SPIRIT OF THE PENINSULA George Cogan’s Journey to the New Exploratorium Draeger’s Market: 100 Years of Tradition and Family scrumptious JUNE 24 Healdsburg Gem SingleThread Inn Roughing It Camp Peninsula Sweet Treats Woodside Chocolate PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM
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8 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 92 {punchline} Peninsula Culture 25 Grocery Legacy 32 Perfect Shot 34 Diary of a Dog: Oreo {due west} Travel & Wellness 39 Unspooling SingleThread 48 Roughing It IN EVERY ISSUE 14 Editor’s Note 16 Sloane Citron 19 QuickPUNCH PHOTOGRAPHY: PAULETTE PHLIPOT / COURTESY OF SUZANNA SCOTT / COURTESY OF THE EXPLORATORIUM / COURTESY OF ERIC WOLFINGER 59 75 {food coloring} Eats, Drinks & Scoops 59 Serving Sizzle 64 Bonbon Bounty 70 The Beat on Your Eats {home & design} Style and Substance 75 Empty Nest Redux 82 Fired Up {punchout} Features 92 Curious George Cogan {landmark} 98 Los Altos Heritage Orchard {june 2024} contents 39 COVER: PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANNIE BARNETT (PAGE 39)
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EXCLUSIVELY LISTED BY KAT CARROLL BROKER ASSOCIATE & COFOUNDER THE RESOLVE GROUP 415.300.7122 KAT@THERESOLVEGROUP.CO DRE 01909507 THE RESOLVE GROUP Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California operating under multiple entities. License Numbers 01991628, 1527235, 1527365, 1356742, 1443761, 1997075, 1935359, 1961027, 1842987, 1869607, 1866771, 1527205, 1079009, 1272467. All material is intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdrawal without notice. No statement is made as to the accuracy of any description or measurements (including square footage). This is not intended to solicit property already listed. No financial or legal advice provided. Equal Housing Opportunity. Photos may be virtually staged or digitally enhanced and may not reflect actual property conditions.
12 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM “They didn’t want it good, they wanted it Wednesday.” —ROBERT A. HEINLEIN FOUNDER/PUBLISHER Sloane Citron EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Andrea Gemmet CREATIVE DIRECTOR Britt Johnston SENIOR EDITOR Johanna Harlow CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Sheri Baer 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 Diane Holcomb Jennifer Jory Loureen Murphy SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Dylan Lanier ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERS Sally Randall Georgina Fox SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Jane Jerome 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 ©2024 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
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 AG DENIM AGOLDE ALEXA LEIGH AMO DENIM APIECE APART APOTHEKE ATM AUTUMN CASHMERE B. BELTS CABALLERO CHAN LUU CIRCOLO 1901 CITIZENS OF HUMANITY CLARE V. COLLABORATION COSABELLA COTES OF LONDON D.A.T.E. SNEAKERS EMMA ROSE FRAME FRANK & EILEEN G1 HARRIS WHARF LONDON ILLESTEVA JUMPER 1234 K. JACQUES KAI FRAGRANCE KATHY KAMEI MARISA MASON MASONʼS MICHAEL STARS MOTHER MOUSSY NAADAM NATION NEST FRAGRANCES NEVER A WALLFLOWER NILI LOTAN ONE GREY DAY REPEAT CASHMERE ROYAL NOMAD SAVE THE DUCK SEA NEW YORK SHE.RISE SMYTHE ST. ROCHE STATESIDE SUNDRY THE GREAT TROVATA ULLA JOHNSON VELVET VOYAGE ET CIE WHITE + WARREN XIRENA
14 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM A family legacy also guided Richard Draeger’s upbringing and career. The Woodside resident reveals what it’s like being one of six siblings running the upscale markets founded by his grandfather Gustave nearly 100 years ago. (Page 25) For Ann Wagenhals of Palo Alto, it was family that led her back to her youthful passion for ceramics. She honed her skills when she took a break from her day job to raise her children. Now, the former lawyer and teacher shares how she uses ancient techniques to create beautiful objects from the simplest of materials. (Page 82) Family is also at the heart of SingleThread, the acclaimed wine country dining destination created by Kyle and Katina Connaughton in Healdsburg. We find out how the husband-andwife owners created a recipe for success at their restaurant, inn and farm, where the marriage of Japanese aesthetics and techniques combine with hyper-local ingredients for an extraordinary experience. (Page 39) Speaking of extraordinary experiences, Atherton’s George Cogan went from superfan to the ultimate insider at the Exploratorium. He shows PUNCH some of his favorite things about the iconic science museum, and talks about his years of work to secure its future. (Page 92) Also in this issue, we