Marin November 2022

Home for the HOLIDAYS

Puppy Therapy

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Contents

Features

36 Wet Nose, Warm Heart

Since 1907, Marin

Humane has been a pioneer in it s field and continues to expand on the services and pro gram offerings that are graciously funded by the community.

44 Home for the Holidays

The restaurants, hikes and other must-visit spots throughout Marin for college kids and twenty-somethings returning home.

48 A Daughter’s Journey

A young family faces a nightmare when their 22-month-old daughter is diagnosed with a brain tumor.

In Marin

21 Currents Public libraries and state parks team up to get people outdoors (for free), Tiburon’s businesses team up to combat food inse curity, Sausalito’s art scene is about to get even bigger.

24 Q&A Burgeoning musician and Novato-native Arden Jones shares his inflences and talks about his favorite family-packed performance.

26 New in Town

The former Dempsey’s space on Petaluma’s riverfront becomes a plant-based restaurant and a buzzy micro food hall comes to Mill Valley.

28 Conversation

Mary Jane Burke prepares for her fi nal day as Marin County Superintendent and looks forward to developing the SchoolsRule strategy beyond Marin.

32 FYI In the wake of Roe v. Wade being overturned, local women use their art forms and platforms to increase political participation.

Destinations

67 Go: Mendocino Coast Chefs and for agers are taking an innovative approach to saving California’s kelp forests and reefs — making a concerted effort to incorporate sea urchins into their dishes.

70 Travel Buzz Fall color road trips in the Sierra Foothills, a perfect Half Moon Bay getaway and Monterey spas not-to-be-missed.

Eat & Drink

80 What’s Hot: Mushrooms Marin and San Francisco restaurants serve up the perfect alternative to meat — hearty and savory mushrooms.

Marin Home

91 Backstory A dated Kent field home is rebuilt to capture the property’s stunning views and provide a relaxing respite for a family of five.

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: COURTESY OF POGGIO (FOOD); STEPHANIE RUSSO

PHOTOGRAPHY/CARMEL VALLEY RANCH (YOGA); NILS TIMM (HOUSE)

SHOPTOWNCENTER.COM

PRESIDENT / OPERATIONS

Nikki N. Wood nwood@marinmagazine.com

Editorial

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Mimi Towle

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Kasia Pawlowska

DIGITAL EDITOR Jessica Gliddon

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Paula Phommounivong

DINING, CALENDAR AND FEATURE WRITER Christina Mueller

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Lotus Abrams, Jeanne Cooper, Donna Berry Glass, Kelsey Grady, Michael Grady, Melanie Haiken, Kirsten Jones Neff, Matthew Poole, Jim Wood

Art

ART DIRECTOR

Lisa Hilgers

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

French

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Elizabeth Needham, Stan Pechner, Stanovision, Jonas Richards, Nils Timm

Administration

CONTROLLER

Maeve Walsh

TECHNICAL OPERATIONS

Jennifer Speaker

to homes and businesses in Marin County.

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“I’m exhausted most of the time.”

There are Moms in Marin working two jobs, studying at school and caring for their families. They are strong, loving and resilient – but they are struggling.

MOMentum hopes to change that by providing monthly, unconditional cash payments to 125 of them.

Because we believe every Mom in our community deserves to thrive.

Hear from the Moms and get involved at kindred.marinmomentum.org

Gratitude Abounds

Is the mic on? (tap, tap) Heeeelloooo Marin! You’re looking good, happy to see so many familiar faces. Yes, we are thrilled to be back creating content for the best county in the country — gratitude abounds.

In honor of the many Marinites who are returning for the holidays this month we are celebrating the places, plates and faces that draw them home. While I’d love to think my girls yearn to just come home, and sit with me as I cook dinner and share every last detail of their new adult lives, the reality is I need to lure them with culinary teasers and an open invite to their friends, whom I also love seeing, so it’s a win-win.

For my girls, favorites include, chicken salad, veggie chow fun, sweet rice dumplings from Harmony. Then, hop over to Thep Lela to grab some eggplant tofu, calamari salad and spring rolls. Anything from Kitti’s Place or Sol Food will also su ffice. I polled Facebook friends for their homecoming “go-tos” and no surprise — Sol Food was the overwhelming top choice. How is it that such a simple menu is so popular? And what better prelude to arroz con pollo than hiking the Dipsea, another favorite.

For a nostalgic array of Marin County’s best hits, check out pages 36, featuring a handful of returnees sharing their go-tos. We hope to inspire you to try something new. For another returnee, check out A.J., aka Arden Jones on page 24, who has been on a wild ride ever since his song “Parallel Parking” caught the atten tion of Atlantic Records. In his interview he mentions a show at the Rickshaw Stop last year, which I was honored to be able to tag along to with his hometown fan base. The multi-gen erational crowd sang along with A.J., dancing in the strobe lights, taking selfies and as he handled the mic on stage like a pro. I couldn’t help thinking how adorable the whole scene

was, which was probably not exactly how this upcoming singer/songwriter wants to be portrayed.

Also in the feature well, Kasia returns to two of her favorite topics, dogs, and believe it or not, prisons. Wet Nose, Warm Heart showcases two of the Marin Humane’s programs that help our dog-loving community throughout Marin. The story came to us from photographer Elizabeth Needham, who captures the gratitude of both person and pup through her lens, making it di fficult for art director Lisa Hilgers to choose which images to use. Speaking of heart warming, I was touched after running into Kelsey Grady — whom I have known via email for years, since she has her own public relation s fi rm — where she told me about how reading an ad for the Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Consortium (PNOC) connected her to just the right people during a time of di fficult diagnosis. Read about her experience on the page 48.

Finally to wrap up the returning theme, we are planning to bring back regular features, such as Subcultures, where we shine the light on various groups from ham radio operators to beekeepers and learn why they love doing what they do. Collectors — where we met a local who has the most insane Lego collection, to Tony Probst, owner of Audio Video Integration with possibly the largest collection of items RMS Titanic (pre-sinking and recovered) and HMS Bounty, or Pamela Sher’s collection of Hand Fans, she turned into a museum — will also be making a comeback. Others include On the Job and Made in Marin. Let us know if you have any favorites, or better yet if you’ve been featured, share a photo of the article on social @marinmagazine.

Cheers, Mimi Towle, Editor

Finally to wrap up the returning theme, we are planning to bring back regular features. Let us know what you want!

Your Letters

A Warm Welcome Back

I just read my October Marin Magazine

I loved the articles. You really brought back the “original essence” of the magazine! It was so refreshing to read again. Welcome back!

— BEVERLY WINDLE

I am absolutely delighted with the news that the two of you, and Jim of course, have returned to the helm of Marin Magazine. The buzz around town is great! I look forward to seeing how the publication develops.

— KATHLEEN GAINES

Wow, congrats to all you guys. What a great team! Seems like destiny in a way — this is great news.

— JACK WOLFORD

Missing Info

After reading the story about Christo's Running Fence, 50 years later, I also read with great interest the article about the new Ice House Museum in Sausalito. I was very disappointed that not one mention was made of the address or the location for the new museum. This is the most basic information that should be included in every news article.

— CYNTHIA CUSHMAN

Editor’s Note: Our apologies, the Ice House Museum is at the Sausalito Visitor Center and Historical Exhibit on 780 Bridgeway.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Your comments could be edited for clarity and brevity. Email us at editorial@marinmagazine. com. Please include the town where you live.

Estate Planning Right Here in Marin County

Family first is one of the Hollanders’ most important tenets, both personally and professionally. It’s one they emphasize to their clients and others they meet, asking how we can help protect your assets, lifestyle, and family so that you can be financially independent.

While practicing as an attorney, David Hollander also worked as a financial advisor. During this time, he envisioned creating a familyowned full-service practice where wealth management, estate law, and tax planning were all available under one roof. Liberty Group completes this vision. David and his wife Sheila are also partners in Hollander & Hollander law offices, specializing in estate and wealth transfer planning, estate administration and litigation, business succession planning, elder law, and charitable planning. Their daughter Claire, an investment advisor, joined Liberty Group full-time in 2020. An added bonus for the Oakland Liberty Group team, Sheila’s vegetarian hotspot Petit Café opened in their building in 2020.

Liberty Group opened its doors in 1997, starting in Oakland before expanding to Newport Beach and Larkspur. However, despite three locations, Liberty Group has strived to keep the family-focused feel that drove the firm from the beginning. Call us for a complimentary consultation. We’ll explore your current financial situation, listen to your challenges and goals, and deliver a customized holistic plan to help you achieve your—and your family’s—dreams.

Pictured left o right: Sheila Hollander, Partner, David Hollander, Founder & CEO, Claire Hollander, Investment Advisor & Manager of Larkspur Office 415.229.9002 libertygroupllc.com info@libertygroupllc.com 485 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur, CA

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one Enjoy life at a time.

In Marin

CELEBRATING THE PEOPLE, PLACES AND CAUSES OF THIS UNIQUE COUNTY

TICKET TO GOLDEN SPLENDOR

BY KASIA PAWLOWSKA

Olompali State Historic Park Mount Tamalpais State Park

Samuel P. Taylor State Park

Tomales Bay State Park

Love books and the outdoors? Marry your interests with the help of the California State Library Parks Pass. Honored at over 200 state parks, the pass grants free vehicle access for cars with a capacity of nine people or less, or for one highway licensed motorcycle. The passes can be checked out by public library card holders at their local public library. In Marin, participating parks include China Camp State Park, Mount Tamalpais State Park, Olompali State Historic Park, Samuel P. Taylor State Park and Tomales Bay State Park. For a full list of libraries and parks, visit parks.ca.gov/WhatsNew

BRIDGEWAY’S NEWEST ART HUB

Tiburon Lends a Hand

In recent years, we’ve faced both a worldwide health crisis and an economic fallout that has driven up food insecurity throughout the country, including in Marin County. Food insecurity is a real issue that is often overlooked and isn’t easy to discuss. This year the Tiburon Business Community is doing its part to help by partnering with SF-Marin Food Bank for it s fi rst annual Tiburon Gives Back event. “Lisa Lori, a chamber member, brought this idea to us to raise funds to feed those in need,” says DeAnn Biss of the Tiburon Chamber of Commerce. Tiburon businesses will help raise funds to feed those in need throughout Marin and San Francisco. According to Feeding America — from the 2020 census — approximately 7.5% of the population in Marin County is food insecure, as well as 1 in 5 people in San Francisco. “We are so excited to give the holidays a new meaning and grow Tiburon Gives Back into an annual event,” Biss adds. tiburonchamber.org

- PAULA PHOMMOUNIVONG

BY THE NUMBERS

In the past year, a task force of local community members created the Sausalito Center of the Arts. After a lengthy review with the city council, the former Bank of America on Bridgeway is set to house the nonprofit organization and much of Sausalito’s art scene. The new center is aiming to keep the city’s artistic legacy alive and to boost its reputation in the community. The phase I buildout goal is “to create an open, flexible, modular footprint that can be used for a variety of events,” says Louis Briones, Executive Director of the Sausalito Art Festival. Since the end of WWII, artists worldwide have been flocking to Sausalito’s coastal enclaves of colorful houseboats and putting their magnum opuses out into the world. Hundreds of art centers, studios, and festivals have popped up in the past century here, including the Industrial Center Building (ICB) and the annual Sausalito Art Festival attracts thousands each year. Now with this development going forward, it will pave the way for future generations. Here are the numbers. sausalitocenterforthearts.org - PP

20,000+ attendees at the 2019 Sausalito Art Festival

STOCK (FOOD DONATION); SAUSALITO CENTER FOR THE ARTS (SAUSALITO)

42 STATES REPRESENTED AT THE 2019 SAUSALITO ART FESTIVAL 12 international artists at the 2019 Sausalito Art Festival

artist studios spaces at ICB100+

Arden Jones

21-year-old Novato-native Arden Jones grew up with plenty of instruments around the house. He took guitar and piano lessons for years, and plays those in addition to upright bass, mandolin and ukulele. Jones uploaded tracks to SoundCloud in high school, but it wasn’t until he put “Parallel Parking” on TikTok at the end of 2020 that things took off — and eventually netted him 14 million Spotify listeners. Though he’s currently based in L.A., Jones will be coming back to the Bay to perform at Fox Theater in Oakland on November 8, opening for Chelsea Cutler and Ayokay. BY KASIA PAWLOWSKA

Los Angeles MUSICAN

1When did you first develop a love for music? I developed a love for music before I can even remember. There were certain songs I heard at a young age that I would have my parents play over and over again in the car as we drove to school because I loved them so much. Songs like “Short Skirt/Long Jacket” by Cake, or Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours.” I didn’t really know what I loved so much about the songs other than the way they made me feel.

2What kind of role did your school/upbringing play a role in shaping your talent? My family was always musical and we constantly made and listened to music, just as a hobby. There was always music playing as I grew up — whether it was at home hanging out, listening to my dad’s jazz playlist as we did homework, or on road trips listening to Prince or Michael Jackson, or later, going to rap concerts, like J. Cole or Anderson Paak, with my sisters in high school. I went to the Marin School of the Arts at Novato High and so even though I didn’t go through the music program there (I studied film), I was always around musicians and people who appreciated music. I made music in my room throughout high school, and my senior year capstone project at Novato High was a 10 song project I released on SoundCloud under the name Age.

3Was there a moment that cemented this as your path? I remember a phone call with my manager, Mike Kosak, in January of 2021. I was speaking to several labels and it looked like I would sign with one of them soon (I signed with Atlantic Records a few months later). Mike told me honestly that it might be hard to balance college with all the music we wanted to release in the coming year. I never looked back.

4How did you first get noticed? At first it was just my friends and family who liked the music I was making. I was getting good feedback and I felt pretty confident, but you never know what will happen if you put your songs out there. After my freshman year of college, I decided to release songs regularly on Instagram and TikTok, which is how my manager discovered me. Mike got me into studios with some great producers and we started building an artist project as Arden Jones.

5Tell us a little bit about the age tape series. Age was my nickname (It came from A.J., which is what I was called in high school). The age tapes were an idea that my manager and I had because I make a lot of music and we wanted to release it all in a matter of a year. It’s a different approach — musicians usually release an EP and then an album, at a slower pace. The tapes feel like a great way to release all my music because three songs is not too much to digest in a month — one featured song with two others we believe my followers will also like. Everybody waiting on the music knows exactly when the next tape will drop — on the first Thursday of every month for all of 2022.

6

Moment where you've felt you "made it"? The fact that I’m going on this incredible national tour with Chelsea Cutler and Ayokay in October and November is one of those moments. There have been many this year, but there is also a long way to go. Honestly, I feel so lucky to be making music every day… that’s kind of when you know you’ve made it.

7

Favorite show you've played and why. My favorite show was probably at the Rickshaw Stop in San Francisco last spring. It was part of my first tour and all my hometown friends and family were there to support me. I got to perform for old friends, and even my grandma was there — I gave her a shout out and she loved that and was waving to everyone from the back of the room.

8

Are you real? Ha—ha. That’s kind of a deep question. Yes, I think so. (At least I try to be).

Find Your Groove

Dempsey’s, on Petaluma’s riverfront, becomes a plant-based restaurant and a buzzy micro food hall opens its sixth location in Mill Valley. CHRISTINA MUELLER

Luma Bar & Eatery

EAT & DRINK

› Local Kitchens

Yes, there are plans in the works for another Marin loca tion but for now, Mill Valley will be the sixth location from the San Franciscobased company. The self-proclaimed micro food hall offers takeout and delivery from Bay Area restaurant brands, including Oren’s Hummus, The Melt, Sushirrito, Proposition Chicken, The Plant, Wise Sons and Fiorella. 741 E. Blithedale Ave, Mill Valley; 855.384.2868; localkitchens.com

› Luma Bar & Eatery

After a lengthy remodel of the former Dempsey’s space on Petaluma’s riverfront, an ingredient-driven, plant-based res taurant shaped by the Petaluma-area food shed is sched uled to open in late November. Along with a chef who is a former owner of Thistle Meats, Jazmine Lalicker hopes to change people’s minds about what it can mean to eat a plant-based diet without being vegan or vegetarian. 50 East Washington St, Petaluma; lumaeatery.com

PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER FODERA

Financial Empowerment Advocate, Social Activist

Sheila believes that financial empowerment equals freedom. Her career in finance, often as the only woman in the room (or trading desk for large NYSE companies), and her experience educating others have taught her that with the right guidance, everyone can achieve financial clarity and independence.

Sheila is also deeply connected to her community and a champion for local nonprofits. She is an advocate for women's rights and a leader in advancing financial literacy within the Bay Area.

The Kids Will Be Alright

As Mary Jane Burke prepares for her final day as Marin County Superintendent, she leaves behind a legacy of community collaboration and of always putting students’ needs first. BY LOTUS ABRAMS

You could say that the desire to work in education runs in outgoing Marin County Superintendent Mary Jane Burke’s blood. The oldest of eight children, Burke played a big role supporting her brothers and sisters, one of whom had learning di fferences. It was in large part because of her sister that, early on, Burke wanted to become a

special education teacher. She got the opportunity to work with special needs students soon after arriving at Dominican University of California in San Rafael, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in 1973 and a master’s degree in 1976. During that time, she began volunteering at Forest Meadows Development Center, a school on Dominican University’s campus for students ages 3 to 21 with special needs. She then went on to become an instructional aide at the school and eventually, the principal.

