Marin Magazine March 2018

LIVE MARIN

We showcase your home’s highest value to the widest audience, providing luxury service at all price points. Our clients don’t settle for less.

Marin is home to California’s best specialty care

Best in California for Neurosurgery

UCSF Neurosurgery at Marin: 415-514-6868

1100 S. Eliseo Dr., Suite 1 Greenbrae, CA 94904

From one of the largest brain tumor programs in the nation to groundbreaking care for patients with epilepsy, cerebrovascular diseases and movement disorders, UCSF has long been at the forefront of treating disorders of the brain, spine and peripheral nervous system. UCSF Medical Center is recognized as the best neurology and neurosurgery program in California by U.S. News & World Report. UCSF neurosurgeons provide brain and spine surgical expertise on both an emergency and elective basis as part of Marin General Hospital’s Spine & Brain Institute.

In collaboration with Marin General Hospital, our Department of Neurosurgery offers convenient access to expert care in Marin.

Spinal Disorders: 415-353-2739

Foot and Ankle: 415-353-2808

1100 S. Eliseo Dr., Suite 1 Greenbrae, CA 94904

Pediatric Orthopaedics: 415-353-2967

Sports Medicine: 415-353-2808

1300 S. Eliseo Dr., Suite 204 Greenbrae, CA 94904

Best in California for Orthopaedics

UCSF Orthopaedic Surgery provides expert treatment for all aspects of musculoskeletal injuries, rehabilitation, orthotics and prosthetics. Recognized by U.S. News & World Report as the best orthopaedics program in California, our physicians have specific training in the full range of orthopaedic specialties. Experts in spinal disorders, pediatric orthopaedics, sports medicine, hand, foot and ankle, and primary care treat patients in our Greenbrae clinic. Our Sports Medicine staff provides exceptional care and health education to young athletes in high schools throughout Marin.

www.ucsfhealth.org

UCSF Medical Center is ranked the #1 Hospital in California by U.S. News & World Report

Meet the faces of Marin.

Pairing the region’s most spectacular homes with state-of-the-art technology, our innovative agents are bringing the future of real estate to Marin.

Steve Sekhon

Glen Williams

Sharon Faccinto

Lynn Reid

Lori Docherty

Rick Keefer

David Grega

Tyler Stewart

Vera denim dress by Lesley Evers, $148 at Lesley Evers (Corte Madera) lesleyevers.com. Larkin shoe in cameo rose by Plae, $110 at plae.co. Ogee sunglasses by Spexwax, call for pricing, at Rims & Goggles (Mill Valley) rimsandgoggles.com.

Features

44 Sporty Spring

The hottest athleisure looks for the season.

54 Canal Street

An immigrant from El Salvador shares his story.

58 Up, Up and Away Glide around Marin with these adventure seekers.

62 Summer Camps Guide Ideas for adventure and fun.

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It was her first year of being a counselor and the role suited her well.

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This month we celebrate the power of summer camps and their ability to help kids grow up and engage with community.

“N

ARWHAL. THAT’S my camp name,” my soon-to-be-16year-old daughter said, smiling with pride. “You take the first letter of your name and then find a sea animal with the same letter.” A pause. “N doesn’t have many options,” she added, seemingly lost in thought.

It was her first year of being a counselor and the role suited her well. As we drove along the glimmering Rodeo Lagoon, she continued to describe in detail the level of cuteness of each camper in her group. While at other times I might have cursed the 20-plus minutes it took to get her to The Marine Mammal Center, the drive gave us invaluable time together. Ten years prior I was driving her with a few friends to go there as a camper, not a counselor. Being involved in TMMC piqued her interest in the ocean — mostly the baby seals there — but she did learn enough to want to return in high school as a youth leader volunteer, aka Narwhal.

Her involvement made me aware of the center and all they do. When you read this month’s Q&A, you’ll meet one of their superstars, Dr. Claire Simeone, a conservation medicine veterinarian who is headed to give a TED talk in Vancouver next month. With that type of accomplishment in mind, we’ve created an official #MarinRepresents hashtag to help promote people and products doing good beyond county borders. I’ve used the hashtag a few times — when I’ve seen products like EO and Rustic Bakery in my travels — but I’d welcome the help of some power posters to give it wings.

Back to camps. Between Natalie and her older sister, I have learned about most of the summer camp options throughout the county. NatureBridge offers kids insight into all things nature as does Slide Ranch (be warned, the geese can be aggressive). A couple of fun-filled day programs were perennial favorites for my

girls, although we had a bit of a family feud when I discovered at drop-off hat it was ice cream day. I quietly listed a feigned allergy to refined sugar as I signed them in. At pickup they relayed that instead of letting them partake in the makeyour-own-sundae event like the other kids, the counselors gave them grapes. Still a sore point.

Our day camp forays were short-lived; I had a hard time justifying the cost if it didn’t involve education or learning a skill. We did try a few sleepaway programs, with limited success. Often shipping off oth girls as a package deal, I made the mistake of sending Natalie to Tahoe before she was ready to be away from home. The week was hell for all of us. My niece, on the other hand, found her people at a three-week sleepaway camp in Seattle; she went every summer for as long as she could and maintains deep, lasting friendships with her camp friends.

Meanwhile, back in Marin, Natalie’s older sister Grace discovered horses, thanks to Miwok Stables and a one-ton four-legged land mammal named Teddy. She later taught riding there and at Nicasio Riding Club and these days is a happy member of the equestrian team down at UCSB.

There are so many opportunities to ignite passions in kids, often in summer programs right here in Marin. As I read through the college application essays by my daughters and niece, I see that camp was a common theme for all three.

In this issue we celebrate summer camp with a guide to options in the county and beyond. Why March? This is the month when camps open registration and when most (never me) smart and organized parents start their planning. Go forth and mold your child’s future, but hey no pressure.

Mimi Towle, Editor

Step inside a lush four-story rainforest filled with over 1,600 colorful plants and animals to experience the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes that rainforests provide. Watch butter flies emerge before your eyes, engage all your senses, and learn more about these vital ecosystems and how you can support critical conservation efforts.

Get tickets at calacademy.org

The Osher Rainforest is generously supported by The Bernard Osher Foundation.

WE KICK OFF our March issue features with a look at sporty spring fashion. This time we’ve got locally purveyed stylish out fits and separates that are as perfect for heading to your workout as they are for going out after. From sunglasses to shoes to swimwear, we showcase the hot looks you’ll want to see and be seen in.

Next we have a fi rst-person account of what it’s like to immigrate to the U.S. at age 9 to fi nally meet up with your parents who have already crossed the border. Growing up in racially mixed San Rafael was often disorienting, but the story’s author eventually found his calling as a poet and now asks Marin residents to carefully consider the fates of all those who live in the county.

In Subcultures we speak with people who like to fly like a bird in the sky. No, they aren’t superheroes; they’re hang gliders. The Marin County enthusiasts’ group has more than 130 members, and many often take off rom Mount Tam and land at Stinson Beach.

And for younger adventurers, area summer camps have a wide range of activities to keep any kid busy. Check out our list of more than 160 programs, and remember they fi ll up fast.

Up front, we list spots where you can learn to make your ow n floral arrangements and introduce you to some inspiring creative folks: a couple whose San Rafael company is devoted to serving the best possible cup of tea, a Marine Mammal Center veterinarian who just became a TED fellow, and a Larkspur musician who’s teaching Canal Area kids to play instruments and believe in themselves.

In Destinations we head to Hawaii’s national parks — from volcanoes to lighthouses to war memorials, there’s something for everyone. And foodie travelers who love to cook will appreciate our story on itineraries that combine kitchen instruction with excursions to exotic places all over the world.

It’s a big issue, perfectly suited to leisurely reading as the days grow longer, and meanwhile getting you ready to put on your coolest spring out fit and head outside.

IT’S A SPRING THING

We found the ideal model to try out the season’s new styles and bring them to life. She did so well that we wound up with more photos than we could fit in the magazine. To see all the looks and find out where you can get them, go to marinmagazine.com/ spring2018.

Daniel Jewett, Managing Editor

Finding the right home is more than the square footage and number of rooms. It is about your quality of life and how you live outside those walls. Carey Hagglund Condy is one of the most respected luxury real estate agents in Marin County and one of its most passionate residents. She provides a unique and personal perspective to living in Marin County, with unparalleled knowledge, standard of care and attention to detail to help guide your journey to the perfect home. 415.461.8609 | Carey@LuxuryMarinHomes.com | luxurymarinhomes.com |

Javier Zamora, Writer

In this issue: “Canal Street” (p. 54) What writers and poets influenced you the most? I started writing because of Pablo Neruda and Roque Dalton’s work. Soon thereafter, I encountered Sharon Olds’, Louise Glück’s and Yusef Komunyakaa’s work. These poets continue to be my pillars.

Any words of advice for aspiring poets? Keep reading and revising. It’s not going to be pretty at fi rst, or later, but eventually, something will click.

Where has your work appeared before? I’ve been lucky to have my work appear in The New York Times, Granta, Poetry and The New Republic, to name a few. It still feels like a dream.

Brian Stauffer, Illustrator

In this issue: “Canal Street” (p.54)

How did you initially get into illustrating? I actually started out as a designer before becoming an illustrator. My education at the University of Arizona was focused on ideas as the foundation of poignant visuals. After several years of editorial design, I eventually realized that illustration was the purest form for me to express that belief.

What do you enjoy the most about your job? What I enjoy the most is also the source of what I dislike the most — the unknown in each day. There’s nothing better than a challenge that is met in a way that surprises me and makes my clients happy, but when I’m facing a tough topic and a blank page the possibility of letting that topic down is still daunting.

Where has your work appeared before? My work has appeared on the covers and in the pages of The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, The New York Times, Time and The Washington Post, among many others. I’ve also created posters for numerous opera houses and environmental organizations.

Tristan Davison, Photographer

In this issue: “Sporty Spring” (p. 44)

Tim Porter, Writer/ Photographer

In this issue: “The Right Notes” (p. 40) You write and photograph — which one do you think is more difficult? When I look through the frame of the camera and stare at the blank page, I see the same thing — a place to put a story. Photography is harder for me. Words can be changed after the moment; the image can’t be (or shouldn’t be). And, it’s easy with today’s cameras to make a decent picture, but it’s still hard to make a memorable one.

Do you play any musical instruments? Ha, ha. Trick question. You didn’t ask, do I play any musical instrument well? To answer both questions: Yes, the guitar. And, no.

Where has your work appeared before?

The New York Times, Time magazine, San Francisco Chronicle, Associated Press. The Aperture book Mary Ellen Mark on the Portrait and the Moment

What are some of your favorite locations to shoot around the Bay Area? The Bay Area offers so many great urban and rural locations. I love shooting in Point Reyes because the beaches and the fields are so beautiful and so epic in scale. I also love downtown San Francisco because of the architecture and the light.

What’s the most challenging part of your job? The most challenging part of my job is exercising patience. Technology helps.

Where has your work appeared before? My work has appeared in magazine ads, on billboards, online and in catalogs. I also love shooting with my phone and occasionally I post personal work on my Instagram feed @tristandavison.

OSKA

153 Throckmorton Mill Valley, CA 94941 415 381 1144

OSKA 310 Center Street Healdsburg, CA 95448 707 431 7717

Shop online millvalley.oska.com

Your Letters POV

Trash Talk

Marin Clean Energy, thank you so much for finally doing the smart thing with garbage (Currents, “Garbage to Wattage,” January). Every time I pass the landfill I cringe and wonder why the U.S. doesn’t follow Denmark and other countries’ example of burning garbage underground and using the methane to heat homes. Other countries have been doing this for years. It would be so great if every energy company would do this — expensive at first, but worth it in the end. And in Denmark their heat is free. GALE MCKEE, NOVATO

Great Issue

The best issue yet (December 2017). Thank you for the personal coverage on our North Bay fi res. I also liked the Mountain Mania ski article. MIKE MEENAN, NOVATO

Before Surgery

Overall “The Pain Game” (February) reflects a good general overview regarding treatment for the aching back. However, the physician and the author have, in my opinion, not done a thorough review on the benefits of spinal manipulation treatment (SMT). Surgery should of course be the last option when all else has failed. There are studies and guidelines that show the benefit, efficacy and safety of SMT. The state of Ohio recently passed workers’ comp guidelines that say that prior to any spinal fusion surgery, a trial of SMT should be provided. Oregon has a similar law. But there are no magic bullets; not everyone can be helped by SMT. MOSES JACOB, NOVATO, VIA ONLINE

Animal Victory

Thank you, Peter Lang of Safari West (“Fire Stories,” December). These animals and the incredible heart and commitment of the Langs are a precious asset, jewels, here in Northern California. Thank God these incredible animals were saved. CHERYL BOSSIO, SAUSALITO, VIA ONLINE

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

Beverly Hills / Chicago / Minneapolis / Healdsburg / Mill Valley / New York / Pasadena / Seattle Calgary / Vancouver / Sydney / London / Paris / Munich / Amsterdam / Stockholm

CONNECT WITH US

Bay Area events you’ll want to attend

MARIN COLLECTS

March 5–April 5 11 a.m.–5 p.m.

College of Marin Fine Arts Gallery, Kentfield

An inaugural exhibit featuring significant local collections of art and design from Marin residents. Exhibit includes works from the J. B. Blunk family, abstract expressionist works from the collection of Jonathan Parker and vintage furniture and contemporary art from the collection of L. J. Cella. The College of Marin Fine Arts Gallery hosts five to six exhibits each academic year, beginning with the faculty exhibit in the fall and culminating with the annual juried student show.

marin.edu/fineartsgallery

Friend us to share and view RSVP Hot Ticket photos at facebook.com/marinmagazine

Want to see all the images from our RSVP Hot Ticket events? marinmagazine.com/hotticket

TOP GRAM

One of our top Instagram posts in January was by @brieparks. “I took this shot after a day hiking in Point Reyes. I had to wait for multiple cars and people to clear in order to get this shot, but it was definitely worth it.” Want to see your photo in print? Tag us @marinmagazine with your best snap.

Big Winner

Ever felt that entering contests is pointless because you never win? Us, too. But your submissions to Marin Magazine count. Just ask Sandra Hilliard, who entered our contest back in December and won a $1,000 gift card for The Village at Corte Madera. Happy shopping, Sandra.

SUMMER GUIDE

SNAPS If you’d like to see your photos in our annual June Summer Guide, now is the time to get in the running: add the tag @marinmagazine to your favorite summertime photos that feature Marin and include the hashtag #inmarin for your chance.

January’s Top Five Online Stories

1 “The Last to Know” A call from the school psychologist finally revealed the problem that was too close for this Marin mom to see. 2 “Taking the Plunge” From first date to wedding: four couples share details of their special day. 3 “On the Side” Side Street Kitchen in Point Reyes Station is “What’s Hot” in January.

“Reinvention” How many times have you dreamed of a career do-over? These four Marinites chose to revamp their professional worlds midlife.

WHEN WHERE WHY YOU SHOULD GO COST

FIND OUT MORE

Bay Area events you’ll want to attend

Friend us to share RSVP Hot Ticket photos at facebook.com/marinmagazine.

[UPCOMING EVENTS]

THE LADIES OF

BROADWAY

March 17, 7:30 p.m. March 18, 2 p.m.

Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium, 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael

Prepare to be amazed and inspired as these Broadway powerhouse ladies hit the stage in March for a dynamic evening highlighting the tales and talents of their stellar Broadway experiences. This performance for all ages is produced by Transcendence Theatre Company, the creators of the award-winning Broadway Under the Stars concert series in Wine Country. Transcendence has invited seven accomplished women to perform and share not only their own Broadway highlights and stories, but their tributes to woman who have inspired them.

$29–$129 ladiesofbroadway.com

SONOMA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

WHEN WHERE WHY YOU SHOULD GO COST

March 21–25

SIFF Village is two blocks north of Sonoma’s Plaza between First Streets East and West

The blend of captivating independent films, premium wines and delicious cuisine at seven screening venues in and around Sonoma Plaza, multiple hospitality areas featuring live music and DJs — all very walkable —make for a memorable experience. Enjoy films all day (Thursday–Sunday) and spirited evening parties and dinners. The 21st annual event is a friendly, inspiring, welcoming environment in which to interact with filmmakers, celebrities and fellow festivalgoers.

New in Town

SHOP

Town Center Corte Madera welcomes La Belle Fifi to its retail family. Owner Fiona Dorst handpicks a collection of bohemian-inspired luxurious lingerie and lounge, resort and swimwear; labellefifi.com

VISIT

Stinson Beach gets a makeover. A host of projects by the National Park Service aimed at creating a welcoming environment for individuals with disabilities are finally complete, including a new redwood boardwalk providing better access as well as new picnic areas, benches, barbecues and wheelchair lockers; nps.gov/goga/stbe.htm.

DESIGN

New to San Rafael is Jack London Kitchen and Bath , which features premier bath and shower appliances, expert product specialists on hand and a showroom to explore and inspire; jacklondonkitchenandbath.com.

Alexander’s Artisan Rugs , a top source for high-end rugs, is now the exclusive representative of one of the rug world’s top producers of Tibetan and Nepalese rugs: Odegard + Kooches; also, Alexander’s Artisan Looms + Indigo Looms expands co-production into more than half a dozen countries; alexandersrugs.com.

EAT AND DRINK

The newest kid-friendly drink in town is the babyccino — a cup of warm steamed milk often dusted with chocolate powder — now made at Equator Coffees and Teas; equatorcoffees.com

FIND OUT MORE

$15 per film, punch card $35, cinema pass $280, soiree pass $850 707.933.2600, sonomafilmfest.org

Want to see all the images from our RSVP Hot Ticket events? Visit marinmagazine.com/hotticket for the latest.

Urban Remedy relocates to a new spot on Miller Avenue in Mill Valley but still offers the same noteworthy selection of organic, gluten-free, dairy-free, fresh plant-based meals and juices; urbanremedy.com

Urban Remedy

Sartaj India Cafe by Lotus serves traditional northern In dian dishes made f rom sustainable, local, o rganic ingredients; sartajindiacafe.com.

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

the LOOK

BOSSA NOVAFASHION CONCEPTS:

Collections include Lilla P. Joules, Repeat, 0039 Italy, Elemente Clemete, DL1961, Blanc Noir and Liebeskind. Bossa Nova; Inspiring clothing for daily life.

TUMBLEWEED BOUTIQUE

A California, casual lifestyle shop for Men, Women and Home. 2017 Winner for “Best Of” San Francisco Magazine, Marin Magazine & PacificSun. Featured in Photo: Bomber Jacket, Bailey 44; Lace Top, For Love & Lemons; Jeans, Levi’s Premium 501 Skinny; Frenchie, SOLD OUT; Model, Sophie Gardner

TUMBLEWEED

570 San Anselmo Ave, San Anselmo, CA 415.747.8118 tumbleweedcalifornia.com @tumbleweedca

WELLINGTON WEEKENDER

Perfect for a weekend getaway, the most chic, essential piece for your tailgate at the polo field,day on the boat or beach, this everyday bag is the ultimate luxury go to. Pure luxury hand crafted of Italian vegetable tanned leather in the USA.

STICK & BALL

186 E. Blithedale Ave, Mill Valley, CA 415.388.2270 stickandballco.com

BOSSA NOVA 11 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley, CA 415.888.3595 bossanovaclothing.com

SOSPIRI EYEWEAR

handmade in the mountains of northeastern Italy’s Veneto region. (recently worn by Oprah Winfrey at the Golden Globes) Exclusively at Luxton Optical.

LUXTON OPTICAL 212 Bon Air Center, Greenbrae, CA 415.461.9222

Virtuo u so

Her company is going public. Her needs are strategic. Her giving is through Virtuoso.

The modern alternative to a private foundation. www.marincf.org 415.464.2507

HAVEN LARKSPUR

City Fashion in the heart of Marin. Haven is your one-stop shop for the best curated collections this side of the bridge. Featuring brands such Nili Lotan, Raquel Allegra, and The Great.

Pictured: Apiece Apart Jumpsuit HAVEN

250A Magnolia Ave, Larkspur, CA 415.886.8995 shophavenclothing.com

the LOOK

BE ONE WITH, a

stunning new boutique bridges fashion and well-being. The luxurious bags and accessories are infused with powerful intentions that inspire women to connect with what they love. The Be One With Happiness Hobo in Tan Camo, Blue Agate Cuffand Mala Beads are must haves for Spring.

