On the Trail of Bountiful Spring Blooms The Magic Man Who Dazzles & Delights SPIRIT OF THE PENINSULA explore MARCH 24 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM Visiting Santa Cruz Beyond the Boardwalk Looking Sharp Blades of Steel Before & After Fresh Interiors
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12 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 27 {punchline} Peninsula Culture 27 Magic Man 34 Perfect Shot 36 Diary of a Dog: Josie {due west} Travel & Wellness 41 Beyond the Boardwalk 48 Blooming Good Hikes IN EVERY ISSUE 16 Editor’s Note 18 Sloane Citron 21 QuickPUNCH PHOTOGRAPHY: PAULETTE PHLIPOT / COURTESY OF R. BRAD KNIPSTEIN / GINO DE GRANDIS 63 75 {food coloring} Eats, Drinks & Scoops 63 A Greek Welcome 68 Sweet Tradition 72 The Beat on Your Eats {home & design} Style and Substance 75 Quiet Luxury 82 Looking Sharp {punchout} 92 Prize-Winning Projects {landmark} 98 Folger Stable {march 2024} contents 48
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14 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM “Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.” —MARK TWAIN 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 Linda Hubbard Sharon McDonnell Elaine Wu 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
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16 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM ern Italian sweets by hand has been passed down from grandfather to grandson. (Page 68) Stick with the Mediterranean vibe and savor the flavors of the Greek isles with a meal at Barbayani, the Los Altos restaurant designed to evoke the warm hospitality of a traditional taverna. (Page 63) Or maybe you’d rather produce culinary delights in your own kitchen. Are your knives up to the task? Johanna Harlow talks to the sharp father-daughter duo behind Perfect Edge in San Mateo, where you can upgrade to new blades or get the ones you already own honed to perfection. (Page 82) If March puts you in the mood for spring cleaning (I’m sure those people exist, even if I’m not one of them), we’ve got refreshing ideas for your home in the before-and-after photos of award-winning local remodeling projects (Page 92). Or, get inspired by a sumptuously understated ground-up rebuilding project in a tranquil Menlo Park neighborhood. (Page 75) All those picture-perfect rooms definitely have me wishing I could wave a magic wand and make the clutter on my kitchen counter disappear. If there’s anyone who could pull off that neat trick, it’s probably Robert Strong, a professional magician who can transform even corporate team-building events into an enchantingly fun experience. (Page 27) Find all that and more in the pages of this, our 68th issue. After all, magazines are portable enough to be enjoyed from a blanket spread out on a gorgeous green hillside, or a patch of sunshine in your own backyard. Andrea Gemmet andrea@punchmonthly.com {editor’s note} of round little miner’s lettuce on the side of the trail, the tiny blue blossoms of hound’stongue on their tall stems, bold red warrior’s plume bristling on the forest floor, and—if I’m really lucky—occasionally spying an elusive fairy lantern, also known as a globe lily. Being a lifelong local, I am also adept at identifying poison oak at every stage of its seasonal cycle. I got a nasty case in middle school after an epic afternoon romping through Woodside’s Wunderlich Park with friends, and vowed never to go through that ordeal again. Blundering off the trail and into that pervasive pest is a surefire sign that someone’s either new to California or too young to know the rule: leaves of three, leave them be. I owe what little I do know of our local flora to patient volunteers from the California Native Plant Society, who lead leisurely, information-filled walks through Edgewood Park and Nature Preserve in the spring. Edgewood is one of four spots you’ll find in this month’s story by Linda Hubbard, who recommends wildflower walks for those looking for a pleasant stroll or a strenuous hike amid beautiful seasonal scenery. (Page 48) As the warmer weather and longer days make day trip plans all the more alluring, make the drive over the hill to Santa Cruz before you have to compete with traffic from the summer hordes of beachgoers. If you haven’t strayed far from the bright lights and rattling rollercoasters of the Boardwalk, Sharon McDonnell’s getaway guide reveals an array of