Marin Magazine May 2014

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I wrote Lean In to encourage women to lean in to their ambitions, and to change the conversation from what we can’t do to what we can do. And the book is just the beginning...

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FROM EXPERTS

In collaboration with Stanford University and experts around the world, Lean In offers a growing library of online lectures on leadership, effective communication and personal success — all developed with specific attention to the unique challenges women face.

• Listen to Your Inner Voice

• Own Who You Are

CONNECT WITH PEERS

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READ INSPIRING STORIES

In collaboration with Stanford University and experts around the world, Lean In offers a growing library of online lectures on leadership, effective communication and personal success — all developed with specific attention to the unique challenges women face.

Lean In Circles are groups of 8 to 12 peers who meet monthly to work through career and life challenges together. We provide all the materials and support to run a successful Circle, and our online lectures come with interesting discussion questions and exercises to work through as a team.

• Let’s Lean In Together

Lean In Circles are groups of 8 to 12 peers who meet monthly to work through career and life challenges together. We provide all the materials and support to run a successful Circle, and our online lectures come with interesting discussion questions and exercises to work through as a team.

All programming is provided by at no cost to you by the Lean In Foundation.

PLUS a special letter to graduates from Sheryl encouraging them to aim high, and 12 inspiring stories by people who changed their lives by leaning in

Lean In Stories capture important moments in life when we chose to “lean in” or “lean back.” Read Stories from personalities like Alicia Keys and Oprah, and from hundreds of everyday women who pushed past their uncertainties to lean in. We hope they’ll inspire you, and we hope you’ll add your own.

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to their ambitions, and from what we can’t do the book is just the beginning...

Working together, we community that offers inspiration and support

121

In Marin 25 Currents Wildfloers, Memorial Day weekend, Alcatraz swim and more. 30 Style Fabulous gift ideas for Mom. 32 Q&A Meet Marin’s very own Snow White. 34 On the Job Mill Valley’s Larry the Hat. 38 Made by Marin Margaritas and good friends go together. 40 Conversation Trisha Garlock is far from retired.

Destinations

69 Go Discovering Oregon’s Fruit Loop. 72 Travel Buzz Ideas for great getaways. 74 Oaxaca A photographic journey of discovery.

Out & About

81 Calendar A roundup of what to do in Marin and beyond. 92 Dine An insider’s guide to restaurants and food in the Bay Area. 104 Flavor What’s cooking at Molina. 112 On the Scene Snapshots from special events in Marin and San Francisco.

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From

MAY IS AN exciting time of year. Spring is in high gear and, here at Marin Magazine, we are proud to announce our cover contest winner and fi nalists. You’ve already seen the subtle surrealism of Jeff aust on the cover. Turn to Daniel Jewett’s story to learn more about the artist and his painting, meet our 12 fi nalists, and see their work.

Next up we put wheels to the ground and turn Rina Neiman loose investigating Marin’s skate culture. She fi nds that while it might not be Southern California, the North has had its own in fluence on skateboarding — an in fluence that continues today with lots of shops, pros, newbies and skate parks that help defi ne a thriving local scene.

We wrap up features with summer safety tips for the kids and, in case this advice isn’t enough, offer a list of the best local pediatricians. We’ve also got ideas for helping those kids get a higher education without breaking the bank.

You’ll notice this month’s issue is a pretty big one. We invite you to peruse the inserted 2014 Marin Open Studios guide, which can be pulled out to take along to the annual May event. You’ll

also see an increase in our real estate showcase section, with gorgeous samplings of amazing Marin properties. It’s a sure sign the economy and real estate market are healthy in the county.

Up front we tell you where to go to see wildflowers, celebrate Mother’s Day with gift ideas in Style, and meet Beach Blanket Babylon actress Shawna Ferris, the ladies of Laughing Glass Cocktails, Mill Valley’s own Larry the Hat and school fundraising maven Trisha Garlock.

In Destinations we take an agricultural tour of Oregon’s Fruit Loop, where more than 30 family-owned stands, farms and shops await. Next, it’s off o Oaxaca, where editorat-large Tim Porter brings his camera for a life-changing journey of photographic and personal discovery.

Enjoy the warm weather and our May issue, and be sure to check out all the open studios in May. Who knows? You may even meet next year’s cover contest winner.

While it might not be Southern California, the North has had its own influence on skateboarding — an influence that continues today with lots of shops, pros, newbies and skate parks.

Marin Magazine Staff Editors

left: Mimi Towle, Nikki Wood, Dan Jewett

Marin’s Many Communities

Parents, dog owners, foodies and book readers are among the county constituencies.

announced to an audience of nearly 300 students, parents, neighbors and alumni. One alum, Marin Superintendent of Education Mary Jane Burke, readily admits, “I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for Dominican; literally and figuratively, this school changed my life.” Dominican’s enrollment exceeds 2,200.

BY JIM WOOD

IN MARIN, parental involvement with the schools probably represents Marin’s largest and strongest constituency (which the dictionary defi nes as “a group that supports, patronizes or offers representation for continuing support”). And that’s good.

Yet within the county, there are other communities (defined as “persons of common interests scattered throughout a larger society”) that have a strong in fluence on public life. Here are just a few:

After parents and their school-age children, the county’s next largest constituency is dog owners and their dogs.

After parents and their school-age children, the county’s next largest constituency is dog owners and their dogs. In Marin, dog parks rival soccer fields as community gathering places. And the county’s headquarters for dogs is the 7.5-acre campus of the Marin Humane Society in Bel Marin Keys. “Over 700 volunteers spend time here,” claims special events manager Sonja Bohannon, “helping in every way possible our nearly 100 employees.” And a perk for staff s the option to bring dogs to work.

An equally congenial community surrounds Throckmorton Theatre , located in a 100-year-old movie house in Mill Valley. “Last week, we celebrated our 10th anniversary by raising around $100,000 in one night,” executive director Lucy Mercer says. Young singers, crafty comedians, a worldtouring illusionist (from San Anselmo), and the legendary drummer and producer Narada Michael Walden (from San Rafael), who has collaborated with Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and Aretha Franklin, had the packed house spellbound, standing, applauding and roaring with laughter.

Earlier that week, Dominican University of California received a $25 million grant, the largest in the school’s almost 125-year history. Have you seen the campus lately (or ever)? It’s on Grand Avenue in San Rafael and you’d think you were in New Hampshire. The grant was

There probably isn’t a more telling comment on Marin’s character than the support it gives to independent bookstores. While other areas are (unfortunately) losing them, over the past year, Marin gained two booksellers: Copper field’s in San Rafael and Diesel, A Bookstore, in Marin Country Mart. Others, all centers of their own communities, include Whytes Booksmith (San Anselmo), Book Passage (Corte Madera), Depot Bookstore and Cafe (Mill Valley), First Street Books (Kent field) and Stinson Beach Books and Point Reyes Books (West Marin). Even Barnes and Noble in Town Center has a local feel to it.

Likewise, Marin’s farmers’ markets are thriving centers of community. They’re springing to life this month and, by summer, there’ll be a farmers’ market on Tuesdays (Tam Valley); three on Wednesdays (Corte Madera’s Town Center, Fairfax and on Novato’s Grant Avenue); two on Thursdays (the big one at the Marin Civic Center and a fun one in downtown San Rafael); one on Fridays (near the CVS in Mill Valley); three on Saturdays (Marin Country Mart, Marinwood Village and Toby’s Feed Barn in Point Reyes Station); and two on Sundays (the state’s third largest farmers’ market at the Marin County Civic Center and one of the friendliest, in Sausalito.)

Finally, do yourself a favor and visit a few of this month’s Marin Open Studios. Talk about a community — the artists of Marin are indeed one. Over the first two weekends in May, more than 250 painters, sculptors, photographers and jewelry and furniture craftspeople invite you into their studios to see their work and possibly make a purchase. A colorful catalog showing samples of every artist’s efforts, including an easy-to-follow map with every studio’s location, is part of this month’s Marin Magazine

There are countless other community-creating constituencies in Marin and, simply put, in this day and age we’re darn fortunate to have them. That’s my point of view. What’s yours?

Email pov@marinmagazine.com.

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MARINMOCA’S ALTERED BOOK EXHIBITION

WHEN WHERE WHY YOU SHOULD GO COST

FIND OUT MORE

May 24, 5–7:30 p.m.

Marin Museum of Contemporary Art, 500 Palm Drive, Novato

The fifth annual MarinMOCA Altered Book Show displays the work of 150 Bay Area artists who reconstruct and rework books to produce a highly entertaining and remarkably varied exhibition. Attendees are invited to bring their friends and walk around the galleries to bid on their favorite book art. Wine, tasty hors d’oeuvres and desserts will be served as well. The silent auction is posted for bidding during the exhibit through May 24. It will culminate in a live auction where a selected group of altered books will be available. This evening supports the Marin Museum of Contemporary Art’s ongoing exhibitions and community events.

Free

415.506.0137, marinmoca.org

The scoop on Bay Area events you’ll want to attend

[UPCOMING EVENTS]

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

LEGAL AID OF MARIN’S SPRING BASH

WHEN WHERE WHY YOU SHOULD GO

May 30, 6 p.m.

George’s, 842 Fourth Street, San Rafael

ART WORKS DOWNTOWN VIP PREVIEW

PARTY

WHEN WHERE WHY YOU SHOULD GO COST

FIND OUT MORE

May 2, 5–8 p.m.

Art Works Downtown, 1337 Fourth Street, San Rafael

Guests at the VIP preview party will get the chance to purchase art, meet Art Works Downtown artists and enjoy wine and a silent auction. Be sure to check out the public showing and sale May 3–4 and May 10–11. Art Works’ 40,000-square-foot building houses three galleries, 35 art studios, a cafe, a jewelers guild, a frame shop, a ceramic center, other arts organizations, 17 affordable apartments and more.

$25 advance; $35 day of event biddingforgood.com/ artworksdowntown

COST

Legal Aid of Marin celebrates its 56th anniversary with a Spring Bash evening of foodie delights and a musical medley. The evening includes band performances by high-powered attorneys/musicians from Bay Area law firms including Arnold & Porter, Hanson Bridgett and Schneider Wallace Cottrell Konecky. Guests will also enjoy cocktails, a silent auction and catering by Sol Food. Proceeds benefit Legal Aid, which gives low-income residents of the community equal access to the civil justice system.

$150 from 6 to 9 p.m. (dinner, dessert and open bar included); $20 after 9 p.m.

FIND OUT MORE

415.492.0230, ext. 309, legalaidmarin.org

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

Photos: Jasmine Wang, Gertrude & Mabel, Kodiak Greenwood

POV

Your Letters

High Fashion

This is just a note to compliment you on the cover and fashion spread (“Hot Spring Trends”) in the March issue — I loved it. I thought it was maybe Elle magazine from the cover. And as for the di fferent looks — great idea, something for everyone. T he peach/floral look was my favorite. ANN SCHMIEMAN, VIA EMAIL

Open Space

Your April issue discusses the shortage of lots for sale in Marin (“Not a Lot of Lots”). Is the writer proposing Marin would be better off if the open space preservation efforts, which started in the ’60s, were reversed? Marincello was originally proposed to house 30,000 people above Sausalito on land now a part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Marin would be very di fferent today but for the results of those and other preservation efforts. There are still plenty of teardowns available. Put your new house there. Teardowns cost the same as an empty lot but without the landslides and access road issues. JERRY RIESSEN, TIBURON OPEN SPACE COMMITTEE, TIBURON

cheap, wore like iron and did wonderful things with light from any source — but they became impossible to get after the government prohibited importation from the Philippines. If hemp makes a comeback, I hope the rugs will too. CARTER

MANNY, SAN RAFAEL

Don’t Forget the Designers

Regarding your story on a Mill Valley home that gets all the details right (Backstory, April 2014), our design company, Studio G Design, was responsible for selecting all the interior fi nishes on the house. We have a long-standing relationship with Trush Construction and we have worked on many high-end projects together. Thank you for your portrayal of a “perfect” house, echoing the owner’s thought: “I love this home just the way it is.”

KAREN GOLDBERG, STUDIO G DESIGN

Corrections

In “Not a Lot of Lots” (April 2014) we incorrectly reported the size of the St. Vincent’s/ Silveira lot as 110 acres. The actual size is 1,110 acres. We regret the error.

Helpful Hemp

Jim Wood’s article in the April issue (POV, “Will Hemp Help?”) struck a responsive chord with this 95-year-old retired Chicago architect now living in San Rafael. In my youth, rugs made of 1-by-1-foot hemp squares made a big impression on me. Architect Harwell Harris used them in his famous Fellowship Park house in Los Angeles. Marcel Breuer used them in his equally famous 1949 house in the garden of MoMA in New York City. And I used them in my old log cabin home in Indiana (above). You could buy them made up to any size at Marshall Field’s in Chicago. They were

It just bugs me that you printed a picture of a mountain biker and proceeded to describe road bike rides (Currents, “On the Road Again” April 2014). As I am sure you are aware, road biking and mountain biking are very different. Almost any mountain biker would love to be able to legally complete the circuits you describe, on a mountain bike trail. With mountain biking being such a sensitive issue, I am surprised you didn’t catch this mismatched photo and article. It just seems so annoyingly obvious that the picture and the rides don’t go together; how could you miss seeing this?

GRACE JANE, STINSON BEACH

Eds.: We pulled the wrong the photo for the article in this case — the photo and the text were mismatched. We apologize for not catching the error.

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

• in person

White-Hot Summer Party: Tickets Now Available

Join Marin Magazine and Cavallo Point in Sausalito as we reinvent the Summer White Party . This event will herald not only the long, warm days of summer, but also the launch of our special publication Marin Summer: The Ultimate 2014 Guide to Activities and Events . Guests will enjoy music, entertainment, cocktails and appetizers at this event benefiting Conscious Kitchen. Tickets are just $75; order now for the June 1 party. cavallopoint.com/whiteparty

• online

Readers’ Choice

August’s Editors’ Choice issue is one of our most popular — the kind you keep on the coffee table throughout the year. And once again, we want your input. Visit the link below to cast your vote for your favorite places to eat, shop or be inspired in your favorite Marin towns. marinmagazine.com/readers2014

Walnut Creek 925-935-5553

In Marin

CELEBRATING THE PEOPLE, PLACES AND CAUSES OF THIS UNIQUE COUNTY

FLOWER POWER

Five top spots to see Marin’s botanical bounty this spring.

BY CALIN VAN PARIS

AS THE ADAGE says, April showers bring May flowers, and fortunately for us, Marin is a wild flower mecca in the spring. We asked some of the county’s most knowledgeable nature lovers — Danny Du fficy, owner of Mill Valley’s California Native Plant Nursery; David Herlocker, a Marin County parks naturalist; and botanist Doreen Smith of the California Native Plant Society’s Marin chapter — to name their favorite local spots for wild flower viewing. Here are a few unanimously approved destinations, with notes on the blooms you may fi nd along the way.

DESTINATION AREA

Coastal rock cress, San Francisco wallflower, common star lily, silver bush lupine, longleaf Indian paintbrush, sticky monkey flower*, lizard tail, snowberry

Indian warrior, Douglas iris*, shooting star, California lilac, milkmaids, California hedgenettle, Western columbine, houndstongue

Royal larkspur*, sun cup, owl’s-clover, pink bitter root, cream cup, yellow bush lupine

SCIENTIFIC NAMES

Arabis blepharophylla, Erysimum franciscanum, Zigadenus fremontii, Lupinus albifrons, Castilleja subinclusa ssp. Franciscana, Mimulus aurantiacus, Eriophyllum staechadifolium, Symphoricarpos

Pedicularis densiflora, Iris douglasiana, Dodecatheon, Ceanothus, Cardamine californica, Stachys, Aquilegia formosa, Cynoglossum officinale

Delphinium variegatum, Camissonia ovata, Castilleja exserta, Lewisia rediviva Pursh, Platystemon californicus, Lupinus arboreus

Western columbine*, houndstongue, starry false Solomon’sseal, checkered lily, Hooker’s fairy bells, fetid adder’s tongue

Dwarf checkerbloom, California buttercup, Tolmie star-tulip, Douglas iris, Indian paintbrush*, coastal gumplant, Johnny-tuck, farewell to spring, California phacelia, beach strawberry, California goldfields

Aqilegia formosa, Cynoglossum officinale, Maianthemum stellatum, Fritillaria affinis, Prosartes hookeri, Scoliopus

Sidalcea malviflora, Ranunculus californicus, Calochortus tolmiei, Iris douglasiana, Castilleja spp., Grindelia stricta var. platyphylla, Triphysaria eriantha var. rosea, Clarkia amoena, Phacelia californica, Fragaria chiloensis, Lasthenia californica

Memorial Weekend Happenings

Memorial Day weekend is arguably the best long weekend of the year, as it’s an opportunity to test-drive the summer activities on the horizon. Here are three weekend events that will have you primed for fun in the sun. C.V.P.

CALEDONIA STREET FESTIVAL What better way to celebrate summer than a good old-fashioned block party? Art booths displaying all mediums, from photography to ceramics, will be supplemented by three live performances, food and drink from local purveyors and a children’s area. Caledonia Street, Sausalito. May 25, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., caledoniastreetfestival.com

MUIR BEACH VOLUNTEER FIREMEN’S BARBECUE

The annual community event is back for its 42nd year. Expect live music, dancing, classic barbecue fare and a family-friendly atmosphere — an ideal way to kick off the season while supporting a good cause. Muir Beach Picnic Grounds, Muir Beach. May 25, noon to 5 p.m., muirbeachfire.com

MILL VALLEY MEMORIAL DAY PARADE We love a parade, and this one is a Marin classic. Head out early and park a beach chair anywhere between the Depot and Tamalpais High School for a show filled with community members, local organizations and talent. Starts at Old Mill Park, Mill Valley. May 26, 10 a.m. to noon, millvalley.org

MORNING SUN TRAIL/ COASTAL TRAIL

BOLINAS – FAIRFAX RIDGE MOUNT BURDELL

Marin Headlands

BILL’S TRAIL CHIMNEY ROCK

WILDFLOWERS

Fairfax/Mount Tam/ Bolinas Lagoon

Novato

Samuel P. Taylor State Park

Point Reyes National Seashore

*Pictured

PLAN YOUR ESCAPE

The Escape from Alcatraz race is back for its 34th year. On June 1, starting at 7:30 a.m., competitors, many from Marin, will take part in the challenging triathlon beginning on historic Alcatraz Island and ending on the trails of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Think you have what it takes for this prison break? Registration for the 2015 race begins in the fall. escapefromalcatraz triathlon.com C.V.P.

A Mother’s Love

To celebrate Mother’s Day, we asked our Facebook friends what they love most about their moms. Here are some of their (abbreviated) responses.

Annie Rosenthal Parr

“She has always been my biggest supporter — whether I was being bad or good it was always clear that I was loved immensely.”

Dena Chavez Grunt

“My mom could fix anything with homemade baked goods. Especially chocolate chip cookies.”

Debbie Bernier

Jen Reidy

“My mother never gossiped or said a bad thing about anyone in front of me. How did she do that?”

Kristen Dowd Addicks

Kimberly Rider

“I love the way my mom always encouraged me. She told me I could do or be anything I wanted to and I believed her.”

Nancy Chapluk Zadoff

PASS THE PAINTBRUSH

Maybe next decade’s Marin Magazine cover artist is already in our midst. Artists Teaching Art , a program sponsored by the Sausalito Art Festival Foundation, brings professional artists into Marin classrooms to stimulate kids’ imaginations, help them develop artistic habits and inspire them to express themselves in creative ways. Now in its second year, ATA is partnering with 13 schools to reach as many as 500 students. Last year students from Sausalito’s Willow Creek Academy, Bayside/Martin Luther King Jr. Academy and Brandeis Hillel Day School participated in ATA-facilitated projects. “I want to thank ATA for the opportunity to teach the students of Bayside/Martin Luther King Jr. Academy; it was an extraordinary experience, beyond the norm,” says artist teacher Virginia SimpsonMagruder. sausalitoartfestival.org CHERYL POPP

“Her irreverence about being a mother.”

“I love that my mom let me wear floral with plaid with stripes and taught me about nature and cooking (without a recipe).”

“Her unconditional love. I know she always has the best intentions in mind.”

www.mttamorthopedics.com

Patient-Friendly Orthopedics and Spine Care in the North Bay

Mt. Tam Orthopedics offers comprehensive orthopedics and spine care from physicians with unparalleled experience in sports medicine, joint replacement, arthroscopy, and arthritis management. We treat issues ranging from rotator cuff problems and ligament injuries to fractures and spinal disorders.

For most orthopedic problems, the first and preferred approach is nonsurgical, but if surgery is required, the specialists at Mt. Tam use the latest state-of-the-art technologies. Even the most complex injuries, along with many common problems, can be repaired by today’s new minimally invasive methods and arthroscopy. Our surgeons are leaders in this pioneering approach, which results in accelerated recoveries and shorter hospital stays.

Our services include sports medicine care (we are the official providers for the U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Snowboarding Team), minimally invasive hip and knee replacement, joint resurfacing procedures, cartilage salvage and restoration for complex knee conditions, and spine care.

Our patients receive the same level of care we would want our own family to receive. Seamless integration of expert testing, award-winning physical therapy and superb surgical care have distinguished our practice as the leader in patient-friendly orthopedics in Marin and the North Bay.

Not pictured: John C. Keohane, MD Seated: Charles A. Stuart, MD

David H. Goltz, MD*

Robert H. Byers, MD

* Recognized on the [415] Top Doctors 2012 list.

Standing: Brian W. Su, MD

Jonathan R. Goff, MD* Michael J. Oechsel, MD*

Ernest H. Sponzilli, MD*

18 Bon Air Road Larkspur, CA 94939 415.927.5300

mttamorthopedics.com

The Premier Center for Sports Medicine, Orthopedic Surgery and Spine Care in Marin County

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MOM Gifts for

Show your appreciation this month (hint: Mother’s Day is May 11) by giving Mom a gift she will love. From luxury loungewear to personalized phone covers, we have you covered for every type of mother. VERONICA SOOLEY

FOR THE FASHIONISTA Mom Said So 12k gold plated idiom bangle by Kate Spade, $58, at Kate Spade (Corte Madera), 415.927.7398.

FOR THE LOUNGER Organic cotton waffle robe by Coyuchi, $99, at Coyuchi Outlet (Point Reyes Station), 415.663.8077.

FOR THE HOMEBODY Ansley moccasin slipper, $100, at Ugg Australia (SF), 415.694.6490.

FOR THE MOM-ONTHE-GO Market tote bag, $18, at West Elm (Mill Valley), 415.388.2950.

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QUESTIONS FOR

Shawna Ferris

As Shawna Ferris heads to her 4,000th-plus Beach Blanket Babylon (BBB) performance at Club Fugazi in North Beach this Mother’s Day month, she’s especially grateful to her mom, whom she credits with getting her into show business by pointing her toward UC Irvine’s drama program. She honed her acting chops on the Southern California campus and met her friend Justin, who graduated from the university and moved to San Francisco to work on the show; Ferris would soon follow. At the time BBB, created by Steve Silver in 1974, was already an established theatrical fixture; in fact, next month the production celebrates its 40th anniversary with a special June 6 showing at San Francisco City Hall. When the show opened Silver thought it would last only six months. After a move to Club Fugazi in 1975, Beach Blanket Babylon slowly but surely became a must-do itinerary item for visitors and locals alike. MIMI

Actress NOVATO

TOWLE

When did you start acting? In kindergarten I volunteered to be the black hen in our performance of the song “Hickety Pickety My Black Hen.” It was my big theatrical debut.

1

2

If not Snow White, then whom would you like to play? When I first joined the company in 2004 I played the Pineapple Princess. Every once in a while I get to swing over and play a different part. That one is always a favorite for me.

What do you do after a show ? Wind down on my car ride home. Watch TV and have a glass of wine. 8

3

What is the main difference between BBB’s Snow White and Disney’s Snow White? S now at BBB is definitely more nerdy — she also gets her moments to let loose and show her wild side.

4

Tricks for stage fright? Breathe.

D o you go out after the show? I sometimes go out. Not as much as when I first started 10 years ago. My go-to is Capp’s Corner. You’ll find a lot of BBB people there.

5

Was there ever a joke you felt you needed to edit? No. I always think it’s exciting to try a questionable joke. You never really know what the audience will think about it. When you get a big groan it’s actually really fun. I’m also a rule follower — I stick with the script unless we’re in a pickle during the show. You have to love live theater.

Do you have a favorite line in the show? My favorite line is when Snow gets to belt out “I can eat a poison apple and still be on my feet.” 10

6

When did you first realize that this could be a career? I g uess it was in high school. When you decide to go to college to be a drama major you’re probably not turning back.

Why do you live in Marin? I owe it to my husband Kevin that I live in Marin. When we were house-hunting in the Peninsula I was very much against crossing the bridge in my commute. He told me to get over it and took me up here to look at houses. He was so right. It is such an amazing place. The hiking right outside your door, the space, the views. I drive to the city a lot and still find that view of the Golden Gate amazing. 11

Favorite drink and where you like to drink it? G lass of red wine at Finnegan’s Marin. m

Meghann Bauer, pregnant with twins and in danger of losing them both, and perinatologist Dr. Larry Rand, each came to UCSF Medical Center for the same reason. They both wanted to be at a place known for excellence in innovation and patient care. Dr. Rand performed a complex surgery on Meghann’s twins in-utero, and she gave birth to two healthy, happy boys. Thirty years ago the first fetal surgery was performed at UCSF, and today doctors here continue to revolutionize the field. UCSF: pioneering care, one patient at a time. Visit PioneeringCare.com to read more.

FOR THE BAUER FAMILY

DR. LARRY RAND IS

Celebrating Mill Valley

When it comes to promoting his favorite city, Larry Lautzker wears many hats.

