Sunset Wellness 2022

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Healthy Recipes Road Trip Escapes Holistic Home Designs Booze-Free Drinks How To

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CONTENTS WELLNESS

Curandera Felicia Cocotzin Ruiz shows us how to use aloe vera in healing remedies.

2

Editor’s Letter On what wellness means to us.

5

Best of the West Holistic recipes to keep you well this year; booze-free bars; and more.

Home & Garden

15

Where Plants Are Born Step inside Flora Grubb’s

gobsmackingly gorgeous

Southern California nursery.

28

Old House, New Tricks A small Berkeley cottage is renovated to pocket-size perfection.

38

Moment in the Sun A creative couple adds

playful vintage charm to a

1980s equestrian property in the California desert.

48

Checklist What to do in your garden

now, including compost tips and pants for your plants.

Food & Drink

53

Taste of Home New nostalgia is on the menu

Travel & Escapes

75

at Melissa Miranda’s Seattle

Forward-thinking spas are

THOMAS J. STORY

restaurant, Musang.

ON THE COVER

Castle Hot Springs in Morristown, Arizona.

Photograph by TH O MAS J. STO RY

60

Ojai Idyll The sisters behind new

California restaurant Rory’s

Place celebrate the opening.

Plus: What to do and where to dine in Ojai.

The Western Wellness Revolution redefining what it means to rejuvenate.

84

Insider Seasonal diversions and

secret travel tips from local experts in Telluride, Napa,

Palm Springs, and Portland.

88 WildLands

Climber Tommy Caldwell

wants to combat climate

change and offers tips for how you can help.

Voices of the West

96 Hybrid Housewares Seth Rogen took two

meditative practices and turned them into a

blossoming business.

WELLNESS 2022 • SUNSET

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Well and Good The butterflies were everywhere. Thousands fluttered through the canyon and the flowers like a Disney movie. Dragonflies darted through, hovering, alighting on a rock, a cactus, or a shoulder, and then careened off. It was like the first time you saw fireflies as a kid and the world for once lived up to what you want it to be and all was well and good. The world is that way if you know where to look. We did our best to find it and bring it back to you with this year’s wellness issue. The butterfly fantasia was down a twomile, teeth-chattering, unpaved, saguaro-lined road in Arizona at Castle Hot Springs, a centuryold spa and resort with natural mineral hot springs, where JFK rehabbed, the Roosevelts reSometimes wellness means a garden-to-glass treated, and we shot the cover of this issue of the cocktail, like this Daylight Savings from magazine.

Castle Hot Springs.

We picked Castle Hot Springs because it’s the sort of place where you can define exactly what wellness means to you. In the morning you can soak in lithium-rich, 100-plus-degree waters in said butterfly-thronged canyon, looking up at a waterfall of rocks pinstriped turquoise, amber, and green—then have a single-varietal mezcal back at the bar later in the day, if you so desire. You see wellness is on a continuum here and throughout the West. We met with Felicia Cocotzin Ruiz in Phoenix, where she shared her story of becoming a curandera, or healer, who uses plant medicine to restore mind and body and connect with the earth and oneself, which really are the same thing when you think about it. We took a pilgrimage to Ojai, that bohemian California town where healers and seekers have long sought solace. On this trip we sought food and came back with simple seasonal recipes from Meave and Rory McAuliffe, the sisters behind Rory’s Place, the town’s newest wood-fired restaurant. And we spoke with two cultural icons who find peace in very different ways: Tommy Caldwell, the legendary climber, and Seth Rogen, actor turned ceramicist and cannabis entrepreneur. Like I said, wellness is on a continuum.

This year we’ve got a lot of new things happening in the world of Sunset. On page 88 you’ll find a new section devoted to conservation and the great outdoors. It’s called WildLands, and it’s the print version of the beloved online franchise and newsletter written by J. D. Simkins (subscribe at sunset.com/newsletters). Outside of the magazine, we’re expanding the ways you can live the Sunset life. I highly recommend you sign up for our Best of the West subscription box at thesunsetbox.com.

It’s a quarterly gift box loaded with home, design, garden, and food products from the West and beyond, hand-picked by the editorial team. With spring just around the corner, we’ve loaded the next box with products for the garden and outdoor living, including an exclusive Sunset jigsaw puzzle! And I couldn’t be more excited to announce the new Sunset Wine Club, a quarterly collection of sustainably made wines from California, Oregon, and Washington, selected by a master of wine and paired to go with the recipes in each issue. It’s the issue come to life in your glass.

Cheers to whatever wellness means to you!

—Hugh Garvey,

CHAIRMAN & PUBLISHER

Michael A. Reinstein PUBLISHER

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Hugh Garvey CREATIVE DIRECTOR

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Thomas J. Story

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Kristin Scharkey DIGITAL EDITOR

Jennifer Konerman

CONTRIBUTING HOME & DESIGN EDITOR

Christine Lennon

CONTRIBUTING GARDEN EDITOR

Deanna Kizis

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Magdalena O’Neal

DIGITAL PRODUCER/NEWSLETTER EDITOR

Nicole Clausing STAFF WRITER

J. D. Simkins

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

Jamie Elliott

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Matt Gross

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SUNSET • WELLNESS 2022

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THOMAS J. STORY

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BEST

Healing Ingredients

Curandera Felicia Cocotzin Ruiz is sharing her wisdom for holistic wellness in a new book.

Story by KRI STI N SCHARKE Y Photograph by TH O MAS J. STO RY

OF T H E

WEST

Felicia Cocotzin Ruiz cradles a piece of freshly cut aloe vera between her fingers, delicately holding the plant she’s plucked from outside her home. Its dirt-clad roots stretch outward, its green leaves upward, almost as if it’s reaching out to touch her, too.

The Phoenix-based curandera can often be found with plants in her pockets—aloe vera gel has a variety of uses beyond being a widely known salve for sunburnt skin. For Ruiz, it’s an ingredient that can be added to cucumber medicine water or a calendula mist for sensitive skin, even hair gel. In her practice of curanderismo, which is rooted in generations-old, traditional Mexican healing ways, Ruiz says, aloe vera placed near your front door is believed to spiritually protect the home.

This is the type of wisdom in her new book, Earth Medicines: Ancestral Wisdom, Healing Recipes, and Wellness Rituals from a Curandera. Flip through the pages and you’ll find

WELLNESS 2022 • SUNSET

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SUNSET • WELLNESS 2022

FIRE

Fierce Tigress Body Balm “This hot and spicy topical balm is my version of the tried-and-true Chinese ointment called Tiger

Balm, which started showing up in health food stores decades ago for joint pain relief, headaches,

and then some,” Ruiz writes. “The basic principle behind the ointment is to help move qi and get the

blood flowing to areas of pain so healing can take place. However, although it is recommended as a

natural remedy, Tiger Balm does contain petroleum and paraffin. I love its scent and effectiveness, so I created my own version using beeswax, coconut oil, and plenty of essential oils that are beneficial for bringing fire and warmth to my areas of pain to get my blood flowing. This blend is made with a high

dilution of warming essential oils, as it is only meant to be applied to an area of pain. So, even though it smells fierce, please do not slather this on like body butter or get it too close to your eyes.”

MAKES ABOUT 3 OZ . ¼ cup solid coconut oil

2 Tbsp. beeswax pellets

1 Tbsp. menthol crystals 25 drops eucalyptus essential oil

25 drops peppermint essential oil

10 drops cinnamon leaf essential oil

10 drops clove essential oil

10 drops ginger essential oil

10 drops chili seed essential oil 3 oz. glass jar

1. Begin by gently melting the

coconut oil, the beeswax pellets, and the menthol crystals in a double boiler.

2. While the mixture is melting, measure out your essential

oils in a small glass, such as a shot glass.

3. Once the beeswax mixture

has melted, turn off the heat and allow it to sit a few minutes to cool slightly.

4. Pour your essential oils into your beeswax mixture and stir it with a wooden

chopstick. Immediately pour

it into your glass jar. Seal and label.

5. To use, apply the balm to areas of pain, keeping it away

from your eyes. If your mixture thickened too quickly, warm it up briefly to liquify.

EXCERPTED FROM EARTH MEDICINES: ANCESTRAL WISDOM, HEALING RECIPES, AND WELLNESS RITUALS FROM A CURANDERA BY FELICIA COCOTZIN RUIZ (ROOST BOOKS, 2021). PHOTOGRAPHS BY NICKY HEDAYATZADEH.

an array of thoughtful remedies collected and crafted over decades as an indigenous foods activist and natural foods chef in the Sonoran Desert­—“one of the most edible and medicinal landscapes of North America,” as Ruiz writes.

Her practice has garnered a following in the region and beyond, from author and television host Padma Lakshmi to celebrated publications such as Food & Wine.

The book is organized according to four elements—water, air, fire, and earth—and recipes range from “hydrating skin food,” such as cucumber salad, and nopales medicine water to facial mists, hair moisturizers, mouth rinses, and more. Through it all, Ruiz shares stories and insight from her time in the desert, “living on this land and later working with this land,” as she writes, which has allowed her to “come full circle” not only professionally but also “as a person reclaiming their Indigenous roots.” Ruiz traces her own Mexican, Spanish, and Tewa lineage “far into Northern New Mexico” in the book, and her passion for plant medicine to her greatgrandmother who crafted remedios in Old Town Albuquerque.

“Holistic living, holistic wellness, that’s so trendy to talk about now. But all it is is Indigenous living,” Ruiz tells me. “It’s going to be plant medicine. It’s going to be food. It’s going to be breathing and being outside, walking and getting sunshine. All of those things are not new. But the book, I’m hoping, will help people recognize that we all come from somewhere. This is all in our DNA. We just need to remember.”

Here, we’re grateful to excerpt a few recipes from Earth Medicines—one from each element—to help you get started, or continue, on that journey.

EARTH

Sedona Bath Soak

“When I was a child, our family would drive to Sedona

the day at Oak Creek Canyon,” Ruiz writes. “I loved playing in

MAKES 2½ CUPS (FO R A B O U T 5 B AT H S)

having lunch by the water. Now that I am an adult, I can see

¼ cup red clay

It is a spiritually captivating place that Native peoples in-

1 cup baking soda

nected to the Earth’s chakra system. This bath soak recipe is

10 drops juniper berry essential oil

scented with juniper berry essential oil to mimic the twisted

20 oz. glass jar

during Phoenix summers to escape the heat and spend

NICKY HEDAYATZADEH

the creek with my siblings, going fishing with my dad, and

1. Put all the ingredients except for the carnelian gemstone in a bowl and mix with a wooden spoon.

2. Add the carnelian gemstone to the mixture to infuse into the salt.

why Sedona is considered the New Age capital of the world.

1 cup Epsom salt

3. Store the mixture in a glass jar with a

habited and cherished long before it was said to be con-

¼ cup sweet almond oil

4. To use your bath soak, draw a warm

designed to help relieve sore muscles and is delicately

1 small carnelian gemstone

juniper trees found throughout the area. The carnelian

gemstone added at the end infuses your bath soak, helping circulate vital energy to your center, just like Sedona itself.”

lid and label.

bath, placing a handful of the mix-

ture into the water to dissolve, leav-

ing the gemstone in the jar. Soak for 20 minutes. Keep in mind that pig-

mented clays can stain white towels,

robes, and rugs, so plan accordingly.

5. Gently pat your skin dry.

WELLNESS 2022 • SUNSET

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MAKES 4 SE RVI NGS

Cucumber Aloe Vera Medicine Water

HOW TO MAKE

Aloe Vera Gel

8

1 large cucumber, peeled and chopped 1 cup fresh lime juice

1 tsp. ground turmeric 1 Tbsp. chia seeds

½ cup fresh aloe vera gel, store-bought

for consumption or harvested from an

meric, chia seeds, and aloe gel in a

blender (working in batches if necessary) and pulse until smooth, adding

more water if needed to achieve desired consistency.

2. Add a sweetener of your choice to taste.

3. Serve chilled or over ice.

aloe vera leaf

Natural sweetener (honey or maple syrup, optional)

“You can find fresh aloe vera leaves at most Mexican grocery stores,” Ruiz writes in Earth Medicines. “To prepare the aloe vera gel, first trim the base and the top of the leaf. Drain the aloin (yellow substance) from the leaf by placing it in an upright container or in your kitchen sink for about 10 minutes. You will see the aloin ooze out from the bottom. Although it is not toxic, it has a strong bitter flavor. After 10 minutes, place the aloe vera with the flat side down on a cutting board and slice off the spiny sides. Using a vegetable peeler or small paring knife, remove the bright-green layer. Use a spoon to remove the gel or slide your knife under the gel to carefully release it from the other side. You can now cut your gel into small pieces and refrigerate.”

SUNSET • WELLNESS 2022

NICKY HEDAYATZADEH

WATER

4 cups water

1. Put the water, cucumber, lime juice, tur-

AIR

Gentle Strength Face Mask

“When I was first exploring natural body care and food, I had a favorite store I would visit in Tempe, Arizona,

called Gentle Strength Co-op,” Ruiz writes. “It was more than a ‘health food’ store—it was a space for those in our com-

½ small avocado, peeled

support one another during a time when American diets

1 tsp. honey

munity who shared similar ideas and goals to meet and

2 Tbsp. aloe vera gel (see page 8)

were shifting and beauty standards were far from natural. It

1 tsp. powdered wheatgrass

1. Using a fork, mash the avocado in a small bowl until smooth.

2. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well using a small spoon.

