effort to organize for racial justice. Join her talk to learn more about effective mobilization when it comes to the issues that matter the most,

THEATER / DANCE / COMEDY / MUSIC / MUSEUMS / EVENTS / FILM EDITED BY SABRINA TUTON-FILSON

from climate justice to voter suppression. (live stream 6 p.m. PT) commonwealthclub.org

DEC 2 The Myth of Chinese Capitalism

Surging income inequality, an unfair social welfare system and rising social tensions block China’s continued economic rise, with implications for companies and countries around the world. Dexter Roberts will discuss how China is struggling to leave behind its “Factory to the World” growth model and include its

Ph.D. and Op-Ed columnist at the New York Times joins CNN’s Angela Rye for a live conversation where they will both offer ways to fi nally address and grapple with systemic racism and racial tensions in the United States. (live stream 5 p.m. PT) common wealthclub.org

DEC 8 The Dreamt Land: Chasing Water and Dust Across California Mark Arax is a Central Valley native that comes from a farming family who has spent several years traveling the state and interviewing farmers, farm workers, land owners and others to weave together the story of water use and overuse in the state. In this program, he will discuss his award-winning book, The Dreamt Land and the usage of water in California. (live stream 5 p.m. PT) commonwealthclub.org

psycho-social — in the face of disease, violence, fear and other challenges. (live stream 10 a.m. PT) commonwealthclub.org

MARINMOCA

Open regular hours: Wednesday – Friday 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Saturday – Sunday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

THRU DEC 24 Justice

A contemporary art exhibit that explores racial inequality and the need for social justice in our nation. Curated by gallerist Karen Jenkins-Johnson, this exhibit includes 40 artworks in all mediums, from a 300-pound bronze fi st by Woody De Othello to a whimsical collage of black femininity by Rashaad Newsome. (open for in-person visits regular hours; free to the public) marinmoca.org

while the artists were sheltered in place themselves during the 2020 Covid-19 crisis. The museum is open, but an online “virtual gallery walk” will take place as well. (free to the public) marinmoca.org

SONOMA VALLEY MUSEUM OF ART

DEC 2 Bring it Home, Oklahoma with poets Jennifer Foerster and Dean Rader SVMA is hosting a live webcast poetry series featuring poets and speakers from across the U.S. who connect written word with photographs, history and personalturned-epic journeys. With a nod to Ed Ruscha’s hometown of Oklahoma City and countless trips and photographs via Route 66 to California, two noted Bay Area poets with Oklahoma roots read poems for their home state, and for this moment. (free to the public; live stream 6 p.m. PT) svma.org

MUSEUM OF THE AFRICAN DIASPORA (MOADSF)

Karen JenkinsJohnson

Counterbalancing the scales of racial inequality within the art industry.

hundreds of millions of left-behind migrant workers into a more innovative, consump tion-driven economy. (live stream 9 a.m. PT) commonwealthclub.org

DEC 3 Reckoning with Race in America

Michael Eric Dyson,

DEC 9 The Impact of Covid-19 on Refugees

Panel discussion with Amanda Lane, Niveen Rizkalla and Maher Kalaji about how dedicated NGOs, aid workers and volunteers are striving to nimbly solve basic human needs — physical and

THRU DEC 24

“In Place” Pairing the work of two fi rstplace winners in MarinMOCA’s 2019 juried shows — Sonya Hammons and Susan Shipley — who explore the concept of “place” in distinct ways. All the work was completed

THRU JAN 31 Meet Us Quickly: Painting for Justice from Prison Twenty-one works of art from artists incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison. Each of the works are presented with accompanying statements written by each artist, allowing these incarcerated men to speak for themselves and share their vision and perspectives in their own words. (digital exhibition, free to the public) moadsf.org/ meet-us-quickly

