Marin Magazine October 2020

CELEBRATING

INTERIOR DESIGN BY ROBERT FEDERIGHI

Make yourself at home

Unmatched Experience. Mark Millstein

Thinking of selling? Buyers are willing to pay premium prices for updated homes. I know what sells, and I have 35 years of extensive renovation experience. I will manage the process of readying your home for sale, shielding you from hassles and minimizing expenses.

Trying to buy? High demand and low inventory is testing buyers’ patience. My advice: Don’t take undue risk by waiving inspections or overpaying. Together we can be competitive enough to secure your dream home, while at the same time protecting your investment for the future.

Superior Housekeeping Is Essential

The Cooperative Cleaning Company has met this need for the Bay Area’s most discerning

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

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

SCHEDULE IN-PERSON AND VIDEO APPOINTMENTS NOW!

Working together for the Health of the North Bay.

Working together to fight COVID-19.

At MarinHealthSM, we believe in going above and beyond to provide our community with the best possible care. Our strategic alliance with UCSF Health enables us to collaborate to provide exceptional care— in our Medical Network Clinics, in key hospital programs, and in our response to the COVID -19 Pandemic.

Our leadership teams and experts are regularly communicating to face the Coronavirus crisis head on. We are sharing data and research. We are exchanging ideas and best practices. And we are committed to working together to provide an effective and timely response.

Together, we are doing all we can to offer a Healing Place dedicated to serving our community well.

Learn more about our alliance at www.MyMarinHealth.org/partnerships

Current MarinHealth Medical Network patients, call your provider’s office. If you need a doctor, we can help you find one—call 1-888-MarinHC (1-888-627-4642).

“MarinHealth” and the MarinHealth logo are servicemarks of Marin General Hospital and used with permission.

SCHEDULE IN-PERSON AND VIDEO APPOINTMENTS NOW!

FEATURES 34

First Person: Defying Gravity Writer Janine Urbaniak Reid shares how she coped when both she and her son faced life-threatening illnesses.

38

From the Ashes

Peter and Nancy Lang, owners of Santa Rosa’s Safari West, rebuilt their home after it was lost in the Tubbs Fire.

48

Mill Valley Film Festival Interviews with founder Mark Fishkin and director of programming Zoë Elton, a deeper dive into DocPitch, politics in film and more.

EAT & DRINK

66

What's Hot Get to know a few of the Black-owned business that call Marin home, including: Forrest Fire BBQ, Caribbean Spices and SoulKitchenMarin.

67

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

IN MARIN

27

Currents

Tracking your ballot, a county high school elections ambassador program, the origins of the name Hog Island, USPS facts.

32 Shop Local Hygge — pronounced "hue-gah" or "hoo-guh" — is a Danish and Norwegian word for a mood of coziness. Get your hygge on with these items.

MARIN HOME 81 Backstory

Employing a mix of contemporary furnishings and handcrafted pieces, Saffron + Poe reimagines a Marina District apartment for a young family.

COLUMNS

16 Letter

106 Reflections

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

FOUNDER,

Editorial

MARIN IN CHIEF Towle CHIEF Geiger Gliddon

MANAGING

MANAGING BAY Pawlowska

DINING

ASSISTANT

Bernard Boo, Peter Crooks, Tate Carrie Paige Janine Urbaniak Jan Wahl

Volume 16, Issue 10. Marin Magazine is published in Marin County by Marin Magazine Inc. owned by Make It Better Media LLC. All rights reserved. Copyright©2020. Reproduction of Marin Magazine content is prohibited without the expressed, written consent of Marin Magazine Inc. Unsolicited materials cannot be returned. Marin Magazine reserves the right to refuse to publish any advertisement deemed detrimental to the best interests of the community or that is in questionable taste. Marin Magazine is mailed monthly to homes and businesses in Marin County.

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

Celebrating Fall in Marin

Halloween came early for many of us this fall. Besides the pandemic, politics and… fill in the blank, it seemed the sun decided to just not rise on September 9th. We could all relate. As if saying, “enough, already, I’m taking a nap” the sun just didn’t show up. Obviously, it was still there, but due to a perfect dust storm caused by historical wildfires here in California, it was blocked by billions of smoke particles. Inspired to record and share the moment, Kasia Pawlowska (the woman behind our Instagram account) asked for readers to tag us in their photos of the phenomenon, see the result in Reflections, page 106. Saddened by the images of darkened skies, burning forests, and despair, our parent company, Make it Better Media Group, got together to create a matching grant fund along with The American Red Cross. Any donation you make will be matched, up to $100,00 – check out page 31 for details.

As usual, October means much to look forward to here in Marin. It’s all going to just be a little different. First of all, it’s time to vote for the next presidential election, as well as many important local races. For those weary of mailing in your ballot – not to worry, they can be traced. Make sure your vote is counted when you mail it in – we tell you how on page 28. October also brings the 43rd annual Mill Valley Film Festival, which will begin on October 8th and run through the 18th. Stay abreast of the latest in programming via our Better Letter and social media. Besides the usual line up of thought-provoking, Oscar-worthy film, this year, we invite you to help us raise money for the California Film Institute by safely going out to various film locations (Golden Gate Bridge, Muir Woods, the home in Mrs. Doubfire, to name a few) throughout the Bay Area, and taking a selfie of yourself and tagging #CFIEducation and @marinmagazine.com – each post earns $100 towards this important group. If you head out with your family of four and hit five spots in a weekend, your group would earn $2,000 to help support the great work done by the California Film Institute. This is usually one of our best months for weather, so grab your mask, sun hat and shades,

and have some fun! We will add in an extra $100 if you happen to dress like the character in the movie.

We hope you enjoy this issue as a celebration of our times. Our cover and feature story is one of resilience and rebuilding, and we hope we see it repeated across the state. Photographer Ashley Wexler drove up to Sonoma last August, literally between fires, to shoot the home of Peter and Nancy Lang, along with the editor and writer of the story, which had been burned to the ground in the Tubbs Fire of 2017. Nothing survived the fire –nothing from the decade’s worth of collections, artwork, clothes procured by the Lang’s eventful life. And now, they have a newly rebuilt house to do it all over again.

We also couldn’t find a more resilient topic for our First Person department than author Janine Urbaniak Reid’s story of being diagnosed with, and surviving, cancer. In light of Breast Cancer awareness month, we are honored to help her share the story that inspired her to write her book, The Opposite of Certainty

We hope to see you with your mask, safely six feet apart, enjoying the beauty of Marin as we raise money for the California Film Institute. Please tag us and #CFIEducation to earn money for this great cause.

The Team at Marin Magazine

Christina Mueller @eatdrinkthink, Instagram

What’s Hot, Dine Out

What restaurant openings are you most excited about?

Mill Valley’s Bootjack is going back to its roots and once again using that amazing Alan Scott oven for hearth breads. I’m really excited to get up to Crave in Novato and taste the latest from chef Christian. I’m also looking forward to sitting outside at The Vault Garden in San Francisco when the smoke clears. Until then, I’m ordering vegan sushi takeout from Woodblock in San Francisco. My kids, however, are thrilled to have a gluten-free burrito option nearby at Amy’s Drive Thru in Corte Madera. All have opened in the last month or so.

Where has your work appeared before?

Eater, Sunset, Chowhound, Domino, Edible Marin and Wine Country, TripAdvisor, ezCater, OpenTable.

Peter Crooks

@popcornpicks, Twitter Politics in the Movies

What’s the best movie you’ve seen this year?

I saw The Invisible Man just before the virus ruined everything. It was a terrific update of a classic Universal horror monster story. On Kanopy, I streamed the 1979 Canadian thriller The Silent Partner, which is an underseen gem.

What do you enjoy most about the Mill Valley Film Festival?

The quality of films is extraordinary, and the interactive quality — sharing movies with smart audiences and filmmakers — makes for unforgettable experiences.

Where has your work appeared?

I’m a longtime writer and editor for Diablo in the East Bay Area. My work has also appeared in Via and San Francisco magazine. An Oscarnominated producer aquired the film rights to my true crime book, The Setup: A True Story of Dirty Cops, Soccer Moms, and Reality TV

@wahl5383, Instagram Life is a Banquet

If you had to pick one, most iconic food moment from a film, what would it be?

Ratatouille, when the food critic tastes the ratatouille and is transported to his childhood farm, and the moment when Lady and the Tramp are sharing the spaghetti and meatballs.

What’s the best movie you’ve seen this year?

Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker and Hollywood, both on Netflix.

Where has your work appeared before?

KRON 4, KCBS, KGO, Armed Service Radio Network, The San Francisco Bay Times and The San Francisco Chronicle

Ashley Wexler

Photographer, From the Ashes

What did you enjoy most about this assignment?

It was a pretty magical experience being able to get up close with the Watusi and Brahma cattle that live on Peter and Nancy’s property.

It was Peter’s idea to jump in the truck and with his direction I was able to get pretty deep in with the herd. I’ve never shot animals really before! They are not my usual subject matter.

What are your favorite things to shoot?

How am I supposed to choose? With weddings it’s all about love and happiness and forever. The gorgeous details that represent the couple and what is important to them. There are so many candid moments that go unseen. With inhome family shoots it comes down to the babes — they have this ability to take the session somewhere I never could have planned.

@ashley_wexler_photography, instagram

Jan Wahl

ONLINE

“Dr. Brad Giles – What a Most Fabulous Life!! Dana is sooo cute! Great article @hooperchung” – @shellekelle via Instagram in response to our “Man in the Window” story post about Dr. Brad Giles from the August issue.

Contact us @marinmagazine.com or editorial@marin magazine.com

“I imagine we are related somehow as Giles is my maiden name... most of the Giles family is in the South. Nice story ;)” – @sherricorker via Instagram in response to our “Man in the Window” story post about Dr. Brad Giles from the August issue.

“I’m trying my best to both support local businesses and reduce my carbon footprint by eating less red meat, and I’m sure, wherever there’s a burger, there’s a chicken sandwich just around the corner!” – @happyinthewild via Instagram in response to our Best Burgers post.

“I love a good burger. Sustainably grown beef is more expensive, higher quality and worth every penny. This doesn’t have to be a black and white / either or situation.” – @glengraves via Instagram in response to our Best Burgers post.

“Gripping... hopefully they can find their way to get that net installed sooner than later...” –@stevescott13 via Instagram in response to our “Dream Job” story post about what painting the Golden Gate Bridge entails.

“Any and all Marin county residents should sign up for MCE Deep Green energy. It’s 100% renewable energy for around $4 more per month. It drastically reduces your personal carbon footprint. All you have to do is go to their website and enter in your PG&E account number and your good to go. Easy. This will only get worse if we don’t immediately make the necessary changes.” – @alexandralrose via Instagram in response to our orange sky photo post taken by @bersonphotos

marinmagazine.com

Top 6 Stories Online

New in Town

Restaurant openings like Petit Lulu Patisserie and Stillwater, and ex pansions from favorites like Amy's Drive Thru and Nick's Cove, got lots of clicks for our monthly round up, with almost 2,500 page views.

Marin’s Best Burgers

With the abundance of excellent burgers in Marin to try out, we had one of the county’s top foodie In stagrammers (@destroyeats) do some important research to save you some time. This article re ceived over 4,000 views and was the top story in our weekly Better Letter when it was published.

Top Gram top Instagram post last month was by C, @c.by.eva. “This photo was taken at my favorite spot in the Bay had just 70-200mm I had been wanting to get You also

Ode to the Avocado

Sign Up

Did you know that due to their shape and bumpy exterior, in the early 1900s avocados were known as “alligator pears” in the United States? “Avocado” actually comes from the word ahuácatl, which means “testicle” in an ancient Aztec dialect. They believed it contained aphrodisiac qualities. This article was our second most read on our site last month.

How to Help Those Affected by the Northern California Fires

It’s an all-too-familiar pattern that only seems to be ramping up. This is the fourth year California is see ing an explosion of fires, and the flames arrived months earlier this time around. We rounded up local groups who stepped up to the chal lenge and were doing everything in their power to help. This post was shared over 50 times on Instagram.

Marin’s 5 Must-See Kayaking Spots

The therapeutic and health benefits of kayaking are well-established, and nothing beats being out on the water. Fortunately, Marin offers plenty of prime paddling locations. We shared the five spots that are most often mentioned when you ask locals for recommendations. This post received close to 300 likes and was shared over 50 times on Instagram.

5 Things To Do Now

After months of being cooped up we knew that most county residents were excited to see parks, beaches and businesses begin to open, so for the first time in nearly three months we’ve able to suggest hikes to take and restaurants that were open for outdoor dining. This post re ceived over 400 likes on Instagram and was shared over 150 times on the platform.

New in Town

EAT & DRINK

Jerry’s Delicatessen & BBQ Sausalito native Aaron Hothem developed an infatuation for smoking meats at the tender age of eight. “My Mom was vegetarian so I always did the meat cooking,” the chef at the recently opened Novato restaurant says. The Redwood High grad partnered with Novato native and San Marin grad Ryan Joyce to bring southern flavors and plenty of smoked meats to an all-day menu that includes avocado toast, breakfast burritos and a classic Reuben with braised sauerkraut. A complete remodel of the former Perry’s Deli space means ample, picnic-style shaded seating outside, too. 7380 Redwood Blvd, Novato, 415.895.5592, jerrysdelibbq.com

Amelie With two of three owners of the longrunning San Francisco wine bar living in Marin (Germain Michel lives in Forest Knolls and Romain Martinez lives in San Rafael), it is perhaps no surprise to see the latest Amelie land squarely in Fairfax. The Marin outpost boasts house-made pastries and breads (pan au raisin, croissants) from chef Yannick Dumonceau (ONE65) and Moschetti coffees for its traditional French breakfast. Lunch and dinner are the work of Brian Starky (Saison, Plum) who shines a light on French (escargot with garlic butter, salad Nicoise) and Californian (slow-baked steelhead, gem lettuces with fennel) fare. The wine list, however, is 100% French. 71 Broadway Blvd, Fairfax, 628.253.5161, ameliefairfax.com

Crave Managing partner Shah Bahreyni joined with partner Peter Paul and executive chef and partner Christian Pulido (True Food Kitchen, The Lodge at Pebble Beach) to transition Novato’s Boca Tavern to this California cuisine concept. Savor oakwood-grilled Manila clams, Filipino-style beef short ribs or soft shell crab with Blue Lake beans on the terrace for now. A modern dining room, replete with George Nelson bubble lamps, awaits a return to indoor dining.