peek into Woodside Chocolate Company’s kitchen (Page 64), discover the creative side of cooking from Chef Sal at Menlo Tavern (Page 59) and explore a remodeled “empty nest” in Burlingame where no detail was overlooked. (Page 75) All of this and more awaits you in the pages of our June issue, where you, too, might discover a Peninsula gem right in your midst! Andrea Gemmet andrea@punchmonthly.com {editor’s note} Spanish songs at the top of their lungs. When the sun set and it was time to roast marshmallows around the campfire, I thought they might explode with joy. Up until that elementary school excursion, camping hadn’t really factored into our family vacation plans. Passively going on camping trips as a kid was very different from being the adult responsible for gathering all the gear and puzzling over tent pole placement. Being so close to home made it less daunting. As we discovered on that first trip, a parent with an inconsolable baby or a can’t-sleep-in-a-strangeplace kid could simply head home for the night and return the next morning. Why hadn’t anyone else in my family known about this place? As it turns out, someone had. In his youth, my grandfather and his buddies in San Francisco often organized picnics and camping trips, probably as an excuse to invite a bunch of girls along. And one of the places they’d go? Memorial Park. In a few of his old black-and-white photos, my grandparents can be seen enjoying a day there, in the wilds of San Mateo County. I thought of them as I was walking through the park with Ranger Katherine Wright, wondering if my grandparents had ever gone swimming in Pescadero Creek back when it was dammed up to create a swimming pool, or gathered for an event in the amphitheater. Had they seen the 51 memorial plaques, one for each of the county residents who died in World War I, before they were lost in the ensuing decades? Katherine is something of an expert on Memorial Park, having spent a great deal of time there, first as a child, then as a teenaged park aide before becoming a San Mateo County ranger. Her family camped there frequently, a tradition that dates back to her own grandfather. She’s full of insights and tips for making the most of a trip to Memorial and its adjacent county parks, Sam MacDonald and Pescadero Creek. (Page 48) You know that moment you realize that something you’ve been looking for has been hiding in plain sight the whole time? I had one of those forehead-smacking moments in 2009, when I first discovered Memorial Park, thanks to a group camping trip organized by parents in my daughter’s Spanish immersion class. As a child, I’d spent many summer vacations camping with my family, but it was always at some far-off destination, usually near a lake. I remember the early morning scramble to get out of the house, and the long hours in the backseat of the car, wrestling with my siblings for legroom and control of the windows. I was gobsmacked to find out that there was a place to camp less than an hour away. For the first time, it took longer to pack up the car than it did to get there! And not just any place—gorgeous Memorial Park, with its serene redwoods and gravelly creek banks. Our little girl and her classmates were ecstatically happy, racing around the woods, leaping off logs and singing v
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16 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {sloane citron} But one of the defining aspects of our office is the tree, what I now think of as our tree. The sycamore is a result of the efforts of a local organization that worked tirelessly to plant them throughout Menlo Park’s El Camino corridor 20+ years ago. We delight in following our tree’s journey though the course of the year. In autumn, the leaves slowly drift away until, suddenly, it is bare. Then in spring, it gradually gains its greenery back until it is once again full. For the past eight months, there has been a small dead branch that broke off and intertwined with another limb, arresting its descent. It’s dangling by what seems like the tiniest of twigs, in defiance of gravity. Time and the laws of nature will eventually cause it to fall, but every morning we gather to see if the small limb has finally dropped. As I write this, it’s still there. While I have many issues with the city for ignoring our tired, sad downtown, I’m grateful for the tree. Without question, Menlo Park has the most attractive stretch of El Camino on the Peninsula, all due to the efforts of the “tree people” having the vision to know how these towering gems would make a difference in our lives. Trees speak to us in a way that man can’t. They give us a sense of comfort and permanence. A sense of protection