BY CALIN VAN PARIS

IF YOU THINK Larry Lautzker is your typical Mill Valley shop owner, think again. This New York native came to the Bay Area in 1970 and has had a hand in music production ever since. For Larry the Hat, it’s all about community. Famous4? The name used to be Famous For Our Look, but we’ve shortened it, because I’m famous for many things. What year did you open your Mill Valley store? 1989. The concept began in 1986 with my store/recording studio, the Ice House, in San Rafael. Tell me about the goods. I’m very passionate about fi nding contemporary, unique pieces for both men and women. If you wear something from my shop, it’s going to further you in your life — whether you’re going out to play or going out to work, if you wear these clothes good things are going to happen. So, mostly cool clothes? I also sell the world’s most technologically advanced electric bike, called the PiCycle. And what about your production biz? I’ve been in the music business since the ’60s and more recently have produced shows with Murphy Productions. We started at the Masonic Temple in Mill Valley, and obviously that caught on because it’s now the Sweetwater Music Hall. Then we moved our productions to the Seafood Peddler in San Rafael, which led to the creation of Terrapin Crossroads. Now we’re doing shows at the Mill Valley Community Center and the San Rafael JCC. You also produce local events. I’ve been putting on the once-yearly block party in front of my store since 1998. We get local businesses involved and raise money for causes from Kiddo! to breast cancer awareness. So the block party is your main gig? The first event I produced was actually the Memorial Day parade in 1992. That’s how I got involved. I’ve been the head of the parade since 2002. What’s this year’s theme? “Honoring those who gave their lives for freedom.” The parade has become such a little party that we sometimes lose sight of what Memorial Day is about: honoring the people who have passed. Any special additions? For the first time ever we’re going to have a special memorial ceremony for the vets between 10 and 10:30 a.m., before the parade begins. It’s going to be at Lytton Square. What drives you to be so involved? We’re all very blessed to part of the Mill Valley community, and to that end I want to do everything I can to make it a better place. m

Larry ‘the Hat’ Lautzker, Famous4, 96 Throckmorton Avenue, Mill Valley, bestsanfranciscoattractions.net

1300 S. Eliseo Drive | Greenbrae, CA 94904 | www.ucsfbenioffchildrens.org

World Class Care. Closer to Home.

While UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital has never been farther than a trip across the bridge, our expertise is even closer for parents and kids throughout the North Bay. Through our multispecialty Greenbrae Clinic, the following pediatric services for children are available right here in Marin.

Adolescent Eating Disorders (415) 353-2002

Cardiology (877) 353-4325 (toll-free)

Gastroenterology (415) 461-4396

Neurology (415) 353-3653

Orthopedics (415) 353-2967

Otolaryngology (415) 353-2757

Pulmonology and Cystic Fibrosis (415) 353-7337

Sports Medicine (415) 353-7566

SMILE

1 Blink Inc. in Corte Madera is a one-stop shop for high-quality photos. Just walk in with any object or person and Blink’s team of in-house photographers will create a memorable image, which you can share immediately from the studio; blinkinc. com. If you like your photo enough, you may want to eat it. Chocstagram by Cocoagraph allows users to print photos directly onto squares of chocolate; face book.com/cocoagraph

NEW IN TOWN

STYLE

Women’s clothing boutique Koze in Tiburon just got a serious face-lift; getkoze.com. If you’re looking for something a little different, stop by Sausalito’s 2 gr.dano, where clothes, designed by owners Jill Giordano and Brian Scheyer and crafted in San Francisco, are beckoning; grdano.com Fetish, an eclectic store featuring one-of-a-kind jewelry and items from across the globe, is open for business in Tiburon; facebook.com/ fetishbysarahshaw

» Marin is already a great place to live, and these new businesses are making it even more fun. Check out what’s new (or just getting better).

MOVE

Need some help getting back on your feet?

3 Presidio Sport and Medicine provides physical therapy, personal training and more at its Mill Valley location; presidiosport.com. San Francisco’s favorite car service, 4 Uber Marin, has crossed the bridge. Download the app and connect with a driver seamlessly, and do it often — the higher the demand, the more available cars in the area; uber.com

EATS

Chef Todd Shoberg, formerly of Piatti, brings his culinary skills to Molina, a new California-centric restaurant in downtown Mill Valley; molina restaurant.com. Need some coffee and breakfast on the go? San Rafael’s 5 Johnny Doughnuts food truck can be found cruising around town; johnnydough nuts.com Ristorante La Toscana, a San Rafael favorite, has undergone a major remodel. Stop by and check out the new space; ristorantelatoscana.com

SLICE

San Anselmo recently welcomed True North Pizza to town. True North boasts a family-friendly environment, a variety of eats (the pizza recipes were purchased from the owner of Lo Coco’s, the restaurant that formerly occupied the space) and a craft beer and fine wine lounge. The restaurant features live performances on weekends; truenorthpizza.com. For fans of the popular Extreme Pizza, a branch of the franchise has opened in Mill Valley; extremepizza.com

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

“As a physician and surgeon, my goal is to change the natural course and biology of women's cancers. At Sutter Health’s CPMC, we’re building a comprehensive, state-of-the-art program in gynecologic oncology featuring advanced surgical techniques, ground-breaking research, novel treatments based on each patient’s individual genetics, and a full range of supportive care services. Together, we can change the experience women go through on their cancer journey.”

Your generous gift to CPMC will help deliver exceptional care in a personalized way to many Bay Area women with gynecologic cancer. Please visit: cpmc.org/giving

John Chan, M.D., the Denise and Prentis Cobb Hale Endowed Chair in Gynecologic Oncology at CPMC; pictured in the Women’s Health Resource Center, home to CPMC’s Ovarian and Reproductive Cancer Recovery Program.

MADE BY MARIN

Laughing Glass Cocktails

SOME DAYS ARE coffee days (5 a.m. alarm), and some days are wine days (gridlock tra ffic). For the women of San Anselmo’s Laughing Glass Cocktails, every day is a margarita day. Founded by Marin locals and close friends Sydney RaininSmith, Jill Korst and Carey Clahan (pictured, left to right), the company produces all-natural ready-made margaritas from the trio’s fresh pressed lime recipe, with two more cocktails slated for release this year. “We tasted all the other products on the market, and they all tasted like something out of your medicine cabinet, and worse, were fi lled with nasty chemicals,” Clahan says. “Our margarita has only a few natural and organic ingredients and is low in calories to boot.” PHILOSOPHY Aside from creating an authentic high-quality product that drinkers can feel good about sipping, the company aims to bring women together. “Laughing Glass Cocktails is all about friendships,” Korst says. “It’s why we started in the fi rst place, but just as important, we want to encourage friends to get together frequently, and get laughing.” THE SCOOP The signature margaritas are composed of simple, quality ingredients like all-natural citrus and organic agave nectar. Speci fically omitted are substances that make some ready-made cocktails unappealing: arti ficial preservatives, sweeteners, additives, flavors or colors. You ca n fi nd Laughing Glass margaritas all over California and online through Ludwig’s Fine Wine & Spirits and the Jug Shop. BEYOND MARIN The Laughing Glass ladies also list “tequila distillers” on their shared resume. Unable to fi nd a bulk tequila brand that met their high standards, they headed to Mexico and an artisan distillery, where they produced their own proprietary blend — a super-premium blanco tequila — making theirs the only company in the ready-to-serve cocktail market that crafts its own spirit. WHAT THEY SAY “We work together 100 hours a week, but at the end of a crazy day or workweek, we still love to hang out with each other,” Rainin-Smith says. “Recently, we went on a family ski trip to Montana with our husbands and kids and of course shipped a case of our margaritas to enjoy après ski.” laughingglasscocktails.com CALIN

GLASS ALL-NATURAL MARGARITA, $18.99

VAN PARIS

LAUGHING

Can you say “Thank you”?

We can! Thanks to the superb pediatricians honored as “Top Docs” in Marin Magazine.

Marin General Hospital would like to honor and thank these expert physicians for their talent, compassion and devotion. You are truly “top docs” in every sense of the word.

Anjuli Basu, MD

Rachel Bauer, MD

Julie Bokser, MD

Nelson Branco, MD

Suzanne Christie, MD

Cindy Greenberg, MD

John Harvey, MD

Erin Heath, MD

Tracey Hessel, MD

Martin Joffe, MD

Uta Kerl, MD

Lisa Leavitt, MD

John Lee, MD

Jan Maisel, MD

Kathryn Meier, MD Jane Meill, MD

Kara Ornstein, MD

Eric Scher, MD

Kathryn Sexton, MD Ann Troy, MD

Katrina Urbach, MD Michael Yamaguchi, MD

OUR HOME. OUR HEALTH. OUR HOSPITAL.

Trisha Garlock

From Kiddo! to SchoolsRule, this school finance advocate doesn’t seem to know the meaning of the word retirement.

BY LAURA HILGERS • PHOTOS BY TIM PORTER

WHEN THE MARIN Independent Journal commemorated Trisha Garlock’s retirement earlier this year, it used the words “tireless commitment” to describe her career. That seems like a vast understatement for the woman who served as executive director of Mill Valley’s public schools foundation, Kiddo!, for the past 32 years. Since starting the foundation in 1981 with her neighbor and fellow mom, Penny Weiss, Garlock has seen Kiddo! grow from a small grassroots operation to one that raises $3 million a year and is a model for other schools foundations nationwide.

Since (kind of) leaving Kiddo!, she has transitioned over to her new role as president of the board of SchoolsRule, an organization dedicated to funding public education throughout the entire county.

After all these years, why the switch to SchoolsRule? It wasn’t really a switch; I’ve been working on SchoolsRule since its inception in 2010, when it was just a loosely formed group of schools foundations from all over Marin. I was working with the group as a volunteer, in addition to my paid position with Kiddo! But SchoolsRule has grown and they need someone who can devote more time to it. It’s been a nice transition for me, after retiring. But, of course, I’m still going to help raise money for Kiddo!

What is SchoolsRule? SchoolsRule is a coalition of all 20 individual schools foundations working together to benefit every public school student in Marin. Each individual foundation is continuing to raise money in its own community, but we’re pursuing the larger corporations that serve the whole county. We’re also raising funds from the 80 percent of Marin residents who do not currently have a child enrolled in public schools.

Why is there a need for this? The southern Marin districts have an easier time raising funds, which means there’s a disparity in the county. Mill Valley and Kent field, for example, might be able to raise a lot of money, but our two biggest districts — Novato and San Rafael — have a much harder time because they are more economically diverse. With SchoolsRule, we distribute our allocations so that each student in Marin is given the same amount. That means that the most money goes to the two biggest districts, which happen to also be the ones in the most need. It’s a way of leveling the playing field.

But why is there a need for schools foundations at all? Ideally, there shouldn’t be a need for these types of foundations. When Penny and I started Kiddo! in 1981, our goal was to be out of business i n fi ve years. We thought it was just a temporary lapse of judgment by the state of California that they were cutting so much education funding because of Proposition 13. We thought they’d surely restore it. But they haven’t. What people need to realize is that even with the state’s budget surplus now and the increased money for education, our schools are still only being funded at the level they were in 2007. I think it’s unconscionable that the state doesn’t fund schools properly.

How did Kiddo! get started? It was just a few years after Proposition 13 passed and Penny was the president of the PTA at Old Mill School and I had a two-year-old and was working in the city, fundraising for an arts organization. We were having tea together and she was lamenting the fact that the school was going to lose its arts and music programs. At the time, her PTA was doing bake sales and she said, “How can we fund teachers’ salaries on bake sales?” When I was growing up, the California schools were incredible. They were among the highest-funded schools in the country; I had orchestra, I was in a play, I had art programs. I couldn’t imagine the public school system without the arts, and Penny couldn’t either, so we felt it was the community’s responsibility to make sure kids had these programs.

Garlock has seen Kiddo! grow from a small grassroots operation to one that raises $3 million a year and is a model for other schools foundations nationwide.

Kiddo! is considered a role model for schools foundations nationwide. Why is that? We were one of the fi rst foundations to use the [fundraising tool] eScrip and also to enter into partnerships with the smaller businesses in our community, the mom-and-pop businesses. We were always willing to try things, and we were also willing to share.

Your kids are 29 and 34 now; why stay on so long with Kiddo!? You know, many people have asked me that over the years. But for me, it was always the students who inspired me. All I had to do was go to a second-grade play or music or dance performance and see the joy on these kids’ faces. It was a constant inspiration. I think it’s important for all kids to receive a quality education, not just your own.

What about describing your work as “tireless commitment”? There have been over 250 Kiddo! board members who have shown

Opposite: Trisha Garlock.

This page: Garlock and kids from Mill Valley schools at the 2012 Mill Valley community block party.

life

David Johnson, a leading photojournalist during photography’s Golden Age, and his wife Jackie, Marin County’s first AfricanAmerican postmaster, have always been trailblazers. Now instead of blazing trails, they’re strolling on them at The Tamalpais. They also appreciate their good friends, great food and Life Care at The Tam. It offers on-site health programs for standard fees that won’t increase if they need more care. And that’s a reason to smile. Call Dusty Bricker at (415) 464-1754 to learn more.

tireless commitment. There have been 19 chairmen of the board who have shown tireless commitment, and there have been thousands of volunteers. I just happen to have been there the longest.

What has SchoolsRule achieved so far? In 2012, the fi rst year we gave money away, we distributed $200,000. In 2013, we distributed $400,000. This year, we’re hoping to double

We thought it was just a temporary lapse of judgment by the state of California that they were cutting so much education funding because of Proposition 13. We thought they’d surely restore it. But they haven’t.

that again, to $800,000. We’ve had all sorts of contributors get on board, including Wells Fargo, Kaiser and the Marin Community Foundation. Dave Gilmour of Paradise Foods believes in us so much, he contributed $100,000. And because of this, we were able to save a music position in San Rafael — and

This photo: Garlock circa 1982. Opposite page: Garlock and some fans celebrate Kiddo!’s 25th anniversary.

then add to that position a year later — and we were also able to save a librarian in Novato. All of the money has gone for arts, technology or literacy programs.

What are the biggest challenges facing SchoolsRule? Getting the word out into the community. We’re a relatively new organization. But we got a big boost from the Marin County Fair last year, when they made us the theme partner. They also let us use the big pavilion tent — the one usually used for music — for a SchoolsRule fundraising event. We had dozens of corporate sponsorships and people who bought tables. We’re having another one this year, with the same theme of “Enchanted Circus,” on July 1, right before the fair opens.

How do you think we’re doing as a county, supporting public education? I think everyone in Marin realizes that we have one of the best educational systems in the state because of the fact that the parents and the community get behind it with parcel taxes, contributing to schools foundations and being involved with the schools. If you have involved parents, you’re going to have great schools. But are we there yet? No. We have a long way to go. And until the state of California funds schools properly, so that all children can have the arts, technology and all the programs we need for a well-rounded education, it really is incumbent upon the community to fi ll the gap.

It doesn’t sound like you’ve really slowed down in retirement. My husband says I don’t understand the defi nition of the word. m

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COLOR

With 300 entries in our 2014 cover art contest, choosing was once again the hardest part. Although we received many exciting pieces in mediums including painting, illustration and photography, we were able to finally boil it down to the winner you see here and the 12 finalists you’ll meet (in no particular order) on the following pages.

BY DANIEL JEWETT

OUR 2014 WINNER was born in Connecticut, spent 18 years living in Marin and Sonoma, then returned to his adopted hometown of Claremont, a college town about 35 miles east of Los Angeles, with his wife, Jan, about three years ago, to be with his granddaughter and ailing mother. But, he says, “I miss Marin terribly.”

It was in Marin that Faust started to show in galleries and develop his professional art career into something fi nancially viable. “I’ve been able to do art as a career come hell or high water,” he says. “It’s always a roller coaster ride, but I’ve never looked back. I’ve always stayed a float.”

As a child, Faust showed an early interest in art that was encouraged by his parents. “I would bring art home from school and my parents loved the pieces and saved them,” he says. “They never made a big fuss about it, but they always made sure plenty of materials were available.” Once Faust hit high school, he knew art was what he wanted to do.

The painting you see here and on the cover features Faust’s self-described “subtle surrealism” and many of the ideas that define his work. “This sense of fragility is a recurring theme with me,” he says. “That bird is way up in the sky. Things are delicately balanced and could go horribly wrong.”

A life-changing incident some years back informed that viewpoint. “A friend, his pregnant wife, daughter and mother were vacationing in Italy when their car was hit by a truck carrying rocks — only the wife survived,” Faust says. “It shook me to the core that something so great could be taken away so fast.” See Faust’s work at Gallery Bergelli in Larkspur all month long • GET COVERED

Meet Jeff Faust and the finalists at our Get Covered Contest Celebration event May 8, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at Bon Air Center in Greenbrae. It’s a great chance to celebrate with the contest winner and to view art from this year’s Marin Open Studios participants.

JEFF

KIM VOGEE Dusty photograph

For Kim Vogee, horses and art and just seem to go together. The photographer has loved both since childhood, and now they seem to fit everywhere in her life. She donates a photo shoot annually to the junior Novato Horsemen, her photography is seen in many horse magazines, and she and her family, owners of Marin Orthodontics, have four horses at their home in Novato’s Indian Valley.

“It’s all about the light and how it has this amazing ability to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary,” she says. “This photograph came from a summer evening at Novato Horseman’s arena with the buckskin gelding, Dusty.”

Larkspur Sunset 48” x 60”, oil on canvas bryncraigpaintingsmarin.com

Aformer advertising art director and art school graduate, San Rafael’s Bryn Craig, a previous cover contest finalist, always found time for painting, even at a young age when his parents transformed a den off their kitchen into a painting studio. “It was something I was really good at, maybe the only thing,” he says.

He is known for painting many subjects, but his series of Larkspur images are so well known that they represent Marin in an almost iconic fashion. “I have painted downtown Larkspur dozens of times,” he says.

“It hasn’t changed much: no McDonald’s, no Starbucks. It has been preserved very well; it hasn’t been spoiled.”

BRYN CRAIG

CHRISTIN COY

Moonrise Over North Bay 30” x 30”, oil on canvas christincoy.com

Born in Oslo, Norway, Christin Coy, also a previous cover contest finalist, was inspired by the country’s natural beauty as well as Scandinavian artists such as Edvard Munch. She got started in the arts at age 2 and at 13 immigrated with her family to Southern California. She eventually headed north to earn a fi ne art degree at UC Berkeley and found her way to San Anselmo, where she developed her classical realism and plein air style and became the founder and/or member of many in fluential art clubs.

“I have always been very drawn to the beauty of the full moon,” she says. “Living in north Marin, I often see the full moon come up over the wetlands by the San Francisco Bay, a subject very reminiscent of the old Dutch landscape paintings that I have always admired.”

JEAN SANCHIRICO

Coastal Trail Near Pantoll (i34) 27” x 20”, chalk pastel jeansanchirico.com

The California landscape is a favorite focus for Jean Sanchirico, who likes to capture the color, shape and shadow of these scenes using chalk pastel. She is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, lives in Berkeley, and is the founder and owner of the Palisade Group, a successful Bay Area design fi rm.

“Marin offers boundless visual beauty that inspires me. Embracing a landscape, such as the Coastal Trail near Pantoll trailhead, is about a captured impression,” she says. “I aim to condense feelings and moods that landscapes evoke with simple and broad strokes.”

FELIPE PASSALACQUA

Sunset, Sausalito and Beyond photograph

Alove of woodworking and carving inspired Felipe Passalacqua’s artistic side as he grew up in Chile. Later, a gift of a 35 mm camera received as he left home for an American university ignited a passion for photography that continues to this day. Now the Sausalito resident is never without his camera as he works on the Sausalito waterfront or hikes Mount Tamalpais.

“The magic of San Francisco Bay  compels me to reach for my camera, and I am always surprised by the ever-changing beauty of the bay and Marin County in general,” he says. “While I was hiking with my daughters, the colors, fl ickering light and stillness of the bay inspired me to take this photo.”

ELIZABETH GOREK

Summer on Fourth Street 45” x 50”, oil on canvas elizabethgorek.com

Growing up in Hong Kong and Canada in a family of artists, Elizabeth Gorek had a diverse palette of experiences to draw from. She paints in her barn studio in Ross or in the historic Sam the Butcher art space, where the public — including kids on the way home from school — are free to watch her work.

“I aim to capture a moment wherever I can fi nd one,” says Gorek , a former finalist . “For this painting I was drawn by the fact that a couple can be so close and yet so far away from each other.”

Yvonne Graham was born in Germany and moved to California in 2005, eventually settling in Marinwood, where she lives with her husband and two children. Although she got her start in art painting a mural in her school cafeteria in the eighth grade, it is in Marin where she has found unlimited inspiration.

AUDREY KRAL

What Is Within 36” x 36”, oil on canvas audreykral.com

Audrey Kral got her start in the arts in the East Bay in 2002. Since then she’s moved to Mill Valley and seen her work displayed in collections in Italy, New York, Seattle and the Bay Area and on Maui.

“This painting began at our Mill Valley housewarming party in 2013. On a blank canvas, guests wrote characteristics they wanted to let go of in their life,” she says. “As I washed the canvas with water to dissolve the words, the remaining color inspired the painting, with vibrant trees as a symbol of new growth.”

“My original painting in texture and acrylic, accented with broken mirrors, was inspired by my move to Marin County,” Graham says. “From the moment the car crossed the Golden Gate Bridge, I knew something special was happening — this was home.”

YVONNE GRAHAM

Bridge to Paradise 60” x 36”, acrylic/mixed media art-by-yvonne.com

WILLIAM NEWSOME Andy’s Pickup photograph

Newsome started his art career by decorating his parents’ garage using his first Prang watercolor set and a 48-pack of Crayola crayons. Following this passion, he went on to earn a BFA in art and complete postgraduate studies in painting and art history. He and his family have lived in San Rafael for the last 20 years and he loves to digitally manipulate photographs to create art.

“This particular piece was one of a series featuring the old restored Chevy truck parked outside Andy’s Local Market in San Rafael,” he says. “I’ve always been fascinated by classic cars, and this one seen in the morning light with big-sky clouds behind it was the perfect image.”

TIMOTHY HORN

Double Yellow 24” x 24”, oil on canvas horndesign.com

Although Timothy Horn, a previous cover contest winner, graduated from the Cooper Union School of Art in New York City in 1984, graphic design was his first true artistic calling. When he moved to the Bay Area in 1992, he was immediately struck by the intensity of light and the variety of landscapes in the region and soon took up painting, which became his second calling. He now lives with his family in Fairfax and paints full time.

“This painting is of a scene in West Marin where you come over a wooded hill and descend on a twisty road,” he says. “There are so many beautiful roads in Marin, but I’d put this view on my top 10 list.”

EMMELINE CRAIG

Inside Out, Quantum Journey 48” x 60”, oil on canvas emmelinecraig.com

Born in France and raised in Provence, Emmeline Craig always knew she wanted to be an artist. She has shown and sold work since 1990 and lived in Bolinas since 2000. In 2012 she created Stinson Beach’s The Blissful Gallery to fit her vision of what a gallery should be and feel like — with the idea that positive art can heal the world.

“This painting is a symbolic painting, based on a metaphysical concept featuring a portal set in a vast landscape in front of a body of water,” she says. “The weather appears to be different inside the stone arch than around it. The eye is attracted by the clear weather inside the arch. It’s a point of focus.”

SNOWDON KINNEY

Sea and Sky 50” x 38”, oil on linen snowdonkinney.com

San Anselmo–based Snowdon Kinney loves to paint both realistic and abstract large-scale works . With a degree in fine art, she has worked as a graphic designer, but it is painting that most inspires her. She is in fl uenced by David Hockney, Paul Cézanne, John Singer Sargent and Paul Gauguin and takes bits of inspiration from each.

“This current series, Land/Sea/Sky, is inspired by the colors and atmosphere of Tahiti,” she says. “My abstract landscapes and seascapes are calm, contemplative works that echo the beauty of nature and elicit feelings of peace, relaxation and warmth.”

SHREDDING MARIN

Marin’s skateboarding scene, full of history, big names and cool shops, looks to an even brighter future.

BY RINA NEIMAN • PHOTOS BY BRIAN GABERMAN

Opener: A skater catches some big air at McInnis Skate Park. This page: Sam Buchanan skates the Marin Headlands. Opposite page: Completing a trick at McInnis.

INTRIGUED BY MY son’s new obsession with skateboarding, a sport that entails aerial feats over concrete surfaces, I had to investigate to make sure this was something I could condone. In my mind, the sport belonged to Southern California’s empty pools and aqueducts and was better suited for super athletes like Tony Hawk. But as I found out, there is not only a thriving skate culture here in the Bay Area, but an interesting history, and more than a few pros who are proud to call the “415” home.

In Mill Valley, my son’s go-to spot is Proof Lab, a bastion of surf/skate culture a kid like him adores that contains an indoor arena with an emphasis on safety that a nervous parent like myself loves. There’s also many outdoor parks up and down Highway 101 and much more to the Marin skateboarding story than I imagined.

HistoryMarin County, like many communities all across the country, has a deep skateboard culture. While the activity started in Southern California, it also became popular here in Northern California, where it took on a more urban-street flavor; there was even a recognizable Bay Area style by the 1980s. From the old Embarcadero’s unofficial skate park and the in fluence of Thrasher magazine, founded in San Francisco in 1981, to the handrails of Marin high schools, skaters here began doing what skaters do everywhere — riding, fl ipping, grinding and honing their tricks.

Kevin Campion is one of the earliest impresarios of skate culture in Marin. He grew up in Terra Linda and founded the fi rst surf and skate shop in the county in 1984. “I wanted to open a place where these skater kids, who had nowhere else to go, could hang,” he says from his current skate project, A-Town, in Atascadero. His first retail outlet had humble beginnings, in a studio apartment in Tam Junction, but was the fi rst of its kind here in the county — a store that carried the things that like-minded surfers and skaters would want to buy. Campion combed the old Marin City flea market to fi nd merchandise, which ranged from surplus German army tank top shirts to boxes of Michael Jackson sunglasses.

Eventually, the store outgrew the small studio apartment and he opened Marin Surf Sports at the current Proof Lab location on Shoreline Highway in Tam Junction. By the early ’90s he had three locations — Mill Valley, San Rafael and Novato. He also started the Poorboy clothing line and put together a team of skaters, which included many up-andcoming Marin locals.

