East Bay Scene magazine spring 2012

Scene the east bay’s Guide to Style

The gluten-free gourmand Gifted artisans Thirsty girl Leslie Sbrocco

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BARBARY COAST & BEYOND MUSIC FROM THE GOLD RUSH TO THE PANAMA-PACIFIC EXPOSITION Tilson Thomas’s balancing act between past and future is a major feat: no other conductor today “seems so alert to the entire cultural landscape around him.”

—T HE NE W Y OR K E R

Thu May 10 8pm Fri May 11 8pm Sat May 12 8pm

Michael Tilson Thomas and the orchestra celebrate the musical roots and heritage of San Francisco, with music written from the mid-1800s through the Orchestra’s founding in 1911 and its formative years.

Michael Tilson Thomas conductor Laura Claycomb soprano Vadim Gluzman violin Anton Nel piano Cameron Carpenter organ James Robinson producer and director San Francisco Symphony

These concerts capture the exuberant energy and confident swagger of our City in its formative musical years. Our soloists and the Orchestra will perform works brought to San Francisco in that time by traveling virtuosi such as the pianist Louis-Moreau Gottschalk, the violinists Ole Bull, Fritz Kreisler, and Henryk Wieniawski, as well as opera stars Adelina Patti and Luisa Tetrazzini alongside popular pieces of the time by Offenbach, Wagner, Saint-Saëns, and Sousa, capturing the popular tastes and musical pageantry of this glorious age.

Program to include works by Meyerbeer, Gottschalk, Wieniawski, Bull, Offenbach, Kreisler, Wagner, Sousa, and Saint-Saëns.

Side and Center Terrace seats not available.

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table of contents

features fashion 30 In the Swim Must-have swimsuits and cover-ups.

By Donna Kato. Photos by Paul Ferradas.

Plus: The best suit for your body.

By Donna Kato

85

42 Spring Things Gelato colors, the statement skirt, highwaisted pants and more. By Donna Kato

Icons 46 Good Company Lauren Jonas has built the Diablo Ballet into a cultural treasure. By Karen D’Souza.

Photos by Jose Carlos Fajardo

PASSIONS

departments 18 The Insider Eco-goodies we’re coveting now.

By Stephanie Simons

22 Shop Talk

55 Gifted Artisans Not merely hobbyists, they create works that both say something — and sell.

By Crystal Chow

Home & design

Prim in Pleasanton and Danville, Villa Rouge in Mountain View.

By Rebecca Hall Lucero and Crystal Chow

25 Beauty Report

62 Green & Serene An architectural gem sparkles with light, art and laughter. By Mandy Behbehani.

Photos by Richard Barnes and Stuart Lirette

30

Cheek to jowl: The promise of Ultherapy.

By Stephanie Simons

75 At the Table The gluten-free gourmand. By Dionna Mash Plus: Elaine Taylor on living gluten-free.

By Donna Lynn Rhodes

85 Thirsty Girl Wine columnist Leslie Sbrocco on the spirits you’ll want for your home bar.

89 Getaways Many kinds of wonderful in Monterey.

By Katharine Fong. Plus: At Vision Quest, elephants and war veterans forge a healing bond.

97 Seen Big fun at the East Bay Women’s Conference and the Neiman Marcus Broadway Plaza gala.

spring 2012 • Scene • 11

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Scene

Women power

Katharine Fong Editor & Publisher

Donna Kato Contributing Fashion & Beauty Editor Crystal Chow Melinda Sacks Stephanie Simons Julia Prodis Sulek Contributing Writers Jose Carlos Fajardo Patrick Tehan Contributing Photographers Rebecca Parr Copy Editor Scene Magazine Vol. 4, No. 1 copyright 2012 by the Bay Area News Group.

All rights reserved.

Material herein may not be reprinted without expressed written consent of the publisher.

Make contact: Email: Scene@BayAreaNewsGroup.com Address: 750 Ridder Park Drive, San Jose, CA 95190 Facebook.com/SceneBayArea Twitter: SceneBayArea Pinterest: SceneBayArea

Subscribe!

Go to SceneBayArea.com, or contact Rick Raker at rraker@ BayAreaNewsGroup.com or 925.945.4781.

Josie Lepe

Rebecca Hall Lucero Art Director

We’re lucky to be living in an area where women, individually and collaboratively, are empowered to make an impact, and are celebrated for it.

I’m thinking specifically of groups such as the Peninsulabased 100 Women Charitable Foundation, whose grants fund local nonprofits, and events such as the East Bay Women’s Conference, with a lineup of speakers and panels that gets better each year.

The model behind 100 Women is simple: Members donate a minimum of $100 every year, and with their combined funds are able to make meaningful grants to local agencies that serve youths and families in need. The fun part is the annual get-together, where the nonprofit “finalists” make their case to the group – which now numbers 480 participants – and afterward, each member votes on who should receive the bulk of the funds.

The result: Relatively small nonprofits are able to raise their profile in the community, and members know that their contribution, however small, has helped make a huge difference. See 100womenfoundation.org for more.

The East Bay Women’s Conference, organized by Scene adviser and Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce Vice President Marcie Hochhauser, always sells out — a good reason to mark your calendar now for March 4, 2013. More than 540 women come together for a day of personal and professional enrichment and development, often delivered by local experts.

The conference’s featured speakers offer the most profound moments, even as they’re celebrated. This year, Gloria Steinem’s inspiring keynote held both young and old in thrall, spurring many to new and renewed activism.

While you’re mulling over similar events to attend, and how you can make a difference, get impressed by the women in these pages.

For example, Leslie Sbrocco, whose wine expertise and effervescent personality can be seen on “Check Please!” and the “Today” show, is our new wine columnist (Page 85). And Elaine Taylor of The Taylor Family Foundation (Page 80) has had an enormous impact on the lives of our children. One of her favorite quotes from Winston Churchill perfectly describes her vision and work: “We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.”

Happy spring.

Katharine Fong Editor & Publisher

spring 2012 • Scene • 13

contributors Karen D’Souza (“Good Company,” Page 46) is theater critic and arts writer for the Bay Area Newspaper Group. She has twice sat on the Pulitzer Prize drama jury and has served as vice chair for the American Theatre Critics Association, and her writing has appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times and American Theatre Magazine.

Donna Kato (“In the Swim,” Page 30) – fashion expert, trendspotter and style editor – is a veteran journalist who has covered fashion, retail and the beauty industries.

Currently a principal in an early-stage technology venture, she helps consumers understand and incorporate into their lives both practical and cutting-edge design.

Scene Mac Tully President & Publisher Bay Area News Group

John Stoeser Director Community Information & Targeted Delivery Bay Area News Group Jenny Kohler Director Retail Advertising Stephanie McLoughlin Director Major Advertising Timothy Tsun and Ad Services Advertising Design For advertising information, call 925.943.8119.

Copyright 2012 Bay Area News Group

advisers Kelly McKenzie Hansen Marketing Director, Tavistock Restaurant Group Marcie Hochhauser Vice President, Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce

Wine expert and awardwinning author and TV host Leslie Sbrocco (Thirsty Girl, Page 85) founded Thirsty Girl for women with a passion for wine, food and travel.

In addition to hosting the KQED series “Check Please!” she is a regular guest on the “Today” show and is a soughtafter speaker and wine judge.

14 • Scene • spring 2012

Donna Lynn Rhodes Marketing Maven & Owner, donnalynn Creative Betsy Penson General Manager/Marketing Director, Blackhawk Plaza Nicole Tucker Tucker Associates Real Estate Services Carrie Williams Director of Marketing & Business Development, Stoneridge Shopping Center

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www.BassettFurniture.com spring 2012 • Scene • 17

artful cleanup Rosario Dawson, Mark Ruffalo, Spike Lee and Florence Welch are the newest celebs to partner with Kiehl’s philanthropic endeavors by creating limited-edition labels for Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque. They’ll be sold in honor of Earth Day; 100 percent of net proceeds will benefit Recycle Across America (recycleacrossamerica.com). The masque is made with fair-trade Amazonian “White Clay” from Marajo Island in Brazil. $23. kiehls.com

pocket change Famed for the shape-shifting Um handbag, Oakland’s Josh Jakus has created the Media Pocket (for iPod, iPhone or other media players) using felt from factory excess. All of his products, from lighting to household, are produced in small batches and made from recycled or excess materials whenever possible. $18. actualsf.com

greenwith envy Eco-friendly goodies we’re coveting now

It’s almost Earth Day — not that we aren’t eco-conscious all year long. But we’re celebrating the fact that it’s easier than ever for glamour gals to go green and still be dazzling.

By Stephanie Simons

brush with greatness The East Bay’s Olivia Garden eco-friendly brushes are made from natural bamboo. The ionic massage brush collection activates blood cell circulation to help stimulate hair growth, restore shine, reduce hair loss and promote a healthy scalp. $10.75-$14.95. oliviagarden.com

18 • Scene • spring 2012

the insider conversation pieces Inspired by Napa Valley’s topography and the sustainable design of St. Helena’s Newton Vineyard, The Puzzle wine tray is crafted from Forestry Stewardship Council-certified wood. Pieces pop out to hold serving dishes for cheese and hors d’oeuvres or wine glasses. $499. Newtonvineyard.com (click on Art Installations under Visit Us)

april showers Eco-conscious skincare by San Francisco-based Heliotrope is all natural, fragrance-free and made with the simplest organic ingredients. The collection runs the gamut from toners, scrubs, masks and essential oils to this body sugar scrub ($32). Recycled packaging can be used for refills. heliotropesf.com

hairapy session Kumani Essentials Sheapoo ($26) and Shea Shine Conditioner ($28) are safe for all hair types (including dry, colored and keratin treated). The products are 100 percent natural and organic Fair Trade Certified. kumaniessentials.com

painted love The Painted Nail collection is certified vegan, eco- and PETA-friendly and free of formaldehyde, toluene and dibutyl phthalate. We’re loving Pink Quin, named by celebrity sisters Hilary and Haylie Duff. $12.50. thepaintednail.com

leather … or not Jill Milan bags boast a growing following of celebs and fashion editors (pictured here: the Hollywood Hills crossbody, $850). Made by the same artisans behind Yves Saint Laurent, they’re hand-stitched from cruelty-free faux leather that feels and smells like the real thing.

Proceeds benefit animal rights (CEO Jill Fraser, a vegan based in the Bay Area, is a longtime animal welfare activist). Jillmilan.com

wear the wild things Marin’s Wildlife Works believes in “consumer-powered conservation” to keep wildlife habitats alive. The fashion line, beloved for perfectly buttery tees and fitted zip-ups (for women, men and kids) finds inspiration in East African style.

