Marin Magazine August 2019

Features

39 Best of the County You voted yes for some of Marin’s best.

48 A Rare Find A local collector with a jaw-dropping trove.

56 Senior Boomers We all age, why not celebrate it?

Contents

In Marin

27 Currents School lunches that ditch the plastic.

30 Essentials

Must-have items for the grill.

32 Reading List

Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian.

34 Q&A A local mountain bike innovator.

36 FYI The Seminary at Strawberry.

Destinations

89 Go Keep the sum mer fun going with these family trips.

Out & About

93 Calendar

A roundup of what to do in Marin and beyond.

98 Dine An insider’s guide to restaurants and food in the Bay Area.

109 On the Scene

Snapshots from events in Marin and San Francisco.

Marin Home

115 Backstory

Moving to a Sausalito flating home.

COLUMNS

Looking

This year for our Best of the County issue, art director Rachel Griffiths wanted to do an all-text cover. She chose Oakland’s Leigh Wells, a specialist in the art form, who produced this celebratory image.

Lee Brice Luther Burbank Center Santa Rosa

OSKA 153 Throckmorton Mill Valley, CA 94941 415 381 1144

Shop online millvalley.oska.com

OSKA Outlet

310 Center Street Healdsburg, CA 95448 707 431 7717

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

PUBLISHER / EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Nikki Wood

Editorial EDITOR

Mimi Towle

MANAGING EDITOR

Daniel Jewett

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Kasia Pawlowska

SENIOR WRITER

Jim Wood

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Christina Mueller

DIGITAL EDITOR

Jessica Gliddon

COPY EDITOR

Cynthia Rubin

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Kier Holmes, Jerry Jampolsky, Brooke McDonald, Dawn Margolis Denberg, Zack Ruskin, Calin Van Paris

Art

ART DIRECTOR

Rachel Gr iffiths

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Alex French

ILLUSTRATORS

Brian Stauffer, Leigh Wells

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Liz Daly, Mo DeLong, Jack Wolford

Administration / Web

CONTROLLER Maeve Walsh

OFFICE MANAGER Hazel Jaramillo

CHIEF VISIONARY OFFICER

Susan B. Noyes, Founder

Volume 15, Issue 8. Marin Magazine is published in Marin County by Marin Magazine Inc. owned by Make It Better Media LLC. All rights reserved. Copyright©2019. Reproduction of Marin Magazine content is prohibited without the expressed, written consent of Marin Magazine Inc. Unsolicited materials cannot be returned. Marin Magazine reserves the right to refuse to publish any advertisement deemed detrimental to the best interests of the community or that is in questionable taste. Marin Magazine is mailed monthly to homes and businesses in Marin County. Marin (USPS 024-898) is published monthly by Marin Magazine Inc., One Harbor Drive, Suite 208, Sausalito, CA 94965. Periodicals Postage Paid at Sausalito, CA, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Marin Magazine, One Harbor Drive, Suite 208, Sausalito, CA 94965.

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Once the deal went through, the magic power of community kicked in.

Feel the Magic

A personal look at just what makes Marin so special.

THIS MONTH WE celebrate the Best of the County, and I’m going to let my sappy flag fly and declare our county to be full of magic.

Be careful what you wish for; it will happen. I’m proof, as I bask in the glow of new floating home ownership. Despite my aqueous foundation, I finally feel grounded. It’s easy to su ffer manifestation fatigue living in a place like Marin, where people say things like “remember forward” when visualizing an ideal future or salute a new moon by ceremonially burning scraps of paper burdened with the ills of yesterday in a bowl. And then there is what I like to call aggressive gratitude. Too much ado about magic-makin’ makes my cynical self a little skittish. Yet here I am, writing about it.

About a year ago, visiting Jerry and Diane Jampolsky in their floating home (read more about him in our story “Senior Boomers” this month), I wistfully mused about how much fun it would be to land on one after a recent period of unstable nesting. I had a dozen valid ideas on why that wouldn’t pan out. “You’ve told us all the reasons why you can’t make this happen,” Jerry wisely said. “What are the reasons you can?” The question was a game changer.

Then, a few months ago, I toured Bruce Anderson’s inspiring light-fi lled floating home and teasingly said we’d publish photos of his once I’ve found one of my own. As I read over this month’s Backstory by Dawn Margolis Denberg, I realize I was actually remembering forward. Ugh.

Last March I wrote about a neighbor, an elderly woman who would mischievously rearrange the rubber ducks placed among the planters near my rented floating home. Her home went on the market while I was on the Big Island with close friends. After a swim across the bright blue waters of Kealakekua Bay, I decided to try and buy the “duck lady” home. I leaned heavily on real estate agent extraordinaire Paul Bergeron and the only

person in the county who works on floating home loans, Linda Lippstreu of Bank of Marin. From a rocky, remote beach, I texted a photo of a check for the deposit and later clicked DocuSign boxes as we wove our way up Napoopoo Road in a rental car. It’s way too easy to buy a home by smartphone.

Once the deal went through, the magic power of community kicked in. I ran into an old friend who now heads up Comcast’s user experience team. Bam, within a few days, Chip, her associate, showed up on his bike to help figure out the cable setup. I contacted Duane Johnson’s crew at Artistic Lighting to help me figure out the complicated task of wiring the living room for a TV. And then there’s Marilyn at Goodman’s — she doesn’t know me, but she has been answering my home repair queries in four different homes. Choosing fruit trees at Home Depot was easier thanks to garden department manager Charlie. He’s been with the company 29 years and this San Rafael store is the chain’s most successful in the entire country; he’s doing something right. I called on our longtime landscaper, David Garcia, to install an irrigation system. Three lemon, one orange, one lime and a kumquat tree should be bearing fruit by next spring.

Circling back to Jerry and Diane, they would say, “Thank all those workers.” Not just for their hands-on help, but for choosing to operate the small businesses that make our lives better.

All this makes me think of this month’s Best of the County feature. We asked readers to vote on their favorite local businesses and other places to spend time. I was happy to see some names of familiar haunts and learn about new ones. Cheers to our magical county and for the reminder that we set our own limitations and create our own magic.

Mimi Towle, Editor

IT’S AUGUST AND that means one thing here at Marin Magazine — our annual Best of the County story. This year we did something a little di fferent and relied on readers to choose the winners — and you did, casting more than 1,000 votes in categories like dining, shopping, beauty, arts and entertainment and fitness and recreation. Check it all out and visit us online for even more categories.

In this issue we also get a peek at the Rafael Auto & Collectible Museum. Here collector Sheldon Donig keeps an almost unbelievable array of vintage curiosities, from a replica Batmobile that shoot s flames to dangerous children’s toys that would never be sold today.

Writer Zack Ruskin talks to Donig about what inspired his lifelong pursuit.

Elsewhere, author, psychiatrist and Attitudinal Healing founder Jerry Jampolsky gives his fi rst-person take on growing older.

Collector Sheldon Donig keeps an almost unbelievable array of vintage curiosities

For him, life at age 94 includes embracing that inner child more and keeping an eye on the positive.

Up front, we’ve got the latest on plastic-free lunch containers and grilling equipment. We talk with Washington Post Tehran bureau chief Jason Rezaian about his time in an Iranian prison, and we meet early mountain bike innovator Joe Breeze. And local history fans will want to read all about the Seminary at Strawberry, located on a site once considered for the headquarters of the United Nations.

In Destinations, since no one wants the summer fun to end, we highlight five great ideas for a family trip. Hint: in one of the places the Force is very much with you.

We hope this issue ups your summer fun — and moves you to go try out a few “best of” picks of your fellow readers. We’ll see you out there.

Daniel Jewett, Managing Editor

SMILE FOR THE CAMERA

Photographer Jack Wolford was initially overwhelmed when he stepped into Sheldon Donig’s Rafael Auto & Collectible Museum — there was just so much stuff. Once he got his bearings, he began shooting everything he could. We couldn’t fit it all in, but here are some of the many smiley faces in Donig’s world.

Fall

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Contributors

Jack Wolford

Photographer, “A Rare Find” (p. 48)

What was the biggest challenge of this shoot? The biggest challenge was to try to encapsulate the collection. It was beyond my wildest imagination and far more diverse than any other collection I’ve ever seen.

What was your favorite item to shoot? My favorite item would have to be the Batmobile. A childhood favorite that made me giddy when I fi rst came across it. Sheldon with the hood/ mask was the icing on the cake but since then, he got the license plate, “KAPOW,” which takes the car to another level.

Where has your work appeared before? Hana Hou Magazine, Honolulu Magazine, Sunset

Leigh Wells

Illustrator, “Best of the County” (p. 39)

What was your process like for creating this cover? The art director and I were inspired by some previous work of mine. She wanted a purely typographic cover, and hand-lettering jobs are my favorites. I’ve been illustrating for almost 25 years and am beginning a shift to all lettering and calligraphy, which is pure pleasure. Describe your ideal Marin day. I live in Oakland, but spend every other weekend in Fairfax these days. I have loved the nearby opportunities for hikes, but my favorite part of Marin is the coast and beaches.

Where has your work appeared before? Time, The New York Times and Harper’s

Jerry Jampolsky

Writer, “Senior Boomers” (p. 56)

What do you see as your purpose in life?

My purpose in life is to know that I am a messenger of love instead of fear. It is to live a life of service to others, to be free of judgments and to continuously remember that forgiveness is the key to happiness.

If you were asked for just one piece of advice, what would it be? To remember that your free will and your attitudes about life are your most powerful tools to crafting a happy life. Where has your work appeared before? Over the last 40 years I am grateful that my 17 books have been published in 37 languages as well as on audible.com.

Bay Area events you’ll want to attend

SAUSALITO ART FESTIVAL PREVIEW PARTY

WHEN WHERE WHY YOU SHOULD GO

August 30, 6 p.m.

Marinship Park, Sausalito Attend the 67th Sausalito Art Festival opening night preview party. Mingle with 260 artists from around the world while enjoying drinks at the open wine and Champagne bars and appetizers curated by McCall’s Catering and Events. Wear your best ’60s chic and stroll the beautiful grounds at Marinship Park. View fine art, meet the artists, and be entertained by live performances and interactive exhibits. The evening culminates with a DJ so you can dance the night away.

COST

FIND OUT

MORE

$150

sausalitoartfestival.org

Want to see all the images from our RSVP Hot Ticket events? marinmagazine.com/hotticket Friend us to share and view RSVP Hot Ticket photos at facebook.com/marinmagazine

CONNECT WITH US

TOP GRAM

Our top Instagram post this month was by Matt Fraser, @mattfraser9. “This particular Point Reyes trip was extra special because it was in May, between Mother’s Day and my mom’s birthday. It was just she and I that day. We braved the forecasted 40 to 50 mph winds and small craft advisories to be there. The shipwreck is a symbol of hope and strength for us because no matter what it has gone through or the harsh weather conditions year after year, it still stands. We take the term ‘leave only footprints’ very seriously, making sure that my photographs are the only evidence we have been there at all.”

Want to see your photo in print? Tag us @marinmagazine with your best snap.

Top Five Online Stories

1 “Flavor: New to the Table in Mill Valley” (May 2019) A bevy of new restaurants are opening in this corner of Marin.

2 “What’s Hot: Continental Shift” (July 2019) New and updated restaurants are shaking things up in West Marin.

3 “Seven Questions for Kyle Swain” (July 2019) Interview with the chef/partner at the soon-to-open Watershed restaurant in Marin.

4 “Four California Roadside Eating Destinations” (July 2019) Dining options for budgets great and small on your Northern California road trips.

5 SPACES (Summer 2019) The sixth volume of our semiannual home design magazine.

The Poetics of Shape

Did you get the sum mer/fall issue of our semiannual home design magazine, SPACES, in your mailbox this month? If you didn’t receive a copy, look for it on newsstands or at marinmagazine.com/spaces. Also, be sure to follow us on Instagram for even more design inspiration @spacesmag.

There’s something new on the horizon.

New in Town

EAT & DRINK

On San Rafael’s West End, husband and wife Trevor and Stephanie Martens opened Pond Farm Brewing , a microbrewery and taproom with 16 taps and picnic tables outside. For now, guests can bring their own eats, purchase chips and popcorn at the bar or order from rotating food pop-ups. pondfarmbrewing.com

Owner Chris Piro and general manager/part ner Aram Gutowski renovated a historic bank building to add a 34-tap taproom to San

Rafael’s rapidly expand ing beer scene. Tam Commons also has a selection of international brews and late-night eats. tamcommons.com

Gar and Lara Truppelli, owners of San Francisco’s Beach Chalet and Park Chalet, give that casual vibe a Mill Valley home at Gravity Tavern Currently open for dinner, it serves American classics like hamburgers, chicken Waldorf salad and lobster roll as well as house-made Ho Hos. gravitytavern.com

Watershed , the new project of chef Kyle Swain and owner Ged Robertson (Shoreline Coffee Shop, Bootjack Wood Fired) at the Mill Valley Lumber Yard, features their immaculate local sourcing, a small plates menu and a full bar. watershedmv.com

The team behind San Francisco’s Roma Antica , including chef Marco Sbaraglia, trans port the menu of Roman favorites to downtown Larkspur, adding dishes like seafood pasta and daily specials just for Marin. romasf.com

SHOP

Sachi and Joey Morlock opened their first brickand-mortar to bring local, sustainable and chemical-free flowers to downtown Larkspur. The Little Flower Shop offers bespoke arrange ments for weddings, events and every day and, in a nod to Sachi’s Tokyo roots, also sells Japanese flower shears. thelittleflowershop.co

34 Main, the Tiburon resort wear and home accessories store, moved across the street to 13 Main and is now Cameron Chandler Designs . Chandler’s new line features linen from Loro Piana.

Committed to the circular economy, Marin mom Marian

McNaughton launched Revente (“resale” in French) in Greenbrae’s Bon Air Center. The stock includes new, used and upcycled contemporary fashion and gifts. reventeboutique.com

Interior designer and home stager Julie Neil now has a San Anselmo store, Julie Neil Home and Design , where vintage and new furniture, lamps and objets d’art sit comfortably side by side. julieneil.com

The expertly tailored work wear and modern natural fabrics that are Theory ’s hallmark style can be found in San Francisco’s Union Square. Also featured are the Theory Edit inhome try-on program and a clothing recycling

program called Theory for Good. theory.com

DESIGN

In a recent expansion to Marin, Paintzen ’s online platform offers on-demand color con sultations, quick quotes, and booking of professional painting and wallpaper installation services. paintzen.com

WELLNESS

IAYT-certified yoga therapis t L auren Ziegler introduced a medical yoga program as part of Soluna Health in downtown Sausalito.

The integrative health and wellness center has offered programs like restorative yoga (for calming anxiety) and a women’s pelvic floor health class (with a physical therapist) since June. solunahealth.com

In what feels like the universe aligning with itself, FairHempCBD opened recently in Fairfax, with hemp-based CBD products from Canna World Market, tinctures, choc olates and dog treats, plus a DJ spinning vinyl. fairhempfx.com

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

Revente’s Marian McNaughton Theory

Bay Area events you’ll want to attend

MARIN HUMANE GALA

WHEN WHERE WHY YOU SHOULD GO COST

FIND OUT MORE

September 14, 5:30–10 p.m.

Marin Humane, 171 Bel Marin Keys Boulevard, Novato

Marin Humane is transforming the campus from shelter to swanky soiree gala for one night only. Join in for an evening of fun, food, fundraising and lots of furry friends.

Marin Humane transforms lives through exceptional animal care, humane education and advocacy. The mission is to inspire compassion and positive relationships between people and animals.

$250 before August 15/ $300 after 415.506.6265, marinhumane.org/gala2019

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

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

CELEBRATING THE PEOPLE, PLACES AND CAUSES OF THIS UNIQUE COUNTY

POWER

the

FROM

The weather says summer. The calendar says school. And parents countywide are figuring out how to pack lunches in sustainable ways. If you have kids at school in Marin, you have likely been educated on the need to avoid single-use plastic. We looked around the Bay Area for homegrown products and tactics. CHRISTINA MUELLER

• Crafted of platinum silicone (derived from sand), the see-through bags from Emeryville’s Stasher are dish washer-, oven- and microwave-safe and seal tight, too. stasherbag.com

• Sausalito’s U-Konserve makes reusable sandwich wrappers and stainless steel containers that

are a mainstay in Marin lunches. A new line of straws in silicone and stainless steel (with or without the nifty cleaning brush) and insulated containers expand the idea of what reusable can be. ukonserve.com

• The leakproof, glasslined, stainless-steel bottles from Morgan Hill’s Purist Collective keep drinks hot for

12 hours. We like the new 10-ounce size for pint-size appetites. Choose from sippy or handle tops. puristcollective.com

• The pretty blue bento box from San Francisco’s Pottery Barn Teen is BPA-free and dishwasher-safe and fits perfectly into

myriad modern washable lunch bags. pbteen.com

• Emeryville’s Clif Zbars for kids are not packaged in compostable material, but a partnership program with TerraCycle lets you send in the wrappers for recycling — and those from other energy bar brands, too. terracycle.com

Star Route

There’s a West Marin farm by that name and the phrase is in many historical texts, but what exactly is a star route? It’s not astrological. Star routes were postal routes serviced by private contractors in new territories, primarily in the West and Southwest. Steamboats and railroads moved most of the United States mail in the mid-1800s, but in 1845 the government began

WHAT’S IN A NAME

offering private carriers lucrative contracts to deliver by horse, wagon or stagecoach in more isolated areas. These contracts were called “celerity, certainty and security” bids, abbreviated by postal clerks to three asterisks (***); hence the celestial nickname. By 1880 the U.S. had nearly 10,000 star routes, costing the government nearly $6 million a year, and the potential profits created a situation ripe for bribery and fraud, by contractors, postal officials and politicians alike. Private organizations in the West would make a low bid for a contract, but some postal officials presenting these bids to Congress asked for higher payments, benefiting certain contractors and themselves. The scams were investigated and officially shut down in 1882, resulting in 25 indictments, but the fallout from the Star Route Scandal shook the nation and depleted federal coffers; the U.S. Post Office lost an estimated $4 million in all.

KASIA PAWLOWSKA

BY THE NUMBERS

WILDFIRE ALERTS “Most times when we lose houses in fire sieges, it’s from ember showers — it isn’t from a fire front,” says Marin County Fire Chief Jason Weber. Residents can help first responders gain access during a wildfire by using proper vegetation management, maintaining defensible space around homes and keeping driveways and roads clear, but that message isn’t reaching everyone. Therefore, fire agencies are looking to create a countywide wildfire preven tion program. The county is urging resi dents to register their contact informa tion with the Alert Marin notification system, overseen by the Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services. Marin remains vulnerable to fast-moving wildfires as its nature-loving population likes to live near open spaces. Learn more about fire safety and emergency kits on the FIRESafe Marin and Ready Marin websites. Doing so could help prevent or mitigate the impact of conflagrations like the Mount Vision Fire. Here are the stats on that wildfire, which was Marin’s worst in the past quarter century. firesafemarin.org, readymarin.org K.P.

24 years ago

STRUCTURES LOST 422 residents evacuated 12,354 ACRES CHARRED

crateandbarrel.com

SALT OF THE EARTH

Allstar Organics, a certified organic farm with fields in Marin and Sonoma counties, grows all its ingredients and products. Items are dried, hand-finished and packed at the on-farm facility in Lagunitas. Allstar Organics salt, $10 per jar, allstarorganics.com

OPEN SESAME

These gluten-free buns are available weekends only, all summer long, at the Mill Valley or San Anselmo bakery locations. Flour Craft Bakery sesame burger buns, $3 each or a 2-pack for $5, flourcraftbakery.com

Grill Talk

Sun’s out, buns out — the burger variety, that is. Here’s a selection of products to make your next barbecue a hit.

BY KASIA PAWLOWSKA

HANDY HELP

Made of aramid fibers, this protective barbecue mitt is heat resistant up to 475°F and reversible for right- or lefthanded use. Williams Sonoma pit grilling mitt, $20, williamssonoma.com

MELLOW YELLOW

Clean, simple and distinctive, this matte speckled serving platter’s Canary hue, earthy yet subtly bright, is part of a limited-edition glaze from Heath’s summer palette. Heath Ceramics serving platter, $110, heathceramics.com

SMART SET

These stainless-steel grilling implements are from Fleischer and Wolf, founded by two former chefs to help home cooks make great meals. West Elm 4-piece BBQ tool set, $109, westelm.com

IN THE BAG

Grill small or hard-to-manipulate items like veggies or shrimp in these barbecue bags. The nonstick coating keeps food from sticking to the bag or grill, while the mesh allows smoke to pass through. Nonstick mesh grilling bags, $30 for a set of three, surlatable.com

RAISED RIGHT

Marin Sun Farms livestock is sustainably raised without hormones or antibiotics by way of proven low-stress, humane practices. Marin Sun Farms Beef, $10 per pound (average), marinsumfarms.com

Author Talk

We sat down with Jason Rezaian to discuss his book Prisoner: My 544 Days in an Iranian Prison.

