SPIRIT OF THE PENINSULA FALL 26 Sweet St. Helena Embracing Charm Perfect Pirouettes Ballet Par Excellence Marine World’s Last Big Splash Pomponio Cattle Ranch Raises the Steaks Mystery & Intrigue: Vince Guaraldi’s Last Show autumn glow
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12 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {punchline} Peninsula Culture 27 Perfect Pirouettes 38 Marine World’s Big Splash 46 Diary of a Dog: Rusty 48 Perfect Shot 50 Diary of a Dog: Riley {due west} Travel & Wellness 55 Sweet St. Helena 64 Passport to Pinot IN EVERY ISSUE 16 Editor’s Note 18 Sloane Citron 21 QuickPUNCH PHOTOGRAPHY: PAULETTE PHLIPOT / ADAM POTTS - EHLERS ESTATE / DUSTIN ADAMSON / LINDSEY RALLO - SAN FRANCISCO BALLET {food coloring} Eats, Drinks & Scoops 71 Tableside Travels 78 A Bite of History 88 The Beat on Your Eats {home & design} Style and Substance 91 Room to Dream 100 Soulful Portraits {punchout} Features 122 Back to the Land 132 Vince Guaraldi’s Last Concert {landmark} 138 Alta Mesa Memorial Park {fall 26} contents 55 71 27 100
14 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM “Those are my principles, and if you don’t like them...well, I have others.” —GROUCHO MARX FOUNDER/PUBLISHER Sloane Citron EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Johanna Harlow CREATIVE DIRECTOR Britt Johnston CONTRIBUTING STORY EDITOR Sheri Baer EDITOR EMERITI Andrea Gemmet COPY EDITOR Carrie Lightner PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTORS Annie Barnett Paulette Phlipot PHOTOGRAPHERS Gino De Grandis Katya Mizrahi Robb Most Robert David Siegel WRI TERS Clarke Conde Jennifer Jory Kaya Gersick Loureen Murphy Sheryl Nonnenberg ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Georgina Fox PUBLISHING CONSULTANT Sally Randall CREATIVE SERVICES DIRECTOR Airiel Mulvaney 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. FOLLOW PUNCH: @punchmonthly PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM FOR EVERYTHING PUNCH: punchmagazine.com PUNCH MAGAZINE ADVERTISING Please call 650.383.3636 or email hello@punchmonthly.com PUBLISHED 1047 El Camino Real, Suite 202 Menlo Park, CA 94025 ©2026 by 36 Media, LLC Members Sloane Citron, David Arfin hello@punchmonthly.com punchmagazine.com PUNCH® is a registered trademark of 36 Media, LLC
AlysGraceMP alysgracebayarea A L Y S G R A C E . C O M MENLO PARK 899B SANTA CRUZ AVE SAN FRANCISCO 3490 SACRAMENTO ST LOS ALTOS 208 MAIN ST SAN RAMON 6000 BOLLINGER CANYON RD ALEXA LEIGH ALIX OF BOHEMIA AMO DENIM APIECE APART APOTHEKE ASKKNY ATM AUTUMN CASHMERE B. BELTS CHAN LUU CIRCOLO 1901 CLARE V. COCOA CASHMERE LONDON COSABELLA FRAME FRANK & EILEEN HARRIS WHARF LONDON ILLESTEVA JAO BRAND KAI FRAGRANCE KUTJEN LOEFFLER RANDALL M.A.B.E. MANSUR GAVRIEL MICHAEL STARS MOTHER MOUSSY NEST FRAGRANCES NILI LOTAN ONCEPT ONE GREY DAY REPEAT CASHMERE RIDDLE OIL ROYAL NOMAD SAINT ART SAVE THE DUCK THE GREAT THE SHIRT TROVATA TWP ULLA JOHNSON URBAN APOTHECARY VELVET WHITE + WARREN XIRENA
16 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {editor’s note} language I don’t speak. Give him a malfunctioning motorcycle or a broken bicycle and the machine seems to tell him exactly what needs fixing. My brother once built a gokart by welding trampoline poles into a frame, incorporating parts from a broken electric scooter, then repurposing the plastic shell of a children’s red convertible bed for the kart’s body. For Halloween, he took a cheap fog machine, attached an old car radiator to amp it up to rock concert quality, then created a laser show in the haze. He’s always creating something with his 3D printer—including printing new parts for the 3D printer. It goes to show that imagination can take unexpected shapes. Problem-solving is a form of creativity. Humor is too. There can be music in the banter between old friends. There can be poetry in the purr of a working engine. In this issue of PUNCH, we celebrate many artistic expressions. Like chef Gloria Dominguez’s culinary masterpieces at Amado, an elevated Mexican restaurant in Burlingame where dishes are as eye-catching as they are appetizing. (Page 71) Or Chris Giannini’s unconventional approach to cattle ranching at Pomponio My brother and I are creative in drastically different ways. The written word is my art form of choice. I’m drawn to the dance of words, of making a sentence flow when it’s placed just so. I aim to paint vivid scenes in a way that immerses the reader and sweeps them up in the story. I hope to tug on threads of life and humanity, then weave them into a tapestry of a narrative. While I’m fascinated by what makes a sentence thrum, my brother Elliot is interested in what makes a device tick. He’s mechanically creative and fluent in motorized gadgets, a PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: MARIETTA ASEMWOTA Ranch, which enriches the flavor of his beef while also restoring the land. (Page 122) We also touch on those devoted to more traditional art forms like painter Dustin Adamson, who infuses his portraits with quiet soulfulness. (Page 100) And ballerina Jasmine Jimison, who began her training on the Peninsula and twirled all the way to the top as a principal at San Francisco Ballet. (Page 27) Sometimes fact is stranger than fiction. Learn of the rise and fall of Redwood Shores’ Marine World Africa USA, a surreal place where orcas kissed guests, kids rode camels and an elephant water-skied. (Page 38) We will also regale you with the stirring final performance of musician Vince Guaraldi, the beloved jazz pianist behind the Peanuts soundtracks, who last tickled the ivories 50 years ago at a small restaurant in Menlo Park. (Page 132) All this and more awaits you in PUNCH’s festive fall issue. Stay creative, Johanna Harlow johanna@punchmonthly.com