charmingly quirky spots that will have you saying, “Only in Santa Cruz!” (Page 41) You could also opt for a culinary excursion. Get a taste for Sicily by making a stop at San Mateo institution Romolo’s Cannoli, where the craft of making the traditional southMarch always gets a bad rap but I think its “in like a lion” reputation probably plays better in New England. It’s hands-down my favorite time of year on the Peninsula. The moment the hillsides turn from winter’s tired taupe to technicolor chartreuse, I can hardly stop gazing at them. Have you ever been driving along 280 and been seized by the irrational urge to pull the car over to the side of the freeway, run up the tender green slopes and roll downhill? I feel it annually, and most keenly in March. I quell those crazy notions by taking hikes through nearby open space and nature preserves, testing my memory for plant identification as I go. I love spotting banks of delicate maidenhair ferns and patches
18 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {sloane citron} larger, with a paved path encircling it. There are rarely ducks there, but we can usually spot a huge carp (probably a goldfish someone let loose 15 years ago), an occasional turtle and schools of tiny fish. There is also a good playground that is usually empty. The kids bring their scooters or bikes and love to zip around the pond at speeds that startle and amaze. I have to yell at them to slow down so that they avoid hitting the slowly walking seniors in their way. So far, so good, but be warned. The wide-open spaces of the park inspire me—the lush greenery, the big expanse of water and, most of all, the vast open skies. Media extols the virtue of being outside in nature and when I am there, I understand. I breathe better in this space, feel that my troubles are less and that the future is more positive. There are some areas that are a bit wilder, and I especially enjoy going into them and feeling the bliss of nature. Mostly, of course, I relish the opportunity to be with my daughter (and sometimes my son-inlaw Sam) and their children, and the spirit of freedom and togetherness that permeates the scene. In the beautiful outdoors, the kids are happy and in their element, everyone’s troubles temporarily forgotten, there is more room to feel the innate connection between us. They scream to me, “Watch, Saba!” And I yell back, “Go, go, go!” The best part, though, is when one of them reaches up and takes my hand. Feeling that small hand within my own, the connection between us satisfying and unsaid, there is simply nothing better, and my Sunday is complete. Most Sunday mornings, my daughter Tali brings her kids, Liav, Levi and Noah, over to our home for a playdate. Since they get up at 6AM and head over soon after, I’m still sleeping when they arrive. Sometimes they let me sleep a bit, it being Sunday and all, but sometimes they come flooding into our bedroom like an unexpected hurricane. From deep sleep to kids pounding on you is an otherworldly experience. Downstairs, while I’m getting ready for the day, there is a whirlwind of activity in the kitchen, with everything from pancakes (with whipped cream and sprinkles, of course) to scrambled eggs to store-bought doughnuts or other pastries being made ready for breakfast. The smell is always enticing. Tali is my child with boundless energy and a vibrant personality. While a young girl she was famous for singing “opera” (as we called it) while sitting underneath our large dining table on Friday nights during our weekly Shabbat dinners, hitting high notes that made everyone laugh. Her children have even more energy than their mother. While breakfast is prepared, the kids are usually engaged in their favorite activity, jumping from one couch to another, each time pulling the furniture a bit farther apart until you’d swear there’d be no way for them to make it. Though they always seem to land safely, I anticipate the day that I’m rushing one of them to the emergency room for some stitches. We have cabinets full of toys, dress-up clothes and books, and most get used during their visits. It’s hard to get any of them to read a book with me, though Noah, who’s about 20 months old, will sometimes sit and let me look at a picture book with him, as balls and toys are being hurled across the room. I love the bedlam, as it reminds me of the frenzy and chaos of raising my own four children, who all were born within