SPREAD your WINGS
123 Saunders Ave, San Anselmo $3,250,000 © 2021 Sotheby’s International Realty. All Rights Reserved. The Sotheby’s International Realty trademark is licensed and used with permission. Each Sotheby’s International Realty office is independently owned and operated, except those operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. The Sotheby’s International Realty network fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Real estate agents affiliated with Sotheby’s International Realty are independent contractor sales associates and are not employees of Sotheby’s International Realty | Nicholas Svenson DRE: 01918616
Modern Luxe Craftsman set in the sought-after Yolanda Station neighborhood. The modern, no-expense-spared remodel will be a breath of fresh air to all who visit. Heath Ceramics tile fireplace, stainless steel kitchen island, Caesarstone countertops, wide plank oak floors, Aspen limited edition wallpaper by Gray Malin, custom poured concrete trough sink in the primary bath, temperature controlled wine cellar and many more upgrades give this home a feel you won’t find anywhere else. An unbeatable layout is the epitome of indoor/outdoor living with the space and the versatility for today’s lifestyle of entertaining, relaxing, and working from home.
Nick Svenson nick@marinsfhomes.com MarinSFhomes.com 415.505.7674
Summer with the symphony ON SALE NOW sfsymphony.org/summer
EDWIN OUTWATER
ESA-PEKKA SALONEN
AARON DIEHL
CAREY BELL
FRI JUL 2 | Davies Symphony Hall SUN JUL 4 | Stern Grove
FRI JUL 9 | Davies Symphony Hall SAT JUL 10 | Frost Amphitheater
SF SYMPHONY & EDWIN OUTWATER
SALONEN: MOZART & SIBELIUS
The July 4th concert at Stern Grove is presented in partnership with
ESA-PEKKA SALONEN
MARK INOUYE
MICHAEL MORGAN
LINA GONZÁLEZGRANADOS
PABLO FERRÁNDEZ
FRI JUL 16 | Davies Symphony Hall SAT JUL 17 | Frost Amphitheater
FRI JUL 23 | Davies Symphony Hall SAT JUL 24 | Frost Amphitheater
FRI JUL 30 | Davies Symphony Hall SAT JUL 31 | Frost Amphitheater
SALONEN: HAYDN & MENDELSSOHN
SF SYMPHONY & MICHAEL MORGAN
SF SYMPHONY & LINA GONZÁLEZ-GRANADOS
XIAN ZHANG
GEORGE LI
EDWIN OUTWATER
FRI AUG 6 | Davies Symphony Hall SAT AUG 7 | Frost Amphitheater
THU AUG 12 | Davies Symphony Hall FRI AUG 13 | Davies Symphony Hall
SF SYMPHONY & XIAN ZHANG
MUSIC OF JOHN WILLIAMS
SECOND CENTURY PARTNER
INAUGURAL PARTNER
Featuring music from the Star Wars Saga, Jurassic Park, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and more!
SEASON PARTNERS
OFFICIAL AIRLINE
M O U N TA I N S TO M A R I N A S , MARIN IS OUR HOME
BOWMAN REAL E STATE GROUP is comprised of professionals specializing in negotiation, marketing, construction, design, law, and hospitality. Our diverse backgrounds enable us to focus on each aspect of the process, creating a detailoriented experience for our clients. Negotiation is the most valuable tool we bring to the table. Ever y aspect of our process has been tailored to provide our clients the best possible price and terms for their sale or purchase.
B O W M A N R E A L E S TAT E G R O U P. C O M
BowmanRealEstateGroup.com @THEBOWMANGROUP
MARIN MATTERS
Providing Marin families more of what they want
A LEGACY OF BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS FOR GENERATIONS
TRUE PART NERSHIP IN THE PR OCESS
UNPARALLELED KNOWLEDGE AND SERVICE
In our ver y first meeting with Jennifer & Elliott, we
We are so thankful for all that Bowman Real Estate Group
were impressed at their detailed plan already in place,
did to help us find our beautiful home in Sonoma! Jennifer
in-depth market knowledge, and an overall feeling of
and Elliott are a wonderful team ... extremely professional,
comfort during an incredibly challenging time. With
engaging, responsive and very knowledgeable of the local
an accepted offer in place on another home, Covid
market. They provided us with excellent guidance and a
uncertainty, a little one at home, and a baby on the
highly personalized experience that helped us find the
way, we needed as much help as possible, and it was
perfect home. Their attention to detail and impeccable
clear they were ready to deliver.
follow-through rounded out our great adventure. We highly recommend working with them!
We
had
expertly
consulted
staging,
extremely
professional marketing materials and strong assistance on how to navigate the process most advantageously. We were able to sell for 15% over our list price with a quick close and couldn’t be more thankful for their partnership throughout the entire process.
— Melanie and Patrick F
BOWMAN REAL ESTATE GROUP | 415.755.1040 Team@BowmanRealEstateGroup.com DRE# 01933147
— Kristy and Bob B
PROMOTION
Let the Sun Shine In A Wine Country Escape doesn’t just have to be for the weekend. Terrace by Round Barn offers the freedom to enjoy a lifestyle rooted in a connection to nature.
Leave the bustle of the city behind. Imagine waking up and enjoying your coffee in the morning breeze on an expansive deck while you take in views of the surrounding hills, community garden and parks. Trade cramped apartment living for a new solar-powered townhome at Terrace by Round Barn and live the life you’ve always imagined. These affordable 3-bed, 2.5-bath townhomes (a four-bedroom option is also available) in the highly-sought-after Fountaingrove neighborhood of Santa Rosa start at just $699,000 and offer residents — especially those newly liberated from the office and working from home — a chance to get back to the good things in life. Residents will enjoy a reconnection to nature both outside their doors in the community’s parks, pools, playgrounds and gardens as well as at the nearby trails, verdant Russian River vineyards and wineries, and stunning regional parks and nature preserves. Made for relaxing with family or entertaining guests, these townhomes also boast deep patios that www.TerraceFountaingrove.com | 707.657.3353
are perfect for barbecuing and a dining room balcony that is the ideal spot for relaxing after dinner. “Terrace by Round Barn offers a distinctive opportunity to make a stronger connection with the natural environment,” says Phil Kerr, CEO at City Ventures. But residents will also enjoy being inside these open-concept and truly mod ern homes that enjoy the latest technology: GE ® stainless steel kitchen appliances, a solar system and Alula Connect are all included as is a two-car garage and optional home office. Just 45-minutes from San Francisco by car and also accessible via the SMART train and ferry, those occasional trips to the city are easily accomplished. But residents will be much more likely to want to explore vibrant and charming downtown Santa Rosa or the nearby Fountaingrove Club. And when wine country calls, the Russian River area, one of California’s top food and wine destinations and home to more than 425 wineries, is just around the corner. The life you have been dreaming of is within reach at Round Barn.
PROMOTION
ADVERTISING
EDITORIAL
Wine Country Advertising Consultant Chet Klingensmith chet@marinlivingmagazine.com 707.216.1780
Contributing Designers Sarah Goldschadt, Madeleine Hannes, Allan Nacapuy, David Sebo
CEO jessica@marinlivingmagazine.com 707.302.0850
Hawaii Region Advertising Consultant Meredith Low meredith@marinlivingmagazine.com 808.388.2644
Contributing Writers Joseph Knelman, Alana Malone
Casey Gillespie
Advertising Consultant Kim McGinnis kim@marinlivingmagazine.com 707.559.8598
www.marinlivingmagazine.com
Jessica Cline
Creative Director casey@marinlivingmagazine.com
Dina Grant
Advertising Director dina@marinlivingmagazine.com 707.238.2030
Daniel Jewett
Executive Editor dan@marinlivingmagazine.com
Advertising Consultant Courtney Roberts courtney@marinlivingmagazine.com 415.297.4507 Client Services Manager Casey Hatfield-Chiotti chatfield@marinlivingmagazine.com 707.400.5661
Contributing Photographers Lori Eanes, Brent Ferguson, Elyse Omernick, Rachel Weill Interns Paige Elliot, Taylor Leslie, Brenna Neves, Sydney Segal Copy Editor Cynthia Rubin
Mailing Address Marin Living PO Box 2104 Mill Valley, CA 94941 Office phone: 707.302.0850 Editorial or Press Inquiries casey@marinlivingmagazine.com, dan@marinlivingmagazine.com To sign up for our newsletter: marinlivingmagazine.com/ newsletter Marin Living magazine is delivered complimentary to residents of California.
Volume 2, Issue 6. Marin Living magazine is published in Marin County by Five19Publishing Inc., Mill Valley, CA 94941. All rights reserved. Copyright ©2021. Reproduction of Marin Living is prohibited without the expressed, written consent of Five19Publishing Inc. Unsolicited materials cannot be returned. Marin Living is mailed 10 times a year to homes and businesses in Marin County and San Francisco. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Marin Living magazine, PO Box 16895, North Hollywood, CA 91615-6895.
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CELEBRATING OUR HISTORY. CONTINUING THE LEGACY.
Since 1970, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars has showcased Napa Valley’s amazing wines to the world. We invite you to our estate to enjoy acclaimed Cabernet Sauvignon from our historic vineyards and continue the legacy with us.
Scan to explore our luxury experiences
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table of contents. july/august 2021
78
70 spotlight marin. 18 news.
Radiant summer skin is just around the corner.
26 eat & drink.
A new rosé from a Marin winemaker is coming your way right in time for warmer weather. 10 july/august 2021 marin living.
Advice from FIRESafe Marin and local landscape experts on how to fire-safe your garden.
74 land & sea.
When it comes to water sports, Schiller Bikes is the next big thing.
Marin’s drought and what’s being done; news from Wine Country; Straus Family Creamery gets a new home and more.
24 local splurges.
going places. 70 new digs.
78 voyager. 28 local getaways.
Downtown Napa is open and ready for you.
32 take note.
When you go looking for life on Mars, be sure you don’t bring some of your own.
A glamping experience is the summer trip your family has been waiting for.
88 drawn together.
Thane Kreiner ushers in a new era for the Marin Agricultural Land Trust.
from the team.
14 from the ceo. 16 from the creative director.
Clockwise from left: @baileymade_; courtesy of NASA; Ritu Jethani/www.stock.adobe.com
32
SUTTON SUZUKI Architects
features.
34
Marin’s Ocean Ecosystems We look at ocean life in Tomales Bay and why it is so important to Marin.
42
Take Flight Photographer Lori Eanes takes us on a visual tour of Northern California’s migratory birds.
46
Hot Grill Summer
On the Cover Snow geese fly overhead near Cosumnes River Preserve, photograph by Lori Eanes.
12 july/august 2021 marin living.
Elyse Omernick
A roundup of must-try recipes from some of your favorite Marin and S.F. chefs — summer never looked so tasty!
Servicing Marin County + Sonoma + San Francisco @ona.life City of San Rafael License No: 2018-08-ONA Bureau of Cannabis Control: C9-0000100
from the ceo.
Bouquets to Art 2021 was at the de Young Museum on June 7.
I’M SO LUCKY. I live in Sausalito with a view of the bay and San Francisco. Seeing seals play in the water and watching kayakers paddle around is fun, but my favorite pastime is listening to the ships and watching the fog roll in. There is something about the long, melodious sound of the ships’ horns that lull me right to sleep. It also makes me feel at home. For a girl from Indiana, Marin is heaven on earth. The first time I hiked the Tennessee Valley Trail to Pirates Cove I couldn’t believe the beauty and the surprise of finding the ocean at the end. As I sat on the abandoned anchor looking at the water, I felt at peace for the first time in a very long time. I took a deep breath, and I knew I was supposed to be here, not just in Marin, but on this earth. And that, my friends, is the healing power of nature. Our entire issue is dedicated to all things outdoorsy, and it’s jam-packed with inspiring people and ideas. Jessica Schiller is pure magic, and her water bikes, appropriately named Schiller Bikes, are incredible. Imagine getting all the benefits of cycling combined with the peaceful feeling of being on open water. Genius. Her story, both personally and professionally, should give us all reason to keep going when things get tough. Read all about it on page 74. Speaking of inspiration, check out our “Marin Visionaries” special section on page 56. If you are lacking motivation in any way, just read the stories of Marin’s entrepreneurs making their own dreams come true. We have profiles of real estate moguls, CEOs of booming businesses and people who are heading up impactful nonprofits — including uplifting Q&As on Nancy Dow Moddy of Lifehouse and Chad MacDonald of Peace Out Junk. 14 july/august 2021 marin living.
