Sunset Waters of the West 2021 by SunsetMag

EASY SEASONAL RECIPES

Savor Summer Ways to Relax, Recharge, and Get Away

Sustainable Seafood Feasts Central Coast Road Trip

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Secret Beaches, Lakes & Streams

EPIC FLY FISHING IN MONTANA

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CONTENTS WATERS OF THE WEST Waves crash and wildf lowers bloom at lampton clif fs park in Cambria, California.

Lunch by the Ocean A lazy, breezy lunch party at Malibu’s Surfrider Hotel.

Gifts from the Sea A seafood feast from

buzzy new restaurant Bar Le Côte.

Travel & Escapes

The Coast With the Most A California Central Coast road trip.

Life on the Water Fly fishing with chef Eduardo Garcia in

and around Bozeman, Montana.

Voices of the West

96 Making Waves

Journalist Bonnie Tsui discusses her new

children’s book, about the first female bigwave surfer.

Editor’s Letter Diving back into travel.

Best of the West

Home & Garden

THOMAS J. STORY

next-wave Vietnamese coffee, secret

lakes and streams, canned cocktails.

vacation vibes.

Garden Checklist What to do in your

garden, wherever you are in the West.

An architect’s

Idea House gets an elegant outdoor

Portland is a vision

upgrade.

for the future.

Lake Life How a couple maxed out a little house on

Lake Arrowhead with vintage finds.

Idea House Workbook Our Malibu Beach

renovation in

style landscape with

new camping-

Knock on Wood sustainable

A Mediterranean-

E-bikes, Portland’s themed restaurant,

Backyard Romance

Food & Drink

Cove to Table Recipes from Nick’s

Cove in Tomales Bay.

ON THE COVER

Fishing at Story Ranch in Montana’s Paradise Valley. Photograph by TH O MAS J. STO RY

WAT ER S O F T H E W EST 2021 • S U N S E T

EDITOR’S NOTE

Savoring the Sea CHAIRMAN & PUBLISHER

Michael A. Reinstein

Maybe it was the sea air and the strange way it can make food taste better than it does inland, but I’ll never forget the sea urchin fed to me by Stephanie Mutz, the legendary urchin diver who supplies some of the best restaurants in the country with uni (seastephaniefish.com). I was at the Cultured Abalone farm in Santa Barbara, where a million abalone grow, their pearlescent shells shades of turquoise, lavender, and rose (culturedabalone.com). Living alongside the abalone are thousands of purple sea urchins, a species that’s increasingly pushing the prized red sea urchins out of their territory. Pulling the purples from the ocean and finishing them here makes but a dent in rebalancing the populations, but the results are preposterously delicious. Fed a steady, impeccable diet of seaweed they grow sweet and plump and eventually make their way to local farmers’ markets and restaurants, much to the delight of the coastal culinary cognoscenti. Mutz cracked a spiny purple urchin open with a putty knife, swished it in seawater to clean it, and delicately extricated the roe with the tips of her fingers—a gentle act that’s more pushing then plucking. She cupped a bright orange orb in her palm and slid it into mine. I slurped it from my palm. It was briny and sweet, with notes of cucumber and all the richness of crème brûlée. Stephanie slipped one into her mouth, shook her head, and having just eaten perhaps the 50,000th sea urchin of her life, said, “That’s sooo good,” like it was the first time. Cultured Abalone general manager Doug Bush grilled abalone in their shells, topping them with dollops of garlicky compound butter before layering them on water crackers with local tangerines, slices of avocado, and a squeeze of lemon. We washed it all down with chilled Chardonnay from the Santa Rita Hills. The pairing was exquisite. In Cayucos, I waded out into the water on a seaweed-foraging tour with Spencer Marley (marleyfamilyseaweeds.com) and explored the swaying forest of giant kelp, splendid iridescent, bladderwrack, mermaid hair, feather boa, kombu, and Turkish towel. We ate the sea vegetables standing over the tidepools, savoring the juniper notes of the splendid iridescent, tasting oyster-like intensity in a bite of bladderwrack. At the end of the tour Marley simmered a broth on a portable stove and, just a five-minute walk from the parking lot, we lunched on ramen seasoned by the sea. These are just a few of the many passionate people in the West who’ve dedicated their lives to both celebrating and conserving the oceans and waters we hold so dear. Read on to learn about how chef Eduardo Garcia cherishes life fly fishing in Montana, the farms that secretly feed the soul of the Surf rider Hotel in Malibu, how a couple created a tiny-house getaway in Lake Arrowhead, and where you too can savor that urchin, or anything aquatic and exquisite, on a road trip of your own.

PUBLISHER

David Steinhafel

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Hugh Garvey CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Michael Wilson PHOTO EDITOR

Christine Bobbish STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Thomas J. Story

SENIOR DIRECTOR, DIGITAL INITIATIVES

Matt Gross

HOME & DESIGN EDITOR

Christine Lennon GARDEN EDITOR

Deanna Kizis

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Magdalena O’Neal SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR

Lindsey Otta

DIGITAL PRODUCER

Nicole Clausing WILDLANDS EDITOR

J.D. Simkins

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

Jamie Elliott

EDITORIAL INTERNS

Navpreet Sekhon Teaghan Skulszki Sales SVP, MEDIA SOLUTIONS

Mort Greenberg VP, PARTNERSHIPS

Kathleen Craven HEAD OF TRAVEL

Pamela Coffey HEAD OF OUTDOOR

Kristi Rummel

SVP, REVENUE OPERATIONS

Kelly Facer

DIRECTOR OF AD OPERATIONS

Mindy Morgan

ACCOUNT MANAGER

Cammeo Murray Marketing

—Hugh Garvey,

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

E D ITO R-I N - CH I E F

Stephen Kamifuji

HEAD OF CUSTOM EVENTS

Tracy Seng

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S U N S E T • WAT ER S O F T H E W EST 2021

Shawn Byers

THMOAS J. STORY

SunsetMagazine

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BEST E-Z Street

WEST

To love riding bikes is not the same as being a cyclist. I watch narrow, Lycra-clad women and men pedal fiercely up steep roads and think that what they’re doing has nothing to do with enjoying the day on a great bike. My sentimental journey with bicycles began in childhood, like most of them do, navigating town from a banana-seat model that had tiny ants painted on the chain guard. Later, a red ten-speed offered a taste of freedom, a way to get to the public pool and then my first job at a grocery store. I rode to my first college football game propped on a handsome senior’s handlebars. In my twenties, I won a pair of Schwinns in a raffle, and lugged one of them up and down four flights of stairs from a Manhattan walk-up for Saturday rides in Central Park and weekday commutes in the summer. Continued on page 10

THOMAS J. STORY

There’s a fine line between leisurely and lazy, and the best e-bikes toe it with style. Christine Lennon spins why they’re the ultimate summer ride.

OF T H E

WAT ER S O F T H E W EST 2021 • S U N S E T

ST E W N O Y N CA D N A R G T A

SKYWALK + GENERAL ADMISSION IS JUST $59 FOR A LIMITED TIME Get your tickets today.

MORE TO EXPLORE

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grandcanyonwest.com

Helicopter & Pontoon Tour • Zipline • Whitewater Rafting • Eagle Point • Guano Point Hualapai Tribe Cultural Attractions • Dining • Shopping • Overnight Accommodations

6/25/21 6:15 PM

Grand Canyon West holds heart-pounding, soul-searching, bucket-list-checking adrenaline rushes you’ve never felt or seen before. The Hualapai people, stewards of these awe-inspiring lands, welcome visitors to experience this eons-old natural wonder from river to earth to sky. Choose your perspective, and plan an adventure you’ll never forget. WALK THE SKY No visitor to the West Rim should pass on the opportunity to take in the one-of-a-kind views offered by Skywalk. Barriers between earth and sky vanish as you step out onto the glass, horseshoe-shaped bridge—one of the largest glass cavalier bridges in the world—that extends from the canyon edge 4,000 feet above the canyon floor. Take a moment to absorb the unobstructed views and the mindblowing beauty, to feel humbled by the surrounding grandeur. Aerial adventures at Grand Canyon West don’t end when you step off of Skywalk. Behold the stunning terrain as the eagle does with a zipline adventure. Strap in and fly along 3,200 feet of cable. Two runs with four lines each give you plenty of time to enjoy this 500-foot-high bird’s-eye view.

GO WITH THE FLOW If it’s the rushing waters of the great river that formed the canyon that speak to you, heed the call. Thrill seekers can splash, buck and roll with the rapids on a guided rafting trip with Hualapai River Runners. Descend into the canyon from Peach Springs, Arizona, and embrace the power of the mighty Colorado on a one-, two- or five-day river trip awash not only in on-water adventure, but also the rich history and culture of the Hualapai people who have called this canyon home for centuries. For the best of both air and water explorations, embark on the Grand Canyon Discovery Tour from Eagle Point. Begin with a helicopter ride, where you see first hand how the snaking river shaped and carved the land—a sight best appreciated from above. The flight concludes at the base of the canyon, where, upon a gliding pontoon boat, you can marvel at those same canyon walls from below.

FIND YOUR STORY The Hualapai people regard Grand Canyon West as more than an attraction. The Canyon and the Colorado River are living entities infused with conscious spirit. From legends and myths to historical accounts, each experience at the West Rim has its own story to tell.

Now is the time to create your own story within these lands. Book now to save with limited time summer deals, starting at just $59 for General Admission and the Skywalk.

JOLT YOUR SENSES AND IGNITE YOUR SPIRIT AT GRAND CANYON WEST. learn more

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grandcanyonwest.com

6/25/21 6:18 PM

Continued from page 7

Here in LA, my husband and I strapped our kids into child seats attached to those same Schwinns for rides around the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, up and down the beach path in Santa Monica, and anywhere we could venture on a road trip with the bikes on the rack. It isn’t just a domestic pursuit, either. I borrowed a tricked-out Bakfiets from a home we rented in Amsterdam, strapped my two first-graders into the large cargo box attached to the front, and hurtled through the icy streets, nearly plunging them into the Amstel River in front of the Anne Frank house when I lost control on the slick cobblestones. Years later, they trusted me enough to jump on their own rented bikes for a treacherous two-wheeled tour of Hoi An, dodging Vietnamese moped traffic with plenty of death-defying misses. I’m not a cyclist, I’m a velocipedist. So when we bought a weekend place in Santa Barbara County at the top of the kind of insanely steep hill actual cyclists ride to challenge themselves, it challenged my plans for chill rides to the beach or the market. And it’s where this story actually begins. If you’ve left the house in recent years and wandered into any quasi-resort town or bikefriendly city with flat enough paths, you’ve

likely seen electric bikes buzzing past. With lightweight, rechargeable motors and a basic system to control the power output, they come in two modes: pedal-assisted, which means you have to actually move your legs to trigger the motor to give you a boost, or throttle, which fires the battery pack with no effort on the rider’s part (aside from balance). I had a tall order and a small budget for my dream ebike. It had to carry a passenger (the kids are either brave or unaware that they can say no to a ride), hold some groceries or towels, and look cool. And it had to feel like a bike, meaning some effort—not Tour de France effort—was a plus. At $1,899, the Rad Power Wagon fit the bill. It’s a seven-speed with powerful pickup, range up to 45 miles on a fully charged battery, panniers for storage, and a low, sturdy-feeling center of gravity. It’s been a no-regret decision. And I’ve learned to live with the sheepish guilt I feel when I blast past people struggling up the hillside, baguette sticking breezily out of a farmer’s market tote. The rest of my family wants in on the action now, and we’re saving for a fleet of Rad Minis, or a pack of Bosch-motor-powered Electra Townie Go!s to have charged and ready to roll. No stretchy black padded shorts required. —Christine Lennon

TICKET TO RIDE Three solid e-options from some of the best bike makers in the business

CLASSIC HEADTURNER

Cannondale’s Adventure Neo 2 EQ is pedal-assisted and equipped with a Bosch e-bike system. The deep stepthrough frame means easy on and off. Suspension seat and fork cushion the ride up to 80 miles on one charge. cannondale.com, $3,400

Christine Lennon rides the Rad Power Wagon.

TIRE POWER

The Diamondback Response’s Bosch Performance Line Speed motor means you can hit up to 28 mph on this sporty pedal-assist ride. Oversize tires tackle city streets or off-road obstacles with ease for up to 65 miles. diamondback.com, $4,100

Electra Townie Go! bikes are featherlight and start at around $2,000. But this top-of-the-line 10D EQ Step-Thru has a smartphone hub, hydraulic brakes, and picks up impressive speed. electra.trekbikes.com, $3,799

S U N S E T • WAT ER S O F T H E W EST 2021

LENNON: THOMAS J. STORY

TOWN & COUNTRY

LIVE LIFE OUTSIDE C REATE

A WELL - DESIGNED SPACE AND CHANGE

YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH OUTDOOR LIVING .

MILL VALLEY I WALNUT CREEK I BERKELEY I SAN RAMON I BURLINGAME

MOUNTAIN VIEW I LOS GATOS

FOUNTAIN VALLEY I PASADENA I ROCKLIN OPENING JULY ‘21

TERRAOUTDOOR.COM

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888.449.8325

N AT I O N W I D E S H I P P I N G

6/21/21 3:04 PM

Camping Goes Culinary in Portland This new restaurant stylishly combines three of our favorite things: camping, food, and cocktails.

S U N S E T • WAT ER S O F T H E W EST 2021

Clockwise from upper left: Dishes, such as the tofu doughnuts with apple compote and kuromitsu syrup, are served with titanium camping utensils; the bright and airy dining room; a Japanese shaved-ice machine cranks out ice for cocktails; the Rose City is made with cherry matsuke brandy and red currant preserves.

PACK OUT PLASTICS Designed by artist Linn Fritz, Fjällräven’s Kånken Art line supports organizations keeping plastics out of our oceans. The recycled polyester and organic cotton bags are both soft and durable. We’re committing this cause-worthy, work-of-art bag to our closet for sure. FROM $70;

FJALLRAVEN.COM —Christine Bobbish

TAKIBI: AJ MEEKER AND ASHLEY MARTI

We’re professed fans of Japanese outdoor brand Snow Peak. With minimalist aesthetics and a subdued color palette, the brand’s collection of apparel, cooking equipment, tents, and other outdoor gear is both elegantly technical and just darned good-looking. When we found out they were opening Takibi, a camping-inspired restaurant across the street from their United States headquarters in Portland, we started researching flights to PDX. While the space, designed by local architecture firm Skylab, is meant to evoke the feeling of camping (a wood-fired hearth, airy wide open spaces, abundant exposed wood, folding camp chairs and tables on the patio), the results are anything but themey. That wood-fired hearth turns out Japanese-influenced dishes like grilled miso-marinated trout and koji-cured amberjack from kaisekitrained chef Alex Kim. The beautiful, expertly made cocktails are from the godfather of the modern speakeasy, Jim Meehan. If this is the start of a glamping restaurant trend, we’ll drink to that. —Hugh Garvey

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COCKTAILS IN A CAN Light and lovely packable cocktails from the West to help you celebrate summer.

LIVEWIRE COCKTAILS CO.

Honeydew Collins (7.5% ABV) Los Angeles, California The Honeydew Collins, created by Los Angeles bartender Joey Bernardo, is an elevated spin on the piña colada. Coconut, honeydew, lime leaf, and elderflower balance out the gin and make for a cocktail that tastes like a day at the beach.

ZADDY’S

Corpse Reviver (4.5% ABV) Petaluma, California A take on the original Corpse Reviver from the 1800s, Zaddy’s replaces the traditional brandy with gin to make the drink lighter and adds orange, lemon peel, fennel, nutmeg, and coriander for punch. At only 100 calories, this is a guiltfree canned cocktail to enjoy all summer long.

Waters of the West

Outdoor adventurers share their tips on where and how to get out on the open water this summer.