MM: What is your favorite thing about Tehran?

JR: It’s a city with a lot of personality, with so many stories, so many char acters that so few people from outside of Tehran’s borders would ever get a chance to meet. There is a surprise around every corner. It’s very frenetic, big, chaotic, dirty. On the surface it’s not particularly beautiful in either landscape or architecture, and there’s horrific pollution. But it grows on you.

MM: Have you been back? Can you go back?

JR: I don’t think there’s hope for me to return under the current circum stances. It’s more difficult for my wife, who was born and raised in Tehran and lived her whole life there. She still has a lot of family there, and she’s more representative of a diaspora commu nity, many of whom cannot return. I’m a Marin kid who went to discover a place and really became enamored

with it and spent a lot of time there and planned to live there. But it’s a different thing.

MM: What was the most unexpected thing you learned during the course of your time in prison?

JR: I think I learned that the people involved in great power struggles are just people, making decisions and doing things that they think either are right or are beneficial to them and the position that they hold. We’re all people struggling through this life and it was really important to never lose sight of that humanity. There are plenty of things that I’m still angry about. But people make decisions and other people have to pay the consequences.

MM: Did anything come up during the process of writing the book that you had either forgotten or not yet realized?

JR: I learned so much about what people were doing on my behalf that I didn’t know about while I was in prison. I had the opportunity — a pretty rare opportunity — to interview a lot of people who were involved in working toward my release. I think that that process has made the experience a little bit more palatable.

MM: How does it feel to be so inextricably bound to a piece of legislation [the Iran nuclear deal]?

JR: It’s bizarre. What is sort of crystallizing now is something that I already knew, which is that the relationship between these two countries, each of which call me their citizen, is a tragedy. And part of the tragedy is missed opportunities, an inability to read each other’s signals, and lack of contact for protracted periods of time. Another layer of it is the other Americans who are still being held in Iran in prison, and the fact that exiting that deal makes it unlikely that they’ll ever be released — or at least released anytime soon. So, I have a tornado of feeling about it.

CALIN VAN PARIS

Local Page Turners

Prisoner: My 544 Days in an Iranian Prison by Jason Rezaian (originally from Marin), Ecco Books, $29.99. In July 2014, Washington Post Tehran bureau chief Jason Rezaian was arrested by Iranian police. What he initially believed to be a misunderstanding soon proved much more dire as his arrest turned into an 18-month stay, the negotiations for his release fraught with diplomatic land mines. A powerful and unflinching memoir of the more than 500 days he spent imprisoned, Prisoner is above all a nuanced look at the complex culture surrounding him in his captivity. Jason and his wife, Yeganeh, appear in con versation with Don George at Book Passage Corte Madera August 9, 7:30 p.m.

The Elephant in the Room: Bioethical Concerns in Human Milk Banking by September Williams (Marin), Cove International Publishers, $15 . In The Elephant in the Room, bioethicist September Williams, M.D., tackles the matter of breastfeeding — specifically, why a percentage of infants are without access to breast milk even with studies having demonstrated that breast feeding typically improves the health of both children and their mothers. Williams also looks at the world of breast milk banks, where freezers are routinely emptied in the course of feeding frail babies and that are ever in need of more donations. The proceeds from The Elephant in the Room are being donated to Mothers’ Milk Bank, San Jose. Appearing at Book Passage Corte Madera August 3, 4 p.m.

The State of Water by Obi Kaufmann (Oakland), Heyday Books, $27. Following up on his best-selling California Field Atlas , Obi Kaufmann’s latest book focuses on the infrastructure and ecosystems of one of California’s most coveted resources. Spanning the most immediate challenges to California’s water systems — from dams to species revitalization — The State of Water is a thoughtful yet engaging text that ultimately argues for the importance of environmental conservation and restoration efforts, in terms of both ethical obligations and our future survival. Appearing at Book Passage Corte Madera August 17, 1 p.m.

Reviews by Book Passage Marketing Manager Kayla Beckman.

It’s a struggle for nonprofitsthat contribute so much benefitto the world! Your mission is critical—but you cannot stay in business without sustaining your endowment. And a healthy endowment depends not only on the annual donations you receive; it also requires SMART investing to maximize returns and grow your funds year in and year out.

In The Sustainable Endowment, James Demmert shares his deep knowledge of investing on behalf of foundations and nonprofits.You will learn a proven process that has weath ered many financialmarkets over the past decades. The book details 10 principles on how nonprofitscan operate successfully and ensure your endowment grows to accom plish your lofty goals.

An engaging breakdown of investment strategies for maxi mizing security and growth in nonprofitendowments....This work employs an earnest, thoughtful tone....clear and understandable to those outside the financeworld. Even nonprofitswith less substantial endowments will benefitfrom the organizational structures that he suggests. —Kirkus Reviews

JAMES E. DEMMERT

9 QUESTIONS FOR

Joe Breeze

Fairfax

BIKE DESIGNER

In 1973, Joe Breeze, a Mill Valley bike enthusiast, bought a “crusty” 1941 Schwinn balloon-tire model for $5 and rode down Mount Tamalpais’s Old Railroad Grade. “It was a blast,” he recalls. On this bike, and other heavy old clunkers, Breeze won multiple Repack races — mountain biking’s first organized time-trial downhill contests, held in Fairfax. By 1977, Breeze was welding together stronger and lighter frames with the intention of sharing this crazy off-road riding mode with others. Those “Breezer” bikes are now considered the first modern mountain bikes. Today, at 65, he’s still designing bicycles and avidly bringing freewheeling fun, fitness and sustainable transportation to pedalers far and wide.

BY KIER HOLMES

1How do your early 1980s mountain bikes com pare to the Ritchey Mountain Bikes of the same period by Gary Fisher and Charlie Kelly? My early 1980s Breezers were more rugged. The frames were stronger and the nickel finish tougher, and the parts tended to be more robust. The steering angle was a little steeper; the top tube was longer and generally used with a shorter stem and was considered a more advanced geometry for the day.

2

What have you learned while behind the handlebars? Even before making my Breezers, I learned the simple joy of getting around by bike, the ability to get healthy while getting places and the idea that you get energy by expending energy.

3Favorite all-time bike? The Breezer Finesse, my town bike. It’s fully equipped, ready to go for whatever comes my way. It’s got fenders, lights and a good cargo carrier.

4

Why should more people embrace biking? Bicycling offers us the healthiest way of getting around. It’s four or five times faster than walking and uses 20 times less energy per mile than a car. A bike also takes up much less road space. The efficiency of cycling makes bicycling infrastructure the biggest bang for our transportation buck. E-bikes have broadened cycling’s sustainable appeal, especially for people living on hills.

What is the future of biking in Marin? M ore safe pathways are being added that connect our towns in healthy ways and are opening up our chances for enjoyable living.

5

6

Your go-to Marin biking trail? South Greenway along the old Northwestern Pacific Railroad rail corridor. Railroad lines are mostly flat with few at-grade crossings with motor vehicle traffic, making them safe and convenient for bicycling. From Sausalito to the Civic Center, 8.5 miles of the greenway have been completed with the Alto Tunnel being the last link.

7

Are there any good resources to learn more about mountain biking? I’m curator at the Marin Museum of Bicycling, an all-volunteer nonprofit that I founded with longtime friends Otis Guy and Marc Vendetti. Its collection spans 150 years. We share the fascinating, inspiring history of bicycles and the social history of cycling. It’s also home to the world Mountain Bike Hall of Fame.

8

What is your favorite post-ride local hangout? Marin Museum of Bicycling. I enjoy the museum visitors, the monthly speaker series and during the summer, happy hours on Fridays.

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What lessons could we adopt from the bikecentric Netherlands? Right, it’s not as if we need to reinvent the wheel. In Holland, where biking consti tutes 30 percent of travel mode share, the people have a safe, convenient and healthful transportation system, separated from the dangers of cars. We can do the same in Marin — and we have better weather.

The Seminary at Strawberry

The first Baptist theological school in the western United States opened in Marin on land once considered a possible site for the United Nations.

ONE COULD SAY the Golden Gate Baptist Seminary’s history in Marin goes back 160 years. In 1859, just months before the United States was plunged into the cataclysmic Civil War, Harvey Gilbert founded the San Rafael Baptist Institute. Sadly, it lasted but a few years. Yet it planted a seed.

Fast-forward 70 years, when Gilbert’s dream for a theological school in California began to grow in the minds of America’s Baptists. A student at Southwestern Baptist Seminary in Texas, Isam B. Hodges, became convinced that if such a goal was ever to be achieved, it would be up to him — and somehow he would make it happen. In 1934, Hodges arrived in the Bay Area and within two years he was pastor of Oakland’s Golden Gate Baptist Church. The idea now had solid footing to germinate on.

As World War II drew to a close, Hodges was determined to make good on his idea. At his urging, in the spring of 1944, deacons from throughout Northern California met to formally organize Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, with the expressed purpose of training men and women for the ministry. By summer, a state charter had been issued and classes began in Oakland’s Golden Gate Baptist Church.

Inside of a decade, the seminary, under new leadership and ownership, moved to larger quarters in Berkeley and was poised to become one of the fi nest theological seminaries in the world. Then, with Harold Graves as its president, in 1953 Golden Gate Seminary purchased 148 acres of prime Marin County real estate, site of a dairy farm previously considered as a permanent location for the United Nations.

After six years of planning and construction, the new seminary campus opened in September 1959 on Strawberry Point. It’s the fi rst Baptist seminary ever built in the western United States and now had a Mill Valley address — a mere 11 miles from the San Rafael location where Harvey Gilber t fi rst envisioned such an institution a century ago.

BY JIM WOOD

The planning and timeless design of the campus brick buildings were by noted San Francisco architect John Carl Warnecke, known for Bay Area landmarks like Stanford University’s Mapes Pavilion, the San Francisco Hilton and the U.N. Plaza at San Francisco’s Civic Center. He also designed the John F. Kennedy Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia (after which he and Jacqueline Kennedy reportedly were briefly romantically involved).

Fast-forward 70 years, when Gilbert’s dream for a theological school in California began to grow in the minds of America’s Baptists.

Completed, the Golden Gate Baptist Seminary had nine buildings containing nearly 120,000 square feet of floor space, with 211 student housing units and spectacular views of San Francisco’s skyline over the bay. Enrollment peaked in the 1970s at 750 students, most doing graduate work, then years later began to decline. In 2014 trustees voted to relo cate the seminary next to Ontario International Airport in Southern California and sold the Marin property to North Coast Land Holdings for $84 million.

North Coast’s fi rst proposed plan for the land, to add 93 residential rental units and lease the campus buildings to The Branson School in Ross, was fervently opposed by neighbors, who posted red “NO BRANSON” lawn signs community-wide. Last September the company signed a three-year lease with Olivet University, a private evangelical Christian school, and will work with the community on a long-term plan for the site.

In 2016, Southern California’s Golden Gate Baptist Seminary was renamed Gateway Seminary of the Southern Baptist Convention. The Marin site, located off he Seminary Drive exit from Highway 101, is now called the Seminary at Strawberry and, besides having the university tenant, is a setting for weddings, seminars and special events. m

✶ READERS’ PICKS ✶

This year we let you, the reader, tell us what you love the most in the county, and we opened up the ballots so readers could select any business or group they wanted in the categories of dining, entertainment, beauty, fitness and ecreation, arts and entertainment, and shopping. Of these, dining and fitness and ecreation drew the most voting; more than 1,000 votes were cast overall. To keep it fair for everyone, we’ve allowed a business to only win in one category. In the following pages, Christina Mueller gives colorful takes on what makes your picks the best in the county. For even more winners in categories such as kids, philanthropy and services, please go to marinmagazine.com/bestof2019.

ILLUSTRATION BY LEIGH WELLS

Dining

BEST ALFRESCO DINING Beso Bistro

Set amid the palm and oak trees at Novato’s Hamilton Field, this family-friendly restaurant gets high marks for crisp salads, small plates (try the crabcakes) and refreshing rosés that epit omize a light summer meal. The communalstyle tables under the broad canopy are great for escaping the summer heat of northern Marin. besobistro.com

BEST BARBECUE Pig in a Pickle

Our readers are ahead of the curve, picking this barbecue joint at Corte Madera Town Center months before Michelin awarded Pig in a Pickle a coveted Bib Gourmand. The brisket and baby back ribs get plenty of attention, but it is the fresh veggies and range of sauces to splash on the meats that please Texans, Californians and everyone in between. piginapickle.com

BEST BAKERY Rustic Bakery

With four locations countywide, including the mother ship at Marin Country Mart, this bak ery first became famous for outstanding flatbread crackers, croissants and baguettes. The sand wiches, such as rare roast beef with cambozola, come with your choice of bread, and the Marin mainstay Asian chicken salad is dressed with just the right amount of sesame and peanut to please the most discriminating pal ate. rusticbakery.com

BEST BAR Perry’s

The famous bustling scene at the original Perry’s in San Francisco magically crossed the Golden Gate Bridge in 2015 and planted itself among Larkspur’s enor mous redwoods. Voters love the wide bar where the TV is always on and the well drinks are wellpriced at happy hour. perryssf.com

BEST BREAKFAST The Whisk + Skillet

Kudos for this Mill Valley eatery’s all-day breakfast menu, which includes a popular California omelet (with avocado, of course) and the crab omelet when that’s in season. Equally important are all-day lunch options like dino kale with citrus vin aigrette and the potato cake salad with smoked salmon, known to convert even the carb-averse. whiskandskillet.com

BEST BREWERY Iron Springs Pub & Brewery

Sure, it’s green-certified and the Give Back Tuesdays program has channeled hundreds of thousands of donated dollars to Marin nonprofits since 2004, but this Fairfax brewery’s calling card is beer. From the original red ale Epiphany to Kent Lake

Kölsch, they make it all, winning countless awards along the way. ironspringspub.com

BEST BRUNCH State Room

What? A brewery that does brunch? Must be Marin. Yes, the ingredients are local and the bottomless mimosas are fun, but it’s the fried chicken with scratch bis cuits, kids’ breakfast bento box and scarfable wood-fired pizzas that make this San Rafael beer-maker a daytime dining standout. stateroombrewery.com

BEST BURGER Gott’s Roadside

The Napa original descended on Marin and instantly changed the burger scene, bringing those garlic fries and the hamburger (special sauce and toasted egg bun) to the Bon Air Center in Greenbrae. Seafood lovers rejoice over the ahi burger, but it could be the cookiesand-cream shake that pushed Gott’s into the winners’ circle. gotts.com

glass noodle vegetarian clay pot. harmony restaurantgroup.com

BEST COFFEE SHOP Red Whale Coffee Bar

BEST CHINESE Harmony

An extensive dim sum menu, including classic siu mai stuffed with scal lops and shrimp, Peking duck with tea buns, and plenty of veggie and gluten-free choices, makes Mill Valley’s Harmony the North Bay’s go-to for Cantonese. But the Strawberry Village spot is just as popular for old-school favorites like kung pao chicken and

In a low-slung office com plex near Mitchell Boulevard, the San Rafael brick-and-mortar of the Civic Center farmers market stand draws its own passionate following with ethically sourced coffees, stellar espresso drinks and a hang-worthy lounge with pinball. redwhalecoffee.com

crowd and the roaring wood-fired ovens from which pizzas, puffed from the heat and oozing with melted cheese, emerge. Everything is insanely fresh and farm-to-table (duh!), and the seasonally changing avocado hum mus also sets hearts afire. Yep, the avos are from Cali, too. farmshopca.com/marin

and artists — attests to the breadth and quality of Marin’s food shed. But the economic benefits to the community, when you buy from vendors at this and other markets managed by Agricultural Institute of Marin, are boundless. agricultural institute.org

fans of the cold stuff extra incentive to stop in. millvalleyswirl.com

BEST GROCERY STORE Good Earth Natural Foods

BEST INDIAN Lotus Cuisine of India

BEST FARM-TO-TABLE Farmshop

The lively Larkspur bar is buzzy with people stop ping by just to ogle the

BEST FARMERS MARKET Sunday Civic Center Farmers Market

The sheer scale of the weekly Marin Civic Center event — some 200 local farmers, specialty food purveyors

BEST FROZEN YOGURT/ICE CREAM

Swirl Frozen Yogurt

Organic, low-fat, no fat, full-fat, vegan, tart — the list of yogurts is big and the list of toppings bigger (30-plus) at this petite Miller Avenue shop. Bonus points for being entirely self-serve, including samples, giving

Committed to offering the highest-quality natural foods, this inde pendent grocery’s two locations, in Mill Valley and Fairfax, are a celebra tion of organic activism. The vegetable and meat choices are as plentiful as the bulk bins, and the 99 percent organic salad, breakfast and hot bars offer ample customizable meal ideas, plus awardwinning gluten-free vegan pizza by the slice. genatural.com

Three dozen curries and tasty tandoori are just part of the appeal of this longtime favorite on the eastern edge of down town San Rafael. There’s also Southern Indian thali and, for under $12 a person, the all-youcan-eat lunch buffet. lotusrestaurant.com

BEST ITALIAN Poggio Trattoria

Once again awarded a Bib Gourmand from Michelin and a Marin IJ Readers’ Choice winner in 2018, Sausalito’s Poggio earns raves for its devotion to commu nity and excellent

Poggio Trattoria

service and cuisine. The seasonally inspired family-style Tuesday Night Suppers are yet another reason locals stay true. poggiotrattoria.com

BEST MEXICAN/ LATIN Copita Tequileria y Comida

BEST NEW RESTAURANT Guesthouse

BEST KIDS’ MENU The Counter

The official kids’ menu at this Corte Madera burger place includes veggie skewers, PB&J, grilled cheese and miniburgers with cheese. But bigger kids like the customization baked into the format here — just like adults, they want their Impossible Burger with vegan cheese on a gluten-free bun, too. thecounter.com

Tequila varietals (white, rested and aged) from over 40 distillers attract fans of the blue agave; chowhounds come for the beautifully prepared corn in all its forms. The freshly prepared masa is evident in the tortillas, tamales and chips and amplifies any taco filling, from oyster to carne asada. The ceviches remind you that Sausalito is seafaring at heart. copitarestaurant.com

Open since last October in downtown Kentfield, Guesthouse has already built a reputation for craft cocktails in the bustling bar (try the Slingshot with bourbon and Campari) but the well-executed California cuisine by way of the chef’s Italian training and Chesapeake Delta heritage has won over the well-heeled of central Marin and beyond. guesthousemarin.com

olives and lemon zest get plenty of oohs and aahs, as does the beer (including a gluten-free option) and cider pulled from the 40 taps. Vegheads love the big salads and the vegan cheese pie at this San Anselmo spot, which ventures beyond pizza with sandwiches and small and shareable plates. creeksidesa.com

the fire? Check. Cool breeze off the water? Check. Great wine and food? Check. It’s all here in San Rafael. terrapincrossroads.net

BEST SANDWICHES

Michael’s Sourdough

BEST SEAFOOD Fish

BEST PIZZA Creekside Pizza & Taproom

Signature pizzas like the Poppy with smoked gouda, castelvetrano

BEST PLACE TO BRING A GROUP Terrapin Crossroads

The multiroom space with seating indoors and out seems designed for bocce-players and music-lovers alike. Comfy cushions around

The bread is made on site and said to have magical qualities. It bet ter, as it’s the only holder for the overstuffed wonders served here. Fans return over and over to this San Rafael shop for their faves, ordered by number, then swoon over the huge sandos piled with meat, cheese and enough shredded lettuce to ooze out the sides and onto your lap. michaelssourdough sanrafael.com

Fish set a new standard when it opened in 2004 with counter service and inside-outside picnic tables on a Sausalito dock: the sustainableseafood menu raised local awareness of the plight of wild salmon. Today, the chill vibe and well-sourced favorites (chowder, pasta con von gole, fish and chips) equally appeal to visitors. And now credit and debit cards are welcome. 331fish.com

BEST SERVICE Picco

The Larkspur fave gets as many kudos for front-of-house service as for the kitchen’s consistently superior

Sol

California cuisine. From servers and bussers to bartenders and hosts, the experience is professional, executed with precision and care. restaurantpicco.com

BEST TAKEOUT DINING Sol Food

BEST STEAKHOUSE Buckeye Roadhouse

The smoker out back produces exceptional wings and brisket, but the leather banquettes and recessed lighting call for steak. At this legendary Mill Valley landmark, a baconwrapped petit filet mignon comes with a red wine sauce, and the Brandt rib eye has an herbed garlic butter sauce so decadent you’ll want to take a bath in it. buckeyeroadhouse.com

BEST SUSHI Sushi Ran

Regularly dubbed one of the top Japanese restau rants in the United States, the Sausalito eatery has set the standard for impeccably sourced seasonal ingredients, innovative and classic sushi and Pacific cuisine for more than 33 years. sushiran.com

Mofongo or shrimp, mariquitas or pollo al horno, the Puerto Rican specialties at Sol Food’s two Marin locations definitely travel well. The food arrives in good shape and tastes just as delicious at home as it does on site. solfoodrestaurant.com

BEST THAI Thep Lela Thai Restaurant

The lemon drop alone is worth a visit to the bar, and the tom ka soup has the optimal amount of tamarind to balance the creamy coconut milk. And the mango-beet fresh rolls and yum yai salad never come off the menu, as their skillfully blended Thai and California flavors exem plify what makes this Mill Valley restaurant such a favorite. theplela.com

BEST VEGAN Cafe del Soul

Absolutely everything is made in house at this bastion of organic, GMO-free, vegan and vegetarian fare in Mill

Valley and San Rafael. The quinoa bowl trend may have started here (top yours with tofu or chicken) and the wraps, salads and smoothies practically sing of health and well-being. cafedelsoul.net

BEST VEGETARIAN Burmatown

The big flavors of Burmese-Asian fusion ring true at this place on the Corte Madera–Larkspur border. The meatless tea leaf salad is a must-try, as are the bao “tacos” veggie option.