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18 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {sloane citron} on a grandparent trip. “No problem,” I thought. “We’ll do it next year.” Then, somehow, the summers and years flew by. The kids started high school, learned to drive and suddenly were filling out college applications. Almost before I realized it, they were grown. Too old, too uninterested, too late to go traipsing around in an RV with their parents. The years passed before I realized they were gone. Sometimes, lying awake at night now, I think about that trip—the adventure I planned so carefully and wanted so badly. I can still picture the RV. I can still see the bunk beds, each child with a space of his own. I can still imagine the six of us driving through deserts, mountains and small towns across the American West. I always thought that there would be another summer. When you’re raising children, you think time moves slowly. The days can certainly feel long enough. But the years disappear and then it is too late and over and done, as there is no turning back time, no way to recapture your kids’ (and your own) youth. One moment you’re planning an adventure for a family with four young children. The next, those children are adults with houses full of their own bustling children. So, here’s what I want you to know: Don’t wait. Take the trip. Go now. One day you’ll look up and discover that the season of life that made the dream possible has passed. And then, like me, you may find yourself reminiscing about an adventure that never happened, wishing you had understood how precious and temporary those years really were. W hen my four children were young, I became enamored with the idea of taking an extended summer road trip across America. For a couple of months, we would travel the country together in an RV, exploring its many landscapes, quirky attractions and small towns. I wanted my children to see firsthand how fortunate they were to live in such a wonderful country. At the time, my oldest son, Josh, was about twelve. His younger brother, Coby (Jacob), was five. Between them were my daughters, Arielle, ten, and Talia, seven. The vision came easily. I could see us rolling down the great highways of the West and then veering off onto forgotten roads in search of scenic beauty, ghost towns and unexpected adventures. More than anything, I wanted to create memories. In fact, the more I thought about the trip, the more enthusiastic I became. There is an excitement that only a road trip brings, the tingling anticipation of hitting the highway with the next adventure around the corner. I sent away for brochures for RVs that featured a parents’ bed and two sets of bunkbeds for the children. After the kids had gone to bed, I’d sit at the kitchen table studying the brochures, turning page after page, studying floor plans and photographs. Planning the route was more exciting than shopping for the trailer. I bought atlases, visited AAA for maps and spread everything across the dining room table. We would begin in Yosemite, cross Nevada’s vast Great Basin country and then head on to southern Utah, with stops at Bryce Canyon and Zion. Then to Colorado, where we’d visit Mesa Verde’s ancient cliff dwellings and ride the historic Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Then we’d head north to Denver to spend time with my brother Dan and then to Amarillo, where my father still lived. After that, we’d continue to Santa Fe before heading west to the Petrified Forest National Park and finally the Grand Canyon. I had everything figured out. The RV. The route. The campgrounds. The attractions. The dream was ready. But plans for that summer started filling up with camps, family obligations, work commitments. We decided to postpone the trip for a year. The following summer—after I had everything reorganized and replanned—also began filling up. One child wanted to go to camp, another wanted to go take the trip
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PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 21 FALL 2026 + FOOTBALL AND PUMPKINS + OUR 92ND ISSUE {quickpunch} SEPTEMBER + WANDER through the redwoods as you visit art booths at the Kings Mountain Art Fair on September 5-7. Be sure to slow down and chat with the painters, ceramicists, metalworkers and other artists across mediums. + CELEBRATE our agricultural heritage as well as 100 years of the Kiwanis Club with live music, face painting, garden tours and playful puppet shows at Mountain View’s Harvest History Festival at Heritage Park on September 26. Fall holds a special kind of magic. You can feel change in the air, invigorating us in a special way. The weather turns crisp, the heat of summer fades and trees burst into brilliant shades of color. Familiar traditions return—football games, the World Series, pumpkin patches and evenings by the fire. Fall invites us to put on comfy clothes and an extra blanket on our beds. At the same time, it encourages cozy indoor pleasures like warm drinks, hearty meals and favorite books. The season feels reflective without being harsh, offering us the perfect balance between summer’s energy and winter’s stillness. Enjoy picking plump pumpkins and munching on bags of leftover candy! “A wind had blown the rain away and blown the sky away and all the leaves away, and the trees stand.” —E.E. CUMMINGS welcome back OCTOBER + GROW your appreciation of art and flowers at SEED, a group exhibit at Andra Norris Gallery in Burlingame from September 26 to November 6, with an artist reception on October 3. Participating artists will celebrate nature’s blooms through watercolors, oil paintings, drawings and sculptures. + DIVE into the Halloween season at the Pumpkin Splash on October 25 at Burgess and Belle Haven pools as you pick this year’s pumpkins from a floating pumpkin patch. FALL HAPPENINGS NOVEMBER + IMMERSE yourself in Diwali, the Indian festival of lights, with vibrant live dance performances, delectable fare from a local chef and crafts on Laurel Street in San Carlos on November 7. Don’t forget to wear new clothes to symbolize a fresh start! + EXPERIENCE the Grammynominated Neave Trio at Music at Kohl Mansion on November 15. Be sure to check out the program’s other upcoming chamber concerts, all hosted within this Burlingame estate’s grand English-style Tudor mansion.