H A N N A H T H O R N T O N , AT H L E T E A N D P H O T O G R A P H E R , R E N O, N E VA DA

SAND HARBOR STATE PARK, LAKE TAHOE Whiskey Ginger (5% ABV) Boulder, Colorado Cocktail Squad has packaged up the classic whiskey ginger with organic ingredients and clocks in at only 90 calories. The ginger’s heat balances out the whiskey in a cocktail that’s both bracing and refreshing. —Navpreet Sekhon

S U N S E T • WAT ER S O F T H E W EST 2021

“It’s one thing to look out and see Lake Tahoe,

but it’s a complete other feeling being able to

experience it on the water. Looking at the crystal blue emerald waters and big mountains around you. or kayaking or paddleboarding Tahoe this

is an easy put in spot. Come summer, I pack my Lakeshore paddleboards, sunscreen, and personal flotation device. The pro move is to get

there early, like 7 a.m., before the parking lot is

full. The east shore has some of the best views. You can paddle for miles on a good day. After-

wards, hit Moe’s Original BBQ for the best wings and cold beer right on the lake.”

LAKE TAHOE AND THORNTON: HANNAH THORNTON

COCKTAIL SQUAD

K I M B E R LY W H E AT O N , K AYA K E R A N D N U R S E , LO S A N G E L E S

LAKE SABRINA, CALIFORNIA “I was procrastinating driving

back to L.A. and saw a sign that read, ‘Lake Sabrina 18 miles.’ I’d

never heard of Lake Sabrina and didn’t have high hopes because there was nothing but desert around me. But I stayed the

course, and sure enough this beautiful mountain lake

suddenly came into view.

Knowing that I could have my Oru folding kayak set up in 12

minutes, I thought, Even if it’s

just for an hour I need to get on that water. What was supposed

to be a one-hour paddle turned into me having to coax myself off the water four hours later.

The beauty I experienced that

day was because I decided to

FROM TOP: COURTESY OF KIMBERLY WHEATON/IG: @PADDLINGWITHBAE; HUMBLEHERONFLYFISHING.COM

follow a sign.”

THE ROGUE RIVER, OREGON “The Rogue River is southern Oregon’s lifeblood and flows 215 miles from the

headwaters near Crater Lake National Park all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Since the

late 1800s, the Rogue River has been declared a legendary sport fishery. Specifically, in August a patient and persistent angler can encounter an early push of these elusive

summer run ‘River Unicorns.’ When temperatures allow, swinging skated flies on the JA M E S A N D K A I T SA M P S E L , surface can be an exciting way to connect with these super-athletes we call F LY- F I S H I N G G U I D E S , steelhead. Immature steelhead called ‘half-pounders’ are abundant during this time G R A N T S PAS S , O R E G O N and unique to this river system and can lead to an active day of fishing. Look up Humble Heron Fly Fishing out of Grants Pass. Beginners encouraged!”

WAT ER S O F T H E W EST 2021 • S U N S E T

Phin Bar’s Traditional Vietnamese Coffee

Summer’s Coolest Coffee

12 grams coarsely ground

coffee (we use Taylor Lane’s Red Rooster French Roast)

1 oz. condensed milk or Pandan Coconut

Condensed Milk (see recipe)

Equipment

Coffee phín [5 oz] Pint glass

Cocktail shaker Highball glass

How three California businesses are reinventing creamy and ridiculously refreshing Vietnamese iced coffee.

S U N S E T • WAT ER S O F T H E W EST 2021

Put the coffee grounds in the phín, place the press on the grounds and apply light pressure, then set the phín atop

the glass. Pour on 1 oz. boiling water to pre-steep the coffee, and wait 1 minute to let the coffee bloom.

Fill the phín to the top with boiling water, then cover with lid. Wait 5 minutes for the coffee to drip through—you

should have about 5 oz. of coffee in the glass. (If it drips

through too fast, there might not be enough coffee or it may be ground too coarsely. If it’s too slow, the grind could be too fine or the press too tight.)

THOMAS J. STORY

Vietnamese iced coffee (cà phê s a đá) is everything you’d want in a summer drink. Made with strong coffee and sweetened condensed milk served over ice, it’s roasty, fortifying, creamy, refreshing, and unforgettable. While it’s everywhere in its home country, in the United States it’s never quite gone mainstream. But a trio of California companies is looking to flip that on its head, with a focus on high-quality ingredients, modern brewing methods, and adaptations to American ways of coffee-drinking. “I want a Vietnamese coffee that I could sell in Whole Foods” is how Debbie Wei Mullin recalls the beginnings of her company, Copper Cow Coffee. “It has to be organic, it has to be no chemicals or artificial ingredients. And people laughed at me—they were like, ‘That doesn’t exist.’” That spurred Mullin, a former World Bank consultant, into action: She found a co-op in Vietnam’s Dalat region growing organic Robusta beans and began producing condensed milk with dairy from California cows. Mullin bypassed the phín—Vietnam’s traditional mug-top metal filter—in favor of one-cup pourover packets and put the condensed milk in single-serving tubes (way less messy than a can). OmniBev founder Tammy Huynh is using single-origin, Fair Trade Arabica beans from her uncle’s farm in Dalat and is manufacturing a sleek, high-grade version of the phín that looks like it belongs in a SoMa loft, and producing bottled coffees made with the cold-brew method. “Everyone in the market basically has the same mission right now—to really rewrite the narrative of Vietnamese coffee,” says Huynh. Paula Cruz-Cao and her husband, Hoang Cao, are taking that narrative directly to the people. Their company, Phin Bar, hosts pop-up events and workshops around the Bay Area. They approach coffee with mixological precision, down to the size of the ice cubes and the incorporation of flavors like mint and lavender. “When you go to a bar, you order a cocktail, right?” says Cao. “So why not do that with Phin Bar?” The result is a powerful drink that requires you to sip slowly, just as you would, say, a martini or a Negroni—or, perhaps now that it’s easy to make yourself, a cà phê s a đá. —Matt Gross

JUST BREW IT: Essential gear for perfect Vietnamese iced coffee

Pandan Coconut Condensed Milk Makes about 12 servings.

Put the glass in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes. When it’s cool, remove and add 1 oz. condensed milk.

Put about ¼ cup of ice in a cocktail shaker—the bigger and denser the ice cubes, the better. Seal the shaker onto the

PHIN BAR: THOMAS J. STORY

glass, and shake 3–5 seconds.

(again, denser and bigger cubes = better) and serve

with a straw.

a Honda Civic, says OmniBev’s Tammy Huynh, this is a Ferrari—sleek, groovy,

and highly engineered for your coffeedrinking pleasure. $25; OMINBEV.COM

2¼ cups 100% coconut milk (canned is okay so long as it is at or near 100%) 225 grams white sugar 3 pandan leaves, cut into ¼-inch pieces Combine ingredients in a small saucepan and set over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and let reduce 30 minutes, making sure to occasionally stir or whisk the mixture. Strain through a sieve into a container with an airtight lid (to avoid any moisture buildup, which can lead to mold), discard pandan leaves, and let the condensed milk completely cool down. We recommend letting it sit in the fridge overnight. Separation is natural, so make sure to blend or whisk the final product before combining with the phín-filtered coffee.

Strain iced coffee into a highball glass filled with ice

A FINE PHÍN If the traditional stainless steel phín is

VIET COFFEE KIT With single-serving filter packets and condensed milk, Copper Cow’s kits

have all you need to make Vietnamese iced coffee anywhere, any time—just add water. FROM $15; COPPERCOW.COM

GLASS ACT These double-walled highball glasses keep your drink ice-cold—and let you watch the magical blending of milk and coffee with condensation-free

clarity. SET OF 4, $60; WILLIAMS-SONOMA.COM

WAT ER S O F T H E W EST 2021 • S U N S E T

plantprefab.com

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Plant Prefab custom builds healthy homes in half the time of site-based contractors with superior-quality craftsmanship. Bring your own plans or choose from LivingHomes designed by world-class architects.

Top: Custom Plant home in Palo Alto, CA designed by Toby Long. Right: Custom Plant home in Olympic Valley, CA designed by The Brown Studio.

6/21/21 2:55 PM

Rebuilding homebuilding This Certified B CorpTM is custom prefabricating healthy, high-performance, sustainable homes in half the time of site-based contractors. “Homebuilding hasn’t changed much in the last 2,000 years,” says Steve Glenn, founder and CEO of prefabricated design and construction company Plant Prefab. “It’s typically a long and expensive process, with a lot of waste.” The idea for Plant was born out of Glenn’s own experiences with this antiquated process; in 2006 he founded a residential design studio and struggled to find builders that met the company’s standards for quality, sustainability, and cost. “We realized that in order to achieve our goal of making great, sustainable architecture more accessible, we needed a building solution designed for that purpose,” Glenn recalls.

In 2016 the team opened Plant’s first factory, a 62,000-square-foot facility near Los Angeles, and patented the Plant Building SystemTM. Utilizing advanced engineering and a combination of specialized panels and modules, the company is able to efficiently prefabricate just about any design.

Here’s how Plant Prefab is streamlining the custom homebuilding process:

1. Design

A-list architects and designers including Ray Kappe, KieranTimberlake, and Yves Béhar designed high-profile projects with the company, and Amazon joined as an investor. The momentum hasn’t stopped.

Clients work with the Plant Design Studio or their own architect to create a design. Many work from Plant’s ready-made plans, called LivingHomes, like this passive house (above) by Richard Pedranti.

“This is the future of homebuilding,” says Glenn. “We’re providing a much faster, more reliable, and higher quality building solution that produces healthier homes in a more sustainable fashion.”

2. Production

Plant’s rigorous materials and workmanship standards help Plant homes perform an average 30% better than California Title 24 energy standards, providing cost savings for the life of the home and drastically reducing its operational carbon emissions— part of the company’s ambitious goals to achieve net carbon neutrality by 2028. “Our mission is to build a better world, by design,” says Glenn. “That means simplifying the homebuilding process and creating beautiful, high-performance homes that are healthy for people and the planet.”

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Designed for efficiency

Plant uses digital modeling to determine the most efficient way to construct the design. Then it custom prefabricates the home to the architect’s specifications, working in an all-weather facility, with precision tools and highly-trained staff following strict factory quality control measures. This happens in parallel with site work, shaving months off the construction timeline.

3. Installation & finish The prefabricated components are shipped to the client’s property, where they are assembled on the foundation. Most Plant homes ship 90% complete and are installed in just a few days, sparing the neighborhood from months of disruption. plantprefab.com

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THOMAS J. STORY

HOME

Paths Forward

Past and present converge in a serene, lowmaintenance backyard retreat that channels a Mediterranean countryside vacation. Story by H U G H GARVE Y

GARDEN

When Andrew Bird and Katherine Tsina moved into their home in Los Angeles, a vaguely Craftsman 1920s house typical of the mashup architecture of the era, the backyard was, as Bird puts it, “a bit confused.” Having gone through many iterations over the decades, it was dotted with fruit trees, a neglected patch of grass, a massive avocado tree, an abundance of wisteria, and various incongruous plantings. It was lush and overgrown, “like a romance novel,” says Bird.

Bird, the multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter, and Tsina, a fashion designer, wanted something that better suited their aesthetic. They longed for a calming retreat in the middle of the city that channeled the feeling of a countryside vacation, specifically an Etruscan house where they spent part of a summer in Tuscany. Plus, they wanted it to be hardy enough to hold up when they were out of town. “In the past we were traveling so much we wanted something that was low-maintenance and could take care of itself,” says Tsina. The couple hired landscape architecture firm Terremoto to reimagine the space. “We didn’t want to entirely erase the history of the family that lived there before,” says Terremoto co-founder David Godshall, “but we wanted to take it into new territory.”

S U N S E T • WAT ER S O F T H E W EST 2021

So they preserved some elements that felt Mediterranean, kept a few of the fruit trees, the avocado tree, and that romantic wisteria, and built an elegant landscape that feels both old world and new world. Today, dramatic cypresses punctuate the low-maintenance gravel yard, giving it a dramatic vista-like depth. Intersecting pathways follow the “desire lines” of the space, connecting

CAITLIN ATKINSON

The low-maintenance gravel yard is dotted with pavers made of concrete pieces repurposed from the previous yard’s demolition.

CAITLIN ATKINSON

pool to patio to deck to work studio. “The paving detail is where the point of past and present is made most succinct,” says Godshall. Instead of stone, the pavers are pieces of “urbanite,” the fancy term for demolished concrete from the previous design, both literally and metaphorically connecting past and future. Perhaps most stunningly simple and transformative is the slightly raised concrete pool, an

anomaly in a city full of pools that are by default nearly always flush with the ground. “Raising the pool is a riff on a classical detail,” says Godshall. It harkens back to Roman cisterns while also providing a benchlike seating area. “We were subtly referencing the fountains of antiquity.” “This past year it was such a sanctuary and a lifesaver,” says Tsina. “We

spent so much time outside watching it grow in.” Grounded by the pandemic, the couple also used it for work, with Tsina enlisting Bird as videographer to document her new designs for social media. “Kathy would have a new dress in her line,” says Bird. “And I’d shoot a video and compose a loop as a live soundtrack. The yard was great for that, but at some point we ran out of angles.”

Citrus trees and a slightly raised pool inspired by ancient Roman baths channel a southern Italian vacation.

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CAITLIN ATKINSON

S U N S E T • WAT ER S O F T H E W EST 2021

CAITLIN ATKINSON

Opposite: Oversize concrete pebbles from Manos (manos-made.com) serve as both sculpture and seating underneath the striking cypresses. Clockwise from top left: The steps of the raised pool serve as additional seating; the original pergola draped with wisteria was preserved, as replacing it with a modern pergola would’ve made the space too modern for Bird and Tsina’s taste; new concrete was poured next to repurposed concrete pavers to channel both past and present and accentuate the “desire lines” of how people would move through the space; Manos lounges underneath the massive avocado tree.

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WILLIAM WRIGHT/ REPRINTED BY PERMISSION OF GIBBS SMITH BOOKS

Ponds fed by an artesian spring are the backbone of this Redmond, Washington, garden. The banks here feature black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta). From Private Gardens of the Pacific Northwest (see review, next spread).

YOUR

SUMMER

GARDEN CHECKLIST What to do in your garden now—no matter where you are in the West

Contributors: CH RI STI N E BO B B I S H , K ATH LE E N B RE NZ E L , JO HAN NA S I LVE R , M I KE I RVI N E Compiled by N I CO LE CL AU S I N G

All Regions H A RV E S T Freeze excess vine-ripened to-

matoes for winter use. After washing them, cut out the cores, cut them into quarters, and place

vulnerable to fungus and diseases.

and harmful insects from hiding

es stress on the municipal water

backyard orchard. Pick up and de-

Plus, watering before dawn reducsystem (usage typically peaks from 6 to 9 a.m.).

Don’t use rock mulch under

them on a cookie sheet so the

trees, where leaf litter eventually

frozen, transfer them to bags or

weed. Use bark mulch there

pieces don’t touch. When they’re containers for use as desired. The

peel will slip off easily when the tomato pieces begin to thaw.

M A I N TA I N Hoe planting beds regularly. Just

a few minutes per week can keep

a garden bed weed-free and prevent hours of hand weeding later. We like the diamond hoe, which

cuts on both push and pull strokes. If you use overhead sprinklers,

water very early in the morning so

leaves dry out during the day. Foli-

age that stays wet overnight is

covers it, making the bed hard to instead.

Build a compost pile now where

you want to plant a tree next

spring. When planting time comes,

for the winter by cleaning up your stroy fallen fruit. Prune dead and diseased limbs, but leave major

a new layer of mulch.

cabbage, carrots, lettuce, mesclun

Deep water potted plants. In the

heat, they’re more vulnerable to

stress from lack of moisture than plants in the ground.