and endurance. And our solitary tree, brushing up against our office window, swaying with wind, always reliable, comforts us. And we wonder just when that small branch will finally yield to natural forces, as all things must, and flutter to the ground. When we started PUNCH some six years ago, the first task on my list was finding office space. We didn’t need much room, but it needed to feel bright and cheerful and be in Menlo Park, since that’s where I live. Hunting for office space—and with it, the overall thrill of a new launch—is invigorating. I’ve had an office in Menlo Park since 1993, so I know the town well. I’m acquainted with its buildings, alleyways and office complexes. I decided that it made sense to roam the city, so I walked the downtown streets and when something looked interesting, I went inside and checked it out. By walking the halls and talking to tenants, I could get a good idea if I might be interested. I’m picky about my office since that’s where I spend a good third of my time. While I prefer more unique spaces, most of what is available is in typical office buildings. But each space has its nuances: brightness, lighting, layout and overall vibe. The bottom line is that I wanted a space that lifted us up as we walked through its doors and made us feel inspired and creative as we spent our days there. If something seemed interesting, I made the effort to find out who was in charge and then I rang them up to see if there was a space available, the rate and when it might become vacant. Some had “For Lease” on the side of the building, but many small spaces and offices don’t post anything. If my memory is correct, I believe I saw the office on Craigslist, despite my hours of wandering around the town. At the small building on El Camino Real, I met the landlord, and we walked up to the second floor to the office, which was occupied by a fledgling tech startup. Between their mess and the white walls, dirty carpet and the somewhat tired building, I had my doubts. But the layout was perfect, with a larger room in front with a giant skylight and a separate secondary space with large windows looking out over the street. What really sold me on the office was the wonderful sycamore tree just outside the windows. It brought nature and beauty into the rooms and gave it a unique and positive feel. Though there was no elevator (ugh, since we always have boxes of magazines to move), there was a perfect niche for storing our issues. The price was right, the location perfect and there was plenty of potential, so I made an offer. Once the old tenants were gone, we set about making it ours. I asked my designer daughter, Arielle Citron Leonard, what to do and she told me the colors to paint the walls and trim, which carpets to get and what the furniture should look like. In a matter of weeks, it was perfect. our sycamore
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PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 19 JUNE 2024 + 30 DAYS + SUMMER’S ADVENT + OUR 71ST ISSUE {quickpunch} Start Up + No other month starts on the same day of the week this year as June: Saturday. + Acknowledge living in our great country with respect for our flag on June 14. + Appreciate and share some special time with your good ol’ dad on June 16. + Enjoy the longest day of the year, the Summer Solstice, on June 20. Venture Out + REACH for the sky on the ferris wheel, pet some 4-H lambs and fill up on funnel cake at the San Mateo County Fair, from June 1-9. sanmateocountyfair.com + TRAVEL to a Middle Eastern bazaar for 1001 Nights, a sumptuous pop-up of Persian cuisine with a contemporary twist on the elaborately decorated Quatro Terrace at Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley, June through September 15. fourseasons.com + PET and promote rescue pups at the Peninsula Humane Society’s Bark n’ Brewfest on June 22 at West Washington Park in Burlingame. phs-spca.org/beer When summer slowly embraces the Peninsula, occasional blazing hot days spread fear that heat (and sleepless nights) will be the rule. Thankfully, our pattern of warm days and cool evenings usually prevails. June means our windows are either open for the chilly air to lull us to sleep or closed tight on those few hot days that call for air conditioning (with the soothing whir of the units). Either way, it’s this time of year when we most appreciate the Peninsula’s mild weather with the sweetness of the cooler nights and lack of oppressive humidity. “June is bustin’ out all over.” —Oscar Hammerstein II welcome back