3. To use the mask, apply to a clean

face using your fingertips and leave on the skin for 15 minutes. Rinse with

was where I learned about the macrobiotic diet and tried

warm water. Pat dry. Store any re-

wheatgrass makes it superior in helping deliver more oxy-

frigerator for up to 1 week.

wheatgrass juice. The high oxygen content of chlorophyll in NICKY HEDAYATZADEH

M A K E S 1 M AS K

maining mask in a glass jar in the re-

gen to our blood. Touted as a powerful detoxifier, when taken internally, wheatgrass offers over 100 elements that are essential for vital health! When applied to our skin, it can

help with the effects of premature aging due to its potent antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.”

To learn more about Felicia Cocotzin Ruiz, visit her website kitchencurandera.com

WELLNESS 2022 • SUNSET

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SUCKERPUNCH Portland

After the pandemic put a pause on this pop-up bar’s early success thanks to

drinks like Straight from the Fire (left)

made with roasted

Booze-Free Bars

corn tea and smoked pecan wood maple syrup, it’s back with

DIY cocktail kits and a brick-and-mortar

space in the works.

SUCKERPUNCH.STORE

Sober establishments are gaining momentum throughout the West.

Walking into the lavender-colored Los Angeles building that’s home to Soft Spirits, a shop flanked by row upon row of gleaming glass bottles with a fridge in the back that beckons with canned cocktails and beer, it’s difficult to imagine there’s not a drop of alcohol here. Not in the Wilderton botanical spirit made with cardamom and pine-smoked tea. Not in the Optimist blend of lavender, jasmine, and cinnamon leaf. Not in the Sovi sparkling rosé.

The nonalcoholic outpost is the latest in a growing number of sober bars and shops that are gaining a foothold amid rising interest in zero-proof beverages—and brickand-mortar spaces to consume them. A constellation of factors led to the proliferation, owners say, from the pandemic’s acceleration of Americans’ reckoning with alcohol—drinking alone at home was perhaps “not the vibe,” Soft Spirits owner Jillian Barkley says—to higher-quality spirits that allow for beverages that are truly well crafted, not fruit-juice-and-sugar imitations of classic cocktails.

You can drink a multicolored King Tide with a kombucha floater at Ocean Beach Cafe in San Francisco. Or head to Awake Denver, an alcohol-free bar, bottle shop, and coffeehouse that offers live music and other entertainment; pull up a stool to sip an Incandescently Happy elixir made with lemon, lavender, and blue lotus tea.

“One of the biggest fears is that it’s not going to be fun.

You can get rid of that thought,” says Ocean Beach Cafe owner Joshua James, who is trying to build the largest nonalcoholic selection in the country. “What it’s going to do is open up a lot more opportunities to have some genuine fun and connection—and there’s no hangover.”

Many owners stress these spaces aren’t just for people in active sobriety. Patrons range from pregnant couples to curious millennials to folks who just want to drink less.

Ready to sip your way through the sober-curious revolution? Here are some of the hottest spots in the West.

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SUNSET • WELLNESS 2022

CARLY DIAZ/IG: @CARLY.E.DIAZ

Story by KRI STI N SCHARKE Y

MAKE YOUR OWN WE CAN’T STOP SIPPING THESE ZERO-PROOF BOTANICAL SPIRITS MADE IN THE WEST.

AMASS Honestly, we like the 14-botanical Riverine on its own over ice, garnished with a lemon peel. $40; AMASS.COM

↑

SOFT SPIRITS Los Angeles LOCATIONS - CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: JILLIAN BARKLEY; @STANTAKESPICTURESSOMETIMES; © HESTER DROOG

Owner Jillian Barkley started out giving recommendations on Instagram be-

fore opening this shop. Barkley still offers guidance to any customer who

walks through the door, not to mention tastings outside on Sunset Boulevard.

SOFTSPIRITS.CLUB

↗

O CEAN BEACH CAFE San Francisco

OPTIM IST Inspired by Los Angeles, Fresh pairs well with sparkling water and basil. $35; OPTIMISTDRINKS.COM

For $25 per person, owner Joshua

James will pour you as many nonalcoholic beverages as “comfortably” possible in an hour-long tasting at the cafe just a block from the ocean.

OCEANBEACHCAFE.COM

→

AWAKE Denver

When Billy and Christy Wynne stopped drinking, they opened a sober bar,

bottle shop, and coffeehouse all in one. Expect zero-proof margaritas,

daiquiris made with activated charcoal, or a Heat of the Night with gin-

ger-turmeric bitters. AWAKEDENVER.COM

WILDE RTON Earthen + lemonade = a match made in heaven.

Just add lavender simple syrup. $33; WILDERTONFREE.COM

WELLNESS 2022 • SUNSET

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S

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ON TREND: THE FEEL-GOOD KITCHEN

Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery experts can make your life easier with state-of-the-art appliances and lighting, like in this kitchen by Laura and Cliff Muller of Four Point Design and Build Inc.

Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery partners with homeowners to create modern kitchen suites that support a healthy lifestyle by integrating the latest in technology, aesthetics, and function.

Ask a person to define what wellness is, and they may fire off critical components such as a varied, wholesome diet, regular exercise, great medical care, or work/life balance.

But what about innovative lighting that takes our sleep rhythms into account? Or ventilation that ensures clean air in the kitchen? Or smart, predictive appliances that keep a home safe?

As our understanding of “healthy living” expands, our home design strategies are adapting to create an environment that supports this knowledge. The experts at Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery, our Sunset Idea House partner, are tuned in to the latest research and ready to help homeowners make critical decisions for their kitchen, lighting, and bathroom design needs.

“New discoveries about the interconnectedness of home and holistic health become an inspiration for reflecting our desired state of wellness in our kitchen and bath design,” says Stefanie Stroud, Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery category lighting specialist showrooms/builder for Southern California and Hawaii.

Take, for example, Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery’s

Human Centric Lighting—part of an industry trend that takes into account how artificial light stimulates the brain, in positive and negative ways, and how access to plentiful natural light can ensure a happier, healthier brain.

“Science has shown that artificial light simulating changes in natural daylight can help stabilize our day/night biorhythms, boost our sense of well-being and improve our health,” adds Stroud. “There are a few ways we can design lighting in a home to help achieve the same output from going outside.”

And what about stress? Selecting state-of-the-art appliances that communicate with homeowners through wi-fi connections can offer serious peace of mind, and Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery experts understand how to make that happen “to make your life smarter, easier, greener, safer, and healthier,” particularly in the kitchen, says Stroud.

The devices and appliances can communicate potential risks in realtime by transmitting an alert to the homeowner’s mobile device or shutting off an appliance or faucet that has been left on by mistake, preventing potential fires or flooding.

“Additionally, as the home industry continues to evolve and expand, we can achieve an optimal, desired level of health and happiness using emerging home technology,” says Stroud.

Stay tuned for more real-time updates from the Sunset Malibu Idea House, designed with input from the Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery experts, and the latest Monogram appliances.

BRING YOUR VISION TO US The experts at Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery are here to help create a home that’s as extraordinary as you are.

Any project, any style, any dream—bring your inspiration to Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery. Visit build.com/ferguson to schedule your personalized showroom experience today.

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HOME

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GARDEN

Where Plants Are Born An exclusive look at plant icon Flora Grubb’s gobsmackingly gorgeous nursery, and how she grows the plants we love best.

Story by D EAN NA KIZ I S • Photographs by TH O MAS J. STO RY

WELLNESS 2022 • SUNSET

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Grubb & Nadler Nurseries: By the Numbers

32

acres of cultivation

2½

acres of unheated shade houses

14,000

square feet of heated greenhouses

1,400+ plant varieties

Flora Grubb, the face of iconic San Francisco plant store Flora Grubb Gardens, which she co-owns with her partner, Saul Nadler, has a secret. Yes, it says right on their website that they own a nursery, about 50 miles outside San Diego.

But this is the first time that Grubb & Nadler Nurseries has ever been shot by a magazine, newspaper, or website.

We intend to roll out the green carpet, too, because Grubb deserves the accolades. An accomplished landscape designer, she’s spent the last 19 years finding the low-water, sculptural plants that make for head-turning gardens. (She started gardening as a child, then quit high school “to do a little landscaping” and pull weeds between babysitting gigs.) Today, her garden store is so well-loved that visitors are prone to write gushing, five-star Above: head growreviews on Yelp like “I wish I lived er Gregg Ophere” and “This place gave me life!!!!” genorth; opposite Speaking of life, Grubb & Nadler page, clockwise Nurseries is brimming with it. Spanfrom top: Flora Grubb at her nursning 32 acres, the visuals are a jolt to ery; a bird’s eye the system: Row upon row of Euphorview of the plants; bia tirucalli ‘Sticks on Fire’ gleam in the property the afternoon sun against a backdrop brims with life.

of Mexican fan palms, while plants like Philodendron ‘Birkin’ and Ficus ‘Audrey’ glint in the greenhouses in shades that run the gamut from beerbottle green to citron.

The nursery has long focused on growing outdoor plants, but, perhaps not surprisingly, in 2019 Grubb expanded into houseplants, too. “Customers find real satisfaction in knowing how to nurture another living thing,” Grubb says. Meanwhile, young people have been coming to her store in droves since the start of the pandemic. (“I have this joke,” she says. “ ‘Things 19-year-olds say: ‘I have 20 houseplants in my bedroom,’ ‘I have 30 houseplants in my bedroom.’ ” ) You may be surprised to learn that Grubb didn’t know how houseplants were propagated until she started doing so herself. “It was one of those things that’s always been right in front of my eyes that I hadn’t ever thought about,” she says, marveling at the facts we’re about to reveal on the following pages. And when she did find out? Her eyes take on an excited cast as she says, “My mind was blown.”

Join us on a tour of Grubb & Nadler Nurseries to learn how plants are propagated—plus how to do it yourself at home—as Grubb reveals what it takes to build a nursery that puts your favorite plants into your home or garden.

“I’ve never talked to a single person about how plants are propagated who hasn’t been delighted by it.”

WELLNESS 2022 • SUNSET

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The Cool Kids

THESE HOUSEPLANTS ARE FLYING OFF THE SHELVES AT FLORA GRUBB GARDENS.

Ficus umbellata

“There’s so much fiddle-leaf fig overload that people are searching for the next thing. This plant has nominated itself as a contender,” Grubb says. That said, Ficus umbellata is so new to the trade, she says, few know what a 15-year-old one will look like in your house.

CARE: Don’t let it go completely dry before watering.

Bright, indirect light.

Monstera deliciosa

No surprises here, but “people cannot get enough of this plant,” says Grubb.

“And I can’t get enough of it. It’s just so beautiful.”

CARE: You can let this Monstera get almost dry before watering. Bright to medium indirect light.

Gasteraloe ‘Green Ice’

“These rare little succulent houseplants look like they’ve been hand painted by an artist,” Grubb says.

CARE: Water when completely dry.

Very bright, indirect light.

Alocasia ‘Regal Shields’: Philodendron ‘Birkin’:

“Such a super-trendy plant,” Grubb says, pointing out that until they became more available, a Philodendron ‘Birkin’ could cost $1,000 online.

CARE: Keep soil moist. Bright, indirect light.

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SUNSET • WELLNESS 2022

With leaves that resemble shields, this Alocasia can grow up to 6 feet tall indoors. Says Grubb, “They look so cheerful to me.”

CARE: Water more and fertilize if you want larger leaves, less if you want a smaller plant.

Bright, indirect light.

Monkey Tail:

A weeping cactus, Cleistocactus colademononis grows several feet down the side of a pot. Bonus points if you want to break down the name in Latin (Cola means tail; mono means monkey.)

CARE: Water when completely dry. Very bright direct or indirect light.

What Makes a Houseplant a Houseplant?

“ALL PLANTS ARE OUTDOOR PLANTS, BUT ONLY SOME OUTDOOR PLANTS CAN BE HOUSEPLANTS,” GRUBB SAYS. HOW’S THAT FOR A TONGUE TWISTER? TO SURVIVE ­I NDOORS, THREE CONDITIONS MUST BE MET:

1. The plant must

2. The plant can’t

3. The plant must

growing in a rela-

pot you keep it in,

stand the lower

be able to tolerate tively small pot.

get too big for the or it could bust

right through it.

be able to with-

light conditions we

have in our homes.

That said, make no mistake, there is some mystery involved.

“We don’t know why some plants won’t grow inside,” Grubb says. “But kind of like how we don’t have relationships with squirrels, but we do with dogs and cats, it’s special that some plants will live with us in our homes.”

Money Plant

“Pilea peperomioides starts as a cute little plant, but then the coin-shaped leaves get bigger and bigger until they reach about 2 ½ inches,” says Grubb.

CARE: Water deeply when topsoil is dry.

Can tolerate medium to bright light.

“It’s pretty endlessly pleasurable, just walking around and trying to figure out what each plant wants and how to really make each one really happy. It’s just like what a home gardener does, but on a much larger scale.”

WELLNESS 2022 • SUNSET

21

The Root of the Matter Here’s a thought experiment: Say you go to your local plant store—or get a delivery from one of the many online plant companies famous for their unboxing videos. Do you understand the magic that needed to happen before your new plant baby hit the pot? Was it propogated by seed? you wonder. No, not by seed. By sticking a cutting in water?

Nope, not that way either. Here’s the inside scoop from Flora Grubb and her nursery’s head grower, Gregg Opgenorth.