BE ONE WITH 506 San Anselmo Ave, San Anselmo, CA 415.755.4027 beonewith.com

34 MAIN Sleeveless jumpsuit - $125 Equestre 100% silk scarf, made in Italy - $195 Gold necklace - $235.

34 MAIN 34 Main Street, Tiburon, CA 415.730.7649 34mainstreet.com

KLOZET BOUTIQUE

Elevated California casual women’s clothing.

Frank & Eileen Barry in Navy Poplin

AG Hailey Shorts in White

Lynn Tallerico Tracy Bag in Camel Ateliers Gracie shoe in Mushroom

KLOZET BOUTIQUE

30 Princess Street, Suite C, Sausalito, CA 415.331.5598 shopklozet.com

In Marin

THE

PLACES AND CAUSES OF THIS UNIQUE COUNTY

BY KASIA PAWLOWSKA

BLOOMINGAYLE’S

Learn about the art of floral arranging as well as the methodology, in an intimate hands-on setting. Classes offered include bouquet essentials, where students will handle and combine flowers to find their own unique decorative style, and seasonal courses in holiday table-scapes, wreath making and other skills. gaylenicoletti.com

BUDDHIST TEMPLE OF MARIN

Master teachers Kinsui Saiki and Julie Nakatani invite both beginner and advanced students to practice ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement. In ikebana, arrangements are a living thing where nature and humanity are brought together and are centered on developing a closeness with nature. buddhisttempleofmarin.org

MARIN FLORAL

From serious floral design classes to casual flower parties, Marin Floral offers an array of activities and provides fresh, locally sourced materials for students to use. Patrons also have the option of attending on-site custom parties where guests go home with the arrangements they create. marinfloral.com

MATILDA’S MAGNOLIAS

Matilda’s Magnolias buys flowers from farmers in San Francisco and the Bay Area and delivers them based on whatever schedule works best for participants. The selection is always a surprise and the flowers arrive loose. Inside every box subscribers will find a floral fact card with arrangement tips and design recommendations. matildasmagnolias.com

Kava Caveats

Not your grandma’s calming chamomile.

With marijuana legalization, many people are ditching pharmaceutical painkillers for plant-based relief; for some, however, kava is the go-to when stress and anxiety overwhelm. Native to the southeast Asia-Pacific region of Oceania and the South Pacific islands, kava is a plant root traditionally cultivated for its perceived ability to promote calmness and restful sleep; historically it’s been ingested as a ceremonial beverage or socially, as we would alcohol. Herbalists believe kava can induce a relaxed awareness without compromising mental function — think chamomile tea with more horsepower. The downside? Potential health risks, especially if you have liver disease or a history of liver problems. Numerous cases of liver damage have been linked to kava, leading to bans in some places, though recently countries like Canada and Germany have lifted restrictions. Despite safety concerns, kava has not been removed from the U.S. market and is available in several cafes in Marin. Kava consumption has not caused significant health problems for people from the South Pacific, despite its long history of use; one possible cause of toxicity might be contamination of the root with different parts of the plant, according to Edzard Ernst, an Exeter University researcher and professor emeritus of complementary medicine. Whether the kava extract is consumed in the traditional water-based or a modern solvent-based form may also come into play. The root of the matter? Read labels, research origins, and drink with caution — or stick to chamomile. KIER HOLMES

Healthy Help

Three trending products to jump-start your well-being. K.H.

• Manuka Honey Once Costco starts selling something in large tubs you know it’s a big deal. Manuka honey has naturally occurring live enzymes and is known for its high level of antibacterial properties that are said to ease cold symptoms and coughs and even help treat cancer and lower cholesterol. This stronger-tasting honey can also be a topical remedy for burns and wound infections. Buy it online and at Trader Joe’s, Good Earth and Costco. Tip: Purchase only manuka produced, packed into pots and labeled in New Zealand by a licensed member of the

Unique Manuka Honey Association of New Zealand.

• Matcha While regular green tea is known to be very good for health, it is true that in beverage form its benefits are diluted, because water can only extract a fraction of the valuable minerals and antioxidants from the leaves. Here is where matcha shines: when you consume it, you are drinking straight, stoneground leaves. This ancient brew packs a punch as a detoxifier, antioxidant powerhouse and mood supporter. Buy matcha beverages and matcha-enhanced food items online, at your local

health food market and at local coffee shops like Peet’s, Equator and Starbucks.

• Mushroom Coffee It may sound unsavory, but the positive effects could change your mind. The drink is made by boiling and liquefying dried medicinal mushrooms into an extract (the mushrooms must be cooked to release their benefits) and adding that to instant coffee. The resulting brew contains disease-fighting properties, lowers anxiety and boosts focus. The taste? A healthy, earthy flavor. Buy it online at foursigmatic.com .

Even though your creations may not be presented alongside masterworks at the de Young, they can still be museum-quality with some help. Here are a handful of local classes to up your floral design game.

be

extraordinary

SAFE THROWAWAYS Two years ago, the Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance that required drug companies to create a countywide system for the safe disposal of unused and unwanted medications. As a result, the California- and Washington State–based MED-Project was established. The organization, which is funded by pharmaceutical manufacturers and handles the drug take-back program, has set up disposal sites throughout the county as well as some mailback locations. Before this program, the cost and responsibility for safe drug disposal were split between local sanitary districts and the county. Championed by Supervisor Katie Rice and Rx Safe Marin, the MED-Project program was created to keep drugs out of the reach of potential abusers and to divert the substances from our waterways. “Studies have shown the negative impact on fish and frog development. Medicines are biologically active, so it’s not surprising that common medicines found in waterways affect wildlife,” says Patty Garbarino, president and CEO of Marin Sanitary Service. Here are some of the numbers related to the program, based on 2016 county data. K.P.

BY THE NUMBERS

pas de calais

san anselmo 514 san anselmo avenue 415.485.0104

exceptionally curated women’s fashion

san francisco 3615 sacramento street 415.872.6750

MADE BY MARIN

Silk Road Teas

TEA FACTS

• White, green, oolong and black teas all come from the Camellia sinensis plant

• Many doctors now recommend drinking 4 to 6 cups of green tea daily to promote health

• To brew tea, always use spring or filtered water, never tap water

• Cover your teapot or cup as it steeps to preserve the beneficial essential oils

• As with wine, region, elevation, soil and sun exposure are important to the quality of tea

• Pu-erh tea is aged and fermented

NEXT TO WATER, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world. And one growth trend forecasted for 2018 and beyond is, you guessed it, the leafy stuff — especially green tea. This is good news to Catherine and Ned Heagerty, tea importers and owners of San Rafael–based Silk Road Teas. Even though they don’t follow trends, they follow what they believe in and in this case that is sharing rare and artisan teas from out-of-the-way markets, tea farms and specialty tea companies in China. Actually, it’s simpler: “Our goal is to provide our customers the very best cup of tea,” says Ned. Many of the teas Silk Road Teas sources are not well known or widely offered in the U.S., but through the company’s diverse distribution channels it is able to give tea drinkers an opportunity to enjoy a cup and experience new flavors, fragrant qualities and health benefits of artisanal, unadulterated tea not easily found otherwise. Catherine says, holding a warm cup of oolong, “In that fi rst taste, they often become loyal customers.” PHILOSOPHY Always cognizant that the process begins with suppliers (farmers and specialty tea factories) that craft the teas, Silk Road Teas highly values its long-standing overseas relationships, at the same time nurturing those closer to home. THE SCOOP Silk Road Teas increasingly sources third-party certi fied organic teas to complement its line of traditionally grown teas and to encourage organic farming. The company is a certi fied USDA NOP (Natural Organic Program) Organic Handler, its bulk tea bags are biodegradable and sustainable, and its tea sachets are made from biodegradable, non-GMO cornstarch. Silk Road Teas can be found nationwide in 50 stores such as Whole Foods, in top restaurants including Chez Panisse and Slanted Door, and in local shops like Equator Coffees and Teas. BEYOND MARIN Believing in fair trade and following a direct procurement model, Silk Road Teas pays the farmer’s asking price, which supports traditional specialty tea production and the viability of organically grown tea. In its San Rafael operation, the company hires adults with disabilities to package the teas. Silk Road Teas is also partnered with Ceres Community Project and donates a portion of every tea box sale to support that organization’s efforts, as well as contributing tea bags to accompany the meals Ceres provides. WHAT THEY SAY “One of the most rewarding aspects of our business is when we receive a phone call or a letter from our customers telling us how much they enjoy our tea and how tea has become an integral part of their daily lives.” silkroadteas.com KIER HOLMES

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10 QUESTIONS FOR Claire Simeone

Dr. Claire Simeone’s normal habitat is at Sausalito’s Marine Mammal Center, where she is a conservation medicine veterinarian working at the intersection of marine mammal and human health. This April she will take a break from caring for the animals there to appear with 19 other change-makers from four continents at TED2018 in Vancouver. Simeone is the first veterinarian selected as a TED Fellow. We caught up with this Bay Area scientist before she headed north. KIER

Conservation Medicine Veterinarian SAUSALITO

1What’s something about our oceans you’ve recently learned? I’m constantly surprised by the many ways in which marine mammals serve as sentinels of the sea, providing us with insight into threats to ocean and human health. When we see animals like California sea lions with specific diseases or toxins in their body, we’re alerted to the dangers they face, which affect humans. Rescuing these animals can help raise the alarm and inspire public action on threats like pollutants, ocean trash, overfishing and global warming.

HOLMES

that I’d been developing: a slow-release gel that retains drugs at the site of injection for up to a week. Since the gel only needs to be administered once a week, Laverne was less stressed and required less human interaction. The eye gel successfully treated Laverne’s injury.

6

2

Any advice on how we can protect our oceans and its marine mammals? Pick one simple change that you can implement today, such as not using plastic drinking straws or switching to a reusable water bottle — and commit to that change.

Describe a typical day at work. A typical day can vary wildly. I might do clinical care of our animal patients or explore new medical treatments that could help animals heal more quickly. Later I might spend time working on research for a scientific paper or textbook chapter. Often I participate in calls with other scientists and government agencies to work on challenges such as unexplained mortality events in wild populations.

3

What is your favorite TED talk? My favorite TED talk is Simon Sinek’s “Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Action.” We often focus on the “what” or “how” of our work but Simon’s inspiring talk reminds me to always think about the “why”: why is my work vital for conservation?

4

Which marine animal faces the greatest threat of extinction? Hawaiian monk seals are one of the most endangered marine mammals in the world. I’m proud that the Marine Mammal Center plays a key part in the conservation efforts for this species.

Who has been your most memorable patient at the Marine Mammal Center? California sea lion pup Laverne was rescued with a number of problems, including eye inflammation that turned into a cataract. We removed the cataract, but she needed medication to treat the infections and help with the swelling after surgery. As you can imagine, it’s difficult to give eye drops to a wild animal. Laverne’s case gave us a great opportunity to try a new treatment option

5

7

What first inspired you to become a scientist? My father was an environmentalist, and some of my earliest memories with him were watching David Attenborough and asking questions about nature. I credit my father with inspiring me to love science, wildlife and the environment

8

Jacques Cousteau or Sylvia Earle? Sylvia Earle. She was a trailblazer at a time when women scientists were few and far between, and she continues to be a wise voice who is using her platform to inspire ocean conservation around the world.

9

What part of your job do you find the most challenging? Finding a balance in communicating the dire need for conservation efforts among marine mammal species while igniting positivity to inspire a change.

10

Favorite body of water in Marin? Rodeo Lagoon in the Marin Headlands. I’m lucky to live and work by its shores, and I love watching all of the wildlife that call this serene place home. m

The Right Notes

In San Rafael’s Canal Area, music lessons are helping kids gain confidence, community and the courage to pursue meaningful lives. STORY AND PHOTOS

YOU KNOW THAT adage about how just one person can make a di fference? We’ve all heard it, and most of us have fi led it in the bin of wishful thinking under the category of “Who, me?”

Not Jane Kramer. She lives it every day.

The Larkspur oboist and UC Berkeley Ph.D. is the founder of Enriching Lives Through Music (ELM), a 10-year-old nonprofit that provides free music lessons, instruments and indelible life-changing experiences to 120 children and their immigrant parents in the Canal Area of San Rafael and other Hispanic neighborhoods of Marin.

ELM is the realization of Kramer’s dream to replicate the Miami music school where she came of age, the Fine Arts Conservatory, a pioneering, racially integrated program that was as much a provocateur of social change as a purveyor of lessons in the arts.

BY TIM PORTER

“I was 7 or 8 years old in white Miami Beach, growing up with progressive parents,” says Kramer, now 62. “And I was spending my Saturdays with black and Cuban kids. It was an amazing, formative experience for me.”

The lesson instilled in Kramer as a young woman by the conservatory’s formidable founder, Ruth Greenfield, was that for children to flourish in music — and in life — they need passion and mentorship. As an adult, Kramer saw that principle borne out when she worked in a UC San Francisco program focused on vulnerable and impoverished adolescents. “If you had a family with two sisters, for example,” she says, “why would one get pregnant and drop out of school and the other wouldn’t? What I often found was that having a passion, having something that they believed in, that they were committed to, that they felt successful at, made a di fference.”

While challenging, Kramer’s work at UCSF lacked the emotional gratification music gave her. “I wasn’t passionate about it,” she says. Creating a music school in Marin addressed both issues — her need to live an emotionally compelling life and the needs of children on the margins for commitment and success.

In 2005, Kramer secured a grant from her undergraduate alma mater, Vassar College, that came with the mandate to “pursue a passion and/ or take a risk.” She took a yearlong sabbatical from her work at UCSF to devote herself “to becoming a musician again.”

“At the time, my [own] kids were pretty young. I’d wake up, I’d play my oboe all day. It was great. The truth is I don’t think I could have done ELM without [the grant]. I needed to reground myself in my passion for music before I could turn my attention to the school.”

Shortly after her leave, Kramer took the first steps toward the creation of ELM. She bought 15 plastic recorders for $5 apiece and began teaching kids at San Pedro Elementary School in San Rafael and at what was then called Pickleweed Park Community Center in the Canal.

She didn’t foresee what ELM has become — 120 students, 14 teachers; at least eight classes a week in four locations (including a new six-room space on Kerner Boulevard); a six-figure budget that pays for instruments ($800 a cello, $200–$400 a violin), transportation and salaries; and a guest conductor from the Youth Orchestra Los Angeles who leads the end-of-semester concerts.

“I didn’t think it would be what it is now,” Kramer says. “I was happier than I’d ever been just teaching music to kids who wouldn’t otherwise have had the opportunity. I didn’t have this vision for creating orchestras.”

What opened Kramer’s eyes and led to the earliest iteration of ELM as it is today happened in 2008 when she learned of El Sistema, the internationally acclaimed Venezuelan youth orchestra program created 43 years ago by economist and composer Jose Antonio Abreu, who had the idea of using classical music to improve the lives of poor children.

“When El Sistema jumped onto the international scene, I was already doing the same things,” Kramer says — seeking “social justice through music.” Suddenly, she envisioned a much grander program. “I applied to the Marin Community Foundation and got a grant to start teaching weekly violin classes.”

ELM has since grown incrementally, fueled by Kramer’s pursuit of funding (“I love writing grant proposals”) and persistence. Over the years, the program has added cellos and wind and brass instruments, recruited top-notch teachers, and moved from performing in the community center to assembling a full orchestra onstage at the Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley.

If you had a family with two sisters, for example, why would one get pregnant and drop out of school and the other wouldn’t?

In Marin / FYI

“One big challenge now is finding space to have the big ensemble concerts with more than 85 kids each playing an orchestral instrument,” Kramer says “We continue to outgrow our rehearsal and concert spaces as we grow as a program.”

For her, though, the music is a means to another end. “The deeper purpose for ELM — and something I care about the most — is to give our children choices in their lives,” she says. “That’s what it comes down to.” ELM also provides kids with “the chance to be excellent. They might not be natural musicians, but in ELM they experience success. They know that if they work hard then they can be successful.”

Kramer recognizes that most of the kids are not going to be professional musicians (although several have already performed at a national level). ELM must be about “more than the music,” she says. “They say El Sistema is primarily a social program and not a music program, a social program that uses music. I mostly believe that that’s what ELM is, too: something that produces social, emotional, psychological and intellectual benefits and the creation of community through music.”

A key element of the ELM community is the parents, who invest themselves in the program by cooking for the students, raising money and learning alongside their children about music. A parent ukulele ensemble now performs with the children.

For children to flourish in music — and in life — they need passion and mentorship.

“The parent involvement means everything,” Kramer says. “One of the most important predictors of kids’ success is parents’ engagement in their lives. You can imagine with immigrant families how hard it can be sometimes — when kids are speaking a di fferent language and are part of a di fferent culture — for parents to stay engaged. ELM, I think, is an amazing way for parents to be engaged.”

In a video on ELM’s website, several parents talk about what ELM means to them and their families. Rosa, a mother from Mexico City whose daughter plays the cello, says she and other parents have formed their own community. “We spend time together and support each other,” she says. “We have someone to rely on in case there is a need that is outside of the music program. If

one of us is going through a hard time, we have someone who will be there for us.”

Many members of the community have been moved by the positive program that Jane Kramer has created. For demonstrating that with persistence and passion one person can indeed make a difference, Kramer is being inducted this month into the Marin Women’s Hall of Fame.

“I am humbled by it,” Kramer says. “One of my mentors was a woman named Ethel Seiderman (founder in 1973 of Fairfax–San Anselmo Children’s Center). “She was just passionate about social justice for underprivileged families. She was the one who kept me going no matter what obstacle. She won this award in 1992. I feel honored to be in her footsteps.

“Truly, creating and growing ELM is my life passion. I have more energy, drive and focus than I ever have had in my life,” Kramer says. “I am doing what I believe in and what I think I can contribute my best to. It has made me brave, courageous and passionate. I feel incredibly privileged.” m

In May, ELM’s end-of-the-year concert will include a tribute to composer Leonard Bernstein, who would have turned 100 this year. His daughter commissioned a special version of the song “Somewhere” from Bernstein’s West Side Story, to be played by ELM’s and other El Sistema–modeled orchestras around the world. More information is available at elmprogram.org.

SPORTY SPRING

Athleisure is an ever-growing lifestyle and clothing trend. Rev up your collection with these separates that are perfect for the season.

BY LEAH-MARIE • PHOTOS TRISTAN DAVISON

{Opening spread} Parachute anorak, $229; Venice shorts, $79; all by Blanc Noir at Blanc Noir Store at The Village (Corte Madera) blancnoirusa.com. Maris wedge in pewter by Vionic, $120 at vionicshoes.com.

{This spread, from left} Butterfly bomber jacket, $149; Flutter sweater, $89; Ballet wrap bra, $69; Butterfly shorts, $79; all by Blanc Noir at Blanc Noir Store. Josie kitten heel in denim by Vionic, $140. Fadi sunglasses by Spexwax, call for pricing, at Rims & Goggles (Mill Valley) rimsandgoggles.com. Raw denim jacquard bomber by J’Amy Tarr, $348 at J’Amy Tarr (Mill Valley) jamytarr. com. Infinity crop top by Blanc Noir, $54 at Blanc Noir Store. Silk army pants by Go by Go Silk, $285 at Klozet (Sausalito) shopklozet.com.

{This page} Denim bomber, $360; denim flares, $260; both by Verdad at Klozet (Sausalito) shopklozet. com. Solana heeled sandal by Vionic, $140 at vionicshoes.com.

{Opposite, from left} Gold snakeskin denim bomber jacket by J’Amy Tarr, $348 at J’Amy Tarr (Mill Valley) jamytarr.com. Florentina matte blue dress by Ciao Lucia, $415 at ciaolucia. com. Patent leather sneakers by Valentino, $695 at Shoe Stories of Sausalito (Sausalito) shoestoriesofsausalito.com.

{This page} Clear vinyl raincoat by Assembly New York, $88 at assemblynewyork.com. Two Palms sundress by Tommy Bahama, $125 at Tommy Bahama (Corte Madera) tommybahama.com. Prospect shoe in blush by Plae, $90 at plae.co.

