HAUTE LIVING SAN FRANCISCO JULY-AUGUST 2020 ISSUE

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Publisher’s LETTER

W

hile we continue to combat COVID, the last few weeks have forced us to face another challenge: nationwide protests against racial inequality. There is no quick fix for this problem. I am Chinese-American, and many of my friends are African-American and people of all colors. We have all encountered discrimination. While we support racial equality,

we embrace the art and music in this issue, which has no borders and shares with all races and for all colors. Art and music cheer our spirits and inspire us to strive for artistic beauty, love, and hope. On our cover story, we feature the anonymous San Francisco street artist fnnch, who painted depressing, boarded-up storefronts with his cute honey bears to brighten people’s days during this tough times.

In the COVID theme, most of his honey bears wear masks, some of them hold bottles of hand soap. The masked bears represent care and positivity for the community. As fnnch said; “If there has ever been a time for a bit of whimsy and positivity, now is it!” We are so delighted that fnnch painted our exclusive “Honey Living” cover.

We also profiled artist Eric Greenberg, a long-time client of mine who was the poster child of the internet boom and bust. Eric went from a “dot.com” billionaire in 1999 to losing nearly everything. He redirected his creativity from high-tech into art of love. His Africa Love and Faces/Lips of Love artwork featured in the interview are so colorful, cheerful, and up-lifting to our spirits in this very difficult time.

For COVID topics, we thank Dr. Eduardo Hariton who brought our attention to a very important UCSF’s ASPIRE study (Safety of Pregnancy in the Coronavirus Pandemic). We hope you will support their funding. We also interviewed Dr. Clara Shayevich on love and sex in the time of COVID-19. As you can imagine, staying six feet apart, wearing masks, and worrying about catching the disease is not sexy. Dr. Shayevich shares her advice.

For music, we profile Paula West, San Francisco’s beloved jazz singer whose voice has entertained the Bay Area for over three decades, and symphony orchestra conductor Carlo Ponti who brings the power of music to America’s youth through his nonprofit Los Angeles Virtuosi OLIVIA HSU DECKER OWNER/PUBLISHER Olivia@HauteLivingSF.com www.HauteLivingSF.com Text 415.720.5915 Keep up with us digitally at www.HauteLivingSF.com

Orchestra. The LAV is rich with both national and international talent and dedicates 100 percent of the net profits to the study and development of music education.

Our former editor and current Wine Country Ambassador Kelly Carter, an African-American, award-winning journalist, and New York Times bestselling author, contributed “Black Wines Matter: A Toast to Black Wine Professionals.” She gives us the story of the increasing number of African-American sports and entertainment figures who venture into the wine business: John Legend, Charles Woodson, Dwyane Wade and Ayesha Curry, there is also the former NBA player Yeo Ming whose Napa Valley wine has been a big success in China. Visit his tasting room on Highway 29 in St. Helena.

Last but not the least, we pay tribute to our beloved Festival Napa Valley Orchestra conductor, Joel Revzen, who succumbed to complications, caused by COVID, at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York on Memorial Day, just a few weeks before his 75th birthday. Festival Napa Valley is establishing the Joel Revzen Conducting Fellowship which will be awarded every summer to a promising young conductor.

We hope you found solace reading this issue of our magazine. We wish you health and wellness in the beauty of art and music.

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Haute Living MAGAZINE PUBLISHER Olivia Hsu Decker Olivia@HauteLivingSF.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Teresa Rodriguez Teresa@HauteLivingSF.com ART DIRECTOR Krisha Chhaganlal Krisha@HauteLivingSF.com COPY EDITOR Karen M. Smith henhousepublishing@gmail.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Stephanie Block, Maria Castellucci, Samara Diapoulos, Laurie Jo Miller Farr, Becca Hensley, Steph Keay, Jennifer Raiser, and Sharon Seto LUXURY AUTOS CONTRIBUTOR Tim Lappen TL@JMBM.com WINE COUNTRY AMBASSADOR Kelly E. Carter Kelly@KellyeCarter.com LITERARY AMBASSADOR Stephanie Block Stephanie@HauteLivingSF.com HEALTH AND WELLNESS AMBASSADOR Lydia Graham LIFE COACH AMBASSADOR Nina Clark Ericson, Ph.D. ninacericson@att.net SUBSCRIPTION AND DISTRIBUTION INQUIRIES Olivia Hsu Decker Olivia@HauteLivingSF.com AD SALES REPRESENTATIVE Cindy Pelland Cindy.Pelland@HauteLivingSF.com ACCOUNTING Sarah Trissel St.bayarea@gmail.com LEGAL Carl Lippenberger Carl@lippenbergerlaw.com

PHOTO CREDIT: ©ANDREW RETTMANN

Haute Living San Francisco Visit us at www.HauteLivingSF.com

TABLE of CONTENTS Maestro Carlo Ponti

6 10

PUBLISHERS’ LETTER

HAUTE PROFILES

EDITOR’S LETTER HAUTE ART

48

An interview with Maestro Carlo Ponti, Jr.

54

The sensational sound of Paula West

12

Experience the city’s best art en plein air

58

Trip the light fantastic with artist Bruce Munro

18

Billionaire Eric Greenberg’s journey to becoming an artist of love

62

Dr. Clara Shayevich discusses human

sexuality in an era of social distancing

HAUTE KITCHEN

22

COVER STORY

Interviews with two fabolous cooks, Tony Gemignani and Aubrey Brewster

66

pop culture and modern masters to bring joy through art

HAUTE DRINKS

28

Tempt your palate with virtual alternatives to traditional wine tastings

HAUTE BEAUTY 72

HAUTE HOTEL 34

Experience history, romance, and intrigue on 76

Work out at home with expert guidance from SF’s top fitness instructors

Three Bay Area chefs speak candidly about the issues they face during shelterin-place

80

Aspire: Pregnancy during COVID

HAUTE SHOPPING

84

Luxury takes flight with private air travel

90

Let quiet, rural, delightful Guernsey take you back in time

HAUTE CUISINE

44

Linda Ross exclusive skin care and facials: indulge, relax, and look your best

Not even a pandemic dims the passion for collecting

HAUTE TRAVEL

Haute Living, San Francisco.

8

Paula West

HAUTE WELLNESS

Monkey Island

38

Acclaimed street artist fnnch draws from

www.HauteLivingSF.com

ON THE COVER HONEY BEAR IMAGE COURTESY OF FNNCH

Haute Cuisne

Sensorio

Aston Martin Superleggera Coupe

Haute Residence

Haute Travel

HAUTE RESIDENCE 94

Envision yourself as king or queen of this San Francisco castle

HAUTE AUTO 98

Aston Martin’s Superleggera Coupe is superlight, superfast, and superfun

TRIBUTE

102 Joel Resven’s life celebrated

HAUTE AMBASSADOR 104 Kelly reminds us that Black Wines Matter 107 Lydia reports how Conscious Kitchen continues to address food inequality 110 Stephanie shares SF leaders’ mindful reading 112 Nina helps us manage our brains for mental health

HAUTE SEAT 114 Dating during COVID with Amy Andersen

9

Editor-in-Chief ’s LETTER

T

he one subject that has kept my spirits up during this crazy pandemic and my rough journey through COVID has been art—art in its many manifestations. So, we have dedicated this issue to ART and the incredible individuals who create the many masterpieces we adore. From songs to street paint-

ings and healthy living to home-cooked meals, this issue shines a bright light on those whose art has illuminated our hearts during these dark times.

While immobilized in bed for weeks, I relied on the sweet sounds of music to fill my heavy space with joy. One of those soulful voices was that of Paula West, San Francisco’s own jazz icon. Her sultry voice filled my rooms with vibrant melodies while I lay in bed, unable to move.

Food has always been one of my favorite forms of artistic ingenuity as seen through the eyes of chefs. Although we can’t join our friends at restaurants right now, we can still bring fine dining into our homes. During my weeks with COVID, Sharon Seto was kind enough to bring my daughter and me home-cooked delicacies regularly. The idea for our new Haute Kitchen section was sparked during Sharon’s many deliveries to my house. I praised her on how wonderful her cooking was, and she suggested that we share recipes through Haute Living: she could curate the content, test the recipes, and interview the individuals who shared their secrets. Our inaugural article features world-famous Tony Gemignani. Tony is a 13-time World Pizza Champion, and we all love Tony’s Pizza Napoletana in North Beach. Also included in the delicious lineup is my all-time favorite dessert created by our man-about-town, Aubrey Brewster.

Once I recovered enough to venture outside, I took walks through San Francisco. I always smiled when I came across a themed honey bear. Our intrepid writer, Stephanie Block, obtained an exclusive interview with the famous—yet faceless—street artist, fnnch, who is responsible for bringing

TERESA RODRIGUEZ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Haute Living San Francisco Teresa@HauteLivingSF.com www.HauteLivingSF.com

smiles to thousands with nostalgic street art that spans the city from the walkways of Duboce Park to the many boarded-up storefronts throughout San Francisco. Fnnch has taken it upon himself to create meaningful artwork that brings us joy. Now a rising artist with countless commissions, our cover will be a collector’s issue, so I suggest you keep it safe!

PHOTO CREDIT: ©VINCENT GOTTI, HAIR AND MAKE UP BY NELLIE MUGANDA

We are excited to launch our new website as well: HauteLivingSF.com. You can find even more exciting stories, profiles, and travel updates on our beautiful site. Make sure to sign up to receive our weekly emails. Yes, the past few months have been challenging, but there is hope on the horizon. Each day, our lives slowly acclimate to the new normal. Like the world around us, our magazine is also evolving and transforming with relevant stories, profiles, information, and advice at this crucial time in our history. Thank you for joining us on this crazy ride.

In gratitude,

10

San Francisco’s CONTRIBUTORS STEPHANIE BLOCK

STEPH KEAY

in RNDC and Young’s Market Company. She holds a

currently based in Silicon Valley. After completing her

WSET 3 certification in wine and spirits and is a re-

Bachelor of Commerce in her hometown of Calgary, Al-

cent graduate of an executive MBA program from both

berta, she spent a summer in Croatia assisting The Yacht

Brown University and IE Madrid. Previously, Steph-

Week with events management on the islands of Hvar

anie ran St. Supéry Estate Vineyards & Winery’s social

and Vis. Formerly in PR/marketing, she has also placed

media and worked Napa harvest 2016. Stephanie has

stories for a variety of clients—including tech leaders, in-

championed gender equality as a national board member of the US National Com-

ternational artists, and acclaimed actors and musicians—with ABC, FOX, NBC,

mittee for UN Women and once traveled the globe as an award-winning travel

San Francisco Chronicle, The Mercury News, American Way, and others. In her

writer. She has lived in six countries and visited over 80. Elle adore parler français.

spare time, she enjoys adventuring, photography, and travel—all of which she

Stephanie Block is a third-generation family partner

Steph Keay is a Canadian freelance and technical writer

documents on on her website, StephKeay.com.

JENNIFER RAISER

Jennifer Raiser walks between the worlds of strategy and storytelling. Along with being a mom, she is the

SAMARA DIAPOULOS

Samara Diapoulos is an award-winning public rela-

bestselling author of five books, including Burning

tions and marketing leader who has represented and

Man: Art on Fire, In the Spirit of Napa Valley, and The

promoted the world’s leading hotels, artists, and luxury

Art of Being Bill Murray. She works in marketing con-

lifestyle brands. After serving as the director of public

sulting and is an avid nonprofit board junkie. Her BA

relations for Fairmont San Francisco, she founded Sa-

in English literature and MBA, both from Harvard

mara Public Relations. Throughout her career, Samara

University, are her prerequisite for writing about swell parties. You can find her at

has forged strategic partnerships to raise funds for non-

the hottest parties in San Francisco or on the Playa at Burning Man.

profit organizations including Meals on Wheels and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Samara graduated from U.C. Berkeley with a B.A. in English literature.

MARIA CASTELLUCCI

Entrepreneur, first generation American, and mother of three children, Maria Castelucci earned her BA in fi-

LAURIE JO MILLER FARR

Laurie is a US/UK dual citizen and dedicated urban-

nance in 2001 from Dominican University on a tennis

ite who loves walkable cities. As a San Francisco-based

scholarship. She later studied at New York University

travel writer, she enjoys views from its crazy signa-

and the London School of Economics. Maria took a

ture hills following half-a-lifetime promoting her two

strong interest in global affairs, which led her to be-

hometowns — a couple of oh-so-flat places: New York

come an ambassador for nonprofit foundation Roots of

City and London. Laurie’s byline is found in USA To-

Peace. In 2012 with her siblings, Maria founded Castellucci Napa Family, a luxury

day, CBS, Where Traveler, Haute Living, Epicure,

wine and real estate brand that has expanded into the boutique hotel business. She

Frommers, Fast Company, Napa Valley Life Magazine, Food & Travel Magazine,

now runs two inns, a wine label, and a family real estate development company.

Eater, Google Touring Bird, and other major media titles. She was awarded Yahoo Contributor of the Year and is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers.

SHARON SETO

A graduate of Golden Gate University and serial entrepreneur, Sharon loves the excitement and creativ-

BECCA HENSLEY

A bon vivant journalist who believes travel is the ul-

ity of the business world and its people. Her addiction

timate celebration of life, awash with lessons waiting

to business ventures began with the acquisition of the

to be learned, widely-published, Texas-based Becca

El Cid Building, site of the famous SF Jazz Mural. She

Hensley is travel editor for New Orleans Bride and

has served as a board member, fundraiser, and event

editor-at-large for Insider’s Guide to Spas. In a career

chair for nonprofit organizations, including the SF

spanning three decades, she has contributed to scores

Symphony Board of Governors, City College of San Francisco Foundation Board,

of magazines and newspapers, including Architectur-

Red Cross Board, National Colo-rectal Cancer Alliance Board, SF Ballet, and

al Digest, Elite Traveler, Global Traveler, Conde Nast Traveler, and the Houston

Dress for Success.

Chronicle. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @beccahensley.

11

BY LAURIE JO MILLER FARR

HauteART FRESH AIR: SAN FRANCISCO AS AN OUTDOOR GALLERY When Digital is Overdone, Take a Walk FROM THE PACIFIC TO THE PRESIDIO TO THE EMBARCADERO, OUR CITY IS AN OUTDOOR museum with a splendid array of street art, statues, sculptures and landmarks. Accessible to everyone all the time, enjoy some of the highlights of a permanent outdoor gallery where the “doors” are always wide open in the fresh air. No walls, no admission fees, no crowds.

DUTCH WINDMILLS Overlooking the ocean, handsome silhouettes set against a deep blue sky, two 115-year-old windmills grace the western edge of Golden Gate Park. The Dutch Windmill and the Murphy Windmill are exceptionally tall at 75 feet and 95 feet, respectively.

The smaller North windmill, known as the Dutch Windmill, was built to fill several man-made ponds when Golden Gate Park was created. The South windmill, known as the Murphy Windmill, was once the largest outside the Netherlands, with massive sails each cut from a single log. In spring, Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden at the base of the Dutch Windmill displays thousands of bright tulips in full bloom.

Did you know? Notice these sails turn clockwise, in the opposite direction to windmills in Holland.

PHOTO CREDITS: ©TIM WILLIAMSON

Where: 1690 John F. Kennedy Drive at the western edge of Golden Gate Park

12

SALUT, FRANCE “The Thinker” by Auguste Rodin is a larger-than-life bronze cast presiding over the formal courtyard entrance of the Legion of Honor. Atop a bluff overlooking the water of the Golden Gate, Ionic columns line the perimeter of the fine art museum that displays the motto, “Honneur et Patrie.” This 1924 San Francisco landmark is a three-quarter replica of the Palais de la Légion d’Honneur in Paris, a classic 18th century edifice facing the River Seine on the Left Bank.

Take a wander around the grounds. A modern eye-catching 11-ton artwork in red titled “Pax Jerusalem” by native son Mark di Suvero dominates the forecourt. Nearby in a corner overlooking bridge views, the Holocaust Memorial consists of 11 bronze figures to symbolize Jews in concentration camps, each one sheathed in white to resemble plaster, an artistic signature by artist George Segal.

Did you know? “The Thinker” was the gift of Alma de Bretteville Spreckels, one of 70 Rodin sculptures she purchased and donated.

Where: 100 34th Avenue in Lincoln Park

13

HauteART GOLDSWORTHY GOALS With the Presidio as his canvas, Andy Goldsworthy uses nature to create work of transcendent beauty. Drawing inspiration from materials found close at hand, such as tree trunks, branches, leaves, and stones, he strives “to make connections between what we call nature and what we call man-made.”

Just north of Arguello Gate near the golf course, look up to find “Spire” built from 37 felled Monterey cypress trees and soaring 100 feet into the sky. Young cypress trees are built around the sculpture’s 15-foot base, ensuring that in time, these younger trees will obscure the artwork, as its meaning intends.

A statement about the forest’s evolution is also expressed in Goldsworthy’s “Wood Line” located in a eucalyptus grove adjacent to the Lovers’ Lane footpath just north of Presidio Gate. Sourced from old branches, it’s a graceful, sinuous sculpture extending 1,200 feet on the forest floor, weaving its way toward the Tennessee Hollow Watershed.

Did you know? Within the 1,500 acres of The Presidio, there are two more Andy Goldsworthy artworks, Tree Fall and Art Wall.

PHOTO CREDIT: SHUTTERSTOCK

Where: The Presidio of San Francisco

14

ROMANTIC AESTHETICS Conceived to evoke a decaying ruin of ancient Rome, the Palace of Fine Arts housed art from Renaissance to Modern as a highlight of the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition. California architect Bernard Maybeck designed the pavilion to be ephemeral, as with the other structures within the 635-acre fair.

In 1964, the badly deteriorating rotunda and colonnades were demolished and rebuilt for permanence, using poured-in-place concrete. Steel beams were hoisted into place for the dome of the rotunda for which all the embellishments, decorations, and sculpture were constructed anew. Much loved today, as more than a century ago, the charm factor is doubled due to visual effects provided by the adjacent lagoon.

Did you know? There were originally 11 open air exhibit palaces constructed for the 1915 exposition, but only this one—considered the most beautiful by 18 million visitors—survives.

PHOTOS CREDITS: (TOP) SHUTTERSTOCK; (BOTTOM) ©LAURIE JO MILLER FARR

Where: 3601 Lyon Street in the Marina District

15

HauteART KISSING COUSINS Stunning in white, the 140-year-old Victorian era Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park is the oldest glass and wood structure of its kind in North America. The magnificent 1879 landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places is modeled after its handsome cousin, the lace-like wrought-iron Palm House at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew, London.

The space is filled with 2,000 exotic plant species and rare, beautiful blooms. When the doors are locked, appreciate the exterior before heading across the park to San Francisco Botanical Gardens.

Did you know? In June 1962, the Swiss clock industry donated an electrical floral clock that still keeps time on the East Lawn next to the Conservatory.

PHOTO CREDITS: ŠTIM WILLIAMSON

Where: 3100 John F. Kennedy Drive in Golden Gate Park

EVERYBODY’S GARDEN Sometimes, Mother Nature and the skilled hands of gardeners join forces to create living art. Essential now, more than ever, an urban garden is a place of peace, calm, and reflection that promotes well-being. A park within a park, San Francisco Botanical Garden is 55 acres filled with 9,000 plants from all corners of the world nicely tucked into its own corner of Golden Gate Park. Open daily with free admission to San Francisco City and County residents with proof of residency.

Did you know? Coast Redwoods in the arboretum are the oldest trees here, planted around the turn of the 20th century.

Where: In Golden Gate Park near 9th Avenue. at Lincoln Way

CUPID’S SPAN Beside the Embarcadero in the shadow of the Bay Bridge, a grassy mound is pierced by a whimsical, 60-foot arrow made of fiberglass and steel cutting through a balanced bow. The piece was trucked in and installed overnight in 2002, when the Gap owner and chairman who commissioned the work from celebrated pop artist Claes Oldenburg and his wife, Coosje van Bruggen, said, “I think it will become an icon of the city. It will be tremendously photographed.”

The artists are known for a sense of humor, hugely blowing up everyday objects, such as a toothbrush, umbrella, bicycle, lipstick, and binoculars. What does this sculpture mean? Oldenburg and van Bruggen said Cupid’s bow is a stereotype of love, as well as a shape that evokes sailing ships and the bridge. The artists said the point of the arrow and the front part of the bow are buried in the ground so as to “defunctionalize” them.

Did you know? There’s a second Oldenburg artwork, “Corridor Pin, Blue” standing 21 feet tall in the outdoor Sculpture Garden at de Young Museum.

PHOTOS CREDITS: (TOP) ©TIM WILLIAMSON; (BOTTOM) SHUTTERSTOCK

Where: The Embarcadero at Folsom Street

17

BY OLIVIA HSU DECKER

HauteART

Beyonce from the Africa Love category

WHEN I FIRST MET ERIC GREENBERG IN 1999, HE WAS 35 YEARS OLD AND WORTH OVER

Greenberg was born in Brooklyn, New York and grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada in a poor neigh-

$1 billion as one of the most successful “dot.com” internet entrepreneurs. He was about to marry

borhood. His father was a salesman for Clairol and his mother worked as a cashier in a casino. He

his lovely fiancée Carmel. I sold him a home in Ross for which he paid $17 million to include all the

graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in finance and worked as a banker, a sales-

furnishings. Eric told the seller, “Take your windfall profit and go enjoy your life.” The sale set the

man for an internet company, and as an information consultant for Arthur Andersen. In early 1990s,

record for highest price in San Francisco and Marin County in 1999. The 7-bedroom, 8-and-a-half

he was a salesman at Gartner, offering technology consulting to companies. With his aggressive

bath estate on almost three acres land has a 12,500 square foot, Tuscan villa style main house, a

salesmanship, big ego, and intense personality, Eric was successful and making a half million dollar

limestone guest house, an Italian style pool, a gym, and a 3-car garage.

annual income in tech consulting. He was in his twenties.

Eric and Carmel had a fabulous wedding at Treasure Island in Las Vegas, Nevada. He hired Elton

In the fall of 1995, Eric was walking around a conference with Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang. He

John as the wedding singer. He then embarked upon construction of his home with a 31,000-bottle

saw a lot of executives who were curious about digitizing their businesses but didn’t have the know-

wine cave 60 feet underground and a state-of-the-art home theatre designed by Lucasfilm Sky-

how about the technology. “There are no IT folks there,” he said to himself. Eric wrote a business

walker Ranch theater professionals. He installed over 20 security cameras and audiovisual and

plan for a company he named Viant, and it instantly became one of the biggest and most successful

sound systems with 25-plus zones. He rebuilt an amazing garden with landscape designer Ron

web consulting firms in the 1990s. His client list included American Express, JP Morgan, Kinko’s,

Herman who was the landscape designer for Larry Ellison’s amazing Woodside estate. Ron cre-

and Radio Shack.

ated Greenberg’s Japanese hydrangea garden, English garden, organic vegetable garden, lavender garden, and rose garden.

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He then left to found Scient, essentially the same internet consulting company, with further success. Scient went public in May 1999, which made Eric Greenberg an internet billionaire in the mid-

PHOTO CREDITS: ©ERIC GREENBERG

ERIC GREENBERG’S JOURNEY FROM INTERNET BILLIONAIRE TO ARTIST OF LOVE

dle of dot.com boom. Scient stocks comprised most of Eric’s worth. When the company went public and shares climbed to more than $120 at one point, his personal net worth increased to around $1.4 billion. He lost 95 percent of it during the dot.com crash in 2000 when Scient stocks plummeted below $1, then down to zero.

Now, years after having lost almost everything and getting away from the world of tech company start-ups, Eric stopped working and left the tech world. He traveled and studied spirituality, getting in touch not only with his Jewish faith, but also with Buddhism and Eastern philosophy. He also confronted some of his personal issues, including parts of his childhood. He switched to a healthy diet and started a health food company called Beautiful. In 2008, he co-wrote a book about the Millennials titled Generation We: How Millennials are Taking Over and Changing the World. After letting go of all the past endeavors and boom and bust, Eric Greenberg is back as an amazing artist!

Last year, he told me he took up painting and invited me to see his work. I was impressed with the joy, love, colors, light, and optimism in his paintings which evoke thoughts, ideas, feelings, and stories that make people feel good, uplifted, and inspired. I was also surprised to see Greenberg’s personal transformation from an egocentric and aggressive big-talker into a calm, healing, artistic, loving person. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, he had solo shows at Scope/Art Basel, Palm Beach, and Palm Springs.

Here is my exclusive interview with Eric Greenberg for Haute Living.

HL: This is truly remarkable transformation. When, why, and how did you start?

EG: In May of 2018, I picked up my first paintbrush. I had never taken a painting lesson or studied art. I was a collector, a designer, a creator, an entrepreneur and tech guy, but my work was never my true essence—only bits and parts.

The light which heals me cried out to be expressed. My paintings are living expressions; they are my medicine. I humbly share these to give back the gift of learning to love myself and others. My prayer is to awaken human consciousness.

HL: Where did you find your subjects and inspiration?

EG: I paint love. Beauty is love manifested. It is the essence of what is within and what heals the world. I believe that we are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers. I care about the world and where it’s going and how we, as citizens and participants in the story, can help shape the energy and collective consciousness, thereby making the world a better place by creating a new generation of hu-

Artist Eric Greenberg

manism: how we become better human beings, create true community, and spread these blessings.