TEENY TINY PLANTS Plants that are micropropagated—or

cloned—begin their

lives in labs with Terminator-sounding

names like Rancho Tissue Technology and

Micro Paradox. The lab peels the leaves off

the mother plant until they get to the meri-

stem, which is where new leaves are

formed, then puts that in a petri dish and adds growth hor-

mones until they get

A CUT ABOVE

When using the cane

For the cutting meth-

which are later potted.

climate-appropriate

tings are taken from

plants? Aw, cute!)

arrive looking like a

propagation is fast.

roots). Opgenorth pots

erwise it could take

growing medium and,

of the moth orchids we

the plants until they’re

Joe’s.”

method, producers in places like Central

America take a cutting from the mother plant, which then arrives in

the United States looking, as Grubb puts it,

“like a dead stick.” Opgenorth puts the cuttings in the green-

house and gives them exactly the right care until they are large

enough to be sold. “I

have half a million little children,” he says with a laugh.

Cool Factor: The result looks like a little tree.

od, 2- to-8-inch cut-

(Wait, multiple tiny

the mother plant and

Cool Factor: Micro-

plant stub (as in, no

Says Opgenorth: “Oth-

these in the correct

years to grow enough

once again, cares for

see for sale at Trader

ready to sell.

Cool Factor: You retain what you love about the plant parent. It

turns out that, just like

with kids, plants grown from seed can have

different characteristics from the parents.

And many of us know

how challenging that can be.

22

multiple tiny plants,

IN THE STICKS

SUNSET • WELLNESS 2022

MAKE YOUR OWN MONSTERA PROPAGATING FROM A CUTTING IS NOT ONLY SIMPLE, IT’S FREE. Photograph by CAITLI N ATKI N SO N

Step 1: Look for the

node, a little brown protrusion from

which new roots will grow.

Step 2: Snip the

stem below the

node with sharp

shears or a razor.

You want at least

one leaf, but preferably you’ll have two or three, so

your plant will look

great when it’s time to pot it.

Step 3: Place your

cutting in a heavy jar or vase filled

with filtered water.

Be sure your con-

tainer isn’t gooseneck-shaped, or you could break

roots off when you try to remove the plant.

Step 4: It’s not nec-

essary to change

the water, but add more water as needed.

Step 5: When a new

cluster of roots

have grown, pot

your new Monstera deliciosa in soil

and welcome your new plant baby to the world.

WELLNESS 2022 • SUNSET

23

Felt Bush

A suggestive-looking succulent, Kalanchoe beharensis adds bright green color to outdoor landscaping. When grown indoors, it makes for an excitingly unusual houseplant.

Fatsia ‘Spider’s Web’

A tropical-looking stunner with palm-like leaves that are splashed in white. Even though it’s evergreen, Fatsia ‘Spider’s Web’ grows high-contrast new foliage every year.

Unthirsty Lushes Trends come and go, but Grubb grows plants that are right for California’s Mediterranean climate. Right now, green and leafy is all the rage. “Lush feels like abundance to people,” she says. “It feels like life.” The challenge is to find plants that aren’t water-guzzlers. Here are four plants to up your outdoor landscape’s foliage factor and, once established, use less H20.

Blue Mediterranean Fan Palm

With its gorgeous light-verdigris hue, Chamaerops humilis cerifera is originally from Morocco and known for its hardiness. It can be grown from Southern California all the way up to southern Washington.

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SUNSET • WELLNESS 2022

Succulent Bush Senecio

Landscape designers love Senecio barbertonicus because it’s a green and grassy-looking succulent. “It does for landscapes what a leafy plant usually does, without using a lot of water,” Grubb says.

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78

Unbox the West

The Sunset Subscription Box delivers the Best of the West straight to your door!

Here at Sunset, we are constantly on the lookout for the people, places, and products that embody the spirit of the West. Now we’re going beyond the pages of the magazine to curate boxes full of home, design, food, and gardening items to help you make the most of every season.

Sign up now at thesunsetbox.com!

With a quarterly subscription, you can choose the box that fits your style and price point, then get ready to be surprised and delighted by what you find inside!

Our next box will be full of goodies for gardening and other outdoor activities—plus a Sunset jigsaw puzzle exclusively available to box subscribers.

Our first box featured Oregon salt, a three-wick candle, a Joshua Tree blanket, upcycled napkins, and more!

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S

P

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D

POWER PLAY A state-of-the-art electrical panel, like the Square D™ Energy Center from Schneider Electric,™ is the secret to a “future-proof” home that’s in step with our changing electrical needs.

Schneider Electric’s Square D Energy Center smart panel allows you to monitor and control power use from your phone.

You can alter the color of your light bulbs from your phone, chat with the mailman at your front door through a pocket-sized security camera while you’re on vacation, program your stove to cook an entire meal at varying temperatures, and even ask an AI speaker to read you a bedtime story. But all that exciting, wired, “smart home” technology magic ends when you open the metal box that contains your electrical panel—a rudimentary system of circuit connectors that has employed the same basic design for decades. There’s nothing “smart” about that.

Schneider Electric, maker of the Square D Energy Center smart panel, is looking to change that. Its state-of-the-art panels allow homeowners to install a “wiser” energy center that allows them to monitor and control power use from their phone.

“Anyone who has a smart meter can go on to a dashboard and see their energy usage in real time,” says Bradford Wills, director of strategic customers and programs at Schneider Electric. “Before, you could only see total power usage. Now, you can watch it more granularly, seeing where your system uses the most energy, whether it’s with the HVAC or your clothes dryer, and make behavioral changes. You can see that you’re making a difference.”

As we all spent more time at home, having stable electricity is even more important. Now an outage isn’t just an inconvenient Netflix interruption; a power outage can prevent you from finishing a work assignment or submitting a project before its deadline. With Square D Energy Center, homeowners can switch from utility to, say, battery or generator power from a mobile app. And they can make that battery or generator

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power last longer by using the same app to turn off devices in their home that aren’t as important, like a coffee maker, to keep critical devices on, such as a Wi-Fi router.

“Most homes just aren’t ready for electrical upgrades,” adds Wills.

“For example, if you lose power during an emergency, you can go to the hardware store and buy a generator. But it’s impossible to connect it to your current panel without a professional. The Square D solution is designed with that connectivity built in.”

Ford has announced that its latest electric vehicle, the Ford F150 Lightning, can function as a home generator in an emergency. And the Square D panel makes that hook up possible, safely and easily. Transparency with electrical usage and resilient home power can also provide peace of mind.

“I was getting notices about the refrigerator door using more power than it typically does when I was out of town,” adds Wills. “I could see that the door was open, even when I was out of state. People have installed these systems in their elderly parents’ houses. They watch for the coffee maker to come on in the morning, and they know that everything’s OK. Sustainability, transparency, and resilience: That’s the future of in-home power.

If you’re remodeling a home, building from the ground up, or considering electrical upgrades to newer, more efficient appliances, talk to your electrician about the Square D Energy Center or for more information visit www.shop.se.com/us/en/connected-home/energy-center

12/16/21 8:45 PM

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Old House, New Tricks When a Berkeley couple was faced with the choice to sell their empty nest or put in the time and resources to remodel, they chose the latter.

The end result is pocket-size perfection that maximizes every square inch.

Story by

Page

Photographs by

CH RI STI N E LE N N O N

28

TH O MAS J. STO RY

Here’s a story that will sound familiar to anyone feeling the crunch of the West Coast housing market while staring their child-free future in the eye.

After 15 years in their 1910 Edwardian Craftsman house, and having raised two now-grown daughters, a Berkeley couple arrived at a crossroads. Should they sell their beloved but somewhat tired 1,100-square-foot house, just a handful of blocks from Chez Panisse and the East Bay’s renowned culinary district? Should they cash in to the highest bidder and simplify their lives? Or could they dig in, take everything they’ve learned to love (and hate) about their house, and use that wisdom to make it the best version of itself?

“It’s like seeing an old flame in a new light,” says Brett Foken, founder of Decorotation, the five-year-old Bay Area design firm the homeowners discovered once they decided to stay put.

Foken and her design partner Kathryn Lazarus helped their clients rekindle that spark and fall in love with their house again. The result was a two-year renovation.

At first, it was difficult to see through the flaws of an older house that felt dark, cramped, and loved a little too much. But thanks to the design team’s vision, and a truckload of patience, the payoff felt more meaningful than starting over.

“When I looked back at the original brief, which was for a much smaller project, I thought, ‘Oh, that’s cute,’” Foken says with a laugh. Her clients were not looking for a full gut, but once they started imagining all of the possibilities, like functional storage in every room, and multi-purpose living areas that made the house feel more spacious and streamlined, the scope of the work creeped into every square interior inch—and then out to the 2,000-square-foot lot.

Working with Chris McDermott Construction, Foken and Lazarus gutted the kitchen, adding a wall of windows and French doors to bring in new light, a builtin eating nook, a hidden laundry area, and soapstone countertops. In the living room, they refaced the fireplace in Fireclay Brick tile, and upgraded even the most minute details, adding push-button light switches, custom designed wallpaper and grasscloth, and fresh coats of moody paint from Farrow & Ball.

The clients’ two offices pull double-duty as guest rooms for frequent visits with their children. Upstairs, the primary suite is a delight, with coved ceilings and wainscoting. Outside, a full garden refresh from California landscape design studio OR.CA—including a conversation circle, a dinGrass-cloth wallpaper

by Fayce textiles ing area, and an enviable Japanese soaking tub—was complements a custhe finishing touch. tom bench designed “The value of a house isn’t simply financial when it with the Long Conficomes to older homes,” says Foken. “It’s easy to be dence using ZAK+FOX fabric. Lostine hooks guided by social media and caught up in trends. We keep bags and coats didn’t pay attention to the shoulds but focused on the organized in this clients’ lifestyle, interests, and the house’s original well-used entryway. bones. We kept going back to the phrase ‘the new heirloom.’ What that means to us is creating a home that will be cherished for generations.”

In the primary bedLiving small, but intentionally, makes homeowners room, Parchute bedthink carefully about what they want and need, and ding is paired with establishes clear priorities, says Foken.

Claire Burbridge wallpaper and an Arma“When you live in one place for so long, it can be dillo rug, plus a bedhard to imagine things another way,” Foken says. “In frame and the end, we were able to focus on every single detail, nightstands from the and take something old and make it new again.”

Joinery.

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SUNSET • WELLNESS 2022

Farrow & Ball’s Inchyra Blue paint adds a pop of color to the exterior of the home, which features sconces by Rejuvenation.

A firepit and enviable Japanese soaking tub complete the cozy backyard.

More wallpaper from Claire Burbridge can be found in the guest bedroom. Burbridge, a friend of the client, is an artist based in Ashland, Oregon, whose work focuses primarily on nature.

A gallery wall features the homeowners’ art collection in the living room, where a Schoolhouse green velvet sofa pairs well with a repurposed leather chair and rug, plus Lostine table lamps and a Sobu Dial coffee table.

A custom white oak vanity designed by Decorotation is the star in this bathroom bedecked in Fireclay tile on the floor and walls, a Watermark faucet, and Brendan Ravenhill sconces to bring some warmth to the space.

A white clawfoot tub is an ideal spot to relax.

“We didn’t pay attention to the shoulds but focused on the clients’ lifestyle, interests, and the house’s original bones,” says designer Brett Foken, founder of Decorotation.

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33

Top: In the kitchen, customdesigned cabinetry is paired with soapstone countertops and backsplash. Above: A peek into the guest bathroom, where a vintage typwriter also sits.

34

The kitchen also features antique brass cabinet hardware from a small maker found on Etsy, plus a custom-designed, super-deep open shelf niche for storing cookbooks and other odds and ends.

SUNSET • WELLNESS 2022

A custom storage bench by Decorotation is topped with cushions by ZAK+FOX fabric. The trestle table and stools are by the Long Confidence.

A Schoolhouse pendant hangs over the kitchen dining area, while Marvin windows and French doors welcome friends and family out to the backyard.

Outside, a full garden refresh from California landscape design studio OR.CA—including an conversation circle, a dining area, and the soaking tub—was the finishing touch for the home.

“We kept going back to the phrase ‘the new heirloom,’” says Brett Folken. “What that means to us is creating a home that will be cherished for generations.”

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37

MOMENT

I N

T H E

SUN Story by CH RI STI N E LE N N O N Photographs by TH O MAS J. STO RY Sunset Page 39

A CREATIVE COUPLE, RESTLESS DURING QUARANTINE AND ITCHING FOR CHANGE, TAKES ON A HOME RENOVATION PROJECT DEEP IN THE CALIFORNIA DESERT, ADDING PLAYFUL VINTAGE CHARM AND RUSTIC MODERN FLAIR TO A 1980S EQUESTRIAN PROPERTY.

IF comes to life with a buzz or a ding, the interruption is likely coming straight from an online real estate marketplace. When an unusual house on the West Coast pops up on Redfin or Zillow, a property that has serious potential but could use some attention, trust that she will be clicking through. It’s a kind of game that Anna, a wardrobe stylist, and her husband, Gavin, a creative executive in advertising, have been playing for years. They send each other listings—like an architectural modern in an unexpected spot in the hills near Fresno, or a wind-swept cottage in Sea Ranch that needs a refresh—via text. For a few minutes, they consider the “what if?” of moving away from the urban grind in Los Angeles. It’s a harmless way to kick the tires on a new life. The texts are typically met with some good-natured mock horror (as in “You want to commute from Fresno?”). And for a while, it was just that: an escapist shared pastime, a quirky virtual home tour obsession.