22 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {quickpunch} October 1964 by David Halberstam—Beautifully written inside story of the 1960s era of baseball: Mantle, Maris, Gibson. An eye-opening experience. I See You’ve Called in Dead by John Kenney—After drunkenly publishing his own obituary, a disillusioned obituarist seeks to relearn what it means to live by attending strangers’ funerals. The Onion—National and international satire about the crazy world we live in—theonion.com WHO KNEW? One of the Bay Area’s most beloved landmarks—a weathered red barn along Highway 84 near La Honda—is slated for restoration. But preserving the century-old structure means protecting an even rarer treasure: a colony of about 50 rare pallid bats that rest mostly in and around the eaves and soffits of the roof. After dusk, they zoom out into the night like dark shadows to forage. Since the bats tend to vacate the barn in colder winter months, contractors will wait for their flight—to where, no one knows—to do much of the work. Well Read Unscramble ILNLGAF LEAESV Finally, some half-baked advice: Don’t be sad, because sad backward is das—and das not good. Discoveries + REMINISCE about your college days and embrace the spirit of the back to school season by exploring Stanford’s sprawling campus. Wander on a whim and enjoy its architecture and its grounds. Or pay a visit to Cantor Arts Center for exhibits that span classic to contemporary. Ground yourself by seeing what’s growing over at the O’Donohue Educational Farm or reach for the sky by ascending to the observation deck at the Hoover tower. + SWAY, swing and sing at free outdoor concerts while the weather still holds. September isn’t too late! Head to Mountain View’s Concerts on the Plaza as it wraps up with three final Fridays. Or spend a splendid Saturday along the waterfront at Redwood City Port’s Rock the Dock performances. Dash to Dine + GYU-KAKU JAPANESE BBQ—A lively ambiance with delicious food that provides an exceptional dining experience—329 S. Ellsworth Avenue, San Mateo + CAMPER—Excellent California seasonal fare in a comfortable, yet elegant rustic atmosphere. Great patio—898 Santa Cruz Avenue, Menlo Park + WILDSEED—Casual eatery in Town & Country Village offering unique flavors and dishes. While plant-based, it’s delicious for all—855 El Camino Real, Palo Alto
24 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {quickpunch} What’s a common misconception people have about veterinarians? That it’s playing with puppies and kittens all day. In reality, it is a very challenging profession. What’s a typical day on the job look like? I start my day with scheduled dental procedures/surgeries in the morning, sometimes in between cases I will tend to a couple of patients who need care urgently, then I try to do call-backs, approve prescriptions, squeeze in my lunch and then see appointments in the afternoons. Can you share a funny story from the vet clinic? Telling the difference between very young male and female kittens can sometimes be hard for the general public. We sometimes get clients who come in with a cat named “Bella” for example, only to be told that Bella, in fact, is a boy. Sometimes people change the name, sometimes they don’t. When did you first decide you wanted to work with animals? I always knew I wanted to become a veterinarian and never considered anything else as a career. Although I did not have pets while growing up in Pune, India, I interacted with various animals at farms and zoos, and I felt a strong connection with them. Do you have any pets now? We had two cats Chao and Myow. Myow passed away at a young age, but our dear Chao gave us company for 10 beautiful years. What’s your spirit animal? A mixed-breed rescue dog. Adaptable, resilient and always THE Q & A MUKUL PADALKAR grateful for new opportunities. These qualities have served me well throughout my career. How do you handle the escape artists? There was a cat once who was scheduled for surgery and the owner brought her in without a carrier, just in their arms. The cat ended up escaping up a tree in the parking lot. The entire team was trying different things to bring the cat down: treats, food, one person tried to climb up themselves, but the cat kept going higher. Ultimately, we needed to call the firefighters, who put up a very tall ladder and were able to bring the cat down safely. Do you have any phobias? I am terrified of caterpillars and, to an extent, clowns. What do you consider a must-do on your bucket list? There are many, but one of them is the Half Dome hike in Yosemite National Park. What animal tends to be the biggest drama queen? Siberian Huskies didn’t become YouTube sensations and memes overnight—that theatrical streak runs deep in their history. Their distinctly loud, musical howls and whines were originally required for survival and communication within the pack in Arctic environments, but in today’s urban setting they manifest as hilarious tantrums over basic things! Combine that with their highly expressive faces, independent personalities and rich vocal language, and they can seem a bit dramatic. Sometimes they will howl during minor procedures like a nail trim! What do you collect? Memories. A veterinarian at Revive Veterinary Care in San Carlos discusses diva patients, furry escapees and the one creature she wants nothing to do with.