Eric Kirkwood was one of those kids. A native of Detroit, he moved to Marin in 1992 with a group of friends to skate and never stopped. He currently makes a living teaching skateboarding to a whole new generation of kids. To watch Eric skate is to watch someone fully in tune with his body. He drops in at the edge of the indoor half-pipe at Proof Lab, his classroom, and effortlessly glides up and down the ramp. He then works with a couple of 8-year-olds and explains how to balance and “keep strong” — the secret to staying on the board.

Pat Duffy grew up in Corte Madera and is regarded as one of the most in fluential skateboarders ever by his peers. He honed his skills in and around Marin, and his legendary 1992 demo tape for sponsors shows him doing unbelievable stunts at many (and on many) local landmarks. Du ff y not only changed the way people skate, he changed the way people thought about what’s possible for the sport and for the human body in general. He pushed skateboarding to the next level and was the first to show that skating huge, long handrails was possible. He was also a founding member of Plan B, the popular line of clothing and skateboarding equipment.

I WANTED TO OPEN A PLACE WHERE KIDS, THESE SKATER KIDS, WHO HAD NOWHERE ELSE TO GO, COULD HANG.

Today

The aforementioned Proof Lab exerts a big in fluence on skate culture in Marin. It was founded by Will Hutchinson and Nate McCarthy in 2004 at the same location where Marin Surf Sports got its start. The pair grew up in Marin working for Campion. “I was attracted to the energy and action coming out of his stores,” Hutchinson says of Campion. Over the last several years, he and McCarthy have grown Proof Lab from a small space to a complex that includes a surf and skate shop, a Patagonia retail location, an Equator Coffee shop, Magic West Music School, a surfboard shaping/ding repair business, a tech start-up, a bio-diesel station and an art and garden space that is home to Mill Valley Potter’s Studio, CNL Native Plant Nursery and The Little Art Studio. But the crown jewel of the establishment is an indoor half-pipe where skaters can carve on the beautifully designed and custom-built wood ramp or practice their tricks in any weather. Hutchinson worked on

Skate Talk

Skating is a lifestyle, and with that comes jargon. Here are terms — furnished by the Exploratorium’s Skateboard Science Glossary — to help familiarize you with skateboard culture. exploratorium.edu

BACKSIDE When a trick or turn is executed with the skater’s back facing the ramp or obstacle.

CARVE To skate in a long, curving arc.

DECK The flat standing surface of a skateboard, usually laminated maple.

GRIND Scraping one or both axles on a curb, railing or other surface.

GRIP TAPE Sandpaper affixed to the top of the deck with adhesive, used to increase the friction between the deck and the skater’s feet.

GROM A future shredder, a young skateboarder in training.

HALF-PIPE A U-shaped ramp of any size, usually with a flat section in the middle.

KICKFLIP A variation on the ollie in which the skater kicks the board into a spin before landing back on it.

OLLIE A jump performed by tapping the tail of the board on the ground; the basis of most skating tricks.

SHRED To perform a sport such as surfing, snowboarding or skateboarding exceptionally well.

TRUCKS The front and rear axle assemblies that connect the wheels to the deck and provide the turning capabilities for the board.

the business plan for the complex and expansion (including the indoor ramp) as part of his master’s thesis in sustainability management. “There aren’t enough good places for people to skate around here, and we’ve always had some kind of skate ramp at our stores, either inside or outside in the parking lot,” Hutchinson says. “We wanted to make the store come alive for customers and employees, and to create a skate spot that you can’t fi nd anywhere else.”

On a typical day there, you’ll find Kirkwood teaching a group of kids how to shred, their moms and dads watching from the sidelines or browsing the retail space for surf- and skate-inspired fashion. Even the founder of Marin skate retail, Kevin Campion, marvels at the accomplishments of his protégés and the community feeling they created. Hutchinson and McCarthy “completely trust their customers and respect them,” he says.

Opposite page: It’s all about the kids at McInnis. This page: Eric Kirkwood teaching at Proof Lab.

JEAN-PAUL HORRÉ (LEFT)

Where to Go

Bolinas

MESA PARK SKATE PARK Located in Bolinas’s Mesa Park, this small concrete skate park features a street course and a 30-foot mini-ramp.

Corte Madera

TOWN PARK SKATE PARK The Corte Madera Town Park Skate Park features professional-grade plastic ramps. It’s located on Tamalpais Drive and is open daily until dusk during all months of the year. ci.corte-madera.ca.us

Mill Valley

PROOF LAB The indoor half-pipe is open to skaters whenever the shop is open and no classes are taking place. prooflab.com

MILL VALLEY SKATE PARK Located behind the middle school, Mill Valley Skate Park is a small but serviceable park with a variety of metal ramps. cityofmillvalley.org

Novato

HAMILTON SKATE PARK Skaters in Marin were some of the first to benefit from legislation like California’s 1998 law stating that skateboarding is an inherently Hazardous Recreational Activity, which meant municipalities were no longer liable for injuries suffered by skateboarders. One result was a boom in skate park construction around the state. Built in 2002, Novato’s Hamilton Skate Park was the first concrete skate park constructed in Marin. Designed by skate park architect Zach Wormhoudt, it has a 15,000-square-foot skating area. cityofnovato.org

San Rafael

MCINNIS SKATE PARK Indigo/Hammond & Playe Architects, renowned for building skate parks across the U.S., also designed this facility. According to the website, the architects were inspired by McInnis Park’s history as the site of a Nike missile base. At 25,000 square feet, it is the largest skate park in the county and contains areas for all skill levels. marincounty.org

Opposite page: Shane Reuter performs an ollie to method grab on his Ender board in Novato. This page: The 25,000-square-foot McInnis Skate Park.

Triumph, on Fourth Street in San Rafael, has been an epicenter of Marin skateboarding since it opened in the ’80s. Formerly Marin Skate Sports (another Campion creation), it became Triumph in 2003 and stayed within a tight group of skateboarding owners. Most recently in 2011 Isak Alisic and Evan Johnson took over and turned it into their own generation’s version of a true hub for skaters with independent clothing and skate brands and hard-to-fi nd items. Not just a retail space, Triumph is also a community gathering place and a brand — producing its own line of Triumph-logo skateboards and clothing and even hosting a skate team. “That’s why we’re here,” Alisic says. “We’re here to build this brand and do as much as we can for all the kids who are here.”

Triumph has hired former skateboard pro Shane Reuter, who grew up in San Rafael and rode for Poorboy in the mid

to late 1990s. About three years ago he transitioned out of his construction job to work full time in the Marin skate business. Besides working at Triumph, he also designs the Ender line of skateboards, teaches privately, and is editing The Marin Resurrection, a new video featuring skaters sponsored by Poorboy in the mid-1990s. This tight group of friends met each other skating in Marin and all still skate today, although not all work in the industry. “It was like getting the band back together,” Reuter says. Besides himself and Kirkwood, the group includes Lucian Moon, Jesse Hotchkiss and Bart Jones, and the video will include clips that made them famous 20 years ago. Reuter is grateful for the continued growth in popularity of skateboarding. “I get to share what I’ve spent my life doing and it’s awesome. It’s the best thing. As much as it’s changed, it’s still so fun.”

What’s Next

And what does the future of skateboarding look like locally?

If Keith “K-Dub” Williams realizes his goal, Marin City will be the home of the next Marin skate park. A visual artist and a Youth in Arts teacher at Sausalito’s public charter school, Willow Creek Academy, he founded Tha Hood Games in 2005 and has been a big supporter of skateboarding — even helping to get Oakland’s Town Park skate park built in 2007. After successfully promoting two Marin City Sk8 Days in collaboration with Proof Lab and Triumph, he began to envision a colorful destination skate park and art center at the entrance to Marin City. “For the young people who live in Marin City, it will give them not only a place to skate, but a place where they can express themselves through art and athleticism,” he says. “It will serve the community in more ways than one, as skaters from all over come to experience skating Marin

City. Skateboarding has a way of drawing people in because skateboarders will go where they can skate.”

The future of skating starts with youth, as it has always done. Mill Valley local Chris von Blohn, a 19-year-old skater, also makes a living exposing a new generation to Marin skating. In the summer of 2013 von Blohn started Shredders Skate Camp out of Proof Lab, where kids hone their skills. “Skateboarding for me is a lifestyle,” he says. “It’s brought me friends, opportunities, release — everything I ever could have wanted. It’s one of my favorite things to do.”

People young and old love to skate. “There’s nothing like the feeling when you make a trick that you’ve tried over and over again,” Kirkwood says. “It’s elation, a feeling that you can do anything. I’ve seen it in my 5-year-old students and my 51-yearold students. That’s a powerful thing.” m

Opposite page: Hanging at the park. This page: Taking the turns on Highway 1 by Muir Beach.

Summer Rx

BY DAWN MARGOLIS DENBERG

SUMMER IS RIGHT around the corner. This means more time for families to relax, unwind and play alfresco. However, it’s also the time of year when children are most accident-prone. “In our practice, almost 50 percent of all injury-related office and emergency room visits occur during the summer months,” says Julie Bokser, a pediatrician with Tamalpais Pediatrics in Mill Valley. There’s nothing sinister about summer. With children out of school, there are just more hours in the day to crash bikes, fall from trees and otherwise find trouble. Still, with a little forethought, parents can reduce the risk of summer calamities.

Wipeouts on Wheels

There’s inherent risk in any sport. But bike spills result in more emergency room visits than any other type of pediatric sports injury. Riding a bike that’s too big or too small will compromise your child’s safety. So when your child straddles the bike, make sure he can stand fl at-footed with one to three inches of space between the crotch and the top bar. Also essential is a properly sized helmet. In a fall, it can reduce your child’s risk of brain injury by 88 percent. “You know it’s a good fit if the helmet covers the forehead without being tilted,” Bokser says. “The straps should form a V around the ears and when the child opens his mouth it should feel snug.” In-line skaters, scooter riders and skateboarders should also wear head protection. And if they give you any gu ff, remind them that it’s not just a house rule. It’s the law in California.

Too Much Fun in the Sun

Protecting children from ultraviolet rays is critical. “Having just one blistering sunburn before the age of 18 doubles your risk of melanoma, which is the most dangerous kind of skin cancer,” says Bokser. When you’re out of the shade, a widebrimmed hat and sunglasses are your fi rst line of defense.

And, of course, apply sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher to exposed areas of skin; reapply every two hours. “There was an old recommendation that infants under six months shouldn’t wear sunscreen,” says Bokser. “But there will be times when sun exposure is unavoidable, and using a chemical-free mineral-based sunscreen is always better than risking sunburn.”

Beware of Bare Feet

Frolicking barefoot is a practice that’s not without peril. “We see a lot of kids who get glass or a lot of little wood splinters in the bottoms of their feet,” says Rachel Bauer, pediatric director of Prima Medical Group in Mill Valley. Likewise, on a hot day, you need to watch where they step, as concrete and

How to keep your little ones safe.

other hardscapes heat up quickly, causing burns. This is particularly true for early walkers, who have yet to develop a tough, protective skin on their soles: “They’ll run out onto a hot deck or sidewalk and start screaming, and by the time the parent realizes what’s going on the bottoms of their feet are covered in blisters.” Another potential problem: Shoeless children are at greater risk for contracting athlete’s foot. This contagious fungal infection thrives in warm, moist environments like public pool decks, locker rooms and showers. “Wearing flip-flops in the shower room can reduce the risk of coming in contact with the yeast that causes athlete’s foot,” Bauer says. “Washing and drying between each toe also helps prevent the spread.”

Overheated and Under-Hydrated

Drinking plenty of liquids is a best practice any time of year. But if your child’s active outside on a hot summer day it’s essential. “Water is best if your child is moderately active,” Bokser says. “For young athletes engaged in prolonged vigorous sports, drinks that contain carbohydrates, minerals and electrolytes can be helpful.” Dehydration on its own can be dangerous, but coupled with heat it can lead to heat exhaustion or even heatstroke. If your child begins to vomit, feels faint or dizzy or seems mentally confused, pull her from her activity, get her out of the sun, and rehydrate, even if she claims not to be thirsty.

Wading Into Risky Waters

A small child can drown in as little as an inch of water. So while direct supervision when he’s swimming is essential, parents also need to recognize that even a tiny blow-up tot pool must be monitored. Swim lessons are a must as well. Research suggests that if a child doesn’t learn to swim by

third grade he’s unlikely to ever acquire the skill. And at the beach, keep in mind that even strong swimmers can be taken down by fast-moving water. “Never disrespect the ocean or the strength of its waves,” Bauer warns. “Always, always be in arm’s reach of your child.” m

Cars and Kids

Last summer at least 43 children died of heatstroke in the U.S. after being left unattended in locked cars. And between 1998 and 2013 a total of 605 children nationally have perished in this manner. “It can be 70 degrees outside and temperatures inside the car can heat to dangerous levels within minutes,” says Kate Carr, president and CEO of Safe Worldwide, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing unintentional injury. Children are particularly vulnerable, as their bodies heat up three to five times faster than an adult’s. Cracking a window does not do the trick; you won’t be able to let in enough air to make any difference. Keep in mind, too, that the majority of heat-related car deaths do not happen because parents willfully left a child behind. “The parents are simply out of their normal routine and forget their child is in the backseat,” says Carr. “Our memory is not reliable. We tell parents to always put something essential like your cellphone or your handbag in the back seat. That way you’ll be forced to turn around to get it.”

Almost 50 percent of all injury-related office and emergency room visits occur during the summer months.

A simple mistake can have grave consequences.

[415] Top Doctors Pediatrics 2014

PEDIATRIC CARDIOLOGY

SCOTT SOIFER

UCSF Medical Center

505 Parnassus Ave, Moffitt San Francisco • 415.476.5153

PAUL STANGER

UCSF Medical Center 505 Parnassus Ave, Moffitt San Francisco • 415.353.9350

NIKOLA TEDE

Sutter Pacific edical Foundation 3700 California St, Ste B555 San Francisco • 415.600.0770

DAVID TEITEL

UCSF Medical Center 505 Parnassus Ave, Moffitt San Francisco • 415.353.4140

PEDIATRIC DEVELOPMENTAL BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

BARBARA BENNETT

Sutter Pacific edical Foundation - Kalmanovitz Child Development Center 1625 Van Ness, 3rd Floor San Francisco • 415.600.6200

PEDIATRIC ENDOCRINOLOGY

SURUCHI BHATIA

Sutter Pacific edical Foundation 3700 California St, Ste B555 San Francisco • 415.600.0750

STEPHEN GITELMAN

UCSF Medical Center

400 Parnassus Ave, 2nd Floor San Francisco • 415.353.7337

STEPHEN ROSENTHAL

UCSF Medical Center 400 Parnassus Ave, 2nd Floor San Francisco • 415.353.7337

PEDIATRIC GASTROENTEROLOGY

MELVIN HEYMAN

UCSF Medical Center

400 Parnassus Ave, 2nd Floor San Francisco • 415.353.2813

SUE RHEE

UCSF Medical Center 400 Parnassus Ave, 2nd Floor San Francisco • 415.353.2000

PEDIATRIC HEMATOLOGY/ ONCOLOGY

ARTHUR ABLIN

UCSF Medical Center

400 Parnassus Ave, 1st Floor San Francisco • 415.476.4901

MICHELLE HERMISTON

UCSF Medical Center

400 Parnassus Ave, 1st Floor San Francisco • 415.476.4901

PEDIATRIC INFECTIOUS DISEASE

PEGGY WEINTRUB

UCSF Medical Center 400 Parnassus Ave, 2nd Floor San Francisco • 415.353.2813

PEDIATRIC NEUROSURGERY

NALIN GUPTA

UCSF Medical Center 400 Parnassus Ave San Francisco • 415.353.2383

PEDIATRIC OTOLARYNGOLOGY

ANNA MEYER

UCSF Pediatric Otolaryngology 2330 Post St, 3rd Floor San Francisco • 415.353.2757

KRISTINA ROSBE

UCSF Pediatric Otolaryngology 2330 Post St, 3rd Floor San Francisco • 415.353.9385

PEDIATRICS

EILEEN AICARDI

Golden Gate Pediatrics 3641 California St San Francisco • 415.668.0888

ANJULI BASU

Prima Medical Group 100-A Drakes Landing Rd, Ste 225 Greenbrae • 415.924.1214

RACHEL BAUER

Prima Medical Group 655 Redwood Hwy, Ste 216 Mill Valley • 415.383.3500

JULIE BOKSER

Tamalpais Pediatrics 599 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Ste 102 Greenbrae • 415.461.0440

NELSON BRANCO Tamalpais Pediatrics 599 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Ste 102 Greenbrae • 415.461.0440

MICHAEL CABANA

UCSF Medical Center 400 Parnassus Ave, 2nd Floor San Francisco • 415.353.2000

SUZANNE CHRISTIE

Prima Medical Group 655 Redwood Hwy, Ste 216 Mill Valley • 415.383.3500

SCOTT COHEN

Kaiser Permanente Medical Center 99 Montecillo Rd San Rafael • 415.444.2000

KATHERINE CROSBY

SF Bay Pediatrics 525 Spruce St San Francisco • 415.668.8900

SUSAN DAB SF Bay Pediatrics 525 Spruce St San Francisco • 415.668.8900

TAREQ ELQOUSY

Sutter Pacific edical Foundation 101 Rowland Way, Ste 220 Novato • 415.878.7200

MARTIN ERNSTER Golden Gate Pediatrics 3641 California St San Francisco • 415.668.0888

DARREN FIORE

UCSF Medical Center 400 Parnassus Ave, 2nd Floor San Francisco • 415.353.2000

YASUKO FUKUDA Fukuda Montgomery & Sullivan 3905 Sacramento St San Francisco • 415.752.8038

GARY GIN SF Bay Pediatrics 525 Spruce St San Francisco • 415.668.8900

ALBERT GOLDBERG Sutter Health Care 750 Las Gallinas Ave, Ste 210 San Rafael • 415.479.7244

WILLIAM GONDA Golden Gate Pediatrics 3641 California St San Francisco • 415.668.0888

CINDY GREENBERG Sutter Health Care 750 Las Gallinas Ave, Ste 210 San Rafael • 415.479.7244

MICHAEL HARRIS Kaiser Permanente 97 San Marin Dr Novato • 415.899.7412

SAMUEL HAWGOOD UCSF Medical Center 513 Parnassus Ave San Francisco • 415.476.2342

ERIN HEATH

Tamalpais Pediatrics 599 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Ste 102 Greenbrae • 415.461.0440

SARAH HEMMER

Bayview Child Health Center 1335 Evans Ave San Francisco • 415.600.1990

SAREENA JASPAL

Prima Pediatrics 655 Redwood Hwy, Ste 216 Mill Valley • 415.383.3500

MARTIN JOFFE

Sexton Joffe & Urbac 1000 S Eliseo Dr, Ste 1A Greenbrae • 415.461.5436

ALAN JOHNSON

SF Bay Pediatrics 525 Spruce St San Francisco • 415.668.8900

UTA KERL Prima Medical Group 655 Redwood Hwy, Ste 216 Mill Valley • 415.383.3500

JAN MAISEL

Tamalpais Pediatrics 599 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Ste 102 Greenbrae • 415.461.0440

KATHRYN MEIER

Marin Pediatric Associates 1000 S Eliseo Dr, Ste 106 Greenbrae • 415.461.8828

JANE MEILL

Marin Pediatric Associates 1000 S Eliseo Dr, Ste 106 Greenbrae • 415.461.8828 marinpediatricassociates.com

CAROL MILLER

UCSF Medical Center 400 Parnassus Ave, 2nd Floor San Francisco • 415.353.2000

KARA ORNSTEIN

Marin Pediatric Associates 1000 S Eliseo Dr, Ste 106 Greenbrae • 415.461.8828 marinpediatricassociates.com

MARY PIEL

Golden Gate Pediatrics 3641 California St San Francisco • 415.668.0888

JENNIFER PUCK

UCSF Medical Center 400 Parnassus Ave, 2nd Floor San Francisco • 415.353.7337

GLENN ROSENBLUTH

UCSF Benioff Childrens Hospital 505 Parnassus Ave, 6th Floor San Francisco • 415.476.1000

DAVID ROWITCH

UCSF Medical Center 505 Parnassus Ave, 5th Floor San Francisco • 415.353.1565

AMIT SABNIS

UCSF Medical Center 505 Parnassus Ave San Francisco • 415.476.3831

ERIC SCHER

Marin General Hospital 250 Bon Air Rd, Rm 4371 Greenbrae • 415.884.1850 marinpediatricassociates.com

SARABENET SEQUEIRA

Pediatric Alternatives 10 Thomas Dr Mill Valley • 415.380.8448

KATHRYN SEXTON

Sexton Joffe & Urbac 1000 S Eliseo Dr, Ste 1A Greenbrae • 415.461.5436

ALAN UBA

UCSF Medical Center 400 Parnassus Ave, 2nd Floor San Francisco • 415.353.2000

KATRINA URBACH

Sexton Joffe & Urbac 1000 S Eliseo Dr, Ste 1A Greenbrae • 415.461.5436

MICHAEL YAMAGUCHI

Terra Linda Pediatrics 4000 Civic Center Dr, Ste 201 San Rafael • 415.479.8642

Methodology: Marin Magazine conducted a new 2013 survey that has resulted in this [415] Top Doctors list — top physicians practicing in San Francisco and Marin counties who received multiple independent recommendations from their peers. The survey process started with a list of more than 3,000 licensed doctors across all specialties in both counties. All doctors on this list were both candidates and eligible voters in the peer-to-peer voting poll. Doctors were allowed to cast an unlimited number of votes across all specialties — they could vote for as many doctors as they wanted regardless of specific area of expertise — but they could only vote for the same doctor once.

Response rate was maximized by the following procedures: (a) a long field period of 12 weeks that was further extended to allow all doctors ample time to log in and vote for peers; (b) multiple channels of solicitations including both individual invitations and organizational outreach to maximize contact with all eligible voters; and (c) repeated invitations and reminders to doctors who did not respond to initial rounds of solicitations. At the close of the voting period, approximately 600 doctors with the highest vote counts were short-listed for the database. Each of these doctors received a statistically significant number of votes from peers based on established principles of sampling probabilities and power analysis. –LinChiat Chang, Ph.D.

THE FOUNDATION OF YOUR HEALTH

MARIN FOOT AND ANKLE

SERVING MARIN COUNTY AND BEYOND SINCE 1991, Dr. James Robison, Dr. Samuel Meyers and the staff at Marin Foot and Ankle focus on family podiatry, sports medicine and preventive care. They believe that healthy feet are one of the most important aspects in maintaining overall health and fitness. Dr. Robison’s experience in podiatry is coupled with genuine concern for his patients and a commitment to integration of technological advances in medicine. Treatment of child foot and ankle injuries is a primary focus. Providing an accurate diagnosis, application of conservative therapies, and proper education to prevent future injuries takes specialized training, patience and a time commitment. Success requires collaboration with the child, parent and, at times, with coaches and therapists. Our electronic medical record and digital x ray allow for timely communication with pediatricians and other specialists. “As athletes ourselves, we understand the importance of maintaining fitness, and make every effort to keep our patients active while healing,”

7 North Knoll Road, Suite 3 Mill Valley, CA 94941 415.388.2777 marinfootandankle.com

Pictured (left to right):

Samuel B. Meyers, DPM

James B. Robison, DPM*

*Recognized on the [415] Top Doctors 2014 list.

PERSONALIZED PEDIATRIC CARE

AT MARIN PEDIATRIC ASSOCIATES, we’re committed to providing top-notch comprehensive care in a comfortable setting that puts patients first. In our small group practice, we love to get to know children as they grow and develop and to be your medical guides from infancy to adolescence and beyond. Our physicians are rigorously trained in evidence-based medicine, so patients benefit from sophisticated expertise right here in Marin. We fi rmly believe in a proactive and holistic approach, and we’re experts in a range of conditions, from developmental and chronic disorders to asthma and ADHD. What you also get is attention — during each visit we take the time to truly listen and work in partnership with you to make sound medical decisions. Integral to our success is an amazing sta ff; phone us and you’re warmly greeted by a real person who knows you and welcomes your questions and requests. We look forward to your call!

Pictured (seated then standing):

Dr. Kara Ornstein*, Dr. Justin Sweder, Dr. Jane Meill*, Dr. Kathryn Meier*, Dr. Nancy Schwartzman, Karin Dietz, Missy Ogle, Kimberly Simon, Susan Anaya

*Recognized on the [415] Top Doctors 2014 list.

1100 S. Eliseo Dr. #106 Greenbrae, CA 94904 415.461.8828 marinpediatricassociates.com

Fall College Planning

BY CARRIE KIRBY

Saving for College

and crafts a savings strategy to help parents reach their planned contribution.

He favors 529 college savings plans, because they allow for tax-free growth and withdrawals. That’s how Smith and his wife saved for their own children’s education, and now that his oldest is college shopping, he’s glad they did.

THE COST OF a college education has increased more than 1,000 percent in the past 35 years. That hard fact has led some well-meaning parents to sabotage their own retirement in order to pay their kids’ tuition. To address that issue, Jeffrey Smith, manager of Opes Advisors’ Marin County branch, makes college planning a part of every conversation with clients who are parents.

Smith starts by asking parents how much of their children’s college costs they want to cover.

“I’ve had clients who said, ‘I want to be prepared to pay for my kids all the way through Stanford post-grad,’ and I’ve had parents say, ‘If they want to go to school, they pay for it themselves.’ Others say, ‘I want my kids to have some skin in the game.’ ”

Smith helps clients calculate how much college realistically will cost by the time the little ones get there

If he could go back and change one thing, he might have considered front-loading the 529 plan with a large contribution early on. That’s an option he urges clients to consider when they are selling a home, for instance — sometimes it makes more sense to jump-start the college account instead of rolling all the proceeds into a new home. To do this, you’d have to check the contribution limit of the specific state 529 plan you’re using — California’s ScholarShare plan has no annual ceiling — and read up on the Internal Revenue Service’s gift tax rules.

Gary Sipos, founder of San Rafael’s College Cash Solutions, warns that 529 plans aren’t for every family, because having a large amount socked away there could put the student at a disadvantage when it’s time to apply for financial aid. For many clients, Sipos recommends other savings vehicles.