{Opposite, from left} Moroccan shag jacket by Jen’s Pirate Booty, $286 at Tumbleweed (San Anselmo) tumbleweedcalifornia.com.

Changing Horizons pullover by Free People, $88 at Viva Diva (San Rafael) vivadivaboutique. com. Hailey shorts by AG, $148 at Klozet (Sausalito) shopklozet.com. Maris wedge in light tan by Vionic, $120 at vionicshoes.com.

{This page} Set the Serene top in dotted pastel by High Dive by Mod Cloth, $49; Set the Serene bottom in dotted pastel by High Dive by Mod Cloth, $49; both at modcloth.com.

{Opposite, clockwise from top left} Waxed; Why Not; Perviator 2; R Squared; Just Because; Pat Kelly; all by Spexwax, call for pricing, at Rims & Goggles (Mill Valley) rimsandgoggles.com.

Canal Street

BY JAVIER ZAMORA • ILLUSTRATION BY BRIAN STAUFFER

Diving into the waterways, both literal and figurative, that divide the different types of classes in Marin and trying to find a way to the other side.

Iwas born in El Salvador in 1990 and immigrated to San Rafael when I was 9. Dad had left for the U.S. when I was 1-and-a-half, during the last years of the Salvadoran Civil War, and Mom followed him when I was about to turn 5. I missed them so much and when I turned 9, I immigrated to this country with the help of a smuggler. My trip was supposed to take two weeks, but ended up taking two months.

My parents didn’t know where I was. Neither did my grandparents back in El Salvador. I crossed into Mexico via a boat from Guatemala to Oaxaca. From there, after various bribes, hitchhiking, illegal checkpoints, more bribes, I eventually made it to the Mexican side of the Sonoran Desert. There, I crossed into the United States and met my parents after years of being separated from them. Those years, before 9/11, a child didn’t need a U.S.-issued ID to take a domestic fl ight. Our little family flew over the Grand Canyon on the way to San Francisco. When we landed, we took the Marin Airporter from SFO and got dropped offat the Central San Rafael Bus Terminal. The sidewalk across from the Citibank is the first ground I stepped on in San Rafael.

WE JUMPED into a cab and got dropped off at 20 Marian Court Apartment No. 2, a few blocks from Pickleweed Park. I’d memorized this address from the yearly birthday and Christmas packages my parents sent with a person who traveled from the Bay Area to El Salvador. In between receiving those packages, I saw the address in neatly written black ink across white envelopes that held the biweekly, or at times monthly, letters.

This was how my parents raised me from thousands of miles away. I dreamed of that address. Of the black mailbox with a tiny red flag in front, the number 20 written in white. The wooden fence in the front yard. The green backyard lawn, the sapphire swimming pool. I kept this address close to me in the two months I was traveling to get to my parents. Not on a piece of paper, but written in my brain. I was trying to get to them, of course, but was perhaps more excited for what the United States had granted my parents through their hard work and time they’d spent away from me. Of course it had to have been worth it. Those years without me. Those nights without Mom’s stories to put me to sleep.

When we got out of the bright yellow cab. The place. An a-parta-men-to. I couldn’t even say it. I’d never heard that word. Even in San Salvador, I’d only seen houses. What was this ugly thing? This small, dirty, loud box filled with little boxes, cracked concrete all around. A sea of asphalt with old cars in front of it. Where were the trees? The corn and bean fields? I hadn’t signed up for this. No. No. I didn’t want to live here.

tHE CANAL AREA is called that because of the canal (more accurately the San Rafael Creek) that separates Third Street (which turns into San Pedro Road) and Canal Street. Of course people don’t live

“in” the literal canal. It’s more the various apartment complexes and town houses in the loose rectangle formed by East Francisco Boulevard, Bellam Boulevard, Canal Street and Catalina Boulevard. The latter of which is populated by actual houses.

Rarely do I see brown people drive past the Mi Pueblo (what used to be a Circuit City), so it may be more accurate to call Bahia Way and Playa Del Rey the last side of the rectangle. I make this distinction because it shouldn’t be a surprise that “The Canal” is inhabited by mostly Latinos. This was a comforting aspect of moving to the area after El Salvador.

I lived two blocks from the literal canal, but was warned by parents to not walk on Canal Street, like ever, because it was “dangerous.” What that meant was that there were too many brown people around. It wasn’t safe. Safety, at the time, was something I’d never had to think about. From 1993 to 1999, the years I remembered living in El Salvador, happened to be the most peaceful time in my country’s recent history. But now, the murder rate there is higher than in the civil war years (1980–1992) and we’ve topped the murder rate list for several years since 1999; thus, the ever-exponential increase of Salvadoran immigrants to the United States.

My block in El Salvador was safe. I could run to the market and come back because everyone knew me. Everyone would look after me and there were only two roads in town so I really had to try to “get lost.” The gangs were only beginning to take hold. I do remember waking to a gunshot when I was 6. Someone was killed in front of our home, but that was the one murder everyone talked about — on my block. Nothing else.

Looking back, it was an ideal childhood. Safety was something I learned in the United States. In the Canal. I couldn’t go out because we lived in the brown part of town surrounded by a sea of whiteness that was perceived safer by the sheer idea that white was safe, good, rich, intelligent, moral, just, [insert positive adjective here]. Ours were the streets with checkpoints at night. With “drug raids,” immigration raids. Our streets were perceived as dangerous. I never heard a gunshot. Never saw a fight. But, I couldn’t go out to the park by myself. I’m an only child and my mother, when she was home, and my dad, when he was home, wanted to keep me in their sight. They’d risked too much. They’d almost lost me to the desert, to Mexico, to El Salvador, why would they do anything that might lose me in the Canal?

For the most part, I listened to them and stayed in the apartment. My parents worked and I spent a lot of time alone, though, so that rule was quickly broken. Most of my evenings I spent at Pickleweed Park with friends, at fi rst to play soccer and then, as we got older, to spy on girls, to have ou r fi rst kiss, fi rst cigarette, to drink.

I’m an only child and my mother, when she was home, and my dad, when he was home, wanted to keep me in their sight. They’d risked too much.

At tHE PARK there’s a trailhead that starts at the playground and circles around the soccer fields. I would bike there and it was on this path I fi rst saw the houses with boats on the water side of Canal Street. From the other side, for the most part, all you see are apartments. Typical. Expected. The place I knew I lived in: the heartbreak of the “American dream.”

From the trail, you can see the big houses. The decks. Across the waterway, someone else’s boats docked at the marina. On top of those hills, homes scattered like balconies along the ridge of the mountains. Sort of like the hanging gardens of Babylon I’d read about in fi fth grade. I began to frequent the trail once, twice a week. I began asking, who owns those homes? Who lives in that house on the hill that looks like a piano? Where are those people? Where are the people who live here, on Canal Street, but in homes? I never saw them walking on the street.

I was in elementary school when I asked these questions. Yearning. I attended Bahia Vista Elementary on Bahia Way, two blocks from Pickleweed Park. Almost everyone was Latino. I learned English with other ESL students. I think we were expecting something different our first week of school in this country. Everyone looked like me. “Where are the gringos?” we asked at lunch. Laughed. When I transferred to the regular classroom, there was one white girl in my class of 30. One black kid. One Asian. By sixth grade, a small increase, but not much, at Davidson Middle School. I took a bus there. Though by then, I’d joined a club soccer team and we were all brown, from the Canal or Richmond, and we played against other teams. One of these teams was the Central Marin Bulldogs. Everyone on that team was white, except for one black kid.

They were a different “class,” they were U-12 class 1. We were U-12, class 3. Which on paper, means they were supposed to be better than us. They had won their league and were undefeated. We had gotten second in our league. A brief rivalry ensued.

My PARENtS, like the other parents on the team, had trouble finding The Branson School soccer field. Most of us had never been to Ross. Dad cleaned the yard of one of the homes on top of the hill, near Bald Hill. But not even he knew there was a small private school in Ross. That there was a soccer team for the people who lived in those big houses and that that soccer team played on the soccer field we were trying to fi nd.

Perhaps most of the parents weren’t new to places like Ross. I know for a fact most of them were nannies like my mom, landscapers like my dad, RNs, took care of old people, cleaned houses, drove tow trucks, worked at restaurants, occupations that most likely put

them in direct contact with those who could a fford a house on a hill, or somewhere near it. Marin is very hilly.

We were late to the field. But still had time to warm up. The field was nice, but not as nice as I was expecting. I don’t know what I was expecting. A professional field? But it was better than Pickleweed’s patchy, brown-grass field. The game started and you could see the split on the sidelines. On the parking lot. Things were di fferent. Two di fferent “classes.” Mostly trucks and used cars, our cars. Theirs, newer. They sat on one side of the field, and we on the other, like we were supposed to. It was us, their children, that tackled each other. Could fight in the mud, to score. Score we did. First they did. The Bulldogs. Then us, the Canal Clash. No one could outscore the other. The score told what we all knew was truth. We tied 2-2. We drove home to our sides of Marin. Our parents proud we didn’t let the rich white kids beat us. In our trunk, one of their brand-new Nike balls I would use to train and train.

I’VE b EEN WRI t ING this article years later from Marin Coffee Roasters in San Anselmo. A few blocks from The Branson School, from that field that has now been upgraded to a synthetic field. I eventually attended that school, on a scholarship. The coach of the Bulldogs was the athletic director at Branson at that time, and still is. His name is Tom Ryan. Hi Tom! After the game, he asked my parents if I wanted to play with that team, almost for free. That conversation changed my life.

Across from this table, I can see the counter, where the workers charge you. They’re all white. Around me, everyone white. I’ve been here five times the past two weeks. It’s always the same. From this table, I can see the kitchen. Everyone in there looks like me. I can guarantee this cafe, the soccer field, Canal Street, have wide rivers flowing between them. I guess through my privilege of education, my writing “profession,” I’ve learned to swim through them, or it’s become easier for me to see the river and try to fight across it to the other side. Not everyone is as lucky.

A few days ago, the president repealed TPS (Temporal Protected Status) for more than 200,000 Salvadorans. He had already repealed it for Haitians, Nicaraguans, Hondurans, Sudanese, etc. The morning of the announcement, Mom woke me, crying, saying, “What are we going to do? What are we going to do?” I couldn’t say anything. She’s been sick with a cold since.

Yesterday, the president called my country, Haiti, and the other African nations that hold TPS “shitholes.” I will not engage.

I won’t try and prove to anyone I belong here. I’m tired. But if you’re privileged enough to read this, I ask you to be aware of the canals, of the water that separates us. Be aware of those who want to widen that gap. Please stand up for us in those private conversations, tell them we’re only trying to pay for our children to play on the same field as everyone else. And if you happen to have one more minute, please call your representatives. Ask them to support a comprehensive immigration reform where not only the “children of immigrants” bene fi t, but our parents too. We’re all trying to swim. m

I think we were expecting something different our first week of school in this country. Everyone looked like me. ‘Where are the gringos?’

SUBCULTURES

UP, UP AND AWAY

Mount Tam’s elevation helps get hang gliding locals airborne.

BY KASIA PAWLOWSKA • PHOTOS BY RON POZNANSKY

FEELING WEIGHTLESS, SOARING over places foreign and familiar, taking in all the sights from a bird’s-eye view with the wind blowing through your hair and the sun on your face — it’s no wonder most kids wish they could fl y. The closest most of us ever get to that sensation is on a plane or in a dream, or maybe through a virtual reality simulator. But a small group of people in Marin experience the real deal, running offthe west side of Mount Tamalpais with their hang gliders and soaring high over the coast before eventually landing on the sands of Stinson Beach.

Who enjoys hang gliding? Mill Valley resident David Beerman, president of the Marin County Hang Gliding Association (MCHGA), drives up to the launch site three to four times a week. A 1970s Popular Mechanics article on the activity caught Beerman’s attention and inspired him to build a glider from instructions published in the magazine. A few other club members started out like that, too. MCHGA treasurer Phil Ray is another frequent fl yer up on Tam; his wife, Judy Cunningham, doesn’t go gliding anymore but is a world record holder in the sport — the fi rst woman to hang glide a hundred miles. “It took about five hours,” she says. “I started to get bored up there.” In 2017 MCHGA had 135 hang gliders and 61 paragliders on the roster “Every year there’s usually a turnover of about 20 people dropping out and 20 new people joining,” Beerman says. Most but not all members are men and middle-aged, although one glider is 17 and another is 80.

Is it mostly for thrill seekers? Despite the inherent danger of launching offa steep surface into the air virtually unprotected, the gliders of Mount Tam don’t exude adrenaline junkie vibes. “There’s plenty of days where the conditions aren’t right, and I don’t fly,” says Ernie Camacho, a member of the Sonoma Wings club. Camacho, who’s been gliding since the 1970s, drove up to the launch site with his dog to watch friends fl y and help bring their gliders up from the beach when they landed: “I don’t have a case of the ‘just go for its’ anymore.” Time has also tempered other members’ zeal. Beerman and Ray both recall launching several times a day when they fi rst got into the sport but nowadays are satis fied with a single fl ight.

When is the best time to go hang gliding? From Mount Tam, the optimal seasons are winter and spring, as the air instability from storms is good for soaring. Even though as a site the mountain is ranked intermediate in di fficulty, at times conditions can become extreme. “Once, we had a funnel cloud develop rapidly after what seemed to be good flying conditions,” says Beerman. “When hang gliding or paragliding anywhere, it is important to check the wind direction/velocity, the visibility — including clouds and fog — and the stability of the local air mass, which depends on pressure fronts and the lapse rate.” For beach landing, gliders should first check how much land is available, which depends on tides, sand volume and how crowded it may be. And since Tam is in a state park, find out whether the National Weather Service has declared a red flag fi re warning, because the park will be closed when that happens.

Where do people go hang gliding? Locally, MCHGA launches from Mount Tamalpais. Fellow Feathers on the Peninsula has a launch site at Fort Funston; the East Bay club Wings of Rogallo fl ies from Mount Diablo, Mission Ridge and Ed Levin County Park; and up north the Sonoma Wings club glides from Goat Rock State Park, Mount St. Helena, Elk Mountain, Hull Mountain, and Mount St. John in Stonyford. But hang glider s fly all over the globe — from Yosemite to New Zealand.

Why should you give it a try? “Statistically, scuba diving is more dangerous than hang gliding,” Beerman says. In fact, since the club’s inception in 1976, only two injuries and two fatalities have been reported by members. The perks of gliding from Mount Tam are obvious, given that it’s one of the most picturesque peaks in the state, with panoramic views of San Francisco, the Pacific, the Delta and the bay. “Hang gliding has always been a serene feeling of absolute freedom for me,” Beerman says. “But as I’ve aged, I fi nd that just hanging out with my friends who fly is more important to me.” As a bonus, hang gliders sometimes might glimpse a “glory,” a unique optical phenomenon resembling a circular rainbow, created by sunlight interacting with tiny droplets in mist or clouds.

How do you get started? The MCHGA website has many useful links, and instruction is available Bay Area–wide from schools like California Hang Gliding in Paci fica, Bay Area Hang Gliding in Fremont, and Merlin Flight School, which operates from various sites. mchga.org, californiahg.com, bayareahanggliding.com, merlinflightschool.com m

This image: Soaring above Stinson Beach.

Opposite: Phil Ray (top) and David Beerman (bottom right).

Marin Magazine’s

EIGHTH ANNUAL SUMMER CAMPS GUIDE

Day camps, overnight camps, music camps and sports camps. They all have one thing in common: they are filling up fast. Be sure to peruse the many great options in the following listings and make your plans soon — summer will be here before you know it. To find additional choices — searchable by town, price range and specialty — visit marinmagazine.com/camps.

Day Camps

MARIN

23 Elephants Theatre Company, San Anselmo Dance, Theater, 5 - 18 646.241.7734 23elephants.org

Academy Deturk Performing Arts Workshops, San Rafael Theater, 8 - 16 415.456.4297 academy-deturk.com

Aerial Arts & Dance Camps, Fairfax Dance, 6 - 18 415.755.3775 soullovesthebody.com

Art & Garden Day Camp, Tiburon Art, Garden, Outdoor, 4 - 8 415.435.4355 theranchtoday.org

Art Reactor, San Rafael Art, Technology, 12 - 18 415.948.5482 theartreactor.com

ARTifact, Corte Madera Arts, Fashion, Young child, 2.5 - 12 415.335.9338 sfartifact.com

Audubon Summer Adventure Camp, Tiburon Nature, Inclusive (special needs), 4 - 17 415.388.2524 richardsonbay.audubon.org

Avid4 Adventure, Mill Valley Adventure, Nature, Sports, 3.5 -14 800.977.9873 avid4.com

Azzi Basketball Camp, Mill Valley Sports, 6 - 13 415.426.9706 azzicamp.com

Bay Area Discovery Museum, Sausalito Academic, Art, Science, 3 - 16 415.339.3927 bayareadiscoverymuseum.org

Belvedere Tennis Club, Tiburon Sports, 4 - 8 415.435.4792 belvederetennisclub.com

Blaster Camp, Sausalito Sports, 7 -14 415.816.0529 nerfcamp.com

Bolinas Surf Lessons, Bolinas Sports, 7+ 415.868.0264 surfbolinas.om

Bombers Baseball Club, Kentfiel Sports, 8 - 13 415.713.2866 bombersbaseballclub.com

Branson School, Ross Academic, Art, Sports, Technology, Test Prep, 6 - 17 415.455.7171 branson.org

Camp Create, Belvedere Art, Music, 6 - 11 415.435.4501 ststephenschurch.org

Camp Doodles, Mill Valley Art, Maker, 3 - 15 415.388.4386 campdoodles.com

Camp EDMO - Corte Madera, Corte Madera Science, Technology, Academic, Maker, 5- 13+ 415.282.6673 campedmo.org

Camp Funderblast / Cascade Canyon School, Fairfax Arts, Meditation, 4 - 11 415.843.1730 funderblast.com

Camp Funderblast / Homestead Valley Community Center, Mill Valley Sports, Arts, Meditation, 4 - 11 415.843.1730 funderblast.com

Camp Funderblast / Scott Valley Swimming & Tennis Club, Mill Valley Sports, Arts, Meditation, 4 - 11 415.843.1730 funderblast.com

Canon Kids Sports Camp, Fairfax Sports, 5 - 13 415.234.1056 maaquatics.com

To search by town, age or specialty, visit marinmagazine.com/camps

SUMMER CAMP LISTINGS 2018

Caren Horstmeyer Girls Basketball Camp, Larkspur Sports, 8 - 14 415.794.4311 horstmeyerhoops.com

CEC Makerspace, Novato Coding, Digital Media, Technology, 11 - 14 415.493.4678 cecmake.com

Champions Soccer Camp, Mill Valley Sports, 5 - 14 415.482.8813 championsoccercamp.com

Children’s Cottage Co-Op, Larkspur Young Child, 2.5 - 5 415.461.0822 cccmarin.com

Coastal Camp at NatureBridge, Sausalito

Nature, Outdoor, Science, 5 - 14 415.331.1548 coastalcamp.org

College of Marin Community Education, Kentfiel Sports, 5 - 13 415.485.9318 marin.edu

Cyber Garage, San Anselmo Academic, Makers, Technology, 5 - 12 415.785.7660 thecybergarage.com

Dance Palace Camp, Point Reyes Station Community Center, 6 - 12 415.663.1075 dancepalace.org

Dance With Sherry Camp, San Rafael Dance, 4+ 415.499.1986 dancewithsherrystudio.com

Danielle Rosa Music Jam Camp, San Rafael Music, 7+ 415.416.5935 musicjamcamp.com

Dave Fromer’s Annual Marin Soccer Camps, Mill Valley Sports, 5 - 14 415.383.0320 davefromersoccer.com

Davidson Clubhouse Program, San Rafael General, 6 - 12 415.485.3790 petaluma-marinbgc.org

Dickson Ranch Horse & Activity Camp, Woodacre Horse, 7 - 14 415.488.0454 dicksonranch.net

Dominican Summer Sports Camps, San Rafael Sports, 6 - 14 415.482.3543 dominicansportscamps.com

Enriching U, Novato Art, Technology, Science, STEM, STEAM, 10 - 15 415.475.7567 enrichingu.com

Fantastical Adventures Day Camp, Tiburon Fantasy, Adventure, 8 - 12 415.435.4355 theranchtoday.org

Fashion Camp with Western Bonime, Larkspur Fashion, 8 - 18 415.887.8391 marinfashionacademy.com

Fast Forward Adventure Reporters Camp, San Rafael Writing, Film, Video, 11 - 18 415.272.3569 fastforwardweb.com

Golden Gate Learning Center, San Anselmo Academic, Art, Makers, 5 - 14 415.383.2283 goldengatelearning.center

Hawks Football, Mill Valley Sports, 11 - 14 415.930.1830 marinlearn.com

Higgins Summer Tennis Camps, Tiburon Sports, 5 - 18 415.963.2549 higginstennis.com

Hola Panama, Mill Valley Language, Travel, 12 -16 415.388.8408 hola-panama.com

Katia & Company, San Rafael Dance, Theater, 7 - 14 415.305.2153 katiaandcompany.com

To search by town, age or specialty, visit marinmagazine.com/camps

dancing at marin dance theatre summer programs for

3-10 year olds

Let’s Imagine: The ballet world is one of imagination, pantomime and fantasy. Today’s world is full of electronics (video games, text messages, and apps). In Marin Dance Theatre’s “Let’s Imagine” class, dancers will tap into their imagination skills. They will create an original story, then bring it to life through dance and fantasy. They will dance away from this class with new ways to move and an enhanced ability to express their imagination. For dancers age 3-4 and 5-6. This is a 5 class series.