340 Ignacio Blvd, Novato, 415.883.0901 cravemarin.com

Bootjack Woodfired Baker Cameron Esaryk (Green Gulch Farm) will continue to make pizzas and desserts for sister restaurant Watershed and Shoreline Café in this Mill Valley restaurant’s embedded Alan Scott bread oven. A transition back to a bakery (the space was Village Bakery for

FRANK LEE

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

Cassata raspberries, peaches, pizzuta and almonds at Baia.

EDITED BY CHRISTINA MUELLER

30 years before the Tartine team honed their chops here and then current owner Ged Robertson took over with Small Shed Flatbreads) means the oven’s warmth will now burnish breads during the small hours each day. Look for hearth style breads (apple walnut), breakfast sandwiches, pastries (cinnamon buns) to be paired with barista drinks from Four Barrel Coffee and focacciastyle pizzas at lunch with the same Central Milling grains and organic approach as before. “It will be five days a week to start, 7 a.m. – 2 p.m.,” Robertson says. 17 Madrona St, Mill Valley 415.383.4200, bootjackwoodfired.com

Fishmonger Don

An effort to find crab when high levels of domoic acid shuttered Marin’s crab fishing season a few years ago turned Fairfax resident Don Mayfield into a sought-after sourc ing star. With Covid restrictions stymying the sustainable fish ing tours he once ran from a boat docked at San Francisco’s Pier 45, Mayfield turned to sourcing locally-sourced, sustainably-fished sea creatures full-time. Fresh-cut filets of king salmon, black cod and California-sourced

bluefin as well as Don’s spicy poke are just a few of the items to be delivered directly to your door or picked up in Fairfax. 209.629.0094, fishmongerdon.com

Viqtor Food

Recipes from Victor’s mother and meals originally served to Sol Food’s employees define the latest spinoff of the Puerto Rican food empire owned by Victor Cielo and Sol Hernandez. Located across the street from the San Rafael original, this takeout only spot serves up spaghetti with garlicky shrimp, tacos with Victor’s mom’s red sauce and a pork rib sandwich cradled by the original restaurant’s famous tostones. 902 Lincoln Ave, San Rafael 415.737.0655, viqtorfood.com

Baia/Woodblock

Known for its plantbased approach, the SoCal hospitality brand, Matthew Kenney Cuisine, arrived in San Francisco’s Hayes Valley neighborhood this sum mer with a one-two takeout punch. Eggplant stands in for unagi in a tempura roll and other Japanese specialties at Woodblock while Italian comfort food (think meatballs, pizza, and lasagna) define Baia.

When permitted, Baia will welcome guests back to the space which housed Jardiniere for over 20 years.

300 Grove St, San Francisco 415.861.0625 baiasf.com, woodblocksf.com

BEAUTY Marin Medical Aesthetics

Owner Chris Bacchi, MD, opened this San Rafael body and skin care clinic in June, spe cializing in non-invasive, comfortable and effec tive body sculpting services and skin care laser treatments, includ ing skin rejuvenation and a program to develop pelvic floor integrity.

807 D Street, San Rafael 415.785.4604, marinmedical aesthetics.com

Simple Radiance by Morpheus

Just days before Covid19 closed everything, Dr. Marisha Chilcott of Morpheus Medical Aesthetics took over Larkspur’s Simple Radiance along with existing staff (yes, Linda, Vicki, Christine and Liz are all still there!). They are serving our community with a variety of non-surgical aesthetic solutions to our worry and stress.

5 Bon Air Rd. Suite 107 Larkspur, 415.924.1330, morpheusmedspa.com

COMMUNITY

Public Safety Center, San Rafael

Coming in on time and on budget and utilizing Measure E funds from a 2013 ballot measure, San Rafael debuted the new downtown headquarters

for both its fire and police departments.

Now seismically safe and built to LEED Gold standards, the build ings are expected to last for at least a century, serving the community during current and future emergencies and disasters. 1375 Fifth Avenue, San Rafael 415.485.3070 cityofsanrafael.org/ departments/facilities

Whistlestop Becomes Vivalon

An organizational name change to Vivalon from Whistlestop reflects the community growth and commitment to the future for the San Rafael-based nonprofit. Transportation services will be known as Whistlestop Wheels by Vivalon and Jackson

Café will shift to Vivalon’s Jackson Café. 930 Tamalpais Ave, San Rafael 415.456.9062, vivalon.org

ART Desta Gallery

After six successful years in San Anselmo, Emebet Korn moved her gallery of contemporary art by emerging and established artists to downtown Mill Valley Emebet’s space plans to continue to host artist receptions, art-related conversations, poetry readings, and speaking engagements which highlight socially relevant themes.

100 Throckmorton Avenue, Mill Valley 415.384.8762, destagallery.com

For more New in Town visit: marinmagazine.com/ new-in-town

Virtuoso

Your plans are long-term. Choose a philanthropic partner who understands that. Virtuoso at MCF.

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

CELEBRATING THE PEOPLE, PLACES AND CAUSES OF THIS UNIQUE COUNTY

more than 300 U.S. elections. The only information BallotTrax needs is your first name, last name, year and/or date of birth and zip code. And don’t worry about privacy — the service follows your envelope, but not your vote remains con fidential through the entire process. A bonus is that a close tracking system not only gives voters peace of mind — it can also lend more legitimacy to election results, as it addresses concerns about potentially stolen or lost ballots. Sign up to follow yours at california.ballot trax.net/voter/.

KP

Save the USPS

BY KASIA PAWLOWSKA

There are certain things in life that we tend to take for granted as they are so commonplace. Probably one of the biggest ones? Getting our mail delivered. And when it comes to mail, the USPS is king. It is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation — meaning 160 million residences, businesses and post office (P.O.) boxes. But the United States Postal Service occupies a unique space in the government agency landscape It is federally run yet independent, and receives zero tax dollars for operating expenses. Instead the USPS relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. In recent times the USPS has run in a lion’s share of issues and is in crisis including the recent appointment of Louis DeJoy, which has resulted in continued protests ranging from his qualifications, management style, decisions so far, and most importantly putting votes at risks.

1 The first postmaster ge neral in the United States was Benjamin Franklin. Until 1971, the postmaster general was also a cabinet-level position and (last) in the presidential line of succession.

2 A tavern in Boston owned by a man named Richard Fairbanks was designated the colonies’ first post office on November 6, 1639.

3 Prepaid postage stamps were introduced in the United States in 1847. Prior to this, recipients — not senders — usually had to pay for postage on the letters they received and tended to refuse letters. Stamps fixed this.

4 A few weeks after Parcel Post (large parcels and packages) began in 1913, an Ohio couple “mailed” their 8-month-old son to his grandmother, who lived just a few miles away for 15 cents. This practice continued for just over a year.

5 During carrier orientation, workers are taught that the satchel is their first line of defense against aggressive dogs.

6 Across the United States, postal workers walk an average of 4 to 8 miles carrying a full load of letters and packages. Some walk more than 12 miles a day.

7 As of 2019, there are approximately 497,000 postal workers across the United States.

8 Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Postal Service’s mail volume has decreased by nearly a third, and the agency is projecting a $13 billion shortfall for the year.

Controversy aside, here are some fun facts and history about the USPS:

Get out the Vote

It’s important to form good habits early in life and this ethos applies to things beyond healthy eating and regular flossing. In that vein, the county has created a high school elections ambassador program to get Marin’s teens engaged in local politics and make them more mindful of voting. The main objectives of the initiative are to pre-register sixteen and seventeen-year-old students, to register eligible students to vote, and to expand the county’s high school poll worker program to reach more students and increase participation. Students from any high school in the county can participate and will serve as a crucial link between the Elections Department and their peers. All the resources and tools for registering students and to carry out voter drives at high schools will be provided. Learn more at marincounty.org/ depts/rv/voter-resources/ KP

SALLIE KRAWCHECK’S MISSION TO GET WOMEN MORE MONEY

BY CARRIE KIRBY

Sallie Krawcheck is one of the preeminent wom en of finance, having run Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and US Trust, Citi Wealth Man agement and research firm Sanford C. Bernstein and Co. She’s also a straight talker with a passion for empowering women through investing. To achieve that, she co-founded Ellevest, a digital investment platform for women that offers not just financial services but also career coaching and financial planning. Recently Krawcheck, who serves as Ellevest CEO, shared her vision at Invest for Kids’ annual Women’s Event, this year held online. Invest for Kids harnesses the power of the investment industry to benefit underprivileged children in Chi cago. In conversation with Jenny Fortner, Director of Impact and Engagement at Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund, Krawcheck explained how investing for women intersects with sustainable investing, because, as she likes to say, “Only good things happen when women have more money.” Read the full inter view online at marinmagazine.com/finance.

Hog Island

It’s a popular oyster spot; it’s also a 2-acre islet in Tomales Bay… but where does the name “Hog Island” come from? Yes, a quahog is a clam, but turns out that the “hog” etymology is unrelated. It’s been reported that the name actually stems from a cartoonish incident that took place in the late 19th century. As the story has it, in the 1870s a barge fi lled with pigs caught fire

nearby and was run aground to prevent sinking. Once landed, the pigs fled the barge and ran loose on the island before being captured. This, apparently, was significant enough of an event to warrant a permanent name, even though today most people think of oysters when they hear “Hog Island.” KP

Word!

How the AP Stylebook is handling the pandemic.

BY MIMI TOWLE

As our world seems to be spinning faster than normal, the word nerds at AP Style — our heroes — are keeping us abreast of how to describe our surroundings. Here are a few gems we thought were interesting enough to share.

home schooling (n.) home-schooler (n.) home-school (v.) home-schooled (adj.) Note the hyphenation.

asymptomatic Avoid this medical jargon; use no symptoms, without symptoms or the like.

cases People should not be referred to as cases. Correct: Fifty people tested positive for the virus. Fifty cases of the virus were reported. Incorrect: Fifty cases tested positive for the virus. Incorrect and redundant: 50 positive cases.

contagion (new) Avoid this term. Usually better to use words like disease or illness, or more speci fic words like virus.

death, die Don't use euphemisms like passed on or passed away except in a direct quote.

distance learning (n., adj.)

Schools are turning to distance learning. He is taking a distance learning class.

Sourced from the AP Style newsletter.

LOCAL BOOKSTORES PIVOT

Missing that nostalgic scent of new books — signifying endless armchair adventures? Last month we highlighted how a few of our favorite independent bookstores have pivoted in Covidtimes: visit marinmagazine.com for the full ar ticle. Did we miss your favorite? Let us know at editorial@marinmagazine.com.

BOOK PASSAGE

The liveliest bookstore in the Bay Area has made their Covid-19 pivot with grace. Translat ing their cozy social environment into a virtual experience, Book Passage now provides a free, live series called Conversations with Authors, as well as special ticketed events. Prior to these, (usually held on weekends), guests can register and send in their questions for the author. Rath er than readings, these become conversations between the author, the host and the audience. Events are saved to an archive, which can be ac cessed at any time, and are accompanied by a recommended reading list.

Covid-19 update: The Corte Madera location is open daily from 10:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.; San Francisco is open Friday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. –4 p.m. and Sunday 12–5 p.m. 51 Tamal Vista Boule vard, Corte Madera; 1 Ferry Building, San Francisco bookpassage.com

CITY LIGHTS BOOKS

After a thrilling GoFundMe success of $365,000 in a single day, this beloved book store — on the verge of closing due to Covid-19 — reopened for business in June 2020. Keeping in line with their reputation for selling “obscene literature,” the entrance is devoted to antiracist books, both fiction and non-fiction. If you’re

skipping the in-person visits, City Lights Books also offers online shopping, gift certificates and livevirtual readings and events.

Covid-19 update: Open daily from 12–8 p.m. 261 Columbus Av enue, San Francisco. citylights.com

COPPERFIELD’S BOOKS

With ten locations in Marin, Napa and So noma counties, Copperfield’s Books is a fa vorite across the North Bay. Their stores are like upscale libraries, equipped with winding labyrinths of shelves, and quiet, spacious en vironments — well suited for browsing during Covid-19 times.

Covid-19 update: Open daily 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. for in-store browsing and curbside pickup. Locations in Calistoga, Healdsburg, Larkspur, Napa, Novato, Petaluma, San Rafael, Santa Rosa, Sebastopol. copperfieldsbooks.com/san-rafael

POINT REYES BOOKS

From classics to important local and national topics, Point Reyes Books enables visitors to find hidden gems of the literary world. Check out their online events presented via their Crowdcast channel and shop their bookstore online, if you prefer to stay home.

Covid-19 update: Open daily 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. for in-store browsing and curbside pickup. (Due to the Woodward Fire, be sure to call (415) 6631542 to see if they’re open.) 1315 CA-1, Point Reyes Station ptreyesbooks.com

BY SABRINA TUTON-FILSON

For more on great reads visit: marinmagazine.com/ books

JOIN US IN SUPPORTING THE AMERICAN RED CROSS

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HYGGE MUST-HAVES

BY KASIA PAWLOWSKA

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defyinggravity

Enough already. That was my prayer.

BY JANINE URBANIAK REID

Circumstances had accumulated into a layer cake of dread. I couldn’t force down one more slice. I couldn’t do it anymore, not one more day, maybe not even one more hour. How do you fi nd strength when you’ve already been emptied out so thoroughly?

I’d dressed after the scan then waited to be told to go home, just like the last three years. I was in a high-risk group, which necessitated this one-stop shopping mammogram with an onsite radiologist. But I felt like an imposter in the high-risk waiting room, I’d been diagnosed with something called atypia a few years back, abnormal cells, but not cancer; maybe something, probably nothing. This day, I am led into a small office. “You need to see a surgeon,” said the woman with a conspicuous box of Kleenex on her desk. But I wasn’t sad. I was angry. This was a mistake, probably more atypia… “I can call your surgeon and make an appointment,” she offered. I listed all the reasons that I couldn’t have cancer and wouldn’t need the appointment. The kind of excuses that get you out of jury duty, caring for my son with a brain tumor, two other children who’d already been through too much. I was confused. I mean, yes, I was high risk-y because of the previous biopsy, but breast cancer didn’t run in my family. Then again, neither did brain tumors.