My paintings make you think. They are iconic ideas and stories. They are optimistic, light, colorful, and happy. They evoke feeling and make people feel good—lifting people and providing inspiration to become their best selves.

Scient went public in May 1999, which made Eric Greenberg an internet billionaire in the middle of dot.com boom. Scient stocks comprised most of Eric’s worth. When the company went public and shares climbed to more than $120 at one point, his personal net worth increased to around $1.4 billion. He lost 95 percent of it during the dot.com crash in 2000 when Scient stocks plummeted below $1, then down to zero.

HL: How did you re-discover yourself after all your experiences in the internet and business world, from a billionaire lifestyle to the loss of everything to an artistic, healing, and loving person?

EG: Simple questions, but two answers: the real and the constructed. I did not know who I really was or what I really should be. I set up beliefs, personality, and behaviors that created two images: what I wanted others to believe and what they perceived. The problem is that both were incorrect.

I used coping mechanisms and tried to explain my way out of seeing and owning the truth. Everything was an excuse. That is a hard reality to wake up to.

Creation is love manifested. So is beauty. We are inside the Creator and our soul is a divine spark.

We know the soul through intuition, senses, and feel. We think, experience emotion, act, and behave our lives into creation. Along with that comes ego, personality, and all the little influences, habits, and dispositions that cause us to act human, or not.

Deep within our soul is pure light and love. Sometimes it is obscured and hidden. We act out our lives and become who we are, going on a path which may, or may not, be in alignment with our best self.

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HauteART HL: Was this “waking up” from the past so painful that you had to heal with your art? Do you think you are healed and at peace with yourself and the others?

EG: I was the opposite of what I really should have been. I had to wake up to my ego reality and own that I did not love myself and, hence, I could not love others. I squandered, acted entitled, and behaved poorly. I created a reality distortion field that made me into a flawed man with little flashes of light.

“The best in us is in us” says Plotinus. And the meaning of life is to strive to be that best. We know what is right, we know love, but can we be that? I took the hard step to truth, owned it, and began a healing process that realized me as a painter.

My childhood was abusive, poor, and angry. My personality was framed by fear and lack and not feeling loved. I was bullied and religiously taunted. Eric Greenberg became the real-life reflection of my childhood wound. Despite my pain and flaws, I had a light within me. It bestowed me with great talent, strong drive, and an ability to create incredible abundance and opportunity. I had it all, as they say. Except me. I was not love.

There were good parts of me, but my other side overcame those, again and again. My surface life started to implode at 39 years old. I was a dot.com wonderkid who got fabulously rich, incredibly fat, and poorly behaved. I was not my best self and lived in denial. I copped out and created a distorted reality. On the surface, I played a character that hid my pain and shame. I had to wake up and take a hard look into the mirror to see my truth and pierce the veil of ego, illusion, and denial.

Our lives are our stories. I needed to change the script. We experience and create what resides inside the universe of self. It took all my courage and strength to see the truth of what I was and embark on the journey of healing. But we are not alone. Rather, we are inside the Creator and the true self is the “all self.” I care about people and the world. You matter.

HL: Now that you have found a beautiful life in your art, what can you tell people who are suffering the current virus pandemic and inequality?

EG: On the surface, a “beautiful life” can seem different to that which we experience. We live every waking moment in our own, sometimes tortured, universe, fighting the battle of ego and self, often without knowing and being love. Now, I found love within myself and in my paintings.

The process of growth and healing is continuous, like change. I invite you to share my journey with me through my art works, and please accept my love and blessings.

For Eric Greenberg artwork online gallery, please visit www.EGreenberg.com

Untitled from Faces/Lips catagory

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Untitled from Faces/Lips catagory

Kanye from Africa Love Category

Eye Love 2

21

BY SHARON SETO

HauteKITCHEN

IN CONVERSATION WITH SHARON SETO I “carrot” about you expressed through the power of food.

Tony Gemignani

Gemignani’s motto “RESPECT THE CRAFT”

“Respect the craft.”

–Tony Gemignani

I find people, including myself, often puttering around in the kitchen. We are cooking side by side, bonding. Others connect with old friends

Q&A

or build new relationships by sharing recipes. Whether you are a professional chef or a home cook, food ties communities, food ties cultures,

HAUTE LIVING X TONY GEMIGNANI

THERE IS NO MORE INSTRUMENTAL TOOL THAN FOOD TO CONNECT US ALL IN GOOD TIMES AND BAD. WITH SHELTER-IN-PLACE,

food ties traditions, food ties memories, and food ties us all together. serving up new plates for family and friends really excites me. Variety counts. To keep it interesting, I will be mixing it up with a variety of people—those from the industry and those who aren’t. All have a common ingredient: a big heaping tablespoon of love for food and people!

In our hot Haute Kitchen, here are two fabulous haute cooks who can’t wait to dish out some haute stuff for your tables this summer!

HL: You are a global pizza legend. What are you sharing in Haute Kitchen?

TG: Insalata grilled pizza, which translates to “salad,” and the master recipe all from The Pizza Bible cookbook.

TONY GEMIGNANI Among countless accolades, Gemignani is a 13-time World Pizza Champion as well as Food Network Gold Medalist and owner of the wildly popular Tony’s Pizza in North Beach, San Francisco, which is one of his 28 concepts in Northern California and Las Vegas. Tony has appeared on numerous popular shows including Good Morning America, NBC’s Today, and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Tony was the first non-Neapolitan to take the “World Champion Pizza Maker” title at the World Cup held in Naples, Italy. Police escorted him to protect him from the local crowds for fear of being attacked. He was instructed not to cheer when he won.

Tony grew up on a local Bay Area farm, cooking in the kitchen beside his mother. Mother and son served only fresh fruits and vegetables straight from their farm. This mindset of using only the freshest ingredients has stayed with him ever since and is reflected in all his dishes.

HL: They sound delicious! For each recipe, why this dish is special or meaningful to you?

TG: It’s summer and pizzas on the grill can be so amazing. I’ve been grilling pizzas since I started making them nearly 30 years ago. It’s so familyfriendly and communal.

HL: Are there under-the-radar tips or secrets for any of these recipes?

TG: When it comes to grilling pizzas and you’re using a gas grill with two zones, heat one zone to

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PHOTO CREDITS: (TOP LEFT) COURTESY OF TONY’S PIZZA NAPOLETANA; (TOP RIGHT) ©SARA REMINGTON

Step into Haute Kitchen, a gathering place to meet new friends and to connect and share with one another. Trying new recipes and

medium-high and the other to medium. That way, if the pizza cooks too quickly over medium-high zone, it can be moved to the medium side.

HL: You have a long list of accolades as a world class pizza legend. Besides being a pizza master, you’re also a multiple pizza acrobat champion. What is your most challenging move and why?

TG: There is a trick called the Gemignani which I did back in the day. It involves two pizzas, one on the right hand and one on the left, that are simultaneously rolled across each shoulder to the other hand. It’s a tough trick that I created, and even I can’t pull it off every time I attempt to do it.

HL: What is the craziest thing you’ve ever eaten?

TG: When I judged the world pizza championships in France and the championships in Mexico, I had pizzas that had indigenous fish (that smelled awful) on them and pizzas that had several types of insects as toppings. They were not appetizing.

HL: Oh, my stomach is churning already. Tell me something about you that no one else knows.

TG: I like to wear my hair straight because it’s super curly.

Insalata pizza

Recipes below are reprinted with permission from The Pizza Bible: The World’s Favorite Pizza Styles, from Neapolitan, Deep Dish, Wood-Fred, Sicilian, Calzones, and Foccia to New York, New Haven, Detroit and More by Tony Gemignani, © 2014, published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Penguin Random House.

INSALATA GRILLED PIZZA Makes One 12 – 13 INCH PIZZA: 3 SANDWICH SIZE WEDGES OR 6 SLICES Sometimes, what you really want is pizza and a salad. This is the pizza for those times.

It’s a great choice for an outdoor party in the summer.

1 ball dough (9 ounces or 255 grams) Flour for dusting CITRUS VINAIGRETTE Makes 2/3 cups (155 Grams) ¼ cup plus 2 Tablespoons (85 grams) freshly squeezed orange juice

Prepare the dough and set up the grill. While the grill heats, make the vinaigrette. In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice, honey, mustard, and oil. Season with the salt, black pepper, and white pepper. Set aside.

THE FIRST GRILLING: Grill the pizza as instructed in the master recipe.

When the half-cooked pizza is removed from the grill, flip it over as directed, then mound the mozzarella in the center of the dough and use your fingertips to spread it evenly over the surface, leaving a three-quarter-inch (¾-inch) border.

2½ Tablespoons (53 grams) honey 1 ¼ teaspoons (7 grams) Dijon mustard

PHOTO CREDIT: ©SARA REMINGTON

1 Tablespoon (14 grams) extra virgin olive oil

THE SECOND GRILLING: Return the pizza to the grill to cook and lightly and lightly brown the second side and melt the cheese as instructed in the master recipe.

Fine sea salt and freshly ground white pepper COMPLETING THE PIZZA: In a bowl, toss the arugula with a light coating of the vinaigrette.

3 ounces (85 grams) whole milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (¾ cup)

Mound the salad over half the pizza if you are folding it or over the whole top if you are serving

4 cups (scant 2 ounces/50 grams) loosely packed arugula or mixed baby greens

it open faced. Crumble the goat cheese over the arugula and garnish with the raspberries and

3 ounces (85 grams) fresh goat cheese, preferably Laura Chenel

almonds. Sprinkle with fleur de sel and black pepper.

16 raspberries 10 salted roasted Marcona almonds, coarsely chopped

Fold the pizza in half and cut into three wedges to serve sandwich style or cut the open-faced pizza

Fleur de sel and freshly ground black pepper

into six wedges. Serve the remaining dressing on the side.

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HauteKITCHEN GRILLED PIZZA MASTER RECIPE About 1½ hours before grilling the pizza, remove the dough ball from the refrigerator and leave wrapped at room temperature until the dough warms to 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

This recipe works with a wood, charcoal, or gas grill. Preheat the grill over medium-high heat. If you are using a wood or charcoal, use indirect heat to avoid burning the bottom of the pizza. If you can set up two zones on your gas grill, then heat one to mediumhigh and one to medium. That way, if the pizza cooks too quickly over the medium-high zone, it can be moved to the medium zone. If possible, set up a station near the grill with a cutting board, a sheet pan, a pair of tongs, your pizza cutter, and all the toppings for the pizza. Sprinkle a wooden peel with flour.

Roll out the dough into a 12- to 13-inch round, press the edges with a rolling pin to keep from puffing on the grill, and dock the surface of the dough. Move the dough to the peel. As you work, shake the peel forward and backward to ensure the dough doesn’t stick.

FOR THE FIRST GRILLING: Slide the dough onto the grill and cook uncovered for about one minute. Lift an edge of the dough with a pair of tongs and check the bottom to make sure it isn’t burning. If it is just beginning to brown, lower the edge and continue to grill for another 30 seconds to one minute, until browned and well marked. If it is too dark when you check, rotate the dough 90 degrees and continue grilling for another 30 seconds to one minute until the dough is browned in a crosshatch pattern. If it is not browned enough when you check, increase the heat or move the dough to a hotter spot on the grill.

Lift the dough onto the peel. If you have space on the counter, work with the pizza directly on the peel, otherwise, slide it onto a cutting board. Flip the dough over and press down on the top to flatten it and break any bubbles. Scatter the cheese evenly over the crust, leaving a ¾-inch border. If it was moved to the cutting board, slide it back onto the peel.

FOR THE SECOND GRILLING: Hold the peel over the grill and use your hand to slide the pizza carefully back onto the grill grate.

(Shaking the peel to remove the pizza may cause the cheese to fall off the crust onto the grill.) Cover the grill and cook for 30 seconds to one minute, rotating the pizza as necessary to brown the bottom has melted, then move the pizza to the sheet pan and return the pan to the grill just until the cheese has melted.

Transfer the pizza to the cutting board and complete according to the recipe. For a sandwich style pizza, arrange the toppings on half of the pizza, fold the pizza in half, and cut into three wedges.

For traditional pizza, cover the entire top and serve open-faced.

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Pizza bible

PHOTO CREDIT: ©SARA REMINGTON

evenly and melt the cheese. If the bottom browns before the cheese

Aubrey Brewster

AUBREY BREWSTER A product of his environment, Aubrey Brewster drew his passion and inspiration for cooking and parties from childhood summers visiting his southern grandmother, who, too, had a flare for entertaining. Voted “The

PHOTOS CREDIT: ©DREW ALTIZER PHOTOGRAPHY

Salonnière 100: America’s 100 Top Party Hosts” (as featured in Town & Country magazine), Aubrey Brewster has created and hosted some of San Francisco’s most magical, exclusive, and legendary private events.

Along with his aptitude for extraordinary soirées, Brewster’s incomparable talent and passion for cooking is shared equally. From elegant and whimsically themed, intimate dinner parties hosted at his hometown residence in San Francisco to extraordinary, in-home theatre movie nights

“Recipes are traditions that we all can share, for food is comfort that brings all of us together ... and in times like these, togetherness is crucial for us all.” –Aubrey Brewster

with a nostalgic movie house concession stand complete with popcorn, nacho, and hotdog machines, his cooking and entertaining have become legendary. His followers eagerly consume his entertaining tips, recipes, and cooking demos shared on social media.

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HauteKITCHEN Q&A

Aubrey Brewster and Mayor Willie Brown

HAUTE LIVING X AUBREY BREWSTER HL: Your kitchen skills are over the top, and I’m not surprised when you told me you can figure out and whip up a dish right after tasting it. With such a huge collection of recipes, what favorite summer recipe are you sharing?

AB: I can’t think of a better quintessential summer classic than my Meyer lemon squares, a recipe that originated when friends shared their Meyer lemon harvest with me. What better way to bring people together than such a sharable sweet!

HL: What is your fondest childhood memory?

AB: Cooking, for me, is an expression of love. It’s a conduit for shared memories that foster family and community. One stand-out memory of cooking is with my late grandmother, Ruth Ann Brewster, whom I credit mostly for my culinary passion. I fondly remember helping her make her

Kaiseki Bloom Birthday Luncheon at Neiman Marcus. Natalia Urruttia Kirkland, Sonya Molodetskaya, Sobia Skaikh, Aubrey Brewster, Rada Katz, Farah Makras, Teresa Rodriguez

“famous” Thanksgiving potato dinner rolls. I recall being amazed at the process and how the aroma of baked potatoes wafted throughout the house.

To this day, the smell of baking potatoes takes me back.

HL: Being named as one of “America’s 100 Top Party Hosts” in Town in Country is a huge accolade. Of all the soirees, which tops your list?

AB: I’m blessed to host some of San Francisco’s most interesting personalities, (more often than not) leads to some wild, silly, and just plain fabulous times. I’m often asked which event was my favorite; but I’d have to say, right now as we all face the COVID virus and we as a community come together to flatten the curve, my answer poned for a later date. I say this, because, when we do come out of this—and we will—Anchors Aweigh will take on a whole new meaning as a beacon of how togetherness in a shared spirit is the best reason to celebrate. That, to me, would be the most humbling and dearest memory of all.

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PHOTO CREDITS: ©DREW ALTIZER PHOTOGRAPHY

would be Anchors Aweigh, which has been post-

AUBREY’S MEYER LEMON SQUARES COCONUT COOKIE CRUST:

SERVINGS 16 squares

PREP TIME 20 minutes

COOK TIME 20 minutes

PASSIVE TIME 2 hours

20 Mother’s (brand) Coconut “Cocadas” Cookies, or 2 cups shortbread cookie crumbs ½ cup all-purpose flour /3 cup butter, melted

1

1 Tablespoon sugar

Aubrey Meyer Lemon Squares

Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.

Line an 8X8-inch square cake pan with parchment paper.

To prepare the crust: Place cookies into a plastic zipper bag and crush cookies into fine crumbs with a rolling pin or bottle.

In a medium bowl, combine cookie crumbs, flour, and sugar.

Stir in melted butter until mixture resembles wet, coarse sand.

Evenly distribute crust mixture in the bottom of the parchment-lined pan. Press crust mixture to compact.

Bake in preheated oven for 12 minutes. Remove.

Allow to cool completely.

MEYER LEMON FILLING: 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk /3 cup Meyer lemon juice

2

5 egg yolks 1 Tablespoon Meyer lemon zest 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar PREPARE MEYER LEMON FILLING: Lower oven temperature to 325° Fahrenheit.

In a medium bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, egg yolks, and lemon zest. Mix well.

PHOTOS CREDIT: COURTESY OF AUBREYABOUTTOWN.COM

Pour lemon filling over cooled crust.

Bake in 325°F oven for 20 minutes, or until the lemon filling jiggles slightly when gently shaken.

Cool completely to room temperature.

Refrigerate four hours until set.

Gently lift from parchment paper out of pan and onto a work surface.

Through a sifter, evenly sift confectioners’ sugar over cooled lemon filling.

Cut into 16 two-inch squares.

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BY LAURIE JO MILLER FARR

HauteDRINKS

ALTERNATIVES TO TRADITIONAL WINE TASTING EXPERIENCES “A bottle of wine holds more philosophy than all the books in the world.” – Louis Pasteur JORDAN WINERY: LACE UP YOUR HIKING BOOTS Head for a beauty spot just a little bit north of Healdsburg. No doubt, Jordan Winery produces wonderful wines ... not to mention their signature picnics. There’s another highlight as well: vineyard hikes. Fresh air and beautiful views of mountains, woodlands, lakes, meadows and gardens are spread across the private 1,200-acre Jordan Estate.

Begin at the Winery Chateau’s Bacchus Courtyard with a protein snack. Small groups of no more than 10 guests enjoy plenty of space to ensure social distancing on a three-hour guided loop hike of four miles. The moderate elevation change takes in 300 feet up to Jordan Vista Point with its sweeping panorama descending into the olive orchards, around the lake and cattle pasture to the chef’s garden and apiary.

Return to the winery terrace for a charcuterie picnic with wine pairings at individual tables featuring Jordan Chardonnay and Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon.

What to Know: Through Sept. 6 on Thursday through Sunday mornings by reservation. $110 per person. Jordan Vineyard & Winery, 1474 Alexander Valley Rd., Healdsburg, CA.

Jordan Chateau block vineyard tasting wine charcuterie

Jordan Chateau

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JORDAN WINERY

Jordan summer vineyard hike

Jordan Winery estate lake, Healdsburg

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Cultured Vine’s helicopter bird’s eye Cultured Vine’s Helicopter Escapes

SCHARFFENBERGER CELLARS, ROEDERER ESTATE AND GOLDENEYE: HELICOPTER ESCAPE There’s more than one way to get to a curated experience. A private helicopter ride means forgetting the traffic to enjoy the views. It’s smooth flying over Lake Sonoma, the Yorkville Highlands, redwood forests, lush woodlands, the Navarro River, alluvial terraces and, of course, plenty of rolling vineyards.

Welcome to Mendocino County. Three vineyard tasting experiences not normally open to the public are arranged by Cultured Vine, creator of highly customized white glove experiences in wine country.

PHOTOS CREDITS: (TOP) COURTESY OF HELICO SONOMA; (BOTTOM) COURTESY OF GOLDEN EYE

The helicopter touches down at Scharffenberger Cellars before guests are escorted to the 580-acre Roederer Estate, one of California’s top producers of sparkling wines that rival French Champagne. On a private balcony overlooking the vines, an intimate tasting includes current and past vintages of the famed L’Ermitage label.

On to Goldeneye for one of California’s best Pinot Noirs. It comes from Anderson Valley’s Confluence Vineyard, a crown jewel adjacent to the Navarro River, where the perfect spot to sip and savor is beneath the magnificent limbs of a 500-year-old Black Oak. Enjoy a wood-fired lunch al fresco before heading back to Napa by ‘copter.

What to Know: Helicopter Escape is a customized program. Visits to other wineries arranged upon request. By reservation only via CulturedVine.com.

Cultured Vine’s Goldeneye Oak

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HauteDRINKS WINEMAKER FOR A DAY: RAYMOND VINEYARDS Raymond Vineyards, part of Boisset Collection, takes virtual wine tasting to a whole new level when the winemakers turn the tables on us. Their most popular guest experience, “Winemaker for a Day,” is a blending activity now made available to wine lovers at home.

A handsome kit arrives at the doorstep which contains four 750-ml bottles Raymond wines used for blending: an unoaked Cabernet Sauvignon, a Cabernet with new oak, a Cabernet Franc, and a Merlot accompanied by four graduated cylinders, four pipettes, blending worksheets and an instruction booklet.

For the Napa Valley Cabernet Red Blend session, guests can book either a group—members of a group can be in different locations—or a private virtual blending session which is guided live and in person by proprietor Jean-Charles Boisset.

For 60 minutes, blend, sip, compare, and learn first-hand how oak affects a finished wine, taste how even a small adjustment of percentages in a blend makes a difference. Discover characteristics different varietals contribute to a blend while learning more about your own palette and preferences.

Commemorating a milestone? Need a special gift or want to surprise a loved one? A personal blend favorite can be ordered, compete with an original custom name as well as a label image based on a photo or artwork. Note: Six bottle minimum at $50 per bottle ($40 for club members), shipping included.

What to Know: Raymond offers virtual blending masterclasses monthly. Visit the website to order a wine blending kit at $200, ground shipping included. Raymond Vineyards, 849 Zinfandel Lane, St. Helena, CA.

Raymond Winery blending kit

AL FRESCO FLIGHTS: TREFETHEN FAMILY VINEYARDS A stunning setting, expansive gardens, vineyard views come together at Trefethen Family Vineyards, one of Napa’s pioneering wineries. The gorgeous grounds make social distancing a breeze and four new tasting experiences take full advantage of summertime.

Historic Winery & Courtyard Flights offers a choice of four distinct flights of five different wines served at the 19th century winery and in the fresh air of the lovely, adjacent courtyard.

Reserve Tasting with Charcuterie Board features limited production wines and the Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon poured for guests at the Villa where a deck overlooks the gardens. Cured meats, local cheeses and estate grown preserves complement the wine selection.

Taste of the Estate is the quintessential wine and culinary experience. Served at the Villa, the deck or at a table in the pretty garden, Chef Chris Kennedy. Twilight at Trefethen means making memories.

Have the whole estate to yourself for sunset and a summer night to include a private tour, tasting and menu. There’s only one table available per evening for this intimate experience.

What to Know: Book by appointment online. Tastings and experiences range from $30 to $150 per person. Trefethen Family Vineyards,

Trefethen in the garden

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Trefethen Reserve Tasting with Charcuterie Board

1160 Oak Knoll Ave., Napa, CA.

PHOTO CREDITS: (TOP) ©DYLAN ELLIOTT (BOTTOM IMAGES) ©ROBB MCDONOUGH

enjoy five of Trefethen’s finest wines with sublime bites from Winery

THREE STICKS: A TASTE OF HISTORY Talk about wines with a sense of place—Three Sticks provides a New World connection that’s hard to beat. In 1825, the Franciscan Fathers of San Francisco Solano de Sonoma Mission produced sacramental wine from the first vineyard in Sonoma Valley. A stone’s throw away, a statue in Sonoma Plaza commemorates the moment a brand new California Republic was born in 1846.

And facing the square where the Bear Flag was first raised, the historic residence, Vallejo-Casteñada Adobe, still stands. Today, this structure that marries past and present is the heart of the Three Sticks brand.

Step inside. Over the past few years, a team of local designers, architects, contractors and archaeologists painstakingly preserved the Adobe’s integrity. Stunning, comfortable interiors designed by the talented Ken Fulk are the setting for an unforgettable intimate tasting experience in this one-of-a-kind location. Guests are guided through a private tasting of a flight of Three Sticks estate Chardonnay and Pinot Noirs while learning about the terroir and winemaking process that results in an award-winning portfolio of Sonoma County vineyard sites and this historic Adobe home.

What to Know: Sixty-minute tastings are limited to six, by reservation only at $50 per person plus tax. Three Sticks at the Adobe, 143 West Spain, Sonoma, CA.

Three Sticks

PHOTOS CREDITS: (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) © DOUGLAS FRIEDMAN; © ELISE AILEEN; COURTESY OF WILDLY SIMPLE; COURTESY OF WILDLY SIMPLE

Three Sticks outdoors

Three Sticks outdoors

Three Sticks Casteñada

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HauteDRINKS BACHELORETTE PARTIES: INMAN FAMILY WINES With wedding plans full of uncertainty this season, Inman Family Wines introduces a new way to bring brides and bridesmaids together. Through the winery’s new virtual bachelorette party wine tasting experience, the party’s on. The solution comes from Kathleen Inman, general manager and winemaker at Inman Family Wines, an idea that was born when Kathleen’s daughter had to postpone her own wedding in April.

“Hosting a bachelorette as a wine tasting party online is an obvious way around not being able to get together as a group in Wine Country,” said Kathleen. “We plan to continue offering this online experience even when we are able to meet in person again.

Imagine you are renting a house on the lake, in the mountains or at the beach, with your friends. Wouldn’t it be fun to have the winemaker send you a case of interesting and delicious wines, then visit you online? My vision is to bring wine country to brides no matter where they may be.”