It’s also recognized for collaborations with organizations such as One Lucky Elephant, supporting the endowment for a retired circus elephant. $35-$48. wildlifeworks.com

spring 2012 • Scene • 19

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20 • Scene • spring 2012

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Chevy Runs Deep spring 2012 • Scene • 21

prim

Your best friend’s closet According to Merriam-Webster, the word prim means “stiffly formal and proper.” But the Prim boutiques in the East Bay are not your grandmother’s linen closet. The shops are filled with feminine and flowing fashions that are thoroughly modern, while giving nod to nostalgia and vintage design.

Owner Alicia Shaffer opened her first Prim on Main Street in Pleasanton in February of 2011. A second and larger Prim opened in September in Danville’s Livery Shopping Center. Both stores offer affordable women’s clothing and accessories, often made by handpicked local designers, such as Effie’s Heart dresses, Posh Mommy necklaces and bracelets, and Torn to Pieces leather cuffs.

With ruffles, sweet bows and hints of lace, many items are vintage-inspired.

Pretty much everything in the shop, save for a few personal items, is for sale, even the recycled and “upcycled” couches, tables, armoires and vintage décor on which the fashions are displayed.

“Prim is a place for women to feel welcome and connected,” Shaffer says, “almost like they’re shopping in their best friend’s closet.”

Shaffer gets an assist in upcycling from husband Demetrious, who helped build the shops and refurbishes the furniture in them. The pair have a history of successful invention: In 2003 after their first child was born, Shaffer looked for a functional yet fashionable baby sling, but didn’t like what she found in stores.

So she designed her own sling in a soft, beautiful fabric, and then made more for friends and eventually customers. Using her marketing and communications background, she and Demetrious launched the Peanut Shell company out of their home. The brand is now sold everywhere from Babies “R” Us to Nordstrom to Target.

What’s next? Schaffer’s newest venture is vintage-inspired and stretch knitted headbands. They’re available at Prim, of course, but also at ThreeBirdNest on Etsy to satisfy a growing demand.

— Rebecca Hall Lucero

Rebecca Hall Lucero

22 • Scene • spring 2012

520 Main St., Pleasanton 925.399.5648 510 Sycamore Valley Road West, Danville 925.820.2224 shopprim.com

shop talk

villa rouge

Fulfilling dreams

First-time shop owner Alicia Takahara has a secret weapon for luring customers into her side-street business in Mountain View: scented candles. Passers-by are led in literally by the nose, attracted by the heady fragrance of Aloha Orchid that wafts out whenever the door opens. More often than not, they’re delighted at what they find inside Villa Rouge — home décor, furniture, gifts, jewelry and accessories. It’s a rare kind of business for this downtown, which is far better known for a vibrant restaurant scene.

Takahara spent 17 years at a flooring contracting company, learning the ins and outs of interior design by working with clients such as Shapell Homes and Shea Homes. By the time she left, she had risen to the post of vice president of purchasing. Various subsequent jobs, including her own design company, paid the bills but never obscured her dream: “I always, always wanted my own store,’’ she says. Last year, all the pieces suddenly fell into place, and Villa Rouge — so named because “it’s located on Villa Street, villa means home and I love the color red’’ — was born.

Full interior design service is available; clients can take inspiration from the stylish “vignettes’’ Takahara arranges around the 750-square-foot space. She can do any style, from Tuscany to eclectic.

“A conceptual designer is what I am,’’ she declares. “I embrace that.” She also knows how to work well with contractors, and boasts a “huge resource group’’ to tap into for, say, cabinet-making and flooring.

Scarcely six months after the store’s debut, its novice proprietor already has gained a small but growing group of loyal customers. “I wasn’t sure what people would want to buy at first,’’ she says, “but jewelry, candles and even the furniture pieces have been moving well. I try to find a price point for people to afford. I know as a shopper I like a great value, and I know how to shop [for merchandise], so I just pass on the savings to customers so they keep coming back.”

— Crystal Chow 714 Villa St., Mountain View 650.237.3113 villarougestore.com

Thu Ly

spring 2012 • Scene • 23

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beauty report

Oh, mon dieu!

Goodshoot/Thinkstock

cheek to jowl

Is Ultherapy the miracle skintightener we’ve been waiting for?

By Stephanie Simons

A new weapon has emerged in the battle against lax skin, jowls and drooping brows — a corrective treatment that lifts and tightens facial skin and muscle without a needle or knife, and with no downtime.

The wonder treatment is Ultherapy, which uses focused ultrasound to penetrate skin and, over time, improve its tautness and appearance. The technique, using high-frequency sound waves, is the same type of ultrasound used for body scans and tests during pregnancy. Energy from the ultrasound, when used to treat sagging skin, activates the production of new collagen.

Not that Ultherapy is exactly new. Dr. Mehmet Oz breathlessly praised it as “revolutionary” on TV last year; the plastic surgeon who performed the procedure on the show lauded the treatment’s zero-recovery time and the fact that it needs no anesthesia and leaves no scars. Ultherapy has also been featured on “The Rachael Ray Show.”

Though it’s approved by the Food and Drug Administration only for non-surgical brow-lifts, Ultherapy has been used for other parts of the face and even the thighs. Candidates include anyone with visibly relaxed skin and roughly $1,500-$3,500 to spend, but doctors are careful to manage expectations: Skin that requires traditional forms of surgery — meaning the sagging is severe — typically won’t yield big improvements. And it takes three to four months to see full results.

Nevertheless, a broad spectrum of people claim Ultherapy works, from mature patients who want to maintain a “lifted look” gained by cosmetic procedures, injectables and laser resurfacing, to 30-somethings who take their beauty routine above and beyond a weekly antioxidant serum.

“Prevention really is becoming the mainstay of treatment,” says Dr. M. Dean Vistnes, founder and medical director for Bay Areabased SkinSpirit, a medi-spa with locations in Walnut Creek, Palo Alto and Mill Valley.

“The younger you can start your anti-aging efforts, the better … the slower you’ll age.”

spring 2012 • Scene • 25

Physicians have long used different types of heat energy to stimulate collagen and tighten the skin, such as Titan and Thermage.

“There are several differences between Titan and Thermage, which both utilize radio frequency energy to achieve

Courtesy of Ulthera

Before and after an Ultherapy treatment. The procedure needs no anesthesia, and there are no scars or serious after-effects.

GIFTS FOR

AND

Mom...

DAD & GRADS

tightening and lifting, and Ultherapy,” says Dr. Richard Noodleman, medical director at Age Defy Dermatology and Wellness in Campbell. “Ultherapy uses ultrasound, and the percentage of people who visibly respond to treatment is much higher (about 75 to 85 percent versus 30 percent). The treatment is able to deeply penetrate tissue without visible injury.”

During the procedure (a big bonus point: only one appointment is needed), the patient’s face is “mapped out” with a pen, akin to how surgeons prep a patient, and the Ulthera hand-held device is placed on the desired areas in a back and forth motion that delivers ultrasound pulses in a linear pattern under the skin.

Doctors are able to see underlying layers of skin and muscle on a screen, so the treatment can be precisely targeted.

High-intensity, hyper-focused ultrasound waves penetrate the skin at varying depths. Tissue is gently heated, and loose skin is subtly tightened.

Unlike Thermage and Fraxel, Ultherapy bypasses the upper layers of skin and safely heats the underlying connective tissue (where the skin joins the muscle) – the same layer tightened in a conventional face lift. The tissue contracts and eventually lifts. “[Ultherapy] creates a ‘thermal injury’ deep within the skin.

As it heals, the area shrinks and tightens a bit,” Noodleman explains.

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beauty report Sessions can be done in an hour (additional treatments produce incremental improvements to your appearance). The gradual formation of new collagen over the next two to three months is what improves your appearance over time. Ultherapy helps reset the body’s regenerative process, at least for a while. The company that developed the procedure, Ulthera in Mesa, Ariz., says results can last a year or more.

Some patients say they see immediate results.

“My jaw line looks more defined, and the lines on my neck have gone away,” says Simone L., a patient of Noodleman. “It was instant.

I didn’t really expect to see results like this so quickly.”

Patients report no serious after-effects, such as crusting or peeling, so most can expect to go back to work as usual (some experience minor bruising, swelling, numbness or redness resembling a sunburn).

“The worst thing I’ve seen happen is a hive-like bumpy rash or tingling that lasts for a few days and then goes away on its own,” Noodleman says. “I had the treatment done and continued to work that afternoon without any downtime.”

Mild and temporary discomfort, comparable to a laser or rubber band snap, can certainly be expected, depending on the areas treated and the energy settings.

SkinSpirit’s Vistnes says bony areas of the face are most susceptible to feeling pain — but it’s nothing oral pain medication can’t help.

A small trade-off, many would say, for the promise of youngerlooking skin.

The anti-aging commandments To protect your skin in the first place (and possibly avoid or put off cosmetic procedures), these tips bear repeating: • Stay hydrated • Eat healthy • Don’t smoke • Wear SPF to ward off the slings and arrows of the sun “Most people are more concerned about UVB rays, which cause sunburn, but there’s also UVA,” says Dr. Dean Vistnes of medi-spa SkinSpirit. “You won’t see the photo-aging effects of those rays for 20 years.”

Vistnes suggests broad-spectrum sunblock as your best daily defense against aging, since sun exposure degenerates collagen and elastic fibers.

“It plays a huge role in sagging, creping skin.”

SkinSpirit, offices in Walnut Creek, Palo Alto, Mill Valley, skinspirit.com Age Defy, 3803 S. Bascom Ave., Suite 200, Campbell, agedefy.com

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spring 2012 • Scene • 27

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Lagua Bendira Moroccanlook bikini, $228, Canyon Beachwear. Aqua hinged bangles, $28-$30 each, Bloomingdale’s

30 • Scene • spring 2012

fashion Cut a fab figure – in the water or poolside – in one of these eye-catching suits

in the

swim See yourself emerging from a poolside cabana, carefree and confident in one of summer’s sun-loving suits.

There will be no sullen, slimming black by the water’s edge this season. Fashion forecasters deemed color and techno fabrics as among the top trends for the coming warm weather, and what best showcases both? Stylish swimwear, of course.

Dare to bare in a gem hue such as emerald, amethyst or hot pink tourmaline. Cue the ’80s in neon. Florals, stripes and pixelated prints give bathing suits personality, while metallics and crystals add a sexy shimmer on the beach. Feeling less va-va-voom? Consider ruffles, buckles, fringe and strappy details, or going sporty with racer-back tops and board shorts that can head straight from wave riding to waterfront dining.

Pick your suit. Then settle in at your favorite sunbathing spot.

By Donna Kato Photos by Paul Ferradas spring 2012 • Scene • 31

Saga Swimwear cap sleeve swim top, $70, available at sagaswimwear. com, Wonderland SF and other stores listed on Saga website.

Rachel Zoe “Venessa” silk maxi skirt, $495, select Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom stores. Chanel sunglasses with signature chain detailing, $550, Bloomingdale’s. Ralph Lauren hammered gold necklace, $178, Bloomingdale’s. Sam Edelson T-strap sandals, $65, Bloomingdale’s

32 • Scene • spring 2012

Desigual tankini, “Mix and Match” top, $54, and bottom, $38, Desigual store, San Francisco. Also available at Details, San Jose; Liliana Castellanos, Walnut Creek; and select Macy’s stores.