These people are changing our community with their captivating work and I’m grateful to call them partners and neighbors. And our excitement over the fact that in-person events are slowly coming back is palpable. Case in point: a few weeks ago we attended Bouquets to Art 2021 at the de Young, where I was reminded that this event really is my all-time favorite. I’m obsessed with flowers, so it was particularly fun combining three of my passions — art, people and flowers. We had so much fun wandering through the galleries as I tried to see how many types of blooms and blossoms I could name — all with the glorious art as a backdrop. Our July/August issue is special, and not least of all because it reminds me of my rekindled love for nature. We are back at it, Marin, and I’m reveling in the energy and passion all around us. Inspire on.
Jessica Cline, CEO and Co-Founder
Drew Altizer Photography; portrait by Becca Teal Batista
Inspiration All Around Us
from the creative director.
A red-winged blackbird at Cosumnes River Preserve in Galt, California.
DON’T JUDGE ME, but I have never considered myself an outdoors person. While my parents took me camping regularly and out boating nearly every weekend from the time I was six weeks old until I was 17, it never really stuck. Mosquitoes, snakes, sunburn, seasickness — yeah, no thanks. I’ve always been of the opinion that humans created buildings for a reason. I’ve lived in some of the most wonderful, outdoorsy cities in the world — Miami Beach, New York City, London, San Diego — and the only thing I really enjoyed doing outdoors was having brunch. It’s not like I don’t want to be outside, I do, but mostly on a rooftop with a view, sipping on Aperol spritzes. That said, I’m becoming a convert (much to my husband’s utter delight). It’s nearly impossible not to love the outdoors when living in Marin. And the last year has made me appreciate it even more — while my friends in New York City were locked inside their teeny apartments and loved ones in the U.K. and Europe were banned from even stepping outside, we were hiking on Mount Tam, cycling to Sausalito, taking long walks on the bike path through Larkspur and enjoying the Tiburon waterfront. At times I felt guilty for how happy I was to be able to get out and enjoy the gorgeous scenery while others were floundering indoors. Not only have I become enamored with Marin’s vast outdoor spaces; I also have new foundness for the people and organizations working so hard to conserve them. In this issue we take a 16 july/august 2021 marin living.
closer look at Marin’s fascinating ocean ecosystems as well as the migrating bird populations of Northern California and the refuges helping them survive. We also speak to Thane Kreiner, scientist, biotech engineer and MALT’s new chief executive officer, who wants to make Marin a global model for regenerative agriculture. The inevitable and dreaded fire season is upon us again, and thanks to FIRESafe Marin and a few local landscape architects, we have rounded up some valuable tips for keeping your garden and home as safe as possible. And what would a Marin summer issue be without a few recipes for cooking outdoors and a new rosé from a Marin winemaker? We would love to see how you enjoyed your outdoor gettogethers this summer — be sure and tag #wearemarinliving on social media so we can join in on the fun. Wherever your summer takes you, I hope it’s filled with great memories and lots and lots of time spent outdoors.
Casey Gillespie Creative Director and Co-Founder
Lori Eanes; portrait by Becca Teal Batista
Indoorsy or Outdoorsy?
As an experienced financial advisor, I guide the conversation around your financial decisions to help you achieve important wealth goals. I also focus on empowering women to reach new financial heights. Why is it important to have a clear vision? The client is the most important reason why we have a practice. What we do daily benefits the client and decisions being made are ethical and client-centric. With this vision, it is easy to do the right thing.
How does your vision manifest in your business? I have been successful in serving three generations of many of the families that I serve. Parents find it difficult to know when and how to have the money discussion with their children. I help to facilitate these critical conversations. This has helped many families have open communications around a topic that is sensitive, often leading to very important life transition discussions.
What separates you from the pack? Being female separates me from the pack. Women find it easy to open up to a female financial advisor who naturally understands the situation whether they are
single, divorced or widowed. I have 30 years of experience helping women through the different life cycles and can provide comfort and guidance during each one.
How do you stay connected with the community? Everyone, especially women, need financial literacy. My commitment is to instruct as many as I can by teaching a course on financial literacy geared for women at the local college. This class was the genesis of a focus group study from the Department of Labor several years ago. I am an authorized instructor of Wi$E UP: Financial Education for Women. I have taught for more than 15 years and will continue to do so.
What do you want people to know about you? I want people to know that women can be just as successful as men when it comes to financial literacy. Investing and being financially literate is possible for anyone who wants to learn. The confidence one gains can be key to building wealth and taking care of oneself.
Contact me to learn more about how I can help you reach your financial goals. Helen Abe, CIMA®, CPFA, CRPC® Senior Vice President – Financial Advisor 300 B Drakes Landing Road, Suite 155 Greenbrae, CA 94904 (415) 445-8468 | helen.abe@rbc.com us.rbcwealthmanagement.com/helen.abe
Investment and insurance products: • Not insured by the FDIC or any other federal government agency • Not a deposit of, or guaranteed by, the bank or an affiliate of the bank • May lose value © 2021 RBC Wealth Management, a division of RBC Capital Markets, LLC, Member NYSE/FINRA/SIPC. All rights reserved.
21-JD-01629 (06/21)
spotlight marin.
—BREDA DORAN Nicasio Reservoir
18 july/august 2021 marin living.
Breda Doran
“I’ve been going out to Nicasio Reservoir on a regular basis to personally document [the drought]. It’s just so sad and really disturbing.”
Meet the McCarthy + Moe Group Learn more about Marin’s fastest growing, female-driven real estate team.
Did you know? Liz is a World Champion Ultimate Frisbee player
Shenna was born and raised in Denmark
Liz is mom to a miracle surviving twin daughter, born 14 weeks prematurely
Shenna & husband Eric, designed & built their first home as owner-builders
Liz was born in Michigan
Shenna’s finance background means she loves statistics
Liz loves all things outdoors, hiking, skiing & paddleboarding
The McCarthy + Moe Group is refreshingly different. Our clients benefit from the synergy of our combined expertise and marketing, making intelligent pricing decisions, and efficiently managing the details of every transaction. Our common thread is our relentless pursuit to deliver the best possible results for our clients.
Liz McCarthy + Shenna Moe | 415.250.4929 | Team@McCarthyMoe.com | McCarthyMoe.com | DRE 01421997
news.
Water Woes By Sydney Segal State of Emergency With rainfall and reservoir storage levels at the lowest they’ve been in nearly 50 years, the Marin County Board of Supervisors has declared a local emergency. “While we will have plenty of water for the health and safety of our families, it’s so important at this time that we do not waste any water,” says board president Dennis Rodoni.
By waiving fees for the installation of graywater systems, which recycle wastewater from the laundry and bathroom, Marin’s Board of Supervisors hopes to conserve resources. Graywater recycling can decrease the use of potable water by 16 to 40 percent, says the interim deputy director of Environmental Health Services at Marin’s Community Development Agency. A Drop in the Bucket The Marin Agricultural Land Trust (www.malt. org) has allotted $250,000 to help county farmers and ranchers sustain themselves in the face of drought conditions. Specifically, as part of a Drought Resilience and Water Security initiative, or DRAWS, grant money will be available for water distribution, storage and building additional infrastructure. Water Crossing As a way to combat one of the worst droughts Marin has faced, the prospect of a permanent water pipeline across the Richmond–San Rafael Bridge is looking more likely. Since it is also likely to be expensive and an architectural challenge, other strategies are being considered, including a groundwater storage project and temporary desalination plant. Stemming the Tide Beginning in July and running through late October, one of Marin’s main water suppliers will be cutting back on exports by 20 percent. Sonoma Water provides about 25 percent of central and southern Marin’s water supply and 75 percent of Novato’s but must conserve its resources to be able to last through the year. 20 july/august 2021 marin living.
Summer (Wine Country) Reading List By Casey Gillespie The Essential Napa Valley Cookbook by Jess Lander. After a pandemic and fire ravaged 2020, wine and food journalist Jess Lander was looking for a way to help to her community. “I stumbled upon a couple of cookbook projects done in other cities during the pandemic and I thought, ‘We should do this for Napa,’ ” she says. So she went about collecting recipes from the most sought-after chefs in the area and got to work. The recipes are as diverse as Wine Country itself and each suggests a local wine pairing. “Our biggest goal was to ensure that each recipe is doable by the average home cook. I wanted people to actually use this book, not just have it collect dust on a shelf,” she says. And the best part? All of the profits will be donated, with 75 percent going directly to Napa Valley restaurant workers and 25 percent of the proceeds going to Feed Napa Now. www.napavalleycookbook.com At Home in the Wine Country: Architecture & Design in the California Vineyards (Gibbs Smith) by Heather Sandy Hebert and Chase Reynolds Ewald. If you are as enamored with Wine Country’s architecture and design as we are, then you won’t want to miss this love letter to the region’s style. Co-author and Larkspur resident Heather Hebert says, “We feature homes from throughout the Northern California Wine Country, including Sonoma, Napa and Monterey counties, designed by some of the most talented architects and interior designers in the region.” The book pays particular attention to the joys of indoor-outdoor living. If you don’t own a home in Wine Country, this book will most certainly inspire you to start looking. Out on August 24, www.gibbs-smith.com
Courtesy of Jess Lander; Gibbs Smith
Gray Is the New Green
Progreesive IMS Outdoors returns to Sonoma
Back on the Bikes
Aldas/www.stock.adobe.com; Lori Ayre (bottom)
Summer fun is back and Progressive IMS Outdoors (www.motorcycleshows.com) is bringing its newly revamped powersports show to the Sonoma Raceway July 16 to 18. The festival-like experience offers enthusiasts the opportunity to see the latest street bikes, dirt bikes, cruisers, scooters and ATVs, as well as the latest gear and aftermarket accessories. And of course, what would this show be without the demo rides? See you there! —Alana Malone
Janet Rogoff
Volunteer of the Year The American Red Cross of the North Bay (www.redcross.org) honored eight Marin residents and one community partner at a recent recognition event for chapter volunteers in the county. At the annual event, held virtually on May 26, Janet Rogoff was named Volunteer of the Year for helping to revitalize volunteer engagement in Marin county. “I feel a deep sense of gratitude for being given the opportunity to make a difference to hundreds of victims of disasters,” Rogoff says. —Daniel Jewett
marin living. july/august 2021 21
news.
Dessa (this image), Too $hort (inset)
Music in the Park The longest-running outdoor music festival in the Bay Area is back this year for its 84th annual season. The free event kicked off June 20 and continues every Sunday afternoon until August 29 at San Francisco’s Stern Grove (www.sterngrove.org). The San Francisco Symphony handles the July Fouth festivities with acts like Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Thievery Corporation, Perfume Genius and Ledisi performing other Sundays; Tower of Power and Too $hort close out the concert series. While the event is still free, guests must register in advance to reserve a spot for each concert. “Whether it’s punk rock, hip-hop, crossover jazz, or the good old Symphony on the Fourth of July, we hope that everyone can find something they love in this year’s lineup,” says Executive Director Bob Fiedler. —Daniel Jewett
Boyd Gate House
On June 2 the Marin Gun Safety Collaborative (MGSC, www.marin county.org) launched an educational campaign that encourages responsible gun ownership to promote public safety. This initiative reminds gun owners that they are held legally accountable to protect others within their home and communities by keeping firearms locked, unloaded and away from ammunition. In 2020 the Marin County Civil Grand Jury estimated that there were 100,000 guns stored within Marin homes and vehicles, and surveys suggest that around 18,000 of them were unlocked and loaded. This raises the risk of gun-related accidents, violence, theft and suicide. Visit MGSC’s website for resources regarding suicide prevention, how to safely keep firearms, and which law enforcement agencies offer firearm storage and locks. —Brenna Neves
A Return Home This fall, the Marin History Museum (www.marinhistory.org) will be back — and better than ever — in San Rafael’s Boyd Gate House, the historic building it previously called home from 1959 to 2014. The City Council approved a three-year lease of the recently renovated site, and the museum is making the most of it. The centerpiece for the reopening is an exhibit dedicated to the life of prominent Arctic explorer Louise Arner Boyd, whose family’s estate the gatehouse was built upon. —Sydney Segal
22 july/august 2021 marin living.