And the vegetarian curry samosas are so popular they often sell out before the dinner rush is over. burmatown.com

BEST VIETNAMESE Pho Viet

Of course you come for this San Rafael restau rant’s namesake bowl of

hearty soup with clear broth, beef, noodles and vegetables. But don’t overlook the pork chops with broken steamed rice and fried eggs or the lemongrass beef. phovietmarin.com

Fish

Shopping

BEST BOOKSTORE Book Passage

Book nerds and word nerds together placed this longtime Corte Madera shop on the top shelf. Though the Sausalito location closed this summer, the lively Corte Madera spot and the newer location at the Ferry Building in San Francisco are going strong. bookpassage.com

BEST BOUTIQUE Viva Diva Boutique

The on-trend, instantly wearable tanks, rompers and jeans are just part of why voters showered love on this San Rafael shop. The staff’s oneon-one service (hugs included) feels like the personal shopper you always felt you needed but were afraid to ask for. vivadivaboutique.com

BEST CONSIGNMENT OR THRIFT SHOP

Swan Dive

Located on an easy-tomiss corner near Corte Madera’s Menke Park, Swan Dive is known for sourcing only highquality designer items and giving fair prices to consigners and custom ers. Shoes, belts and bling round out the justswanky-enough goods. swandivestyle.com

the consistent personal service in every department, from makeup to men’s, remains part of the appeal. And we love the knowledgeable staff in women’s lingerie; these ladies just get it. shop.nordstrom.com

are hallmarks of this shop in Mill Valley’s Strawberry Village. We bet the free adjustments, even if you did not buy the pair there, also won voters over. rimsandgoggles.com

BEST HOME FURNISHINGS/ HOME ACCESSORIES

Hudson | Grace

With a mix of table linens, dinnerware, books, decor and vintage items, this shop at Larkspur’s Marin Country Mart is a go-to for hostess gifts or that hard-to-find butter dish or gravy boat. hudsongracesf.com

BEST KIDS’ CLOTHING Secret Garden

It looks like a bed of roses just might be behind the walls, and it’s teeming with options when a christening, wed ding or other event calls for outfitting babies, toddlers, kids and teens. secretgardenchild.com

BEST DEPARTMENT STORE Nordstrom

Perhaps it’s the recent revamp of the on-site restaurant to modern bistro Bazille (the kung pao Brussels sprouts really are good). We bet

BEST EVENING WEAR Hello Gorgeous

From bridal and prom to red carpet–worthy gowns and unconventional party wear, Hello Gorgeous has outfits for all occa sions and weather. Shoes and jewelry to match? But of course, dahling. hellogorgeoussf.com

BEST GIFTS Poet and the Bench

Regulars stop by just for the conversation with curator Bonnie Powers and goldsmith Jeffrey Levin. Or to hang in the new, bigger location since they moved to the corner of Throckmorton and El Paseo Lane in Mill Valley. But it’s the designs that lifted their atelier into the winners’ circle. poetandthebench.com

BEST LINGERIE La Belle Fifi

Globally sourced, evocative lingerie is the eye-catcher in the window here in Corte Madera’s Town Center. Step inside for not just a gander at the right undergarment but an array of beautiful hair clips, comfy pajamas, wraps and attire that would look great at a resort or around town. labellefifi.com

BEST MEN’S CLOTHING Famous4

Recently name-changed from Famous For Our Look to Famous4, the downtown Mill Valley standby goes interna tional to stock brands like Ronen Chen, Haupt and Alberto. The late hours Fridays and Saturdays (open until 10 p.m.) expand the opportunity to stop in and shop. famous4.net

BEST EYEWEAR Rims & Goggles

Bespoke eyewear and brands focusing exclu sively on eyeglass fashion (not jeans or sneakers)

BEST LOCAL JEWELRY STORE Moonstruck Fine Jewelry

The recent rebranding of Kathleen Dughi Jeweler did not dampen enthu siasm for the custom design, craftsmanship and personal service from owner and gold smith Johanna Becker. moonstruckfinejewelry.com

BEST SHOPPING CENTER/MALL The Village at Corte Madera

Popular stores like Apple, Lululemon and Nordstrom are just a part of why Marinites flock to this outdoor mall. The dog-friendly vibe, places to eat, flower baskets bursting with color and chill playground also help make it an all-day hangout for a wide swath of locals. villageatcortemadera.com

Beauty

BEST COSMETIC DERMATOLOGIST

Southern Marin Dermatology

The bay views and peaceful office are sweet, while the art of blending medical and cosmetic treatments like Botox, fillers and body contouring in a customized way for each patient is the hallmark of this Sausalito practice. Expect thorough and considerate care from real doctors. southernmarinderm.com

BEST FACIAL Eva Claiborne Beauty and Wellness

This Tiburon wellness spa is widely recognized for personal attention to every client’s needs. Not only does Claiborne have her eponymous institute for teaching Hungarian skin care techniques, she also just launched a pre- and post-operative product line and services. tiburonskincare.com

BEST MASSAGE Evo Spa

Open since 2004, this quiet spot in Mill Valley’s bustling Strawberry Village at first seems an unlikely place to truly unwind. But step past the heavy door to experience a sensory transformation, with treatments like the Heavenly Foot Massage, Raindrop Ritual Massage and Tension Tamer Massage. The small locker room belies the high-quality professional approach of the male and female bodyworkers who will calm and relieve your knottiest aches in no time flat. evo-spa.com

BEST MED SPA Belle Marin Aesthetic Medicine

Dr. Faye Jamali and her clinical staff in Mill Valley stay ahead of the curve with injectable techniques and other services to enhance your natural assets. The procedures, like Vivace Microneedling with Radio Frequency and PDO Threadlift, performed by Jamali, provide a boost of wellbeing and naturally beautiful results. bellemarin.com

BEST MEN’S HAIRCUT/SALON SERVICES

Drawing Room Marin

Maybe it’s the comfy chairs while you wait for your turn at this petite Larkspur salon. Or the warm welcome from the staff. But we bet it’s the standing appointments for $60 and the stylists’ skill with the scissors that nabbed the guys’ votes. 415.924.8400

BEST NAIL SALON Fingers and Toes, Faces and Places

With locations in Mill Valley, Greenbrae and San Rafael, this homegrown mini-empire sets the standard for efficient manicures and pedicures with tea service for you, fresh lemon and herbs for your footbath, and enough mini-fans to get you out the door in under an hour. 415.383.7534 (Mill Valley); 415.464.9999 (Greenbrae); 415.492.9000 (San Rafael)

BEST SPA International Orange

The pristine white walls and pinewood floors frame a calm space on the top level of Larkspur’s Marin Country Mart. Fans come to grab a steam, chill in the lounge or on the deck overlooking the ferry terminal before or after one of the many massage options (Thai, hot stone, signature massage). This original location, located in the heart of San Francisco’s Pacific Heights, started the IO tradition and even offers curative facials. internationalorange.com

BEST WOMEN’S HAIRCUT/SALON SERVICES Christopher Salon & Home

Walking through the home store to the salon gives a clue that things are different here, com fortable and intimate with just the right amount of Christopher Downs’ New York edge. This full-service salon with locations in Mill Valley and Tiburon offers cuts, color, keratin treat ments, blowouts and soon, lash extensions. christopher-salon.com

Christopher Salon & Home

BEST LIVE MUSIC Sweetwater Music Hall

The snug room in this longtime Mill Valley joint makes it easy to see your favorite rock star or band up close. The mix of families with kids, hipsters and hippies creates a fun, relaxed vibe. And Mill Valley chef Gordon Drysdale turns out excellent cafe fare he calls “haute stoner” cuisine. sweetwatermusichall.com

studies on ecology to stunning photos of the water’s edge, exhibits shed light on local phe nomena and events and explore coastal themes. bolinasmuseum.org

BEST MUSIC FESTIVAL Fairfax Festival

Arts & Entertainment

BEST ART GALLERY Seager Gray Gallery

Rotating shows that highlight local artists, along with Donna Seager and Suzanne Gray’s personal touch and indepth understanding of contemporary fine art, make this downtown Mill Valley gallery a must-visit for collectors and lookie-loos alike. It’s a bright and sunny spot, yet we think the sweet outdoor garden space available for private events gave voters extra motivation to rate this the top place to view art. seagergray.com

BEST CHILDREN’S MUSEUM Bay Area Discovery Museum

Aiming to inspire cre ativity in kids up to age 10, this indoor-outdoor exploration space at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge in Sausalito is a wonderland of screen-free fun. Leave your phone behind and revel in the thrill of problem-solving and idea-generation in one of many activity-themed buildings. Or just enjoy the views of San Francisco and the bridge. bayarea discoverymuseum.org

BEST COMEDY VENUE Throckmorton Theatre

The Mill Valley perfor mance space has long been famous for sur prise visits by the likes of Marin’s own Robin Williams and many others testing out new material at Tuesday Night Live Comedy. That weekly showcase for seasoned and up-andcoming talent has been going strong for decades; meanwhile the historic venue features live music, film and theater, too. throckmortontheatre.org

BEST FAMILY OUTING Mountain Play

Marinites love the out doors so much they’ve made an annual tradition of hiking, biking or other wise traveling up Mount Tam to watch live theater in the fog-whipped open air at Cushing Memorial Amphitheatre for 106 years; some hike or catch the shuttle back down. (The show in 2019 was Grease.) Of course, for the first 17 of those years they could take the Gravity Train. No matter; it’s still the most enter taining family fun around. mountainplay.org

BEST LIVE THEATER Marin Theatre Company

Though some produc tions update classics (like The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley, a comedic continuation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice from the 2018–19 season), this Mill Valley theater’s forte is presenting new works and fresh voices on the American stage. Shows are chosen to engage audiences, intro duce ideas and possibly expand your worldview. marintheatre.org

BEST MUSEUM Bolinas Museum

Regional history pre sented in works by artists from Marin and beyond gives this tiny five-room museum in downtown Bolinas a grander feel. From

This two-day community celebration includes three music stages, a youth music showcase, a parade, a family movie night, and more organic food than is possible to eat. It’s paired with an EcoFest that brings an only-in-Marin social responsibility aspect to the festivities. fairfaxfestival.com

BEST TOURIST SPOT Muir Woods National Monument

Snugged into the side of Mount Tam in Mill Valley, this landmark park with towering oldgrowth redwoods still feels as low-key as the rest of the county. From a relatively flat 2.2-mile loop to steep ravines to the famous stairs that connect Stinson to Mill Valley, trails make the stunning conifers widely accessible for locals and out-of-towners alike. nps.gov/muwo/index.htm

Mountain Play

Fitness & Recreation

BEST BIKE SHOP Mike’s Bikes

With shops all over the Bay Area, including San Rafael and Sausalito, Mike’s has become the de facto place for bike riders and gearheads to catch up on the latest cycling news or just hang out and chat. The pros in the tech department can tell you what will work for your bike (or not) without any sales-y talk, and the organized rides, trade-in program and bike donation drives make them heroes with carbonneutral enthusiasts of all ages. mikesbikes.com

BEST CROSSFIT Ross Valley CrossFit

There may be a CrossFit option in almost every town, but the X-fitters of Ross Valley vote theirs the best. The varying daily warm-up schedule, the hands-on approach of trainers, the supportive community, and the sparkling-clean equip ment come together to make a workout at this San Anselmo gym a positive, nay, rousing experience for diehards as well as newbies. rossvalleycrossfit.com

BEST EQUIPMENT OR ATHLETIC-WEAR STORE

Athleta

The company’s inspiring mission of empowering women and girls and its status as a certified B Corp (balancing profit with purpose) is onmessage for Marin. And the Town Center Corte Madera store’s wide array of styles that travel well and easily transition from workout to workplace have pushed Athleta to the top of voters’ list. athleta.gap.com

BEST GYM Pelo Fitness

Stop in at the San Rafael location 15 minutes before your first class to have your session customized to your fitness level. Then power through your workout in your own way. The comfy cycle seats are beloved by regulars, and the mix of classes, from yoga for cyclists to TRX and other combinations, bring in non-riders, too. Instructors make sure your posture is safely and optimally aligned. pelofitness.com

BEST FITNESS CLASSES

Now Power Yoga

Susan Hauser’s own inspiring story of yoga as transformative therapy is one reason her classes are packed to bursting with local celebrities and yogis. The crossover integration of yoga into sculpt, Pilates and Power classes (which balance stretching, strengthening and breath) also helped make the studio a fitness winner. nowpower.yoga

BEST PERSONAL TRAINER Leslie Mueller

An instructor at Pelo Fitness and a personal trainer for more than 20 years, Mueller is also a champion triathlete. Dedicated followers appreciate her insistence on proper alignment, and her program, which she calls TriAlign, includes specific thera peutic exercises that stimulate deep postural muscles to allow joints to effortlessly balance. pelofitness.com

Center quickly found its footing with specialty classes, including those geared specifically to teens. Traditionalists will also find a range of options, as will seekers of something with a cardio beat. Shoutout to Becky Lang for keeping the instruction interesting and fun. clubpilates.com

BEST SPIN STUDIO SoulCycle

The heated, darkened room is calming, helping riders focus. The instructors are upbeat and funny, injecting a lighter note. Ardent fans, high on endorphins, are known to wave their towels and sing along to the thumping music. soul-cycle.com

BEST SUP SHOP 101 Surf Sports

paddleboarding into a group activity and added a new component to this traditionally solo sport. Meanwhile, the impressive selection of used and new gear, reasonable rental prices, and customer service are what clinched this local fixture’s best-of spot. 101surfsports.com

BEST YOGA STUDIO

YogaWorks

Three different Marin studios — in Larkspur, Novato and Mill Valley — have created a fol lowing of happy yogis. (Larkspur has the chillest vibe, while Mill Valley’s views over Pickleweed Inlet are om-azing.)

BEST SURF SHOP Proof Lab

BEST PILATES STUDIO Club Pilates

Open just over a year, this Novato studio in the Vintage Oaks Shopping

Free morning paddles from this shop along the San Rafael Canal turned stand-up

The longtime yet ever-evolving Mill Valley hangout has a skate ramp and a coffee shop. The newer 2,000-square-foot San Rafael store has all the big skateboarding brands like Thrasher, Vans and Independent; the kids come to scope out the newest wheels, decks and helmets before heading out to ride. Parents dig the small-town community support. prooflab.com

The instructors rotate among locations, bring ing their devotion to yoga and a broad mix of body-balancing poses. yogaworks.com

BEST FITNESS STUDIO Orangetheory

The music is thumping, the screens are showing your workout stats, the trainers are roaming, and you are doing circuits of treadmill, weights and water-powered rowing machines, a combo that practically ensures that your fitness routine never gets boring. So this is that afterburn fans of this pro gram are talking about. orangetheoryfitness.com

101 Surf Sports

A

A San Rafael collector has a warehouse full of curiosities.

BY ZACK RUSKIN PHOTOS BY JACK WOLFORD

ON THE OUTSKIRTS of downtown San Rafael sits a large brick warehouse. Though its exterior may not draw much attention, inside is a wonderland of vintage tchotchkes and classic automobiles. It’s not exactly a secret but enigmatic nonetheless; there’s nothing in Marin quite like the Rafael Auto & Collectible Museum.

Did you know there’s a Batmobile in town? We’re not talking about a toy; this is the real thing. If you turn the ignition, it drives. If you push a button, flames shoot from the rear. Perhaps you’ve seen collector Sheldon Donig driving the streets in this faithful replica of Batman’s wheels. If not, you’ll fi nd it at the Rafael Auto & Collectibles Museum — Donig’s warehouse devoted to pop culture ephemera from the last century.

Now 72, Donig has been collecting things since he was a teenager; his museum artifacts include smiley-face curios and dangerous toys once marketed to children. The longtime Fairfax resident is also notably gifted in his ability to repair and refurbish complex machinery. Often working without a guide of any kind, Donig has rebuilt everything from Lamborghinis and Ferraris to a car with propellers that he once successfully drove and floated at Lake Berryessa.

To step inside his museum is to be transported. The sensation is surreal. One moment you’re in San Rafael, standing on the sidewalk. The next, you’ve entered a cavernous space stu ffed wall to wall with cars, display cases and neon signs. And each of the thousands of items has a story behind it. In some cases, the tale of how he came into possession of it is as memorable as the thing itself.

It would take days if not weeks to catalog every item lovingly crammed into Donig’s menagerie of toys, relics and ultra-rare cars. Fortunately, his focus on a few speci fic categories makes it possible to offer a detailed overview.

CARS

As for what constitutes the centerpiece of this collection, the answer is clear. In total, Donig owns around 80 cars. Though only a fraction are on view at any given time (he rotates them regularly), each vehicle offers an insightful or eccentric glimpse into the evolution of the automotive industry.

Take his 1911 Cadillac hearse. As far as Donig knows, it’s the earliest Cadillac hearse still in existence. He found it behind a movie house in Texas and rebuilt the engine. “I drive it around on Halloween,” he says. Another highlight is his 1913 REO Speed Wagon, a model introduced by Ransom E. Olds (aka REO) after he was ousted as head of Oldsmobile.

The story of how Donig came to own a 1921 Locomobile begins with a series of mysterious faxes from someone in Chicago. “We faxed back and forth for probably six months,” he recalls. “Finally, he told me to come out to Wilmette, Illinois.” After agreeing to a price, Donig flew there. It wasn’t long before he began to suspect this particular Locomobile had almost certainly been in a Ma fia shoot-out. Eventually, the son of the mobster in question would con fide that his late father had dearly loved the car and the son had sought out Donig to try and get it into worthy hands.

Other notable displays include life-size replicas of a Hot Wheels racer and the before-mentioned Adam West–era Batmobile with a “KAPOW” license plate.

UNSAFE TOYS

Of all the things Donig has meticulously amassed, perhaps the strangest are his display cases full of dangerous toys — for instance, small propane-powered ovens and electric grills intended for indoor use by young children. “I call them my unsafe toys,” Donig says, “because you plug them in and the coils get red hot. Everything here is either electric or it has propane power. One time, I had a party at my house and I let people go all over my house and plug these in so they could all bake their own desserts.”

Another area of the warehouse holds vintage chemistry sets containing all manner of risky and volatile components. One especially unfathomable example provides an opportunity for a child to pour molten lead into a mold; another is a miniature barbecue kit with lighter fluid and coals. “Imagine getting coals and lighter fluid in a box that says ‘safe for indoors,’ ” Donig marvels. “That company went bankrupt.”

KITSCH AND ODDITIES

Donig’s museum also features carefully curated curiosities like Garbage Pail Kids sticker cards and items from the 1915 Panama-Paci fic International Exposition. Another section is devoted to radios that don’t look like radios; still another holds vintage circus equipment, including a majestic pipe orchestra car once used by Ringling Bros. Sitting nearby is a carnival racer, a small vehicle that sta ff at fairs would race for patrons to bet on. “Of course,” Donig notes, “the one that had the most bets somehow always magically lost.”

Toward the rear of the warehouse, a massive case is packed entirely with smiley-face paraphernalia — over 200 items in all. Buttons, flags and figurines together form a cosmic burst of bright yellow.

Reaching for a smiley-face vase, Donig says he plans even tually to modify it into an urn for his own remains; he already has a space reserved at San Francisco’s Columbarium. Ever the curator, he knows exactly how he wants his resting place to look. “I’m going to have a ceramicist make this a little bit bigger so it’s large enough to hold my ashes. It’s also going to have my dreads. I’ve had these dreads for probably 35 years. People recognize me that way. And then a ski cap on top of that.”