Compass is a licensed real estate broker 01527235 in the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdraw without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate. Exact dimensions can be obtained by retaining the services of an architect or engineer. This is not intended to solicit properties already listed Your Trilingual Mid-Peninsula Specialist 650.283.8379 REALTOR® | DRE 01961451 xin.jiang@compass.com compass.com/agents/xin-jiang Xin Jiang 1418 PITMAN AVENUE OFFERED AT $18,000,000 Completed in 2024, this custom French Modern estate blends timeless architecture, exceptional craftsmanship, effortless indoor-outdoor living, and sweeping park views in Palo Alto’s prestigious Crescent Park. CRESCENTMODERNFRENCH.COM
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DANCE perfect pirouettes words by JOHANNA HARLOW PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 27 {punchline} PENINSULA CULTURE PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: ERIK TOMASSON - SAN FRANCISCO BALLET
28 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {punchline} When asked which ballet protagonist she most identifies with, Jasmine Jimison, a Peninsula-raised principal dancer at San Francisco Ballet, doesn’t hesitate: Giselle, the peasant girl turned spirit. There’s certainly an ephemeral air in the way Jasmine dances, every movement silky and sylph-like, but there’s another reason she feels a kinship with the heroine of one of ballet’s most enduring classics. “She’s a pretty shy girl,” the ballerina observes—an unexpected admission from someone who routinely performs in front of thousands. “It’s so funny that I chose this as a career,” she chuckles. “I say sometimes, ‘I don’t like being perceived.’” After mulling it over a moment, she adds, “I kind of go into my own world when I’m on stage … That is where I’m living in that moment, and nothing else really matters.” Giselle holds special meaning for another reason. It was the first title role Jasmine danced in a full-length narrative ballet—and it’s where she fell in love with dance as a form of storytelling. COVER PHOTO: Jasmine performs with other San Francisco Ballet School students in Helgi Tomasson’s Meistens Mozart in 2017. PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: LINDSEY RALLO - SAN FRANCISCO BALLET
Gloria Young Lic. #01895672 +1 650.380.9918 Gloria@YoungPlatinumGroup.com YoungPlatinumGroup.com John Young Lic. #02036387 +1 650.862.2122 John@YoungPlatinumGroup.com YoungPlatinumGroup.com For informational purposes only. Data may include inaccuracies due to the timing of reporting, input, or processing errors. Each office is independently owned and operated. “They made the impossible possible—buying and selling in two months with amazing results! We can’t recommend John and Gloria highly enough. They made a stressful process manageable and even enjoyable.” - Leena & Justin Silicon Valley’s Trusted Advisors in Luxury Real Estate Let’s talk about your next move. Sold Sold YOUNG PLATINUM GROUP Y 1730 Webster Street, Palo Alto Represented Seller | $10,250,000 3502 Arbutus Avenue, Palo Alto Represented Buyer | $4,900,000 Sold Sold 1525 Dana Avenue, Palo Alto Represented Buyer | $8,638,000 1975 Webster Street, Palo Alto Represented Seller | $12,750,000
30 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM at Menlo Park Academy of Dance and Bay Area Dance School in Los Altos, Jasmine fell head over heels for the art form. Before long, Jasmine was training and competing in both sports. “At some point, my skating coaches and my ballet teachers were like, ‘You need to choose,’” recalls Jasmine. There simply wasn’t enough time or energy to pursue both. Little Jasmine figured she’d be able to dance longer than she could skate. “My 10-year-old brain was somehow thinking rationally, like long-term!” Dance, she adds, “felt a lot more natural to me. I was more drawn to it.” Jasmine experimented with lyrical dance as well as tap, hip hop and jazz, but ballet kept pulling her back. “The fluidity involved feels really natural to me.” {punchline} “As a principal in a ballet, it’s your job to carry the story and to bring people on a journey with you and make the intentions clear,” she explains. “Even though there’s no words, how do you use the ballet vocabulary and steps to articulate emotion in a clear way?” Jasmine’s exploration in movement started not on a stage but in the rink. At a young age, she practiced swizzles and snowplow stops at Ice Oasis in Redwood City and Winter Lodge in Palo Alto. Only a year into her lessons, the then-five-year-old Jasmine was encouraged by her instructor to consider dance as a way to enhance her artistry, fluidity and strength. After attending classes PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: LINDSEY RALLO - SAN FRANCISCO BALLET