Sometimes, strategies can be found that play it safe with parents’ retirements and help kids too. Smith recalls warning one client that if she paid for her kids’ degrees up front, her retirement would be jeopardized. Instead, he recommended that her kids take out college loans.

“As we look over the next six to eight years, she very well may be in the position to pay for a good portion of those college expenses, in terms of the loans those kids have. That’s the strategy we designed for her,” he says.

Higher education is more expensive than ever — but the right strategy can make sure both parents and kids are taken care of.

Financial Aid

ANN AND JIM had a thriving business, yet seemed to have little to show for it.

“Their home equity line of credit was maxed out, their 401(k) and individual retirement accounts were gone, credit cards were maxed out — they were a fi nancial mess,” says Gary Sipos, founder of San Rafael’s College Cash Solutions.

The cause of their financial distress was not a gambling problem or a medical emergency. It was an education problem. “They had three beautiful and — unfortunately — intelligent daughters,” Sipos recalls with a chuckle. “All three daughters got into Ivy League schools.”

What Ann and Jim didn’t know was that their family quali fied for thousands of dollars in fi nancial aid that they had never received.

Schools generally determine how much need-based fi nancial aid students get by looking at the parents’ and students’ income and assets. Certain assets can be excluded

Merit-based aid is separate from this process, and getting it depends on the student’s initiative to apply for scholarships. Emma Hoch-Schneider, a Bay Area student attending Lewis & Clark in Portland, uses the “Find Scholarships” tool at colleges.niche.com to search for awards. But she says full-time students don’t have much time to write scholarship essays on top of their course work. “It’s like applying to schools all over again,” she says.

Hoch-Schneider also worries that winning a scholarship might reduce her need-based aid package.

While that can happen, Fee concedes, often the result is that students have to borrow less money: “Merit scholarships are defi nitely a help.” m

from that formula, including small businesses that meet speci fic criteria. “They could have saved $30,000 a year if they had exempted their business,” Sipos says.

The rules governing financial aid are difficult for the average family to understand. To make things even more complicated, not all schools use families’ information in the same way. “Awards can vary greatly,” says Frances Fee, an Oakland financial aid consultant, who has seen different schools offer the same student packages that vary by more than $35,000.

In addition to helping families accurately fill out aid applications (the FAFSA and/or CSS Profile), Fee often helps them submit information not asked for on the forms. “Many families aren’t aware that they can write a letter explaining special circumstances that would a ffect their ability to contribute to college costs,” Fee says. Even families that bring in more than $200,000 sometimes receive aid if their expenses for a disabled sibling or high medical bills are taken into consideration.

• For more on college planning, visit marinmagazine.com/college.

When it comes to getting help paying for college, it pays to ask questions.

What Ann and Jim didn’t know was that their family qualified for thousands of dollars in financial aid that they had never received.

PARTY WHITE

A portion of the event proceeds benefit Conscious Kitchen, a local nonprofit transforming the school food system at MLK Jr. Academy in Marin City. Tickets may be purchased for $75/person at cavallopoint.com/whiteparty

Destinations

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

THE FRUIT LOOP

A 35-mile road trip leads visitors into Oregon’s land of plenty.

BY KIMBERLEY LOVATO

COURTESY OF SAKURA RIDGE

Sakura Ridge Farm & Lodge is the perfect place to enjoy wine and a good book.

THESE DAYS, ESPECIALLY for us lucky Californians, fi nding a year-round assortment of produce at our local grocery store or increasingly popular farmers’ markets or pop-up stands is pretty easy. But fruit always seems brighter and vegetables tastier when plucked in season, and even more so when we pick it ourselves at the source. A drive dubbed the Fruit Loop in Oregon’s scenic Hood River Valley lets you do just that. Grab one of the well-marked maps and follow your taste buds to more than 30 family-owned stands, farms and shops.

The 35-mile Fruit Loop begins and ends in Hood River, a flower-box-fi lled town on the Columbia River, just 60 miles east of Portland’s airport. The two-lane road follows Highway 35 on the west side of the valley and

Highway 218 on the east and S-turns its way toward the town of Parkdale, into a bygone era where locals trust strangers to leave money in a basket next to the cash register for a few nectarines (as at the Draper Girls Country Farm).

The trip can be done in a day or stretched into several thanks to homey lodges like Sakura Ridge Farm & Lodge (rates from $170), where stellar views of Mount Hood and a farm-fresh breakfast of pears, lamb sausage and eggs, cooked by owners Deanna and John Joyer, are reason enough to linger. During summer and fall, the valley brims with plump fruit the color of traffic lights, just hanging there waiting to be picked, such as at Kiyokawa Family Orchards at the far end of the loop.

Third-generation farmer Randy Kiyokawa oversees operations on 107 acres,

and a sign leads visitors from Main Street in Parkdale to his fruit stand and orchard, where he grows 80 varieties of apples and 14 varieties of pears. The house where he’s raising his three children is the same one he grew up in and is surrounded by trees planted by his grandfather in 1911.

When Kiyokawa left home to attend Oregon State in Corvallis, 145 miles away, he wasn’t sure he wanted to return. “Growing up here, sometimes you think the last thing you want to do is stay,” he says. “But like anyone, you don’t appreciate what you have until you go away, and now I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”

The Kiyokawa story is similar to that of many around here, with farms, wineries and other family businesses now run by third or fourth generations. Pears are especially big

IF YOU GO

Columbia

Fruit Loop Cherry Celebration July 19–20

Summer Fruit Celebration August 16–17

Pear Celebration September 20–21

Heirloom Apple Celebration October 25–26

along the Fruit Loop; the region accounts for more than two-thirds of the state’s production. But the drive delivers plenty of other temptations as well.

Pies (that really do cool on windowsills) and a stockpile of jams and jellies are sold at Apple Valley Country Store, still run by the White family, who helped create the Fruit Loop back in 1992. Pop some blueberries into your mouth and basket at Wilinda’s Blueberry Patch, pet some alpacas (or buy some yarn) at Cascade Alpacas, or tie a scented sachet with selections from 70 types of organic lavender at Hood River Lavender Farms.

Summer and fall is also festival season, and the calendar is chockablock with fruit y fiestas on weekends. Last summer, farm-to-fork dinners arrived in the Hood River Valley via Matthew Domingo, founder of Farm to Fork

Event Co., who plunked down a harvest table amid the rows of trees at Kiyokawa Family Orchards and invited local farmers, winemakers, visitors and a chef to break bread. The events sold out instantly, and he hopes to bring them back again this year.

“These dinners, and similar ones throughout the state and country, are about creating a community and spreading the message that family farms like those here in the Hood River Valley are to be celebrated and preserved,” Domingo says.

Kiyokawa, meanwhile, has sowed the seeds for his family’s future by planting a few hundred new trees on an adjacent parcel of land. “Even if my kids tell me they don’t want to be a part of the business now,” he says, “I want them to know they still have roots here, just like my grandfather and father left for me.” m

Opposite: Mount Hood as seen from Sakura Ridge Farm & Lodge. This page, clockwise from top left: Organic Gala apples; enjoying strawberries; taking in the view of Mount Hood; picking cherries at Draper Girls Country Farm; Randy Kiyokawa.

RUBBER SOUL For fans of that wind-inyour-hair experience or Peter Fonda movies about two-wheeled life on the open road, the retooled Quail Motorcycle Gathering is coming to Carmel Valley May 17. Eddie Lawson, four-time Grand Prix motorcycle racing world champ, is the scheduled guest speaker, and among the more than 200 motorcycles on display will be a 1925 Brough Superior SS100. Other categories include antique, Japanese, European, competition, American, off-road, custom/ modi fied and superbike. quaillodge.com

MIMI TOWLE

Five Ways to Do Tahoe

This month kicks off he #HowDoYouTahoe campaign (with hashtag for social media fans) put on by Tahoe Trips and Trails, which includes inspirational speakers beginning on May 20, plus guided hikes and backpacking trips and self-guided treks on the Pacific Crest and Tahoe Rim trails. Need some ideas on how to do Tahoe? Let us help. M.T.

1 Zip It

Cruise through the trees at Granlibakken Resort’s Treetop Adventure Park, a series of bridges and zip lines (some 300 feet long) that will take you through the pines; great for families. granlibakken.com

4 Sammy in Tahoe

2 Pedal Push

Fly down the mountain

this summer at Northstar with 40 bike trails served by three chairlifts in the largest mountain bike park in Northern California. Lessons and coaching available. northstarcalifornia.com

3 Swing High

Starting this month, RitzCarlton Tahoe has partnered with Old Greenwood and Gray’s Crossing golf courses to offer the “High Sierra Golf Experience” package, which includes deluxe accommodations and two 18-hole rounds of golf. Starting at $399. ritzcarlton.com

This year marks Sammy Hagar’s 10th year celebrating Cinco de Mayo (well actually it would be dos and tres de Mayo) at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe. He’ll be there with his band the Wabos, May 2–3. redrocker.com

5 Tahoe Made

Celebrate the local arts, food, culture and music of Tahoe residents at Squaw Valley’s vendor village, May 24–25. The weekend also marks the opening of the Aerial Tram. squaw.com

NEW ROUTES Good news if you’re heading to Lanai or Molokai — Ohana by Hawaiian Airlines has picked up routes that were dropped a few years back when the thennew 717 airplanes proved inefficient for service to both islands. Now, brand-new 48seat turboprops will be flying daily out of Honolulu airport to both airports, with fares starting at just $64. Hawaiian will also add flights out of Oakland to Kona and Lihue this summer. hawaiianair.com M.T.

1

Spotlight: Costa Mesa

While Newport Beach and the O.C. are familiar SoCal spots, Costa Mesa is stepping into the limelight with its own tourist attractions. Thinking of heading down the coast? Here are five reasons to book your flight. M.T.

O.C. MARATHON

Lace up your shoes for the 10th annual run. Includes expos, kids’ runs, concerts and more. ocmarathon.com

2 THE BOOK OF MORMON Did you miss the showing here in San Francisco? If so, the popular religious satire musical from the creators of South Park is playing at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in May. scfta.org

3 ORANGE COUNTY FAIR The longtime favorite family summer activity includes food, competitions, a 5k run, a carnival, wine tasting, concerts and more. ocfair.com

4 SUCCULENTS

101 Learn gardening tips and tricks from the master, as in Southern California’s younger and hipper Martha, Molly Wood. mollywood gardendesign.com

5 NEWPORT HARBOR HOME TOUR Better than any housewife show, this home tour is the real thing. Enjoy lunch, an afternoon reception and unique homes and gardens. newportharbor hometour.com

TEMPS RISE, RATES DROP

Looking for a good deal? A really good deal? Head to the Boulders Resort in Carefree, Arizona, because as the summer heats up, the rates drop. In fact, they drop more than 70 percent from high season levels. Everything is air-conditioned; even the swimming pools are aerated (the resort actually runs cold water into the pools so they remain a perfect temperature). Not only are the room rates reduced, but spa visits, golf and shopping are also “highly discounted.” Ask how the resort can also help with a rental car for guests flying into Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. theboulders.com M.T.

Mexico with Mary Ellen Mark. STORY AND PHOTOS BY TIM PORTER

THE BULL HAD been chased at survival-ofthe-fittest speed by a charro on horseback, grabbed by the tail, and then fl ipped nose fi rst upside down into the dirt, where its rolling bulk created a sideways tornado of dust and grit that hid all but its whirling hooves and horns.

Now, it was coming my way — one ton of off-the-hoof, out-of-control hamburger on a collision course with me and my Nikon. My options were few. A brick wall behind me. A cluster of horses, ridden by wranglers waiting for the bull to come out of the spin cycle, in front. A flimsy metal gate to my left.

I defied the complaints of aging knees, muttered a silent namaste of thanks to my yoga teacher and leapt for the gate.

A second later the bull gained its footing, arose from the ground like a drunken frat boy who had been ejected from a hipster bar, and looked for something two-legged on whom it could exact revenge. Its eyes, angry and a flame, found

mine, doe-like and frozen, in my perch three feet above him on the upper rung of the gate. The bull swung his heavy, bony head into the gate, rattling my nerves and my bones. Then the charros, emitting whoops and wielding lassos, chased the beast off

I checked the camera, noticed bull spittle on my jeans, moved back down along the wall and waited for the next animal.

Just another vacation day in Mexico.

YEARS AGO, I WORKED AT A NEWSPAPER IN SAN FRANCISCO with a British reporter who had done several stints with the London tabloids and he liked to say of a hard-to-believe yarn, “Hey, it’s a great story even if it’s true.”

This bull story is no bull. But there are greater truths to be told in the tale.

My nose-to-nose encounter with Ferdinand the bull happened while I was photographing the second day of a charreada, a traditional Mexican rodeo that took

place about 10 miles south of the city of Oaxaca in a town called Tlalixtac de Cabrera. There, teams of charros, the iconic Mexican horsemen whose tight-fitting suits and wide-brimmed sombreros remind tourists of mariachi bands but whose history is rooted in the horse culture the Spanish conquistadores brought to Mexico, competed for the state championship.

I was in the lienzo charro (the arena) because of one woman, Mary Ellen Mark, the iconic photojournalist who has worked for Fellini, Life magazine and Vanity Fair, but is best known for her lifelong pursuit of documenting those who inhabit society’s edges — street kids, circus performers and prostitutes.

She was a hero of my youth, the reason I became a photographer. My two days with the charros were part of a 10-day photography workshop she led in March in Oaxaca.

I FIRST LEARNED OF MARY ELLEN WHEN I WAS IN MY 20s.

The ’60s had come and gone and I was living in the wake of the period’s wanton indulgences. I’d gotten a low-level job in a swanky Nob Hill hotel and returned to college, but I had no plan. School was merely a way out of a life I could no longer live.

One day I saw two photographs in a magazine, both taken in India. In the fi rst, a boy sat at a table in a cafe. His hair was long, his shirt torn. He leaned, dreamy-eyed, toward a glow coming from a nearby window. The second photo showed a hippie couple resting on a beach. They wore white, wispy clothes. The boy’s hands rested on a harmonium, an Indian hand organ. He and the girl gazed languidly toward the sea.

In those lost children, I saw myself. The images embodied the untethered wandering that defi ned the era and

Its eyes, angry and aflame, found mine, doe-like and frozen, in my perch three feet above him on the upper rung of the gate.

that had led me, unwittingly, down shrouded paths from which many never returned. I’ve never forgotten those two photos.

Mary Ellen Mark was only 31 when she made those pictures, but she was already accomplished — assignments worldwide, a Fulbright, lens focused on the social trends of the day. She has said of those years, “I’m just interested in people on the edges. I feel an a ffi nity for people who haven’t had the best breaks in society. What I want to do more than anything is acknowledge their existence.”

She inspired me. I bought a camera. I learned to develop fi lm, found a job in a darkroom and began shooting on the street, joined the community college paper, and

began covering news. And there was plenty of it in those days — kidnappings, demonstrations, strikes. I used the camera to both open the world to me and shield me from it. In journalism, I’d found a purpose. I freelanced and hoped for a career in photojournalism.

But it wasn’t to be. My work wasn’t that strong. I was too timid, too distant. More than that, I allowed insecurity to ride roughshod over passion. To stay in journalism, I started writing, which came more easily than photography. Ambition took hold and I followed the opportunities — editor of this, editor of that, editor of whatever came along. Then it was over. That’s too long a story to tell here. Su ffice to say that 30 years after fi nding myself, I was lost again. Time passed. One day I took out my old Nikon, loaded some fi lm and wandered about the suburban marshes. Just like that, it all came back.

Opener: A charro watches the action. Opposite page: A team of charros give chase during a charreada. This page, from top: A horse is released from a chute; in the coleadero (the bull flipping event), a charro releases a bull.

My wife, ever perceptive, gave me a small digital camera. I learned the software. I bought a bigger camera. I found work with a local magazine that needed someone who could both shoot and write. Over time, more work came. And better cameras. And lights. And a studio. I became, at last, a photographer.

Happy ending, right? Boy wants girl. Gets rejected. Wins over girl years later. Fade to black. Roll credits.

Hold the Hollywood moment.

There was still that itch, unscratched — the edge, the margin, the harder truths. Don’t get me wrong. Living and working in Marin is a good life that many would like to have. But edgy it ain’t.

THEN, 18 MONTHS AGO SERENDIPITY STRUCK. I LEARNED of Mary Ellen Mark’s workshop in Oaxaca (where my wife and I had built a house). So tantalizing, so coincidental it seemed impossible — Mary Ellen (my inspiration), photojournalism (my abandoned love child) and Oaxaca (my adopted city) all combined.

I joined the workshop last year. I met Mary Ellen (an extraordinary woman of relentless authenticity). I photographed in garbage dumps and garlic fields and the bedrooms of transvestites. I jabbered all day in Spanish. I came home with several good photos and a vow to go back — which I did in March.

When I returned from Oaxaca this year, a friend asked, “What did you learn?”

I didn’t have a thoughtful answer and mumbled instead something about getting closer with my camera. I’ve since considered the question more and here is what Mary Ellen taught me:

That photography both soothes me with its seeing and excites me with its engagement.

That I am moved by the tenacity and spirit and generosity of those who struggle daily for survival and that I admire those who celebrate this humanity. I wish I were more like them.

That I remain, after all these decades, hesitant in the face of challenge, overly self-critical on the verge of success and easily distracted from the pursuit of the long-term by the grati fications of the short.

Good lessons, yes, but truthfully I knew all this before I went to Oaxaca, so you might say I learned nothing. You would be wrong.

What Mary Ellen Mark taught me most of all was to trust who I am, so in that sense you might say I learned everything. m

I was in the lienzo charro (the arena) because of one woman, Mary Ellen Mark, the iconic photojournalist who has worked for Fellini, Life magazine and Vanity Fair.

Opposite page, top to bottom: A horse eyeballs a visitor; a young charro with his lasso; a spectator stands atop the ring; Porter with Mary Ellen Mark (bottom right). This page, clockwise from top: The gate to the lienzo charro (arena); lasso practice; horses crash against the wall.

Sausalito Film Series at Cavallo Point

Out & About

CALENDAR / ON THE SCENE / DINE

GALLERIES

Calendar

African youths. Cutting Ball Theater (SF). 415.292.4700, cuttingball.com

THRU MAY 25 World’s Funniest Bubble Show

The Amazing Bubble Man comes to San Francisco to showcase his amazing tricks — square bubbles, fogfi lled bubbles, bubble inception, bubble volcanoes, people inside bubbles and more. The Marsh (SF). 415.282.3055, themarsh.org

THEATER

THRU MAY 4 Fences

Marin Theatre Company and Lorraine Hansberry Theatre present August Wilson’s Fences, winner of the 1987 Pulitzer Prize and 1987 and 2010 Tony Awards. The play tells the story of Troy

Maxson’s struggles with prejudice as the former Negro League home run king comes to terms with his baseball dreams. Marin Theatre Company (Mill Valley). 415.388.5208, marin theatre.org

MAY 9 Oliver! This family-friendly show

based on Charles Dickens’ novel of the same name is supplemented by a slew of musical numbers. The Playhouse (San Anselmo). 415.456.8555, playhouse sananselmo.org

THRU MAY 18 Du Barry was a Lady

Emmy winning actor and comedian Bruce Vilanch stars in 42nd Street Moon’s production of Cole Porter’s Du Barry was a Lady The 1939 play tells the story of a washroom attendant who wins a sweepstakes and tries to buy happiness. Eureka Theatre (SF).

415.255.8207, 42ndstmoon.org

THRU MAY 25 Communiqué n° 10 Cutting Ball Theater presents the American premiere of the French show about the tensions of an underground city, inspired by the 2005 Paris riots led by North

MAY 1 Lilith, The Night Demon in One Lewd Act Lilith retells the alternate Jewish story of creation, presented as a folk opera. Created at the same time as Adam, Lilit h flees subservient life, becoming a demonic murderer and seductress. Osher Marin JCC (San Rafael). 415.444.8000, marinjcc.org

MAY 2 Les Miserables

Enjoy the tragic tale of struggle in 19th-century France. The Playhouse (San Anselmo). 415.456.8555, playhouse sananselmo.org

MAY 16–JUNE 15 Other Desert Cities This

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

Robert Allen Fine Art San Francisco’s Cityscapes and Landscapes A group exhibition of works on canvas, through May 30. 301 Caledonia St, Sausalito. 415.331.2800, robertallenfineart.co

Orange Trolly by Larry Morace

adults-only show centers on a clash between conservative and liberal generations during a holiday gathering in Palm Springs. The Barn Theatre (Ross). 415.456.9555, ross valleyplayers.com

MAY 18–JUNE 15 South

Pacific The Mountain Play celebrates its 101th season with South Pacific, two parallel love stories set in an island paradise during World War II. Cushing Memorial Amphitheatre (Mill Valley). 415.383.1100, mountainplay.org

MAY 24–JUNE 8

Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy, The Musical Friends Lulu and Sam transform into their make-believe alter egos to protect the playground from a variety of dangers. Marin Theatre Company (Mill Valley). 415.388.5200, marintheatre.org

DANCE

MAY 2–11 XXcentric Spring Dance Series

Smuin Ballet closes its 20th anniversary season with a show featuring classic company numbers and choreographic premieres accompanied by vocal and instrumental recordings. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (SF). 415.912.1899, smuinballet.org

MAY 18 Love2Dance: From Page to Stage Love2Dance’s youngest dancers join the studio’s competitive dance team to dance routines accompanied by songs from classic storybooks. Showcase Theater (San Rafael). love2dance.biz

MAY 31 Decades Nearly 600 dancers from RoCo’s youth program perform modern and edgy contemporary, hip-hop, ballet and jazz choreography focusing on 100 years of American pop culture.

M S

MARIN SYMPHONY

The finishing touch to our 61 st Season is the full-length classic fantasy Disney film shown with live music played by our orchestra. Call 415.473.6800 for tickets, purchase in person at the Marin Center Box Office or order online.

Frank & Lois Noonan, Steve & Christina Fox, Gaspare’s Pizzeria, Montecito Plaza, Marin Pacific Co.

Marin Symphony. Dates and details subject to change.

© Disney

ALASDAIR

NEALE | MUSIC DIRECTOR

The Honey Whiskey Trio play the Harmony Sweepstakes at Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium, San Rafael

• MAY 31 May Madness Classic Car Parade Head to San Rafael for an automobile show featuring classic hot rod cars, eco vehicles, art cars, motorcycles, live music and food. Fourth Street (San Rafael). 415.383.3470, downtown sanrafael.org

Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium (San Rafael). 415.388.6786, rocodance.com

COMEDY

TUESDAYS Mark Pitta and Friends

The comic hosts an evening for up-and-comers and established headliners to work on new material. 142 Throckmorton Theatre (Mill Valley). 415.383.9600, 142throckmorton theatre.com

MAY 8 Will Durst Fivetime Emmy nominee Will Durst performs his stand-up routine. Trek Wine (Novato). 415.899.9883, trekwine.com

MAY 17 Paula

Poundstone The star of NPR’s Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me! gives a spontaneously interactive stand-up show with jokes centering on her own complex life. Osher Marin JCC (San Rafael). 415.444.8000, marinjcc.org

MUSIC

TUESDAYS Swing Fever

The band pays tribute to jazz artists and composers with selections from its roster of more than 1,000 tunes, every fi rst and third Tuesday. Panama Hotel (San Rafael). 415.457.3993, panamahotel.com

MAY 4 Russian Chamber Orchestra

A performance by the orchestra featuring works by Bach, Tchaikovsky, Chopin and more. Mt. Tamalapis Methodist Church (Mill Valley). russianchamber orch.org

MAY 8 College Marin Jazz Ensemble The College of Marin Jazz Ensemble performs its latest works as guests enjoy food, drink and, of course, dancing. Seahorse (Sausalito). 415.331.2899, sausalito seahorse.com

MAY 14 Acoustic Guitar Showcase Don’t miss

a chance to enjoy local masters of the acoustic guitar as they showcase their various styles. The Sleeping Lady (Fairfax). 415.485.1182, sleeping ladyfairfax.com

MAY 17 Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival The a cappella festival that inspired NBC’s The Sing-O ff is back for its 30th year. Enjoy performances by vocal harmony groups from around the country. Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium (San Rafael). 415.499.6800, harmonysweepstakes.com

MAY 17–18 Johannes Brahms A concert featuring Brahms' Requiem and Liebeslieder. College of Marin (Kent field). 415.485.9687, marinoratorio.org

MAY 18 Dirty Cello Cellist Rebecca Roundman — who has performed with the likes of Elvis Costello and Carlos Santana

— leads this ensemble as they mix classical playing with soulful blues. Sweetwater Music Hall (Mill Valley). 415.388.3850, sweet watermusichall.com

MAY 18 Secrets of the Ancient Divas Broadway star Karen Mason pays homage to her personal idols with covers of songs from Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, Peggy Lee and more. The Fairmont (SF). 415.392.4400, bayareacabaret.org

MAY 12 Lauryn Hill Join former Fugees member Lauryn Hill for performances of her many original hits featuring her unique and iconic vocals. The War field (SF). 415.345.0900, thewar fieldtheatre.com

MAY 24 Stellamara

The internationally acclaimed world music ensemble performs electro-acoustic sets featuring Eastern melodies. Showcase Theater

(San Rafael). marincounty.org

MAY 29 Peppino D’Agostino with Jeff Campitelli Guitarist Peppino D’Agostino performs alongside drummer Jeff ampitelli. 142 Throckmorton (Mill Valley). 415.383.9600, throckmorton theatre.org

MAY 30 Jesse Brewster Singer, songwriter and guitarist Jesse Brewster performs his tunes, in a style Brewster describes as “Tom Petty and Lynyrd Skynyrd in a barroom brawl with Neil Young and John Mayer.” Hopmonk Tavern (Novato). 415.892.6200, hopmonk.com

MAY 30 Wild Child

Check out a live re-creation of a 1960s Doors concert. Dave Brock’s Doors Experience has been channeling the genius of the band faithfully for more than 20 years. Sweetwater Music Hall (Mill Valley). 415.388.1100, sweetwater musichall.com

