Roaring MARIN
BEST
of
2011
Marlene Dietrich is renowned for her multi-attired looks—formal, casual, female, male—so when she needs comfy athletic gear that’ll properly support her soles, she need look no further than Arch Rival.
Big Sixes & Baby Grands IT WAS MERELY A CENTURY AGO that Marinites’ health-and-fitness regimens consisted of motor-powered “body stimulators” that were designed to shake the flab right off, and daily enemas that John Harvey Kellogg insisted were digestion’s “most effective service.” And while we may still eat Kellogg’s corn flakes, today’s county residents have far more reliable means of earning their “big sixes” and “baby grands” (those are Jazz Age slang for musclemen)—from state-of-the-art pools and health clubs to the finest in muscle-toning Pilates, martial arts and yoga studios. These days, the “road to Wellville” is best traveled on a freshly toweled running machine.
BEST GOLF COURSE Executive Director Jennifer Kim knows that the San Geronimo championship golf course is a great place to play a round (Greenbrae’s own Zack Miller, new to the PGA Tour and ninth-place finisher in this year’s Pebble Beach tourny, holds the course record), but she wants to emphasize that it’s so much more—a place for weddings and banquets and charity fundraisers. Assistant General Manager Chris Bright stresses the beauty of the place and the wildlife—the salmon, bobcats, deer, owls, wild turkeys and egrets, as well as bluebirds in the houses they’ve put up. Of course, he cautions, non-golfers who want to come out to birdwatch “do need to check in with the pro shop.” And while new chef Richard Treglia concedes “there are a lot of birdies on the course,” he’s all about the food, which, since his arrival, emphasizes fresh, local ingredients and sustainable products. Treglia will harvest blackberries from the course for some of his dishes: “You can’t get more local than that.” San Geronimo still offers one of the
best deals in all of Marin—a Friday buffet supper with live dance music for $10. ---------------------------------------------San Geronimo Golf Course
5800 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., San Geronimo 488.4030 2nd Indian Valley, Novato 3rd StoneTree, Novato
BEST HEALTH CLUB Osher Marin JCC’s health facilities have been offering Marinites several terrific reasons to get fit since 1991, and the options have expanded exponentially since the place was renovated four years ago. “We have new cardio equipment, three fitness studios, one of them dedicated to group cycle, a full-court gymnasium, an indoor pool, an outdoor pool and on-site childcare, plus massage, Pilates and personal training,” says operations manager Barbra Rosenstein. Membership includes 80-plus group fitness classes per week, and the club’s demographic ranges from teenagers to one especially sprightly 10332 > year-old. “Our staff makes every MARCH 25 – MARCH 31, 2011 PACIFIC SUN 31