seven years of each other. We are able to get them seated, for a moment or so, at the breakfast room table to eat. Inevitably, there is someone crawling across the table to get someone else’s whipped cream, sprinkles or milk. You know they’re done eating by the smears of maple syrup on the table, with paper napkins stuck to the wood. These are outside children and so after breakfast and a roomful of displaced furniture, toys, balls and dolls, we plan our escape. Depending on our mood, we go to Burgess Park or to Sharon Park, both in Menlo Park. Burgess Park has many activities, with baseball fields, a skate park, a busy playground, tennis courts and a small pond with a plethora of ducks and usually a turtle or two. The kids enjoy watching the quacking birds, especially the ducklings that chase after their mothers. More often, we go to Sharon Park, where the pond is much sunday mornings
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PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 21 MARCH 2024 + 31 DAYS + SPRING’S A-COMING + OUR 68TH ISSUE {quickpunch} Start Up + Barbie, Miss Fashionista, was introduced 65 years ago on March 9. + Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with corned beef and green beer on March 17. + Take me out to the ballgame when the Giants play the Padres on March 28. + Find the dye, boil the eggs and be ready for Easter on March 31. Venture Out + GET SWEPT UP in a Stanford Symphony Orchestra performance at Bing Concert Hall on March 8 and 9. + RAISE a pint to foot-stomping jigs and heartwarming ballads as Finians Call celebrates St. Pat early at Old Princeton Landing in Half Moon Bay on March 16. + SING along with the Boss as Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band return to the Chase Center in San Francisco on March 28 and 31. Okay, we seem to see this every March—we think spring is here, we get all excited and then we endure a couple more months of coldish, rainy weather. We’ll see what happens this year. If you’re a fan of the heat (what we have of it), we’re certainly headed in the right direction. Flowers are blooming and leaves are sprouting. Every day, we get a bit more sunlight. That means baseball is coming, whether Little League or the pros—perhaps it’s time to think about bundling up and taking a look at the newly reconstituted Giants. “Our life is March weather, savage and serene in one hour.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson welcome back
22 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {quickpunch} Dash to Dine + MYKONOS MEZE—Snug Greek eatery, warmly decorated—226 Lorton Avenue, Burlingame + SAM’S CHOWDER HOUSE—Fresh, delicious New England-style seafood—4210 CA-1, Half Moon Bay + ASA—Beloved neighborhood gem with great service—242 State Street, Los Altos Carpe Diem + VIEW plein air artist Tony Foster’s wilderness watercolors at The Foster Museum in Palo Alto. Open to the public by appointment Tuesday through Friday, and Sundays. + WIND along the twists and turns of the Quarry Park labyrinth in El Granada. Then wander along trails through cypress groves, savor views of Pillar Point Harbor and hunt down the hidden pond and tree house. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin— A bookstore owner has a chance to remake his life. Humor, romance and redemption. The Spy Wore Red by Aline, Countess of Romanones— Memoir of a deep-cover OSS agent infiltrating the highest levels of Spanish society during World War II. Bicycle Quarterly—For those with a passion for cycling: bike tests, amazing adventures and more. bikequarterly.com WHO KNEW? By 1915, AT&T had just finished installing 130,000 telephone poles, stretching 3,400 miles from New York City to San Francisco, but had no way to amplify a signal to make a telephone call possible. Enter the Federal Telegraph Company lab at 913 Emerson Street in Palo Alto, where Lee de Forest discovered a way to boost weak signals, making them strong enough to go across many miles of wire. AT&T engineers used de Forest’s technology to build amplifiers and demonstrated it on January 25, 1915, placing the first transcontinental telephone call from New York to San Francisco. That means HP is the second tech company born in Palo Alto. Well Read Unscramble M F E R S R A T K R M E A Finally, some half-baked advice: Avoid travel teams unless your child is a once-in-a-generation talent… and your child is not a once-in-a-generation talent.