Our family had been orbiting my son Mason’s inoperable, slow growing brain tumor for five years by then. There had been partial eclipses, periods of uneasy peace punctuated by held-breath MRI scans, maybe something, maybe nothing biopsies, chemo, and then the massive cerebral hemor rhage that landed him (and us) in hospitals for six months. He was 15 now, and he’d had to learn to walk, talk and eat twice in his short life. It was my job to bring Mason back into the suit of himself, while mothering all three of my children with the same level of love, perseverance and presence, tumor or no tumor. These were impossible standards, but they were my standards. The thought of

breast cancer was ridiculous. This Marin County family had already paid, but of course the cells in my breast knew nothing of my rules.

It’s di fficult to put into words what it was like to live in a body that was turning against me, the recoil then the realization that it’s me I’m recoiling against. I’d done what I was supposed to, nursed three babies, ate my servings of leafy greens; I didn’t drink or smoke; I exercised, even meditated when I could sit still with the “to do” list that looped in my mind. I did it all, yet still…

“We’d rather be anything than powerless,” my friend Annie said as we hiked the ridge at Deer Park. It was true. When Mason was diagnosed, I felt such judgement, but mostly it was coming from me. If only I’d breast fed him longer or found a competent neurologist sooner; if only I’d never intro duced foods like birthday cake or jellybeans. It was a MadLib of self-blame, weirdly comforting. Because if I caused the problem, I had the power to fi x it. This thinking was more distraction than solution. Ultimately, I had to put the question why on a shelf, along with my guilt and overblown sense of responsibility. I had to accept the reality that my son had a tumor that would shape all of our lives. Still, I had always thought I could keep up the pace, drive him to his many appointments, figure out yet another PT strategy, another nutritional approach, Chinese medicine, homeopathy, acupuncture, chiropractic. So many appointments, and then there was the broth I made just for him — not me — healing with vegetables and seaweed.

After a surgical biopsy, I was diagnosed with Stage 0 cancer, ductal carcinoma in situ, DCIS, a very treatable cancer, the cancer you’d pick if you absolutely had to choose one. I opted for mastectomy, in consultation with my breast surgeon and after much research. I didn’t know the answer for any one else (and I still don’t), but I knew what was right for me. By now I’d learned to trust that quiet, still voice that comes from deep inside, the one that doesn’t need a lot of words. The direction was clear, now I just wanted to skip to the part where I’m sitting on the beach a year from now holding my husband’s hand while our kids chase the dog in the surf.

The fact of my mortality probably wasn’t news to anyone else. But I’d been acting like I could push the universe into an acceptable plan for our lives through the spectacular force of my will.

It’s difficulto put into words what it was like to live in a body that was turning against me, the recoil then the realization that it’s me I’m recoiling against.

This meant that I would live long enough to see my children safely launched into the lives I’d planned for them. I with held my approval from the reality we’d found ourselves in. It was the spiritual equivalent of holding my breath until the weather changed. Yet, here we were in the midst of storms, still and again.

I woke up from the surgery re-arranged, though it would take time for wounds to mend, and the shape of this new body and spirit to be revealed. I was still angry at whatever force in the universe hands out pediatric brain tumors and breast cancers to the mothers of already anxious children. Though I’ll never forget that night in the hospital after everyone left: a nurse came into my room with a comb and gently untangled my hair, surely she had other things to do. There was kindness in that moment, a generosity of spirit, and I let myself receive it.

This seemed to be the point. For years, I’d been waiting to get the life back that I recognized. I told myself that I’d be happy when, I’d relax after… Yet here was the life I had, marked with scars and stains. There was also profound healing and unexplained goodness, and always a love big enough. A salve for all those places emptied out of plans, safety and surety.

It was Mason’s turn to walk with me. Slowly, my strength was coming back. I’d forced myself to venture out half a block or so every day. Mason’s gait was uneven; he walked with the exuberance of

The direction was clear, now I just wanted to skip to the part where I’m sitting on the beach a year from now holding my husband’s hand while our kids chase the dog in the surf.

a baby gira ffe who wobbled a little more on the right. I stepped intentionally, to avoid engaging the hurt parts of myself. We passed under the stand of redwoods, and Mason held my hand as I stepped over the puddle where water ran down the street year round. It was a stream paved over years ago and yet never gone, a source that runs clear, cool, and nourishing no matter what pavement gets in the way. Mason smiled as he steadied me, happy to be the one giving help instead of receiving it. We had the strength we needed, one step, then the next. It wasn’t out there, somewhere else. It was on that mossy, slippery sidewalk, in that moment and nowhere else.

Janine Urbaniak Reid is a long-time Marin County resident. She is the author of The Opposite of Certainty: Fear, Faith and Life in Between. Visit her at JanineUrbaniakReid.com.

For more first person stories, visit: marinmagazine. com/voices

BY PAIGE PETERSON BY ASHLEY WEXLER

“Give me ten minutes,” said Peter Lang. “You don’t have ten minutes,” his wife Nancy replied. The black sky was aglow. The groggy couple, both in their mid-seventies, had to shift into high gear to survive. It was 10:30 p.m., and by daybreak the glow would be called the Tubbs Fire — one of the deadliest in history.

They left the house. Nancy and the three dogs, Luna, Bob and Marty, drove off in her Chevy Suburban. Peter jumped in his truck. What did they leave in the house? Two life times of things. Both animal and nature obsessed, they had amassed deep collections of books, art, a world class mineral collection, photo albums that included the archives of Otto Lang, a famous Hollywood director who was Peter’s father, archives dating back to 1935, fi rst edition books, tax returns. Like so many that night, they lost everything.

As they drove down their narrow driveway to a wider Porter Creek Road, the heat from the flames melted Nancy’s windshield wipers. They headed to Safari West, the animal sanctuary/

As they drove down their narrow driveway to a wider Porter CreekRoad, the heat from the flames melted Nancy’s windshield wipers.

glamping resort they have run for more than 20 years, to meet up with a sheriffand highway patrol officer who were starting to evacuate the guests. Once all 90 of them were following the highway patrol to safety, Nancy got back in her car. She assumed that Peter did too.

He stayed behind. Peter purchased this 400-acre plot of rolling verdant Sonoma hillside back in the late ‘80s to give a home to his growing collection of exotic wildlife. Perhaps inspired by his childhood playing on Hollywood back lots, he set out to convert a cattle ranch into a world class conserva tion breeding facility that would be a popular tourist destination, as well. Early on, he met Nancy Schofield, the lead curator and raptorspecialist at the San Francisco Zoo; they fell in love, got married and created Safari West. They lived on this property for twenty-five years, until they purchased their dream home, set on 200 acres less than a mile up the road.

Wearing a wetted flannel hoodie to protect himself from the flying embers, Peter could see their home in flames. To fight the flames, he started with garden hoses and then moved on to tractors, backhoes and forklifts. He single handedly fought the flames for 10 hours. Not one of the 1,000 animals perished.

The fire burned so hot it cracked a large rock formation. All that remained of the house was the skeleton of a washer and dryer, olive trees

and Peter’s 2009 Bentley, which suffered no damage at all.

After three years and months of shelteringin-place because of Covid-19, Nancy and Peter Lang have rebuilt their home, the guest house and two barns. While they loved the 4,000 square foot CliffMay-inspired home they had purchased in 1989, this time they chose “a 100% change in style and architecture,” Nancy says.

“We used the original footprint, and went from

To fight the flames, he started with garden hoses and then moved on to tractors, backhoes and forklifts.

a board-and-bat ranch house with a concrete tile roof to a Mediterranean feel.” Inspired by a television show on traveling to Turkey, they chose the color palette for the exterior, a sun set gold with teal blue window trim and copper gutters. The Langs sourced conterra stone from a little town north of Guadalajara for the columns — and bought so much of the stone that it fi lled eight semi-trucks — and tiles from Tecate. They found a woodworker in Tijuana to carve the front door. “So, yes, you’d say there’s a big Mexican influence,” Peter says, “except all that in fluence is from old Italian houses.”

Keeping to the original floor plan, the Langs made a few tweaks. Peter made the entry into the house much deeper than it was originally. The front door opens to a great room and beyond, glass doors reveal a gemblue pool fronting miles of open hills in the distance. Peter brought in 32 Moravian stars, also sourced from Mexico, and scattered them throughout the house. He is drawn to the ancient mathematical history of these stars, as he explains they were a geometry problem for students in a German college. When they could do the math to make these stars, they would graduate.

Given the opportunity they had for a clean slate, the Langs turned three bedrooms into two adjoining bedrooms with en suite bath rooms. They fl ipped the blueprint to the sunny side of the house with views of the gardens and Sonoma hillsides.

As it did before the fire, the kitchen table seats 14. Nancy wanted something bright and cheerful; she chose yellow for the ceiling and peachy orange for the walls. “I absolutely adore the kitchen, even though we can seat more peo ple than I want to seat,” she says. Peter adds, “I’m deaf in my left ear, so if we have more than three couples, I’m out of the party. It’s all about Nancy, three couples and me.” And a really big table. Peter designed and milled the kitchen table, which is the centerpiece of the room; it seats 16, resembling ranch kitchens at the turn of the 19th century, when ranches fed workers and family alike. The kitchen counter is made of a walnut tree that had fallen at Safari West.

They commissioned a red leather couch from Fiji and built around it. “I left no walls between the living room, the family entertain ment area and a little round table I’m using as my office,” Peter notes. The idea is that you walk through the living room to get to the fam ily area, the kitchen, the outside living room or

The Langs sourced conterra stone from a little town north of Guadalajara for the columns — and bought so much of the stone that it fi lled eight semi-trucks — and tiles from Tecate

the outside dining space — an open floor plan with sitting areas throughout. “We have yet to sit on the living room couch,” Nancy says.

“As I was growing up, I always loved gar dens, and my mark of success was going to be when I could afford a full-time gardener,” Peter explains. “Well, I’ve achieved that. I hired a wonderful friend, Todd Cole of Strata Landscape, and I’ve got several full-time gar deners at Safari West, and here.”

Nancy had envisioned a very long vanish ing edge lap pool. When the bid came in at $450,000, they rethought the plan and happily put in a rectangular manufactured pool. “The more I looked into it, the more sense it made. I bought the shell through a local dealer. We did

the digging, all the sanding and the dealer came by to make sure we didn’t do anything wrong,” says Peter. “I told Nancy, ‘Your fi rst lap is going to cost 70 grand, and your next lap will be 35 grand. So, you’ve got to do a lot of swimming.’”

After three years of nearly daily use, Nancy has proven it’s an investment well made.

Collecting money from insurance was an adventure, and not a happy one. Peter recounts one of the issues he still scratches his head over. He assumed a fence that keeps his cattle on his property would be insured. It wasn’t. “We ended up spending well over $40,000 re-fenc ing,” he says. “When I talked to the insurance agent, I said, ‘So, the fence isn’t insured, but if the Watusi and Brahma cattle that are now

unfenced walk down onto Porter Creek Road and cause a major collision, we are insured? The insurance agent says, ‘Oh, yes. You have liability insurance.’ I said, ‘Wouldn’t it be smarter to pay for the fence, rather than risk an accident?’.”

His advice: know what is insured and what isn’t. Can it happen again? “Am I worried about a fi re? No,” Peter says. A solid concrete structure in the middle of Manhattan is also not fireproof, he explains. “We built under the new fi re codes, which are very stringent and make sense. There are no open vents into the attic space, it’s all closed in. Tile roofs, plaster walls and as now required, built-in sprinklers. Same fi re, same circumstances, the house might not burn.” He waits a beat. “Might not.”

MARIN

THE EARLY YEARS

Like many careers, Gary Friedman’s started in retail. For him, it was a stint stocking shelves at a Gap store in Santa Rosa. “I got promoted and eventually became store manager, coming up through the ranks,” the Chairman and CEO of RH told me recently. Friedman’s early years gave no indication of future riches. The deteriorating mental health of his mother meant a life of asking for little. “I grew up very poor,” Friedman recalls. “My mom had mental illness all her life. We lived on food stamps and were evicted many times.” Friedman eventually graduated from Sonoma Valley High and enrolled at Santa Rosa Junior College, but it didn’t take. “I had a college professor that told me I was wasting the taxpayer’s money,” Friedman chuckles. Claims of a D average reinforce the professor’s notion, but management at Gap noticed a di fferent set of skills in the young college drop-out, promoting him to store manager in San Mateo and, subsequently, regional manager in Los Angeles. His career arc began its upward trajectory. The beauty of Marin, however, lodged in Friedman’s heart during his childhood.

“Marin was like Beverly Hills if you will,” Friedman says. “I remember [when I was in elementary school in San Francisco] we came out with friends to the Marin Town and Country Club in Fairfax. Marin was this beautiful place with sun and space and swimming pools.” Though living in the Richmond District at the time, Friedman learned to play tennis at Tiburon Peninsula Club where a school friend’s family spent time. Years before he started his career in retail and subsequently took over the helm at the business known as Restoration Hardware, Marin left its mark.

ORIGINS OF RESTORATION HARDWARE

Founded in 1979 in Eureka, California by Stephen Gordon who sought in vain for a ffordable fi xtures during the restoration of a Victorian, Restoration Hardware spent the fi rst 19 years of existence developing

a following of customers passionate about design, both vintage and modern, and well, Victorian. Fittings and fi xtures, from door knobs and faucets to towel racks and curtain rods, defi ned the brand as much as its name. Growing to 100 stores, the chain transitioned in the 1990s from fi xtures to furniture. Friedman, who spent the late 1980s and 1990s at Williams-Sonoma, a brand launched in his hometown of Sonoma, stepped into the CEO role at Restoration Hardware in the months before the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

RH AND THE MARIN LIFESTYLE

Curating a lifestyle never stopped being a priority for RH and the neutral tones of Northern California’s landscape, already steeped into the brand’s look and feel, came to defi ne the company’s aesthetic under Friedman. “Where I live — the climate, the beauty, the indoor-outdoor, casual elegance of Marin — has a lot to do with how I see the world,” he says. That Northern California sensibility is both Friedman’s and RH’s lens on the world. Friedman approaches lifestyle a little di fferently. “People say we built a lifestyle brand and I never really know what that means. We buy things we love and present things we love and do things we love. It’s very personal,” Friedman says.

Friedman told me he “ended up in Belvedere,” not far from the Belvedere Tennis Club, in the fi rst house he had ever owned in his life. But no one just ends up in Belvedere. Like other areas of Marin, it reels you in, fi rst with its small town vibe and bay and city views, then with the tennis club, stunning afternoon light and easy access to the outdoors. Friedman and his then wife, Kendal, moved into their custom-built home in 2003 when he was 45. “I always thought this was a magical place, but a place I would probably never live in,” Friedman says, hearkening back to the struggles of his childhood.