32 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM The lessons Jasmine learned on the ice carried over to ballet in unexpected ways. “It helped with my fearlessness in difficult dance steps. Because, with skating, you just have to go for it. If you’re going to do a jump and rotation, you can’t second-guess yourself. You can’t half do it.” That same instinct to commit served her well when dance partners tossed her into the air. Skating also helped Jasmine calibrate her spins. “I didn’t get dizzy in the way I think I would’ve if I wasn’t used to it,” she says. That said, her muscle memory didn’t always work in her favor. In ballet, when you spin, “you have to pick a spot, and then whip your head around really fast and come back to it—and that’s how you don’t get dizzy,” she describes. “With skating, your PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: LINDSAY THOMAS - SAN FRANCISCO BALLET go-on moments came during Jasmine’s Madrid tour for Swan Lake, where she danced the dual roles of sweet Odette (the White Swan) and deceptive Odile (the Black Swan). On the day of the final performance, Jasmine woke up sick. Burning fever, shivering chills, waves of nausea—the works. “I just felt horrible,” she recalls. After struggling through a morning rehearsal, Jasmine crawled back into bed, attempting to sleep off the bug before that evening’s show. With parents and friends flying in to watch her perform, she was determined to take the stage. And so she did, uncomplainingly suffering through the first and second acts. With only the final act to go, Jasmine rallied the last of her strength. “That was the Black {punchline} spins are so fast. If you did that, you’d break your neck.” After getting scolded more than once for not spotting her pirouettes, she finally kicked the habit. Jasmine quickly rose through the ranks at San Francisco Ballet, joining the corps de ballet at 17, moving to a soloist role at 19 and finally reaching the lofty position of principal dancer at 22. But the journey hasn’t been all roses and standing ovations. It’s blisters and sprains too. It’s putting intense pressure on the tips of your toes to dance en pointe. “There’s always something hurting,” Jasmine says matter-offactly, shrugging it off. One of those show-must-
For more information and to arrange a private showing of these lots, please contact: Rankings provided courtesy of Real Trends, The Thousand list of individual agents by total sales volume in 2024. Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. License Number 01527235. 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. www.ScottDancer.com 650.888.8199 scott@scottdancer.com License # 00868362 www.HelenAndBradHomes.com 650.400.3426 | 650.400.1317 helenhuntermiller@gmail.com License # 01142061 | 00917768 HELEN & BRAD MILLER 7 Lots for Sale WOODSIDE MISSION TRAIL Private Residence 75 Mission Trail LOT 3 1.2 acres 70 Mission Trail LOT 6 1.03 acres 60 Mission Trail LOT 7 1.04 acres 85 Mission Trail LOT 4 1.0 acre 40 Mission Trail LOT 9 2.59 acres 50 Mission Trail LOT 8 1.05 acres 80 Mission Trail LOT 5 1.54 acres Private Residence Only 9 residences behind the gates Ready for your house design Permits per Town of Woodside standard codes and zoning No HOA or association architectural review
34 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM Swan pas de deux, which is, for me, the hardest part,” she recalls. “That’s where you have to do 32 fouettés and variation coda pas de deux.” As she stood backstage, anticipating that feverish flurry of fouettés, Jasmine was hit with a wave of nausea just as the trumpet played for her entrance. She found a bucket, bid adieu to the contents of her stomach and pranced right back on stage. As for the pas de deux? “Honestly, it was probably the best I’ve ever done.” She shakes her head and laughs. “The crazy things we put our bodies through for ballet.” For many ballerinas, a professional career means relocation and far-flung travel. Jasmine remains just a quick drive from her parents’ home in Menlo Park, thanks to the rare opportunity to dance locally with one of America’s premier ballet companies. “There’s so much soul to the things that we dance, the repertory that we do and the people in the company,” Jasmine reflects. “I think you can tell when you come to a performance. It just feels really genuine and honest.” Befitting a San Francisco Ballet principal, Jasmine doesn’t {punchline} shy away from a challenge and is happy stepping into ballets that push her. “A role that I really, really loved performing and is dear to my heart now is Manon,” she says. “It’s quite dramatic.” She describes the character as the most mature role she’s portrayed. “She’s a little bit more worldly and she knows what she’s doing. She goes through a really intense, dark arc.” Jasmine may see herself in the gentle Giselle, but her steely determination and unerring discipline to honing her craft and her body is not to be underestimated. “I am constantly trying to improve my technique and strength as a dancer,” she shares. “I’m definitely more of an artistic, fluid ballerina and the strength doesn’t come so naturally to me. I need to work very, very hard to get that raw power.” Equal parts grace and resilience, Jasmine knows you have to be tough to perform the most delicate of dances. PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: LINDSEY RALLO - SAN FRANCISCO BALLET / ERIK TOMASSON - SAN FRANCISCO BALLET Above: Jasmine performs as a principal in Possokhov’s Don Quixote; Jasmine practices with other students during a character dance class in 2015.