“I’m always looking at real estate, but not really looking,” Anna says over the phone from her home, with a chorus of birds chirping in the background and the sound of one of her three dogs barking in the distance. Spoiler alert: She’s not calling from L.A. “I have the renovator’s gene. When I was a kid, my parents would buy houses as investment properties and rent them, and on family vacations we would stop in front of properties with for sale signs in the front yard and peek in the windows,” she says. “I’m always trying to hop fences to get a closer look at houses, and Gavin says, ‘Anna, you’re not supposed to do that!’ And I’m like, ‘You’re not?’ ” The game took a more serious turn when a listing for a 1980s mini compound on a little under 3 acres in California desert horse country appeared on Gavin’s screen, and he tapped the arrow to forward it to Anna.

The house was modern but unusual, with some Mayan and Moroccan influences like flagstone floors, exposed support beams, thick adobe-style walls, and stately palm and olive

AN NA ROTH M ILN E R’S PHON E

Anna Roth Milner and her husband, Gavin, ditched Los Angeles to transform a 1980s mini compound in California desert horse country. Here, they’re wrapped in Ecuadane blankets.

trees. It was designed as a small ranch by a builder for his wife, who loved horses, and the couple who lived in the house were only its second owners. There was a main house, a guest casita, five stables with an adjoining tack room, a pool, a grass tennis court, a large paddock, fruit trees, and views of the snow-peaked Santa Rosa Mountains. The tiled, sunken bar with views of the pool was made for margaritas with friends.

Hidden patios and courtyards were secluded behind decadesold cactuses. The property ticked all of the boxes on their fantasy house list. And this time, things were different. “We were all on top of each other in our house, months into lockdown,” Anna says.

The family of four, with two antsy teenage sons, felt a little trapped in their Spanish-style house in the center of L.A., confined by pandemic restrictions and staring into the void of Zoom all day. Collectively, they were eager for some open sky and space to stretch their legs. A little bit of land was alluring, and a big home improvement project didn’t seem like such an outlandish idea.

“We couldn’t get on a plane. We weren’t the people who were going to rent an R.V. and drive across the country,” says Anna. Everywhere they looked, people were taking the plunge,

WELLNESS 2022 • SUNSET

41

fulfilling long-delayed dreams to start over somewhere new.

“Since the boys were little, I always wondered, ‘Did I make a mistake by never exposing my kids to anything other than city life?’ And then this house appeared,” she says. “When we were walking around the property, a hummingbird followed us the whole time. That’s why we call it Rancho Colibri, which is Spanish for hummingbird. It was magical.”

It didn’t matter that neither Anna nor Gavin had set foot in the desert city of Rancho Mirage. They’d come as close as Palm Springs and the eastern Coachella Valley city of Indio, visiting the polo grounds to see Anna’s brother play. A clean slate was enticing.

“It felt like a breath of fresh air,” she adds. “This property needed love, and I wanted to give it love so badly. It helped that I had time for a project like this.”

Within days, the wheels of a move were in motion. They put in an offer on the Rancho Mirage house, listed their own house with a broker, closed a couple of deals, toured schools for their boys, and the next thing they knew, they were knee-deep in a full-scale remodel—110 miles from home, but worlds away.

42

SUNSET • WELLNESS 2022

Carpet was removed and concrete floors were poured. A couple of the stables were quickly transformed into a home office and a gym. The tack room became a separate two-bedroom, one-bath casita for their boys. Piles of dead branches and debris were removed to reveal a vibrant garden. The 80-foot-long pool was refinished, and a new concrete deck with room for chairs installed. They added a bocce court and a small putting green. And once the literal dust settled, their furniture and contemporary art collection, a mix of vintage and modern pieces with plenty of graphic pattern and color, fit like a glove.

Anna says the new adventure strengthened their family bonds, gave the couple a creative outlet when advertising production and photo shoots were stalled, and allowed her sons a chance to try on a different kind of life at a slower pace. Her older son, who will graduate from high school this spring, worked at the nearby Indio polo grounds and on a private horse farm before and after school for extra money. They both made new friends at a school they love. They have a skate ramp in the driveway, and the family dogs happily discovered the carob

At their Rancho Mirage compound, Anna and Gavin transformed a tack room into a separate two-bedroom casita for their teenage sons. In the dining room, an A+R pendant light hangs over an RH table. A

guestroom features twin bed frames from Charles P. Rogers as well as West Elm linens. “It felt like a breath of fresh air,” Anna says of their home. “I wanted to give it love so badly.”

seeds that fall from the trees. Anna got to explore local estate sales and secondhand shops to add to her trove of treasures that line the shelves and fill the sunken bar. Together, they spent warm summer nights floating in the pool.

“That’s been my favorite part,” she says, “being in the water and looking up to see a sky full of stars.”

Little by little, work and life have returned to their former pace, and drawn them back to the city. Rancho Colibri will soon be available for family reunions, vacations, and events (DM @_ranchocolibri_ on Instagram with inquiries).

“It was a true labor of love, and we’re excited to share it with people,” Anna says.

Without taking much of a beat, she’s on to the next construction site, rolling out the blueprints to expand a mid-century ranch in Laurel Canyon. And the phone continues to beep and rattle with more possibilities.

“Now we have the Italian real-estate markets popping up on our phone every day,” says Anna, who’s laughing but also dead serious. “Why not? We did it once. We could do it again.

Yes, it was scary. But it was great. We don’t have any regrets.”

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In the living room, yellow sofas by Momo sit near a floor lamp from CB2. The primary bedroom features an Etsy desk with a LRNCE chair, plus bed linens from the Citizenry. The home’s tiled, sunken bar with views of the pool was made for margaritas with friends.

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45

Outdoor dining is made easy with a Teak Warehouse table surrounded by Article chairs. The family removed dead branches and debris to reveal a vibrant garden,

complete with carob trees. They refinished the 80-foot-long pool, and added a bocce court and small putting green. Anna explored secondhand shops to add to her trove of

treasures. Rancho Colibri will soon be available for reunions, vacations, and events. You can contact @_ranchocolibri_ on Instagram with inquiries.

WELLNESS 2022 • SUNSET

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YOUR

WEST CLIFF CREATIVE

SPR ING GARDEN CHECKLIST

Warmer weather is around the corner.

Here’s what to do in your garden now.

Contributors: H EATH E R ARN DT AN D E RSO N , THAD O RR , JO HAN NA S I LVE R , NAN STE RMAN Compiled by SU N S ET STAFF

Grow Now author Emily Murphy grows dahlias with single whorls of petals. The flowers benefit pollinators while attracting bees to vegetable garden beds.

WELLNESS 2022 • SUNSET

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PREP Before planting, soak peas in

damp paper towels until they start to sprout; then plant.

Use care when choosing indoor

plants for a household with small children, dogs, or cats, as many

common types can be toxic when eaten or chewed. Among those to

pass up are dieffenbachia, English ivy, pothos, Sago palm, sansevieria, and ZZ plant.

PLANT Choosing vegetables starts at

the nursery. The best plants have at least five or six leaves, should

not look leggy and stretched out,

and have not yet started forming fruit. Make sure the roots aren’t heavily matted at the edge of the pot.

As the weather warms, grow

mint in a pot in a sunny window.

Turn the pot once a week and trim new growth regularly. Water often enough to keep the soil moist.

M A I N TA I N Prune away frost-damaged

leaves and stems once your garden’s last frost date is past.

GROW NOW, BY EMILY MURPHY, TELLS US HOW TO “SAVE OUR HEALTH, COMMUNITIES AND PLANET—ONE GARDEN AT A TIME.” Pass the Pistil blogger Emily Murphy’s new book,

Grow Now, is a fresh and in-depth look at how to

rewild your garden in ways that will benefit not only you but the planet as well. And we’re not talking

about mere organic composting, either. Grow Now

is chock-a-block with tips on how to wild-ify land in the suburbs and the city, sequester carbon with

no-dig gardening, and provide critical support to biodiversity.

“We can address the climate crisis and species

extinction through the simple act of growing,” Mur-

phy says. “These are really big topics, and for some people they can be scary,” she adds. “But this is a

place to find hope and action.” We couldn’t agree more. —Deanna Kizis

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SUNSET • WELLNESS 2022

MAKE YOUR OWN PEAT-FREE POTTING MIX Peat moss is often found in potting mixes, but peat bogs store at least a third of the world’s soil carbon. Meanwhile, it can take up to 1,000 years to grow little more than a yard deep, says Murphy.

To make your own planet-friendly potting soil, mix together two parts coconut coir, one part organic compost, and one part rice hulls, which are a carbon-rich and sustainable substitute for perlite. (You can find them at landscape supply stores or, as Murphy recommends, ask your garden center to order them for you.) Use your mix for all your potted plants.

ADAPTED FROM EMILY MURPHY’S GROW NOW ($27.95) FROM TIMBER PRESS. LEARN MORE AT PASSTHEPISTIL.COM.

Check drip-irrigation lines for

kinks and clogs. Run the system for

a few minutes, paying close attention to which emitters are not

working. Straighten lines and use a pin or needle to free any trapped grit in emitters.

Building raised beds? Instead of

using a 2-by-12 for each side, use

two 2-by-6s. The technique minimizes warping that follows when the side facing the moist soil

swells and the air side stays dry.

Refresh houseplants with a

shower. On a warm day, take them outside and rinse their leaves

(making sure to get the undersides as well) using a hose-end sprayer on a gentle spray setting. Before returning them indoors, allow

plants to dry in a shaded area, protected from direct sunlight.

WEST CLIFF CREATIVE

LET’S GET GROWING

Playing Dress-Up LET YOUR PLANTS’ PERSONALITY SHINE WITH THEIR OWN PAIR OF PANTS.

The rising demand for house-

plants has inspired people to decorate their flora like never before.

But for Los Angeles artist Michelle

Sieg, it was an opportunity to allow her greenery to express itself—no,

really express itself. Introducing Pair of Plants: pots in the shape of pants for your plants.

Sieg makes each pot by consid-

ering factors such as coloring, care, and vibes. For example, she created Juicy sweatpants for a low-

maintenance ‘Polka-dot’ plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya) because

both pant and plant like to keep it casual. “Flaming Hot” jeans are

paired with a spikey ‘Sticks on Fire’ (Euphorbia tirucalli) because they

both rock a punk attitude.

For Sieg, these pants are just the

beginning. The artist plans to ex-

pand the collection to include even more plant accessories. Think of a

cactus wearing a cowboy hat or a philodendron wearing a beanie. “I

want to push the general strategy

around plants having different per-

sonalities and allow them to express themselves,” Sieg says.

APAIROFPLANTS.COM —Teaghan Skulszki

Instagram, recounts them all at thedailyjameswildlife.com.

It all started when LouAnne

Brickhouse gave her wife a bird feeder, thinking they might get

sight of a bird while working from FROM TOP: MICHELLE SIEG/IG: @APAIROFPLANTS; LOUANNE BRICKHOUSE

home. They hung it in their gar-

den, and were soon amazed that a bird actually showed up. So

they got more. “I thought, Here I

am working in Hollywood, a place that’s supposed to be magic but it’s all fake,” says Brickhouse, a

graphic novelist. “And yet there’s

IDEA WE LOVE

Inviting Wildlife Into the Garden You wouldn’t think your aver-

age backyard in the Los Angeles hills would attract nesting Western screech owls, condors, bobcats, deer, skunks, a pregnant

squirrel named Ms. Bonita, a oneeyed coyote, white-crowned

sparrows, Cooper’s hawks, and a large tarantula, but the Daily James, a popular blog and

magic coming to my backyard because I’m inviting it in.”

When one of the ravens,

James, started pecking on the window, the Daily James was

born. (Turns out ravens can recognize human faces.) “People

say, ‘You’re an animal whisperer,’ ” Brickhouse says. “But I’m not. I’m an animal listener.”

WHAT YOU NEED TO CREATE A BACKYARD WILDLIFE EXPERIENCE SHELTER: Owl boxes, trees, and even fallen trees work. “Just like us, animals need a home,” Brickhouse says.

WATER: Bird baths and fountains “are used constantly,” she says.

NATURAL RESOURCES: “If you plant native plants, they provide food for pollinators and for seed eaters,” says Brickhouse.

A TRAIL CAMERA: Get one with night vision, like the Bricknell Trophy House, which Brickhouse uses for surveilling a shy coyote that stops by to get a drink of water.

A GOOD CAMERA: Brickhouse uses a Nikon COOLPIX P1000. “I started taking pictures to show that this was really happening,” she says with a laugh.

“Otherwise, nobody was going to believe me.” —Deanna Kizis

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FOOD

&

DRINK

The New Taste Of Home

Garlic, pork, and a new nostalgia are on the menu at Melissa Miranda’s Seattle restaurant, Musang. Here’s how to bring that magic formula into your kitchen.

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

WELLNESS 2022 • SUNSET

53

hen you walk into Musang, in Seattle’s Beacon Hill, the first thing you smell is the sweet and nutty aroma of gently fried garlic. It shows up in any number of the dishes chef Melissa Miranda serves at this spot that’s among the best Filipino restaurants in the country. It’s in the adobo sauce that often accompanies whatever protein’s on special, the fried eggplant with fermented black beans, and the glossy pancit, and it is the critical ingredient in the garlic fried rice. To Miranda, and many of the diners who come to Musang, this is the aroma of home.

“To me and so many Filipinos, it’s the first thing you’d smell on a Saturday morning as a kid,” she says. “You’d be sleeping and wake up to that smell and know garlic fried rice would be waiting for you with a fried egg. It felt extra special because you knew it

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SUNSET • WELLNESS 2022

took a little love and effort.”