MARIN SINKS IN

Planting his roots in Marin — a home in Belvedere and RH company headquarters in Corte Madera — this place of sun and fog, hills that fade with the winter rains from brilliant green to ecru, Friedman not only embraced Marin, but turned its wondrous landscapes into RH’s color palette. “People will say ‘you have no color, only neutrals and grays’ and I’ll say it is not that we don’t like color but the most comfortable way to live is in an environment that is a reflection of yourself. And every human on this planet is some shade of neutral, from light to dark,” he says. Does that make Marin sound too meta? Or Friedman too enmeshed in the woo-woo beauty and navel-gazing that happens to some when they live in a place like this? Perhaps. But a tour of the House That Friedman Built reflects his passion for retail, honed since he was a young adult, and brought to fruition with Marin as its anchoring inflence.

RH EXPANDS — AND EXPANDS AGAIN — THE NOTION OF HOME STORE

On Friedman’s watch, RH has moved deeper into retail’s many tiers, branching out from furniture and fittings into 12 categories which now include textiles, lighting and outdoor as well as art, partnering with

artists like Los Angeles’s Portia de Rossi and Mexico’s Adriana Jimenez Blanchet. Collections have expanded from RH Interiors (the classic) to include RH Modern, Baby & Child, Teen, Ski House and Beach House. Galleries, such as the recently opened RH in Corte Madera, reflect Friedman’s recognition of two important facts: that furniture shopping is not an everyday experience and that putting together a home is a long and immersive experience.

Embedded restaurants are not a new concept — Neiman Marcus and other department stores developed restaurants within their stores to keep customers onsite all day some 50 years ago. However, at RH, the restaurant is not a distinct eating experience; it’s one that blends the borders of the brand, immersing guests in the reflective glow of not only RH’s ambient and focused lighting options but its textiles and room design. There is an RH burger, an RH mimosa and a broader menu with dishes that could be served at your next dinner party. “It’s been incredibly successful,” Friedman says. “That is why we are doing it every where.” It is a strategy designed to attract foot tra ffic. “Customers know what one to three stores they are going to go to before they park their car. We need to be one of those destinations.”

Even though they represented 52% of the business when he came onboard as CEO, Friedman got rid of what are called ‘discovery items.’ They had nothing to do with furniture or lighting or design,” he says. “We got rid of the junk and created a beautiful restaurant and seam lessly integrated that into the store. The whole hospitality experience is part of coming here.”

CORTE MADERA REALIZES ITS PLACE AS RH’S TRUE FLAGSHIP STORE

Marin is RH’s tenth gallery and restaurant concept, opening after success in Yountville, Chicago and New York, among other locations. Opening in Corte Madera was an important step for this Marin-based business, according to Friedman. “Everything comes together here. Our Center of Innovation and Product Leadership is in Marin. The best expression of our brand here in Marin is critical for us,” Friedman says. He and his team worked closely with the town of Corte Madera to build a bespoke location, visually distinct from The Village at Corte Madera, for the gallery. “Customers,” he said, “already viewed the Marin store as ou r flagship. We looked for quite a while for a unique space in Marin. When you step out and look at what we built in Corte Madera it is unlike anything ever built in retail.”

Friedman knows that customers viewed Marin as the flagship location for the brand. He also understands that Marin, despite the

skyrocketing price of real estate and other goods, has somehow held onto its image as a hippie stronghold (#blameJerry) in the psyche of the greater culturescape. “If you look at Marin County, it doesn’t really have many luxury brands. Neiman [Marcus] never came. LVMH has no brands here. It is completely underestimated,” he says. Friedman is hellbent on refi ning this outdated perception. “Our legacy store here [which closed when RH Marin opened] did $20 million a year, up from $2.5 million when I came onboard. We are aiming for $40 million which is on par with [The Village’s] Nordstrom’s and Apple. That will attract the quality of retailers that have never been here,” he says.

COVID TIMES ARE TEMPORARY

The arrival of COVID-19 has not placed a particular damper on Friedman’s strategic plans for RH. “I don’t think you craft a strategy for temporal things,” he told me. Though Friedman expects an acceleration of online shopping, from their current 13 or 15% of sales to 20 or 25% of sales, he expects customers to return to the stores once they are allowed to reopen.

“Temporarily, people are spending more time at home, are investing more in their home, and home businesses will get a lift,” he says. Have you been sitting in your dining room chairs more than you used to? Or noticed an empty spot on the wall that you never paid attention to before? You are not alone. “People are looking at their homes like they are new again. We happen to be the beneficiary of this time but we haven’t really changed anything except temporarily reorganizing and reacting to COVID,” Friedman says.

THE FUTURE

Friedman is not done evolving RH. Plans are in the works to bring solar powered energy to stores. And an effort is underway with Tesla to power company headquarters and move designers to meetings using renewable energy. “We want to leapfrog into the future and inspire others to make the same kind of move,” Friedman says.

The brand’s upcoming introduction into Europe will be a 400 yearold Oxfordshire estate situated on 73 acres, serving as yet another reminder of their ability to look for luxury in the past and anticipate what it will look like in the days and years ahead. “Would you ever think people from Marin built this?” Friedman asks. “It is something for the community to be proud of. And we are just warming up.”

PEOPLE WILL SAY ‘you have no color, only neutrals and grays’ AND I’LL SAY it is not that we don’t like color but the most comfortable way to live is in an environment that is a reflection of yourself. And every human on this planet is some shade of neutral, from light to dark.

“

”

MILL VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL

Standing Ovation

The organizers of the 43rd annual Mill Valley Film Festival deserve huge kudos this year. Not only because of their usual dazzling celebrity line-up and Oscar picks, but this year, this dedicated staff of a dozen or so film lovers have keep one of our most beloved community events alive. Once the early news of social gathering limitations hit, they started plotting and planning a pandemic-friendly, sociallydistanced, celebration of film. These next few pages are intended to inspire us all to join in on the streaming at home and drive-ins, wherever and however – let’s ALL go to the movies!

The 43rd Annual Mill Valley Film Festival BY SUSAN B. NOYES

Thank God for Mark Fishkin’s and Zoe Elton’s passion for fi lm, their belief in the medium’s power and their strategic vision This dynamic duo founded the Mill Valley Film Festival (MVFF) 43 years ago, then grew it into an internationally acclaimed event . Now, during this challenging pandemic and fi re season, plus Black Lives Matter protests, a challenging election and insecure times–when so many other festivals have been cancelled, MVFF went aahead. Fishkin and Elton are not only keeping MVFF going, they’re using this powerful platform to create solutions, foster important conversations and grow opportunities for fi lmmakers around the world. Furthermore, they’re strengthening other fi lm festivals through greater collaboration.

MVFF’s reputation and impact can best be understood from past participants. John Malkovich, Forest Whitaker, Laura Dern, Woody Harrelson, Uma Thurman, Emma Stone, Peter Fonda, Robin Williams, Sydney Pollack, Julie Taymor and Dame Helen Mirin are but a few of the industry greats who have walked their red carpet or received an award. Films have debuted at MVFF which went on to win Oscars – like La La Land, Spotlight and Green Book among others

Fiskin and Elton have leveraged their MVFF success to found many other organizations that create tremendous impact for others throug h fi lm, including Mind

The Gap— a highly successful gender equity i n fi lmmaking initiative— the California Film Institute, fi lmmaking education

opportunities for students and schools, and DocLands, a documentaries only festival. Moreover, Fishkin has served as a San Francisco Film Commissioner, and he and Elton are sought-after internationally as thought leaders i n fi lm

When Covid-19 hit and so many others shut down, these two leaned in. They’re bringing better to so many others during this troubling time because of this too.

In a Zoom interview, Fishkin and Elton discussed the challenges of producing this year’s MVFF, celebrated the opportunities being fostered, and offered a sneak peek into the highlights of the October event, soon to be streaming across the county and around the world

“Besides family, fi lm is where I get my values and my lessons,” Fishkin declares, as he sits in the MVFF office with his ever present, beloved dog at his side. He’s determined to help others who feel this way too and foster greater empathy, as only fi lm can do, too

An erudite Brit, with the charming accent and fashion statement big glasses you would expect, Elton eff uses, “This is a really exciting time! We’re planting the seeds of the future of fi lm this year. We’ve launched 20 years of evolution in what is likely to be only two years time.” Thinking about their goals and how to work in a virtual space, “opened the door for us to be able to work with people in ways that we might never have imagined otherwise,” she continues.

The festival is making panel discussions with industry and other thought leaders available worldwide. It’s easy to imagine what an inspiring and outstanding education this will be for aspiring fi lmmakers and passionate fi lm bu ffs everywhere

“ We remain dedicated to content as education and inspiration — as well as to the big theatre experience,” Fishkin also declares. As proof, the festival is creating their own drivein theatre.  “Of course,” he adds as a wry aside, “this will only work as long as the electricity

Zoë Elton and Mark Fishkin

For more coverage of MVFF visit: marinmagazine. com/MVFF

Life is a Banquet

stays on.” Let’s hope the California grid does not become overtaxed during the festival

The pair have created substantial MVFF content in response to the challenges of our times. “Because of Black Lives Matter, we embraced the notion of intersectionality at its deepest meaning,” Elton explains. “We asked ourselves, how can we start to be a place for communities of black, brown, nonbinary and queer, as well as female? How can we do more to heal throug h fi lm? ”

Their answer includes expanding the Mind The Gap initiative beyond simply being a

gender lens. Panel discussions will also showcase, as well as a political tract of the festival designed to foster live dialogue and connection building

MVFF also jumped on opportunities to bring exciting new fi lms to the broadest possible audience. Many of these will be shared with other fi lm festivals too, like Chicago Thanks to the MVFF pivot, award-winning fi lms will be available to anyone in the country who buys a ticket and wants to view it from the comfort of their favorite location and device

Movies to Stream in This Year’s Festival

Here are a few selections to consider, go to mvff.com for all showings.

Opening Night: Drive-in

…the World Premiere of Edward Hall’s Blithe Spirit, based on the 1941 play by Noël Coward, featuring Dame Judi Dench, Dan Stevens, Isla Fisher, and Leslie Mann.

…the US Premiere of The Boys Who Said No! A snapshot of America at a historical turning point. Oscar-nominated director Judith Ehrlich points her camera toward the nonviolent warriors who actively opposed the military draft during the Vietnam War.

…the California Premiere of Veins of the World, Sweet Thing, The Heist of the Century (El Robo del Siglo), and DocLands’ Public Trust.

BY JAN WAHL

Growing up in West Los Angeles, we would go to restaurants to see the stars eat. It made them more like us. Errol Flynn would be falling off is personalized bar stool at The Cock and the Bull, Rosalind Russell

Celebrating Women in Filmmaking — look for the following movies.

Veins of the World Director Byambasuren Davaa offers a child’s-eye view of the realities of nomadic life on the Mongolian steppe, from dreaming of appearing on Mongolia’s Got Talent to protecting family from mining interests.

Jumbo

First-time French director Zoe Wittock brings us a whirlwind love affair between a shy girl and an amusement park ride.

Coded Bias

In this documentary, Brooklynbased director Shalini Kantayya demonstrates how artificial intelligence can affect racial and gender inequities.

The Falconer

Brooklyn-based director Annie Kaempfer introduces audiences to Rodney Stotts in this documentary about a prison inmate and former drug dealer who becomes a trained falconer.

Ruthless Souls Canadian director Madison Thomas follows Jackie who works through emotions of guilt and grief after her parent’s death caused by complications from gender reassignment surgery.

Jan (next to her mom) and family dining at the Chi Chi Club in Palm Springs

appreciated Swedish fare at Scandia. We’d listen in on Mel Brooks over whitefi sh and matzo ball soup at Nate and Al’s, and Danny Kaye would sometimes take over the kitchen at Madame Wu’s. From real life to reel life, food i n fi lm can move along a plot, give us mouthwatering closeups, or defi ne class or ethnic di fferences. Film has given us delicate pastel macaroons in Sofia Coppola’s 2006 Marie Antoinette, a gourmet prison feast of razor-thin garlic, iced lobsters and seared steak in 1990’s Goodfellas, the Naranjo family suppers of blistered peppers over charcoal, dredged octopus and ground chilis in 2001’s Tortilla Soup and a woman baking her way out of an unful fi lling marriage with delectable pies in 2007’s Waitress. There are just too many wonderful food movies to mention here.

For more of Jan’s story visit: marinmagazine.com/MVFF

Our favorite film critic, Sausalito’s Jan Wahl, ruminates on the tasty topic of Sensational cinematic food and wine.

Politics in the Movies

Hollywood is no stranger to the political arena — here are some must-see films about politics, power and presidents.

BY PETER CROOKS

As Americans head into the fi nal months of 2020, we are experiencing a political season that often seems like a combination of a reality show and a horror movie. Perhaps the election will have a happy ending.

The 43rd annual Mill Valley Film Festival will present plenty of thought-provoking content in advance of the presidential election. The festival recently partnered with Telluride Film Festival to host the world

premiere of the documentary All In: The Fight For Democracy at the Solano Drive-In Theater in Concord. Democracy is a major theme throughout this year’s Mill Valley Film Festival, with screenings of politically minded fi lms scheduled online and at the MVFF43 Drive-in at the Marin Civic Center.

Until then, here are some politica l fi lms that are well worth a look before the festival — and the upcoming election in November.

True Stories

Political intrigue makes for excellent drama, with true stories and famou s figures offering the kind of content Academy Awards are made for.

Daniel Day-Lewis won his third Best Actor Oscar for his performance in Steven Spielberg’s 2012 fi lm, Lincoln. Day-Lewis’ interpretation of Abraham Lincoln is a masterclass of method acting, and screenwriter Tony Kushner provides a fascinating adaptation of Doris Kearns Goodwin’s book, Team of Rivals. A more contemporary, but equally gripping biopic, is Gus Van Sant’s Milk. The 2008 fi lm earned Sean Penn an Oscar for his unforgettable turn as Harvey Milk, the fi rst openly gay elected official in California.

Alan Pakula’s All the President’s Men, starring Robert Redford and Dustin Hoff man as Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, is as powerful today as it was in 1976, just two years after the Washington Post reporters’ work exposed criminal activity in the White House and forced President Richard Nixon’s resignation. Hal Holbrook is unforgettable as the secretive “Deep Throat,” Woodward’s

deep background source who was revealed to Mark Felt, a high-ranking FBI official who spent his retirement in Santa Rosa until his death in 2008.