Clockwise from top: Jessy Gonzalez, courtesy of Stern Grove; 1jaimages/www.stock.adobe.com; courtesy of Marin History Museum
Firearm Safety and Risk Prevention in Marin
Bigger Is Sometimes Better “The bigger vision of the move is that it will help us fulfill our mission to sustain family farms in Marin and Sonoma counties and revitalize rural communities,” says Straus Family Creamery’s founder and CEO, Albert Straus (www.straus familycreamery.com). After nearly three decades at its facility in Marshall, the company recently moved all its production into a $20 million, 50,000-squarefoot, state-of-the-art facility in Rohnert Park. “The new facility enables us to become more efficient as a manufacturer while allowing more advanced sustainable practices, such as zero-waste production, in the future,” Straus says. In 2019, the Marshall-based creamery was the first in the world to receive the TRUE Zero Waste Certification, a major accomplishment. The company is also actively implementing new practices that will eliminate fossil fuel–based plastic packaging over the course of the next several years. —Casey Gillespie
Clockwise from top: Courtesy of Straus Family Creamery; courtesy of Ritter Center; Pete Stetina
Sleep Out for a Good Cause
Ride With a Pro Cyclist Piazza Hospitality — which includes Hotel Healdsburg, h2hotel and Harmon Guest House — has partnered with Sonoma-based international pro cyclist Peter Stetina to offer guests the opportunity to take a private ride with the celebrated competitive athlete. The Pro Cycling Experience Package (www. h2hotel.com/experiences) includes a guided tour through Wine Country, which Stetina personalizes for each group, and a two-night stay at one of the hotels. Guests will also have access to Picks from the Pro, a collection of routes, commentary by Stetina, insider tips and suggestions on where to eat and drink, which will be preloaded onto a GPS. And for every package booked, $400 will be donated to the B-Rad Foundation (www.b-radfoundation.org) to provide a local child in need with a new bike, helmet and a cycling adventure of her own. —Alana Malone
On July 31, San Rafael’s Ritter Center (www.rittercenter.org) would like Marin residents to stay out of bed. As part of its first-ever Under the Stars: A Sleepout to End Homelessness in Marin event, the center is encouraging individuals, families and community teams to gather in living rooms; on floors, sofas, decks, porches, driveways and backyards with the intention of spending the night in any place other than a bed. Groups and individuals will receive a fundraising page and tips on how to gather support. “While homelessness is a serious issue, we hope that this new annual event for Ritter Center will create conversation, raise essential funds, and be inspiring for all ages,” says Mark Shotwell, Ritter Center’s executive director. —Daniel Jewett Caption TK
local splurges.
Get the Glow It goes without saying that summer and sunscreen go hand in hand, but sunny, makeup-free days call for products that promote healthy, glowing summer skin. By Casey Gillespie
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1. Summer’s dry weather can leave the eye area parched, exaggerating fine lines and under-eye circles. Try Arcona’s Eye Dew Plus, an illuminating serum that incorporates retinol, ceramides and vitamin C to firm, hydrate and brighten. It gives new meaning to bright eyed and bushy tailed. Available at International Orange (Marin Country Mart, Larkspur) or www. arcona.com, $95.
2. Sun exposure can lead to uneven skin tone and unwanted dark spots (read: skin damage) — fight them in real time with Biossance’s Squalane + Vitamin C Dark Spot Serum. The gentle formula uses shiitake mushroom and an impressive 10 percent vitamin C to fade dark spots and give results you can see instantly. Available at Sephora (Town Center Corte Madera) and wwwbiossance. com, $62.
24 july/august 2021 marin living.
3. Juice Beauty’s Stem Cellular CC Cream is a nontoxic summer staple given its ability to even out skin tone, reduce the appearance of fine lines and give skin that makeup-free glow we all crave. Add in reef-safe mineral zinc SPF 30 and a healthy dose of antioxidants and you just can’t go wrong. Available at Pharmaca (230 E. Blithedale Avenue, Mill Valley) and www. juicebeauty.com, $39.
4. If you haven’t tried gua sha on your body yet, you are missing out. Use the Aura Stone and soothing Aura Oil to release pent-up tension and smooth connective tissue (i.e. reduce the appearance of cellulite). Check out the brand’s Instagram for technique tutorials and prepare to be hooked. Available at Credo (360 Pine Street, San Francisco) and www.wildling. com; Aura Stone, $65; Aura Oil, $59.
5. Sausalito-based Botnia is our latest obsession and the Soothing Repair Mask is at the top of our summer wish list. Formulated with hyaluronic acid and saccharides, this mask deeply hydrates and plumps the skin and is also great for any sort of sun damage including burns, peeling and irritation. It can also be used as an overnight mask. Available at www.botniaskin care.com, $42.
Botnia photo by Jenna Rae; images courtesy of the brands
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Real Estate Done Differently Aviva Kamler’s deep Bay Area roots and extensive reach equals homeowner happiness.
Coming Soon in San Anselmo I $3,495.000
AVIVA KAMLER www.avivakamler.com Aviva.Kamler@sothebys.realty 415.717.1056 DRE#: 02076186
Q avkamler
A Colorful History
Patrick McNeil loves telling a good story, making and distributing wine, exploring his family’s deep legacy, and now, sharing his first-ever rosé. By Daniel Jewett 26 july/august 2021 marin living.
WHEN PATRICK MCNEIL’S grandfather Joe started sending romantic notes and colorful illustrations — he was a commercial graphic artist working at Schmidt Lithography Co. (known by the famous clock tower by the entrance to the Bay Bridge) — to his grandmother in the late 1920s, he never could have guessed that the envelopes would eventually become wine labels. “A wine label has to be authentic; it has to be real because people can tell the difference,” McNeil says. He started putting his grandfather’s correspondence — which includes 50 envelopes that are now housed at the Marin County Free Library’s Anne T. Kent California Room — on the bottles of wine he and his dad began making in 2003. “I thought: our story and my family are more rooted, more colorful, and more entertaining on paper than anyone else I could imagine working with.” McNeil is not kidding. Even before his grandparents were married at the endlessly photogenic St. Mary’s Church in Nicasio in 1928, both of their families were some of the town’s first residents post–Gold Rush — his grandmother, Ellen Redding, was born on the town square in 1899. Shortly after getting married, the couple moved to Los Angeles, where McNeil’s father was born. His father joined other Los Angeles professionals who made the move north to Napa in the 1970s and got into the wine business — McNeil’s father teamed with Carl Doumani in purchasing Stags’
All images courtesy of Wines That Deliver and Patrick McNeil
Patrick McNeil’s limited-edition wines include the new rosé (this page) and two versions of the 2019 pinot noir (opposite). The art is by his grandfather.
eat & drink.
Leap Winery in 1970. In 1977 his grandmother returned to the family ranch in Nicasio, where McNeil’s Aunt Martha still lives. McNeil moved from Napa to Lucas Valley in 2019 and started his winery and delivery business, Wines That Deliver (www.winesthatdeliver.com), named after a circa 1900 receipt reading “Goods Delivered to Any Part of Marin County” from his great-great-grandfather’s Nicasio butcher shop (it’s still there). “After I was born, I took my first steps in Napa at Stags’ Leap,” he says. “That was my hook in terms of growing up, going to Napa and the fabled old ghost winery, the smell of the cellar floor.” Tired of delivering wine from other businesses, in 2015 McNeil began sourcing and making his own. “I have a
combination of local sources and other connections and relationships from being in the wine business for so long, which is great,” he says. “I have the benefit of incredible vineyards in Marin County, Paso Robles, Napa and Lodi. Which gives me a lot of flexibility.” As for rosé, McNeil says making one was inevitable and summer is the perfect time to drink it. “It’s the first time I’ve made a rosé and it is actually from one of my favorite vineyards in Paso Robles. It’s a pure California-style rosé,” he says, adding that it came out so well he plans to make it every year. “I’ve always wanted to make a rosé because of that envelope art you see on the label, which is just one of my favorites. It is perfect — it needs to be on a bottle of rosé.”
Ellen Redding
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A Day Out in Downtown Napa
Napa River waterfront
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Courtesy of Go Napa
By Casey Gillespie
local getaways.
Courtesy of the Archer Hotel
Sky & Vine, the Archer Hotel’s rooftop bar
Downtown Napa is brimming with historic charm, irresistible boutiques, delightful eateries and, of course, some of the best tasting rooms in Napa Valley (and there are plenty to choose from). While there is no question you are smack dab in the middle of Wine Country, there is a distinct urban vibe that begets a laid-back nightlife, rooftop bars ideal for warm summer evenings and even a few top-notch breweries. Take advantage of the abundant free parking, because everything from the trail that runs along the Napa River to Oxbow Market is walkable. Whether you are a day-tripper or making a weekend of it, downtown Napa has it all.
Archer Hotel 1230 FIRST ST STREET
www.archerhotel.com Situated in the midst of everything, the Archer Hotel is a great option if you want to stay overnight. Don’t miss the hotel’s rooftop bar Sky & Vine — with its open-air panoramic views of the valley, weekly specials and enticing lineup of live music.
Charsaw Farms 1210 CUTTINGS WHARF ROAD
This family owned (and insanely charming) lavender farm is a must-visit. Located a few miles from downtown, it’s well worth the short drive for the u-pick lavender experience, wreath-making classes and farm shop that offers everything from honey and hand sanitizer — all infused with lavender, of course. marin living. july/august 2021 29
local getaways.
Silverado Vineyards
500 FIRST STREET
www.ciafoodies.com What better way to take in the bounty of one of the most revered foodie destinations in the world than by taking a Culinary Institute of America cooking class? Choose from Spanish, Italian, French or plant-based cuisine, or go niche and opt for classes dedicated to flatbreads or dim sum. So many classes, so little time.
The Yard by Feast It Forward 1031 MCKINSTRY STREET
www.feastitforward.com The Yard by Feast It Forward is set to open in the Oxbow District in August. The new concept aims to channel an open-air, festival-like experience with wine tasting, pop-ups, food trucks, music, shipping container lounges and much more. It promises to offer endless Instagrammable moments, so have your camera at the ready.
Oxbow Public Market 610 FIRST STREET
www.oxbowpublicmarket.com This bustling market is chock full of 30 july/august 2021 marin living.
interesting finds including places to sip wine, eat oysters, nibble on cheese and grab some goodies to take home. Fans of Fieldwork Brewing Company will be thrilled to hear that this location is expanding with a new European-style beer garden this summer (www.fieldworkbrewing. com). Live music is returning to Oxbow Riverstage as well, with lots of performances starting in mid-August. (www.oxbowriverstage.com).
Silverado Vineyards 6121 SILVERADO TRAIL
www.silveradovineyards.com If you are itching for a vineyard tasting experience, the iconic Silverado Vineyards is well worth the short drive from downtown. One of the most recognized names in Napa Valley, the winery is fourth-generation family owned and oozes laid-back Wine Country elegance. Book a table overlooking the valley and prepare to be wowed.
Stone Brewing 930 THIRD STREET
www.stonebrewing.com Located on the Napa River and walking distance from anywhere downtown, this devilishly good brewery is celebrating
its 25th anniversary. The on-site, 10-barrel brewing system allows Stone to make the creative craft beers they are known for, which pairs well with the decidedly barbecue-heavy menu.
The Dutch Door 1245 FIRST STREET (WINDOW ON RANDOLPH STREET)
www.thedutchdoornapa.com You might walk right by this small eatery, but that would be a huge mistake. Orders are placed at the Dutch door (literally) and enjoyed at one of the small sidewalk tables or down by the river. The menu is comfort food at its best — don’t miss the plantbased options.
The George 492 RANDOLPH STREET
www.thegeorgenapa.com Once a single-family home (commissioned in 1891 by George E. Goodman Jr., the son one of Napa’s most prominent businessmen), this recently opened boutique hotel is a destination in itself. Each of the nine rooms is unique with modern touches and conveniences that celebrate the inn’s history. Grab a glass of wine and enjoy the canopy of trees in the garden.