Dance Arts Camps: Come dance, create, and make new friends in our one-week programs that include ballet, jazz/contemporary, crafts, creating your own choreography, and more! Each week will have a fun theme such as The Sea, The Forest, The Toyshop, and The Seasons. There will be a studio performance on the last day of class. For dancers age 5-7 and 7-10. These are one-week camps (M-F).

Students do not need to have prior ballet experience to participate, but they should be prepared for a lot of twirling, crafts and imaginative adventures!

Go to www.MDT.org for camp dates, times, fees and to print a registration form. For questions, please call Marin Dance Theatre at (415) 499-8891

Photos: Lawrence Luk Photography summercamp2018.MarinMag.indd 1

Kilham Farm Summer Pony Camp, Nicasio Horse, 5 - 12 415.662.2232 kilhamfarm.com

Luis Quezada’s Soccer Camp, San Anselmo Sports, 5 - 15 415.302.6779 usasoccercamp.org

Marin Ballet, San Rafael Dance, 3 - 18 415.453.6705 marinballet.org

Marin Christian Academy Summer Day Camp, Novato Art, General, Music, Religious, 6 - 11 415.892.5713 marinchristian.org

Marin Dance Theatre, San Rafael Dance, 3 - 20 415.499.8891 mdt.org

Marin GreenPlay Camp, Mill Valley Adventure, Nature, 5 - 14 415.264.2828 maringreenplay.com

Marin Horizon Outdoor Adventures Camp, Mill Valley Cooking, Nature, Science, 3 - 15 415.388.8408 marinhorizon.org

Marin JCC Camp Kehillah, San Rafael Traditional, Specialty, Travel, 5 - 16 415.444.8055 marinjcc.org

Marin Primary and Middle School Summer Day Camp, Larkspur Young Child, 2 - 7 415.413.9039 mpms.org

Marin Rowing, Greenbrae Sports, 11 - 18 415.461.1431

Marin Shakespeare Company, San Rafael Theater, Tennis, Swimming, 5-19 415.499.4487 marinshakespeare.org

Marin Sports Academy - Wildcat Camp, Kentfiel Sports, 8 - 14 415.827.1066 wildcatcamp.org

Marin Theatre Company Summer Camp, Mill Valley Theater, 5 - 18 415.322.6049 marintheatre.org

Marin Treks Science Camp, Novato Science, Nature, 7 - 14 415.250.0988 marintreks.com

Marinwood Camp, San Rafael General, 3 - 13 415.479.0775 marinwood.org

Mark Day School, San Rafael Art, Chinese, Sports, Technology, 6 - 13 415.472.8000 markdayschool.org

Masterworks Summer Art Camps, Corte Madera Academic, Art, 6 - 14 415.945.7945 masterworkskidsart.com

Mathnasium, Mill Valley Academic, 5 - 14 415.384.8272 mathnasium.com

Mega Gymnastics, San Rafael Gymnastics, 5+ 415.257.6342 megagymnastics.com

Mill Valley Potter’s Studio Clay Summer Camp, Mill Valley Art, 7 - 10 415.888.8906 millvalleypottersstudio.com

SUMMER CAMP LISTINGS 2018

Mill Valley Recreation Summer Camps, Mill Valley Art, General, Swim, 3 - 14 415.383.1370 millvalleyrecreation.org

Miracle Girls Camp, Fairfax Yoga, Art, Nature, 7 - 12 707.472.8256 sarahschaaf5.wixsite.com

Miwok Livery Summer Camps, Mill Valley Horse, 8+ 415.383.8048 miwokstables.com

Morning Star Farm Horse Camps, Novato Horse, 8 - 15 415.897.1633 morningstarfarm.info

Mt Tam Bikes Camp, Mill Valley Sports, 8 - 14 415.377.9075 mttambikescamp.com

Multi Sport Kids Camp, Larkspur Sports, 6 - 12 415.924.6226 mttamrc.com

MV Code Camps, Mill Valley Academic, Coding, Technology, 7 -14 415.569.2112 mvcodeclub.com

Ninja Camps at Practical Martial Arts, Corte Madera Sports, Martial Arts, Fitness, 3 - 16 415.927.0899 ninjacamps.com

No Limits Sports Camp, Corte Madera Sports, 5 - 12 415.717.6925 nolimitssportscamp.com

Otis Guy Mountain Bike Camp, Fairfax Sports, 7 - 13 415.250.2585 otisguymountainbikecamp.com

Own The Mic, San Anselmo Music, 11 - 18 415.302.4297 ownthemic.org

Performing Arts Academy of Marin, Mill Valley Dance, Theater, 4+ 415.843.1619 tumblespot.co

Performing Arts Academy of Marin, Mill Valley Dance, Theater, 4+ 415.380.0887 paamarts.com

Piano Band Camp!, Mill Valley Music, 10+ 415.383.5395 chaikenmusic.com

Pine Point Cooking School, Sausalito Cooking, 9 - 17 415.332.4352 pinepointcooking.com

Play-Well Engineering

FUNdamentals, San Anselmo Science, Technology, 5 - 12 415.460.5210 play-well.org

Poekie Nook, Mill Valley Art, Creative, Makers, 6 -12 415.326.5202 poekienook.com

Point Reyes Summer Camp, Point Reyes National Seashore Adventure, Nature, Science, 7 - 17 415.663.1200 ptreyes.org

Pyramid Gymnastics, San Rafael Gymnastics, 3.5 - 18 415.927.1240 thepyramidgym.com

RoCo Dance, Mill Valley Dance, 8 - 18 415.388.6786 rocodance.com

SUMMER CAMP LISTINGS 2018

Rolling Hills Club / Novato, Novato Sports, 5-14 415.897.2185 rollinghillsclub.com

Ross Academy Montessori School, Mill Valley General, 2 - 5 415.383.5777 rossacademymontessori.com

Ross Recreation, Ross Academic, General, 3 - 15 415.453.6020 rossrecreation.org

Sage Educators, Larkspur, Mill Valley, San Anselmo Academic, 8 -18 415.594.7243 sageeducators.com

Sail Camp, Sausalito Sports, 8 - 16 415.775.8779 sailsea.org

San Anselmo Recreation Department Camps, San Anselmo General, 3+ 415.258.4640 townofsananselmo.org

San Anselmo Tennis Camp, San Anselmo Sports, 7 - 14 415.258.4640 tennisinmarin.com

San Domenico School, San Anselmo Art, General, Sports, Theater, 5+ 415.258.1900 sandomenico.org

San Rafael Pacifics Baseball Club, San Rafael Sports, 7 - 12 415.485.1563 pacificsbaseball.om

Scuba Camp, Novato Sports, 8+ 415.897.9962 pinnaclesdive.com

Sea Trek Kayak Camp, Sausalito Sports, 9 - 11 415.332.8494 seatrek.com

Slide Ranch Summer Day Camps, Muir Beach General, Nature, Animal, Cooking, Outdoor, 5 - 18 415.381.6155 slideranch.org

Spanish Immersion Camps with Viva el Español, Mill Valley Foreign Language, 5 - 11 415-326-5199 vivaelespanol.org

Spaulding Marine Center, Sausalito Art, Nature, Science, 12 - 18 415.332.3179 spauldingcenter.org

SRD Athlete- X Training Camps, Mill Valley Sports, 8 - 17 415.383.6494 apm.activecommunities.com

SRD Camp Strawberry, Mill Valley General, 4 - 15 415.383.6494 strawberry.marin.org

Steve and Kate’s Camp, Sausalito General, 4 - 13 415.389.5437 steveandkatescamp.com

Studio 4 Art, Mill Valley Art, 3 - 6 415.596.5546 studio4art.net

Studio 4 Art, Novato Art, 4 - 14 415.596.5546 studio4art.net

Summer Day Camp - SGV Community Center, San Geronimo General, 5 - 10 415.488.8888 sgvcc.org

Summer Odyssey 2018, San Rafael Academic, Creative, 7 - 15 415-482-3543 dominicansummercamps.com

Summer Playground - Town Park Location, Corte Madera General, 5 - 12 415.927.5072 ci.corte-madera.ca.us

Summer Sailing Program, Sausalito Sports, 6 - 18 415.332.7400 sausalitoyachtclub.org

Branson Summer Session

www.bransonsummer.org

Week-long sessions, June 18 through August 3, Rising 5th through 8th graders, Half and full day camps

Featuring camps like: Scratch Programming, Robotics, Invention, Theater, Storytelling, Public Speaking & Debate, Creative Writing, Podcasting, Broadcasting, Cooking in Spanish, Hiking & Backpacking, Basketball, Soccer, Baseball, Multisports, and more!

Visit www.sonomaacademy.org for

Dominican Athletics Summer Camps

COLLEGE FACILITIES | COLLEGE COACHING

June 18–August 10, 2018 | Grades 1-8

For information and registration, visit: dominicansportscamps.com

SUMMER CAMP LISTINGS 2018

Summer Sing with Singers Marin, Mill Valley Music, 6 - 13 415.383.3712 singersmarin.org

Super Summer Adventure Camp, San Anselmo Academic, Art, General, 5 - 9 415.453.3181 supersummeradventurecamp.org

Super Summer Adventure Camp, San Anselmo Traditional day camp, K - 8 415.453.3181 supersummeradventurecamp.org

Tennis and Swim Camp, San Rafael Sports, 5 - 12 415.456.2700 marinyachtclub.com

The Marine Mammal Center’s Camp Sea Quest, Sausalito Nature, Science, Animals, Ocean, 5 - 12 415.289.7330 marinemammalcenter.org

The San Francisco Yacht Club, Belvedere Sailing, 7 - 16 415-435-9525 sfyc.org

ThinkMarin, Corte Madera Academic, 9 - 18 415.461.2454 thinkmarin.net

Throckmorton Theatre, Mill Valley Theater, 8 - 18 415.383.9613 throckmortontheatre.org

Tiburon Adventure Camp, Tiburon Adventure, Art, 2 - 8 415.435.4366 tiburonadventurecamp.org

Tiburon Yacht Club (TYC Junior Sailing), Tiburon Sports, 8 - 13 415.789.9294 tyc.org

Tutu School, Larkspur Dance, 3 - 8 415.419.5610 tutuschool.com

Walker Creek Ranch, Petaluma General, Nature, 9 - 14 415.491.6600 walkercreekranch.org

West America Tae Kwon Do, Mill Valley Sports, 4+ 415.383.4755 westamericatkd.com

Wildlife Camp at WildCare, San Rafael Animal, Nature, 3.5 - 12 415.453.1000 discoverwildcare.org

Willow Tree Stables Riding Lessons, Novato Horse, all ages 415.897.8212 willowtreestables.com

Y Camp at Devil’s Gulch Ranch, Nicasio Nature, 6 - 14 415.662.1099 ymcasf.org

Y Camp at Indian Valley Campus (IVC), San Rafael General, Sports, Recreation, Field Trips, 5 - 14 415.492.9622 ymcasf.org

Youth Tennis Programs, San Rafael Sports, 4+ 415.456.1837 rafaelracquetclub.com

SAN FRANCISCO

House of Air, San Francisco General, Gymnastics, Specialty, Sports, 7 - 12 415.345.9675 houseofair.com

Sterne School, San Francisco Academic, 9 - 18 415.922.6081 sterneschool.org

GREATER BAY AREA

Camp Unalayee, Palo Alto Adventure, Nature, 10 - 17 650.969.6313 unalayee-summer-camp.com COOK! Culinary Programs, Berkeley Cooking, 9 - 18 510.851.1248 cookprograms.com

To search by town, age or specialty, visit marinmagazine.com/camps

BASKETBALL | LACROSSE | MULTI-SPORTS | SOCCER | SOFTBALL | TENNIS | VOLLEYBALL

SUMMER CAMP LISTINGS 2018

embARC Summer Design Academy, Berkeley Academic, 16 - 18 510.643.1188 ced.berkeley.edu

Sonoma Academy, Santa Rosa STEM, Sports, Media Arts, Theater, Cooking, 10 - 14 707.545.1770 sonomaacademy.org

The Spring Hill School in Petaluma, Petaluma Art, Science, Sports, 1 - 14 707.763.9222 springhillmontessori.org

Vision Tech Camps, Danville, El Cerrito, Saratoga Academic, Digital Media, Science,Technology, 6 - 17 408.647.4833 visiontechcamps.com

TAHOE

Birkholm’s Water Ski School, South Lake Tahoe Sports, all ages 530.573.1928 birkholmswatersports.com

Lake Tahoe Sitters, Lake Tahoe Childcare, 0 - 14 530.545.1217 laketahoesitters.com

Overnight Camps

MARIN

Aligned Learning/Glean, San Anselmo Environmental, Cultural Research Expedition (Siberia), 13 - 19 415.390.2112 alignedlearning.co

Angel Island Day Camp, Tiburon General, Nature, Outdoor, 6 - 13 415.435.4355 theranchtoday.org

Call of the Sea - Voyage Seaward, Sausalito Sailing, Adventure, Science, Nature, 12 - 17 415.331.3214 callofthesea.org

Camp and Teen Travel Consultants, San Rafael General, 7 - 18 415.258.0817 campandteenconsultants.com

O’Sullivan Soccer Academy, San Geronimo Sports, 5 - 16 415.497.8164 osullivansocceracademy.com

Point Bonita YMCA, Sausalito Academic, Adventure, Art, Nature, K - 8 415.331.9622 ymcasf.org

Sea Trek Kayak Camp, Sausalito Sports, 12 - 15 415.332.8494 seatrek.com

The Image Flow, Mill Valley Art, Digital Media, Photography, 11 - 19 415.388.3569 theimageflow.om

Walker Creek Music Camp, Marshall Music, all ages 415.663.6030 walkercreekmusiccamp.org

GREATER BAY AREA

Camp Chrysalis, Berkeley Nature, Environmental Education, 8 - 17 510.843.6157 campchrysalis.com

Gold Arrow Camp, Lakeshore General, 6 - 14 800.554.2267 goldarrowcamp.com

Marin County 4-H, Angwin General, 9 -19 707.996.0354 cemarin.ucanr.edu

Plantation Farm Camp, Cazadero General, Nature, Family, 8 - 15 707.847.3494 plantationcamp.com

River Way Ranch Camp, Sanger Co-Ed Sleepaway, all ages 800.821.2801 riverwayranchcamp.com

Walton’s Grizzly Lodge Summer Camps, Portola General, 7 - 14 530.832.4834 grizzlylodge.com

To search by town, age or specialty, visit marinmagazine.com/camps

SUMMER CAMP LISTINGS 2018

TAHOE

American Dance Training Camps, Squaw Valley Dance, 8 - 17 415.666.2312 americandancetrainingcamp.com

Camp Concord, South Lake Tahoe Family camp, all ages 925.671.3006 campconcord.org

Camp Lotsafun, Reno Special Needs, 7+ 775.827.3866 amplifylife.org

Camp Wasiu II, Sierra City Girl Scouts, 5 - 17 775.322.0642 gssn.org

Echo Lake Youth Camp, Echo Lake General, 7 - 15 510.981.5140 ci.berkeley.ca.us

Lake Tahoe Music Camp, Stateline Music, 12 - 18 775.784.4278 unr.edu/ltmc

Shaffer’s High Sierra Summer Camp, Sattley General, Adventure, 8 - 17 415.897-0316 highsierracamp.com

Tahoe Rim Trail Association, Stateline Sports, Nature, Adventure, 12 - 17 775.298.4485 tahoerimtrail.org

Tahoe Summer Camp, Truckee Art, Adventure, Sailing, STEM, Nature, 4 - 14 530.414.9316 tahoesummercamps.com

OTHER

Camp Ocean Pines, Cambria General, Nature, Outdoor, 7 - 15 805.927.0254 campoceanpines.org

Catalina Island Camps, Altadena Outdoor, 7 - 16 626.296.4040 catalinaislandcamps.com

Two Rivers Soccer Camp, Saratoga Sports, 7 - 17 415.928.6902 m

Built in an era when mobile devices didn’t have batteries.

Timeless happens here.

Destinations

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

HAWAII’S

NATIONAL PARKS

We asked experts on the four major islands for their tips on what’s new, notable and less well-known, plus their practical advice for both first-time Hawaii national park visitors and longtime fans.

BY JEANNE COOPER

JACK WOLFORD

Dramatic sights at the Haleamaumau Crater.

Hawaii Island

Although lava was not flowing into the ocean, the world’s longest continuing eruption continued to put on a good show at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (nps.gov/havo) at press time, with molten rock surfacing on the coastal plain and in Haleamaumau Crater’s spattering lava lake. The vast park, 96 miles southeast of Kona, is also home to many other fascinating reminders of destruction and rebirth, as well as culturally signi ficant landmarks.

FOR ROOKIES Understandably, nearly all of the 1.8 million annual visitors want to ogle the belching caldera of Kilauea Volcano and to walk gingerly through the eerie tunnel of Nahuku, aka Thurston Lava Tube. Park superintendent Cindy Orlando urges first-time visitors to also make time for other “special places and unique experiences” within the park.

“The drive down Chain of Craters Road to the coastal area is pretty amazing. You drive through lava fields that open up into this incredible lava landscape and as you come down the pali (cli ff ), you’ve got ocean forever,” she notes.

For when you’re en route to a photo op at Holei Sea Arch, Orlando recommends the “relatively easy” two-mile round-trip hike to the Puu Loa Petroglyph Trail, where ranger-guided tours now take place most afternoons. “It traverses older lava flows and when you get to the boardwalk, you’re viewing Hawaii’s most extensive petroglyph field. It’s just a very special experience.”

FOR REPEAT VISITORS The park entrance fee of $25, valid for seven days, also includes access to the Kahuku Unit, 42 miles west of the main Kilauea Visitor Center. The former ranch in rural Kau became part of the national park in 2004, but it took several years to fund necessary infrastructure and sta ffi ng, Orlando says.

The area is open Friday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with at least one guided hike every weekend on some of its nine miles of trails and dirt roads. “You’re going to drive through open pastures, alongside the most epic eruption in Kau from 1868, with trailheads connecting to trails,” Orlando says. “It will be a loop that just immerses you in that whole southwest rift of the lava flow.”

ADVICE FOR ALL “Always stop at the visitor center to get the latest information and latest conditions,” Orlando says, adding that the park website also offers lava-viewing updates.

Anyone who hikes to see lava inside the park, including those who start from the county’s viewing area in Kalapana, should “wear sturdy closed-toe shoes — not rubber ‘slippahs’ — and long pants, because lava is glass and it’s sharp,” Orlando says. “They should also wear sunscreen and hats, and bring water, and, if they’re staying after dark , a flashlight with extra batteries.”

Kauai

The National Park Service can’t claim any sites on the Garden Island — often to the surprise of those who visit majestic Waimea Canyon or hike the breathtakingly strenuous Kalalau Trail. However, the three preserves in the Kauai National Wildlife Refuge Complex, all managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have deservedly found their way onto Instagram as well as more venerable travel media.