One wishes there were a way to fast-forward to that scene, to see Columbarium visitors react as they come upon a smiling urn with matching dreadlocks. It is truly fitting that when all is said and done, the most singularly incredible thing from Donig’s collection may one day be the man himself.

If you turn the ignition, it drives. If you push a button, flames shot from the rear.

These

by

FIRST PERSON

SENIOR not something to fear.

Getting older is something to celebrate and enjoy, BOOMERS

BY JERRY JAMPOLSKY

ILLUSTRATION BY BRIAN STAUFFER

woke up on the morning of my 94th birthday and, quite unceremoniously, entered my 95th year. One of the things my wife, Diane, and I do daily upon awakening is express gratitude for another day of living and commit to making that day the best and the happiest day of our lives, regardless of what life puts on our plates and regardless of the state of our bodies.

Your happiness level is, reportedly, in fluenced 40 percent by genes and 15 percent by circumstances. That means it’s 45 percent up to us to determine just how happy we want to be, based on our belief systems and our attitudes about life. That is really good news.

The bad news is that our culture continues to market “antiaging” as an antidote to growing old. If we really understood this special time and what it means to be an older adult, we would not fear aging, but meet it head-on. I am one of those who do not think I have gone out to pasture and who believe that what I do, say or write about can still make a di ffer ence. I remain fully alive and fully engaged in life around me.

My wife is a baby boomer born in 1946 and her life experiences have spanned from the postwar tradition-minded ’50s to the tumultuous and rebellious ’60s, Vietnam, the women’s movement, the civil rights move ment and beyond. Like Diane, many women began their lives surrounded by people in strictly traditional roles, and many redefi ned what it means to be an independent and equal human being in modern times. The term baby boomers encompasses most of what her generation has undergone.

Likewise, my generation, 75 to 95 years of age, represents a breadth of experiences, accomplishments, discoveries and courageous acts. I see some of us as what I call “senior boomers,” people who may have changed the way they look at the world and decided to look through the eyes of love instead of fear. They don’t make the past and the future their enemy.

Instead, they make friends with the present, which allows them to live life to the fullest.

A senior boomer is a love finder rather than a fault fi nder, a love giver instead of a love seeker. For people at this stage, the purpose of life is to be a messenger of unconditional love wherever they go.

Remembering that anyone can make a dif ference at any age, I as a senior boomer continue to be vital, creative and involved. Age does not have to be a limitation. My experiences are deeply shaped by either the optimism or pessimism with which I look at the world. I get to choose how I experience each and every day. That is a power many of us do not realize we possess.

I continue to write articles on a regular basis, have recently had two new books pub lished and am starting a third, all since I entered my 90s. I go to the gym four to five times per week because I believe that keeping my body in shape helps keep my mind active and my imagination and creativit y flowing.

When I was born, the life expectancy of men in America was 57 years and for women it was 60. When Diane was born men generally lived to age 64 and women to age 69. We are now redefining what it means to live beyond age 75 in modern times and we have choices no other generation has had.

Living long past retirement age, we often have a few decades or more to redefi ne our lives and to pursue additional meaning. What a gift the years can bring if we choose to see it that way. I always like to ask myself the following question about my choices: “Am I making this decision based on love? Or am I making it based on fear?” The answer I choose invariably determines my direction and the outcome.

After decades of working as a psychiatrist, I believe more fi rmly than ever that our attitudes, more than anything else, shape our experiences. I have often found that the most important task we have to complete before we can experience real happiness is to shift our attitudes so that we forgive ourselves and everybody else, completely.

Children have often been my best teachers. They typically don’t hold on to grievances like adults do and they get over their anger at one another rather quickly because for them there isn’t any value in staying mad. I personally keep a 4-year-old child alive inside me to remind myself of being playful and the importance of having fun and even of feeling comfortable being silly. As I keep that child alive, I hold innocence, won der and love within myself and can readily share it with others.

Many senior boomers know the mutual joys of interacting with grandchildren, but whether you are related by blood or not, contact with younger people can have deep emotional rewards. Older people often have the time, talent and ability to volunteer alongside young people or mentor them as they begin to navigate the working world. Seniors, with their maturity, perspective and depth of experience found nowhere else in our culture, bring unique value to such encounters. Organizations like Encore.org and Experience Corps can guide us toward meaningful, life-enhancing opportunities to really make a di fference in the lives of others. It’s my impression that the people who are happiest do what they love, as often and for as long as they can.

As we age it is inevitable that we lose many more family members and friends. One of the factors that help defi ne whether seniors are happy, content and at peace is whether or not they have come to terms with their own death. Some are guided and comforted by a traditional theology, often long held, while others are redefi ning what it means to experience dying. Those who keep a distance from the subject are often driven by fear of the unknown and of separation. How well we have done our work

around dying often dictates how well we live the rest of our lives.

It seems to me that many senior boomers have come to realize just how important heal ing all their relationships can be. They seem to pay more attention to keeping a peaceful mind than to keeping old grievances and grudges alive. Being more lighthearted allows them to not take themselves and everyone else so seriously. They wake up and not only decide to make this day their happiest but remind them selves how important it is to not pass judgment on others or on themselves. They see peace of mind as part of their spiritual DNA; they believe part of that DNA is happiness and that we are happiest when we are giving our love away.

They seem to have no enemies anymore because they have realized it takes a whole lot more energy to keep their anger alive than it does to forgive, and that forgiveness really is the key to happiness. Perhaps best of all, they can experience peace inside even when there is chaos going on all around them.

Senior boomers are often delighted to fi nd that their later years have turned out to be the best years of their lives. They no longer feel the need to prove themselves and are no longer afraid of failure, knowing that failures often pave the way for success. Many seem to have a lot of gratitude and do their best to see the light in others, regardless of other people’s behav ior. Basically, they have found that the more love they bring to each encounter, the more love they receive. After these many years, I am convinced more than ever that no matter what the question, or the problem, or the illness, or the pain, whatever the con fl ict or fear, love is the answer.

Love is always the answer, because love is everything. m

instead of a love seeker.

A senior boomer is a love finder rather than a fault finder, a love giver

Gerald G. Jampolsky, M.D., is founder of Attitudinal Healing International (ahinternational.org) and author of over a dozen classic best sellers including Love Is Letting Go of Fear and, recently, Aging With Attitude

WELCOME TO THE FOURTH ANNUAL FACES OF MARIN. When you think about it, every business is a people business. And it’s not just clients and customers; there are important personalities driving the success of every endeavor. The people who make these businesses live and grow are also the ones you’ll see behind the counter, at a desk or on your doorstep. So take a moment to come face to face with these important Marin personalities.

It’s not what you know, but who you know.

FACE OF BEACH TO BOUDOIR LUXURY

Fiona Dorst, Owner La Belle Fifi

FIONA DORST IS THE OWNER OF LA BELLE FIFI BOUTIQUE — a uniquely curated collection of fine lingerie and distinctive swim and resort wear. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Fiona followed dreams and opportunities to the film industry in SF and LA, the world of Public Relations and Publishing in New York, and finally to a farm in Africa…..and back again. Along the way, Fiona has been inspired by her unique surroundings and an insanely talented group of friends.

Her style is at once bohemian and luxurious, comfortable yet elegant. La Belle Fifi is an opportunity to bring together her favorite lingerie

and swim brands as well as introduce designers from the UK and Europe, Kenya, South Africa and South America. The boutique is meant to be a gathering place of interesting and creative people, as well as unique and exciting designs. The entire mix is meant to reflect a sense of controlled abandon. Books and accessories mingle with silk chemises, tassled kaftans and cashmere hoodies. The result is a seasonless collection for the savvy and the curious.

121 Corte Madera Town Center I Corte Madera, CA 425.758.7158 I labellefifi.com

FACE OF WOMANFOCUSED PLASTIC SURGERY

Karen M. Horton, MD, MSc, FACS, FRCSC

EVERYONE WANTS TO LOOK AND FEEL THEIR BEST, regardless of age, time or bodily changes. Feeling confident and comfortable in your body can greatly improve quality of life and enable you to get the most out of life!

Internationally Board Certified in Plastic Surgery, Dr. Karen Horton’s boutique allwoman private practice in the Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco specializes in customized treatment plans to help her patients feel renewed and revitalized throughout all stages of their lives.

An athletic Marin Mom of twins herself, “Dr. Karen” specializes in helping women and men put their best face and body forward through surgical or nonsurgical aesthetic procedures. Whether breast augmentation or reduction, tummy tuck, liposuction, tummy tuck or neck lift, Dr. Horton is well known for her comprehensive approach to patient care and personalized approaches for each of her patients.

Dr. Horton’s practice focuses on providing exceptional personalized care with meticulous attention to detail, in a warm and welcoming environment. Regardless of whether surgery is cosmetic or reconstructive, Dr. Horton’s practice is centered on providing beautiful, natural and long-lasting results.

2100 Webster St., #506, San Francisco, CA 415.923.3067 l drkarenhorton.com

IN 1965, AL LAMPERTI OPENED what may have been the first cabinet showroom in Marin County. Kitchen Craft of Marin soon became Lamperti Associates and gained a reputation for being the best resource for cabinetry and remodeling in the county. Today, under the ownership of Sean Kelly, former owner of Elite Builders, the company continues to be the premiere resource for cabinets, design services and contracting in Marin.

They work hard to uphold their long-standing reputation and have a strong name in the community which they take very seriously. Lamperti has been around for 54 years and will continue to provide superior design/build contracting services for many more years to come.

1241 Andersen Drive, San Rafael, CA 415.454.1623 l lampertikitchens.com

FACES OF MARIN’S MOVING AND ORGANIZING PIONEER

Katie Carr, Margaret Fearey Walsh

Margaret Fearey Walsh founded Changing Places in 1993. Today, we’re a close-knit business of relocation professionals. Katie Carr is VP and GM.

Based in San Rafael, Changing Places won its 10th “Best Home Organizer” award from 2019 Pacific Sun readers. Our team of 30 includes interior designers, architects, stagers and expert home organizers.

Changing Places has relocated clients to and from 18 countries, bringing peace-of-mind to over 1,600 homes. We create organizing systems and solutions for our clients that last a lifetime. We’re also a passionately green company, diverting tons of items from landfill.

Changing Places’ clients call Margaret’s team everything from “fairy godmothers” to “miracle workers”. This work is very personal. Margaret believes we make magic happen, guiding clients through life’s transitions. Our mission is to bring order and beauty to our clients’ homes, working with integrity and compassion on every project.

4340 Redwood Hwy, Ste F100, San Rafael, CA 415.461.6257 I changing-places.com

FACE OF CANNABIS FOR HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Pamela Hadfield, HelloMD

LONGTIME MARIN RESIDENT PAMELA HADFIELD suffered from migraines for 25 years—and then she tried cannabis. Within three months, she was managing her migraines, and in six months, she was preventing them altogether. Today, Pamela is the co-founder of HelloMD, the largest health and wellness-oriented cannabis community.

An award-winning user experience designer, Pamela is also a passionate cannabis advocate and educator, speaking at events around the world. HelloMD first began as a service connecting medical cannabis patients with doctors. It’s now a global digital health care

platform—the go-to place for all of your cannabis needs.

HelloMD comprises online doctor consults along with a library of educational cannabis content, which includes thousands of articles, videos and Q&As. Visitors can buy high-quality, lab-tested cannabis and hemp-derived CBD products vetted by the HelloMD team.

When she isn’t working, Pamela enjoys kiteboarding, snowboarding, dirt biking and hiking in the hills with her husband, three kids and dog. You can catch her on the John Muir Trail this summer.

415.335.7899 l hellomd.com

FACE OF CONCIERGE MATCH MAKING

Keim,

CASSIE ZAMPA-KEIM IS A RENOWNED DATING AND RELATIONSHIP STRATEGIST, author, speaker and coach. She is the founder and CEO of Innovative Match, a national relationship-services firm.

One of the industry’s leading experts on dating, Cassie has worked with thousands of singles over the past three decades. She’s been named one of the World’s Top Matchmakers (UK Dating), written for and been featured in leading media publications and is the author of the acclaimed “Finding Love After 50.” One of the early pioneers of using online dating with clients, Cassie draws the latest technologies to service clients.

Cassie launched Innovative Match to deliver a 21st century approach for helping clients to realize their relationship goals. Cassie offers a holistic, data-driven roadmap for transforming clients’ dating lives, drawing upon technology expertise, psychological training and work as a dating and life coach as well as a dedicated heart.

Ross, CA 415.259.8714 l innovative-match.com

FACE OF MARIN LIVING BEYOND THE FOUR WALLS

Carey Hagglund Condy, Compass Real Estate

FINDING THE RIGHT HOME is about so much more than square footage and number of rooms. It is also about quality of life and how you live outside those walls. Carey Hagglund Condy is not only one of the most respected luxury real estate agents in Marin County, but also one of its most passionate residents. That’s why she is the Face of Luxury Marin Homes. Having raised her three daughters here, Carey lives and breathes the Marin lifestyle and knows first-hand what her clients want and need.

Whether hiking on Mount Tam, playing golf, or being active in the community, Carey’s not just your agent, but part of your Marin

network. “To me, real estate is more than just selling houses. It means creating connections — between buyer and agent, family and home, home and community.” By providing her unique and personal perspective to living in Marin, her unparalleled knowledge and attention to detail, Carey and her team will help guide your journey to your perfect home so you too can enjoy “Marin Living Beyond The Four Walls”.

23 Ross Common, Suite 3, Ross, CA 415.461.8609 l careyhagglundcondy.com

FACES OF CALIFORNIA PACIFIC ORTHOPAEDICS

WHEN IT COMES TO ORTHOPEDIC AND SPORTS-RELATED INJURIES, there’s only one name you can trust – California Pacific Orthopaedics. Whether you’re a weekend warrior, seasoned professional athlete or suffer from everyday joint pain, our experienced team is here to get you feeling like new. After all, it’s what we’ve been doing for nearly 50 years.

At California Pacific Orthopaedics, we want our patients to get back to enjoying normal life as quickly as possible. That’s why we have in-house X-ray and MRI – including a state-of-the-art wide-bore 3 Tesla MRI. Our wide-bore MRI allows for a quicker scan and a roomier

experience for patients. And, we are now offering evening and weekend appointments!

We accept most major insurance plans. We look forward to serving you at one of our four offices. Visit calpacortho.com for more information.

1099 D St, Suite 105, San Rafael, CA 3838 California St, Suites 108, 516, 715, San Francisco, CA 415.668.8010 l calpacortho.com

Back row: Keith C. Donatto, MD, John P. Belzer, MD, Mark A. Schrumpf, MD, Frank H. Valone, III, MD, Jon A. Dickinson, MD, Christopher V. Cox, MD; Front row: Lindsey C. Valone, MD, James D. Kelly, II, MD, Keith W. Chan, MD, Peter W. Callander, MD, Robert E. Mayle, Jr, MD, W. Scott Green, MD, Mark I. Ignatius, D.O., Rowan V. Paul, MD; Not pictured: H. Relton McCarroll, MD, Tom R. Norris, MD, Adrian J. Rawlinson, MD

FACES OF DESIGNER FLOORING

Kate, Natasia, Nicole, and Debbie, Architectural Design Carpets

DEBBIE DUERING, OWNER OF ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN CARPETS, started her flooring business in the early 90s out of her garage. Now, 30 years, later Debbie has grown a team of experienced sales women educated in the flooring and design industry. Kate Googins, ADC’s New Business Development Manager, has worked alongside Debbie for over 18 years and works hand in hand with the Bay Area’s top interior Designers, architects, and realtors. The ADC showroom is Marin County’s hidden gem where you will find a beautiful array of options for custom rugs, commercial flooring, carpets and hardwood.

This group of women pay extra attention to detail as they work with you on a one-on-one basis and always think outside the box.

When it comes to investing in flooring for any project, no matter how big or small, the foundation of your home starts with Architectural Design Carpets.

1111 Francisco Blvd East, Suite 3, San Rafael, CA 415.458.1717 I architecturaldesigncarpets.com

FACE OF PAYROLL WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS

Leslie Ruhland, Accuchex Payroll & Insurance Services

PAYROLL PLAYS A CRITICAL ROLE FOR EVERY BUSINESS. Since 1990, Accuchex has been privileged with the responsibility of paying people correctly, and on-time, every pay cycle.

Leslie Ruhland is a Marin County native and is the EVP of Accuchex Corp. Headquartered in Novato for 29 years, Accuchex is the largest independent payroll company in the Bay Area. “One of my favorite things”, says Ruhland, “about working with companies’ payroll is that no matter the size or industry, our friendly and knowledgeable staff adds value, and in doing so, we become part of our clients’ adventure.”

Accuchex provides innovative workforce solutions with web-based Time2Pay, blending “Hi-Tech with Hi-Touch”. Accuchex supports employers with one to thousands of employees nationwide. Accuchex appreciates that Payroll remains at the center of our daily lives and the fabric of our communities.

365 Bel Marin Keys Blvd., Novato, CA 415.883.7733, ext 110 l leslie.ruhland@accuchex.com

FACES OF COMPASSION

WHEN YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED THE LOSS OF A LOVED ONE, you can trust us to guide you through the arrangements necessary to create a meaningful ceremony that celebrates the unique life being honored. We offer compassionate, dignified, and affordable services. Plus, our staff is committed to providing your family with the highest quality care and service in your time of need, and we take pride in our responsibility to lighten your burden as you take the first steps toward healing.

By being an all-inclusive, full-service facility, we are better able to help families through this most difficult time. We can accommodate your every need from that first call, to planning the funeral, picking out your burial needs, making all arrangements for the day of funeral and interment to planning the Celebration of Life in our reception event center.

Valley Memorial Park Cemetery and Funeral Home

650 Bugeia Lane, Novato, CA COA#377, FD#2295 l 415.897-9609 l valleymemorialpark.com

Jesus Santana, Melanie Flores, George Estes and Mark Mulholland

PHOTO BY MARIN IJ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

FACE OF NATURAL AESTHETIC DERMATOLOGY

Tracy Evans MD, MPH, FAAD, FACMS

DR. TRACY EVANS IS A CUTANEOUS SURGEON AND AESTHETIC DERMATOLOGIST who specializes in ground-breaking anti-aging techniques with natural results. Using the most efficient technology on the market; her care team creates personalized treatment plans for facial and body rejuvenation. She and her team value a holistic approach to restoring patients’ natural beauty and self-confidence. Dr. Evans is a master aesthetic injector, laser specialist, and body contouring guru. She advocates for healthy lifestyles and skin cancer prevention. Dr. Evans recommends regular skin checks to monitor for signs of skin disease and skin cancer. She maintains that “the radiance

of a patient’s skin is a reflection of the health of their body.” Dr. Evans founded her private dermatology practice in San Francisco in 2008 and in 2016 she crossed the Golden Gate to serve the health and aesthetic needs of her Marin County Community. Call to make an appointment to reveal the healthiest, most radiant skin of your life!

770 Tamalpais Drive, Suite 403, Corte Madera, CA 415.924.2055

2100 Webster Street, Suite 305, San Francisco, CA 415.202.1540 I tracyevansmd.com

FACES OF LANDSCAPE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION

Alain Joske, Brett McPherson and Danielle Davila, The Land Collaborative

THE LAND COLLABORATIVE (TLC), Marin and Sonoma’s custom landscape design and build team, is led by owner Brett McPherson (center). Brett is licensed as both a landscape architect and landscape contractor. Landscape architect, Danielle Davila leads the design process and landscape contractor, Alain Joske oversees construction management. The interdisciplinary collaboration formed by these three professionals provides a design and construction experience for clients that is inspired, artisan and seamless.

Because TLC provides high-level landscape architecture and construction services together, our clients benefit from professional

design expertise, realistic budget estimating, and high-quality construction in one stop, under one contract. Our team personally works with you from start to finish, ensuring that your vision is fully realized in the built project with equal attention to exquisite craftsmanship and practical detail. TLC builds exceptional gardens because we enjoy building exceptional relationships!

Marin: 26 Hamilton Drive Suite A, Novato, CA Sonoma: 19404 Hwy. 12 Sonoma, CA 415.819.5263 l thelandcollaborative.com

FACE OF MARIN MORTGAGE LENDING

Marney Solle, Branch Manager and Mortgage Advisor, Terra Mortgage Banking, a division of Flagstar Bank

MARIN MOTHER AND BUSINESSWOMAN Marney Solle is the Branch Manager of Terra Mortgage Banking/Flagstar Bank where her annual production regularly places her among the top 1% of mortgage originators in America.

Through her affiliation with Flagstar Bank, Marney can offer Marin homebuyers access to traditional and proprietary portfolio lending programs specifically designed to offer Marin home buyers an advantage. Programs like Flagstar’s “Buy Before You Sell” Jumbo Bridge program and the Low Down Payment Professional Loan Program.