During hot weather, check drip

new plant wants.

higher-output emitters or extend

leaks. Because they discharge wa-

ter slowly, it’s easy to miss problems until plants start dying.

PROTECT Prevent diseases from spreading

Mountain PLANT

beneath each tree bare and apply

systems around wilting plants. If

Check drip-irrigation lines for

unprotected skin.

pruning until winter. Rake the area

the ground will be easy to dig and full of nutrients—just what your

can cause a nasty burn or rash on

emitters aren’t clogged, switch to watering time. Plants are most stressed if they’re wilty in the morning.

Wear gloves when planting or

handling bulbs of arum, daffodil,

hyacinth, iris, Ornithogalum, Scilla, and tulip. All contain irritants that

Start crops of arugula, beets,

mix, radishes, and Swiss chard.

Add fall color by planting native

Western mountain ash (Sorbus scopulina), a small tree (3 to 15

feet tall and wide) with orange-red fruit that brings in flocks of cedar

waxwings. Leaves turn brilliant orange-red before dropping in autumn. White flower clusters in spring are an added bonus.

As you harvest and remove

summer vegetables, sow annual ryegrass into bare patches for a cover crop. Ensure moist conditions until the seeds germinate; turn mature plants into the soil

WAT ER S O F T H E W EST 2021 • S U N S E T

Leave seed heads on amaranth,

H A RV E S T

mos, gaillardia, goldenrod, and

If frost threatens before toma-

toes are ripe, pull up the entire vine and hang it in a dark, dry place,

such as a garage, where it doesn’t freeze. As the fruits show color,

Bring tropical houseplants in-

and turn the water on gently for

hose-end sprayer, repot if neces-

tree size. Repeat the process at

asters, blue flax, coneflowers, cos-

doors. First, rinse insects off with a

sunflowers to create a feast for

sary, and place under lights or

hungry songbirds this fall and winter.

Mulch melons, pumpkins, and

near a sunny window. Add humidity by running a humidifier in the room.

Northern California

pluck them, wrap each in newspa-

squash to help the fruit stay clean

cardboard box until fully ripe.

Spread several inches of straw or

PLANT

ing more as needed to cover the

find a better time to add plants to

per, and lay in a single layer in a

Pick sweet peppers when they

reach 3 to 4 inches. Remove ripe

fruit frequently to encourage more

and the soil cool and moist.

hay beneath the entire plant, add-

area.

production.

PROTECT

M A I N TA I N

daytime temps are consistently in

To attract hungry hummingbirds

for a few weeks before they begin their migration, set out feeders

filled with a sugar-water solution. Clean and refill daily.

Tomatoes won’t set fruit when

the high 90s. During heat waves,

shade plants by tenting them with a floating row cover, attached to stakes with clothespins. Leave a

gap to allow pollinators access to the flowers.

You would be hard-pressed to

your yard. Visit a local nursery for a wide variety of groundcovers,

shrubs, trees, and vines best suited to your region or microclimate.

Sow seeds of lettuce, peas, and

radishes.

For fall color, plant asters, crim-

son flag, dahlias, mums, and pan-

mature trees.

Continue pinching out basil

flowers; shear oregano flowers to encourage new growth; shape

rosemary; and prune sage back 8 to 12 inches. Let fennel, parsley,

and dill keep growing; their seeds can be used in cooking—and will feed birds.

If tomatoes are cracking, pull

back on watering; it’s okay for

leaves to wilt slightly at the end of the day (but not in the morning).

PROTECT Rinse off the foliage on all your

terra-cotta, which often breaks

namely pesky mites and whiteflies.

containers instead of standard

Pick stone fruit. When apricots,

season to reduce pest pressure,

(Your greenery will look nicer, too!)

Northwest

nectarines, and peaches are

PLANT

tree with a gentle twist.

seedlings of cool-season vegeta-

ready, they will easily pull off the

Snip bundles of herbs to store for

the winter. Dry your harvest upside down in a cool, dry, dark spot.

They’re ready to store when you can crumble them easily. Pre-

mixed blends, such as herbes de Provence or Italian seasonings, make great homemade gifts.

To test corn’s readiness, peel

back the husk and puncture a kernel with a fingernail. If the liquid is

West of the Cascades, plant

bles, such as broccoli (we like the purple sprouting variety), cab-

bage, Chinese cabbage, collards,

kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, and spinach. Also sow peas and radishes.

Autumn is a great time to plant a

lawn. Scratch seed into amended soil with a rake, and water every three days or so until the rainy season hits.

For a spring flower display, plant

clear, it’s too early. If it’s thick like

a drift of early yellow daffodils

it’s perfect.

ple Iris reticulata.

toothpaste, it’s overripe. If it’s milky,

M A I N TA I N Water any newly planted citrus

S U N S E T • WAT ER S O F T H E W EST 2021

and five to seven spots for large,

plants several times during the hot

H A RV E S T

three spots for younger trees

sies in pots. Use high-fired glazed

apart in winter.

Treehouse complete with a turret is supported by a silver maple in Lake Chelan, Washington. From Private Gardens of the Pacific Northwest.

5 to 10 minutes, depending on

edged with diminutive blue or pur-

H A RV E S T Pick ripe fruits and vegetables

trees twice a week in summer,

daily. Doing so prevents rot, and

spells. Give trees planted within

producing.

and more frequently during hot

lawns a good, deep watering. The best way to do so is with a deep-

keeps many crops flowering and

Harvest leaf vegetables before

root irrigator: Attach it to a hose,

they bolt (go to flower and seed)

beneath the dripline of the tree,

when the tops start to fall over.

insert it 6 to 12 inches into the soil

and become bitter. Pick onions

WILLIAM WRIGHT/REPRINTED BY PERMISSION OF GIBBS SMITH BOOKS

early next spring.

M A I N TA I N Soak moisture-loving plants, like

rhododendrons, every 7 to 10 days

head down, in a cool, dark, dry place.

(more in spots with very hot

M A I N TA I N

off foliage to help stressed plants

by moving them outside to a

them less hospitable to pests.

clean them, and keep the plants

weather or fast-draining soil). Hose absorb water quickly and make

Don’t let ivy climb trees. It com-

petes for light and weighs down

Give houseplants some fresh air

shaded spot. Lightly mist leaves to well watered.

If a bed has received repeated

branches. If vines have attached

applications of manure or con-

the base, and after tops dry, try

tent may be high. Asparagus,

and won’t pull free, cut them off at again.

PROTECT Watch for wood-eating carpen-

ter ants, which tend to march on

trails. If a trail runs to your house,

you may have an infestation and need to call an exterminator.

Slide a wooden shingle under

each developing melon, pumpkin,

or squash to keep fruit from rotting where it lies on damp soil. This is not necessary on sandy soil.

If black spot—a fungal disease

centrated fertilizers, the salt conbeets, kale, and spinach do well

under that condition, but celery,

green beans, radishes, and most fruits can’t tolerate it.

Improve your soil with cover

crops. Good choices include alfalfa, fava beans, soybeans, winter

rye, and winter wheat. Next spring, dig or till them in two to three weeks before planting so the

“green manure” will have time to decompose.

PROTECT Though they can get by without

distinguished by circular brown

much water, drought-tolerant

es, spray with skim milk or a prod-

Protea family—are sensitive to fun-

spots on leaves—attacks your rosuct containing neem oil.

Southern California PREP Order seeds for fall vegetables,

plants—especially those in the

gi that proliferate in wet, warm soil.

week.

H A RV E S T Continue to pick vine vegetables

(especially beans, cucumbers,

Stop feeding trees later this

bage, and cauliflower. In lower-elevation gardens, sow one last

crop of warm-season favorites such as bush beans, corn, and summer squash.

BOOK WE LOVE

H A RV E S T Monitor the fruit of Engelmann

prickly pear (Opuntia engelman-

nii) for ripeness. Look for deep red

color and try twisting them off the

pad with kitchen tongs—if separation happens easily, they’re ready. Wearing gloves or using a thick

towel as a precaution, wash in a

colander, purée in a food processor, strain the juice through

cheesecloth, and freeze in ice

cube trays for later use in spritzers, lemonade, and mixed drinks. Other edible varieties include dinner plate (O. robusta) and Indian fig (O. ficusindica).

Featuring small spaces to acreage that

abounds, Private Gardens of the Pacific

Northwest ($50; gibbssmith.com) reveals 20 artful retreats in as

many styles. Written by Brian D. Coleman and

photographed by Wil-

liam Wright, the book is

an immersive compendium of garden cre-

ation stories (the inspi-

Fertilize summer annuals for in-

rest of the warm season.

Start preparing soil for fall plant-

ration, the purpose, the sometimes less-than-

stellar soil), all of which end happily with a stunning garden.

lack of additional nitrogen fertilizer

to gauge how well your soil

spines called glochids. Collect

during fall will help harden exuber-

ant summer growth to withstand winter’s cold.

Southwest PLANT For a dramatic display of color

favorite is deer grass (Muhlenber-

blooming grasses together. Our gia rigens).

Mediterranean plants thrive

der, scabiosa, statice, strawflower,

when planted now. Consider sil-

loose bunch, then hang flowers,

(Teucrium fruticans ‘Azureum’) or

and yarrow. Tie a few stems into a

of broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cab-

joints. Don't handle the pads,

fall.

Dry flowers for arrangements.

and spinach. Set out transplants

ings. Mix fully composted amend-

and movement, group several fall-

Easiest are baby’s breath, laven-

In higher elevations, sow seeds

of carrots, lettuce, peas, radishes,

growth will be damaged by winter

squash, and tomatoes) to encour-

age strong production into early

‘Huntington Carpet’ rosemary.

creased blossoming during the

frosts. The cooling weather and

them from intense sun for one

chamaedrys ‘Prostratum’) or

or twice a month.

deeply, only at night, and just once

bles, and spinach.

day to reduce their stress. Shade

ers, plant prostrate germander (T.

M A I N TA I N

month, or the resulting tender new

Transplant seedlings late in the

feet tall; for evergreen groundcov-

Prevent disease by watering

including beans, broccoli, cab-

bage, kale, parsley, root vegeta-

‘Arp’ rosemary, which can reach 4

ver-stemmed bush germander

ments into the soil, and dig holes

drains—fill holes with water to observe draining.

When highs dip below 100°F,

slowly reduce the frequency of

which are covered with hairlike spines and stems in a cardboard box for safe transfer to the trash.

PROTECT To protect plants from sunburn,

your waterings for desert and des-

refrain from extensive pruning this

them off for winter, limiting tender

plants can cause permanent

ert-adapted plants. This hardens new growth and lessening the chance of frost damage.

Toward the end of the warm

season, cactus can be pruned to

time of year. Overpruning woody

damage to newly exposed trunks

and limbs. Deadheading and light pruning is fine.

Cochineal scale is abundant on

maintain a more compact plant.

prickly pear following high heat

or a regular shovel, cut, pry, or

cottonlike dots with a hard jet of

Using a long-handled saw, tongs, knock off excess growth at the

and humidity. Blast off the white water.

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WITH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY IN MIND, A PORTLAND REAL-ESTATE DEVELOPER USES HER OWN HOME RENOVATION AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIMENT WITH A NEW BUILDING TECHNIQUE. THE RESULTS SEAMLESSLY BLEND OLD AND NEW. Story by CH RI STI N E LE N N O N

Photographs by JE RE MY B IT TE RMAN N

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HOME: JEREMY BITTERMANN/JBSA; WOOD BACKGROUND: T TRIFONOFF/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES

S U N S E T • WAT ER S O F T H E W EST

“The house was built in the 1920s, and owned by the African-American family of one of the first longshoremen in the area,” say Hallová, who is Ghanaian-American and has double master’s degrees in urban planning and development from Harvard and MIT. “They owned it for 60 years, and his sons sold it to us. We preserved the historic elements in the front of the house, but the project was a full gut. It becomes more modern toward the back of the house. I believe that you need to design for your time. Don’t try to mimic history.” “It’s like an Elvis impersonator,” adds Robinson. “It’s fun, but it’s not the real thing. The biggest challenge, and the most interesting thing about updating older buildings, is the dia-

WOOD BACKGROUND: T TRIFONOFF/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES

hen real-estate developer Anyeley Hallová approached Thomas Robinson of Lever Architecture about updating her family’s Prairie-style house in Northeast Portland, the frequent collaborators were already communicating in a kind of shorthand. For years, Robinson and the Lever team had been working with Hallová on a number of projects with a sharp focus on sustainability, and on providing economic opportunities for minority communities in the Portland area. So it was no surprise they were quickly on the same page with a plan to preserve a grand old clinker brick home, in a culturally significant Black neighborhood, without turning it into a fusty restoration.

logue between old and new.” In addition to creating a stylish and functional family house, they seized the opportunity to demonstrate the potential of cross-laminated timber, or CLT, a construction material that’s new to the U.S. and that they’ve been instrumental in promoting. Five years ago, Hallová partnered with Lever to enter a CLT Tall Wood Building competition organized by the United States Department of Agriculture. The goal was to introduce the building method, which has been popular in Europe for decades, to a wary American audience, and prove that multi-story buildings—even skyscrapers—can be made of wood, be fire-safe, and be “rock and level” in the event of an earthquake. They

worked together with a Portlandbased affordable-housing initiative to design a 60-unit high-rise building, Framework. Short story: They won the contest, the U.S. building codes have been adjusted, and Framework is the first mixed-use, residential wood high-rise that’s been approved for construction. Now innovative CLT structures are popping up across the country, on college campuses and museum grounds. Robinson approaches his work like a chef. And if you’re Oregon-based and into using local materials, all signs point to lumber. “When you think about the farmto-table movement, there’s a focus on how ingredients are produced and the impact of that production on the

Square Zellige tile, white oak millwork, Caesarstone Cloudburstcounters, and Farrow & Ball Hague Blue paint lend the spare kitchen warmth.

A backyard cabana was built with CLT panels, which are made of single-sawn lumber stacked crosswise and glued together, in 3, 5, or 7 layers. Furniture by IKEA.

communities where they’re created,” he says. CLT panels are made from thin layers of locally resourced timber glued together to create durable panels that can be as strong as steel and concrete. Buying local wood spreads the benefits of economic growth to nearby rural communities, contributes to healthily managed forests, and traps carbon in a building—instead of releasing it into the atmosphere. “People get really excited about solar power but may not be focused on the materials the homes are made of, or the energy used while creating and transporting them,” Robinson says. Back at the home Hallová shares with her husband, Ed Hella, and their two young children, Lever’s design is

WAT ER S O F T H E W EST 2021 • S U N S E T

Hallová and Hella met in Florida, her home state, and they wanted to create a slice of tropical paradise in their yard to honor that “special place.” Hallová has more practical reasons for loving the cabana, too. It’s economical, sturdy, and weather- and insect-resistant.

Their home office is headquarters for Hallová’s business, Adre, and Hella’s startup, Mate-Time Yerba Mate. Zia tile in Manchester Black. OPPOSITE: Bar stools, Muuto; pendant, chairs, and table, DWR. Teal sofas from RH. “Half-Moon Mirror” by Ben and Aja Blanc.

S U N S E T • WAT ER S O F T H E W EST

fluid and clean-lined. It’s a modern construction inside of a historic shell, which evokes the sophisticated remodels you spot in Europe, where the façade is intact but the building opens up and fills with light as you walk through it. Hallová runs her new ethical development company, Adre, from the home office. In the backyard, a CLT cabana provides an outdoor room that evokes Hallová’s Florida childhood, and isn’t an aesthetic sorethumb in the Pacific Northwest. “Florida is a special place for us, and the cabana gives us a taste of a beach vacation in our yard,” she says. “It feels modern, and it’s economical.” “You could think of CLT as plywood on steroids,” add Robinson. “People like to live and work in spaces they feel good in. And wood connects to people.”