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24 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {quickpunch} What drew you to the culinary world? I started working in restaurants when I was 14 as a means to buy a car and fund a snowboarding hobby. Tell us about the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten. Ants, at Noma in Copenhagen, while 10 feet away from Jamie Lee Curtis. When you’re not at one of your own restaurants, where do you usually go? Our family likes to load up the car and head to Dad’s Luncheonette in Half Moon Bay for burgers from our buddy Scott Clark. The menu is small and you can (and rightfully should) be tempted to order one of everything. Most memorable night at your restaurant? We’ve had our fair share of interesting celebrities, but nothing will top the night Conan O’Brien traipsed through our dining room, chatting it up with guests and staff alike. What is the dumbest way you’ve been hurt? I threw out my back carrying a Caja China (suckling pig oven) at one of our staff holiday parties. Take note: If your age begins with a number three or higher, ask for a hand when lifting stuff. What’s your favorite pasta shape? Hand-rolled pasta from Liguria called trofie. My wife and I stayed in a portside town called Camogli, where we had these made by grandmothers in a rustic, seaside family restaurant. THE Q & A GREG KUZIA-CARMEL What are people always surprised to learn about you? I grew up snowboarding and narrowly missed pursuing a life in that industry. Is there a dish that has a fond memory attached to it? In the summer, we feature a sweet corn-filled agnolotti pasta that’s a bit of a retrospective to my times working at Per Se and Quince. Ours features corn from Webb Ranch in Portola Valley. What’s the wildest thing you’ve ever done? Sold all of my belongings, packed a duffel bag and moved to Spain. What do you collect? Analog, mechanical things. I like watches, cameras and old Porsches—so mostly things I cannot afford! But I appreciate their craftsmanship. Do you have a favorite food-related film? Big Night. One of my mentors, Gianni Scappin, was the film’s culinary consultant and we had the opportunity to cook with its star, Stanley Tucci. How do you recharge your batteries after a long day? Walking our geriatric shelter dog Heath while listening to a podcast. (Shout-out to Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway from Pivot. Free meal on me if you are ever in town.) Do you have a personal motto? The journey is the reward. It’s been printed on every one of our menus at Camper since Day One. The chef-owner behind Menlo Park’s Camper and Canteen restaurants dishes about his strangest meal, celebrity encounters and the real reason he got into cooking.
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INTERVIEW magic man words by JOHANNA HARLOW • photography by GINO DE GRANDIS PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 27 {punchline} PENINSULA CULTURE PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF ANASTASIA BLACKMAN
28 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {punchline} Interested in a little magic? Robert Strong poses this question to a table of strangers at a restaurant. They assess this newcomer a moment before slowly giving their consent. But as Robert holds out a wad of cash, turning Washingtons into Benjamins, they uncross their arms and lean in. By the time he’s started making cards disappear, the wariness has melted into warmth. He leaves the table having gained a few new friends. “Magic changes people,” Robert observes as he moves away. “They behave like nine-year-olds who’ve just discovered that there really is magic in the world. I love that change: from being skeptical, ‘Why would I want to watch this?’ to, ‘You gotta see what I saw!’” Robert has lit up audiences in all 50 states and 45 countries. “Kids’ birthday parties, schools, fairs, festivals, colleges, universities, comedy clubs, cruise ships,” he ticks off on his fingers. What’s more, he’s appeared on Penn & Teller: Fool Us, given a TED Talk, served as an artist in residence for the Smithsonian and carved out a niche for himself performing at Fortune 500 companies. He’s even performed for two presidents. “Very different,” Robert chuckles of his two visits to the White House. “For George Bush Sr., they took apart all my stuff, put it through the X-ray machine, searched under my car—and for