Christian Dior sunglasses, $345, Bloomingdale’s. Aqua enamel hinged bangle, $28, Bloomingdale’s

spring 2012 • Scene • 33

Vix coral bikini with gold clip embellishments, each piece $88, brand available at Bella James, San Jose; Samba Glow, Palo Alto; Time Out, Los Gatos; Bloomingdale’s; and Nordstrom. D&Y pareo, $29.99, select Macy’s and davidandyoungaccessories. com. Sumiya multi-stone earrings, $150, Bloomingdale’s. Christian Dior aviator sunglasses, $345, Bloomingdale’s

34 • Scene • spring 2012

Athleta “Emerald Bay” reversible racer back top, $52, and bottoms, $46, Athleta San Francisco and Athleta.com

Red board shorts, $69, and halter-style bikini top, $59, both Lynnina, Corte Madera.

Also available in Canyon Beachwear stores.

Marc by Marc Jacobs aviator sunglasses, $85, Bloomingdale’s

Milly asymmetrical striped dress, $550, Nordstrom. Dolce Vita crisscross platforms, $179, Bloomingdale’s.

Argento Vivo sand dollar design earrings, $148, Bloomingdale’s spring 2012 • Scene • 35

La Blanca “Glimmer Girl” one-piece bandeau suit, $119, and ruffled short sarong, $75, brand available at select Nordstrom and Canyon Beachwear stores. Tom Ford sunglasses, $395, Bloomingdale’s. Sam Edelman perforated leather and cork wedges, $150, Bloomingdale’s. Kate Spade patent tote bag, $295, Bloomingdale’s. Marc by Marc Jacobs iPad cover, $48, Bloomingdale’s. Luxury Rebel patent peep toe platforms, $120, Bloomingdale’s

36 • Scene • spring 2012

Betsey Johnson “French Pastry” bandeau bikini top, $102, and tie-side bottoms, $76, Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, Betsey Johnson boutiques and betseyjohnson.com.

Ray-Ban sunglasses, $145, Bloomingdale’s

L Space fringe “Dolly” bikini top, $68, bottom, $62, Nordstrom, Palapa Lounge Beachwear, Los Gatos; Viva Diva, San Rafael; Aqua Surf Shop and WaterLilies Swimwear, San Francisco.

D&Y pareo, $29.99, select Macy’s and davidandyoungaccessories.com (up this spring). Ralph Lauren turquoise multistrand necklace, $108, Bloomingdale’s

Luli Fama “La Vida un Carnaval” bikini top with crystal embellishments, $78, matching bottoms, $76, brand available at select Nordstrom stores.

Melissa Odabash cowboy-style hat, $135, Canyon Beachwear

spring 2012 • Scene • 37

Camilla “Pentacle Omen” balloon jumpsuit, $550, brand available at McMullen boutique, Oakland. Worn over Vix coral bikini with gold clip embellishments, each piece $88, brand available at Bella James, San Jose; Samba Glow, Palo Alto; Time Out, Los Gatos; Bloomingdale’s; and Nordstrom.

Sumiya multi-stone earrings, $150, Bloomingdale’s. Christian Dior aviator sunglasses, $345, Bloomingdale’s.

Tommy Bahama embellished sandals, $158, Tommy Bahama stores

Agua deCoCo “Frida” Brazilian maillot, $121, brand found at plushswimwear.com and pescaboutique.com

38 • Scene • spring 2012

A. Ché “Luna” peek-a-boo maillot, $150, Canyon Beachwear.

Argento Vivo gold hoops, $60, Bloomingdale’s. Tommy Bahama crystal-embellished sandals, $158, Tommy Bahama

spring 2012 • Scene • 39

suit

How to choose the right swimsuit for your body

By Donna Kato

Tommy Bahama Twilight Magento underwire halter bikini top, $92, and hipster bottoms, $42, Tommy Bahama stores, including San Jose, Corte Madera and Walnut Creek

Shot on location at Dolce Hayes Mansion in San Jose Makeup: Joli de Jackie, jolidejackie.weebly.com Hair: Jade, Umbrella Salon, umbrellasalon.com Styling assistance: Dionna Mash Photo assistance: Drew Sullivan Models: Michelle Casagrande, Stars Model Management; Brittany Ward, LOOK For a behind-theScene look at our fashion shoot, scan the code or see SceneBayArea.com.

40 • Scene • spring 2012

Beach bod or beach blob? A flattering swimsuit can make a big difference.

“It’s brutal, the process of finding a suit,” says Lynn Werner, the designer behind swim separates company Lynnina in Corte Madera.

There’s only so much a bathing suit can camouflage, but modern design and fabrics can enhance assets and take attention away from trouble spots.

What helps is expert design and fabrics with spandex, lycra and other combinations of high-tech fibers that work to slim and sculpt, visually taking off pounds and inches. The MiracleSuit was one of the first to brand itself as a slimming suit, firming bulges and flattening stomachs with a hidden tightening panel. Now there are a number of swimwear labels offering suits that help disguise imperfections. Spanx, the modern girdle ubiquitous in virtually every lingerie drawer, makes swimwear with the same body-shrinking technology used in its intimate wear.

We asked Werner and Michelle Byrnes of Saga Swimwear in San Francisco for help on finding the best suit for your body.

Werner was vacationing with her family in Hawaii in 2007 when the idea of designing board shorts came to her. Unlike most board shorts, Lynnina shorts are cut to flatter women’s figures. They come in two lengths, have an inner built-in brief and are meant to be paired with Lynnina’s coordinating bikini tops and tankinis, which have underwire and shirring for a better fit.

Byrnes names her pieces after international airports in cities where she found inspiration for her designs.

She notes that her suits “have versatility so they can work in other ways” beyond sitting by the water. A suit from this year’s collection, featured on Page 32, has cap sleeves, making it work as resortwear when paired with a long skirt.

Unfortunately, there is no better way to find your best-fitting suit than surrendering to the indignities of the dressing room and a full-length mirror. But both Werner and Byrnes advise doing what you can to make the search less of a horror: Don’t gorge on carbs the

fashion

yourself night before shopping, wear a little makeup and selftanner, even try on suits while wearing heels.

Anything to give yourself a boost of confidence.

TIPS

Go to a store with a large selection and try on a variety of styles. Fight the urge to immediately tear off an ill-fitting suit.

Instead, figure out what makes it look bad on you. Determine your problem areas as well as your best assets.

To tame a tummy • If the rest of your torso is in pretty good shape, consider a two-piece with bottoms that rise high on the waistline.

It was a look sported by Betty Grable, Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe, and it’s right on trend this summer. Another option is board shorts.

• One-piece suits hide the middle, but have a tendency to look mature. Look for built-in bras, shaped bustlines, V-plunges (not too deep!) and touches such as piping and color blocking. Shirring and draping help disguise bulges. Legs cut high on the outer thighs make a one-piece more youthful.

• Colors such as sapphire blue, garnet, purple and emerald work for most women. Pastels do not. If you’re drawn to a print, check yourself from all angles to make sure the pattern doesn’t highlight your body in a place you’d rather not.

• Consider one-shoulder suits, lace insets and halter styles, all details that take cues from the runway and current trends.

• Tankinis tend to be shapeless and flare out at the hip. Because they are rarely made with molded cups and have skinny straps, they work best for women with small bustlines. (Lynnina is one company that make tankinis with slenderizing shirring and underwire.)

Bust out Nothing ages you faster than a sagging bustline. A good swimsuit should lift and shape your chest with a built-in padded bra or boning and seamed construction.

• To minimize a full bust, look for wide straps and halter styles that offer coverage plus solid support. Dark-

er colors, especially on top, give a leaner look. Racerback styles and tank suits are not for you.

• Small-busted women can get extra shaping and fullness with padding, gel inserts and underwire. Bandeau and halter styles in bright colors and prints can give the illusion of curves.

Slim the hips If you’re bottom-heavy, try a contrasting dark bottom and light-colored top. Make sure your bikini bottom hits your hips where they start to curve inward to meet your waistline, and leg openings are cut high. Don’t go near string bikini bottoms.

Thoughts on thighs Choose a suit with leg openings that are cut to flatter your figure. While a sexy sarong or pareo can veil upper legs, do not be tempted by a suit with a ruffle around the legs or an attached skirt. They’re for toddlers.

Skip horizontal stripes, cutouts, shiny and whites These look great on hangers and models. But if you’re reading this, you’re neither, and trying on these options might send you screaming from the store.

• Strategic cutouts call attention to the wearer – isn’t that what you’re trying to avoid? Cutout suits are generally designed for young women, but if you find one that features a peek-a-boo detail that’s becoming – and you’re very sure – then go for it.

• Shimmery, glittery, sparkly. Metallics reflect light, which means you’ll not only look bigger under the sun, but also really, really bright. Resist embellishments such as crystals and sequins unless you’re genetically blessed and can stand toe-to-toe with Cameron Diaz or Helen Mirren.

• Strike horizontal stripes – even though they’re in again this season, in kicky nautical themes and ombre rainbow hues (this includes tiger and zebra patterns).

An acceptable option: suits designed with stripes going in different directions, which can be a slimming illusion.

• Nearly nude. Wear a white suit or one without a built-in bra, and you might as well be naked. spring 2012 • Scene • 41

Marni Oliver Morin/Agence France-Presse

statement skirt A defining skirt that’s clearly the centerpiece instead of the anchor.

We love them pleated and full.

Alberta FerRetti Oliver Morin/Agence France-Presse

flapperstyle dress We want to live in the aristocratic splendor of “Downton Abbey” or the romanticized Hollywood of “The Artist.”

What to wear to be on trend

Derek lam

Oscar de la renta Peter Michael Dills/Getty Images

Erin Baiano/New York Times

gelato colors Cantaloupe, blueberry, pistachio, strawberry, caramel and vanilla.

Perfection is a tangerine dress with lattecolored platforms.

Alexander Wang Peter Michael Dills/Getty Images

dress-up gym clothes Sporty piping and stripes, zippered hoodies and drawstring pants are for going out, not working out.

a white shirt Laundry-fresh in crisp cotton or elegant lace. Either way, it’s effortless.

spring 42 • Scene • spring 2012

fashion

Missoni Antonio Calanni/Associated Press

Dolce & gabbana Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images

highwaisted shorts or pants Katy Perry does a fab retro reference, and so can you.

jewelry with a story Bold and ethnic or charmingly vintage, the most interesting accessories intrigue with the possibility of an eccentric history.

marc by marc jacobs Peter Michael Dills/Getty Images

platform wedges splashed in color Put a halt on metallics and neutrals. For an infusion of freshness, choose a crayon version of a summer shoe.

carolina herrera Bebeto Matthews/Associated Press

a boxy jacket

salvatore ferragamo Antonio Calanni/Associated Press

Slightly tailored and versatile enough to wear with jeans or a sweeping maxi dress.