Bridal parties will select from Inman’s vineyard-driven Pinot Noirs, Chardonnay, Rosés and méthode champenoise sparkling wines, shipped to each invitee in advance of the event. Kathleen Inman will join the group via Zoom to lead a live tour of Inman’s organically farmed Russian River Valley OGV estate, followed by a guided tasting of the wines. The winery provides invitations, wine tasting menus to pair with the wines and lead the bachelorette party games.

What to Know: Reserve online. Inman Family Wines, 3900 Piner Rd., Santa Rosa, CA.

Inman Endless Crush Rosé

Kathleen Inman

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Inman Russian River Family Pinot Noir

PHOTOS COURTESY OF NMAN FAMILY WINES

Inman Family Wines

Gary Farrell Winery single pour

SUNDAY SUPPER WINEMAKER DINNER: GARY FARRELL WINERY Gary Farrell Winery virtually transports a three-course dinner party from the Russian River Valley to dining rooms across the U.S. It’s made easier for home chefs via a detailed grocery shopping list and preparation timetable. Each event is hosted by winemaker Theresa Heredia and estate sommelier Tiffany Kuhn.

A notable maker of small lot artisanal wines, Gary Farrell produces Burgundian-styled, varietally expressive, and regionally distinctive Russian River Valley Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Wines for the Sunday Supper Virtual Winemaker Dinner include the Gary Farrell 2014 Chardonnay, Bacigalupi Vineyard, 2014 Pinot Noir, Rochioli-Allen Vineyard, and Dulcette, a Port-style dessert wine. These wines have been selected to pair with the meal: a first course of white bean crostini with kale pesto, a main course of lemon and herb roasted chicken with Yukon potatoes and crispy spring vegetables, plus a dessert of Dulcette-marinated berries with honey whipped mascarpone.

What to Know: Reserve at $185 or $370 for a three-bottle selection or a six-bottle selection on select dates. Gary Farrell Winery, 10701 Westside Rd, Healdsburg, CA.

PHOTOS CREDITS: ŠALAN CAMPBELL

Gary Farrell Winery tasting

Gary Farrell Winery

Gary Farrell Winery salon terrace

33

BY BECCA HENSLEY

34

HauteHOTEL

MONKEY ISLAND ESTATE A new rural resort and floating spa on an island in the Thames IT SOUNDS LIKE A HIDEAWAY IN AFRICA OR INDIA— or perhaps a place for primates to reside in a city zoo. In fact, this one-time home to herbal elixir-making monks, fishing retreat for an 18th-century duke, secret nefarious nook for Eton student playboys, and raucous party spot for Princess Margaret and her cohorts lies in the pastoral English countryside, just 30 minutes north of London.

Mere steps from the idyllic village of Bray-on-Thames where three Michelin-starred restaurants tempt (including 3-star Fat Duck by Heston Blumenthal), the island occupies seven acres amid the Thames, accessible only by footbridge or boat.

Redolent with intriguing histories (some of which can’t be put into writing), the retreat smacks of mystery and intrigue. Monkey Island Estate could be the setting for any favorite British literary tale. The estate was once owned by somebody called (Clue fans, take note) Mrs. Plum; Edward Elgar composed here; Rebecca West and H.G. Wells stole away for writing jaunts and romantic rendezvous—to name a few fun facts. It’s whispered that more than one queen stopped over for sustenance after The Floating Spa occupies a canal boat

a stay at Windsor Castle, as well.

35

BY TERESA RODRIGUEZ

HauteHOTEL

Monkey Island Estate, a 5-star Georgian hideaway

However, the hideaway fell on hard times until Malaya-

friendly. Holding just 30 rooms, plus a handful of re- fash-

sian-based YTL decided to make it legendary again. The

ioned riverside cottages, and ideal for families and larger

estate re- opened last summer after major renovations as

groups, the resulting, redone estate has exclusive ap-

an intimate, 5-star resort. Expect stellar service, country

peal. It’s the sort of destination that makes one hanker

house- style British sensibility, a languorous ambiance

to dance across the lawn in a chiffon dress, your arms

befitting the blue-blooded class, slow canal boats on the

wrapped around someone wearing a tuxedo, flutes of

river, and a moored vessel which serves as a spa—but not

champagne clutched in your respective hands. You may

one monkey in sight.

even find yourself playing croquet.

As it turns out, Monkey Island, once called Monk’s Eyot (or “Monk’s Isle” in Old English) was named for the medieval holy men who lived and worked here. Known for their curative tinctures and potions, they grew herbs and traded their wares and garden products with passing apothecary vessels, gaining a reputation for helping travelers heal. In an artful homage to the monks, as well as to the island’s history as a regal playground, YTL, a hotel group known for soulful refurbishments of historic properties, has reinvented the retreat. Now, rather than administer to the ill as the monks did, the island can ease stressed travelers to elegant repose and entertainment.

When in residence, enjoy interiors by New York’s Champalimaud Design (responsible for iconic design at places such as London’s Dorchester and Manhattan’s Carlisle Hotel), which reference the past with a tony, slightly reserved modernity. Reflecting former times, the mood across the grounds remains clubby and crisp—yet

Monkey Island brasserie serves contemporary British classics

Afternoon tea is a must

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MONKEY ISLAND ESTATE

Dine on the terrace for river views

The Wedgewood Suite

I connect with the monks’ spirit the night I arrive, when

and new. I cherish the idea of sipping where aristocrats,

I tipple in the Monkey Bar, set in one of the island’s clas-

writers, artists, musicians—perhaps kings and presidents,

sic, white, Palladian-styled buildings. Seated on a velvety

too—swigged before me.

couch, I peruse the menu and order a libation that bor-

No matter how much I wish to pack the Monkey Bar

rows from the monk’s legacy—a concoction drawing from

into my suitcase and take it home with me (as if one

the power of plants and herbs. It fools me into believing

could, though the effects of the monk-ish drink do make

that even the alcohol might be healthy. Called a Merton

me think magic is possible), I fall further under the re-

Priory, it comprises a bitter blend of Punt e Mess, Gagli-

sort’s spell and the monks’ influences at The Floating Spa

ardo Bitter Radicale, orange oil, and house-made walnut

the following day. Imagined to reflect the region’s history,

syrup—all medicinal, in a good way. While I wait for its

the moored, vintage-looking canal boat has just three

delivery, I gaze up and gasp. As if from a dream, the ceil-

rooms. It takes its treatment cues from healing herbs

ing is alive with naughty monkeys—or at least paintings of

and house-made oils, not to mention the boat’s rocking

them—, dressed as human beings, fishing, shooting, and

rhythm. I receive a face-changing treatment, which in-

acting in the guise of country gentle-men. This centuries-

cludes a peat mask.

old mural adds whimsey and gravitas to the otherwise

But, monkeying around isn’t the only thing to do at

modernized historic buildings, a perfect melding of old

Monkey Island Estate. One can ride horses, enjoy water sports on a nearby lake, take boat rides, learn to smoke salmon in the garden-side smokehouse, watch the guards change at nearby Windsor Castle, learn about beekeeping, and bop into the village for hard-to-get reservations at some of the UK’s best restaurants. All the while, with London less than an hour away, visitors can combine an urban holiday with a bucolic, rural stay--just as the glitterati did in the old days I think the monks (and the monkeys) would approve.

The Whiskey Snug

37

HauteCUISINE

BY STEPH KEAY

PROFILE

Chef David Nayfeld of Che Fico

PUTTING IT ALL ON THE TABLE RAZOR-THIN PROFIT MARGINS. SKY-HIGH RENTS. SURVIVING AS A RESTAURATEUR

I spoke to several local chefs about what happened when they were ordered to shel-

is no easy feat in San Francisco, even during a typical year. Adding a global pandemic

ter in place, how the pandemic has highlighted long-simmering issues in the uniquely

to the mix is a recipe for disaster. Experts have predicted up to 50 percent of San Fran-

vulnerable restaurant industry, and what the future of dining might look like—for better

cisco’s restaurants could close permanently following the pandemic.

or for worse.

“Our mission has always been to provide an exquisite dining experience to everyone. We have done some incredibly creative, innovative things, including bento boxes, fresh barbeque on the weekends, and sweets for pick-up and delivery.”

– Chef Claude Le Tohic of ONE65 38

PHOTO CREDIT: ©CHRISTOPHER MICHEL

Three Bay Area chefs speak candidly about the issues they’re facing during shelter-in-place.

The one thing they all agree on: the future of dining is in our hands.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ONE65

PAST

Acclaimed Italian taverna Che Fico went one step

continued. “When you think about a restaurant’s place

When sheltering-in-place was announced, most restau-

further, launching its own charitable initiative: the

in the economy, there are very few other businesses like

ranteurs were blindsided by the unprecedented order.

Che Fico Family Meal Fund. “It started very quickly,”

it in the sense that there are very few businesses where,

“I thought it would only last a week or two at the most,”

says Chef David Nayfeld. “We had announced that we

when you spend a dollar, around 90 to 95 cents of that

says Chef Tommy Cleary of Hina, Bay Area’s first yaki-

weren’t going to be open to the public anymore, and

dollar is almost automatically recirculated into the local

tori omakase restaurant. “We took time off to see how

one of our supporters reached out to us and asked,

economy.”

it was going to play out. Only being able to do takeout

‘What can I do to help? I’m down to slide you guys a

Nayfeld was at the park with his dog, Cassidy, who

or delivery limited what we could do. We had already

little bit of money; what can you do with it?’ I thought,

interrupted our conversation when he stole a toy while

been working on this other idea of a yakitori bento

‘Well ... what we do is cook.’ I watched what was going

Nayfeld passionately explained the importance of

box concept, so we thought this might be the perfect

around the city, and got the sense of what was going to

restaurants. “I can’t go home because my daughter is

time to implement the idea and give it a test run. So,

happen in the country. There are so many people who

sleeping, and I have a tiny apartment,” he laughed. A

we started selling our Torima bento boxes—and people

have no job. Unemployment benefits are not going to

quick apology to the toy’s owner, and he dove right

loved them.” He and his team now deliver boxes of the

kick in for them. None of these people have savings. Go-

back in. “It’s important to recognize a restaurant’s

binchotan-grilled meats around San Francisco, with the

ing into sheltering-in-place, a lot of them didn’t plan or

role in the economy and why it is that, as you watch

recent launch of a vegetarian option, and have plans to

didn’t have the means to plan. So, I thought, why don’t

as restaurants thrive, it’s a great indicator whether an

expand the business beyond the Bay Area.

we just cook food and give it away for free?”

economy is thriving. As restaurants struggle, it’s a great

Similarly, Chef Claude Le Tohic of ONE65 in Union

In addition to providing food to the community, Nay-

indicator that the economy is struggling. It’s the canary

Square successfully parlayed his 6-story French dining

feld was committed to keeping his suppliers afloat.

in a coal mine. Why it’s important that we, as a group,

destination into a takeout hub, complete with the ad-

“Making sure that the supply lines don’t collapse by

band around the success of restaurants is because they

dition of bento boxes du jour. “Our mission has always

supporting them and continuing to use them was su-

employ 11 million people nationwide—directly. And the

been to provide an exquisite dining experience to eve-

per important. I don’t think that’s something that gets

amount of people that they employ in parallel indus-

ryone. We have done some incredibly creative, innova-

pointed out enough when people talk about what

tries, whether it be people in textiles, disposables and

tive things, including bento boxes, fresh barbeque on

chefs are doing—it’s not just the end product. You have

plastics, ranching, farming, delivery drivers, salespeo-

the weekends, and sweets for pick-up and delivery.”

to think about the entire throughput, especially here,

ple, tech sector ... you name the sector, and I can tell

The restaurant has also partnered with the Benefit To-

where we deal with very, very small businesses. A lot

you that there’s a good chance that restaurants play a

morrow Foundation, providing meals to frontline work-

of times, these are micro-businesses, in the sense of

pivotal role in their success.”

ers at local hospitals.

small farms, small ranches, fishermen.” After a beat, he

The Patisserie at ONE65

ONE65, a French dining destination in Union Square

39

Haute CUISINE PRESENT

safety and satisfaction of customers. “I just want to

wrote a white paper on it, and he’s going to introduce

So, what can be done to help our restaurants during

make sure that we know more about this virus before

the Restaurants Act of 2020. If people really want to

the pandemic? Prior to the time these interviews

we make deeper plans. So, in that sense, it’s hard to re-

know how to help us, it’s not buying gift certificates or

took place, $349 billion in funding for the Paycheck

ally think about reopening Hina right now. The things

getting to-go food, necessarily. That’s not going to get

Protection Program (PPP) was exhausted in less than

they know about the virus change weekly. Once they

us out of this. What really needs to happen is that peo-

two weeks. The Small Business Administration (SBA)

get a grip on what it’s about, then we can go ahead

ple need to call their representatives and ask them to

stopped taking new applications on April 16 so staff

and make bigger plans on opening up. As it is now, I

support the Restaurants Act of 2020 bill. That is what’s

could process the volume of applications, reopening

don’t want to charge people $200 and have them eat

going to get us through to the other side, because that

the application process on April 27. The PPP Flexibil-

between glass partitions and have servers decked out

gives us the ability to pay off vendors and suppliers.

ity Act—which provides businesses with more time

like they work in the ER. That’s not the Hina experi-

It gives us the ability to help ourselves with operating

to maximize forgiveness of loans received—was later

ence.”

capital. When we relaunch, it will give us the ability

introduced and signed into law on June 5, after res-

However, even restaurants receiving loans will need

to pay utilities and buy disposables. It will give us a

taurateurs denounced the stringent guidelines of the

more to survive. “The PPP is like a bridge,” said Nay-

fighting chance to get out of this. At the end of the day,

original PPP.

feld. “Imagine building a bridge halfway over a body of

everything else is just window dressing.”

Cleary’s experience with applying for the initial

water. The other half has to be a restaurant relief bill. If

The Real Economic Support That Acknowledges

loans was discouraging. “We applied and did not get

we don’t get a specific-to-independent-restaurant relief

Unique Restaurant Assistance Needed to Survive Act

any of them. The process was a hassle—they came

bill, then we will not make it out of this pandemic, be-

of 2020, also known simply as the Restaurants Act,

back to us with numbers that weren’t even ours, so we

cause the PPP was an 8-week solution to an 18-month

was introduced to Congress on May 20 with the goal

had to reapply. It really was a mess.”

problem.”

of creating a $120 billion grant program to help an esti-

Focusing on planning ahead, he shared that his

He encourages the foodies of San Francisco to do

main concern wasn’t so much with reopening, but the

their research. “Congressman [Earl] Blumenauer just

mated 500,000 independent restaurants cover the revenue gap between 2019 and projected for 2020.

Torima’s original yakitori bento box

40

Torima’s new vegetarian bento box

PHOTO CREDIT: ©STEPH KEAY

“$349 billion in funding for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was exhausted in less than two weeks. The Small Business Administration (SBA) stopped taking new applications on April 16 so staff could process the volume of applications, reopening the application process on April 27.”

I don’t want to charge people $200 and have them eat between glass partitions and have servers decked out like they work in the ER. That’s not the Hina experience.”

PHOTO CREDITS: (TOP LEFT) ©JONATHAN RACUSIN; (TOP RIGHT AND BOTTOM) ©CHANEL CHAN

Chef Tommy Cleary of Hina Yakitori

Hina Yakitori, San Francisco’s first yakitori omakase restaurant

A skewer served at Hina Yakitori

41

Haute CUISINE FUTURE Discussing what the future of dining holds, Le Tohic is optimistic. “I have very high hopes. People are social by nature and are drawn to the bar, lunch, or dinner table to be together, celebrate special occasions, or just decompress after a long day. I think we will be okay as long as we have each other to lean on.”

Meanwhile, Cleary is curious about the unknown.

“Post-pandemic success will depend a lot on customer confidence. Are we talking ‘we conquered the virus’ or ‘we still don’t know about it, but let’s open anyway?’

If the virus is controlled, I think things will slowly get back to where it was. A lot of the old places won’t be around, but there will be new places to take their spots.

If it’s the latter, it’s safe to assume that fast, casual takeout and delivery will be king. Dining in might be strange and something people have to get used to. Glass dividers and getting your temperature checked will be the norm—like going to the doctor’s office. Servers coming by with gloves and masks on, keeping conversations to a minimum and staying distant from you ... it’s going to be interesting, to say the least.”

Asked about what individuals can do to help restore

Che Fico offers a rustic Italian menu

the restaurant industry, Nayfeld explains that the pandemic has shined a spotlight on many deeper issues within the restaurant industry. “I think our public, who wants us to succeed, needs to understand that in order for restaurants to be successful, we have to have a serious conversation about the cost of food and the cost of labor. If we really believe ourselves to be people who believe in a living wage, then we need to recognize the fact that people in our industry need to earn more—and that’s from top to bottom. Operators of small restaurants do not earn very much money. When you talk about an entrepreneur and why somebody goes out on a limb and risks their entire livelihood, everything in our lives ... well, I have a personal guarantee that could absolutely sink

“We’re giving the majority of our employees raises when they come back, which is utterly insane.

People will think we’re crazy to get out of this and go straight into giving people raises, but today, people need raises—and we need the public to support it.” - Nayfeld

me.”

Nayfeld wants customers to consider the risk inherent to starting a business. “You have to recognize that if someone is going to go out on a limb to do that, they have and support their families. Our entire industry has been propped up on free labor for the longest time, and just over the past couple of years, that paradigm has started to shift because the chefs of my generation are making a stand and refusing to pass the buck on to another generation. But where that rubber actually meets the road is in sustainable living [wages]. Making sure that people don’t have to work 15, 16 hours a day to barely get by.”

42

PHOTO CREDITS: (TOP) ©ALBERT LAW; (BOTTOM) ©ED ANDERSON

to be able to at very least earn a living for themselves

Nayfeld knows that it will be impossible for small businesses to be the only ones absorbing the cost of this restaurant revolution. “What people can do when this is over is recognize that when restaurants raise their prices, when restaurants raise their mandates, when restaurants create something called a labor charge or a hospitality charge, that’s meant to absorb the cost of doing business—not just absorb the cost and do nothing, but absorb the cost of doing business and pay people more to give people a better life and the ability for upward mobility.”

In San Francisco, the wage gap is especially stark— on average, white collar workers in the Bay Area make more than four times the wage of a restaurant employee.

“When you look at that discrepancy, we have to recognize the fact that it’s because restaurateurs have kept prices artificially low for too long, because we’re afraid that people would revolt. Because we were propping it up on free labor. Now, we’ve made a stand and said, ‘That’s not right.’ We all need to recognize that now is the time that we have to raise our prices. Now is the time that we need to have more transparency about what we’re charging for. There needs to be a line item on the bill that doesn’t say service, it says labor or occupancy. As operators and as businesspeople, we have to open up and be more transparent.”

Nayfeld is committed to practicing what he preaches, sharing Che Fico’s plans to invite employees into P&L meetings and create a profit-sharing program once business resumes. “We’re giving the majority of our employees raises when they come back, which is utterly insane.

People will think we’re crazy to get out of this and go straight into giving people raises, but today, people need

PHOTOS CREDITS: (TOP) COURTESY OF CHE FICO; (BOTTOM LEFT) ©ED ANDERSON; (BOTTOM RIGHT) ©ALBERT LAW

Chef David Nayfeld of Che Fico prepares dinners for the restaurant’s Family Meal Fund

Che Fico offers a rustic Italian menu

raises—and we need the public to support it.”

Popular Italian taverna Che Fico

43

BY LAURIE JO MILLER FARR

HauteSHOPPING

THE PASSIONATE WORLD OF COLLECTING LALIQUE CRYSTAL, BASEBALL CARDS, CLASSIC CARS, COGNAC. AN ARCTOPHILIST stockpiles teddy bears and a plangonologist covets dolls. What do collectors collect and why? Some people do it for profit, some for pleasure, others for prestige or passion.

The psychology of the emotional attachment some people feel toward wildly differing pursuits of subject matter is a fascinating study.

ENTER CORONAVIRUS Evidently, it doesn’t slow when a pandemic interferes.

44

As consumer spending on vacations, dining out, concerts, and cultural events has been necessarily curtailed, and even as retail is re-opening, some people prefer not to venture out for shopping. Shopping research surveys indicate that while we’re generally amenable to spending, there’s discernable hesitation about doing it in a store.

The resistance to brick-and-mortar locations has created a perfect storm for a migration to online auctions. When the coronavirus pandemic shuttered in-person auctions, the houses deftly turned to their already robust infrastructure to conduct more major auctions online.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SOTHEBY’S

Auction houses are breaking records despite the lockdown

SURPASSING ESTIMATES Today, it’s a different look and feel for the world’s top two auction houses, both founded in London in the mid-18th century. At Christie’s and Sotheby’s, widely varying recent lots have been surpassing estimates, overcoming any resistance to wholly virtual sales.

Sotheby’s London comments on the trend, saying, “There are encouraging signs that auction prices have been rising since lockdown.”

In an online auction, there’s none of the orchestrated drama of a standing-room only ballroom breaking into polite applause as the auctioneer strikes down a bellwether hammer price. In an effort to position the absence of buzz as a plus, “At Home with Sotheby’s” is the cozy branding this auctioneer currently uses for online auctions conducted by self-isolating specialists for homebound buyers.

PHOTOS CREDITS: (TOP) COURTESY OF SOTHEBY’S; (BOTTOM TWO IMAGES) COURTESY OF HERITAGE AUCTIONS

HIGH PRICED HIGH TOPS In May, Sotheby’s set a record outside the world of art when an autographed, game-worn pair of Michael Jordan’s Air Jordan 1s sold for $560,000.

The shoes broke a record as the highest-priced sneakers ever sold at auction, achieving more than 3.5 times the estimate. In the final minutes, more than 50 bidders of all ages across four continents drove the value up by $300,000, with 70 percent of those bidders being new to Sotheby’s.

Michael Jordan’s GameWorn, Autographed Nike Air Jordan 1s, 1985

Concert poster Winter Dance Party 1959

Concert poster Beatles Shea Stadium 1966

‘HOLY GRAIL’ OF CONCERT POSTERS For Dallas-based Heritage Auctions, the world’s largest collectibles auctioneer, the business bucked the trend, never slowing in the second quarter. As the internet’s most popular auction house website, HA.com already had more than 1,250,000 registered bidder members

pre-pandemic. As we sheltered in place in April 2020, an online entertainment auction garnered $1.68 million, double the pre-auction estimate.

Serious collectors’ attention was piqued when a highly coveted cardboard concert poster advertising The Beatles’ 1966 performance at New York’s Shea Stadium went on the block. The bold yellow and black image of the Fab Four is highly recognizable due to millions of cheap copies being produced over the past halfcentury. Clearly, the real thing is a very different story; the authentic poster set a world record when the hammer fell at $137,500.

Moments later, a Buddy Holly & The Crickets concert poster, dubbed the “rarest poster on the planet,” promoting the fateful January 1959 “Winter Dance Party” tour, exceeded its $50,000 estimate, drawing 56 competitive online bidders to finish at $125,000.

Pete Howard, concert posters expert at Heritage Auctions, told Haute Living, “This sale reinforced the belief that entertainment memorabilia is almost immune to most of the world’s problems, large or small.

Even our mid-range entertainment items performed excellently in April, which did catch us a little by surprise.

People are sheltered at home in front of their computers, and it showed. They may wish to escape into the fantasy of music and movies more than ever during a crisis. Plus, there’s the attraction of moving into hard assets during stock market instability. But others would say, simply, that the most magical names like the Beatles and Buddy Holly will always remain above the fray for their very best items.”

45

HauteSHOPPING

The Dalmore 62-year-old, Bottle #2 “The Mackenzie” and Bottle #5 “The Cromarty”

46

Tutti Frutti Art Deco Cartier bracelet

TUTTI FRUTTI BRACELET The artistic creativity of iconic Art Deco Cartier design was on display in April.

A coveted Tutti Frutti 1930s bracelet smashed its high estimate of $800,000, going under the hammer at over $1.3 million in competitive online bidding. The bracelet’s Indian-themed design features meandering vines set with cabochon and carved emeralds, rubies, and sapphires and old European and single-cut diamonds. During Sotheby’s dedicated session, the piece set a new record for jewelry sold in an online sale as well as the highest price paid for any jewels sold at auction to date in 2020.

“The result achieved for this bracelet is testament to the fact that, even under the most challenging of circumstances, the demand for great art endures,” said Catharine Becket, head of Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels Auctions in New York.

“Tutti Frutti jewels have always held a special allure for collectors, capturing the West’s fascination with the ‘exotic’ at a time when travel was relatively limited, much as it is today. Now, of course, we can connect with the touch of a button, which allowed us to engage with bidders worldwide.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SOTHEBY’S

Gautier Cognac 1762

CHEERS TO RARITY What would you do with a bottle of the world’s oldest cognac? Sotheby’s London has recently offered the largest of three surviving bottles of 1762 Gautier Cognac.

Bottled in the 1840s, the item clearly shows signs of age. Presenting with a very soiled label, tattered at the edges, yet wax sealed and its driven cork secure, it sold for a record-breaking $150,000 at the Distilled Spirits and Whisky Auction conducted online in May 2020.

