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16 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 62 {punchline} Peninsula Culture 35 Rock Star 42 Perfect Shot 44 Diary of a Dog: Bella {due west} Travel & Wellness 57 Picture Perfect Carmel 62 Coastal Currents IN EVERY ISSUE 24 Editor’s Note 26 Sloane Citron 29 QuickPUNCH PHOTOGRAPHY: PAULETTE PHLIPOT / COURTESY OF CHRISTOPHER STARK / COURTESY OF OLIVER PILCHER / GINO DE GRANDIS 108 73 94 98 {food coloring} Eats, Drinks & Scoops 73 Standout Sequoia 78 Cruel Donuts 82 The Beat on Your Eats {home & design} Style and Substance 85 Instinctively Pleasing 98 Bouncing off the Walls {punchout} 108 Ticket to the Past {landmark} 114 Hubcaps COVER: PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRISTOPHER STARK (PAGE 98) {january 2024} contents
20 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM “A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore.” —YOGI BERRA FOUNDER/PUBLISHER Sloane Citron EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Sheri Baer CREATIVE DIRECTOR Britt Johnston SENIOR EDITOR Johanna Harlow COPY EDITOR Carrie Lightner PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTORS Annie Barnett Paulette Phlipot PHOTOGRAPHERS Gino De Grandis Robb Most Irene Searles Robert David Siegel WRI TERS Kate Daly Sterling Davies Sophia Markoulakis Sheryl Nonnenberg Elaine Wu SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Dylan Lanier ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERS Sally Randall Georgina Fox CREATIVE SERVICES DIRECTOR Airiel Mulvaney ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Alexa Randall PRINT QUALITY DIRECTOR George Marquez PUNCH is an idea about how to live a life that is more engaging and authentic, from personal adventures, growth and what we feed our bodies and souls to the culture that fulfills us and the traditions and new discoveries offered by the Peninsula. It is about appreciating and exploring the richness of where we live and how that understanding can enhance our lives and make them more fulfilling and happy. PUNCH MAGAZINE ADVERTISING Please call 650.383.3636 or email hello@punchmonthly.com PUBLISHED 1047 El Camino Real, Suite 202 Menlo Park, CA 94025 ©2023 by 36 Media, LLC Members Sloane Citron, David Arfin hello@punchmonthly.com punchmagazine.com PUNCH® is a registered trademark of 36 Media, LLC FOLLOW PUNCH: @punchmonthly PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM FOR EVERYTHING PUNCH, COMPLETE CALENDAR, INSIDE SCOOPS & MORE: punchmagazine.com
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24 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM ship began). Every month, I’ve enjoyed collaborating closely with our incredible creative director Britt Johnston, our senior editor Johanna Harlow, and an all-star cast of associate publishers, writers, photographers and other passionate contributors. PUNCH stories have a way of sticking in your mind—like my interview with Dr. Philip Pizzo, a multifaceted physician and the founder of Stanford’s Distinguished Careers Institute (August 2022). He believes community, wellness and purpose are the pillars of longevity—and espouses the value of regularly shaking things up. And indeed, inspired by all my experiences at PUNCH, I’ve decided it’s time to start a new chapter. As we kick off 2024, I am officially handing off to a wonderful new editorial director, Andrea Gemmet, who will introduce herself in our next issue. My plan is to fully embrace writing (including stories for PUNCH!)—and to keep exploring all the Peninsula wonders and opportunities around us. I’m especially excited for outings with my octogenarian parents, Ron and Carolyn Gevurtz, who live in Foster City. Up first: an art tour and tasting at Sonoma’s Donum Estate (September 2022). Please know how much I’ve appreciated your positive feedback and support. I also want to add a special callout to my husband Doug, who has been my steadfast partner through every challenge and adventure. Now, enjoy all the gems in our January issue, and don’t forget that every PUNCH story (including the ones referenced in this note) can always be found online at punchmagazine.com. Dig in—and let’s all aspire to #livingthepunchlife! Sheri sheri@punchmonthly.com {editor’s note} tournaments, so suffice it to say, we didn’t have a whole lot of time to explore our own backyard. Back in 2018, #living yourbestlife started trending, and the buzzy excitement of my new job inspired me to put a personal spin on it: #livingthepunchlife. For me, #livingthepunchlife meant seeing (and covering) a sweeping bucket list of local sights and attractions—from Fitzgerald Marine Reserve (January 2020) to Mt. Hamilton’s Lick Observatory (August 2019) to Sam McDonald Park (March 2021)—and meeting one fascinating person after the next. What I’ve always loved about PUNCH is that you don’t have to be famous to be in our pages—you just have to be contributing to the Peninsula’s unique culture. From the very beginning, one subject seemed to organically lead to another. For example, a stay at Canyon Ranch Woodside (April 2020) connected us with equus life coach Nina Clark Ericson (August 2020) who tipped us to Silicon Valley matchmaker Amy Andersen (February 2021) who introduced us to accomplished children’s book author Kate Jerome (April 2022). Everywhere I looked, I saw potential stories—whether it was a display of State Street artisan honey (May 2023) or a curious-looking pup (“Diary of a Dog”) passing us on the street. Since 2018, we’ve watched Naomi and Ilana graduate from college and launch independent lives and careers. I started drinking coffee for the first time (February 2019), beat a cancer scare (April 2019), took up pickleball (July 2021) and celebrated my 60th birthday. Oh yeah, there was also that pandemic. Along the way, I’ve worked with an incomparable team at PUNCH, first and foremost, our publisher Sloane Citron, who envisioned this publication as a way to give back to our Peninsula community (and went from zero to seven grandkids since our partnerHere we go… 2024! When I first started at PUNCH in September 2018, both of our daughters were away at college. Reflecting back on my early editor’s notes, I made a point of rejecting the melancholic “empty nester” label in favor of “free bird,” which evokes a sense of empowerment and possibility. That mindset aligned perfectly with my new gig at PUNCH, which propelled me into a constant state of discovery. Despite having lived here since 1995, I still felt like a Peninsula neophyte. Raising athletic, active kids meant a relentless schedule of practices, games and away ABOVE: Sheri Baer and family enjoying Holidays at Filoli; Foster City’s Ron and Carolyn Gevurtz.