Burke then worked for the Marin County O ffice of Education in a variety of roles and departments, from special education to personnel, before making the decision in 1994 to run for Marin County superintendent of schools. For an impressive seven terms, Burke has run the

Marin County O ffice of Education and overseen the county’s 17 public school districts that serve more than 30,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Now, 50 years after she got her start working in education, Burke is preparing for her last official day in the office on December 2. We spoke to Burke about her inspiring career — a time during which she’s always strived to put kids’ need s fi rst.

Marin Magazine (MM): What’s changed since you were first elected as Marin County superintendent of schools?

Mary Jane Burke (MJB): A lot has stayed the same, but so much has changed, too. The part that's the same is, number one, there's no one right way to educate a student, and number two, our schools cannot do their jobs alone — it’s only possible as a result of the strong and highly effective partnerships that we have in our community that allow us to serve kids at the levels that we do.

On another level, everything has changed. When I started as super intendent, computers were just coming into play, and there have been a variety of different programs adopted to teach academic content. But also, academics are now as important to consider as social-emotional learning, and students’ basic needs have become the responsibility of our school setting, whether it’s ensuring access to food, healthcare or technology.

MM: What have been your proudest accomplishments during your seven terms in the role? MJB: I'm proud that during challenging times I was able to have the courage to do the right thing for our kids, like working with our amazing community of families and teachers to get students back to school at the beginning of Covid-19, and also, that I recognized from the beginning that schools can't do it alone. It's all about the relationships we have with other entities that act in support of our families and students. Another thing I'm proud of is everything we do is to ensure equitable access to needed services for all students.

MM: What do you recall as the biggest challenge you faced during your tenure? Has it been the ongoing pandemic? MJB: My work in the Sausalito Marin City School District when the Attorney General came into play was obviously a very big deal. It was the fi rst time in 50 years that a school district has had a desegregation order. More recently, the biggest

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challenge has been the pandemic. I came to realize that there are times when you need to lead differently. Sometimes, it’s unequivocally in a collaborative manner, waiting until every person is on board before you move forward. At other times, like the pandemic, it was clear that in order to get students back in school, par ticularly our students with learning differences who couldn’t access their education virtually, it was critical that I lead with the framing that the best thing for these students and their families is to get them in school, and we're going to do what we need to do in order to make sure that happens. Not everyone agreed, but I’m con fident that that was the right approach. We were the first in our state to be able to get our students back to school, and I'm so proud of our teaching staff nd school leaders who were willing to do what was needed.

MM: How did SchoolsRule–Marin start?

MJB: SchoolsRule is an amazing example of what can happen when an entire community puts their focus on all kids. It started with the unprecedented leadership of Trisha Garlock, the president of SchoolsRule, who was able to get the foundations in our county to galvanize on behalf of this effort. Venables Bell & Partners has developed the most provocative ads for the past 10 years pro bono that name the real issues we're dealing with. The Marin Community Foundation was the only funder at the beginning, and the Marin Independent Journal provided space for full-page ads.

In the beginning, we raised $20,000 — not even a dollar a kid. Now, 10 years in, we’ve raised close to $7 million. It’s distributed per student, so a ffluent districts with a small num ber of students receive a smaller amount and our largest districts with the most need get a larger amount.

MM: What led to your decision not to run for county superintendent again? MJB: I was on a hike with my partner, Mike, talking about work, and he said, “You just love this job, don't you?” And I said, “Honey I love it, and you can't even imag ine how inspiring this work is.” And he said, “Well that’s great, but don't you think it’s some one else’s turn?” Here we were on this hike, so I couldn’t go anywhere, and I thought, it's true. It's time for someone else to bring a new lens

and additional opportunities to this amazing organization, and I don’t want to be the person who holds on so tight at the expense of the chil dren, so as tough a decision as it was, I know it was absolutely the right decision.

MM: You’ve stressed that this is not “retirement.”

So, what’s next for you? MJB: My son said it best when I told him I wouldn’t be running again, “This is not the end of anything more than one chapter, and indeed, is an incredible opportunity to begin again.” I look forward to applying my skills to making the world a better place — and to assisting our communities. One thing I want to do is to continue to develop the SchoolsRule strategy so that it can move beyond Marin County to nationwide — it's that great.”

MM: Do you have any advice for incoming Marin County superintendent of schools John Carroll?

MJB: Never forget that the most precious resource of our community is our young people, and as decisions come forward, put the needs of our student s fi rst.

MM: What do you hope to leave as your legacy?

MJB: It’s a gift is to have strong relationships and partnerships, so there is never just one person who would get credit for accomplishments. Everything that I've accomplished is because of the opportunities I’ve had to interact and build relationships with other amazing people. I feel nothing but gratitude for this time.

Announcing the new SchoolsRule Equity in Education Fund in honor of Mary Jane Burke

Thank and honor Mary Jane for her 50 years of service to the children of Marin. For more information or to donate* visit us at: donationcenter.marincf.org/fund/34

*All donations, up to $150,000, will be matched by the Marin Community Foundation

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Deborah Hamon's “Truly Girls” series explores the construction of identity of girls. While not specific portraits, they’re universal portraits that explore ideas about identity development.

Hamon is fascinated by the way girls present themselves as they try to figure out who they are and who they will ultimately become — the process of self discovery is filled with contradictions — and tries to capture the moment when confidence and insecurity, innocence and knowledge all co-exist.

Stepping Up

BY KIRSTEN JONES NEFF

When filmmaker Emily Abt was growing up on the East Coast her mother ran for a local political office, twice, and both times she lost her race. But when Abt asked her mother if she was sad that she was not elected, her mother never expressed any regret. “The message was to go for your biggest dreams,” says Abt, who is currently making a feature fi lm about a young working mother who runs for office. “My mother’s message was also don’t be afraid to fail.”

This is the message Abt hopes will resonate with the women across the nation.

Her film, entitled Thirsty, is in the final phases of fundraising and pre-production. The script, written by Abt, tells the story of Audrey, a middle class working mother with young chil dren who decides to run for political office. “Audrey, the main character, is imperfect, the timing for her to run is imperfect and she does not have per fect support at home. But she is gutsy enough and determined enough to run anyway,” says Abt. “I want to inspire women to jump in and go for it, even if they don’t think they have a shot.”

Schools Board of Education, Lucia Martel Dow, candidate San Rafael City Schools Board of Education, Trustee Area 2, Terrie Harris-Green, running for Board of the Marin City Community Services District, Janelle Kellman, Mayor of Sausalito, Magali Limeta, running for Novato School Board Trustee Elect, Shelby Pasarell Tsai, Governing Member candi date, Reed Unified School District, Sally Wilkinson, Mayor of Belvedere, and Afsaneh Zolfaghari, Board Trustee, Reed Unified School District. Newson, the host and founder of an initiative called Level Up Marin, says her mission is to “level up” women’s representation in politics by bringing together female candidates, offering them exposure to voters, fundrais ing opportunities and mentorship by other women who have won races and are holding elected positions.

They say the thickest glass ceiling is often at home,” says Abt. I want women to see this film and think, well, if Audrey can do it, why can’t I?

Abt, who was a social worker before becoming a filmmaker, has directed both feature films and documentaries focusing on social justice issues. “I’ve learned that when it comes to social issue filmmaking, dramatic, sexy, character-driven stories are what reach audiences,” she says. “Otherwise, you are just preaching to the choir.” In Thirsty, Abt depicts a woman who does not have support from her hus band, and she decides to run anyway. “They say the thickest glass ceiling is often at home,” says Abt. “I want women to see this film and think, well, if Audrey can do it, why can’t I?”

In early September, Abt joined ten Marin County-based female candi dates and elected officials — women not unlike Audrey, the protagonist in her fi lm — at an event hosted by Belvedere resident Sally Nunn Newson. The speakers included Sara Aminzadeh, candidate for Assembly District 12, Cristine Soto DeBerry, who is running for re-election for Southern Marin Fire District Director, Gina Daly, Trustee for San Rafael City

“Women are 50% of the population, but only represent 28% of Congress and 31% of elected positions statewide. Women are persistently underrepre sented in politics, and I want to shake that up,” says Newson. “I have been asking, ‘how do we get women inspired to run for office?’ I held this first Level Up Marin event to get people involved before the November election, to give the community an opportunity to learn about both our local candidates and about the film Thirsty. I believe fi lm may be the best way to get the message that we need to run for political office and support women who run for office across.”

While Newson has launched Level Up Marin locally, national nonprofit organizations such as Emerge, which trains and recruits women who want to run for office, and Galvanize, which encourages women across the country to become politically engaged, have expanded their reach over the past six years. Many women who took offense at the language and perceived misogyny of former president Donald Trump caught on mic in a leaked 2005 video refer to themselves as part of “The Class of 2016,” meaning, that is the year they became politically active. Kathy Dennison began hosting political fundraisers at her home in Corte Madera that year and has now hosted or co-hosted over twenty events. She describes

Local women use their art forms and platforms to increase political participation.

the “Book Club” trend that several female congressional candidates from across the country have described. “According to candidates I have hosted, many women, especially older women in very traditional marriages, want to support political campaigns, but believe their husbands won’t approve. So they tell their husbands they are joining a ‘book club,’ and once a week they head offin the evening to phone bank or write postcards for the candidate they support,” says Dennison. “What we’ve heard from candidates is that there is a national sense of women dis covering their political power.”

Recently Dennison hosted Dr. Kim Schrier, a U.S. Representative from Washington State who was a practicing pediatrician with a young child when she received a life-changing call from her best friend. “Dr. Schrier’s best friend called her in 2016, knowing Dr. Schrier was considering running for office and would make an excellent candidate,” Dennison recounts. “The friend said, ‘If not you, then who? And If not now, when?’ and that was when Dr. Schrier put her hat in the ring. She won a seat in 2018 and is currently the only pro-choice doctor in Congress.”

Last June, when the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson decision overturned Roe v. Wade, voting registration records show that women became further engaged. According to nonpartisan voter registration data pub lished by the New York Times: The Upshot, the number of women registering to vote in

ten states (states that provide voter registration data) went up collectively by 35% in the month following the Supreme Court decision. In Kansas, more than 70% of newly registered voters were women in the week after the Dobbs decision, and this surge is widely associated with the August defeat of a referendum that would have ended abortion rights in the state. “We still don’t have gender parity in politics,” say s fi lmmaker Abt, “but women seem to understand that the time when men are making decisions about these very primal issues that a ffect women just has to end.”

Sausalito, art consultant and Upstart

Modern gallery owner Bettina Stiewe says she considered how she might use her exhibition space to become part of the political moment for several years. Then she joined a local group called Activate22, founded by Kent field resident Robin Sternberg. “Activate22 is focused on getting people to vote,” says Stiewe. “In 2020 we sent out something like 50,000 postcards encouraging people to vote.” Stiewe began to envision an Upstart Modern show centered “around feminine voices being heard and seen,” and when Roe v. Wade was overturned in June, it made the exhibit all the more timely. Resilience: A Visual Proclamation ran from September 14 to October 21, 2022, and featured the work of 30 female artists with, in Stiewe’s words, activated voices. The proceeds from the show went to the Center for Reproductive Rights, Rock the Vote organization, and Representative Josh Harder, an incumbent running in the Central Valley’s 10th congressional district (at the discretion of the buyer.) Stiewe, like other local women taking political action, has found that using her platform to elevate women’s voices helps her cope with the sense of urgency she feels leading up to the November midterms. “It feels good to be able to do something,” says Stiewe. “I am very concerned about where we are in our democracy. I believe what happens next in our country will be up to female voters, across the board.”

We still don’t have gender parity in politics,” says filmmaker Abt, “but women seem to understand that the time when men are making decisions about these very primal issues that affect women just has to end.

A Place To Be Understood

Wet Nose,

Warm Heart

BY KASIA PAWLOWSKA PHOTOS BY ELIZABETH NEEDHAM

Marin Humane’s programs help all living beings in the county.

It’s Monday evening, you’re driving home from work — driving is a generous way of putting it. Inching down the highway, you rest your screen-weary eyes for a moment before snapping to with a jolt. Another driver nearly slams into your car, trying to squeeze their way into the lane. You lay on your horn, they lay on their horn, your veins are ready to burst from the pressure. The sun disappears before the hills — it’s been “one of those days.”

Emotionally exhausted and resigned, you fi nish the commute in the dark and park in front of your home. In the window, there’s a set of bright, eager eyes, following your every move. Approaching the door, you hear frantic scrambling and thuds down the stairs. Swinging the door open you’re met with a hero’s welcome. Jumping, licking, a tail that’s on the verge of toppling pots. The day’s not a loss, after all.

Whether they’re scaled or furry, feathered or hairless, pets make a big di fference in our lives. Being a data-centric society, there are countless scienti fic studies shedding light on why humans develop such deep bonds with these creatures. Many of them deal with the act of petting lowering cortisol, the stress hormone, and forming bonds with our pets increasing oxytocin, the love hormone. There is no study explaining the dog mom and cat mom card section in stores around Mother’s Day, but its very existence is telling.

And in Marin County, you’d be hard pressed to fi nd a group that loves animals more than Marin Humane. The organization

— originally called the Marin County Humane Society — was formed in 1907 by San Anselmo-born Ethel H. Tompkins, who was concerned about the way lumber-hauling horses in the county were being treated. A renegade champion of all animals, Tompkins blocked roads to force livestock haulers to give care to the cows being trucked through Marin to the Central Valley on more than one occasion.

The group’s fi rst offices were in the Nevada Stables on Lincoln Avenue in San Rafael and remained there for twenty years, later moving to an old blacksmith shop on Third Street. An innovative, self-starter spirit was present from the start. Tompkins oversaw the renovation and expansion of the shelter, which included adding an animal hospital and covered kennels. During World War II, emergency plans for animals in the event of air raids or evacuations were created.

Years later, Marin Humane continues to expand on this work, and boasts a robust offering of programs, graciously funded by the community.

The exact time dogs and cats became domesticated isn’t certain. Many researchers speculate that cats were first domesticated in the Near East region (Western Asian countries including Turkey and Egypt) about 12,000 years ago. For dogs, some evidence points to more than 30,000 years ago, though a 2018 study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science con firms it was as early as 14,000 years ago. Two dogs had been buried with a man and a woman, and upon reexamining the evidence, scientists discovered that the younger dog was ill, and would have needed a significant

Pet Safety Net

in flation are all taking their toll, and forcing excruciating deci sions. In recent years, Marin Humane has seen more than a 30 percent increase in desperate calls from pet owners with urgent pleas for help. The Pet Care Assistance program, which has been providing pet food, supplies and veterinary assistance to lowincome seniors living in the county for over 35 years, is still heavily utilized, but the group felt more was needed.

In the summer of 2018, Marin Humane launched the Pet Safety Net program to ensure no one in the county had to choose between paying their bills, and providing their pet with adequate care. Seen a s a first step instead of a last resort, the program offers every kind of resource imaginable — funds for veterinary visits, vaccinations, nutri tious food, and other services to pets of residents who are struggling by creating a lifeline that con nects animals in need with vital services.

amount of care to stay alive — rebu ffing theories that our ances tors only used animals for tasks like hunting and herding.

The emotional bond with our pets being so deeply rooted is not surprising. It’s been proven that pets reduce stress, anxiety and depression, and help ease loneliness — which is related to a host of health problems ranging from heart disease to cognitive decline. So it’s also not surprising that as a society, we (myself included) sought to alleviate these symptoms and went on an adopting spree when the pandemic hit. According to the ASPCA, 23 million American households — about one in five — acquired a pet during the height of the Covid-19 crisis. In spite of sensational headlines, fear-mongering about shelters filling up, most adopters haven’t rehomed their pet. Approximately 90 percent of adopted dogs and 85 percent of adopted cats are still in their homes, and their own ers aren’t considering giving them up. However, it’s not always an option.

Marin is notorious for its wealth, but that doesn’t mean resi dents don’t struggle, and recent events have stretched vulnerable people to dire ends. Pandemic job losses, rising home prices, and

Debra Walker found herself in an especially challenging situation — homeless and ineligible for a shelter, due to her dog Bear lacking immuniza tions and being unlicensed. Through the help of the Pet Safety Net, Walker was able to get in with Bear. From there she continued her education and earned various certificates. These days, she lives on her own and works as an outreach case manager, helping get the word out about services offered to people in need. She can be found driving around with a car full of dog beds, collars and other items from Marin Humane, with her new rescue Bella. “In my time working I’ve never gotten a ‘no’ — Marin Humane grants all requests for supplies.”

Volunteers deliver pet food and supplies to people's homes and to area food banks, and regular "free clinics" are held throughout Marin including in Novato, San Rafael and Marin City. An unfor tunate runaway success, the program has tripled in size over the past couple of years. “In the first year, we helped 259 pet guard ians with 270 pets — some people have more than one animal,” says Lisa Bloch, Marin Humane’s Director of Marketing and Communications. She adds, “By 2021, we helped 1,302 pet guard ians with 1,424 pets — a big jump!”

The program focuses on preserving the bond between people and pets and gives participants access to a variety of other Marin Humane programs including behavior consultations, training classes, emergency boarding, and even housing security deposits to give pets the greatest chance of remaining with their guardians, and avoiding being sheltered. “It was especially helpful to have this set up during the pandemic,” says Bloch.

Pen Pals

Elizabeth Needham, a Connecticut transplant, worked in various fields throughout her life, but photography proved most reso nant. After having kids she operated a portrait studio, shooting primarily families in the pre-iPhone era. A lifelong animal lover, Needham started volunteering at the SF SPCA upon moving to Marin County, walking dogs, when she had her aha moment. As a professional photographer, she realized her skills could be a game changer for Marin Humane, and that high-quality photos of the animals might make their personalities come to life and help them get adopted. She did just that, and also learned about the group’s Pen Pals program at San Quentin State Prison.