The auction house provides details on another highlight in this 200-lot event.

“The offerings in this sale include some eye-popping rarities, including two bottles of Dalmore 62-year-old, previously unseen at auction and estimated at $92,000 to $122,000 each. Richard Paterson, master blender for Dalmore, created a total of 12 unique bottlings of this 62-year-old, though at least one has been consumed, making these two lots all the rarer.”

Twenty-six online bids for the individually named, hand-signed and numbered whiskies drove the record sales price to $335,000 for each bottle.

PHOTOS CREDITS: (TOP) COURTESY OF CHRISTIE’S; (BOTTOM) COURTESY OF SOTHEBY’S

A GAME-CHANGING GEMSTONE A rare emerald-cut diamond that headlined an online auction in June 2020 was named by Christie’s as one of the “10 Jewels That Made History—and Changed the Market.” The fresh-tomarket gem is a 28.86-carat, D color, VVS1 clarity diamond boasting a Type IIa purity grading for exceptional transparency and purity, a designation earned by fewer than two percent of all diamonds.

As we go to press, the diamond’s pre-auction high estimate is $2 million. Rahul Kadakia, international head of jewelry at Christie’s, confirms this diamond is the highest valued lot ever offered in an online-only auction. Yet prospective buyers will get no closer to the diamond than seeing it on their computer screen. Experts observe that the value of this rare gem signals a sea change: a move by the famed auction house to move higher-ticket items to the online sales platform, Christie’s Live™.

“I HAVE TO STAY AT HOME” Online sales are reaching new buyers all over the world; as many as half have never previously transacted, according to Alex Branczik, Sotheby’s head of European contemporary art. For their first-ever sale conceived start-to-finish in lockdown, Sotheby’s specialists unearthed quality pieces already in London to curate a May event of iconic artists including Andy Warhol, Ed Ruscha, Jeff Koons, Bridget Riley, Ai Wei Wei, Anish Kapoor, Robert Indiana, Gerhard Richter, and Damien Hirst.

In a tribute to the pandemic situation, the sale was titled “I Have to Stay at Home” after a 1986 Martin Kippenberger painting that was included. The event saw a 2018 artwork, “Woman with Golden Hair” by contemporary American artist George Condo, go well above its estimate to achieve $1.72 million. The success of that lot surpassed the $1.3 million paid for Condo’s “Antipodal Reunion,” which one month earlier had become the most expensive painting ever to sell at an online auction at Sotheby’s.

Rare quality, emerald cut diamond

STAYING POWER According to Sotheby’s data, auction bidders logged onto their “Contemporary Curated” art event were from 36 different countries, including more than one-third under age 40 and new to the auction house.

Referring to the online move prompted by the pandemic, Sotheby’s CEO Charles F. Stewart commented on the “resilience of the global art market,” saying that Sotheby’s had “invested heavily in technology to ensure that we have the very best digital tools in the marketplace.”

Artist, George Condo, “Woman with Golden Hair”

47

PROFILE

Maestro Carlo Ponti in Los Angeles

48

Transcending

BEYOND the NOTE HOW THE DEDICATION AND ALTRUISM OF CARLO PONTI BRINGS THE POWER OF MUSIC TO AMERICA’S YOUTH

BY MARIA CASTELLUCCI

For many, music is an art of sound that reveals ideas and emotions in compelling forms. Through components of rhythm, melody, harmony, and color, music becomes a uniting art. The modulation of music captures our varying degrees of sentiments and takes us on a symphonic odyssey through the eyes of our imagination. What a gift, what a wonder, what complexity music has given all of us.

PHOTO CREDIT: ©MARK MARYANOVICH

“To be a musician is not a profession, but a privilege.” – Maestro Carlo Ponti.

49

PROFILE

Maestro Carlo Ponti, the son of beloved Italian icon So-

study of music. The 2020-2021 season’s program lists a

phia Loren and acclaimed filmmaker and director Carlo

variety of exciting, spellbinding concerts to look forward

Ponti, Sr., has bestowed his passion and spirit for music

to: Rising Stars, Young Voices, and Music for the Young and

upon the world at large in his creation of the Los Angeles Virtuosi Orchestra (LAV). With a voracious appetite for sharing his love of music, this propelled him, in 2013, to assemble an orchestra, rich with both national and international talent and “formed on the core belief that an orchestra is a unique educational resource.” With a dream, a vision, and a heart of gold, Music and Artistic Director Ponti dedicates 100 percent of the net profits to the study and development of music education.

As an impetus for positive growth and opportunity, Ponti creates connection, hope, and fortuity in the lives of countless youth throughout California and far beyond.

All net profits from the Los Angeles Virtuosi Orchestra’s season performances are allocated to the music education programs of its partner schools: Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles, Hollywood High School, Orange County Music and Dance, Pacoima Elementary School, and The West

Young at Heart, just to name a few.

Music serves as a tool that can bind cultures, ethnicities, and societies in harmony, in sync, and in unity. In a world with continued division and disparity, music offers the prospects of camaraderie and fellowship. While music can evoke a wide range of emotional imbalances, it tends to unite diverse groups and provide zealous and roused responses. The aesthetics of music and its evocative nature as a bare, clean slate allows beauty, acuity, ecstasy, and even sorrow to enter the listener. Can you ponder a time when music awakened your senses? The philosophical and deepseated impacts one can experience while listening to music may offer a plethora of impressions.

Born December 29, 1968, in Geneva, Switzerland, Carlo Ponti, Jr. studied at the Conductor’s Institute in Connecticut under the direction of Harold Farberman from 1994 to

Hollywood Youth Orchestra. In addition, much support is

1996. He then continued in Los Angeles under Mehli Me-

offered to strengthen musical, community-based organi-

hta, Zubin Mehta, and Andrey Boreyko from 1997 to 1999,

zations, foundations, and institutions committed to youth

before continuing his studies in Vienna, Austria until 2001.

PHOTO CREDIT: ©PETER HUNDERT

Carlo Ponti and Los Angeles Virtuosi Orchestra performing at Festival Napa Valley in 2014

Operatic preparation session in Los Angeles

As a notably decorated conductor, Ponti was associate conductor of the Russian National Orchestra from 2000 to 2018. He served as music director and principal conductor of the San Bernardino Symphony from 2001 to 2013, prior to founding The Los Angeles Virtuosi. Ponti’s awards include the Premio Gallileo Award in 2006 for exceptional musical achievement, the 2008 Artistic Achievement Award from the Virginia Waring International Piano Competition, and the 2009 Spirit of Hope Award from the Childhelp Foundation for his contributions to the development and advancement of young musical talent through music education.

Maestro Ponti’s ingenuity revealed itself at the age of six, and his keen interest in the piano led him to begin studying the works of Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven. “Music was always my main interest and passion. Both my parents were fervent advocates of classical music, and we frequently listened to recordings of orchestral works by Brahms, TchaiPHOTOS CREDIT: ©FRANCO FRANCHINI

kovsky, and other masters during musical family afternoons. These gatherings are some of the most precious and memorable parts of my childhood, and I in great part credit them for developing my love of classical music.”

Having grown up in a decidedly brilliant household, parents Sophia Loren and Carlo Ponti, Sr.—both epic in their film careers—imparted a depth of vision and zest to Maestro Ponti’s drive for excellence. The gifts that Ponti Senior and Loren passed to Carlo Junior were those of warmth and dedication paired with vigor, fervor, and emotion.

“One of my most cherished recollections is my mother sitting by my side when I was practicing piano as a child. She was a wonderful coach, as she played piano herself in her youngest years, being taught by her mother Romilda, my maternal grandmother, who was an accomplished, classically trained pianist in her own right.”

PROFILE

Maestro Carlo Ponti

Mother and father each provided a diverse set of skills and strength while

community. Being a strong advocate and supporter of young musical talent

fostering a nurturing sense of discipline. “I credit my late father for me being a

throughout my career, I felt the need to create a unique ensemble to advocate

conductor today. Even early on when I was a young pianist, he always admon-

and support the study of music.”

ished me to specialize in conducting, as he was fond of saying that he saw in me

A devoted father of two, Ponti shares some incredibly insightful thoughts

a predisposition for the profession. Being a film producer, my father had a very

on how his two musically gifted children are embroiled in their father’s vision

acute sense of people’s abilities, and I am glad his instincts have proven right!”

and mission. The tribute and legacy he has shared with his family, community,

Maestro Ponti invites us to celebrate his prodigious philanthropic nature

and the world heartens and uplifts in a time of defiance and provocation. The “Both my children, Vittorio and Beatrice, 13 and eight years old respectively,

enriching their lives, Ponti expresses the profound benefits that music, its ex-

are musically gifted. Beatrice is starting her piano studies this coming year, and

posure and education bestows on a child’s life. “The gifts imparted by the study

Vittorio, already quite an advanced pianist, will give his orchestral debut with

of music are countless. To name but a few, music fosters creativity, concen-

the Los Angeles Virtuosi Orchestra this coming fall, circumstances permitting.

tration, empathy, communication, and perseverance. It teaches cooperation,

My parents always prioritized the values of dedication and perseverance, which

builds self-esteem and reasoning skills, furthers brain development, helps stu-

are attributes I aim to pass down to my children.”

dents stay in school—especially at-risk students—and strengthens academic achievement.”

52

beauty one finds within the art of music can transcend any and all distress.

formative power it provides. Inspiring those to achieve their potential while

In a time where a young adult could feel adrift or bemused, Ponti ensures that the future is bright with harmony and fueled with purpose. “I vehemently

This journey that Ponti so graciously and selflessly provides to our country’s

think that arts education and the study of music are necessary resources that

youth allows a graceful balance of unparalleled entertainment and an incred-

can not only help young people find their callings in life, but also teach them

ible opportunity for growth. When asked what inspired his altruism, he re-

skills and promote qualities that can permanently shape their lives in countless

sponds, “I feel every artist should give back to younger generations and to the

positive ways.”

PHOTO CREDIT: ©MARK MARYANOVICH

and his vision to grant youth the connection to music education and the trans-

PHOTOS CREDITS: (TOP) ©FRANCO FRANCHINI; (BOTTOM) ©PETER HUNDERT

Regardless of their paths, socioeconomic back-

my best as I represent such a prestigious artistic legacy.”

grounds, or talents, the Los Angeles Virtuosi gives

A truly special status indeed, as Ponti undoubtedly

children the hope and skill set to find their place in the

sets the stage with profound gifts to share, as well as

world. In these times, LAV is pivoting to engage their

new paths to pave. Embellished in a vibrant spectrum

audience online via music study and concerts. This

of talent, Maestro Ponti’s altruism and hospitality is of

platform allows them to stay connected with their audi-

true Italian spirit! Metaphysically, music enlightens us

ence and to continue to inspire and facilitate vastly en-

to new ways of understanding our beingness. It is of

riching seasonal programming while the congregation

organic strength, created using organic processes, and

of large groups continues to be shunned.

it grows over time. Music lives within each one of us,

The Orchestra’s backbone defines the integral cul-

and for Maestro Ponti, “It creates a trance coming from

ture of family. Coming from an Italian heritage myself,

intense concentration. I can gauge the effectiveness of

I can attest firsthand that the heart and soul of connec-

a performance by the degree in which I am immersed

tion, spirit, warmth, and commitment stem from fam-

in the music.”

ily. The familial impact that was passed down to him

A collaborative process, music is the organic bond

as a young boy empowered the art of perseverance and

between those who perceive the beating pulse of their

tenacity, enabling him to give birth to this beautiful, in-

own and the flow within them: the forge versus the

spiring cause. A formation of legacy is blossoming. This

expression. Los Angeles Virtuosi Orchestra allows the

is an evolution of counsel to those who otherwise would

guest to dive in and experience a musical journey; and,

not have a chance to engage in music study.

at the helm stands a man whose passion and kinship

“To this day and to my knowledge, I am the only or-

will thrive and prosper. How will the Ponti legacy be

chestra conductor in the world that has, or ever had,

honored and live on? Maestro Ponti answers: “As an

legendary parents in the film industry. This obviously

indelible, cultural heritage representing passion and

makes for a set of challenges, as it is a very unique posi-

excellence, inspiring generations to come.”

tion to be in. I think this special status ultimately is an

Please visit www.lavirtuosi.org for more

advantage for me, because it always pushes me to give

information and programming details.

Working with the Los Angeles Virtuosi Orchestra in Los Angeles

Performing at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg

53

PHOTO CREDITS: ©JAMES BERRY KNOX

PROFILE

Singer Paula West sings it like it is

54

PaulaWEST SURPRISES AND DELIGHTS WITH SONG

BY JENNIFER RAISER

When jazz singer Paula West performs, she offers a surprise or two or three. Jazz cognoscenti around the globe seek West’s richly sumptuous voice which continues to be a revelation in her home city of San Francisco. Her eclectic choice of material and distinctive interpretations create a sense of wonder for audiences who are delighted to discover a world-class songbird perched in their own backyard.

West offers the chance to hear a song anew, with an emphasis on the lyrics. Sometimes, she will offer an unfamiliar piece from well-known composers like Irving Berlin or Fats Waller. Or she will cross genres to include Johnny Cash, Paul McCartney, or her beloved Bob Dylan. West lures the audience into listening with the richness of her contralto, the one The New York Times described as “dark, sticky ropes of chocolate and butterscotch, melded with nuts into a lump of bittersweet candy.”

H

Along with sweetness, West offers strength. Onstage and off, she chooses to focus on the greater good. The current confinement has reaffirmed her commitment to social justice.

“Right now, we have to deal with freedom of speech. I never thought I’d experience anything like this in my lifetime. Good and bad, this is beyond anything anybody could imagine.” These times compel her to stand up for what she thinks is right.

“Sometimes, there is a romanticism about being patriotic. Patriotism has the right to criticism. Because I live here gives me every right to criticize it.

I love it enough to care about it.” - Paula West

56 55

Paula West and her beloved dog Satchmo at the PETchitecture PAWs event

Artist Carolyn Tyler, Mayor London Breed, and Paula West at Tyler’s gallery opening

56

PROFILE Her experience as a Black woman informs her experience. “I feel like it’s always made me more open to hopefully be empathetic about other people’s situations,” Paula shares. Spirituals, WWII ballads, and Vietnam-era protest songs all become rich material to mine.

She is planning a new album, an updated version of the American Songbook, and has started a GoFundMe campaign to produce it. The concept came from her SFJAZZ program developed after the 2016 election. “I began with George M. Cohan’s, ‘Over There.’ I talked about censorship and blacklisting, the civil rights movement, and Black Lives Matter. A lot of these songs are still relevant if you can find a link to what’s going on now. I do Dylan’s ‘Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right.’ That’s about ecology.” Timely topics reappear in forgotten gems like “Mississippi Goddam” and “The House I Live In,” popularized by Paul Robeson. Paula adds, “I’d like to do something dealing with voter suppression. I’m going to research more Odetta, too, because she was political.”

Much of her research comes from deep listening. “Back when we still had record stores, I used to hang out in places like Medium Rare on Market Street.” Along with familiars, “like Billie, Ella, and love that Peggy Lee,” she found buried treasures. “Pearl Bailey, Eartha Kitt, they’d have some risqué material that was fun. I was ready to listen beyond the regular to find obscure pieces by Cole Porter and Rogers and Hart.” David Bowie, Laura Nyro, Dolly Parton, and Carole King have all entered her repertoire. But Bob Dylan remains her all-time favorite. “He’s such a genius,” she enthuses, noting his 2016 Nobel Prize.

Growing up in a military family in San Diego, she was familiar with classical music, but came later to jazz. “I found a passion in my life, which was singing. I was never in a choir as a kid, I played clarinet. It was mandatory in school: choir or an instrument or art. But I always had a love of different music. You might drift away, but it stays with you.”

Performance was first an avocation. “I was a waitress for 20 years. One of my early jobs was at American Chow, where I got to wait on Angela Davis. I reminded her of that when I sang at her SFJAZZ tribute. The longest place I worked was at Town’s End, but I stopped in 2001 to focus on singing.” Her restaurant customers were her first fans. “When you work a breakfast shift, you really get to know people.”

Her crooning career began in North Beach. “These small clubs would have jam sessions on Monday, so you could do a couple of songs. Ken Muir was the first piano player I worked with, and then I sat in when he was playing the Mark Hopkins or Stanford Court.” Soon she was performing at 1001 Nob Hill, The Ritz, Café Claude, and Asta. “Usually they weren’t listening situations, but that’s how you got to learn some tunes. I would calm myself down by reminding myself, ‘If I screw up, nobody is listening.’”

Live performances also offered an education. “I’m so fortunate I got to see people like Maxine Sullivan and Anita O’Day. Ella was with Oscar Peterson at the Masonic. The weekend I moved to San Francisco, Eartha Kitt was at the Venetian Room, and the cover was $35, but I had to go. I got to see Sarah Vaughn and Blossom Dearie at the Great American Music Hall, where I opened for Little Jimmy Scott. I saw Etta James and Joe Williams at Yoshi’s and Max Roche at the Grand Hyatt. Abbey Lincoln, Shirley Horn, and Dorothy Donegan were all at the original Kimball’s. Back then you could go to the 11:00 show. It was very intimate.”

PHOTO CREFITS: ©DREW ALTIZER PHOTOGRAPHY

PROFILE

PHOTO CREFITS: ©DREW ALTIZER PHOTOGRAPHY

Paula West has also performed regularly in New York. Collaboration with the late pianist/arranger George Mesterhazy, who previously accompanied Shirley Horn, led to her fourth album, “Live at the Jazz Standard.”

She appeared frequently at the Oak Room at the Algonquin Hotel. Wynton Marsalis selected her to perform his Pulitzer Prize-winning composition, “Blood on the Fields,” with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Her New York appearances are consistently covered in the New York Times which celebrated her “probing musical intelligence informed by a cheeky feminist attitude.”

Back home, she has been a regular at the Empire Plush Room, the Rrazz Room, Feinstein’s at the Hotel Nikko, and at SFJAZZ. Randall Kline, Executive Artistic Director of SFJAZZ, asserts, ““Paula west is an exceptional artist. She is also a joy to work with — serious about her art and clear about repertoire that speaks to our times.”

Characteristically, West insists that her best performances are collaborative. “I’ve worked with pianist Kenny Barron and bassist Christian McBride and guitarist Russell Malone. I love my guitar player, Ed Cherry, and my drummer, Jerome Jennings.” In San Francisco, her pianist and arranger is Adam Shulman. “We get together or have a little phone thing to figure out a key. You never know how the song is going to turn out. People bring their gifts and then it finally comes together.”

Her fantasy gig? “I suppose it would be a dream room, to work the Café Carlisle in New York. But for now, I just would like to work with an appreciative audience. With COVID-19, that’s going to be tough.”

So West is pivoting online. Her first livestream concert was held in June at St. Joseph’s Arts Society, where she was introduced by its proprietor, Ken Fulk. He enthused, “I’ve known Paula for at least 20 years, first as a fan then eventually as a friend. She’s always had this wonderful way to transport you with her song. And if ever we needed the gift of music—I think it’s now.”

West’s local fans include a litany of notables, including Willie Brown, Denise Hale, and Rita Moreno, “who has come to see me numerous times. Of course, each time I introduce her, everyone goes crazy.” The same could be said for West herself, whom Christopher Loudon of Jazztimes calls, “Quite simply, the finest jazz-cabaret singer around.” And that description of Paula West doesn’t surprise us at all.

West and Speaker Nancy Pelosi at a celebration for St. Anthony’s Dining Room

Wilkes Bashford, a close friend and enthusiastic aficionado, joined West at Beach Blanket Babylon

H

West sang for Mayor Willie Brown’s birthday party

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Sensorio in Paso Robles, California

PROFILE

Shining a LIGHT

onBRUCE MUNRO

THE ACCLAIMED BRITISH LIGHT ARTIST BRINGS A BRILLIANTLY BEAUTIFUL, HIDDEN HIGH-TECH GARDEN TO THE HILLS OF CENTRAL CALIFORNIA

58

BY DAY, THOUSANDS OF MILKY SPHERES DOT A SECLUDED

film, Avatar. Others rave about the captivating result of merging technol-

stretch of land off of Highway 46. But as night falls, these rolling hills

ogy and nature—as if a Kusama installation collided with Keukenhof. This

northeast of downtown Paso Robles begin to glow, transforming into a

collection of nearly 60,000 stemmed spheres lit by fiber-optics and gently

brilliant 15-acre valley of undulating lights. Visitors have likened it to Pan-

illuminating the landscape in subtle blooms of morphing color is Bruce

dora, the fantastical alien world in James Cameron’s epic science fiction

Munro: Field of Light at Sensorio.

PHOTO CREDIT: ©SERENA MUNRO

BY STEPH KEAY

PHOTO CREDIT: ©DAVID GREER

Internationally acclaimed light artist Bruce Munro

Born in London, artist Bruce Munro is acclaimed for his large-scale, im-

memories of feeling at one with the world—and I realized that could be ex-

mersive, light-based installations utilizing thousands of individual compo-

pressed by light. Our experiences of being connected to the world in its larg-

nents. “I discovered light as a medium first in my professional career outside

est sense, of being part of an essential pattern, became my subject matter.”

fine art. I had been a painter but needed to earn a living, and I found myself

His recurring motif is the use of light on an environmental scale in order to

doing that in Australia, manufacturing display signs using a glowing, ultra-

evoke an emotional response in observers.

violet plastic the properties of which I just loved,” Munro explains. “In my

Field of Light at Sensorio recently celebrated its 1-year anniversary since

early forties, I began making personal things using repurposed manufactur-

opening in May 2019, celebrating its feat of capturing an international audi-

ing components and light. I realized that I had always been striving to be

ence of more than 145,000 visitors from 41 countries. Although the exhibit

so different, to make my art different; but starting then, I began looking for

was forced to close its doors due to COVID-19, it was granted permission by

shared experience.”

the Public Health Director of San Luis Obispo County to re-open June 12,

Munro turned to the sketchbook journals he had been keeping since child-

2020. “As Sensorio was designated an outdoor museum, we felt it was impor-

hood to draw inspiration from. They captured years of his responses to music,

tant to reopen,” said Executive Director Tracy Strann. “Sensorio offers a safe,

literature, science, and the world around him. “I had recorded moments and

peaceful, meditative, and inspirational experience.”

“As Sensorio was designated an outdoor museum, we felt it was important to reopen” 59

PROFILE Speaking about why art is more important now than ever before, Munro chimes

garden from The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the third book in C.S. Lewis’ much

in: “Art in nature inspires and connects us—gardens are the museums of the future.

beloved series of novels. Inspired, Munro transformed Montalvo’s Great Lawn into

The simple truth is that we should cherish and support each other at times like this.”

a sea of lily pads created from over 4,000 illuminated stems in the “Silver Sea” ex-

At home in Wiltshire, Munro’s current project entails stringing together 120,000

hibit, named after Narnia’s flowing freshwater ocean. He also planted a flamboyance

CDs along a mile-long footpath to honor United Kingdom National Health Service

of 1,000 flamingos on Montalvo’s Garden Terrace, illuminated in sunset hues and

workers and volunteers. Titled Ribbon of Light, the installation serves as a glimmer-

paying tribute to “Ramandu’s Table.” On Montalvo’s Garden Theatre stage, the mas-

ing reminder of their selflessness and dedication during the pandemic.

sive “Reepicheep’s Wave”—made of 15,000 vacuum cast mussel shells formed from

Field of Light at Sensorio utilizes an array of stemmed spheres lit by fiber-optics

ocean plastics and suspended on illuminated optical fibers—represented a visual

over 15 acres of rolling hills through which visitors can stroll. Larger in size than

metaphor employed by Lewis in the last chapter of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

any other Munro exhibition internationally, this immersive exhibit is also Munro’s

Stories in Light invited viewers to contemplate a world larger and more mysteri-

first American installation powered entirely by solar energy. For many lovebirds, the

ous than their own existences. “This extraordinary exhibition fulfilled our mission to

beautiful new Central California destination became a popular setting for popping

use our beautiful, historic property in innovative ways to engage the community in

the question, with staff reporting more than 30 marriage proposals on the grounds

the creative process,” said Montalvo Executive Director Angela McConnell. Featur-

to date.

ing the largest number of works by Munro ever on public display at a single venue, the exhibition drew 35,000 visitors from across the country by the time it closed March 17, 2019.

ries in Light—at the Montalvo Arts Center in Saratoga. The world premiere exhibi-

Shortly before dusk in Paso Robles, thousands of stemmed orbs begin glow-

tion illuminated the center’s lawns, gardens, terraces, and historic structures with

ing softly as far as the eye can see. A hush settles over the crowd, who turn around

10 light-based works inspired by the artist’s readings of C.S. Lewis’ acclaimed The

slowly, watching in wonder as the lights envelop them. The silence is permeated

Chronicles of Narnia book series. Ranging in scale from enormous and immersive to

only by murmurs of delight, creating a soft hum throughout the grounds each night.

intimate displays, the exhibition utilized hundreds of thousands of bespoke compo-

“It seems to be a natural response to the exquisite beauty of the entire experience,”

nents to transform Montalvo into a breathtaking spectacle of illumination.

says Strann, witnessing the tranquility that blankets the grounds as the installation

When Munro was invited to Montalvo in 2016 to consider its property as a site for a new exhibition, he experienced a profound moment he calls “powerful literary connection.” He was immediately struck by the grounds’ resemblance to a house and

comes to life.