Courtesy of Silverado Vineyards
The CIA at Copia
LOCAL ROOTS. LOCAL SPIRIT. WHATEVER YOUR DAY CALLS FOR DISCOVER IT HERE Alterations To Go • Bear Flag Fitness • Brad Gilbert Tennis Nation • Computer Connection CVS/Pharmacy • Elements Massage • Fingers & Toes • Frame Crafters • Gott’s Roadside Hair Salon by Manij • Haute Jewels • Jamba • Johann Paul Fine Jewelry • JumpStart MD Loving Cup • Luxton Optical • Meaders Cleaners • Mollie Stone’s • Noah’s Bagels • One Medical Orangetheory Fitness • Oyama Sushi • Peet’s Coffee • PowerMD • Ranch Salon Reventé Boutique • Roadrunner Burrito • Secret Garden • StretchLab • Style Bar • Subway SusieCakes • T-Mobile • UPS Store • Victoria Bakery • Woodlands Pet Food & Treats Bank of America • Bank of Marin • Chase Bank • Wells Fargo
Just off Highway 101 on Sir Francis Drake Blvd. bonair.com
take note.
Planet Protector
The key to being sure you’ve found life on another planet is being certain you didn’t bring it there yourself. By Daniel Jewett 32 july/august 2021 marin living.
Courtesy of NASA
A NASA illustration of Perseverance landing safely on Mars.
Paola Kudacki
FOR MANY PEOPLE here on Earth, watching NASA’s rover Perseverance safely land on Mars in February was an inspiring experience. But when your job title is group supervisor for the Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), it means a little more. “Seeing it launch was just incredible. And then seeing it land was, of course, extremely exciting. To land that hole in one is just so mathematically rigorous,” 35-year-old New Jersey native Moogega Cooper says about “Percy,” as she calls it. “I think the launch meant even that much more to me, just because of everything that we put into getting it to the finish line.” It was indeed a rigorous process as she and members of the team she leads picked up their lives — she currently lives in Altadena, California — and moved to Florida to be near Cape Canaveral in preparation for the launch of the Mars 2020 mission, all during a pandemic. Her team’s job was to test the spacecraft, its parts and the mini-helicopter Ingenuity — a craft that would go on to execute the first powered, controlled flight by an aircraft on another planet — for microbes that might possibly be carried to Mars, determine where those germs originated from and kill them if necessary. “Myself and another person on my team were the last people to take a sample of the fairing door days before launch,” she says. The goal of the mission is to collect rock and soil samples for eventual return to Earth and look for signs of former microbial life on Mars. The trick here is to make sure any life found wasn’t brought there by us — because some microbes are resilient enough to withstand space travel, Cooper says (this process will be performed in reverse when the samples come back sometime in the 2030s). “The whole point of planetary protection is to make sure that as we’re exploring other bodies in our solar system, we are doing it responsibly, that we don’t spread our germs elsewhere,” she says. “Especially because if we’re searching for life, we have to make sure that it’s the life that is native to that area, not life that we brought with us.” Cooper is the right person for this very important job because she has a unique perspective on how to eliminate microbes using plasma that can be applied to delicate surfaces like on a spacecraft.
In school she wasn’t interested in math at first, but watching all of Carl Sagan’s Cosmos episodes on VHS changed that and led her toward getting a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering with a concentration in thermal fluid sciences. “I didn’t understand why I should care about solving equations to find what X is,” she says. “And then Cosmos completely changed my world and I started taking it seriously.” As for whether we’ll find life on Mars, Cooper says it is very possible. “I really hope that we do find something. And the
thing is we set ourselves up for success,” she says. “If you go to your nearest lake, take a scoop from the bottom of that lake and put it under a microscope, you will see a high quantity and high diversity of life. So, if you want to find life on some other planet, you find the nearest lake bed and delta, which is exactly where we landed.” See Moogega “Moo” Cooper and other intriguing speakers virtually in the September 18 TEDxMarin (www.tedx marin.org) online broadcast What Now? Ideas for an Uncharted Future.
Moogega Cooper
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Tomales Bay Shipwreck, Inverness
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A Q U AT I C E C O S Y S T E M S Tomales Bay, rich in habitats, is a biodiversity hot spot.
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By Joseph Knelman Photographs by Elyse Omernick
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Tomales Bay
IN MARIN COUNTY, NATURAL DIVERSITY starts at one’s feet. Geology ranging from sandstone to volcanic rock gives rise to coastal grasslands, fragrant bay laurel and the grandeur of redwoods. Gray fox, bobcats and foothill yellowlegged frogs roam free. Above dollops of fog, birds travel the Pacific Flyway, a migratory path that brings hundreds of avian species to local habitats. “Marin County is a biodiversity hot spot on a global scale,” says Eric Ettlinger, an aquatic ecologist with Marin Municipal Water District (MMWD). “The public lands in Marin — Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Marin Water’s watershed, different state parks, Point Reyes National Seashore — are part of what is called the Golden Gate Biosphere Reserve,” a designation granted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Yet somewhat hidden from plain sight is the stunning biodiversity of local waterways and ocean ecosystems. “We have animals that come here from all over the Pacific Ocean basin, the biggest ocean basin in the world: turtles from Indonesia and albatross from Hawaii, and the blue whales come here from Costa Rica, so it’s just this really rich area for marine life,” says Carol Preston, education and outreach coordinator for the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, of which Marin’s coastal waters are a part. “What’s so special is the diversity and abundance of wildlife that’s found here.” At the nexus of Marin’s landscapes, waterways and the Pacific Ocean is Tomales Bay, a West Marin wildlife hot spot brimming with biodiversity below its surface. “Tomales Bay itself is a super-rich habitat,” says Preston of the estuarine environment. “Wherever you have all these types of habitats meet and connect are really the best places to find wildlife.” 36 july/august 2021 marin living.
A Vital Habitat
As an estuary with brackish water along with diverse habitats (including eelgrass beds, tidal sands, mudflats and tidal creeks), Tomales Bay provides the ultimate recipe for abundant and diverse wildlife. At the foundation of the Tomales Bay ecosystem is eelgrass, a seagrass that offers a variety of benefits and a habitat for wildlife and humans alike. “The eelgrass sequesters a lot of carbon and also protects our coast from erosion, so it’s kind of a good-news ecosystem for climate,” says Preston. With that eelgrass habitat, Tomales Bay also serves as a fish and harbor seal nursery, fostering “salmon, halibut, herring, flounder, leopard sharks and bat rays,” says Preston. “In the mud itself there are all kinds of invertebrates that support that life.” Such a productive food web means that the bay provides vital sustenance to wintering shorebirds, seabirds and waterbirds as well. In total, more than 2,000 wildlife species have been documented in Tomales Bay, making it a site of extraordinary biological interest.
Great Migrations: Coho Salmon
Tomales Bay is the stage for a millennia-long tradition, as coho salmon are born in local streams, migrate out to open ocean and return to their birthplace nearly three years later to start the next generation. The coho salmon, an endangered species in Marin, traverse Tomales Bay at two key moments in their life cycle: both as young smolts heading out to sea for the first time and as breeding adults returning to fresh water to spawn. “Typically the coho salmon start returning to fresh water in November with the first rains of the season, and their numbers increase, usually peaking in December with heavier rains. They need the rainfall to increase depth in the stream and they also
From left: Sara Heintzelman; Mariusz Blach/www.stock.adobe.com; somchairakin/www.stock.adobe.com; Jim Sullivan
need the stream to be a little bit muddy so that they can avoid river otters,” says Ettlinger. Ettlinger and the MMWD pay close attention to rainfall and streamflow to ensure that enough water is available for the endangered salmon to survive. But as drought limits water supply, the task becomes more difficult. “The drought is going to have an impact on the salmon and Lagunitas Creek. They are not going to have as much water as is ideal for them,” says Ettlinger. He hopes, however, that Marin residents can play a helpful role in conserving water, which will impact how much of it can be released from Kent Lake to support the coho salmon. Whereas many other populations of salmon are maintained by hatcheries, the Lagunitas Creek coho salmon are particularly important as a wild population, which is key for conserving natural biodiversity. Adding to the distinction of these Lagunitas Creek coho salmon is the fact that they are located at the southernmost extent of the species’ global native range, Ettlinger notes. As a result, the Lagunitas coho salmon are adapted to slightly warmer waters than others, with corresponding genetic variation that may be vital for coho salmon survival in a world of climbing environmental temperatures brought on by climate change. Though constituting one of the healthier populations of wild coho in California, the local coho have dwindled to a small fraction of their historical numbers, so conservation efforts are essential. “We typically get about 400 adult salmon returning per year on average and that’s down historically,” says Ettlinger. Some accounts place the population in the thousands just over 60 years ago.
Oyster Farming
And while it might not seem obvious at first, humans also are part of the Tomales Bay ecosystem. Oyster farming has been a component of the Tomales Bay ecology for well over a century. The Tomales Bay Oyster Comapny, for example, “has been the oldest continuous oyster company in California,” says Heidi Gregory, owner and farm manager at the operation, which was originally established in 1909 after successful experimentation with introduced varieties alongside native Olympia oysters.
Both Tomales Bay Oyster and Hog Island Oyster companies are deeply tied to the intricacies of Tomales Bay’s ecology. “Oysters as a food are more about place than just about any other food I can think of; they really do reflect the environment they are grown in,” says John Finger, founding partner and CEO at Hog Island Oyster Co. Oyster farming in Tomales Bay depends on a difficult balancing of forces: water chemistry, temperature and habitat diversity all play a role. Variation in these factors can impact the growth of the oysters, what they are eating, their mineral and salt content and, ultimately, their taste. “I can taste a difference in oysters from various parts of this bay,” says Finger. “The Pacific oyster, our main variety, has been described as having a kind of smoky-sweet flavor.” Along with location, even seasons within Tomales Bay can be detected in the oyster’s taste. “Right now, because we haven’t had any rain, the oysters are way more salty because the salinity is higher,” says Gregory. For Gregory and Finger both, success in oyster farming is tied to the health of the local ecosystem. “Mother Nature is who you are ruled by. She’s the one who makes the rules and we try to do our best,” says Gregory. But oyster farming has benefits beyond food supply: as filter feeders, oysters themselves help to maintain clean water in the bay, which improves light penetration and the growth of eelgrass.
Experiencing Biodiversity
Whether we’re tasting Tomales Bay in a local oyster or bearing witness to the spectacular return of coho salmon to natal streams, the waters of Marin offer much to the people who live here. Humans aside, hundreds upon hundreds of animal species are sustained in the intricate web of life at the convergence of fresh and saltwater ecosystems. As such, Marin offers an incredible opportunity to appreciate and protect biodiversity. “Having salmon return to a human environment inspires people to think about conservation, and to think about their water and land use,” says Ettlinger. “I really hope that the salmon return for the benefit of the watershed and other species, but primarily I think that there is a benefit in environmental awareness.”
Sample the Sounds, Sights and Tastes of Tomales Bay
Kayaking Tomales Bay with Sanctuary Explorations “One of my favorite trips is going for a nighttime paddle when the bioluminescence is out. No matter where you look it’s magical,” says Carol Preston. Check the website for excursion information, including the bioluminescence kayak trip, at www.farallones.noaa.gov.
Coho Salmon Observation Mark your calendar to check out the waters of Lagunitas Creek as they flow toward Tomales Bay, one of the prime places to see salmon in their natural habitat. “The best time to see the spawning salmon is two days after a decent rain in December,” says Ettlinger. Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, Lagunitas
Tomales Bay Oyster Company Buy fresh oysters and fixin’s at the Tomales Bay Oyster Company stand (cash only). Owner and farm manager Heidi Gregory recommends bringing a cooler and enjoying the oysters at a local state park or beach nearby. www. tomalesbayoystercompany.com, 15479 Highway One, Marshall
Hog Island Oyster Co. Purchase oysters at the Hog Shack and take them home to grill or enjoy them alfresco at The Boat Oyster Bar (by reservation) overlooking Tomales Bay. “If the crew is harvesting oysters, you see that happen,” says John Finger. www.hog islandoysters.com, 20215 Highway 1, Marshall
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Snow geese fly overhead near Cosumnes River Preserve.