Lever opened up the back of this Prairie-style house, adding skylights, clean lines, larger windows, and pale oak floors. Artwork “Golden Orb” by Anna Fidler.

“The Real Children of Israel,” mixed media on canvas by artist T.K., hangs above a womb chair. A Samsung Frame TV displays art by Barry McGee.

A view from the dining room, where an Appartus Trapeze 10 light hangs over a Jacob Plejdrup for dk3 table surrounded by DWR wishbone chairs.

In their daughter’s room, a “Tiny House” bed, Rainbow Dot Rug and Gumball teal lamp are from Crate & Kids. Duvet cover is IKEA.

WAT ER S O F T H E W EST 2021 • S U N S E T

Good Goo

Things,

Small Package

JENI AND JOEL MAUS, THE THRIFTY VINTAGE EXPERTS AND EVENT SPECIALISTS BEHIND FOUND RENTAL CO., PERFECTED EVERY SCANT INCH OF THEIR TINY LAKE ARROWHEAD HIDEAWAY. Story by CH RI STI N E LE N N O N

Photographs by TH O MAS J. STO RY

Jeni and Joel share a rare quiet moment under the vintage lobstertrap-turned-light-fixture in the living room.

hen it comes to buying, furnishing, and even painting houses, Jeni Maus is an act-now-think-later kind of person. It’s a tactic that serves her well— most of the time. Maus has honed these speed-round, impulsive skills on buying trips around the world, from Round Top, Texas, to Belgium, where she’ll snap up shipping containers full of chairs, tables, and accessories for Found Rental Co., her Fullerton, California– based home staging, prop, and event rentals business. “On my first buying trip to the Brimfield Antique Market in Massachusetts, my husband and two kids dropped me off at 5 a.m. and picked me up at 6 p.m. I spent $6,000 and couldn’t burn through that money fast enough,” she says. Even the decision to start the company was made in minutes. Her husband, Joel, was a wedding photographer. She had furnished his studio with a few of her own vintage pieces to use as props. A wedding planner stopped by to pick up a photo album for a client and asked if he ever rented the furniture for events. Light bulb illuminated, they scoured the Internet for vintage event rental companies and found nothing. “We decided on a name. I walked up the street to get a business license,” Maus says. “Joel built a website with our first 88 pieces, some from our own home. Our good friend had a wedding-planning blog and she wrote a story about us that went out at 6 a.m. on a Thursday. By 9 a.m. that day I had 21 emails. That was 11 years ago.” Late last spring, with two kids in college and a calendar of events cancelled due to quarantine, the Mauses turned their attention to home-staging, and a search for a small weekend

S U N S E T • WAT ER S O F T H E W EST 2021

Formerly sleepy Arrowhead has seen an influx of buyers and buzz, and is the site of Soho House’s latest California property.

Vintage wood boxes are nailed to the shiplap walls to create storage. Pretty hand towels double as décor in the home’s single bathroom.

Maus is an expert thrifter, but isn’t afraid to custombuild furniture— like this shelving unit—to fit a narrow, tight space.

She snagged this set of leather chairs in Belgium for $100—total. “I may have cried,” she says. They fit snugly around the famous RH table.

getaway in Lake Arrowhead, about an hour from their home-base in Orange County. A real-estate agent friend of theirs texted her about a home she was showing that day, and they jumped in the car with their dogs to go house hunting. “We put an offer in on one of the houses we saw that day,” she says. “Shortly after that, we were in escrow.” Then, the same realtor friend called with a potential staging project for a house that was about to go on the market—also in Arrowhead—and you can see where this is going. “That was the house for us. We got out of escrow on the other one, thank God, and bought this one before it went on the market. It was like a little dollhouse and we loved it. Of course, I talked Joel into buying it by saying, ‘We don’t need to change a thing!’ Then I changed some things.” The plumbing, electrical, and kitchen had been remodeled, but they pulled out the built-ins, changed the surfaces and painted the interior white. Then, after crowd-sourcing opinions through an Instagram poll, she painted the exterior deep charcoal. “I’d never posted a poll before about anything,” she says. “I’m not sure why I started with the exterior color of my house, but I did. We painted two sides to start.” She hated it. “I hated it instantly. I was in tears. And that’s when I learned that I married a saint. He said, ‘It’s just paint. We’ll change it,’” she says. “We’re the perfect match because I’m high stress and high energy and he’s pretty chill. I mean, he never sits down or sits still—he’s just more chill about it.” The following week, they were back up at the lake with several gallons of Benjamin Moore Simply White. Problem solved. Because their cabin is only about 800 square feet, with a single downstairs bedroom and an upstairs sleeping loft, every corner and stick of furniture needed to make a big impact. The light fixture in the living area was made out of an old lobster trap Maus found years ago. The couch was custom-made to fit the narrow room, and Maus’s seamstress made all of the bedding. Vintage paintings and decorative objects adorn the walls and shelves. And the RH table in the corner, well, that’s a story in itself. “I saw it on the RH site and I knew I wanted it, but there was no way I was paying $2,800. I started calling around to the outlets to see if any of them had it. In the meantime, Joel was back in the workshop starting to make a replica for me,” she says. “I said, ‘Oh, that is the sweetest thing ever. But I’m going to hop in the car and drive to San Diego to buy it for $700.’ To me, six hours of driving and $700 is a steal.”

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The tight kitchen fits a full-size range and a scaled-down dishwasher. Open shelving displays vintage pottery.

S U N S E T • WAT ER S O F T H E W EST 2021

The earthy palette was inspired by a vintage kilim rug. The interior and exterior are painted Benjamin Moore Simply White. A custom linen sofa fits the narrow room.

Maus finds beauty in a mix of old and new, grabbing vintage trophies, rustic ceramics, and even rusty cans from markets all over the world and displaying them with more contemporary pieces. Last year, she opened the Found Rental Co. headquarters—a 1905 building in downtown Fullerton—where she retails her curated collection of vintage serveware, furniture, thrift store landscape paintings, and found objects.

The concrete composite tabletop is weatherand wear-resistant. All-weather wicker chairs by Safavieh also stand up to sun and snow.

Haus of Maus Vintage Shopping Tips

OVERPRICED AND OVERPICKED, ANTIQUE FAIRS AND SWAP MEETS CAN BE SOME OF THE HARDEST PLACES TO FIND A BARGAIN. JENI MAUS SHARES TIPS FOR FINDING THINGS TO LOVE IN A CHANGING VINTAGE MARKETPLACE.

TAKE IT ON THE ROAD

FORGET A SHOPPING LIST

USE YOUR GUT AS YOUR GUIDE

SAVE YOUR SEARCHES

“I’m always looking for thrift

Don’t go into a shop, flea mar-

“If I take a second look at

On Craigslist, Nextdoor, or Offer

am, on vacation, a work trip, on

tent of finding something spe-

“If I take too much time con-

widen your search radius to 100

stores around me wherever I

a road trip,” says Maus. “I literally search ‘thrift stores near me’

and there’s always something.”

ket, or antique store with the incific. “I keep my eyes and my

options open,” she says. “And I never, ever think, Where can I

put this? If I love it, I buy it, and surely I will figure it out.”

something, I buy it,” Maus says. templating an item, then I know I should walk away. Don’t over-

think things. You either feel it or you don’t.”

Up, save your searches, and

miles. “When products are added like ‘vintage leather chair’ or

‘chippy paint,’ I get an alert. And I’ve driven 8 hours round-trip just to get a great deal.”

WAT ER S O F T H E W EST 2021 • S U N S E T

Beach Bliss

“Sand, surf, and sun are three of our favorite words that bring us so much joy,” says Allyson McGrath, senior vice president of Design Shops at Serena & Lily. “But they can be so tough on furniture.” Coastal properties call for durable, all-weather wicker and rattan pieces that are built to take a beating, beautifully. We visit the Sunset Malibu Beach Idea House to share seven ways to make any outdoor space ready for summer entertaining.

3 LaCantina folding doors allow natural light and ocean breezes to connect directly to the living room for the ultimate entertaining space.

THOMAS J. STORY

Staggered Tortola Lanterns, made of rattan and wrought iron with recycled glass hurricanes, illuminate beach steps with candlelight.

A Pacifica sofa, Sebastopol stools, and Catalina rockers create a conversation area that looks just as good outside as it does from inside the LaCantina folding doors.

S U N S E T • WAT ER S O F T H E W EST 2021

5 Teak on the beach creates a casual yet elevated look when you combine a pair of Crosby chaises with Montecito pillows and Mallorca towels.

6 Serena & Lily’s Pacifica cooler performs double duty, serving as a white allwicker side table and a deep ice chest to store cold drinks.

4 Mixed materials, like a rich teak Crosby table and console with Capistrano chairs in a driftwood finish, create a collected, casual outdoor dining area.

7 Stock up on seaside entertaining basics like a woven seagrass Sandbar tray, wrapped Cayman pitcher, and printed Priano napkins.

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NOTHING WILL STICK BUT THE SMILES ON THEIR FACES.

Sunset Page Template.indd 1

6/21/21 3:00 PM

FOOD

DRINK

Cove to Table

Bring the taste of the seaside home with these recipes from legendary Tomales Bay restaurant and getaway Nick’s Cove. Photographs by FRAN KI E FRAN KE NY

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f r o m pa ge 53

Nick’s Cove Cioppino SE RVES 6 TO 8

“Cioppino is one of those San Francisco staples that relies heavily on great seafood, and our version does not disappoint. The richly flavored broth provides a silky base for a profusion of shrimp, crab, mussels, clams, and fish. It takes a bit of patience and one eye on the clock to make a great cioppino, but the result is well worth the effort. Be sure to serve it with the crunchy crostini prepared here or with crusty slices of sourdough bread.” chingly beautiful Tomales Bay sits at the nexus of so much that embodies the Northern California culinary dream—abundant seafood, artisanal cheese, organic farms on picturesque rolling hills with views of the sea—and Nick’s Cove and Cottages is where it all coalesces on a perfectly ramshackle jetty jutting out into the sea. Ever since a Croatian immigrant named Nick Kojich opened a little seafood restaurant in an old herringcuring facility and started renting out waterfront cottages by the night, road trippers on Highway 1 have had a place to eat shrimp cocktail, gaze out at the water, and enjoy a view that’s barely changed for 90-some years. But what has changed is the quality of the food, an evolution jumpstarted in the late 1990s when Bay Area restaurateurs Pat Kuleto and Mark Franz bought Nick’s, restored it, and elevated the offerings. Not only does Nick’s now have its own farm that produces many of the vegetables on the menu, within 100 miles you’ve also got some of the best purveyors in the United States, many of which round out the building blocks of the dishes at the restaurant: Hog Island Oysters, Liberty Ducks, Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese, Cowgirl Creamery, County Line Harvest, and the list goes on. Today Nick’s is owned and run by locals Dena and Hans Grunt. Dena’s new book, Table With a View: The History & Recipes of Nick’s Cove (Cameron Books; $30), chronicles the history of Nick’s and collects the recipes they’ve served over the years. It’s Northern California coastal cooking: lots of seafood, salads, Asian and Mexican influences, and a heavy dose of Alice Waters– style produce-first deliciousness. Think warm mushroom and arugula salad with poached egg, or oysters Nickerfeller—Pacific oysters spiked with buttery greens and shredded Toma, a local farmstead cheese. Here Dena shares a few recipes from the book so you can bring Nick’s serene seaside getaway vibes into your kitchen and home.

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FOR THE BROTH:

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 large red onion, finely diced

1 small bulb fennel, trimmed, cored and finely chopped

2 ribs celery, finely chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups dry white wine

2 tsp. smoked paprika

1 tsp. red pepper flakes 1 bay leaf

1 tsp. dried thyme

3 cups clam juice or fish stock

1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes, with juices

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE CROSTINI For the crostini:

1 loaf French baguette

3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt

FOR THE SEAFOOD:

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 lb. medium shrimp in the shell, peeled and deveined

1 whole Dungeness crab, freshly

cooked and cracked (optional)

18–20 medium mussels, scrubbed clean and beards removed

18–20 small manila clams

3 Rock Cod filets, 8 oz. each, halved crosswise

2 lemons, quartered

1 bunch Italian parsley, leaves chopped

1. Make the broth: In a large pot, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the

onion, fennel, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring until slightly softened,

about 5 minutes. Add the white wine, chili flakes, bay leaf, dried thyme,

and smoked paprika and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Pour in the

clam juice and tomatoes with their

juices and simmer, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 15 minutes.

2. Remove from heat and discard the

bay leaf. Using an immersion blender, lightly purée the mixture, so it is

still slightly chunky. (Alternatively, in batches, purée the mixture in a

blender, then return to the pot.) Season to taste with salt and pepper

and check spice level, adding more chili flakes if necessary. Return the

pot of broth to the stovetop, cover,

and keep warm on the lowest heat setting.

3. To make the crostini, preheat oven to 350°F. Slice French bread diagonally into 8 long pieces, each about

½-inch thick. Place on a baking

sheet, brush each side with olive oil,

and sprinkle with kosher salt. Toast in the oven until crispy, flipping pieces

over halfway through, and checking

to make sure they don’t get too dark, until crisp and golden brown, 8–10 minutes total.

4. If necessary, reheat the broth over

low heat until piping hot. To cook the seafood, melt the butter over medi-

um heat in a large hot skillet. Add all

seafood together and carefully sauté, gently stirring for 2–3 minutes.

Add the seafood to the hot cioppino sauce, then cover the pot and

steam, stirring gently every so often, until the mussels and clams open,

the shrimp have turned pink and are opaque and cooked through, and

the crab is heated through, about 5

minutes. Discard any clams or mussels that fail to open.

5. Divide seafood evenly into shallow

bowls, then add two ladlefuls of hot broth to each bowl. Garnish with

crostini, lemon, and fresh chopped parsley. Serve at once.

“ Tomales Bay embodies so much of the Northern California Culinary Dream.” 1. Make the mayo: In a small bowl,

whisk together the mayonnaise, paprika, lemon juice, and cayenne,

mixing well. Taste and adjust the

seasoning with salt and cayenne if

needed. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. (The mayo can be

made up to 4 days in advance and refrigerated.)

2. Make the crab cakes: In a medium bowl, combine the crab, mayon-

naise, ¼ cup panko, Old Bay seasoning, paprika, and salt. Using your

hands, gently mix together the ingredients, breaking up any large

lumps of crab, and feeling for any

bits of shell that may remain. Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions,

about ¼ cup each. Shape each portion into a cake, and set aside on a baking sheet. Pour the remaining

2 cups panko into a wide, shallow

Dungeness Crab Cakes with Spicy Paprika Mayo

FOR THE SPICY PAPRIKA MAYO:

M A K E S 6 L A R G E C R A B CA K E S

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste

“Pan fried until crispy and golden brown, our crab cakes are hearty and rich, packed full of the local Dungeness crab, coated with just a thin layer of bread crumbs to hold everything together, and drizzled with a paprikaspiced mayonnaise. A simple salad of arugula, shaved fennel, and chives dressed with Champagne vinaigrette is a nice accompaniment. Of course, a glass of bubbly would also be a welcome pairing.”

bowl. One at a time, press each crab

¾ cup mayonnaise

cake into the panko to coat evenly

2 Tbsp. smoked paprika

on all sides.

3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice Kosher salt

1 cup mayonnaise 2¼ cups panko

1 Tbsp. Old Bay seasoning 2 tsp. smoked paprika 1 tsp. kosher salt ½ cup canola oil

1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges

In a large skillet over medium high

oil is hot, working in batches if nec-

crabmeat, picked over for shell fragments

second sheet pan with paper towels. heat, warm the canola oil. When the

FOR THE CRAB CAKES:

1 lb. fresh-cooked Dungeness

3. Preheat the oven to 200°F. Line a

essary to avoid crowding, place the cakes in the pan, spacing them

about 1 ½ inches apart. Cook, turning once, until golden brown on both

sides, about 6 minutes total. Using a

slotted spatula, transfer to the towellined pan to drain, and place in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining cakes.