During these times of uncertainty and darkness, it seems it is more important than ever to reestablish our connection with nature—and the light.

PHOTO CREDIT: ©SERENA MUNRO

Prior to Field of Light at Sensorio in Paso Robles, Munro visited California in 2018 to install his first public West Coast exhibition—Bruce Munro at Montalvo: Sto-

Sensorio in Paso Robles, California

During these times of uncertainty and darkness, it seems it is more important than ever to reestablish our connection with nature—and the light.

James Lim

62

PHOTO CREDIT: ©DREW ALTIZER PHOTOGRAPHY

PROFILE

CLARA SHAYEVICH: Love and Sex in the Time of COVID

BY STEPHANIE BLOCK

YOU MAY KNOW HER FROM THE SOCIETY PAGES, BUT Clara Shayevich’s journey to the upper echelons of San Francisco was a long and arduous trip from the Communist-controlled Baltic country of Latvia. Clara only obtained a refugee visa because she was a Jew living under a harsh, Soviet-ruled government.

Clara and her son arrived in San Francisco in 1989. The following years were difficult and challenging because she had to learn English. She worked minimum wage jobs during the day and studied at night to requalify for a medical degree, since the State of California did not accept her certifications and degrees. Clara accomplished this while being a single mother. her efforts and sacrifices paid off when she finally earned her PhD in the United States.

“It made me feel accomplished and proud that everything I achieved I did on my own without anyone’s help or support. My history proves that, through hard work and dedication, the American dream could become reality.”

Fast forward 30 years and she is a leader in her industry with articles published in medical journals. The pages contain research findings on HIV, herpes, chlamydia, and gonorrhea. Earning degrees from Latvia and the United States as a women’s health and STDs clinician and a doctorate in human sexuality, she is a frontline healthcare worker in the mid of the current COVID pandemic.

Clara is also one of the San Francisco’s “best-dressed” and a well-known philanthropist. On all fronts, from the ballroom to the exam room, Clara Shayevich is doing good work with elegance, compassion, and expertise.

Q&A HAUTE LIVING X CLARA SHAYEVICH How do you protect yourself physically and psychologically?

For 27 years, I have been working at the City Clinic of San Francisco seeing patients. This is a walk-in clinic, though we are doing more telemedicine due to the current pandemic. We are checking people’s temperature and asking them

to wear masks, but we are with people in a room doing exams, collecting specimens, and talking about their issues. Like every health center in the world, we have seen people with no symptoms who later found out they have COVID. As providers, we support each other. Every day, we are getting more information about the treatment of COVID and about the virus itself. Knowledge is power and things change daily. We feel reassured that the whole world is united in fighting against this disease. We will win over this virus.

“It made me feel accomplished and proud that everything I achieved I did on my own without anyone’s help or support. My history proves that, through hard work and dedication, the American dream could become reality.” . - Clara Shayevich You have been described as a clinician by day, socialite by night.

Many people don’t realize that I work six days a week. I have a private practice as a bilingual gynecology clinician and a doctor of human sexuality; plus, I work at the San Francisco Department of Public Health seeing dozens of patients a day.

Attending events was my way of connecting with friends and being involved in the community. We can’t do that right now and it is tough for all of us. So, when shelter-in-place started, my friends would call and check up on me. It means a lot to have others check on my wellbeing, since I spend my days making sure others are healthy. We are together even, though not physically. I miss my friends and events, especially the opera, symphony, and jazz performances.

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PROFILE

PROFILE What are you seeing in terms of STDs during this pandemic?

Because of the shelter-in-place order and the inability to go out and have fun, people are actually having more sex and more unprotected sex. It’s like shelter-in-place was never in place! Our fundamental human need for love drives us, and we were sharing this before realizing that gathering with our friends and attending events are important gifts in our lives. When this gift of social interaction was taken away from us, some people reacted by engaging in risky behavior. People are afraid. They are thinking, “What if this is the last day of my life and wouldn’t I enjoy that?” This way of thinking is human nature, but I think you can grieve the loss of the pre-COVID days in healthy and productive ways. Having unprotected sex is not one of them.

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PHOTO CREDIT: (LEFT) ©DREW ALTIZER PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO CREDIT: (LEFT) ©DREW ALTIZER PHOTOGRAPHY

What made you choose to work in a city clinic and not just in private practice?

For those who choose medicine as a career, it’s a calling from the heart. I chose to work in the free clinic because I can help patients that I would not see at any privileged or upscale clinics. This is the most amazing learning opportunity, and people who work at the city clinics are enthusiastic and compassionate. They love what they are doing, and they love their patients without caring about their career status. Anyone can walk into our clinic, from the recently uninsured jobseeker to someone dealing with homelessness. I see people from all walks of life, and it brings me joy knowing that I am helping each and every one of them. At the City Clinic, we treat STDs, do family planning, and perform women’s health procedures like pap smears and colposcopy. We continue to see HIV patients, and we have been on the vanguard of preventing and treating STDs for decades. It is a calling that I am passionate about.

What does safe sex look like in a pandemic?

Stay six feet away and wear a mask—these are the CDC guidelines for people not sheltering together. I can’t imagine people having sex with these guidelines. I would advise people to be careful and avoid any sexual relationship with people you don’t know. Avoid risky behaviors. People can seem to be asymptomatic and be carrying COVID. Instead of having sex, I suggest doing something else that keeps you occupied. Get a hobby! And, please be mindful of us in the medical field. We are here to serve your healthcare needs; but, if you think you have been exposed to COVID, please stay home.

We are on the front line. If we catch COVID, it’s going to put a lot of strain on the system.

Now is a great opportunity to rethink things. What good have you done in your life? This is a great time to be with your kids, learn about your partner, write letters, curl up in bed with a book you never have time to read, or learn another language. Most importantly, this is a wonderful time to learn to forgive and tell friends and family that you love them while you can. COVID is a deadly virus, and it is taking the lives of both young and old.

Tell us about your private practice.

For 26 years, I have had a private gynecological, Russian-speaking practice in San Francisco. As a doctor of human sexuality, I see women patients with gynecological issues and for annual exams. My patients also include couples and singles with interpersonal problems. Another area of my work is assisting those who are transitioning from one sex to another. I am very busy at work. It reminds me of the famous Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel, Love in the Time of Cholera: Love in the time of coronavirus! Unfortunately, I am seeing a lot of problems between people right now. They are forced to stay together in one household. Too much closeness is affecting interpersonal relationships.

What is your advice for couples trying to find intimacy in a house full of kids?

That is a tricky situation. Although you might be exhausted, take advantage of the times when the kids go to bed, when they are sleeping and napping.

Intimacy has changed as well. People are together day and night, stuck at home during shelter-in-place, so it is time to create intimacy on a different level. Be close and appreciate what you have, your health, and each other. When people are losing their jobs and experiencing other catastrophic events, they are not in the mood, so it’s a good time to reassess intimacy between a couple. It doesn’t have to be about sex; there are many other types of intimacy, like watching or reading Love in the Time of Cholera together.

What about singles? What advice do you have for them?

For singles who crave intimacy, it is a good time to learn about another person. Right now, since you have to be careful about meeting them, you have time to get to know each other by writing letters or by video. The anticipation can be better than the real date! When you finally see this person, you will get what you see. You took this time seriously to learn more about them, their story, their past. There is a better mutual understanding with a more realistic image of this person. You will build an emotional connection first over the physical one.

PHOTOS CREDIT: ©CLARA SHAYEVICH

PHOTOS CREDIT: ©CLARA SHAYEVICH

What are you working on publishing right now?

Before the pandemic, I was working at the Department of Public Health on an alternative treatment study for drug-resistant gonorrhea, but due to the pandemic, we cannot ask people to come here for research, so that is temporarily on hold.

How about advice for people who are struggling with this pandemic?

Be kind to yourself and your partner if you have one. Stress levels are high, so take a breath and a break. Try not to snap in an argument. Though there is nowhere to go, especially in a small apartment, try to step out and give yourself time to think and relax. Self-compassion is very important right now. It is okay to share your grief—we all lost our freedom and we are all cut off from our friends and community and activities together. This, too, shall pass. Be kind to each other. When living together, have open discussions: jobs, kids, money, stress—it is no one’s fault. Keep communication open.

Also, try to find some time with your friends at a safe distance. And fantasize about the future—what will you do next? Dream.

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H

50th Anniversary Pride Honey Bear Mural by artist Fnnch at the SF LGBT Center

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PHOTO CREDIT: ©ANDREW RETTMANN

PHOTO CREDIT: ©ANDREW RETTMANN

COVER STORY

FNNCH Local artist takes to the street with his message of unity and hope

BY STEPHANIE BLOCK

When does a boarded-up storefront turn from community loss to abundance? When Bay Area artist fnnch transforms it with bursts of colorful symbolism from his nimble mind, like his signature honey bear. He uses his platform for fundraising, too, barely breaking even as he sells limited-run prints capturing the zeitgeist of pandemic and the triumph of Ally Bear proclaiming Black Lives Matter. Generous of purpose and display, his work propagating for free throughout the city and collected for important causes, fnnch is out there actively bearing witness and helping to illuminate societal shifts, image-making raw and thrilling.

“We all begin as artists, but sometime in our lives we are talked out of it.� fnnch

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COVER STORY Like most successful leaders in the creative world, fnnch was told at a young age that he need-

art outside, that might make you want to discover

causes, including the bear in the Pink Pussyhat, the

other types of artwork and visit museums.”

Pride Bear, the Trans-bear and Bi-Bear, the Justice Bear, and the Ally Bear for Black Lives Matter. He

ed to get a real job when he grew up. So, instead of acrylics and canvas, fnnch took to computer

REGARDING ART AND POLITICS

doesn’t see this as political, because they’re not di-

screens and vector art. His first job was working

Fnnch feels that artwork exemplifying political

visive issues in San Francisco. “We don’t have big

as a digital artist on video games. At the time, vid-

and social issues is against his purpose as an art-

anti-gay rallies in San Francisco. It’s more like I’m

eo game art was not a thing, so at age 14, he began

ist. “Something that is truly political is divisive, and

sticking my fist in the air and stand in solidarity

a promising career as a digital illustrator. After he

I want it to be additive. So, if half the people who

with my LGBTQ friends and black brothers and

graduated college, he headed to San Francisco and

see the art are already going to be on the defensive,

sisters who are having to deal with crap. We, as a

found the lack of street art odd. Fnnch wanted to

then my intention is ruined.”

community, stand together. That is my purpose.

live in a city with street art, so he had two choices:

Although fnnch won’t paint art that is negatively

complain about it or be the change he wanted to

charged, he has done bears to support different

My intention with the honey bears is always positive, nostalgic, and inclusive.”

see in the world. At night he would take his spray cans and stencils and paint on public property like sidewalks, park walls, and pathways. His first piece was in Duboce Park.

“There are stencils of where your dog should be on leash. There is a walking man stencil and a dog, so I painted out the German Shepard and added a poodle. It didn’t diminish the meaning of the signage; it was clearly additive. I have always been concerned that my street art be additive. Because if you write graffiti, it makes the environment worse, perhaps; but if you paint beautiful and fun street art, it makes the environment better. I believe the responsibility of the street artist is adding something people like,” fnnch shares.

FNNCH, THE GATEWAY ARTIST His refreshing ethos on art reflects his wholesome Midwestern upbringing in St. Louis, Missouri.

Wine Bear

When asked about the difference between graffiti and street art, he explains that graffiti, as he sees it, is a game and part of a subculture of people. It is usually disruptive and seen as collateral damage in a neighborhood. The tagger has no concern for how they affect the environment, while the street artist intends to add something to the neighborhood that’s artistic and additive.

Unlike Banksy who makes radical statements regarding current affairs, fnnch is all about bringing joy and smiles. He wants to be the gateway artists who inspires others to appreciate art. “Only five

people don’t have that exposure to art like I did. So, this is my way of exposing art to the masses. People know actors and musicians, but very few actually know fine or visual artists. So, I thought I could make an impact on that and create art that people like. If you smile when you look at a piece of

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Burning Man Lips 2019

PHOTO CREDIT: ©PAULINA KUSZTA

SFMOMA. I was raised with art around me; many

PHOTO CREDIT: ©PAULINA KUSZTA

percent of people who visit San Francisco visit the

PHOTOS CREDITS: (TOP) ©FRANCO FRANCHINI; (BOTTOM) ©PETER HUNDERT

PHOTOS CREDITS: (TOP) ©FRANCO FRANCHINI; (BOTTOM) ©PETER HUNDERT

Dreamers Mural

“We don’t have big anti-gay rallies in San Francisco. It’s more like I’m sticking my fist in the air and stand in solidarity with my LGBTQ friends and black brothers and sisters who are having to deal with crap.

We, as a community, stand together. That is my purpose. My intention with the honey bears is always positive, nostalgic, and inclusive.”

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COVER STORY

Q&A

Fnnch art on BART

HAUTE LIVING X FNNCH What does the honey bear mean to you? What emotions does it elicit?

The honey bear is a universal symbol of happiness—positive, nostalgic, and inclusive. My practice centers on public art, bringing visual art to the 95 percent of our residents and tourists who do not visit our modern art museum. The honey bear is an image anyone can enjoy, so it stands a good chance of engaging the public.

What does activism through art mean to you, especially during these insane times? Can art change the world?

When I decided to take my art full-time, I realized

pose focuses on democratizing access to art and encouraging people to think differently about public space. Commentary on divisive political issues hinders this goal, so I mostly stay away from such things; but, I have several times made pieces that stand in solidarity with my fellow humans, such as Pride Bear (sexual orientation), Pink Pussyhat Bear (gender), and Justice Bear (race). I have also several times sold artwork to raise money for charity, most recently raising over $100,000 for those impacted by COVID-19. Can art change the world? I don’t know. That’s a big ask. But it can help.

We regular citizens saw the boarded up storefronts and were sad; you saw them as blank canvases calling to you—can you talk about that?

As I got into street art, I started to see public spaces differently. In the beginning, no one is willing to let you paint on their home or business, so you need to get creative. Experimenting with new ways to bring art to the public is now a specific goal of my art practice. I’ve done artwork on mailboxes, sidewalks, park walls, construction sites, telephone poles, and ride sharing vehicles.

I was thus ready to see the opportunity of stores boarded up for COVID-19. Not only were there a lot of them, but they were in prime locations where it’s typically difficult to paint a mural. I also saw this as an opportunity to provide art to people who were, because of shelter-in-place, unable to leave their neighborhood. Instead of asking you to come

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to a museum or gallery, I could bring art to you. I ended up putting up pieces in nearly 20 neighborhoods, and it was a huge hit.

What is the state of the San Francisco Bay Area art scene?

The size of the art scene is depressed by the high cost of living and lack of engagement in visual art by certain populations. We do have quite a few great artists, but many established themselves before San Francisco became so expensive.

Two points of light. One is the Burning Man art scene, which is producing sculpture that is innovative in its scale, aesthetic, interactivity, and use of technology (e.g., sequenced LEDs). I believe this is a world historic art movement, and it’s centered in the Bay Area. The second is the rise of the food scene in San Francisco. When I arrived in the Bay in 2005, it had only one Michelin 3-star restaurant. Now we have seven, which is two more than New York City. I propose that a change in taste and rise in disposable income in certain populations drove this. I believe we have the same opportunity for growth in visual art, and I hope to be part of its resurgence.

Your art is highly collectable. Is there a difference between art in the streets and art in galleries or private collections?

The benefit of public art accrues to the populace, whereas that of private art does not. That’s a huge difference. I still see the value in private art and I work hard to offer affordable fine art, but I use the sale of art for private collections to subsidize my public art.

Ally Bear

PHOTO CREDIT: ©TK

there had to be a greater purpose. Mostly, this pur-

PHOTO CREDIT: ©TK

it wasn’t enough to simply make and sell artwork—

Who are your heroes?

How can people engage with you, buy your art, and sup-

Banksy and Andy Warhol. Banksy was the first artist

port your causes? Is there any breaking news you want

whose work created in me cognitive dissonance when I

to share?

not only realized that his art was illegal and “should” go,

The best way is to sign up for my mailing list at fnnch.

but also that I liked it and wanted it to stay. I now hope

com/list or follow my Instagram @fnnch. I also have fn-

to create this same cognitive dissonance in others. War-

nch.com and store.fnnch.com. No breaking news right

hol was the first artist to introduce me to pop art. To me,

now, but I regularly paint new murals, release new edi-

pop art is when an artist points their finger at an every-

tions, and launch new projects, all of which you can find

day object and asks you to view the object as art. We are

out about on my email list or social media.

surrounded by so many beautiful and useful objects that

If I can make one shameless ask, I am always looking

we take for granted, and sometimes it takes an artist to

for great mural walls—higher visibility, larger size, and

induce you to pause and appreciate them.

more creative freedom and budget being better, though

I am, however, inspired by many artists. I love color

I’m willing to compromise on some of those for others. If

field painters like Frank Stella and Ellsworth Kelly, street

you might consider a mural for your home, business, or

artists like Jeremy Novy and Roadsworth, local muralists

property, please reach out!

like Victor Reyes and Chad Hasagawa, and Burning Man artists like Peter Hudson and Hybycozo. There’s a lot of

What is something surprising about you? Side hobbies?

inspiration out there.

Odd phobias? Strange toppings on your pizzas?

As a hobby I drum in an Americana/folk band that reg-

Can you say something about the choice for anonymity?

ularly plays shows in the Bay Area. What I love about

How does it change the conversation?

drumming is that I have no pressure to be the lead art-

In the beginning, I was anonymous because I was illegally

ist, but can enjoy myself and support another artist whose

painting street art on public property. It just didn’t seem

work I love. Plus, you know, banging on things is fun.

Avocado Bear

wise to sign my legal name to the work. Now that I paint more legal murals, I maintain anonymity both because I still do some street art (mostly when I travel) and because we all love a little mystery. People often express surprise when they meet me, because they imagined I would be different in height, age, gender, and ethnicity. These reactions say more about them than me, but I feel that the real me will always fall short of the imagined me (unless you dislike my work, in which case it will always be better).

Do you consume honey out of bears in your everyday life?

Embarrassingly, no. I do not regularly sweeten any food or drinks for health reasons. Not that I don’t love honey— I do—I just try to limit my consumption.

You have a whole lexicon in addition to the honey bear: lips and rubber duckies and lawn flamingos. Are there any new symbols you’re playing with? Any old favorites you’re bringing back?

PHOTOS CREDITS: (TOP) ©TK; (BOTTOM) ©ANDREW RETTMANN

PHOTOS CREDITS: (TOP) ©TK; (BOTTOM) ©ANDREW RETTMANN

I paint objects that interest me, and only looking back do I see patterns. The rubber ducky and lawn flamingo, like the honey bear, are deeply surreal objects that are positive, nostalgic, and inclusive. I also am interested in any cult object—something we imbue with special meaning— which is why I painted cans of LaCroix and Nike Air Jordan 1s. There are other objects like these I intend to paint, but I don’t want to spoil the surprise!

Artist Fnnch draws inspiration from the Rainbow Gay Progress (Philly) Pride Flag to create, Gay and Lesbian Honey Bear, Bisexual Honey Bear, Trans Honey Bear. Rainbow Gay Progress Pride Flag colors inspired

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BY BECCA HENSLEY

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PHOTO COURTESY OF BELMONT EL ENCANTO AND RITZ-CARLTON HALF MOON BAY; (BOTTOM RIGHT) ©BLAKE MARVIN

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BY STEPH KEAY

HauteWELLNESS

Jill Dailey, founder of The Dailey Method

Gyms and fitness studios across the Bay Area exercise their technological savvy to teach classes online.

ON A REGULAR WEEKDAY BEFORE SHELTERING IN PLACE, I WOULD BE HIGH-FIVING

except I’m by myself and my classmates are simply tiny figures on the sidebar of the Zoom call.

Barry’s Bootcamp instructor Rio Hall as I entered the notorious Red Room at the franchise’s

Over the course of one week, I test out three virtual classes offered by companies around the

Palo Alto location. I’d grab my weights and walk down the rows of numbered risers along with

Bay Area in response to the closure of gyms and fitness studios during the pandemic: Barry’s

my classmates, locating our reserved spots for the exercise class ahead. But today, I’m sitting

high-intensity interval training (HIIT) classes, Smuin Contemporary Ballet’s dance lessons, and

cross-legged on a foam rubber mat in my backyard peering at Hall on the screen of my MacBook

The Dailey Method’s barre-inspired exercises. With a mat and water bottle in hand, I’m ready

Air. He starts the music, and we’re launched into our usual warm-up routine of jumping jacks—

to work up a sweat.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DAILEY METHOD

WORKING (OUT) FROM HOME

FROM RED ROOM TO BEDROOM Originally hailing from Trinidad and Tobago, Hall leads HIIT classes at Barry’s Bootcamp locations across the Bay Area. Before my first virtual Barry’s At Home class, I worry I don’t have all the right equipment—an in-person Barry’s class often utilizes risers, weights, resistance bands, and treadmills—but the company has pivoted to offer classes where participants can simply use their body weight for exercises. “Having a soft floor or mat is key,” Hall advises. “If you have an arm’s length radius, you should be great.”

We begin with a warm-up to activate the body, and he carries us (and keeps us motivated) through an entire 45-minute class. He carefully plans the order of exercises in his classes to ensure we make the most of our workout, starting with abs to fatigue our core, “which increases difficulty for all other movements.” Next, he follows with major compound movements to maximize energy burn and minor muscle groups to carve. We finish with cardio to use up what’s left our remaining energy (which is little) and cool down with several stretches—a welcome relief after an exhausting but immensely fulfilling class.

Surprisingly, I discover that the sense of community one feels at a Barry’s physical location

Barry’s Bootcamp instructor and personal trainer Rio Hall

transfers over to the virtual classes. Having my camera on during the Zoom call keeps me accountable, similar to how I feel at an in-person class. Hall demonstrates the exercises then inspects us onscreen, correcting our form if needed—again, as he would in an in-person class.

Lastly, the united feeling that we are all here to improve our health and feel good about ourselves still exists—and it’s almost a bit more intimate, seeing as we get to witness the personal spaces of everyone who is participating in the class (although the camera-shy are welcome to turn theirs off).

I come away with the thought that these classes, although not quite a replacement for the regular classes, are a worthy alternative—especially if studios won’t be able to resume operation normally for quite some time. Speaking about how the pandemic has affected the way people view fitness at home, Hall says, “There are two camps—people who love the convenience and those who miss the community and intensity.”

Senior instructor Allie Evans agrees. “I think now people are realizing they get an amazing workout at home—even those who say they don’t have time to work out,” she says. “The fact that you can wake up and be ready for your workout is the best. At the same time, there is something so magical about that in-person workout and human interaction, face-to-face. I think we’ll be see-

Hall leads a Barry’s At Home class

ing people both in the physical Red Room and the continuing Barry’s At Home [program]. There is enough room for both spaces to thrive.”

PHOTO CREDITS: (TOP TWO IMAGES) COURTESY OF RIO HALL; (BOTTOM) COURTESY OF BARRY’S BOOTCAMP

Although I do adore the sense of community and ability to interact in person at a regular class, there is certainly something to be said about not having to wake up at 5:30 a.m. to make the drive up to the studio, find parking, and deal with lines for the shower. Barry’s has even sought to help customers recreate the Red Room environment at home, offering everything from a set of branded risers to red light bulbs in their online shop.

The pandemic has brought much to light, including our reliance on physical locations to separate work and play as well as the importance of physical health on mental wellness—especially important when you’ve been sheltered-in-place for nearly three months. “Always let exercise be a metaphor for life,” Hall shares. “Teach yourself to pick up the intensity when things get hard, because there is a confidence you gain that makes you unstoppable.“ After 45 minutes of challenging movements set to an upbeat playlist of hip-hop, it’s undeniable that this short break to exert myself physically has definitely helped me get grounded and feel renewed, ready to take on everything happening in the world again. “Health is wealth,” says

Inside the Red Room at Barry’s Bootcamp, pre-pandemic

Evans. “When you feel good mentally and physically, it will elevate every aspect of your life.”

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HauteWELLNESS SETTING THE BARRE An industrial fan blares at me on this 95-degree day. The Zoom buffering icon disappears mo-

instructor can see you. This will help you stay in form and also accountable to not answer the

mentarily, and a well-lit barre studio fills my screen. I’m welcomed warmly by Jill Dailey, found-

phone or start folding your laundry.”

er of barre fitness studio The Dailey Method, which first opened its doors in San Francisco’s

During class, Dailey’s assistant, Steve, helps demonstrate exercises so that she can scroll

Marina District two decades ago. As a leader who is passionate about improving the lives of

through our individual screens and offer tips on proper alignment. The experience feels surpris-

those she teaches, her empathetic nature shines through the screen, and the atmosphere of

ingly personal, despite the obvious chasm between hands-on training and instruction delivered

acceptance instantly make me feel at ease. The Dailey Method touts a mission to “give people

over a computer screen. “If you’re sharing your camera for feedback, make sure it’s positioned

confidence, community, and a way to effect positive change in their lives,” and by the end of

optimally on your body, so when you change positions, you won’t have to come out of the

class I’m wondering why I haven’t been taking “Dailey Barre” (or “Dailey Express” for those in

practice to adjust the screen. In general, having everything set to minimize distractions while

a time crunch) every day.

at home will be key.”