Karen Jenkins-Johnson, long term resident of San Rafael and founder of Jenkins Johnson Gallery, has been featured in The New York Times Style Magazine as part of a small but in fluential group of black gal lerists correcting history by promoting curators and artists of color. An advo cate of diversity in the art world, she is an advisor at the Museum of the African Diaspora, San Francisco, and in 2018, was named the MoADSF Patron of the Arts. She curated MarinMOCA’s current exhibition, “Justice,” which explores racial inequality and the need for social justice in our nation, and runs through December 24. SABRINA TUTON-FILSON

Zeyn Joukhader

Michael Eric Dyson and Angela Rye

Marin’s Better Makers

Since its inception in 2011, SchoolsRule has distributed nearly $5.5 million directly benefiting every child in every district in Marin. Their 9th annual distribution event was held via Zoom this year, hosted by Mary Jane Burke, Marin County Superintendent of Schools, and Trisha Garlock, SchoolsRule Board President SchoolsRule Marin. The event also featured a special message from Dr. Tom Peters, President and CEO of Marin Community Foundation. Funds were generously donated by individuals, businesses and community agencies including Marin Community Foundation, Redwood Credit Union, Gruber Family Foundation, Bank of Marin, Marin Sanitary Service, Kaiser Permanente, Lakeview Foundation, RH, Wells Fargo and Marin Association of Realtors. schoolsrule.org/donate

• DISABILITY RIGHTS ADVOCATES’ VIRTUAL GALA PROVIDES SUPPORT FOR THEIR PRO-BONO SERVICES

Using litigation, structured negotiations, advocacy, community education and media to reform systems and practices that discriminate against people with disabilities.

DRA has taken on more than 500 cases in their 27-year history, achieving dramatic improvements for people with disabilities seeking health care, employment, transportation, education, disaster preparedness planning, voting and housing. Their virtual gala saw around 200 households live streaming. Emcees Shane Burcaw and Hannah Aylward guided the audience through a program featuring stories from DRA clients about their urgent, high-impact legal work as well as special guest appearances from Rebecca Alexander, Zach Anner, Keah Brown, Victor Cordon, Evan Davis, Dave Flink, Dorene Giacopini, Lucy Lee Helm, Judge Thelton Henderson, Judy Heumann, Cynthia Nixon, Rebekah Taussig, Carson Tueller and Hoby Wedler. The entire program included captioning and ASL interpretation. Nearly $300k was raised between the night of donations, sponsorship and the efforts of their peer-to-peer indi vidual fundraisers. Special thanks to their Rabble Rouser Sponsors: Bob & Colleen Haas and The California Endowment. All proceeds from the gala support DRA’s continued fight for justice for people with disabilities across the nation. dralegal.org

OUR COMMUNITY COMING TOGETHER IN COVID-19 EDITED BY SABRINA TUTON-FILSON

See the organizations that are making an impact in our community at marinmagazine.com/ better-makers SCHOOLSRULE TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN MARIN vital arts, and health programs and in the classroom.

IMPACT is directly benfiting every child in every district in Marin.

• HALLECK CREEK RANCH RAISES OVER $200,000 TO SUPPORT EQUINE THERAPY PROGRAMS

Providing low-cost equine therapy to youth with disabilities in the Bay Area.

Halleck Creek’s annual Buckles & Bling Fundraiser raises critical funds to support their group therapeutic horseback riding pro grams and those who benefit from them. This year the live-streamed festivities reflected their successes and highlighted the dedicated indi viduals who bring their ranch to life. During the event, they awarded the Silver Buckle — an honor given to individuals who live life without barriers and encourage others to do the same — to Pamela King, a Halleck Creek rider since 2018. At time of publication, 235 people helped raise $206,700, surpassing their $200,000 goal. givebutter.com/HCR2020

IMPACT

Critical funds support group therapeutic horseback riding programs.

• STEPPING OUT VIRTUAL GALA HELPS ENSURE NO ONE FACES BREAST CANCER ALONE

Supporting nonprofits providing emergency and direct services to underserved breast cancer patients in the Bay Area.

• MARIN OPEN STUDIOS CONNECTS ARTISTS TO ART LOVERS AROUND

THE BAY AREA

Providing exposure and marketing to local artists.