MAY 30–31 Songs of the Soul This twoday sacred music and poetry festival features live performances and discussion centering on cosmology, spirituality, the universe and human beings. Community Center (Mill Valley). 707.537.1275, ias.org

MAY 30–JUNE 1 Cathedral Architecture A performance by the Mill Valley Philharmonic featuring Mendelssohn’s St. Paul Overture, Higdon’s Cathedral, Respighi’s Church Windows and a world premiere by Alexis Alrich. Various

locations (Marin). 415.383.0930, mill valleyphilharmonic.org

GALLERIES

MARIN

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

Art Works Downtown Shelter A juried exhibit expressing the theme of shelter, through June 6. 1337 Fourth St, San Rafael. 415.451.8119, artworksdowntown.org

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

Falkirk Cultural Center

Annual spring juried exhibit, through May 24. 1408 Mission Ave, San Rafael. 415.485.3328, falkirkcultural center.org

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

Gallery

Bergelli

Memories of Dreams Works by Sanjay Vora, May 24–June26. 483 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur. 415.945.9454, bergelli. com

Gallery Route One The Vickisa Experience A collection of mixedmedia paintings and drawings, through May 4. 11101 Hwy One, Point Reyes. 415.663.1347, galleryrouteone.org

Marin Society of Artists Visions A juried

exhibition, through June 7. 30 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Ross. 415.454.9561, marin societyofartists.org

Marine Mammal Center The Ghost Below

Inspired by one unsuspecting whale’s deadly diet, this exhibition by Judith and Richard Lang explores the harmful effects of marine debri, through June. 2000 Bunker Road, Sausalito. 415.289.7325, marine mammalcenter.org

Mine Gallery Ongoing work. 1820 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Fairfax. 415.755.4472, gallerymine.com

O’Hanlon Center for the Arts On Paper, Of Paper A juried exhibition, through May 22. 616 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley. 415.388.4331, ohanloncenter.org

Petri’s Fine Arts

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

Robert Beck Gallery

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

Robert Green Fine Arts Abstract expressionist paintings by Sam Francis, John Grillo, Paul Jenkins, Jim Bird and more. 154 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley. 415.381.8776, rgfineart.com

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

Rock Hill Gallery

Landscape photography by Lance Kuehne, May 1–June 19. 145 Rock Hill Drive, Tiburon. 415.435.9108, ccctiburon.net

Room Art Gallery

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

Seager Gray

Gallery

The Art of the Book, May 3–June 1. 23 Sunnyside Ave, Mill Valley. 415.384.8288, seagergray.com

Studio 333 Ongoing exhibition featuring more than 40 Bay Area artists’ work in diffeent mediums. 333A Caledonia St, Sausalito. 415.331.8272, studio333.info

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

SAN FRANCISCO

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

Caldwell Snyder

Paintings and sculptures by local artists. 341 Sutter St, 415.392.2299, caldwellsnyder.com

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

500 Country Club Dr. Novato, CA 94949 415-382-6712 www.marincountryclub.com membership@marincountryclub.com

Gallery Wendi Norris Leonora Carrington: The Celtic Surrealist, through May 31. 161 Jessie St, 415.346.7812, gallerywendinorris.com

Gregory Lind Gallery

Work from Christian Maychack, through June. 49 Geary St, 415.296.9661, gregory lindgallery.com

Hackett-Mill A selection of marble works by Manuel Neri, through May 9. 201 Post St, 415.362.3377, hackettmill.com

John Berggruen Gallery Works in various mediums. 228 Grant Ave, 415.781.4629, berggruen.com

March Gallery New works by painter Carrie Mae Smith,

through May 31. 3075 Sacramento Street, 415.931.7433, marchsf.org

Thomas Reynolds Gallery Works by Ken Auster, through June. 2291 Pine Street, 415.441.4093, thomasreynolds.com

MUSEUMS

MARIN Bay Area Discovery Museum Super Kids Save the World Centering around “green” materials and practices, this exhibit teaches kids to be super starting with the four Rs: recycle, reduce, reuse and repair (Sausalito). 415.339.3900, baykidsmuseum.org

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

Marin Museum of the American Indian Explore Native American history, languages, art and traditions (Novato). 415.897.4064, marinindian.com

Marin Museum of Contemporary Art Altered Book and Book Arts Show Works created from discarded books, through May 24 (Novato). 415.506.0137, marinmoca.org

BAY AREA Asian Art Museum Yoga: The Art of Transformation An exhibit looking at the philosophical underpinnings of yoga over its long history, through May 25 (SF). 415.581.3711, asianart.org

California Academy of Sciences Skulls Check out an exhibit featuring more than 640 animal skulls and the physiology, science and mystery behind them, May 16–November 30. (SF). 415.379.8000, calacademy.org

Conservatory of Flowers Chomp! They Came From the Swamp A collection of carnivorous plants, through October 19 (SF).

415.831.2090, conser vatoryofflowers.org

Contemporary Jewish Museum Designing Home: Jews and Midcentury Modernism, through October 6 (SF). 415.655.7800, thecjm.org

de Young Modern Nature Works by Georgia O’Keeffe and Lake George, through May 11 (SF). 415.750.3600, deyoung.famsf.org

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

Legion of Honor Intimate Impressionism from the National Gallery of Art Nearly

70 paintings by 19thcentury avant-garde artists, through August 3 (SF). 415.750.3600, legionofhonor.org

Museum of Craft and Design Elevated Corrugated A group exhibition featuring ten artists working exclusively with cardboard, through June 22 (SF). 415.773.0303, sfmcd.org

Oakland Museum of California The Smallest of Worlds A selection of intricate dioramas portraying everyday Mexican street scenes from the collection of celebrated San Francisco artist Rex May, through July 6 (Oakland). 510.318.8400, museumca.org

San Francisco Botanical Garden In Bloom A colorful springtime show of California’s loveliest native flowers, through May (SF). 415.661.1316, sfb otanicalgarden.org

Sonoma Valley Museum of Art Wall and Ardor: William T. Wiley in the 21st Century Recent works by William T. Wiley, through July 27 (Sonoma). svma.org

The Walt Disney Family Museum Magic, Color, Flair Works by Mary Blair, through September 7 (SF). 415.345.6800, waltdisney.org

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Control Jacqueline Kiyomi Gordon investigates cybernetic systems

of control within sound and architecture in the 20th and 21st centuries, through May 25 (SF). 415.978.2787, ybca.org

EVENTS

MAY 1 Blackie’s Fun Run The fi rst-ever Fun Run is a run/jog-a-thon event for children in grades K–8. Drinks will be provided and each participant will be given a T-shirt, with awards and trophies for exceptional performances. Blackie’s Pasture (Tiburon). reedschools.org

MAY 2 Jet Set to Rio

Join the Bay Area Discovery Museum at its annual fundraising event. Jet Set to Rio features a Brazilianthemed carnival

complete with toucan and salsa dancers, live auction, music and refreshments. Bay Area Discovery Museum (Sausalito). baykidsmuseum.org

MAY 3 California Bookstore Day Head to one of Book Passage’s locations for the fi rst annual California Bookstore Day, featuring activities, surprises, events with authors like Dave Eggers, a book review station, a children’s poetry workshop and more. Book Passage (Corte Madera and SF). cabookstoreday.com

MAY 3 Kent School Centennial Celebration Celebrate 100 years of the Adaline E. Kent school, as well as the larger history of Kent field and

Greenbrae with a special exhibit of historical artifacts, trivia and more. Anne T. Kent California Room (San Rafael). kghs.org

MAY 3–4, 10–11 Marin Open Studios Artists across the county are given the opportunity to expose and sell their work to local art collectors, curators and colleagues. (Various locations). 415.343.5667, marinopenstudios.org

MAY 8 Academy of Art Graduation Fashion Show Spring graduates of the Academy of Art show offtheir hard work with a runway show highlighting their collections. 2225 Jerrold Avenue (SF). academyart.edu

MAY 9 Cast Party

Enjoy a gourmet dinner, music , fi ne wine auctions and more at this annual Marin Theatre Company fundraiser. Outdoor Art Club (Mill Valley). 415.322.6035, marintheatre.org

MAY 10 Marin Human Race Join 4,000 Marin residents for the largest collective fundraiser and nonprofit celebration in the county featuring a 5k race course, a dog walk, pancake breakfast, refreshments and more. Lagoon Park (San Rafael). marin humanrace.org

MAY 10 Succulent Sale

Grab a gift for Mother’s Day at this annual succulent sale that boasts fresh cuts and designed containers. Falkirk

Cultural Center (San Rafael). 415.389.6636, falkirkcultural center.org

MAY 11 French Market Shop for antique and vintage home and garden decor at this outdoor market featuring art booths, vintage clothes, books, jewelry, French music, crepes and more. Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium parking lot (San Rafael). goldengateshows.com

MAY 17 Tiburon Wine Festival Head to this annual wine event for tastings from a wide variety of wineries accompanied by local food and an unbeatable view. Downtown (Tiburon). tiburon winefestival.com

World’s Funniest Bubble Show at the Marsh, S.F.

MAY 18 McInnis Skate

Jam This annual skateboarding competition features skaters of all ages and abilities, as well as food, music and more. McInnis Park (San Rafael). marincounty.org

MAY 18 Tour de Marin

Join all levels of cyclists for a 45-mile ride through scenic Marin and a post-ride party at Whole Foods in San Rafael. Whole Foods (San Rafael). 415.456.3469, marinbike.org

MAY 20 Kids' Ocean

Day More than 800 elementary school students will converge on Ocean Beach to pick up trash and create aerial art to share a message of conservation

with the world. Ocean Beach (SF). audubon.org

MAY 23–25 Greek

Festival Enjoy authentic Greek food, live music and dancing, vendors, cooking demonstrations, church tours and much more. Nativity of Christ (Novato). 415.883.1998, nativityofchrist.org

MAY 25 Larkspur

Flower and Food Festival Daylong festivities featuring flower-related arts and crafts, live music and gourmet food from local restaurants. Magnolia Avenue (Larkspur). 415.924.3803, larkspurcommunity association.com

MAY 26 Memorial Day Races Partake in a competitive 10k, 5k run/walk or youth track race, with unique awards offered in each division. College of Marin track (Kent field). marinraces.com

MAY 31 Marin Alfresco

Celebrate community, food and wine at this outdoor dining experience featuring local chefs and wineries. Fare will be supplemented with a live performance by Wonderbread 5, as well as an auction. Osher Marin JCC (San Rafael). 415.444.8000, marinjcc.org

MAY 31–JUNE 1 Marin

Home and Garden Expo Get tips and help with your remodel at this annual home and garden show that allows

Skulls at California Academy of Sciences, S.F.

visitors to fi nd services and items perfect for their abode. Exhibit Hall (San Rafael). 415.507.1537, marin homegarden.com

FILM

MAY 3 Film Fest

Petaluma Enjoy the annual showcase of the best new animated and live action shorts

from around the world, accompanied by post-screening discussions wit h fi lmmakers. Mystic Theatre (Petaluma). 707.765.2121, petaluma fi lmalliance.org

A World of Opportunities

We offer a unique opportunity for young children to learn about and share cultural and linguistic perspectives; to grow as curious, motivated learners; to become fluent French speakers and scholars; to thrive as tomorrow’s global citizens. lelycee.org

• MAY 30 Tiburon

Turns 50 Celebrate Tiburon’s first Friday Night On Main of 2014 and the town’s 50th birthday with food, live music including Wonderbread 5, drinks, dancing and festive fireworks. Main Street (San Rafael). townoftiburon.org

MAY 25 The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill A special free screening of the true story of a Bohemian and his extraordinary relationship with a flock of wild parrots. Sweetwater Music Hall (Mill Valley). 415.388.1100, sweet watermusichall.com

MAY 30 Family Movie Night Grab your best blanket and enjoy a family movie on the lawn, accompanied by popcorn and barbecue. Sta fford Lark Park (Novato). 415.897.0618, marincounty.org

NATURE WALKS & TALKS

ONGOING Foodie Adventures Experience the Mission District,

North Beach or Chinatown on a culinary walking tour. Various locations (SF). 888.498.2008, foodie adventures.com

MAY 1 Garden Dreams Enjoy tours of a number of gardens throughout Marin including a tropical paradise, an all-organic cottage garden and more. Outdoor Art Club (Mill Valley). 415.383.2582, outdoorartclub.org

MAY 3 The Paleo Approach Meet author Sarah Ballantyne as she talks about her new book The Paleo Approach. Learn about simple lifestyle changes that may make a difference in your health. Book Passage (Corte Madera). 415.927.0960, bookpassage.com

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MAY 4 The Big Tiny

Author Dee Williams’ life was changed by a near-death experience in her local grocery store. The Big Tiny chronicles Williams’ mission to build an 84-sqaurefoot house on her own, from the ground up.

Book Passage (Corte Madera). 415.927.0960, bookpassage.com

MAY 5 Birds and Plants of Mitchell Canyon

Explore the north side of Mount Diablo, home to a variety of breeding birds including flycatchers, vireos, fi nches and hummingbirds, along with wild flowers. Mitchell Canyon (Clayton). 415.663.1200, ptreyes.org

MAY 7 Brian Lamb The founder and retired CEO of CSPAN celebrates 25 years of news stories through discussion and the introduction of Sundays on Eight, a collection of signi ficant events that have helped us understand the world.

Commonwealth Club (SF). 415.597.6700, commonwealthclub.org

MAY 8 My Paris

Kitchen David Lebovitz discusses his culinary experiences in Paris including mastering the classics and understanding lesser-known dishes that reflect the way Parisians eat today. Book Passage (Corte Madera). 415.927.0960, bookpassage.com

MAY 10 Sonoma Home Tours Check out this

one-day open house tour of Sonoma County homes. Various locations (Sonoma County). aiasf.org

MAY 10 Migratory Birds at Muir Woods Visit Redwood Creek and search for migratory birds like Wilson’s warblers and violetgreen swallows, then join Muir Woods’ annual Migratory Bird Day celebration. Muir Woods (Mill Valley). 415.456.7283, wildcarebayarea.org

MAY 10 In the Heart of Marin Dewey Livingston discusses his new book, which tells the tales of the small communities of Kent field and Greenbrae beginning in the 1800s. Book Passage (Corte Madera).

415.927.0960, bookpassage.com

MAY 13 The Secret Lives of Elephants

Author Caitlin O’Connell has spent 20 years studying elephant communication and culture. She discusses the groundbreaking information she has discovered in regard to elephant intelligence and their relationships with humans. JCCSF (SF). 415.292.1233, jccsf.org

MAY 14 Carrie Brownstein The cocreator of Portlandia joins American novelist Vendela Vida to discuss her career as an author/musician/ actor/writer/producer. Nourse Theater (SF). 415.392.4400, cityarts.net

MAY 16–18 Creative Photography Weekend

Bill Helsel leads a series of classroom talks, demonstrations and fieldwork sessions. Clem Miller Environmental Education Center (Point Reyes). 415.663.1200, ptreyes.org

MAY 19 Ruth

MAY 21 The Neuroscience of Music and Creativity

Reichl

Longtime food writer Ruth Reichl has been a restaurant critic for the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times, as well as editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine. She discusses her career, memoirs and new novel, Delicious! Nourse Theater (SF). 415.392.4400, cityarts.net

Cognitive neuroscientist at UCSF and member of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Indre Viskontas discusses how memory and other cognitive processes are supported by neural networks. Nourse Theater (SF). 415.392.4400, cityarts.net

MAY 28 Living with Mountain Lions Join chief park ranger Rob Ruiz to learn about the habits and natural history of this elusive animal, as well as what to do if you encounter one in the wild. Community Center (Marinwood). marin county.org

Jacquelyn Grandy, Director of Catering 415.254.9096

jacquelyn@foodsofparadise.com

470 Ignacio Blvd. Novato | 5627 Paradise Dr. Corte Madera | 1 Blackfield Dr. Tiburon 415.883.4600 415.945.8855 415.388.2770 www.foodsofparadise.com

Paradise Foods is proud to be the only grocery store in Marin offering complete, full-service catering.

We can tailor our menus to meet all types of occasions - small dinner parties, corporate luncheons, weddings or social events.

Dine

• TOAST American Sister to the popular Mill Valley location, Toast Novato features outdoor dining and contemporary architechture by Stanley Saitowitz. The spacious restaurant is ideal for large parties and families looking for a large plate of comfort food. 5800 Nave Dr, 415.382.1144, toastnovato.com

CORTE MADERA

BENISSIMO Italian “Benissimo” means “really, really good” in Italian. Aside from the daily 4 to 6:30 p.m. happy hour, when drinks are $3 to $5 and small plates $5 to $7, the menu offers a large selection of pizza, pasta and large plates, like grilled pork loin and pollo alla marsala. 18 Tamalpais Dr, 415.927.2316, benissimos.com

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

BOCA PIZZERIA Italian Owners Shah Bahreyni and Sam Ramadan’s 142-seat eatery features Neapolitan-style pizza topped with imported San Marzano tomatoes and fresh, house-made mozzarella. Other menu items (all made with local ingredients) include roasted leg of lamb salad, beet salad,

a grilled eggplant sandwich and portobello and porcini mushroom ravioli. 1544 Redwood Hwy, 415.924.3021, bocapizzeria.com

CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN California/ Eclectic An easy place to bring the kids — Mom and Dad can enjoy a tasty Thai crunch salad and a glass of wine while the little ones feast on basic, child-size portions of pasta and pizza. 347 Corte Madera Town Ctr, 415.945.0401, cpk.com

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

MARIN JOE’S Italian

This Marin mainstay has been around for over 50 years. Choose from a menu of soups, salads, seafood, mesquite-grilled or sautéed meats and a plethora of pasta options guaranteed to satisfy. For a fun addition to your dining experience, order

Brick Chicken

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

the Caesar salad — the server will prepare the dressing at your table. Not looking for a meal? Enjoy a drink and hear local musicians at the well-known piano bar. 1585 Casa Buena Dr, 415.924.2081, marinjoesrestaurant.com

PACIFIC CATCH

Pan-Asian The wellpriced menu features a bounty of freshly caught items and Paci fic Rim–inspired small or main plates, including generously portioned wasabi bowls fi lled with white or brown rice, veggies and your choice of chicken, beef or fi sh (cooked or raw).

133 Corte Madera Town Ctr, 415.927.3474, pacificcatch.co

SEA THAI BISTRO

Asian SEA stands for Southeast Asian, and co-owner and executive chef Tony Ounpamornchai infuses his cooking with Thai and other Asian flavors to create innovative dishes. The menu features sustainable and local ingredients and is accompanied by an extensive wine list. 60 Corte Madera Ave, 415.927.8333, seathaibistro.com

THE COUNTER California/American

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

THREE BIRDS WINE BAR California This oneroom bar and wine shop features more than 20 options by the glass, and a nice selection of bottles to take home. Enjoy free corkage for your Three Birds bottles at select local restaurants and an all day happy hour every Monday. 207 Corte Madera Ave, 415.927.9466, threebirdswinebar.com

FAIRFAX

123 BOLINAS California

This Fairfax spot was created by four friends who aimed to showcase seasonal fare in a relaxing, intimate environment. Enjoy locally brewed beer, smallproduction wines and one of the many cheese boards as you take in the view of Bolinas Park through the floor-toceiling windows. 123 Bolinas St, 415.488.5123, 123bolinas.com

FRADELIZIO’S Italian Family-owned for 15 years, Fradelizio’s blends Northern Italian cuisine with Californiainspired healthy fare using the freshest ingredients possible. The homemade gnocchi is a crowd-pleasing favorite. 35 Broadway Blvd, 415.459.1618, fradelizios.com

GRILLY’S Mexican

If you’re looking for a quick, fresh meal, Grilly’s is an easy and delicious stop. Pick up a couple burritos and the much-loved chicken taco salad and you have a lunch or dinner sure to please the whole family. 1 Bolinas Ave, 415.457.6171, grillys.com

EMbracE an Organic SuMMEr urban rEMEdy

FOOD IS HEALING

Urban Remedy, a certified organic food company with exceptionally sourced ingredients, invites you to enjoy delicious juices, shakes, meals and gluten-free snacks with amazing health and wellness benefits.

IRON SPRINGS PUB & BREWERY American

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

PANCHO VILLA’S Mexican Chef Francisco has been turning out treats, like pollo relleno (stu ffed with cream cheese, sautéed spinach and red peppers) and grilled fi sh tacos with chipotle, since 1976. Enjoy happy hour specials all week from 4 to 7 p.m. 1625 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.459.0975, panchosfairfax.com

SORELLA CAFFE Italian

Run by sisters Sonia and Soyara, Sorella — which means “sister” in Italian — serves up fresh Italian food with a northern in fluence. Customer favorites

include the cioppino, butternut squash ravioli and Pollo alla Sorella. Another highlight is the giant wheel of Grana Padana cheese, which is passed around from table to table. 107 Bolinas Rd, 415.258.4520, sorellacaffe.co

STEAKHOUSE GRILL & BAR American This steakhouse at Deer Park Villa has been around nearly a century, making it more than your typical steak spot. The longtime gathering place features a daily happy hour, live entertainment and a large, heated deck. Events include Draft Beer Night, Prime Rib Weekends and a champagne brunch on Sunday. 367 Bolinas Rd, 415.456.8084, deerpark steakhousegrill.com

GREENBRAE

BISTRO VIS À VIS

California This little bistro features the cooking of Soo Young Kim, who previously acted as owner, chef and sommelier at Petaluma’s Sooze Wine Bar. The neighborhood spot boasts outdoor seating for casually fi ne dining, a wine bar and a menu including duck con fit and wine-braised short ribs. 282 Bon Air Ctr, 415.925.4370, bistrovisavis.com

JASON’S California

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

•

BRICK & BOTTLE

California From private parties to catered events, chef Bob Simontacchi’s menu offers seasonal selections made with local ingredients. Enjoy signature dishes like orzo mac ‘n’ cheese with smoked Gouda and local favorites like saffron fettucine and tomato braised short ribs. 55 Tamal Vista Blvd, 415.924.3366, brickandbottle.com

WIPEOUT BAR & GRILL American The family-friendly spot has sur fb oards hanging from the ceiling, funin-the-sun music, large televisions displaying surfers riding waves, a full bar and a menu that includes fi sh tacos, salads and burgers. The only thing missing is the sand at this upbeat eatery. 302 Bon Air Ctr, 415.461.7400, wipeoutbarandgrill.com

KENTFIELD

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

HALF DAY CAFE

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

LARKSPUR

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

DJ CHINESE CUISINE

Chinese A great place to satisfy a craving for wonton soup before catching a show at the Lark Theater; the outdoor patio is a scene-stealer in itself. 435 Magnolia Ave, 415.924.0717, djchinesecuisine.com

EL HUARACHE LOCO Mexican Chef Veronica Salazar’s menu has gained quite a following by way of the authentic Mexico City dishes. From mini huaraches (fi lled corn masa cakes) to the foot-long huarache with two salsas, crema, queso fresco and two toppings of your choice. Marin Country Mart, 1803 Larkspur Landing Circle, 415.925.1403, huaracheloco.com

FABRIZIO RISTORANTE

Italian This restaurant was opened by Italian transplant Fabrizio in the early ‘80s. Swing by for traditional Italian dishes and an extensive wine list featuring bottles from all over Italy. Outdoor seating makes the experience even more special. 455 Magnolia Ave, 415.924.3332, fabrizioristorante.com

FARM HOUSE LOCAL

California Downtown Larkspur’s newest gem is sure to please with simple, healthy food in a warm, cozy atmosphere — both inside and outside on their covered patio. With a seasonal menu that follows what is fresh and local, chef David Monson creates dishes such a s flu ff y omelets stu ffed with local meats, cheeses and vegetables, and made with Glaum eggs from the South Bay. 25 Ward St, 415.891.8577, farmhouselocal.com

Chicken Wings

FARMSHOP California

Originally based in L.A., Farmshop Marin has customers clamoring for cocktails and a delicious assortment of California-centric cuisine. Call ahead for a reservation — this place is always packed. Marin Country Mart, 2233 Larkspur Landing Circle, 415.755.6700, farmshopla.com

LEFT BANK

RESTAURANT French

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

MARIN BREWING

CO American Grab a cold beer made on site and pair it wit h fi sh ‘n’ chips — fresh cod dipped in Mt. Tam pale ale batter, served with steak fries and homemade tartar sauce — or another item from the all-American menu. 1809 Larkspur Landing Circle, 415.461.4677, marinbrewing.com

PICCO California

Popular since its inception, dishes like mini-burgers , seasonally driven menu items, and risotto made every half hour, keep patrons coming back. The Picco Pizzeria and Wine Bar next door is cozy (not many seats) and famous for its wood-fi red pizzas, great wine selection and soft-serve Straus Family Creamery ice cream. 320 Magnolia Ave, 415.924.0300, restaurantpicco.com

RUSTIC BAKERY California Try a large house-made pastry, an artisanal salad or a mouthwatering sandwich at this Marin favorite.

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

SUSHI-KO Japanese

Choose from a large selection of maki, nigiri and sashimi before catching a movie right across the street.