The Dailey Method’s approach to exercise not only works up a sweat (one that’s not due to

Like others have shared, Dailey feels that many people miss the community and connection

today’s heatwave), but also focuses on strength and alignment to help achieve better posture,

component of being in a live studio, but also believes that working out from home will become

movement, and overall wellness. After months of sheltering in place, it feels like an eternity has

a part of our “new normal.” “[People have] realized how many online options there are and that

passed since my body has felt this limber and free of tension.

teachers everywhere are now accessible. Due to the length of time everyone’s been at home, before.”

can’t hit pause.”) She also suggests holding yourself accountable by “making a date” with a

At the end of class, the Zoom chat is rife with positive messages and expressions of gratitude

friend and booking a class at the same time. “This is also a great way to connect and be active

from all the participants. “We all—now, more than ever—need encouragement and a personal

with family members and loved ones whom you don’t get to see right now.”

commitment to connect to ourselves and our breath,” Dailey reminds me. “Because it seems

As for pushing yourself and reaping the full benefits of a class, she says: “Make yourself visible: forget about what your house or your hair looks like and put your camera on so that the

Dailey (left) leads an in-person class prior to the pandemic

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the world is spiraling right now and we have the capacity, inside ourselves, to be a part of its much-needed calibration.”

A virtual Dailey Method class

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE DAILEY METHOD

Dailey. She recommends taking live-streamed classes rather than pre-recorded videos. (“You

a lot of people have reorganized their spaces to have as home gyms, which they never had

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE DAILEY METHOD

“Motivation is hard, especially when you’re trying to do something alone in your house,” says

Smuin Ballet dancer Ben Needham-Wood

Needham-Wood is also an Emmy Award-winning choreographer

DANCE LIKE NOBODY’S WATCHING

dancers from across the country through a routine of sweeping motions, spins, and twirls.

Smuin Contemporary Ballet dancer Ben Needham-Wood moves his laptop down to the

Despite the change in circumstances, he is positive as he reflects on this unexpected end to

floor so we can better observe his demonstration of a proper tendu. Today, he’s teaching

his dance career. “I’ve enjoyed 12 great years on stage, but in that time, I’ve enjoyed oppor-

a class in contemporary dance direct from his San Francisco garage. “The first challenge

tunities to choreograph, teach, and produce films. My next chapter is to continue exploring

in any big city living is making sure you have enough space to move freely,” he says. “Play

how I can best share dance in a meaningful way with new communities.”

some furniture Tetris in whatever room feels the most spacious and see how much floor you can free up.”

He sees the new wave of online fitness as an opportunity for dancers and other artists to monetize their digital presence via subscription-based platforms such as Patreon and

Having just begun offering in-studio classes in January, the company quickly pivoted to

feels confident that this is the future. “I think the dance industry had already begun shifting

online offerings when San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced the order to shelter

toward digital content offerings, and that there are some amazing opportunities for us to

in place. From ballet to jazz and tap to hip-hop, Smuin kept its staff and dancers on payroll

actually grow our industry if we embrace new platforms.”

PHOTO CREDITS: (LEFT) ©CHRIS HARDY; (RIGHT) ©MAXIMILLIAN TORTORIELLO

during the pandemic by adapting quickly to the circumstances. Rehearsals were ceased immediately, with no way for the dancers to rehearse for their spring program while practic-

THE FUTURE OF FITNESS

ing social distancing, and the company’s spring program was eventually canceled. How-

Nearly all the instructors I speak to foresee an inevitable change in the exercise landscape,

ever, that hasn’t stopped Smuin’s artists from sharing their art with the public.

one that is just beginning and holds exciting opportunities for both trainers and clients.

“What’s been so readily apparent to me is that, in this socially distant time, our greatest

There will be hurdles to clear, including the question of how to generate an authentic feel-

impulse is to connect with each other. Everyone has shifted their energy towards platforms

ing of community without interpersonal contact, but these questions will also herald a

and digital communications that allow us to maintain a sense of community, even from

wave of creativity in the way people view and approach fitness.

afar,” says Needham-Wood. Aside from teaching classes, some Smuin dancers have fed

Although daunting, it may be an opportunity to confront all of the fears, uncertainties,

their creative side through projects such as sewing masks from old costumes to donate to

and hang-ups we’ve never been forced to face before; and to challenge ourselves to find or

the MSC homeless shelter near Smuin’s studios in Potrero Hill or shooting short dance films

develop new ways to support our physical and mental health. Evans puts it best: “There

at home with witty titles such as “Social disDANCING” and “Shelter in Pace.”

is never a ‘right time’ to start. You don’t have to always be ready to go 100 percent. Listen

Needham-Wood announced his retirement from professional dancing at the beginning of Smuin’s 2019-20 season, and his final performance in the company’s spring program would have fallen exactly on today’s date. Instead, he’s enthusiastically leading a class of would-be

to your body. Take breaks when you need them. Be open to trying something new, and to meeting new people on the new platforms offered. We are all in this together.”

Even if, for now, it’s only on a computer screen.

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HauteWELLNESS

ASPIRE Assessing the Safety of Pregnancy In the CoronaviRus PandEmic

UCSF’S RAPID RESPONSE TO COVID-19 As an academic medical center dedicated to public health, specializing in the care of patients with the most complex diseases, and home to some of the nation’s top infectious-disease experts, UCSF is at the forefront of efforts to mitigate and eradicate the COVID-19 pandemic. Likewise, the UCSF Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences – a recognized leader in its field, currently ranked No. 1 nationwide in women’s health research funding from the National Institutes of Health – responded early and aggressively to the urgent need to understand the impacts of COVID-19 on pregnant women and their babies.

EARLY PREGNANCY: A CRUCIAL PERIOD FOR MOTHER AND BABY During pregnancy, changes in the immune system and lungs may make women more vulnerable to severe illness or even death from respiratory viruses. Additionally, viral infections in the mother can lead to miscarriage, birth defects, or brain development problems in the fetus.

The first 10 weeks of pregnancy are the most crucial. This is when the fetus is highly vulnerable because its organ systems are forming, and the placenta – the key connection between mom and baby – develops. The lifelong health trajectory of a baby can be irreparably affected during this time, yet no data exist about the impact of COVID-19 infection during this critical period. Given the potential dangers to mothers and their unborn babies, we need answers now in order to support and counsel women who have become pregnant or are planning to get pregnant during this

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PHOTO CREDITS: SHUTTERSTOCK

PHOTO CREDITS: SHUTTERSTOCK

global pandemic.

ASPIRE: CHARTING A PATH TO UNCOVER COVID-19’S IMPACTS Solid epidemiologic data about the effects of previous viral epidemics (e.g. SARS and H1N1 influenza) on pregnancy are limited due to a lack of high-quality studies that follow women from the earliest stages of pregnancy. Historically, the first trimester has been inaccessible to medical research because most women don’t arrive at their initial obstetrician appointment until almost the end of the first trimester – several weeks after the crucial period of fetal development has ended.

To adapt to this challenge, UCSF partnered with the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART), the only nationwide resource that tracks pregnancies from the moment of conception. The SART network includes nearly 400 clinics across the country that contribute data on approximately 100,000 births annually. This powerful collaboration uniquely positioned us to launch this breakthrough study that will provide the first data about COVID-19 infections during the first trimester; it will allow us to chart the impact of the virus on the health of expectant mothers and their developing babies.

In just one month since our launch, ASPIRE has gained incredible momentum, with 79 clinics signed on and more than 350 participants enrolled in 46 states. Tapping this robust community will allow us to: • Enroll a diverse and nationally representative cohort of women who are very early in pregnancy and track their symptoms, surveillance blood tests, and health records across pregnancy • Compare pregnancy outcomes across those infected (including asymptomatic infections) and not infected • Follow the health of babies during the first 18 months of age • Examine miscarriage specimens to understand exactly if and how the virus

PHOTO COURTESY OF ASPIRE

affects the fetus and placenta

UCSF lab staff

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HauteWELLNESS

Pregnancy during COVID

JOIN US AS WE ASPIRE FOR ANSWERS Given the urgency around this work, philanthropy is more important than ever.

The federal government has distributed nearly $2 billion in COVID-19 funding, but not a penny has been allocated to study COVID-19 in early pregnancy and the impact on childhood development. With our research model, SART partnership, and the UCSF team of multidisciplinary experts – including reproductive endocrinologists, high-risk pregnancy specialists, placental immunologists, data scientists, epidemiologists, and pediatricians – we invite your investment in ASPIRE today.

Together, we will recruit and follow 10,000 patients to help answer crucial questions that will inform COVID-19-related pregnancy care and public policy, including: • Is it safe to get pregnant during the pandemic?

• Are pregnant women at higher risk for severe illness if they get COVID-19?

• Are women who are exposed to COVID-19 during the first trimester at higher risk of miscarriage or preterm delivery?

• Are babies who are exposed during the first trimester at higher risk of congenital malformations or adverse neurologic development?

• Even if a woman doesn’t have symptoms, can the virus affect her pregnancy?

• Are certain pregnant women at higher risk of dangerous outcomes?

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Heather Huddleston, MD, ASPIRE Principal Investigator

UCSF lab staff

Make a Difference: Support the ASPIRE Study The ASPIRE study has crucial implications for the health of pregnant women, their babies, public health, and policy. We invite you to partner with us to provide urgent, breakthrough data that will support the health and safety of our future mothers and babies in the US and around the world.

Join our crowdfunding effort at givingtogether.ucsf.edu/ASPIRE. We are also seeking major investments to raise an additional $3.5 million for this over five-year study. Please contact Dawn Mitchell, director of development, at 415502-3417 or dawn.mitchell@ucsf.edu for more information.

Eduardo Hariton, MD, MBA, ASPIRE Co-Investigator

Marcelle Cedars, MD, ASPIRE Principal Investigator

BY SAMARA DIAPOULOS

HauteTRAVEL

KIng Air 350i

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PHOTO CREDITS: COURTESY OF HOTEL CERRO

St. Peter port

LUXURY TAKES FLIGHT WITH PRIVATE AIR TRAVEL Flying privately is more accessible, socially acceptable, and enriching than ever before ONCE RESERVED FOR PRESIDENTS AND POTENTATES, PRIVATE aviation providers now court travelers with a wealth of flying options, more accessible pricing, value-added perks, and philanthropic initiatives. Jetsetters ready to rule the skies can enjoy the apex of luxury, safety, and security with the knowledge that their flight can benefit people in need.

RISE OF THE HIGH-FLYING LEISURE TRAVELER Although COVID-19 has grounded most business travelers, leisure travelers are now taking to the skies more frequently than before the pandemic. Over the past several months, Wheels Up has witnessed 90 percent of its first-time travelers flying for perPHOTOS COURTESY OF WHEELS UP

sonal, not business, use.

Due to this change in market mix, private air providers are adapting their business strategies and marketing tactics to capture new leisure travelers who were once content with flying first-class on commercial carriers.

After experiencing the benefits of flying privately, these firsttime flyers will likely continue on the private path. As Warren Buffet famously said, “Once you fly private, going back to commercial is like going back to holding hands.�

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HauteTRAVEL COMMERCIAL VS PRIVATE Although airlines and private aircraft both have instituted stringent cleanliness and safety measures, commercial air travel involves navigating a large airport, checking in luggage, and standing in security and boarding lines, all of which take time and can challenge social distancing practices. Including the actual flight and departure, commercial air passengers encounter approximately 700 points of contact with people and objects.

What was once considered a luxury is now often considered a necessity.”

- Kenny Dichter

By comparison, private air travel entails only 20 to 30 such contact points. It’s faster and safer and offers a bevy of luxurious amenities, including: • Coordinated ground transportation to a fixed-based operator (FBO).

An FBO is a private terminal at an airport that caters to private air travelers. Local FBOs can be found in San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Livermore, San Carlos, Half Moon Bay, Hayward, Concord, and Napa.

• Time and privacy. When passengers arrive at the FBO, they are personally escorted on a red carpet to their aircraft. Upon landing, a driver awaits to whisk them to their resort or vacation home.

• Refreshments and entertainment. Once ensconced onboard, travelers can enjoy complimentary snacks, a variety of refreshments including wine and cocktails, and Wi-Fi to keep in contact with earthbound mortals as passengers recline in buttery soft seats and soak in the view.

• Meals. For an additional fee, customers may arrange for a catered meal to be served onboard the flight.

• Pet-friendly service. Fido has freedom to fly. Pets are welcome on most aircraft.

• No lost luggage. You will never lose your luggage. It flies with you.

In the wake of the pandemic, commercial airlines have drastically reduced their number of daily flights and routes. Private aviation transports clients quickly, safely, and in style to destinations not serviced by commercial airlines—now and possibly in the future.

According to Kenny Dichter, founder and CEO of Wheels Up, “What was once considered a luxury is now often considered a necessity.”

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Citation Excel XLS Interior

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF WHEELS UP

HauteTRAVEL AN INSIDER’S TIPS ABOUT FLYING PRIVATE For guidance regarding this new age of private air travel, we enlisted the expertise of world traveler and national business reporter Brian Banmiller. His experience in private aviation is vast and personal. Banmiller fulfilled his lifelong passion for flying by earning a pilot’s license. He has co-owned an aircraft and is a member of Wheels Up.

Q&A HAUTE LIVING X BRIAN BANMILLER HL: How do you prefer to fly?

BB: Although learning how to fly was a blast, I like to travel as a passenger. My time in the air provides a terrific beginning and end to an extended vacation or a day trip with family and friends. I can

Chef Dino Gatto; Russell Wilson, quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks; and Kenny Dichter, Wheels Up founder and CEO; at Wheels Up members-only Super Saturday Tailgate event on February 1, 2020 in Wynwood, Miami

relax with a glass of wine and focus on my fellow passengers and the vistas surrounding us.

HL: Do you recommend owning an aircraft or joining a membership-based private aviation provider?

BB: My advice is to consider owning a jet or turboprop only if you fly more than 50 hours per year or spend $500,000 (or more) annually on transportation. Otherwise, it’s a huge expense and requires considerable upkeep for a depreciating asset.

Membership-based models such as Wheels Up significantly reduce upfront costs and allow clients to finalize their travel plans 24 hours before takeoff with the ease of a digital app. I live in Danville and can arrive in Palm Springs in two hours with door-to-door service. That’s important when time is a prized commodity.

HL: Is now the time to upgrade from commercial to private air travel?

BB: Private aviation is a cutthroat industry with dynamic pricing. can land great deals if they do their homework.

For example, we’re seeing jet cards, which often require a purchase of 25 hours, being sold in smaller increments of time. Many charter companies are lowering the price of one-time flights to attract new customers.

Always remember, safety comes first. Clients should ask for the safety ratings of the aircraft, crews, and private air operator when selecting a carrier. Two pilots and two engines provide the ultimate safety in the sky.

HL: How has private aviation changed in the last decade?

BB: Due to increased competition, select private air providers have elevated their level of services and amenities both on the ground and in the air. This robust lifestyle approach and new tiers of membership make flying more accessible and fun.

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Brian Banmiller

PHOTO CREFITS: (TOP) COURTESY OF GETTY IMAGES FOR WHEELS UP; (BOTTOM) COURTESY OF BRIAN BANMILLER

Right now, there’s a lot of competition in the sky, and consumers

THE SWEET SPOT OF PRIVATE AVIATION

He mobilized his resources and network of ambassadors—including Jennifer

According to Banmiller, Wheels Up represents the sweet spot in private avia-

Lopez, Alex Rodriguez, Tom Brady, JJ Watt, and Joey Logano—and surpassed

tion. Founded in 2013, the company owns and manages more than 300 aircraft,

his goal in just one week. Wheels Up continues to generate meals for Feeding

including the largest fleet of turboprops in the U.S.

America, a nonprofit that gives 4 billion meals per year to more than 60,000

Members who travel from New York to Washington, D.C. or San Francisco

food banks, soup kitchens, and churches across the U.S.

to Palm Springs need not pay a premium for a GulfStream jet when a King Air 350i turboprop can take passengers to destinations within a 2.5-hour distance for much less money. Approximately 80 percent of air travel in North America

Private escort guides group onboard

takes less than two hours of flight time.

IT’S A LIFESTYLE Wheels Up is a lifestyle brand complete with concierge service and Wheels Down star-studded sporting and entertainment events. Membership includes access to Inspirato, which provides once-in-a-lifetime travel experiences delivered with five-star service at the world’s finest vacation homes and hotels.

FLYING ON THE WINGS OF ANGELS Netjets, Wheels Up, VistaJet, and XOJET are among the private jet operators donating flights to move medical personnel and supplies during the pandemic.

Inspired by the donation of 1 million meals to Feeding America by brand ambassador and NFL star Russell Wilson and his singer-songwriter wife, Ciara, Dichter launched the fund-raising initiative Meals Up with the goal of provid-

PHOTOS CREDITS: (TOP) COURTESY OF WHEELS UP; (BOTTOM) ©LINDA HEIDEL

ing 10 million meals to the food insecure.

Always remember, safety comes first. Clients should ask for the safety ratings of the aircraft, crews, and private air operator when selecting a carrier. Two pilots and two engines provide the ultimate safety in the sky.

- Brian Banmiller

Mr. and Mrs. Brian Banmiller (center) with family and friends depart for a day trip to Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

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BY BECCA HENSLEY

HauteTRAVEL

St. Peter port

A TRIP TO STORYBOOK GUERNSEY AND SARK Discovering the charm of the Channel Islands ARE WE DRESSED APPROPRIATELY TO MEET A SEIGNEUR? That’s what my friend Jenn and I wonder, as we cling to the side of a small boat, bouncing amid a tumultuous sea. We’re headed to Sark, a tiny island in the English Channel. It’s described in literature as a royal fife. We’re not completely sure what that means in today’s vernacular, though it conjures images of feudal lords, Rapunzel-length hair, and One of the smaller islands that comprise the bailiwick of Guernsey (a group of islands which form a district within the Channel Islands), it has history that dates back to Neolithic times, including colorful habitations by Romans, Vikings, corsairs, and beekeeping, elixir-making monks. Measuring just two-square-miles-round, it allows no cars. Instead, its 400 residents use horses, battered bikes, and tractors, the last of which, like a vintage toy, pull the fire engine and ambulance when needed. Flecked with ancient cottages, a tiny village, and pint-sized farms, sleepy Sark has clumps of forest, soaring seaside cliffs and moldering stone walls that edge snaky dirt lanes. Just one policeman, one doctor, and one school suffice. The occasional church tower or old mill rises from its fields. Nooks and niches abound. In short, this hideaway smacks of fairy tales.

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PHOTO CREDITS: COURTESY OF HOTEL CERRO

mythical feats. In fact, the self-governing island has its own set of laws and parliament.

But, that’s not the end of our story.

We’ve come to visit Christopher Beaumont, Seigneur of Sark, who lives in a turreted and crenelated ancestral home. What’s a seigneur? You might call him the governor or president of Sark, the official “conduit” for his constituents. He claims his domicile has ghosts, and hints at a witch, which, he says, sometimes be-straddles the rooftop. His legendary family, composed of pirate heritage, bygone artist stock, merchants, landholding gentry, and a brave, Nazi-fighting grandmother (known as Dame Sybil Hathaway), has lorded over this island, and lived on this estate for centuries. To find his house, we disembark the utilitarian ferry, grab some bikes, and pedal through a fantasia of hedge row-rimmed, rugged cliff-fringed, cow-filled fields. When we inevitably get lost, a kindly resident (perhaps an elf?) points the way, mouthing these enchanting instructions: “Stroll across two meadows, cross a bridge, turn at the big tree, follow the wall—until you reach the manor house.”

He might as well have told us to beware the dragon.

Mark my word: one day on Sark, Europe’s last feudal state (since 2008, its newest democracy), is not enough. In a flurry, we eat lunch at family-owned Stocks Hotel, once a 16th-century farmhouse, visit beaches with evocative names like Derrible Bay, and moan in awe at views from Window in the Rock, a natural stone frame that showcases the sea.

Playing residents, we nab the local taxi—a horse and buggy—to visit the eye-catching isthmus that connects Sark to Little Sark, a tinier islet. Narrow, harrowing, with no room for error, the bridge-like rock formation drops nearly 300-feet straight to the sea. Apparently, in former times, the perpetually windy weather meant children had to crawl across on their hands and knees to keep from being blown into the sea.

We don’t crawl across, but we do have a moment of panic when a tractor comes plowing toward us, taking up the entire road. In trepidation, we cut short our admiration of the view, flail our arms and screech in horror. Dramatically, we cling to the precipice’s very edge. Undaunted, the tractor roars on, the driver grinning with amusement. He knows exactly how much space he needs, and that we’ll survive. Unscathed we laugh hysterically, drunk with the adventure.

Later in the day, when it’s time to catch the last boat back to Guernsey, we’re running late. Diminutive Sark has myriad distractions between its plentiful nature and charming shops. “Surely, the ferry won’t leave without us?” we say, as we race down a steep hill toward the dock. “After all, we know the seigneur; he’s given us tea!” (I admit we suffer from some entitlement, thanks to our brief audience with the island’s leader.) In the end, we reach the ferry in plenty of time. We watch as the boatmen unload a cache of supplies for Sark’s few inhabitants, most notably a beribboned, child-sized, play kitchen for a little Sarkian’s birthday.

Sark stands out as a most appreciated field trip. But, we have come to the Channel Islands, specifically Guernsey, in the first place, with visions of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society dancing in our heads. If you’ve read the book (co-authored PHOTOS COURTESY OF VISIT GUERNSEY

by Mary Ann Schaffer and Annie Barrows) or seen the popular film adaptation, then you’ve likely yearned to visit yourself. The story about love and hardship in the aftermath of World War II (following years of German occupation) continues to woo tourists who discover an unspoiled destination, peculiarly quaint and gratifyingly frozen in time.

Self-governing, a mélange of both French and English characteristics thanks to its location between the two nations, Guernsey has been historically rogue and independent—though after William the Conqueror, it swore allegiance to the British crown. Home to buccaneers, displaced nobles, farmers, and mariners, it attracted artistic characters like Victor Hugo—who wrote from his eccentric home, Hauteville House, which vaunts surreal interiors he designed himself. Or, Auguste Renoir—who painted from its wind-

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HauteTRAVEL

swept cliffs. With bucolic meadows, some 27 bays, craggy cliffs, and an appealing capi-

teas, and “veg hedges” (little stalls, wedged in the hedgerow, that sell garden goods via

tal, St. Peter Port, complete with a warren of cobbled streets, a centuries-old castle, and

honor jars). History buffs will swoon over Guernsey’s Neolithic monuments and World

Regency architecture, Guernsey exudes as much a storybook quality as Sark—albeit

War II memorabilia (the island’s occupation resulted in numerous bunkers and extant

buzzier, bigger, and more urbane.

artifacts—even a haunted hospital). Outdoor enthusiasts can hike the cliffs, surf, dive, or golf, while true adventure fanatics should try “coasteering,” which involves adrenalinecharged leaping, cave-exploring, scrambling, rappelling, hiking, and swimming to make

which grows by the sea), shellfish (an abalone-like mollusk called ormer), classic cream

one’s way along the coastline.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF VISIT GUERNSEY

Gastronomes will be drawn by its dairy goods (butter from its special, spotted cows), artisan spirits (including a unique gin infused with local rock samphire, a succulent

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Unlike some homage trips to literary or film sites, Guernsey actually delivers what readers harbor in their imaginations. We half-expect to see fictional characters biking alongside the hedgerows or picnicking on the beach. However, (spoiler alert), the movie wasn’t filmed here, and the book’s author had visited only once. Nevertheless, as local tour guide extraordinaire Gill Girard puts it: “They got things remarkably right.”

The best way to immerse in “Potato Peel Pie” fun is to drive or walk the city with Gill, an award-winning, gold guide and the person named consultant on local history and customs for the film teams. If anybody knows what to wear when meeting a seigneur, it’s Gill. “He’ll take you as you are,” she says, winking, when I ask.

Is there a recipe for potato peel pie? To find out, you’ll have to visit Guernsey. Gill will know.

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BY OLIVIA DECKER

HauteRESIDENCE

94

IN 2005, KEN PAIGE FELL IN LOVE WITH THE

extraordinary roof terrace. He also extended the

grand foyer with a magnificent curving marble

elevator from the garage floor to all levels, includ-

staircase and an epic Tiffany dome crowning

ing the roof terrace. With all this renovation, the

the dramatic space. So, he bought the home.