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TA K E
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FLIGHT Photography by Lori Eanes
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The Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge at dusk.
Bird-watching has always been a popular pastime in Northern California, and one that seems to attract countless new enthusiasts every year. Local photographer Lori Eanes counts herself among the newly enthralled. “I first heard of the bird refuges from fellow photographers a few years ago. I’ve visited them before, but I never really thought of them as a project idea until the pandemic,” she says. Last fall when most of us were holed up at home, Eanes decided to start exploring. “As it turns out there are many nearby refuges that are destinations for thousands of winter birds. After visiting a few spots and seeing so many up close, I became hooked,” she admits. A visit to Richardson Bay or Tomales Bay in the fall and winter months is a fascinating study in ornithology, as the number of migratory birds that pass through are in the tens of thousands. Traveling a little farther out to places like Shollenberger Park in Petaluma and the Grizzly Island Wildlife Area — especially during the pandemic, when the outdoors provided such solace — turned out to be an indelibly memorable experience as well. “The sheer number of birds visiting the refuges is unforgettable and there’s such diversity. The sights are amazing, but the sounds are otherworldly,” Eanes says. As you would expect, springtime presents a very different picture of birdlife. “The water from the fields
Where to See the Birds Colusa National Wildlife Refuge Cosumnes River Preserve, Galt, south of Sacramento Grizzly Island Wildlife Area, Suisun City Merced National Wildlife Refuge Richardson Bay, Marin Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge Merced National Wildlife Refuge Shollenberger Park, Petaluma
begins drying up, the migratory birds have left and the remaining birds are now raising families,” she says. “Other animals that live in the refuges year-round become more apparent, such as otters, raccoons, rabbits and snakes. This photography project has made me really aware of the fragility of their environment. The drought has brought more hardships on the birds; conserving water so they can survive is really important.” In the pages that follow we look at birds in their natural habitats throughout the seasons. If you want to help support Marin’s native and migratory populations, visit www.marinaudubon.org to donate. — Casey Gillespie marin living. july/august 2021 41
Tree swallows at Merced National Wildlife Refuge.
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er numb er of birds
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Shorebirds at Merced National Wildlife Refuge.
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eir h t y of t i l i has ag r f mad e e me really aware of th
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Lesser sandhill cranes forage in a field near San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge.
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karepa/www.stock.adobe.com
Hot Grill SUMMER Wondering what to serve at your next cookout? Wonder no more — here are a few crowd-pleasing recipes from some of your favorite local chefs. Bon appétit! By Marin Living Editors marin living. july/august 2021 49
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“These ribs double down on porky goodness because they get the bonus treatment of using their own juices in the basting sauce.” — Chef Stuart Brioza
Pork Ribs Glazed in Their Own Juices CHEF STUART BRIOZA
State Bird Provisions, San Francisco
Ed Anderson
Ingredients 2 equal-size racks pork spareribs (2 to 2 ½ pounds each), preferably St. Louis–cut 2 tbsp kosher salt 1 ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper 5 medium garlic cloves; 4 thinly sliced, 1 smashed and peeled 2 lemons, top and bottom trimmed, cut into ¼-inch rounds, plus 1 ½ tbsp lemon juice, or as needed 1 large rosemary sprig, leaves only, plus 1 small sprig, torn in half 1 ½ tbsp cornstarch 1 tbsp water 1 tsp shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven-spice) ¼ cup thinly sliced scallions (white and green parts) Directions 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 2. On a work surface, lay out a sheet of aluminum foil that is about 4 inches longer than the rib racks, then lay a piece of parchment paper that’s about 3 inches longer than the racks in the center of the foil. 3. Season the rib racks on both sides with the salt and pepper. Lay one rack, meaty side down, on the parchment paper. Scatter the sliced garlic on the rack, tile it with the lemon rounds, and scatter on the rosemary leaves. Lay the other rack, meaty side up, on top of the first rack.
4. Wrap the racks snugly in the parchment, tucking the short sides under to create a neat package. Next, do the same with the aluminum foil, sealing the edges well to make sure no steam or juices escape during the cooking process. 5. Put the foil package on a baking sheet and bake until the meat is very tender but not falling off the bone, about 2 hours, rotating once halfway through. Remove from the oven and let the ribs rest at room temperature for 1 hour. 6. Open the package and scrape out and discard the lemon, garlic and rosemary. Carefully transfer the racks to a cutting board and cut into individual ribs. Pour the juices from the package into a small saucepan. Do not skim the fat. Add the smashed garlic and torn rosemary sprig to the saucepan, set over high heat, and bring to a simmer. 7. In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and water until smooth. Gradually pour the cornstarch mixture into the pan, let come to a boil, and cook, stirring frequently, just until the glaze is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. (You can cover and set aside for up to 3 hours. Re-warm in a small saucepan over low heat until it comes to a simmer, then remove from the heat.) Stir in the lemon juice (to taste), season with salt, and then strain the glaze through a fine-mesh sieve into a mixing bowl, discarding the solids. 8. Prepare a grill (or preheat a grill pan or wide heavy skillet) to cook over high heat. Oil the grill grates (or add
enough oil to the grill pan or skillet to very thinly cover the surface). Add the ribs and grill, turning occasionally, until they’re browned all over, 3–5 minutes. 9. As the ribs are browned, brush them generously with the glaze. Transfer the ribs to a platter and sprinkle with the shichimi togarashi and scallions. Serve right away. Drink pairing: Pair with a good sour beer or something really hoppy like a Pliny.
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“This particular salad made its way onto the menu at Nick’s Cove years ago and has held up to this day because it’s unexpected and daringly delicious. Plus, we can utilize our own romaine grown up in our Croft.” — Dena Grunt
Grilled Romaine Salad DENA GRUNT
Nick’s Cove, Marshall Proprietor and author of Table With a View: The History and Recipes of Nick’s Cove (Camron + Company) shares a recipe from the book.
For the salad Ingredients 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing ½ cup fresh breadcrumbs 4 small romaine hearts Kosher salt ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Directions 1. To make the vinaigrette, in a blender combine the lemon juice, anchovies, garlic, mustard, Parmesan, salt and pepper, and blend on medium-high speed until smooth. With the blender running, slowly drizzle in the oil, blending until the vinaigrette is emulsified. Set aside. (The vinaigrette will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.) 2. In a dry small skillet, warm 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. 3. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat. Brush the grill grate clean. 4. While the grill heats, halve the romaine hearts lengthwise, carefully cutting away most of the core, and leaving enough stem to keep the leaves attached to each other. Brush the cut sides of the romaine lightly with the oil, then season with salt. 5. Arrange the romaine halves, cut sides down, on the grate and grill until the leaves are nicely charred, about 1 ½ minutes. You do not want to cook the romaine. You just want to create nice char marks. 6. Transfer two romaine halves, grilled side up, onto each individual plate, arranging them into an X. Drizzle each serving with about ¼ cup vinaigrette, then sprinkle with 2 tablespoons Parmesan and 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs. Serve at once. Drink pairing: My personal favorite is to pair this dish with a wellbalanced sauvignon blanc.
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Frankie Frankeny
Lemon anchovy vinaigrette Ingredients 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 3 lemons) 4 olive oil–packed anchovy fillets 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tbsp Dijon mustard 1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese ¼ tsp Kosher salt ½ tsp freshly ground pepper ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
“This is a wonderful outdoor barbecue dish. Serve as an appetizer — the great part is you can prepare these an hour before. Using local oysters is always a great conversation piece.” — Chef Mike Garcia
Grilled Oysters Courtesy of Murray Circle/Cavallo Point
CHEF MIKE GARCIA
Murray Circle at Cavallo Point, Sausalito Ingredients ½ pound softened butter 2 small shallots peeled and small diced 2 tbsp chopped garlic 2 tbsp chopped tarragon 2 tbsp chopped Italian parsley 2 tbsp chopped basil Zest and juice of 2 Lemons 1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp tabasco 1 cup grated fresh Parmesan 24 small to medium local oysters 3–4 cups rock salt Directions 1. In a bowl mix all ingredients except the Parmesan, oysters and rock salt. Season with salt and pepper. 2. Heat grill. Use an old cookie sheet that will fit in your grill and fill with rock salt. Shuck open your oysters and place on the rock salt open side up. Make sure the oysters are level.
3. Place a teaspoon of the butter mixture on top of each oyster. Top with ½ teaspoon of Parmesan. 4. Place cookie sheet on grill and close the top. Cook till Parmesan is lightly caramelized and the oysters are slightly bubbling, 4–5 minutes. 5. Serve with a squeeze of lemon. Drink pairing: These go great with a local beer, sparkling wine or a whiskey sour.
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CHEF MICHAEL MINA
The Bungalow Kitchen, Tiburon (a collaboration with Brent Bolthouse, opening this summer)
For the matbucha Ingredients 1 tsp ground cumin seed 1 tsp ground coriander seed 1 tsp ground Urfa biber or ancho ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 tsp Pimenton de la Vera 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 500 grams Pomi tomatoes, chopped 1 large onion, sliced 4 gloves garlic, peeled and chopped ½ cup tomato paste 1 tsp sea salt 1 bay leaf 1 sprig fresh thyme 2 tbsp chopped cilantro 2 tbsp crispy fried onions or shallots 1 15-ounce can cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed Directions 1. In a dry saucepan over medium heat, add dry spices and toast until fragrant and aromatic. Add extra-virgin olive oil to saucepan and infuse with spices. 2. Add onion, garlic, sea salt, fresh ground black pepper, fresh thyme sprig and bay leaf to the saucepan. Stir to combine and cook over medium heat until translucent. 3. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan to cook out the raw flavor of the paste. Don’t skip this step as it’s the foundation for a deep flavor. 4. Add chopped tomatoes and chickpeas to the saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce to low heat. Cook for 20–30 minutes. 5. Taste and adjust for seasoning as needed, and set aside for later use, ensuring it’s kept hot.
For the grilled sea bream Ingredients 1 5–6-ounce cleaned dorade/ sea bream fillet per person, with skin on and pin bones removed 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil ( for the fish) Sea salt to taste Fresh cracked black pepper to taste 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (for oiling the grill) Directions 1. Preheat the grill — you want it very hot. Once the grill is hot, brush the grates aggressively to remove any leftover carbon. Oil a folded paper towel and using tongs, brush the oiled paper towel along the grill grates. 2. Close the grill’s lid and allow to heat up again. 3. While the grill is getting hot, blot the skin side of the fish well with a clean, dry paper towel to remove any surface moisture. This is critical to getting crispy skin and preventing the fish from sticking to the grill. 4. Brush the fish with the remaining olive oil and gently season both sides with salt and pepper. 5. Working quickly, brush the grill grates again with the oil-soaked paper towel and place the fish skin side down. Resist the urge to move it. 6. After 1–2 minutes the fish should release itself from the grill surface — this is your opportunity to rotate it to help cook evenly. Use a thin spatula and be careful. 7. Cook the fish on the skin side until the skin is crispy and the flesh is 90% cooked through. When the fish is nearly cooked through, flip it gently so the flesh side is on the grill. 8. Remove the fish once fully cooked and plate skin side up in shallow bowl, on top of hot matbucha. At The Bungalow Kitchen by Michael Mina, we finish the dish with chopped toasted almonds, fresh parsley leaves and flaky sea salt. Drink pairing: Magic Man cocktail made with aquavit, amontillado sherry, lemon, strawberry, hibiscus and clementine — serve over a large ice cube.
54 july/august 2021 marin living.
“This dish has Egyptian roots and is very near and dear to my heart . It’s great for the warm season and speaks to the spirit of The Bungalow Kitchen. Each bite is an explosion of summer and sunshine!” —Chef Michael Mina
David Varley
Grilled Sea Bream
Marin Living magazine is pleased to feature the most influential people and businesses in Marin County and the Bay Area. It’s an incredible group of people who make our corner of the world the extraordinary place that it is. We think it’s important to take a moment to salute the leaders, organizations and businesses whose efforts make this place so exceptional.