“I have lived in Marin and worked in Marin real estate lending for 25 years. I feel blessed. I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. Working with buyers and Realtors is a privilege that I take very seriously and genuinely enjoy. At the end of the day, nothing makes me happier than running into a former client who is now my Marin neighbor.”

Whether you are considering buying, selling, or refinancing a home, the journey begins with Marney.

902 Irwin Street, San Rafael, CA NMLS 286003 415.454-8881 l MarneySolle.com Member FDIC | Equal Housing Lender

FACE OF THE COVE AT TIBURON

Captain Mike Hawkins, Director of Activities and Harbor Master

MIKE HAWKINS IS THE HEARTBEAT OF THE COVE, the newly renovated resort-style apartment community on the stunning Tiburon shoreline. The Cove offers a compelling waterfront lifestyle: on a typical day you’ll find residents participating in an active calendar of sailing, fitness and yoga classes, kayaking and paddle boarding.

As Director of Activities, Harbor Master and a licensed boat captain, ‘Captain Mike’ is at the center of it all, managing the activities and full-service sailing experiences that make The Cove a special place to live. “What I love most about my job is taking residents sailing. It never gets old seeing the look on someone’s face as the sails go up, the engine

goes silent and the wind fills the sails.” The residents agree, viewing Captain Mike as one of the highlights of living in this community. With its magnificent waterfront setting, private marina, curated activities, dedicated on-site services team – and Captain Mike – The Cove at Tiburon is Marin apartment living at its best.

50 Barbaree Way, Tiburon, CA 94920 415.323.4646 | thecoveattiburon.com

FACES OF PURPOSEDRIVEN EDUCATION

Kali Baird and Aran Levasseur, San Domenico School

“WE ALL NEED TO BUILD OUR OWN PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY of beliefs and values which will form meaningful frameworks for our lives,” says Aran Levasseur, Director of Innovation at San Domenico, a K-12 day and boarding school in San Anselmo. “As California’s oldest independent school, we carry on a 169 year tradition of purposedriven education and with curriculum anchored in design thinking, we solve problems, accomplish goals, and reframe learning through the lens of both exceptional academics and a sense of purpose.” “Key to this,” adds Kali Baird, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, “is understanding one’s own sense of identity and belonging. With students and teachers from across the United States and around the world, we break down barriers every day, developing truly global citizens. Through big questions, healthy debate, and thought-provoking conversations, our students, teachers, deans, and mentors confidently and respectfully bridge intellectual, spiritual, and cultural borders.”

1500 Butterfield Rd, San Anselmo, CA 415.258.1900 l sandomenico.org

FACE OF YOUTH SERVICES IN MARIN AND BEYOND

AT SIDE BY SIDE, we walk with young people impacted by adversity on their journeys to heal from trauma, restore resilience, and embrace their potential. We provide comprehensive services that honor our clients’ unique needs and strengths to prevent the escalation of dangerous conditions and behaviors and set them on a positive path.

From special education and early intervention in school to LGBTQ support services and transitional housing for foster youth, Side by Side provides the safe space most have missed in their lives. When they feel seen for who they are today, we believe the young people we serve can move with confidence toward a future with meaning and connection.

Since our founding in 1895 in Marin County as an orphanage – and through years as Sunny Hills Services – Side by Side has been at the forefront of best practices in child welfare. Today, Side by Side operates in four counties – Marin, Alameda, Sonoma, and Napa – each year reaching over 2,500 youth ages 5-26 and family members.

300 Sunny Hills Drive, Bldg. #5, San Anselmo, CA 415.457.3200 l SidebySideYouth.org

DRS. POULOS AND HVISTENDAHL FOUNDED PSS 10 years ago, and are “Top Docs” in the Marin aesthetic arena, for good reason. Our patients return because of great service and an exceptional experience, which the PSS team works constantly to improve. We are dedicated to bringing you the newest technologies, including gastric balloons for weight loss, Viveve for women’s intimate health, PRP for skin renewal, hair restoration treatments, Hydrafacial, and more. Our newest device, Emsculpt, is an entirely new category; muscle stimulation and fat loss with high-intensity magnetic contractions.

On the weight loss front, we’ve built one of the most successful nonsurgical weight loss programs in the country; many patients lose 20-50 lbs. Both Doctors have won Best of Marin awards, and we would love to show you why. With incredible support from our team and the latest technologies, PSS offers you the widest array of services and expertise in the North Bay.

350 Bon Air Road, Ste 300, Greenbrae, CA 415.925.2880 l psspecialists.com

FACE OF TILE & STONE FABRICATION & INSTALLATION

Bodell,

Tile & Stone

FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED FOR OVER 30 YEARS, North Coast Tile & Stone is the North Bay leader in tile installation and granite fabrication for residential remodels, new home construction, and commercial jobs. From start to finish, they are dedicated to working with you on accomplishing your vision.

Visit their beautiful boutique tile showroom with over 200 colors of handpicked granite, quartzite, marble, soapstone and limestone on site and six on staff designers to help you achieve your vision.

Expertise, knowledge and trust make them the tile and granite company to ensure that your project is a reflection of you. The team at NCT&S supports The Living Room, Art Start and Sonoma County Museum, four high school booster clubs, SRJC Baseball and Wrestling team, Sonoma State University Baseball team and individual student athletes.

3854 Santa Rosa Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA 707.586.2064 l nctile.com

FACE OF MAKING REAL ESTATE DREAMS COME TRUE

CLIENTS OF MEGAN POMPONIO RAVE about her using descriptions such as “dedicated and professional,” “devoted to her clients’ needs,” and “a breath of fresh air.” As a native of Marin County, Megan has a great pulse on the market, as well as an extensive background in marketing and advertising. These qualities, along with her ability to truly listen to and understand her clients’ needs, has consistently placed Megan in the top 3% of Realtors in Marin County and a top producer in her brokerage. Making clients her #1 priority has helped her rise to the exclusive Marin Platinum Group — the Top 100 Agents in the county, Top Agent Network — Top 10% Marin Agents, and was

just ranked in the Top 1% nationwide by REAL Trends. Megan is not only highly qualified as a top agent, she’s also very down-to-earth and easy to relate to, which is imperative when representing a client. She is the mother of two daughters and her husband is a mortgage professional. Megan gives back to her community by donating part of her commission to Home for a Home. Using Megan as their compass, clients will discover that her energy, enthusiasm and commitment will help them find their true north.

901 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Kentfield CA 425.827.9229 I megansellsmarin.com

Pomponio, Compass Real Estate

FACE OF LEADERSHIP IN EDUCATION

Joe Harvey, Head of School at Mark Day School

A FIRST GENERATION COLLEGE GRADUATE, JOE HARVEY believes in the transformative power of education. He grew up on his grandparents’ farm in Illinois, surrounded by family who taught the value of hard work. After graduating from Harvard University and working as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs, Joe turned to a career in education, hoping to have the kind of impact that his teachers and coaches had on him. He taught at Deerfield Academy and taught and served as Academic Dean at Marin Academy before becoming the Head of Mark Day School in 2011.

He says, “I’m grateful to serve as a leader at Mark Day--the most innovative, vibrant, inclusive school I know. It’s a place where it’s cool to be smart, and every day I’m excited about how our inspired, confident, and kind graduates are changing the world.”Joe’s leadership in education extends beyond Mark Day. He serves as the Vice President of the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) Board and chairs the CAIS Elementary Board of Standards and CAIS Assessment Think Tank.

39 Trellis Drive, San Rafael, CA 415.472.8000 l markdayschool.org

FACE OF STUDENT-CENTERED EDUCATION

Bill Perrine, Head of School, Marin Horizon School

WHEN BILL JOINED MARIN HORIZON ONE YEAR AGO, one of his first tasks was to learn every student’s name. Being present and building connections are central to his philosophy of student-centered education, whether it’s between teachers and students, science and art, or Mill Valley and Marin City.

Looking for Bill? You’ll probably find him helping with lunch duty in the primary wing, practicing his part in the upcoming school play, tackling algebra problems with middle schoolers, or reading aloud to students at Horizon Community School—Marin Horizon’s partnership school in Marin City.

Says Bill, “Just like we spark curiosity in our students and teach them to embrace challenge, I hope to model these traits as we construct our newest building, thoughtfully integrate new technologies into curriculum, and evolve our signature outdoor education program in this coming year.” But before he tackles these priorities, he’ll start where he did on his first day—learning the names of every new student who comes through the front doors.

305 Montford Avenue, Mill Valley, CA 415.388.8408 l marinhorizon.org

FACES OF THE CURRENT!

Jenna Thomas and Stephanie Fimbres, Owners of The Current

HAVING WORKED IN MARIN COUNTY’S BEAUTY INDUSTRY FOR NEARLY A DECADE, Jenna and Stephanie are excited to introduce their premiere, state-of-the-art hair salon to Marin County.

The Current, located in downtown San Anselmo, will provide clients with color, cut and hair services tailored to each unique need. The ultimate goal of The Current, is to elevate the salon experience by creating an environment that feels high-end and professional, yet open and innovative. The Current will also strive for a more sustainable future for their industry through modern technology, environmentally friendly operations, and continued education.

Jenna and Stephanie are committed to remain on the cutting edge of salon industry trends so as to always “keep our clients current.” As a woman owned small business, they are excited to continue to serve this wonderful community!

The Current is under construction preparing for their grand opening in early August.

703 San Anselmo Ave, San Anselmo, CA 415.991.5790 l thecurrentmarin.com

FACES OF ORANGETHEORY FITNESS GREENBRAE

Gina Levesque (Head Coach), Mike Contreras, Rosalind Upson (Head Coach), Johnny Ramos (Studio Manager), Laurie Case, Marc Rochman (Owner), Noël Sabella, Sairus Graham-Thille Bueno, Hali Gilbert (not pictured)

OTF GREENBRAE-MARIN has been providing more life to its members since January 2016. We’re a science-backed, technology-tracked, coach-inspired group fitness studio, designed to produce results from the inside out, giving our members a longer, more vibrant life. Our studio was the first OTF in the North Bay and we offer over 60 classes per week. All classes are HIIT (high-intensity interval training) and utilize our proprietary OTbeat heart-rate monitors that allow you to view your results in real-time.

The best part of OTF Greenbrae-Marin? Our staff. Every single one of our coaches has gone through rigorous training and inspires

our members to push past their limits. Our motivational coaches specialize in form correction, providing alternative exercise options (if requested) and ensuring you don’t undertrain or overtrain.

OTF is suitable for all ages and fitness levels. Whether you’re a weekend warrior, elite Triathlete or someone who hasn’t worked out in years, you will see results.

At OTF Greenbrae-Marin, we change lives one row, run, rep at a time. 230 Bon Air Center, Greenbrae, CA 415.481.0876 I greenbraemarin.orangetheoryfitness.com

FACE OF LEGACY MARIN REAL ESTATE

Jennifer Bowman, Bowman Real Estate Group brokered by Vanguard Properties

SIMILAR TO PHYSICAL TRAITS AND TALENT, good real estate intuition is often hereditary. Such is the case with Jennifer Bowman, who was born at Marin General Hospital and raised in Ross valley. Given her mother’s legacy as a top-producing Marin real estate agent and her father’s successful career in architecture, it’s safe to say she was born to it. “I probably knew what a variance was before I could do long division,” Bowman often jokes. Prior to taking up the family line, she gained marketing and business expertise in the hospitality industry, which helps her put people at ease and close deals with style.

She’s been part of people’s real estate lives for generations with clients whose parents were her mother’s clients and who’s children she’s representing. She’s been immersed in real estate in some capacity for over 40 years and knows Marin’s micro-trends and emerging possibilities.

415.755.1040 office l 415.717.8950 cell BowmanRealEstateGroup.com BowmanGroup@VanguardMarin.com

FACE OF DERMATOLOGY AND COSMETIC SURGERY

David A. Laub, M.D.

LAUB DERMATOLOGY & AESTHETICS located in Mill Valley, has been serving the North Bay for over 25 years. David A. Laub, M.D. is a Harvard trained, Board Certified Dermatologist specializing in medical, surgical and aesthetic dermatology.

Dr. Laub’s expertise is based on extensive training, experience artistry and attention to detail. Asked why he became a dermatologist, his response was simple. “Having skin issues personally, I can understand and relate to my patients”. His compassion is what drives his practice today: “We want everyone who comes to our office to feel comfortable

and cared for. I feel fortunate to be a dermatologist and love what I do. A recognized leader in his field, he is an expert in pigmentation, rosacea, psoriasis, and skin cancer. He utilizes his artistic eye to treat signs of aging and sun damage with aesthetic treatments.

Laub Dermatology & Aesthetics provides excellence in dermatological care for all ages. Dr. Laub and his entire staff look forward to assisting you with all of your skin care needs.

591 Redwood Highway, Suite 2210, Mill Valley, CA 415.381.6661 l laubdermatology.com

OF PURITY

OUR PASSION IS DESIGNING BEAUTIFUL, SUSTAINABLE HOMES. With over 20 years experience designing residences of all types in California, and an exceptional design aesthetic developed over years of hard work and study, we have what it takes to design your dream home. There is no feeling in the world like waking up in a beautiful space every morning, knowing it is your own. Own it.

Don’t spend a lot of money on design until you know what, and who you are working with!

Contact us for a low cost project feasibility assessment. Simply beautiful is a pure choice.

438A Sausalito Blvd, Sausalito, CA 415.944.5480 l purityhomedesign.com

Destinations

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

FAMILY ADVENTURE

Keep the summer fun going at one of these exciting locations for a family getaway.

BY BROOKE M C DONALD, KASIA PAWLOWSKA AND MIMI TOWLE

Aulani, Oahu

Monarch Beach Resort, Dana Point

The biggest challenge of planning family travel is accommodating everyone’s varied agendas, but there are places that truly have something for everyone. If you’re looking to savor the famed Orange County coastal lifestyle — and who isn’t — there’s no better setting than the Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point. A former St. Regis property, the resort reopened in 2016 after a $40 million renovation that added a range of family-friendly features, from art projects on-site to fire pit s’mores on a private beach. Budding young marine biologists will like the Sand Crab Beach Club, where instructors teach kids about the Pacific and build ocean awareness through tide pool walks, scavenger hunts, bodyboard lessons and sandcastle making. Other resort perks: a family pool with a graduated entry, family movie nights and even family tee times.

Highlights This AAA Five-Diamond luxury resort features six ocean-view restaurants, including Marin favorite Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak Orange County. Named the number-one restaurant in the county by the Orange County Register, it features Mina’s butter-poached and dry-aged steaks as well as tableside-grilled Tomahawk rib eye and a roaming martini cart. monarchbeachresort.com

La Quinta Resort, Palm Springs

Planning a trip with a few families or a family reunion? The area’s special combo of luxury and natural beauty has made the La Quinta Resort in Palm Springs a popular destination for Bay Area families since its opening back in 1926. Fun fact: wealthy San Franciscan Walter H. Morgan devel oped the property as a retreat for Hollywood stars. Today the property has expanded from the original 20 units to over 650 whitewashed adobe casitas with cozy fireplaces dotted around private pools. In all there are 41 perfectly heated (or chilled) pools and 53 hot spas throughout the 45 acres. Guests can also enjoy 21 tennis courts, eight pickleball courts, eight boutiques, seven restaurants and five championship golf courses, including the worldrenowned Stadium Course at PGA West.

Highlights During the holidays, in honor of the movie It’s a Wonderful Life, directed and co-written by frequent resort guest Frank Capra, the grounds are transformed into the quaint town of Bedford Falls. Other holiday-inspired fun includes roast ing chestnuts, yuletide cocktails and a fully festive tree-lighting on November 24. laquintaresort.com

Four Seasons Hualalai, Hawaii Island

This 800-acre property has had deep Marin ties since opening in 1996. Not only is the hotel a popular choice for family travel, but it has become a popular second-home destination for many Marinites. You’ll find seven pools, including a family-friendly sand beach and a fishpond carved out of lava rock, ideal for snorkeling with young swimmers. The extensive fitness and spa center includes a rock wall, popular with little and big kids alike. This is the only property on the island with a cultural center, which features an After Dark experience for kids, with interactive games, Hawaiian storytelling, movies and campfire s’mores.

Highlights In a new salt harvesting program, a chef leads a culturally informative short group hike to nearby lava fields, where you harvest sea salt and learn about the role and uses of this crucial mineral in Hawaiian history — including food preservation, cooking, medicine and more. The chef also leads a cooking class incorporating salt in everything from appetizers to sweets. And in the spa, adults will appreciate the sea salt’s role in a treatment designed to detox the body, balance energy and maintain well-being. fourseasons.com/hualalai

Disneyland/California Adventure, Anaheim

The Force just got stronger in SoCal with the opening of Disneyland’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. If piloting the Millennium Falcon, rubbing shoulders with the Resistance and building your own lightsaber sound like family fun, book a room at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. Aside from being one of Disney’s most impressive resorts, the Grand’s other big selling point is location, location, location: hotel guests get their own security checkpoints and easy entry into both Disney California Adventure (DCA) and Downtown Disney. Start your day with a character breakfast at Storytellers Cafe, then hit the parks using Disneyland’s MaxPass system ($15/day) to maximize your time. When hunger strikes on Batuu, the Outer Rim planet home of Galaxy’s Edge, head to Ronto Roasters for a Ronto Wrap, grilled pork sausage and roasted pork in a pita with peppercorn sauce and tangy slaw, and wash it down with some Blue Milk from the Milk Stand. Back at the hotel, decompress at Mandara Spa before dinner at award-winning Napa Rose.

Highlights Oga’s Cantina, reminiscent of the iconic Mos Eisley watering hole from Star Wars: A New Hope , is the first place in Disneyland Park to serve alcohol. Try inventive cocktails like the Jedi Mind Trick and Fuzzy Tauntaun. Over at DCA, newer can’t-miss attractions include Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission Breakout! and the Incredicoaster, and Lamplight Lounge serves up inspired gastropub fare in an uber-cool open-air space on Pixar Pier. disneyland.disney.go.com

5Aulani, Oahu

Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, overlooking Ko Olina’s breathtaking beach front cove on the coast of Oahu, employs Disney’s signature attention to detail to create an immersive and distinctly Hawaiian experience in a family-and-kid-friendly retreat. Spot the native animals carved into the volcanic-rock-themed Waikolohe Valley pool area, an intricate network with waterslides, children’s splash areas and a private snorkeling lagoon teeming with local tropical fish. Learn to speak Hawaiian over cocktails and light bites at The ‘Olelo Room, join Mickey and pals for breakfast or dinner at Makahiki, and watch the sun set over the cove at beachfront ‘Ama ‘Ama, where the views are rivaled by succulent center-cut king crab legs and truffle macaroni and cheese. (If you’re smart, you’ll come back in the morning for the butter milk pancakes with macadamia nut–Tahitian vanilla sauce.)

Highlights Parents, ready for some grown-up time? Head to Aunty’s Beach House, a secure, sprawling (and free) kids’ club where you can drop off the little ones from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. while you sneak away to relax at the Laniwai Spa or take a dip in one of several adults-only pools. Round out your family’s immersion at Ka W’aa, Aulani’s luau, where kids will enjoy learning to play the ukulele, getting a “tattoo” and stringing their own floral bracelets before feasting on roast pig and watching a lively show celebrating Hawaiian history and culture (with a side of Mickey and Minnie, of course). disneyaulani.com

THEATER

THRU AUGUST 11

Crimes of the Heart

The Pulitzer Prize–winning play by Beth Henley depicts the quirky MaGrath sisters’ return in 1974 to their home in Hazelhurst, Mississippi, and all its tragicomic angst. Ross Valley Players (Ross).

415.456.9555, ross valleyplayers.com

THRU SEPT 8 Treasure

Island Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic gets a decidedly S.F. twist and plenty of double entendres from the San Francisco Mime Troupe. In this rendi tion, an old sea dog of a developer drops into the city planning office

Calendar

seeking to plunder the city’s riches. Dolores Park (SF). sfmt.org

AUG 1-25 Monty Python’s Spamalot Celebrating its 30th anniversary season in the open air, Marin Shakespeare lovingly skewers everything Camelot in this musi cal production with spoofy lyrics, an

irreverent search for a shrub, and loads of men in tights, natu rally. Forest Meadows Amphitheatre (San Rafael) 415.499.4488 marinshakespeare.org

AUG 8–17 Into the Woods Stephen Sondheim’s musical is fi lled with witches, giants, magic beans and storybook characters.