City of San Francisco Building Department re-

Although the entrance was incredibly exquisite,

quired him to seismic retrofit and add sprinklers

the rest of the house was a 30 bedroom boarding

to the entire house. The tremendous amount of

homes in total disrepair. Paige set out to restore

structural steel beams are concealed behind or-

this spacious mansion to regain its original glory

nate cornices so that they don’t show. The well-

and prestige that the home so richly deserved.

appointed kitchen is equipped with high-tech

The love and care he put into the renovation

appliances and thoughtful workspaces ready for

transformed it into Alma Spreckels’ original vi-

cozy meals with your family or media-worthy din-

sion of grace and beauty. Paige wanted to make

ner parties. You can also enjoy the enormous roof

it “fit for a Queen.” He demolished nearly every-

deck complete with a 20-foot stainless steel kitch-

thing, replacing and upgrading every detail. He

en/BBQ/bar area with views of the entire Golden

installed steel structural beams, all new plumb-

Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island. The Paige family

ing, electrical, heating, fireplaces, windows/

has enjoyed this home for 14 years, hosting many

doors, flooring, and ceilings while maintaining

large and small parties and charity events. The

the original character. He kept the bronze railings

house has always been a happy and festive place

with their Romanian eagles’ crest and added an

for the family and grandchildren get-togethers.

PHOTO CREDITS: ©JASON WELLS

MAJESTIC SAN FRANCISCO MANSION

This stunning Italianate mansion enjoys pano-

curving staircase, seven en-suite bedrooms, eight full

with parking plus three-car garage, elevator, security

ramic views of the Golden Gate Bridge, San Fran-

bathrooms, and three half bathrooms, formal living

system with cameras, two laundry facilities, and is

cisco Bay, Palace of Fine Arts, Alcatraz Island, Marin

room, formal dining room, reception hall, grand foyer,

wired for Wi-Fi, automatic drapery, and Lutron light-

Headlands, Fort Mason, Russian Hill, Coit Tower,

mezzanine, library, fireplaces, eat-in kitchen, media

ing throughout. Walking distance to Union, Chestnut

City skyline and the East Bay hills. Exquisite archi-

room, family room, wine room, au-pair quarters with

and Fillmore Streets, shopping district, prestigious

tectural detailing is found throughout, including the

kitchen, gym, four marble terraces, six cast bronze

schools, transportation, and easy access to the Gold-

spectacular grand formal foyer, the white marble

balconies, garden with irrigation, gated driveway

en Gate Bridge and downtown San Francisco.

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HauteRESIDENCE Designed and built in 1905 by James A. McCullough, this majestic Italianate villa of approximately 17,000 square feet has been fully renovated from the bottom floor to the rooftop terrace using the finest materials and craftsmanship to create the ultimate modern amenities and luxury living. Still, it retains the elegance and beauty of the classic era. This magnificent home was the entertainment house of Maude and Walker Graves, and their friend Alma Spreckles. It is said that the house, as evidenced by the Romanian eagle crests on all the bronze railings and dining room fireplace, was remodeled for Alma Spreckels’s anticipation of Marie, Queen of Romania, as house guest during the 1915 Panama Pacific Exposition in San Francisco. Scott Street was the main gateway to the Exhibition and had the best view of the Tower of Jewels as well as the Palace of Fine Arts. The amazing European designs, finest craftsmanship and top quality materials are impossible to duplicate today. The home was fully renovated from 2005 and 2008, including structural steel beams, all systems, rooms, kitchens, baths, and modern technology. It was selected as the prestigious San Francisco Decorator Showcase in 2008.

For more photos and information, please visit: www.SanFranciscoShowcase2008.com Offered at $21,000,000

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BY TIM LAPPEN

TheHAUTE LISTAuto

ASTON MARTIN DBS SUPERLEGGERA COUPE Superlight, Superfast and Superfun WHEN I WAS A KID, THE ULTIMATE TOY WAS THE SCALEXTRIC SLOT-CAR SET.

Each car’s distinctive grille and its country-color livery made for the same resplendent

The British company manufactured several types of motorized toys, including cars

hues on the slot-car track as they did on the world’s Formula One circuits. And the

which ran on clockwork motors; but, in 1957, their world (and mine) changed when

Aston Martins in British-racing green (BRG) had an unusual mouth. Marek Reichman,

they created an electric toy car which ran on a track and which allowed the player to

Aston Martin’s chief creative officer, said that, “If you were being very simplistic, you

control the speed. No, I didn’t get such a toy, but my luck was only one-degree-of-sepa-

could say it was a box pushing out of an organic oval shape, with smoothed corners.”

ration. Don, my next-door neighbor and best friend, was one of four boys in his family,

The Robb Report simply refers to it as the “moustache.” Either way, it started with the

so his parents apparently justified the Christmas purchase by amortizing it among the

form-follows-function approach to allow as much airflow into the tall radiator at the

four brothers. Luckily for me, Don was the oldest, so he and I pretty much had the run

center, with side areas to help cool the front brakes. Whatever it’s called, one can tell

of the house when it came to the shiny new Scalextric.

in an instant that’s it’s an Aston Martin approaching. Similarly, we kids could tell which

What does this have to do with Aston Martin? In those years, the primo Formula One racing machines were Ferrari, Mercedes, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, and Aston Martin.

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slot-car was the Aston, one of our BRG favorites. Thus began my lifelong love of all things created by the storied brand.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ASTON MARTIN LAGONDA LIMITED

A lifelong petrol-holic, mechanic (cars, motorcycles, boats), and automotive journalist since penning a column for his high school newspaper, internationally recognized attorney Tim Lappen is a partner at a major Los Angeles-based law firm, where he chairs the firm’s Family Office Group and its Luxury Home Group and is, of course, a member of its Motor Vehicle Group. He can be reached at tlappen@gmail.com.

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TheHAUTE LISTAuto And speaking of “storied,” any paean to Aston Martins must give a nod to Sir Ian Fleming, author of innumerable James Bond books in the 1950s and 1960s. For verisimilitude, Sir Ian had a penchant for naming real products to be utilized by Agent 007, including his ever-present Walther PPK pistol (a bob to a weapon design which was novel when the Bond stories were written) and his trusty steed, which always was an Aston Martin (though subsequent movie adaptations of his books gave Commander Bond a variety of vehicles, depending on the plans created by the film’s marketing team).

So, with the above background in mind, let’s focus on the DBS Superleggera Coupe, the ultimate road-going Aston Martin of today.

The DBS name first was used by Aston in honor of David Brown, its famous owner and chairman, from the late 1940s until the early 1970s. Superleggera, which means “superlight,” is a trademark of an Italian coachbuilder used under license by Aston. This gorgeous, 2-door coupe is a gentleman’s and gentlelady’s touring car of the first order.

With prodigious power (a twin-turbo V12 pumping out 715 HP and 663 foot-pounds of torque), the car can cruise all day at triple digits (local laws may apply) and top out at 211 mph, having arrived there quickly enough, given a 0-60 time of about 3.5 seconds. This is the most powerful road car Aston Martin ever has produced.

The 8-speed transaxle is located between the rear wheels, which helps provide an excellent front-to-rear weight balance, and offers up butter-smooth and lightning-quick shifts, either automatically or through the driver’s use of the metal paddle shifters. With carbon fiber aplenty, the DBS earns its Superleggera moniker: the bonnet (hood), boot (trunk), splitter, and diffuser are incredibly light (the car is an impressive 154 pounds

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lighter than its DB11 cousin). Its 21-inch alloy wheels provide a strong stance and the fat

and aft with the front and back cameras that are so necessary with the car’s low stance

tires (20 mm wider at the rear than the DB11’s) give the DBS an aggressive stance and

and its carbon fiber first-responders.

also provide able assistance in cornering.

My loan (thank you, Aston Martin!) arrived in “Cobalt Blue” with black leather interior

But, to me, the strength of the Aston Martin is not in its metrics, impressive as they

and 21-inch, forged, “Y Spoke,” gloss black, diamond turned rims (yet another box ticked,

are, but in how the entire package presents and performs. The car is flat-out beautiful

this one for $3,190). Start-up is not overly rambunctious, but the driver does have three

from any angle, almost resembling fine art more than a motor vehicle. Sinuous lines and

modes from which to choose—GT, Sport, and Sport Plus—which successively provide

curves swoop and slide into a car which looks born of the wind.

more power with less throttle movement, tighter suspension, louder exhaust, and more.

The interior befits a car with an exterior which offers such promise. Sumptuous English hides abound. Leather is everywhere and much of it has been quilted (“triaxially” in

To my ear (and with apologies possibly needed to my neighbors), Sport Plus is the only way to go, as it allows the DBS to sound as great as it looks and goes.

The base price is just over $300,000, and “mine” added about $27,000 in options; but,

(another box ticked, this time $4,545). An 8-inch navigation screen sits midship on the

it all seemed well worth the price for the thrill it provided on highways, in the canyons,

dash, both functional and appropriate to a car of its standing and all the better to see fore

and on the twisties above Los Angeles.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ASTON MARTIN LAGONDA LIMITED

“my” DBS, thanks to the tick of a $3,190 option box), with carbon fiber inlay on the trim

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PHOTO COURTESY OF TK

Aspire Lab staff

In Memoriam:

JOEL REVZEN (1945-2020)

PHOTOS COURTESY OF FESTIVAL NAPA VALLEY

FESTIVAL NAPA VALLEY AND THE NAPA VALLEY COMMUNITY mourn the death of one of its most beloved musical figures, conductor Joel Revzen, who succumbed to complications caused by COVID at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York on Memorial Day, just a few weeks before his 75th birthday.

Maestro Revzen led a long, varied, and successful international career, spending much of the last 20 years at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, where he conducted some of the world’s greatest singers, including a performance of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin with Anna Netrebko in a live radio broadcast in 2017.

In 2015, Joel met with Festival Napa Valley Vice President and Director of Artistic Planning Charles Letourneau to discuss bringing a group of Metropolitan Opera Orchestra musicians to Napa. “I still vividly remember that breakfast with Joel on that morning across from Lincoln Center, and it became one of our regular rituals,” remembers Letourneau. “I was excited about the prospect of having some of the top orchestral musicians in America at the Festival.” And thus, the all-star Festival Orchestra Napa was born, with a core of musicians from the MET along with top players from other leading orchestras around the world.

Joel Revzen was not only an esteemed conductor, he also had a deep commitment to the next generation of artists and music education. Shortly after graduating from the Juilliard School, he was appointed Dean of the St. Lou-

Joel Revzen at Festival Napa Valley

is Conservatory of the Arts, where he remained for 13 years and was credited with greatly expanding its curriculum and performance programs.

At Festival Napa Valley, Joel became a faculty member of the Blackburn Music Academy, leading its students every summer in concerts, masterclasses, and workshops. In the words of one student last summer: “Joel is superb—I will happily play with him any time. He has incredible technique, and he is so kind and gracious.”

Joel’s career took him around the world, including Russia where he conducted the Russian National Orchestra which appeared many times at Festival Napa Valley. His last performance at Festival Napa Valley was the “Song to the Moon” concert on July 20, 2019, celebrating the anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing on that very day 50 years earlier. It was a magical moment with San Francisco Classical Voice writing, “Conductor Joel Revzen perfectly paced and balanced the Festival Orchestra Napa … We departed this musical planetarium satisfied that both composers and performers had shown us all there was to hear.”

“This is how we will always remember Joel, with his brilliant and insightful performances showing us all there was to hear,” says Festival Napa Valley President and CEO Rick Walker. “His warmth, talent and friendship will be greatly missed.”

Festival Napa Valley is establishing the Joel Revzen Conducting Fellowship, which will be awarded every summer to a promising young conductor .

Joel Revzen conducting Festival Napa Valley Orchestra

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BY KELLY E. CARTER

HauteAMBASSADOR

Wine Country

Mamoudou Athie in Uncorked

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BLACK WINES MATTER A Toast to Black Wine Professionals THE ROMANCE OF WINE LURES VISITORS TO DREAMY WINE

winery which began producing wine in 1986; Theodora Lee’s 17-year-

country, where people often flock to escape the real world. Hearing the

old Theopolis Vineyards in Mendocino County; Phil Long’s 14-year-old

stories of passionate winery owners and winemakers while sipping their

Longevity Wines in Livermore; Danny Glover’s (no relation to the actor)

liquid creations and touring their picturesque vineyards makes one be-

L’Objet Wines in Healdsburg; Mac McDonald, who started Vision Cellars

lieve all is right in the world. But sometimes, reality cannot be avoided.

in Windsor in 1995 and founded the Association of African American

With the subject of race dominating the news in recent weeks, it is im-

Vintners; Rhonda Russell’s Taste Collection Cellars in Lodi; Charles Wine

possible to ignore the topic as it relates to wine.

Company in Lodi; Robin and Andréa McBride’s Oakland-based McBride

The increasing number of African-American sports and entertain-

Sisters Wine Collection, whose wines come from California’s Central

ment figures who venture into the wine business—John Legend, Charles

Coast and New Zealand; Rosalind Manoogian who, along with her hus-

Woodson, Dwyane Wade, and Ayesha Curry all make their wine in Napa

band James, own Fog Crest Vineyard in the Russian River AVA; and,

Valley—receive an overwhelming amount of attention when compared

Paula Harrell’s P. Harrell Wines in Sonoma, to name more than a few.

to black-owned wine labels of vintners whose names may not be as well known.

As people discovered these black-owned wine businesses, wine sales increased. For example, Lee, who lives in Oakland and is a senior partner

Therefore, it was wonderful to see the focus shift last month to a bevy

and trial lawyer at Littler, received a record 50 separate wine orders in

of black-owned wine brands, not just in the United States but around

one day. That’s quite a bit, considering her Theopolis Vineyards—she’s

the world, that have been largely overlooked. Close to home, the spot-

known in the wine world as “Theo-patra, Queen of the Vineyards”—only

light shined on Brown Estate, Napa Valley’s sole black-owned estate

produces 800 cases of wine a year.

PHOTO CREDITS: NETFLIX, THEOPOLIS VINEYARDS, RON ESSEX & TAMERA MOWRY-HOUSLEY.

Kelly E. Carter is the director of communications at Alpha Omega winery on Napa Valley’s Rutherford Bench. The former editor of “Haute Living San Francisco” previously enjoyed a lengthy, award-winning career in journalism writing about sports, entertainment, and luxury lifestyles for various media outlets.

Kelly co-authored New York Times bestseller “Come to Win: Business Leaders, Artists, Doctors, and Other Visionaries on How Sports Can Help You Top Your Profession” with Venus Williams and penned “The Dog Lover’s Guide to Travel” for National Geographic Books. She has traveled to more than 40 countries and territories on six continents and called Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and Italy home. Visit Kelly at: www. kellyecarter.com

Of course, not everyone can be a winery owner. That’s why I wanted to introduce you to some of the other black wine professionals I’ve had the pleasure of meeting since moving to Napa Valley. Their number may be small, but I believe it will grow as more minorities realize the career opportunities in the industry. A film like Uncorked, which began streaming on Netflix in March, has the potential to do wonders. In the drama, Mamoudou Athie plays a young man who, fueled by his love of wine, strives to become a master sommelier while dealing with his father’s expectations that he’ll take over the family’s barbecue business. Of the 269 master commeliers worldwide, only two are African-Amercian, including Carlton McCoy Jr., the president and CEO of Heitz Cellars in St. Helena. Sommelier is just one of the titles held by some of the people introduced below.

Victoria Coleman, Winemaker, Lobo: A graduate of the UC Davis enology program, Victoria began her winemaking journey at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars as production assistant. She returned to the Napa Valley after a stint at Jade Valley Winery near Xi’an, China and consulting with new wineries there as well. Year 2020 marks her thirteenth vintage for Lobo wines.

Tamera Mowry-Housley, Vintner, Housley Napa Valley: Don’t be surprised to see Tamera, who starred in the sitcom Sister, Sister and currently hosts The Real daytime talk show, in the downtown Napa tasting room she and her husband, Adam Housley, an award-winning journalist, opened in 2019.

DLynn Proctor, Director, Fantesca: Chances are you may already know of DLynn due to his high profile during his 20-year career in the wine industry working with the best in the fine dining business, retail/web sales, fine and rare wine brokerage, and international education. Named “Best Sommelier in America” by Wine & Spirits Magazine in 2008, Proctor was featured in the wine documentary SOMM along with its two follow-up films. He also had a cameo role in Uncorked, where he gained an associate producer title.

Brenae Royal, Vineyard Manager, E. & J. Gallo’s Monte Rosso Vineyard: Brenae studied crops and horticulture science at Chico State and joined E. & J. Gallo Winery in 2013 as an operations and viticulture intern. Now 30, she was just 24 when she became the youngest-ever vineyard manager for Monte Rosso, an acclaimed site and home to some of the oldest producing grapevines in California. First planted in 1886, the 575-acre vineyard on the eastern hills of Sonoma Valley produces mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel as well as seven other varietals.

Tamera Mowry-Housley

Theodora Lee

Phil Long

HauteAMBASSADOR

Wine Country

DLynn Proctor

Brenae Royal

Enoch Shully, Estate Manager, Girard Winery: Enoch, who was born in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, is relatively new to Napa Valley, but not to wine. He managed a restaurant in Cape Town, visited vineyards during his European travels, and later moved to Chicago, where he became the beverage director and general manager of Bin 36, a restaurant/wine bar he went on to own for three-plus years before closing it in 2018. He’s currently working on his MBA at UC-Davis, while sharing his wine knowledge at Girard in Calistoga.

Sylvie Tannhauser, Assistant Guest Experience Manager, Cakebread Cellars: This certified sommelier hails from the French Caribbean and has more than 10 years’ experience creating memorable wine experiences around the world. Sylvie began her career at the French Tourist Office in Paris, which led her on an adventurous career path organizing wine tastings, designing wine tours, and providing sommelier services to wine enthusiasts and collectors. She held several positions in the luxury, hospitality, and wine industries before relocating to Napa Valley.

Sonoma. Tasting room doors are open once again, and we hope to see you soon!

Cheers!

Enoch Shully

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Sylvie Tannhauser

PHOTO CREDITS: FANTESCA, E. & J. GALLO, ENOCH SHULLY & SYLVIE TANNHAUSER.

Perhaps you will see some of these people during your next trip to Napa Valley or

BY LYDIA GRAHAM

HauteAMBASSADOR

Health & Wellness

Tomatero Organic Farm Stand at the Farmer’s Market

CONSCIOUS KITCHEN ADDRESSES FOOD INEQUALITY, FOOD LITERACY, ACCESS AND EDUCATION

PHOTO COURTESY OF CONSCIOUS KITCHEN

Rises to meet community hunger needs quickly during COVID-19 crisis Can you imagine feeding your child breakfast,

Conscious Kitchen (www.consciouskitchen.org)

ganic, Seasonal, Non-GMO) guidelines for less than

lunch, and a snack on only $2.80 per day? Cur-

first came on my radar through Justin Everett, then

$1.60 per student (the California school lunch food

rently, that’s the average amount the Federal

Executive Chef at Cavallo Point. Since hearing his

allocation at that time).

government (USDA) and the State of California

story, I’ve been a passionate supporter ever since.

Chef Justin was paired with Martin Luther King

reimburse schools per student for the food por-

It all started when Judi Shils, Executive Director

Jr. Academy (MLK) in Marin City, a school located

tion of the National School Lunch Program (plus

of Turning Green, approached Chef Justin to par-

in an unincorporated area in one of the most afflu-

an additional $4.21 for labor and food service). To

ticipate in an event pairing Bay Area Chefs with

ent U.S. counties where more than 95% of Marin

provide nutritious food on this budget, something

teams of Marin middle school students in a food

City students qualified for free and reduced govern-

must fill the gap. Food inequality significantly im-

competition: Eco Top Chef Marin. Each chef was

ment-subsidized school meals. Eighty-eight percent

pacts the health of less affluent and underserved

paired with a small team of students at a participat-

of those students would be the first in their fami-

populations, particularly the most vulnerable: our

ing school and their challenge was to create and

lies to graduate from high school. Although Marin

children.

serve a meal following FLOSN (Fresh, Local, Or-

County is ground zero for organic farms and ethical

Lydia is a passionate advocate of healthy living. She has launched and positioned many health and wellnessrelated companies, products, technologies and organizations receiving more than 100 awards nationally and internationally. Her focus in the health sector is specifically on life sciences, aging and longevity. She is a partner and investor in several recognized national brands.

She sits on the board of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging whose mission is to eliminate the threat of agerelated disease for today’s and future generations. It is the only independent research organization globally dedicated to extending the healthy years of life. Like the scientists at the Buck, Graham envisions it will be possible for people to enjoy life at 95 as much as at 25.

To support Buck’s mission, please visit www.buckinstitute.org.

107

HauteAMBASSADOR

Health & Wellness

Judi Shils, Conscious Kitchen Co-founder and Exec.

Director with Alice Waters, Advisory Board Member

food purveyors, Marin City is a food-insecure neighborhood

school kitchens.” In partnership with Chef Justin and the

ing of our children. Fifty-eight percent of California students

in its midst. Fifty-eight percent of fifth graders here are over-

Sausalito Marin City School District and with generous sup-

are dependent on free school meals for their nutrition 180

weight or at risk of obesity.

port from Cavallo Point and Good Earth Natural Foods, they

days a year. One in five California children are at serious

began work to shift the paradigm around school food begin-

risk for hunger. For some children, these school lunches are

ning with the MLK pilot.

their only opportunity to have a healthy meal each day. Be-

At the competition’s outset, Chef Justin struggled to engage the focus of his team of two student helpers. One afternoon and somewhat frustrated, he began picking

In 2015, Conscious Kitchen expanded to its second

sides the obvious negative health outcomes, poor nutrition

strawberries. They joined in and were hooked. “At that mo-

site, Willow Creek Academy in Sausalito, forming the na-

impacts academic performance and, as a result, jeopardizes

ment, picking strawberries together, I realized how power-

tion’s first 100-percent, organic, non-GMO school district.

upward mobility. Children from food insecure families per-

ful food can be in building community. It can be a catalyst

Between 2015 and 2017, it served 450-plus students more

form worse in math and reading and achieve fewer educa-

for change and reach across cultural divides,” he recalls. The

than 190,000 chef-prepared FLOSN meals in on-site, low

tional gains than their peers over the course of the school

bigger challenge, however, remained—the allocation of $1.60

waste kitchens. The program included breakfast, lunch,

year.

per student. Meeting the FLOSN guidelines on that budget

and snacks and is still going strong. It has a passionate and

In pilots conducted by Conscious Kitchen, 72 percent of

was impossible.

dedicated, full-time executive chef, Guillaume Pfahal who,

teachers noticed positive changes in student behavior and/

The only available solution was to leverage his purchas-

besides being on-site at Willow Creek Academy, supports

or an ability to stay on task after lunch. “It was truly trans-

ing power and tap into his relationships with local and re-

Conscious Kitchen’s strategic planning and growth, includ-

formative,” remembers Judi. “Suddenly kids were looking

gional food purveyors. They were happy to help. The result

ing, menu, recipe, ordering, and supply chain development.

forward to lunch and not acting out as much, and attend-

was a delicious meal starring his famous quinoa mac-and-

The program at each school includes an interdisciplinary

ance improved. Teachers who previously could not wait for

cheese (for those of you who might have tasted it at Farley

garden and a nutrition and culinary curriculum that pro-

their breaks began eating with the kids at tables with flow-

Bar in Sausalito). The kids were all-in. Judi approached Chef

motes food literacy and environmental education. Students

ers and tablecloths. It proved lunch can become a highlight

Justin shortly after with the idea of doing an ongoing school

plant, cultivate, harvest, and eat food as they follow it from

of the school day, bringing kids and teachers together more

program; but given the budget challenges, he hesitated.

seed-to-fork, all the while developing the knowledge, tools,

than we imagined.”

Then, while escorting a second and third grade field trip at

and habits they need to live healthier, more productive lives.

his son’s Novato school, a young boy in his group (who, he

Why FLOSN meals? Reliance on the industrial food sup-

had heard, had a challenging home life) pulled out his lunch

ply and exposure to pesticides makes our children vulner-

of sliced processed lunch meat, a candy bar, and a soda.

able to developing a myriad of chronic diseases. Since

When the child shared that this was his lunch every day,

1975, there has been a 10-fold increase in childhood obesity

Justin knew then that he had to accept Judi’s offer, “It was

jumping from 1 million to 124 million in 2016 (WHO). Unfor-

an ah-ha moment. While many of these kids had ‘food,’ they

tunately, it’s an escalating trend. One in three children in

were literally starving for adequate nutrition.” In 2013, Judi

California is overweight or obese and at-risk for developing

and Justin partnered to start Conscious Kitchen, a program

chronic health conditions such as diabetes, bone and joint

of Turning Green.

problems, and high blood pressure. Too, some researchers

Judi Shils, Executive Director of Conscious Kitchen,

have found as much as a 7-point drop in IQ as a result of

is a tireless advocate. “It is my mission to shift the model

pesticide exposure. Not only do all these factors threaten

for school food service, transitioning school meals from

our future leaders, but it will overwhelm our healthcare sys-

pre-packaged, processed, heat-and-serve to chef-prepared,

tem in years to come.

scratch-cooked, local, organic food cooked in low-waste

108

Healthy school food programs are critical to the well-be-

MLK student shows off fresh carrots from the garden

PHOTOS CREDITS: (TOP LEFT) COURTESY OF KATHERINE EMERY PHOTOGRAPHY; (TOP RIGHT & BOTTOM RIGHT) COURTESY OF CONSCIOUS KITCHEN

MLK students enjoying healthy homegrown snacks

PHOTO COURTESY OF CAVALLO POINT

Evaluation and anecdotal data showed: 1) decrease in

believed in and championed with the Edible Schoolyard

across the country.”

disciplinary cases, 2) improved attention in class, 3) empow-

Project. To see it in action with Conscious Kitchen, even at

In this new, post-COVID, social distancing world, it could

ered student leadership, 4) increased consumption of fruits/

a time when campuses are closed, brings me great hope.

be a while before the kids once again enjoy the pre-COVID

vegetables, 5) more equitable school food environment and

Nourishing our children means buying our food directly

communal dining and serving experience. However, the

reduced stigma associated with the NSLP (National School

from organic, regenerative farmers and ranchers who are

new, singularly packaged containers will still feature the

Lunch Program), 6) fewer stomach aches and headaches,

taking care of the land. We are demonstrating that this sys-

nutritious FLOSN quality food, and there will be new oppor-

7) reduction in food and packaging waste (75%), and 8)

tem is possible in our communities and in all public schools

tunities to educate. Judi Shils is already thinking ahead and

increase in economic activity: for example, in the 2016-17

across America. This Conscious Kitchen initiative that is

visioning how Conscious Kitchen might continue to meet

school year, two Conscious Kitchen schools spent $90K on

happening in Marin City and Marin County in the mid of a

needs: “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could expand to

local, organic food. According to USDA, that translates to

pandemic is both supporting our precious farmers and feed-

new sites by utilizing shuttered restaurant kitchens and hire

$180,000 in local economic activity.

ing all children healthy, deeply nourishing food.”

chefs and restaurant workers displaced from COVID-19?