4. Serve the cakes warm, drizzled with

the mayo, with a wedge of lemon on the side.

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Seaside Sources 5 LOCAL BRANDS NICK’S COVE USES THAT YOU CAN, TOO.

THE SUPPLIER:

Bellwether Farms

THE PRODUCTS:

Luscious dairy, such as sheep’s milk yogurt, crème fraîche, and ricotta

THE SUPPLIER:

Bodega Bay Oyster Company

THE PRODUCTS:

Miyagis, Kumamotos, mussels, and other bivalves

THE SUPPLIER: County Line Harvest

THE PRODUCTS:

Baby lettuces and heirloom Italian chicories

THE SUPPLIER:

Cowgirl Creamery

THE PRODUCTS:

Legendary cheeses like triplecream Mt. Tam and washed rind Red Hawk

Homemade S’mores MAKES 8 S’MORES

“At Nick’s, we wanted to recreate that nostalgic feeling that many associate with experiences they’ve had around a campfire on Tomales Bay, so we decided to celebrate those special memories with a handcrafted s’mores kit. It comes complete with homemade graham crackers and marshmallows and locally made TCHO chocolate. The best part of this story is that we donate money from every s’mores kit we sell to organizations that help kids in the nearby city of Petaluma. So the box is both filled with good things and does good things!”

FOR THE MARSHMALLOWS:

mixture to the greased dish. Shake

square) of parchment paper, and a

½ cup light corn syrup

the bottom and sides with the corn-

Transfer dough disc to the floured

1½ Tbsp. powdered gelatin 1 cup granulated sugar

the dish until it is evenly coated on starch mixture.

¼ tsp. kosher salt

4. Using a clean rubber spatula, scrape

vanilla extract

prepared baking dish and spread

1½ tsp. vanilla bean paste or pure ¼ cup powdered sugar ¼ cornstarch

FOR THE GRAHAM CRACKERS: 1 cup whole wheat flour ¼ cup all-purpose flour

½ tsp. ground cinnamon ¼ tsp. baking soda ¼ tsp. kosher salt 1

tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

cup granulated sugar

¼ cup honey

½ tsp. pure vanilla extract 8 squares semisweet or milk chocolate

1. Make the marshmallows: In a bowl,

whisk together ½ cup lukewarm water with the gelatin. Set aside. In a

heavy medium saucepan, whisk together ½ cup water, corn syrup,

granulated sugar, and salt over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Clip a candy

thermometer onto the side of the

pan and cook, stirring occasionally,

until the mixture registers 248°F, 10–12 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the syrup to cool to 212°F.

2. Pour the hot sugar syrup into the

clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted

with the whisk attachment. With the

the marshmallow mixture into the

into an even layer. Sift 2 tablespoons of the remaining cornstarch mixture evenly over the top of the marsh-

mallow mixture. Cover with plastic

wrap and leave at room tempera-

ture for at least 8 hours or overnight to set. Set the remaining cornstarch mixture aside.

5. Cut the marshmallows into 1½-inch

squares; you should have 8 marshmallows. Roll each marshmallow in

the remaining cornstarch mixture to coat. Arrange the marshmallows in

an airtight container in a single layer

so they are not touching. Set aside at room temperature.

6. Make the graham crackers: In a medium bowl, whisk together both

flours, the cinnamon, baking soda,

salt, and nutmeg. In the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium

speed until light and fluffy, about 3

minutes. Add the honey and vanilla,

and mix for another minute. Add the flour mixture in three equal parts,

beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Transfer the dough to a work

surface, press into a disc, and let rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat

rolling pin, with all-purpose flour.

parchment and roll the dough into a large 10-inch square that is about 1/8-inch thick. Using a ruler and a

pizza wheel or pastry cutter, cut the dough into 2½-inch squares, trimming the edges if needed to even them. Just cut the squares; don’t

separate them. Using the tines of a

fork, dock each square 2 or 3 times. Transfer the parchment with the dough onto a large sheet pan.

8. Bake the squares, rotating the pan

back to front once halfway through

baking, until golden brown, about 10

minutes. Remove from the oven and, using a small, sharp knife or a metal bench scraper, recut the squares

while the crackers are still warm. Let cool completely on the pan on a

wire rack, then separate the squares. (The graham crackers will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 6 days.)

9. To assemble the s’mores, arrange the graham crackers, marshmal-

lows, and chocolate squares on a

platter along with some long sticks or roasting skewers. Roast the

marshmallows over a fire, then

assemble the s’mores by layering a graham cracker with some

chocolate, a molten marshmallow, and another graham cracker. Eat right away!

the oven to 325°F.

7. Dust a large piece (12 x 12 inch

mixer on medium speed, slowly pour the gelatin mixture into the sugar

syrup in a thin, steady stream. Add

the vanilla bean paste and continue to beat until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, grease the bottom and

sides of a 6-inch square baking dish

with melted butter. Sift the powdered sugar and cornstarch together into

For more recipes, pick up Table With a View: The History and Recipes of Nick’s Cove. $30, NICKSCOVE.COM

a bowl, then add ¼ cup of the

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WHERE

COU N T RY

Tools of the trade: This page, beehives that produce the Eli’s honey served at the Surfrider; opposite, surfboards for guests catch that magical Malibu light.

IF YOU KNOW WHERE TO LOOK, A LESS FLASHY MALIBU THRIVES BEYOND THE BLING. WE CHECK IN TO THE SURFRIDER HOTEL FOR A LAIDBACK FEAST FOR THE SENSES THAT BLENDS THE BEST OF THE LAND AND THE SEA.

MEETS THE

COA S T Story by H U G H GARVE Y Photographs by TH O MAS J. STO RY

Clockwise from left: Bungalows with a view on Malibu beach; Highway 1 carves its way up the coast; the fields at Thorne Family Farm, just half a mile inland from Zuma beach.

THE

LAST

TIME

Chef Jacob Wetherington and Surfrider owners Emma and Matt Goodwin at Thorne Family Farm.

Emma Goodwin was at the apiary, a swarm of bees flew up the sleeves of her shirt and stung her up and down the arms. “The pain was unbearable,” the co-owner of Malibu’s Surfrider Hotel remembers. She kept two bowls of ice water at the front desk to dunk her arms in between checking in guests. “I’d look up with my arms soaking in these big bowls and say with a smile, ‘Welcome to the Surfrider!’” Such is the glamorous life of the hotelier behind the hotel that in the past few years has established itself as one of the most quintessential Southern California coastal retreats. Today Emma is keeping her distance from those hives as she crouches in the brush with a pocket knife, trimming bunches of mustard flowers to put in vases back at the Surfrider. Just 10 minutes up from the beaches of Malibu, there’s farmland, and oaks, and apiaries, and ranches tucked into the canyons and up the hills and down the valleys—and for most folks who didn’t grow up around here, it’s a fact lost to the glamour and the draw of the beaches and the bling. From the apiary, we go to Thorne Family Farm, where the hotel gets much of its produce: baby carrots, chard, artichokes, strawberries. It’s a bucolic property, one of the few working farms still in the neighborhood, with goats and chickens in the back and on weekends a farm stand. Here chef Jacob Wetherington picks tangerines from the tree, dodging, yes, more bees.

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“ Guests make their way to the roof for a cocktail, sand on their feet, salt in their hair.”

S U N S E T • WAT ER S O F T H E W EST 2021

The rooftop deck at the Surfrider boasts one of the most stunning views of the Southern California coast.

“When I was a kid we’d ride our bikes up in the middle the of the PCH because there were hardly any cars,” says farmer Harry Thorne. “Back then people looked at Malibu residents like we were bumpkins.” Not so today. Harry’s been known to say he’s the only guy farming $50 million worth of land to make $50,000. Then it’s back to the Surfrider for one of those languorous lunches that lazy sunny days in Malibu are made for. Emma, who’s from Australia, frames it this way: “It’s how we do it at home. A three-hour lunch. In bed by eight. Up by six to surf.” The Surfrider sits snugly in the crease of the earth where the steep hills of Malibu lean toward the ocean, the tectonic hinge of the California dream. From the roof deck you get unparalleled intimate views of that intersection where, in just a few hundred meters, so much is compressed: Look up and there’s the steep cliff— dry grass covers it today, but in spring after rain it becomes a sea of yellow mustard blossoms. Look down and there’s the PCH, that artery of iconic road trips, with superexotic sports cars and dilapidated surf vans parked along the highway. And just beyond, the postcard-perfect 100-year-old pier jutting out, the Channel Islands in the distance, and the world-famous surf break with longboarders still hotdogging like they did back when the Gidget movies were filmed there. If this arc of coast is an amphitheater, the Surfrider is the stage on which the California dream coalesces. Those bees and those mustard blossoms express themselves in the honey drizzled on desserts and in cocktails. Guests walk barefoot up to the deck for a meal or a drink, sand on their feet and salt in their hair, and sit on comfy couches by the firepit that takes the seaside chill out of the air when the sun dips toward the horizon and the sky goes all pink. Before Emma and Matt took over the Surfrider, it was a neglected little spot that enchanted Matt, who grew up an hour up the coast and trained as a junior lifeguard on the beach just across the way. After working in New York for a decade, Emma and Matt

moved to California, bought the Surfrider, and hired top Malibu architect and 2021 Sunset Idea House designer Douglas Burdge to reimagine it: The rooms were reoriented to face the ocean, with private patios and expansive views; a comfy minimalism is further softened by natural materials that patina with age. While it isn’t the most opulent hotel, that’s sort of the point. It has all the creature comforts you’d pack into your fantasy beach bungalow: a Macintosh amp and vintage vinyl collection in the common space, intricately woven nap-inducing hammocks, a mini fleet of Mini Coopers for guests, a vintage Land Rover they’ll load with surfboards and a picnic spread. And, perhaps most impressive, some of the best food in town, thanks to the impeccable sourcing of local farmers, fishermen, and ranchers, and the creativity of chef Wetherington, who worked at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon in Vegas and produce-obsessed restaurant Farmshop in Los Angeles. The menu at Surfrider has more dishes and drinks on it than the hotel has rooms: There’s crudo bathed in coconut milk and lime and fish sauce served with chips, numerous healthy bowls studded with pickled produce and jammy eggs and grains from the Tehachapi Heritage Grain Project, roasted fish caught off the nearby Channel Island, excellent bread from Gjusta with herbed cultured butter, beef fattened on carrots at Santa Carota in Edison, California, smart cocktails, and a little reserve wine list of bottlings Emma and Matt have picked up here and there on their travels and brought back like housewarming gifts. The bad news: You need to be a guest at the Surfrider to eat at the restaurant. The good news: We’ve brought you some of the restaurant’s best recipes so you can cook up a little of the California Coastal dream at a long and langorous lunch in your own backyard. There’s roasted whole fish, a citrusy summery salad, and grilled corn. And a cocktail made with none other than the honey from the bees Emma tussled with back at the apiary. Cheers to country life in Malibu.

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Whole Grilled Channel Island Rock Cod At the Surfrider, chef Jacob Wetherington wraps local rock cod with olive leaves and foraged bay laurel, and garnishes it with fresh fennel flowers. We substitute more readily available fennel stalks. Serves 3–4

Walnut Salsa Seca This chili-spiked, nutty, seedy dry salsa is so good you’ll eat it straight out of the bowl.

Smoky Summer Corn Grilled corn sprinkled with crunchy, spicy salsa seca is going to be your new favorite summer party food. Serves 4 4 ears corn on the cob, shucked and cut in half crosswise

1 cup Walnut Salsa Seca (see recipe below)

Olive oil

1 lime, halved

Fresh oregano leaves for garnish

1. On a gas or charcoal grill heated to medium, place ears of corn on grates. Cook 2 minutes or until

slightly charred on one side. Rotate corn a quarter turn, cook another 2 minutes or so, and repeat until

charred evenly. When all the corn is charred to your liking, remove to a

dish. If not serving immediately, cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.

2. Arrange corn architecturally, some

standing on end, some laid on their sides. Spoon the walnut salsa seca over the top of the corn, allowing

½ cup olive oil 4 guajillo chilies, seeds and stems removed ¼ cup white sesame seeds 1/3 cup roasted pumpkin seeds ¼ cup roasted sunflower seed 1¼ Tbsp. nigella seeds (optional) 1 2/3 cups toasted walnut pieces 5 dried orange chips, roughly chopped 1 Tbsp. Korean chili threads 1/3 cup puffed rice 1–2 tsp. sea salt 1. In a wide-bottomed sauté pan, warm the oil over medium heat and toast the guajillo chilies until aromatic, about 2–3 minutes. Strain the oil into a medium mixing bowl and set aside. 2. Place chilies and all the seeds into a food processor and pulse until uniform. 3. Transfer the mixture into the bowl with the chili oil. Stir in walnuts, orange chips, and puffed rice. Season to taste with salt.

some to pile up and some to fall to the plate. Squeeze fresh lime

and drizzle olive oil over the top of the corn as desired. Garnish with fresh oregano.

S U N S E T • WAT ER S O F T H E W EST 2021

1 3-pound whole rock cod or snapper, gutted and scaled

Olive oil

2 lemons, one sliced into ¼-inch

rounds, the other cut into wedges

1 fennel stalk, leaves attached, chopped into 2-inch pieces

2 cloves garlic, sliced

2 California bay laurel branches (optional)

Flaky sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1. Prepare a two-zone grill, one side on medium-high heat, the other low.

2. Using a sharp knife cut 1/2 inch thick slashes in the fish 1 inch apart on

both sides. Dry the surface of the fish well. Rub olive oil on the outside and in the cavity. Stuff fish with half the lemon rounds, fennel, garlic, salt,

and pepper. Arrange the remaining slices of lemon and bay laurel

branches on one side of the fish and secure them with 2–3 lengths of

butcher’s twine. Season well with flaky salt.

3. Place the whole fish, aromatics side down, onto the hot side of the grill

Summer Stone Fruit Burrata

1. Zest and juice the lemons into a small mixing bowl.

Slice the green almonds 1/8inch thick and immediately

place in the mixing bowl with

The time will vary according to the

At the Surfrider, Wetherington uses wild bush fennel, which we’ve substituted with farmed fennel. Serves 4

the heat. Ideally, the fish should have

2 lemons

nel fronds. Add the fronds to

Crunchy sea salt

macerate.

and cook for 7–8 minutes. Turn fish

over, move to the cooler side of the grill, and cook 7–8 more minutes.

size of the fish and the intensity of nice char on both sides. Internal

temperature, taken at the thickest part of the filet behind the head, should read 140°F.

4. Transfer cooked fish to cutting

board. Remove twine and discard lemon and bay laurel. Drizzle fish

liberally with olive oil, and garnish with sea salt and fresh squeezes of lemon.

the lemon. Stir the almonds

to coat well, as they will oxi-

dize quickly. Liberally season

with salt. Finely chop the fen-

¼ lb. whole green almonds

the almonds. Set aside to

1 fennel stalk, sliced thinly,

2. In a small bowl, stir together

fronds removed and reserved

¼ cup local honey

½ tsp. crushed pink

the honey, crushed peppercorns, and lemon juice.

3. Cut the stone fruits into

peppercorns

halves and quarters. Dress

pepper (or Sichuan

honey mixture. On the hot

¼ tsp. crushed native mountain

on a serving platter. Cut into

halves or quarters to suit the

number of guests. Dress bur-

rata with olive oil. Arrange the stone fruit around the burrata. Evenly scatter and ar-

range fennel in between the

fruit and burrata. Drop small spoonfuls of the green al-

monds over the burrata and around the plate. Finish with

crunchy sea salt, fennel pol-

len, and edible flowers. Serve with warm country bread.

the cut fruit with the pepper

peppercorns)

side of a grill or in a cast-iron

juice

the fruit cut side down and

2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon

pan set over high heat, place

6 peaches and/or nectarines

cook until charred. Remove

¼ cup olive oil

to rest at room temperature.