For the Bay Area, we’re hot for one in a summer-weight leather.

oversize clutch Credit cards, mad money, smartphone and iPad: Tuck it under your arm and be off.

things

By Donna Kato

spring 2012 • Scene • 43

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icons

good company

By Karen D’Souza

Photos by Jose Carlos Fajardo

With vision, hard work and business savvy, Lauren Jonas has built the Diablo Ballet into a cultural gem When Lauren Jonas was 9 years old, she longed to pirouette. All the girls in ballet class were nervous about it. Not her. Scampering around the living room carpet in her socks, she threw herself into the spin. She nailed it.

Seven times.

“She just went for it,” recalls her younger sister Corinne. “She has always been fearless, leaping into the unknown and loving every minute. She never worries about falling down.”

That fearlessness and complete dedication to her craft are still what drive Jonas.

The woman physically embodies the archetype of the ethereal ballerina, with delicate bones, a lithe bearing and megawatt smile. But as founder and artistic director of Walnut Creek’s Diablo Ballet, she has led her company to critical acclaim and honed a formidable business sense and steel backbone from running it through tough times.

Now in its 18th season, Diablo Ballet has become known for showcasing new works by contemporary choreographers as well as for its interpretations of the classics, performed by an elite corps of nine dancers. Jonas, 46, runs the company on shoestrings, gusto and pluck.

A big part of her vision is to demystify dance for the masses.

“People think of dance as a luxury,” she says. “But for me, it is a way to connect with people, a way to make a difference in their lives.”

Jonas may not dance anymore, but she still has to keep on her toes from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day, managing everything from practices and performances to fundraising and administrative details. With multiple regional ballet companies vying for the East Bay and Bay Area audience, Jonas has to be agile and innovative. Her staff is small, her budgets are low and her talented dancers teach in their off-hours just to get by.

spring 2012 • Scene • 47

Artistic director Jonas oversees a recent Diablo Ballet practice session.

“It really is all-consuming. Life/work balance – what is that?” she says, only half joking. “It’s always hard running a ballet, but in this economy, it’s almost impossible.

You have to give it everything you’ve got.”

�

Jonas cuts a striking figure about town, one recent morning clad in a chic black dress with spiky boots and a gold necklace. She walks fast, laughs easily and radiates a genuine enthusiasm for her work. She admits that she had no idea what she was getting into when she co-founded the company back in 1993. She took the plunge, she says, because she believed Contra Costa County was a community hungry for dance. It has been a far more challenging journey than she anticipated.

It was “the biggest turning point of my life,” says the soft-spoken Jonas, chatting over coffee at a downtown Walnut Creek cafe. “What I have learned has been a master’s degree in running a business.”

Twice over the years, Diablo Ballet has almost closed its doors, but Jonas has always found a way to cut corners and forge ahead. The budget is now a lean annual $555,500, down from a high of $850,000 in 2000. To save money, the company shares its executive director and marketing director with the Peninsula’s Hillbarn Theatre. It makes do with a tiny, donated office. On the other hand, there are trims she won’t make, such as her dancers’ health insurance. It’s a tricky balancing act to

48 • Scene • spring 2012

watch the pennies but maintain the standards.

That’s precisely why fans of the company hail it as a gem in the region’s cultural scene.

“They are worth their weight in gold,” says Val Caniparoli, noted choreographer and former principal dancer with the San Francisco Ballet; Caniparoli worked with the company on a world premiere of his “Tears From Above” in the inaugural program this season. “Even in hard times, they do interesting pieces, and they do them with integrity and style. They challenge themselves and the audience by doing eclectic work.”

In addition to fulfilling her artistic mission, Jonas is serious about engaging community and making dance accessible, from lowering ticket prices to launching a new initiative that lets patrons live tweet at certain performances. And with the company’s PEEK program (Performing Arts Education & Enrichment for Kids), she often ventures into local classrooms to bring the magic of movement — both performance and classes — to underserved children in Contra Costa County schools.

“That’s what makes us special. We don’t just perform.

We do so much more than that,” Jonas says. “Giving children a way to express themselves is absolutely vital.”

She almost tears up remembering an autistic boy who blossomed under her tutelage as part of PEEK. Not much pushes her buttons. But it does annoy her that Diablo Ballet has such a low profile in its hometown.

“We are much better known nationally than we are in

icons �

As artistic director, Jonas says her leadership style is collaborative but decisive. “I prefer to run the ballet with quiet confidence. I will never please everyone and that’s fine, but I will feel good knowing that I’ve considered people’s feelings and I have made a decision that works best for the ballet.”

She denies being a perfectionist, but she does worry that things will fall apart if she’s not there. She wants the company to put its best foot forward at all times.

“I have a certain standard that I believe Diablo Ballet should maintain,” she says. “I want everything to look classy, never sloppy.”

Even offstage, friends say she has an eye for the little things. She never forgets a name or a birthday. She’s a details junkie who remembers everything, but she’s modest almost to a fault. If she has to pull an all-nighter to finish a grant application, she does it without complaint.

When company stalwart Edward Stegge was brutally mugged in Concord in 2009, Jonas visited him every day, helped him take care of paperwork and then assisted him with rehab.

“Some people become artistic directors because they want power. Not Lauren,” says her bosom chum Joanna Berman, a former San Francisco Ballet star who has known Jonas since they were little girls taking lessons at the Marin Ballet. “This is a labor of love for her. She will do whatever it takes. And she’ll do it with grace.”

When Jonas needs to unwind, she shops. She’s a fashionista, and her current favorite thing in her wardrobe is a pair of brown Tahari boots. When she and Corinne can get away, they like to hit the Napa outlets.

“She has a shoe fetish, for sure,” Corinne says. “I feel

our own backyard,” she says.

She and her sister Corinne first fell for dance watching their older sister Mindy perform. “My poor parents — three girls, and we all became dancers!” she recalls.

The family lived in Terra Linda in Marin County, and Marin Ballet was a second home for Jonas. By age 6, she was limbering up at the barre every day. By 14, she decided to become a ballerina. She never had any doubts.

“It’s what I love most,” she says. “I can’t imagine what it’s like for people who work at jobs they don’t love. I feel so lucky.”

She got her first dancing gig straight out of high school at 17 and pirouetted her way from the Milwaukee Ballet and the Southwest Ballet to the Moscow Ballet. She favored small troupes over big companies because she prefers intimacy. But all that really mattered was the chance to dance.

“People don’t know how much discipline it takes to be a dancer,” she says. “It takes total focus. It doesn’t matter if you’re sad or stressed or whatever, when you step onstage, nothing matters but the dance.”

Toward the end of her career, she was dancing on knees that were ripped to shreds, coping with chronic pain and willing herself to go on.

“My goal was to retire without having surgery, and I did it, just barely.”

She’s still a workaholic who rarely takes a day off.

“That ballet is her baby,” says Corinne, who danced with Diablo Ballet for several years. “There’s nothing she wouldn’t do for it.”

A little about Lauren: • Grew up in Marin; her father was a financial planner, her mother a schoolteacher • A fitness fanatic, she works out for an hour almost every day • Favorite food: salads • Lives in Walnut Creek • Guilty pleasure: sleeping in

Ashraf

• Big splurge: a day at the spa

Lauren Jonas, right, and her sister Corinne both danced professionally. The two remain close.

spring 2012 • Scene • 49

icons

Jonas watches as Robert Dekkers raises Mayo Sugano during rehearsal. The troupe next performs May 4-5 in Walnut Creek.

lucky to get her hand-me-downs.”

Though she stopped dancing four years ago, Jonas is a hawk about what she eats and maintains a ballerina’s figure. “I get cranky if I can’t fit into my clothes,” she admits.

To stay nimble, she sticks to a diet that’s heavy on greens and protein. She’s particularly fond of tossing together a salad with grilled chicken, olives, smoked salmon, almonds and avocado. She goes for a run or works out at the gym almost every day. “It keeps me energized and it helps work out the stress.”

On her to-do list if only she had the time? She would learn Spanish and travel to Italy. Jonas has been in love with the ballet for so long that she never had time for rites of passage such as going to college or having kids.

She has no regrets about any of that.

“I don’t think I could manage this job if I had children,” she notes wryly.

Certainly, she has all the family she needs. Both of her sisters live nearby, and Berman remains her BFF. “She is such a generous and loyal soul,” Berman says.

“She is the kind of person you are lucky to have in your corner.”

To be sure, Jonas is no diva. Her idea of a guilty pleasure is ending the day with a bath and a small glass of wine. If she really wants to splurge, she heads for the spa. Relaxation is nirvana for her. “If I get to go to bed early,” she says, “I have a smile on my face.”

She’ll need her composure — and even more energy

50 • Scene • spring 2012

— going forward. Diablo Ballet is planning on launching an endowment campaign to give it a buffer zone in hard times. Jonas is also proud to note that the subscriber base has grown 30 percent since 2009. That kind of popularity is what gives the troupe its staying power.

“So many of the dance companies that were out there when we began are now gone,” she says. “Just being here is a real victory.”

Diablo Ballet Program May 4-5: • Inside the Dancer’s Studio • World premiere by KT Nelson, co-artistic director, ODC in San Francisco • World premiere by Robert Dekkers, Diablo Ballet dancer and Dance Magazine “25 to Watch” artist • World premiere by Erin Leedom, former principal at Ballet West, set to Ella Fitzgerald’s saucy “Cheek to Cheek” • “Tarantella Pas de Deux,” by George Balanchine Shadelands Arts Center Auditorium 111 N. Wiget Lane, Walnut Creek For tickets and info: 925.943.1775; diabloballet.org

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gifted artisans Not merely hobbyists, these artists are creating works that say something – and sell, too

By Crystal Chow

Everybody appreciates art, but not everybody can create it. Lucky are those with a talent for fashioning beautiful things that others might covet — an exquisite mosaic sculpture, for instance, or a joyful watercolor. What’s different is that, thanks to a mania for the hand-made in our hightech world, craftswomen have plenty of outlets for their stylish visions. Like their predecessors, they produce jewelry, textile goods, pottery and more, only now the market for even a part-time hobbyist literally can be global. Be it through a brick-and-mortar boutique or home business, juried show or Etsy (the e-commerce website), where there’s a ware, there’s a way to attract customers. We showcase a few such artisan/entrepreneurs, each with her own flair, but all with a shared passion for excellence.

Once a year, Andrea Holding hosted a sale of her whimsical crafts for colleagues at the San Jose Mercury News.

The dolls, sachets and other assorted adornments, fabricated from vintage textiles and homegrown lavender, were a hit. Now the Danville resident, who left the newspaper in 2009, has an international audience because of her membership in Etsy.com.