Marin Open Studios is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting artists and connecting them with Bay area audiences and patrons. Their first virtual exhibit, “The Human Spirit,” features works from 86 artists, including watercolors, drawings, sculptures, paintings and more. Sponsored by Marin Open Studios, Marin Magazine, Bank of Marin and Kris and Eric Brewer, their exhibit invites the art-appreciating public into the artists’ studios, increasing art appreciation and helping build future generations of artists and patrons. marinopenstudios.org

Over 500 guests joined live on September 26 for the first virtual Stepping Out Gala, celebrating 25 years of memories. The generous sponsors and donors helped raise over $270,000, which will benefit the 2021 Bay Area Breast Cancer Grants Program. Guests bid on silent and live-auction items, with $30,000 in matching donations from three Foundation friends. The gala featured a special song, “To Celebrate Life,” written and performed for the event by longtime supporter, Susan Zelinsky, as well as inspiring messages of how funds are provid ing critical services to breast cancer patients in the community by Kaushik Roy, Shanti Project; Lili Gunter, Ceres Community Project; and Dr. Francine Halberg, Marin Cancer Care. tocelebratelife.org

Victoria Mimiaga: Orange Lady

Jon Francis: Surfer Trio

IMPACT

Increase art appreciation and helping future generations of artists and patrons.

Kathleen Lack

A Mill Valley Eco-Destination! Reed Street, Mill Valley

This 2017 GreenPoint Platinum rated home offers a healthy getaway to work, play or shelter on approximately 1/2 acre close to town. BamCore construction, Zehnder air ventilation system, solar, metal roof, EV charging stations in the garage, 3 bedrooms and 3 baths in the main house, induction cooking and steam oven in the chef's kitchen, formal dining, den, surround sound, radiant heat, Fleetwood doors to the central patio/courtyard with salt water lap pool, 2 detached offices/ guest areas/studios with bath, yoga areas, storage, organic gardens...!

Thank you to those of you who were returning clients and to those who gave me wonderful real estate referrals again this year. My 2020 sales were in Mill Valley, Bolinas, Muir Beach, San Rafael and Sausalito...some were record breaking! Please continue to stay safe, be smart and enjoy Marin!

Debra Allen 01002768

Current Buyer Needs: Seadrift in Stinson, beachfront any price Muir Beach, any view/condition under $2.5M Mill Valley/Corte Madera, 3+ bedrooms under $1.2M Sausalito, cottage around $1M

In2003, Paige and David Hirschkop moved into their mid-century modern East San Rafael home. “It had great bones, but hadn’t been remod eled since the seventies,” says Paige.

Over the years, they worked hard to modernize it . A decade ago, for example, they g utted their dated kitchen and knocked down a wall to optimize their view of San Pablo Bay. Three years ago, the couple tackled the outdoor space. (The transformation was fea tured in our June 2019 cover story, Sun,Shade andSlopes.) And while those upgrades were, indeed, major improvements, the house still lacked several items on their wish list — most notably, a master suite.

The couple toyed with the idea of moving. But every home they toured had its own set of deficits. “It felt like we’d just be exchanging one set of problems for another,” recalls Paige. “Plus, we loved our location and view.”

Instead, they agreed to take on one final remodel, which involved tweaking the exist ing spaces and then adding an additional 700-square-feet of living space. “We wanted four things; a master suite, a laundry room, a mudroom, and an office,” says Paige. A nd while they were at it, they agreed to push the home’s footprint out by three feet in order to create a more spacious dining room. “It sounds so minor, but it did make a dramatic difference in how the space felt.” Additionally, the couple ripped out the old flooring and replaced it with engineered white oak hardwood floors.

In an effort to further enhance the home’s breathtaking water views, they also replaced the home’s front window bank with a 15-foot bank of floor to ceiling sliding glass doors. Then, to enjoy their recon figured space, the couple chose a custom sofa from Bimma Loft, along with a new coffee table fabricated out of a quartz remnant from the bathroom remodel.