Nostalgia is the feeling you get when you eat at Musang, situated in a homey space that feels like a good friend’s living room. “It’s about going back to childhood memories of the food that my dad, mom, and grandparents cooked. The dishes that helped form our community and that we ate when we celebrated together,” Miranda says. She’s trying to recreate the surprise and delight of that first bite of adobo or crispy pork chicharron, and does so in a way that not only respects the cuisine’s tropical origins but also plants it firmly in the present of the Pacific Northwest. “I’m trying to create my interpretation of those moments, but also make new moments,” Miranda says. So on the menu there’s crispy fried pork belly sauced with a tangy garlicky adobo, but also a dish of plump local oysters on the half shell dressed with smoked garlic oil.

Musang was Melissa’s father’s nickname back in the 1970s when he

moved from the Philippines to Beacon Hill, when the neighborhood was home to a large Filipino population.

The affable and outgoing young man drove a Mustang. The T had fallen off the car’s logo, leaving behind the word “Musang,” which means wild cat in Tagalog. Fast forward to 2015 when Miranda drove around Beacon Hill and wondered where all the Filipino shops and restaurants had gone.

“When you’re looking around and seeing all these cultures and restaurants and you don’t see your own, you’re like ‘enough is enough’ and someone has to take the leap,” she says.

Miranda decided to host a series of pop-ups in the neighborhood, the first of which was in a bar where her dad used to hang out back in the day.

“My dad always knew where the parties were in Beacon Hill, and the ladies loved him,” says Miranda. “And at the pop-ups we had D.J.’s and dancing and drinking. That’s the spirit of my dad.” A photo of Musang back in the day, ’70s fro and all, now graces the wall and merch of the restaurant.

Miranda eventually found a permanent space on Beacon Avenue, where in addition to serving lunch and dinner she hosted cooking classes before the pandemic to help preserve Filipi-

“ It’s about going back to childhood memories of what my family cooked.” no foodways for the second- and third-generation Filipinos who repeatedly told her they didn’t know how to cook the classics. During the pandemic, she boxed up the ingredients along with recipes and sold to-go Little Wildcats cooking kits. Until you get to Musang (or order a Little Wildcat kit of your own), cook Miranda’s excellent expressions of Filipino comfort food in your own kitchen.

TIP:

Adding corn starch to the salty, vinegary adobo sauce makes it ex tra rich and silky.

Adobong Lechon Kawali (Fried Pork Belly with Adobo Sauce) “We add adobo sauce, with its soy and vinegar, and it’s so

nostalgic. We wanted something memorable and recognizable, with our own perfect balance, and that a grandma would eat and say, ‘This is right!’” S E R V E S 6 F R I E D P O R K B E L LY

2 lbs. skin-on pork belly 1

3

cup sea salt

1 Tbsp. Johnny’s Seasoning Salt

1 Tbsp. black pepper

A D O B O SAU C E

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

½ yellow onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced 1 Tbsp. black pepper 3 bay leaves

4 cloves garlic

1

1

1

3

cup cane vinegar

2 bay leaves

Vegetable or canola oil for frying

¼ cup thinly sliced scallions for garnish

¼ cup thinly sliced red onion

3 3

cup soy sauce

cup rice vinegar

¼ cup Knorr liquid seasoning

¼ cup brown sugar ¼ cup cornstarch

1. For the pork belly: Cut pork belly

cornstarch dissolves. Once the ado-

lengthwise into 2-inch wide slices.

bo sauce is at a rolling boil, pour in

add pork belly, 1 gallon water, sea

move from heat. Allow the adobo

Set a stock pot over high heat, and salt, Johnny’s Seasoning Salt, black pepper, garlic, cane vinegar, and

the slurry. Stir to combine and re-

sauce to cool, then strain through a mesh strainer.

bay leaves. Boil 30 minutes, then re-

3. Assembly: Fill a large cast-iron pan

belly is fully cooked when the skin is

one piece of pork belly. Heat over

duce to a simmer for 1 hour. The pork tender and fat has rendered out, but the pieces still retain their shape.

Remove pork from liquid. Place on a rack over a sheet pan and allow to cool completely.

2. For the adobo sauce: Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, and

sauté until soft. Add remaining in-

gredients except for cornstarch, plus 1 quart water. Bring the mixture to a boil. In a small bowl, make a cornstarch slurry by stirring ½ cup cold water with ¼ cup cornstarch until

with enough oil to come halfway up medium high until oil reaches 375°F. Meanwhile, cut pork belly slices into 2-inch cubes. Once oil is hot, gently place the pieces into the pan, skin

side down. Shallow-fry until the skin

turns golden brown and crispy. Turn the pieces over and fry the bottom

half for a few more minutes. Set fried pork belly on a paper-towel-lined plate or on a rack to allow oil to

drain. Place 4 pieces of pork belly

into a shallow bowl and ladle adobo sauce over. Garnish with scallions

and red onion. Serve with white rice.

for garnish

WELLNESS 2022 • SUNSET

55

Perfect Pairing We selected the ideal bottle to serve with this menu, and it’s available to members of our new wine club.

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THE WINE:

Daing na Talaba (Smoked Oysters with Spiced Vinegar) “I hated oysters growing up, but as an

1 cup cane vinegar

Market and told me I was going to like

1 Tbsp. Knorr liquid seasoning

adult my dad took me to Pike Place them—and he was right! In Filipino

cooking, we tend to do smoked sea-

food. At the restaurant, we smoke gar-

lic oil and serve it with vinegar sauce. I wanted to create a bite that was like

the Pacific Northwest but with Filipino

hints and notes.” Here Miranda substitutes canned smoked oysters from

Taylor Shellfish Farms to make this an easy appetizer. S E R V E S 4 – 6

¼ cup pickle juice

½ medium red onion, finely diced 2 cloves garlic, minced

4 Thai chilies, sliced thinly crosswise

Two 3 oz. cans smoked oysters packed in water, drained

Micro cilantro and sorrel for garnish, optional

• In a medium bowl, whisk cane vinegar, pickle juice, Knorr, onion, garlic, and chilies until combined. Place

oysters gently on a serving dish. Pour spiced vinegar over all the oysters.

Garnish with cilantro and sorrel if desired. Serve immediately.

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2020 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Blanc, Columbia Valley, Washington

TASTING NOTES:

This supple Washington Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon blend is loaded with bright fruit. Expect layers of citrus, toast, vanilla, and fresh herbal flavors.

WHY IT WORKS:

Zippy acid balances the rich pork while the fruit and herbal flavors play well with the aromatic sauces.

“ You normally eat bibingka during the holidays, but we serve it year-round.”

Bibingka (Mochiko Coconut Cake) SE RVES 6 2–3 large banana leaves 4 oz. butter, melted

10 oz. granulated sugar 3 large eggs

½ tsp. vanilla extract 7 oz. coconut milk 5 oz. whole milk

8 oz. mochiko glutinous rice flour ½ tsp. baking powder ½ tsp. fine sea salt

½ cup sweetened coconut flakes, divided

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two

6-inch cake pans with banana

leaves. Ensure that they are fully

covered and that the banana leaves are sticking up over the sides. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, mix melted butter,

granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until fully incorporated. In a separate bowl, combine coconut

milk and whole milk, then add to the

egg mixture and stir until incorporated. Slowly whisk in the mochiko flour, baking powder, and salt. Once ev-

erything is incorporated, stir in half of the coconut flakes.

3. Pour cake batter into the banana-

leaf-lined pans, dividing evenly, and top with remaining coconut flakes.

Bake 30-40 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and does not jiggle

when shaken. Remove from oven. Let cool 10–15 minutes before serving.

BONUS:

This celebra tory cake uses m ochiko rice flour ins tead of wheat, so it’s naturally gluten-fr ee.

WELLNESS 2022 • SUNSET

57

Tatlo Cocktail Lychee liqueur anchors this drink in the tropics, while tequila and Peychaud’s

bitters add a pan-American vibe. Feel free to substitute passionfruit liqueur, which works just as well. M A K E S 1 1 dash

Peychaud’s bitters

½ oz. Giffard curaçao

½ oz. lemon juice ½ oz. lychee liqueur

1½ oz. tequila

• In a mixing

glass, stir all ingredients

with ice. Strain into a coupe

glass. Garnish with orange peel. Enjoy!

Orange peel

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SUNSET • WELLNESS 2022

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YOUR FIRST Y DELIVER

​​2 020 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Blanc Columbia Valley

A supple Washington Sauvignon Blanc– Sémillon blend loaded with bright fruit, with layers of citrus, toast, vanilla, and fresh herbal flavors.

PAIRS WITH: The bright and savory flavors of the Filipino comfort food from chef Melissa Miranda of Seattle’s Musang (page 53).

2019 Stolpman Vineyards Para Maria de los Tecolotes Syrah Santa Barbara County

A juicy red that shows the pedigree of the Stolpman estate vineyards with aromas of smoked meat and violets, chewy tannins and blackberries.

PAIRS WITH: The wood-fired recipes from Rory’s Place (page 60).

2019 Westmount Pinot Noir Willamette Valley

Freshly picked red roses, orange peel, and sweet spice on the nose. The palate is lively and gratifying, with plenty of red fruit and vibrancy.

PAIRS WITH: The fresh compressed-melon salad and other nextlevel spa food from Arizona’s Castle Hot Springs (page 78).

2018 Three Wine Company Old Vines Field Blend Contra Costa County

Up-front aromas of smashed blackberry, candied raspberry, spiced plum, and dried herbs. Great balance and generosity as the deep-rooted old vines show off their heritage in this big red.

PAIRS WITH: The crispy pork belly from Musang (page 55).

2019 Sonoma Bench Chardonnay Russian River Valley Perfumed with bright jasmine and nougat, this wine shows flavors of roasted salted almonds, honeycomb, and crunchy yellow apple.

PAIRS WITH: The roasted salmon from Rory’s Place (page 68).

Plus, it’s full-bodied enough to stand alone as an apéritif.

2018 Courtney Benham Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

A quintessential Napa Cabernet opening with blackberry, cassis, and crushed bay leaf, and finishing with generous dark-fruit intensity and structure.

PAIRS WITH: The steak with bottarga butter from the Rory’s Place menu (page 70).

OJAI

RORY AND MEAVE McAULIFFE GATHER WITH FRIENDS AT A CENTURY-OLD ORANGE GROVE IN THE COUNTRY TO CELEBRATE THE OPENING OF THE SISTERS’ RED-HOT NEW RESTAURANT, RORY’S PLACE.

Story by H U G H GARVE Y

Photographs by TH O MAS J. STO RY

IDY LL

IN OJAI, BRIDGE SEASONS are delightful and disorienting. Early in autumn, the heat of summer recedes but refuses to yield, the temperature toggles between balmy and chilly depending on cloud cover and time of day, and the aroma of woodburning ovens stoked with fallen local oak perfumes the air. Meave McAuliffe pushes a cast-iron pan loaded with heirloom pumpkins into the back of the wood oven, flames licking the domed ceiling. She peers in to make sure they’re in the blast zone that will convert them from starchy and pale orange to sweet and jeweled. “Whew,” she says, grimacing from the fire. “It’s going to be a hot one tonight.”

Tonight is the calm before the storm, if you will: a celebratory dinner with friends before Meave and her sister, Rory, open their new restaurant, Rory’s Place, in this tiny California town known for its ranches and citrus groves and boho pastoral vibes.

The restaurant, situated in an old theater on the western edge of the tiny town’s main drag, has been several years in the making, knocked off track like so many restaurants by the pandemic. It’s a beautiful space with soaring ceilings, a bar hewn from local timber, and ceramic sconces made

by Meave, who picked up pottery during the pandemic and also made many of the serving dishes. During the shutdown, the McAuliffe sisters also threw backyard pop-ups with woodfired dishes and lots of oysters, sold arty T-shirts, gained a little Instagram following, and fine-tuned the recipes that will end up at the

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SUNSET • WELLNESS 2022

restaurant: steak topped with compound butter enriched with a friend’s domestic bottarga, grilled vegetables dressed with a lemony aïoli, sides of salmon marinated and seasoned with wild local herbs, all on the menu today. The sisters know a thing or two about California cuisine. They grew up helping their mom with her bakery in Los Angeles. Meave went on to chef around the country, opened Venice’s Gjelina, and ran the kitchen at Saltwater Oyster Depot up in Inverness.

Rory, a former film producer, did stints working front of house in restaurants and bars and dreamed of

Rory (left) and Meave McAuliffe

opening her own bar. The two felt the pull of rural Ojai, decided to join forces, and here we are today.

Rory nestles bottles of Malvasia and other natural wines into a tub of ice on the stone patio at a friend’s gracious Spanish-style ranch house. It’s a quintessential Ojai setting: Orange groves surround, the Topatopa Mountains loom in the distance, an ancient oak tree shades the guests from the soon-to-be setting sun. It’s a gathering of people who’ve all had a hand in the restaurant’s evolution. Roni Ginach, an importer and distributor of natural wines who’s curating the list

“ The aroma of wood ovens stoked with fallen oak perfumes the air.” at Rory’s, fills wineglasses. “It’s been a long time coming,” she says, raising her glass to toast the impending opening. Other friends in attendance include Kenny Osehan, the hotelier behind the reboot of the town’s Ojai Rancho Inn, Capri Hotel, and Hummingbird Inn; Brittany Cole Bush, a.k.a. Cole the Shepherdess, who grazes her herd of goats and sheep in the hills of Ojai and beyond; event planner Kat Ferguson; general manager Caroline Copley; and baker Corban Fairbanks, whose sourdough boules grace the groaning board on which platters of broiled oysters, grilled treviso, and other wood-fired delights are laid out under sprays of local flowers.

The dinner today and the restaurant itself are a love letter to Ojai.