30 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {punchline} Bill Clinton, they’re like, ‘Oh, you check the missiles at the next gate. Just kidding. Come on in!’” Robert’s first encounter with magic occurred at the age of 12 when a street performer’s act held him spellbound. “Time stood still. It was like, ‘This is the thing,’” Robert recalls. “A switch flipped in my brain. I said, ‘That’s what I want to do.’” On a mission, Robert learned his first few tricks from a podiatrist who shared an office building with his father, then improved his sleight of hand at Tannen’s Magic Camp. “Every waking hour was reading and studying and training.” Then came his first gig. “It was a kid’s birthday party, walking distance from my house,” Robert reminisces. “It was a 10-minute show and I got paid $10. I was like, ‘A dollar a minute? This is it!’ I took that $10, bought another magic trick and kept going.” These days, youthful audiences aren’t his focus. “You don’t have to win them over,” he shrugs. There’s something more gratifying about converting adults from cynics into believers. As Robert developed as a performer, he took up improv comedy. He recalls a particularly memorable evening sharing the stage with the late Robin Williams. Of everyone performing, “I was by far the youngest and least experienced,” he recalls. So he asked the other entertainers if they’d like to warm up first by spitballing about current events and pop culture. All but one said no. “Robin Williams, who was in person very soft-spoken and gentle, very thoughtful, he said, ‘I’d like to warm up.’” Everyone changed their tune and joined in. “He took care of everybody! I learned so much from him.” As Robert looks back on his journey, he reflects, “I used to love the trick. Then I loved the laughter. Then I fell in love with the fact that, with magic, you get connection.” He credits his success to taking an audience-first approach and avoiding one-size-
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32 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {punchline} HOCUS POCUS To watch Robert work his magic at The Guild in Menlo Park or other venues around the Bay Area, check out his website: strongentertainment.com ‘Does he actually work here?’” It’s also Robert’s job as CMO (“Chief Magic Officer,” he jokes) to inspire business teams. “If you want to create a culture or an experience for a customer that feels like magic, you do a lot of work that’s invisible,” he explains. “I give examples of magic tricks that I perform that take a lot of prep work that you don’t see. When it works, it feels like magic. It’s instant. You don’t see the thousands of hours that went into getting it right.” He shares this lesson and others in his book Amaze & Delight: Secrets to Creating Magic in Business (“And it should be ‘and Life, Too,’” Robert comments). He co-wrote it with David Martinez, a former marketing professional who quit his job at Apple to become a full-time magician. “Magicians will see things from other people’s points of view, put themselves in their perspective,” Robert says of his empathetic approach to magic. “The high you get, the hit that you get from entertaining other people, bringing joy to other people, will be more than what they receive.” fits-all routines. “The thing that differentiates me from other magicians is not the tricks, not the pickpocketing, not the juggling. It’s that I really personalize the experience,” he concludes. “That’s become my calling card.” For the past two decades, he’s brought that talent to corporate gigs. It starts with doing a 20-minute culture interview in advance of every performance. “I ask things like: What’s unique about your company? What are your goals? Who’s your competition?... What’s funny about your company? What is the gossip at the water cooler that everyone likes to complain about?” If the head of the company is known to pop up unexpectedly, Robert has the CEO appear during his show. If everyone drinks LaCroix, or the corporate softball team gets a tad too competitive, he’ll weave in a joke about it. “The illusions that I create are never the same,” he says. “I want them to ask,
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. COMBINED YEARS EXPERIENCE 50+ RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE SALES $2B+ RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS 600+ Sonoma Style in the Heart of Los Altos 781 Arroyo Road | Los Altos Offered at: $5,298,000 Exquisitely Designed Modern Home 2060 Mills Avenue | Menlo Park Offered at: 4,998,000
34 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {punchline} 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.