Established in 2005, Pen Pals of San Quentin places dogs requiring longer-term foster with inmates who live in the prison firehouse, separate from the general population. The inmates, who are referred to as “handlers,” are specially-selected, nonviolent

offenders with no disciplinary issues. They are paired with dogs who have medical and behavioral issues — many are shut down and withdrawn — that have been given a second chance to get adopted. The handlers are with the dogs constantly and provide comprehensive care, including feeding, medicating, bathing, cleaning up after them, and teaching them basic obedience skills to make them adoptable. “ What I am personally most pleased about is how by adding photography, these very special relation ships between the inmates and animals can be open for all to see. Instead of just describing this wonderful program in words, now it can actually be felt," says Needham.

Dog ownership, while filled with many joys, is a big responsibil ity and Pen Pals gives inmates an opportunity to demonstrate this, and get rewarded for doing so. “Pen Pal handlers receive 10 days off their sentence for 52 hours of participation in the program. Since most handlers complete those 52 hours, it is estimated the total volunteer hours from the inmates is over 3,400,” says Bloch.

Needham has been visiting the prison since before the pan demic along with Chad Carlson, Marin Humane’s Pen Pals Coordinator who and carries out two-hour training sessions while she photographs. “The transformation you see is huge,” says Needham. “One of the dogs was so timid and scared. She’s much more relaxed now.” The connection between the inmates and the dogs, both who carry the stigma of being incarcerated/sheltered is a winning scenario, and it’s fair to say both parties are being rehabilitated in the process. The handlers learn about dog train ing, start learning to care for someone else again, and experience the love that dogs bring  — the dogs get a chance at life, sometimes not too far away. Throughout the course of the program, both cor rections officers and the handlers’ family members on the outside have adopted the dogs. To date, Pen Pals has paired 345 dogs and 66 handlers.

5

Marin Humane Fast Facts

1Marin Humane is an independent nonprofit that serves as the county's main animal shelter and as its animal care and animal services division.

2The county and all its cities contract with Marin Humane for services which include dog licensing, lost and found services, cruelty and neglect investigations, emergency pet boarding and wildlife rescue.

3Marin Humane has expertise in the field of animal disaster response and is able to deploy trained staff to other regions to help during disasters — which it has done several times.

4Full-time and part-time staff of 117 and more than 400 volunteers.

5Last year, more than 3,700 animals came through its doors, including dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, ham sters, rats, chickens, ducks and reptiles.

Highlights

In 1973, Marin Humane opened a spay and neuter clinic to the public, hoping to prevent more unwanted litters of puppies and kittens from being born. It was one of the fi rst in California and is supported by proceeds from the Marin Humane Thrift Shop in San Anselmo, which opened in 1961.

To help overcrowded and underfunded animal shelters, Marin Humane established a special animal transfer program.

Transferring animals from other shelters and rescues into its care became a win-win situation. Space is provided to help more animals, more animals are adopted out, and other shelters reduce their rate of euthanasia. Approximately 1,000 animals every year come through Marin Humane’s doors through this program.

A partnership with Marin Friends of Ferals, a local nonprofit organization, helps promote Trap, Neuter, and Return (TNR) efforts in the county. A special room on campus houses feral cats, and by working with responsible cat colony caregivers and offering TNR resources over the years, there has been a dramatic di fference in its own euthanasia numbers.

Through The Joe Willie Project, Marin Humane is able to place much older cats with ongoing health issues in adoptive homes and expand the “Career Cat” program for semiferal cats needing a job, catching rodents in barns or local warehouses. The Joe Willie Project also supports two full time cat behaviorists, allowing Marin Humane to work with cats with behavior challenges.

Behavior and Training

A nationally-recognized program, this fea tures classes ranging from Puppies 101 to Flyball to understanding cat language in addi tion to one-on-one behavior consultations.

Animal-Assisted Therapy

Specially-trained dogs (and one cat) and their human handlers are sent to hospitals, schools, senior facilities, and more. Most recently, dogs have been sent to schools in the wake of student tragedies and have proved very heal ing to students, helping them open up about their grief and fears. Under this area, Marin Humane also offers Compassion Corner, which invites people with intellectual and physical disabilities to come to the campus to spend time with our Animal Ambassadors.

Advocacy

Marin Humane is actively involved in animal welfare legislation on the local and national

fronts on issues ranging from the use of animals in circuses, to farm animal welfare to the use of rodenticide, to pet-friendly housing. Currently, Marin Humane is one of only a couple of humane organizations to be part of an amicus brief being argued in front of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Wildlife Rescue

Animal Services O fficers are highly trained in wildlife rescue and have rescued everything from deer to owls to otters and more. Most counties do not offer any wildlife rescue.

Humane Education for Youth

An important tenant at Marin Humane, the program includes presentations at schools, tours of the campus, after-school clubs, and summer camp. Combined with the AnimalAssisted Therapy program, it also facilitates opportunities for young readers to read to dogs at local libraries.

Most Common Household Toxins For Pets

Toxic To

Home FOR the Holidays

'Tis the season when college kids and twenty-somethings come back to Marin to spend time with their families and revisit their favorite restaurants, hikes and local memories. Here are a few recollections shared with us by the returnees and their parents. EDITED BY KASIA PAWLOWSKA

JONAS RICHARDS

DEBRA B. MILL VALLEY

First Food Stop: Hook Fish Co.

First Thing You do: Get a fish sandwich

Top Marin Takeout: Hook Fish Co.

Favorite Marin Coffee: Equator Proof Lab

Favorite Hike: Muir Beach Coastal Trail and Blackie’s Pasture

MCKENZIE C.

MILL VALLEY

High School Attended: Redwood

First Food Stop: Sol Food

First Thing You do: Go to Rodeo Beach with our dog

Top Marin Takeout: Sol Food, Cafe del Soul, Lucinda’s, Harmony, Thep Lela, Pig in a Pickle, Super Duper

Favorite Marin Coffee: Equator

Favorite Hike: Ring Mountain, Dawn Falls

Favorite place to meet up with friends:

Silver Peso or 2am Club

What did you take for granted in Marin?

Having everyone I love in one place

JACKSON W. MILL VALLEY

High School Attended: Tamalpais

First Food Stop: Grilly's

First Thing You do: Go on a hike in Tennessee Valley!

Top Marin Takeout: Stefano's Pizza, Sol Food, Lucinda's

Favorite Marin Coffee: Rustic Bakery on Magnolia

Favorite Hike: Tennessee Valley

Favorite place to meet up with friends: 2am Club

What did you miss most in Marin?

The nature and the trails

What did you take for granted in Marin?

The accessibility to the outdoors

SOPHIE Y.

FAIRFAX

High School Attended: Drake High School, now Archie Williams

First Food Stop: Sol Food

First Thing You do: Take our family dog for a walk!

Top Marin Takeout: Sushi 69

Favorite Marin Coffee: Equator Coffees, matcha latte (almost coffee!)

Favorite Hike: Bon Tempe Lake

SAM S. MILL VALLEY

High School Attended: Tamalpais

First Food Stop: Bayside Cafe

First Thing You do: Go surfing!

Top Marin Takeout: Amberjack Sushi

Favorite Marin Coffee: The Depot

Favorite Hike: Fire trail to Mountain Home Inn

Favorite place to meet up with friends: "The Deuce" (2am Club)

What did you miss most in Marin?

Being surrounded by nature all the time, and my dogs

What did you take for granted in Marin?

Good weather and the trees

GRACE T.

MILL VALLEY

High School Attended: Tamalpais

First Food Stop: Harmony

First Thing You do: Get food or go see friends

Top Marin Takeout: World Wrapps, Thep Lela

Favorite Marin Coffee: Equator

Favorite Hike: Marin Headlands

What did you miss most in Marin?

Outdoors and family

What did you take for granted in Marin? Outdoors and family

MAXIM G.

MILL VALLEY

High School Attended: Tamalpais

First Food Stop: Il Fornio

First Thing You do: Begin to prepare my outdoor gear for my next rock climbing adventure in Northern California

Top Marin Takeout: Thailand in Novato, Italian Delight sub sandwiches in Novato, Pearl Boba in Novato

Favorite Marin Coffee: Marvin's in Novato

Favorite Hike: Old Railroad Grade on Mt. Tam

Favorite place to meet up with friends: The Depot in downtown Mill Valley

What did you miss most in Marin?

The culinary diversity

What did you take for granted in Marin?

The simplicity of my teenage years

@MILLVALLEY2AMCLUB; EQUATOR COFEES.COM (LATTE); PEARLNOVATO1.COM (BOBA)

INsalata’s Mediterranean food. — CHRISTINE CARBONE

It’s still Sol Food for my kids! For a special family night out, it’s Marche aux Fleurs. — KIRSTIE ARMSTRONG MARTINELLI

Sol Food’s Cubano sandwich delivery for my college kids!

SHAWN MARSHALL

My daughter loves the cheese fondue at Left Bank, Sol Food, chicken Okasan at Comforts, and seared ahi salad at the Buckeye! — SUZIE MARCIANO

Sweet Things cupcakes! — SUSAN ETHRIDGE

You make me miss Tiburon and Marin! — STEPHANIE ZIEGLER

Avatar’s chicken “enchiladas.”

JEFF BURKHART

Every time my girls come home to visit we make a trek to Sushi to Dai For in San Rafael. It’s a must!

MICHELE GEOFFRION JOHNSON 2am Club! — LA LASSEK

My kids want Sol Food, Blue Barn, Mike’s Sourdough and Sakura Sushi when they come home. And of course, home cooked meals! — CHRISTINE COLLADAY

Tony Tutto Pizza in Ross. — BONNIE LAMMAR

My kids go straight to World Wrapps several times when home. We also have the dinner special at King of the Roll sushi a lot. — MISSY GRUBER ZECH

Avatar’s Marindian cuisine, especially the lamb and squash enchiladas, Sol Food, chicken; Osteria Divino, the chef’s pasta. LESLIE ALDEN

Cascade Falls.

CLAUDIA COWAN

first person

a daughter's JOURNEY

PNOC helps a Marin family through hard times

BY MICHAEL AND KELSEY GRADY

IT WAS A TYPICAL DAY IN MAY, THE THURSDAY BEFORE MEMORIAL DAY. Our family was looking forward to a fun holiday weekend. But it turned out the day wasn’t typical at all. We noticed Courtney — our precious 22-month-old daughter — was having trouble balancing and walking.

This was very disturbing behavior for our usually active girl who had hit all her milestones and seemed very healthy. We took her directly to her pediatrician. The doctor validated our parental instinct that something was very wrong and sent us to UCSF Benioff hildren's Hospital in San Francisco immediately.

person

The UCSF medical team rushed us to an MRI scan upon arrival at the emergency room. Just hours later we received the devastating news that our sweet baby girl had a large tumor on the her cerebellum. She was immediately checked into the ICU. What began as a typical day was suddenly an atypical nightmare and without question, the worst night of our lives. We both had so many questions, but very few answers.

There were so many unknowns. What type of brain tumor did Courtney have? Was it cancer? Was it operable? Would she need chemotherapy or radiation? Could the hydrocephalus (accumulation of brai n fluid) she had developed as a result of the tumor be treated? Would she survive?

We learned that brain tumors are very often hard to detect as the symptoms — especially in children — are more quickly attributed to more common ailments. We began to get some answers over the

following two weeks in the UCSF Pediatric Intensive Care Unit from an incredible team of doctors and nurses caring for our baby girl.

We were in shambles, but had to be strong for our daughter. We learned that you never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have, and the strongest of all was our Courtney.

It was all so unimaginable. We looked at our beautiful baby girl in a hospital bed with tubes and IVs all over her, facing a truly terrifying and intense surgery. As fellow parents can imagine, each of us would have done anything to trade places with her. But our primal inclinations to switch places were dispelled by the experienced caregivers around us, promising that children are incredibly resilient.

The words of the doctors and nurses surrounding us seemed validated by Courtney herself, who was shockingly calm. Somehow our beautiful girl, not yet 2 years old, knew that she was very sick, but recognized that we were all there to make her better.

Courtney with Pediatric Neuro-Oncologist, Dr. Sabine Mueller, at an MRI check up.

Just days later on June 1, 2021, Courtney underwent an eighthour surgery to remove the tumor performed by the amazing surgeons at UCSF, led by Dr. Nalin Gupta. It was the longest eight hours of our lives, but we will never forget Dr. Gupta looking at us both square in the eyes after the surgery and saying, "I got it all.”

The surgeons and oncologist told us that the tumor was a benign, slow-growing, Grade 1 Juvenile Pilocytic Astrocytoma. This meant while Courtney had the devastating diagnosis of a brain tumor, she was incredibly fortunate that the tumor was non-cancerous and potentially entirely curable with a successful surgery.

Thanks to the amazing care of our superhero doctors and nurses, Courtney quickly started to recover and we never left her side. We held her, sang to her, and told her she would very soon walk out of that hospital and then back into the front door of our home.

Our time in the PICU was full of our loving village — surrounded by family with support so that we could be with Courtney and that her brother, Conor, would be well cared for as well. Our family from Southern California (Courtney’s grandmother, aunt, and uncle) came to stay with us, and our local relatives (grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins) were also there around the clock. Neighbors dropped off ood for our family, treats to take with us to the hospital for the nurses and doctors, and presents for the kids to keep them occupied. We will never forget the tremendous generosity of our loved ones and will always be grateful.

While Courtney recovered at the hospital, a mother bird made a nest on our front-door wreath and soon laid her eggs. This beautiful natural sign of life, growth, health and family stability was magical.

The day they took her last IV out of Courtney's arm, she looked at us, sighed a sound of relief, then quietly fell asleep. She knew she had conquered and overcome that awful tumor that had no place in her small body and was ready to get some rest. And the next day, Courtney walked out of the hospital on her own.

Over a year later, Courtney is thriving. She is attending preschool, tumbling classes, riding her scooter, and talking nonstop… nonstop. She is doing all the wonderful things a three year-old girl should be doing and we are not taking a single one of those “little things” for granted. Our family is getting back to normal with an even deeper appreciation of life and health. We continue to work closely with the pediatric neuro-oncology team at UCSF to monitor Courtney’s health.

Shortly after Courtney’s recovery, we came across an advertisement in Marin Magazine for the PNOC Foundation (The Paci fic Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Consortium Foundation), a leading nonprofit supporting pediatric brain cancer research led by many of the doctors who cared for Courtney, including Dr. Gupta and Dr. Sabine Mueller. We were happily surprised to learn the organization was started by a fellow Marin family whose son had overcome brain cancer. Like the baby birds in our front door wreath, this felt like yet another huge sign — we have always believed that causes fi nd you and not the other way around.

We will always be indebted to the medical community that saved Courtney. We are now volunteering with the PNOC Foundation,

actively fundraising to support a global consortium of doctors working relentlessly on advancements in childhood brain cancer research and clinical trials.

Pediatric brain cancer is the deadliest form of cancer in children. We were surprised to learn childhood brain cancer is unlike that in adults and a disproportionately low amount of federal funding goes to research speci fic to children. Children’s brain tumors require speci fic research and di fferent treatments. Every year more than 4,800 children are diagnosed each year with brain cancer or a tumor, of whom more than 500 will die in the US alone and nearly 30,000 children are living with a brain tumor today. More than 47,000 years of life is lost to pediatric brain cancer annually.

We share our story to offer support and hope to other families who were confronted with a day that likely began as a typical day, but ended very di fferently. Together we are fighting pediatric brain cancer and tumors, and raising awareness of the shockingly underfunded efforts of the medical community working tirelessly to fi nd new treatments, better patient outcomes, and, hopefully one day soon, a cure.

To all who will hopefully never experience such an atypical day, we offer our advice to hug your loved ones and please contribute to the PNOC Foundation or another charity that moves you if you are able. Life is precious. And a healthy child is the most precious of all.

Courtney walking out of the hospital like we told her she would

c foodomfortthat feedssoulthe

Michael Siegel

FLOODWATER

What’s your go-to comfort food?

Indian food. Potato samosa with a spicy-sweet tamarind chutney. I have a friend that makes a wonderful spicy lemon pickle that I crave.

What food reminds you of childhood — do you have a specific memory that comes to mind?

My mom’s chocolate cake. We only got this cake when it was one of our birthdays. It was always such a special day because of it. It’s still the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had.

Could you share a favorite recipe or some kitchen tricks for our readers?

I don’t boil my hard boiled or 6 min eggs. I steam them. The heat is even and you can time it more accurately. For hard “boiled” I steam for 13 min — depending on the size of the eggs — and then move them to an ice bath. They also peel easier this way as I have found.

What about working in this industry is special or important to you?

Working with food and cooking for people has always been my dream and goal. I’m just lucky enough to live where I do and have access to the ingredi ents that California has to offer.

It’s Chopped time — what would you do with these three ingredients: apples, cauliflower, jalapeño.

Whether it’s good old mashed potatoes or a full-bodied tom kha soup, comfort food is truly mending. Here, some of the county’s top chefs weigh in on their favorites, share kitchen hacks and recipe tips.

Cauliflower “latke” with a grilled jalapeño apple butter.

Donna Seymour

CUCINA S|A

What’s your go-to comfort food?