“Ojai and the surrounding areas have the best produce we’ve ever had,” says Rory. “Having sourced for Gjelina in the past, Meave had relationships with some of the surrounding farms.

The freshest fish is pulled out of the Ventura and Santa Barbara waters.

We get local lamb from our friend Cole’s flock, and sustainably raised pork from Casitas Valley Pastures [in nearby Ventura]. All the best ingredients available in L.A. come from here!

So we decided to go right to the source. Now we can’t imagine doing this project anywhere else.”

This page: Ojai’s low-slung hills and citrus groves offer a bucolic backdrop for the party. Opposite (clockwise from top left): The festivities begin with cocktails; Corban Fairbanks baked the sourdough boules; a rustic pear galette; Cole the Shepherdess is among the evening’s guests.

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Grilled Treviso Radicchio With Lemony Aïoli Here’s a trick to getting tender grilled

greens cooked just right: After rinsing the radicchio, shake off excess water, but

don’t worry about drying completely—the water in the leaves will help to cook the

treviso before the outer leaves begin to char. S E R V E S 4 – 6 1 egg yolk

1 clove garlic, finely grated Juice of 1 lemon, divided 1 tsp. Dijon mustard

¾ cup olive oil divided, plus more for garnish

1 tsp. salt

½ cup non-GMO sunflower oil

2–3 heads Treviso radicchio, halved lengthwise

½ cup olive oil

2 Tbsp. Muscatel vinegar Flaky sea salt

1 bunch purslane, separated into small clusters of leaves

1. To make the aïoli: In a large bowl, whisk

together egg yolk, garlic, half the lemon

juice, and Dijon mustard. Drizzle in ½ cup

olive oil very gradually, teaspoon by tea-

spoon, whisking the whole time. Only add more oil when the mixture is opaque. Repeat until all the olive oil is incorporated.

Add salt and 1 tsp. cold water and whisk

thoroughly. Then slowly whisk in the sunflower oil in the same manner. Once the

oil is incorporated, whisk in the remaining lemon juice, and taste for seasoning, adding salt as needed.

2. To grill the radicchio: Heat a grill to high for direct heat cooking. Drizzle radicchio

with olive oil and place it, cut side down,

on the grill and cook until charred but not burnt, about 3 minutes. Turn over and

cook until charred on that side, another 3 minutes or so.

3. To serve: Place a generous amount of aïoli on the plate and use the back of a spoon to spread across the dish.

Place charred radicchio over it in the

center, and drizzle with muscatel vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil. Garnish with

purslane clusters, and sprinkle with flaky salt. Enjoy!

Broiled Oysters with Fermented Chili Butter Freshly shucked oysters, spiked with spicy sweet chili butter and broiled until bubbling and hot, are an appetizer that’s tough to beat. S E R V E S 6 8 oz. unsalted butter, softened 4 cloves garlic

¼ cup Rory’s Place fermented-chili hot sauce (or other hot sauce)

1 Tbsp. rice vinegar 1 Tbsp. honey

1 tsp. kosher salt

24 shucked oysters

1. Combine butter, garlic, hot sauce, vinegar, honey, and salt in a food

processor and blend until smooth.

Transfer this compound butter to a

2. Place oysters on a tray lined with

rock salt. Place 1½ tsp. compound butter on each oyster.

3. Place tray in the hottest part of a

wood-fired oven or under a broiler

until the butter begins to caramelize.

Cooking time will vary widely in a

wood-fired oven, so keep an eye on the oysters. Under a broiler the oys-

ters will be ready in about 5 minutes.

Enjoy piping hot!

container and chill.

WELLNESS 2022 • SUNSET

67

Roast King Salmon “This is a great dish for a big familystyle meal,” says Meave. “The whole

side of salmon cooks great and looks beautiful and rustic presented on a

large platter in the center of your table. We love serving this salmon with braised leeks or slow-cooked spring

Heirloom Pumpkin Cooked on the Embers

onions.”

SE RVES 4–6

2 Tbsp. Rory’s Place Ojai herbes de

Provence blend (or other herbes de Provence)

“We love Sabrina [Bohn] over at Shear Rock Farm and use whatever pumpkins

½ cup whole-grain mustard

has all sorts of fun heirlooms you’ve never heard of.” This recipe is just as won-

¼ cup maple syrup

she is growing,” the sisters say. “They’re always sweet and flavorful, and she

derful with kabocha squash. Mushroom dashi is available online, or use dashi tea from Topanga-based Studio Cue (studiocuela.com). S E R V E S 4 - 6 Two 2–3 lb. heirloom pumpkins, such

remove from the fire and let cool

½ cup good olive oil, divided

eral minutes more. Slice the pump-

as kabocha

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced ¼ cup pomegranate seeds

¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley 1 tsp. smoked paprika

2 Tbsp. pomegranate molasses 1 tsp. flaky sea salt

1 cup prepared mushroom dashi

1. Cook the pumpkins: Throw the

pumpkins directly into the embers

of a wood oven or charcoal grill fueled with lump charcoal and cook

them on the coals. Using tongs, rotate the pumpkins every few min-

kin in half and scoop out the seeds.

The flesh should be moist and soft.

2. Make the pomegranate sauce: In

a small pan, heat ¼ cup of olive oil

over the lowest possible heat, add garlic, and cook until softened but

not browned, 5–7 minutes. Transfer to a metal bowl and add the

pomegranate seeds, parsley,

smoked paprika, pomegranate

molasses, remaining olive oil, and flaky sea salt. Stir to combine.

utes so that the exterior is evenly

3. To plate: Place the pumpkins on a

throughout. After roughly 12 min-

pumpkins, generously spoon on

charred and the interior softens

utes of rotating, cut into the center to test if the flesh is tender. If so,

68

enough to handle. If not, cook sev-

SUNSET • WELLNESS 2022

platter. Pour the dashi over the the pomegranate sauce, and serve.

1 lemon, juiced and zested

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped ¼ cup olive oil

1 tsp. Aleppo pepper flakes

Kosher salt and black pepper

1 side skin-on salmon, about 4 lbs.

1. In a medium bowl, combine herbes de Provence, mustard, lemon juice and zest, maple syrup, garlic, olive oil, Aleppo pepper, and salt and pepper to taste.

2. On a sheet tray lined with parch-

ment, lay out your side of salmon.

Salt it generously. Coat the whole

piece with the marinade and let rest in the fridge about 4 hours.

3. Preheat oven to 475°F. About 30 minutes before you’re ready to cook,

take the salmon out of the fridge

and let it come to room tempera-

ture. Place in oven and roast about 20 minutes, or until just no longer translucent.

Ribeye with Bottarga Butter “When I was the chef of Saltwater in Inverness, I was right down the street

from Marin Sun Farms butcher shop,” says Meave. “I’m still obsessed with

their meats, and a perfectly marbled

ribeye is still one of my favorite things

to eat. Get two really good quality rib-

eyes and let them come to room temperature while you are preparing your bottarga butter. I love to cook with my friend’s bottarga from Cortez Conservas in Florida. This is simple and delicious and can be done on the

stovetop or a gas grill if you don’t have a wood-fired oven.” S E R V E S 4 – 6 4 oz. softened butter

3 oz. bottarga, grated on a microplane 1 tsp. piment d’Espelette

1 tsp. finely chopped parsley Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper Two 1½-inch thick ribeyes Olive oil

1. In a small bowl, combine butter, bottarga, piment d’Espelette, and parsley.

2. Generously salt and grind black

pepper over both sides of the ribeyes, and let rest 10 minutes.

3. Place a large, heavy skillet or cast-

iron pan over high heat for about 5 minutes. Drizzle some olive oil into

the pan—it should immediately start smoking. Add the steaks and cook,

without moving them, about 2 min-

utes. Move the steaks a little without flipping them and cook 2 minutes

Perfect Pairing

Once they have a nice crust, turn

SCORE THIS BOTTLE AND MORE AT SUNSET.COM/WINECLUB

more, to help them brown all over. them over and cook a few minutes more, until the steaks are medium

rare. Transfer to a cutting board and

rest about 10 minutes to let the juices settle. Slice steaks into ¼-inch-thick

slices and place the slices on a platter. Spoon a few generous dollops of bottarga butter over the top and let it melt into the steak. Serve immediately.

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SUNSET • WELLNESS 2022

THE WINE: 2019 Stolpman

TASTING NOTES:

WHY IT WORKS:

Vineyards Para Maria de los

Juicy with aromas

Smoky notes and

Tecolotes Syrah,

of violets, chewy tannins, and

tannins

Santa Barbara County,

California.

blackberry flavors.

voluptuous

complement the steak and pumpkin.

Meave and Rory McAuliffe celebrate with friends before the opening of their new restaurant.

RED HOT OJAI THE FORMERLY SLEEPY RANCH TOWN IS SERVING UP MORE LODGING, SHOPPING, AND DINING THAN EVER BEFORE.

Where to Shop In the Field If the Ojai boho chic look had a starter kit, this is where you’d find it: Perfectly picked, locally made surf wear, jewelry, caftans, hats, and home goods make this the top lifestyle shop Ojai. INTHEFIELDOJAI.COM

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SUNSET • WELLNESS 2022

Bart’s Books No pilgrimage to Ojai is complete without an hour or so browsing the stacks and flipping through art books, novels, and poetry at the preposterously charming open-air used bookstore that’s been a longstanding national treasure to in-the-know bibliophiles.

BARTSBOOKSOJAI.COM

Where to Eat

Ojai Rôtie Next level “Lebanese French picnic food” and excellent local wine from restaurateur Larry Nicola (formerly of Nic’s Beverly Hills) on a lovely patio downtown. Think juicy rotisserie chickens, smoky baba ghanoush, and French sourdough boules slathered with rich cultured butter. OJAIROTIE.COM

Izakaya Full Moon Possibly the best izakaya in Ventura County, this charming family-run spot serves exquisitely prepared Japanese dishes like rice pot with uni and A5 wagyu beef, bincho grilled meats, seasonal sashimi, and artisanal sake.

FULLMOONOJAI.COM

Sanders & Sons Gelato Tucked away behind the main drag’s arcade, this spot serves true Italian-style gelato in traditional flavors like pistachio and new spins like Valrhona and ancho.

SANDERSANDSONSGELATO.COM

Pinyon Ojai Serious sourcing (think Neapolitan tomatoes, boquerones, and local goat kefir), natural wines, and employee profit-sharing make this new wood-fired pizza spot the benchmark for mindful deliciousness.

AKA: very Ojai. PINYONOJAI.COM

The Dutchess Zoe Nathan of Los Angeles’s Rustic Canyon restaurant group (Milo & Olive, Sweet Rose Creamery, Huckleberry, et cetera), pastry chef Kelsey Brito, local baking sensation Kate Pepper, and chef Saw Naing join forces to serve Burmese food, bread, and other baked goods in the former Azu space. THEDUTCHESSOJAI.COM

Farmer and the Cook The quintessential boho-hippy-ranchy mostly vegan Mexican restaurant where all walks of Ojai life converge. Wood-fired pizza nights are a long-standing town ritual that always draw crowds.

FARMER-AND-THE-COOK.COM

Ojai Tortilla House Hearty tacos rolled with handmade rosemary-stuffed tortillas and wrapped in foil are the perfect to-go lunch for a picnic in nearby Libbey Park. The al pastor in the loaded “specialty” taco is a carnivore’s delight. Follow @ojaitortillahouse.

Where to Drink Opposite page, clockwise from top left: The arcade on Ojai Ave.; home goods and Channon Roe at In the Field; Bart’s Books.

This page: roast chicken and sides at Ojai Rôtie; the taps at Ojai Valley Brewery; the Capri Hotel.

Ojai Valley Brewery The brewery’s new taproom and beer garden are a lovely spot to shoot pool, play shuffleboard, and sample micro-seasonal brews featuring local produce grown on the owner’s ranch. Think gluten-free lemongrass beer, spritely Ojai Pixie tangerine wheat beer, and earthy chaparral sage.

OJAIVALLEYBREWERY.COM Point de Chêne A well-curated world-class wine shop featuring local wineries, killer Barolos, natural bottlings, and tasty surprises from Austria and the Balkans. POINTDECHENE.COM Beacon Coffee This local roaster has been pulling perfect Fair Trade espresso and cupping pour-overs for over a decade and is the must-stop spot in and out of town. Grab a bag of beans and local granola to bring those Ojai vibes home.

BEACONCOFFEE.COM

Where to Stay Capri Hotel The folks who run Ojai Rancho Inn are behind a groovy ’70s-vibes reboot of the Capri motor lodge. A pool and palm trees line the grounds, making it a soothing local crash pad. Up next from the gang: a refresh of the nearby Hummingbird Inn. CAPRIHOTELOJAI.COM

WELLNESS 2022 • SUNSET

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T R AV E L The Western Wellness Revolution Forward-thinking spas are redefining what it means to rest and rejuvenate.

Story by KRI STI N SCHARKE Y

Photograph by TH O MAS J. STO RY

&

ESCAPES

when I mosey up a dirt trail flanked by towering saguaros, finding myself lured by the smells of minerals emanating from a hot spring up ahead. The sun has just dropped behind the Bradshaw Mountains as I arrive at the edge of the pool, sling my towel over a boulder, and carefully dip one foot into the water, which clocks in at about 106 degrees.

This serene, turquoise oasis is one of three at Castle Hot Springs, a historic resort about an hour north of Phoenix where you’re more likely to see a kaleidoscope of butterflies speed by than a car. A recent multi-year renovation transformed the remote 1896 property—seriously, it’s a dusty, winding drive off the highway—into the contemporary wellness destination it is today.