PERFECT SHOT head in the clouds One fine spring day, the weather was sunny with a chance of meatball clouds. That’s what Menlo Park photographer Jennifer Fraser thought when she spotted an unusually round cloud hovering above a similarly rotund boulder while walking with a friend through The Horse Park at Woodside. She dubs this image her “meatball cloud shot,” liking how its odd contours add a surreal note to the vivid hues of the flourishing landscape. “Spring in our California hills is such an intense season of super-saturated green that I always have to ‘desaturate’ my finished images to make them more credible,” she says. Image by Jennifer Fraser / jenniferfraser.zenfolio.com PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 35
36 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. josie DIARY OF A DOG photography by ROBB MOST working, I like to sit on the sofa and request that someone join me for a good snuggle. (I’ll admit, there may be whining involved.) And if someone’s in bed, I will be right there with them, to make sure they don’t get lonely. Cheryl says I sleep in the craziest positions, but I’ll have to take her word for it. I suppose there might be some photographic evidence on my Instagram: @josiejowhippetgirl. That’s not to say I’m lazy. I vigorously protect my home in San Mateo from squirrels. My speedy lineage mostly comes out when it’s mealtime. I zoom and ricochet all over while my food is prepared. But once I’ve eaten, I’m ready to relax and cuddle again. As a purebred Whippet, the breed with the fastest acceleration, you think I’d be in too much of a hurry to get to know you, but really, I’m happy to meet just about everyone. There’s a cute little kink in my tail that kept me from competing in dog shows, but my sweet personality won over Steve and Cheryl, who adopted me as a companion for their older Italian greyhounds. Thanks to my gentle disposition, they soon got me certified as a therapy dog. Now I get to meet all sorts of new people while visiting high schools and nursing homes. When I go to libraries, children like to practice reading books to me while I listen patiently. When I’m not
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REAL ESTATE SERVICES OVER $ 1.4 BILLION SOLD | #1 AGENT – WOODSIDE AND #121 IN THE US PER REALTRENDS, 2023 Alush haven on the San Francisco peninsula, the town of Woodside is one of California’s hidden gems. It might surprise people to know that while in the heart of Silicon Valley, Woodside is brimming with natural beauty coming from Redwood groves and scenic hiking trails. Woodside has been ranked as one of the best places to live in California. With its mild climate, local trails, horse properties, open space preserves, and vibrant cultural attractions, it has become a highly sought after destination to live. While potential homebuyers can easily google Woodside to find facts and figures about this small town, to get the true picture of community life, buyers would be wise to seek out an expert. And that expert is real estate agent Erika Demma. Erika Demma knows Woodside like the back of her hand because she has lived there for the last two decades. Having grown up in Portola Valley, she has deep roots in the area and “lives and breathes Woodside” as she puts it. Her in-depth knowledge of the area is second to none and she prides herself on that. Erika has worked hard and tirelessly for her clients, earning her many accolades including #121 real estate agent in the country by the Wall Street Journal, #34 in California, and #1 in Woodside. She holds herself to the highest of standards and it shows. “It all comes down to hard, tireless work. I give one hundred percent to every client. Most of my business now are referrals from happy clients.” With her love for what she does, Erika goes the extra mile for her clients. “Part of that 100% is helping clients get their homes ready to get the most from the market. I have a broad vendor network that enables me to help clients whether it’s staging, landscaping, or painting in order to get the highest offers for their property.” In addition to her in-depth knowledge of Woodside, Erika combines assertiveness and a sensitivity to client needs, a skill that is rare in the industry. While assertiveness can often bring about a negative connotation, Erika sees the skill in a unique light. “I think you can be assertive in a positive way. Having good relationships with colleagues is one way this is a valuable asset. We compete for listings and then work together to close deals.” Even more so, she believes kindness is so important in business. “When it comes to clients, and everyone I interact with, kindness is so important. Kindness and reputation are vital in this business and everything to me.” Erika Demma Top Producing Real Estate Agent Written by Christina Lorenzen ADVERTISEMENT