FOR ROOKIES If the 199-acre Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge acts like a beacon to visitors, that’s because it has one — a beautifully restored 1913 lighthouse now named after the late Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, open for a half-dozen free docent-led tours on Wednesday and Saturday.

But the North Shore preserve is also a powerful magnet for endangered feathered beings, which flock to the point and Nihoku, the hill across the cove, newly protected by a predator-proof fence. “We’re known for seabird species and the nene,” says Refuge Ranger Jennifer Waipa proudly, referring to the indigenous Hawaiian goose that’s also the state bird.

The North Shore’s 917-acre Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge is home to endangered native wetland birds such as stilts, moorhens and coots, as well as nene. Waipa recommends viewing the emerald quilt of privately owned taro patches lining the Hanalei River from the overlook off he Kuhio Highway before the road dips down into Hanalei.

Hiking on Chain of Craters Road.

The taro patches on Kauai.

On the southeast side, the 241-acre Huleia National Wildlife Refuge is closed to visitors to protect similar endangered species. You can spy its wetlands along the Huleia River from the Alekoko (Menehune Fish Pond) Scenic Overlook, between the airport and Poipu. As with the Hanalei refuge, kayakers can get the closest look at wildlife.

FOR REPEAT VISITORS “A lot of folks tend to overlook the wedgetailed shearwaters, which give that eerie cry that sounds like a baby,” Waipa notes. March through November, they nest in burrows, sometimes a few inches from walkways at Kilauea Point.

“They’re the most readily seen that close of any of the seabirds,” Waipa says. “It’s a great experience, especially for children. When they start hatching around August, you’ve got these adorable little flu ff-balls right at the level of kids.”

ADVICE FOR ALL The refuge is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and admission is $5 (cash) for ages 16 and older. But during any daylight hour, you can enjoy free wildlife watching from the parking lot overlook at the end of Kilauea Road.

“It offers a great vista of the lighthouse in the distance and you can look down into the cove and perhaps see monk seals resting on the flat rocks, or red-footed boobies nesting in some of the ironwoods nearby,” Waipa says.

Maui

Haleakala National Park (nps.gov/hale) has been on a triple mission of late to protect its delicate ecosystems, Hawaiian heritage and visitors’ health, through crowd reduction and other safety measures.

As of a year ago, visitors who came to see sunrise at the 10,000-foot summit of dormant Haleakala needed reservations to park in one of the 150 available spaces between 3 and 7 a.m. Beginning this year, only four tour companies (down from 16) are authorized to drive in the park: Haleakala EcoTours, Polynesian Adventure Tours, Skyline EcoTours and Valley Isle Excursions. In the park’s Kipahulu District, reached via the renowned winding road to Hana, the tempting Pools of Oheo are closed through April for rockslide repairs.

FOR ROOKIES Be sure to reserve a parking space for sunrise in the Summit District, says Polly Angelakis, the park’s chief of interpretation and education.

“I worked up there the fi rst day of reservations and it was, no pun intended, like night and day from before, when we weren’t educating people,” she recalls. “Now it was sacred, it was respectful and reverent — everything a sunrise at Haleakala should be.”

Permits ($1.50) are available up to 60 days in advance on recreation. gov. The good news for procrastinators, Angelakis notes, is that 40 permits for parking spaces are withheld until 4 p.m. two days before sunrise.

FOR REPEAT VISITORS The park no longer offers guided tours of the pristine Waikamoi Cloud Forest “out of an abundance of caution” to prevent the spread of rapid ohia death, a disease a ffecting the longtime native flowering ohia lehue tree, but you can see similarly lush, albeit nonnative, vegetation in the Kipahulu District, Angelakis says.

“I highly recommend staying overnight in Hana, where there are gorgeous places to stay, so you can come out to Kipahulu in the morning, when it’s a lot quieter,” she adds. The park admission fee of $25 is good for three days in either (or both) districts.

ADVICE FOR ALL When visiting the summit, “people need to be prepared by dressing in layers, bringing water, sunscreen, and snacks, and wearing proper footwear,” Angelakis says. “People don’t expect to be cold on Maui, but we’re at least 20 degrees cooler than it is at sea level, and you will get cold.”

Oahu

Most people refer to the home of the USS Arizona and USS Missouri memorials as simply “Pearl Harbor,” but the official name of the historic compound is World War II Valor in the Paci fic National Monument. It’s a mouthful, but there’s also quite a lot to do here, including free and paid attractions.

FOR ROOKIES No one should miss a visit to the somber Arizona memorial, an experience that includes a 20-minute documentary on land as well as the short boat ride, for which you need free tickets.

“It’s not as hard to get tickets as before,” notes Carlton Kruse, vice president of marketing of Pacific Historic Parks, a private partner of the National Park Service. Two months out, 325 timed tickets become available on recreation.gov, which also offers 525 next-day tickets each day at 7 a.m.; when the park opens at 7 a.m. daily, another 1,300 tickets for that day are given out on a first-come, first-serve basis, Kruse says.

FOR REPEAT VISITORS If you haven’t visited Pearl Harbor in the last decade, the massive new visitor center complex that opened in late 2010 will take time to digest. Expanded from 3 to 17 acres, it encompasses numerous new facilities, including two galleries: the Attack Museum, focused on the military and civilian impacts of Dec. 7, 1941, and the Road to War Museum, which provides American and Japanese perspectives.

In January, Paci fic Historic Parks debuted the Arizona Memorial Deluxe Tour ($12.50), which allows history bu ffs to dig even deeper. “You get a smartphone upon check-in, and on it is the Arizona Memorial Narrated Tour,” Kruse says. “At each of the tour stops, you have access to the National Park Service’s World War II Pearl Harbor archives, where you can go into depth and get additional info and videos about the subject matter.”

ADVICE FOR ALL If high winds or sold-out shuttle tickets keep you from visiting the Arizona memorial, consider virtual reality. The new Pearl Harbor Virtual Reality Center in the visitor center courtyard offers a package of three historian-developed tours for $4.95, including headsets and players. Together the tours take less than 20 minutes and staff re available to assist you, Kruse adds.

“The fi rst allows you to walk the deck of the Arizona before the attack, the second to witnesses the attack on Battleship Row with four di fferent timelines, and the last one lets you experience the Arizona memorial — you can read the names on the wall — and go to places where the public can’t go,” Kruse says. “It’s incredible.” m

The road to Haleakala Summit, Maui; the USS Bowfin at Pearl Harbor.

Fork, Knife, Passport

Three excursions where learning to cook is as much fun as sampling the final product.

BY BEKAH WRIGHT

Food. Mouthwatering, scrumptious, heavenly food. It triggers the senses to evoke emotions, memories and, most especially, pleasure. Aromas and flavors of a local specialty remain imprinted in the mind, forever linked with that place. It’s little wonder people will travel to the ends of the earth for one more bite of a beloved dish. There are lots of reasons people plan their trips around cuisine — not just to consume it, but to learn techniques and recipes they can re-create at home.

Savoring Scandinavia

Months before boarding the Viking Sky, Bob Lee was eagerly anticipating the dining he’d indulge in on the 15-day Viking Homelands cruise. Germany, Denmark, Norway — delectable entrees from the voyage’s stops in eight di fferent countries awaited, not to mention those in the ship’s myriad dining venues. As someone who loves to cook, the Santa Ana, California, resident relished the recipes listed on Viking’s website. Then he noticed an additional activity option: Viking Ocean Cruises’ Kitchen Table, an onboard cooking school. Now this was right up his alley. “Diving into a recipe on my own at home is one thing, but learning at the elbow of a chef is even more exciting,” he says.

The Viking Kitchen Table shore excursion is an interactive culinary journey led by the ship’s executive chef. Participants explore the culture and cuisine in ports of call, with a visit to the local farmers’ markets to handpick

ingredients for an onboard cooking class. Culinary skills are then honed on the ship at The Kitchen Table, a demonstration cooking and eating area, followed by the resultant three-course dinner.

Revved up by the excursion, Lee made sure to fit in other culinary offerings during the cruise. Beyond lessons at the Viking Kitchen Table, he also engaged in Armagnac and whisky tastings, as well as cooking demonstrations. During a sea day of traveling between Tallin, Estonia and Gdansk, Poland, the ship’s Sky Theatre showcased a performance of a di fferent kind — the cooking talents of executive chef Eric Poutot and executive pastry chef Shamsheer. vikingcruises.com

Inspired in Italy

For Lee, Viking Sky’s cooking classes were a happy discovery. Other travelers, like Judy Witts Francini, fi nd their lives changed by a country’s cuisine. Originally from San

Opposite, clockwise from top left: Making pasta in Italy; cooking with Viking chef Anthony Mauboussin; absorbing tricks of the trade at Divina Cucina; the bounty at Rim Thai. This page: Learning culinary methods and secrets from Mauboussin and enjoying the results.

Francisco, Francini worked as a pastry chef in one of the city’s five-star hotels. In 1984, she decided she needed to travel and booked a fl ight to Florence. Italian food’s heady flavors and aromas can be intoxicating, making a diner nearly swoon. And swoon Francini did, canceling her return ticket to continue immersing herself in Italy’s food scene. Turns out, it was her calling.

Unable to a fford pricey weeklong cooking classes, Francini chose a one-day market-to-table program, focused on the Florence farmers’ market. “To me the market is the heart of the city,” she notes, “and an insider’s glimpse of everyday life as well,” Since 1988, Francini, now known as the Divina Cucina, has invited visitors along for the ride in culinary classes and tours; the program has evolved into a three-hour market tour with lunch. “We charge our batteries by hitting one of my favorite bakeries for Torta Fedora, a long-lost dessert I adore,” Francini

says, “or we stop across the street at Casa del Vino for Prosecco and a tru ffle sandwich.”

The main event occurs at the historic Mercato Centrale in San Lorenzo. On the itinerary are wine and tru ffle tastings, plus plenty of stories from local merchants. As her Florence Market Tour no longer includes a cooking component, lunch is upstairs in the market’s gourmet food court. Attendees renting a villa with a good kitchen, though, can book onsite lessons with Francini.

Students inspired by the Florence Market Tour can keep exploring Italian cooking by partaking in Francini’s Divine Days, a custom one-day or one-week program, or her weeklong Kitchens of Chianti or Secrets of My Sicilian Kitchen. In the Chianti wine region, three days are set aside for cooking, with the rest of the week devoted to activities like tru ffle hunting, exploring the Certaldo Market and savoring meals in restaurants in Greve, Panzano and Castellina.

Secrets of My Sicilian Kitchen transports attendees to a seaside locale replete with sleepy romance and tantalizing fare. “In Sicily,” Francini says, “you ca n find some of the best Greek ruins, Spanish-style chocolate and the noble cuisine of the Monzu, inspired by the French chefs, and Tunisian couscous.” With Sicily’s southwest coast as a springboard, the tour includes visits to Castelvetrano, Porto Palo, Sciacca, Selinunte, Trapani and Palermo, with four days spent cooking meals inspired by the region. divinacucina.com

Spicy in Thailand

At sunrise, monks bestow blessings on the Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai. This sacred act seems apropos, as the resort’s cuisine is widely considered a spiritual experience. Enter the Rim Thai Kitchen Cooking Studio and its range of classes. “The school’s reputation precedes it,” Melanie Terrell, a Daly City resident, says. “I based my fi rst visit to Thailand on getting behind Four Seasons Chiang Mai’s stove.”

Rim Thai’s morning classes, whether for groups or one on one, begin at the local food market. A twohour ingredient treasure hunt commences, along with taste-testing new discoveries, like thousand-year duck eggs, which reveal tasty black orbs when peeled. Then, their baskets brimming with organic bounty, chefs-intraining head back to the school for signature programs like Thai Street Food Delights, Mastering Thai Curries, Thailand Lanna Cooking, Culinary Tour of Thailand and Healthy Siam Cuisine.

Enrollees tackle set menus that change according to the day. On tap for Fridays is som tum, a spicy green papaya salad, tom zaab moo, a northeastern-style spicy pork soup, phad kaprow gai, a minced chicken stir-fry with hot basil, and phad see ew goong, stir-fried rice ribbon noodles with prawns and soy sauce. Knife skills are put to the test

This page: The main event at Mercato Centrale. Opposite from top: Learning to cook at the Four Seasons; Rim Thai Kitchen Cooking Studio.

carving vegetables for dish presentation. By noon, food is plated, ready to linger over with Thai wine and beer. Smells, tastes and the steps that brought the masterpieces to fruition are cemented into memory banks.

Die-hard cooks will want to roll from a morning class right into one of the school’s afternoon programs. Held from 3 to 5 p.m., specialty classes include a Healthy Juice Workshop, Fruit and Vegetable Carving, Thai Coffee and Tea Master Classes and, of course, a three-dish cooking class. Kids age 5 to 12 can even get in on the action with afternoon instruction tailored especially to them.

Closing out the day is Thai Kitchen Live, a dining experience from 7 to 9 p.m. Students lend a hand preparing traditional salads, Thai curry and steamed delicacies from the wok. Toasting follows, with wines from Southern Thailand and Mae Rim beer and spirits. After all, there’s plenty to celebrate — attendees have just learned some cherished secret recipes. fourseasons.com/thailand, fb.chiangmai@fourseasons.com m

Out & About

ROUNDUP OF THE HOTTEST LOCAL EVENTS, SOCIAL GATHERINGS AND PLACES TO EAT

Calendar

DANCE

MUSIC

MUSEUMS

Marin Museum of Contemporary Art Nathan Oliveira: The Figure Over Time This exhibition of wellknown Bay Area figuratie artist Nathan Oliveira’s work represents the most extensive collection of his ever shown in the North Bay, March 3–April 22 (Novato). 415.506.0137, marinmoca.org

THEATER

THRU MAR 3 Alice in Wonderland This whimsical musical tale of Alice falling down the rabbit hole is appropriate for kids of all ages — but aimed at those 3 to 9 years old. Cowell Theater at Fort Mason Center (SF). 415.248.2677, ctasf.org

THRU MAR 3 Megabytes! The Musical A new revue of comedy songs and sketches about dealing with tech in our daily lives. Shelton Theater (SF). megabytesthe musical.com

THRU MAR 3 What They Said About Love Oakland-based actor Steve Budd’s solo show centers on marriage — namely, why other

people seem able to tie the knot, but Budd himself cannot. The Marsh (Berkeley). 415.282.3055, themarsh.org

THRU APR 22 Vietgone Qui Nguyen’s critically acclaimed play offers a modern twist on the classic story of boy meets girl as three young Vietnamese immigrants embark on an eye-opening

road trip across the bewildering landscape of 1970s America. Strand Theater (SF). 415.749.2228, act-sf.org

MAR 17 The Ladies of Broadway Seven women share Broadway highlights and stories and perform tributes to their favorites. Marin Veterans’ Auditorium (San Rafael). ladies ofbroadway.com

MAR 1–3 I Don’t Know and Never Will Liss Fain Dance and ODC Theater present an immersive performance installation inspired by letters penned by choreographer Liss Fain’s “articulate and expressive” ex-boyfriend. ODC Theater (SF). 415.863.9834, odc.dance

MAR 3–4 Black Choreographers Festival: Here and Now This season’s Black Choreographers Festival presents its Next Wave Choreographers Showcase spotlighting emerging and mid-career artists from the Bay Area and Los Angeles. Laney College (Oakland). bc fhereandnow.com

COMEDY

MAR 17 George Lopez Star of fi lm, television and stand-up comedy George Lopez offers up an evening of hilarity. The War field (SF). 415.345.0900, thewar fieldtheatre.com

MAR 4, 6 Marin Symphony Alasdair Neale conducts the symphony chorus as it performs the music of Beethoven and Fauré. Marin Veterans’ Auditorium (San Rafael). 415.473.6800, marinsymphony.org

MAR 10 Bach Motets Marin Baroque Chamber Choir presents an evening of music that includes Jesu, Meine Freude BWV 227 and Komm, Jesu, komm BWV 229. First Presbyterian Church (San Anselmo). 415.497.6634, marinbaroque.org

MAR 21 Schwabacher Recital Series Soprano Felicia Moore, bassbaritone Christian Pursell and pianist César Cañón join for an evening of musical stylings fresh from the new generation of stars. Taube Atrium Theater (SF). 415.864.3330, sfopera.com

MAR 27–29 Green Leaf Rustlers This Marin group presents three opportunities to enjoy some California

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

country music.

Sweetwater Music Hall (Mill Valley). 415.388.3850, sweet watermusichall.com

MAR 30–31 Petty Theft The well-loved Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers tribute band makes an appearance in Mill Valley. Sweetwater Music Hall (Mill Valley). 415.388.1100, sweet watermusichall.com

MAR 31 The Little Orchestra Valley of the Moon Music Festival presents a performance from The Little Orchestra, featuring trios by Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven and Hummel. Schroeder Hall at Sonoma State University (Rohnert Park). 866.955.6040, valleyofthemoon musicfestival.org

MUSEUMS

MARIN Bay Area Discovery Museum From Here to There

This transportthemed exhibit features 12 different hands-on activities that provide children an opportunity to engage with both familiar transportation modes, like trucks and airplanes, and less-familiar modes like magnetic levitation, through May 13 (Sausalito). 415.339.3900, baykidsmuseum.org

Bolinas Museum Mirror Mirror Contemplate the mirror and its refletive legacy as tool and device through works by John O’Reilly, Liliana Porter, Zhan Wang and more, through April 1 (Bolinas). 415.868.0330, bolinasmuseum.org

BAY AREA Asian Art Museum

Divine Bodies Historical works from Hindu and Buddhist traditions converge with contemporary photo-based work, inviting viewers to ponder the possibility of transcendence, March 9–July 29 (SF). 415.581.3711, asianart.org

Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive

Buddhist Realms exhibition of Buddhist paintings, through April 22 (Berkeley). 510.642.0808, bampfa.org

California Academy of Sciences Twilight Zone: Deep Reefs Revealed Explore the unknown expanses of the coral reefs alongside scientists who show off new and rare species found there; many have never been displayed in a public aquarium (SF). 415.379.8000, calacademy.org

Contemporary Jewish Museum The Art of Rube Goldberg The only California exhibition of this collection, which includes original drawings of his beloved machines, photographs, toys, film, newspaper clippings and other artifacts, March 15–July 8 (SF). 415.655.7800, thecjm.org

de Young Bouquets to Art For one week only, florits from around the world transform the museum into a floral paradise with arrangements inspired by the permanent collections, March 13–18 (SF). 415.750.3600, deyoung.famsf.org

Exploratorium Ongoing interactive exhibits exploring science, art

Top Five Picks

What’s Hot in March

locations (Sonoma County). 707.433.4335, wineroad.com

Groove to some progressive bluegrass with the Yonder Mountain String Band, who share the bill with Old Salt Union. Terrapin Crossroads (San Rafael). March 28, terrapincrossroads.net

Celebrate the 90th Academy Awards with a casual red-carpetreplete evening filled with champagne, popcorn, trivia and big-screen viewing of the big event. Smith Rafael Film Center (San Rafael). March 4, rafaelfilm.cafilm.org

Expedition Reef is a unique, all-digital planetarium show that explores the world of coral reefs, one of our planet’s most biodiverse — and critically threatened — ecosystems. California Academy of Sciences (SF). Opens March 16, calacademy.org

1 2 3 4 5

The California Artisan Cheese Festival offers a chance to learn, tour, and (of course) sample alongside experts, chefs and more. Various locations (Sonoma County). March 23–25, artisancheesefestival.com

Maestro Alasdair Neale and the Marin Symphony present Family Concert , an afternoon featuring kid-friendly favorites like Sergei Prokofiev’s “Peter and The Wolf,” plus performances by Marin Symphony Youth Orchestra soloists. Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium (San Rafael). March 25, marinsymphony.org

and human perception (SF). 415.397.5673, exploratorium.edu

Legion of Honor Casanova: The Seduction of Europe A look at 18th-century Europe as seen through the eyes of Giacomo Casanova, featuring around 90 works centering on the perspective of the international man of letters, through May 28 (SF). 415.750.3600, legionofhono.famsf.org

Museum of Craft and Design Tom Loeser: Please Please Please Unconventional invitation furniture from the Madison-based designer, through May 20 (SF). 415.773.0303, sfmcd.org