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26 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {sloane citron} was anathema to me, and I was rude and insolent and nasty to the girlfriend and her children. They weren’t bad people; they just weren’t my people and I wanted nothing to do with them. Mrs. Altman showed the purest form of kindness—the type that doesn’t expect anything in return. Eventually, after my stepfamily moved in with us, my father told me that there would be no more weekends at the Altmans and that I was to stay at home and be a part of our new family. Blah. It took me a few decades to understand what Mrs. Altman had done for me, offering her unflinching generosity and love. As I matured and had my own children, I came to realize the impact she had on my life. A selfless, maternalistic woman, she never thought about how she had rescued me. She just knew I needed some love, and she was the one to give it. Through the years, whenever I returned to Amarillo to visit, I always made sure to visit her, and I also called her when memories of that time would pop into my mind. It was important for me to tell her how grateful I was to her. She, of course, scoffed at my praise, but I expressed my feelings, nonetheless. I last talked with her a couple of months ago, checking in just to hear her voice and to ask how she was faring. There are people so ingrained into our lives that we can’t imagine life without them. But that is, of course, tomfoolery. Mrs. Altman recently passed away at age 92. It was a huge blow, and I am still grieving. I needed to recognize this good woman in these pages and thank her one last time for the gift that she gave me, a gift with no package and no contents, but perhaps the best I was ever given. Ifirst met David Altman when I was five, both of us fresh kindergarteners at Temple B’nai Israel Sunday school at the small synagogue that served the Jewish population—what there was of it—in Amarillo, where we lived. David went to the next-over elementary school, though we lived five minutes apart and we would attend the same junior high, Stephen F. Austin. When we were in sixth grade, we both received guitars for Hanukkah, and along with Charles Ware, who received some drums for Christmas, we started a band, ultimately dubbed The Psychedelic Vibrations. Like thousands of other garage bands at the time, we played “Louie, Louie,” “I’m Not Your Steppin’ Stone,” “Light My Fire” and dozens more. It was great fun. David’s mother, Mrs. Altman, was our biggest promoter and fan. We mostly practiced in the Altman garage, and she arranged our performances, helped procure equipment and schlepped us around town in their company van (like half the Jews in Amarillo, they owned a clothing store) with our amplifiers, drums and guitars. I suppose we were cuter than we were good, but for a couple of years we played regularly, usually for $50 a pop, which we were happy to have. While this was all happening, my own family was falling apart. My sister and brother left for school—my brother to prep school and my sister to college—and then my mother never returned from a concert tour (it’s a long story) before ending up in a major symphony orchestra far from Amarillo. It took a good two seconds for my Dad to find a girlfriend, who would eventually become my stepmother and move into our home, along with her three younger children. But for a good two years, it was just my Dad and me in our home, and since he was attending to his new girlfriend, I was mostly left to fend for myself. I remember many nights, alone, opening cans from our pantry and making a dinner out of them. I was especially partial to mandarin oranges and smoked fish. Soon after all this hazarai started, Mrs. Altman had David invite me for the weekend. I was too young and naïve to understand that she saw what was happening in my home and felt a need to help. A woman of valor, she was nothing but kindness, support and love. That first weekend turned into two years of weekends at the Altman home. Starting from my very first sleepover, I was made to feel like a member of their family. At their modest house, I had my own bed in a large room that had been created for David and his two younger brothers. Mrs. Altman drove me around, made sure I was well fed and hugged me when she sensed that it was needed. I always dreaded Sunday afternoons when my Dad would pick me up. Mrs. Altman understood my situation much better than I did, knowing that if I was not at her home eating a proper meal, I would be home all alone, or worse, dragged over to the home of my imminent stepfamily. Inevitably, I would get a thrashing after visiting the girlfriend’s home since—and this was and is still true today—I’m not one to mask my feelings. This “new” family the best gift