Jacob Lund/www.stock.adobe.com
Marin Visionaries
PROMOTION
marin visionaries
Cassie Zampa-Keim At Innovative Match you can become the person you have always wanted to be and find the ideal partner to share it with. What is your leadership strategy? My leadership strategy is to lead by example. I advise my clients that to be attractive matches, they have to live vibrant, multifaceted lives. That means they should have a professional life, which can include volunteerism, a personal life made up of friends and family, and pastimes about which they are passionate. This is the life I have created myself. A happy life is all about balance, and when you are happy, others can tell. What are you doing in business that nobody else is? Unlike many other matchmakers who accept anyone into their network that can pay their fee, I carefully vet my clients based on various factors, the most important of which is that they are kind, compassionate people who care about others. I am looking for quality, not quantity, in very much the same way my clients who are searching for their ideal match are. How are you staying ahead of the competition? I don’t pay much attention to “competition” because, for starters, I have been in this business long enough to see so many people come and go. I have also created a unique hybrid approach to dating that has allowed me to stay on top of business trends in the dating and relationship space.
Cassie Zampa-Keim 415.259.8714 email address innovative-match.com
PROMOTION
marin visionaries
Susan Van Liere Find out what 20 years of experience and a Five Star reputation can mean for your next real estate transaction.
How do you differentiate yourself as a listing agent in the crowded, real estate field? In the crowded realtor space, I distinguish myself by consistently offering the highest level of service and representation to my clients. I have built my Five Star reputation one client at a time, over the years, by utilizing a personalized, solutions-oriented approach and attention to detail. How are you staying ahead of the competition? I stay informed and on top of our ever-changing market conditions and I share that knowledge with my clients so that they can make smart
purchases and achieve highly successful sales. I leverage the relationships that I have developed over my 20-year career in real estate to get advance notice about upcoming listings and intelligence about notable sales and other market activity. What are your interests and passions outside of your business? My passion and overriding concern has always been to preserve and protect our environment. I was Marin’s first certified EcoBroker, and I am currently an NAR Green Designee and a member of Build It Green. I stay abreast of environmental home improvements and green practices.
Susan Van Liere | Compass | 490 Magnolia Avenue, Larkspur, CA 94939 | 415.302.7173 susan@susanvl.com | www.susanvl.com | @svanliere | DRE #01323865
PROMOTION
marin visionaries
Karron Power, M.D., MPH, ABAARM A constant focus on the latest medical advancements keeps PowerMD on the leading edge of aesthetic medicine science so they can give clients maximum results.
What makes you a visionary in your field? The field of aesthetic medicine has grown exponentially in recent years. Recent studies have given us better insight into the complex biology of aging and transformed how we address cosmetic concerns. New treatment techniques and technologies deliver results that are more dramatic, yet more natural-looking than ever before. At PowerMD we apply the most up-to-date medical information to offer the most advanced treatment protocols available. What is your leadership strategy? We take pride in being early
adopters of new technology and advancements in products and techniques. Everyone at PowerMD is encouraged, actually required, to continually expand their skills and knowledge. My providers read the medical literature, attend conferences and workshops, and participate in exclusive trainings with leading professionals in the industry. What new innovation do you offer? In 2021, we launched “The BodyShop” by PowerMD. I invested in state-ofthe-art body contouring devices that efficiently and permanently reduce fat and uniquely enhance muscle tone (Cutera’s truSculpt iD and FLEX).
PowerMD | frontdesk@powermd.com | 415.785.7995 www.powermd.com | @power__md
PROMOTION
marin visionaries
Nancy Dow Moody Lifehouse Agency is supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities now and looking toward the future. What makes you a visionary in your field? I think one of my biggest strengths is recognizing opportunity when an idea is presented. While others see obstacles, I see the need and the opportunity and try to capitalize on behalf of the organization. I strive to keep Lifehouse relevant to the changing needs of the people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in our community and inspire the agency’s employees with opportunities to participate in new projects. What is your leadership strategy? Currently, Lifehouse employs over 500 staff and 35 of them have a tenure of 10 to 30 years. Lifehouse is constantly evolving. I strive to develop and support all Lifehouse leaders in realizing their potential. What are you doing in business that nobody else is? I created the first Supported Living Program (SLP) in Marin County with Lifehouse in 1994 beginning with 8 SLP people. This program is unique in how it allows us to look at the individual and design the program versus trying to fit into an established design. As of May 2021, Lifehouse now serves 175 SLP people across the Bay Area, with 42 new people added since the onset of the pandemic. How does your vision and strategy manifest itself in your business? Newest on the horizon for Lifehouse is ensuring sustainability by establishing a permanent home for Lifehouse through the Home for Life Campaign.
Lifehouse Agency | 415.526.5300 18 Professional Center Parkway, San Rafael, CA 94903 ndmoody@lifehouseagency.org www.lifehouseagency.org @lifehouseagency
PROMOTION
marin visionaries
Tracy McLaughlin This Marin visionary brings unmatched experience to the world of real estate. What makes you a visionary in your field? I have always been considered a visionary in the field of residential real estate. At the inception of my career, I created a 24/7 concierge service that provided construction and design knowledge, and a full set of subs and a project manager, to buyers and sellers to maximize their return on investment. What is your leadership strategy? I have always believed in high levels of delegation to my very qualified assistants in order to perform at a top level for my clients. There is a welloiled, long-standing machine in my office that allows me to maximize time with clients and strategize for them to win homes in competitive situations and or sell homes for the very highest price when they are listed. What are you doing in business that nobody else is? I have done pre-listing improvements on over 420 homes for sellers here in Marin over the course of my 21-year career. I have personally invested in over 30 homes for my own portfolio. That kind of hands-on experience is crucial to guiding my clients to make hard choices and decisions. How are you staying ahead of the competition? I really don’t think about the competition. If you are doing an exemplary job for your clients, they take care of the competition by telling all of their friends or family members what an incredible job you did and how critical you are to the preservation of their largest asset. Tracy McLaughlin 285 Magnolia Avenue, Larkspur, CA 94939 415.699.6680 tracy@tracymclaughlin.com www.tracymclaughlin.com @tracymclaughlin facebook.com/marinfinehomes
PROMOTION
marin visionaries
Peace Out Junk Hauling Chad Kingston MacDonald and Martha Freeman are changing the way their clients dispose of unwanted material so that they can extend the lifecycle of items and give them a new life.
What makes you a visionary in your field? We believe that we are at the very beginning of a new paradigm in our society’s concept of waste, and new systems for managing waste are not only desperately needed, but also widely desired. We recognize that consumerist attitudes towards waste management are changing to align with a more sustainable model, and it is our vision to fit Peace Out Junk within this evolving framework. What are you doing in business that nobody else is? In a phrase, we are keeping it out of the landfill. We have warehouse space for Peace Out Junk Hauling | chadkmac@gmail.com peaceoutjunk.com
storing inventory, established markets for sales and donation of usable goods, and a network of individuals who can contribute knowledge and resources to our sustainability model. We have established networks that extend the lifecycle of used products. How are you staying ahead of the competition? Peace Out Junk has elected to employ a differentiation strategy that distinguishes our product from our competitors’ offerings: we provide a service that is in line with changing social mores regarding waste management, and we position ourselves to meet this demand.
PROMOTION
marin visionaries
Barr Haney and Whitney Potter Own Marin sets a new standard in excellence and innovation — helping clients exceed their real estate goals and much more. What makes you a visionary in your field? We approach real estate through the lens of living an authentic Marin lifestyle. We’re always going to tell you what makes a home valuable and a wise investment, but we’re also going to give you the scoop on the neighborhood’s daily weather and traffic patterns, lookout points to watch the sunset; everything a local would know. How does your vision and strategy manifest itself in your business? As Marin natives, we have a deep-rooted understanding and admiration for the county’s unique neighborhoods, microclimates, schools, hiking and biking trails, local shops, restaurants and amenities, and that helps us educate and guide our clients so that they are buying in communities where they will truly feel at home. Barr Haney and Whitney Potter
How are you disrupting your industry and thinking outside of the box? We transform the properties we sell. We’re setting the standard in Marin for home prep, remodeling and staging homes for the market, which helps buyers envision themselves in a home. This exponentially increases our sellers’ return on investment.
Own Marin 415.737.5663 info@ownmarin.com ownmarin.com @ownmarin
PROMOTION
marin visionaries
Bowman Real Estate Group Jennifer Bowman grew up in the real estate world and is continuing to push its boundaries to achieve the best results for clients. What makes you a visionary in your field? I focus on the psychology of negotiation based on a foundation of market statistics. What is your leadership strategy? To lead by example has been my philosophy in every position I have worked in throughout my career. How are you staying ahead of the competition? I focus on strong personal relationships and connections with our clients and colleagues. I love diving deep into our community and matching our clients’ personalities to unique neighborhoods.
Elliott Fink and Jennifer Bowman
Why is it important to have a clear vision for your business? Without a clear vision of the purpose of your business it is easy to get caught up in the daily activities and be distracted from achieving your goals. How does your vision and strategy manifest itself in your business? I focus on the importance of connecting with my community and sharing it with others. As a result of these connections, we are able to create and facilitate unique options for our clients in their real estate journey.
Bowman Real Estate Group VANGUARD PROPERTIES 1118 Magnolia Avenue Larkspur, CA 94939, 415.755.1040 team@bowmanrealestategroup.com www.bowmanrealestategroup.com @bowmangroupmarin @thebowmangroup DRE #01933147
PROMOTION
marin visionaries
Chris Bacchi, M.D. Marin Medical Aesthetics will give you that confident, natural look.
What separates you or your business from the pack? Many men and women want to look and feel their best at their current age. They work hard to achieve that goal; however, several aspects of the aging process are difficult, if not impossible, to overcome without some aesthetic assistance. We strive to achieve a natural look that is not overdone. Being one’s best-balanced self brings confidence, which lets us both look, and feel good. What do you want people to know about your business? Options for aesthetic care are ample, and are advancing all the time. Results are not by chance. They are the culmi-
nation of the clinician’s technical and artistic skills. What are you doing in business that nobody else is? I construct a unique, individualized, and layered approach using multiple modalities to achieve clients’ goals. What new innovation do you offer? Our practice was the first femalephysician-owned-and-operated business in Marin to offer Emtone for cellulite, Emsculpt Neo for combination fat reduction and muscle building during the same treatment, and BBL Hero, continuous pulsed light therapy to treat skin on both the body and face.
Marin Medical Aesthetics | 415.785.4604 | 807 D Street, San Rafael, CA 94901 marinmedicaloffice@gmail.com | www.marinmedicalaesthetics.com | @marinmedical.aesthetics DRE #02076186
PROMOTION
marin visionaries
Peter Schakow Aldersly Retirement Community uses the latest technology to offer quality and joy of life and outstanding care for seniors in a garden setting. What makes you a visionary in your field? I was born in Denmark and worked in the U.S. as a high-tech executive for many years. Now I’m leading Aldersly into the next 100 years with innovative technology, adding a new Memory Care Center with unique care, allowing our residents to live a lifestyle in cultural harmony and “hygge.” What is your leadership strategy? We are a unique retirement community in the Bay Area. Aldersly’s innovative solutions and state-of-art Memory Care Training prepare our caregivers and staff to focus on what our residents still have, not what they’ve lost. Aldersly Retirement Community 326 Mission Avenue, San Rafael, CA 94901 | 415.453.7425 www.alderslyinbloom.org | facebook.com/aldersly.org
Dennis Green Discover the unexpected at KARL the store.