Her “shop,’’ the Rosa Meyer Collection, purveys sachets, zipper pouches and market bags. There are also examples of her silver clay jewelry (she’s a potter, too), interspersed with the antique “objects of character and quality’’ she offers. Etsy, you see, is as much an emporium for collectibles as it is for original crafts.

“It’s fun to check to see who’s bought anything,’’ Holding says of her daily drop-in after morn-

Andrea Holding repurposes vintage textiles in her bangles and other items.

spring 2012 • Scene • 55

Andrea Holding uses homegrown lavender in her whimsical sachets.

ing coffee. “It’s a real rush.’’ She ensures good customer reviews by packing and sending orders quickly, but her efforts are not about putting food on the table.

“No, this is for entertainment value, to pay for my hobby and for a little extra pocket money,’’ she says of her venture, named for the grandmother who taught her how to produce pretty things by hand. Even pre-Etsy, which she joined in 2010, Holding sold at her own pace. “When money became more important than the creating, I’d back off,’’ she says.

Now she’s free to spend as much time as she wants on turning disparate bits into desirable objects. “It’s all about recycling and reusing,’’ she says. “That and doing it yourself.’’

and making little sketches on a scratch pad — her artistic yearning refusing to die.

Through those years, she also liked to send letters and cards. However, Atkins, an African-American, rued the fact she “wasn’t seeing anyone who looked like me’’ on the latter. In the 1990s, she decided to make her own greeting cards, initially by pasting copies of photos of family members on card stock. Co-workers took note, and soon she was selling them.

When someone sent samples of her work to Victoria magazine, the publication made Atkins its Entrepreneur of the Month. “Boutiques from all over started calling,’’ she marvels, and a sideline career was launched. It became more than that when, in 2001, the financial expert was forced into early retirement. Four years later, after her father and a brother died a month apart, Atkins channeled her grief into painting, again standing up to the insult of decades past.

At first, her work was literally small and somber. Now it is exuberant and expansive. It also adorns her cards, joining the images of her relatives. The greeting cards are sold in specialty shops from Hawaii to Canada; the San Jose Museum of Art is one of her best customers. dorothypaints.blogspot.com

etsy.com/shop/RosaMeyerCollection For Dorothy Atkins, a foray into art was squelched early on: Her seventh-grade teacher appallingly informed her she had no skill. “That broke my heart, so I decided to never draw again,’’ she recalls. Instead, she grew up to become an assistant vice president at Bank of America. For 20 years, Atkins drove from San Jose to Fremont, where she caught a BART train to get to her San Francisco office.

She whiled away the commute by writing in a journal

56 • Scene • spring 2012

A lifetime of memories inspires the art of Dorothy Atkins, who started out making greeting cards.

passions

Sharon Searle shares her love of painting watercolors and creating jewelry in classes at her Mill Valley studio.

Sharon Searle says her artistic leaning “began when I was born. It’s been lifelong.’’ Like many artists, the watercolorist and metal-clay jewelry maker initially created for her own pure pleasure, not for financial gain.

In the 1990s, however, she offered to teach friends who admired her talent.

“The more I taught, the more people wanted to buy’’ her paintings. A full-time career, coming after 17 years as an editorial assistant at the San Francisco Chronicle, was born. Searle now owns a studio in Mill Valley, where she holds classes. She also teaches at Riley Street Art Supply in San Rafael.

Yet another gift was discovered when her sister asked for a tallit (prayer shawl) for her nephew. The one Searle fashioned was painted on silk; one-of-a-kind scarves are now part of her offerings.

Though she participates in small shows like the Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival, Searle prefers even more intimate events in her studio. “Best of all is doing things one on one, or with a group of friends,’’ she says.

Her signature look is “very bold, with strong colors,’’ where “life, with a capital L’’ serves as inspiration. Searle is also a practitioner of The Journey, transformative and healing work developed by Brandon Bays. Searle says The Journey is a process that accesses “the body’s own wisdom at the deepest level of being and inner knowing.’’

With it, she says, “More of a life force comes through

me, the joy of being present and sharing that with others.

It’s becoming more honest, of being more self aware.’’ It informs her artwork, for sure.

Fineartbysharon.com

In the spacious downstairs studio where ceramicist

Cheryl Wolff turns out elegant pottery pieces,

the scene is quiet and composed. The bucolic Walnut Creek location near the downtown area allows for plenty of contemplation.

“Sometimes,’’ she says, “I feel really inspired when I’m making things and envisioning how they’ll be used. I think about the fact that someone will take it out of their cabinet, and I say to myself, ‘Won’t this be beautiful on a table?’ ’’ Wolff’s art has been enhancing homes and gardens for more than 30 years. Her style is clean, uncomplicated. “I like to keep my glazes simple, because they feel calm and organic,’’ she says.

That affinity for clay was discovered in her 20s; within a few years, she was expert enough to sell at progressively larger shows. Then, about two years ago, Wolff set up her first shop on Etsy. com, one devoted exclusively to homeware. Six months later, she opened a garden shop as well.

spring 2012 • Scene • 57

passions Ceramicist Cheryl Wolff creates items such as bird feeders and latte cups with durable glazes so that they are both useful and beautiful.

All “the artsy parts’’ she added in and around the sunsplashed Spanish colonial revival included plenty of mosaic inlays. She also stained each of the residence’s 22 doors in a different vibrant color.

Dozens of clients have discovered Richardson’s installations and fine-art pieces, mostly through the annual Silicon Valley Open Studios event held three weekends in May (svos.org). When she’s not busy in her backyard studio, she’s diligently writing and evaluating iPad apps that help people with brain injuries. It’s an altruistic endeavor, one she pursues with the same devotion as her other passion.

“I’ve always been a researcher. I tend to work on things that people haven’t fully perfected or don’t fully understand,’’ she says. “Which means that it allows for a lot of creativity. So I don’t see engineering and art as really different. It’s all about bringing a lot of different components together.’’ krtile.com

Even though she can now reach buyers from as far away as New Zealand and England, Wolff still packs up her pottery and attends shows because “I love meeting people and getting personal feedback.’’ A must on her schedule is the annual Palo Alto Clay & Glass Festival, to be held this year on July 14 and 15.

Whether in person or online, Wolff stresses one crucial aspect of her success: “When I make something, it’s made not just with my hands; my heart is in it, too. Communicating that to people is important.’’ cherylwolff.com As a child growing up in New Mexico, Kathy Richardson had no choice but to be creative. Her father insisted that she and her siblings make whatever gifts they gave one another.

It helped that Dad had a full wood and metal shop at home, and that she joined a lapidary club in junior high.

Today, though, the computer engineer with a doctorate from Stanford University concentrates on architectural mosaic and glass work — a skill she developed in earnest only eight years ago. A job at a start-up had just ended when funds ran out, allowing Richardson to devote more than a year to the house she and her husband were building in Los Altos.

58 • Scene • spring 2012

Kathy Richardson started doing architectural mosaic and glass work eight years ago.

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home & design

&

green

Serene Low-impact and low-maintenance, an architectural gem sparkles with light, art and laughter

The grand copper front door to Tawnie and John Farmer’s Tiburon showplace, which slopes gently down to a small beach on the eastern side of the peninsula, opens onto a long gallery that frames an unimpeded view of San Francisco Bay in the distance.

That was intentional (of course), as is everything else in this peaceful, light-filled corner of heaven that celebrates nature with glass walls and Zen, citrus and fruit gardens; preserves it with renewable materials; and harnesses its power with custom exterior steel trellises of small solar photovoltaic cells that run the length of the house, providing shade from the sun while converting its energy to electricity.

By Mandy Behbehani

sPRING 2012 • Scene • 63

Richard Barnes

Richard Barnes

The front door of the Farmers’ Tiburon home, above, leads down to the bay. In the center of the house is a courtyard connecting four wings. The hall walls display the Farmers’ extensive art collection. And the sturdy ceramic tiles make a great smooth surface for grandchildren to race toy cars on.

Ventilated exterior walls of slatted renewable Brazilian ipe wood help passively cool the 6,000-square-foot house.

Sliding glass walls allow for natural ventilation, and steel trellises with solar photovoltaic cells run the length of the structure.

64 • Scene • spring 2012

The senior director of Goldman Sachs and his wife, and their Italian architect Andrea Ponsi, left nothing to chance in creating this serene 6,000-square-foot home, whose center is a glass-walled courtyard garden from which four wings with individual copper roofs radiate outward. (The wings house guest quarters, service areas and garage, master bedrooms and living area.) The living area opens out to a waterfront deck and beach through a wall of sliding glass, and a naturally lit gallery encircling the interior courtyard displays the Farmers’ extensive modern art collection featuring works

by German artist Joachim Bandau, African tapestry artist

home & design

Stuart Lirette

El Anatsui and several Britons, including ceramic artist Edmund de Waal, and painters Bill Jacklin and Andrew Mackenzie, whom the Farmers grew to love during their decade living in London.

“Andrea wanted everything long and low,” says Tawnie Farmer of the one-story house, which sits low to the ground and steps down the four-acre site mirroring its sloping topography. The idea, she adds, was to mitigate the environmental impact of this ultra-modern house.

To this end, Ponsi created the house with natural materials. Exterior walls are made of slatted renewable Brazilian

ipe wood that are detached from the walls behind them, thus using ventilation to help passively cool the house. In fact, the house is bio-climatic, with natural ventilation from sliding glass walls and solar power-generating electricity.

Copper is used throughout the house for sun blinds, railings, roofs and the fireplace, allowing the glow and patina of the metal to permeate inside and out.

Floors in the public areas of the house are laid with large, sleek ceramic tiles in a smoky anthracite that looks like slate, while all the bedrooms have cork floors. For the kitchen, Ponsi ordered custom-built pieces from the eco-

spring 2012 • Scene • 65

Stuart Lirette

friendly Italian company Valcucine, whose stylish and high-function Ricicla cabinets, jumbo drawers and pullout pantries are all made of recycled, nonpolluting (no formaldehyde or synthetic varnishes) and energy-efficient materials. Counters are made of Eurostone, a quartzbased surface that is resistant to impact, scratching, staining, acid and abrasives.

“It’s the lowest maintenance ever,” says Tawnie Farmer, who moved into the home with her husband in 2008. “Just heaven. We wanted to take advantage of all of the opportunities to build in a responsible and environmentally sen-

66 • Scene • spring 2012

sitive way,” she adds. “And I wanted ongoing maintenance to be at a minimum. We want to live in the house … not spend lots of time caring for it.”

Living in the house is exactly what they do, with their kids and grandkids often coming to visit.

With that express purpose in mind, the Farmers built an enfilade of accommodations in one wing for their and their friends’ families, consisting of an adult bedroom right next to a bathroom, then a children’s bedroom that sleeps five kids and a baby, another bathroom next to that and another adult bedroom finishing up the row.

home & design

Stuart Lirette

Stuart Lirette

“The adults are at each end, and the kids are in the middle,” Farmer says. “It’s perfect.”