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PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 29 JANUARY 2024 + 31 DAYS + THE NEW YEAR + OUR 66TH ISSUE {quickpunch} Start Up + Join eight billion planetary soulmates in marking a new year on January 1. + Feeling far from the warming sun? We reach perihelion on January 2. + Commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 15. + Howl at the Wolf Moon, the first full moon of the year, on January 25. Venture Out + HUM along to iconic movie soundtracks with the Peninsula Symphony on January 12 at the San Mateo Performing Arts Center. + REFLECT on self-discovery through adversity with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson’s one-man show How I Learned What I Learned. January 17-February 3 at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts. + DISCOVER hidden gems January 19 as esteemed nature writer Charles Hood shares insights from trails less traveled at Kepler’s Books in Menlo Park. What is time, really, other than a made-up division of the earth rotating around the sun and the earth spinning about? And yet, we mark our days and years with labels and names and sentiments. We finish the calendar on an emotional high, so that the transition to the next year is often fraught with letdown. “How did it fly by so fast?” we ask. How much better for us to think of the excitement that something new brings (new adventures, new beginnings, new friends) and to embrace the brisk air that ushers in a fresh start. “The magic in new beginnings is truly the most powerful of them all.” —Josiyah Martin welcome back
30 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {quickpunch} Dash to Dine + SAN ANGUS COCINA URBANA—Elevated Mexican street bites and craft cocktails—115 Hamilton Ave, Palo Alto + PARKSIDE GRILLE—Cozy gourmet California comfort food—884 Portola Road, Portola Valley + GYU-KAKU—Authentic yakiniku (grilled barbeque) dining experience—329 South Ellsworth Avenue, San Mateo What’s in Store + UNIVERSITY ART—Load up on acrylics, watercolors and canvases at this wellstocked art supply store. 2550 El Camino Real, Redwood City + ANTIQUES & MORE—Hunt down those vintage kitchen items, model trains and typewriters. 1148 El Camino Real, San Carlos + GALERIE—Nature-inspired antiques and objets d’art for the home and garden. 150 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto The Wager by David Grann—The Killers of the Flower Moon author presents a new riveting tale of shipwreck, mutiny and murder. Zero Days by Ruth Ware— Adrenaline-fueled thriller about a woman in a race against time to clear her name. Highlights for Children— Since 1946, young people have relished this delightful and educational magazine. shop.highlights.com WHO KNEW? About 66 acres of Redwood City tidelands, diked off from the bay, were reclaimed in 1910 and used for pastureland until 1946 when they were converted to salt ponds. Then, in the mid-’60s, Marine World was built there. Though a spectacular attraction, it was never a financial success, and the entire complex relocated to Vallejo in 1986. Today, you can view the gleaming towers of Oracle and think, fondly, of barking seals. Well Read Unscramble L H L R E I T O V A I N A I S M U M E U Finally, some half-baked advice: Marry someone who has a different favorite cereal than you so they won’t eat all of yours.
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32 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {quickpunch} What inspires you to choose subjects for your paintings? I’m drawn to everyday things or even famous views but in moments of unusual color, shape and scale. Why do you consider each of your paintings an “experiment”? I make a painting to find out if something can be turned into a painting. I don’t paint chairs; I turn chairs into paintings. What surprises people most about your artistic process? That’s easy: that I destroy a lot of paintings in order to complete the ones I finish. Some paintings are cursed and will never get finished and it’s important to abandon them. What do you remember most about meeting your wife, author/chef Donia Bijan? I walked into Cafe Verona on Hamilton Avenue in Palo Alto in April 1994 and Donia was sitting at a table eating a salad and working—making lists of supplies for her soon-to-open restaurant, L’Amie Donia. I remember clearly how beautiful and intriguing she looked. Luckiest day of my life. Love at first sight. Describe your studio. I have a large warehouse not far from Facebook’s campus. It has giant skylights for natural lighting and a big roll-up door for good ventilation. How do you know when a painting is done? I know a painting is done when it feels like it will be difficult to part with it. How sad if I sold paintings that didn’t meet this test. I don’t sell sketches or abandoned work. THE Q & A MITCHELL JOHNSON What’s an interesting story behind your artwork? Reproductions of my paintings have been used in three of Nancy Meyers’ films. Every week, I get an email from someone who is sitting in a plane watching The Holiday, It’s Complicated or Crazy, Stupid Love and recognizes one of my paintings. Do you listen to music while painting? I really like Chopin and Miles Davis but also Phoenix, Wilco and Neil Young. How did you define yourself before you became an artist? Lost. Frustrated. What’s the wildest thing you’ve ever done? I impulsively left graduate school at Parsons in 1989 to move to Meyreuil, France, where I knew no one and had no contacts. I had a hunch I’d benefit from an isolated intense period of painting in a completely new place. What age would you choose to be again and why? 24-25. I’d like to be able to ask myself how I had the courage to take such large risks. What’s something people are always surprised to learn about you? That I make paintings because I need to, for my own sanity, not because people want to buy them. What do you collect? Experiences. The well-known Menlo Park artist shares how he chooses his subjects, the wildest thing he’s ever done and what compels him to destroy his work. PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF DONIA BIJAN
Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. License Number 01866771. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but has not been verified. Changes in price, condition, sale or withdrawal may be made without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footage are approximate. Nick Granoski | 650-269-8556 Nick@GranoskiWeil.com DRE 00994196 David Weil | 650-823-3855 David@GranoskiWeil.com DRE 01400271 No one knows our local real estate market like Granoski | Weil & Associates. Led by veteran real estate professionals and local residents, Nick Granoski and David Weil, our team brings unmatched local knowledge, insight, expertise, and connections to home buyers and sellers in this unique market. When it comes to local real estate, we’ve seen and covered it all. We’ve got this. Peninsula real estate right now. Exquisitely Designed Modern Home 2060 Mills Avenue | Menlo Park New price: 4,998,000 Exquisite Spanish Colonial 11 Southgate Drive | Woodside New price: $8,998,000 Remodeled California Contemporary 155 Willowbrook Drive | Portola Valley Offered at: $6,198,000 COMBINED YEARS EXPERIENCE 50+ RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE SALES $2B+ RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS 600+
LEGACY rock star words by KATE DALY • photography by ANNIE BARNETT PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 35 {punchline} PENINSULA CULTURE
36 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {punchline} working at Lyngso when she was in junior high. Initially intending to become a special education teacher, Terry, at 23, instead took on the running of Lyngso’s onsite concrete batch plant. In the 1980s, she stepped up to the role of president when her parents retired to travel around the country in their motorhome. Now 95, her dad, founder John Lyngso, claims that the business originated back in 1936, when he was an eight-year-old living in San Francisco. As John recounted to Terry, he and a friend built a cart and went into the hills to collect “meadow muffins from the cows and sold them to the gardeners in the neighborhood.” Later on, when Terry’s Danish grandfather, a carpenter, started building homes in Belmont, John excavated the sites and bought land in San Carlos to store the Alongstanding pillar in Peninsula landscaping is in transition as Terry Lyngso, the last leader of the family-run business, prepares to sell Lyngso Garden Materials to the company’s dozens of employees. How does it feel to let go of so much history? “It’s hard,” admits Terry, who began dirt. John also did grading and worked on the 101 freeway. After a contractor asked him to haul in some quartz pebbles and they sold out right away, John brought in more products and set up a company in 1953. “The focus was always on the landscape contractor and homeowner,” Terry says. “My mom worked in the sales office, took deliveries and answered the phone, and dad did the deliveries. They worked all the time when we [three girls] were little. Fortunately, we lived next door to my grandparents.” Both families lived in Belmont, not far from the Lyngso business, which operated on what are now runways at SFO. In 1969, airport expansion triggered the Lyngso Garden Materials’ move to Seaport Boulevard in Redwood City. In 2015, Lyngso uprooted again to its current location on Shoreway Road in San Carlos. Terry calls it a great space with more than five acres to showcase all of their sand, gravel, concrete,
Among Danish furniture designers, Hans J. Wegner (1914-2007) is considered one of the most creative, innovative, and prolific. Often referred to as the master of the chair, Wegner created almost 500 in his lifetime – many of them considered masterpieces. From left: CH26 Chair, oak, walnut, oil, natural paper cord, $1,900 | CH23 Chair, oak, oil, natural paper cord, $1,115 | CH33T Chair, oak, walnut, oil, $1,410 | CH29P Sawbuck Chair, oak, oil, Leather Loke 7110, $1,725 | CH37 Chair, oak, black, black paper cord, $1,455 | CH47 Chair, oak, oil, natural paper cord, $1,565 | CH327 Dining Table, oak, oil, $5,930 Carl Hansen & Søn Flagship Store San Francisco is offering a 15% discount on your next purchase to anyone who signs up for our local newsletter in the store. Hans J. Wegner Dining Set Flagship Store San Francisco 111 Rhode Island Street - Suite 3 San Francisco, CA 94103 sanfrancisco@carlhansen.com Monday – Friday: 9am - 5pm Sunday: Closed Tel: +1 415 658 7198 TIMELESS ICONS