20 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {quickpunch} Dash to Dine + SUSHI YOSHIZUMI—Coveted, centuries-old Edomaestyle sushi—325 East 4th Avenue, San Mateo + SUSHI SHIN—Michelin-starred omakase experience—312 Arguello Street, Redwood City + HOLY SUSHI—Authentic, excellent sushi and Japanese cuisine, all kosher—3441 Alma Street, Palo Alto Carpe Diem + LOAD UP your baskets (and wagons) with blackberries and olallieberries at Portola Valley’s Webb Ranch. Check webbranchinc.com to find out which Saturdays this eight-acre U-pick location is open… And plan to make your visit in the morning to beat the midday sun! + BRING inquisitive minds young and old to CuriOdyssey, a museum and zoo with native animals and interactive science exhibits in San Mateo. Youngsters will also have fun sliding and swinging their way through the Physics-in-Action Playground. Flirting with French by William Alexander—Honest, charming and hilarious account of the love-hate relationship behind learning a new language. Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan— Global conspiracy, young love, the secret to eternal life—all in a hole-in-the-wall San Francisco bookstore. Conde Nast Traveler—Great insights to help you plan for your next exciting adventure. cntraveler.com WHO KNEW? Ken Kesey, author of the perennial favorite, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, came up with the idea for the novel while he was working the night shift at the Menlo Park Veterans’ Hospital. While there, he volunteered to experiment with hallucinogenic drugs, often while visiting with the “insane” patients. Published in 1962, the book was an immediate hit and, of course, was the basis for the Academy Award-winning film. Well Read Unscramble E S R A E D R G K M T R E A Finally, some half-baked advice: No flashlight on your phone? Take a photo of the sun and use it in the dark.
Invite Your Friends As a life long Bay Area resident, I take pride in connecting families with communities where they thrive. Let’s figure out where you want to go, and I will help you get there.
22 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {quickpunch} How do you describe eventing to non-equestrians? Three-day eventing is like a horse triathlon. In the first, dressage, the horse and rider perform a series of movements in front of a judge. Then in cross-country, the horse and rider jump over obstacles such as logs, cabins, ditches and water complexes at almost maximum speed. Finally the pair, now exhausted, undergo a course of show jumping fences. The sport itself is just wild! What draws you to horses? Horses aren’t necessarily like dogs. They’re not the companion type. But they form this unique partnership with their riders. It’s like a language that only the two of you can speak. Horses can also sense your emotions both on the ground and atop their back. Can you share a cool horse-related fact? Horses can’t breathe through their mouths! What’s unique about your work? This is the best job in the world, but it comes with a lot of sacrifice. Horses don’t believe in “business hours.” They don’t know what holidays like Christmas and New Year’s are. They need us seven days a week. But to me, it is a small price to pay for the joy these incredible creatures bring to us. How many horses are in your care? I currently have 32 horses in my program. I manage their feeding, general care, veterinary care and, of course, riding and training. THE Q & A MEGAN MCIVER What’s a typical day like for you? Wake up at 5AM, arrive at the barn by 6:30. From 6:30 to 8AM, teach lessons to high school kids before they go to class. From 8AM to 3PM, ride and train personal and client horses. From 3 until 7PM, train students after school or work. Repeat. If you could pick a superpower, what would it be? Time manipulation. There are never enough hours in the day! What do you enjoy most about teaching? Watching the horses be the teachers. Oftentimes, before I can even say it, the horse has pointed out a rider’s mistake for me. They have a wonderful way of communicating their emotions—we just have to learn how to listen. Describe your perfect Peninsula day. Start with CorePower for hot yoga. Grab a Peet’s coffee after with a friend. Head to the Horse Park at Woodside. Ride a few of my favorite horses: Rupert, Sparrow, Elle and Secret. Dinner at Amour Amour in San Mateo. What age would you choose to be again and why? I am 27 years old, and I think I would like to stay this age forever! I am still young enough that I can ride 10 horses a day and not feel it, but definitely wiser than my 20-year-old self. Do you collect anything? Horses, of course! There’s always room for one more. San Mateo resident and skilled horsewoman in the sport of eventing discusses how she cares for 32 steeds while training up-and-coming equestrians, and why horses make the best teachers.