Marin Country Mart, 1819 Larkspur Landing Circle, 415.461.8400, sushi-ko.com

THE MELTING POT

French This round brick haven for fondue fans is just across the street from the Larkspur Ferry terminal. Share the “Big Night Out” feast featuring chef’s specialties, or design your own meal with cheese fondue, salad, meat entrée and chocolate fondue dessert. 125 E. Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.461.6358, themeltingpot.com

YANKEE PIER American

This family-friendly, casual clam shack is harbored in a quaint house built in 1924. Known for beer-battered fi sh ‘n’ chips, clam chowder and tasty salads, Yankee Pier serves fresh seafood delivered daily from both coasts. 286 Magnolia Ave, 415.924.7676, yankeepier.com

• EMPORIO RULLI Italian

Pastry chef Gary Rulli is renowned for his Northern Italian specialties and treats. The Larkspur location (there are three others) is a favored spot for lunch as well as coffee and a sweet treat. 464 Magnolia Ave, 415.924.7478, rulli.com

INDIA PALACE Indian

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

JOE’S TACO LOUNGE

MILL VALLEY

AVATAR’S PUNJABI

BURRITOS Indian A small and friendly place with only a few tables, but myriad Indian-inspired burrito dishes to choose from. Try the curry chicken or Jamaican jerk wrapped in warm naan. Cash only, but well worth the trip to the ATM. 15 Madrona St, 415.381.8293, enjoyavatars.com

BALBOA CAFE MILL

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

BOO KOO Asian

Authentic Asian street food is now available for $10 or less. The restaurant offers options for every eater—vegans, gluten-frees, vegetarians and carnivores

alike. Menu items include chicken pho, vegan summer rolls, pad thai and five-spice pork satay, all made with organic, locally sourced veggies and proteins. 25 Miller Ave, 415.888.8303, eatbookoo.com

BUCKEYE ROADHOUSE

American Oysters Bingo, baby back ribs and the Chili-Lime “Brick” Chicken are a few of the satisfying, comfort-food-style menu items that have made this classic roadhouse a favorite since the ’30s. 15 Shoreline Hwy, 415.331.2600, buckeyeroadhouse.com

BUNGALOW 44

American Much like sister restaurant Buckeye Roadhouse, Bungalow 44 offers a mean dose of homey carbo- and lipid-laden dishes, such as the burger and the fried chicken with tru ffle fries. The bar is a neighborhood favorite, known for tasty spirits and eye candy. 44 E. Blithedale Ave, 415.381.2500, bungalow44.com

California Healthy options become addicting ones at this Tam Valley eatery. Once you stop in for the deliciously fresh Hummus Yummus wrap, you’ll have to return to sample the Chipotle Sunrise Rice Bowl. A casual lunch spot and great for takeout, Café del Soul now offers a selection of quinoa options. 247 Shoreline Hwy, 415.388.1852, cafedelsoul.net

CANTINA Mexican

The popular family restaurant offers traditional Mexican fare including soups, salads, sandwiches and sizzling fajitas at lunch portions and prices. An outdoor fi re pit provides the option of alfresco dining, while the lively atmosphere indoors makes for a fun outing. Stop by for happy hour from 4 to 7 p.m. M-F for drinks and appetizers $5 and under. 651 E. Blithedale, 415.381.1070, thecantina.com

DIPSEA CAFE Comfort

This longtime breakfast spot has been serving up tasty pancakes and egg dishes with homemade biscuits since 1986. Try a biscuit with a poached egg and sausage — or just plain butter. Lunch specialties include BLTs, tuna melts and generous Cobb salads; enjoy Greek-inspired dinners in the later hours. 200 Shoreline Hwy, 415.381.0298, dipseacafe.com

EXTREME PIZZA American Pizza by the slice or pie — including gluten-free options. Come up with your own creation or choose one of the restaurant’s favorites, like the Mr. Pestato Head: homemade pesto sauce, potatoes, red onions, feta, fresh basil and mozzarella. 393 Miller Ave, 415.569.4134 , extremepizza.com

FRANTOIO RISTORANTE

ITALIANO Italian Known for its in-house olive press, superior olive oil and excellent Italian cuisine, this spot is a great choice for an intimate dinner, celebration and anything in bewteen. 152 Shoreline Hwy, 415.289.5777, frantoio.com

GRILLY’S RESTAURANT

Mexican Both the Mill Valley and Fairfax locations offer quick and healthy Mexican fare like grilled chicken, steak or veggie-fi lled burritos with glutenfree and vegetarian options. 493 Miller Ave, 415.381.3278, grillys.com

HARMONY Chinese

Enjoy a lighter take on Chinese at this restaurant, nestled in the Strawberry Village. Pair your pick with wine, beer or tea. Be sure to check out the weekday lunch special for an excellent deal. Strawberry Village, 415.381.5300, harmonyrestaurant group.com

Mexican Joe’s serves up tast y fi sh tacos, burritos and enchiladas as well as more unusual items like Mexican pizza, tofu salad and crab tostadas. Colorful interior and quick service make this a fun, easy stop. If there are too many unsupervised kids for a peaceful meal, takeout is easy too. If you stay, grab a selection of hot sauce bottles from the wall and fi nd your perfect match. 382 Miller Ave, 415.383.8164, joestacolounge.com

LA BOULANGE BAKERY

French Known for authentic French pastries and coffee served in a bowl, La Boulange — especially its outdoor area — is always crowded. Stop by for lunch and enjoy an open-faced sandwich at one of the indoor, picnic-style tables. Strawberry Village, 415.381.1260, laboulangebakery.com

LA GINESTRA Italian

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

CAFE DEL SOUL

Panettone

LUCINDA’S MEXICAN

FOOD Mexican This closet-size eatery offthe highway is treasured by regulars for its friendly service and authentic Mexican food. Ingredients are fresh and the burritos are highly recommended. The space itself is tiny, so call ahead to bypass the line. 930 Redwood Hwy, 415.388.0754

MAMA’S ROYAL CAFE

American Locals love this fabulous kitschdecorated breakfast spot. The menu offers crepes, brioche French toast and other a.m. specialties served all day; stay awhile and try the sandwiches for lunch. 393 Miller Ave, 415.388.3261

MILL VALLEY

BEERWORKS American

Known for handcrafted beers, imported and local microbrews and house-made kombucha and root beer, this popular downtown Mill Valley neighborhood brewery recently doubled its space and expanded its food and

beverage menu. 173 Throckmorton Ave, 415.888.8218, mill valleybeerworks.com

NOURISH GRILL

American This restaurant for the Club at Harbor Point is situated on the waterfront and open to the public. Open for brunch, lunch and dinner, it serves classics like grilled shrimp, and an all-American clubhouse burger. 475 E Strawberry Dr, 415.381.4400, nourish.harbor-point.com

PIAZZA D’ANGELO

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

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Margaritas at Saylor’s in Sausalito

Marin Magazine Celebrates ART!

This year we’re once again excited about our partnership with Marin Open Studios, the popular art exhibit that takes place two weekends in May — May 3–4 and May 10–11 — throughout Marin County.

Gallery Route One is a nonprofit art organization/Alternative Art Gallery/Community Service through visual art.

Geraldine LiaBraaten: May 9–June 15 Open Secrets, GRO Artist Members: June 20–July 27 The BOX SHOW: Aug 1–Sept. 14. Image: Theatre Box by Todd Fellows.

Gallery Route One Closed Tuesdays 11101 Highway 1, Point Reyes Station, CA 415.663.1347 galleryrouteone.org

Toko Shinoda’s lithographs are included in the gallery collection which contains many works on paper by 20th and 21st century Asian artists.

Established in San Francisco as Satori Gallery in 1982, the gallery is now located in Sausalito. “Gallery Open House” events and changing exhibitions.

ROBERTA ENGLISH Contemporary Asian Arts Hours by Appointment Sausalito, CA 415.331.2975 renglish@pacbell.net robertaenglish.com

PIATTI RISTORANTE

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

PIZZA ANTICA Italian

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

THE PLANT CAFE

California One of San Francisco’s favorite organic cafes has found a home north of the Golden Gate. The Plant offrs affrdable, delicious and healthy food made from local, organic ingredients. Stop by for the

California-inspired meal, raw organic juice, a diet-supplementing smoothie or a delicious dessert. Strawberry Village Shopping Center, 415.388.8658, theplantcafe.com

PRABH INDIAN KITCHEN Indian Owned and operated by the Singh family, this restaurant is dedicated to serving healthy, organic and sustainable food with gluten-free and vegan options. Dishes include chicken pakora, vegetable biryani and basil garlic naan. 24 Sunnyside Ave, 415.384.8241, prabh indiankitchen.com

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

SHORELINE COFFEE

SHOP American Tucked away in a parking lot at Tam Junction, this coffee shop is a funky diner with a smalltown feel. Enjoy the mix of Mexican and traditional breakfast fare. 221 Shoreline Hwy, 415.388.9085

SOL FOOD Puerto Rican

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

SUPER DUPER BURGER

American “Fast food burgers, slow food values” is this burger joint’s motto. Prepared with 100 percent allnatural beef that’s ground fresh daily, these patties will make your mouth water. Pies and cookies are baked in-house, and shakes, wit h fl avors like cookies & cream and double chocolate and chips, are made with organic Straus

• EL PASEO American

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

Creamery soft-serve from Petaluma. Sit at one of 20 indoor or outdoor tables or take away in environmentally friendly, compostable containers. 430 Miller Ave, 415.380.8555, superdupersf.com

SWEETWATER MUSIC HALL CAFE American Located at the entrance of Sweetwater Music Hall, the cafe is a small oasis of calm, dedicated to the F.L.O.S.S. philosophy: Fresh, Local, Organic, Seasonal and Sustainable. O ffering breakfast, lunch, dinner and weekend brunch, the menu includes brown-butter scrambled eggs on avocado toast, crispy chicken sliders with gingery cabbage slaw and vegan Thai spring rolls with sweet and sour sauce. 19 Corte Madera Ave, 415.388.3850, sweet watermusichall.com

TAMALPIE Italian Pizzas are crafted from a 1,500-year-old recipe, with organic ingredients gathered from the farmers’ market twice weekly. Sit indoors or out and enjoy starters

like creamy polenta, salads and pies with names like Hoo-kooE-koo and Railroad Grade. 477 Miller Ave, 415.388.7437, tamalpiepizza.com

THAILAND RESTAURANT Thai

This cozy spot next to Whole Foods caters to diners with all kinds of dietary needs and restrictions such as gluten-free, lactose intolerant and peanut allergies. It is open for lunch and dinner and the menu incorporates free-range chicken and organic, locally grown produce. 721 E. Blithedale Ave, 415.381.1800, millvalley thailand.com

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

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

TONY TUTTO PIZZA Italian Tony has been pouring his passion for pizza into his daily dishes for two decades and his menu now includes family recipes. Expect creative, artisan-style pizza featuring the best imported, natural and local organic ingredients. Take out or dine in; mostly outdoor seating, so dress accordingly. 246 E. Blithedale Ave, 415.383.8646, tonytuttopizza.com

VASCO Italian Whether you’re at a table, the bar or the back counter, you can expect an intimate and tasty dining experience in this one-room trattoria. Try one of the pasta dishes or thincrust wood fi red pizzas. 106 Throckmorton Ave, 415.381.3343, vascomillvalley.com

WEEZY’S GRASS

FED SHED American Weezy’s has come to Mill Valley, adding to the already extensive array of burgers in the area. The slidersized offerings make sampling two patties a perfectly acceptable option. 507 Miller Ave, weezys-shed.com

Black Forest Brownie

NOVATO

BOCA PIZZERIA Italian

Enjoy authentic pizza prepared with fresh mozzarella made in-house daily and tomatoes imported from Italy. Other menu items include grilled rosemary chicken sandwiches and braised beef short rib pappardelle. Enjoy weekly specials, such as 50 percent off all wines by the bottle on Wednesdays and half off raft beers on Thursdays. 454 Ignacio Blvd, 415.883.2302, bocapizzeria.com

CHIANTI CUCINA

Italian This cozy eatery features an array of Italian and American choices, including a long list of pasta options; try the house-made ravioli cooked up by chef Chris Harman. 7416 Redwood Hwy, 415.878.0314, chiantinovato.com

EXTREME PIZZA

American Pizza by the slice or pie — including gluten-free options. Come up with your own creation or choose one of the restaurant’s favorites, like the Mr. Pestato Head: homemade pesto sauce, potatoes, red onions, feta, fresh basil and mozzarella. 104 Vintage Way, 415.898.6575, extremepizza.com

FINNEGAN’S MARIN

American This restaurant — self-described as an “American bar and grill meets Irish pub” — features tasty appetizers, grilled fl atbread pizzas, entrées such as New York steak and garlic herb chicken and a full bar. 877 Grant Ave, 415.899.1516, finnegansmarin.co

THE GARDEN BISTRO

Mediterranean Fresh, local ingredients combine in dishes that are a tasty representation of Greek cuisine. The appetizer sampler includes dolmas, falafel, hummus, baba

Coconut Cupcakes at Flour Craft in San Anselmo

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ghanoush, pita, tomato tahini and cucumber yogurt mint dipping sauce. 333 Enfrente Rd, 415.883.9277, gardenmedrestaurant.com

HILLTOP 1892 California

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

LEFT COAST DEPOT

American Located in Old Town Novato, this eatery serves breakfast, lunch and dinner prepared by chef Mike Garcia, formerly of Toast. Menu items include sticky ribs, roasted beet and cauli flower salad and old-fashioned meatloaf. Ask your server about the nightly three-course Depot Dinner Meal. 807 Grant Ave, 415.897.7707, leftcoastdepot.com

MUSCIO’S Italian Largeplate Italian food, inspired by the tradition of family dinners. Meals include Mom’s Fettuccine with Prawns (gluten-free rigatoni available), My Sister’s Minestrone Soup and pesto chicken pizza. The kids’ menu ensures the whole family will enjoy an evening at Muscio’s. 1200 Grant Ave, 415.898.2234, muscios.com

RICKEY’S RESTAURANT & BAR

American Besides a full-service restaurant and bar (with banquet and meeting rooms), this comfort food bastion offers poolside dining and a garden patio overlooking green lawns. Visit during the summer from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. for live jazz to accompany your meal. 250 Entrada Dr, 415.883.9477, rickeysrestaurant.com

RUSTIC BAKERY

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

SMASHBURGER

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

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

WILDFOX American Perched on the hillside off ighway 101, this rustic eatery with a mesquite grill features a menu full of comfort dishes, like seafood risotto with butternut squash. In the mood for a cigar? The restaurant has a lengthy list of options. 225 Alameda del Prado, 415.883.9125, wildfoxrestaurant.com

SAN ANSELMO

BISTRO 330 French Bistro 330 features simple French cuisine — think steak frites, mussels and crème brûlée — in the heart of San Anselmo. 330 San Anselmo Ave, 415.460.6330

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

COMFORTS CAFE American This cozy spot features local favorites made with local ingredients. Stop in for breakfast, lunch, weekend brunch and offerings from the delicious deli selection.

Be sure to try the Philly cheesesteak and Chinese chicken salad, both classics. 335 San Anselmo Ave, 415.454.9840, comfortscafe.com

CUCINA RESTAURANT AND WINE BAR Italian Relax with a glass of wine and have a slice of the savory thin crust pizza , fi nished with toppings like tru ffle oil and fontina cheese. 510 San Anselmo Ave, 415.454.2942, cucinarestaurantand winebar.com

FLOUR CRAFT BAKERY

California Flour Craft is San Anselmo’s answer to local gluten-free needs: Artisan pastries, fresh bread, desserts, special occasion cakes and lunch items are all gluten- and peanutfree. Customer favorites include the Earl Grey Chocolate Tea Cake and Flourless Hazelnut Fudge. 702 San Anselmo Ave, 415.453.3100, flourcraftbakery.co

INSALATA’S Mediterranean Award-winning chef Heidi Krahling offers Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes prepared with local organic produce and artisan meats. 120 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.457.7700, insalatas.com

L’APPART RESTO

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

LA LOGGIA Italian

Inspired by an Italian culture that celebrates local, artisanal food and wine, this cafe and vinoteca is a community gathering place serving delicious, fresh food. Dishes include ragu Bolognese on polenta and braised pork shoulder sliders. 500 San Anselmo Ave, 415.234.8698, laloggiasa.com

LINCOLN PARK WINE

BAR American Choose between an intimate setting at the marble bar with vintage stools or a lively atmosphere in the lounge room with built-in banquettes. Adhering to a farm-totable and grape-to-glass philosophy, the Lincoln Park Wine Bar serves locally sourced and organic food and wine. 198 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.453.9898, lincolnparkwine.com

MARINITAS Mexican

The sister restaurant of Insalata’s, Marinitas continues to flourish as a bastion of creative Latin cuisine in Marin. It may not be as low-priced as most Mexican restaurants in the area, but this is not your typical south-ofthe-border spot. The festive atmosphere and funky decor complement the excellent food.

218 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.454.8900, marinitas.net

MH BREAD &

BUTTER

California This one-stop shop offers everything from coffee and pastries to artisan bread and braised meats. Highquality ingredients and a comfortable atmosphere make MH worth checking out. 101 San Anselmo Ave, 415.755.4575, mhbreadandbutter.com

Osso Bucco at Il Fornaio in Corte Madera

PIZZALINA Italian

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

TACO JANE’S Mexican

Named after the owner’s mother, this casual, colorful place welcomes the whole family. Don’t miss out on Jane’s handmade agave margarita or grilled plantains with crema. 21 Tamalpais Ave, 415.454.6562, tacojanes.com

SAN GERONIMO

TWO BIRD CAFÉ

California This roadside cafe has it all, including fresh fi sh and goodies from the garden. These guys were doing local and sustainable before it was cool. Enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner and live music. 625 San Geronimo Valley Dr, 415.488.0105, twobirdcafe.com

SAN RAFAEL

AMICI’S EAST COAST

PIZZERIA

ARIZMENDI BAKERY

California A workerowned bakery, Arzimendi prides itself on using the freshest, most local ingredients available. 1002 Fourth St, 415. 456.4093, arizmendibakery.org

BROKEN DRUM BREWERY & WOOD GRILL American O ffering a wide array of eats, handcrafted and local beers and live music, the Broken Drum is a hot spot for Rafael Theater patrons (10 percent off entire bill with your ticket stub), passersby and regulars. You’ll fi nd live music Friday and Saturday nights, tacos on Tuesdays and Bloody Marys all day on Sundays. 1132 Fourth St, 415.456.4677, brokendrum.com

CHALET BASQUE

French This familystyle place features dishes inspired by the Basque regions of France and Spain, like frog legs in a garlic butter and lemon sauce, a veal calf liver sauté and sweetbreads with port wine sauce and mushrooms. On a warm night, enjoy alfresco dining on the outdoor patio. 405 North San Pedro Rd, 415.479.1070, chaletbasquemarin.com

California

The wide array of thincrust pizza includes the Siciliano, an enticing mix of mozzarella, slow-roasted garlic, sausage, broccoli and crushed red pepper fl akes, sans tomato sauce. Gluten free crust is available. 1242 Fourth St, 415.455.9777, amicis.com

CREPEVINE American Bistro/Creperie Choose from a diverse menu of savory crepes, with favorites like the Italian crepe, fi lled with roasted peppers, eggplant, onions, artichoke hearts, tomato sauce and mozzarella. Sweet and savory crepes are available all day long, as are all breakfast items. 908 Fourth St, 415.257.8822, crepevine.com

Fire-Roasted Raw Asparagus and Six-Minute Egg

SERVES 4

Ingredients

2 pounds asparagus, cleaned and trimmed (remove tough ends and set aside 4–5 stalks to be sliced on a mandoline, raw)

Extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

4 ounces pancetta

4 large eggs

2 cups pea shoots, cleaned and dried, with any coarse stems removed, cut into 1-inch cubes

Lemon

To prepare

1 Heat oven to 450° F. 2 Coat whole asparagus in olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast until tender, about 6–7 minutes. 3 Meanwhile, heat a sauté pan over a low flame. Once the pan is hot, place the pancetta in the pan and cook until brown and crispy. 4 To cook the eggs, bring a small saucepan full of water to a boil and reduce to a low simmer. Gently lower in the eggs. 5 After 6 minutes, remove the eggs, place them in an ice bath to stop cooking and set aside. 6 Slice remaining asparagus into long, thin strips with a mandoline (or use a vegetable peeler). 7 Combine in small bowl with pea shoots and dress with extra-virgin olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper. 8 To assemble, divide the asparagus evenly between four plates. Sprinkle the asparagus with the cooked pancetta and dressed raw asparagus and pea shoots. 9 Cut the eggs in half, season them with salt and adorn each plate with two egg halves.

California Coastal Cuisine

WHAT DO YOU get when you give Piatti’s former executive chef access to Small Shed Flatbreads’ cozy space and historic Alan Scott (named after the man who popularized brick ovens and championed their use) wood oven? Molina, Todd Shoberg’s new California-centric eatery (he partnered with Small Shed owner Ged Robertson on the venture). Entering the Mill Valley restaurant, patrons will notice a large mural on the back wall that pays homage to the flora and fauna of Mount Tamalpais and reflects Shoberg’s goal of using fresh locally grown items. “Molina’s food is focused on the ingredient first,” says Shoberg. “Right now, I believe the best ingredient at the market is the asparagus from Zuckerman’s Farm. We use our Alan Scott wood oven to get that high smoky heat on the asparagus, and it is just incredible. Farm eggs, of course from the market, are also so great, and with that runny yolk, this dish is just so simple and beautiful.” The name Molina is also a nod to local roots: It’s a Spanish/Italian surname for a family whose members worked at a mill. molinarestaurant.com CALIN VAN PARIS

Local chef Todd Shoberg fires up the best ingredients in town.

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

IL DAVIDE Italian A large selection of both Italian and California wines by the glass, along with the tiramisu, have kept locals coming back for years. Don’t leave without sampling the limoncello. 901 A St, 415.454.8080, ildavide.net

LOTUS RESTAURANT

Indian Family-owned and operated, Lotus serves up North Indian cuisine with vegan and vegetarian options in a casual pink-tablecloth setting with an energy efficient kitchen. The reasonably priced dishes are made with local organic ingredients. 704 Fourth St, 415.456.5808, lotusrestaurant.com

MULBERRY STREET

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

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

ODALISQUE CAFÉ

Mediterranean This casual art cafe was inspired by La Grande Odalisque, an 1814 oil painting by JeanAuguste-Dominque Ingres. Menu items are built from seasonal items available at farmers’ markets and include pan-seared scallops, roasted butternut squash risotto and a variety of pizzettas. 1335 Fourth St, 415.460.1335, odalisquecafe.com

PANAMA HOTEL RESTAURANT

American The dinner menu offers a large selection of options — from tortilla soup to wild mushroom raviolis — but it’s the Sunday brunch menu that will keep the kids happy; try the Panama Wa ffle served with bananas, warm chocolate sauce and whipped cream, along with a pitcher of “make-your-own” mimosas for the adults. The tropical garden is a prime spot for people watching. 4 Bayview St, 415.457.3993, panamahotel.com

Ever since Terrestra opened in San Francisco, customers from Novato to Sausalito have been coming across the bridge and asking us to open in Marin. We were listening. Our new store in downtown Mill Valley is filled with thousands of fabulous gifts and decorative accessories, jewelry and fine leather goods, and everything for creative entertaining.

‘‘I wish Terrestra were right here in Marin!’’

PHO VIET Vietnamese

This family-owned restaurant features food from the former chef of Le Cheval in Oakland.

The large menu offers a wide variety of traditional Vietnamese dishes at a ffordable prices. 555 E. Francisco Blvd, 415.455.8063, phovietmarin.com

PIZZA ORGASMICA

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

RISTORANTE LA

TOSCANA Italian This family-owned restaurant has been serving authentic Italian cuisine for more than 20 years. The menu features classics like pappardelle al cinghiale (pasta with wild boar and porcini sugo), gnocchi, cannelloni and carbonara, as well as a decent selection of

wine by the glass or the bottle. 3751 Redwood Hwy, 415.492.9100, ristorantelatoscana.com

SAN RAFAEL JOE’S

Italian Guido and Theresa Farina run this Marin institution, famous for sophisticated yet casual Italian fare since 1947. The dining room boasts a friendly atmosphere and seating for 240, making it great for large parties. The roast sirloin of beef and Fettuccine Joe’s are sure to please. 931 Fourth St, 415.456.2425, srjoes.com

SOL FOOD Puerto Rican 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 sandwich, mofongo and fried plantains, but anything tastes good with a dash of the eatery’s signature hot sauce, which is for sale by the bottle (as is the lemon-garlic salad dressing). 901 Lincoln

Ave, 415.451.4765, solfoodrestaurant.com

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

TAJ OF MARIN Indian Delicious North and South Indian cuisine, from the $8.95 lunch special to dinners that include goat curry, spinach, lentils and tandoori. Gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian options available. 909 Fourth St, 415.459.9555, tajofmarin.com

TERRAPIN CROSSROADS

American This waterfront restaurant and music venue — opened by local musician Phil Lesh — houses fresh food and local talent. The menu includes salads, savory dishes and wood-fi red pizzas to go with a wide selection

of beers, wines and cocktails. Come for the food, stay for the music. 100 Yacht Club Dr, 415.524.2773, terrapin crossroads.net

THERESA & JOHNNY’S COMFORT FOOD

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

TOMATINA Italian

Inspired by the La Tomatina festival in Bunol, Spain, Tomatina offers fresh pizza, pastas and more. For a classic Italian dish, try meatball calzone, or think outside the box with a hummus piadina. 5800 Northgate Mall, 52, 415.479.3200, tomatina.com

VIN ANTICO American

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

WHIPPER SNAPPER RESTAURANT California/Caribbean Owner and chef Bill Higgins serves reasonably priced and delicious tapas. Save room for deliciou s fi sh tacos and yummy chocolate bread pudding. On Sundays, try the $3 glasses of sangria. 1613 Fourth St, 415.256.1818, whipsnap.biz

YET WAH Chinese Named for the founder’s wife (“Yet” refers to the moon, “Wah” to brightness), this beloved mainstay offers a traditional Chinese menu accompanied by daily dim sum. Expect live music in the Kung Fu Lounge. 1238 Fourth St, 415.460.9883, yetwahsanrafael.com

SAUSALITO

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

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

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

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

BARREL HOUSE

TAVERN California

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

CIBO Cafe Cibo is a great place to a sip a quick cup of coffee outdoors. Husbandand-wife team Alfredo and Tera Ancona offer a menu of tarts, croissants, cookies, paninis and soups. Every dish is made from scratch with local and seasonal products. 1201 Bridgeway, 415.331.2426, cibosausalito.com

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

Ceviche Trio at Pacific Catch in Corte Madera

DAVEY JONES DELI

American Stationed in the New Bait Shop Market, Davey Jones Deli boasts houseroasted sandwich meats, healthy condiments and local, organic vegetables. The deli offers sandwiches, veggiewiches, wraps and salads with vegetarian, vegan and meat-lover options. 1 Gate 6 Rd, 415.331.2282, daveyjonesdeli.com

FAST FOOD FRANCAIS

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

FENG NIAN Chinese

This spacious hangout has been a popular spot for wonton soup, pot stickers and daily specials for nearly two decades. For an treat, order the Szechwan crispy calamari, honeyglazed walnut prawn or lemon chicken. Staying in? Feng Nian offers free delivery. 2650 Bridgeway, 415.331.5300, fengnian.com

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

KITTI’S PLACE Thai/ California Owner Kitti Suthipipiat was the cook at Comforts in San Anselmo for many years and brings a certain knack for delicious Chinese chicken salad to her own endeavor. The regular menu items are sure to please, but try the weekly specials as well. 3001 Bridgeway, 415.331.0390, kittisplace.com

LE GARAGE French

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

MURRAY CIRCLE

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

NAPA VALLEY BURGER COMPANY American Incorporating local, all-natural and organic produce and meats, this burger joint serves up classic and inventive gourmet patties (gluten-free buns available), fries, root beer floats and more. With outdoor and indoor tables, the space can accommodate up to 100 people. 670 Bridgeway, 415.332.1454, napavalleyburger company.com

www.StoneTreeGolf.com (415) 209-6296

PHOTOS: EMILYSCANNELL.COM AND LIZFOOTEPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

MARIN

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SPEAK UP

Match

Cassie ZampaKeim, CEO and Founder at Innovative

Innovative Match is the top selective search firm for singles, specializing in working with educated, successful and professional singles who are serious about finding a highquality partner. With our wealth of experience in the industry, we skillfully handle all aspects of your online search. In addition, we may coordinate personalized introductions through our social network in select cities. Our unique approach has achieved a high degree of success for the women and men we represent. Our work combines the personal touch of conventional matchmaking with the exciting world of online dating. It’s the new norm for upscale women and men to find a true life partner.