38 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {punchline} leaves Lyngso? “I’ve always cared about the people,” she reflects, “and the products have always mattered, education has mattered and being part of the community.” In the early days, the company helped support the Japanese Garden in San Mateo’s Central Park. More recently, Lyngso has provided soil mixes to grow vegetables and pollinator plants at local school gardens. Terry is proud of the role Lyngso has played, along with the company’s reputation for having loyal customers and longtime employees. Like Terry, Vic Thomas has also chalked up 50 years with Lyngso, logging numerous trips to China to source stone products. Unlike Vic and her parents, “My dream is not to go traveling,” Terry shares. “My dream is to dig into the dirt more.” She and her husband live in Loma Mar, where they have “an amazing native garden” with plants such as coffeeberry and Oregon grape. Bobcats, quail, snakes and stone, soil, compost and mulch mixes, garden ornaments, tools and building materials. A small display garden is set up near the bioswale demonstration area that illustrates how runoff stormwater from the parking lot can be captured and filtered with plants. Terry’s personal leanings towards composting and organics influenced the company’s growth. In early 2000, she says she learned “how important having a healthy living soil is. Important to human health, the planet—everything.” She took classes to become a Master Gardener and Master Composter, and started giving educational talks through Lyngso and other outlets. She plans to continue being involved with the UC Master Gardener program when she retires. What will she miss when she
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40 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM insects roam the place and she finds the 400-year-old oak tree that anchors the property “quite awe-inspiring.” Given that her yard is by her own description “wild and messy,” Terry may have bypassed the latest trends she has observed in landscaping. Customers want yards that are “much cleaner and organized, more outdoor living spaces with outdoor kitchens,” she notes, adding that raised-bed vegetable gardens took off when people were stuck at home a few years back. She shares that creating living green roofs and bioswales have also become popular. And recently, she has noticed more people buying red lava rock and sparkling white stones. “We’re into a little retro right now,” explains John Lettko, Lyngso’s new CEO. “It’s generational, I think, with kids taking over their parents’ homes and bringing back some of the landscaping they grew up with.” Terry’s tastes tell the opposite story. After growing up in Belmont, she lived in Woodside for a while, then left to pursue more untamed land in Loma Mar. As she anticipates spending more time in her yard, she’s hoping she’ll catch sight of the mountain lion her neighbor saw lounging on the well house one day. {punchline} cultivate beauty lyngsogarden.com
42 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {punchline} PERFECT SHOT pistachio beach sunset Redwood City photographer Michael Belew envisioned this spectacular sunset before he captured it at Pistachio Beach, just north of Pigeon Point Lighthouse. “Checking coastal tidal charts, I knew which early evenings would be a low tide at this location, exposing the rocks along the shoreline, and I waited for an evening with clouds,” he recounts. Michael arrived on the early side, set up his camera, selected his composition and patiently waited for the sun to make its descent toward the horizon. “I watched in awe as the scene developed before me,” he says, resulting in this Perfect Shot. Image by Michael Belew / michaelbelewphotography.com
PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 43 calling all shutterbugs If you’ve captured a unique perspective of the Peninsula, we’d love to see your Perfect Shot. Email us at hello@punchmonthly.com to be considered for publication.
44 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {punchline} calling all dogs If you’ve got quirky habits or a funny tale (or tail) to share, email hello@punchmonthly.com for a chance to share a page from your Diary of a Dog in PUNCH. son Cory brought me home to her when I was eight weeks old. Sure enough, “soooo calm” is how she initially described me, but I was just biding my time before revealing my true nature. Once I was all settled in, SURPRISE! As it turns out, I’m from a hunting dog line that loves to run and jump. And jump. And jump. It doesn’t take much to unleash my alter ego. At a single ding of the doorbell, my hind legs kick into gear and I bounce up to greet whoever is there. When Cory comes over to take me on Although I may look like a black Lab, I’m actually a kangaroo in disguise. As you might imagine, this came as a shock to Connie, who always had black Labs while raising her kids in Atherton. Her previous pups were all “gentle service dogs,” so that’s what she was expecting when her bella DIARY OF A DOG photography by ROBB MOST an outing, I’ve been known to hop over the bike rack and tailgate in my dash to the car. And forget any obstacle between me and my food bowl. I can clear a four-foot-high table in a single bound if I know it’s chow time. When I’m not channeling my inner kangaroo, I love running—as fast as I can and even in circles. Although I’m not allowed up on furniture, I’ve figured out a way to place my entire body in Connie’s lap with just my back paws on the ground. Who wouldn’t appreciate a cuddle like that? I also make it my mission to wake up Connie every morning at 7AM sharp. (All it takes is a quick lick of the toes.) No lazing about for this kangaroo-canine: I always want to get a jump on my day!