Oakland Museum of California Respect: HipHop Style and Wisdom

Discover how hip-hop changed the world with rap, break dancing, street art and more,

and hear firt-person accounts from artists and experts about how the medium provides a platform for activism and creative expression, March 24–August 12 (Oakland). 510.318.8400, museumca.org

SFMOMA Robert Rauschenberg: Erasing the Rules A major retrospective featuring an array of works from the artist’s six-decade career, through March 25 (SF). 415.357.4000, sfmoma.org

Sonoma Valley Museum of Art An Eye for Adventure: Photographs by Jack London An exhibition of photographs taken by the novelist and short story writer, through April 15 (Sonoma). svma.org

The Walt Disney Family Museum Make Believe: The World of Glen Keane An exhibition of works by renowned

Disney animator Glen Keane, responsible for the creation of Ariel in The Little Mermaid, Rapunzel in Tangled and Pocahontas in Pocahontas, March 8–September 3 (SF). 415.345.6800, waltdisney.org

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Yishai Jusidman: Prussian Blue A series of paintings created nearly exclusively with one of the earliest artificially developed pigments used by European painters: Prussian blue, through March 25 (SF). 415.978.2787, ybca.org

EVENTS

MAR 2–11 Wine Road Barrel Tasting Enjoy a weekend of wine tasting made memorable with samples siphoned directly from the barrel, along with opportunities to chat with winemakers. Various

MAR 3 Brain, Art and Music Gala Schurig Center for Brain Injury Recovery invites you to an evening of food and wine, original art, live music, guest speakers, silent and live auctions and more. Osher Marin JCC (San Rafael). 415.461.6771, schurigcenter.org

MAR 3 Luau and Auction for the Children’s Cottage Cooperative Partake in a luau for a cause, with a Hawaiian barbecue, hula dancing, auctions and ohana vibes benefiting the Children’s Cottage Cooperative. The American Legion Post 313 (Larkspur). 415.461.0822, cccmarin.com

MAR 4 Awards Night Gala Celebrate Hollywood’s most glamorous evening in a red carpet event at The Lark, with hors d’oeuvres, a gourmet dinner and drinks and a live auction. Costumes are encouraged: come dressed as your favorite actor, actress or movie character. The Lark Theater (Larkspur). 415.924.5111, larktheater.net

MAR 4 Smuin’s Annual Gala An opportunity to mingle with the ballet company’s renowned dancers and San Francisco arts and business leaders. The event includes a cocktail reception, a gourmet dinner, a live auction and a performance by Smuin’s dancers. The Galleria (SF). smuinballet.org

MAR 9 Y for Youth Luncheon Bay Area leaders assemble for a daytime celebration of YMCA youth who have succeeded despite adversity and are making an impact in their communities. The luncheon will raise money for YMCA of San Francisco’s programs, which serve 10,000 Bay Area children in S.F., Marin and San Mateo each day. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (SF). 415.281.6780, ymcasf.org

MAR 10 Community Awards Banquet Join Point Reyes’ Dance Palace in honoring Pam and Jim Campe and Linda and Barry Linder for their extraordinary service and leadership. The evening includes a reception and dinner with local sustainable cuisine. Dance Palace Community Center (Point

Reyes). 415.663.1075, dancepalace.org

MAR 10 Marin Humane Gala Animal lovers from all over the Bay Area are invited to this elegant a ffair featuring silent and live auctions, gourmet dining and visits from animal ambassadors. The Clubhouse at Peacock Gap (San Rafael). 415.506.6231, marinhumane.org

MAR 12 Bouquets to Art Opening Night Gala Be the fi rst to view this year’s blossoming exhibits and partake in an evening of optical and culinary intrigue. de Young Museum (SF). 415.750.3600, deyoungfamsf.org

MAR 13

Marin Charitable Presents Springtime in Paris

This annual spring event offers boutique shopping, a decadent

Marin Collects

THE FINE ARTS GALLERY at the College of Marin’s Kent field campus presents Marin Collects, an inaugural showcase of art and design borrowed from the personal collections of Marin residents. The fi rst iteration’s lenders include fi lm writer and director Jonathan Parker, Mariah Nielson, curator and daughter of artist J.B. Blunk, and Kent field resident L. J. Cella, the creator of this art-minded series. March 5–April 5, marin.edu/fineartsgallery

SEE THIS

chocolate tasting, a French-inspired luncheon, an exquisite fashion show and a stunning floral presentation. The proceeds benefit at-risk school-age youth in Marin County through Marin Charitable’s grants program. Marin Country Club (Novato). marincharitable.org

MAR 17 St. Patrick’s Day Festival Celebrate St. Patrick’s at a daylong festival with live entertainment, performances, food and drink and activities galore. Civic Center Plaza (SF). 800.310.6563, sres productions.com

MAR 24 Whiskies of the World Skilled whiskey distillers and blenders from all over gather to show off heir

palate-pleasing creations. San Francisco Belle Yacht Pier 3 (SF). whiskiesofthe world.com

MAR 29 Marin Women’s Hall of Fame Gala Honor the 2017 inductees who have impacted the county’s environment, public a ffairs, community and more. The Clubhouse at Peacock Gap (San Rafael). 415.696.0319, ywcasf-marin.org

FILM

MAR 18 4 Wheel Bob Bay Area fi lmmaker Tal Skloot presents his fi lm portrait of Bob Coomber, who will join him for discussion. 4 Wheel Bob follows Coomber, an adventurer who

set out to be the fi rst wheelchair hiker to cross the 11,845-foot Kearsarge Pass in the Sierra Nevada. Smith Rafael Film Center (San Rafael). 415.454.1222, ca fi lm.org

MAR 21-25 Sonoma International Film Festival A blend of captivating independent fi lms, premium wines and delicious cuisine at seven screening venues in and around Sonoma Plaza. Sonoma Plaza (Sonoma). 707.933.2600, sonoma fi lmfest.org

WALKS/TALKS

THRU APR 4 Free Climate Action Workshop A free fivesession workshop on reducing your carbon

footprint and getting prepared for emergencies by taking simple steps to conserve water and energy, reduce waste and make smarter transportation choices. Police training room (Novato). resilient neighborhoods.org

MAR 3 Raising Healthy Families: Building Connection, Compassion and Community Join the Community Institute for Psychotherapy and the Marin County O ffice of Education for a daylong conference focused on helping children form healthy relationships with themselves and family members, peers and

others. Marin County O ffice of Education (San Rafael). 415.459.5999, cipmarin.org

MAR 9 Grow Your Own Salad Sierra Vasquez of Homestead Design Collective suggests ways to make the most of your salad garden — or start one from scratch. She’ll dive into soil preparation, growing greens by seed and transplant, plant placement and fertilization. Marin Art and Garden Center (Ross). 415.455.5260, magc.org

MAR 22 The Polar Adventures of a Rich American Dame: A Life of Louise Arner Boyd As part of Marin History Museum’s lecture series, author Joanna Kafarowski discusses her biography

of Louise Arner Boyd, an American socialite who reinvented herself as the leading female polar explorer of the 20th century. Marin History Museum (San Rafael). 415.382.1182, marinhistory.org

MAR 29 Fresh Starts Chef Events: Farm-toTable with Chef Tony Najiola A New Orleans native and the great grandson of a Sicilian vegetable farmer, Tony Najiola shares delicious recipes in a dinner and demonstration. His farm-to-table Central Market restaurant in Petaluma serves rustic CaliforniaMediterranean cuisine. The Key Room (Novato). 415.382.3363, hbofm.org

Our annual floral takeover is here. Florists from San Francisco to Tokyo breathe new life into our collections, creating their own masterpieces inspired by famed works of art.

Eat & Drink

Views for Days

Executive chef and co-founder Parke Ulrich spent time in many notable Bay Area kitchens, including the venerable Lark Creek Inn, Epic Steak and Waterbar, before hopping islands to helm Mersea. Along with co-founder MeeSun Boice and chef Seamus Gibney, a small dedicated team collaborated to bring their “island oasis” — the meaning of mersea in Old English — dream to fruition. The menu features elevated traditional American fare including fish and chips, roasted half chicken, burgers and a creative drink list. Be sure to check out the putting green and bocce ball courts — and of course the views. KASIA PAWLOWSKA

WHO MeeSun Boice and Parke Ulrich of Mersea

WHAT A new restaurant on Treasure Island WHERE San Francisco 699 Avenue of the Palms, 714.350.3889, mersea.restaurant s $$ S Í BLD

AN INSIDER’S GUIDE TO RESTAURANTS AND GOOD FOOD IN THE BAY AREA EDITED BY MIMI TOWLE

MeeSun Boice, Seamus Gibney, Lilian Pepito and Parke Ulrich

CORTE MADERA

IL FORNAIO Italian

Aside from pizzas and pastas, this upscaleItalian franchise serves a variety of salads and carb-free entrées. 223 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.927.4400, ilfornaio.com s $$ S Í C LD BR

WORLD WRAPPS

Wraps Owners Keith Cox and Matt Blair have revamped this “fast food” joint to feature healthy and fl avorful 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, worldwrapps.com $ S Í LD

FAIRFAX

123 BOLINAS California

Created by four friends wanting to showcase seasonal fare in a relaxing, intimate environment, this cozy one-room eatery offers locally brewed beer, small-production wines and seasonal food along with a view of Bolinas Park through the floor-to-ceiling windows. 123 Bolinas St, 415.488.5123, 123bolinas.com b $$ S Í D º

MAS MASA Latin American and Mexican Chef and owner Patrick Sheehy and co-owner William Eoff ocus on the ancient technique of corn nixtamalization, utilizing organic, non-GMO heirloom corn varieties. The kitchen is 100 percent gluten-free and beer

and wine lists highlight local California microbreweries and wineries. 31 Bolinas Road, 415.529.5444, eatmasmasa.com s $$ S Í LD

VILLAGE SAKE

Japanese Lucky for Fairfax, beloved former Sushi Ran chef Scott Whitman and talented Marin-based restaurateur partners have opened an izakaya — a Japanese-style community pub — on Bolinas Road. In this compact space you’l l fi nd maki rolls and skewers, plus sake and craft beers. Closed Tuesdays. 19 Bolinas Road, 415.521.5790, villagesake.com b $$$ Í D

LARKSPUR

FARMSHOP California

Located in the Marin Country Mart since 2013, Farmshop Marin has quickly become a top spot here in the county. Indoor and outdoor seating available.

Marin Country Mart, 2233 Larkspur Landing Circle, 415.755.6700, farmshopca.com s $$$ S Í C LD BR

FISHER’S CHEESE + WINE American Marin Country Mart gets a cheese-inspired restaurant and retail shop by Kiri Fisher. Expect a unique selection of fromage and wine as well as hot dishes like meatballs with creamed kale.

Marin Country Mart, 2201 Larkspur Landing Circle, 415.779.2201 fisherscheese.com b $$ Í LD BR

GIA RISTORANTE

Italiano Italian Fabrizio Laudati, along with co-chef Stefano Guasco, has brought

his Italian style to Marin. Previously Laudati owned four Italian restaurants in San Francisco, including Bella Trattoria and Panta Rei. The menu features simple, authentic dishes with a modern twist from the Lazio region of central Italy. 286 Magnolia Ave, 415.891.3979, giarestaurant.net b $$ Í LD

PERRY’S American

The San Francisco mainstay now offers its wide selection of salads, steaks and comfort favorites like French onion soup in a location across the bridge in Larkspur in the location of the former Lark Creek Inn. Skylights bring in plenty of natural light and an expanded bar is ideal for sipping Perry’s famed bloody marys. Valet parking is offered and brunch is served

Saturdays and Sundays. 234 Magnolia Ave, 415.927.1877, perryssf.com s $$$ Í LD BR º

RUSTIC BAKERY

California This homegrown bakery is known and loved the world over. In fact, Pope Francis famously requested Rustic Baker y fl atbread and crostini when he visited the United States in 2015. Bread that’s baked fresh each morning in addition to granola, cookies, mu ffi ns and croissants make this a local staple. 1139 Magnolia Ave, 415.925.1556; Marin Country Mart, 2017 Larkspur Landing Circle, 415.461.9900, rusticbakery.com b $$ S Í BLD BR

• PLAYA Mexican Drawing inspiration from travels and the fresh, flavorful cuisine served on the playa, Peter Schumacher and Bill and Vanessa Higgins have developed a menu that blends locally sourced, organic and sustainable ingredients with a bar highlighting a selection of exceptional tequilas and mezcals (Mill Valley). 41 Throckmorton Ave, 415.384.8871, playamv.com s $$ Í D

MILL VALLEY

BUCKEYE

ROADHOUSE American Oysters Bingo 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. The warm dark-wood bar is a popular spot for cocktails, conversations or a light meal. 15 Shoreline Hwy, 415.331.2600, buckeye roadhouse.com s $$ C LD BR

BUNGALOW 44

American One of Mill Valley’s neighborhood hot spots, featuring contemporary California comfort food, signature cocktails, fi ne wine, and one-dollar oysters from 5 to 6 p.m. every day. 44 E Blithedale Ave, 415.381.2500, bungalow44.com s $$$ S Í C D

EL PASEO American Todd Shoberg is joining the team as executive chef at this awardwinning eatery in the heart of downtown Mill Valley. Built from Mount Tam railroad ties and brick in 1947, El Paseo was restored by owner Sammy Hagar in 2009. Now boasting a full liquor license, the Passage Bar and an updated menu, this Marin gem is ready to rock. 17 Throckmorton Ave, 415.388.0741, elpaseomillvalley.com s $$$ Í C D

FRANTOIO RISTORANTE Italian

This 6,000-squarefoot eatery is centered around the in-house olive press, which produces a special blend popular with locals. For special occasions and private parties, reserve the olive-press room. The popular weekday happy hour starts at

4:30 p.m. 152 Shoreline Hwy, 415.289.5777, frantoio.com s $$$ Í C LD º

GRILLY’S Mexican Grilly’s is an easy and delicious stop. Pick up a couple burritos and the much-loved chicken taco salad and you have a lunch or dinner to please the whole family. 493 Miller Ave, 415.381.3278, grillys.com b $ S Í C BLD BR

HARMONY Chinese

Enjoy a lighter take on Chinese at this restaurant. The barbecue pork bun is fi lled with housemade roasted meat in a savory sauce, and signature prawns are wok seared with scallions. Pair your pick with wine, beer or tea and be sure to check out the weekday takeout lunch special. 401 Strawberry Village, 415.381.5300, harmonyrestaurant group.com b $$ S LD

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

PIATTI RISTORANTE

AND BAR Italian The staff rides itself on capturing the warm and welcoming atmosphere of a traditional Italian trattoria. Get a table by the window or on the outdoor deck for a truly exceptional view right on the water. Peruse the impressive

selection of Italian wines to accompany your rustic seasonal meal. 625 Redwood Hwy, 415.380.2525, piatti.com s $$ S Í C LD BR

PIAZZA D’ANGELO

Italian Family owned for over 35 years, Piazza D’Angelo evokes a traditional trattoria dining experience. Enjoy a variety of house-made pastas, meat and seafood dishes, wood-fi red pizzas, and gluten-free offerings with organic and locally sourced ingredients. 22 Miller Ave, 415.388.2000, piazzadangelo.com s $$ S Í C LD BR º

PIZZA ANTICA

Italian This Italianinspired restaurant in Strawberry Village offers much more than impeccably prepared thin-crust pizzas. The seasonal dishes are created with local ingredients and include chopped salads, housemade pastas, and meat, fi sh and fowl entrees, such as the Tuscan fried chicken and roasted pork chop. 800 Redwood Hwy, 415.383.0600, pizzaantica.com b $$ S LD BR º

PRABH INDIAN

KITCHEN Indian Owned and operated by the Dhindsa family, this restaurant is dedicated to serving healthy, organic and sustainable food, including gluten-free and vegan options. Dishes include chicken pakora, vegetable biryani and basil garlic nan. Try the thali menu (offered at lunch), a selection of several Indian dishes served all at once. 24 Sunnyside Ave, 415.384.8241, prabhindian kitchen.com b $$ S Í LD

Playa Shrimp

SHORELINE COFFEE

SHOP American Tucked away in a parking lot at Tam Junction, this coffee shop is a funky diner with a smalltown feel. Check out the mix of Mexican and traditional breakfast fare. 221 Shoreline Hwy, 415.388.9085, shoreline coffeeshop.com b $$ S Í BL BR

TAMALPIE Italian Owner Karen Goldberg designed this restaurant with a large group seating area, indoor and outdoor fi replaces, and a small casual bar. The food is Italian home cooking with the daily modern inspiration of locally sourced seasonal ingredients found in the salads, house-made pastas and crispy Neapolitan-style pizza, with a selection of beer and wine to match. 477 Miller Ave, 415.388.7437, tamalpie pizza.com s $$ S Í C LD

THE WHISK + SKILLET

American This daytime eatery in Strawberry Village serves all-day breakfast and lunch with plenty of egg options to choose from and Equator coffee to boot. Lunch options include soups, sandwiches and salads. 125 Strawberry Village, 415.380.1900, whisk andskillet.com b $$ BL

THEP LELA Thai This jewel is tucked away in the back of Strawberry Village. Diners come for the tasty kee mao noodles, pad thai, fresh rolls and extensive bar menu. It’s also a great place for lunch. 615 Strawberry Village, 415.383.3444, theplela.com s $$ S Í LD

NOVATO

BESO BISTRO AND WINE BAR American

Located at Novato’s Hamilton Field, Beso’s menu highlights locally sourced organic produce, fresh sustainable seafood as well as pasture raised and free range meat. Wine lovers can embrace their inner Dionysus — Beso Bistro pours more than 20 wines by the glass and features more than 50 by the bottle. 502 S Palm Dr, besobistro.com b $$ Í LD

HILLTOP 1892

California In a historic country estate in Novato with sweeping views, enjoy classic favorites with a California fl air. There’s a private banquet room for special events. 850 Lamont Ave, 415.893.1892, hilltop1892.com s $$$ S Í C LD BR º

HOPMONK TAVERN

American The beer garden–style outdoor patio and live music keep fans coming back to this Novato brewhouse. Weekly events include country line dancing and open mic nights with an ample selection of beers on tap. 224 Vintage Way, 415.892.6200, hopmonk.com s $$ S Í C LD

RUSTIC BAKERY

California Organic pastries, breads, salads and sandwiches are on the menu here, including daily seasonal specials. Try the Marin Melt — Cowgirl Creamery’s Mt. Tam and Point Reyes Toma cheeses grilled on honey whole wheat, served with dressed baby greens and crisp apple slices. 1407 Grant

Lutz Hornischer, Mountain Ridge II , 2017; photo: courtesy the artist

For sales and art-placement services, visit sfmoma.org/artists-gallery

Ave, 415.878.4952, rusticbakery.com b $$ S Í BLD BR

THE SPEAKEASY

American There’s nothing like the comfort of a solid burger and beer when you’re kicking back and watching the game, and the Speakeasy provides. In addition to the 10 beers on tap, you can go beyond traditional pub grub with treats like a deconstructed salmon salad. 504 Alameda del Prado, 415.883.7793, the speakeasynovato.com s $$ LD BR º

SAN ANSELMO

COMFORTS CAFE

American Established in 1986, Comforts has a cozy sit-down patio and serves breakfast, lunch

and weekend brunch. A large take-out section offers fresh bakery items, seasonal salads, soups, sandwiches and even entrees for dinner at home. Besides the famous and popular Chinese chicken salad, other winners are the stu ffed pecan-crusted French toast , fl avorful scrambles, Chicken Okasan (nicknamed “Crack Chicken” by fans) and wonton soup. 335 San Anselmo Ave, 415.454.9840, comfortscafe.com b $$ S Í BL BR

CREEKSIDE PIZZA & TAP ROOM American

Under the direction of chef Janet Abrahamson, Creekside offers American-style artisan pizza and organic salads, along with an extensive

selection of craft beer on tap and a local wine program. There’s a daily happy hour, a big-screen TV and a banquet room available by reservation. 638 San Anselmo Ave, 415.785.4450, creeksidesa.com b $$ S C D º

L’APPART RESTO

French A full range of French and local favorites along with a $36 three-course prix fi xe menu are served up in an energetic yet sophisticated setting. Check out the live music on Thursdays. Dinner Monday to Saturday, lunch Friday to Sunday. 636 San Anselmo Ave, 415.256.9884, lappartresto.com b $$ S Í LD BR