Richard Nixon has been the subject of two excellent dramas — Oliver Stone’s Nixon let Anthony Hopkins chew the scenery all the way to the 37th president’s Shakespearean downfall, while Ron Howard’s Frost/Nixon saw Frank Langella playing Nixon post-

retirement. Hopkins and Langella each earned an Oscar nomination for their work.

Other worthwhile political dramas include The Front Runner, starring Hugh Jackman as Senator Gary Hart and Charlie Wilson’s War, featuring Tom Hanks as the titular Texas Congressman, who led clandestine efforts to support the Afghan Mujahideen during the Soviet-Afghan War. Hanks also stars as Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee in Spielberg’s The Post, which serves as an effective prequel to All the President’s Men

Comedy and Satire

Political storytelling can be effective when fi lmmakers take a less serious approach

—check out these classic comedies and razorsharp satires that lampoon the power and process of politics.

Hal Ashby’s 1979 classic Being There provided Peter Sellers with one of his best late-career roles as a simple-minded, TV-watching gardener who becomes the advisor to the First Lady. Sellers previously played the U.S. President — as well as a British soldier and a German nuclear weapons madman — in Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove: Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, a dark comedy that seems just as daring today as it did in 1964. Especially that bombastic ending.

On a smaller scale, Alexander Payne’s Election skewers corruption and opportunism in its hilarious look at a high school election in middle America. Reese Witherspoon is dynamite as ambitious student Tracy Flick, and Matthew Broderick excels as her foil, a burned out teacher who can’t stand Flick’s chipper optimism. Similarly, Michael Ritchie’s brilliant 1975 comedy Smile exam ines the effects of a teen beauty pageant in

Santa Rosa throughout suburban communities. Ritchie’s 1972 fi lm The Candidate is another gem, featuring Robert Redford as a US Senate candidate from California who shakes up the race against a seemingly insurmountable opponent.

Finally, Barry Levinson’s Wag the Dog is a late 1990s gem about the power players around a sitting president who cover up the Commander-in-Chief’s sex scandal by creating an international con fl ict just before an election. Robert De Niro is chilling as a political spin-doctor and Dustin Hoff man is hilarious as a vain Hollywood producer who helps stage the con fl ict overseas.

Conspiracy Theories

Finally, some of the most entertaining movies about politics involve worst-case what-if scenarios about diabolical conspirators, sometimes with a supernatural element.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) is one of the great Red Scare movies of the atomic age, with alien pods taking over otherwise nice people in the neighborhood. Phil Kaufmann’s 1978 remake is equally chilling. David Cronenberg’s 1983 fi lm The Dead Zone is one of the best-ever Stephen King adaptations, featuring Christopher Walken as a man with psychic powers who foresees an inevitable apocalypse should Martin Sheen become president.

Elia Kazan’s 1957 effort, A Face in the Crowd, features a terrifying Andy Gri ffith as a populist entertainer who uses the media to rise to power — the fi lm is particularly chilling in the Trump era. The corporate overlord villains in Alan Pakula’s The Parallax View (1973) remain just offscreen, greasing the works behind seemingly every event in the US government, as reporter Warren Beatty investigates. And conspiracy thrillers don’t get creepier than the 1962 version of The Manchurian Candidate, in which a former prisoner of war is brainwashed and later used as a pawn in the U.S. government — something that could only happen in the movies. Right?

Top Picks

Dr. Strangelove (1964) Stanley Kubrick satire about the fears of Cold War nuclear conflict, where an insane general triggers a nuclear holocaust. Amazon Prime

All the President's Men (1976) Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein uncover the details of the Watergate scandal. Amazon Prime

Being There (1979) A simpleminded, shel tered gardener becomes an unlikely trusted advisor to a powerful businessman and a Washington insider. Amazon Prime

The Candidate (1972) The idealistic and charismatic son of the former governor becomes a candidate for the U.S. Senate. He tweaks the establishment to win. Amazon Prime

Manchurian Candidate (1962) Brainwashed by his captors,a Korean War veteran is employed as a sleeper agent and assassin for a Communist conspiracy. Amazon Prime

Seven Days in May (1964) United States mili tary leaders plot to overthrow the President, who supports a nuclear disarmament treaty with the Soviet Union. Amazon Prime

The Great Dictator (1940) A Charlie Chaplin satire condemning fascism, antisemitism and the Nazis. Chaplin plays both the ruthless dictator and a poor Jewish barber. Amazon Prime

Downfall (2004) A German-language his torical war drama depicting the finals days of Adolf Hitler at his bunker, as told by his final personal secretary. Amazon Prime

Z (1969) Algerian-French film that follows the assassination of a prominent democratic Greek politician as an investigator tries to uncover the truth. HBO Max and Amazon Prime

Argo (2012) A CIA agent undercover as a Hollywood producer launches a dangerous operation to rescue six Americans in Tehran during the 1979 hostage crisis. Amazon Prime

Mark Fishkin’s

Stay Bubbly!

Our hope is that Domaine Carneros wines have provided moments of comfort, joy and virtual connection through these trying months. Whether you join us on our expansive terrace or enjoy our wines from the comfort of your own home, stay safe, stay bubbly, and don’t forget to breathe.

10am to 5:30pm daily | Reservations required | 21 and over | 800-716-2788 ext 150 1240 Duhig Road, Napa (o Hwy 12/121) 4 miles west of Napa, 5 miles east of Sonoma

San Rafael, California

Funding Change

CFI’s DocPitch awarded $125,000 to documentar y filmmakers. BY BERNARD BOO

It takes a lot of blood, sweat, tears... and cash to make a documentary, and the California Film Institute has made it their mission to support documentarians from across the globe. Each year at CFI’s DocLand s fi lm festival, DocPitch invites teams of documen tarians to pitch their documentaries (each in early to late-stage production) to an audience of festivalgoers, with one fi lm winning the Audience Favorite award and $25,000 to go toward funding the completion of thei r fi lm.

This year, the event was held virtually from August 13–21 and saw Dianne Whelan’s 500 Days in the Wild win the coveted Audience Award. On top of that , five additional grants totaling in $100,000 were awarded to the rest of the featured fi lms via jury selection. Here are the eight buzzworthy fi lms that were featured in this year’s close competition.

Black Mothers

$40,000 Jury Selection Award

Bay Area fi lmmaker Débora Souza Silva follows two mothers fighting for justice for their sons, both victims of violent hate crimes. As members of Mothers of the Movement, the two women attempt to break the cycle of systemic racism while dealing with their own personal traumas in their own way. The fi lm is in mid-production and has been delayed by the Covid-19 outbreak.

500 Days in the Wild $25,000 Audience Choice Award

Over five years ago, fi lmmaker Dianne Whelan embarked on a journey to traverse the 15,000-mile Great Trail – which spans North America and touches the Atlantic, Arctic, and Paci fic Oceans – by foot, bicycle, and canoe.

Black & Gold

$20,000 Jury Selection Award

Director Khadija Diakité examines the untold stories of black women gymnasts who battled

discrimination, stereotypes, and racism on their way to representing the United States at the Olympic games. Black & Gold is in the early stages of development.

My Name is Andrea $20,000 Jury Selection Award

The life of revolutionary writer, thinker, and feminist Angela Dworkin is explored in richly cinematic fashion by fi lmmaker Pratibha Parmar, who weaves archival media with artful dramatizations to create a hybrid documentary-character piece.

American ESPionage $5,000 Jury Selection Award

The stranger-than-fiction story of Major Paul Smith, who served as a psychic spy for the US Army for nearly a decade as a part of a top-secret program called Stargate, is told in cinematic fashion by his son, fi lmmaker Christopher Smith. Using a mix of archival elements and stylized reenactments, the fi lm aims to create an immersive experience that may even make its audience question the very nature of the physical universe.

Nomads

$5,000 Jury Selection Award

Still relatively early in production, Nomads follows the lives of three people who each have chosen to live their lives on the road, traveling across America. Jo Lynn has walked away from a 35-year marriage; 12-year-old Leilani lives in an RV with her parents and younger brothers; Bob is a “van evangelist,” preaching nomadism across the country. Co-directors Vanessa Carr and Josh Gleason are currently shooting socially-distanced footage with their subjects.

Sal y Cielo (Salt & Water)

$5,000 Jury Selection Award

The devastating effects of lithium mining on Northern Chile and Argentina’s communities and ecosystems are examined by fi lmmaker Taylor Rees, who is currently in the early stages of production. The Atacama is the driest desert on earth, its groundwater drained by big companies to produce lithium, which is then ironically used to power “green” technology like hybrid cars and solar panels. With her fi lm, Rees aims to expose one of our leasttalked-about environmental crises.

Startup Embassy

$5,000 Jury Selection Award

Local fi lmmakers Kenji Yamamoto and Nancy Kelly delve into the world of “hacker houses” in Silicon Valley, where would-be entrepreneurs from across the globe come to build the tech empire of their dreams, all while sleeping in bunk beds in an over-crowded suburban house. The fi lm follows three subjects as they battle unbeatable odds and risk everything for a chance at a slice of the high-tech pie.

View Now! Stream last year’s winner, Five Years North, during DocLands at MVFF43, check mvff.com for details. The 2018 winner, Crip Camp, is available on Netflix.

Destinations

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

BY MIMI TOWLE

Montage Healdsburg

Uber Luxe Lodging

Despite the recent fi res, pandemic, and nuclear winter, Montage Healdsburg is accepting reservations, as of print, for December 19 onwards. Unless, of course, an earthquake or tornado levels the newly constructed buildings located north east of downtown Healdsburg.

The opening of this luxury resort, which includes a 11,500-square-foot spa, a zero-edge resort pool and four dining options, including signature restaurant Hazel Hill, marks a new era in Wine Country hospitality. “Montage Healdsburg will truly be a special place in

Sonoma County, bringing a ultra-luxury wine country resort to the region,” said Allen High field, general manager. “Situated on 258 acres, the resort is naturally designed for social distancing. We look forward to offering the renowned hospitality and state-of-the-art amenities to our guests.”

Montage Healdsburg is surrounded by 5th and 6th generation farmers, vintners and grape growers. The resort will work alongside storied names such as Clay Mauritson (6th generation) of Mauriston Wines, whose family has been farming in the region since 1868.

Guests will not only fi nd Mauritson on the wine lists, but will have the opportunity to visit the winery for exclusive tastings.

Intrigued? Check out the Spirit of Now package, offering guests a complimentary upgrade at the time of check-in, no deposit required at booking and waived cancellation fees up to 48 hours prior to arrival. Some rooms include up to $200 daily resort credit for use toward terroir-to-table dining, nature-inspired treatments at Spa Montage, recreational experiences throughout the prop erty and more. montagehotels.com/healdsburg

NEW SIPS AND BITES

The award-winning MINA Group has made their Wine Country debut with Wit & Wisdom Tavern at The Lodge at Sonoma , near the historic square. “A Wine Country project has been a long time coming,” says Chef Michael Mina. “I’ve always wanted to expand to this incredible part of Northern California and could not be more excited to introduce our Wit & Wisdom Tavern concept to the region. The name is inspired by Jack London’s collection of personal writings and essays of the same name. Wit & Wisdom Tavern will serve lunch and dinner daily. The restaurant also features an outdoor terrace offering al fresco dining and a bocce ball court.

Wine Country Weekday Escape

Thinking of breaking out of Covid-tine for a change of scenery? WineCoutry.com is of fering tempting midweek deals and popular wine country destinations. winecountry.com/blog/ work-from-wine-country.

Faust Haus After three years of restoration, Faust in St. Helena welcomes visitors inside its new winery and tasting room, the Faust Haus. The historic Victorian, originally built in 1878, evokes classic Napa charm, history, character, and creativity.

Montage Olive Terrace

Your own Private Half Dome

HOW TO GET AN ADVANCE YOSEMITE ENTRANCE RESERVATION

On the first day of every month, the national park is releasing 80 percent of its car entry reservations for the following month. That means that on Sept. 1, you can book reservations for October 1–31. Tickets become available at 7 a.m., so be ready; it’s recommended to create an account at recreation.gov in advance.

BY CARRIE KIRBY

We hadn’t been inside the park 10 minutes when Yosemite gave us a sign of how magical our Covid-19 visit was going to be. We are used to tra ffic jams on the way, but this time cars were stopped only so that drivers could stand on the bank of the Merced River, cameras in hand. When we joined them, we saw a black bear casually snu ffl ing around the other bank.

Even though between 300 and 500 bears live in the park, according to the National Park Service website, the creatures themselves had previously been elusive, probably because of the thousands of humans that were usually there. But this August, we were enjoying one small bright spot to a raging global pandemic: We felt like we were enjoying our own personal park.

Sighting a bear just minutes after rolling into the gate was just one example. When we rolled up to the Western entrance, there was only one car ahead of us. Normally, the park warns, summer visitors should be prepared to wait an hour at the gate. But we barely had time to pull up our masks before we were chatting with a ranger in the booth.

As the weekend went on, we discovered more delights. The shuttle system is not running, but that’s no problem since we could drive right up to any trailhead or sight within the park and fi nd easy parking, from the beaches along the Merced to Glacier Point to a roadside spot just steps from the beach at Tenaya Lake in Tuolumne Meadows.

We never worried about social distancing, as it was a breeze even at the most popular viewpoints. We were fi nally able to capture family photos with Half Dome and El Capitan without having to crop strangers out of the frame. On a three-hour hike from Glacier Point down to Yosemite Valley, I encountered others just six times on the trail. Gazing at Half Dome, I realized that no one in the world was sharing my precise view of the California treasure at that moment.

While we enjoyed all this easy access, we didn’t

feel at a loss for amenities. While larger bathroom buildings were closed, we were always able to fi nd single-stall accommodations when needed. We bought a meal in Curry Village on Friday and easily snagged a couple of outdoor tables to enjoy it.

Our family’s only tiny regret is that we didn’t jump on the reservation system as soon as it started in June, so that we could have enjoyed up-close views of the park’s waterfalls in ful l flow. Having been wowed by the awesome power of Yosemite Falls the year before, my kids were anxious to make a beeline for the landmark. Instead, what they found at wa s a field of dry rocks and a trickle hidden behind them. Yet, even this turned into a special occasion. A year ago, we’d waited our turn to get close enough for the spray to wet our faces, shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of people. Now, with only two or three other groups at the dry waterfall, our kids felt free to clamor on the rocks for an hour, while we adults sprawled out on benches and watched the sunset illuminate Half Dome. Tomorrow would be another day in our own private Yosemite.