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Emily Smith-Silvestri 650.346.1361 Lic. #01927979 REALTOR ® emily.smith@sothebysrealty.com EmilySmithRealty.com Each office is independently owned and operated. All measurements are approximate. Located in the highly desirable Mills Estate area in Millbrae, this 2,090 sq. ft. home sits on a large 7,272 sq. ft. lot. Featuring 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, this home has all the fixings to embrace a lucky new owner. Experience the charm of Millbrae with its top rated school district, vibrant downtown, and easy commutes to both Silicon Valley and San Francisco. The opportunity is here and the possibilities are endless... don’t miss this outstanding chance to make this home your own! Call Emily at 650.346.1361 for more details! COMING SOON in the Marvelous Mills Estates
art art ists &
311 Lorton Ave (at Burlingame Ave) Burlingame, CA 94010 I tel: 650 235 9775 www.andranorrisgallery.com ART EXHIBITIONS AND SALES OF INVESTMENT QUALITY CONTEMPORARY ART FROM INTERNATIONAL, ESTABLISHED ARTISTS WITH CALIFORNIA TIES DEEP ROOTS JANUARY 13 - FEBRUARY 16 ALYSON BELCHER, CHARLOTTE BENRSTROM, GAIL CHASE BIEN, CHIKAKO OKADA Charlotte Bernstrom, Kiss of Fire, acrylic on canvas, 48 x 48 inches, 2023
kerwingalleries.com Kerwin Galleries Established 1961 1107 California Dr. Burlingame, CA 94010 650 340-8400 Tues.-Sat. 10-5 Early Californian Contemporary Kasimir & Eidenberger Custom Framing Painting by Rebecca Osgood art art ists &
CHRISTINA KENT Christina Kent is a figurative painter working primarily in oils. Her evocative landscape and cityscape paintings reflect on the subtle nuances hidden in mundane moments of everyday life. Kent has exhibited at several galleries in San Francisco including Studio Gallery, Arc Gallery, and Inclusions Gallery. In 2023, Kent was awarded the Emerging Artist Award from Pence Gallery and was selected for the Artist-In-Residence program at Chalk Hill. Her solo show “Day to Night” is on view at Pence Gallery through February 2024. Email info@christinakentart.com to inquire about commissions or arrange a visit to her San Francisco studio. Coastline, 2023 Oil on canvas, 48 x 48 inches www.christinakentart.com @christinakentart
art art ists &
PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 57 ART TOUR picture perfect carmel {due west} words by SHERYL NONNENBERG TRAVEL & WELLNESS
58 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {due west} Imogene Cunningham joined him, capturing the unique geography of this area in the straight, sharp-focused, framed technique that differentiated them from the “pictorialists” of the past. Start your historic photography tour with the Weston Gallery, which is located on 6th Avenue, parallel to Ocean Avenue, Carmel’s main street. One of the oldest photography galleries in the world, it focuses on rare fine vintage as well as modern and contemporary photography. Now run by Matthew Weston (Edward’s grandson) and his wife, Davi, the gallery features all of the major names in the medium: Ansel Adams, Carmel-by-the-Sea has long been a magnet for artists working in a variety of media, from painting to sculpture to prints. A walk around this charming, one-mile-square village reveals an astounding number of art galleries (almost 100). Visiting them all would be overwhelming and certainly implausible in just a one-day outing. But narrow your scope to the medium that has become a signature for this coastal town—photography—and you will be amazed by how much you can learn about the region’s history and the evolution of the West Coast Photography Movement. Although photographers began capturing Monterey Bay’s white sand beaches and wind-swept cypresses in the late 19th century, the history of contemporary photography from this area really begins with Edward Weston. Weston had an illustrious career that included a Guggenheim Fellowship (he was the first photographer to be given the award) and lived in various places around California. In 1929, he moved to Carmel and began taking blackand-white photographs of the magnificent coastline around Point Lobos. Soon, colleagues like Ansel Adams, Wynn Bullock and ABOVE (clockwise): Edward Weston Dry-Mounting, Wildcat Hill, ca. 1940, by William Holgers; Spring, 1943, negative by Edward Weston, printed later by Kim Weston. (Spring is the only Edward Weston negative allowed to be printed, all of the remaining negatives are retired.); Edward Weston, ca. 1940, by William Holgers. PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF THE HOLGERS FAMILY / COURTESY OF KIM WESTON, WESTON PHOTOGRAPHY / COURTESY OF THE HOLGERS FAMILY
PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 59 PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF CENTER FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC ART / COURTESY OF PHOTOGRAPHY WEST / COURTESY OF COLBY TARSITANO Eadweard Muybridge, Berenice Abbott, Alfred Stieglitz and numerous members of the Weston family, including Edward, Brett, Cara and Cole. “We have a deep connection to the medium of fine art photography and believe it is of equal importance to that of the traditional fine arts,” Davi explains. The Weston Gallery has been closed for extensive renovations but reopens in January 2024 with an exhibition highlighting the gallery’s collection of rare, vintage black-and-white works juxtaposed with modern, contemporary color photography. Cross Ocean Avenue and go one block east to Dolores Avenue, where you’ll find the next stop, Photography West. This gallery has a very specific focus and objective: to promote artists who are dedicated to darkroom craftsmanship. In other words, no digital technology or thirdparty assistance. Explains gallery director Julia Christopher, “It just so happens some of the greatest darkroom masters in the world lived and worked in Carmel.” Like the Weston Gallery, Photography West holds temporary, curated exhibitions but the work of masters like Ansel Adams and Brett Weston are usually on view in the rear of the gallery. When asked if she thinks digital photography and AI have displaced traditional photographic methods, Julia responds, “People want to know what they see is real—that there is still beauty to be found in real life, light and chemistry.” By now, a stop for lunch is likely in order. A short walk on Dolores Avenue leads to popular spots like Little Napoli, La Bicyclette, Mulligan’s Public House or the oft-photographed Tuck Box. Or return to Ocean Avenue for a multitude of other restaurant and cafe offerings. Fortified and ready to continue? Next up is the Center for Photographic Art (CPA), located in the Sunset Center (a performing arts venue) on San Carlos Avenue. Originally established in 1967 as the Friends of Photography, it boasts Ansel Adams, Cole Weston and Wynn Bullock as its founders. “We try to show a variety of work,” explains executive director and curator Ann Jastrab. ABOVE (clockwise): The Center for Photographic Art (CPA) on San Carlos Avenue is a gallery, membership organization and event venue; picturesque Cypress trees in Carmel-by-the-Sea; Aspen Grove, Colorado, c. 1993, Cibachrome by Christopher Burkett at Photography West; Julia Christopher in Photography West’s Brett Weston Room.