My go-to comfort food is a pasta dish that I read about years ago in a Bon Appetit article about Rome. I’ve lost the recipe many years ago, but it always goes something like this: cook a short pasta — penne, rigatoni, or a shape — and as it cooks, sautée garlic with olive oil and chopped fresh tomatoes. Add lemon zest, and fresh calamari if available, otherwise prawns. Then capers, toast pines, fresh basil, and fresh parmesan. I’ve made it dozens of times!

What food reminds you of childhood — do you have a specific memory that comes to mind?

Duck reminds me of childhood, because my dad went duck hunting, and we loved it. Wild duck is very different than raised duck — gamier and leaner, so you have to cook it rare.

Could you share a favorite recipe or some kitchen tricks for our readers?

Always use fresh garlic. The peeled kind you can buy in the grocery store has no flavor and a bitter taste because they dip it in bleach. And never chopped garlic in a jar — the worst!

What about working in this industry is special or important to you?

It truly connects you to people. You are taking care of someone and feeding them, what could be a kinder gesture than that?

It’s Chopped time — what would you do with these three ingredients: apples, cauliflower, jalapeño.

I would brine and pan sear a pork chop, and make an apple chutney with jalapeño and onions and golden raisins. Served with a cauliflower sformato — basically a cauliflower flan baked with parmesan and eggs.

Erin Miwa

COMFORTS

What’s your go-to comfort food?

My go-to comfort food will always be my dad’s roast chicken with gravy and rice (Japanese rice!).

What food reminds you of childhood — do you have a specific memory that comes to mind?

I grew up in a Japanese-American household where there was always rice on the kitchen counter. Probably the most nostalgic dish for me is what my dad would call “sato shoyu egg” over rice. Eggs are scrambled with about a half a teaspoon of sugar and splash of soy sauce, and served over rice. I still make it when I need a quick dinner! Sometimes I’ll add ground beef, or roast chicken and scallions to make it heartier. It always reminds me of my childhood.

Could you share a favorite recipe or some kitchen tricks for our readers?

Cook and eat seasonally. Not only does it lessen the impact of our carbon footprint, it’s better for your budget and health, because you’re eating foods that are picked at their prime, and are naturally delicious and nutritious.

What about working in this industry is special or important to you?

My parents opened Comforts when I was seven, so I grew up in the restaurant.

I’ve observed over the years how the act of serving food has a great impact on our community. To think that our humble fam ily salad — the Chinese chicken salad — has made its way to the tables of thou sands of graduations, baptisms and birthdays, is just incredible to me. Food brings people together. It can bring happiness. That’s what I love the most.

It’s Chopped time — what would you do with these three ingredients: apples, cauliflower, jalapeño.

Let’s see, I think I’d do a riff on a fried cauliflower cake that we make some times. I’d make a curried cauliflower and potato cake and top it with an apple-jalapeño salsa and lime crema.

Roland Passot

LEFT BANK BRASSERIE

What’s your go-to comfort food?

Obviously on a beautiful fall day, it has to be a good beef bourguignon a la Julia Child, paired with a Beaujolais Morgan.

What food reminds you of childhood — do you have a specific memory that comes to mind?

A good roast chicken with a gratin dauphinois. In France, a roast chicken was always reserved for a special Sunday meal after church, and there’s nothing better than a good potato gratin with lots of cream and thyme.

Could you share a favorite recipe or some kitchen tricks for our readers?

Add fresh herbs to any dish: a salad, soup, or even a stew. They always elevate the flavors. A favorite recipe at home is Pernod shrimp. Sauté garlic, shallots, and shrimp with shells in olive oil and then deglaze with Pernod. Serve with a salad, pasta, or rice. And of course, add fresh cilantro, basil, or parsley to increase the flavors.

What about working in this industry is special or important to you?

Although the hours are long and the salaries are not up to par with other professions, working in the food and dining industry crosses all genders, cultures, and politics. I have been honored to meet, serve, and dine with some of the most kind, interesting people here at my home in Marin, La Folie in San Francisco, and all our Vine Hospital ity restaurants: Left Bank, LB Steak, Meso, and now Petite Left Bank in the Bay Area.

It’s Chopped time — what would you do with these three ingredients: apples, cauliflower, jalapeño.

All of these ingredients are perfect to pickle and serve with a roast pork loin.

Sheryl Cahill

STATION HOUSE CAFE

What’s your go-to comfort food?

It’s turkey black bean chili — any time, any day. When I’m needing a little pick-me-up I go for a cup of chili at Station House Cafe. It’s fast, wholesome and delicious. When I’m out and about, without the luxury of my own restaurant kitchen, I head straight for the nearest taco truck.

What food reminds you of childhood — do you have a specific memory that comes to mind?

My first restaurant memory is of the apple fritters from a long-gone institution in my home town of Arcata. The Big Four (1922-1972) was a family-style Italian restaurant where we would go for a special treat of ravioli and apple fritters. This is exactly why we have apple fritters on the menu at Side Street Kitchen. I wanted to recreate that wonderful restaurant memory for generations to come.

Could you share a favorite recipe or some kitchen tricks for our readers?

Eating what we can grow in our backyard garden at home. When my kids were growing up, they called this “garden supper.” With fresh and delicious ingredients, the best trick is to keep it simple and taste the summer.

What about working in this industry is special or important to you?

This industry is wonderful, truly — every day is a new adventure. I love hospitality as a way of life. It starts with how we treat each other and our staff and extends to how we welcome our guests to create a wonderful dining experience. I’d say it’s a kind of “love language” and the dynamic is so rewarding. I’ve also had the privilege of giving many, many kids their first job. Teaching young people how to work is an opportunity to touch their lives in a lasting and positive way. It matters and I love it!

It’s Chopped time — what would you do with these three ingredients: apples, cauliflower, jalapeño.

As much as I’d like to make a ja lapeno margarita and mix the other two ingredients, I’m quite sure you’d like me to combine all three. We’ll need some thing savory to bring them all together — roast the cauli flower with EVOO, sauté jalapeno with diced apple and bacon, and toss it together with wild rice and endive for a warm winter salad.

(JACKIE

Jackie Suthon

THE BAAN THAI CUISINE

What’s your go-to comfort food?

My comfort go-to food is very simple and super healthy. That would be fresh rolls with our secret peanut sauce.

What food reminds you of childhood — do you have a specific memory that comes to mind?

When I was a kid, my parents would take me up to the mountains and we would always bring our own food and picnic. Chicken satay stands out — the tenderness with peanut sauce, I serve the one that tastes the same at The Baan Thai Cuisine.

Could you share a favorite recipe or some kitchen tricks for our readers?

Cooking from my experience is about heating and timing. You have to be aware of both all the time to create good food.

What about working in this industry is special or important to you?

Working in food industry is hard, because everything you do af fects people’s health. We also care not just what is in the dishes or container, but also the container itself, all our containers are compostable. We are here not just for business, we’re here for people and community.

Paulino Monterroso

SALT & PEPPER

What’s your go-to comfort food?

My go-to comfort food that kicks starts my day to serve my customers is a soft and fluffy omelette filled with bacon, tomato, and cheddar cheese.

What food reminds you of childhood — do you have a specific memory that comes to mind?

A savory beef stew. Picking vegetables from my garden, bringing home fresh meat from the butcher and then serving it to my family on Sunday nights.

Could you share a favorite recipe or some kitchen tricks for our readers?

I love knowing that I provide my customers with a family-like environment where delicious, savory, and comforting food is served. It’s rewarding seeing happy customers leave with their stomachs full. I also feel blessed to have such a wonderful, hardworking staff here that enjoys serving our customers.

It’s Chopped time — what would you do with these three ingredients: apples, cauliflower, jalapeño.

Spicy Cauliflower Jalapeño Soup

Ingredients

5 Tbsp olive oil

1 cauliflower (chopped)

1 Fuji apple (chopped)

½ onion (chopped)

1 Tbsp minced garlic

½ cup white wine

1 Tbsp fresh thyme

1 Tbsp white pepper

1 Tbsp salt

6 cups chicken stock

1 jalapeño (seeded)

Preparation

1 Sauté cauliflower, fuji apple, onion, and garlic in 2 Tbsp of olive oil for 5 minutes on medium heat.

2 Add white wine and sauté for another 3 minutes.

3 Add thyme, white pepper, salt, and chicken stock into the mixture.

4 Cook for 15 minutes.

5 Blend the mixture until pureed (taste for extra salt).

Jalapeño Oil

1 Blend 3 Tbsp of olive oil and the jalapeño.

2 Use for garnish on top of the soup.

JASON

Side Street Kitchen

Aaron Wright, Executive Chef

Chef Aaron Wright’s career began with a critically-acclaimed head chef position at Canlis (Seattle) and wound its way to Point Reyes Station, where he oversees culinary operations at both Station House Cafe and its “little sister” Side Street Kitchen. Located on the renovated site of a former truck stop and diner, Side Street Kitchen, a casual and modern rotisserie, opened in 2017. It is a counter-service spot with friendly staff and fresh, wholesome food. Chef Aaron’s menu features vegan, vegetarian and glutenfree fare as well as slow-roasted meats and house-smoked oysters.

Come for the rotisserie chicken, stay for his famous butterscotch pudding or apple fritters!

60 Fourth Street, Point Reyes Station 415.663.0303, sidestreet-prs.com

Station House Cafe

Sheryl Cahill, Proprietor

Located in downtown Point Reyes Station, this local institution is a West Marin classic celebrating 58 consecutive years of service for the community and Point Reyes National Seashore visitors alike. Enjoy classic cocktails, local seafood and the iconic popovers, beloved by generations of Marinites since 1964.

Executive Chef Aaron Wright leads a veteran team of culinary professionals with the goal of maintaining the historical character and traditions of Station House, while also working with local farmers to introduce rotating seasonal selections of farm-to-table specials.

Main Street, Point Reyes Station 415.663.1515, stationhousecafe.com

DEBBIE WILSON (CAHILL & WRIGHT)

Perry’s on Magnolia Perry Butler, Owner

Perry’s on Magnolia opened in Larkspur in 2015, in the historic Lark Creek Inn building originally built in 1888. Perry’s brought its hallmarks to Marin County: the classic American menu, a bustling bar, and the warmth and personality for which Perry’s has always been known.

Nestled among the Redwood trees and along the bank of the Arroyo Holon Creek, Perry’s on Magnolia features a variety of dining spaces. Outdoor options include the heated Patio, the Redwood Grove, Upper Terrace and the front Garden. The interior features the Murphy Room set

in the original building, the Garden Room adjacent to the lively bar area and the substantial bar itself.

Perry’s is open for Dinner seven days a week starting at 3pm, for Lunch Friday at 11am, Brunch Saturday at 11am and Sunday at 10am. Please call or visit our website for reservations. We hope to see you soon!

234 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur 415.927.1877, perryssf.com

RESTAURANT PROFILES

Cafe del Soul

Chyna Kennedy Honey and Reggie Hunter, Partners

Since 2004, Chyna and Reggie have worked together serving quality, organic ingredients in an award-winning, one-of-a-kind quick-serve menu. She is the founder and visionary and he is the master of daily operations. Together, with the help of an exceptional team, they operate two locations in California and co-own a location in Florida.

247 Shoreline Hwy, Mill Valley 415.388.1852 1408 4th Street, San Rafael 415.457.5400 cafedelsoul.net

Cafe Arrivederci

Tito Viera, Executive Chef

Cafe Arrivederci has been located in the heart of San Rafael for the past 27 years. Chef Tito is proud to serve fresh homemade pastas and dishes from all over Italy. Visit the expansive dining room, full bar, garden patio and private rooms for parties and events. Call now to reserve brunch, lunch or dinner. They look forward to seeing you soon.

11 G Street, San Rafael 415.453.6427 cafearrivederci.com

Valenti & Co

Chef Valenti and Maitre’d Cristiano

Guided by legendary chef Valenti and Maitre d’ Cristiano, Valenti & Co. has been serving farmfresh Italian cuisine to discerning downtown San Anselmo diners for over ten years. Remarkable fresh ingredients and skilled execution keep the kitchen in sharp focus here.

Sit at the sidewalk tables or at the curved marble bar and be instantly transported to Northern Italy, or for an added treat sit at the chef’s tables overlooking the kitchen to learn a culinary trick or two. In the dining room, service is gracious, attentive and expertly engaged. The wine list has numerous small label gems to be deliciously discovered and paired with the Italian inspired menu. Reservations recommended

337 San Anselmo Ave, San Anselmo 415.454.7800, valentico.com

Piatti

Reintroducing Mill Valley’s Italian Mainstay

Piatti, the celebrated Italian eatery with longstanding roots in Marin County, welcomes guests back to their Mill Valley location with a full dining room remodel and refreshed offerings. The space features authentic Venetian plaster walls, regal leather, bold colors, rich, modern walnut and brass finishes that are an elegant nod to its authentic Italian heritage. A central bar and fireplace lounge for lively, indoor dining, while the outdoor patio provides an al fresco experience featuring some of Marin’s most iconic views. Open daily for lunch and dinner, the menu spotlights house-made pastas made by hand each day, a classic

cocktail program and refreshed wine list. Additionally, the neighborhood restaurant has launched Piatti Provisions, a to-go counter and retail experience allowing the purchase of artisanally crafted, house-made products such as signature sauces and fresh pasta, as well as signature dipping oil and wine. With resplendent ambiance, menu offerings, and a retail program, Piatti continues to provide guests with an exquisitely comforting dining experience.

625 Redwood Hwy, Mill Valley 415.380.2525, millvalley.piatti.com

RESTAURANT PROFILES

Left Bank Brasserie

Roland Passot, Founder and Chef-Propriétaire

Left Bank Brasserie is an authentic Parisian-style brasserie by Chef Roland Passot. Step into a vibrant atmosphere that captures the charm of traditional brasseries and iconic alfresco dining of France. An allday menu features French cuisine utilizing seasonal, local, and organic ingredients, along with an extensive cocktail menu, beer options, and an expertly-curated wine selection.

507 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur 415.927.3331, leftbank.com

Petite Left Bank

Roland Passot, Founder and Chef-Propriétaire

Petite Left Bank is a traditional French café and bistro by Chef Roland Passot. Offering coffee and pastries in the morning, with an all-day menu featuring bistro highlights with French recipes and classics. A notable wine list, artisan craft cocktail menu, and spirit-free beverages round out the lively and exciting experience.

1696 Tiburon Blvd, Belvedere Tiburon 415.910.1010, petiteleftbank.com

Poggio Trattoria

Benjamin Balesteri, Executive Chef

Poggio is a classic Italian trattoria with comfortable neighborhood charm and destination-caliber cuisine. Executive Chef Benjamin Balesteri sources local ingredients from the best purveyors and highlights these quality products in the daily changing menu. Chef Balesteri offers a menu that features soulful classics of Northern Italy including a variety of antipasti, house-made pasta, spit-roasted meats, and wood-fired pizzas. He often catches the fresh fish served at Poggio with daily specials that include line-caught local salmon, tuna, and halibut. The notable wine list emphasizes vintages from Italy and Northern California along with a unique selection of hard-to-find vintages of some of the most soughtafter varietals in the world. Poggio is open seven days a week offering breakfast, lunch and dinner, a full bar, and ample private dining rooms for special celebrations. In 2022, Poggio was voted best Italian Restaurant in Marin Magazine’s Best of the County, and the restaurant will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2023.

777 Bridgeway, Sausalito 415.332.7771, poggiotrattoria.com

Cucina s|a Donna Seymour, Owner

Cucina s|a is a friendly neighborhood spot that has been satisfying diners for over 24 years. Owner Donna Seymour recently added a parklet and expanded the space to include a full bar with a selection of spirits and craft cocktails. These new offerings complement award-winning dishes cooked in a wood-fired oven and the seasonal, organicfocused menu showcasing Southern and Central Italian cuisine.

Chef Roberto Avila brings fresh spins on classic dishes like goat cheese and fig salad and brined and braised pork chop with red cabbage and smoked pineapple chutney.

510 San Anselmo Ave, San Anselmo 415.454.2942, cucina-sa.com

The Baan Thai Cuisine Jukreewat Suthon, Owner

Voted “Best Thai in Marin,” for Best of the County 2022, The Baan Thai Cuisine has been serving fresh, local, and seasonal food to Marin County residents with love and care since 2020. Owner Jackie and the team have been working hard to create the best Thai food in the county. They not only care about what is in their dishes, but about the containers that they go into — here containers are all compostable.

Enjoy the house special “Tom Yum Beer,” a perfect union of lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and galangal that results in a bright, crisp, and zesty brew. Complex and thirst-quenching, it pairs excellently with Thai dishes with an unparalleled ability to cut through spices and heat. Make your reservation today.

726 San Anselmo Ave, San Anselmo 415.457.9470, thebaanthaicuisine.com

RESTAURANT

Salt & Pepper

Paulino Monterroso, Owner

Salt & Pepper provides comfortable indoor and outdoor neighborhood dining, nestled in the heart of downtown Tiburon. Come enjoy the tranquil atmosphere and excellent service of this popular spot, which serves familiar American fare seven days a week, including breakfast, lunch and dinner.

38 Main Street, Tiburon 415.435.3594 , saltandpeppertiburon.com

Cafe Zoetrope

Cafe Zoetrope Lidia Valledor, Director of Food and Beverage

Located in the historic Sentinel Building in the heart of North Beach, Café Zoetrope offers authentic Italian cuisine that honors the ingredients in every dish; each is homemade, with no pretense. Begin your evening in a relaxing atmosphere – sip a classic martini made with Francis Ford Coppola’s Countess Walewska vodka before enjoying one of their delicious dishes, such as the chicken cacciatore, spaghetti and meatballs or an authentic muffuletta, complete with housemade bread. 916 Kearny Street, San Francisco 415.291.1700, cafezoetrope.com

The Caprice

Did you know that San Francisco’s most romantic restaurant hideaway is in Tiburon?