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PROFILE grocery legacy words by KATE DALY • photography by ANNIE BARNETT PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 25 {punchline} PENINSULA CULTURE
26 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {punchline} enough money to open Draeger’s Delicatessen in the Richmond District. Gustave copied the selfservice practices he’d seen in Midwestern stores and introduced the first shopping carts to San Francisco. At the time, customers would request the items and the shopkeeper would fetch them off the shelves. Thanks to this labor-saving innovation, Gustave greatly reduced the cost of his operations, Richard recounts. Gustave was at the forefront of another big change, Richard recalls. After years of Prohibition, in 1933 his grandfather anticipated the legalization of alcoholic beverage sales and was the first to secure a liquor license from the city of San Francisco. After opening five liquor stores, Gustave built the largest market in the city in 1945, and his sons, Frank and Gustave Jr., joined the Woodside resident Richard Draeger has a big anniversary coming up. Next year, the family business turns 100. Draeger’s Market, the specialty grocer that offers hard-to-find imported products, full-service butcher counters, an expansive selection of prepared foods and top-notch baked goods, had humble origins. It traces its roots back to a small deli in San Francisco. Richard, the chief operations officer and co-owner, never knew the founder, his grandfather Gustave Draeger. Gustave died before Richard was born, but he still delights in telling the story of how a young merchant marine from Prussia jumped ship in Texas. Gustave spent time in Chicago driving a taxi and working in restaurants before finding his way to San Francisco during its boomtown years after the devastating 1906 earthquake. By 1925, Gustave had saved up
28 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {punchline} understand why it is so important to have a great wine with whatever we were eating,” Richard relays. Frank lived by the mantra, “It’s very easy to cook great food—use great ingredients.” Considering the size of those weekly dinner parties, he may have been his own best customer. “He worked until the day he died, when he was 86 years old. He loved being in the business,” Richard says. Pride in this family tradition carries on today, as six of Frank’s 10 children work for the company and serve on the board. “We are more or less on the same page. We do get along pretty well, as a result of growing up in the business together.” Richard, who oversees merchandising, forecasting, payroll and staffing, spends his days in Draeger’s administrative offices in South San Francisco, where he’s also in charge of the expansive kitchens where baked goods and deli counter offerings are prepared for all the stores. The rest of the responsibilities are divvied up among his other siblings. John heads up human business. In 1955, Frank bought out his older brother and built the Menlo Park store. In the years that followed, the business grew to include stores in San Mateo, Los Altos and across the Bay in Danville. Richard and his nine brothers and sisters all grew up in the family enterprise. “From the age of 12, we worked on stocking shelves, carrying groceries to cars, checking out groceries, cooking—we literally did all of the aspects of the business throughout our high school and college years,” Richard says. Every Sunday night was family night. His parents, both amazing cooks, would spend hours preparing and serving a meal for about 20 people, including grandparents, aunts and uncles. As for the kids, “we’d be the labor crew,” Richard recalls. “We did all the dishes, chopped all the produce.” Frank always made sure to bring great French wines to the table, both for drinking and for use in sauces. “He wanted us to
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30 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {punchline} Our clientele does a lot of the sourcing for us.” And don’t discount the appeal of the tantalizing spread of prepared foods in the expansive cases at the deli counter, where you can take home everything from chicken cordon bleu to potato pancakes, savory sesame noodles to plank-roasted salmon. Draeger’s German potato salad is based on Richard’s great-grandmother’s recipe, and is one of many convenient “meal solutions” to entice busy shoppers short on time. A trend that surprises Richard is the rise in Instacart shopping. It has tripled at Draeger’s since before the onset of COVID. He predicts that AI will increasingly become a strong planning tool for keeping track of inventory, delivering instant information on what’s popular and