MADCAP Fusion Chef

Ron Siegel has opened hi s fi rst solo venture in a contemporary art-fi lled space with an urban edge. The vegetable-centric menu incorporates seafood and local ingredients, fusing California and Japanese cuisines in colorful dishes that are bold, balanced and bright. 198 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.453.9898, madcapmarin.com b $$$ D

MARINITAS Mexican

The sister restaurant of Insalata’s continues to flourish as a center for creative Latin cuisine in Marin. It may not be as low-priced as most local Mexican restaurants, but this is not your typical southof-the-border spot. 218

Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.454.8900, marinitas.net s $$ S LD BR

M.H. BREAD AND BUTTER California This one-stop shop offers everything from coffee and pastries to artisan bread and braised meats. High-quality ingredients and a comfortable atmosphere make MH worth checking out. 101 San Anselmo Ave, 415.755.4575, mhbreadandbutter.com b $$ S Í BL BR

SUSHI 69 Japanese Opened in 2001 in San Anselmo, Sushi 69 has been a favorite for locals looking to get thei r fi ll of no-frills sushi. The owner hails from Japan and has created an extensive menu featuring traditional tempura

and the popular Hiro’s roll (spicy tuna with avocado, salmon and ponzu sauce wrapped in sushi rice). 69 Center Blvd, 415.459.6969, shallwego69.com b $$$ Í D

TACO JANE’S Mexican Taco Jane’s full bar features a robust tequila and mezcal selection. Its regional Mexican cuisine includes Oaxacan mole, fi sh tacos and vegetarian options. Black Gold salsa arrives with complimentary chips and is created using charred blackened tomatoes and roasted chilis. Live music Thursdays, enclosed patio seating all year round. 21 Tamalpais Ave, 415.454.6562, tacojanes.com s $$ S Í LD BR

SAN RAFAEL

ARIZMENDI BAKERY

California A workerowned bakery cafe, Arzimendi prides itself on high-quality local ingredients. Visit any time of day for coffee and pastries, breakfast and lunch sandwiches, and thincrust sourdough artisan pizza. 1002 Fourth St, 415.456.4093, arizmendisan rafael.com $ S Í BLD BR

IL DAVIDE Italian

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. A private party dining room accommodates up to 45. 901 A St, 415.454.8080, ildavide.net s $$$ S Í C LD

LA TOSCANA

RISTORANTE

& BAR

Italian Family owned and operated since 1985, La Toscana has completed an extensive interior and exterior renovation, transforming an already popular San Rafael gathering spot into a place for any occasion. The menu features classics like gnocchi and carbonara and an ample selection of wine. 3751 Redwood Hwy, 415.492.9100, ristorante latoscana.com s $$$ S Í C LD º

LAVIER CUSINE

Latin

Fusion Free-range meat and fresh seafood is the focus at this authentic Latin-fusion eatery in San Rafael run by Gabriela and her husband Guillermo, who hails from Yucatan. Try the plantainand-panko-crusted cheese sticks to start and follow that with the popular pu ffy fi sh tacos with slaw and black beans. Brunch is served on weekends until 2 p.m. 1025 C St, 415.295.7990, lavier latinfusion.com b $$ S LD BR º

LE CHALET BASQUE

French 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. On a warm night, enjoy alfresco dining on the patio. 405 North San Pedro Road, 415.479.1070, chaletbasque.com s $$$ S Í C LD

LE COMPTOIR French

The owners of San Francisco’s Gamine have opened their second restaurant, this time in the heart of San Rafael. The bistro serves up traditional French favorites like beef cheeks bourguignon and onion soup gratinée in a chic and cozy setting. If you’re planning to go, call ahead. 1301 Fourth St, 415.454.5454, lecomptoirsr.com b $$ Í C D

LOS

MOLES Mexican

Los Moles offers traditional pueblo Mexican cuisine, with — you guessed it — a variety of di fferent moles to enhance your dish. O ffering brunch, lunch, dinner and party options, Los Moles’ menu includes enmoladas, tacos, pollo al horno, carne asada , fl an and much more. Don’t miss Taco Tuesday night for all-you-caneat tacos. 912 Lincoln Ave, 415.453.5850, losmoles.com s $$ LD BR º

LOTUS CUISINE OF INDIA RESTAURANT

Indian Family owned and operated since 1999, Lotus serves up organic North Indian cuisine with many vegan and vegetarian options. The restaurant

is a certi fied green business with an energy-efficient kitchen and features a retractable rooftop and exotic interior decor with casual pink-tablecloth settings. The dishes are made with local, nonGMO and gluten-free ingredients. 704 Fourth St, 415.456.5808, lotusrestaurant.com b $$ S C LD

MAGNOLIA PARK KITCHEN American

This American bistro features lots of farm-fresh salads and sandwiches to choose from. The outdoor patio is well suited to sipping a glass of wine or enjoying a signature fried chicken bomb sandwich. 1016 Court St, 415.521.5591, magnolia parkkitchen.com b $$ Í C BL

RANGE CAFE American

The cuisine is local, seasonal, made with naturally raised ingredients and served in a casual, comfortable and refi ned setting, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the grand Peacock Gap lawns. An inviting cafe at lunch with its ice-cold lemonade and refreshing chardonnays makes a great dinner spot once the sun sets. 333 Biscayne Dr, 415.454.6450, rangecafe.net s $$ S Í C BLD º

SAN RAFAEL JOE’S

Italian A Marin institution famous for sophisticated yet casual Italian fare since 1947. The dining room, with a friendly atmosphere and seating for 240, is great for large parties,

and the roast sirloin of beef and Fettuccine Joe’s are sure to please. 931 Fourth St, 415.456.2425, sanrafaeljoe.com s $$ S C LD º

SHIRO KUMA Japanese Shiro Kuma, which means polar bear, takes its inspiration from chef Yasuo Shigeyoshi’s childhood in a small rural town in the south of Japan and offers traditional-style sushi and Wagyu A5 and Kobe beef to cook over ishiyaki grilling stones. Proving popular are weekly specials such as hamachi jalapeño as well as the omakase (chef’s choice) dinner. 1518 Fourth St, 415.295.7464, sushishiro kuma.com b $$ S LD

SOL FOOD Puerto Rican Fast becoming a Marin legend, Sol Food whips up traditional Puerto Rican dishes just like the ones owners Sol Hernandez grew up eating. Favorites include the bistec sandwich, mofongo and other fried plantain dishes, but 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, sol foodrestaurant.com $$ S BLD

STATE ROOM

American Formerly the Broken Drum, State Room Brewery has ditched the pizza house vibe in favor of an elegant 1930s-era setting. Many beers are made on site and all

drafts are available in sizes from half-pints to take-home growlers; beer fl ights are also available. The gastropub’s menu, created by Chef Ed Vigil, changes seasonally and includes a burrata cheese BLT and sashimi-grade tuna poke. 1132 Fourth St, 415.295.7929, state roombrewery.com s $$ Í LD º

SUSHI TO DAI FOR Japanese Snagging a seat in this popular Fourth Street spot can be a challenge, but patience is rewarded with tasty and fresh sashimi, unique sushi rolls and great prices. 816 Fourth St, 415.721.0392, sushi todaifor.net b $$ S LD

TAJ OF MARIN Indian

Both North and South Indian cuisine are offered here, with lunch specials and dinners that include goat curry, spinach, lentils and tandoori. 909 Fourth St, 415.459.9555, tajofmarin.com b $$ S LD

TERRAPIN CROSSROADS

American This waterfront restaurant and music venue presents fresh food and local talent. The menu offers salads, savory dishes and wood-fi red pizzas plus a wide selection of beer, wine and cocktails. Come for the food, stay for the music. 100 Yacht Club Dr, 415.524.2773, terrapin crossroads.net s $$ Í C D BR º

THERESA & JOHNNY’S COMFORT FOOD

American A favorite with both the kids and the foodie set, this charming eatery serves food like Mom used to make. Drop by for eggs Benedict, tuna melts, coffee and some of the best milkshakes around. 817 Fourth St, 415.259.0182, theresaand-johnnys.com b $$ S Í BL BR

UCHIWA RAMEN

Japanese When owners Benson Yang and Kevin Fong decided to open Marin’s fi rst ramen shop in 2014, they weren’t sure what to expect. Three years later, Uchiwa remains loved by ramen enthusiasts for its rich broths and fresh noodles. Vegetarian and vegan options available. 821 B

Todd Knoll: Chef, Jordan Winery

St, 415.991.3693, uchiwaramen.com b $$ LD

VIN ANTICO American

Vin Antico, “where passion meets the plate,” serves seasonal marketinspired cuisine like stone-oven-baked fl atbreads, handmade pastas and organic salads, all innovatively prepared. The kitchen is open to the dining room and there’s a full bar with artisan cocktails. 881 Fourth St, 415.721.0600, vinantico.com s $$ S C LD º

VN NOODLE & GRILL

Vietnamese Located in Montecito Plaza, the restaurant has a robust menu of standard Vietnamese fare, including a wide selection of rice plates, pho

and of course, iced coffe. 421 Third St, 415.306.4299 $$ S C LD

WHIPPER SNAPPER RESTAURANT California/Caribbean

Owner/chef Bill Higgins serves tapas, sangria and reasonably priced organic dishes. The California-Caribbean lunch and dinner cuisine blends local farm-fresh ingredients with Lati n fl avors. Be sure to try the popula r fi sh tacos, Cuban “cigars” and chocolate bread pudding. Available for parties and special gatherings, plus a back patio for alfresco dining. 1613 Fourth St, 415.256.1818, whipsnap.biz b $$ S Í C LD º

YET WAH Chinese

Named for the founder’s wife (“Yet” refers to the moon, “Wah” to brightness), this beloved mainstay has a traditional Chinese menu and daily dim sum. Expect live music in the Kung Fu Lounge. 1238 Fourth St, 415.460.9883, yetwahsanrafael.com s $$ S Í LD

SAUSALITO

ANGELINO RESTAURANT Italian

An authentic Italian eatery with handmade pastas and seasonal antipasti, showcasing cuisine of the Campania region for over 20 years. 621 Bridgeway, 415.331.5225, angelino restaurant.com s $$$ S BLD

ARAWAN THAI Thai

After an 18-month closure due to a fi re, this Sausalito favorite has reopened to enthusiastic reviews. Favorites like the Prawn Arawan with yellow curry are back on the menu as well as $10 lunch specials. 47 Caledonia St, 415.729.9395 b $$ LD

AVATAR’S Indian 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, enjoyavatars.com b $$ S LD

BAR BOCCE American Food just tastes better on a bayside patio with fi re pits and a bocce ball court. Order one of the sourdough bread pizzas and a glass of wine and you’ll see why this casual eatery, overseen by Robert Price of Buckeye and Bungalow 44, has become a local favorite. 1250 Bridgeway, 415.331.0555, barbocce.com s $$ S Í LD

COPITA Mexican Chef Joanne Weir serves up fresh Mexican fare in the heart of downtown Sausalito. The ever-changing menu is gluten-free, and the in-house tequila bar offers over 100 varieties and fantastic cocktails. Dine at the bar or on the outdoor patio for

great people-watching. 739 Bridgeway, 415.331.7400, copita restaurant.com s $$ S Í LD BR

F3/FAST FOOD FRANCAIS French Owned and operated by the owners of Le Garage, F3 serves brunch, lunch and dinner featuring “Frenchi fied” American comfort food. A rotating menu includes items like the Quack burger (duck con fit, black pepper chèvre, lettuce and red onion marmalade). Enjoy with a side of Brussels sprout chips or pommes dauphines (tater tots). 39 Caledonia St, 415.887.9047, eatf3.com s $$ S Í LD BR

FISH Seafood The ultimate place for freshly caught fare. Order the fi sh tacos, ceviche and a bottle of wine and take in the bay views on the open-air deck. Casual; bring cash (lots of it!). 350 Harbor Dr, 415.331.3474, 331fish.com b $$$ S Í LD

KITTI’S PLACE Thai/ California This homestyle 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, kittisplace.com b $$ S Í LD

LE GARAGE French

Escape the tourist crush for an indulgent meal right on the water. The atmosphere is animated with light French music (à la Amélie), and the much-adored croque-monsieur is authentic. Indoor or outdoor seating. 85 Liberty Ship Way, 415.332.5625, legaragebistro sausalito.com b $$$ S Í BLD BR

MURRAY CIRCLE American Cavallo Point’s acclaimed restaurant features local seasonal fare by executive chef Justin Everett, with pairings from an extensive wine list and tempting desserts. Stop by Farley Bar for cocktails with a view. 601 Murray Circle, 415.339.4750, cavallopoint.com s $$$ S Í C BLD BR

NAPA VALLEY BURGER COMPANY American Incorporating local, all-natural and organic produce and meats, this burger joint serves up gourmet patties, fries,

root beer floats and more. With outdoor and indoor tables, the space can accommodate up to 100 people. 670 Bridgeway, 415.332.1454, napa valleyburger company.com s $$ S Í L

OSTERIA DIVINO

Tuscan Osteria Divino offers authentic Florentine cooking inspired by the fi nest local, organic, seasonal produce, meat and fi sh available, along with an extensive artisan pasta selection. Live music Tue-Sun. 37 Caledonia St, 415.331.9355, osteriadivino.com b $$ S Í C BLD BR º

POGGIO Italian Executive chef Benjamin Balesteri creates Northern Italian fare using fresh and local ingredients. Private dining rooms above the restaurant can accommodate larger parties (10 to 150 guests). 777 Bridgeway, 415.332.7771, poggio tratoria.com s $$$ S Í C BLD

SCOMA’S OF SAUSALITO Italian Sausalito’s oldest seafood house. Scoma’s boat, berthed at Pier 47, fi shes seasonally and is approved for salmon and Dungeness crab, resulting in fresh catches year-round. The menu regularly features whole crabs, chowders and grilled fih. 588 Bridgeway, 415.332.9551, scomas sausalito.com s $$ C LD

SEAFOOD PEDDLER RESTAURANT AND FISH MARKET Seafood The fi sh is bought daily from loca l fi shers, who are also restaurant patrons. Recipes are

adjusted to incorporate the freshest catch. 303 Johnson St, 415.332.1492, seafoodpeddler.com s $$$ S Í LD BR º

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

TIBURON

RUSTIC BAKERY

California This location of the beloved bakery offers the same menu as the other locations as well as outdoor dining. Enjoy a wide selection of fresh salads, sandwiches and pastries on the boardwalk. 1550 Tiburon Blvd, 415.797.6123, rustic bakery.com b $$ S Í BLD BR

SALT & PEPPER

American The sun-fi lled one-room restaurant, featuring hardwood floors and blue-checkered tablecloths, is an area favorite. Popular items include scallops, rib-eye steak, a beef burger and traditional crabcakes with jalapeño dipping sauce. 38 Main St, 415.435.3594 b $$ S Í LD

SAM’S ANCHOR CAFE

American The menu at this seaside institution features local organic produce and

sustainably sourced meats and fi sh. Chef Robert Taylor, formerly of Farallon, has curated an oyster list for the raw bar menu and a fresh cocktail list to boot. 27 Main St, 415.435.4527, samscafe.com s $$$ S Í C LD BR º

SERVINO RISTORANTE

Italian 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, servino.com s $$$ S Í C LD BR º

TIBURON TAVERN

California The atmosphere here is enhanced by two outdoor patios, two indoor fi replaces and fresh flowers. Happy hour is 3 to 6:30 p.m. every day. 1651 Tiburon Blvd, 415.435.5996, lodge attiburon.com s $$ S Í C BLD BR º

WEST MARIN

NICK’S COVE American Nick’s Cove offers a coastal escape on Tomales Bay, serving famous barbecued local oysters, Dungeness crab mac ’n’ cheese and cocktails incorporating homegrown ingredients. Large windows in the 130-seat restaurant provide picturesque views of Tomales Bay and Hog Island (Marshall). 23240 Hwy 1, 415.663.1033, nickscove.com s $$$ S Í C LD BR

Smoked Salmon Panini

PARKSIDE CAFE

American Perfect for a sit-down alfresco meal or for grabbing a burger to enjoy on the beach. Beautiful patio garden seating, ocean views, and private wood-fi red dinners make this cafe a relaxing retreat. If you’re on the go, check out the market and bakery. Choose from an array of organic locally grown produce, artisan meats and wild seafood (Stinson). 43 Arenal Ave, 415.868.1272, parksidecafe.com s $$$ S Í C BLD

RANCHO NICASIO

American Known for live music and an extensive menu featuring everything from crispy calamari to braised lamb shanks, Rancho Nicasio is open seven days a week. Be sure to stop in for happy hour, 4 to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday (Nicasio). 1

Old Rancheria Road, 415.662.2219, rancho nicasio.com s $$$ S Í C LD BR º

SAND DOLLAR

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

SIDE STREET

• CIBO California

Located in a historic brick building on Sausalito’s main drag, this is a great place to a sip a quick cup of coffee outdoors. The menu offers tarts, croissants, cookies, paninis and soups. Every dish is made from scratch with local and seasonal products (Sausalito). 1201 Bridgeway, 415.331.2426, cibosausalito.com $$ S Í BL

415.663.0303, sidestreet-prs.com b $$ S Í LD º

SIR & STAR AT THE OLEMA California

housecafe.com s $$ S Í C BLD BR º

creamy Meyer lemon milkshakes. Though the food is solid, we think the BYOW option with a $10 corkage fee and million-dollar views is reason enough to give this shack a shout-out (Stinson). 3201 Hwy 1, 415.868.1777, thesirencanteen.com b $ Í LD

SAN FRANCISCO /EAST BAY

CLIFF HOUSE California

Northwest. 2316 Polk St, 415.776.5577, lafolie.com s $$$ D

KITCHEN

American Sheryl Cahill, owner of Point Reyes’ Station House Cafe, opens her next venture a few blocks down in the former Pine Cone Diner. The fast-casual eatery with chef Aaron Wright (formerly of Tavern at Lark Creek) at the helm serves up favorites like rotisserie chicken, smoked oysters and creamed corn. Happy hour weekly from 2 to 4 p.m. (Point Reyes Station). 60 Fourth St,

The historic inn has reopened as a roadhouse-style restaurant featuring rustic decor and a delicious yet a ffordable menu. Try the house-made bread and honey butter, the kale Caesar and the stu ffed quail, then come back and work your way through the ever-changing menu (Olema). 10000 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.663.1034, sirandstar.com b $$$ Í C D

STATION HOUSE

s b $ $$ $$$ S Out & About / DINE

CAFE American Fresh local homegrown foods are showcased for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Stop in on weekends (5 p.m. on Sundays) for live music and wine, beer and cocktails (Point Reyes Station). 11180 Hwy 1, 415.663.1515, station

THE SIREN CANTEEN American/Mexican Where in Northern California can you enjoy a taco at a restaurant nestled directly under a lifeguard tower? At The Siren Canteen, of course. Opened in the summer of 2014, this smart beach shack perched on the sandy shores of Stinson serves up burritos, burgers and

KEY TO SYMBOLS

Great food, beautiful view and lots of history — what else could you want? An awardwinning wine list? They have that too. Not only does Cliff ouse boast a popular Sunday champagne brunch, it also focuses on local, organic, sustainable ingredients and seafood on its everyday menu. 1090 Point Lobos, 415.386.3330, cliffhouse.com s $$ S BLD

LA FOLIE French Chef

Roland Passot serves critically acclaimed fare in this intimate, familyrun restaurant. It’s located in Russian Hill, but the menu highlights ingredients from farms in Marin and Sonoma and all along the Paci fic Coast and the greater

PERRY’S American Perry’s, for over 45 years an institution on Union Street in San Francisco, is known for its classic American food, its warm personable service and its bustling bar. Signature dishes include traditional Cobb salad, prime steaks and, of course, the renowned hamburger. Perry’s also serves a weekend brunch. 1944 Union St, 415.922-9022, perryssf.com s $$ S Í C D º

PIKANHAS BRAZILIAN STEAKHOUSE

Steakhouse This allyou-can-eat steakhouse in Point Richmond offers di fferent cuts of beef, pork, lamb and chicken that are slowly cooked with special grills to preserve all the natural juices and fl avors (Point Richmond). 25 W Richmond Ave, 510.237.7585, pikanhas steakhouse.com b $$ S LD

Full bar

Wine and beer Inexpensive (entrees $10 or less) Moderate (up to $20) Expensive ($20 and over) Kid-friendly

Í C BLD BR º New Update

The restaurant has opened within the last six months.