What do you want people to know about your business? KARL has a mix of vintage and new products and I do not sell online; it is strictly a brick-and-mortar store where all the product is hand-picked. Interaction and conversation are encouraged and a travel down memory lane is always appreciated. The product mix is unique. We sell homemade pies and vintage French chairs. What are you doing to stay connected to your community? I am next to the Sausalito Equator coffee shop and I have locals coming in all day to browse, shop or just chat. I am the face of the store and always look forward to spending time with customers. We are living in strange times and it makes people feel good to have a place to meet friends, interact and maybe even do some shopping. KARL the store | 1201 Bridgeway, Ste. C, Sausalito, CA 94965 415.729.9009 | www.karlthestore.com
PROMOTION
marin visionaries
John Stephan Garfolo, Marian Hill Garfolo and Julian Hill Garfolo Stephan-Hill Jewelry Designers still practices the lost art of making and designing its own jewelry. What makes you a visionary in your field? We continue to design and make beautiful jewelry right here in our Marin workshop. Fewer and fewer jewelry stores do this on the premises. It’s becoming another lost art. We also try to curate unique pieces from our favorite designers in Europe and other parts of the world in order to educate and inspire our clients. What are you doing in business that nobody else is? We try to expand peoples’ perception of jewelry and jewelry possibilities by showing them unusual and intriguing examples. Stephan-Hill Jewelry Designers | 1226 Fourth Street, San Rafael CA 94901 | 415.459.5808 | info@stephanhill.com www.stephanhill.com | @stephanhilljewelry
Dolores “Dee” Coleman Dee’s Organic Catering makes soul food that is healthy without sacrificing any of the flavor.
What makes you a visionary in your field? My desire to continuously push my team’s creative limits is what makes me a visionary in this field. The food industry is constantly evolving. However, I’m always working with my team to find new ways to spin or present dishes that are our staples. What is your leadership style? I prefer to teach by doing and to lead by example. My team knows that I am willing to do the hardest of jobs, just to show them that we are a family and every member has a vital role to the success of Dee’s Organic Catering. Dee’s Organic Catering | 1545 4th Street, San Rafael, CA 94903 415.484.3491 | info@deesorganic.com | www.deesorganic.com facebook.com/deesorganiccateringllc | @deesorganic
Azaleas, pictured here, are one of Marin’s native fire-safe plants.
Nature Calls
going places. 68 july/august 2021 marin living.
Elyse Omernick
Getting out on the water with Schiller Bikes, luxury glamping, firesafing your garden and the future of MALT.
A hens and chicks evergreen succulent plant.
Fire-Safe Not Sorry Now is the time to fire-ready your garden and home, because wildfire season is upon us. By Casey Gillespie
70 july/august 2021 marin living.
“IF YOU LIVE IN THE TAHOE AREA, you need to adapt to snow. If you live in Marin County, you need to learn to adapt to wildfire,” says Rich Shortall, FIRESafe Marin’s executive coordinator. Marin is facing a long, hard drought season, paired with the wildfire risk; preparedness is the name of the game. Back in May, the Marin County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to declare a drought emergency for the county. The board’s supervisor, Dennis Rodoni, voiced his concerns over what experts are calling the worst drought conditions in more than 140 years. “Much of Marin is at risk for wildfire due to the accumulation of fuels over many years. As we all know, we are in the midst of a severe drought. Vegetation is very dry, making it more susceptible to wildfire,” says Shortall. But there are measures everyone can take, and we spoke to some local experts about how to make your garden and home more fire-safe. “The water restrictions being introduced by local water districts are somewhat at odds with the need for fire prevention. If you have plants that cannot withstand the reduced watering that will be required, find other ways to water them — such as using buckets of shower water — but do not let them die off,” says Warren Simmonds of Novato-based landscape architecture firm Simmonds & Associates (www. simmonds-associates.com). If they do die, Simmonds recommends removing them immediately and waiting until fall planting season to re-plant them. “And consider replacing them with succulents such as aloes, agaves, or smaller ground-cover succulents like sedums or senecio,” he says. FIRESafe Marin advises using “plants that are low-growing, open-structured and less resinous” and reminds gardeners that plants that are green in color and lush offer more protection than others. The idea is that these plants hold more mositure and are less flammable. The organization also advocates choosing natives and pollinator-friendly plants where appropriate. But Simmonds is quick to add, “Some drought-resistant plants, such as the native manzanitas, California bay trees or rosemary, contain oils that are highly flammable.” (Visit www.firesafemarin.org/plants/fire-smart for a complete list of fire-safe plants.) Michael O’Connell of Petaluma-based O’Connell Landscape (www.oclandscape.
Ritu Jethani/www.stock.adobe.com
new digs.
PROMOTION
Community Minded G-Landscape Loves Family, Plants and Basketball Zach Wahle developed his passion for the outdoors while growing up here in Marin. He cultivated his green thumb while working on the rugged mountain slopes of Dominica, returning years later with his future wife to study food production and landscape management more deeply. With his master’s degree in Ecological Agriculture, he started his company while earning his landscape contractor’s license. As designer and manager at G Landscape Division, Wahle pours his love for the outdoors and over 10 years of experience into every project. He is a proud father to his three daughters and enjoys coaching their youth basketball teams as well the JV Girls at Archie Williams High School.
G-Landscape Landscape Design, Construction & Maintenance 415.342.5857 | www.g-landscape-div.com
A Refreshingly Different Real Estate Team Liz McCarthy and Shenna Moe are some of the most soughtafter agents in Marin because of their down-to-earth approach. The COMPASS McCarthy + Moe Real Estate Group closed 100-plus million in sales in 2020. After Liz’s child was born 14 weeks early, she began volunteering at the California Pacific Medical Center NICU, and runs a micropreemie parent support group on Facebook that has over 5,000 members. Shenna is a passionate board member of Family and Children’s Law Center in San Rafael, a nonprofit providing low to no-cost legal representation in court for Family Law issues like restraining orders, domestic violence, divorce and migrant children issues. Let McCarthy + Moe Group put their supportive community ethos to work for you. Liz McCarthy + Shenna Moe | 415.250.4929 team@mccarthymoe.com | mccarthymoe.com | DRE #01421997
Collaboration in Construction As opposed to offering a signature architectural style, Sutton Suzuki Architects designs are always in response to the individual client as well as the specific site conditions of each project. We have found that our most successful projects are ones where we can offer our expertise right from the start. This is when a thoughtful and holistic consideration of the design brief can build a formidable foundation for the project duration. Sutton Suzuki Architects 415.383.3139 | Mill Valley, CA www.SuttonSuzuki.com
new digs.
Fire-smart landscaping is all about well-spaced, drought tolerance plants that are well maintained.
72 july/august 2021 marin living.
fire islands around the home. “The idea is to manage the amount of plantings to reduce fuel next to a structure. Keys are to pick lower-growing vegetation and create breaks in planter beds by using walkways and other hardscape elements so that a fire can’t rapidly burn up to the building,” suggests O’Connell. Other design elements that landscape architects incorporate into fire-wise outdoor areas are moisture-rich living roofs, raised metal beds for fruit and vegetable gardens, installing gravel and walkways around the perimeter of the house, using metal fencing, and eschewing wooden structures in favor of stone or earthfilled succulent walls. And if you have a pool, consider buying a high-pressure water pump so you can use the pool’s water supply to extinguish fires in an emergency. Simmonds also recommends removing combustible mulches, such as bark chips or shredded bark, and tree litter that is close to or up against the house. Replace flammable materials with an attractive gravel, stone or glass mulch, or even a Class A fire-rated artificial turf. “Severe fire threat is here, and if you live next to one of Marin’s many open spaces, be proactive to reduce your risk of fire,” says O’Connell. “A fire-safe yard can be a really beautiful design with a little advance planning.”
FIRESafe Marin’s Guide to Fire-Smart Plants Choose plants with leaves, not needles. Leaves should be supple, moist and easily crushed. Opt for trees that are clean, not bushy, and have little deadwood. Select shrubs that are low growing ( two feet or lower) with minimal buildup of dead material. Pick taller shrubs that are clean, not bushy or twiggy. Shrub sap should be water-like and not have a strong odor. Most fire-resistant trees are broad-leaf deciduous (lose their leaves), but some thick-leaf evergreens are also fire-resistant. Most fire-resistant trees have lower surface-areato-volume ratios. For ideas on more droughtfriendly plants, Marin’s Master Gardener website offers an extensive list of plants that use little or no water once established. Visit www.marinmg.ucanr.edu to learn more.
GardenSoft, courtesy of UC Marin Master Gardeners
com) says, “Not all native plants are well suited to a fire-safe scheme, but there are many great choices.” Some of his favorites are yarrow hybrids, California fuchsia, blue beach aster (seaside daisy), island alum root, western sword fern and western redbud. Choosing the right type of plant is just the beginning, though. When planning a garden, aim for a design that reduces house and property vulnerability, often referred to as “firescaping.” This includes planting for fire safety, separating plants or creating plant “islands,” and using defensive space techniques. Experts agree that leaving fire ladders unattended is a major hazard. “A fire ladder is when plants of different heights are combined under a tree canopy, with the tops of the shrubs reaching into or near to the crown of the tree, allowing the fire to climb into the crown,” says Simmonds. “Removing this ladder is one of the best ways to slow down the spread of fire. It is especially important within 100 feet of your home, where the burning shrubs and canopy can do major damage. Your local fire marshal will come out to your property at no charge and advise you of this and other best practices for minimizing fire hazard close to your home,” he adds. Another highly recommended, and visually appealing, approach is to create
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land & sea. Schiller bike fans go for a spin.
Biking the Blue
This Sausalito entrepreneur decided that on a planet made up of two-thirds water, maybe it is time to start building bikes that work there, too.
Courtesy of Schiller Bikes
By Daniel Jewett
74 july/august 2021 marin living.
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Jessica Schiller
76 july/august 2021 marin living.
I just really enjoyed it the very first moment that I got it on the water. It was such a peaceful, freeing experience. “It became apparent that I had to throw half a million dollars’ worth of funds that I personally put into the business down the toilet and start from scratch,” she says. But with the help of one “very clever” designer on the team and a couple of guys from Oracle Team USA, the predecessor of the Schiller Bike (www.schillerbikes. com) was born. The bike, which costs just under $5,000, is light and easily assembled and has a top speed of 10 to 11 mph, became a sensation — selling in more than 100 countries (it is especially popular in the Netherlands), and it even inspired an annual race in the waters off Monaco hosted by
Princess Charlene of Monaco. Schiller says a great way to try the bikes closer to home, and to experience the cardio benefits they bring, is to rent one from SpinOut Fitness (www.spinoutfitness. com) on Pier 40 in San Francisco. But for Schiller, who is transgender and just got engaged, the bikes bring another kind of freedom. “I came out publicly in spring of 2018 after many years of ‘knowing,’ really since childhood,” she says. “Being on the water bikes and out on Richardson Bay definitely gave me the clarity of mind and space to reflect on a huge life decision and finally overcome my fears — to live as my true self.”
Courtesy of Schiller Bikes
JESSICA SCHILLER HAS BEEN a CEO, a co-founder, a law student and an executive coach but didn’t think she would one day add product creator and manufacturer to that list. The journey to get there started in 2013 when she was on a boat tour under the new San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge and was discussing with a friend how cool it would be to bike on the water from Oakland to S.F. They laughed about the concept. But Schiller couldn’t get the idea out of her mind and started looking to see if anyone had developed a water bike. Aside from some cool old photos of technology imagined around the turn of the 20th century, all she found was an Italian inventor who made a kit that enabled a bike to float on water. “And I started fixating on that, okay, someone’s done this. It’s not that crazy of an idea,” Schiller says. “I don’t even know what to call it. A hydro cycle?” She purchased the kit (and eventually an Italian bike because it was the only kind that would work with it). Right away Schiller noticed that the kit was very hard to assemble, but once she got the retrofitted bike on the water — and after recovering from an embarrassing tumble over the handlebars — she noticed something else. “People were stopping and were taking photos, women and kids were pointing. So, it was like, wow, that’s fascinating,” she says. “I just really enjoyed it the very first moment that I got it on the water. It was such a peaceful, freeing experience.” It wasn’t too much longer after that that Schiller became the first person to bike across the water from Oakland to San Francisco — it took only 40 minutes, and an idea for a company was born. In 2014, she got together with a few German designers who had worked at the global design company IDEO, put out the whiteboard and asked, “What does the world’s coolest water bike actually look like?” Schiller financed the effort herself and spent many cold Sausalito afternoons testing designs on the water. A prototype was soon ready — and with first customers like the Crown Prince of Dubai and architect Norman Foster, and an article in Forbes, the bike was getting attention. But there was a problem: it was too heavy to ship around the world.