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An extraordinary 15,500± square foot architectural estate set on 2.5 acres atop a promontory with sweeping, unobstructed Bay and treetop views. Designed by MAK Studio, the residence offers 8 bedrooms, 13 baths, dual chef’s kitchens, and seamless indoor-outdoor living at an exceptional scale — pairing architectural excellence with refined materials and advanced technology. Phil Chen Broker-Associate Phil@SybariteRealty.com 415.271.1920 DRE: #01715177 Defining Peninsula Real Estate. Over $1B in closed sales across the Peninsula & San Francisco 455 Pinehill Road 8 BEDS | 10.3 BATHS | MOTORCOURT | ADU | 455PINEHILL.COM
38 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM HISTORY marine world’s big splash astounding stunts on water skis, flying off ramps and stacking into six-person pyramids. Among their ranks: Mrs. Fields, the cookie lady. Another aquatic star, Judy the elephant, soared on skis the size of pontoons—though she left the flying leaps to the other ladies. Elsewhere in the park, dolphins and seals planted kisses on visitors, while Kianu, the two-ton orca, made waves during the Harbor Patrol Killer Whale Show. While these performances are perceived differently these days, the park prided itself on its “conservationist” stance at the time and educated visitors about wildlife and endangered species at the Ecology Theater. Near the Port of Redwood City, in Redwood Shores, loom the sleek glass towers of the former Oracle campus— pillars of progress befitting the tech empire of the Silicon Valley. In their shadow, a solitary goose glides across a serene lake. It’s quiet today, but not so long ago this site teemed with waterslides and seals. Orca whales burst from the briny deep, soaking astounded audiences. Aquatic acrobats performed gravity-defying stunts. A trainer walked a tiger around on a leash. And Lancelot, a goat with a single, 10-inch horn, enjoyed acclaim as a “living unicorn.” This was the wonderfully weird era of Marine World, a brief and astonishing moment in Bay Area history. Before orcas and Oracle, the land had humble beginnings. Once a stretch of sloughs, the area later became a network of salt evaporation ponds. Then in the 1960s, 66 acres were filled in for a highly anticipated amusement park. Originally, the quiet, respectable town of Mill Valley had been considered for this marine-themed venture, but their city council pronounced it “incompatible with the community’s residential character.” Redwood Shores had no such qualms. After a flurry of construction, the park opened to great fanfare in the hot summer of 1968. The project was helmed by longtime showman Michael B. Demetrios, whose résumé already included SeaWorld and the Ice Follies. Marine World boasted elements of both. Similar to the Follies, it offered dazzling shows. The lovely Aqua Belles performed words by JOHANNA HARLOW PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: ED BIERMAN {punchline}
40 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM Only four years after launching, Marine World had already run into financial difficulties. It was sold to Ralph Helfer, owner of Africa USA, a ranch in Soledad Canyon that trained jungle animals, including the MGM lion, for Hollywood films. Helfer’s ranch had recently been devastated by flooding and mudslides and, seeing a solution in Marine World, he relocated his ark of animals to the park. In 1972, the newly renamed Marine World Africa USA welcomed a zoo of new residents. Now, kids could pet cheetahs, hold brilliant macaws and ride elephants. Explorers hopped aboard boats piloted by {punchline} PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: SAN MATEO COUNTY HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION COLLECTION (1975.607) / ED BIERMAN pith-helmeted safari guides along shorelines with monkeys and giraffes. In an arena, lions and tigers leapt through hoops. Hollywood continued casting Helfer’s wild wards. Shauna, a bicycle-riding chimpanzee, cameoed in Swiss Family Robinson, while the park’s killer whales, Yaka and Nepo, starred in a survival thriller titled Orca, produced in the successful wake of Jaws. Mardji, a sweet-natured Asian elephant, was cast as a shaggy alien on a desert planet. That’s right, she was a bantha in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Unfortunately, as ticket sales waned, real estate prices soared. Succumbing to the inevitable, the beloved park sold its land to Campeau Corporation for a $300 million office complex and hotel. On September 29, 1985—only 17 years after its opening—the Peninsula’s premier amusement park closed its gates. On moving day, a caravan of trucks and one barge escorted more than 350 mammals and numerous fish to their new home in Vallejo, a place known today as Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. Back in Redwood Shores, the African-style huts, stadiums and
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42 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM stages were demolished to make way for business buildings. Sadly, Marine World Africa USA wasn’t the only Peninsula gem to shutter its doors. Gone is the merry mishmash of batting cages, mini golf, arcade, go-kart course and bumper boats of Redwood City’s Malibu Grand Prix. Palo Alto Bowl, Redwood Roller Rink and Belmont Iceland rink met similar fates. California’s Great America is nearing the end of its run, the rollercoasters on their last loop-de-loops, the carousel horses on their final laps. Where entertainment once reigned, tech and real estate now rule. Reflecting on this bygone era, it’s hard not to look back at Marine World—a surreal space where kids rode camels, trainers wrestled tigers and orcas kissed guests—as some fever dream. Did that really happen? Still, maybe its implausible existence proves it can happen again. Maybe magic can win out against sensibility. Perhaps there are playful places on the Peninsula yet to come. If an elephant can water-ski, anything is possible. {punchline} PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: ED BIERMAN / SAN MATEO COUNTY HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION COLLECTION (2018.80.66) / ED BIERMAN