what’s not. He sees potential savings in harnessing that data. In the challenging grocery store sector, change is a given. Draeger’s no longer runs a cooking school, and in 2020 after a 23-year run, closed its upscale Viognier restaurant located on the second floor of the downtown San Mateo market. The markets’ bistros, floral departments and extensive houseware sections, however, are still going strong. Richard clearly enjoys upholding the values his parents instilled, partnering with his siblings to carry on a family legacy for generations to come. resources, meat and seafood operations, Tony manages IT and pricing for produce, wine and liquor. Jim serves as president and legal counsel and Peter handles most of the office management and banking as CFO. Sister Mary Claire DraegerDeSoto oversees communications, advertising and design. Richard and his wife Mary Ann raised their three children in Woodside. Now adults, Richard’s kids have moved on to do other things, but three of their first cousins have become the fourth generation of Draegers to carry on the family business. John’s son Frank is training in accounting and being groomed to become CFO, while his daughter Kacie works in payroll. Tony’s daughter, Tori, is the marketing director. Richard feels optimism for the company’s future, in part given its good fortune to be anchored here on the Peninsula. Buying smaller lots with hard-to-find wines, artisanal cheeses and other specialty items has long set the market apart from larger chain stores. Comparing Silicon Valley to Paris, London and New York, Richard says, “The customers here are the highest educated people on the planet, they travel to the best places on the planet and they are making product recommendations to us … Celebrating 100 To mark the 100th anniversary of Draeger’s next year, the family picked April 1, 2025, for celebrations featuring gourmet food and wine tastings at all four of its markets: San Mateo, Menlo Park, Los Altos and Danville. Why April 1? It’s the birthday of Frank Draeger, born in 1919 and the son of founder Gustave, whose San Francisco delicatessen started the long-running family business. draegers.com HISTORIC PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF RICHARD DRAEGER
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32 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {punchline} PERFECT SHOT prickly perch For this lesser goldfinch, the bristling spines of a cactus are no deterrent. On a stakeout for hummingbirds at Stanford University’s Arizona Cactus Garden, Rick Morris was sidetracked when this bright yellow fellow came along. “I enjoy bird photography for many reasons. Being in nature is very relaxing and a very healthy thing to do. I also enjoy the ability to capture birds and their details that the naked eye just cannot see,” says the Menlo Park resident, who recently started offering birding tours for avian enthusiasts. Image by Rick Morris / linktr.ee/inthewildwithrick
PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 33 calling all shutterbugs 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.
34 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. oreo DIARY OF A DOG photography by ROBB MOST cargo hold. I fit the bill! They like to joke that if only I could earn frequent flier points, I would have racked up well over 40,000 miles before I was three years old. I think they should give it a try and get me my own seat instead of tucking me underneath one. When I’m not taking to the skies, I enjoy sitting on furniture just like a person, with one elbow propped on the arm rest, chubby tummy on full display. Before I joined the family, Ed had his doubts about getting another dog, so Maryanne worked hard to find just the right one. I was the last puppy left in my litter when they came to meet me, and while I love them both, I was immediately drawn to Ed. I guess I won him over, because he ran out of objections when I cuddled right up to him. In a tribute to my place of birth and Maryland’s state bird, the oriole, my Instagram handle is @Baltimore.Oreo. I do have another important thing in common with an oriole—we both like to fly! What’s black and white and flies all over? That would be me! I’m Oreo, the jet-setting Boston terrier. My travel companions, Maryanne and Ed, have several places that they call home—Maryland, Maui and Menlo Park. They were looking for a dog small enough to travel in the cabin with them and not get sent down to the
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PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 39 GETAWAY unspooling singlethread {due west} words by ANDREA GEMMET TRAVEL & WELLNESS PHOTOGRAPHY: ANNIE BARNETT