On any given day, guests can watch the sunset over the Bay, with its breathtaking views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Angel Island with the fog rolling in, the city lights sparkling in the distance. It’s a recipe for romance that cannot be replicated anywhere.

Enjoy a spicy Margarita with the fresh lemon abalone Dore, or sizzling prime ribeye steak with a pickle martini.

Now under new ownership, this recently renovated mid-century, contemporary chic establishment captures romance and the water views like no other restaurant.

Dinner Mon-Sun 5-8

Lunch/brunch Fri-Sat-Sun 12-4 Evening Valet Parking

2000 Paradise Drive, Tiburon 415.435.3400, thecaprice.com

Floodwater

Michael Siegel, Executive Chef, Bill Higgins, Jim Whaley, Director of Operations

EAT. DRINK. PARTY. You have to check out FLOODWATER — and if you already have, then you know how much fun it is! Conveniently located at 152 Shoreline Highway, right off 101 at the Stinson Beach / Mill Valley exit, there are five distinct areas to enjoy: the huge barroom, the den, the boardroom, the game room with pool table and shuffleboard, as well as the outside patio! An entertainment complex in its own right, FLOODWATER features 13 giant HD TVs showing all major (and minor) sports, award shows, news and special interests. Enjoy the energy in their socially vibrant atmosphere, with uniquely

crafted cocktails, a menu featuring Californian cookery, exotic appetizers, organic salads, dazzling sandwiches, wood-fired pizza and irresistible desserts all served with professional and friendly service. Also, FLOODWATER is the ideal choice for your upcoming special occasion. Be it an event viewing, cocktail party, celebration or business meeting. No matter what size and type of event you are planning, FLOODWATER has you covered.

152 Shoreline Hwy, Mill Valley 415.843.4545, floodwatermv.com

RESTAURANT

Comforts

Glenn, Laura, Erin and Quinn Miwa, Owners

Consistently voted “Best of the County”, Comforts offers fine city and homestyle food, featuring seasonal, local and organic ingredients. Celebrating its 36th anniversary this year, Comforts continues to be familyrun (second generation!). While the take-out department has focused on family meals and easy grab and go salads the past couple of years, there is a plan to expand their offerings in the near future! Stay tuned!

The sit-down restaurant is a fantastic onestop shop, offering breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even fantastic gift items from their marketplace. And with the holidays fast approaching, you can enjoy easy, delicious and comforting holiday dinners at home! Visit our website for our special holiday offerings.

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

Creekside Pizza & Taproom

Janet Abrahamson and Pat Townsley, Co-Owners

Celebrating five years of excellence and community service, Creekside Pizza & Taproom invites you to enjoy award-winning pizzas, chef-built salads, hearty sandwiches and pastas. Creekside’s daily happy hour features Marin’s best craft beer selection on tap plus a curated California wine selection. Full service indoor dining is available seven days a week in the heart of Marin: San Anselmo. A memorable Creekside experience is made possible by a dedicated and passionate crew, committed to quality preparation, comfortable accommodations and personable attention to detail. Make your reservation today, or order online. “Our gratitude goes out to our staff, our community and all of our guests for five fantastic years. We look forward to your next visit.” — Janet Abrahamson and Pat Townsley.

Photo: Bennett Hamer

638 San Anselmo Ave, San Anselmo 415.785.4450, www.CreeksideSA.com

AFICI

Eric Upper, Chef

Conceptualized by Chef Eric Upper, AFICI features contemporary American cuisine in a fine dining, yet approachable space. The multiple course menu showcases Italian and French flavors and techniques while highlighting local, seasonal ingredients alongside some of the best products from around the globe. As an aficionado of handmade pastas, whole-animal utilization and house-made charcuterie, Chef Eric’s culinary journey culminates at AFICI.

The staff provide unparalleled service with seasoned expertise while maintaining a warm approach, befitting the restaurant’s inviting atmosphere. Whether you choose AFICI for special occasions or a culinary adventure, your experience will illustrate how elegance can derive from refined simplicity.

680 Folsom Street, San Francisco 415.537.1111, aficisf.com

RESTAURANT

URCHIN,

BY MELANIE HAIKEN

IT’S JUST PAST DAWN AND ONE of the lowest tides of the summer, just days before the solstice, when I look down from the balcony of my room at Little River Inn and notice the cars pulling into the parking lot at Van Damme Beach on the Mendocino Coast. Soon groups of people begin spreading out across the reefs, some venturing thigh-deep in the waves. They’re garbed in thick, elbow-length rubber gloves, fishing-style waders or wetsuits, and tall rubber boots, and many carry tools for prying — crowbars, paint scrapers, even spatulas. And everywhere there are buckets, big tall buckets, fi lling fast as the waders bend and straighten like bobbing birds. The catch: purple sea urchin, which have seen a 10,000-per cent population explosion in waters warmed by climate change and which

now blanket reefs up and down the West Coast from Mexico to Alaska. Without the star fish that once slowed their intrusion, particularly the sun flower sea star, the voracious spine-covered creatures maraud across the reefs, leaving behind moon scapes so desolate that they’ve earned the name “urchin barrens.”

If you’ve gone tide pooling recently in Bolinas, Point Reyes, Bodega, or anywhere else on the northern California coast, you’ve likely seen the damage for your self. All but gone are the brilliant gold and fuchsia star fish and their all-important cousins, the sun flower sea stars, dead from a wasting disease linked with waters warmed by climate change. Gone too are 93 percent of the west coast’s once-lush kelp forests, and the abalone that rely on them — California’s abalone fisheries closed in 2017 and will remain closed until at least 2026, leaving divers unemployed and restaurant menus wanting. Purple sea urchins have even driven out their cousins, the red urchin that’s a staple of Japanese cuisine, taking them off he menu as well. “It all happened so fast — in 2008 it was great and by 2015 it was all gone. I get a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach when I go over one of these barrens and there’s just noth ing there,” says Sheila Semans, Executive Director of the Noyo Center for Marine Science. “We’re a community that’s tied to the ocean, and it’s been devastating,”

But what if those same restaurants began serving purple urchin instead? And what if, thanks to the creativity of some of the north coast’s top chefs, discerning food-lovers discovered the flavorful potential of Strongylocentrotus purpuratus and the popularity spread, bringing the power of the market to clear the reefs? That’s the thought that inspired an unusual coalition of marine biologists, environmen talists, commercial divers, and chefs to create the fi rst annual Urchin Festival, held in June 2022, with a repeat already planned for 2023. The successful event, organized by the Mendocino Area Parks Association, or MendoParks, brought hundreds of visitors to the Mendocino coast to eat delicious urchin-centered meals while learning about the unfolding ecological disaster.

“We want people to understand what’s at stake,” says Cally Dym, fi fth-generation owner of The Little River Inn, who is on the board of the Mendocino Area Parks Association. “People call them zombie urchins because even after they’ve eaten all the kelp, they can go dor mant and live for 80 to 100 years. If the cockroaches are going to inherit the earth, it’s the urchins that are going to inherit the sea.”

If I had any doubts about the potential of purple sea urchin to become the next seafood fad, they were put to rest sampling the urchin dishes prepared at UrchinFest, as locals call it, by Mendocino’s top chefs. At

Harbor House

Chef Matthew Kammerer of doubleMichelin-starred Harbor House in Elk.

M ELANIE HAIKEN (ALL)

Harbor House in Elk, Matthew Kammerer demonstrates the commitment to hyper-local ingredients that earned him two Michelin stars in 2021 by incorporating purple urchin and its larger red urchin cousin into dishes like a Japanese-style savory egg custard, a risotto, a sauce topping grilled maitake mushrooms, and even candied as a topping for ice cream.

At nearby Elk Cove Inn, Executive Chef Victor Passalacqua incorporates purple urchin gathered on the inn’s own local beach into sauces topping rock fish, crab and butternut squash ravioli, and butter-fried brioche. Among the other leaders of the urchin dining movement are Jason Azevedo of Little River Inn, Aaron Koseba of SingleThread, and David Hopps of Izakaya Gama in Point Arena.

“We have this sustainable seafood abun dance, and it’s something we should be harvesting,” Kammerer says. “It’s a tide pool in a bowl. No one else can make it, it’s all here.”

UrchinFest attendees also learned the basics of urchin preparation, watching dem onstrators crack open the spiny shells and extract the delicate orange roe. None of this was news to the many groups of urchin foragers I found already loading buckets of urchin into the backs of their cars out in the parking lot. “People don’t know what they’re missing until they’ve tasted it, and then once you do you keep coming back for more,” says one enthusiastic young forager from San Jose, who preferred to remain anonymous, as her friends chimed in with tales of their uni initiation. “It’s intimidat ing at first, but once you learn how to do it you just keep looking for new recipes and trying new things.”

While hopes are high that enthusiastic foodies will become a force in urchin removal, it will require work on a much larger scale to save California’s kelp forests and restore the reefs. To that end, a coalition of environmental organizations including Reef Check Worldwide, The Nature Conservancy, Noyo Center for Marine Science, and the Watermen’s Alliance, which represents commercial abalone and urchin divers, came up with a plan to study the effects of large-scale urchin removal. “We got the idea, can we pay out-of-work divers to make a zone completely cleared of urchin and see what happens?” says Semans.

The results were impressive. In two years, divers removed 50,000 pounds of urchin from two designated restoration sites. And within just two years, according to a report released in June by the Ocean Protection Council, the kelp forests in the cleared areas returned to 20 percent of their original density — while surrounding areas remained barren.

Given this knowledge, local divers — including many from Marin — are extending reef clearing efforts on an informal basis, coming together

for informal weekend-long “urchin crushes” in which they bring in as many of the as they can, smashing them to save time and the effort of hauling them away.

Formal efforts are also gaining momentum. The Greater Farallones Association (GFA) recently received $2.6 million in funding from federal and state agencies for kelp restoration and has embarked on a slew of projects in partnership with the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary (GFNMS). Projects include outplanting new stands of bull kelp in Drake’s Bay and urchin removal along the Sonoma Coast. “Other than ocean conditions, urchins are the most signi ficant stressor preventing kelp forest growth,” says Rietta Hohman, Kelp Restoration Project Manager for the Greater Farallones Association.

Nowhere is the kelp crisis made more vivid than in the upcoming fi lm, Sequoias of the Sea, a trailer for which was shown at UrchinFest. “How would we feel if we lost 96 percent of the big trees in the Sierras?” ask s fi lmmaker Ana Blanco, introducing the fi lm. “Because that is what we’re talking about with California’s kelp forests, and people need to understand that.”

Spas in Monterey Every Spa Lover Needs to Try

After all the stress of the long pandemic era, it’s no wonder that the reopened and often ren ovated spas of Monterey, Carmel and Big Sur are seeing a surge in clientele. Here are some oases with beloved signature treatments as well as newly enticing therapies or amenities.

Vista Blue Spa

Renovated in early 2019, the spa is located on the penthouse level of Monterey Plaza Hotel and overlooks Monterey Bay. Hotel guests as well as spa clients enjoy soaking up the rays — or warming up from the fog — on Vista Blue’s

BY JEANNE COOPER

large sun deck with loungers and a whirlpool, where they can also order food and drink from the hotel’s updated Schooners restaurant.

Refuge

The hydrotherapy circuit at America’s first co-ed outdoor relaxation spa has been a hit since doors opened in 2012. Sources of heat include a large cedar sauna with Himalayan salt wall, two eucalyptus-infused steam rooms, and six pools (half warm, half hot) with mas saging jets and waterfalls; cooling comes from two cold plunge pools and two even colder ones.

Spa Aiyana

Tucked into the hillside treetops of Carmel Valley Ranch, facilities here include a nail salon, saltwater pool, in fi nity edge hot tub and coed warming room. Re-introduced in June by popular demand, the Bee Beautiful body treatment sources 99 percent of its ingredients from the ranch’s organic gardens and beehives.

For more alluring spa details, scan the code

Fall Colors and A Wine Country Adventure? The Sierra Foothills Have It All.

BY MATTHEW POOLE

Harvest (and the few weeks following) is the most romantic time of year to be in a vineyard — the vines are heavy with ripe fruit, or the fruit has been picked and the leaves are displaying a rainbow of beautiful colors. A Sierra Foothills vineyard at the peak of harvest is the quintessential image of Wine Country. Here are some top tips for a wonderful weekend there.

Mokelumne Area

Spend a couple hours hiking a portion of the 36-mile EBMUD trails. These trails are open for hiking and horseback riding and traverse 31,000 acres of protected watershed along the Mokelumne River with pristine lakes, oakstudded canyons and a wide array of wildlife.

Plymouth

Make a reservation at the multiple awardwinning Taste Restaurant in Plymouth — or take your chances with open seating at the wine bar. Begin exploring local wine producers by choos ing from about 150 wines on the menu, including some from Europe and other parts of California. Don’t skip dessert, particularly if they have the Chocolate Rose on the menu (dark chocolate mousse, rose petal gelato, walnut Florentine).

Volcano

Enjoy dinner at Union Pub, where meals are described as “comfort food with a seasonal emphasis.” While everything on the menu looks amazing, the crispy duck wing appetizer, Union burger, and fried chicken with smoked cheddar mac and cheese are to die for. They also offer a great selection of seasonal beers and local wines, shuffleboard and darts.

STEPHANIE RUSSO PHOTOGRAPHY (SPA AIYANA);

ROLAND SCHUMANN/UNSPLASH (FALL)

Spa Aiyana

Maternity Care That Exceeds Your Expectations

Planning a pregnancy or already pregnant? Schedule an appointment with one of our expert OB/GYNs or Certified Nurse Midwives. Our MarinHealth® | UCSF Health Clinics offer a full range of maternal services, and for high-risk pregnancies we collaborate closely with UCSF Health perinatologists. When the time comes, our all-new maternity unit and talented team make every birth a special delivery.

Labor in luxury in our new Oak Pavilion featuring spacious, private labor, delivery, recovery, and postpartum (LDRP) rooms with large windows and nature views. Rooms have private baths with spa showers, adjustable birthing beds, and foldout couches for your partner. With two dedicated surgical suites for C-sections and a seven-bed, state-of-the-art NICU, we’re ready for any situation. Our collaborative team of obstetricians, midwives, anesthesiologists, pediatricians, and other experts are on-site 24/7. And our excellent outcomes include low cesarean rates, a high success rate for vaginal births after cesareans, and a remarkable 99% breastfeeding rate.

Learn more and see a tour of the hospital at www.MyMarinHealth.org/Maternity

MarinHealth OB/GYN

Greenbrae 100A Drakes Landing Road Suite 225 1-415-461-7800

Novato 75 Rowland Way, Suite 275 1-415-461-7800

UCSF Health Prenatal Diagnostic Center

Greenbrae 1300 South Eliseo Drive Suite 200 1-415-476-4080

Out & About

CALENDAR / ON THE SCENE / DINE

SFMOMA

KATHERINE

MODERN

Joan Brown, "After the Alcatraz Swim, #1," 1975

EVENTS

Calendar

Nov 5–March 5, 2023 From East to Zest

Home to 25 acres of wild Asian plants and an immersive Asian woodland, Sonoma Botanical Garden (formerly known as Quarry Hill) in Glen Ellen kicks off its new special exhibition program with an indoor interpretive botanical display, transforming its greenhouse into a cornucopia illustrating citrus’ journey across the globe with fragrance, color, facts and myths. “With 50 specimens in fruit, it’s like the jewels of Ali Baba’s Cave,” says executive director Scot Medbury, who came to the garden after stints at Brooklyn Botanical Garden and San Francisco’s Conservatory of Flowers. “We are interested in the history of citrus in our area, from its arrival via the Spanish Mission system to today.” The Garden is also opening the firt phase of its California Trail, an accessible path lined with seven species of native oaks and other native plants. Deciduous trees — elm, oak, maple and the less familiar tulip tree, pistache and cherry cultivars — will be ablaze with orange, red and pink. “It’s massively immersive with amazing autumnal colors,” Medbury says. sonomabg.org

HAND); SCOT MEDBURY (TRAIL)

THEATER / COMEDY / MUSIC / GALLERIES / MUSEUMS / EVENTS / FILM EDITED BY CHRISTINA MUELLER

True Immersive Experience in Sonoma:

Tour the California Trail, an accessible path lined with deciduous trees — elm, oak, maple and the less familiar tulip tree, pistache and cherry cultivars — which will be ablaze with orange, red and pink.