With century-old palm trees and even older cacti perched stoically above me, I descend into the pool and wade up to my chin, the heat moving through my body in a slow swell that starts deep in my stomach before rising to my cheeks. As I float there, the adrenaline coursing its way straight through my forehead, my toes curl tight into the loose gravel beneath me.

IT’S A WAR M E VE N I N G I N AR I ZO NA

WELLNESS 2022 • SUNSET

75

The pool at Castle Hot Springs

76

SUNSET • WELLNESS 2022

Ready to take a plunge? Outdoor bathing has long been used for rejuvenation, but it’s becoming more popular—no matter your price point.

SOOTHING SOA KS

THOMAS J. STORY

Then, like a kettle on the cusp of a whistle, I breathe.

It’s the first time in months I’ve felt this type of rush in my body, one that ultimately moves through me instead of settling in with a familiar unease. Here in this hidden corner of the Sonoran Desert, I consider the idea that perhaps I should work more canyon bathing (yes, the desert version of forest bathing) into my wellness routine. At this point, I’m all ears for any grounding practice after the unpredictability of these past few years.

With travel grinding to halt amid the pandemic, and many trips canceled or postponed, a lot of people have spent significant time thinking about—and saving for—their next vacation. If you’re looking to splurge on your first getaway in months, maybe years, luxury retreats like Castle Hot Springs have become all the more appealing to restart and refresh. For those who can afford an escape to such an oasis, a wellness getaway can quite literally be whatever you need. You could spend days on the property without interacting with another human being, or commune with fellow travelers over a mezcal and honey syrup cocktail with chamomile foam at the lobby bar. Spa treatments can be traditional, such as a tourmaline clay wrap in a creekside cabana, or totally touchless— think via ferrata climbs and meditative hikes meant to target stress and fatigue.

“Many people have gotten so used to this concept that where we are now is the status quo,” says Castle Hot Springs wellness supervisor Kristy Chavez. “Intentional wellness helps them to re-center themselves and helps them to rebalance their life.”

Across the West, many luxury spa resorts are abandoning a one-size-fits-all approach in favor of customized, holistic experiences. Book a massage at Castle Hot Springs, for example, and you can craft the service right there in the treatment room with your therapist. “We wanted to get away from the typical menu,” Chavez says.

Touchless treatments were already on the rise; now you’ll likely see more of them, plus others like halotherapy in salt caves or contrast bathing—alternating between hot and cold water—in the great outdoors.

There’s a focus on mindfulness, meditation, and catching up on something so many of us have lost in recent years—sleep. With that in mind, here are some of the region’s next-level wellness retreats.

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For an at-home spa night, all you have to do is add some water to Bell Mountain Naturals’ Pink Theory Clay Face Mask to leave your skin feeling super soft and hydrated. $24; BELLMOUNTAINNATURALS.COM

DENVER BEER SPA, COLORADO

CASTLE HOT SPRINGS, ARIZONA

CAMP SARIKA, UTAH

Jessica French and Damien

After a 20-minute plunge in the

There’s a lot to love about this

bathing to the masses. The

springs, step under a cool rain

pretty floored by the private,

SHOWER: THOMAS J. STORY; NATURE OF THINGS: © WESAAM AL-BADRY

Zouaoui want to bring contrast catch? They want to do it with beer. Well, hops and malted

barley to be exact. The couple

offers steeped herbal baths at The Beer Spa in Denver, part of

a self-guided hydrotherapy circuit in private rooms that also include a sauna and cold

shower. What the bath lacks in fermented beverage, you can

pour for yourself in the communal taproom just outside your room, where guests are wel-

come to lounge for as long as

they want. $175 FOR UP TO TWO PEOPLE; THEBEERSPA.COM

warm waters of the mineral hot shower right next to the pools.

More bathing options abound

back at your suite. Cabins have

white clawfoot tubs in adjoining courtyards, while bungalows feature outdoor stone baths

with three faucets: one for cold, one for hot, and another that

pipes the mineral sping water right to the comforts of your

patio. After your soak, cap off

the evening with a glass of wine and discover the desert’s night skies with your private tele-

scope. STARTING AT $1,500 PER NIGHT; CASTLEHOTSPRINGS.COM

otherwordly oasis, but we’re

heated plunge pools with views

of the surrounding desert mesas.

Rose-quartz powder and cedarwood oil meet malachite and hops extracts in this Restorative Floral Bath from Nature of Things. The scents of jasmine and plumeria elevate any soak. $85; NATUREOFTHINGS.COM

A stay also grants you access to the nearby Aman Spa at re-

nowned resort Amangiri, where two pavilions are dedicated to

“water” and “flotation.” Trainers

can guide you through a steam room, sauna, and cold plunge pool in a hydrotherapy circuit

that’s as luxe as they come. Al-

ternatively, indulge in a 90-minute immersive water treatment that ends with a steam shower.

Seattle researcher Nadine Joseph creates adaptogenic powders with highquality mushrooms and herbs, like this Nurture My Skin blend that can be added to your milk, tea, or coffee. $38; PEAKANDVALLEY.CO

STARTING AT $5,000 PER NIGHT; AMAN.COM

WELLNESS 2022 • SUNSET

77

THE NEW S PA F O O D

THOMAS J. STORY

Treatment menus aren’t the only ones getting a makeover.

At Castle Hot Springs, meals are made using ingredients grown steps away from the kitchen in an experimental garden. The resort’s chefs work with agronomists to put the “fresh” into farm-fresh dishes like soy-glazed tempura vegetables dressed with Fresno aioli, plus giardiniera, compressed melon, and more.

Ready to cook more dishes?

See all of the recipes on sunset.com

Compressed Melon MAKES 12 BITES 1 super ripe cantaloupe, about

2.5-3 lbs., peeled, quartered, and seeded

1 cup white verjus

1 Tbsp. agave syrup

1 loaf whole-grain bread 1 cup mascarpone 1 Tbsp. honey

12 pieces prosciutto, thinly sliced

1. Place sliced melon in a resealable plastic bag. Add verjus and agave syrup. Seal bag

and marinate at room temperature for 2 hours.

2. Carefully slice whole-grain

bread into ½-inch thick crostinis; think two bites as a reference. Toast and set aside to cool.

3. In a mixing bowl, fold mascar-

pone and honey together, then generously spread onto crostini.

4. Gently place a folded slice of prosciutto on top of mascarpone.

5. Remove melon from bag and cut into ½-inch cubes. Plate

melon next to or on top of prosciutto. Serve and enjoy

THOMAS J. STORY

immediately.

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WELLNESS 2022 • SUNSET

79

“Many luxury spa resorts are abandoning a one-size-fits-all approach in favor of customized, holistic experiences.”

CASTLE HOT SPRINGS

You can do more than relax at Castle Hot Springs. Rejuvenate with a meditative hike, bike ride, or via ferrata climb amid the saguaros.

WELLNESS 2022 • SUNSET

81

SWEET DREAMS Tired? You’re not alone.

Luckily, hotels are offering special suites and services to help quiet your mind, whether you want a quick fix or extended stay.

Sleep Hack If you fall in love with your hotel

bed, ask a concierge for details to

bring the experience home. Inside

Castle Hot Springs’ Sky View Cabins

the cabins at Castle Hot Springs, you’ll find a Beautyrest Felicity

mattress and Sobel-Westex Cairo

Cale sheets and down-feather pillows. FIND THEM AT BEAUTYREST.COM AND SOBELATHOME.COM

HOTEL FIGUEROA, CALIFORNIA

SENSEI LĀNA’I, HAWAII

THE GREEN O, MONTANA

If you just need a night (or two)

Expect a wristband in the mail

Take your forest bathing to the

Recovery” suite at the Los An-

ness program at this luxe resort

within Paws Up Ranch; a

geles hotel is ideal for a solo

getaway. Indulge in an array of body massagers and com-

pression wraps, or enjoy an in-

room yoga session. Then snuggle into bed, where the

mattress can track your sleep. $800 PER NIGHT; HOTELFIGUEROA.COM

82

after you book a five-day wellon the island of Lanai; it’ll be

used to track your sleep onsite.

(Plus, you’ll get a one-year

membership to use the tech-

nology.) At the retreat, work with a guide to craft a plan to improve your circadian rhythm.

STARTS AT $1,335 NIGHTLY; SENSEI.COM

SUNSET • WELLNESS 2022

next level at this new retreat

23-foot-high Tree Haus boasts floor-to-ceiling views of the

sprawling woodlands, sure to relax your mind as you settle

into bed or take a long, relaxing

soak in your private outdoor hot tub. STARTS AT $1,940 PER NIGHT; THEGREENO.COM

THOMAS J. STORY

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Sunset Page Template.indd 1 SUNSET_WE_WellnessFebMar22.indd 1

12/16/21 8:11 8:10 PM

Insider

Seasonal diversions and secret travel tips from local experts.

Madeline Hotel & Residences

THE ROCKIES This month: Telluride, Colorado The insider: Natalie Binder, founder of Camp V

After she stumbled upon a historic miners’ housing community in rural Colorado, Natalie Binder transformed it into an art-filled glamping site with restored cabins and Airstreams.

It’s about an hour away from Telluride, where she’s lived for more than two decades. “Telluride is a fun town,” Binder says, “so don’t be afraid to get funky!”

STAY: At the recently renovated

Telluride Transfer Warehouse

Madeline Hotel & Resi-

dences, the new Timber Room bar has “a great

mountain vibe and the outdoor firepits are so

cozy,” Binder says. “Check out the daily Mountain

Top Chef contestant Eliza Gavin is behind the fine-

dining concept 221 South

Movements schedule as an inspiring way to start

the day, or hit the Sky Terrace” for a hot tub dip.

Oak inside a historic

DRINK:

the vegetarian menu,”

offers a rotating cocktail

home. “Be sure to ask for

For après-ski, LittleHouse

Binder says. “You will not

menu plus small plates,

be disappointed!”

DO: The historic Telluride

sandwiches, and bigger dishes like grilled steakfrites with chimichurri.

Transfer Warehouse has

SHOP:

you never know what up-

Pepper Raper Contillo

“an old-school feel and

The Pepporium owner

and-coming artist or per-

“has such a great eye for

formance you will catch.”

unique finds,” says Binder.

“I have found everything from ’70s ski onesies to vintage furs in her

super cute space.”

221 South Oak 84

SUNSET • WELLNESS 2022

Timber Room

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: AUBERGE RESORTS COLLECTION; AURELIE SLEGERS; AUBERGE RESORTS COLLECTION; © 2020 ERIC MOORE; MARLA MERIDITH; BELTERZ/GETTY IMAGES

EAT:

Contimo

Archer Hotel

Contimo sandwiches

DRINK: Cadet wine and beer bar

offers selections not nec-

Bay Grape

essarily from Napa.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: ARCHER HOTEL; © KIMBERLEY HASSELBRINK; CARLOS BRADLEY; BELTERZ/GETTY IMAGES; EMMA K. MORRIS; ANNAMAEPHOTO.COM

“Sometimes we get tired

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA This month: Napa The insider: George W. C. Walker III, national brand ambassador for Wade Cellars

George W. C. Walker III was just looking for an internship when he emailed Wade Cellars, the Napa wine label by former professional basketball player Dwyane Wade. He didn’t expect to receive an offer to become the brand’s first full-time employee, but that’s exactly what happened. So, shortly after Walker launched a series of Graped Out wine tastings in the Midwest to make vino more accessible to people in all walks of life, he moved to Napa. He’s since helped Wade expand into more than 40 states with a goal of “inclusivity and accessibility, first and foremost,” Walker says, “and creating dope juice.” Here are some local favorites around the brand’s home base.

of drinking Cabs,” Walker

STAY:

jokes. If you’re hoping to

Smack dab in the middle

try a bottle from Wade

is conveniently located on

Grape wine shop, where

distance to many local

and Stevie Stacionis also

of town, the Archer Hotel

Cellars, find it at Bay

First Street within walking

owners Josiah Baldivino

hot spots, or you can grab

host tastings and classes.

tel’s rooftop.

DO:

EAT:

going to suggest going to

a glass of vino on the ho-

“It’s Napa, so of course I’m

Contimo is “absolutely

amazing wineries,” Walker

Walker says. Expect a

lar, which embraces and

cheese biscuits and beef-

winemaking” in Napa,

to winter squash tartine.

Matthiasson, where you’ll

Taberna for Spanish

and some pretty stellar

amazing for sandwiches,”

says. Start with Heitz Cel-

wide range, from pimento

embodies a “new era of

and-broccoli sandwiches

Walker says. Then head to

Or you can head to La

find world-class wines

tapas, conservas, and

vermouth.

charcuterie.

WELLNESS 2022 • SUNSET

85

Kelly’s Brighton Marina

NORTHWEST Baja California flavors meet Pacific Northwest bounty in Maylin Chavez’s seafood-centric cuisine. The Portland chef, who was born and raised in Tijuana, turned her oyster and wine bar into a roving pop-up amid the pandemic, but her next brick-and-mortar is in the works.

“Nothing is cookie-cutter here,” Chavez says.

“That’s what makes Portland a really diverse and entertaining city.”

DO: You can “get lost in the forest” at Tryon Creek

State Natural Area. Of

course, you could also

head to the Oregon coast,

This month: Portland The insider: Maylin Chavez, chef and founder of Olympia Oyster Bar

Sugarpine Drive-In

which Chavez calls her

“happy place.” Head up

Highway 101 for bivalves at

Sugarpine Drive-In

JAndy Oyster Co. in Tilla-

mook, and stop along the way for a short hike. “If

you’re looking for fresh

crab, it doesn’t get any

better” than Kelly’s Brighton Marina right off Ne-

halem Bay, where you can hop in the boat to crab

yourself! From there, head to The Salmonberry restaurant in Wheeler. End

where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean and spirits flow at Blay-

EAT:

lock’s Whiskey Bar.