40 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM PHOTOGRAPHY: ANNIE BARNETT / COURTESY OF SINGLETHREAD {due west} flavors,” described by the most recent Michelin Guide. And the many closely conected staffers behind the famed restaurant, its five-room inn and 24-acre farm just might be taking their cues from the top. SingleThread is the joint endeavor of Chef Kyle and his wife, head farmer Katina Connaughton. Head of hospitality Akeel Shah reveals that his own wife is chef de cuisine Marley Brown. “I met Marley at the restaurant in its first few months, and now we’re expecting our first baby,” Akeel shares. Perhaps it’s a natural expression of SingleThread’s desire to foster a friendlier kitchen culture in an elite restaurant, eschewing the “people yelling at you the whole time” scenario depicted on reality TV shows featuring Gordon Ramsey. It’s hard to imagine anyone yelling here. The pervasive vibe at SingleThread is one of effortless, zen-like calm, where every detail is carefully considered, and the staff is adept at intuiting guests’ needs before they realize they want something. “We call it unconscious hospitality,” Akeel says. It’s SingleThread’s take on omotenashi—wholeheartIn our spacious suite at SingleThread Inn in Healdsburg, Natalie Aman is deftly orchestrating an intimate meal. Downstairs in its restaurant, her fiance is pouring wine for diners who are oohing and aahing their way through the highly acclaimed 10-course tasting menu. My husband and I are here to experience the more relaxed way to sample Chef Kyle Connaughton’s exquisite Japaneseinfluenced cuisine: a four-course, in-room donabe dinner. When we exclaim that it must be rare to work with your partner, Natalie lets us in on a secret: They are far from the only couple on the staff. “We like to say that SingleThread is for lovers,” she declares. After all, it takes a lot more than visionary culinary talent to earn three stars, the Michelin Guide’s highest honor. It’s not just the food but the entire experience, from being greeted by name at the door to the handwritten thank-you note when you leave. To get every detail exactly right requires a large and skillful team to achieve the “impeccable ingredients, precise, artistic presentation and pure, harmonious ABOVE: Breakfast at SingleThread Inn in Healdsburg; SingleThread’s married founders Kyle and Katina Connaughton.
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42 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {due west} edly taking care of guests—and a reflection of Kyle’s many years in Japan, where he studied and cooked in restaurants. SingleThread’s intimate connection to the land, both through its nearby farm and its partnerships with local growers and artisans, is responsible for its ever-changing menu. The day’s harvest informs everything on your table, including the flower arrangements. Here, you’ll never eat exactly the same meal twice. We’ve driven up on an unusually warm spring day in Sonoma County, strolling around downtown Healdsburg before arriving, hot and tired, at our wonderfully airy room at the Inn. On the kitchenette counter, a flower-filled bowl containing a welcome snack of onigiri rice balls thwarts my resolution to save room for dinner. Exploring the suite, we discover both a coffee maker and a Cuzen Matcha machine for making freshly ground green tea. A deep soaking tub in the enormous bathroom beckons. Opposite the king-sized bed, a large flat-screen TV emits soothing, spa-like music while a documentary about SingleThread plays on a loop. Chef Kyle, when he drops in later to see how dinner is going, jokes that they need to update the film because his hair’s gotten a lot whiter since it was made. We could have chosen to eat on the sunny rooftop or in the cozy common room, but staying put in our well-appointed suite was irresistible. I had half-expected something like room service, where the food is dropped off, but that was far from the case. The attentive service during the thoughtfully paced meal is akin to having a private dinner in a top-flight restaurant. While the in-room donabe dining was envisioned from the start, SingleThread was open for about a year before launching it. “It’s one of my favorite things we do,” Akeel confides, calling it the perfect way to end a long day PHOTOGRAPHY: ANNIE BARNETT