ARTS & LECTURES

THROUGH NOV 11 Renewal The Grand Opening art exhibition at the new BelvedereTiburon Library Art Gallery considers the act of becoming new again with forty-four artworks that range from soulful pastel portraits, to water colors while embracing nature as a new begin ning or speaking to transcendence. beltiblibrary.org

THROUGH JAN 28, 2023 Jota Mombaça The Brazilian interdisciplin ary artist and nonbinary travesti of color (Latin American slang reappro priated by transfeminist activists as a local, politi cal gender identity) pops up at San Francisco’s Kadist for a three month residency with their show, “The Sinking Ship/ Prosperity.” kadist.org

NOV 10 Siddhartha Mukherjee The Emperor of All Maladies author, associate professor of medicine at Columbia University, and cancer physician sits down with Indre Viskontas to dis cuss his latest novel, The Song of the Cell. cityarts.net

NOV 11–DEC 18 Gypsy

Stephen Sondheim’s lyrics, including for “Everything is Coming Up Roses” are just a part of the enduring appeal of a musical fable that follows the efforts of Rose — the ultimate show business mother — to raise her daughters

to be performers. rossvalleyplayers.com

NOV 25–DEC 18 Two

Trains Running August Wilson’s play considers the plight of restaurant owner Memphis Lee amidst the Civil Rights movement in 1960s Pittsburg, Pa., as he fights to sell his re taurant for a fair price before it is demolished. marintheatre.org

NOV 28 Admiral James Stavridis The retied 4-star naval Admiral and current NBC com mentator makes a stop in Marin to discuss the world’s most pressing issues and what can be done about them. speakerseries.net

NOV 30–DEC 24 A Christmas Carol Who says ghosts are only for fall? Charles Dickens’ classic tale of redemp tion is larded with specters of the other worldly and nagging sort in an adaptation by Paul Walsh and Carey Perloff act-sf.org

MUSIC

NOV 6 Castalian String Quartet Named for the mythological Greek nymph Castalia who transformed herself into a fountain to evade Apollo’s pursuit, the group’s three violins and a cello make music said to be full of poetry, joy and sorrow. chambermusicmarin.org

NOV 19 Carrie Underwood She, of the 28 number one country

SPOTLIGHT

NOV 4–30 50th Anniversary Concert Series Mill Valley’s legendary non-profit musi venue, Sweetwater Music Hall, is recognized for presenting a who’s who of roots and rock musicians, launching countless careers and making space not only for new musicians, but for all styles of American music. Musicians, including Jules Broussard, Vinyl, Bonnie Hayes, Ramblin' Jack Elliott and the Grateful Dead’s Bobby Weir (headlining the 50th anniversary gala on November 17), are gigging all month long, celebrating the venue and what it has wrought. "Sweetwater has been a little playpen for San Francisco and Marin musicians for fifty years nw,” says Mill Valley’s Weir. “When it briefly diappeared for a few years a while back, life just wasn't the same without it — so the whole community came together and brought it back. Much better..." sweetwatermusichall.com

Moments of Transition

E MERGING MILL VALLEY artist Tom Zizzo found his passion for painting in the early days of retirement. The trained microbiologist, who ran a printing and graphic arts business in San Rafael, is highlighted at a one-man show showing at O’Hanlon Center of the Arts in Mill Valley and at San Rafael’s Smith Ranch Homes where Marin arts visionary, Phyllis Thelen, resides. One of the founding members of the Marin Ballet, Marin Youth in Arts and a visionary behind Art Works Downtown in San Rafael, Thelen saw an opportunity to bring the budding artist’s work to the com munity. Zizzo’s shows are open to for viewing through mid-November. tomzizzo.com

Tom Zizzo and Phyllis Thelen

music singles and eight Grammy Awards, is in town for one day to sing at least some of your favorites as she tours in support of her new album, “Denim & Rhinestones.” chasecenter.com

NOV 20 Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band The Summer Music Series at Old St. Hilary’s wraps things up with Alamedabased brothers Miles (fiddle) and eo (mando lin, fiddle) Quale, bassit Andrew Osborn and gui tarist John Gooding who play everything from bluegrass and original modern acoustic music, to dawg and jazz. landmarkssociety.com

COMEDY

NOV 1 Dina Hashem

After winning Comedy Central’s Roast Battle, the writer for FX’s “The Premise” is best known for her deadpan delivery and dark observations addressing her difficu Islamic upbringing. punchlinecomedyclub.com

NOV 26 Late Night

Catechism America’s beloved ruler-wielding nun is back in the habit for an audience participation slash spontaneous stand-up routine inspired by the 1960s-era Catholic school experience. marincenter.org

FILM

OCT 28–NOV 7 Dance Film Festival The open ing night festivities celebrate dance fil shorts and many of the artists featured in the film, a night of Bay Area Shorts is back and more

than 52 films in eigh programs are offered a theaters around the bay and online. sfdancefilfest.org

NOV 11–20 Arab Film Festival With showings, panels and workshops in San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose and online, a slate of film, including the US premiere of The Alleys, directed by Bassel Ghandour, reflects Ara experiences around the world and in the Bay Area. arabfilfestival.org

NOV 25–26 The Godfather Celebrate the day after Thanksgiving by going to watch Coppola’s film abou America’s most dys functional family with live performance of Nino Rota’s unforget table score by the San Francisco Symphony. sfsymphony.org

MUSEUMS

THROUGH NOV 27 Faith Ringgold Bringing together more than 50 years of work, including her experimental story quilts and paintings of her renowned American People and Black Light series, this retrospective of the American artist traces the artist’s evolu tion that expanded to consider the political and social changes tak ing place in the United States throughout her life. deyoung.famsf.org

THROUGH FEB 12, 2023 Ramses Exploring the life and accomplish ments of Ramses the Great, more than 180 objects in Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs demonstrates

MARKETADJUSTMENT

How’s the Market?

Patricia Oxman

Patricia.Oxman@sir.com Lic.# 01103895

the opulence and power of ancient Egyptian civilization, while a virtual-reality offering "Ramses and Nefertari: Journey to Osiris," takes you on a tour of two of the Egyptian king’s most impressive monu ments, Abu Simbel and Nefertari’s Tomb. deyoung.famsf.org

THROUGH MARCH 5, 2023 The New Black Vanguard Curated by Antwaun Sargent, a program of Photography between Art and Fashion will take over all of the museum’s major galleries to highlight 100 works from 15 contemporary fashion photographers whose images present radically new perspectives on race, beauty, gender and power in the mediums of photography and art. moadsf.org

THROUGH JUNE 11, 2023 Angela Davis

Contemporary artworks assert the significanc of Oakland’s Black feminism intellectual and engage with her as a historical participant in a larger narrative in a new exhibition focused on Davis and her image, Seize the Time. museumca.org

THROUGH APRIL 9, 2023 Family Matters

Organized into four acts, with photographs dating from 1999–2020, a solo exhibition of more than 60 photographs captures photographer Gillian Laub’s family landscape — emotional, psychologi cal, and political–that reflect the unfolding o a deeply conflicted an polarized nation, tear ing at family ties and

asking: what, in the end, really binds us together? thecjm.org

OPENS NOVEMBER 17 Spirit of the Season

The Walt Disney Family Museum’s crowdsourced showcase celebrates nature and the importance of the natural world in each artist’s own holiday tra ditions. waltdisney.org

NOV 19–MARCH 12, 2023 Joan Brown A retrospective of the Bay Area artist’s paintings and sculptures considers her body of work that merges autobiography and fantasy with meta physical and spiritual imagery and themes. sfmoma.org

EVENTS

THROUGH NOV 5 The Summoning The good folks at San Franciscobased Into The Dark are back at The Mint with an immersive experi ence that invites guests to a live seance where they may come face to face with demonic spirits while attempting to retrieve the severed head of an unethical vampire queen; plus the return of Fang Bang and CreepShop. terrorvault.com

NOV 1–3 Live in the Vineyard A three-day festival celebrates renowned and up-andcoming songwriters, such as Diane Warren (“If I Could Turn Back Time”/Cher, “Because You Loved Me”/Celine Dion), Justin Tranter (“Believer”/Imagine Dragons, “Sorry”/Justin Bieber, “Cake By The

Ocean”/DNCE), and art ists Alec Benjamin, Jax, JP Saxe, and many more, at music and wine paired events around Napa. liveinthevineyard.com

NOV 2 Joanne Weir

Homeward Bound of Marin is relaunching its Fresh Start Chef Events series with a Spanish dinner prepared by the host of “Plates & Places” on PBS and co-owner of Copita Tequileria & Comida in Sausalito, with all proceeds to benefi shelter and job-training programs. hbofm.org

NOV 2–JAN 16, 2023

Union Square Ice Rink

The Safeway Holiday Ice Rink at San Francisco’s Union Square kicks of the season with an open ing party, hosts weekend learn to skate sessions, “Let it Go” Wednesdays with Disney’s “Frozen,” and more events throughout the holiday season. unionsquareicerink.com

NOV 5 Golden Anniversary Gala The Redwoods in Mill Valley honors its 50th year serving seniors with a black-tie dinner and dance party at The Seminary at Strawberry. theredwoods.org

NOV 5–6 Wine & Food

Affair Forty wineries on Sonoma’s Wine Road fling open their door to a weekend’s worth of events and tastings, including a barbecue at Viszlay Vineyards and a cabernet library tasting at sunset with the wine maker at West Wines. wineroad.com

NOV 11 La Traviata

Director Shawna Lucey’s

new vision of Verdi’s romantic classic (it made Julia Robert’s character cry in “Pretty Woman”) will be simulcast at San Francisco’s Oracle Park as Opera at the Ballpark continues, or see it at the War Memorial Opera House through December 3. sfopera.com

NOV 12 Masquerade

Soirée A costume or black-tie optional ball features circus acts and cabaret performances, a live auction, a seated dinner from Stacy Scott Catering, and a Fund-aMission to help Vivalon provide meals and other safety net services for older adults in Marin County. vivalon.org

NOV 19 Cal-Stanford Game The annual col lege football match-up locally known as “The Big Game” celebrates its 125th year with a game in Berkeley. calbears.com

NOV 19–DEC 18 Great Dickens Christmas Fair

In its full return to the Cow Palace, a maze of Victorian streets is laden with shops bedecked in holiday finery an bursting with handmade treasures, plus music halls, dance parties, singalongs and era-specifi what-not. dickensfair.com

NOV 24 Turkey Trot

On Thanksgiving Day, choose 5K, 10K or 1-mile lengths of a course that winds along Novato’s Ignacio Blvd before finishing at Collee of Marin’s Indian Valley campus and earn the afternoon’s big meal while supporting School Fuel, Novato’s education foundation. marinturkeytrot.com

Celebrating

Nutcracker

What’s Hot

EDITED BY CHRISTINA MUELLER

What’s Hot

‘Shrooming

You know it is autumn when local foragers head for the forests to search out the season’s best fungi. Lucky for eaters and lovers of all things umami, November is peak ‘shroom. Do yourself a favor and sit down with a plate of meaty mush rooms. Hearty and savory and roaring with umami, they are the perfect alternative to meat.

NORTH BAY

POGGIO TRATTORIA

From November 9–19, Italian white tru ffles will be shaved over hand-cut pasta with sage butter, veal carne cruda with quail egg and pecorino, chanterelle mushroom pizza and anything executive chef Benjamin Balesteri can dream up in a showcase dedicated to the world’s most famous tuber. A who’s who of Barolo and Barbaresco, designed to pair with

autumn’s aromatic apparitions, will also be available. 777 Bridgeway, Sausalito; poggiotrattoria.com

THE FORAGED KITCHEN Selfproclaimed forager extraordinaire Mike Colosimo brings his hard-won findings back to the open-to-the-pub lic restaurant he runs with chef Andrea Blum inside Novato’s Rolling Hills Club. Weekly spe cials are likely to include Colosimo’s findings but

mainstays such as the wild mushroom quesa dillas burst with local flavor. In early autumn, look for black trumpets mixed with rehydrated spring porcini and fresh morels from Mount Shasta. A chef’s touch of salsa verde infuses into the mushrooms’ mycelium (the fungi’s structura l fibers) for flavor magic. 351 San Andreas Dr, Novato; theforagedkitchen.com

THE KITCHEN TABLE Chef Alexander Alioto adheres to the Italian cooking mantra of fresh,

seasonal, approachable food at his West End res taurant, creating a dish with layers of shrooms expressly for the season. Adrift in a sea of Italian porcini-enriched broth, crisped cheesy polenta acts as a foil for a soft Japanese maitake fan. “The porcini broth just sets the dish off,” says Alioto. 1574 Fourth St, San Rafael; thekitchentablesr.com

THE TRIDENT Marinated in a simple vinaigrette before layers of arugula, roasted red peppers,

pepperoncini and pesto aioli are added to a Panorama ciabatta roll, the Grilled Portabella Mushroom Sandwich is then fi nished in the oven. The result is a light texture and a supremely fi lling meal that satisfies even the hungriest carnivore. 558 Bridgeway, Sausalito; thetrident.net

SAN FRANCISCO

TERRENE “Mushrooms” is the deceptively simple title of a dish of mai takes from chef Scott Koranda. Inspired by

foraging trips, Koranda fi rst gently roasts a huddle of the so-called “dancing mushroom,” then smacks them with a glaze of red wine, balsamic vinegar and fig. Placed atop a swirl of chimichurri aioli and dotted with pickled shimeji mushrooms, the dish is, at fi rst sweet before a hint of smoke and fresh herbs hits your palate, the grace and subtle spectacle of the forest evident in each bite. 1 Hotel, 8 Mission St, San Francisco; 1hotels.com/ san-francisco.com

COURTESY OF POGGIO TRATTORIA; COURTESY OF THE KITCHEN TABLE

Poggio Trattoria

The Kitchen Table

Dine

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

Here's a few of our favorites, for a complete list go online: marinmagazine.com.

CORTE MADERA

Blue Barn Gourmet

American The first Marin outpost of the S.F.-based eatery has proven very popular. The menu includes custom izable salads, toasted sandwiches, soups and more, prepared with locally harvested produce and proteins. A group order takeout menu is available. 335 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.927.1104

Boca Pizzeria Italian

The Italian-inspired pizzeria with a covered outdoor patio at The Village utilizes Northern California’s bounty of seasonal ingredients and showcases local microbreweries and wine country’s boutique varietals. 1544 Redwood Hwy, 415.924.3021

Flores Mexican With an emphasis on regional Mexican dishes and flavors sourced from family recipes, the menu is based on California seasonality and revolves around gluten-free masa. There’s a full bar to boot and everything is easily enjoyed on their large, heated patio. 301 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.500.5145

Il Fornaio Italian Aside from pizzas and pastas, this upscale Italian fran chise serves a variety of salads and carb-free entrées. 223 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.927.4400

Marin Joe’s Italian A Marin mainstay for over 50 years, with a menu of soups, salads, seafood, mesquitegrilled or sautéed meats and a plethora of pasta options. prepared Caesar salad. Not looking for a meal? Enjoy a drink and hear local musicians at the well-known piano bar. 1585 Casa Buena Drive, 415.924.2081

Pacific Catch Seafood

The Pacific Rim–inspired restaurant has a familyfriendly atmosphere. The menu, showcasing freshly caught seafood, includes tacos, poke, ceviche, sandwiches, salads, rice bowls, seasonal cocktails and daily specials. 133 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.927.3474

RH Marin American Ride up the golden-hued elevator to the top floor to a restaurant bedecked in RH style and linger over a shaved vegetable salad, a truffled grilled cheese sandwich on Panorama Bakery sour dough or a namesake RH Burger. 1750 Redwood Highway at The Village, 628.266.2040

FAIRFAX

Amelie French Stop in for a French breakfast of coffee and a croissant at this outpost of the origi nal San Francisco wine bar. A petite street-side patio features dining atop wine barrels. 71 Broadway, 628.253.5161

Mas Masa Mexican Chef and owner Patrick Sheehy focuses on the ancient technique of corn nixtamalization, using organic, non-GMO blue corn to make its handmade tortillas. The beer and wine lists highlight local California microbreweries and wineries. It’s all available to enjoy on the shaded patio. 31 Bolinas Rd, 415.529.5444

Stillwater Californian

Fairfax native Margaret Ruiz and her life and business partner, David, joined forces with chef Cameron Myers to bring the bounty of the county to the table. Two patios provide ample outdoor eating space. 23 Broadway, 415.524.8478

GREENBRAE AND KENTFIELD

Gott’s Roadside American The Bay Area chain’sonly Marin outpost features the signature Californiainspired dishes Gott’s is known for (burgers — regular, ahi and Impossible — shakes, salads and fries) as well as a 30-foot-long pine table for communitystyle eating and an expansive patio out front. 302 Bon Air Center, Greenbrae, 415.785.4233

Guesthouse Californian

Jared Rogers, the former executive chef of Picco, heads up the kitchen, partnering with mixolo gist Dustin Sullivan on

this 110-seat space. Look for well-executed California cuisine, such as mini lobster rolls or kurobuta pork chops with crispy potatoes, or savor a Slingshot at the bustling bar. 850 College Ave, Kentfield, 415.419.5101

Half Day Cafe American

Tucked away in a setting of ivy and large open windows, this cafe is the quintessential breakfast nook and is also open for brunch and lunch, including coffee drinks, pastries and much more. Enjoy a casual daytime meal inside or out on the patio. 848 College Ave, Kentfield, 415.459.0291

LARKSPUR

Backstage Californian

The U-shaped bar makes a comfortable, sociable setting for wine tasting, light appetizers (warmed nuts, artichoke dip) and small plates (avocado toast, charcuterie boards) in downtown Larkspur. 295 Magnolia Ave, 415.898.6778

Emporio Rulli Italian Renowned for its Northern Italian specialties and treats, the Larkspur location (there are four others in the Bay Area) is a favored spot for lunch as well as coffee and a sweet treat. 464 Magnolia Ave, 415.924.7478

Farm House Local Californian A downtown Larkspur gem that is sure to please with

simple, healthy food in a warm, cozy atmosphere, both indoors and on the covered patio. The seasonal menu, inspired by American classics, includes biscuits and gravy; a “BLAT” (with avocado) sandwich. 25 Ward St, 415.891.8577