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46 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {punchline} calling all dogs If you’ve got quirky habits or a funny tale (or tail) to tell, email hello@punchmonthly.com for a chance to share a page from your Diary of a Dog in PUNCH. Hello there! I’m Rusty, a senior German Shepherd from Menlo Park. Fifteen years ago, my human brothers, Sohrab and Siavash, picked me out from a litter of three when I was just a pup— and I’ve been happily living with my family ever since. In my heyday, I kept a rigorous routine. When I wasn’t in police training, running around and jumping over tall fences, I assisted in driving the boys to and from every soccer and basketball practice. Years later, when Sohrab and Siavash left for college, I was inconsolable. Realizing I needed a morale boost, my mom brought me to her dental office to see what was going on over there. rusty DIARY OF A DOG photography by ROBB MOST Guess what? I perked right up. Now, every morning, I get up, have breakfast and jump in the car—these days, with some help—and work all day in the dental office. I really like having a job to do. If the office manager is at the back, I fill in, and when a patient comes, I let my mom know with a single, polite bark. Even the UPS guy knows me and hollers, “Hey Rusty!” whenever he delivers a package. On my lunch break, I enjoy treats like apples, bell peppers, Trader Joe’s gingersnap cookies and one hardboiled egg a week, which the vet gives me permission to eat in my golden years. I didn’t expect to have this much fun with my second career!
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48 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {punchline} PERFECT SHOT sunset on skyline During a sunset stroll along Skyline Ridge, photographer Gino de Grandis shot a moment as playful as it is picturesque when he captured his friend mid-yoga pose. “It’s not very common to get blue and orange tones together,” he notes. “It was a magic moment and I was lucky to get it framed between the two oak trees.” Image by Gino de Grandis / luiphotography.com
PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 49 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. calling all shutterbugs
50 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {punchline} calling all dogs If you’ve got quirky habits or a funny tale (or tail) to tell, email hello@punchmonthly.com for a chance to share a page from your Diary of a Dog in PUNCH. Hey there, I’m Riley George and a gift to all. So it’s fitting that my adoptive family brought me home as a birthday surprise. Maryann, her daughter Jayce and son-in-law Matt conspired to bring me home from a breeder in Petaluma for Maryann’s husband, Gary. You can’t imagine his joy when he saw a golden retriever puppy, and I have been his best friend ever since. I especially enjoy helping him in the yard, by chewing the sprinkler heads and burying little presents for him to find later. Sometimes when we are out there, he tries to make me swim in the treacherous waters of the backyard pool. I find all bodies of water riley DIARY OF A DOG scary, but the pool is home to a terrifying monster called “the pool sweep.” I much prefer watching Seinfeld. (I mean, one of the characters is named after me.) My family keeps telling me it’s the other way around, but I’m pretty sure I came first. The other half of my name comes from my tendency to get riled up, but I don’t know what they are talking about. I also love to join my family in bocce and golf by stealing the balls and turning them into much more exciting games of keep away. As a special treat, Gary and I will go visit the retirement home, where I am a celebrity. Everyone knows who I am and absolutely adores me—and who can blame them? As told to KAYA GERSICK photography by ROBB MOST
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PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 55 GETAWAY sweet st. helena {due west} words by JOHANNA HARLOW TRAVEL & WELLNESS PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: ADAM POTTS
56 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {due west} Interested in a more spirited, less prim side of wine country? Head to St. Helena, a small town nestled in northern Napa County. Though it appreciates the finer things with ample art galleries, fine dining and more than 100 wineries, the region remains refreshingly grounded. DOWN-TO-EARTH WINERIES There’s a true earthiness to Ehlers Estate. Consider the hunks of rock in the organic winery’s tasting room walls. They hail from the two mountains that flank the property like massive bookends: the sandier stones from the Mayacamas Mountains and the darker volcanic rock from the Vaca Range. “It is a gorgeous metaphor for the terroir—the story of the soil that we have surrounding us,” says wine educator Catherine White. “This is how our vineyards were formed: from the runoff of all of this beautiful minerality.” Heeding the land, Ehlers winemaker Adam Casto recently experimented with one of the vineyard’s blocks by planting vines, not in structured, straight rows, but in abstract, organic patterns to match a recent digital map of the soil. “I call it vineyard architecture,” says Catherine, who lights up talking about all things agriculture. She adds that he’s also trying out “companion planting” to see whether neighboring plants influence the flavor of the grapes. Ehlers also gives the land a voice through its portrait wines. These red blends match the exact percentage of each of the site’s different plantings in a particular year—66% cabernet sauvignon, 16.3% merlot and so on—to produce a perfect embodiment of the site itself. Catherine, who describes every wine as a PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: ADAM POTTS / CONOR HAGEN