“I had wanted a beach house all my life,” she adds, “and especially now, it provides a place for my children and grandchildren to come and play on the beach; use the tree house; have sleepovers; pick blackberries, apples, tomatoes and more. Our priorities were for light and good ’art walls,’ and Andrea did a beautiful job of creating a house with lots of art walls and windows and not broken into lots of small rooms. John and I just love the feeling of just living here … the beautiful views and the beautiful spaces.” S

The low-maintenance home allows the Farmers to spend more time with their family, such as grandchildren Oliver and Larkin, above.

The house on the Tiburon Peninsula affords stunning views of San Francisco Bay, with access to a small beach where the Farmers’ grandchildren can play. The home’s design emphasizes light and open space, blending the indoors and outdoors.

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at the table

the gluten-free gourmand Tasty options abound at local restaurants and bakeries

By Dionna Mash

It used to be that gluten-free meant tasteless, a particularly sad state of affairs in foodie Bay Area. But with a rise in gluten-related disorders and sales of “GF” foods at $2.3 billion in 2010, restaurants and bakeries have stepped up their offerings. Now, even the most refined palates — GF or not — can find extraordinary savories and sweets.

Some notable local purveyors:

Tom Tomkinson

Miglet’s Gluten-Free Bakery, Danville migletsgf.com

Katie Alin's baked goods are carried at gluten-free shops and grocery stores all over the Bay Area.

Katie Alin, owner and founder of Miglet’s Gluten-Free Bakery, started experimenting with baked goods made with rice flour after her mother, Elaine Taylor, was diagnosed with celiac disease (see related story on Page 73). At The Taylor Family Foundation’s weeklong celiac camps, the children were so ecstatic about Alin’s gluten-free birthday cakes that she started Miglet’s in 2007 to make sure the GF community would no longer go without.

Miglet’s, which opened a storefront in Danville two years ago, is a completely wheat-free facility that produces an array of sweet and savory treats, from cupcakes to quiche, that are moist and fluffy, and taste nearly identical to traditional baked goods.

“I love the fact that the gluten-free food industry is finally emerging,” Alin says. “However, I hope businesses are careful when following this trend and make sure that even if their recipe is gluten-free, that it’s still made in a wheat-free facility.”

Miglet’s also carries gluten-free grocery items such as frozen pizzas and specialty pastas, making their bakery a SPRING 2012 • Scene • 75

one-stop shop for those on a wheat-free diet. Fortunately, one doesn’t have to live near the bakery to partake: Alin’s goodies are sold at stores throughout the Bay Area, including Mariposa Baking and Draeger’s.

Miglet’s Lemon Bars For crust: ¾ cup unsalted butter 1 cup granulated sugar 1 large egg 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1¾ cups flour substitute mix ¼ cup sweet rice flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon xanthan gum ¼ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter and sugar in a bowl until light and creamy (3 to 4 minutes). Add egg and vanilla and mix until smooth and fluffy. Add flours, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt, and beat until a thick, smooth dough is formed. Bake in an eight-inch-square glass pan for 10-12 minutes. Let cool.

Courtesy of Katie Alin

For filling: 6 extra-large eggs at room temperature 2½ cups granulated sugar 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 cup flour Whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and flour. Pour over the crust. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

Let cool.

Va de Vi Bistro & Wine Bar, Walnut Creek vadevi.com Va de Vi, known for its eclectic small plates, intimate ambience and hearty wine list, has a robust gluten-free menu. Diners can choose from a list of more than 20 wheat-free items, including pancetta-wrapped duck breast roulade and grilled bavette steak. The wait staff and chefs are very knowledgeable about the gluten-free menu, and are careful to make sure there is no crosscontamination in the kitchen by sanitizing work surfaces, using clean bowls and pans, and washing hands before prepping wheat-free dishes.

Executive chef Shane McAnelly suggests the restaurant’s spicy Calamari a la Plancha as a gluten-free alternative to battered and fried seafood.

Executive chef Shane McAnelly offers an extensive glutenfree menu at Va de Vi restaurant.

76 • Scene • sPRING 2012

Calamari a la Plancha 2 pounds fresh squid, cleaned and cut into ½-inch pieces 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped ½ teaspoon espelette pepper (or smoked paprika) 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon black pepper 2 shishito peppers, cut into ½-inch rings 1 Yukon gold potato, steamed and cut into ½-inch chunks Mix the squid with the oil. Heat a cast-iron skillet over high flames until it is red hot, about 5-6 minutes. Add the squid, cooking from 30 seconds to a minute. Remove the squid and place in a large bowl, then toss it with the garlic, seasonings, peppers and potato and put back into the skillet to serve.

at the table Scott McNeil's Quinoa Corn Salad Yields about 8 cups

Courtesy of Marisa North

Note: Quinoa has a resinous, bitter coating called saponin. While the coating is usually removed before being sold, Skinner always “scrubs” quinoa with his hands in warm water to remove any residue and ensure no bitter taste. He then runs it through a fine sieve under cold running water.

Sans recently opened a café inside its grocery store.

Sans Gluten-Free Grocery & Café, San Rafael sansglutenfreegrocery.com

Courtesy of Marisa North

Siblings Marisa and Chad North started Sans Gluten-Free Grocery after battling gluten intolerance for much of their lives. The pair’s knowledge about GF foods and living a GF lifestyle makes shopping and eating at their store a more personal experience than buying from the larger health food and grocery chains. The Norths also can order hard-to-get items.

Sans not only carries high-quality, often local GF foods, but it also serves as a com- Marisa North munity and educational hub. For example, it recently hosted a lecture by Mill Valley nutritionist Willie Victor on “The Difference Between Gluten Intolerance and Celiac Disease.”

Several months ago, the Norths added a café to their store that is currently open on Fridays and Saturdays. It serves sandwiches and paninis (often with bread from Natural Food Works in Davis), organic and vegan soups, and corn bread and homemade chicken pot pies that Marisa says have a “cult following.”

One of Sans’ most popular items comes courtesy of longtime Bay Area chef and occasional Sans guest chef John Skinner, who credits fellow chef Scott McNeil with being the first to put quinoa and corn together:

1 cup quinoa 1½ cups water ½ teaspoon salt (optional) 3 ears sweet summer corn, cut off of ears 2 red onions, diced finely ½ tablespoon vinegar 5 Roma tomatoes, diced to same size as corn kernel ¼ bunch basil chiffonade Fresh lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste Drain quinoa in a strainer, transfer to a cooking pot, add water and salt if desired.

Bring to a boil, cover with a tight-fitting lid and turn the heat down to simmer. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes until little volcanoes appear in the surface of the quinoa.

Remove quinoa from heat and allow to sit 5 minutes with the lid on. Place quinoa on a sheet pan/cookie sheet to cool, and fluff it gently with a fork.

Sear corn in a sauté pan and cool. Dip onions into boiling water for 10 seconds, drain into a bowl and pour vinegar over them to take away the heady top notes of raw onion and brighten the color.

Mix all ingredients. Any grain salad will need to have the seasonings adjusted before serving: The taste will go flat, because the high notes will diminish as it sits. Re-season with lemon and salt prior to serving.

What is gluten and who should avoid it?

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. Sensitivity to gluten has been found to exist on a spectrum, though research is ongoing to determine diagnostic guidelines. Symptoms include pain or discomfort after eating foods with gluten. Those with wheat allergies can experience gastrointestinal, skin and respiratory problems. And people with celiac disease, which causes the immune system to mistakenly attack the body’s own tissue, must avoid gluten completely.

SPRING 2012 • Scene • 77

at the table Iamori, Hollister iamori.com

Very Berry Shortcake Serves 6

Thu Ly

When Irene Kwock, a former pastry chef at Fleur de Lys, hung up her apron after two decades in the business, she thought she’d never bake again. It wasn’t until her gluten-sensitive 9-yearold niece asked to bake a pie with her that she rose to the challenge of creating something delicious and gluten-free.

After a lot of trial and Irene Kwock error, Kwock was so pleased with what she produced for her family that she decided to start Iamori (which means “I found the light” in Tahitian). From biscotti to pizza crusts to fruit tarts and more, Iamori products can be found throughout the Bay Area at a wide range of restaurants and supermarkets.

Cake: 7 eggs, separated ¾ cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons, divided use 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1½ cups almond meal Filling: 2 cups heavy cream 4 to 5 tablespoons sugar, divided use ½ cup each of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries, or a 2-cup combination of your choice 2 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier or orange juice Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 10-by-15-inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper and set aside.

Place the yolks and ¾ cup sugar in a mixing bowl.

Using an electric mixer set on high speed, beat the yolks until the mixture is thick and pale yellow. Set aside.

Place the egg whites in another bowl. Using an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat the egg whites until foamy, slowly add 2 tablespoons sugar, then raise the speed to high. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.

Add the vanilla extract and almond meal to the yolks mixture, and mix well.

Fold half of the egg whites into the yolks mixture to lighten the batter. Fold in the remaining half of the egg whites and pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly brown.

While the cake is in the oven, whip the heavy cream with 2 to 3 tablespoons of sugar until stiff peaks form. Keep it chilled.

Remove the stems from the strawberries and slice them. The rest of the berries are left whole. Mix all of the berries together with 2 tablespoons sugar and Grand Marnier and set aside.

To assemble the shortcakes: Allow the cake to cool first.

To unmold the cake, cut around the edges of the pan. Place a sheet of parchment paper or cardboard on top of the cake. Position a cooling rack or the backside of another jelly roll pan on top of the cake, then quickly turn the cake upside-down. Peel the parchment paper off.

Thu Ly

With a 3-inch round cutter or an inverted glass, cut the cake into 3-inch disks.

Iamori's Very Berry Shortcake is a gluten-free delight.

78 • Scene • sPRING 2012

Place a cake disk on a plate, add a dollop of whipped cream and top with the berries. Top with another disk, more berries and cream.

SPRING 2012 • Scene • 79

at the table Elaine Taylor:

living gluten-free

By Donna Lynn Rhodes

How did you find out you had celiac disease?

My parents said I had a “nervous stomach,” whatever that is. I had all the classic symptoms, including [being] pale, underweight, sickly, with itchy skin and headaches. I failed to thrive, and my parents and I didn’t know why. None of the medications I tried helped.

Do you cook gluten-free foods for your family and friends? Or do you cook gluten-free for you and “regular” for everyone else?

My household is now strictly gluten free. Cross-contamination is not a viable option for me. The alternative grains I use are delicious, and after nine years, I work hard at making everything feel and taste like traditional cooking and baking.

Where do you go to have a fancy meal out, or lunch with friends?

Chef Michael at Yankee Pier, Chef Kevin at Walnut Creek Yacht Club, Chef Peter Chastain at Prima are all caring and creative glutenfree chefs; Jule’s Thin Crust Pizza in Danville; Mariposa Baking in Oakland; and, of course, Miglet’s in Danville [owned and run by Taylor’s daughter Katie Alin].