Farmshop American

Located in the Marin Country Mart, Farmshop Marin is a top spot for people watching and earns raves for its avocado hummus and Neapolitan-style pizzas pulled from the beehive oven. Indoor and outdoor seating available. 2233 Larkspur Landing Circle, 415.755.6700

Hog Island Oyster Co. Seafood The fullservice Marin Country Mart location features a full bar with seasonal cocktails, beer and wine and the same bay-tobar philosophy as the Tomales Bay original. 2401 Larkspur Landing Circle, 628.253.5905

Left Bank Restaurant French This authenti cally classic brasserie has been serving the Larkspur community for more than two decades. Whether on the patio, at the European-style bar or in the casually elegant main dining room with a huge fireplace, it’s a fun and French downtown experience. 507 Magnolia Ave, 415.927.3331

Perry's American Perry's on Magnolia

has the quintessentially American fare, bustling bar and warm personal ity the San Francisco original has always been famous for. Along with three separate din ing rooms in a historic building, there’s outdoor dining under the twin kling lights on the patio and in the redwood grove. 234 Magnolia Ave, 415.927.1877

Picco Californian Popular since its inception, Picco has a seasonally driven menu featuring items such as risotto (made every half hour), mesquite octopus tostada and butterscotch pot de creme that keep attracting return visits. The warm wood and brick interior is fronted by a popular, six seat bar. 320 Magnolia Ave, 415.924.0300

Rustic Bakery Californian Organic bread, croissants and pastries baked fresh each morning and salads, sandwiches, and soups for lunch make Rustic a local staple. Marin Country Mart, 2017 Larkspur Landing Circle, 415.461.9900

MILL VALLEY

Boo Koo Asian This locally owned restaurant creates healthy meals that blend equal parts California fresh with Southeast Asian–inspired street food. 25 Miller Ave, 415.888.8303

Bootjack Wood Fired

Californian A transition back to a bakery means hearth-style breads (apple walnut), breakfast sandwiches and pastries (cinna mon buns) from baker Cameron Esaryk are pulled daily from the built-in Alan Scott bread oven. 17 Madrona St, 415.383.4200

Buckeye Roadhouse American Oysters bingo, baby back ribs and chili-lime “brick” chicken are a few of the satisfying comfort-food menu items that have made this classic roadhouse a favorite since the ’30s. 15 Shoreline Hwy, 415.331.2600

Bungalow 44 American

The normally bustling bar is one of Mill Valley’s hot spots, ideal for savoring a seasonal cocktail or an order for their famous kickin' fried chicken. The $1 happy hour oyster program still operates from 5-6 p.m., Monday–Thursday and the heated outdoor patio remains a town hot spot. 44 E Blithedale Ave, 415.381.2500

Cafe Del Soul

Californian Healthy options become addic tive at this eatery that has locations in both Tam Junction and San Rafael. Once you stop in for the deliciously fresh quinoa wrap, you’ll want to return to try the chipotle rice bowl. 247 Shoreline Hwy, 415.388.1852

The Cantina Mexican

The popular family restaurant serves tra ditional Mexican fare including soups, salads, sandwiches and sizzling fajitas in dinner-size portions at lunch-size prices. Stop by for a margarita — they are

known throughout Marin. 651 E Blithedale, 415.381.1070

Floodwater Californian

Sip a “Gold Rush” (Old Forester bourbon, local honey, lemon) at the room-length bar while noshing on pork belly steamed buns or dive into Shorty's Tall Reuben in the TV-free front room. The patio features fire pits. 152 Shoreline Hwy, 415.843.4545

Gravity Tavern American With ingredients suited to reflect modern tastes, American classics like grilled chicken Waldorf salad with pickled grapes; lobster roll with toasted challah and veggie slaw. Enjoy them on the popular patio. 38 Miller Ave, 415.888.2108

Harmony Chinese Enjoy a lighter, fresher take on Chinese at this restaurant in Strawberry Village. The barbecue pork bun is filled with house-made roasted meat in a savory sauce and signature prawns are wok-seared with scallions. 401 Strawberry Village, 415.381.5300

India Palace Indian Known as “that great restaurant in the Travelodge,” India Palace is a favorite with the takeout crowd; eating on-site is also a treat for its well-regarded North Indian fare. 707 Redwood Hwy, 415.388.3350

MIXT Californian The San Francisco-based fast-casual salad, sandwich and bowl restaurant chain is a B Corp with legit local and sustainable ethos built into the brand. . 590 E Blithedale, mixt.com

Paseo Californian

The restaurant along “el paseo” exudes the same charm as its predecessors with an updated, New American menu from chef Brandon Breazeale. 17 Throckmorton Ave, 415.888.3907

Piatti Ristorante and Bar Italian A new fireplace lounge and open-concept format invites lingering over refreshed menu items, such as house-made ravioli with lemon cream and citrus gremolata, roasted mushroom pizza. 625 Redwood Hwy, 415.380.2525

Piazza D’Angelo Italian Family owned for over 35 years, Piazza D’Angelo evokes a traditional trattoria din ing experience. Enjoy a variety of pastas, meat and seafood dishes, wood-fired pizzas and gluten-free offerings, all house-made with organic and locally sourced ingredients. 22 Miller Ave, 415.388.2000

Pizza Antica Italian

Besides its popular thin-crust pizzas, this Strawberry Village restaurant serves sea sonal dishes like Tuscan fried chicken with spicy honey, burrata with crushed sweet peas and toasted focaccia, and ricotta gnocchi with sun-dried tomato cream. 800 Redwood Hwy, 415.383.0600

Playa Mexican With a chef from Mexico City, Playa's food offers traditional dishes with modern flavors and presentations. A little gem salad sparkles with tomatillo dressing and enchiladas shine from a glossy coating of house made black mole and micro greens.

41 Throckmorton Ave, 415.384.8871

Thep Lela Thai The kee mao noodles, pad Thai, and fresh rolls stuffed with beets and herbs have a dedicated following, as does the extensive bar menu (try the Amazing mai tai) at this spot tucked away in the back of Strawberry Village. 615 Strawberry Village, 415.383.3444

SAN ANSELMO AND ROSS

The Baan Thai Thai Known for its mango sticky rice, crispy corn cakes and The Baan Thai salad, this restaurant reopened in 2020 with a new owner, a new menu and a new heated outdoor seating area.The commitment to serving fresh, local and seasonal food is unchanged. 726 San Anselmo Ave, San Anselmo, 415.457.9470

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

A large takeout section Besides the famous Chinese chicken salad, other winners are the stuffed pecan-crusted French toast, chicken okasan (nicknamed “Crack Chicken” by fans) and roast chicken enchiladas. 335 San Anselmo Ave, San Anselmo, 415.454.9840

Creekside Pizza & Tap Room American A perennial Best of the County winner known for their artisan pizzas, hearty sandwiches, and flavorful pastas and salads, Creekside offers plentiful glutenfree and vegan options, too. Their copper, 40-handle selection of craft beers makes a

beloved local pizza joint a destination for fresh beer in equal measure. There’s even gluten-free beer and kombucha pulled straight from the taps. 638 San Anselmo Ave, San Anselmo, 415.785.4450

Crown & Crumpet American A tidy back patio shaded by roses and cascading pear trees is ideally suited for sipping a pot of loose leaf tea, cup of pour-over coffee or a hot chocolate at this outpost of the Japantown original. Savory croissants and crumpets are just part of the breakfast menu. 22 Ross Common, Ross, 415.771.4252

Cucina sa Italian Open for lunch Wednesday–Saturday and six nights a week for dinner, takeout or delivery. Homemade pastas, seasonal salads and wood-fired pizzas strike a balance between southern Italy and northern California. Full bar and cocktails are available to go or enjoy a tipple on premise inside or at the new heated parklet. 510 San Anselmo Ave, San Anselmo, 415.454.2942

Valenti & Co. Italian The bright yet cozy indoor space and warmly lit back patio are ideal environments for authentic Italian dishes made with local ingredients. The menu changes daily but look for the carpaccio of beef, the pan-seared Pekin duck and chef Valenti's famous tower of triple chocolate love at dessert. 337 San Anselmo Ave, San Anselmo, 415.454.7800

SAN RAFAEL

Amici’s East Coast Pizzeria Californian A wide array of thin-crust

pizzas, freshly made pastas and salads are the ticket here, along with flame-roasted lemon chicken wings (they are "atomic"). Gluten-free pizza crust is available. 1242 Fourth St, 415.455.9777

Cafe Arrivederci Italian Pizza, pasta and fresh fish grace the menu in this warm and comfort able environment. Fettucini Carbonara and Pappardelle Bolognese are among the most favorite dishes. 11 G St, 415.453.6427

Boiadeirus Steak

Brazilian The picanha is the signature cut at this Brazilian-style steak house where gauchos carrying grilled meats on long swords cruise the room, offering portions of up to 10 meats. A huge salad bar offers everything from feijoada and potato salad to yucca and deviled eggs. 925 Fourth St, 628.253.5854

SAUSALITO

Angelino Restaurant Italian Multiple gen erations of the Arcona family create an authentic Italian eatery with handmade pastas and seasonal antipasti that has showcased the cuisine of the Campania region for more than 20 years. The newer Angelino Pastry Bar features classic croissants, focaccia and a raspberry-polenta pop tart, among other treats, with pickup from 8 a.m. 621 Bridgeway, 415.331.5225

Avatar’s Indian If you’re on the hunt for innovative, multi-culti Indian fare, head to Avatar’s. Sip masala chai sweet ened with brown sugar before digging into

Cajun-spiced shrimp on the heated and shaded patio. 2656 Bridgeway, 415.332.8083

Bar Bocce American Food just tastes better on a bayside patio with fire pits and a bocce ball court. Order one of the sourdough bread pizzas, a shredded kale salad and a glass of wine and you’ll see why this casual, beachy eatery, overseen by Robert Price of Mill Valley's Buckeye and Bungalow 44, has become a local favorite. 1250 Bridgeway, 415.331.0555

Murray Circle American Cavallo Point’s acclaimed restaurant features local, seasonal fare from chef Mike Garcia at lunch and dinner. Cocktails with a view and the same locally focused ethos. 601 Murray Circle, 415.339.4750

Poggio Italian Vitello sliced excruciatingly thin and topped with lemon and tonnato sauce is a singular dish in the hands of executive chef Benjamin Balesteri, who creates Northern Italian fare using local and Italian ingredients. Private dining rooms the restaurant can accom modate larger parties (10 to 150 guests). 777 Bridgeway, 415.332.7771

TIBURON

Caffe Acri Italian The well-lit corner cafe in Tiburon is a go-to for bikers, city commuters and locals. Diners will find Italian roast espresso drinks, freshly baked pastries and eggs for breakfast and a selection of soups, salads and paninis for lunch. 1 Main St, 415.435.8515

Luna Blu Italian Executive chef Renzo Azzarello serves Sicilian seafood and homemade pastas with a Californian touch. The seasonal menu incorporates fresh and organic produce, local naturally grown meat and poultry from small farms. 35 Main St, 415.789.5844

Rustic Bakery Californian This location of the beloved bakery offers the same menu as the other locations in Novato and Larkspur, as well as outdoor dining. Enjoy a wide array of fresh salads, sandwiches, and pastries on the boardwalk. 1550 Tiburon Blvd, 415.797.6123

Salt & Pepper American With its hardwood floors and blue-check ered tablecloths, the sun-filled, one-room restaurant is an area favorite. Scallops, ribeye steak, a beef burger and traditional crab cakes with jalapeño dipping sauce are some of the popular choices on the patio. 38 Main St, 415.435.3594

Sam’s Anchor Cafe

American Reopened after an extensive remodel, Sam's boat house feel and boat tie-ups remain intact, and spiffy white umbrellas and deck chairs line the expansive waterfront patio. All-day cocktails remain a fixture and a raw bar reflect the menu's enduring sea food focus. 27 Main St, 415.435.4527

The Bungalow Kitchen

Californian A party lounge and restaurant from chef Michael Mina boasts epic views and a menu of California fare — crispy Liberty duck wings glazed with

Grand Marnier and black pepper, garganelli Bolognese, jalapeño shrimp toast — at night. 5 Main St, 415.366.4088

The Caprice Italian

Enhanced bay views from every seat are just one of many charms after an extensive remodel reworked the entire space. The revamped menu features well-crafted comfort food from land and sea options. 2000 Paradise Drive, 415.435.3400

Tiburon Tavern

American Renzo and Crystal Azzarello of nearby Luna Blu took the reins in August for the Tiburon Tavern bar and restaurant with Chef Babak Nasser on board to handle the flow from breakfast and brunch through din ner. 1651 Tiburon Blvd, 415.435.3133

WEST MARIN

Due West at Olema House Californian The dark blue walls accented with recessed golden light give the refreshed restaurant-cum-saloon at Olema House a modern feel. The menu, including a burger, lin guini and clams, and a chopped salad, skews all-day casual and speaks to the inn and restaurant’s crossroads locale. 10005 Highway 1, Olema, 415.663.1264

Nick’s Cove American

This escape along Tomales Bay is famous for barbecued local oysters, Dungeness crab mac ’n’ cheese and cocktails incorporating homegrown ingredients. Large windows in the 120-seat restaurant pro vide picturesque views of Tomales Bay, or enjoy a seat outside along the pier or in the waterfront

lounge. 23240 Highway 1, Marshall, 415.663.1033

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-fired dinners make this cafe a relaxing retreat. 43 Arenal Ave, Stinson, 415.868.1272

Saltwater Oyster Depot Seafood A seat at the room-length bar or on the patio at this snug spot on Tomales Bay’s west shore can be tough to snag on a busy summer weekend, but oysters pulled straight from the bay moments before, served broiled and on the half shell, are worth the wait. 12781 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Inverness, 415.669.1244

Side Street Kitchen

American The fastcasual eatery led by chef Aaron Wright (formerly of Tavern at Lark Creek and Canlis) serves favorites like rotisserie chicken, smoked oysters and pork-belly BLTs, as well as wholesome vegetarian fare. This is one of the few spots in West Marin that serves gluten-free beer. The cozy patio is dog-friendly. 60 Fourth St, Point Reyes Station, 415.663.0303

Station House Cafe

American Known for their house-made pop overs, which chef Aaron Wright makes available at every meal, this cozy cafe is also recognized for fresh oysters, grassfed burgers, and an "everything fresh, local and homegrown" ethos. Dining in the garden is as popular on weekdays as on the weekends. 11180

Highway 1, Point Reyes Station, 415.663.1515

SAN DOMENICO SCHOOL

Excellent Education and a Sense of Purpose

Join us for a Preview Day! KindergartenSecond Grade

On the Scene

BEST OF THE COUNTY PARTY On August 18, Marin Magazine along with hundreds of winners from its annual Best of the County issue gathered to celebrate being the best at Perry’s on Magnolia (winner of the Best Bar category). They were entertained by Best Music Venue winner Sweetwater’s consistently sold-out headliner, Dan Durkin (of Petty Theft and the Illegals), and savored fabulous wines from Anaba and Domaine Carneros.

JASON TODD

SNAPSHOTS FROM SPECIAL EVENTS IN MARIN AND SAN FRANCISCO EDITED DONNA BERRY GLASS

Marin Magazine — Mimi Towle, Leah Bronson, Lesley Cesare, Lotus Abrams, Jessica Gliddon, Perry Butler, Jessica Hamilton, and Sharon Coleman

Morpheus Medical Aethetics — Marisha Chilcott

Creekside Taproom — Jessica Hamilton and Pat Townsley

Hadley General Contractors — Jeff Hadley

SIDE BY SIDE REACH FOR THE STARS GALA Held on Saturday, September 17 at a private home in San Rafael, Side by Side’s Reach for the Stars Gala turned up the giving for the Bay Area’s young people, raising nearly $270,000 for its behavioral and mental health programs. Emceed by California State Senator Mike McGuire, the nightclub-themed evening drew in 230 guests and featured al fresco haute cuisine by Fork Full of Earth and music by notable Bay Area DJ Malachi, aka Uncle Snax.

BY SIDE); RICHARD WHEELER (MARIN HUMANE)

MARIN HUMANE GALA TURNS SWEET SIXTEEN

Held under the stars on its campus in Novato on September 10, Marin Humane held its sixteenth fundraising gala, drawing in more than 265 guests and a few well-behaved dogs. Guests of the twolegged variety enjoyed specialty cocktails while browsing silent auction items, and later feasted on a gourmet plant-based dinner. Supporters raised more than $588,000 for the nonprofit’s programs and services that help animals in Marin and beyond.

Reach for the Stars Gala Planning Committee: Lyndsey Conrad, Noelle Moss, Deanna Brock, Emily Morris, Shannon Matthiesen, and Shelley Cahan

Side By Side CEO Christine Garcia and Senator Mike McGuire

Haley Wright, Mitchell Dohman, and Nancy McKenney

ANIMAL AMBASSADORS GREET GUESTS AT WILDCARE GALA

WildCare’s 2022 Gala, held at the beautiful Acqua Hotel adjacent to Richardson Bay was a hybrid of both in-person and live streaming events. The glamorous evening on August 20, which included special appearances from WildCare’s animal ambas sadors, raised more than $265,000 for WildCare’s important work in wildlife medicine, nature educa tion and wildlife advocacy.

MARIN CITY CELEBRATES 80-YEAR

HISTORY Marin City residents and supporters wrapped up a yearlong cel ebration of its 80th anniversary with a stalwart Blues ‘N’ Soul Party in The Park on Labor Day. Nearly 3,000 people came together to enjoy arts and crafts, a car exhibit and local food purveyors, plus free performances by Bay Area artists includ ing The Spiritual Keys and Grammy nominee Andre Thierry. It was the culmi nation of a year of activities, exhibitions and the official launch of the Marin City Historical and Preservation Society.