If you can’t get a reservation on the first of the month don’t give up. There are other ways to get through those gates. Try for a lastminute reservation: Every day at 7 a.m., you can check on recreation. gov for reservations for two days later. There also may be advance reservations that didn’t get snapped up on the first day of the month as well as cancellations.

Sleep in the park: Residents of the campgrounds, hotels and vaca tion rentals within Yosemite don’t need separate reservations to drive in. Beds within Yosemite sell out well in advance, but if something happens to open up, grab it. You also don’t need a reservation if you have a backcountry or Half Dome permit.

Get on the bus: Did you know there is a public transit system that serves Yosemite? You can park at one of the YARTS bus stops outside the park and cruise right into the valley. For instance, you could stay at Yosemite Lakes campground five miles outside the western gate and pay $10 for a round trip ride to the valley and back, including park entrance fee.

Take a tour: Trips guided by commercial operators include entry reservation. And you’re not limited to bus tours. For instance, Yosemite Rush Creek Lodge offers hikes, bike rides and even whitewater rafting through the park on the Tuolumne River.

ALLERGY CARE FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY

FamilyCare Allergy & Asthma is your trusted partner in the diagnosis and treatment of allergies and asthma, with three convenient locations in the region. Our practice has been serving the community since 1979 and we are excited to open a new office in San Rafael, staffed by our three allergists. We treat patients of all ages and our goal is to provide every patient with high-quality, personalized care so that those suffering can find relief and get back to the things they love. Nuestras doctoras hablan español.

New office in San Rafael!

To schedule an appointment, call 415.847.4022. FamilyCareAllergy.com

Maria Petrick, M.D. Board-Certified Allergist/Clinical Immunologist

Julie Caraballo, M.D. Board-Certified Allergist/Clinical Immunologist

Christine Royer, M.D. Board-Eligible Allergist/Clinical Immunologist

San Rafael Petaluma Santa Rosa

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

Eat & Drink

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

What’s Hot

Get a Taste of Marin’s BlackOwned Restaurants

From smoky to savory, try these eateries that call Marin home.

Forrest Murray, Jr. of San Rafael’s Forrest Fire BBQ designed the perfect tribute to his father: Saint Louisstyle pork ribs, chicken, and beef tri-tip, cooked low and slow before he pulls them from a wood-stoked barbecue. These are the signature meals he prepares on his Southern Pride Smoker outside Marinwood Market in San Rafael on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, with his mobile catering business, and soon at United Markets, San Rafael and Gold Gate Market, Sausalito. Inside a cast iron pan-shaped logo of his busi ness rests an outline of the state of Alabama stamped with “928” to reflect Murray’s roots, and the date of his dad’s birthday. forrest firebbq.com

Habanero-laced pikliz, a vegetable-based relish, is a top condiment in Haiti, the country that chef-owner Frantz Felix of downtown San Rafael’s Caribbean Spices hails from. A Creole pork sandwich and seafood gumbo reflect the chef’s interest in the global reach of the flavors of the West Indies. Plates of shrimp and grits or fish tacos arrive with sides of beans and rice, salad and tostones tender enough to make a plantain lover cry. Sidewalk seating and takeout are available until dining inside is once again permitted. carribeanspicesdba.net

San Francisco native Angelica and her fiancée, chef Trey Mitchell, popped onto the takeout and delivery scene just before the pandemic hit with SoulKitchenMarin . Once shelter-in-place orders came down, the duo garnered a dedicated following for their locally-sourced, organic five cheese mac-n-cheese, slowsimmered collard greens and BBQ stewed chicken. Cooking from a commercial kitchen in Bel Marin Keys means takeout for now, with menus posted on Instagram every Sunday @soulkitchenmarin. Plans are in the works for both a wedding, and a more permanent space in San Rafael. soulkitchenmarin.com

CHRISTINA MUELLER

SoulKitchenMarin

Caribbean Spices Chef Frantz Felix

Forrest Murray, Jr., Forrest Fire BBQ

Caribbean Spices where to

Dine

AN INSIDER’S GUIDE TO RESTAURANTS IN MARIN EDITED BY CHRISTINA MUELLER

Which restaurants offer takeout? Visit marinmagazine.com/ food-drink

CHEERS TO OUR LOCAL RESTAURANTS FOR STAYING OPEN AND PIVOTING TO TAKE-OUT AND DELIVERY. MANY HAVE NOW OPENED FOR PATIO DINING AS WELL. CALL TO MAKE RESERVATIONS ON A BUSY NIGHT AND ENJOY THE RESTAURANT BOUNTY OF THIS AMAZING COUNTY.

CORTE MADERA

Benissimo Italian COVID-19 UPDATE: Takeout and to go menu available daily 4–10 p.m. “Benissimo” means “really, really good” in Italian. Aside from the daily 4 to 6:30 p.m. happy hour, the menu offers a large selection of pizza, pasta and large plates, like cioppino, fresh fishes of the day, T-bone steaks and the signature Benissimo Burger or portobello burger. 18 Tamalpais Drive, 415.927.2316

Burmatown Asian COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for takeout, Tuesday–Saturday, 3–8 p.m. or delivery 3–7 p.m. The small homestyle Asian fusion restaurant offers fresh, light meals like tea leaf salad and basil shrimp stir-fry, as well as curries, coconut rice and chili-garlic green beans. Extra heat optional. Prepare for a short wait if dining in, or order for takeout. 60 Corte Madera Ave, 415.945.9096

Cafe Verde Californian COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for takeout and delivery daily, 11 a.m.–9 p.m. This revamped cafe offers wraps, paninis, salads, tea and more nearly all day long. Enjoy any of these items

inside or out on the patio and be sure to inquire about the German and Belgian beer samplers. 502 Tamalpais Drive, 415.927.1060

Il Fornaio Italian COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for outdoor dining and takeout daily, 59 p.m. Delivery available daily, 4-9 p.m. Aside from pizzas and pastas, this upscale-Italian fran chise serves a variety of salads and carb-free entrées. 223 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.927.4400

La Maison De La Reine Vietnamese COVID19 UPDATE: Open for takeout daily, 11:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. Dine on family-style Vietnamese fare in the Town Center. The crunchy cabbage chicken salad with peanuts, fresh spring rolls and pho options are popular picks. 346 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.927.0288

Marin Joe's Italian COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for takeout daily, 4–8 p.m. Delivery via Dine-In Marin. A Marin mainstay for over 50 years, with a menu of soups, salads, seafood, mesquite-grilled or sautéed meats and a plethora of pasta options. 1585 Casa Buena Drive, 415.924.2081

Pig In A Pickle American COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for patio dining, takeout, and curbside service daily, 11 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. Delivery via Dine-In Marin (415.927-9007). Fresh and locally sourced brisket, pork, ribs, and chicken get star billing at this Town Center eatery. Sauces are crafted to represent various American bar becue regions, including Memphis and South Carolina. House-made pickles, buns, and sausages will keep you coming back. 341 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.891.3265

Veggie Grill Vegan/ Vegetarian COVID-19 UPDATE: Takeout daily, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Delivery via DoorDash. Veggie Grill is a fast-casual restaurant chain that celebrates the veggie by offering a variety of hot sandwiches and burgers, entree salads, bowls, home-style plates, shareable sides, organic teas and housemade desserts prepared only with vegetables, fruits, grains, and nuts. 147 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.945.8954

World Wrapps Californian COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for takeout daily, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Delivery via GrubHub. Owners Keith Cox and Matt Blair have

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

FAIRFAX

Fradelizio's Italian COVID-19 UPDATE: Takeout and contactless curbside available Wednesday–Monday, 3–8 p.m. Fradelizio’s blends Northern Italian with California-inspired healthy fare, featuring natural beef and freerange chicken dishes. 35 Broadway Blvd, 415.459.1618

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

The Lodge American COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for patio dining and takeout, Tuesday–Sunday, 8 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Delivery via Uber Eats and DoorDash. Beer, cider and wine to go in Growlers and Cans. The Lodge features all-American eats like a breakfast burrito stuffed with eggs, spinach and salsa; share plates like a sausage board served with Lodge tots and slaw; and pour-over coffee and draft beer for riders and hikers alike. 1573 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.456.8084

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

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

beers plus wines round out the menu. Kidfriendly and dog-friendly with outdoor seating. 2001 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.300.3099

LARKSPUR

Farmshop American COVID-19 UPDATE: Patio dining daily, 5:30–9 p.m. Takeout and curbside pickup available daily, 4–9 p.m. Located in the Marin Country Mart since 2013, Farmshop Marin has quickly become a top spot here in the county and earns raves for its avocado hummus. Indoor and outdoor seating available. 2233 Larkspur Landing Circle, 415.755.6700

Hog Island Oyster Co. Seafood COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for patio dining and takeout Wednesday–Sunday, 11:30 a.m. – 8 p.m. Delivery available with DoorDash and Caviar. The full-service Marin Country Mart location features a full bar with seasonal cocktails, beer and wine and the same bay-to-bar philosophy as the Tomales Bay original. Oysters, raw and grilled are a must, then check the day’s menu to see what was most recently pulled from Marin’s waters before decid ing what to eat. 2401 Larkspur Landing Circle, 628.253.5905

Marin Brewing Co American COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for patio dining, takeout beer and food, Sunday–Thursday, 12–7 p.m.; Friday–Saturday, 12–9 p.m. Grab a cold beer made on-site and pair it with fish ’n’ chips — in this case, fresh cod dipped in Mt. Tam pale ale batter, served with steak fries and home made tartar sauce — or anything from the allAmerican menu. 1809 Larkspur Landing Circle, 415.461.4677

Perry's American COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for patio dining (reservations strongly recommend, please call to reserve) and takeout, Monday–Thursday, 3–9 p.m.; Friday–Sunday, Bruch 12–3 p.m.; Dinner, 3–9 p.m. Delivery via Caviar. Perry's on Magnolia has the quintessentially American fare, bustling bar and warm personality the San Francisco original has always been famous for. Along with three separate dining rooms in a historic building, there’s outdoor dining on the patio and in the redwood grove. Lunch and dinner daily, brunch on weekends and holidays; valet parking in the evenings. 234 Magnolia Ave, 415.927.1877

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

pastries. Menu changes weekly. 250B Magnolia Ave, 415.891.8395

Rustic Bakery

Californian COVID-19

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

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

2017 Larkspur Landing Circle, 415.461.9900

MILL VALLEY

Buckeye Roadhouse

American COVID-19

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

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

from 5–6 p.m. every day. 44 E Blithedale Ave, 415.381.2500

Cafe Del Soul

Californian COVID-19

UPDATE: Takeout avail able, Monday–Saturday, 10 a.m. – 7:30 p.m; Sunday, 10 a.m – 7 p.m. Healthy options become addictive at this eatery that now has locations in both Tam Valley and San Rafael. Once you stop in for the deliciously fresh quinoa wrap, you’ll want to return to try the chipotle rice bowl. A casual lunch spot and great for takeout, they also serve smoothies and pressed juices. 247 Shoreline Highway, 415.388.1852

Gravity Tavern

American COVID-19

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

Joe’s Taco Lounge

Mexican COVID-19

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

Piatti Ristorante and Bar Italian COVID-19

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

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

Prabh Indian Kitchen Indian COVID-19

UPDATE: Open for patio dining and takeout, Monday–Saturday, 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Sunday, 11:30 a.m. –9:30 p.m. Delivery via Uber Eats, DoorDash, Caviar, Grubhub. This restaurant empha sizes healthy, organic, sustainable eating in choices like chicken pakora, vegetable biry ani, and basil garlic naan foods, with options for the vegan and glutenfree. At lunch, the thali menu lets you try several Indian dishes at once. 24 Sunnyside Ave, 415.384.8241

Sol Food Puerto Rican COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for takeout daily, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Delivery via Caviar. This Marin favorite has opened in Mill Valley, still serving up everyone’s favorite Puerto Rican cuisine. The line can get long, but the food is well worth it. 401 Miller Ave, 415.380.1986

Vasco Italian COVID19 UPDATE: Open for takeout daily, 5–8 p.m. Whether at a table, the bar or the back counter, you can expect an intimate dining experi ence in this one-room trattoria. Try one of the pasta dishes or thincrust wood-fired pizzas. 106 Throckmorton Ave, 415.381-3343

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

NOVATO

Boca Pizzeria Italian COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for outdoor din ing and takeout, daily 12–9 p.m. Delivery via DoorDash. Enjoy authentic pizza prepared with fresh mozzarella made in house and tomatoes imported from Italy, or go for a grilled rosemary chicken sand wich or the braised beef short rib pappardelle. Weekly specials include half off all wines by the bottle on Wednesdays and half off draft beers on Thursdays.

454 Ignacio Blvd, Novato, 415.883.2302

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

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

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

SAN ANSELMO

Baan Thai Cuisine Thai COVID-19 updates: Open for take out and curbside pickup, Tuesday–Saturday, 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. and 5–10 p.m.; Sunday

12:30–9 p.m. Please call to order. Known for its mango sticky rice, this restaurant is commit ted to serving fresh, local and seasonal food. Warm up with the tom kha soup or stave off the heat with a lychee iced tea. 726 San Anselmo Ave, 415.457.9470

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

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

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

101 San Anselmo Ave, 415.755.4575

Tony Tutto's Pizza COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for patio dining and take out, Wednesday–Saturday, 11:30 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Sunday, 11:30 a.m. –8 p.m. After nine years in Mill Valley, owner Greg DiGiovine relocated to Ross, bringing his familiar pies and kid- and dog-friendly vibe to downtown.

The vegan pies are still here and a gluten-free crust is now available.