You’ll find a “symphony”

STAY:

queline restaurant and

pet-friendly Bowline Hotel

of seafood flavors at Jac-

In Astoria, the chic yet

oyster bar, plus a natural

sits right on the river. Back

wine list. The Dungeness

crab toast with hollanda-

ise is “delectable.” Chavez also loves Luce, a “quaint”

Italian restaurant inside a small corner store, where

you can have a “long, lin-

in Portland, The Jupiter

hotel has “one of the best places to get cocktails in

the city”: its Hey Love bar, bedecked in hanging plants.

gering lunch” over home-

DRINK:

wine. Outside the city,

up each month at Func-

made pastas and Sicilian

A different brewery pops

Sugarpine Drive-In offers

tion, an event space with

over-the-top sundaes in a converted 1920s gas

station on the banks of the Sandy River.

86

a full bar. The 2022 slate

includes breweries from

Oregon, California, Washington, and more.

SUNSET • WELLNESS 2022

The Salmonberry

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: GARY PETERSON; JOSHUA CHANG/FOUNDRY 503; COURTESY OF THE SALMONBERRY; JOSUE CASTRO; BELTERZ/GETTY IMAGES; JOSHUA CHANG/FOUNDRY 503

your journey in Astoria,

This month: Palm Springs The insider: Christine Soto, owner of Dead or Alive Bar + Shop

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA On any given evening, you’ll find a group of people—young and old—deep in conversation inside Dead or Alive. Christine Soto opened the Palm Springs bar and bottle shop to create a space for connection, and for folks to learn about wine. To offer even more opportunities, she founded Palm Springs Wine Fest to celebrate California winemakers. Here are her tips for exploring her hometown.

EAT: Soto is a fan of Bar Cecil,

which is currently the hottest ticket in town. The in-

timate restaurant is led by chef Gabriel Woo, who

was born and raised in

Palm Springs. Try the dev-

STAY:

or just order The Fifty Dol-

a poolside room at the

vodka cocktail is served

Lodge. Soto also likes to

with caviar.

Palms, a mineral hot

DO:

Desert Hot Springs.

iled eggs and onion tart;

It doesn’t get better than

lar Martini: The Beluga

adults-only Sparrows

alongside a deviled egg

hop over to Two Bunch

springs resort and spa in

Head down Interstate 10

Two Bunch Palms

to Whitewater Preserve, a

DRINK:

that’s nearly 3,000 acres.

city’s only brewery, Las

the Pacific Crest Trail, or

a quaint outdoor patio

the river.

After that, grab a Game

sprawling, lush oasis

Two locals are behind the

There’s free hiking around

Palmas, where you’ll find

you can dip your toes in

and low-ABV table beer.

Changer cocktail made

with gin, cucumber, and onion brine at Truss &

Twine. It’s attached to the acclaimed restaurant

Workshop Kitchen + Bar.

SHOP: Bohemian-chic home goods and apparel

abound at Thick as

Thieves, a downtown

boutique. Soto also heads COUNTERCLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: BELTERZ/GETTY IMAGES; BIANCA SIMONIAN; STEPHANIE PIA; ELEVATION CREATIVE AGENCY; JEREMY SMICK; © AUDREY MA

to Rancho Relaxo in near-

Truss & Twine

by Rancho Mirage for accessories and decor.

Thick as Thieves

Bar Cecil

WELLNESS 2022 • SUNSET

87

WILDLANDS

Taking

RENOWNED CLIMBER TOMMY CALDWELL WANTS TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE. HERE, HE SHARES TIPS FOR HOW YOU CAN HELP. Story by J. D. S I M KI N S Photograph by JI M MY CH I N

88

SUNSET • WELLNESS 2022

© COREY RICH

How have you seen these rapidly

How has your involvement with cli-

climbing community specifically?

such as big mountain snowboarder

evolving environments impact the

FEW NAMES ELICIT THOUGHTS

of superhuman feats in the world of rock climbing more than that of Colorado native Tommy Caldwell. And yet, despite a resume brimming with death-defying accomplishments—notably, the first free climb of Yosemite National Park’s Dawn Wall route, chronicled in a 2017 film by the same name—it is Caldwell’s present endeavor that could be his most meaningful.

With the wisdom and perspective that accompanies leaving youthful recklessness in the past, the 43-yearold father of two has lately found himself as a key figure in a coalition of athletes and scientists comprising Protect Our Winters, an advocacy group founded in 2007 by big mountain snowboarder Jeremy Jones to bring the sort of education and innovation to the outdoor community necessary to stifle the detriments of climate change.

Caldwell spoke with Sunset about this blossoming role, how historic droughts and signs of climate change witnessed by those who make a living in high mountain altitudes catalyzed an eagerness to help, and what he hopes to accomplish by using his platform.

WildLands: You’ve spent your life in

I never used to climb in Yosemite in November, but now it’s almost ideal.

October used to be the target timeframe, so it’s shifted by a month.

That’s alarming. I think three out of the last five seasons I had to leave Yosemite early because of smoke in the valley. Everything becomes inaccessible. And that’s just the fire side of the discussion.

mate scientists and other athletes,

Jeremy Jones, informed some of what you’re trying to accomplish?

As a climber, it’s easy to notice it getting warmer. Maybe the seasons get pushed back or things close because of forest fires. But as a snowboarder [like Jones], you’re looking at the prospect of there not even being snow in California in the future. Losing an entire sport and a massive economic

Bears Ears Is Back

R

WITH MORE THAN 2 MILLION ADDITIONAL ACRES NOW PROTECTED WITHIN UTAH NATIONAL MONUMENTS, HERE’S WHERE TO VISIT ON YOUR NEXT TRIP. estored protections for southeastern Utah’s Bears Ears and Grand

Staircase-Escalante national monuments reversed a 2017 resource

extraction order that slashed the ancestral homelands of the Nava-

jo Nation, Ute Indian and Ute Mountain Ute tribes, Hopi Tribe, and Pueblo of Zuni tribe by more than 2 million acres.

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, whose name will be etched into history

books as the first Native American to become a cabinet secretary, called

the decision a “profound action … to permanently protect the homelands of our ancestors.”

Choose Your Adventure

EACH BEARS EARS LANDSCAPE OFFERS TREASURED RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES GALORE: By land: Enjoy picturesque hiking, such as the House on Fire Anasazi Ruins route (shown below), backpacking, horseback riding, or

mountain biking among towering walls of red rock, and juniper and cottonwood trees.

By water: Meander the San Juan River by raft— solo (with a permit) or on a multi-day guided tour courtesy of Wild Expeditions. riversandruins.com By rock: Tackle worldclass rock-climbing routes like the 140-foot, 5.12+ Christmas Tree route at Indian Creek.

Explore petroglyph sites, including some dating back 2,000 years, at the large collection known as Newspaper Rock. See and admire firsthand the significant signs of Indigenous peoples who called these rich lands home long before the first European settlements.

By sky: Gaze up at unparalleled dark skies and astrophotography opportunities.

the outdoors. At what point did your

perspective shift from general appre-

ciation to wanting to take action to

BEARS EARS: GEORGE FREY/STRINGER/GETTY IMAGES

protect these places?

Tommy Caldwell: I spend so much

time in Yosemite and Rocky Mountain National Park, and seeing these places burned down during historic fires, seeing droughts, seeing trees dying— it’s happening everywhere and it makes you want to act. After The Dawn Wall, I realized I’ve got a little bit of a megaphone with this platform, so I might as well try and do some good with it.

90

SUNSET • WELLNESS 2022

Interested in learning more about everything that Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante have to offer?

Visit visitutah.com/places-to-go/southeastern.

WILDLANDS

driver for these areas is significant.

Part of your involvement entails lobbying politicians about climate

change initiatives. How does bringing a non-traditional background—

climbers, winter sports athletes—to the table help facilitate these discussions?

If you’re a politician, you’re used to people trying to influence you from all angles—the traditional lobbyist in a suit who spouts numbers. But what’s really powerful is being able to tell good stories, and outdoor enthusiasts live those stories. Climbing or skiing are fun things to discuss, so there’s a different level of receptiveness there.

The outdoors brings some authenticity into politics, which can be a good reprieve from the norm.

So much in Washington is run by young staffers and so many of them are outdoor enthusiasts, so it helps appeal to the people pulling the levers. Politics are definitely messy, and it’s easy to hate that that’s how change gets accomplished sometimes, but we’ve just got to do the best we can with it.

What advice would you give someone looking to get more involved in the climate fight?

© COREY RICH

One thing that’s super key is to find local environmental nonprofits in your area and get to know those people. Go out on volunteer projects and be surrounded by people who want to make a difference close to home. Patagonia has this amazing platform called Action Works, where you can type in your zip code and it’ll pull up all the environmental nonprofits in your area as well as links to get involved.

And then, of course, vote. Learn the issues—that’s another thing Protect Our Winters does through their POW Action Fund. It offers a great guide for everyone to get to know climate issues so that you can be so much more informed when you vote in elections— and that’s on the national and local levels. It all makes a difference.

What’s on your agenda in terms of your own advocacy plans?

I went on an incredible trip recently

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WILDLANDS

To read WildLands’ full interview with Tommy Caldwell, visit sunset.com/travel/wildlands.

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to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, where we were able to analyze climate change and speak with local Indigenous populations to gauge that impact. Those places are rapidly changing and we really need impassioned people to get involved.

The Indigenous viewpoint is so important. We need to talk to them, hear their stories and understand how their lives are changing. I’ve recently been working with organizations in Bears Ears [National Monument]. Just getting to know these people … they could be our greatest teachers. They understand these beautiful places. They know how to treat them, whereas we, in our history as Western colonists, have viewed these areas as a resource to extract and make money. We need to change that.

So, ultimately, I want to share stories that expand our knowledge of what we’re seeing. Climbers, in some ways, are like the eyes and ears of the mountains, the hard-toget-to places, the poles and high-altitude regions where you see the acute effects of it all a bit more. That puts us in a position to highlight these messages and stories that can impassion people to do the right thing, and we should try and run with that.

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HYBRID HOMEWARES

How an actor turned multiple meditative practices into a blossoming business plan.

You may know actor Seth Rogen from his roles in such blockbuster hits as Superbad, Knocked Up, Step Brothers, and Pineapple Express, but he’s sharing a new side of himself with the public: his love of pottery. After hours designing at his own wheel, and poring over different glazes and shapes for “products that I could not find anywhere, but genuinely wanted to have in my own home,” Rogen launched his Houseplant collection of smoker-friendly accessories that go beyond your typical match strikes and table lighters thanks to modern design. The collections also include artist collaborations, such as with Montana-based potter Adam Field. And Rogen has more up his sleeve. Interview by MAG DALE NA O ’ N EAL Is there a gap in the market you’re

Why did you partner with Adam Field?

I’ve been smoking weed for a long

ship between Adam and me, based on

time, and I quickly realized there was a void in the market for beautiful,

thoughtfully designed objects for people like me. For so long, weed has lived under your coffee table, in your sock

This collaboration began with a friendmutual respect for each other’s handiwork behind the pottery wheel. His unique carving technique really piqued my interest.

drawer, or hidden someplace else, and

How does each collaboration work?

Houseplant, we wanted to create inno-

tions starts with my original ashtray

I don’t think it deserves that. With

vative products that people could proudly display in their homes.

Where did you find your inspiration?

A lot of the pieces were inspired by my own life, and the things I wish existed

Each of Houseplant’s artist collaboradesign, and then the artists add their own unique styles. Adam added his

amazing carving technique to create

a really gorgeous product that is completely handmade out of porcelain.

sooner. For example, the Block Table

You also have a “Housegoods” line?

ed more than anything, as someone

table or in your living room that imme-

Lighter is something I personally wantwho loses lighters more than anyone I know. We wanted to create items that were both beautiful and functional.

Each piece is also somewhat nostalgic and inspired by the aesthetics of the ’70s and ’80s.

How were you introduced to pottery?

We want to be the thing on your coffee diately stands out and adds some-

thing unique to your space, like lamps, for example. Everything we make has

been carefully thought out and meticulously crafted with the user in mind, and they are all designed to weave seamlessly into your lifestyle.

My wife has worked with clay since

What’s next from Houseplant?

classes a couple of years ago and I in-

crux of cannabis and design, expand-

high school, so she signed me up for

stantly got hooked. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it!

Who are your favorite potters?

I admire a bunch of different potters. A lot of my recent work is influenced by

[American artist] Ken Price, specifically with his signature textures and explosions of color.

“I quickly realized there was a void in the market for beautiful, thoughtfully designed objects for people like me.”

Continuing to build Houseplant at the

ing to release products that aren’t just exciting to the cannabis smoker, but

for anyone interested in interiors and unique centerpieces. Continuing to

educate and advocate for underrepresented communities is one of my

personal priorities as well, as there is still a lot of disparity in the cannabis industry.

SUNSET (ISSN 0039-5404) publishes 6 issues per year in regional and special editions by S. Media International 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. 245, No. 1, Issue: Feb/Mar 2022. Printed in U.S.A. Copyright © 2021 S. 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 S. Media International Corporation. No responsibility is assumed for unsolicited s ­ ubmissions.

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trying to fill with Houseplant?

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