CEDARS SHAKE, RATTLE AND DANCE-A-THON On August 20, 110 people took to the dance floor to raise funds for their beloved nonprofit, Cedars of Marin. The 102-year-old organization enables adults with developmental disabilities to live creative, fuller lives through its fine arts and textile programs as well as its residential services. By the time the moving and grooving wound down, they had collectively raised more than $80,000.

TO SEE MORE EVENT PHOTOS VISIT MARINMAGAZINE.COM/HOTTICKET

DREW ALTIZER (WILDCARE); TIM WOOSTER (CEDARS); BRUCE FORRESTER (MARIN CITY, TOP)

Andre Thierry and Nicholas Gardner

Dr. Ryane Logdson and Mohave the Desert Tortoise

Executive Director Chuck Greene and Kelly Rowland

Ruthie Mountafian, Milagro Foundation, and Felecia Gaston, Performing Stars of Marin

ELEGANCE HAMILTON HILL HISTORIC LUXURY SENIOR LIVING

Elegance Hamilton Hill is a thoughtfully repurposed historic building with spacious studios, one and two-bedroom apartment homes, beautiful bay and mountain vistas and the amenities of a fine boutique hotel. Discover a community where living is easier, surroundings are safer, and together is better.

Where Together Is Better.

Marin Magazine

Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation, PS Form 3526-R. 1. Publication Title: Marin Magazine. 2. Publication Number: 024-898. 3. Filing Date: September 28, 2022. 4. Issue Frequency: Monthly. 5. Number of Issues Published Annually: Twelve (12). 6. Annual Subscription Price: $12.00. 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: 4000 Bridgeway, Suite 105, Sausalito, CA 94965. Contact Person: Alex French; Telephone: (415) 332-4800. 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher: Marin Magazine, 4000 Bridgeway, Suite 105, Sausalito, CA 94965. 9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor and Managing Editor: Leah Bronson, Publisher, 4000 Bridgeway, Suite 105, Sausalito, CA 94965; Mimi Towle, Editorial Director, 4000 Bridgeway, Suite 105, Sausalito, CA 94965; Kasia Pawlowska, Executive Editor, 4000 Bridgeway, Suite 105, Sausalito, CA 94965. 10. Owner: 270 Media LLC, 4000 Bridgeway, Suite 105, Sausalito, CA 94965; Wood Family Trust, 1465 Vistazo St W, Tiburon, CA 94920; Mimi Towle, 5 Gate 6 1/2, Sausalito, CA 94965; Nicolle Wood, 20 Harbor Oak Drive #22, Tiburon, CA 94920; SAM, Inc., 34 Gate 6/12, Sausalito, CA 94965; Katarzyna Pawlowska, 1783 33rd Ave., San Francisco, CA 94122; The Prize Trust, 3020 Bridgeway #118, Sausalito, CA 94965. 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities: None. 12. (Does not apply.) 13. Publication Title: Marin Magazine. 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data: October 2022. 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation: Average Number of Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months; Number of Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: A. Total Number of Copies: Average: 35,517; Actual: 30,200. B. Legitimate Paid and/or Requested Distribution: 1: Outside County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541: Average: 0; Actual 0. 2. In-County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541: Average: 20,146; Actual: 19,735. 3. Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Paid or Requested Distribution Outside USPS: Average: 120; Actual: 135. 4. Requested Copies Distributed by Other Mail Classes Through the USPS: Average: 0; Actual: 0. C. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation: Average: 20,266; Actual: 19,870. D. Nonrequested Distribution: 1. Outside County Nonrequested Copies Stated on PS Form 3541: Average: 12,579; Actual: 7,333. 2. In-County Nonrequested Copies Stated on PS Form 3541: Average: 0; Actual: 0. 3. Nonrequested Copies Distributed Through the USPS by Other Classes of Mail: Average: 0; Actual: 0. 4) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Outside the Mail: Average: 2,376; Actual: 2,642. E. Total Nonrequested Distribution: Average: 14,955; Actual: 9,975. F. Total Distribution: Average: 35,221; Actual: 29,845. G. Copies not Distributed: Average: 296; Actual: 355. H. Total: Average: 35,517; Actual: 30,200. I. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation: Average: 57%; Actual: 66%. 16. Electronic Copy Circulation. (Does not apply) 17. Publication of Statement of Ownership for a Requester Publication is required and will be printed in the November 2022 issue of this publication. 18. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager or Owner: Nikki Wood, Co-Founder/Operations. Date: September 28, 2022.

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Winfrey

Marin Home

FINDING ZEN

A dated Kent field home is rebuilt to capture the property’s st unning views and provide a relaxing respite for a family of fi ve.

BY LOTUS ABRAMS PHOTOS BY NILS TIMM

The detached studio by the pool features a guest room.

FROM TOURS AND MAKEOVERS TO DECORATIVE DETAILS AND REALTOR INSIGHTS

WHEN AIKO MORTON AND HER HUSBAND decided they were ready to return to the U.S. after spending 14 years in Japan and six in Singapore, it didn’t take much to convince them that Kent field was where they wanted to put down roots. Kent field easily won them over with its natural beauty and easy commute to San Francisco, where the husband’s office is based. “The views of the mountains and the bay are amazing,” says Morton, who sought to trade bustling city life in Asia for a sense of nature and access to the outdoors. “It’s just one of the most incredible places.”

The couple purchased a steep, wooded, 1.5acre Kent field property with spectacular views of San Francisco, the bay and Mt. Tam, but the existing 1950s-era home on the site felt dated and didn’t fit their family’s needs. Morton’s sister, Momoko Morton Wong, principal designer and founder of Denver-based Momo Design, helped the couple assemble the team to rebuild the home to reflect their aesthetic and lifestyle — Emeryville-based Swatt | Miers Architects, contractor Kasten Builders and Huettl Landscape Architecture — along with contributing her own interior design exper tise. Helping the process run smoothly, Wong

already had a deep understanding of her sister’s taste for modern design in fluenced by the cou ple’s travels around Asia. The sisters, who grew up in a small Colorado town, spent every sum mer in Japan, where their mother is from, and even lived there together for a few years after Wong completed college. “I've worked with Aiko on a number of other projects, so I know her aesthetic inside and out,” Wong says.

The new 6,500-square-foot modern home, which took four-and-a-half years to complete, was almost entirely rebuilt on a similar foot print to the original structure. Along with celebrating the property’s stunning views, the home now offers ample space for the fam ily, and also allows for easy indoor-outdoor entertaining. “While the original building had beautiful views, it had primarily punched windows,” says Robert Swatt, partner at Swatt Miers Architects who has been specializing in modernist-inspired architecture for nearly 50 years. “Now the entire south elevation of the building is glass, floor-to-ceiling.”

Morton wanted a dedicated space for her daughters, so the girls’ bedrooms are all located on the bottom, walk-out level of the home, while the primary suite, great room,

living room, kitchen and dining room are on the upper level. A detached studio by the pool houses a guest room, and another guest room is located next to the garage. A large, functional kitchen was also imperative. “We love having people over, and I love to cook,” Morton says. “I thought the 15-foot island might end up being too huge, but it’s perfect.

Accenting the cement plaster exterior of the structure, darkly stained wood and large slabs of travertine — also utilized inside the home — make an elegant statement. The front of the house also received an upgrade, with a new glass box entryway and gently curved, long, linear window running from the garage to the entrance shielded by vertical slats of wood. “They allow light to come in, but they still offer a sense of privacy from the outside, and they create a rhythm as you move along the hori zontal space,” Swatt says. A koi pond also runs the length of the window, offering serene views from both outside and inside the home.

The Zen-like feeling continues inside the home, where Wong employed many natural materials like stone, wood flooring throughout and clear-stained white oak cabinetry in the kitchen. Creamy white furnishings from Italy

Accenting the cement plaster of the structure, darkly stained wood and large slabs of travertine make an elegant statement.

THE DETAILS

LOCATION Kent field

DESIGNER Momoko Morton Wong, Momo Design

ARCHITECT Swatt | Miers Architects

CONTRACTOR Kasten Builders

LANDSCAPE Huettl Landscape Architecture

Clockwise, from top: A 15-foot island and white oak cabinetry in the kitchen; Schumacher Chiang Mai Dragon Mocha wallpaper in the laundry room; a custom-designed chandelier fabricated by U.K. ceramicist Margaret O’Rorke and Finnish metal weaver Sirkka Paikkari; the travertine used on the exterior of the house was also used indoors on several walls.

with a few accents adding color here and there complete the look. “It’s very much a marriage between Japanese and Scandinavian design,” Wong says.

Decorative lighting was kept to a minimum, however three hand-thrown porcelain globes, hold special meaning for the family. “Our father passed away two years ago, and Aiko used the small inheritance she received from him to purchase the lighting because she wanted it to represent our dad being there,” Wong says. “He appreciated art his whole life.”

By the time the project came to a close earlier this year, Morton and her husband had become so fond of the team that they have since invited them over to the house to share meals. “It really was a dream team.” she says. “It was such an amazing collaboration.”

Cover Represented by JOHNSON TEAM

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A TOP TIER LUXURY AGENT WITH THE SAME FOCUS AND DISCIPLINE

TO OUR TEAM!

We are pleased to announce that Kathleen Brady has joined our Southern Marin –Mill Valley/Tiburon offices

As a native of Marin, Kathleen brings a keen understanding of the Marin market to ensure every client is served with utmost care.

A seasoned professional and savvy negotiator, Kathleen’s abilities have enabled her to achieve record sales prices on behalf of her clients. Kathleen’s clients are largely referred from elated past clients, who all recognize her proactive attitude, her 24/7 accessibility, her laser focus, and attention to detail. Kathleen’s track record in negotiating on behalf of buyers or representing sellers in achieving top dollar is what brings her referrals again and again. Kathleen’s integrity and old school values are a breath of fresh air making every transaction seamless.

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Coldwell

Welcome to one of the most beautiful homes on the Belvedere Lagoon, featuring Southwest exposure and sweeping water views; virtually new construction in 2017, recently updated with tasteful finishes throughout including top-of-the-line lighting, Rocky Mountain hardware, Waterworks fixtures, Stark carpeting, upgraded window hardware, and meticulous landscape improvements.

• Contemporary ‘farmhouse’ style with an East Coast flair; incredible layout for easy indoor/outdoor living

• The entry level is designed with an open and inviting layout seamlessly connecting the living room, dining room, kitchen, and family room to the spectacular outdoors

• Glass doors open out to one of the most stunning backyards on the lagoon with multiple entertaining venues; expansive Bluestone patio ideal for dining al fresco, outdoor gas fireplace and separate firepit, turf lawn, picturesque landscaping with a thriving Magnolia tree, waterfront spa, and huge Ipe dock extending the width of the property

• The upscale chef’s kitchen is sure to appeal to the avid entertainer and culinary enthusiast fully equipped with high-end appliances, a large center island with bar seating, a prep area with sink, and an abundance of custom cabinetry

• On the main level located through a sliding ‘barn door’ are two guest bedrooms; beautifully updated guest bathroom with tub shower

combination, high end finishes, and exterior access

• The elegant primary suite located upstairs showcases designer finishes, a private balcony with lagoon and Mt.Tamalpais views, a walk-in closet, separate built-in dresser drawers, and a lavish primary bathroom with a spacious stall shower and soaking bathtub

• The additional en-suite bedroom is complete with a desk nook and a stylish bathroom; stall shower, and a stunning marble vanity with a wall of “penny round” mosaic marble

• Wide plank hardwood flooring throughout the residence

• 1 car attached garage with additional storage

• This magnificent residence is located in a premier Belvedere location offering close proximity to the downtown Tiburon shops, gourmet restaurants, waterfront pathways, San Francisco and Angel Island ferries, the Belvedere Community Center, Belvedere Park, and the San Francisco and Corinthian yacht clubs

Best Luxury Agent (Best of 2022 SF Magazine)

in the Bay Area’s Leading 100 List (LuxeSF 2022) #27 in Nation on RealTrends “TheThousand List” (The Wall Street Journal 2022)

• Providing the ultimate California lifestyle with easy indoor/outdoor living; the outdoors feature multiple patios, terraces, Bluestone courtyard, lower level basketball court area and lush lawns; the ideal home for entertaining family and friends

• The dramatic living room and dining room feature water views, vaulted ceilings, designer light fixtures, a gas burning fireplace with built-in cabinetry on both sides, white oak hardwood flooring, and an inviting view terrace

• The kitchen is sure to appeal to the culinary enthusiast featuring Vadara - Varenna quartz countertops, a center island with seating for four, custom cabinetry, and high-end stainless steel appliances: Thermador 6-burner gas range and oven, refrigerator and freezer, dishwasher, and U-line beverage refrigerator, U-line drawer refrigerator/freezer

• The comfortable and inviting family room opens to the outdoors, complete with a gas fireplace and custom built-in shelving and cabinetry

• The 4th and 5th en-suite bedrooms are located on the main level, ideal for a home office or an au-pair or guest suite with a private entrance to the outdoors

• The lower level of the residence is complete with the primary suite, two

en-suite bedrooms with stylish and chic bathrooms, the laundry area and elevator access

• The spacious primary retreat opens to a private terrace and is complete with a stunning board and batten accent wall, two walk-in closets and a spa like primary bathroom with floating cabinet and dual sinks, herringbone accent wall and Neolith – Calacatta Silk countertops, a make-up vanity, stall shower with Bianco Cortese tile flooring, free standing tub with custom crystal chandelier overhead, and opens to a private patio

• Two additional en-suite bedrooms feature shiplap accent walls and walk-in closets; the en-suite bathrooms feature chevron tile, a floating cabinet with silestone countertop and bathtub/ shower combinations

• The lowest level of the residence is perfect for entertaining and family lounging (or the ideal in law quarters), complete with a recreation room, office area or gym, full bathroom with oversized tiled stall shower with bench, and opens to the inviting backyard

• Elevator with access from the garage to the 2nd level

• Attached two car garage with a wall of built-in cabinets and expansive paver driveway for ample guest parking

• Air conditioning with three zones

• Fully equipped with audio visual system and security cameras

Dave DuPont Broker Associate

Angel Island’s “Other Side”

Along with the trees and trails, there’s abundant history BY JIM WOOD

Angel Island State Park sits but a mile from mainland Marin and it’s easily reached via the Angel Island Tiburon Ferry. However, as seen from Marin, Angel Island appears lovely but lonely; not much but trees and trails. So if it’s action you’re after, hike, rent a bike (maybe an e-bike?) or take a shuttle tour to the other side of Angel Island, the side that faces Berkeley. There you’ll see history, loads of it. One example is Fort McDowell, which in 1909 was the scene of a furious construction project intended to make Angel Island the main base for the recruit training, discharging and transferring of troops on America’s West Coast. The fort was built between the Spanish-American War and WWI; its key structure being a three-story, tilt-up concrete bar racks building designed to house 686 men. But that was based on the Army’s standard of 60-square-feet per man and with “double bunking,” which often had to be practiced, the structure could accommodate over 1,000

men — hence it was nicknamed the “Thousand Man Barracks.” Also con structed — and still standing — on Angel Island’s eastern side are arguably the largest mess hall in America’s military history, one that could serve over 1,500 meals at a sitting; plus a hospital; post exchange; guardhouse; parade grounds and a string of comfortable housing called “Officer’s Row.” By the height of WWII, Fort McDowell was the staging base for all U.S. troops headed to the Pacific Theater. In all, well over 300,000 Americans passed through Fort McDowell during WWII. And today, island visitors often miss seeing Fort McDowell’s massive structures because most of them sit some what off the island’s Perimeter Road. Yet they’re there for the viewing and should you want to experience history in a personal manner, you can walk through the hospital’s dilapidated, yet historically rich, two-story interior. Look for the numbers 1910 etched in concrete above the doorway.

Fort McDowell, 1909

ICONIC CRAFTSMANSHIP

Louis M. Martini Winery is a cornerstone of Napa Valley, offering an internationally acclaimed portfolio of Cabernet Sauvignon. Since 1933, the Martini family has played an integral role in establishing Napa Valley as one of the world’s premier wine regions, with each successive generation helping to set new standards in the vineyard and cellar. Take a peek into the history of Martini with the new exclusive Underground Cellar Experience. Descend into a beautifully adornded 85-year-old barrel cellar that pays tribute to the Martini family’s old-world heritage and learn about the history of the winery. Featuring revered small-lot releases and library winees paired with inspired culinary creations f rom Chef Aaron Meneghelli.

Saint Helena Hwy S, St. Helena CA louismartini.com/visit-the-winery

ED MOSES

Robert Green Fine Arts presents a splendid and dramatic body of work by Post War World II Abstract Expressionist painter Ed Moses (1926-2018). A thoughtfully curated exhibition from the Ed Moses Estate with colorful large scale, powerful, gestural canvases. In a career that spanned 7 decades, Ed Moses was one of the pioneers of the Abstract Expressionist movement on the west coast. Moses’ work is in most major museums in the United States and he had his retrospective exhibit in 1996 at the LA Contemporary Museum.

Robert Green Fine Arts, established 1969, exhibits primarily painterly, abstract expressive work by painters that thoroughly take advantage of the sensually evocative nature of color and form.

Bob Green & Charlotte Bernstrom, codirectors. Photography Douglas Sandberg © 2022