16 Ross Common, Ross, 415.383.8646

Valenti & Co. Italian COVID-19 UPDATE:

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

SAN RAFAEL

Amici’s East Coast Pizzeria Californian COVID-19 UPDATE:

Open for delivery, pickup, and contactless curbside daily, 11:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. A wide array of thin-crust pizzas, freshly made pastas, and salads are the ticket here, along with flame-roasted lemon chicken wings, for dine-in, takeout, and delivery. Gluten-free pizza crust is available. 1242 Fourth St, 415.455.9777

Boiadeirus Steak Brazilian COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for takeout daily, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. and delivery through DoorDash or

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

Caribbean Spices Caribbean COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for takeout, TuesdaySunday, 4–10 p.m. Jerk chicken with just the right amount of heat is a menu highlight at this brick-and-mortar San Rafael extension of chefowner Frantz Felix’s food truck of the same name. Go for the Caribbean sangria and Haitian specialties like griot or

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

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

Il Davide Italian COVID19 UPDATE: Open for curbside pick-up and

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

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

black beans. Brunch is served on weekends until 2 p.m. 1025 C St, 415.295.7990

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

RangeCafe American COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for patio dining (reservations

recommended), takeout and delivery daily, 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. Call or order online. The cuisine is local, seasonal, made with naturally raised ingredients and served in a casual, comfortable and refined setting, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the grand Peacock Gap lawns. 333 Biscayne Drive, 415.454.6450

Sol Food Puerto Rican COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for takeout daily, 8 a.m. – 9 p.m. Fast becoming a Marin legend, Sol Food whips up traditional Puerto Rican dishes just like the ones owner Sol Hernandez grew up eating. Favorites include the bistec sand wich, mofongo and other fried plantain dishes, but anything tastes good with a dash of the

signature hot sauce, also for sale by the bottle (as is the lemon-garlic salad dressing). 901 Lincoln Ave, 415.451.4765

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

SAUSALITO

Angelino Restaurant Italian COVID-19 UPDATE: Patio dining and takeout available Tuesday–Sunday, 5–9 p.m, orders taken via phone. Angelino Pastry Bar (with classic croissants and focaccia and a raspberry-polenta Pop Tart), is open for pick-up at 8 a.m, Tuesday–Sunday. Authentic Italian eatery with handmade pastas and seasonal antipasti, showcasing cuisine of the Campania region for more than 20 years. 621 Bridgeway, 415.331.5225

Avatar’s Indian COVID19 UPDATE: Open for patio, takeout and delivery, Monday–Saturday, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. and 5–9:30 p.m. If you’re

on the hunt for innovative Indian fare, head to Avatar’s. Sip masala chai sweetened with brown sugar in this casual one-room restaurant, ideal for a quick lunch or dinner. 2656 Bridgeway, 415.332.8083

Fish Seafood COVID19 UPDATE: Outdoor dining daily, 11:30 a.m. – 8 p.m. for groups of 6 or less. Fish market is open; to-go orders via phone or website, delivery via Caviar. The ultimate place for freshly caught fare. Order the fish tacos, ceviche and a bottle of wine and take in the bay views on the open-air deck. Though cash is still king, credit cards are now accepted (woot!). 350 Harbor Drive, 415.331.3474

Kitti’s Place Thai COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for takeout, Monday—Friday, 12–6 p.m. This home-style family restaurant has been in Sausalito 20 years and features favorites like lettuce cups, soft spring rolls and weekly specials. 3001 Bridgeway, 415.331.0390

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

777 Bridgeway, 415.332.7771

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

TIBURON

Luna Blu Italian COVID-19 UPDATE: Outdoor dining, take out and local delivery (Tiburon, Belvedere, Strawberry) available

Wednesday–Monday, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 5-8:30 p.m. Executive chef Renzo Azzarello serves Sicilian seafood and homemade pastas with a Californian touch. The seasonal menu incorporates fresh and organic produce, local naturally grown meat and poultry from small farms. The restaurant complies with Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch, so all the seafood is sustainable. A recent expansion tripled the size of the patio to accommodate more diners. In 2014, diners voted Luna Blu one of the Top 100 Neighborhood Gem res taurants in America. 35 Main St, 415.789.5844

Milano Italian COVID19 UPDATE: Takeout available daily, 11:45 a.m.

– 11 p.m. Located in the Cove Shopping Center, this family-owned neighborhood spot is known for its pasta and friendly service. Favorites, like the cheesy garlic bread and pesto, keep customers coming back. 1 Blackfield Drive, 415.388.9100

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

Sam’s Anchor Cafe American COVID-19

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

Servino Ristorante Italian COVID-19 UPDATE: Outdoor dining and takeout via online order system available, Sunday–Thursday, 4–7:30 p.m.; Friday–Saturday, 4–8 p.m. Mercato also open for online orders. Pick-up, contact-less pick-up, and delivery available. Chef and owner Angelo Servino highlights organic ingredients in an array of rustic Italian dishes, including house-made pastas, wood-oven pizzas, and seasonal

specialties. Located on the bay in Tiburon, Servino also prides itself on its extensive sustainable seafood program. Savor la dolce vita on the waterfront patio. 9 Main St, 415.435.2676

Waypoint Pizza Pizza COVID-19 UPDATE: Takeout and delivery available, Sunday–Thursday, 12–8:30 p.m.; Friday–Saturday, 12–9 p.m. Family-friendly, with cooked-to-order gour met pies, slices, fresh salads and, for sports fans, a large-screen TV. Order online for quick pickup or delivery. 15 Main St, 415.435.3440

WEST MARIN

Cafe Reyes Pizza COVID-19 UPDATE: Open for takeout only, Wednesday–Sunday, 12–3:30 p.m. and 5–8 p.m. Though there’s no oyster pizza on the menu, a short menu of bivalves and Neapolitanstyle pies at this cozy spot means the brick oven is a hub of activity.

Margherita with handcrushed San Marzano tomatoes is a classic but the Farallon with crimini mushrooms and pepperoni is equally popular. 11101 California One, Point Reyes Station, 415.663.9493

Due West at Olema House Californian COVID-19 UPDATE: Temporarily closed. Scheduled reopening on August 12. Due West Market is open. The dark blue walls accented with recessed golden light give the refreshed restaurant-cum-saloon at Olema House a modern feel. The menu, includ ing a burger, linguini and clams, and a chopped salad, skews all-day casual and speaks to the inn and restaurant’s crossroads locale. 10005 Hwy 1, Olema, 415.663.1264

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

William Tell House via the Tomales Farmers' Market. This escape along Tomales Bay is famous for barbecued local oysters, Dungeness crab mac ’n’ cheese and cocktails incorporating homegrown ingredients. Large windows in the 120-seat restaurant pro vide picturesque views of Tomales Bay and Hog Island and a fireplace in the main dining room makes the most of fog-whipped and rainy days. 23240 Highway 1, Marshall, 415.663.1033

Parkside Cafe American COVID-19 UPDATE: Patio open for dine-in or takeout, Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.; Saturday–Sunday, 7:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. Coffee Cart daily, 6 a.m.-8 p.m. Snackbar, Monday–Friday, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Saturday–Sunday, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. Marketplace daily, 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. 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. If you’re on the go, check out the market and bakery. Choose from an array of organic locally grown produce, artisan meats, and wild seafood. 43 Arenal Ave, Stinson, 415.868.1272

Rancho Nicasio American COVID-19 UPDATE: General Store open daily with to-go food and basic supplies, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Kitchen open for out door dining and to go orders, Monday–Friday, 11:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.; Saturday–Sunday, 11:30 a.m. – 8 p.m. We are able to deliver food to those in need. Please call to order. Known for live music and an extensive menu featuring everything from crispy calamari to braised lamb shanks, Rancho Nicasio is open seven days a week, including brunch. Be sure to stop in for happy hour, 4 to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday. 1 Old Rancheria Road, Nicasio, 415.662.2219

Saltwater Oyster Depot Seafood COVID-19

UPDATE: Summer prix fixe patio dining open by advance reservation only, Friday–Sunday, 5– 7 p.m. Please call 415.299.3736 to reserve patio. Daily lunch and dinner menu available for takeout, 12– 6 p.m. Please call 415.669.1244 to order. 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. Locallysourced ingredients get equal billing in dishes like halibut crudo and a lamb burger. 12781 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Inverness, 415.669.1244

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

PROMOTION

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

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

Brunch is back! Enjoy our popular brunch outdoors Friday to Sunday, from 8:00am to 2:30pm. You can also come on in for take-out, or order ahead for curbside pick-up or delivery. Stay safe and well, and we look forward to seeing you soon! Daily specials and modified hours posted on our website.

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

VIRTUAL EVENTS

OCT 8–13 Wall2Wall:

An Online Art Auction

Sonoma Valley Museum of Art will be hosting an online, silent auction of paintings, photographs, prints, sculpture, glass and more. Add some thing new to your home, maybe even to feature in

your Zoom background. (registration is free) svma.org

OCT 8–18 Mill Valley Film Festival An elevenday festival boasting the year’s best fi lms from all corners of the globe, presented this year in an online virtual screen ing room and at their studio-grade drive-in cinema located at the

beautiful Lagoon Park at the Marin Civic Center. (purchase tickets on their website) mvfforg

OCT 14–18 CAAMFest FORWARD The Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) will present a five-day fi lm, food and music festival featuring artist pro fi les and special events celebrating the past

and future of Asian American storytell ing. The festival will explore important conversations around the Covid-19 pandemic in conjunction with ongoing racial and civic realities of the Asian American community. (visit their website for a full line-up of fi lms, panels and events) caamedia.org

THRU NOV 8 MOCA: Marin’s Rock Art Scene Featuring photogra phy, memorabilia and art from over fi fty years of rock art and history in Marin, this panel will be hosted by Paul Liberatore, Jay Blakesberg, Dave Getz and Jonathan Korty. (live stream panels; museum open by appointment; $10 general admission, $8 seniors and students) marinmoca.org

ARTS & LECTURES

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

OCT 3 P.J. O’Rourke New York Times best selling author and frequent panelist on NPR’s Wait Wait... Don’t

Tell Me discusses his lat est book, A Cry from the Far Middle, which asks his fellow Americans to take it down a notch, offering a new collec tion of essays about our nation’s propensity for anger and perplexity. (live stream 4 p.m. PT) bookpassage.com

OCT 4 Bobbie Ann Mason Multiple award-winning author discusses her new release, Dear Ann — a profoundly moving novel which follows a woman as she looks back over her life and her first love. (live stream 4 p.m. PT) bookpassage.com

OCT 24 Claire Messud

In conversation about her latest release, Kant’s Little Prussian Head and Other Reasons Why I Write, which opens a window on her own life: a nomadic upbringing; a warm, complicated

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

“I See No Changes” by Ashleigh Sumner, Marin MOCA

family; and, throughout it all, her devotion to art and literature. (live stream 4 p.m. PT) bookpassage.com

OCT 28 Mikel Jolett Hollywood Park is both the story of a man born into one of the country’s most infamous cults and subjected to a child hood fi lled with poverty, addiction, and emo tional abuse; and the story of fierce love and family loyalty told in a raw, poetic voice that signals the emergence of a uniquely gifted writer. (live stream 4 p.m. PT) bookpassage.com

COMMONWEALTH (LIVE) Must pre-regis ter for these free events.

OCT 2 John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge: Covid’s Wake Up Call Economic journalists discuss Covid-19 and the

Design, which shares stories from that will both enlighten readers and encourage them to think more critically about their living envi ronments. (live stream 6 p.m. PT) commonwealthclub.org

OCT 7 Week to Week: California Election 2020 Special The latest edi tion of the Week to Week political roundtable, in which a panel of politics experts discuss the latest political news with insight, civility and humor. This time, focusing on the fall elec tion from a California perspective — looking at the candidates and propositions voters are being asked to consider. (live stream 10 a.m. PT) commonwealthclub.org

OCT 8 A Conversation With Jacques Pépin In this era when so many of us are con fined at home,

and Afro-Brazilian forms, presented by the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco. Each live presentation will also feature selections from Santos’ legend ary collection of audio and video recordings, including many early and rare recordings of the musicians and musical genres he’ll be discussing. (live stream every Wednesday from 6 p.m.–8 p.m.) moadsf.org/calendar

OCT 16 Party in Place

With Mustache Harbor

Join for a fun-fi lled evening of great music — virtually — while sup porting Marin youth in need. Proceeds benefit Marin nonprofit organi zations addressing the needs of middle- and high-schoolers through critical support, educa tion and enrichment programs. (tickets start at $25 per household, additional donations appreciated; live stream 7–9 p.m.) marin charitable.org

the truth about his estranged father, which sets him on a magi cal journey through time and space. Along the way, he falls for a woman he meets on the plane and encounters a mysterious astronaut stranded on the moon. Moon Man Walk is a poetic look at how the stories we learn as chil dren shape us as adults. (available On Demand) act-sf.org

DRIVE-IN THEATER

OCT 14 Riverdance 25th Anniversary Show (showing at 6:30 p.m.) larktheater.net

OCT 14 Neil Young: Heart of Gold (showing at 9:15 p.m.) larktheater.net

OCT 21 Exhibition On Screen: Frida Kahlo (showing at 6:30 p.m.) larktheater.net

OCT 21 National Theatre Live: Hansard (showing at 8:45 p.m.) larktheater.net

medical and economic challenges of dealing with a pandemic. What can be done to keep people safe? And why are some countries handling the crisis bet ter than others? (live stream 2:30 p.m. PT) commonwealthclub.org

OCT 6 99% Invisible’s Roman Mars and Kurt Kohlstedt Podcast hosts discuss their new book The 99% Invisible City: A Field Guide to the Hidden World of Everyday

Chef Pepin shares some kitchen inspiration for creating a delicious meal whether or not you have a state of the art kitchen or a pantry full of expen sive ingredients. (tickets range from $10– $35; live stream 12 p.m. PT) commonwealthclub.org

THRU OCT 14 John Santos Live Dive into a new aspect of the rhythmic roots of Afro-Latin music including Afro-Cuban, Afro-Puerto Rican

OCT 15 Vote by Design: Igniting Voter Agency in Generation Z Join Lisa Kay Solomon of Stanford University Institute of Design’s Vote by Design and Sam Ball of Citizen Film as they premiere fi lm clips and share insights from young voters’ dialogues with one another about what they want for their shared future. You can’t help but leave inspired and hopeful from what you learn. (live stream 6 p.m. PT) commonwealthclub.org

VIDEOS

OCT 1 Beyond Barricades A documen tary on political punk band Anti-Flag, featur ing interviews with Tom Morello, Billy Bragg, Tim McIlrath, Brian Baker & More. The fi lm explores the trials and tribulations of play ing politically charged music and devoting your life to activism. (avail able On Demand)

OCT 9–16 Moon Man Walk While planning his mother’s funeral, Spencer stumbles upon a letter revealing

The Lark Theater is premiering a new series of Classical Arts Rock features on Wednesday nights in the North parking lot of The Village at Corte Madera North, across from Nordstrom. Ticket prices are $15 single occupant, $30 for car load. Reserve tickets on their website. larktheater.net

OCT 7 National Theatre Live: Present Laughter (showing at 6:45 p.m.) larktheater.net

OCT 28 Northern Ballet’s Dracula (showing at 6:15 p.m.) larktheater.net

OCT 28 National Theatre Live: Frankenstein (showing at 9 p.m.) larktheater.net

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• AIISF VIRTUAL GALA & IMMIGRANT HERITAGE

AWARDS 2020 EARNS $170,000 TOWARD GOAL

Preserving the Angel Island Immigration Station and uplifting its histories.