Jeff Deleuse, co-owner at Deleuse Jewelers

Deleuse Jewelers has been a family business since getting its start in 1945. My father John Deleuse began his career in horology after graduating in 1934 from the Ecole Nationale d’Horlogie de Cluses in France and opened his first store in Nice, France, his hometown. In 1982, my wife, Janet Deleuse, and I opened Deleuse Jewelers in Marin County. I am a graduate gemologist and certified appraiser offering professional services and specializing in fine diamonds. I am also a member of the American Gem Society and the American Gem Trade Association. Janet Deleuse is an accepted member of the Contemporary Jewelry Design Group.

Briefly describe your business philosophy. Continuing the tradition established by my father, John Deleuse, our family business is still family-owned and -operated. We specialize in the finest quality gems and diamond jewelry — our jewelry is handfabricated in 18k gold and platinum. We adhere to the strict standards of the American Gem Trade Association, American Gem Society and the Gemological Institute.

What is your competitive edge?

My education and 32-plus years of experience in the jewelry industry

Why was Innovative Match started?

Innovative Match was created from the belief that online dating is one of the most practical and efficient ways to meet someone. Many professionals are too busy to manage their profiles.

What makes your work worthwhile?

We truly enjoy helping people navigate what can be overwhelming, making it manageable, fun and successful. When our clients tell us they met someone it makes our work very rewarding.

How can clients be sure that the type of people they are looking for use online dating services?

In reality, people who use online dating come from every social and economic class. There is someone for everyone online. Online dating has become the social norm in today’s world.

Describe your dream client/customer.

While Innovative Match works with men and women of all ages, the firm focuses on divorced and widowed women and men in their mid-40s through early 70s.

INNOVATIVE MATCH, 415.747.8699, INNOVATIVE-MATCH.COM

are extremely valuable assets; these are skills that cannot be learned from reading guides.

I have complete gemological testing equipment in our store and I do not have to depend on outside appraisers.

Describe your dream client/ customer.

I consider all customers to be dream customers and appreciate each person coming into our store for our services.

Your thoughts regarding working with a spouse, family or partner? Janet and I have worked together from the start and we depend on one another for different aspects of the business. It is a relief to know that the work is done within the family. Our son has also worked in our store since he was a boy. We maintain a professional atmosphere in our store.

DELEUSE JEWELERS, 1771 TIBURON BOULEVARD, TIBURON, 415.435.2484, DELEUSE@DELEUSEJEWELERS.COM, DELEUSEJEWELERS.COM

OSTERIA DIVINO

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

PIZZERIA ROSSETTI

Italian A small array of appetizers and salads augment an impressive pizza menu, with options like the Boscaiola (tomato sauce, mozzarella, wild mushrooms and Molinari spicy sausage) and Gruviera (Gruyère, carmelized onions, pancetta and thyme). 45 Caledonia St, 415.887.9526, pizzeriarossetti.com

POGGIO Italian A classic trattoria with comfortable neighborhood charm and destination-caliber cuisine. Executive chef Benjamin Balesteri creates delicious Northern Italian fare using fresh and local ingredients, including produce from the nearby Poggio chef garden. 777 Bridgeway, 415.332.7771, poggiotratoria.com

SALITO’S Seafood

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

SAYLOR’S RESTAURANT AND BAR Mexican Marin’s fi rst tequila bar offers more than 100 varieties.

Enjoy the festive atmosphere with a margarita, grilled snapper tacos or an avocado stu ffed with Dungeness crab salad. Happy hour M-F from 4 to 7 p.m. 2009 Bridgeway, 415.332.1512, saylorsrestaurantand bar.com

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

SEAHORSE Italian The spacious dining area, accompanied by a dance floor and stage, make Seahorse ideal for both small and large celebrations. Enjoy a modern twist on classic Tuscan coastal cuisine while grooving to the nightly live music and entertainment. 305 Harbor Dr, 415.331.2899, sausalitoseahorse.com

SPINNAKER Seafood Chef Phil Collins excels at preparing seafood, and it shows in the beautifully plated presentations. Set right on the water with sweeping views of San Francisco, this romantic spot is great for an evening occasion. 100 Spinnaker Dr, 415.332.1500, thespinnaker.com

SUSHI RAN Japanese Sample innovative small plates just big enough to share before enjoying some of the best sushi the Bay Area has to offer; the prices don’t deter the herd of enthusiasts who line up nightly to partake. Just stopping by? The wine, cocktail and

WHY SUFFER?

Dr. Cokgor’s caring treatment can bring relief starting in the next 24 hours.

Specializing in treatment of all adult and pediatric neurology and neuro oncology.

Relieve suffering from . . .

• Migraine and other headache types

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sake lists keep even the pickiest bar fly satisfied. Reservations are required in the main room. 107 Caledonia St, 415.332.3620, sushiran.com

THE TRIDENT Seafood Set in a turn-of-thecentury building constructed in 1898 for the San Francisco Yacht Club, this waterfront restaurant is a shoe-in for date night. Executive chef James Montejano — known for supporting local farmers, fi shermen and organic food producers — prepares dishes like Sugar Spice Grilled Loch Duart Salmon and Trident Cioppino. 558 Bridgeway, 415.331.3232, thetridentsausalito.com

WELLINGTON’S

California British transplant Jeremy John and his wife, Jill, have created an expansive (2,400-square-foot) wine bar with a homey feel including comfy leather couches, board games, views of the bay and a worldly cellar

featuring a ffordable bottles and special reserves. 300 Turney St, 415.331.9463, wellingtonswine.com

TIBURON

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

DON ANTONIO TRATTORIA Italian

Located in Tiburon’s historic Ark Row, this trattoria offers authentic Italian cuisine in a quaint setting. The menu includes traditional courses with selections such as chicken piccata, organic roasted rack of lamb and housemade pesto. 114 Main St, 415.435.0400, donantoniotrattoria.com

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

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

SALT & PEPPER

American This sunfi lled, one-room restaurant, featuring hardwood floors and blue-checkered tablecloths, is a local favorite. 38 Main St, 415.435.3594

SAM’S ANCHOR CAFE

American Everyone knows Sam’s deck is the prime spot for brunch

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

SERVINO RISTORANTE Italian Executive Chef Massimo Covello comes to the kitchen via Frantoio and Piazza D’Angelo; here, he cooks up an array of rustic Italian dishes, including house-made pastas, wood oven pizzas and seasonal specialties. 9 Main St, 415.435.2676, servino.com

TIBURON TAVERN California The atmosphere here is truly enchanting, with two outdoor patios, two indoor fi replaces and candlelit tables at dinner. 1651 Tiburon Blvd, 415.435.5996, tiburontavern.com

WEST MARIN

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

OSTERIA STELLINA

California Whether it’s to cap off a ay of hiking or celebrate a romantic anniversary, Osteria Stellina suits any occasion. The menu is Italian-inspired and features local, organic ingredients. (Point Reyes). 11285 Hwy 1, 415.663.9988, osteriastellina.com

PARKSIDE CAFE

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

PINE CONE DINER

American A favorite for locals as well as tourists (Point Reyes Station). 60 Fourth St, 415.663.1536, pineconediner.com

RANCHO NICASIO

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

SAND DOLLAR

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

THE LUNCH BOX

American Spending the day on the coast? Stop by this modern day mom and pop deli for some beach bites. In addition to deli offrings,

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

SIR & STAR AT THE OLEMA California

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

STATION HOUSE CAFE

American Fresh local homegrown foods, served when available, are showcased on the chef’s menu. Stop in on weekends for live music and enticing wine and beer lists (Point Reyes Station). 11180 State Rte One, 415.663.1515, stationhousecafe.com

SURFERS GRILL

American The view doesn’t get better than this — nor does the Surf Salad. Built right on Stinson Beach, this casual lunch spot offers up fresh, organic salads alongside corn dogs, burgers and fries (Stinson). Stinson Beach Park, Hwy 1, 415.868.1777, surfersgrill.com

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

Risotto at Cibo in Sausalito

New Seasonal Menu! Featuring vegetarian

Brick & Bottle

Voted “Best Take-out” and “Best Caterer”, Comforts offers fine city and home-style food. Join us for breakfast or lunch in our cafe, or take home lunch or dinner from our wide take-out selection. Graduation season is here and we can provide a number of delicious selections for your celebration. Contact catering for more details!

415.924.3366 Corte Madera, CA brickandbottle.com

55 Tamal Vista Blvd

Specialties include mesquite-grilled steaks and fish , house-made pastas, fresh salads and soups, a wide variety of desserts, and fresh baked bread along with artisan cocktails and a Wine Spectator award-winning wine list. Each month, a special regional dinner menu is featured. Groups of all sizes are welcome!

Il Fornaio

223 Corte Madera Town Ctr 415.927.4400 Corte Madera, CA ilfornaio.com

Comforts Cafe 335 San Anselmo Ave

415.454.9840 San Anselmo, CA comfortscafe.com

Visit the Seafood Peddler for the freshest seafood Marin has to offer, shipped in daily from the east coast to West! Enjoy the view indoors or enjoy our beautiful flower lined patio. Come enjoy our daily Happy Hour (including weekends) from 4:00 to 7:00PM.

Seafood Peddler

303 Johnson Street 415.332.1492 Sausalito, CA seafoodpeddler.com

The Lunch Box offers unique and intriguing sandwiches, salads and soups, perfect for a bite on the go or lunch on the beach. Reserve your Picnic Lunch in the Park with refreshments and homemade desserts for $21 per person. Catering and special orders available seven days a week at catering@lunchboxmarin.com

The Lunch Box 15 Calle Del Mar 415.868.8884 Stinson Beach, CA lunchboxmarin.com

The Counter offers all-natural, humanely-raised beef and 312,120+ combinations to build your own burger. The Counter is a great place for family, friends, great music and a full bar. Voted best burger in Bay Area by SFGate.com readers on Bay Area A-List 2010-2014. ‘LIKE’ us on www.facebook.com/TheCounterCorteMadera !

The Counter 201 Town Center 415.924.7000 Corte Madera, CA thecounterburger.com

dishes and bar bite specials like Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup, Crispy Blue Lake Green Beans, Roasted Baby Artichoke Salad and Veggie Yukon Potato Gnocchi. Daily Happy Hour Deals. Intimate dining rooms and catering available.

On the Scene

THROCKMORTON THEATRE 10TH ANNIVERSARY BASH It was special-guests galore at the March 29 event celebrating the Throckmorton Theatre’s 10th anniversary and the 100th anniversary of the building.

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

MO DELONG (THROCKMORTON); KEN FRIEDMAN (BREAD & ROSES)

Herbert and Barbara Kreissler and Aavo Agur

• HOSPICE BY THE BAY Supporters of Hospice by the Bay were honored March 15 at the Falkirk Cultural Center as part of the Mary Taverna Quality of Life Reception. The nonprofit is the second oldest hospice in the nation and the first in California.

• BREAD & ROSES Bobby McFerrin and his children provided musical entertainment at the Bread & Roses 40th anniversary celebration held March 1 at the Marin Center. Guests were also treated to a gourmet dinner.

Bobby McFerrin and Rita Moreno

•

Mark Pitta and Charles Fleischer

Markita Schulman, Tammy Edmonson and Ethan Schulman

Lucy Mercer and Danny Slomoff

• FLYING WITH DRAGONS An allstar collection of musicians, including members of the Santana band, and special guests gathered at Osher Marin JCC March 15 for a concert benefiting Blue Star Music Camps and Marin School of the Arts.

•

BOUQUETS

TO

ART

Artworks in the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco were highlighted by bouquets that paid tribute to the pieces at the 30th annual event March 18–23 held in the de Young Museum.

MO DELONG (BOUQUETS); DEBRA TARRANT (DRAGONS)

Tom Poole, Martin Luther, David Matthews and Sue Jewell

Liz Parrish, Les Wolff and Lynda Najarian

Kelli and Jimmy Dillon and Devyn Bullock

Jimmy and Rayna Bernard, Judy Berg and Jennifer Williams

Lisa Miller, Jeffrey Gibson and Carrie Goodman

School for All

Marin Conversations with Michelle Lewis and Vida Blue

Poverty shouldn’t mean academic failure, but it usually impacts both students’ performance and the character of schools. It’s not that poor kids can’t learn or that until we tackle poverty we won’t be able to educate all children in the US. We are seeing more examples of how poor children achieve at high levels when innovative schools respond to their needs and create environments conducive to learning. Please join Michelle Lewis, founder of Northern Light School, and Vida Blue discussing their remarkable success at Marin Conversations, May 6.

The Commonwealth Club and Marin Community Foundation present Marin Conversations, a monthly dialogue on important social issues, which meets at the Outdoor Art Club, One West Blithedale Avenue, Mill Valley.

Light dinner fare and cash bar at 7:00 pm; the program runs from 7:45 – 9:00 pm.

commonwealthclub.org/mc

Fort Mason Center, 2 Marina Blvd., Building A San Francisco, CA 94123 415-441-4777

sfmoma.org/visit/artists_gallery

Gallery Hours

Tuesday through Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Exhibition Dates June 7 – July 3, 2014

Doug Shoemaker Michele Sudduth

Opening reception: Saturday, June 7, 2014, 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.

happy mother ’ s day

Doug Shoemaker, Third St. Bridge, 2014; photo: courtesy of the artist

BY LAURA HILGERS • PHOTOS BY TIM PORTER

IT WAS LATE summer 2012 when Phil Alwitt and Natalie Kitamura Alwitt were about to go into escrow on a Lucas Valley house — and felt like something wasn’t right. Yes, they wanted to leave their big home in Larkspur and simplify their lives, returning to the mid-century architecture they loved. But this house wasn’t it.

So Natalie checked online and found a Terra Linda Eichler that excited her so much, thoughts of it ruined her sleep. What’s more, there was an open house the following day.

Their home is the epitome of mid-century cool, with 21st-century updates. Its lines are clean, the floors are white and emanate radiant heat, and the home is bathed in the natural light that’s at the root of Eichler’s indoor/outdoor living. “As designers, we appreciated all the details,” Natalie says.

Even the exterior gives off a ontemporary-art-museum vibe. The garage door is a sleek brushed aluminum, and a huge white ceramic urn sits dramatically by the entrance, like sculpture. The front door gives

Design Within Reach table, way too big for three people, fi lls up the room.

In the summer, the Alwitts’ parties spill out into the backyard, which creates the wonderful illusion of this being the only house for miles. The space has simple landscaping and a dark gray perimeter wall that has been artfully placed so you see nothing behind it but hills.

OK, yes, there is a ping-pong table on the deck, which effectively disrupts the perfect lines. But it announces that even in this most exquisitely designed house, a happy, playful family lives. And that’s pretty cool in itself. m Its lines are clean, the floors are white and emanate radiant heat, and the home is bathed in the natural light that’s at the root of Eichler’s indoor/outdoor living.

Phil advised her, “Be cool; don’t let the agents know how much you love this house.”

She was about as cool as a nerd at a sock hop, and they made an offer the next day. If the other house was the jilted bride, this was the perfect match. The 1960 home, which had been exquisitely redesigned by former owner (and realtor) Marika Sakellariou, resonated with the Alwitts, creative people themselves. Natalie is a graphic designer, Phil an industrial designer and entrepreneur.

way to a white stone Zen-like atrium that’s planted with black bamboo.

Inside is where it feels most serene and warm. The open, airy living space is backed by glass walls, overlooking the Terra Linda–Sleepy Hollow hills, where deer and wild turkey saunter by. A small but functional kitchen consisting of two 12-foot-long Treefrog Veneer islands divides the room, and it’s fitting that this is the focal point. The Alwitts and their teenage son are avid entertainers. Their

THE DETAILS

WHERE THEY PURCHASED The Terra Linda neighborhood of San Rafael

WHAT THEY BOUGHT A renovated four-bedroom Eichler

LISTING AGENT Marika Sakellariou, McGuire Real Estate

SELLING AGENT Howard Wynn

STATS Average price per square foot for homes in the neighborhood: $550–$650

Opposite page, clockwise from left: The living room; the atrium; a floral arrangement.

This page, clockwise from top left: The Alwitts; the backyard; a Phil-designed chair; the bathroom; the kitchen and dining area.

No One Sells More Homes in Belvedere-Tiburon Than Olivia Hsu Decker

For 35 years, Olivia has been living and working in Belvedere-Tiburon providing real estate services to home sellers and buyers in this beautiful community. Her knowledge and experience is priceless. Her marketing program to the most affluent clienteles is incomparable. Please call her for a no obligation consultation.

Olivia had sales over $2 billion with $200 million in 2013 alone. The following Belvedere-Tiburon properties were listed, sold, or both by Olivia in the past years:

Olivia Hsu Decker

Founder and Co-Owner

Decker Bullock Sotheby’s International Realty 10 Beach Road, Belvedere-Tiburon, CA 94920

Private Line 415.435.1600 | Private Fax 415.384.4011

Olivia @ SanFranciscoFineHomes.com www.SanFranciscoFineHomes.com

SALES

Gate (land)

Golden Gate 312 Golden Gate

Golden Gate

Golden Gate

Golden Gate

Golden Gate (sold 3 times)

Golden Gate

Golden Gate (sold twice)

Golden Gate

Madrona

Madrona

Pelican Point (land)

San Rafael

San Rafael

West Shore Rd.

West Shore Rd.

West Shore Rd.

West Shore Rd.

West Shore Rd. (listed and sold 3x)

West Shore 75 West Shore

West Shore Belvedere Lagoon: 16 Edgewater (sold twice) 5 Hilarita Cir. 48 Lagoon Rd. 66 Lagoon Rd. 18 Leeward 5 Maybridge 8 Peninsula Rd. Corinthian Island: 41 Alcatraz 47 Alcatraz 74 Bellevue 53 East View

TIBURON SALES

1 Acela 10 Audrey Ct. 347 Blackfield 5 Gilmartin Ct. 80 Gilmartin 110 Gilmartin (sold 3 times) 145 Gilmartin 180 Gilmartin 193 Gilmartin 200 Gilmartin (land) 11 Greenwood Ct. 144 Hacienda 1 High Meadow 18 Lagoon Rd. 24 Lagoon Rd. 1804 Lagoon View 1810 Lagoon View 48 Lyford 138 Lyford (sold twice) 2457 Mar East 28 Marinero Cir. #12 28 Marinero Cir. #21 72 Marinero Cir. 28 Meadow Hill 30 Meadow Hill 32 Meadow Hill 35 Meadow Hill 38 Meadow Hill 2 Miraflores 165 Miraflores 98 Mt. Tiburon 110 Mt. Tiburon 10 North Terrace 2 Old Landing Rd. 4 Old Landing Rd.

108 Paradise 2131 Paradise 2133 Paradise 2800 Paradise 2900 Paradise 3636 Paradise 3650 Paradise 3650 Paradise 3800 Paradise 11 Place Moulin (sold twice) 15 Place Moulin (sold twice) 5 Rolling Hill 211 Roundhill 350 Roundhill 188 Steward 820 Stonyhill 99 Sugarloaf 100 Sugarloaf 101 Sugarloaf 116 Sugarloaf 117 Sugarloaf 120 Sugarloaf 121Sugarloaf 131 Sugarloaf 133 Sugarloaf (sold 3 times) 140 Sugarloaf (sold twice) 1 Tanfield 6 Tara View 19 Tara Hill 46 Via Los Altos 68 Via Los Altos 103 Via Los Altos 5 Via Paraiso East 10 Via Paraiso East 11 Via Paraiso West 10 Wilkens Ct.

Olivia also represented the following land subdivision projects: 32 lots at Del Madera Estate, Tiburon 20, 30, 70, 80, 90, 100, 109, 111, 120, 139, 141, 143, 145, 147, 160, 180, 185, 189, 193 Gilmartin Dr. 5, 7, 9, 10, 23 Via Paraiso East 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 Via Paraiso West 13 lots at Tiburon Crest Phase II 88, 90, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103 Via Los Altos 3 lots at Meadowhill: 28 Meadowhill 30 Meadowhill 32 Meadowhill

(Partial List)

Beautiful Sanctuary on West Shore in Belvedere

Expansive views of Richardson Bay and Mount Tamalpais. Great room design with floor to ceiling windows throughout. Magnificent concrete fireplace designed by Buddie Rhodes, wide plank oak floors, waterfront dining room with an Ingo Maurer light. European inspired kitchen, six burner Viking stove, marble center island and zinc covered casual eating counter. An intimate patio area off the kitchen is perfect for dining and entertaining.

Spacious master bedroom with private waterside patio and an in ground stone hot tub and spa-like outdoor rain shower. The second bedroom has a custom zinc topped desk & bookshelves with private

patio garden. Additional master or guest suite located in a private wing upstairs with light and bright décor, window seat with sweeping water views. Study off living room could be fourth bedroom with access to professionally designed landscaping.

Julie Casady 415.246.3200 j.casady @ deckerbullocksir.com

for California. Ski-in/Ski-out trophy lots are almost nonexistent in Tahoe. Thats why these lots are a once in a lifetime opportunity to live the skier’s dream. Click in and out at your door step. Among the first chosen and owned by some of the original Martis Camp Investors. All three lots are adjacent to the amazing Martis Camp Ski Lodge and Northstars Martis Camp Express Lift which are both amenities that set the standard for high end ski luxury. Spoil yourself during the ski season and then enjoy all the amazing Martis Camp amenities in the off season.

Tiburon’s Award-Winning Modern Marvel

Architecturally stunning Chen Designed home beautifully built by Thompson and Brooks with impeccable attention to detail. The home also features a recent addition designed by Sheahan and Quandt. A narrow palette of materials and colors, and a modern approach and aesthetic combine with the warmth and sensuality of natural surfaces and textures to re-create a warm and inviting home of this classic 1950’s California ranch. The home has panoramic bay views. Nestled away in a very private location behind a beautiful gate, this sanctuary is the perfect escape from the city and only 10 minutes from the Golden Gate Bridge. The award winning landscape designed by Surface Design Inc. and Topher Delaney is sprawling with lush grass and unique terrain. A dream yard for any child. The brilliant floor plan boasts 5 Bedrooms and 7.5 Bathrooms,

Moseley

Another

Spectacular Frank Lloyd Wright-Inspired Gated Estate 711 Fawn Drive, San Anselmo

Anyone can list a home. Selling a home in the first week with multiple offers over the asking price is another story. The 711 Fawn Drive Success Story is the direct result of outstanding property preparation and presentation, a smart pricing strategy, stunning photography and impactful marketing.

Please contact me for more information on the successful sale of this home or if you would like to meet to discuss how to best present and market your home.

Let’s tell the next success story.

Exclusively represented by Thomas Henthorne 415.847.5584

30 Meadow Hill Dr., Tiburon Listed at $3,500,000

Represented Buyer and Seller. Located in one of the most prestigious neighborhoods in Tiburon, this is truly one of Marin’s finest estates. Sweeping Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, Belvedere Lagoon and Richardson Bay views abound from this 7500± square foot residence perfectly sited on private and gated 1.22± acres. Newly remodeled and offering an open floor plan with cathedral ceilings and walls of glass, this residence is complete with hardwood floors, Olympic sized infinity lap pool, generators, air conditioning, ample parking and all day sun. Coveted Reed School District.

Old Town Tiburon Offered at $3,600,000

Coming Soon! This stunning Tiburon masterpiece offers high-end, designer finishes throughout. Gated and private, this 5 bedroom, 5 bath residence includes a separate guest unit, two-car detached garage and grand hot tub. 4000± square feet of living space is sited on an approximately .25 acre level lot. Modern in style, this home combines great scale and natural light. Designed for indoor-outdoor living and entertaining, the open floor plan, en suite bedrooms, Chef’s kitchen and level lawn create an idyllic family friendly atmosphere. The highly desirable location uniquely combines privacy and a “close in” location just two blocks from all that downtown Tiburon has to offer including fine shopping, restaurants and the S.F. Ferry.

Coveted Reed School District.