The lion’s share of the addition is dedicated to a decadent master suite drenched in light and designed with soaring ceilings and a sliding glass door for quick access to the home’s resortlike yard. Additionally, a womb chair and ottoman by Knoll positioned next to the slider is the perfect place to sip coffee and enjoy the garden view. Also of note: A new large walk-in closet with high windows, which let in plenty of natural light while preserving privacy, provides ample space for the couple’s wardrobe.

The newly constructed master bath is as luxurious as it is functional. Quartz countertops fitted with two undermount sink s float over custom cabinetry by Mark Nardone of Integral Design in San Rafael. Chrome plumbing fi xtures by Dornbracht complement the room’s minimalist appeal. Ditto for the AKDO glass tile nine-foot high feature wall. But the most innovative aspect of the bathroom is the smart picture window by Innovative Glass

that goes from clear to frosted with the fl ick of a switch.

Considering the developments of 2020, the couple feels exceptionally fortunate they cre ated a dedicated home office for David, who runs Dave’s Gourmet, a specialty food company best known for its pasta and hot sauces. “He’s in that office all day, every day,” says Paige. A nd while details like expanding a laundry closet into a full-fledged laundry room and carving out space for a proper mudroom isn’t necessarily the most glamorous aspect of a remodel, these niceties have made the house exponentially more functional.

All told, the project took 10 months to complete. A s for the inconveniences and stress inevitable with any remodeling project, Paige admits that this third and fi nal one was by far the easiest . “ The last two projects I managed on my own,” she recalls. “Working with an excellent contractor made all the di fference.”

THE DETAILS

WHAT THEY OWN Four bedroom, three and a half bath mid-century modern

WHERE THEY OWN Bayside Acres neighborhood of San Rafael

CONTRACTOR Darrel Denny of D2 Construction in Larkspur

ARCHITECT Ricky Mason of Gehricke+Mason in Sausalito

FAVORITE DETAIL “The master suite,” says Paige. I love how the clerestory win dows and high ceilings make the room feel so serene.”

Opener: A serene and sybaritic space to end the day. Opposite Page: Floor to ceiling glass sliders optimize views of San Pablo Bay. Clockwise, this page: The smart, picture window in the master bath can go from clear to frosted for added privacy; Glass sliders in the master bedroom allow quick access to the home’s expansive back yard; A soaker tub with Dornbracht plumbing fixtures; Paige and David cozied up with their beloved pup, Izzy Hirschkop.

To see more on home and home decor visit marinmagazine .com/homes

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The holidays are here, and my clients are celebrating with the sale of their home, which sold for $355,000 over the list price. Whether you’re looking to purchase or sell, let’s discuss your home goals. Let 2021 be the year!

Nick 01948067

This challenging year has reminded us all that loving families and friends, health, and the comforts of home are more important than ever. I’m appreciative of your business and support and look forward to helping you achieve your real estate goals in the year ahead.

Wishing

“Tammy helped first home in Spring of 2020. These were unusual times due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and we did not know what to expect. Tammy accurately interpreted the real estate market and found us a gem we call our home today. She is incredibly professional, knowledge, personable and with us each step of the way from negotiations until closing. We are very grateful to Tammy, and if we ever move, we will be using her again!”

—The

The grandeur and elegance of Italian Riviera living awaits at 74 Bellevue. Situated on the southernmost tip of Corinthian Island, the Italianate estate has commanding views of the San Francisco skyline, Angel Island, the Bay Bridge, Belvedere Island and the adjacent Corinthian Yacht Club. Built in 2002 with exquisite custom details that combine old-world craftsmanship with modern design, the approximately 6,340 sq. ft. residence features four bedrooms and three and one-half bathrooms, expansive formal living, dining and entertaining areas, and a luxuriant master suite on its own level. Approached through a gated drive, the home’s privacy is enveloping thanks to established hedges and lush Mediterranean gardens. The southfacing view side of the home has several terraces and verandas on multiple levels, a putting green, pond and a sculpture garden with fireside lounge, all of which offer panoramic vistas. Additional highlights include an expansive gourmet kitchen, three-car garage, two fireplaces, two wine cellars, a sprawling family/entertainment room and a breathtaking double height foyer with a grand limestone staircase. Immediate walking distance to Tiburon’s bucolic shops and dining, a quick ferry commute to San Francisco and yacht life at your doorstep make this timeless, iconic estate a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the most discerning of buyers.