60 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM get the picture westongallery.com photographywest.com photography.org kimweston.com {due west} phers whose work you have seen by taking a detour into Point Lobos State Natural Reserve. There are myriad trails to choose from, and you’ll undoubtedly be moved to capture your own images of this world-famous sanctuary. Continuing down scenic Highway 1, it’s easy to see why so many photographers came here to work on their own or to study with Edward Weston, who left behind a photography dynasty with children and grandchildren carrying on the tradition. Wildcat Hill (a name inspired by Edward owning up to 40 cats at one time) served as Edward’s home and studio from 1938 to 1958. For the last “Some traditional-based photography that is analog and printed in the darkroom and some that is mixed-media, digital, sculptural and experimental.” The first exhibition in 2024 is the International Juried Exhibition, which includes portraiture, documentary, landscape and other genres. Hop back in your car to reach the next venue: Wildcat Hill, the historic home of Edward Weston. Located on Highway 1 between Carmel and Big Sur, it’s about a 20-minute drive south. Along the way, take the time to hike the magnificent coastline that inspired so many of the photograseveral decades, Kim (Edward’s grandson) and Gina Weston have welcomed visitors. Gina explains, “We wanted to share what we love, the original home and darkroom of Edward Weston. Being the stewards of the ‘Weston Legacy,’ this was a way we could give back to our community.” Kim, who is also a photographer, uses framed prints in the home and studio to illustrate his grandfather’s techniques. Guests are often surprised at the rustic, almost rudimentary, darkroom where Edward produced so many iconic images. “A living museum is what we call it,” notes Gina. “Oftentimes, when visitors go into the darkroom they get an overwhelming sense of awe and it brings tears to their eyes.” Kim and Gina also offer fine art photographs for sale, along with photography workshops. Tours of Wildcat Hill are by online reservation only. Given the relative ease of travel and the ubiquitous nature of photography thanks to cell phones is Carmel still a mecca for the professional and amateur photographer? According to Julia Christopher, “Absolutely! Photographers from all over the world will forever be drawn to its unique, dramatic and truly magnetic natural beauty.” ABOVE (clockwise): Kim and Gina Weston in Edward Weston’s Wildcat Hill darkroom; El Capitan by Roman Loranc at CPA; the Tuck Box on Dolores Avenue; Nude in Cactus ca. 1999 by Kim Weston. PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF KELLI ULDALL / COURTESY OF CENTER FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC ART / COURTESY OF KIM WESTON, WESTON PHOTOGRAPHY
62 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {due west} HALF MOON BAY coastal currents words by JOHANNA HARLOW When’s the last time you visited Half Moon Bay? If it’s been a while, you’re bound to notice a number of new storefronts and signs cropping up around the neighborhood. Though it’s still the cozy coastal town you’ve always loved, Half Moon Bay isn’t sitting still. From buzzy restaurants and gleaming shops to faithful standbys providing fresh offerings, plenty of new discoveries await. COASTAL CUISINE There’s something comforting about placing your go-to order at a tried-and-true restaurant— but fortune (and food) favors the bold. HMB’s Main Street is a prime place to find your next favorite dining spot. After closing its Burlingame location during the pandemic, farm-to-table-forward Fattoria e Mare re-emerged closer than ever to the source. Partnering with local fisherman and farmers, this Northern Italian restaurant ensures that seasonal veggies are treated as intentionally as the dishes they adorn—and plated artfully around light, flaky branzino and pan-seared scallops alike. Considering that the restaurant’s chef/owner Pablo Estrada grew up kneading bread alongside his dad at the bakery, you can also expect the pizza and focaccia to rise to the occasion. On the pasta side, twist your tines around bright, citrusy linguine with clams and prawns PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF KEVIN HENNEY
Let Jupiter & Main be the source for all your men’s shopping this year. We’ve got so many great brands for the guys in your life, including Filson, Double RL, Pendleton, Smithey, Caswell-Massey and so much more. Live a life less ordinary. Come visit us at 432B Main Street, Half Moon Bay / www.jupiterandmain.com / @jupiterandmain