A major renovation to the restaurant or menu, or there is a new chef.

These listings are not intended to be a full review of the business, rather a quick guide to some of the most popular restaurants in the county. For more restaurant listings, visit us online at marinmagazine.com/dine

PROMOTION

the DISH

EAT, DRINK AND BE ENTERTAINED

From the safety of their suburban stretch circle, a teenage girls’ indoor soccer team navigates daily high school drama like a pack of adolescent warriors. A portrait of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for nine American girls who just want to score some goals.

MARIN THEATRE COMPANY

397 Miller Ave, Mill Valley, CA 415.388.5208 marintheatre.org

Consistently rated “Best of Marin,” Comforts offers finecity and home-style food. Join us in our full-service restaurant for breakfast, lunch and weekend brunch, or choose from an array of seasonal salads, sandwiches, soups, entrees and desserts from our take-out cases. Our menus change regularly to reflet the season and availability. Catering services also available. Open 7 days.

COMFORTS

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

Why choose a single cut when you can feast on a dozen specialty cooked meats on live embers presented by dashing servers? Pikanhas Brazilian Steakhouse has developed a faithful, high-ranked following. Come visit our cozy restaurant for an outstanding experience!

PIKANHAS BRAZILIAN STEAKHOUSE

25 W. Richmond Ave, Pt Richmond, CA 510.237.7585 pikanhassteakhouse.com

Don’t miss these seven powerhouse women from shows such as Wicked, Mamma Mia, and Motown The Musical, as they hit the stage in March for a dynamic evening highlighting the tales and talents of their stellar Broadway experiences.

MARIN CENTER

10 Ave of the Flags, San Rafael, CA 415.473.6800

LadiesOfBroadwayMarin.com

Located in the heart of Mill Valley, Prabh Indian Kitchen is a cultural experience offering authentic Indian food in a traditional way. This casual yet stylish Indian restaurant is a cut above the rest, with an enclosed sunny porch for year-round dining with a view. Come enjoy a well-spiced lamb rogan josh or sizzling kebabs with us soon.

PRABH INDIAN KITCHEN

24 Sunnyside Avenue, Mill Valley, CA 415.384.8241 prabhindiankitchen.com

Spend only $35 for a $50 dining certificte from participating restaurants with this icon. Go to marinmagazine.com/dineout and save 30% on meals.

A block away from the Rafael, Vin Antico for pre movie oysters, or small bites after the movie. Our chef’s counter is specificallydesigned for dinner and a show. Lunch and dinner. Happy Hour Mon-Fri, full bar, private dining space.

VIN ANTICO

881 4th Street, San Rafael, CA 415.721.0600 vinantico.com

On the Scene

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

Maurice Lombardo and Danielle Jackson

Christian Lind

Tim Odom and Kimberly Henry

Michelle Long and Marion Brenner

Michael Garcia and Farid Tamjidi Stacy Stone and Jane Loo

Max Elder and Carson Carter

Adrian Gregorutti and Alex Terry Danielle and John Steuernagel

Michelle Coles, Dave Patters, Sam Jabri, Valerie Simon and Keith Rodriguez

Andrew Gregg, Yael Putterman and Adele Salierno

• SPACES LAUNCH PARTY More than 80 guests enjoyed wine and small bites as well as words from editor-inchief Zahid Sardar at the winter/spring launch held at The Bath + Beyond in San Francisco.

Eugene Resheton, JoAnn Edwards, Zahid Sardar and Tasneem Karimbhai

• ROSS VALLEY WOMEN’S LEAGUE The league raised more than $273,000 for Adopt A Family of Marin at its “Una Noche en La Habana” gala at The Clubhouse at Peacock Gap.

• HOSPICE BY THE BAY The annual “Havana Nights” ball held at the Craneway Pavilion in Richmond’s Marina District attracted more than 400 guests.

Art and Angela Curley

Robert Beadle, Kitty Whitaker and Ken Meislin TO SEE MORE EVENT PHOTOS VISIT MARINMAGAZINE.COM/HOTTICKET

Semira Habis, Kelly Farideh Najafi and Ron Najafi

David Grega, Lisa Stranko, Rick Hopper and Yvonne Hearn Robinson

FROM TOURS AND MAKEOVERS TO DECORATIVE DETAILS AND REALTOR INSIGHTS

The outdoor spaces were the last to be reimagined, but definitely worth the wait.

BY

DAWN MARGOLIS DENBERG • PHOTOS BY TIM PORTER

NEARLY 13 YEARS ago, Brenda Cantu, husband Rick Boyce and their two girls moved into a majestic place in the hills of San Anselmo. The Victorianstyle home, built from the ground up in 1982, was in great shape, but for a few structural elements. “The only major remodeling we did was adding a front porch,” Brenda says. “To this day, it’s where we spend tons of our time.”

With young children to raise, updating the interior was not a priority. But as the kids got older and life got easier, the couple began sprucing up the place. In the beginning they tackled small jobs: updating a powder room and turning a workshop into an exercise room.

More recently, they decided to take on bigger projects, including gutting their 1980s-era kitchen. “We completely recon figured the layout,” Brenda says. “In the old kitchen the

sink and all the appliances were crammed together, which meant we were all constantly bumping elbows.”

The new kitchen features a Calacatta marble island and Caesarstone countertops. And while they chose white inset cabinetry to honor the home’s Victorian style, the overall space feels sleek and modern.

Next on the list were completely redoing the bathrooms and rethinking the outdoor space. By not moving any plumbing, the couple managed to transform four bathrooms quickly and on a relatively small budget. Another time and money saver: prefab vanities from Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn.

The yard makeover, on the other hand, took considerably more time and money.

For starters, they ripped out old stairways and pathways in bad repair and repaved them in Connecticut bluestone. They also pulled up

an ancient free-form pool. “It was beautiful, but keeping it heated and full of water was an environmental disaster,” Brenda explains. The one detail of the pool they did keep: “There was a waterfall that dumped water into the pool. It was so pretty that we decided to hang on to it and use it as a water feature.”

In the spot that once was a pool, the couple created a gathering space with a large Restoration Hardware fire pit as a focal point. Other upgrades included dozens of droughttolerant plants, four trees and all-new fencing. Finally, the entire yard was wired for light, allowing the space to be enjoyed well after dark.

And while the soon-to-be empty nesters have no immediate plans to move, the idea that they may one day sell factored into their renovation decisions. “This is such a warm, happy house,” Brenda says. “I’d suspect a family with little kids would move in and enjoy it as much as we do.” m

Opposite page: Formal doesn’t have to mean fussy. This page, clockwise from top left: Mixing countertop materials adds drama to the kitchen; a space to cozy up; a favorite family gathering spot; Brenda Cantu enjoying her front porch; the master suite.

TOP PRODUCER

San Rafael Office

TONI SHROYER (415) 640-2754

TOP PRODUCER

Kentfield Office

CAROL SCOTT (415) 971-5676

TOP PRODUCER

Novato Office

KRISTIE MARTINELLI (415) 412-4720

TOP PRODUCER

Tiburon Office C. JAY KEY (415) 699-5747

TOP PRODUCER

Mill Valley Office

MICHELE AFFRONTE (415) 798-0236

TOP PRODUCER

San Anselmo Office

DANIELLE SALK (415) 250-5361

TOP PRODUCER

Fairfax Office RYAN MURPHY (415) 482-3152

TOP PRODUCER

Napa Office KURT BAKKEN (707) 328-9728

TOP PRODUCING TEAM

Sonoma County GAIL & LEVI SWIFT (415) 847-4775

TOP PRODUCING TEAM

Napa County MIKE & MELANIE MUTERS (707) 695-9964

Coldwell Banker

SELLS MORE in Marin County

Don’t let them tell you it’s easy.

The sale of your home is financially and emotionally complex. It requires - and you deserve - personal guidance from a professional worthy of the moment.

You don’t need real

brokerage services every day, but when you do, the choices you make matter.

CHELSEA E. IALEGGIO

Vanguard Properties Welcomes Marin County Sales Manager

As the number #1 agent in volume and transactions in 2017 at her previous firm we are proud to have Chelsea make the move to Vanguard Properties to share her wealth of knowledge and sales expertise with the constantly growing team of Vanguard Properties Agents. Chelsea’s extensive knowledge of managing and mentoring throughout her career from Global Finance to Real Estate will be a great asset to all of us at Vanguard Properties!

San Francisco Marin Wine Country Palm Springs

MARIN

352 Miller Avenue, Mill Valley, CA | 415.758.6800

1118 Magnolia Avenue, Larkspur, CA | 415.755.1000

FLAGSHIP OFFICE

2501 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94110 DRE# 01486075

vanguardproperties.com

a seamless experience. Highly recommend!“ - Ryan and Courtney Paulger

501 Sausalito Boulevard 3 BED/4BATH | 2525 sqft

Offered at $2,750,000 | www.501Sausalito.com

This modern view home is a contemporary masterpiece and a tribute to fine taste: porcelain tile floors, Caesarstone counters, tempered glass floating stairs curve to the 2nd floor, exotic maple cabinets in chef’s kitchen, radiant heating, recessed Tech lighting, Viking Pro Series appliances, 64’ sliding glass wall, 14’ tinted windows reveal San Francisco & Bay views, A/C & backup generator- make this home ideal for the VIP on the go.

Brett Foley Designs (on Houzz)

Mill Valley | 189 Circle Avenue (shown) Mill Valley | 56 California Avenue

West Marin | Share in 1500 acre Horse Property

OFF-MARKET OPPORTUNITIES

West Marin | Share in 1500 acre Horse Property (shown)

Mill Valley | Tam Valley 6 beds/3 baths - $1.8

Mill Valley | Tam Valley 4 beds/3 baths - $1.5

Mill Valley | On the Mountain 6 beds/5 baths - $5.5m Call Dave for more off-market opportunities.

Tracy McLaughlin

Luxury Property Specialist

415 699 6680

285 Magnolia Avenue

Larkspur, CA, 94939

Tracy@TracyMcLaughlin.com

TracyMcLaughlin.com License # 001209397

Source:

Welcome Howard Wynn

Stunning Homes in Idyllic Solar & Green Community of Olive Ridge

Situated on a private cul-de-sac are THREE gorgeous homes available each with 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, built in 2007 with the latest in solar and green building technology. The heart of each home features a gourmet kitchen with an oversized island, premium appliances, and walk-in pantries, while opening to the spacious family rooms with gas fireplaces. Main level guest suites are also found in each property. Custom touches such as coffered & vaulted ceilings, pendant lighting, crown moulding, and wainscoting set these homes apart. Sited on lots ranging from 1/4 acre to ½ acre, with unparalleled outdoor space boasting hillside views, alfresco kitchens and courtyards, these homes are ideal for entertaining. Prices ranging from $1,549,000 to $1,699,000.

Please call for more details and showings.

Nestled in east Novato, 2 miles from downtown with easy access to both highways 37 and 101, is the distinct community of Olive Ridge. Surrounded by Marin’s finest Audubon open space preserve, providing incredible hillside views and privacy.

Sausalito’s Finest!

Experience Sausalito with this stunning 3+ bedroom, 3.5 bath contemporary home overlooking the SF Bay, Angel Island, and the Sausalito harbor.

Built in 1993, this multi-level, over 4000 sq. ft. tastefully appointed home boasts both sophistication and charm with the finest of finishes and decorator touches. Large picturesque windows and outdoor terraces capture the stunning panoramic views from most every room of the house. Situated in the heart of the banana belt, and just a short distance to the popular Bridgeway Village providing easy access to fine dining, galleries, shopping, ferry, beach, hiking trails and just minutes to the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco.

Two-car attached garage with additional off-street parking, wine/ storage room, and convenient in-home elevator.

Christina&Karla

Christina McNair

415.613.5563

c.mcnair @ ggsir.com

CalBRE# 01183576

Karla Farrell

415.828.1584

k.farrell @ ggsir.com CalBRE# 01372896

HomeInMarin.com

“ “

Julie’s enthusiasm, patience, seasoned advice and design savvy made all the difference in the world. I could not have done it without her. - Suzanne I.W.

“ “

We sold our home within two weeks—well over asking price—thanks to Julie’s clear direction and her meticulous preparation of our home to market.

- Susannah & Olivier S.

“

Robert sold our San Francisco home for $405,000 over asking in 10 days and negotiated a challenging purchase in Marin. We were very impressed!

- Roger & Katie A. “

As our trusted advisor, Robert’s decades of experience and knowledge made our ‘Off MLS’ sale and purchase seem effortless.

- Tony & Margaret B. “ “

The ultimate entertainer’s paradise, this contemporary residence is designed to impress. Completely private with expansive views of Tiburon and Belvedere Cove, the ±4,890 sq. ft., three-level modern home has it all. The architecturally-significant retreat designed by Daniel Hunter, AIA, is approached through a lush, tropic-inspired garden and floating entry bridge leading to a dramatic foyer and central staircase with curved glass walls. The home’s interiors feature grand entertaining and living spaces, four bedrooms—including a spacious and completely private master suite—media room, exercise room, pool room, a sleek open-plan kitchen and a detached guest suite currently used as a virtual reality golf course where the grass is guaranteed to always be greener. Outdoor living spaces include a swimming pool, expansive terrace, poolside lounge, a verdant garden terrace, al fresco dining area, and a level turf athletic green. Ideal for a young professional, family or the avid host who aims to please, this rare residence feels a world away from it all just minutes from San Francisco’s tech, finance and venture capital epicenter. For the cryptocurrency investor, the seller will accept Bitcoin, Ethereum or Ripple.

Welcome to “Techo del Mundo”, the ceiling of the world, where sky and water meet as one overlooking the San Francisco Bay. This breathtaking, oneof-a-kind view is perfectly captured by a home located high atop Tiburon with vistas spanning all three bridges—the Golden Gate Bridge, Bay Bridge and Richmond-San Rafael Bridge—and unrivalled views of the San Francisco skyline. Every room in the approximately 5,600 sq. ft., three-level home is oriented to take advantage of the views and bring the captivating beauty in, while privacy and serenity are maintained thanks to its vantage point atop the hill. Grand formal living and entertaining spaces abound, from a sunken living room with adjacent dining area, to a true chef’s kitchen with breakfast room awash in morning sunlight, to a mahogany-paneled family room that can be used as a formal dining room. The lower level has its own private entrance, living area and two bedrooms, while the upper level is devoted entirely to the sprawling master suite with an office, sitting area, and a spa-like bathroom. Five wood burning fireplaces, a three-car garage, swimming pool and established gardens add to the allure of life at the top.

Custom estate on 14+ Acres bisected by Parker Creek. This single level, ranch style home has stained concrete floors with in-floor heat. The gourmet kitchen features concrete counters, stainless steel appliances, instant hot water and an island with smooth glass cook-top. The living room has vaulted ceilings with sky lights, and a cozy Franco Belge kerosene stove. Spoil yourself in the luxurious master, featuring a double vanity and soaking tub. The backyard is ideal for entertaining and warm summer nights. Sip wine on the outdoor dining patio, relax on the plush lawn, and improve your short game on your own custom putting green. The back of this property adjoins 133 acres of registered timber preserve for guaranteed privacy. Enjoy an array of visiting wildlife: quail, deer, turkeys, and the occasional raccoon and fox. There is plenty of room for all your cars and toys. The home is equipped with a three car garage, plus a detached 2-car garage and covered parking. There is gated access and a fully paved entrance, tucked ¼ mile off of Janesville Grade. This offering is on 6.08 acres and includes two additional parcels: 4 acres and 4.04 acres. Located 1 hour from the Reno-Tahoe International Airport, 20 minutes from Antelope Lake, and only 15 minutes from conveniences in Susanville, CA. Create your legacy here. Contact me today!

Since 2004, Paragon Real Estate Group’s Community Fund has provided more than $750,000 in donations to over 100 local organizations in the Bay Area.

From shelters to school arts programs, from food drives to counseling, we are proud to support the organizations that make a positive difference in our community.

300 DRAKES LANDING ROAD, SUITE 120 / GREENBRAE, CA 94904 415.805.2900 / PARAGON-RE.COM

A Slice of Paradise

This quintessential Stinson Beach surfer bungalow is listed at a fading price point for West Marin. The sunlit one bedroom, one bath has a large out door space that is perfect for barbecues and sunbathing with your friends and family! The house is so close to the beach that you can smell and taste salt air as well as hear the crashing of the waves. The peaceful Francisco Patio is extremely close to the heart of the village and the hiking trails. There is a wood burning stove, outdoor shower, and room to garden. It has been and could continue to be a great rental property for long term or vacation rental tenants. 7 Francisco Patio, Stinson Beach, Listed for $1,295,000, www.oceanicrealty.com

SARAH NANCY BUTLER

(415) 868-0717 | DRE #01258888

Conveniently Located in Stinson Beach 3470 Shoreline Highway, Stinson Beach, CA 94970, oceanicrealty.com

Specializing in Sales, Vacation Rentals, and Property Management in Stinson Beach.

BURLINGAME GREENBRAE NOE VALLEY PACIFIC HEIGHTS POTRERO HILL UPPER MARKET WEST PORTAL

DATED 1918

Tea and Symphonies

BY

E ARE PROBABLY the oldest music club in the county,” declares Ruth Koenig, a violinist and current president of the Thursday Musical Club. This group of music appreciators fi rst began meeting, she says, in 1918, in the Newhall Mansion, the residence of prominent San Rafael businessman Almer Mayo Newhall and his wife, Anna Scott Newhall. The concept, repeated at the time in several West Coast cities, was to have members perform for one another and their friends. “The mansion’s large stairway landing accommodated a grand piano,” Koenig says. “It was an ideal stage for musicians to perform.” In 1930, the Newhalls moved to San Francisco, and over the years the Thursday Musical Club gradually made adjustments to changing times. Members were no longer the only ones performing; talented area musicians slowly took over that role. And church halls and retirement homes eventually replaced members’ homes as monthly gathering spots. Lately, another tradition is being gently challenged: the practice of listing past presidents in the programs by the husband’s fi rst and last name, with the wife’s name in parentheses, trailing behind. As for the club’s most pronounced change: at its 1918 inception, dues were $1 a year and 25 cents for guests; now it’s $100 a year for a membership and $20 per event for guests. “However, please make note that one feature of the club has not changed in 100 years,” Koenig insists. “We still serve afternoon tea after every performance.” Performances scheduled for 2018 include cellist Margaret Moores at the Tiburon Baptist Church on March 15, harpist Dan Levitan at Aegis Living in Corte Madera on April 19, and the duo of vocalist Wendy Loder and David Mioke on piano and violin at The Tamalpais in Greenbrae on May 10. At each event, musicians share background information on their instruments and the music they’re about to play. To learn more, go to thursdaymusicalclub.org. m

“W

With few changes, the Thursday Musical Club enters its second century.

JIM WOOD

The concept, repeated at the time in several West Coast cities, was to have members perform for one another and their friends.

From top: The Newhall Mansion in San Rafael; harpists entertain club members at a recent event.

THE TOP PRODUCERS 2017

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR MARIN COUNTY

TOP PRODUCING AGENTS

THE BOWMAN GROUP

JOE BURNS

THE COSTA GROUP

DAVID DOYLE

DAVE DUPONT

KERRY EVDOKIMOFF

MATT FRANCIS

BITSA FREEMAN

VANCE AND ANNA FROST ANDREW GALBRAITH

JANEY KAPLAN

KEVIN KEARNEY

JACQUIE LARKINS

ALLISON SALZER

EMILY SCHAFFER

Our Top Producers have shown unwavering commitment to clients, invested hours of negotiation, and held themselves to the highest standard of integrity.

We applaud their hard work.

MARIN OFFICES

352 Miller Avenue, Mill Valley, CA | 415.758.6800

1118 Magnolia Avenue, Larkspur, CA | 415.755.1000

DRE# 01486075

Spring is here, and it’s the season for change. Throughout the Bay Area and Northern California — from San Francisco to Lake Tahoe, Carmel to Wine Country — our level of service is second to none.