Board member Al Baylacq and partner at Good Earth

Adds Judi, “During the COVID-19 crisis, Conscious Kitch-

There are and will continue to be so many in the industry

Natural Foods has been there since the beginning. “As a lo-

en shifted from feeding kids to feeding entire communities

out of work for some time. We need to find creative solutions

cal green grocer for nearly 50 years, it heartens us to see a

and even multi-generational families. Schools can serve as

to feed those in need in our communities and who are still

program as committed to organic and ethical supply chains

hubs for community resilience with the capacity to serve

suffering from the recent economic set-backs.”

as Conscious Kitchen. We’ve been proud to support the pro-

children, under-18 youth, families, and seniors as well as oth-

gram from day one and see the growth over eight years,

ers in need.”

Conscious Kitchen teaches us how a community can heal food insecurity at the grassroots level. It shows us a scal-

proving what is possible when a mission-driven organiza-

How was Conscious Kitchen able to mobilize so quickly?

able, proven model to advance food equity and underscores

tion like Conscious Kitchen steps up to lead the community

The answer lies in Judi Shils, its existing program infrastruc-

the importance of having strong local dependable supply

and forge powerful partnerships. Together with Conscious

ture, and deep networks within the local economy. Adap-

chains and how critical it is to have an extensive network

Kitchen, the rest of us should all be focused on food access,

tive, creative, and solution-oriented leadership, three hub

of relationships in place to meet community needs quickly

equity, and justice across the entire system and supply

kitchens, trained kitchen staff, and an extensive existing

in times of crisis—be it a pandemic or a natural disaster. Its

chain. It’s time!”

local supply chain including local farms and ranches such

speed and capacity to feed communities is inspiring and

Of course, non-nutritious school menus are not exclusive

as Tomatero Farm, Mindful Meats, Mary’s Chicken, Earl’s

provides an insurance policy for any region it serves. We

to underserved areas; it’s a problem in many schools across

Organic, Marin Cheese Company, Good Earth Natural Foods

are reminded we are only as strong as our weakest link, and

the country. Depending on cooking habits in the home, re-

(and distributor UNFI), to name just a few made it all pos-

while individuals absolutely do make a difference, when we

gardless of income, a school lunch might be the only nutri-

sible. The organization quickly expanded its distribution

work together we are always much stronger.

tious meal a child receives—even in affluent neighborhoods.

capabilities of “food out the door,” delivering fresh hot meals

To donate, volunteer or inquire about starting a Conscious

All kids can benefit from better nutrition. The Conscious

safely packed in bio-compostable and recyclable containers

Kitchen in your area, check out www.ConsciousKitchen.org.

Kitchen program is designed to be replicated in all schools

by harnessing its network of trained volunteers.

for all programs. That is why Conscious Kitchen sees an

Instrumental in this quick response were the logistical

opportunity to expand the model to include even private

skills of two key players, Jose Andrés and Judi’s daughter,

schools, which will in turn help generate income to fund

Erin Schrode. Erin returned home after running Jose Andrés’

programs in underserved areas.

World Central Kitchen operation in Puerto Rico following

So, that brings us to what happened when schools closed

Hurricane Maria, which served 3.7 million meals. Although

during COVID-19. As of June 5, 2020, Conscious Kitchen

long-time thought partners, the mother and daughter team

has served 45,000 meals (and counting). Healthy, delicious

had not previously worked together full-time. Even more

meals were available for daily pickup outside MLK Acade-

amazing, they orchestrated all this while sheltering in place

my for all students and anyone under age 18. For individuals

in Judi’s home. The Conscious Kitchen’s COVID-19 effort

and families, hot, organic, nutritious meals were delivered

was supported with funds from World Central Kitchen,

daily to pick-up locations in Marin City and Mill Valley and

Marin Community Foundation, Milagro Foundation, Gray-

drop-off locations in Mill Valley, Tiburon, and San Rafael.

stone Builders, Cavallo Point Lodge, and many other donors

Individually packed, balanced lunches were also delivered

throughout the Bay Area and beyond.

daily to the homes of seniors in need, as well as to frontline

Says Jose Andrés, founder of World Central Kitchen and

local hospital responders and homeless community mem-

lead funder of the organization’s COVID relief effort, “We

bers sheltered in local hotels.

are proud to be standing alongside Conscious Kitchen to be

Advisory board member, chef, author, and owner of Chez

feeding the people of Marin City and the region. This is a vi-

Panisse and founder of the Edible Schoolyard Project, Alice

tal time to be engaging in communities all around America

Waters emphasizes, “This is the most important work for our

to provide healthy, nutritious meals for children and their

future. School-supported agriculture is a practice I have long

families, while at the same time supporting local economies

Justin Everett: Conscious Kitchen Co-founder and Former Exec. Chef at Cavallo Point

109

BY STEPHANIE BLOCK

HauteAMBASSADOR

Literary Reviews

SOCIAL JUSTICE SUMMER READS What Our Leaders in the Community Are Reading Now SUMMER IS HERE, AND THE WAVES WE SURF ARE REAL conversations with an urgent undertow of transformative soulsearching. So instead of trashy, splashy beach reading (we still love you!), let’s wade into deeper waters. With sea change must come a shift in what we read by the sea. Inspiring us to replace saucy trysts with social justice are community leaders who do this difficult and rewarding work every day. These are the people whose Zoom background bookshelves are more Tolstoy than toys. Ready for some more context for the revolution? Let’s dive in!

How We Show Up by Mia Birdsong Jamie Allison, Executive Director, Walter & Elise Haas Fund Mia Birdsong’s newly released book, How We Show Up, is a practical and aspirational guide for how to expand our circles of care to create just, supportive, loving, and vibrant communities. I love this book because it introduced me to diverse, visionary people whose lives serve as examples for how we can live better together. While reading this book, I laughed aloud, I was inspired, and I recognized the ways U.S. policies and cultural norms work to separate us from one another, rather than encourage what we really need—a shared responsibility for each other.

Jamie Allison

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson Debbie Tuttle Berkowitz, Senior Philanthropy Advisor, Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund A good entry point into learning about racial justice is Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. Bryan founded the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama over 30 years ago, providing legal representation to people who have been illegally convicted, unfairly sentenced, or abused in state jails and prisons. The deeply personal narrative helps each one of us to “get proximate” with the issues, and “get uncomfortable” witnessing injustice. The book has also been adapted into an edition designed for young Debbie Tuttle Berkowitz

adults looking to start understanding the issues, as well as a movie which streamed for free across all platforms in June to educate viewers on systemic racism.

In Order To Live: One North Korean Girl’s Journey to Freedom by Yeonmi Park Alex Gladstein, Chief Strategy Officer at the Human Rights Foundation My book suggestion is In Order To Live: One North Korean Girl’s Journey to Freedom,

by Yeonmi Park. This is a riveting personal story of a girl who first grew up inside North Korea and then overcame horrific, unbelievable circumstances to escape to freedom. It’s an incredibly informative read as you learn about what life is like for the average North Korean in the world’s most repressed country. But even after learning about all of the prison camps and torture and rape and suffering, you end up with Alex Gladstein

110

an admiration of the human spirit, as Yeonmi triumphed over all of this against all odds. She is an inspiration to us all.

PHOTO CREDIT: (TOP) ©MONA T. BROOKS; (MIDDLE) ©ELI ZATURANSKI; (BOTTOM) COURTESY OF HUMAN RIGHTS FOUNDATION

Stephanie Block is a third-generation family partner in RNDC and Young’s Market Company.

She holds a WSET 3 certification in wine and spirits and is a recent graduate of an Executive MBA program from both Brown University and IE Madrid.

Previously, Stephanie ran St. Supéry Estate Vineyards & Winery’s social media and worked Napa harvest 2016.

Stephanie has championed gender equality as a national board member of the US National Committee for UN Women and once traveled the globe as an award-winning travel writer.

She has lived in 6 countries and visited over 80. Elle adore parler français.

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates Ashanti Branch, Founder and Executive Director, The Ever Forward Club, and Colleen Gregerson, Executive Director, Battery Powered Ashanti Branch: For me, this book felt like a book that I wrote in a different life. It speaks of the journey of a black man who voices the challenges of being in his body in a country that does not seem to be designed for him. The book takes a personal journey of that man through growing up in that black body that seems like a threat just by its mere existence.

He talks about going to college and the journey of his life, illuminating the many contradictions and barriers hindering him from being the

Collene Gregerson

man he always wanted to be. The author writes in vivid detail. The stories were told as if I were standing there in the middle of the action.

Colleen Gregerson: I had the opportunity to visit the National Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington, D.C. a few years ago. It was a deeply moving experience, the most extraordinary museum I have ever visited. They have a beautifully curated bookstore, and I asked the attendant for a recommendation. She pointed me directly to Ta-Nehisi Coates’ book, Between the World and Me. Written as a letter to his teenage son, Coates questions how to live within a black body, unravels the impermeable racial injustice woven deeply and tightly throughout U.S. history, and points out the dangers of the American dream. Far from providing answers, he honestly lays bare painful questions and allows his reader, and son, to struggle with Ashanti Branch

them. Perhaps now, in this moment of national awakening, we can come together to form a response to these painful questions, a response that is just and equitable. It is clear why Toni Morrison called this book “required reading.”

Paul Henderson

Biased by Jennifer Eberhardt

Charleston Pierce

Paul Henderson, Executive Director, Department of Police Accountability, City and County of San Francisco It’s hard to think objectively about something that has informed and influenced me without contemplating current events, and I’m of two minds. On one hand, I’m heartened to see the attention being paid to issues of race and disparity; but on the other, I remain frustrated at the examples (that we know about and see) of what it has taken to awaken the broader society to these truths. Selecting just one book on a topic like race or social PHOTO CREDIT: (TOP RIGHT) ©MARLA AUFMUTH; (TOP LEFT) ©JAMIE HAGMANN; (BOTTOM LEFT) ©BEN GEBO; (BOTTOM RIGHT) ©RACHELLE STEELE

justice that means so much to me is hard, and I tried to choose a book that felt revelatory to my experiences, that exposed an ignorance I wasn’t aware of, and that seemed significant.

The book I chose is Biased by Jennifer Eberhardt, a Bay Area social psychologist and professor at Stanford University. If you had asked me beforehand about bias, I don’t think I could have told you how important it was or that I had biased beliefs myself

The Bible

and was part of systemic challenges that people bring to the table. Eberhardt’s book

Charleston Pierce, Author, Fashion Director, Runway Coach, Founder,

addresses the implications of race, class, and gender and their effect on society. This

Charleston Pierce Production

well-researched book incorporates narratives throughout the chapters, so it doesn’t feel

The Bible inspires me, because it tells me that all humans are loved and created

so “text-booky.” More importantly, the narratives help address tough issues like police

by a loving God. God created all lives to live and to love each other in peace on

brutality and race inequalities by making them more digestible.

this beautiful planet: Here’s one of my inspirational messages that I cling to from

It was generally an easy read, but it left me feeling both intellectually surprised and

1 John 5:20. I read it and then I wrote my own interpretation for me to live by: If a

emotionally exposed. At the end of the day, it’s books like this that I appreciate the most,

person says, I love God, the creator and maker of mankind, but hates his neighbors,

the ones that leave me with a new interpretation of a topic that I thought I understood.

that person does not know God. God is love and loves all mankind. All lives were

I’ve incorporated the book into my intern program this summer at my agency, and I am

created by God. If we hate others whom we can see, how can we love our Creator

introducing it to a whole new audience of diverse students leaders to try to share my

whom we have not seen? If we love God, then we must love our neighbors near

experiences with folks younger than I am to grow with me. I hope you’ll join me!

and far. No matter how they may appear.

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BY NINA ERICSON

Haute HauteAMBASSADOR AMBASSADOR

LifeLife Coach Coach

112

OUR BRAINS ARE WIRED FOR FEAR. LONG AGO, REAL, IMMEDIATE dangers were a constant in the environment. If our ancestors heard a sound in the bushes and shrugged it off, they could have been lunch for a prehistoric bear or a mountain lion. The human race might not have survived. So, our ancestors’ fear-based brains served them well. That was great in the “good old days,” but isn’t so great now.

Today, we deal with a tremendous amount of fear and anxiety related to the COVID pandemic. Let’s look at how to deal with these feelings.

All emotion comes from our thoughts, not directly from situations. COVID does not in and of itself create anxiety. What does that mean? Let me use myself as an example. When we were first quarantined, I thought, “Oh, now I have time to complete work and home projects.” Resulting feeling? Excitement. A couple of weeks later, I noticed I felt a bit depressed and unmotivated. I examined my thinking and realized that I was worried that quarantine would last forever (yes, my brain actually thought that), and that my family, work, and social life would never be the same.

I worked on my own thinking to get back to feeling motivated. I’ll show you how.

I received many requests from people asking how to manage their increased anxiety. I did a Zoom coaching session with John (details have been changed to protect his identity) a Bay Area marketing consultant.

John’s complaint of anxiety was similar to many others I heard.

John wrote the following: “The virus has really triggered my anxiety.

How can I deal with it and live my life without the fears affecting my mind and emotional state?”

I started John’s coaching session discussing how our thoughts create

our emotions. Then we jumped into John’s specific situation. I asked John what circumstance was related to his emotion, anxiety.

John said that he had been pursuing a potential client for a few weeks and had sent a contract to her the prior week. He had not heard back from her.

I asked John what thoughts he had prior to feeling anxious. John had to slow down to sort through his mind chatter (which we all have). He realized that he thought, “She is not going to hire me.” John’s thinking then spiraled into worry about his career, that his marketing skills weren’t good, and he would lose his business. John’s anxiety worsened into panic: he had lots of pressure in his chest, shallow breathing, and difficulty concentrating.

Were John’s thoughts realistic? Did John have evidence that the client wasn’t going to sign on with him? No, he said, no evidence. The fact that the prospect hadn’t returned a signed contract did not mean that she wasn’t going to hire John. And what action did John take when he felt this anxiety? He avoided his work: he stopped reaching out to potential clients and had a difficult time concentrating on the work he did have.

Then John and I discussed how he wanted to feel, his desired emotion.

He said he wanted to feel relaxed, centered, and confident. He did not want to worry about this one prospect becoming a client. What did he need to think to feel this way? The realistic replacement thought John chose was: “I got this. Whether this client signs on or not, I have a proven track record as a successful marketing consultant.” With John’s renewed and realistic belief in himself and his abilities, he was motivated and excited to focus on his work.

PHOTO CREDIT: SHUTTERSTOCK

Nina Clark Ericson, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist with a practice in Palo Alto. Dr. Clark Ericson helps people live more empowered, happier lives through psychotherapy, life coaching, dating coaching, and Equus Coaching (coaching with horses, not riding). Her areas of expertise include anxiety and depression, difficult life transitions, and emotional eating.

PHOTO CREDIT: SHUTTERSTOCK

SEVEN STEPS TO MANAGE YOUR BRAIN

SEVEN STEPS TO MANAGE YOUR MIND

SITUATION

What is the factual situation? This statement would hold up in court of law.

THOUGHTS

REALISTIC

What thought do you have about the situation?

Is there evidence that this thought is true? If yes, you need to feel your emotions. If no, continue.

If you believe your thoughts are unrealistic, go to the next steps.

EMOTION

ACTION

DESIRED EMOTION

What unpleasant feeling does that thought cause?

What do you do when you have these thoughts and feelings?

How do you want to feel?

REALISTIC REPLACEMENT THOUGHT What thought can you replace it with that will lead to the desired emotion and consequent action?

You can transform unrealistic, limiting beliefs to thoughts that serve you and help you create the life that you want. Manage your mind and your brain can be your superpower.

113 Bud break in Napa Valley

PHOTO CREDIT: ©JUSTIN COIT

PHOTO CREDIT: ©JUSTIN COIT

BY STEPHANIE BLOCK

HauteSEAT Amy Andersen

HAS COVID RAVAGED CUPID? IS PANDEMIC PARTNERING POSSIBLE? Exclusive Linx Dating Founder Amy Andersen Socially Distances and Tells BEING SINGLE DURING A PANDEMIC: BLESSING OR CURSE? IT IS HARD TO SAY, SINCE coverage on singles has been scant. The dominant story has been about families coping with shelter-in-place orders, but what about the demographic that represents almost half the country: singles? How are they doing by themselves? Or are they by themselves? Our expert guide to all things solo is none other than the ultimate Silicon Valley matchmaker, Amy Andersen, foundress of Linx Dating. She lets us peek inside her little black book to let us know how the fun half is doing.

Q&A

HAUTE LIVING X AMY ANDERSON HOW HAS THE PANDEMIC CHANGED THE DATING WORLD? I want to start by saying that this is so new for everyone. We are all just trying to navigate it all. March was quiet. There was decreased activity both for my current clients as well as inbound interest of potential clients. People were sitting tight; the situation was scary and unknown. Then we fell into a tenuous comfort with this new life, and clients and prospects got more comfortable with the concept of dating during COVID-19. Around early April, singles living alone were like, okay, I’m antsy. They have been really challenged with this pandemic in that it has created a lot of loneliness.

The silver lining is that it gave people time to look within, to think who am I and what do I want? What am I really looking for in a partner, and when restrictions lift, how can I go about finding that right match? It was interesting to see their criteria shift and evolve in a positive way, not just trading in one trait for another, but maturing overall. This is refreshing.

I’d say COVID is polarizing. There is a percentage of people—I would say 25 percent of my clients—who have frozen their accounts and are just going to hunker down with friends and family to get through this. The other 75 percent are warming up to the idea of in-person dates with safe practices. The clock is still ticking, especially for women who want a family. They may have the attitude of why wait? Bring on the men!

WERE THERE ANY TROUBLESOME DATING TRENDS THAT THE PANDEMIC HAS PUT RIGHT? Pre-COVID, a majority of my clients utilized multiple resources for dating, a lot of irons in PHOTOS CREDIT: ©JUSTIN COIT

the fire towards the one goal of finding the right match. I don’t tell people to only use Linx Dating. I say to be strategic. Dating is a skill. But if you have so many irons in the fire it can get crazy. The online dating apps are high volume and involve quick, visceral, yes-orno judgments. Pre-COVID, these traits transferred into the Linx experience. People were quick to give up in a superficial way. We had to retrain that way of thinking and look at someone from a holistic perspective, going deeper into a potential mate’s character and values, personality, faith, and goals. This is a value-add that Linx brings to the equation.

During COVID, clients have generally become more thoughtful in their approach.

115

HauteSEAT HOW DO YOU THINK THINGS WILL PLAY OUT GOING FORWARD?

IS THERE SOMETHING SINGLES CAN DO TO PREPARE FOR LOVE DURING

I have been evolving with my clients as we figure things out together. At first, I was bullish on

THIS TIME?

Zoom dates. I was all about having a first phone call and then doing a virtual date: virtual muse-

THIS IS THE BEST TIME, whoever is reading this, to prepare for the love of your life! Get yourself

ums tours or cooking dates or answering The New York Times “36 Questions That Lead to Love”

mentally and physically ready. Gyms might be closed, but we have access to the great outdoors.

together.

I am running on weekdays now. This new habit helps me get into a centered, focused mental

How it’s played out is that matches who stay in “Zoom land” are kind of in cruise control. It’s a little bit static, like floating down a lazy river. They might not be feeling the chemistry. It’s hard to

space. Physical health also supports mental health. When you feel good about yourself, you attract that right person into your life.

ascertain sparks when you’re chatting through a computer screen. Body language is so important to chemistry, and even scent and pheromones. Seeing people in the flesh is critical.

At this point I encourage my clients to cut bait from the virtual as people emerge and get more comfortable with being out. Some matches have been nervous to suggest meeting in person. They don’t want to come across as not caring about another’s safety. It’s almost better if I’m the one to suggest a picnic six feet apart or a distanced walk, and you each bring your own beverage. So I liaise and enable them to explore chemistry in person once they have established a connection through the virtual. Most have felt more sparks in person.

Business-wise, I’m trying to stay as accessible as possible to clients, checking in with them and

This is the best time, whoever is reading this, to prepare for the love of your life!

Get yourself mentally and physically ready. - Amy Andersen

keeping them on track. My client just told me: “You are my coach. I paid you the big bucks so I’m going to listen to you!” I think this is the new normal. People can easily let things stagnate and fizzle if someone’s not encouraging them.

Meanwhile, do a vision board! I think it is a great time to think about what you are looking for in a match. Look at patterns of the past, the type of person you have been with, and see what did

DO YOU HAVE ANY COVID SUCCESS STORIES?

and did not work. Then really start to map out the person you seek, the characteristics for long-

Two couples come to mind. One couple in their mid-thirties, both Ivy League graduates who really

term success. Write those out. If you have only dated one type of person, from heritage to profes-

connected very deeply and cerebrally through virtual dates. They opted for heavier topics in early

sion, consider going outside of that. What cultures you might be open to? What is non-negotiable?

stage dating—politics and religion—they really got right in there! I might say don’t broach these

For instance, what if the person has children? And have fun with your vision board! Images for

topics early on, but it worked for them. They are also elite runners and run safely together. This

impact are what you are looking for in your life: positive visualizations. I am such a believer in that.

couple is an interesting one and a lot of fun to watch.

Put it out there to attract it into your life. To me, this is an exciting time: make yourself the best

What could become another relationship really blossoming in a dark time is this one: she’s

version you can be and take advantage of this time when the world has slowed down.

in her fifties and he’s in his sixties. Both are divorced, with adult children. He has a more liberal stance over COVID and is bothered by California’s lockdown policies. He wanted to find a similar

HOW DO YOU PERSONALLY PRACTICE LOVE AND CONNECTION?

match. I found him a vivacious Brazilian woman who has a similar joie de vivre attitude. They go

I have loved this time of connection to my family. My son is five and a half, and I have a 12-year

biking and picnic on the beach, and feel those sparks.

wedding anniversary coming up. I’ve really loved weekends. Usually everyone would be scat-

People feel most cautious when it comes to getting physical. This decision is a very personal and individual one for my clients.

tered, but in COVID, we get to spend time together as a unit, spending a whole day hiking and exploring as a family. Then we have a wonderful dinner together. I’m cooking more than ever.

And we really check in with one another. It is important to be compassionate and respectful and

DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS FOR VIRTUAL DATING?

not take things personally. We are getting through this together. In fact, it has brought us closer.

Clients are fatigued with Zoom. They have back-to-back meetings all day and, the next thing they know, they have a 7:00 p.m. Zoom meeting with a Linx match. They have no chance for a break

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE PEOPLE TO KNOW?

or a shower to end the workday and transition to a date. They show up to a Linx date disheveled

I would mention that our office in Menlo Park is open for in-person, safe-distance client and pros-

and distracted. I had a lovely client who arranged her space nicely, lit a candle, and put on a chic

pect meetings. The property is gorgeous, historic, and closed to the public. It is so serene and

blouse. Her date showed up, Zooming from his office at the end of a busy day. She picked up on

romantic. Weddings are hosted here. I’m one of the only tenants to use it, so clients can come onto

those signals from him. So, I recommend putting a break in your day. Take a walk, clear your mind,

the ground through a private, safe entrance. I have masks and hand sanitizer ready. If people are

and then shift the mindset into dating mode.

meeting up, then you couldn’t have a better setting—and I feel comfortable here, too.

Also be mindful of your first impression. Order that hair dye online and cover the grays. I was getting highlights religiously, and now I’m doing Garnier myself at home. A couple of clients don’t

For more information on Linx Dating, visit LinxDating.com. Find Amy Andersen on Insta-

want to do their own hair, so they’re wearing cute sun hats on daytime walks with dates.

gram at @ms.linxdating and Twitter at @linxdating or email her at amy@linxdating.com.

116

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PHOTOS CREDIT: ©VALERIE DEMICHEVA

PHOTOS CREDIT: ©VALERIE DEMICHEVA

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