2 4-oz. pieces of burrata

4. Place the pieces of burrata

fruit from the heat and allow

Fennel pollen

Edible flowers

WAT ER S O F T H E W EST 2021 • S U N S E T

Opposite: Striking florals brighten the airy lobby at the Surfrider. Clockwise from upper left: A sign beckons drivers on the PCH; many of the chic yet cozy rooms have patios, hammocks, and views; surfing is a religion at the hotel; frontdesk manager Derek Savoie serves cocktails under the the bougainvillea.

WAT ER S O F T H E W EST 2021 • S U N S E T

The Pacific Sun A sweet and spicy tropical take on the tequila sunrise. 2–4 slices serrano chili

2 oz. Solento Reposado tequila

1 oz. chinola passionfruit liqueur 1 oz. lime juice ½ oz. agave

Harvest Moon Mix equal parts kosher salt and Tajín seasoning to make the rim for this smoky summery drink. 3 slices of blood orange, rind removed

1 passionfruit, halved Salt

2 basil leaves

• Muddle serrano into your Solento

1 oz. of fresh squeeze lime juice

2 oz. Madre Mezcal

tequila in a shaker. Add liquids and

½ oz. agave syrup

ice. Strain into a salt-rimmed glass

seasoning, salt

half passionfruit and fill shaker with over a single large ice cube. Garnish with remaining passionfruit half.

Garnishes: Blood orange wheel, Tajín

• Muddle blood orange and basil in shaker. Add other ingredients and

fill shaker with ice. Shake. Strain over ice in a rocks glass with a half-rim of Tajín and salt. Garnish with blood-orange wheel.

The Humble Bee Malibu honey and Amass gin from Los Angeles star in this local take on the Bee’s Knees. 2 oz. Amass Gin

1 oz. lemon juice

1 oz. Malibu wildflower lavender honey syrup (see recipe below)

Garnishes: fresh lavender, candied lavender

• Put all ingredients in a shaker and fill

with ice. Shake, then double strain into

HOW TO MAKE

Malibu Wildflower Honey Syrup

Put 1 cup Eli’s Honey (or any high-quality honey), ½ cup dried lavender, and 1 cup hot water into heatproof container and stir until well combined. Let sit for 30 minutes. Strain out lavender. Drizzle more honey over lavender buds and dehydrate for candied lavender to use as garnish.

coupe. Garnish with fresh and candied lavender.

Malibu Mary Smoky mezcal, local Malibu Mary mix, and abundant briny, spicy garnishes take this daytime tipple over the top. 2 oz. Bozal Mezcal

6 oz. Malibu Mary Bloody Mary Mix Garnishes: Tajín seasoning, salt, celery stalk, olives, coconut flakes, 1 jalapeño

• Pour Mezcal and Malibu Mary into cocktail shaker over ice. Shake! Strain and into a Collins glass

filled with ice and half-rimmed

with Tajín and salt. Garnish with

celery, olives, coconut flakes, and jalapeño. More is more!

Sea & T The low-acid calamansi and finger lime make for an elegant take on the G&T. 1 finger lime

2 calamansi, halved

2 oz. of Gray Whale Gin Tonic water

Garnish: Makrut lime leaf

• Put ice in rocks glass. Squeeze finger lime “caviar” and calamansi juice into glass. Add calamansi pieces

and gin. Pour tonic water to top of glass. Garnish with lime leaf.

WAT ER S O F T H E W EST 2021 • S U N S E T

A SEAFOOD FEAST FROM THE CENTRAL COAST’S HOTTEST NEW RESTAURANT. Photographs by TH O MAS J. STO RY

WAT ER S O F T H E W EST 2021 • S U N S E T

ow do you serve impeccably fresh fish in a landlocked town? You dry-age it. That’s the secret to the whole roasted sea bream and beautifully composed kampachi crudo on the menu at Bar Le Côte in the sleepy wine-country town of Los Olivos, California. The brand-new restaurant from Greg and Daisy Ryan (of Bell’s in Los Alamos fame) and chef Brad Mathews (formerly of Fishing With Dynamite in Manhattan Beach) sources some of its seafood from the Joint Eatery, a restaurant/seafood market in L.A.’s San Fernando Valley. Here Liwei Liao has perfected a dry-aging process in which fresh fish is aged, much like a prime steak, in a temperature- and humidity-controlled environment, losing water weight, developing a more nuanced and complex flavor, and firming up just so. The results are exquisite and have earned Liao a cult following among L.A.

General manager Grace Gates, co-owners Greg and Daisy Ryan, Brad Mathews, and sous chef Luis Gomez.

S U N S E T • WAT ER S O F T H E W EST 2021

sushi aficionados for the chirashi boxes he sells. Daisy’s dad, a roving antiques dealer, adds the Joint to his regular jaunts to the city to shuttle fish to Bar Le Côte. It’s the sort of homespun and creative solution typical of the Ryans, who, in just two years, transformed Bell’s from a solid Central Coast country restaurant to a full-fledged food-obsessive destination serving French-inflected California coastal cuisine (with a perpetually long waiting list to get in). Daisy and Greg dubbed the food they serve at Bell’s as “Franch,” a combination of French and ranch. Following that logic, you could call the food at Bar Le Côte “Ranchish,” as in ranch plus Spanish. Iberian influences abound on the menu: Manila clams and chorizo, shrimp with garlic, bomba rice, Spanish-style octopus, all boldly flavored and presented beautifully and unfussily—just the kind of food we want to cook and eat in summer. We rolled up the coast right before they opened to bring you a few of their recipes so you can try your hand at their magic at home— while you wait for that reservation to come through.

Serves 4 FOR THE SEA BREAM:

1 large whole sea bream, scaled,

gutted, and cleaned, ribs and spines removed

1 Tbsp. sea salt

1 lemon, cut into ¼-inch slices

Garnish: ½ lemon, chopped Italian parsley

FOR THE ROMESCO SAUCE:

3 roasted red bell peppers ½ cup toasted almonds 8 garlic cloves, peeled

2 Tbsp. Spanish smoked paprika 1 tsp. cayenne pepper

2 Tbsp. aged sherry vinegar ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Whole Roasted Sea Bream with Romesco Sauce “Cooking whole fish is a great way to utilize the entire product, and it is a fun and classic way to cook for your guests,” says chef Brad Mathews. “At Bar Le Côte we use dry-aged sea bream the Joint, but you can use any whole fish. The texture of the dryaged fish offers an extra-crispy skin and a more consistent cook. We serve this sea bream with romesco, a classic Spanish sauce made from roasted peppers, sherry vinegar, and almonds.”

1. Season the fish inside and out with

salt, stuff with lemon slices, and set aside.

2. To make the romesco, combine bell peppers, almonds, garlic, paprika,

cayenne, and vinegar in a food processor and pulse until it has a semismooth yet chunky texture. Transfer to a mixing bowl.

3. Drizzle in the olive oil and fold in with a spatula.

4. Preheat oven to 425°F. Place the sea bream on a lightly oiled sheet pan.

Bake 8–10 minutes. You want the skin to get some color and become

crispy, but not burned. After baking, peek inside the body cavity of the fish to make sure it is cooked to about medium. If the fish isn’t

cooked or the skin needs more color, increase temperature to 450° and

cook a few minutes more. Carefully

transfer the sea bream onto a serving platter. Place a ramekin of

romesco and the ½ lemon on the platter, and garnish with parsley.

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Spanish Octopus, Fingerling Potatoes, Saffron Aioli & Frisée “This is a classic dish that has been served in Spain and the rest of the world for years,” says Mathews. “The combination is not new to anyone, but when it is prepared with great attention to detail and perfectly cooked octopus, the result is extraordinary.” Serves 6-8 FOR THE OCTOPUS 1 6-lb. octopus 1 carrot

FOR THE AIOLI

½ cup whole garlic cloves, peeled

1 onion

2 cups neutral oil

1 tsp. black

2 lemons, juiced

1 celery stalk peppercorns

1 Tbsp. clarified butter

2 egg yolks 1 Tbsp. salt

1 tsp. saffron

FOR THE FINGERLING POTATOES

2 lbs. potatoes

2 Tbsp. soft butter

1 Tbsp. Spanish smoked paprika

1 Tbsp. salt

1 bunch frisée

1 Tbsp. lemon juice Flaky sea salt

garlic oil and the remaining 1 cup of oil. The texture should be similar to

mayo. Transfer aioli to a mixing bowl.

7. Add the saffron to the remaining lemon juice and let it steep for 5

minutes. Stir the saffron and lemon juice vigorously into the aioli—it will turn bright yellow.

8. Make the potatoes: Cut the tips off

the potatoes so they will sit upright

on a sheet pan. In a medium mixing bowl, mix potatoes, butter, paprika, and salt with your hands, making

sure the potatoes are well-coated.

9. Preheat oven to 375°F. Stand the po-

tatoes up on the pan and bake for 16 minutes, rotating the pan after 8

minutes. The potatoes should be fork tender.

10. Save the pan drippings to use as a vinaigrette for the frisée.

1. Cook the octopus: Fill a large pot

with 4 quarts water, carrot, onion,

celery, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a bare simmer.

2. Grab the octopus by the head, slowly lower its tentacles into the pot, then lift the tentacles out of the water

completely. Repeat this process 4

more times. When the tentacles curl, gently lower the octopus until it is

completely submerged. Cook the

octopus on very low heat—the pot should be just wafting steam, not even a simmer.

3. After about 45 minutes, check the

tenderness of the tentacles with a

toothpick. You should be able to slide the toothpick through the center very easily. If you feel resistance,

continue to cook, up to an hour or so.

Once you can slide the toothpick into the tentacle, turn off the heat.

4. Transfer the octopus onto a sheet

pan and let cool completely. Cut the

tentacles off the body, keeping them whole. Be mindful of the beak in the center. Set aside.

5. To make the aioli, first make the garlic confit. In a medium pot, add gar-

lic cloves and completely cover with oil (about 1 cup). Cook on low heat until the garlic is soft enough to

crush with a spoon. Set aside to cool, then strain off the oil and reserve.

6. In a food processor, combine egg

yolks, garlic confit, juice of 1 lemon,

and salt. Turn on the food processor, and slowly drizzle in the leftover

S U N S E T • WAT ER S O F T H E W EST 2021

11. Set a cast-iron pan over high heat, and add the clarified butter. When it’s shimmering, sear the octopus tentacles. When they have a nice

brown color and crispy skin, remove them and add the potatoes to the

same pan to brown; when one end is brown, flip to brown the other. Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl dress

your frisée with lemon juice and a little of the pan drippings. In the center of your plate add a dollop of aioli,

using the back of a spoon smooth

the aioli into a small circle. Place the octopus tentacle on the aioli, add 5 fingerling potatoes right next to the

octopus in the aioli. Garnish with the

frisée on top of the potatoes and octopus, and finish with flaky sea salt. Repeat for each guest.

Dry-Aged Kampachi Crudo, Saffron Oil, Avocado, Radish & Nasturtium At Bar Le Côte, Mathews uses dry-aged finfish for the “delicate and beautiful” crudo. “This process allows for a cleaner, firmer-textured and cleaner-flavored fish,” he says. If you can’t source dryaged, fresh sushi-grade kampachi will work just as well.

Serves 6 1 kampachi loin, about 1 pound sliced into ¼-inch slices FOR THE SAFFRON OIL

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 Tbsp. Spanish saffron 1 lemon, juiced

FOR THE AVOCADO PURÉE 1 ripe avocado

1 lemon, juiced 1 garlic clove 1 tsp. Salt

FOR GARNISH

2 red radishes, sliced into coins 3 nasturtium blossoms, leaves separated

Flaky salt

1. To make saffron oil, gently

heat oil in a medium saucepan until it is just warm, about 110 degrees.

2. Place the saffron in a very

small cup and squeeze the

lemon juice on top. Let sit for

about 5 minutes to allow the saffron to bloom.

3. Remove the oil from the heat and whisk the saffron lemon

juice mixture into oil. Let cool. It’s best to make this the day before so the oil develops a rich color and flavor.

4. To make avocado purée, cut the avocado in half, remove

the pit, and set aside. Scoop the flesh out of the skin and place in a medium mixing

bowl. Squeeze in the lemon juice. Using a microplane, grate the garlic into the

bowl, and season with salt. Whisk the ingredients together until you have a

smooth purée, then transfer

it to a pastry bag, along with the avocado pit, to ensure it remains bright green.

5. To serve: Squeeze about 2 oz. of avocado purée into the

center of an individual bowl. Drape the kampachi slices over the purée, and drizzle the saffron oil around the

fish and the avocado. Gar-

nish with radish and nasturtium leaves. Finish with flaky sea salt.

WAT ER S O F T H E W EST 2021 • S U N S E T

PORK JUS The layers of flavor that come from roasting bones and then simmering them with aromatics add unparalleled richness and complexity to the pork chops. Refrigerate and use within three days.

Roasted Pork Chop with Fennel Pollen and Pork Jus

5 lbs. pork bones 2 cups Madeira 1 gallon water 2 lbs. onions 2 lbs. fennel 1 lb. garlic Pinch of salt

“At Bar Le Côte, we source our pork from Erik Mallea in Buellton, who raises Berkshire pigs,” says Mathews. “His pigs have just the right amount of fat and a great flavor. Making your own pork jus is a bit of a project, but the results are stunning. Even without the sauce, the pork chop is delicious thanks to the fennel pollen and flaky salt.

Serves 4 ¼ cup salt

1¼ lb. bone-in pork chop

Pork jus (see recipe below) 1 tsp. flaky sea salt 1 tsp. fennel pollen

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together salt and 2 cups water until the salt dissolves. Place the pork

chop in the saltwater solution and refrigerate for 6 hours.

2. About 30 minutes before cooking, remove the pork chop from the brine and let come to room temperature.

3. Set a cast-iron pan over high

heat. When it is smoking hot, put

the pork chop in the pan and sear on both sides until brown. Using

tongs, hold the pork chop on end

so the fat cap can brown and the fat can render out. Check the pork’s internal temperature—

when it reaches 125°F, remove

S U N S E T • WAT ER S O F T H E W EST 2021

from the pan and let rest on a cutting board.

4. To serve: Put a large spoonful of the pork jus in the center of a

serving plate. Then slice the pork chop, cutting perpendicular to

the bone, into slices about ¼-inch wide. Place the sliced pork chop in the middle of the sauce and

put the bone where it would be if

it was still connected to the chop. Garnish with flaky sea salt and a liberal amount of fennel pollen.

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the pork bones on a sheet pan and roast them till they are golden brown and caramelized, about 20 minutes. 2. Remove from the oven. Pour ½ cup of Madeira onto the sheet pan and scrape it with the drippings to combine. 3. In a large pot over mediumhigh heat, reduce the remaining Madeira by half, then add the water, onion, fennel, garlic, pork bones, and drippings. Bring to a low simmer and cook for 6 hours. 4. Strain all the bones and leftover vegetable solids from the pork stock. Once all the solids have been removed, strain again through a cheesecloth into a smaller pot. Over medium heat, reduce this jus until it is a very thick and flavorful 2 cups. Taste for seasoning and add salt as necessary.