A.C.T. Strand Theater (SF). 415.834.3200, act-sf.org

AUG 9–10 A Star Is Born A cast of Broadway and cabaret’s top tal ents — Kelli Rabke, Carole J. Bu fford, Scott Coulter and John Boswell — revives iconic musical moments from the 1954, 1976 and 2018 fi lm versions. Feinstein’s at the Nikko (SF). 866.663.1063, feinsteinssf.com

AUG 9–25 Those Dancin’ Feet Be dazzled by a dance montage in Transcendence Theatre Company’s continuing 2019 Broadway Under the Stars season, then get up and dance your self. Jack London State Historic Park (Glen Ellen). 877.424.1414, bestnightever.org

AUG 13–18 The Play That Goes Wrong In the hilarious Tony-winning Broadway comedy, the Cornley University Drama Society attempts to perform a 1920s

murder mystery, but the accident-prone actors struggle to their fi nal curtain call. Golden Gate Theatre (SF) 888.746.1799, shnsf.com

DANCE

AUG 2–3 ODC Dance Summer Sampler

The San Francisco dance company performs new and favorite works includ ing Way with Words, Waving Not Drowning, and Unintended Consequences, the latter with music by Laurie Anderson. ODC Theater (SF). 415.863.9834, odc.dance

AUG 3 Marin Dance Theatre’s Summerfest

Participants perform pieces they have worked on during Marin Dance Theatre’s sum mer intensive. Marin Center (San Rafael). 415.473.6400, marincenter.org

THEATER

COMEDY

MUSIC

/ EVENTS / FILM / TALKS EDITED BY CHRISTINA MUELLER

COMEDY

AUG 18 Great American Sh*t Show An eve ning of laughing and thinking with Brian Copeland and Charlie Varon as they explore life in the age of Trump. Marin Center (San Rafael). 415.473.6800, marincenter.org

MUSIC

AUG 1–6 If I Were You The fi rst-ever commissioned work in the Merola Opera Program’s 62-year his tory is a contemporary story of identity loosely based on the novel Si j’étais vous by FrenchAmerican author Julien Green, complete with aspiring writers, a shape-shifting devil, supernatural powers and displaced souls. Herbst Theatre (SF). 415.864.3330, merola.org

AUG 3 Pacific Mambo Orchestra The 27th annual Marin Summer Nights Outdoor Music Series continues with this 19-piece Latin big band playing salsa, mambo, Latin jazz and a fusion of sounds that will get everyone mov ing. Kanbar Center for the Arts (San Rafael). 415.444.8000, marinjcc.org

AUG 4 Michael McDonald and Chaka Khan With a com bined haul of over 15 Grammys, this remark able double bill is sure to be a vocal show to remember. Green Music Center (Rohnert Park). 707.664.4246, gmc.sonoma.edu

AUG 4 The Psychedelic Furs The post-punk icons take the stage in this annual outdoor free

concert series, paired with fellow Brit rock ers James. Stern Grove (SF). 415.252.6252, sterngrove.org

AUG 8–11 Preservation Hall Jazz Band This New Orleans institution defi nes Crescent City music and soulful NOLA jazz. Miner Auditorium (SF). 866.920.5299, sfjazz.org

AUG 11 Charlie Hunter and Lucy Woodward HopMonk Tavern’s Cookout Concert Series continues its sixth sea son with live music and food in the outdoor beer garden, including a blast of blues, soul and funk from this guitar and vocals duo (Novato). 415.892.6200, hopmonk.com

AUG 15 Lee Brice The country music sen sation presents his 21st-century sound in a raucous live show featuring his self-titled album. Luther Burbank Center (Santa Rosa). 707.546.3600, luther burbankcenter.org

AUG 20–21 The Wood Brothers Adapting blues, folk and other genres into their own evocative sound, these siblings present vocal intertwinings that could be called highlonesome harmony. Terrapin Crossroads (San Rafael). 415.524.2773, terrapincrossroads.net

AUG 23 Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives The fivetime Grammy winner and Grand Ole Opry star salutes American roots music. Sweetwater Music Hall (Mill Valley).

415.388.3850, sweet watermusichall.com

Yvonne Cagle

The astronaut returns to Novato to celebrate Apollo 11.

A member of NASA’s Astronaut Group 16, Yvonne Cagle was previously a graduate of Novato High with an abiding interest in astronomy. She became an Air Force colonel and a physician certified in aerospace medicine before training as an astronaut and now works with NASA on issues faced by astronauts during their long stays in space. Cagle returns to Novato on August 4 for the Novato Space Festival, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. thenovatospacefestival.org

BY CHRISTINA MUELLER

What made you want to become an astronaut? Watching the Apollo 11 moon landing awakened my interest in space. When I was about 13 years old, my first interest was in astronomy. I was given a school assignment to interview someone interesting, so I chose an astronomy professor and was fascinated by his work.

What is special about the Space Festival? The Space Station Museum’s Novato Space Festival brings in space and science exhibitors from all over the Bay Area and the U.S., including NASA. I am there every year and am amazed by all the enthusiasm of the community and participants.

Do you think the U.S. should go back to the moon or focus on Mars? We plan to go to Mars … by being prepared. To be well prepared for the new horizon of manned interplanetary exploration, NASA will retrace its steps to the closest replica of the red planet humanity has access to, our own moon. So we’re going back to the moon in 2024.

How were you inspired by Katherine Johnson, whom you escorted onto the stage of the 89th Academy Awards for Hidden Figures? What makes Katherine so extraordinary is she not only prevailed while segregation failed but has continued to perse vere and thrive with the gracious poise and clarity that defy mere words of explanation, let alone definition.

AUG 24 Yolanda del Rio, Beatriz Adriana and Beatriz Solis The queens of ranchera music return, perform ing with their own mariachi groups. Luther Burbank Center for the Arts (Santa Rosa). 707.546.3600, luther burbankcenter.org

MUSEUMS

MARIN

Bay Area Discovery Museum Dinosaurs: Land of Fire and Ice Explore the land of fires volcano and squishy forest floor and the land of ice’s chilly slide and cave before digging for fossils in the field research station, through September 2 (Sausalito). 415.339.3900, bayareadiscovery museum.org

Bolinas Museum

Meghann Riepenhoff: Nearshore Generated at the water’s edge, these blue-tinged photographic works dynamically capture the environment in which they were made, through August 11 (Bolinas). 415.868.0330, bolinasmuseum.org

Marin Museum of Contemporary Art Artists of Marin MOCA

The over 160 artist members put on a show, August 10–September 15 (Novato). 415.506.0137, marinmoca.org

The Space Station Museum This storefront museum houses one of the largest private collections of U.S., Russian and Soviet space artifacts, including full-size replicas of a lunar module and lunar rover (Novato). 415.524.3940, thespacestationca.org

BAY AREA Asian Art Museum

Tanabe Chikuunsai IV: Connection The fourthgeneration Japanese bamboo artist created this immersive, sitespecific intallation from tiger bamboo grown in Kochi prefecture, through August 25 (SF). 415.581.3711, asianart.org

Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive

No Horizon: Helen Mirra and Sean Thackrey

A new series by two Marin residents who are also and Zen Buddhist practitioners, through August 25; The San Quentin Project: Nigel Poor and the Men of San Quentin State Prison presents a collection of visual documents and archival photographs created by a volunteer professor for the Prison University Project in collaboration with incarcerated men, opens August 21 (Berkeley). 510.642.0808, bampfa.org

California Academy of Sciences Passport to the Universe This new movie gives viewers an astronaut’s-eye view of our little corner of space, including new visualiza tions of the Orion Nebula derived from the Hubble Space Telescope (SF). 415.379.8000, calacademy.org

Chabot Space & Science Center Luminous Moon, a photographic exhibition presented in partnership with NASA’s Ames Research Center, features the work of Conrad Jung and invites viewers to consider the moon in new ways, through Sept 8. chabotspace.org

Charles M. Schulz Museum Peanuts Goes to Camp Relive summer

adventures along with the gang, including the joys of sleeping in a tent, through November 18 (Santa Rosa). 707.579.4452, schulzmuseum.org

Contemporary Jewish Museum Annabeth Rosen: Fired, Broken, Gathered, Heaped The firt major museum survey of the work of Davis-based sculptor Annabeth Rosen, a pio neer in contemporary ceramics whose works are often described as theatrical, through January 19, 2020 (SF). 415.655.7800, thecjm.org

de Young Ed Hardy: Deeper Than Skin The renowned tat too artist gets his firt museum retrospec tive, through October 6 (SF). 415.750.3600, deyoung.famsf.org

di Rosa Viola Frey: Center Stage Known for her larger-than-life figuratie ceramic sculp tures, the Bay Area artist had a career spanning fie decades and worked in a range of media, through December 29 (Napa). 707.226.5991, dirosaart.org

Exploratorium After Dark: Bottom of the 9th Delve into the sci ence and arcana of America’s pastime. Why is a ball stitched? How do bat materials shape the game? How does a pitcher throw a curve ball? (SF). 415.397.5673, exploratorium.edu

Legion of Honor Strange Days: Dada, Surrealism and the Book A look at a movement launched in 1916 by poets and artists to skewer the societal norms deemed respon sible for the horrors of World War I, through November 10 (SF).

415.750.3600, legionof honor.famsf.org

Museum of the African Diaspora Coffee, Rhum, Sugar & Gold: A Postcolonial Paradox The legacy of European colonialism in the Caribbean is explored through the works of 10 contemporary artists, including Andrea Chung, Angel Otero and Didier William, through August 11 (SF). 415.358.7200, moadsf.org

Museum of Craft and Design Dead Nuts: A Search for the Ultimate Machined Object What started as a question on an online forum — What is the ultimate machine object/mechanism? — evolved into a crowd sourced list of favorites that inspire these mak ers, through December 1 (SF). 415.773.0303, sfmcd.org

Oakland Museum of California Pushing West: The Photography of Andrew J. Russell Commissioned to document the Transcontinental Railroad’s western expansion completed in 1869, Russell’s photog raphy shows the major impacts of the techno logical marvel on the land and native peoples, through September 1 (Oakland). 510.318.8400, museumca.org

San Francisco Art Institute More Than 700 Years: SFAI Faculty Exhibition An amal gam showing the years invested by each partici pating faculty member in the studio and in the classroom, this exhibit spans campuses at Fort Mason Center and Chestnut Street (SF). 415.771.7020, sfai.edu

SFMOMA Far Out: Suits, Habs and Labs for Outer Space Organized by SFMOMA’s Architecture and Design department, this exhibit examines how both applied and theoretical design can advance new models for life beyond Earth, with real and conceptual ideas for space suits, habitats and laboratories and a selec tion of films and visua art, through January 20, 2020 (SF). 415.357.4000, sfmoma.org

Sonoma Valley Museum of Art Famous for portraits of wildlife, pho tographer Nick Brandt presents panoramic landscapes showing the impact of humans in East African places, through September 8 (Sonoma). 707.939.7862, svma.org

The Walt Disney Family Museum Mickey Mouse: From Walt to the World Celebrate Disney’s most beloved and recogniz able character, through January 6, 2020 (SF). 415.345.6800, waltdisney.org

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Leading-edge contemporary art and cultural programs that support societal move ment are the emphasis of this cultural institu tion (SF). 415.978.2787, ybca.org

EVENTS

AUG 3 Petaluma Music Festival Proceeds from this annual event, which includes sets from Marin favor ite Blame Sally, Hot Buttered Rum, The

Mother Hips, Alo, and the David Nelson Band, provide funding for Petaluma’s public-school music programs. SonomaMarin Fairgrounds (Petaluma). petaluma musicfestival.org

AUG 5 Alice Waters at Greens Restaurant

In honor of the storied restaurant’s 40th anniversary, six acclaimed Bay Area chefs each design a vegetarian four-course prix fi xe meal inspired by Greens menus from the last four decades. This month, the famed founder of Chez Panisse takes over the stove. Greens (SF). 415.771.6222, greens restaurant.com

AUG 11 Outdoor Antique French Market

Enjoy French music by Michel Michelis and made-to-order crepes amid booths full of vintage clothing, retro and antique furniture, art and garden decor. Marin Center (San Rafael). 415.383.2252, thefrenchmarket marin.com

AUG 15 Thirsty Third Thursdays An evening to benefit WildCare includes craft beer tasting from East Brother Beer Company, live bluegrass and kidfriendly beverages and activities, plu s fi re pits, shaded Adirondack chairs and a bocce court. Bon Air Center (Greenbrae). bonair.com

AUG 18 Wounded Veterans Polo Benefit Supporting wounded veterans in the Bay Area, this event combines fast-paced polo matches with a gourmet lunch, wine tasting, a performance by the California Cowgirls Rodeo Drill Team and a ladies’ hat contest. Wine Country Polo Club (Santa Rosa). polobenefi.org

AUG 31 Taste of Sonoma A signature event showcasing the region’s wines, vintners, winegrowers and chefs with live music and themed lounges. Weill Hall (Rohnert Park). 707.664.4246 gmc.sonoma.edu

AUG 31–SEPT 2 67th Sausalito Art Festival With over 19 bands,

including Blues Traveler and Blood, Sweat & Tears, plus countless artists from 41 states and 12 countries, this weekend-long party brings art, music and food to the waterfront. 415.332.3555, sausalitoartfestival.org

FILM

AUG 1 Grateful Dead Meet-up at the Movies

Deadheads around the world unite to watch footage of the jam band’s performances, this one from the previously unreleased complete June 17, 1991, concert at Giants Stadiu m i n New Jersey. Rafael Film Center (San Rafael). 415.454.1222, rafael fi lm.ca fi lm.org

Daria Martin: Tonight the World has been commissioned by Barbican, London and co-commissioned by The Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco. The exhibition is curated by Heidi Rabben, Senior Curator, The Contemporary Jewish Museum.

Lead sponsorship is generously provided by Maribelle and Stephen Leavitt, Michael Steinberg, Suzanne and Elliott Felson, Dorothy R. Saxe, Lisa Stone Pritzker, John Pritzker, Ron and Barbara Kaufman, Phyllis Moldaw, Roselyne C. Swig, Adrienne Bavar and Marc Wolfe, the Taube Foundation for Jewish Life & Culture, Joyce B. Linker, Kendra and Tom Kasten, Lara and Antony Ritch, Marilyn and Murry Waldman, Judith and Robert Aptekar, Dana A. Corvin and Harris Weinberg, Nellie and Max Levchin, David Saxe, Jennifer and Tony Smorgon, Ruth Stein, Alexandra O. Moses, and Emily and Stephen Mendel. Additional support is provided by Shelli Semler and Kyle Bach; the South Moravian Film Endowment Fund, Czech Republic; Masaryk University, Brno; and St. John’s College, University of Oxford.

Daria Martin, Tonight the World, 2019. Live action lm, anamorphic 16mm lm transferred to HD, 13.5 minutes. © Daria Martin, courtesy Maureen Paley, London.

What’s Hot

Eat & Drink

Mill Valley Meals

From the next generation heading up Piazza D’Angelo to a new chef at Mill Valley Beerworks, there’s always something going on in Mill Valley’s culinary scene. But this summer seems to be searin’ hot.

Here are three foodie happenings just off the main square.

BY KASIA PAWLOWSKA

BOOTJACK WOOD FIRED

Sometimes it takes a few tries, but things end up like they were meant to. Take Bootjack Wood Fired. Ged Robertson, who previously owned crowd favorite Small Shed Flatbreads in the same space, and Kyle Swain, who cooked in its Molina incarnation, have teamed up for this new endeavor with a warm, friendly menu they dub “family to table.” While pizza and the famed Alan Scott oven are still the heart of the operation, you can expect different Italianinspired and Northern California produce–centric choices, along with macaroni and cheese, wood-fired half-roasted chicken, beef meatballs and pork ribs. bootjackwoodfired.com

GRAVITY TAVERN

Mill Valley residents Lara and Gar Truppelli, who’ve taken over the former Balboa Cafe location, are hardly new to the restaurant game: they run the Park Chalet and Beach Chalet in San Francisco and Lake Chalet in Oakland. Gravity Tavern is a family affair, with their kids on staff, while executive chef Michael Baker’s menu evokes both early 1900s elegance and modern-day comfort — think lamb T-bone chops alongside roasted bone marrow brûlée — and a nifty Liquor Locker program lets you purchase a bottled house-created cocktail or in-house barrel-aged whiskey in advance so it’s tagged and ready when you arrive. gravitytavern.com

WATERSHED

Chef Kyle Swain and Mill Valley restaurateur Ged Robertson are also bringing their talents to the Mill Valley Lumber Yard. Swain, an alum of San Francisco’s Jardinière and Saison, continues his focus on locally grown and sustainable fare with a menu including Green Gulch produce and proteins from nearby ranches, fisheries and farms. Lamb ribs, cod ceviche, flank steak and octopus skewers are among the options. A large bar with ample seating, wine on tap and curated beers is sure to be popular, though you’ll also find tables for group dining throughout the airy, rustic space. Stay tuned for an expanded menu, including items that can be enjoyed outside in the courtyard space. watershedmv.com

IN THE BAY AREA EDITED BY CHRISTINA MUELLER

Gravity Tavern

Bootjack Wood Fired

Watershed

CORTE MADERA

BOCA PIZZERIA Italian

The Italian-inspired pizzeria utilizes Northern California’s bounty of seasonal ingredients and showcases local microbreweries and wine country’s boutique varietals. The menu includes appetizers, sal ads of organic produce when available, pastas, local free-range poultry and meats, desserts and Neapolitan-style pizzas with house-made mozzarella. Wine half off n Mondays. 1544 Redwood Highway, 415.924.3021, bocapizzeria.com

s $$ Í C LD º

BURMATOWN Asian

The small home-style Asian fusion restaurant offers fresh, light meals like tea leaf salad and basil shrimp stir-fry, as well as curries, coconut rice and chili-garlic green beans. Extra heat optional. Prepare for a short wait if dining in, or order for takeout. 60 Corte Madera Ave, 415.945.9096, burmatown.com

b $$ S D

PIG IN A PICKLE

American Fresh and locally sourced brisket, pork, ribs and chicken get star billing at this Town Center eatery. Sauces are crafted to represent various American barbecue regions, including Memphis and South Carolina. House-made pickles, buns and sausages will keep you coming back. 341 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.891.3265, piginapicklebbq.com

b $$ S Í BLD

THE COUNTER

California Create your own salads and burgers

using all-natural proteins including Angus beef, turkey, chicken, mahimahi, bison or the latest addition, the Impossible Burger. Gluten-free options and a vegan veggie burger are also available. The restaurant has patio seating, a kick-back vibe and a popular happy hour. Give the spiked milkshake a try. 201 Corte Madera Town Center, 415.924.7000, thecounterburger.com

s $$ S Í LD º

FAIRFAX

GRILLY’S Mexican

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

$ S Í C BLD

IRON SPRINGS PUB & BREWERY American

Pair your pick from the extensive beer list with an ale-braised barbe cue pork sandwich, shrimp tacos or the house-ground-chicken bacon cheeseburger. 765 Center Blvd, 415.485.1005, ironspringspub.com

b $$ S Í C LD º

MAS MASA Mexican

Chef and owner Patrick Sheehy focuses on the ancient technique of corn nixtamalization, using organic, non-GMO blue corn to make its handmade tortillas. The beer and wine lists highlight local California microbreweries and wineries. 31 Bolinas Road, 415.529.5444, eatmasmasa.com

s $$ S Í LD

in the Kent field eatery, and has partnered with well-known mixologist Dustin Sullivan to open this 110-seat space. Look for menu classics such as mini lobster rolls or kurobuta pork chops with crispy pota toes. 850 College Ave, 415.419.5101, guest housemarin.com

s $$$ D

LARKSPUR

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

Marin Country Mart, 2233 Larkspur Landing Circle, 415.755.6700, farmshopca.com

s $$$ S Í C LD BR

TAMAL Mexican The regional cuisine here highlights coastal regions of Oaxaca and the Yucatán Peninsula. Dine inside or on the patio and enjoy craft Mexican cocktails or some of the Bay Area’s best craft beer. 23 Broadway, 415.524.8478, tamalfairfax.com

s $$$ LD

VILLAGE SAKE

Japanese Lucky for Fairfax, beloved former Sushi Ran chef Scott Whitman has opened an izakaya, a Japanesestyle community pub, on Bolinas Road. In the compact space, you’ll fi nd sushi and skewers, salads and small plates, plus great sake and craft beers. The daily wait list opens online at 5 p.m. 19 Bolinas Road, 415.521.5790, villagesake.com

b $$$ Í D

Ave, 415.927.1877, perryssf.com

s $$$ Í LD BR º

ROMA SF Italian Ovalshaped pizza, fried rice balls, burrata with artichoke hearts, and pasta with fresh pear and Gorgonzola are just a few of the dishes that reflect the regional Roman ingredients and style of this sister restaurant to the San Francisco original. In Marin, look for fresh seafood pastas on the day’s specials menu, too. 286 Magnolia Ave, 415.896.4002, romasf.com

b $$ LD

RUSTIC BAKERY

available alongside wood-fi red meats like a half-chicken or pork ribs. 17 Madrona St, 415.383.4200, pizzamolina.com

b $$ S B

BUCKEYE

ROADHOUSE American Oysters Bingo, baby back ribs and ChiliLime “Brick” Chicken are a few of the satisfying comfort-food menu items that have made this classic roadhouse a favorite since the ’30s. The warm dark-wood bar with red leather booths is a popular spot for cocktails, conversa tions or a light meal.