There have been many books and articles written about the power of positivity. Entrepreneurs and other experts agree a positivity and mindset are crucial in today’s business world. For Erika, these come naturally as she is known for her positive outlook and mindset. In an ever-changing economy and post-pandemic times, Erika believes these traits have helped her clients as they navigate today’s market. “For most people, buying a home is one of the biggest transactions in their lifetime. Being positive and supportive even during stressful times and stressful transactions is so important.” Erika also adds “As an agent, I recognize that it is not only a stressful time but an emotional time and so I keep emotion out of it but remain positive and sensitive to a client’s needs. We try to be the shore during the storm and subsequent waves.” It’s not surprising to find that the real estate market in Silicon Valley is highly competitive. Between her exceptional service and her in-depth knowledge, it’s no surprise that former clients return to her, some as many as five times. “I believe it’s my extensive market knowledge and hard work, strong work ethics, that keep clients coming back to me. I also have strong negotiating skills and keep up to date on what’s going on in the market.” Another tidbit Erika shared is that “a good agent also keeps well”. She works tirelessly, going the distance for every client. “I am always available to my clients”. Erika’s clients are familiar with what has become known as “Erika’s A-Team”. “Erika’s A-Team, as my vast vendor network is referred to, is my connection to an array of vendors that benefit my clients.” Whether a new or experienced homebuyer, Erika prides herself on what she brings to the table for her clients, details that while may seem minor, can determine whether a house is the right house for a homebuyer. “When it comes to extensive market knowledge, an agent needs to know the intricacies of buying a home such as school district borders, septic systems, buildability lots, and town regulations. I work with the market in Woodside, Portola Valley, Atherton, Menlo Park, and Emerald Hills because I know these areas best. My knowledge is extensive.” When asked what she thinks is the most important thing for a homebuyer to know as they get started on their home-buying journey in Woodside, Erika’s experience shone through. “For the prospective buyer, it’s vital to have an agent who really knows the area’s ins and outs. Those are such important factors.” Erika added “A prospective buyer should work with an agent who not only has knowledge of the on-market properties but has off-market knowledge as well. There are properties that never hit the MLS and only a knowledgeable agent will have that information.” For potential homebuyers who have found the gem that is Woodside, their next step should be to not just find an agent but an agent who lives and breathes the community as well as the desire to find each and every one of her clients the perfect home. Erika is not only a trusted advisor for buyers but also a dynamic representative for sellers. With expertise in on- and off-market sales, she provides concierge services that elevate the selling experience. Whether you’re looking to buy or sell, Erika’s commitment and knowledge of Woodside make her an invaluable asset. Trust in Erika’s expertise to navigate the nuances of Woodside’s real estate landscape, ensuring a seamless transitions of this idyllic town. REAL ESTATE SERVICES 650.740.2970 DRE# 01230766 erika@erikademma.com erikademma.com Boutique Customized Service with Strong Local and Global Presence 3600 Tripp Road, Woodside FOR SALE BY ERIKA The Horse Park at Woodside ADVERTISEMENT
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PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 41 SANTA CRUZ GETAWAY beyond the boardwalk {due west} words by SHARON MCDONNELL TRAVEL & WELLNESS PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF GARRICK RAMIREZ
42 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM same table, pours wine and chats with guests. Butternut squash ravioli—embellished with sliced apples, goat cheese and pumpkin seeds in sage with brown butter and honey truffle oil—were so perfectly creamy, crunchy and sweet that I’ve tried to replicate the dish at home. Another enticing choice is Copal for Oaxacan Mexican food, which serves four different types of mole and mixes up mezcal-based cocktails. For a laid-back town, Santa Cruz has an astounding variety of places to get caffeinated. At florist Flower Bar, pick out bouquets while sipping on lavender and rose lattes made with Ritual coffee. Its other offerings include Feve artisan chocolates, pastries, sandwiches and wine. Roaster 11th Hour Coffee sells plants, food and coffee equipment in a roomy café with wood-slab tabletops. It also has a cocktail bar and hosts pop-ups