Pacific Gold Reserve Oysters, Jonah Crab Claw, Cocktail Sauce & Mignonette “This dish is truly about the products,” says Mathews. “We are serving Pacific Gold oysters shucked raw on the half shell, and the crab is steamed then cooled and cracked for easy access. Both are served on ice with cocktail sauce and mignonette. This preparation allows for the pristine quality of the ingredients to be the star of the dish. Raw oysters and crab have been some of my favorite items to eat my whole life. Homemade cocktail sauce is incredibly easy to make and worth it. And it’s important to remember that you want to use more shallot on your oyster than vinegar to heighten the crisp and briny flavor of the oyster.” Serves 6 FOR THE COCKTAIL SAUCE 1 cup ketchup

¾ cup fresh grated horseradish

1 Tbsp. coarsely ground black pepper Juice of 1 lemons

1 tsp. hot sauce (use your favorite brand)

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 2 tsp. salt

FOR THE MIGNONETTE ½ cup minced shallot

¾ cup champagne vinegar

1 Tbsp. coarsely ground black pepper 3 stalks tarragon, finely chopped FOR THE CRAB

1 lb. Jonah crab claws 3 celery stalks

2 onions, diced

2 heads of garlic

1 lemon, cut in half

1 Tbsp. black peppercorns 12 Morro Bay Oyster Company Pacific Gold oysters or other

1. Make the cocktail sauce: In a medium bowl, mix ketchup, horseradish,

dramatic change in the crab claws as they turn bright orange.

black pepper, lemon juice, hot

4. While the crab is poaching, fill a me-

in small ramekins for dipping.

crab is done, transfer it to the ice

sauce, Worcestershire, and salt. Put

2. Make the mignonette: In a medium bowl, mix shallot, vinegar, pepper,

and tarragon, then pour into ramekins for dipping.

3. Cook the crab: Bring a medium pot

of water to a full boil. Add celery, on-

dium bowl with ice water. When the bath to halt the cooking process. Once the crab has completely

cooled, drain the water and pat the

claws dry with a kitchen towel. Crack

the claws and keep cool on ice in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

corns. Using a pasta strainer, place

5. Shuck the oysters. 6. To serve: Place oysters, crab claws,

for 6 to 8 minutes, then reduce heat

ered with crushed ice, and enjoy

ion, garlic, lemon, and black pepperthe crab claws into the boiling pot to a low simmer. You will notice a

and sauce ramekins on a tray covwith friends.

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6/21/21 6/18/21 3:10 7:26 PM PM

T R AV E L

ESCAPES Moonstone Beach in Cambria.

The Coast With the Most

A culinary road trip up the central coast of California yields quaint new hotels and lots and lots of impeccable seafood. Story by H U G H GARVE Y Photograph by TH O MAS J. STO RY

WAT ER S O F T H E W EST 2021 • S U N S E T

The bar at the white-hot new White Water hotel in Cambria.

Santa Barbara: Fishing boats moored in Santa Barbara Harbor.

SANTA BARBARA SATURDAY FISHERMEN’S MARKET make time on a Saturday morning to

visit the market in Santa Barbara harbor where local fishermen sell rock

ood-obsessed travelcrab, live urchin from legendary local Santa Cruz ers tend to romanticize purveyor Sea Stephanie Fish, and other regional delicacies. cfsb.info/sat culinary epiphanies in Monterey faraway places: eating BIBI JI Hokkaido scallop at a Modern spins on Indian food and a Ginza sushi spot in Towine list heavy on local and global kyo, fresh anchovies on a natural wines make this restaurant sun-dappled deck on the Cambria from Alejandro Medina and celeb Amalfi coast, cuttlefish in the bustling Boqueria market in somm Rajat Parr a must-hit spot. OrCayucos Barcelona. But with summer here and international travel der the decadent uni biryani for the still iffy, it’s the ideal time to dive into the piscine pleasures— table. bibijisb.com and otherwise—of California’s central coast. Restaurants new Los Alamos and old have reopened, the fishing industry is bouncing back, and Los Olivios CONVIVO Santa Barbara boutique hotels are cropping up along the 101 and Highway 1, makFor a taste of genteel Santa Barbara ing a seafood sojourn easier than ever. with a side of exceptional seafood, hit To maximize views, meals, and city stops, set aside three to five this breezy oceanside Italian restaunights, bookend your trip south in Santa Barbara and north in Santa Channel Islands rant with postcard-perfect views of National Park Cruz, and you’ll never have to drive much longer than three hours. Hug the the waterfront. Sit on the patio and coast on the 101 and Highway 1 as much as you can to soak in the spectacular tuck into pastas starring local Hope views, always ask the servers for what’s local, and if you see Santa Barbara Ranch mussels, urchin, and crab while urchin on the menu, order it. It’s the most perishable, delectable, and exquiwatching classic cars cruise under the site seafood on the planet and a regional specialty prized the world over. palms on Cabrillo Boulevard. Here are ten can’t-miss spots to get a summery seafood fix like no other. convivorestaurant.com

S U N S E T • WAT ER S O F T H E W EST 2021

FROM LEFT: CARY HUBBS BEST/COURTESY OF SANTA BARBARA SATURDAY FISHERMEN’S MARKET; THOMAS J. STORY

To score the absolute freshest fish,

Uni from Sea Stephanie Fish.

PALIHOUSE SANTA BARBARA This chic Mediterranean-revival inn in Santa Barbara’s charming Presidio

neighborhood has a romantic interior courtyard and a well-stocked honor

bar for late-night tipples, and it puts

you in walking distance of Bibi Ji and

other restaurants and bars. palisoci-

ety.com

weekend barbecue popups; and now

Los Alamos

a late-night smash-burger menu. But it’s the briny little crêpe topped with

BELL’S In the formerly sleepy town of Los Ala-

mos, Daisy and Greg Ryan have created a dynamo of deliciousness with their little Franch (that’s French +

Ranch) bistro: There’s the prix fixe

menu with halibut crudo, peppery

steak au poivre, and ice cream with

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: HUGH GARVEY; THOMAS J. STORY (3)

hazelnuts from Greg’s family farm;

uni and caviar that sets the tone. bellsrestaurant.com

Los Olivos BAR LE CÔTE This brand-new restaurant from the Bell’s crew combines California

Hidden Kitchen’s blue-corn waffles.

The serene courtyard at Palihouse Santa Barbara.

Friendly faces at Hidden Kitchen in Cayucos.

WAT ER S O F T H E W EST 2021 • S U N S E T

Lampton Cliffs County Park in Cambria.

Wild salmon outside H&H Fresh Fish in Santa Cruz. Lounging in the gardens at Hotel Ynez.

coastal cooking with Spanish influences in a convivial space in downtown Los Olivos. Think whole roasted fish,

seafood towers, and tender grilled oc-

HOTEL YNEZ Boasting two acres of firepits, comfy

outdoor furniture, and rooms with private patios and hammocks, the new

Hotel Ynez is the latest property from

the folks behind nearby Los Alamos’s

Skyview motel. If you grow tired of seafood, opt for cook-your-own barbecue for two on the patio. hotelynez.com

Cayucos HIDDEN KITCHEN You’re going to want to ease into the day with a hearty, hippie breakfast—

and this is the spot. With locations in

both Cambria and Cayucos, the be-

yond charming and good-hearted Hidden Kitchen cooks up satisfying savory

S U N S E T • WAT ER S O F T H E W EST 2021

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: COURTESY OF H&H FRESH FISH; THOMAS J. STORY (2)

topus. barlecote.com

Spencer Marley foraging for seaweed in Cayucos.

SEAWEED FORAGING Local forager Spencer Marley con-

ducts this inspiring and immersive tour on the beach in Cayucos that’s both

primer on the botanical bounty of the sea and the tastiest little ramen popup around: Marley wraps up the ses-

sion with an alfresco lunch simmered in just-picked kombu broth. marleyfamilyseaweeds.com

Cambria WHITE WATER CAMBRIA Perched above scenic Moonstone

Beach, this stylish new lodge channels Scandinavian and hippie California vibes in a low-key but luxe fashion.

Think Block Shop prints and a chill lobby lounge with elevated nibbles and

natural wine. whitewatercambria.com

Santa Cruz H&H FRESH FISH This family-run business in Santa Cruz Harbor sells sustainably caught local

Uni crêpe at Bell’s in Los Alamos.

and sweet gluten-free blue corn waffles, tacos topped with Niman Ranch

bacon ends, turmeric smoothies, and more. hiddenkitchencalifornia.com

With paella rice, top-shelf condiments, Peruvian aji, and more, it’s a one-stop shop for setting up a seafood feast in your vacation rental. hhfreshfish.com

RUDDELL’S SMOKEHOUSE

THE SEA PEARL

Aggressively, deliciously smoked

Just a ten-minute walk from the Santa

salmon, albacore, and shrimp are the draw at this Cayucos institution. Put a cooler in your car and bring

vacpacked fish home to keep those vacation vibes going for days. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: STEPHEN MARLEY; KATE FALCONER; HUGH GARVEY

rockfish, squid, steelhead, yellowtail.

smokerjim.com

Cruz Harbor and the excellent H&H

Seafood, this quaint and tidy beach bungalow in Santa Cruz’s Seabright

neighborhood has a kitchen and a little grill ready to support your culinary creativity. airbnb.com

The Sea Pearl in Santa Cruz.

WAT ER S O F T H E W EST 2021 • S U N S E T

With a flick of his wrist, Eduardo Garcia slingshots the bait meticulously fastened to his fly-fishing rod 40 feet upriver. The flexible, antenna-like rod catapults the weighted line with ease. Standing knee-deep in Montana’s Madison River, Garcia lands his cast with precision in a patch that, just moments before, was brimming with surfacing trout enjoying a feast of ghost flies. Each bank of the river reverberates with a chorus of redwinged blackbirds, their song a symphony joined by the soothing, ever-present rush of the Madison. Beyond one bank, an expansive grassland stretches for miles until abruptly confronted by snow-capped peaks that loom over a distant herd of whitetail deer in full gallop from an unseen instigator. On the other, the gurgling croak of a raven announces the predator’s robbery of a large goose egg it carries away in its beak. Perched atop a tree downriver, the unmistakable form and contrasting colors of a bald eagle, its head oscillating in surveillance of its domain. Around every bend, the rhythm of life and death carries on in the same uninterrupted dance that has graced Earth since the beginning, each plant and animal woven together in the primordial pursuit of surviving the day. There is unmatched beauty in this natural, almost ethereal, existence, one that puts me in a trance broken only by the optimistic splash of disturbed water. The mountain whitefish at the end of Garcia’s line flails wildly until the chef, balancing the fish between his hand and prosthesis, unfastens the catch and places it in a net. Kneeling into the water, Garcia cleans and guts the fish, using the clasping pair of hooks at the end of his carbon fiber limb to stabilize it. Garcia intends to make it our lunch tomorrow. A life is taken for sustenance. The dance goes on. arcia, until now, was a figure I knew only through social media and the soul-stirring documentary Charged: The Eduardo Garcia Story, which recounts his recovery from the one-in-a-million accident that cost him much of his left forearm. Those platforms provided adequate context for understanding his wellestablished status as a renowned cook who spent a decade as a peripatetic yacht chef, an avid outdoorsman who may hunt big game one day and bake a batch of banana bread the next, a motivational speaker, and the founder—or “Emperor of Flavor”—of the food company Montana Mex. Our first day together begins as an irresolute Montana teeters between Jack Frost’s last legs and irrefutable evidence of warmer seasons. Winter’s lingering snowpack lines many of

S U N S E T • WAT ER S O F T H E W EST 2021

the nearby peaks and rolling hills, some the result of a storm that delivered fresh powder just days earlier. “Mother Nature keeps us on our toes,” Garcia acknowledges. Fortune, however, favors us today. We rendezvous early, the lavender-hued mountains that encircle Bozeman glowing gently. It is here I hope to learn about the man behind the documentary, to better understand and share, as Garcia calls it, his “stoke,” an infectious zeal for living so many of us misplace in our youth. A necessary coffee (and breakfast burrito) detour delays our hourlong drive southwest toward the small town of Ennis. The ride is mesmerizing. Billowing hills and crests envelop us. An inconceivably vast sky welcomes a terrifically colossal sun that shepherds clouds across the blue expanse. It is a wild place existing outside of time, ostensibly undisturbed by the tampering of our species. “This is my ocean,” Garcia says, acknowledging the sights he has called home since 1986, when he moved to Montana from the Los Angeles suburbs with his mother, his sister, and his twin brother, Eugenio. Garcia’s father, after leaving to return to his home in Mexico when the twins were just three months old, reunited with the family when Garcia was a teenager. With three children to raise on her own, Garcia’s mother, a Montessori teacher and member of the L.A.-based spiritual

Opposite: Eduardo Garcia selects bait from his elaborate collection of flies. Below: Garcia walks carefully along the shallows of the Madison River near the town of Ennis.

community the Church Universal and Triumphant, moved the family alongside hundreds of other members to Montana, where the church had, years earlier, purchased 12,000 acres adjacent to Yellowstone National Park. “We didn’t have a deep cultural social blueprint at that young age, so when we moved to Montana, we were still absorbing and embracing the new, and there was enough room in our foundational makeup to let Montana be pretty formative,” Garcia says. “We just naturally took to living in the mountains. The strip mall became the pine tree forest out back. The beach was the river. We still went into town and went bowling and the movie theater every now and then, but our neighborhood became the creeks,

the riverbanks, the forests and woods. It was just what everyone here was doing.” The years that ensued were anything but serene. Garcia was kicked out of nine different schools—including preschool—for disruptive behavior. He began drinking and using drugs, prompting the difficult decision to enroll in a military school in New Mexico. But after being expelled yet again, a rambunctious Garcia returned to Montana, where he remained until his eventual acceptance into a Seattle culinary school. Through it all, it was a deep connection to Montana and the outdoors that anchored Garcia. And it was that same appreciation that, a decade ago, led him to embark on a solo excursion that would change his life forever. In October 2011, Garcia was on a routine hike in Montana’s backcountry near Paradise Valley, where we plan to spend our second day together, when he came across a curious steel barrel. The scene was an aberration, but was made even more eccentric by the sight of a dead bear carcass resting inside the drum. Prompted by a childlike inquisitiveness, “I took out my knife to touch it,” Garcia says. “Lights out.” When he regained consciousness, Garcia was nearly paralyzed on the forest floor. What he believed to be a dream those initial moments proved to be anything but. Making contact with the unmarked power line had throttled Garcia with 2,400 volts of electricity that burst through his body, tearing cavernous holes into his scalp, arms, and legs, and searing the flesh from much of his torso. Miraculously, Garcia, then nearly 30 years old, got to his feet and stumbled roughly three miles until he found someone who could call emergency services. He was airlifted to the burn treatment center in Salt Lake City, Utah, where doctors phoned close friends and relatives to suggest they say their goodbyes. Death, however, was not yet ready to receive Garcia. A series of operations—skin and muscle grafts, and the amputation of his left forearm—ensued over the course of 50 days in the intensive care unit. To compound matters, doctors monitoring Garcia’s rehabilitation informed him following a routine scan that they had discovered a mass. Garcia’s rehab would have to be put on hold while he underwent chemotherapy to treat stage two testicular cancer. full day of fishing the Madison leaves us shivering, damp, and ravenous, so we retreat to Ennis to refuel on burgers and beers. Gravel Bar beckons, its wood paneling, wood bar, wood seating, wood everything illuminated by the soft glow of incandescent bulbs and sports on TV. A waitress running sprints between tables stops momentarily, points us in the direction of an empty booth, then scurries away toward the next collection of patrons. I anticipate a brief stop, but accompanying a character as alluring as Garcia hardly encourages transience. Garcia is a wellspring of indefatigable curiosity about