Esin Restaurant in Danville does an amazing job. Va de Vi for the chocolate soufflé. In and Out’s Protein Wrap. Or Chipotle, where they assign a server to you who washes their hands and puts clean gloves on and walks you through the line.

There are lots of restaurants that offer gluten-free menus, and while the menus look fantastic, the people preparing them do not understand what it really means to be gluten-free. Education and a true understanding of dedicated clean areas are so important. They need to learn what crosscontamination really means. I have been sick six times this month from going out to eat.

80 • Scene • sPRING 2012

Tom Tomkinson

Elaine Taylor, co-founder and president of The Taylor Family Foundation, was 48 when she was finally diagnosed with celiac disease. She has been gluten-free in the nine years since, and is thriving after suffering for most of her life from “horrendous gastrointestinal issues, skin rashes, migraines, low thyroid, joint pain, severe backaches and monumental fatigue.”

Her experience and subsequent research has made her an advocate for celiac disease education and gluten-free living. She started camps for children with the disease as part of Camp Arroyo, which is run and funded by the foundation. Each summer and about a dozen weekends the rest of the year, more than 3,000 children with life-threatening, chronic illnesses or special needs — such as a gluten-free diet — spend a few days at the camp, south of Livermore, enjoying nature and being kids.

Elaine Taylor and her daughter Katie Alin at Miglet's Gluten-Free Bakery in Danville.

Elaine Taylor’s resources: Sites • Celiac Disease Foundation, celiac.org • Theglutenfreelifestyle.com • Gluten Intolerance Group, gluten.net • Jacqueline Mallorca’s blog, The Gluten Free Expert, glutenfreeexpert. com/blog • National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, celiaccentral.org • R.O.C.K. (Raising Our Celiac Kids): glutenfreedom.net Facebook “There are three fabulous pages to ‘Like’ so you can get all the updates”: • Gluten Free Foodies • The Gluten Free Lab • Celiac Disease Awareness Books • “Gluten-Free for Dummies,” by Danna Korn, 2006 • "The Living Gluten-Free Answer Book," Sourcebooks, 2008

Should people follow a gluten-free diet even if they don’t have to?

This is truly a personal choice. A gluten-free diet is more expensive, and finding alternative products [can be hard]. If you are gluten-sensitive and have no choice, that’s one thing, but if you aren’t affected by it, you may lose out on many nutritious whole grains. That said, however, anyone can substitute wheat products with very nutritious gluten-free alternatives such as millet, quinoa and Teff.

Do you have a favorite gluten-free cookbook?

I love “The Wheat-Free Cook” and “Gluten-Free Italian” – both by Jacqueline Mallorca. The best thing about Jackie’s books is that the recipes are not ridiculously timeconsuming. They are easy to make and can be eaten and enjoyed almost immediately. I also like two magazines: Living Without and Gluten-Free Living.

Do you carry any “emergency” gluten-free foods with you?

Always. I carry ready-to-use peanut butter packets and Nicole’s Divine Crackers, Zing Bars, Think Thin Bars and Pure bars. There is nothing harder than being hungry – watching everyone eating and you cannot eat. This condition is my problem, not that of the restaurant, banquet manager or airline. … I must always be prepared. S

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Barry and Elaine Taylor and campers at Camp Arroyo (which includes Camp Celiac).

Camp Celiac

Run and funded by The Taylor Family Foundation, its goal is to give children restricted to a gluten-free diet an opportunity to relax and have fun with kids their age (9 through 17), without worrying about social acceptance or what foods they can eat. 2012 dates (each week has a different group of campers): Week 1: Tuesday, July 24, through Saturday, July 28 Week 2: Saturday, July 28, through Wednesday, Aug. 1 For details, see celiaccamp.com.

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thirsty girl

get into the spirit Tips on stocking your home bar with the best

By Leslie Sbrocco

As a wine expert, I’m often asked what I sip when not drinking wine. The answer is spirits.

For me, it’s about stocking my bar with the staples. Bring on a classic martini, savory Manhattan or pristine margarita, and I’m a happy Thirsty Girl.

This shopping list of “brown” spirits such as bourbon, scotch and tequila will get you started creating a home bar, but it is also a guide to top-shelf spirits to try when out on the town.

Wine expert Leslie Sbrocco founded Thirsty Girl (ThirstyGirl.com) for women who live by the TG motto: “Life. Drink It Up!” For more, see Page 14.

Bourbon

Shopping list

The famous American whiskey primarily hailing from Kentucky is a favorite of mine for its brown sugar and toasted spice flavors. It’s strong, but because bourbon has been aged in new oak barrels and made mainly with corn, there’s an inherent sweetness to it. Not ready to drink it neat? An ideal way to sip bourbon is to pour it over ice with a dash of ginger ale. (Try an organic mixer called Q Ginger for a delicious cocktail. qginger.com)

Basil Hayden’s 8-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon, $38: My go-to bourbon for its elegance and style. The historic distiller uses rye in its whiskey to create a spicy, tea-like character. It is not as powerful as other whiskeys with a lighter body, and has a hint less alcohol. smallbatch.com/basilhaydens Woodford Reserve Distiller’s Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon, $45: As the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby, Woodford is highly regarded. Falling on the powerful side of the scale, its mouth-warming flavors of vanilla and crème brûlée are an indulgent treat. woodfordreserve.com

SPRING 2012 • Scene • 85

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thirsty girl Scotch is a type of whisky (no “e” in “whisky” when referring to Scotch) made in Scotland. It is more of an acquired taste than bourbon because of its signature peaty, moist-earth aromas, but many bottlings capture a fruity freshness, too. Styles are dependent not only on the distiller but also the area of production. If you like aggressive flavors, look to producers from the isle of Islay (pronounced eye-la). I prefer slightly sweeter styles from the Highlands and Speyside areas.

Shopping list Glenmorangie Original 10-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch, $35: Single malt Scotch is made only with malted barley at a single distiller, and Glenmorangie is a superstar. Its succulent “original” bottling is lighter-bodied than others, and silky smooth.

It sports a citrusy freshness and floral aromas. I like to pour a dram over ice with a squeeze of orange zest.

Johnnie Walker Black 12-Year-Old Blended Scotch, $30: Blended Scotch whisky is a mélange of different malt whiskies and regions to give layers of complexity to the spirit. Full-bodied and lush, it’s a richly styled sip. johnniewalker.com

Tequila Named for the Mexican city of Tequila and its local volcano, tequila is a fiery spirit I adore. Made from the blue agave plant grown in Tequila and surrounding hillsides of the Jalisco area, it is crafted in three primary styles: un-aged blanco (white) or plata (silver); reposado (rested), which is aged a year or less in oak barrels and has a hint of amber color; and añejo (aged), which spends up to three years in oak barrels gaining richness, color and complexity Shopping list Casa Noble Reposado Tequila, $48: Casa Noble, whose distiller is partly owned by musician Carlos Santana, is like a designer suit — beautiful to look at and fits like a glove. Triple distilled, aged a year in French oak barrels and imbued with a stunning velvety texture with smoky aromatics, this is a personal favorite. Packaged in a handblown blue glass bottle, it makes an impressive gift as well. casanoble.com

Upcoming Thirsty Girl topics Special section on the LBDs of wine: Basics you need to be ready for anything White spirits: Gin and vodka

Tres Agaves Blanco Tequila, $28: Clear, crisp and pristine, this blanco is one to enjoy alone or use for mixed drinks. Tres Agaves’ many products also feature an organic agave nectar-infused margarita mix, and its website includes an education video series about tequila (watch with glass in hand). tresagaves.com

Note: If you want to learn more about spirits, pack your bags. Visit the American Whiskey Trail (www.discus.org/trail), the Scottish Highlands (mcleanscotland.com), or head to Jalisco and take a trip to Tequila with Tres Agaves Tequila Tours and Academy (tresagaves.com/distillerytours). S

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multiplechoice Many kinds of wonderful in Monterey County

By Katharine Fong

Breakfast arrived sometime after 9. We saw them coming: Mailika, the smallest elephant, lumbering alongside her trainers, who were pushing boxes of food in a cart.

But we weren’t really focused on our breakfast — we were looking forward to giving Mailika hers. While we squealed delightedly from the cabin deck, she stood at the railing and with her trunk gently grabbed the apples and bananas from our outstretched palms. Her trainers explained why Mailika is so petite — she has food allergies, which means she’s on medications as well as a special diet of Sudan grass (grown in Oregon) and also

means she must keep her trunk up in the air at all times and not brush it along standard-issue grass as elephants are wont to do.

We weren’t in the African bush. We were in Salinas, in Monterey County. Vision Quest Ranch, an exotic animal sanctuary and educational facility, to be exact.

Sure, Cannery Row, the Aquarium, 17-Mile Drive and even the Steinbeck Museum are all known and loved Monterey County destinations. But there are also many other, slightly less-touristed gems to be found. And certainly getting up close and personal with pachyderms counts among these.

SPRING 2012 • Scene • 89

Spectacular outpost Another treausre is Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, three miles south of Carmel. Even those jaded

by Highway 1’s endless vistas of crashing surf and rock formations are awed by Point Lobos’ natural beauty and thriving wildlife (seals, sea lions, otters, migrating whales, a multitude of sea birds such as cormorants and pelicans). Hike one of the easy trails along the shoreline to peer down into the coves and to admire the Monterey cypress. Trees closest to the ocean’s salt spray are often blanketed with a striking orange growth — actually a harmless green algae with beta carotene that changes its color. Photographers Edward Weston and Ansel Adams, among many others, were captivated by the cypress’s fantastic shapes, achieved after years of battering winds.

Adding immeasurably to a visit are the docents, many with telescopes, the better to view otters feeding in the waves and sea lions barking on the rocks. Our docent Paul Reps, an early Cisco employee now retired, was a fount of information about Point Lobos’ history, flora

90 • Scene • sPRING 2012

and fauna. (An example: Those mounds of twigs off the trail? Woodrat houses, the first one built by a mother who turned it over to a daughter and who then built another a few yards away.)

More than half of the reserve is underwater, meaning animals and plants in its rich marine habitat are protected. At the turn of the 20th century, the area was a part of the whaling and abalone industry, and today a small cabin at Whalers Cove, built by Chinese fishermen in that era, is a cultural history museum.

Don’t miss the tide pools at Weston Beach; the literal stars on the day of our visit were two huge starfish, one orange, one purple.

Point Lobos State Natural Reserve Route 1, Carmel. Hours 8 a.m. to one-half hour after sunset (information station and Whalers Cabin Museum open 8 a.m.-5 p.m.). $10 vehicle entry fee.

831.624.4909; parks.ca.gov

getaways Something old, something green perfectly located as a base for walking, biking (the 29mile Monterey Bay Coastal Trail, for example) or — if you must — driving the area.