64 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {due west} or cacio e pepe prepared in the traditional way in a hollowed-out wheel of pecorino cheese. Also along the main drag, you’ll discover Ciya Mediterranean Cuisine, which specializes in making traditional Greek and Middle Eastern dishes really, really well. Like heavenly creamy hummus or fragrant lamb and beef skewers served over buttery orzo rice pilaf. For a medley of Mediterranean flavors, order the appetizer sampler with everything ABOVE: New Zealand-style pies at Sage Bakehouse; a mouthwatering burger from Johnny’s; Jettywave’s Humpback Migration cocktail. PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF SAGE BAKEHOUSE / PAULETTE PHLIPOT from ground-chickpea falafel to pungent feta rolls, grape-leafwrapped dolma to spicy ezme. Turkish coffee served in an ornamental silver cup and a honeyed piece of baklava make for a satisfying conclusion to the meal. For both the kiddies and the kids at heart, swing by Full Hearts Arcade and Eats for burgers and games, like Ms. Pac Man and Moon Patrol. Continue to nibble your way down Main Street with lemon ricotta pancakes at Johnny’s, the newlyrenovated, not-yourgrandma’s diner—or with blueberry bars and tuxedo cookies at Fishwife Sweets. Sage Bakehouse with its 25 kinds of New Zealand-style savory pies is worth venturing off the main drag for. So is Jettywave, with its nautical-themed bar, award-winning gin and sprawling garden patio with firepits. ADDITIONAL EATS Velvet Hippo Lounge — Charcuterie plates and classy craft cocktails at downtown’s hot new cocktail lounge. Blue Dragon Pho — Takeout-only Vietnamese spot that all the locals are raving about. OceanCiders — A waterfront lounge along Pillar Point Harbor. Breakwater Barbecue — BBQ in El Granada, so popular they were added to the Michelin Guide and serve up brisket at Levi’s Stadium now. Maverick’s Creperie — Not new-new, but recently changed owners and boasts a revamped menu.
Pedal your friends, family and dogs over to Jettywave Distillery and savor local maritime cocktails and spirits from our Coastside. Jettywave ships award-winning spirits throughout California. Order at www.jettywave.com JETTYWAVE DISTILLERY 155 BROADWAY HALF MOON BAY 650.291.8835 WWW.JETTYWAVE.COM @JETTYWAVEHMB FRIDAYS: 3pm - 7pm SATURDAYS: 12pm - 7pm SUNDAYS: 12pm - 6pm LOCALS NIGHTS FIRST THURSDAYS: 3pm-7pm ORDER GIN MOST AWARDED DISTILLERY COAST ON THE
66 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF ANTHONY AVERSON / COURTESY OF JOYCE MORRELL {due west} CYCLE AND SEE Everyone knows Half Moon Bay is plentiful in picturesque shorelines—but there’s a new way to soak in those beachy views. For guided e-bike tours along the coast, soar along with the sea breeze with Ride California (iridecali.com). Embarking from the Mill Rose Inn, you’ll spend two hours cruising through downtown, past the newly opened Coastside History Museum, by the Brussels sprout fields and along miles upon miles of coastal beach trails. If you’re lucky, you might even spot a whale! As you’re pedaling, your tour guide will point out historic buildings like HMB’s historic Johnston House and county jail, offer restaurant and beach recommendations and fill you in on all things HMB (from its agriculture to its surf scene). Though not new per se, Coastal Repertory Theatre has a number of exciting plays lined up for its 2024 season. Don’t miss the upcoming Boeing-Boeing, a 1960s-era comedy of errors involving three stewardesses unwittingly engaged to the same man. Same goes for the upcoming lineup at the Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society, where trios, quartets and full orchestras perform smooth jazz and classical music in a snug venue with ocean views. You’re in for a great show whether you wade into the crowd near the stage or prefer to people-watch from the balcony.
68 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM BEACHSIDE BOUTIQUES Time to hit the shops! First stop: home decor and accessories store Home Town Mercantile to welcome the longstanding store’s new owner. Since taking the reins last April, Marika Holmgren has continued to curate “comfort and luxury” items, while expanding the store’s offerings with a jewelry collection and some exciting new brands. Art got your heart? Swing by M Stark Gallery, which opened last year. Be it Jennifer Roberts Almodova’s untamable wildflower paintings or Ethan Estes’ seascapes textured with fishing rope, the gallery showcases Bay Area artists with work that {due west} PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF MARIKA HOLMGREN / COURTESY OF KEVIN HENNEY
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