San Anselmo Contemporary $3,295,000

535oakave.com

This architecturally stunning contemporary in the coveted Seminary neighborhood was completed in 2010 with the finest finishes. Over 4,800 sqft, 2.95 acres, 6 bedrooms, 5.5 baths, 3 fireplaces, level lawn, 3 car garage, guesthouse, soaring ceilings, and breathtaking views. The dramatic "great room" floor plan that opens to an outdoor patio with seating area and level lawn, creates an ideal place for entertaining and indoor/ outdoor living. San Anselmo was voted one of the best towns to live by Outside Magazine, and 535 Oak embodies the perfect combination of private estate living with an abundance of outdoor adventure outside the front door. Only minutes to downtown San Anselmo, 30 minutes to San Francisco, 45 minutes to Napa, and 3 hours to Tahoe make enjoying the best California has to offer a reality. 535 Oak is a once in a lifetime opportunity to live "on top of the world" in a very special home filled with epic sunrises, sunsets, and skies of sparkling stars.

Stunning Storybook Estate

$3,995,000

SanAnselmoEstate.com

Located in the desirable Seminary neighborhood of bucolic San Anselmo is a one-of-a-kind storybook Tudor estate. Formerly owned for 27 years by Lee Bunnel of the band America, the current owners purchased in 2003 and have lovingly renovated and restored the 1930 estate with the utmost integrity and meticulous attention to detail.

The home boasts over 5,300 sq. ft. with 6 bedrooms, 5 full and 1 half bath, legal in-law/au pair, wine room, 2 laundry rooms, and 2-car garage. The gated property is 1.4 acres of gorgeous grounds with pool and breathtaking sweeping views of Ross Valley. This truly special property offers privacy, yet is so close to San Francisco and the wine country.

Perfectly sited on 7.29 acres (tax records) in the desirable Carneros AVA, this gated estate is beautifully designed for a luxurious but casual wine country lifestyle. Consisting of a magnificent 4,600 sq. ft. (tax records) home, spacious guesthouse above the 3-car garage, saltwater pool, warehouse, reservoir and approximately 4.5 acres of premium Pinot Noir grapes, this property tempts the imagination with possibilities. Your own boutique winery, perhaps. Peaceful country living among the vines and yet this wonderful home is less than a tenminute drive from the Sonoma Square and approximately 40 minutes

Swanky & Spacious Mid-Century View Home

This sunny mid-century home located on a quiet cul-de-sac has sweeping views of Richardson Bay and Tennessee Valley. Recently renovated, its open airy floor plan is enhances by its ideal southern exposure. The open-beamed ceiling & wall of windows flood the great room with light & create a sense of spaciousness anchored by the central fireplace. The kitchen and dining area look out onto the oversized deck and sunny yard. The main level features 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths and below (currently a legal second unit) is an additional 1000+/- feet of living space with updated kitchen, bath, large living room, bedroom and den. This area could easily be reconnected to the main house with existing hidden staircase or remain as is and provide a generous rental

World

Views in

Elegant

RACQUET CLUB ESTATES CONTEMPORARY

Centrally located with a versatile floorplan and quality finishes, this renovated and view home is a gem.

Brian Byers 415.602.7915

Brian.Byers@SothebysRealty.com

NEW

47longwood.com $1,195,000

MAGICAL MILL VALLEY

Sold at 112% of asking price. Mill Valley lifestyle at its best in this delightful family home blocks from the conveniences of the Miller Avenue corridor. This impeccably kept family home has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.

Julie Casady 415.246.3200

Julie.Casady@SothebysRealty.com

466molino.com listed at $925,000

LITTLE CITY FARMS CHARMER

This lovely escape is minutes to the GG Bridge. An inviting garden leads you to the 1920s home, 3 bed/3bath,family room, lots of original details and modern upgrades.

Christine Christiansen 415.259.7133

christine.christiansen@sothebysrealty.com

christinechristiansen.com Price To Be Determined

SPECTACULAR WATERFRONT PROPERTY

Unique stretch of beachfront with Golden Gate views and the Bay out your back door. Great opportunity to convert to condos or single family. Turnkey or remodel.

Corey Graham 415-971-0167 c.graham@deckerbullocksir.com

mareastwaterfront.com Offered for $3,300,000

SAUSALITO SINGLE FAMILY HOME & COTTAGE

Spacious 4 bed/3bath+ rental cottage. Hardwood floors, gourmet kitchen and dining area opens to deck/gardens. Two fi replaces and luxurious bath. Cottage includes 2bed/1bath, full kitchen and yard. nadinegreenwood.com $2,095,000

Nadine Greenwood 415.203.7050 nadinegreenwood@msn.com

Represented Seller. Expansive streets and manicured gardens abound in this premiere Strawberry neighborhood. This 4BD/3.5BA home features an open floor plan and fabulous Bay views.

Colleen Madden 415.497.5170

Colleen @ HomeSalesMarin.com

homesalesmarin.com $2,100,000

Enchanting Belvedere View Estate

Masterfully designed and perfectly located, private and world-class gated estate with 4 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, and stunning views of San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, Sausalito and Mt. Tamalpais from nearly every room. Designed by David Williams and exceptionally built by Bunnell Builders with beautiful finishes. Lush landscaping and a remarkable glass enclosed portico lead to a striking entrance and foyer with grand staircase. Main level formal living room with fireplace and French doors leading to the view-side deck, formal dining room with built-in cabinetry, family room

Offered at $7,995,000

with fireplace, and chef ‘s kitchen with built-in curved banquet that spans the large family eating area, bay views, and well appointed butler’s pantry. Upper level comprises an elegant master suite with lavish bath, and two additional en suite bedrooms. Lower level includes a fourth bedroom currently used as an office and gym with steam shower. Beautifully designed gardens, wrap-around decks, and a level lawn area complete the grounds. For the Discerning Buyer–elegant, sophisticated and truly enchanting. 1PineBelvedere.com Max

Expansive level lawns, Pool, Spa, Gardens, Courtyard with Outdoor BBQ and Kitchen, Sport-court and 4-car Garage with double gated driveway. Dramatic gallery entrance/foyer with sweeping staircase. Huge Family/Game Room is of unmatched size and style with stone fireplace, Large Carrara Marble Kitchen with Breakfast Room and fireplace, opening to rear courtyard, lawns and pool area. Wood paneled Formal Office with fireplace. Elegant Formal Dining Room with fireplace opening to courtyard and gardens. Large Master Bedroom with fireplace and balcony, with 2 large walk-in closets, and spa-like Master Bath with steam shower. Large Butler’s Pantry, Full Service Bar, Wine Cellar, Separate Gym. Truly rare –exceptional quality and value…

MAX APPLEGARTH (415) 298-7600

MAX APPLEGARTH (415) 298-7600

LYDIA SARKISSIAN (415) 517-7720

LYDIA SARKISSIAN (415) 517-7720

www.globalestates.com

BILL BULLOCK (415) 384-4000

BILL BULLOCK (415) 384-4000 www.globalestates.com

with views and Phoenix on 7,000 foot is in with a entrance and foyer with ceilings large formal living, dining and family rooms with doors opening to terraces and indoor/outdoor living with an outdoor fireplace, Bar-B-Q, pool and spa that share the stunning views. Meticulously constructed with the finest finishes and a masterful design. Three en-suite bedrooms, three full and two half baths in the main residence plus one bedroom, one bath guest house, 3 car garage, and truly incomparable views… $9,775,000 www.globalestates.com

(415)

Circa 1926, gated Ross compound with grand residence of French Normandy stature, paved circular drive, and approximately two acres of large level lawns and gardens, terraces, patios and sparkling pool and spa. In the main residence, stunning sunlit kitchen, butler’s pantry, breakfast room and adjacent family room, majestic living room with curved balcony, palatial dining room with adjacent terrace, and beautiful master suite with fireplace, stunning bath and spiral staircase to the private study with full bath. Six en-suite bedrooms, including the master suite, on the upper levels. Gym and basketball court, theater, private pool and spa, cabana, elevator, five enclosed garages and two separate outdoor kitchen and BBQ areas with bar, built-in seating and fireplaces. Six bedrooms, seven and one-half baths in the main residence, separate two-story guest quarters with kitchen, fireplace and sunny patio, separate one-bedroom garage apartment and separate studio, in the heart of Ross…

Stunning San Francisco Bay-front Italianate, designed by Andrew Skurman, with pier, floating dock and lift, with totally unobstructed views from Mt. Tamalpais to the west, through Sausalito, Golden Gate Bridge and the entire San Francisco skyline to the south. Highest quality construction and unsurpassed detail with Venetian plaster, beautiful stone and wood finishes and exquisite fixtures. Large, formal living and dining rooms, gourmet-equipped kitchen with large island and Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances, and sunny water-side terrace with fireplace and barbecue adjacent the kitchen/family room. Wonderful master suite with lavish bath and adjacent water-side terrace and three stunning en-suite guest rooms, all with captivating bay views. Separate staff quarters and office, gated security with video surveillance, gym room with fridge and half bath, and interior elevator from the foyer to the master suite and dock-access levels. Four en-suite bedrooms and three half baths…

Sited on the western-most promontory of Belvedere Island with the Bay directly below and unobstructed views from Mount Tamalpais through Sausalito, the Golden Gate Bridge and the entire San Francisco skyline, this property truly exemplifies the “belvedere.” Warren Callister designed, west-side waterfront with five bedrooms, four full and three half-baths in the main residence and separate one-bedroom, one-bath guest apartment with kitchen and living room. Large formal living and dining rooms with French door access to view-side terraces and three level lawn areas, intimate library with fireplace, office with built-ins and Mt. Tam and water views, and top-floor master suite with his and her baths and dressing areas and private view-side terrace. Five fireplaces, three-car enclosed garage and additional parking for seven cars, and gated access. Approximately 9,500 square feet of covered space, including the main residence, garage and guest quarters, and six bedrooms, five full and three half-baths, Belvedere prominence and world-coveted views…

Private, park-like resort setting, and sited on possibly the best water-level parcel in Belvedere, this stunning contemporary, designed by award-wining architects, weaves along its approximately 220 feet of shoreline, fully integrated with the surrounding natural and manmade beauty. Facing due south with unobstructed view-expanse spanning the Mount Tamalpais ridgeline to the west through the Bay Bridge to the east, and across the Richardson and San Francisco Bays to the Sausalito harbor, the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco skyline, and located on approx. 1.2 acres with approx. 7,900 square feet of exquisitely finished and view-oriented interior space, the main residence comprises five large bedrooms and five and one-half baths, and the separate guest house offers an additional two bedrooms and one bath. With blazing sunrises and sunsets and golden moonrises reflecting on the Bay waters, the calls of the seals and sea gulls and the graceful pelicans gliding by your windows, and the ever-changing living-mural of sea life for your living room, this destinationhome sits alone in its class at the end of the street and the end of the search…

Enchanting gardens adorn this gorgeous, street-to-street, sunny, flat parcel of just under ½ acre in the coveted Homestead Valley neighborhood. The home, circa 1930, retains much of the original charm and character, yet features a ‘great room’ concept so desired in today’s lifestyle. An adjoining living space, featuring a newly remodeled kitchen, offers great versatility for extended family and guests, or can easily be added back to the main house for more space. A spacious deck, perfect for lounging and dining is conveniently located off the living areas, and overlooks the spectacular mature plantings and the pool. This property can continue to be enjoyed the way it is, but offers endless possibilities for enhancement. Create your dream home in a perfect location! 3+ bedrooms, 2.5 baths

Kathleen Clifford

Stunning Belvedere waterfront home featuring one hundred and eighty degree views from downtown San Francisco, to the Golden Gate Bridge and all the way west to Mt. Tamalpais. This spacious 5 bedroom and 4 ½ bath home has been stylishly remodeled for relaxed California living. As you enter the tiled courtyard of this awe-inspiring waterfront home you are welcomed by the sounds of the bay, breathtaking light, openness and water views. The grand living room features vaulted ceilings, whitewashed quarter sawn Ash hardwood floors, and a wood burning fireplace. Both the living room and the adjacent formal dining room open onto the expansive wrap around Bay deck for sophisticated waterfront entertaining and family fun. Relax in the large master suite with its vaulted ceilings, new carpets, wood burning fireplace, and French doors which open to the Bay deck. Enjoy sailing, rowing, and paddle boarding from your own boat dock, or launch your tender from your boatlift with the touch of a button. Ultimate waterfront living on the Bay in Belvedere!

Belvedere Lagoon, a special and unique paradise where one can enjoy quiet, serene and private waterfront living just steps from town and minutes from the Golden Gate Bridge. Breathtaking views south, southwest and north, along with direct lagoon access from your own private swimming and boat dock. Whatever your water sport may be, sailing, kayaking, paddle boarding, swimming or just enjoying the vistas, your Belvedere Lagoon location will entertain you day and night. Four gracious bedrooms and four full baths, including two master suites with en-suites, enabling one level living, if that is your choice. One master is on the upper level and includes an adjacent den or office with a fireplace and a large deck that will certainly entice you to wander outside. The main level has a second master suite with an adjacent sitting room and direct access to the yard. Two other bedrooms are steps away as are two additional full baths and a sauna.

“Selene had a strategy that worked wonders in this challenging housing market. She knew how to “hook” the buyers and sell it immediately for top dollar. Her pulse on the market was spot-on and we feel so fortunate to have selected her as our agent. I highly recommend her as she’s fabulous on a personal and professional level.”

-Brian & Angie

Brand New 2014 Construction! $1,500,000 140 Terrace Avenue, San Rafael 4Br/4.5Ba | 140TerraceAve.com Displaying all the bells and whistles one would expect from a NEW home this Craftsman like custom built house defines itself with a formal entry, a living room and fireplace, kitchen/ family room, formal dining area, four en suite bedrooms and one half bath! There is a separate bonus room to use as a home gym, home office, media room or playroom for projects. The wine cellar is ready to be outfitted for the best and brightest wine collection. This area has a separate entrance, too. The 2-car garage opens directly into the house for the easiest of access. All bedrooms and bonus area have direct access to the garden and level Heavenly Greens area.

Pending! $2,195,000 | 28MirabelAve.com Gated Property Close to downtown 28 Mirabel Avenue, Mill Valley Set on an approximately one third of an acre with sun, views and a private location, this gracious and airy 4/3 space with an open and practical floor plan will captivate and charm you. All 4 bedrooms are on the second floor along with a spacious and bright family room with views and a gas fireplace. The incredibly easy to live in main level great room- living, dining and kitchen- includes a gas fireplace, French doors to a large curved Ipe deck plus a den nook perfect for a home office. The professional grade Wolf range is the center piece of the kitchen which has skylights and a back patio for easy barbequing.

Stephanie Witt

Luxury Property Specialist 415.377.7553 stephanie.witt@pacunion.com SWittMarinHomes.com License #01059448

A Member of Real Living

Westgate Drive, San Rafael

Spectacular home on a large, private lot in one of Marin's most beautiful locations. 3 en-suite bedrooms, 4 baths, open floor plan, soaring ceilings, panoramic views, surrounded by miles of open space in the Dixie School District. Magical!

marinhomestoday.com $2,100,000 Lee Parkhurst 415.302.5548

Shasta Way, Mill Valley

Tastefully redesigned, this 4bd/3ba home in Mill Valley is nestled on a huge flat lot. Open layout with top-to-bottom amenities and a stunning new kitchen, this casual, contemporary home exudes style and comfort. A true gem!

515Shasta.com $1,995,000 JoAnne Berlin 415.847.0301

Venus Court, Tiburon

Remodeled and expanded to perfection. 4+bd/2.5ba home on a quiet cul-du-sac in the Belveron East neighborhood. Chef’s kitchen, sun-drenched front and rear yard with slate patio and gardens. Top-rated Reed School District.

$1,795,000 Dennis Naranche 415.789.1515 Barbara Warren 415.496.2926

Terrace Avenue, Kentfield

Chic, 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath home in Kentfield with captivating views and a playful, casual feel. Large pool and outdoor space for entertaining and enjoyment. Big upside potential.

112TerraceAvenueKentfield.com

$1,595,000 Susan Van Liere 415.302.7173

Miwok Drive, Novato

Stunning custom home with views to match. This 5bd/4ba custom home boast 4,500+/-sf of living space on 1+/-acre lot. Enjoys all day sun and beautiful vistas.

55MiwokDrive.com $1,599,000 Rick Trono 415.515.1117

Marin Avenue, Mill Valley

Stunning, remodeled, contemporary, 4bd, 2ba home with an urban loft feel. Ideally sited on a mostly level, sunny lot, this home welcomes you with great curb appeal and well-planned living spaces.

355Marin.com

$1,469,000 Beth Brody 415.987.2384

This home exudes charm & character both inside and out! Extraordinary curb appeal, high ceilings, open floor plan, and a large, level backyard with a flagstone patio, lawn, gardens and a new hot tub. Located close to excellent Kentfield schools.

23LosCerros.com $1,449,000 Susan Van Liere 415.302.7173

Willow Avenue, Corte Madera

Gorgeous, 3bd, 2ba home on a sun drenched lot in Corte Madera’s coveted Chapman Park. Rebuilt and expanded with the finest materials available. Close to town park, bike paths, shopping and award winning K thru 12 schools. Great commute.

$1,449,000 Courtney Whitaker 415.686.2223

Throckmorton Lane, Mill Valley

Eclectic home near downtown Mill Valley situated on a knoll in a very desirable neighborhood. Beautiful living room with large fireplace, high ceilings, wood floors and beautiful stone patio. The Master bedroom offers 2 rooms with fireplace & built-ins.

2ThrockmortonLane.com $1,395,000 Margritha Fliegauf 415.999.7310

Sage Court, Novato

Custom, 3400+/- sf, 3bd/3ba home on a 1+/-acre lot with incredible views. Soaring vaulted ceilings, hardwood floors, large country kitchen, master suite on main level. 2nd floor loft/den can be office or fourth bedroom. 2+1 car garage.

$1,110,000

Lloyd Pittman 415.246.2983

Hubbell Court, San Rafael

Fabulous 4bd/3ba remodeled Dominican home on a quiet cul-de-sac with views of Mt. Tam. Great contemporary lines, good floor plan. The back opens to a huge deck for great indoor and outdoor living.

8Hubbell.com

$1,095,000

Lindy Emrich 415.717.4005

Altamira Avenue, Kentfield

Classic architectural details meet today’s lifestyle in this 3bd/2ba stunner. The light filled kitchen and family room open to the level lawn and pool. Ideally located in the flats near award-winning Kentfield schools.

12Altamira.com

Price Upon Request

Stephanie Lamarre 415.806.3176

Chris Gow-Panzardi 415.672.2400

Los Cerros Drive, Greenbrae

is ideally situated to maximize southern exposure, views, daylight and for sheltering coastal winds

Designed by distinguished local architects, this modern, resort-style home with 5 bedroom and 3.5 baths, is in one of Marin County’s most desired locations. The spacious home embraces nature, quality materials, and its environs.

Built around a gorgeous rock and surrounded by oak trees, it boasts a 270-degree magnificent skyline view of Ross Valley’s undulating hills and splendid Mt. Tamalpais.

The home’s open plan, floor-to-ceiling glass enclosure, and surrounding decks make for ideal indoor-outdoor living and entertaining. The steel framing and large-span beams allow for unobstructed open interior space, and provides wall area ideal for displaying artwork.

Two separate entries allow use as either a private home office or as a separate guest quarters. The upper level consists of an elegant master suite with lavish bath and guest bath. The lower level includes a second master bedroom suite with bath, as well as three bedrooms and another full bath. Indirect lighting throughout contributes to the warmth and harmony of the setting at night.

In this elegant and inspiring home, enjoy superb Central Marin weather, a private drive, and the award-winning Ross Valley School District. Located close to charming downtown San Anselmo, this home is a short walk to the open space preserve for hiking and biking.

Features:

5 bedrooms/ 3.5 bathrooms, 2 master suites, en suite bathrooms, oak, natural travertine stone and glass flooring, wrap around private decks, 18-foot-high-vaulted ceilings, 250-square-foottranslucent insulated skylight, two fireplaces, family entertainment room, large laundry and storage, native landscaping and stone patio, 2-car garage on large lot

With a network of approximately 85,000 agents in 49 countries and territories*, Coldwell Banker Previews International® is uniquely positioned to expose your fine home to luxury buyers in some of the world’s most influential real estate markets. This, coupled with expansive marketing and the confidence of having a program that has been devoted exclusively to luxury real estate for 80 years, allows our clients to enjoy the fruits of our success – over $102.7 million in luxury home sales every day.

Janice GuehringAlva FallaJennifer Falla Firkins

Custom built estate on a private lane in the heart of exclusive Scotts Valley. Ideally located in Mill Valley’s banana belt, this home offers 4100 sq.ft. with the unique luxury of four oversized suites. Southern exposure pours natural light throughout the home. With a remodeled gourmet kitchen, expansive decks and large flat yard area entertaining will be fun and easy all year round. Other features include: Private Tennis and Swim Club just steps away from the house, Venetian plaster walls and soaring ceilings throughout the house.

offered at $3,095,000

RobeRt bRadley (415) 314-1314

Contemporary single level gated estate with guest house and pool in the flats of the historic town of Ross. This tastefully updated home with a three bedroom, two bath main house and one bedroom guest house, is located close to the Branson School. Spacious patios and lush landscaping provide for amazing outdoor living opportunities. The town of Ross is home to the famous Marin Art and Garden Center, Ross Commons, and landmark bridges, Lagunitas Country Club and Beniamino Bufano’s Ross Bear sculpture.

offered at $2,400,000

RobeRt bRadley (415) 314-1314

San Anselmo’s Sleepy Hollow Retreat

Enjoy the sweeping views of Bay Bridge,

Towers &

from this gorgeous newly remodeled 4BD/3Ba home. Sunny, south facing. Great room with vaulted ceilings, fireplace and new oak floors. Stunning new gourmet kitchen with Viking Pro stainless appliances & Callacata marble counters flat lawn & wraparound decks for outdoor play and entertaining. Luxurious main-floor master suite w/office area. On a peaceful cul-de-sac, near award-winning schools. Short commute to the City. www.19SutterCt.com

offered at $2,295,000

Fiona RogeRS (415) 310-0797

Stunning 4,300 sq.ft. custom Sleepy Hollow home with five spacious bedrooms including two master suites and four bathrooms. Built in 2000 this beauty sits on over 3 acres of property with breathtaking views, level lawn, terraced gardens, tree house, & mature trees that compose this spectacular outdoor retreat. Grand scale kitchen / family room combo, open living room / dining room with picturesque windows, three fireplaces, wood floors with inlays, high ceilings and easy access to the outdoors throughout. Do not miss the tranquil magic of this special home and one of a kind property!

offered at $ 2,200,000

ZamiRa SolaRi (415) 509-1479

Custom Mill Valley Estate

Beautiful Ross Estate

SF, GG

Sausalito

Beautiful Tiburon Water View Home

Quintessential Sleepy Hollow ~ San Anselmo

This is the rare opportunity to own one of the best, private, level lots in Sleepy Hollow. Extensively remodeled mid-century modern, features five bedrooms, four full baths and a large studio/in-law unit. This perfect home for entertaining boasts a spacious, stunning chef’s kitchen with Viking range, quartz countertops and new hardwood floors. The open floor plan is perfect for an indoor/outdoor lifestyle with the dining room opening to a private, park-like backyard. Located just blocks from San Domenico and award winning San Anselmo schools. This is the house you have dreamed of. Not to be missed.

offered at $1,850,000

Eric GElman (415) 686-1855

This beautifully cared for classic Greenbrae home offers two levels of open floor plan that will accommodate varied family needs. This home offers six bedrooms, three baths, two family rooms, and a living/dining room with wall of glass to take in the views of the bay plus deck access, newly refinished hardwood floors on the main level are just few of features of this home. Award winning schools, close proximity to dining, shopping and transit.

offered at $1,675,000

Eva

(415) 497-5702

Exquisite Greenbrae Home

Remodeled, meticulous three bedroom, two and one-half bath, light-filled home with delightful yard and gardens, two car garage, workshop/storage. Very close to the Larkspur Ferry, Shopping & Dining, the Airporter to SFO, renown bike path and the Corte Madera Creek for kayaking. Close to award winning schools.

offered at $1,095,000

(415) 519-3555

Pristine single level four bedroom, two and one-half bath home in desirable Peacock Gap. Features include a beautifully remodeled kitchen with Viking appliances, rich dark wood floors, raised ceilings crate an open airy feeling, newer windows and doors, and a four car garage. This home is situated on the golf course and has views of the course and the lagoon. Enjoy the summer months in the wonderful entertainer’s yard with a newer deck and sparkling pool.

robErt braDlEy (415) 314-1314

DEborah SolvaSon

bEnarD

Greenbrae Living at its Finest

Please Call for Price

San Rafael’s Coveted Peacock Gap

Dance the Maypole

BY JIM WOOD

HAVE YOU DANCED around the maypole lately? In May of 1952, Kent School fourth-grader Paula Daly (now Skov) fi nally got her chance to perform. “I’d been watching this colorful ritual since kindergarten,” writes Skov in a historical reflection for the Kent field-Greenbrae Historical Society, “and, after six weeks of practicing, my turn fi nally arrived.” According to her, only fourth-grade girls were taught the dance, which involved holding alternating red and white streamers and rotating clockwise around the maypole doing a “one together, one hop; two together, two hop routine … until you reached eight; then you reversed the process.” On May 3, from 11 a.m. until 3

p.m., the Kent fieldGreenbrae Historical Society will host Centennial Celebration, recognizing 100 years of what is now A.E. Kent Middle School. (The above photo shows a maypole celebration from 1909, before the school was constructed.)

Among many events, current fi fth-grade girls and boys will do the maypole dance, the school’s jazz combo will perform and In the Heart of Marin: The History of Kent field and Greenbrae, California by Dewey Livingston (see inset) will be available for purchase. More information at kghs.org. m

From Lagunitas Road, a gated entry opens to a park-like setting with a long circular drive that leads to a magnificent residence, shielded from the street by lush landscaping. Tastefully remodeled in the ‘90’s with timeless finishes, this home has upside potential with room to expand the existing 5500 square feet. Level, sunny 1.22 acres of lush vegetation, rolling green lawns, and various sitting areas create a welcoming place to entertain. Generous lighting carefully placed to illuminate trees and plants create a magical setting in which to enjoy the gardens in the evening. A 40’ Infinity-edge pool has a safety cover, generous decking and a shaded pergola. Adjacent are a variety of roses and fruit trees.

PRIMAVERA COLLECTION