Angel Island Immigrant Station Foundation held their annual gala digitally this year on August 19. The gala celebrated individuals who exemplify the exceptional contributions of immigrants, highlighting Asian immigrants. Skyler Chin’s rap-rock musical Illegal, inspired by Angel Island and his family’s experiences, accompanied the 2020 Immigrant Heritage Awards ceremony, where three awards were pre sented in the following categories: Lifetime Achievement, Philanthropy and Community Leadership, and this year, an additional Spirit of Angel Island award. At time of print, their event raised over $170,000 toward their $210,000 goal. aiisf.org/annualgala

• SF GAY MEN’S CHORUS RAISES OVER $55,000 FROM CRESCENDO: VOICES RISING BENEFIT

Sustains SFGMC and their youth outreach programs.

In their first virtual rendition of their annual benefit, Crescendo: Voices Rising, the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus (SFGCM) raised over $55,000, surpassing the original goal of $50,000. The musical benefit honored two spe cial guests: Billy Porter, the multi award-winning actor and singer, with the Trailblazer Award; and Ariadne Getty, activist and philanthropist, with the Vanguard Award. Over 700 virtual attendees enjoyed a night of song, community, and spe cial performances from Billy Porter, Inaya Day, Shea Diamond, Alex Newell and the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, with appearances from S.F. Mayor Breed, Kristen Chenoweth, Wilson Cruz and Tyler Glenn. sgmc.org/crescendo

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

Cecilia Chiang

Jonathan Leong

Casey Dexter-Lee

Diosdado P. Banatao

• J’AMY TARR GIVES 100 JACKETS TO 100 COVID-19 HEROES

Recognizing and showing appreciation for strong women working on the front lines.

Back when Covid-19 started to change our lives, J’Amy Tarr knew she wanted to give back. A small business owner in Marin, J’Amy figured out a way she could thank those helping their communities — nurses, doctors, mail delivery people, grocery store clerks and police, among others. She decided to announce a program where Marinites and beyond could nominate

an essential worker, a hero on the front line of Covid-19, and give the winners a jacket of their choice from her col lection. The program was originally called 50 Jackets for 50 Strong Women. However, after opening up the nomina tions, 50 grew to over 100. Along with

these 100 jackets, J’Amy sent personalized thank you notes to each hero to remind them they were appreciated for all they are doing for their communities. jamytarr.com/pages/heroes

• RUBY-ENCRUSTED JEROBOAM BOTTLE AUCTION RAISES $300,000 AT VIRTUAL V WINE CELEBRATION

Benefitting V Foundation for Cancer Research.

On August 8, V Foundation took their annual Wine Celebration ben efit digital to raise critical funds for cancer research. The auction included unique items, namely the collaborative project by Silicon Valley jeweler Stephen Silver Fine Jewelry and Napa Valley vintner Gemstone Vineyard: a total of four ruby-encrusted Jeroboam Cabernet Sauvignon bottles — with the addi tional option to remove and reset the rubies in a custom piece created by the Silver’s team once the wine was consumed. A small, socially-distanced gathering was held in Napa to celebrate the successful col laboration and first-ever digital event. The four bottles sold for $75,000 each, contributing $300,000 to the auction’s over $3.6 million total. winecelebration.org

STORY BY TATE GUNNERSON • PHOTOS BY ROBERT VENTE

Liam Lonsdale was in an air port en route to Austria when his partner, Meghan Higney, FaceTimed him to unveil, at least virtually, their newly redesigned second-floor apartment in the Marina District. When he left for the airport earlier that day, the place was upside down, but in the ensuing hours, interior design ers and Sa ff ron + Poe co-founders, Johanna Vente Anderson and Fiona Bronte Burr, had expertly staged it. “Wow, what a shift,’” Lonsdale said. “They’re geniuses.”

Lonsdale, a photographer and creative director, resided in northern England’s Lake District when the two met in 2017. After he relocated to San Francisco in 2019, the couple contemplated moving into their own place. Instead, they decided to put their own spin on the two-bedroom apartment where Higney had lived since 2016. “This was our stab at making it a special place,” Lonsdale explains, noting that he often works from home. “It needed to be a nice space to be.”

Higney knew just where to turn. In her former gig, the executive-at-large worked in an ultra-chic corporate office designed by Sa ff ron + Poe, and she wanted their pad to have the same sort of feel. “They wanted an elevated vibe — modern and contemporary but still timeless,” Anderson says. “Our style is kind of contemporary California — beachy but with a traveled vibe.”

The look is established straightaway in the entry hallway, where a textural rug with rust notes from West Elm adds color and interest to the neutral walls. Centered underneath a brass-framed mirror that reflects the light from the adjacent bedroom, a mango wood console table with a live edge from World Market makes a perfect spot for keys and other odds and ends.

The hallway leads into the formal living room, which had plenty of room for the designers to create the dedicated dining area that the apartment lacked. A graphic black and white cowhide rug grounds a whitewashed table surrounded by black wooden chairs from

Shoppe Amber Interiors underneath a painted rattan pendant from Serena & Lily.

Adding to the layered, international aesthetic, the nearby wall is decorated with a mixture of artworks from Minted alongside handwoven African baskets that can be purchased on Sa ff ron + Poe’s website or at their Mill Valley brick and mortar boutique and design studio, which opened in July. “There are di fferent focal points for the eye to bounce around,” Anderson says.

The textural woven baskets likewise create a striking focal point above the TV cabinet from Burke Décor in the open living area. Nearby, the designers layered a handwoven Moroccan rug from their collection over a jute rug and brought in a pair of iron chairs with plush cushions from Croft House, which Anderson compares to clouds. “We found crisp, light and airy pieces that are very comfortable,” she says. “It feels soft and dreamy.”

That sums up the entire apartment, which has light walls and oatmeal-colored linen

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

Opener: A black rattan pendant from Serena & Lily illuminates the whitewashed wood dining table and chairs in the newly created dining area. The artwork is from Minted. Opposite: The owner’s traditional sofa pairs perfectly with matching iron chairs with plush cushions from Croft House. The ottoman is from Design Within Reach. This page from the top left: The brass mobile from Electric Sun Creatives is nothing if not mesmerizing, especially for the toddler it belongs to. Underneath a ceramic light fixture from Rejuvenation, a simple pedestal table creates a spot to work or enjoy a cup of coffee in the breakfast area Illuminated by a pair of pendants from Cedar & Moss, the leather strap bed is one of Saffron + Poe’s best sellers. The bedding is from The Citizenry.

draperies throughout. To dress up the kitchen, they created a small breakfast area defi ned by a round jute rug and a stylish ceramic pendant from Rejuvenation.

And in the couple’s bedroom, wood-armed sconces with hand-cast opaque stoneware shades from Cedar & Moss flank the leatherstrap bed handmade in Bali, which is part of a line of similar furnishings available at Sa ff ron + Poe. “It’s our best-selling collection,” Anderson says. A Moroccan throw and patterned pillows enlivens the neutral luxury bedding from The Citizenry.

The designers didn’t overlook their client’s now nearly four-year-old son Jackson’s room, incorporating a custom cabin-style bed from Etsy atop a graphic patterned rug from West Elm. It’s hard to imagine that he’ll ever

want to part with the custom brass mobile from Electric Sun Creatives that hangs from the bed frame. Thanks to a built-in trundle, Jackson has shared the space with many visiting family members, including his three and five-year-old cousins

Indeed, the young couple love hosting guests, who inevitably ooh and ah about the transformation. Thanks to their new dining table, which has an extension, they were even

able to host Thanksgiving dinner, welcoming Lonsdale’s family from England for the fi rst time. “That was ou r fi rst big group, and it was a hoot,” Lonsdale says.

The happy couple give all the credit to the designers, who they have referred to several people since the culmination of the project. “They were great fun,” Lonsdale says. “This is such a warm, accommodating space — calming with great energy. We love it here.”

Modern single-family home awaits in Larkspur’s coveted Madrone Canyon neighborhood with panoramic views and a serene Japanese style garden just minutes from town. The contemporary three-level home features four bedrooms three and a half bathrooms, and multiple living, dining, entertaining, as well as massive amounts of storage spaces on each level. The main floor features a kitchen, dining room, two bedrooms, and a living room with a beamed ceiling opening onto a very large view deck ideal for year-round indoor-outdoor living and entertaining. The kitchen features quartz countertops, top-of-the-line appliances, and quality finishes. The upper level consists of a well-appointed master suite complete with a fireplace, updated bathroom, and a private deck as well as a large family/media room complete with custom shelving. An attached legal second unit with a separate entrance located on the lower level offers an additional bedroom, one and a half bath, laundry room, full kitchen, and a living room with sliding glass doors opening onto the view deck. This area of the residence is accessible both internally and externally from the main house. In addition to four large view decks, the residence offers a secluded front patio with mature landscaping and a Japanese inspired garden with year-round blooming plants. Abundant outdoor spaces also include an area located on the lowest level deck ideally suited for a vegetable garden. Additional highlights include a 2-car garage with ample storage space, solar panels with the capability of power wall installation, a smart launch pad, and external access to each level of the home. Discover the serenity of living in one of Larkspur’s most desirable neighborhoods with abundant canyon and hillside views.

GLOBALESTATES.COM

A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity awaits with the sale of Easton Point (aka the “Martha Property”), the San Francisco Bay Area’s most iconic, pristine land of approximately 110 acres. Located at the southern tip of the Tiburon Peninsula offering panoramic views of the San Francisco skyline, Golden Gate Bridge, Bay Bridge, Richardson Bay, and beyond, Easton Point is for sale for the first time in over 100 years. With its highlycoveted location, Easton Point is just minutes from San Francisco–California’s epicenter of tech, venture capital, finance, arts, gastronomy, and culture. An undulating hillside paradise, the iconic estate offers endless vistas, forested trails, lush meadows, and breathtaking ridge-lines 590 feet above sea level. Adjacent to Old Saint Hillary’s Open Space Preserve to the north and scenic Paradise Drive meandering along the waterfront to the east and south, Easton Point is a haven of peace, tranquility, and nature on an epic scale.

GLOBALESTATES.COM

Spanning over 14.5 acres and approximately 2,000 feet of San Francisco Bay shoreline, this extraordinary parcel of prime undeveloped waterfront land within minutes to downtown Tiburon and the Golden Gate Bridge, provides an offering unprecedented in recent history. Having changed ownership only once in the past 100 years, this forested and entirely private estate site is now fully entitled, with approved plans for an approximately 15,000 square foot main residence, situated on the Bluff’s Point, an approximately 2,200 square foot separate guest quarters, and an approximately 700 square foot caretaker’s cottage. This rare opportunity offers the largest remaining undeveloped residential waterfront parcel in Marin County and possibly the entire San Francisco Bay Area. Extremely private and serene, with up-close water views and sandy beaches, this is the last and only waterfront parcel of this size and entitlements located at 2800 Paradise Dr Tiburon CA 94920.

Drive through a grand gated entry leading to a circular motor court and you’ll arrive at the enchanting European inspired estate, a private sanctuary with 180-degree water views. Built in 1992 on prestigious Gilmartin Drive, the lavish residence boasts over 9,000 square feet of sophisticated living space. This exquisite property features extensive lawns, manicured gardens, terraces, sport court, and a poolside oasis. With multiple indoor-outdoor entertaining spaces, the home is ideal for large-scale gatherings as well as private family events. The interior is defined by grand rooms filled with natural light opening onto stone terraces, high ceilings, majestic fireplaces, and a luxurious master suite with a spa-like bath. A well-designed floor plan of this two-level home consisting of five en-suite bedrooms, six full and one-half baths, including en-suite Au Pair/exercise room, allows a functional flow between all bedrooms and living spaces. Many highlights also include a game room, library, and a true wine cellar. Additional amenities include four separate garages located away from the main entry, and eight additional secured parking spaces. With private access to public open spaces, including many hiking trails and seaside paths, as well as proximity to Tiburon’s best dining, entertaining, and recreational options, 145 Gilmartin Drive offers an unparalleled lifestyle. Residents of this stunning estate will have easy access to San Francisco from HWY 101 and the nearby Tiburon Ferry Terminal.

European grandeur and modern sophistication are one at this exquisite Tiburon estate with unrivaled, panoramic views of San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, Marin Headlands and Mount Tamalpais. Completely reimagined and transformed, the sprawling resort-like residence offers the ultimate luxuriant lifestyle in one of SF Bay Area’s most iconic settings. Located on a private cul-de-sac at the apex of prestigious Gilmartin Drive, the home was designed to perfectly frame and compliment the commanding views while offering seamless indoor-outdoor living thanks to expansive terraces and patios, lush gardens and an inviting pool, making it ideal for entertaining and a growing family. Past the gated drive and down through the motor court, the home is entered through a grand foyer with dramatic staircase on the main level, featuring formal living and dining rooms, a stately den, and an open plan gourmet chef’s kitchen with adjacent breakfast room and family room. The lower level opens to the poolside terrace and has a large recreation room, home gym, sauna, and two bedrooms, while the upper levels feature two master suites, two bedrooms, an additional great room as well as a playroom/study. The smart home system, four-car garage, nine fireplaces, separate au-pair/guest suite and established gardens further the allure of this once-in-a-lifetime, Riviera-inspired masterpiece.

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

San Francisco | $2,375,000

Jean Spaulding 415.713.6132

San Anselmo

Dave

Charlynn

5br/2ba with Beautifully landscaped backyard w/large in coveted

Red September

On September 9, the Bay Area woke up to a collective “WTF is happening,” eliciting a grim sigh of relief at the sight of a grey smokey sky the following day. Was it finally the apocalypse? Cue an earthquake, a tsunami or tornado. Nope, it was not the apocalypse, it was a simple perfect [fire] storm of events that many called a “nuclear winter.” Despite the unease, many people were posting photos of images that, let’s hope, we never see again. Here are some of the most striking photos of the day from Instagram.

MIMI TOWLE