Elegant Wines Rooted in Sonoma The gateway to Sonoma wine country, Anaba’s new Vintners House is 20 minutes from the border of Marin and Sonoma and 45 minutes from the Golden Gate Bridge. Award Winning Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Rhône-Inspired Wines Wine Tasting Bottle Service Bocce Ball Paddle Tennis Wood-Fired Pizza Oven Cheese and Charcuterie
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Luxury camping is at its best in Montana, where resorts have mastered access to the outdoors that comes with plenty of pampering. By Casey Hatfield-Chiotti
78 july/august 2021 marin living.
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Under Canvas Yellowstone
IN 2005, LAURENCE LIPSON LOOKED for a word to describe the upgraded canvas tents he was planning to offer as accommodations on his sprawling Montana cattle ranch. He went through a thesaurus and settled on the word “glamping,” a combination between glamorous and camping. “The name was so weird sounding. I sent it to a writer friend of mine, and she pitched it to The New York Times,” recalls Lipson. Resort at Paws Up opened soon after on 37,000 acres in the Blackfoot Valley (the Blackfoot River featured in A River Runs Through It carves its way through the valley). The rest, as they say, is history. The Times picked up the story on Paws Up and luxury camping and started using the term glamping a few years later, helping to make it commonplace. Of course, it’s impossible to say whether Lipson was the first person to utter the word “glamping,” and luxury camping in canvas tents has been offered in other parts of the world for over a century. Still, there’s no denying this style of stay, where guests are treated to all the perks of camping without having to pitch a tent or cook eggs on a camp stove, has found a fitting home about 30 minutes east of Missoula on a swath where Lewis and Clark once reportedly had encampments and where bighorn sheep, elk and bears still roam. Glamping has entered our lexicon for good and the phenomenon has become increasingly popular in the U.S., with luxury tented accommodations now offered everywhere from Big Sur to Maine’s Acadia National Park. With its lack of development, rugged wilderness and vast un-light-polluted skies, Montana is an ideal place to go on a glamping adventure without leaving the U.S. Travelers are guaranteed pristine natural beauty outside their tent flaps, with all the modern resort comforts from holistic spa treatments to new wave Western fine dining just steps away. Here are some glamping retreats to book in Montana this summer and beyond. marin living. july/august 2021 79
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The green o The all-inclusive Resort at Paws Up (www.pawsup.com) has become the go-to destination for urbanites looking to indulge their Wild West fantasies (the management rescues wild mustangs, raises bison and hosts chuckwagon-style dinners). It offers accommodations in luxury one-, twoand three-bedroom spaces, tented camps, and an über-sophisticated glamping experience that became available in June. The green o, which features 12 adults-only glasshouses, or hauses, is a resort within a resort (from $2,590 a night for two adults including meals and alcohol; www. thegreeno.com). Green o’s guests have access to the whole of Paws Up, but 80 july/august 2021 marin living.
not the other way around. It’s on a secluded part of the ranch amid tall, slender tamarack pine trees. The glass, steel-and-copper houses are of four different designs, including a Green Haus with a living roof and a Tree Haus with a spiral staircase. Guests can absorb views of the Montana wilderness, stay warm next to a floating fireplace or enjoy wellness treatments like guided forest bathing, hikes and slow flow restorative yoga. The green o’s guests-only restaurant is helmed by executive chef Brandon Cunningham, who was bewitched by live fire cooking while working at Portland’s Ned Ludd. Guests should expect ranch-to-table food with foraged ingredients (game meats like
elk and venison and local lingonberry). Cunningham’s signature dishes include thin slices of wagyu beef next to a sizzling river rock from the Blackfoot River (guests sear the meat themselves and wrap it up in a shiso leaf with radish and aioli). Servers can also extinguish beef fat candles during the meal and use the juices to make bordelaise sauce tableside. Cunningham hopes his restaurant becomes the Fäviken of the West. “I would be so humbled to do what Magnus Nilsson did for his region,” he says.
Clear Sky Resorts – Glacier In Northern Montana, near the Canadian border, Glacier National Park feels untamed. The landscape
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includes alpine lakes and jagged peaks and grizzly bear sightings are common. While there are plenty of lodge-style accommodations in the region, Clear Sky Resorts’ new Luxury Sky Domes engulf visitors in natural beauty while also pampering them with perks like modern bathrooms with rainforest showerheads and soft bathrobes (from $395 a night; www. clearskyresorts.com). The resort is sandwiched between mountains and the Flathead River, and it’s just 15 minutes from the entrance to the national park. Each one of the 15 domes has oversize skylights and large windows, so guests wake up to the warm glow of a Glacier sunrise and fall asleep under a star-studded sky. Two-, four- and five-person domes have eco-friendly fireplaces, swinging chairs and wraparound porches with spruce tree views. The two-person Going to the Sun Sky Dome is a retreat in the trees with a suspended bed that hangs from a skylight. In the communal 26-foot-tall Welcome Dome, swinging chairs and panoramic windows overlook Montana’s Flathead National Forest. Bring your hiking boots and fishing gear — the Stanton Lake trailhead is next to the resort, and there’s catch-and-release fishing just 300 yards away. Clear Sky Resorts also has a Grand Canyon location.
working on adding more tipis for the 2022 season. A recently added bathhouse has six private bathrooms with hot showers, heated floors and piles of fluffy white towels. The downside of camping is nowhere in sight.
Under Canvas Under Canvas, a luxury tented camp outfitter specializing in seasonal locations on or near national parks, has two stunning Montana locations adjacent to Yellowstone and Glacier. The original Under Canvas, the West Yellowstone location (from $439; www.undercanvas.com/ camps/yellowstone), is on 40 acres of canyons and plateaus. One of the company’s most popular camps, it books up well in advance. Tents, many family-friendly, have rustic wood bed frames, woodburning stoves to keep chilly night temperatures at bay and
private patios for stargazing. It’s best to book about a year ahead of time, and reservations are currently being accepted for summer 2022. The Glacier Under Canvas (from $259; www.undercanvas.com/camps/ glacier) is likely to have more lastminute availability. There, lofted treehouse-style tents and safari suites include king-size beds, private bathrooms and forest and mountain views (some rooms do share a bathhouse). The undulating lobby with a mix of furniture from West Elm gives guests a lively communal space to read, sip espresso from the grab-and-go market or plan a Montana adventure like rafting the Middle Fork of the Flathead River. All Under Canvas locations offer free activities to please adult and kid campers alike, including yoga classes and arts and crafts.
Under Canvas Yellowstone
In a green valley surrounded by snowcapped mountains, Dreamcatcher Tipi Hotel, just five miles from the North Yellowstone Entrance and the Roosevelt Arch, looks like a film set (from $349 a night; www.dream catchertipihotel.com). Accommodations in cozy climate-controlled tipi tents are the right amount of bohemian with layered Persian and cowhide rugs, faux fur throws and antique trunks. Elk herds love the valley as much as travelers and can often be seen grazing on the property. Nightly communal campfires whisk you back to summer camp with storytelling, s’mores and the bonus of a free adult beverage or two. The hotel has complimentary morning muffins and bread and fresh-baked cookies in the afternoon, but there are also plenty of restaurants in Gardiner. The owner of the hotel, who purchased it in 2021, is 82 july/august 2021 marin living.
@baileymade_
Dreamcatcher Tipi Hotel
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stepping out.
In the Garden On May 18, Tina Sharkey, entrepreneur and recently appointed board member at online interior design platform Havenly (www.havenly.com), hosted a garden party at her Mill Valley home. The party celebrated Havenly’s record-setting year under the leadership of co-founder and CEO Lee Mayer, as well as her first visit to San Francisco. Also in attendance were notable guests such as art curator and historian Natasha Boas, bareMinerals founder Leslie Blodgett and Emmy-nominated filmmaker Tiffany Shlain. Mimi Cunningham, Jiyoung Moon and Kim McGinnis
Jamie Lunder and Tiffany Shlain Guests admiring the fashion-inspired floral creations
Veronica Collins, Lee Mayer and Tina Sharkey
Flower Power On June 7, San Francisco’s de Young Museum showcased its 37th annual Bouquets to Art (www.deyoungmuseum.org/bouquets) exhibition. VIPs wandering through the museum and enjoyed creations by more than 100 of the Bay Area’s most innovative floral designers. Each of the floral designs was inspired by the museum’s paintings, sculptures, objects and architecture, and funds raised go toward the cost of exhibitions, conservation projects and education programs at the Fine Arts Museums. 84 july/august 2021 marin living.
Jennifer Morla and Nilus de Matran
Drew Altizer Photography (left); Stephanie Pool (right)
Bouquets were scattered throughout the de Young
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The Luxury of Beauty Marin Living magazine will honor the Bay Area’s top purveyors of beauty in our September issue advertorial feature. These people and businesses exemplify beauty through their treatments, products, home design solutions, “fashion and jewelry. Our readers want to know who the industry leaders are and this your opportunity to reach them. These pages allow you to tell your story in your own voice and showcase your treatments, products, home products or services, fashion and jewelry. Marin Living will enhance your exposure by promoting your profile with a sponsored article on our website, newsletter promotion and social media posts. Contact Jessica Cline, jessica@marinlivingmagazine.com, 707.302.0850
drawn together.
Closing Loops MALT’s new chief executive officer hopes to combine his knowledge of science and administration to usher in a new era for the organization. By Daniel Jewett LIKE SO MANY GOOD BAY AREA STORIES, the tale of how the Marin Agricultural Land Trust (www.malt.org) landed scientist and biotech entrepreneur Thane Kreiner as its new chief executive officer begins with a commute. After starting four biotech companies and serving as CEO, Kreiner, who has a master’s in business administration and a doctorate in neuroscience from Stanford University, was looking for something new. “My primary responsibility was maximizing financial returns for venture capitalists, and I knew deep in my heart that that wasn’t really what made my clock tick,” he says. So in 2010 he changed course and became executive director of the Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship in Santa Clara — requiring a long commute from the home he shares with his husband in Sonoma. A job with MALT would eliminate that commute, so even though he loved the socially beneficial work he did at the Miller Center, Kreiner starting asking the MALT recruiter questions. “I’m not a land trust guy, and I’m not a real estate lawyer. I don’t have that background at all,” he says about coming on board at the trust, whose mission is to use conservation easements to permanently protect Marin farmland — 54,000 acres have already been safeguarded, with plans to get to 100,000 by 2040. “I met with a couple of the ranchers and farmers and learned that MALT had created this incredible platform. And there was also an awareness that we need to be much more inclusive in our work — and that resonated with me.” Kreiner says that one of the big lessons he learned as co-founder of Silicon Valley Executive Center’s Black Corporate 88 july/august 2021 marin living.
Board Readiness Program is that it’s a myth that there aren’t talented underrepresented people who can serve on boards like MALT’s. “We need to go outside of our own networks and intentionally reach beyond them to more diverse groups,” he says. “And that’s part of the process that the MALT team and board are going through now, relearning and being inclusive on how we understand agriculture.” According to Kreiner, that means looking at indigenous planting practices, considering the use of native species that farmers might no longer be aware of, regenerating soil, capturing carbon and making sure that farmworkers have access to good pay and nearby housing. “In terms of the future vision, what we’re thinking about is really a model of engaging new farmers and food producers throughout the value chain, and providing opportunities for them to experiment,” he says. A good example is the recent partnership with Hog Island Oyster Co., which was considering selling its 250-acre Leali Ranch near Marshall to sustain itself during the pandemic. MALT purchased the development rights on 240 acres for $1.1 million and preserved the land for agricultural uses in perpetuity. “This is a historic easement,” Kreiner says. “Cattle have been grazing there for around 100 years.” The partnership with Hog Island gets at a lot of what MALT hopes to see happen with agriculture in the future. “The farming of mollusks and seaweed is one of the few forms of agriculture that’s practiced today that has positive ecosystem benefits,” Kreiner says. “The oysters, which are a high-quality source of protein and micronutrients, are actually filtering out excess nutrients in the aquatic environment, making the water cleaner for other uses; the seaweed that grows along with them is capturing carbon from the atmosphere; oyster shells can be ground up and used to enhance soil, which then results in greater forage growth for the cattle to eat; the cattle manure can be composted and used for carbon farming and that additional carbon helps with water retention in soil and creates more resilience to drought. These are just some of the loops we hope to close.”
Paige Green
Thane Kreiner
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