The Portola received LEED silver certification last year, the first hotel in central California to earn this level. Its recently renovated rooms use low VOC (volatile organic compounds) carpeting and paint, low-flow plumbing, sustainable wood, green cleaning products and amenities. Hot water is produced with a cogeneration machine that simultaneously generates electricity.

Rooms also feature beds made by the Monterey Mattress Company, with 100 percent organic cotton and recycled mattress springs. And the hotel brewpub and restaurant offer organic food and drink.

Path of History Information and map: parks.ca.gov/mshp, 831.649.7118, or at the Monterey State Historic Park office, 20 Custom House Plaza; free audio tour download at seemonterey.com Portola Hotel & Spa 2 Portola Plaza, Monterey, 379 rooms, $199-$329, 800.342.4295, 888.222.5851, portolahotel.com

Portola Hotel and Spa

Old Monterey and downtown have an easy vibe, with modern restaurants and shops lining streets rich with history, adjacent to landmark buildings, and near the waterfront and old pier. The main thoroughfare, Alvarado Street, is part of the “Path of History,” marked by round yellow tiles set in the sidewalks. Monterey served as California’s first capital under Spanish, Mexican and U.S. rule, so there is much to explore on this two-mile, roughly rectangular walk. It can be joined at any juncture; its 55 historic buildings and sites include the spot where the Spanish first landed in 1602, one of the last remaining whalebone sidewalks, the house that Robert Louis Stevenson lived in in 1879 and more.

The best part of strolling the path — and Old Monterey in general — is ducking into the alleys and through open archways to discover shaded courtyards and secret gardens. (The Memory Garden behind the Pacific House Museum, while not secret, is particularly lovely, filled with multicolored roses.)

Tourists and clam chowder-hawkers at restaurants on the pier are not the only reminder of modern times: the Monterey Conference Center in the middle of the action in Portola Plaza draws conventioneers and eventgoers. Next door is the Portola Hotel & Spa, an eco-hotel

SPRING 2012 • Scene • 91

Courtesy of Vision Quest

Charlie Sammut (in brown shirt) with friends and participants in the Pachyderms & Patriots program.

One man’s vision The centerpiece of the Wild Things animal compound on Vision Quest Ranch in the Salinas Valley is the five-acre elephant area, where the pachyderms socialize, play, eat, sun themselves and dip into their pool.

For many visitors, standing at the fence of the area is as close as they’ll ever come to these amazing creatures.

Wild Things is also home to some 150 other exotic and domestic animals, including camels, a baboon, a hyena, and lions, tigers and bears. The daily public tour affords close-up views of many of them, as at that hour they’re in their outdoor enclosures. Many are veterans of film, television and live productions; several have been adopted from less-than-ideal environments.

Owner Charlie Sammut’s passion for these animals, and for sharing them with others, is clear in his hands-on handling and website stories.

Sammut, 50, stumbled into his passion. A son of immigrants from Malta who established successful businesses in Salinas, Sammut studied to be a veterinarian, became a police officer, bought a kennel business, rescued an old cougar from a Seaside garage and gradually acquired a number of exotic animals, including an African lion named Josef whose good looks led to an appearance in a Dreyfus Fund commercial. That led to Wild Things becoming an animal rental company (though requests for live animals have declined in recent years

92 • Scene • sPRING 2012

with the rise of sophisticated computer graphics).

Sammut now runs his sanctuary, animal rental company, kennel, an equestrian center, educational programs, animal trainer school, “Elephants of Africa Rescue Society” and B&B on the 51-acre ranch. His latest venture offers wounded military veterans and their families a week of hands-on bonding with his team of African elephants and other animals (see related story).

The vets and their families stay at the African-style tent cabins, which are otherwise used for the B&B. The eight cabins are comfortably furnished and equipped with TV, space heater and other amenities. Décor corresponds with cabin name — for example, bedspreads and pillow cases in ”Monkey Manor” are adorned with monkeys, and toy monkeys hang above the beds’ canopy netting.

Vision Quest Ranch • Wild Things daily tour, 1 p.m.; adults $10, children 14 and under $8. Other tours (“Meet & Greet”, “Walk With the Animals,” the Pachyderm Package, etc.) available for additional fees • Bed & Breakfast, $175-$265 plus tax, double occupancy; children must be 4 and up; complimentary daily tour and breakfast (brought by animals and trainers); “Butch’s Bedtime” package available for a fee • visionquestranch.com or 800.228.7382 for details

getaways Pachyderms & Patriots In December, five disabled veterans and their families arrived at Vision Quest Ranch in Salinas to participate in a unique weeklong pilot program. Using specially made “saddles,” the vets lounged atop the ranch’s elephants as the animals went about their day, and interacted with many of the other animals as well. The lengthy time spent in an unusual environment and connecting with animals — many with back stories as wrenching as the vets’ — resulted in an extraordinarily positive and constructive experience for everyone involved.

“We put one guy on an elephant with his son for a couple of hours,” says Charlie Sammut, director of EARS (Elephants of Africa Rescue Society), which presents the program, adding that the vet had had difficulty communicating with his family and everyone else since his tour in Iraq. “They got to share something unique to them both. The next day his wife came to me with tears in her eyes because that morning he was wrestling on the bed with his kid — she hadn’t seen him like that for years.

“This was a guy who at the beginning of the week, when we

Upcoming events in Monterey County Pebble Beach Food & Wine April 12-15 pebblebeachfoodandwine.com Steinbeck Festival May 3-6 steinbeck.org Monterey Bay Aquarium “Cooking for Solutions,” May 18-10 montereybayaquarium.org Monterey Wine Festival June 8-9, montereywine.com

all had to tell each other our names and who we were, got up and walked out. At the end of the week at our luncheon, he was able to pick up the mic and talk.”

Called “Our Heroes’ Dreams — A Healing Safari,” the program now takes place once a month. Participants come from all over the country and are selected by a nonprofit serving wounded veterans (also called “Our Heroes’ Dreams,” based in Hanford, south of Fresno). In addition to the therapeutic, even magical, time with elephants and other creatures, the week includes counseling and outdoor activities such as scuba diving, sky diving, fishing and sailing — all tailored to the physical challenges faced by disabled vets. Sammut will officially introduce the program at his EARS annual fundraiser in May; this year’s theme is “Pachyderms & Patriots.”

EARS Fundraiser Gala May 19, Vision Quest Ranch, 831.455.1919, elephantears. org. More information about “Our Heroes’ Dreams” at ourheroesdreams.org

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DAN FLORES

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Homes featured on these two pages may be pending or sold.

SPRING 2012 • Scene • 95

calendar Scene Ahead

Almost Elton John

Our next issue publishes Aug. 10 and includes

Join the fun and raise funds for the Livermore Performing Arts Center when musician and Broadway performer Craig A. Meyer (left) pays tribute to Elton John. The celebration of John’s costumes and charisma features hits like “Crocodile Rock,” “Bennie & the Jets” and “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.” The post-show reception includes champagne, wine and a dessert buffet. Saturday, May 5, 8 p.m. Tickets $50-$59. mylvpac.com

Maddie’s Adoptathon

The LBDs of wine: Basics you need for a well-stocked cellar Fall’s movers and shakers Subscribe at Scene@BayAreaNewsGroup.com.

Find out where Scene is sold at SceneBayArea.com. Follow us on Twitter and Pinterest at SceneBayArea. And join us at Facebook.com/SceneBayArea.

Notes & Words Authors and musicians take to the stage to benefit Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland in an uplifting night of spoken word and live music.

The lineup includes Michael Chabon, Anne Lamott (above) and John Hodgman, and recording artists Cake. Saturday, April 28, Fox Theater, 1807 Telegraph Ave. 8 p.m.

Tickets $50-$10,000. notesandwords.org

Mark Richards

The third annual Maddie’s Matchmaker Adoptathon, the nation's largest twoday adoption event, joins pets with new owners. Free to qualified adopters.

Saturday-Sunday, June 9-10, at more than 70 locations in Alameda, Contra Costa and San Francisco counties. New this year: Pleasanton. maddiesadoptathon.org

Fashion & shopping: On trend for autumn

Scene A special thank-you to Myla Baker Margie Barras Pat Danna Ed Eke Juliette Eke Marnette Federis Eric L. Johnson Rudy Knight Yasmin Mawaz-Khan Gail Petty Mario Sevilla Robin Siegfried Mark Yamamoto

biggest collection of indoor & outdoor

Joanne Ho Young Lee

teak furniture in bay area

ClassiC Home ProduCts Visit our showroom:

2955 Whipple Road, Union City

800.616.0667 or 510.750.6055 www.ClassicTeak.com 96 • Scene • sPRING 2012

The Dolce Hayes Mansion The mansion, site of our fashion shoot (see Page 30), is an elegant hotel, conference center, resort and spa in San Jose. The lush landscaping and dramatic views of the surrounding mountains, along with the beautifully restored Spanish Colonial Revival manor, make it a perfect backdrop for weddings and other special events. hayesmansion.com

seen

out&about James Fidelibus/James Brian Studios

The sold-out conference drew hundreds of women; above, the crowd gives a standing ovation to speaker Gloria Steinem.

Gloria Steinem

in the East Bay Keynote speakers Gloria Steinem and Alice Waters embodied the theme of this year’s East Bay Women’s Conference: “Voices, Views and Forces for Change.”

The all-day event was presented by the Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce. More than 540 women packed the panels, networked in the halls and listened spellbound to the riveting speakers.

Ann Tardy spoke Barbara Leslie, Walnut Creek Conference emcee Jan on “moxie at work” Chamber Chairman Ken Mintz Wahl

Chamber VP Marcie Hochhauser, Alice Waters

Mary Brooks and Colleen Benatar flank Steinem

SPRING 2012 • Scene • 97

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2 3 Tout le monde turned out when Neiman Marcus threw a party on March 8 to celebrate its opening at Broadway Plaza. Ticket proceeds went to four local charities: Diablo Regional Arts Association (DRAA), the Junior League of Oakland-East Bay, Monument Crisis Center and The Taylor Family Foundation. NM’s 42nd store boasts almost 86,000 square feet and includes artwork by 30 Bay Area artists.

1. DRAA’s Peggy White and Michael White 2. Khrista Diebner, Tora Buttles, Niki Brown, Jana Guaimano 3. Gary and Susie Fisher 4. Lola Oladunjoye, Sherri McMullen 5. Pete and Angie Coffee 6. The Junior League's Heather Hamilton 7. John Faser, Sharyn Clifton, Elaine and Ken Richter

8. Rocio Haas, Azar Bolandgray, Anne Gandsey Smith, Carrie Rombach 9. Tom and Cindy Silva, Dick and Sue Rainey 10. Kathleen Odne, Monument Crisis Center’s Sandra Scherer 11. Steve and Mackenzie Lesher 12. Elaine Taylor of The Taylor Family Foundation

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Scan the code or see SceneBayArea.com for a video of the event, including interviews with key figures.

10 Myla Baker

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