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44 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM PHOTOGRAPHY: ANNIE BARNETT / COURTESY OF SINGLETHREAD - ERIC WOLFINGER {due west} and thin slices of A5 wagyu beef—all raw and ready to add to the simmering donabe atop a portable burner. Sommelier James Spain, who predicted I’d want my glass of crisp Cobb riesling followed by something red, appears with a delightful bottle of Reeve pinot noir from its Kiser Vineyard Suitcase Block. Stewed strawberries provide a tangy-sweet contrast to an ethereal chocolatey concoction with black sesame. It’s the first time SingleThread has served a chocolate dessert, the fruit of a new relationship with Lydgate Farms in Hawaii. Magically, four hours have slipped by. We feel full, yet somehow virtuous from eating all those vegetables. In the morning, we head to the rooftop, where our al fresco Japanese and English breakfasts are just as beautifully plated as our dinner. After checking out, we point the car toward Dry Creek Road and make a leisurely loop past SingleThread’s farm, crossing Lambert Bridge before heading home. As we pass acres of bright, leafy grape vines soaking up the sun, we share the small container of housemade yogurt sherbet marbled with strawberries from our room’s freezer. It tastes like spring. of wine-tasting and sightseeing, and describing the experience as “almost Japanese-style.” Almost Japanese-style is a good way to describe a lot of things at SingleThread, from the pottery of the place settings and harmonious interiors to the ingredients and underlying philosophy. It’s not billed as a Japanese restaurant, but for anyone accustomed to kaiseki dining, the seasonal menu of small, intricately prepared dishes is going to feel very familiar. Our donabe meal starts with an abridged version of the restaurant’s hassun, an artful array of small bites, including a tiny, briny firefly squid, a refreshing silken tofu topped with paper-thin zucchini and sparkling orange trout roe, and a scallop-topped shrimp tamago. Next is a course of shima-aji, pressed sushi made with striped jack, garnished with a deepfried cherry blossom. For the shabu-shabu main course, a handmade clay donabe pot arrives, filled with steaming liquid. Sauces and side dishes are aesthetically arranged, and a small end table is pressed into service. Natalie brings a large platter brimming with freshly picked farm vegetables, foraged mushrooms, housemade tofu Inn Crowd Scoring a table at SingleThread can be tricky. If you book a room at SingleThread Inn, you’re guaranteed a table for two at the restaurant. farm fresh singlethreadfarms.com
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48 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {due west} words by ANDREA GEMMET Lazy days spent wandering through the forest, looking for the perfect stick for roasting marshmallows. Hiding in a hollow tree trunk, climbing on logs and tossing rocks into the creek. Singing campfire songs beneath the stars before zipping into a cozy sleeping bag. For anyone who hasn’t been camping since childhood, or who wants to introduce a new generation to the delights of an overnight in the woods, San Mateo County’s Memorial, Sam MacDonald and Pescadero Creek beauty of the area, along with some persistent lobbying by a school superintendent and a Loma Mar teacher, convinced San Mateo County Supervisors to purchase the land from a logging company. In 1924, they dedicated it to the memory of the 51 San Mateo County residents who lost their lives in World War I. Since then, Memorial Park has seen generations of families come for hiking, picnicking and camping. Ranger Katherine Wright is one of them. “My grandparents camped there with my dad and his brother,” she recalls. “I grew up in San Mateo, and my parents would take us camping at Memorial Park every summer. It’s a great place. You’d make instant friends with families in neighboring campsites.” On a sunny day just a few weeks before Memorial Day weekend, Katherine and her fellow county parks staffers are preparing for the summer season. Restrooms and showers have been renovated, picnic tables replaced. Walking along a sun-dappled trail lined with pale blue forget-me-nots blooming beneath towering redwoods, she recalls younger days splashing in Pescadero Creek and imagining fairies hiding in trees. “Having a place within an hour’s drive was awesome—It made it easier, more available for us to go camping, even on a whim,” she smiles. As a teen, Katherine spent her summers working as a park aide. “I never really considered it as a CAMPING roughing it PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF SAN MATEO COUNTY PARKS parks are waiting for you to pitch your tent. These picturesque spots don’t require you to get up before dawn and spend half the day driving to a campground, yet they still feel a world apart from the busy Peninsula. Located about an hour away in Loma Mar and La Honda, you’ll find miles of trails, picnicking facilities and an abundance of weekend activities throughout the summer. As the county’s oldest park, Memorial will celebrate its 100th anniversary in July. The natural
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