1125 & 1135 GUINDA STREET, PALO ALTO, CA 94301 8 BEDS • 6 BATHS • 5,047 SQ FT LIVING • 15,000 SQ FT LOT (COMBINED) A truly exceptional offering in Palo Alto’s coveted Community Center neighborhood, just blocks from vibrant downtown. Two gorgeous side-by-side residences create an extraordinary opportunity as a private family compound or multi-generational estate. The sun-filled Spanish Mediterranean main residence (4BR/3BA) beautifully blends timeless charm with refined modern amenities. A stunning living room with vaulted beamed ceilings and a fireplace welcomes you, while the formal dining room overlooks a charming front courtyard. The gourmet eat-in chef’s kitchen and adjoining family room open to spectacular grounds featuring a sparkling pool, tranquil water features, and a fireplace pavilion. A remarkable pool house (1BR/1BA) with vaulted ceilings offers an entertainment room, kitchen, and a series of French doors that create seamless indoor-outdoor living. The adjoining residence (3BR/2BA) is equally rich in character, offering an open floor plan, hardwood floors, a fireplace, an updated kitchen with stainless steel appliances, and a lovely primary suite with a private deck. Excellent schools (Walter Hays Elementary, Greene Middle, Palo Alto High) complete this rare opportunity that offers unmatched flexibility, architectural character, & resort-like living. brianchancellor.com | 650.303.5511 REALTOR® | brianc@sereno.com | DRE 01174998 The information contained herein has been obtained from third party sources deemed reliable but its accuracy is not guaranteed. Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno has not and will not verify the information and assumes no responsibility for its accuracy. Buyer should verify and investigate all information to Buyer’s satisfaction. If your home is currently listed with another agent, please disregard this marketing material. GUINDAESTATE.COM SERENO OFFERED AT $11,000,000 | GUINDAESTATE.COM
58 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF: DAVID MARTININEZ- BERINGER VINEYARDS / TUBAY YABUT- BERINGER VINEYARDS woman, sees the 2022 Portrait as “a beautiful little summer red… She is very smooth.” In comparison, “The younger sister, the ‘23, she’s sassy. She’s got a little bit of sharpness to her,” Catherine describes. “That’s a youthful characteristic because she is kind of young, but her composition is very different.” She credits the vineyard’s shift to more petit verdot and the entirely new addition of malbec, both hefty, bolder grapes. Down the road, the 150-year-old Beringer Vineyard also draws on metaphors to make the winemaking process more playful and approachable. Andrew Megears, our guide for the afternoon, compares vintages to a theatrical production. “The curtains are the tannins,” he describes. “As the tannins open up in age, you start seeing what’s going on in the bottle. As it softens, you pick up on more subtle flavors in the wine. It’s always changing.” After a tour of the estate’s wine-aging caves and picturesque grounds, visitors step inside the Rhine House, an 1883 Victorian built by the vineyard’s founding {due west} brothers. In a room flooded with stained-glass windows in vibrant jewel tones, Andrew guides guests through a tasting—all cabernet sauvignon, all from the same year, simply different regions. The impact the minerals, elevation and climate have on the vines is notable. While the lower-altitude of St. Helena Home Vineyard coaxes a sophisticated subtlety from the region’s fruit, the harsher conditions on Howell Mountain’s Steinhauer Ranch cause the vines to send their roots 30 feet deep for nutrients, bringing a full-bodied boldness to the grapes. ARTFUL DINING & TASTEFUL GALLERIES St. Helena also embraces its rustic roots through its dining scene. One shining example: Charlie’s Napa Valley along Railroad Avenue. With countryside photos, light wood accents, plank ceilings and fresh flowers on every table, the space brims with farmhouse friendliness. Befitting such a space, many dishes embrace elevated Southern cooking. Like WINE HAVEN RAYMOND VINEYARDS Tastings offered outdoors in the grove or inside the working cellar where stainless steel winemaking tanks are offset by an array of chandeliers and mirrors. Also home to a giant 10-foot-tall eyeball. TRINCHERO NAPA VALLEY A family-owned operation. Its tasting room embraces a dark academia design. ROMBAUER VINEYARDS Offers perfectly picturesque mountain views. DEL DOTTO ESTATE WINERY & CAVES Property elevated by Venetian architecture and old-world grandeur. THE PRISONER WINE COMPANY Boasts a dark, trendy lounge and a dedication to making “rule-bending blends.” ABOVE: Views of the Rhine House at Beringer Vineyards
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