WAY STATION

American Barbecue from a food truck trailer embedded into the wall is the main attraction at this mechanic’s shop turned eatery, where tall sliding windows frame washed concrete floors that lead to a craft beer garden with fi re pit. The ’cue gets all the love here, but salads, fl atbread pizzas, and a wide selection of tapped and bottled beers plus wines round out the menu. 2001

Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.300.3099, waystationmarin.com

b $ S Í LD

GREENBRAE

GOTT’S ROADSIDE

American The restaurant’s fi rst Marin outpost features the signature Californiainspired dishes Gott’s is renowned for as well as a roll-up garage door that brings the outside

in when weather per mits and a 30-foot-long pine table for community-style eating. 302 Bon Air Center, 415.785.4233, gotts.com

b $$ S Í BLD

VICTORIA BAKERY & CAFE Italian The famed Italian pastry place now offers elder flower cake, the same kind served at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding, as well as savory lunch options like paninis, open-face spinach croissants and quiches.

292 Bon Air Shopping Center, 415.461.3099, victoriabakery marin.com

$$ Í BL

KENTFIELD

GUESTHOUSE

American Jared Rogers, the former executive chef of Picco has returned with Guesthouse. Rogers is heading up the kitchen

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

b $$ S Í LD º

PERRY’S American Perry’s on Magnolia has the quintesssentially American fare, bustling bar and warm personality the San Fancisco original has always been famous for. Along with three separate dining rooms in a historic building, there’ss outdoor dining on the patio and in the redwood grove. Lunch and dinner daily, brunch on weekends and holidays; valet parking in the evenings. 234 Magnolia

California The home grown bakery is known and loved the world over: Pope Francis famously requested Rustic Baker y fl atbread and crostini when he visited the U.S. in 2015. Organic bread, croissants and pastries baked fresh each morning and salads, sandwiches, and soups for lunch make Rustic a local staple. 1139 Magnolia Ave, 415.925.1556; Marin Country Mart, 2017 Larkspur Landing Circle, 415.461.9900, rusticbakery.com

b $$ S Í BLD BR

MILL VALLEY

BOOTJACK WOOD FIRED California Re-branded to more accurately reflect the expanded, ingredientdriven menu from chef Kyle Swain, the former Pizza Molina still serves its renowned pizza s fi red in the old Alan Scott oven. A fresh menu of salads such as a red beet salad and a kidfriendly white cheddar mac ’n’ cheese are now

15 Shoreline Highway, 415.331.2600, buck eyeroadhouse.com

s $$ C LD BR

BUNGALOW 44 American One of Mill Valley’s neighborhood hot spots, featuring contempo rary California comfort food, signature cock tails, fi ne wine, and one-dollar oysters from 5 to 6 p.m. every day.

44 E Blithedale Ave, 415.381.2500, bungalow44.com

s $$$ S Í C D

CAFE DEL SOUL California Healthy options become addictive at this eatery that now has locations in both Tam Valley and San Rafael. Once you stop in for the deliciously fresh quinoa wrap, you’ll want to return to try the chipotle rice bowl. A casual lunch spot and great for takeout, Cafe del Soul also serves smoothies and pressed juices. 247 Shoreline Highway, 415.388.1852, cafedelsoul.net

$ S Í LD

Cerviche at Fish, Sausalito

Out & About / DINE

GRAVITY TAVERN

American Updated with ingredients to reflect modern tastes, American classics like grilled chicken Waldorf salad with pickled grapes, lobster roll with toasted challah and veggie slaw, and a land and sea pasta with house made egg pasta, pork belly and crab may have also been familiar fare for passengers of the gravity car for which this saloon was named. 38 Miller Ave, 415.888.2108, gravity tavern.com

s $$$ Í LD

GRILLY’S Mexican

If you’re looking for a quick, fresh meal, Grilly’s is an easy and delicious stop. Pick up a couple burritos and the much-loved chicken taco salad and you have a lunch or dinner to please the whole family. 493 Miller Ave, 415.381.3278, grillys.com

b $ S Í C BLD BR

HARMONY Chinese

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

b $$ S LD

MILL VALLEY BEERWORKS American Known for handcrafted beers, imported and local microbrews and house-made kombucha and root beer, this popular downtown

Mill Valley neighborhood brewery is also a full-blown restaurant. Choose from a large selection of small plates, including king oyster mushrooms, roasted potatoes and grilled squid, and a small list of large portions like con fit rabbit.

173 Throckmorton Ave, 415.888.8218, mill valleybeerworks.com

b $$$ Í D BR

PIAZZA D’ANGELO

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

s $$ S Í C LD BR º

PLAYA Mexican Drawing inspiration from travels and the fresh , fl avorful cuisine served on the playa, Peter Schumacher and Bill and Vanessa Higgins have developed a menu that blends locally sourced, organic and sustainable ingredients with a bar highlighting a selection of exceptional tequilas and mezcals.

41 Throckmorton Ave, 415.384.8871, playamv.com

s $$ Í D

PRABH INDIAN KITCHEN Indian Owned and operated by the Dhindsa family, this restaurant emphasizes healthy, organic,sustainable eating in choices like chicken pakora, vegetable biryani and basil garlic naan foods, with options for the vegan and gluten-free. At

lunch, the thali menu lets you try several Indian dishes at once. 24 Sunnyside Ave, 415.384.8241, prabhindian kitchen.com

b $$ S Í LD

SOL FOOD Puerto Rican

This Marin favorite has opened in Mill Valley, still serving up everyone’s favorite Puerto Rican cuisine. The line can get long, but the food is well worth it. 401 Miller Ave, 415.380.1986, solfood restaurant.com

$$ S BLD

THE WHISK + SKILLET

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

b $$ BL

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

s $$ S Í LD

WATERSHED California

Gather round the fi repit in front of the restaurant or hang out at the long bar for a pre-dinner glass of wine before sampling one of the many dishes curated to reflect the bounty of Marin. The Stemple Creek Ranch burger and fresh pastas are matched with a bevy of simply prepared,

easy to share dishes (like spicy rock cod lettuce cups or lamb riblets) that reflect chef Kyle Swain’s careful sourcing and focus on loca l fl avor. 129 Miller Ave, 415.888.2406, watershedmv.com

b $$$ LD

NOVATO

BESO BISTRO AND WINE BAR California

This Hamiton Field bistro highlights locally sourced organic produce, fresh sustainable seafood, and pastureraised and free-range meat. Wine lovers can embrace their inner Dionysus — Beso offers more than 20 selections by the glass and more than 50 by the bottle.

502 S Palm Drive, besobistro.com

b $$ Í LD

RUSTIC BAKERY

California Organic pastries, breads, salads and sandwiches are on the menu here, including daily seasonal specials.

Try the Marin Melt — Cowgirl Creamery’s Mt. Tam and Point Reyes Toma cheeses grilled on honey whole wheat, served with dressed baby greens and crisp apple slices. 1407 Grant Ave, 415.878.4952, rusticbakery.com

b $$ S Í BLD BR

SAN ANSELMO

CREEKSIDE PIZZA & TAP ROOM American

Under the direc tion of chef Janet Abrahamson, Creekside serves American-style artisan pizza (vegan and gluten-free options available) and organic salads, along with an extensive selection of craft beer on tap and Northern California

wines. There’s a daily happy hour, a big-screen TV and a banquet room available by reservation. 638 San Anselmo Ave, 415.785.4450, creeksidesa.com

b $$ S C D º

CUCINA SA Italian

Cucina SA recently ren ovated and expanded its space to include a full bar that seats 30 with an upstairs mezzanine area that will eventually become a lounge.

Along with two dining rooms, a private dining option and outdoor tables on the adjacent bridge, the restaurant is a solid bet for casual after-work drinks or hosting large parties. The menu has woodfi red pizzas, homemade pastas, modern takes on Italian classics and lots of vegetarian,

gluten-free options and now a full bar.

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

s $$ S Í LD º

PIZZALINA Italian

Along with handmade pizzas baked in a wood oven, you’l l fi nd classic shrimp risotto and a caprese salad with mozzarella di bufala. Menus change daily according to seasonal markets but always include salads, antipastos, house-made pastas and main dishes. Outdoor dining available. 914

Sir Francis Drake Blvd, 415.256.9780, pizzalina.com

b $$ S Í LD º

VALENTI & CO. Italian

This bright and cozy space is the ideal environment for authentic

Italian dishes made with local ingredients. A seat at the chef’s table gives a prime view of the open kitchen.

337 San Anselmo Ave, 415.454.7800, valentico.com

b $$$ D

SAN RAFAEL

BOGIE’S TOO American

Relocated to downtown San Rafael after 29 years, this second coming of Bogie’s highlights breakfast, brunch and lunch. Free range, organic eggs anchor a breakfast and lunch menu of omelets, sandwiches and salads that Humphrey Bogart himself might recognize. 1335 Fourth St, 415.492.1530, bogiestoo.com

b $$ S BL BR

LE COMPTOIR French

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

b $$ Í C D

LOTUS CUISINE OF INDIA RESTAURANT

Indian A “Best of Marin” poll winner since 1999, family-owned and -operated Lotus serves up organic North Indian cuisine with many vegan and vegetarian options. It is a certi fied green business

with an energy-efficient kitchen and features a retractable rooftop and exotic interior decor. The reasonably priced dishes are made with local, non-GMO and gluten-free ingre dients. 704 Fourth St, 415.456.5808, lotusrestaurant.com

b $$ S C LD

POND FARM BREWING American The new microbrewery in the West End from husband and wife team Trevor and Stephanie Martens has a rotating list of beers on tap from brewer Trevor, pop-up food from local businesses in the beer garden, and snacks at the bar. Stein parking is available. 1848 Fourth St, 415.524.8709, pond farmbrewing.com

b $ Í D

MARIN COUNTY CELEBRITY GOLF CLASSIC 9•16•19

MEADOW CLUB

RANGE CAFE American

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

s $$ S Í C BLD º

SOL FOOD Puerto Rican Fast becoming a Marin legend, Sol Food whips up traditional Puerto Rican dishes just like the ones owners Sol Hernandez grew up eating. Favorites include the bistec sandwich,

REGISTER to PLAY or SPONSOR

SUSTAINABLESPORTS.ORG

TO BENEFIT THE sustainable sports foundation

mofongo and other fried plantain dishes, but anything tastes good with a dash of the signature hot sauce, also for sale by the bottle (as is the lemon-garlic salad dressing). 901 Lincoln Ave, 415.451.4765, sol foodrestaurant.com

$$ S BLD

STATE ROOM American Formerly the Broken Drum, State Room Brewery has ditched the diner vibe in favor of a modern gastropub. All draft beers are made on site and are available in sizes from half-pints to take-home growlers; beer fl ights are also available. The menu, created by Alex Stricker and Andrew Toy, changes seasonally and includes a burrata cheese BLT and sashimi-grade tuna

poke. 1132 Fourth St, 415.295.7929, state roombrewery.com

s $$ Í LD º

TAM COMMONS TAP ROOM & KITCHEN American Pub grub like karaage “popcorn” chicken, French bread pizza, and big meaty plates of ribs and tritip with all the fi xin’s defi ne the menu from chef Chris Lyon at this brewpub in a National Historic Landmark building in downtown San Rafael. A pull from one of the 34 taps yields a hand-crafted beer, cider or kombucha from local and global breweries. 1300 Fourth St, 415.521.5770, tam commons.com

b $$ LD º

TERRAPIN CROSSROADS

American This water front restaurant and music venue presents fresh food and local talent. The menu offers salads, savory dishes and wood-fi red pizzas plus a wide selection of beer, wine and cocktails. Come for the food, stay for the music. 100 Yacht Club Drive, 415.524.2773, terrapin crossroads.net

s $$ Í C D BR º

SAUSALITO

s $$$ S BLD

COPITA Mexican Co-owner Joanne Weir, along with chef Daniel Tellez, presents fresh Mexican fare in the heart of downtown Sausalito. The ever-changing menu is 100 percent glutenfree, and the in-house tequila bar serves over 100 varieties and fantastic cocktails. Dine at the bar or on the outdoor patio for great people-watch ing. 739 Bridgeway, 415.331.7400, copita restaurant.com

s $$ S Í LD BR

ANGELINO RESTAURANT Italian Authentic Italian eatery with handmade pastas and seasonal antipasti, showcasing cuisine of the Campania region for more than 20 years. 621 Bridgeway, 415.331.5225, angelino restaurant.com

DARIO’S RESTAURANT Italian Dario’s, a 40-year-old pizza joint in Sausalito, is shaking things up by

updating the menu with a Mediterranea n fl air. In addition to the thincrust pizzas, you can now order items like lamb meatballs, chicken shawarma and falafel wraps. 2829 Bridgeway, 415.332.6636, darios sausalito.com

b $$ Í LD

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

s $$ S Í LD BR

FENG NIAN Chinese

This spacious popular hangout has served up wonton soup, pot stickers and daily specials for nearly two decades. For an indulgent treat, order the Szechwan crispy calamari, honeyglazed walnut prawn or lemon chicken. Staying in? Delivery is available. 2650 Bridgeway, 415.331.5300, fengnian.com

b $$ S LD

FISH Seafood The ulti mate place for freshly caught fare. Order the fi sh tacos, ceviche and a bottle of wine and take in the bay views on the open-air deck. Casual; bring a hat on sunny days. 350 Harbor Drive, 415.331.3474, 331fish.com

b $$$ S Í LD

“My favorite part of being at The Ranch is how I feel there. The sunshine, the way my body feels after days of healthy, fresh food, exercise, nature hikes, and rest – so rejuvenating.”

JOINERY American

This waterfront res taurant features craft beer, burgers, rotisserie chicken and other hearty, seasonal fare in a communal setting, with outdoor seating and great views. 300 Turney St, 415.766.8999, joineryca.com

b $$ Í LD

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

s $$$ S Í C BLD

SAUSALITO EQUATOR

American The transition of Cibo to Sausalito Equator means the coffee menu expanded to include Equator’s iconic drinks like the shakerato (coffee shaken with cream) while the locally-sourced salads, sandwiches, soups and housemade pastries (try the croissant or cream cheese Danish) are here to stay. 1201 Bridgeway, 415.331.2426, equator coffes.com/sausalito

$$ S Í BL

SCOMA’S OF SAUSALITO Italian Sausalito’s oldest seafood house. Scoma’s boat, berthed at Pier 47, fi shes seasonally and is approved for salmon and Dungeness crab, resulting in fresh catches year-round. The menu regularly

features whole crabs, chowders and grilled fih. 588 Bridgeway, 415.332.9551, scomas sausalito.com

s $$ C LD

SEAFOOD PEDDLER RESTAURANT AND FISH MARKET Seafood

The fi sh is bought daily from loca l fi shers, who are also restaurant patrons. Recipes are adjusted to incorporate the freshest catch. 303 Johnson St, 415.332.1492, seafoodpeddler.com

s $$$ S Í LD BR º

SUSHI RAN Japanese Sample innovative small plates just big enough to share before enjoying some of the best sushi the Bay Area has to offer; the prices don’t deter the herd of enthusiasts who line

up nightly to partake. Just stopping by? The wine, cocktail and sake lists keep even the pickiest bar fly satisfied. Reservations are required in the main room. 107 Caledonia St, 415.332.3620, sushiran.com

s $$ Í LD

THE TRIDENT Seafood Set in a turn-of-thecentury building constructed for the San Francisco Yacht Club, this waterfront restaurant is a shoein for date night. The restaurant, a famous 1970s hangout, is now known for supporting local farmers, fi shers and organic food producers. 558 Bridgeway, 415.331.3232, the tridentsausalito.com

s $$$ S Í LD BR º

TIBURON

LUNA BLU Italian Executive chef Renzo Azzarello serves Sicilian seafood and homemade pastas with a Californian touch. The seasonal menu incorporates fresh and organic produce, local naturally grown meat and poultry from small farms. The restaurant complies with Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch, so all the seafood is sustainable. In 2014 diners voted Luna Blu one of the Top 100 Neighborhood Gem res taurants in America. 35 Main St, 415.789.5844, lunablurestaurant.com

s $$ S Í LD

RUSTIC BAKERY California This loca tion of the beloved

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

b $$ S Í BLD BR

SAM’S ANCHOR CAFE

American Reopened after an extensive remodel, Sam’s boathouse feel and boat tie-ups are intact, and spi ff y white umbrellas and deck chairs line the waterfront patio. Allday cocktails remain a fi xture as does the signature cioppino, while offerings like crab toast, a roaming oyster cart and a raw bar reflect the menu’s endur ing seafood focus. 27

Main St, 415.435.4527, samscafe.com

s $$$ S Í C LD BR º

SERVINO RISTORANTE

Italian Chef and owner Angelo Servino highlights organic ingredients in an array of rustic Italian dishes, including house-made pastas, wood oven pizzas, and seasonal specialties. Located on the bay in Tiburon, Servino also prides itself on its extensive sustainable seafood program. Savor la dolce vita on the waterfront patio. 9 Main St, 415.435.2676, servino.com

s $$$ S Í C LD BR º

WEST MARIN

DILLON BEACH COASTAL KITCHEN

California Inspired by Marin’s food shed, business partners Brooke Gray and Mike Goebel opened this ocean view restaurant as part of the forthcoming Dillon Beach Resort, west of Tomales. Seasonal eats like local black cod dip and golden beet salad

give way to mains like a green chickpea falafel plate and a burger with Stemple Creek beef. 1 Beach Ave, Dillon Beach, 707.878.3030, dillon beachresort.com

b $$ S Í LD

DUE WEST AT OLEMA HOUSE California

The dark blue walls accented with recessed golden light give the refreshed restaurantcum-saloon at Olema House a modern feel.

The menu, including a burger, linguini and clams, and a chopped salad, skews all day casual and speaks to the inn and restaurant’s crossroads locale.

10005 Hwy 1, Olema, 415.663.1264, olema house.com/dine

s $$ S C LD

NICK’S COVE American

This coastal escape is now famous for barbecued local oys ters, Dungeness crab mac ’n’ cheese and cocktails incorpo rating homegrown ingredients. Large windows in the 120seat restaurant provide picturesque views of

Tomales Bay and Hog Island (Marshall). 23240 Highway 1, 415.663.1033, nickscove.com

s $$$ S Í C LD BR

OSTERIA STELLINA California Whether it’s to cap off a ay of hiking or celebrate a romantic anniversary, Osteria Stellina suits any occasion. The menu is Italian-inspired and features local organic ingredients. If you’re up for something unusual, try the goat shoulder, a hit with both tourists and locals (Point Reyes). 11285 Highway 1, 415.663.9988, osteriastellina.com

b $$ S LD

SALTWATER OYSTER

DEPOT Seafood A seat at the bar or on the patio at this snug spot on Tomales Bay’s west shore can be tough to snag on a busy summer weekend but oysters pulled straight from the bay moments before, served broiled and on the half shell, are worth the wait. Locallysourced ingredients get equal billing in dishes

like halibut crudo and a lamb burger. 12781

Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Inverness, 415.669.1244, saltwateroyster depot.com

b $$ S Í LD

TONY’S SEAFOOD

Seafood The crowds still come on sunny weekends for the barbecue oysters and amazing views of Tomales Bay but the recent purchase by the Hog Island Oyster Co team meant a refresh of the interior and a spi ffed-up menu of salads and seafood pulled from the bay’s waters.

18863 Shoreline Hwy, Marshall, 415.663.1107, tonysseafood restaurant.com

b $$$ S Í C LD

KEY TO SYMBOLS

WILLIAM TELL HOUSE

American The oldest continuously operating saloon in Marin makes a mean apple brandy cocktail aptly named for the Swiss folk hero, William Tell (who famously shot an arrow off is son’s head), but the revamped restaurant strives to make its name around food with a seafood chowder made with local cod, a Cobb salad with applewood bacon, and a butcher’s cut of the day sourced from nearby Stemple Creek Ranch and grilled to order. 26955 Highway 1, 707.879.2002, williamtellhouse.com

s $$ S LD

SAN FRANCISCO /EAST BAY

CLIFF HOUSE California Great food, beauti ful view and lots of history — what else could you want? An award-winning wine list? They have that too. Besides the popular Sunday bu ffet brunch, Cliff ouse features local, organic, sustainable ingredients and seafood on its everyday menu. 1090 Point Lobos, 415.386.3330, cliffhouse.com

s $$ S BLD

$$ $$$ S

Full bar

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

BLD BR º

Outdoor seating

Private party room Breakfast, lunch, dinner Brunch Happy hour s

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

PROMOTION

Cucina is open for lunch Tuesday- Saturday, dinner Tuesday-Sunday. Now with a full bar! Patio dining available, and semi private options for groups.