WAT ER S O F T H E W EST 2021 • S U N S E T

those in his company, a trait complemented by his welcoming demeanor, soft voice, and kind eyes that inspire overt reflection of the intimate. I am no exception. At our booth Garcia opens up about the death of his father, Manuel, in 2017. His perspective is enlightening, a celebratory examination of mortality that emboldens me to share the particulars of my own father’s passing in 2019. I tell my story, surprised to hear what would typically be cagey utterances flowing freely in the presence of total strangers. Garcia’s eyes are alight, and as I conclude, he clasps my hand in celebration of my dad and says, “Yeah, Jon!” “My father became a dialysis patient in 2015,” he continues. “But at some point, the relief just simply doesn’t outweigh the ever-present pain. That came after two years.” Garcia’s father was a fourth-generation fisherman and hunter, and much like his son, Manuel knew death. Beyond the fact that Manuel lived his entire life with a hole in his heart, the elder Garcia had always been surrounded by that inherent order of family, friends, animals. Manuel was “deeply connected to that natural cycle,” Garcia says. “Death was there, but so was his love for life.” “When it came time to start talking about his mortality, it was really no different than he would approach a broken wing on a bird,” he says. “Let’s take care of it and see if it can survive. It was that comfortable for him. But at some Opposite: Eduardo point, he essentially said, ‘I think I’m ready to go.’ ” and Eugenio fish the lake on “This is home,” Garcia says, pulling his blue and In the twilight of his voyage, Manuel would often be Montana’s famed white 1969 Volkswagen Bus onto a shoulder. A wiry chaperoned by his twins for fishing trips on the YelStory Ranch in fence on one side is bare save for the “Grizzly Bear Area” lowstone River, where Garcia jokes his father would Paradise Valley. warning sign adoring one of its posts. From about 200 spend every day as long as the weather remained above Above: At Story Ranch, Garcia yards away, a young moose pauses mid-dash to peer at 50 degrees. untethers his canoe us skeptically. As they had always done, they openly discussed what from the roof of his The intoxicating medley of sights and smells, and the awaited Manuel. 1969 VW Bus. fluidity with which Garcia moves among it all, leaves me “We knew it was going to hurt,” Garcia says. “I rein awe. It’s hard to fathom that just 10 years ago, this member fishing and just emotionally saying, ‘It’s not man who calls this ocean of land home clung to the pedestrian that I want you to stay around for forever, because I see how sight of a park hill as a catalyst to escape the boat of Charon. much pain you’re in, but I’m going to miss you. I’m really going That hill, seen from the window of the Salt Lake City hospito miss hanging out with you.’ You end up realizing that you’re tal room where Garcia spent seven-plus weeks, played host to not really feeling their pain of sorrow, you’re just admitting all manner of hikers, joggers, cyclists, and dog walkers. The your own. sight tantalized a bedridden Garcia. “And in that moment, he just so bravely and naturally was “I’ve never looked at a piece of land for that long and not like, ‘When you miss me, just come here, come fishing, because touched it with my eyes and feet,” he says. “The day I got disI’ll be right here. When you feel that sun kiss your face, that’s charged, we walked up that hill as a family and had a good cry.” me. When the wind gets in your hair or wakes you up, that’s me, Garcia exited the intensive care unit 51 days after his accitoo.’ There’s a lot of encouragement to be found in someone dent. He’d left behind sections of muscle, ribs, skin, and one of that doesn’t surrender to loss. He wanted us to celebrate. He’ll his hands. The mind of the bilateral human now had to come to always be around.” terms with a unilateral existence. Despite myriad obstacles strewn across the road ahead, including receiving treatment n our last full day in Big Sky Country, Garcia tells me for—and beating—cancer, the transformative physical experito meet him and his brother Eugenio, founder of Canence yielded renewed perspective and an unquenchable thirst nabis Now magazine, midmorning at Wild Crumb for life. bakery, a must for pastry enthusiasts flocking to BozPrior to his injury, Garcia says, he would have been characeman. Today we’re driving to Paradise Valley. We’re just south terized as a “caring, loving person, embodied by ambitious enof Livingston when we turn onto a dirt road that winds along ergy. That resulted in a front-loaded pursuit of making sure I bubbling creeks and through dense forests before it opens to a succeeded, with ‘I’ the leading word. I think touching the void, vista of jagged summits and swollen green hills cut by the meanso to speak, acted as a reset on the compass north.” Garcia condering Yellowstone River. The scene leaves little to interpret as tinues, “My mom noted early on in my post-injury days that to how Paradise Valley got its moniker.

WAT ER S O F T H E W EST 2021 • S U N S E T

there was perhaps a lesson in humility that was simply a necessary part of future improvement. That’s a profound thing for a mom to say to a son in the ICU, but it’s the type of hard, loving truth that comes from a wise person and mentor.” Very little time elapsed post-injury before Garcia’s desire for the familiarities of cooking and the outdoors began laying the groundwork for the next chapter of his life. “Our bodies know what they need,” he says. And while these endeavors were therapeutic, the man often referred to as the “bionic chef” was just getting to know a self he was unaccustomed to. No longer was Garcia motivated by the individual successes that drove him in the past. There was a freedom to dig harder for the group at large. To embrace community. To possess the humility to ask for help. There was also a revived emphasis on cooking over a campfire, a method that any number of other chefs employ to great success. For Garcia this wasn’t merely a culinary choice, but a healing return to the wild and a message he could spread on social media. “Fire connects us to this timeless part of our human culture. It’s literally in our DNA,” he says. “Your ability to stay warm, survive, flourish is greater. And from a gustatory and gastronomic sense, it’s the best of both worlds. Your eyeballs are eating, your nose is eating, and of course, your mouth is ready to love the flavor. It’s not just the food. It’s the setting, the ambience, the complete story. The perfection is in the dance.” he famed Story Ranch in Paradise Valley is where Garcia and Eugenio finally stop the VW. In front of us is one of their favorite fishing holes, a small lake on the property Garcia says he used to sneak onto all the time as a young man. “Eventually, I figured I should probably just make friends with the owners,” he laughs. The brothers unload Garcia’s silver canoe, wooden oars, and fishing gear from the roof of the VW and set it down next to the lake.

The past 10 years have been a whirlwind for Garcia. The accident. The loss of his father. Running a business. TV appearances. Storyteller. But now, on the verge of 40, scenes like this, he says, make him want to slow down. “We have really got to make time for these moments,” he says contemplatively. “It’s so easy to roll past them. We have got to protect these opportunities and make room for them.” Garcia builds a crackling fire to heat portions of our lunch, then paddles out onto the lake with Eugenio. A steady breeze architects striated ripples across the water’s surface, blurring the composition of cerulean sky and velvety clouds that were reflected on its calm canvas moments earlier. I watch in a trance, the dancing fishing line tied to the conductor’s baton pirouetting and snapping with each leisurely cast. “AHHHH-HA-HA-HA-HAAAA!” A mariachi’s grito, echoing distantly like a bridge between dream and reality, blares from the VW’s stereo in a call to join the ensemble. A half-hour elapses. Perhaps longer. The brothers’ congruous presence among the lakes and undulating hills is bewitching. They eventually pull the canoe ashore and Garcia returns to cook over a fire. The catch from the previous day is part of a Montana Mex–inspired smorgasbord he’s prepared. Mild chiliand-lime watermelon, campfire grilled corn, orange and cilantro grilled chicken, “Papi’s Rice” (just the way Manuel made it), and, of course, some Montana tequila. The stillness of the day offers opportunity for more reflection on the last decade, a period Garcia hopes will inspire others to “kindle that fire to really celebrate life,” and yet it is seldom his past, despite its extraordinary table of contents, that holds his attention. In popular culture we often hear the word “legacy” uttered alongside tangible accolades stemming from the self-centered pursuits of the deceased. But just as his father so often spoke of a passion for life and inescapable fate beyond the scope of the individual, Garcia’s story, and eventual memory, is one he hopes endures long after he’s gone.

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Montana Mex

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Our incredibly smooth trip on the Madison River wouldn’t have been possible had it not been for our river guide, Gene White, owner of All Valley Anglers. A lifelong fisherman who calls the Madison Valley home, White provides tailored fly-fishing adventures on southwestern Montana’s rivers and lakes. Half- and full-day packages, as well as exclusive lodging, are available. Options range from $350 to $575; allvalleyanglers. com.

From its continually stocked supply of the latest fishing gear to a wide selection of equipment rentals, the River’s Edge has everything you need to get you ready for your next fishing adventure. An expert staff is eager to provide general advice and up-todate fishing reports, and the issuing of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks licenses on the spot will have you ready to hit the water as soon as you depart the store. Learn more at theriversedge.com.

Eduardo Garcia’s business launched in 2008 as a local line of small-batch salsas. Today, the company offers a nationally distributed collection of sauces, seasonings, and avocado oil that blend Latino culture with allorganic products designed to inspire creativity in the home kitchen. “This was started not just to make a product that tasted good,” Garcia says, “but to simply bring a dose of joy and happiness to someone’s life through a bite.” montanamex.com.

S U N S E T • WAT ER S O F T H E W EST 2021

Papi’s Pescado Frito “Absolutely my favorite way to cook fish for fish tacos is pescado frito,” says Garcia. “My father taught my brother and me, as his father taught him—six known generations of fishermen! Any whitefish like snapper or bass will work fine. Our family favorite is the Rocky Mountain whitefish, a member of the trout family that can be sustainably acquired throughout its native home in the Rocky Mountains. The fish is scaled, scored, and rubbed with sea salt and lime before being fried whole in a sea of crushed garlic. The crispy meat is pulled and wrapped inside a warm corn tortilla with habanero salsa. This is Papi’s Pescado Frito, and once you’ve eaten one with your hands it becomes something never to be forgotten.” SE RVES 4 TO 6

1–2 whole whitefish, cleaned and scaled, head and fins attached

3–4 limes, halved Sea salt to taste Avocado oil

1–2 heads of garlic, separated into cloves and gently crushed

FOR SERVING:

Limes, quartered

Montana Mex Jalapeño Seasoning

Sea salt

Warm corn tortillas

Montana Mex Habanero Salsa

1. Score or cut fish 3–4 times along each side. Start be-

hind the jaw or pectoral fin and cut through the meat to the backbone, perpen-

dicular to the spine. These cuts encourage even cooking.

2. Squeeze fresh lime juice

and sprinkle salt all over the fish and rub it into the score

marks and the interior. Use a touch more salt than you would for a fried egg.

“This doesn’t end when I’m done,” Garcia says to me. “We leave this mark, and if we craft it properly, we transfer everything we’ve learned, everything we’ve built, everyone we’ve loved, to others. So, when we do expire physically, our spirit is not lost. It just continues on pollinating others around us. What if we all woke up believing that our spark could be transferred to others? That makes me want to try harder. There’s so much that can be done to live a life on fire.”

3. Set a large frying pan over medium-high heat. If the

fish is too large for the pan, cut each one into 3 pieces (head, body, tail). Pour in

enough avocado oil to fill

the pan 1 inch deep. When the oil reaches 350°F—hot

enough to sizzle a fin—add the crushed garlic and fry until it is a deep golden

brown, then remove and set aside. Slowly add the fish. Be prepared: The pan will get lively! Use a spoon to

periodically baste the top of the fish with hot oil. When the underside is nicely

browned, flip the fish and continue to cook until all

sides are a deep brown and the skin is crispy. Remove to a plate and drain on a paper towel or newspaper.

4. To serve: Season the fried

fish with a squeeze of Lime

juice and a sprinkle of Jalapeño Seasoning or sea salt.

Pull the meat away from the bone and wrap up in a

warm corn tortilla, then top

with Montana Mex Habanero sauce and the reserved fried garlic.

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really fun to talk to the actual person about her life experiences. She’s a professor of chemistry, she lives in Santa Cruz, she went on to live this whole other life that also happens to include an epic relationship with surfing. And she still serves Mavericks today in her forties.

What’s your relationship with the outdoors? Sarah and the Big Wave isn’t

your first dive into water topics.

My relationship with the water started because my parents were swimmers and met in a swimming pool in Hong Kong. So then we swam, and grew up to become lifeguards and join the swim team, teach swimming lessons, and swim at the beach, but surfing was just not something that grabbed me until my late twenties. At the time, I

Making Waves

was doing a lot of travel journalism. I would go to these places and surfing

Journalist and author Bonnie Tsui on writing about female big wave surfers and the enduring wonders of water

was a really neat way to meet local people, but also to get to know the waterscape or seascape of a place.

Bonnie Tsui has been exploring the waters of the world for as long as she can remember. Growing up on Long Island, Tsui swam at community pools and beaches, and in her early twenties she developed a deep love for surfing. Her 2020 book Why We Swim explored the human instinct to seek out water. Tsui combines her admiration for surfing and the ocean in Sarah and the Big Wave: The True Story of the First Woman to Surf Mavericks ($18.99; us.macmillan.com), a children’s book highlighting Sarah Gerhardt, the first woman to surf Mavericks back in 1999.

Surf culture has been shifting more in recent years to become more inclusive. How do you think this book will

help encourage more positive change for women of all shapes and sizes to get out on the water?

As a Chinese American kid growing up in a really white town and finding my

Interview by MAG DALE NA O ’ N EAL

tribe on the swim team where it was really diverse and there were different

How did the idea for the children’s

write one on women’s big wave surf-

bodies of all shapes and colors and siz-

ing. I had two boys who were 5 and 8

es—that’s the place where I actually fi-

I wrote a magazine article on big-

years old, and that’s the exact age

nally felt at home. Growing up as a kid

wave women surfers who were pre-

bracket for a really good picture book,

paring for a season at Mavericks. I

so after a long and really good

talked about all of the things they were

conversation we decided to explore

doing to prepare, like running with

that direction.

boulders underwater, breath holding, strength training, obviously tons of surfing. All of the injury-prevention

Why do you feel like Sarah’s story was so important to focus on?

I ended up telling the story of one par-

“Access to water and swimming education is a very privileged thing. I wish universal swimming education was available in this country as part of the public school system.”

of working-class immigrants, I knew that it was a privilege to have the community pool nearby and how special that was. I’m always thinking about how access to the water and swimming education is a very privileged thing. I mean all of this to say that I care about

stuff that they would do to condition

ticular surfer, Sarah Gerhardt, who was

their bodies and get ready for not just

the first woman to surf Mavericks. In

surfing a really big wave but also pre-

terms of what a 5-to-8-year-old can

pare for what happens if you wipe out

digest in a story, the idea of “the first

with tons of water falling on you. A

ever” or “the one day that this major

something that happens in other coun-

children’s book editor in New York saw

event happened” is easy to grasp.

tries. With the book, it all comes down to

the story and called me up and asked

Gerhardt is clearly such an inspiring

trying to tell a really good story that will

if I’ve ever thought about writing chil-

and awesome figure and character,

inspire others, especially kids, to give

dren’s books and if I would want to

but also human. Beyond that it was

something new a try.

it a lot and I wish that universal swimming education was something that was available in this country as part of the public school system, which is

SUNSET (ISSN 0039-5404) publishes 6 issues per year in regional and special editions by Sunset Media Inernational Corporation, P.O. Box 15688 Beverly Hills, CA 90209. Periodicals postage paid at Oakland, CA, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 507.1.5.2.) Nonpostal and military facilities: Send address corrections to Sunset Magazine, P.O. Box 3228, Harlan, IA 51593-0408. Vol. 244, No. 4, Issue: Aug-Sep 2021. Printed in U.S.A. Copyright © 2021 Sunset Media International Corporation. All rights reserved. Member Alliance for Audited Media. Sunset, The Magazine of Western Living, The Pacific Monthly, Sunset’s Kitchen Cabinet, The Changing Western Home, and Chefs of the West are registered trademarks of Sunset Media International Corporation. No responsibility is assumed for unsolicited submissions. Manuscripts, photographs, and other material submitted to P.O. Box 15688 Beverly Hills, CA 90209 can be acknowledged or returned only if accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. For 24/7 service, visit sunset.com/customerservice. You can also call 1-800-777-0117 or write to Sunset Magazine, P.O. Box 3228, Harlan, IA 51593-0408. U.S. subscriptions: $24.95 for one year.

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