This architectural masterpiece above Belvedere’s west shore has commanding, panoramic views of the City, the Golden Gate Bridge, Richardson Bay, Sausalito, Mill Valley, and Mount Tamalpais. Designed by award-winning architects Aidlin Darling Design, the approximately 7,500 sq. ft. home took over five years to build before its completion in 2015, resulting in one of the most architecturally significant homes in the San Francisco Bay Area. Its dramatic setting and approximately 26,660 sq ft. grounds are further complemented by meticulous landscaping and manicured gardens by Blasen Landscape Design. Sleek, modern and defining sophistication, the home incorporates a stunning use of materials, including concrete, steel, stone, reclaimed oak, leather, bronze, and of course, glass to perfectly frame vistas and invite the enveloping views in. Approached through an olive tree-lined courtyard, the home’s main level features formal living and dining spaces, an expansive water view terrace, an art studio office, and a luxurious media room. Upstairs, there is an ensuite bedroom, a huge custom office, and an expansive master suite worthy of a five-star resort with terraces and uninterrupted views. The lower level has three additional bedrooms and a light filled exercise room opening to a pool and spa as well as a sun deck. A two-car garage with carport and an auto-court allow ample parking. The stylish full sized guest house furthers the allure of this incredible estate.

HONORS

MARIN HOMETOWN HEROES

In mid-March, Play Marin had 16 basketball teams rolling into championship weekend when they received notification of the COVID-19 shelter in place orders. They promptly began making plans to continue serving the community through other avenues. By working with local restaurants over 3 months, they were able to provide 10,000 meals. By June, they had a handle on administering the food program and refocused back to their mission of servicing youth. Their six-week summer program consisted of activities and enrichment programs that followed all COVID-19 safety measures. By August, Play Marin made a strong pivot to partnering with the local school district to oversee the middle school learning hub. Learn more at PlayMarin.org

As vice-chair of the San Anselmo Community Foundation, Pat Townsley was instrumental in raising funds and contributing over $40,000 in grants to local struggling small businesses impacted by COVID-19 in San Anselmo. As a result of the 2020 pandemic, Townsley created and manages “SanAnselmoEats.com” to help all restaurants in San Anselmo, donates to ExtraFood.org, supports frontline first responders, local schools & parish fundraisers, suicide prevention, & Alzheimer’s and cancer programs. He is an advocate for sustainable practices and education, participating in local energy and recycling programs and organizing community creek and park clean up days. Pat is also is the producer of “Movies In Creek Park” movie nights. CreeksideSA.com

VANGUARD PROPERTIES has always had a deep connection to the communities we serve through our representation of those who live and thrive here. Our involvement goes beyond business, it taps into the essence of what has always strengthened our bonds to one another, the knowledge that “we are in this together”. This year we are contributing to organizations run by exceptional people supporting those impacted by COVID-19 and the ruinous wildfires. We are proud to acknowledge our extraordinary neighbors whose efforts every day make living in Marin a better place to call home.

PAUL AUSTIN | PLAY MARIN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

PAT TOWNSLEY | CREEKSIDE PIZZA OWNER

Photos by Anita Barcsa Photography

Top Grams of 2020

There hasn’t been much we could rely on this year, but a couple things are certain — we love pink skies, and the pandemic has not killed people’s passion for capturing the county’s beauty. Looking back at a year that will go down in history, we thought there was no better time than now to reflect on some of the images that resonated the most. Thank you all for continuing to highlight the special place that is Marin. KASIA PAWLOWSKA

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