CUCINA SA

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

Craving local, fresh-caught seafood and stunning views of Angel Island, Tiburon and Mt. Tamalpais? Look no further than Sausalito’s very own Seafood Peddler! Call (415) 332-1492.

SEAFOOD PEDDLER 303 Johnson Street, Sausalito, CA 415.332.1492 seafoodpeddler.com

Fermented Fun

What’s brewing in San Rafael and beyond.

Downtown San Rafael may be the Bay Area’s newest beer bastion. The State Room Brewery, Iron Springs Public House, and the Tavern on Fourth with 18 NorCal selections on draft — the city center is bubbling (and burping) with Marin-made brew, and the recent openings of Tam Commons Tap Room & Kitchen, at Fourth and C streets, and Pond Farm Brewing Co. in the West End give beer hounds and hopheads a mile’s worth of malted marvels to choose from.

Farther a field, the sudsy fun continues. BJ’s Restaurant and Roadhouse at Northgate Mall has been beer-making since 1996. In Novato, Adobe Creek Brewing, Moylan’s Brewery and Restaurant, HopMonk Tavern, and Indian Valley Brewing (which is building a brewhouse) are thriving. And Mill Valley has Headlands Brewing Co. and Mill Valley Beerworks.

All this brewing means ample opportunity to taste woolly and wild West Coast IPAs and innovative Pilsners as well as intriguing, less-familia r fi nds like Trappist ale and sour ale, barley wine, Kölsch (created in Cologne, Germany, and made with a hybridized brewing process) and Märzen, a Bavarian-style lager famously qua ffed at that region’s Oktoberfest. Defi nitely enough choices to keep your glass full.

BY CHRISTINA MUELLER

A New Connection Point

“It feels like sending Cibo off to college,” Tera Arcona says. For 10 years she and husband Alfredo Arcona championed the local food shed and community connection at their Sausalito cafe. Now it’s been rebranded as Sausalito Equator. The couple had found their available time stretched to the limit: he’s executive chef at Sausalito’s Angelino Restaurant, and she has been its pastry chef in addition to running Cibo (chee-bo) and its coffee and pastry programs. They sought a partner, another Marin small business, to manage Cibo and its programs and carry on their mission of providing a local gathering spot centered around coffee, food and friends. Equator Coffees’ Helen Russell and Brooke McDonnell answered the call.

“A coffee shop is a town connection point,” Arcona says. “The local community has been very willing to share Cibo with the tourist community. It works.” Russell and McDonnell agree: “We look for iconic spaces and community we can build our ethos around,” Russell says. “We know Cibo champions kindness and connection through the portal of coffee.”

Sausalito Equator will move all coffee roasting to its new facility in San Anselmo, and other changes, like more outdoor seating and expanded hours, are in the works for the Sausalito spot. Never fear: the beloved breakfast and lunch menu and Arcona’s signature croissants, tartlets and buns are not going anywhere (and her wholesale business will retain the name Cibo). With more time to focus on her pastries, Arcona can now provide them to all Equator locations, including Sausalito’s. And the coffee menu will expand to include Equator’s “shakerato” and a bevy of bean roasts like single-origin espresso. equatorcoffees.com/sausalito C.M.

OUTSIDE LANDS EATS We know you are headed to Outside Lands in Golden Gate Park (August 9–11) to see Childish Gambino, Kacey Musgraves and Twenty One Pilots, but the three-day fest also features food from Bay Area restaurants, including delicious treats from Marin businesses like El Huarache Loco, Three Twins Ice Cream, Johnny Doughnuts and Pacific Catch, wine from DeLoach Vineyards and cheese from Point Reyes Cheese. sfoutsidelands.com/taste

Tam Commons

Indian Valley Brewing

Pond Farm Brewing Co.’s Stephanie, Trevor and little Jack

Above from left to right: Alfredo Ancona (Cibo founder), Helen Russell (Equator Coffees founder), Tera Ancona (Cibo founder), Brooke McDonnell (Equator Coffees founder)

On the Scene

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

Janet Hall, Tom McElroy and Quinn Morgan

Zahid Sardar and Kevin and Marianne Brown

Ana Maria Delgado and Florian Roeper Serena Armstrong and Helen Yang-Fung

Zane and Craig Steely, Cathy Liu and Ottavia Boletto

Claudine Aubonnet, Michele Johnson and Michael Tracy

Caryn Schalberg and Lucie Ebnerova

Alexa d’Argence and Samantha Mason

Gart Hutton and Eve Forbord

Tim O’Shea, Michael Gray and Agnieszka Pilat

Tim Paschke

George Brazil and Anastasia Faiella

• SPACES LAUNCH PARTY Our own home and design magazine celebrated the launch of the summer/fall issue at DZINE with wine and small bites and some words from editor-in-chief Zahid Sardar.

• GREAT CHEFS AND WINERIES

The 23rd annual ball took place early this year at the Marin Civic Center and raised funds for organizations serving vulnerable young members of the community.

• SIP, SHOP AND SOCIALIZE More than 220 guests attended the May 7 Marin Center for Independent Living fundraiser at the Meadow Club.

Jessica Lazor, Karin Lansill and Kathleen Woodcock

Linda Mortarotti, Pari Araghi and Kathy Kamei

TO SEE MORE EVENT PHOTOS VISIT MARINMAGAZINE.COM/HOTTICKET

Doug Clough, Nancy Dow Moody, Heidi Krahling, Ann Elias and Sid Sall

Jared and Susan Huffman

Marisa Dombroski, Hooman Khalili, Haley Magers, Travis Nelson, Alicia Hvistendahl and Natalie Mardeusz

Marin Matters

LOCAL PEOPLE MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Marin’s Change Agents

A look at a few of the people who are pushing for positive change in Marin.

BY SUSAN NOYES

DANIELLE O’LEARY, ECONOMIC DEVEL OPMENT DIRECTOR, CITY OF SAN RAFAE L

As San Rafael’s economic development director, Danielle O’Leary has been a pioneer in leading efforts to navigate the gray areas and opportunities of marijuana legalization, creating a model for others involved in the process.

How do you describe yourself and the work you do? I enjoy connecting with people, learning from their life experiences and creating programs that tap into the community’s vision for their city. My economic development strategy is a continuous, adaptive and inclusive approach to growth and prosperity, which means staying attuned and spotting opportunities and trends.

What do you most enjoy about your job? I love being a part of the community. There are a lot of caring, smart and creative people here. I focus on these assets and capacities and how we can activate them.

What challenges do you face? I think my biggest challenge the past few years was

developing the cannabis program, while balancing all the other time-sensitive economic development activities. I believe if we create a solid framework, it will get less time intensive over time. T he new cannabis regulatory landscape is complex and ever-evolving.

Where do you hope to be one year from now ?  I want to continue building out San Rafael’s artisan cannabis program by making sure licensees are up and running, working on the compliance program and refi ning it. I also want to focus on getting more housing units downtown, activating our key commercial assets, building out an economic development strategic plan, and launching a lifestyle brand and website for the city

What advice do you have for others who want to be change agents? Be open to data at the start. Even when I think I know what I am doing, chances are I don’t know what I could be doing. P rioritize relationships, connecting and learning. Remember even the toughest experiences will provide you with insight and growth. Know the business before you try and change anything ; g ive yourself time to learn and observe.

CYNTHIA NIMMO, CEO OF WOMEN’S FUNDING NETWORK

Nimmo is a strategic innovator overseeing and growing the largest philanthropic network in the world devoted to women and girls. She has consulted for founda tions, nonprofit organizations and Fortune 500 companies advancing social causes.

How do you describe yourself and the work you do? Being raised in a binational family provided me with a global perspective on culture that serves as my bedrock. As the CEO of the larg est network for funders of women’s and girls’

equity, globally, I have the deep joy of using my natural passions to help half the world’s popula tion get representation. Our network serves as a platform to connect the experiences of women and girls around the world with the knowledge and finances of grant makers and donors and opportunities for collaboration.

What do you most enjoy about your job?

Every day I meet smart women who lead unabashedly with both heart and mind. This inspires me, whether I’m meeting an elected official making the case for equal pay, a survivor of tra fficking who is now employed in the tech industry or a formerly incarcerated woman advocating for children and mothers to be reuni fied. My favorite thing of all is to curate yearly gatherings for these changemakers from around the world.

What challenges have you faced? Women’s Funding Network was founded 30 years ago by women who realized they were being left out of the philanthropy equation. We have struggled consistently against the tide of low resources. Only approximately 4 to 6 percent of annual philanthropic giving is earmarked for women and girls. We hope to shift this by encouraging women to invest in women .

What future opportunities most excite you? I’m thrilled to see so many women holding public office. I believe we’ve reached the tipping point where seeing a woman CEO or prime minister or chief economist is normal, as women are being valued for their ideas and the know-how to implement them.

What advice do you have for others who want to be change agents? Every one of us has a voice, a vote and time. Use them. Look at how you r fi nances are also “voting.” When it comes to nonprofit work, realize that every one of us can be a philanthropist. Make a contribution — no matter how small — to an organization that is making change. m

Susan B. Noyes is the founder and chief visionary officer of Make It Better Media Group, as well as the founder of Make It Better Foundation’s Philanthropy Awards.

A mother of six, former Sidley Austin labor lawyer and U.S. Congressional aide and passionate philanthropist, she has also served on many boards.

Marin

FROM TOURS AND MAKEOVERS TO DECORATIVE DETAILS AND REALTOR INSIGHTS

FAMILY TIDES

BY DAWN MARGOLIS DENBERG • PHOTOS BY LIZ DALY

A Sausalito floating home is a visiting granddad’s new surprise move.

BRUCE THOMAS LOGGED 30 years in a suburban home in Darien, Connecticut, followed by a decade on a 30-acre ranch in Pilot Point, Texas. Recently, he’d settled into a new life in Boulder, Colorado. So moving again was the last thing on his mind when he arrived in San Francisco to visit his daughter and son-in-law. His kids, however, had their own agenda: “They said, ‘Why are you living all alone in Boulder? You should move here to spend more time with us,’ ” he recalls. “And I was like, yeah right: the Bay Area is way too expensive.”

But that night, he decided to go on Zillow and see what he could a fford. As expected, a move to San Francisco made little financial sense. So he shifted his search to Sausalito, a town he had fond memories of from a childhood vacation. “And, well, all I can say is Zillow is a dangerous tool,” he says with a smile. A few keystrokes later he stumbled on a listing for a floating home. “All I knew of floating homes was what I’d seen in the movie Sleepless in Seattle.”

The next day, he decided to drive over to Marin, just to see if the Hollywood version bore any resemblance to the real one. It did. And 48 hours later, he’d executed a contract on a two-stor y floating home.

Before moving in, Thomas had the main floor living space extensively remodeled. “The house had all these tight rooms,” he says, “so we had to take it down to the studs in order to open it up.” Although the place is small (around 1,200 square feet), the high ceilings, plenty of light, a new open-concept design and properly scaled furniture make it feel airy.

The decor is maritime with a touch of whimsy. He chose sail cleats rather than knobs or pulls for the drawers and lower cabinets; for accent lighting, jute-covered electrical cords with exposed Edison bulbs are looped around structural beams.

Other details are meant to encourage extended visits by his grandchildren, “my greatest joys.” The contractor meticulously constructed a suspended train track that circles

the interior space. “There’s even a tunnel that takes it through the powder room. I think it might be off-putting to some, but the kids love it,” Thomas says. A floating dock provides addi tional outdoor space: “I put in a ladder so the kids could climb down to it from my front deck.”

For furniture, he decided to start from scratch: “Everything I had was way too big.” Some of the new pieces have dual uses — his kitchen island, for instance, made from repurposed bowling-alley wood. “If I’m cooking, I can prep on it. But if I’m having company, it has two sides that pop up, making it large enough to comfortably seat four people.”

The transition to floating home life has been seamless, he adds: “I love looking out the window and watching the tides rise and fall.” Is this his forever home? Probably not. But for now he’s savoring it, with no particular timetable for when to turn the page on this chapter in his life. m

For column consideration, please send photos and a description to dawn@marinmagazine.com.

THE DETAILS

WHERE HE LIVES Kappas Marina neighborhood of Sausalito

WHAT HE OWNS A 2-bedroom, 1.5-bat h floating home

LISTING AGENT Howard Myers, formally of Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty

SELLING AGENT Deborah Cole of Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty

THE STATS Price per square foot for homes in the neighborhood: $800

Opener: Waterfront living at its finest. Opposite: Sail cleats double as cabinet and drawer pulls in this nautically themed home. This page, clockwise from top: High ceilings open the space up; a cozy master bedroom; best seats in the house; a small but functional living room; Bruce Thomas and his daughter Katherine Finck.

Isobel

UNMATCHED EXPERTISE. BESPOKE EXPERIENCE.

WE ARE ENGEL & VÖLKERS.

Engel & Völkers evokes a real estate experience with the utmost competence, exclusive expertise and passion for all that we do. Handcrafted attention to every detail and meticulous white-glove service is what each and every one of our clients deserves. It’s our standard of service that truly sets Engel & Völkers apart.

We believe that luxury is the fullness of life that begins and ends the day in the most important place we know: home. From starter homes, to dream homes, and even castles, Engel & Völkers advisors help our clients discover what luxury means to them and deliver a home buying or selling experience that meets their unique needs.

SAUSALITO

539 BRIDGEWAY • SAUSALITO, CA 94965

+1 415 887-9925

MILL VALLEY

206 E BLITHEDALE AVE • MILL VALLEY, CA 94941 +1 415 634-5577

marincounty.evrealestate.com

©2019 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. Each brokerage independently owned and operated. Engel & Völkers and its independent License Partners are Equal Opportunity Employers and fully support the principals of the Fair Housing Act. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified.

luxury, and security await in this stunning townhome located in the heart of Tiburon. Enjoy the option of stair free living with private elevator; two garden patios; gourmet kitchen with stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops, breakfast bar and walk in pantry; gas burning fireplace; hardwood floors throughout; views of San Francisco and the Bay. Additional features include air conditioner, mud room, large laundry room, ample storage and two assigned parking spaces right next to the entrance to the unit. One occupant must be 62 or more years young.

415

This stunning home, situated in close proximity to the village of Tiburon, cascades gracefully down a gentle slope and provides breathtaking views from Angel Island to Mt. Tam, encompassing the San Francisco skyline, the Bay, Belvedere Island and the Corinthian Marina. Decks and terraces on every level provide a magical setting for casual living and elegant entertaining.

This classic cottage in Blithedale Canyon exudes warmth and charm. French doors lead to brick patios in the front and rear, conducive to indoor/outdoor living. The setting is enhanced by lush gardens of ferns, hydrangeas, lilacs, redwoods and wisteria. The proximity to Mt. Tam trails and a flat, easy access to the village of Mill Valley provide a vacation setting year round.

By Coldwell Banker ®

The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service, and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification. Real estate agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage are independent contractor agents and are not employees of the Company. ©2019 Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Owned by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker, the Coldwell Banker logo, Coldwell Banker Global Luxury and the Coldwell Banker Global Luxury logo are service marks registered or pending registration owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. CalBRE License #01908304

Magnificent 31 Acre Estate in Janesville, CA

460525 Janesville Grade

Magnificent 31-acre estate with seclusion and privacy. You are surrounded by a lush forest se�ng while you enjoy the peaceful music of the year round creek. This s�rring home has many beau�ful wood accents with a stunning solarium which includes a hot tub, water feature and koi pond. Enjoy literary pursuits in a well appointed library or gaze at nature from your observatory. Features 3 bedrooms, 3 baths and a bonus fourth bedroom if desired, this me�culous home will delight all your senses. $879,000

John ‘JP’ Pilkinton, Realtor®

Phone: 775 720 4124

Email: JP@InteroNV.com

www.InteroNV.com CA Lic# 01067908

Wine Country Estate in Exclusive Enclave

A grand scale, gated estate on ±11 oak-studded acres offers a unique Wine Country getaway. Set in Sonoma’s elegant, lushly landscaped neighborhood of Sobre Vista Drive, known as the lands of the former Spreckels estate, you’ll find a country property that is close to everything Wine Country has to offer. The custom 5,890± sq. ft. home features a dramatic 23 foot-tall entry hall, open floor plan, multiple bonus rooms and three fireplaces. Perfect for large scale entertaining, extended family & friend gatherings, and peaceful getaways. Enjoy the arbored petanque court and multiple outdoor entertaining areas. Ideal back yard site for creating your own resort-like pool. Car collectors will love the garage space for 6+ cars. Quiet, yet a bike ride away from wineries, Glen Ellen, and Sonoma Golf Club. A 15 minute drive brings you to historic Sonoma Plaza.

Details at GatedSobreVistaEstate.com

Perfect for a Wine Country getaway, retirement, or first-time buyers. Enjoy the private quarter-acre (approx.) back yard with a view of a gorgeous Heritage Oak and distant hillsides. Double-height living/dining combination. Kitchen is open to the family room and yard. High-ceilinged en suite master. 3-car garage! Cul-de-sac location in a great neighborhood.

Represented very happy buyers on the sale of this gated Palm Hill home. Price info upon request.

415.309.7074

Southampton Beach Chic in Belvedere

Lagoon.

Marin County for 2018 and #51 nationally.

One of a kind masterpiece of modern design & construction with a large scale great room combining kitchen, dining and living areas that flows out NanaWall glass door to sunny outdoor living. Batu deck, level lawn, planting areas, majestic redwoods, and outdoor living room with fireplace all feature gorgeous Mount Tam and Bald Hill views. Extremely well appointed home with open floor plan; high ceilings; amazing window tower stair well; zoned heating and air conditioning; contemporary lighting; wide plank, rift cut, white oak floors; solar and smart home features. Top shelf GE Monogram appliances, slip matched, rift oak cabinets, and a Grey Canyon Quartzite dining island are highlights of the kitchen. The accessory dwelling unit located above the 2-car garage is completely selfcontained with its own kitchenette, custom bathroom and heating and cooling system. Garage plus parking for 6 additional cars on the lot. A view home with level land is a difficult find and a MUST SEE!

415.640.4927 d.breen@ggsir.com

Lic.# 01079071

Local focus has never been more important.

In a changing market, with an overwhelming number of options, choosing a local specialty is crucial.

As third generation Marin natives, Tam Home Team’s standard of care is extended not only to clients and colleagues, but also to the beautiful Marin communities which they feel so grateful to call home. Their mission is not only to share the “good life,” but to nurture the aspects of the communities that bring so much value into our homes. Both of Tam Home Team’s principals, Rose De Angelo and Megan Rogerson, hold NAR’s GREEN Designation, have acted as members of the Green Resource Council, and work closely with many local non-profits. Think globally, act locally.

Megan Rogerson

415.509.9510 DRE 02033682

megan@tamhometeam.com

Rose De Angelo 415.686.1380 DRE 01483899

rose@tamhometeam.com

Renaissance Pleasure Faire

Bringing Elizabethan culture and folkways to the modern age.

IF YOU CAME of age in California in the 1960s and were fortunate in your life choices, you no doubt at one time or another experienced the Renaissance Pleasure Faire. Although it originated in 1963 in Southern California’s Agoura Hills (over 3,000 people attended), the Northern California Renaissance Pleasure Faire also had a memorable run. That one started at Marin’s China Camp State Park in 1967 and by 1970 had moved to Novato’s hilly Black Point area, where the above photo was taken. Of course, the fair was headlined as taking place at Black Pointe Forest, for more authentic 16th-century English country flavor. Fair personnel, all 2,500 of them on average, attended 30 different classes and workshops in Elizabethan style and folklore and, once the fair began, wore period attire, including ruffs, jerkins and snoods. Booths in pastoral settings sold handicrafts of the bygone era, madrigal singers entertained and food stands offered fattened turkey legs and tankards of

BY JIM WOOD

dark ale. The Renaissance Pleasure Faire was born in the minds of Ron and Phyllis Patterson, an art director and art teacher, respec tively; both were adamant that Renaissance history and customs be presented as accurately as possible. The couple lived for many years in Marin and divorced in 1980, and their brainchild was sold in 1994; today, imitator renaissance fairs are held throughout the world. Ron died at age 80 in 2011 while living in a Sausalito floating home; Phyllis, who lived in a log cabin in Novato, passed away in 2014 at 82. Their son Kevin, who grew up during the Renaissance Pleasure Faire’s most successful years and later was active in the business, still lives in Marin. He and his family manage San Francisco’s annual Dickens Christmas Fair. m

Once the fair began, they wore period attire, including ruffs, jerkins and snoods.

CIRCA 1970s