for fried chicken, dumplings and ramen on its large, umbrella-shaded patio. If all you know of Santa Cruz is the boardwalk, it’s time to refresh your notion of this beach town and veer off the tourist track. With a bookstore that also houses a natural wine bar and a highend Thai restaurant, as well as a flower shop that doubles as a café and chocolate bar, the area hosts an array of multi-tasking hybrids. Why limit yourself to just one thing? And if your visit coincides, as mine did, with UC Santa Cruz’s Monster Festival—where scholars explore cultural and literary monsters from Greek mythology to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein—all the better. Thanks to its free talks, readings and an exhibit of women comic book artists at the Museum of Art and History, I came back marvelously informed. Santa Cruz 2.0 is wonderfully whimsical and weird. PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF PHILIP LIMA WHERE TO EAT Craving books and a bite? Bad Animal is the place to go if you have an appetite for fiction, poetry, philosophy, rare books or the occult. “It’s one of our best-selling sections—Santa Cruz has a lot of people interested in this stuff,” says bookseller Nick Pillsbury. It’s also the place for superb Thai food from a chef with a pedigree from Michelin-starred Manresa in Los Gatos, a wine list that roams the globe from Slovenia to the former Soviet Republic of Georgia and a soundtrack from the 1960s and ‘70s. Restaurant-in-residence Hanloh’s chef Lalita Kaewsawang has wowed guests since late 2022 with Thai specialties like shrimp red curry with pineapple and apple. A block away on Cedar Street, you’ll find charming Gabriella, an Italian-inflected, European-style restaurant. Delighting diners since 1992, it sources its food from organic farms like Live Earth, Dirty Girl and Rodoni. Owner Paul Cocking always sits at the {due west}
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44 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF GARRICK RAMIREZ / CAT & CLOUD Other spots to grab a cup of joe include Cat & Cloud, a coffee roaster with pink-and-teal décor. Owned by award-winning baristas, it’s grown to three locations in the city, plus one in nearby Aptos. Santa Cruz serves as home base for Verve Coffee Roasters, which also has a popular Palo Alto location. Midtown Surf Shop & Coffee Bar serves cups of Verve to those seeking surfboards and swimsuits. WHAT TO DO Buzzing with caffeine? Walk it off along West Cliff Drive, a beautiful place to bike or stroll. Its scenic promenade above the bay and boardwalk includes tributes to surfers and ocean-lovers, along with the Surfing Museum in a brick lighthouse. Pick up a set of wheels from Santa Cruz BCycle, a new e-bike sharing program with stations scattered throughout the city and the UC Santa Cruz campus. Architecture buffs will enjoy a stroll along a two-block stretch of Walnut Avenue, with its mostly Victorian houses from the late 1800s to early 1900s, and Ocean View Avenue for its Victorian mansions. Keep an eye out for 20 conservation-themed murals around the city, created for the Sea Walls: Artists for Oceans project in 2021. If you feel the call of nature, Wilder Ranch State Park, four miles north of downtown Santa Cruz on Highway 1, offers 34 miles of hiking, biking and horse trails through oak-lined meadows and redwood ravines. Beloved annual festivals include Sailboat Races on Wednesday nights from March to October, the Open Studios Art Tour in October, which features over 300 artists county-wide, the Sea Glass and Ocean Art Festival in November and the Clam Chowder Cook-Off in late February, starring both amateur and professional chefs. {due west}
PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM 45 WHERE TO STAY When you’re ready to call it a night, check out West Cliff Inn, a white 1877 Victorian offering panoramic views of Monterey Bay from half of its 10 rooms, as well as porches with rocking chairs. Breakfasts may feature an artichoke, spinach and feta frittata, while the civilized custom of afternoon wine and cheese is observed in its seafoam-painted parlor. My cheerful yellow room, its bay window overlooking the sea, featured framed watercolors of shells and coral, and a marblefloored bathroom with a spa tub. The sprawling Chaminade Resort & Spa boasts PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF ALINA TYULYU / COURTESY OF TORY LORANCE WEISS cruz over santacruz.org hilltop views overlooking redwood and eucalyptus forests and 156 rooms in orange-roofed Spanish Colonial-style villas. Guests enjoy access to two outdoor hot tubs and pools (all with majestic wooded views), plus tennis and pickleball courts, a spa, Himalayan salt sauna and three miles of hiking trails. The View restaurant serves multicourse dinners with local wine pairings April through October and hosts live music six nights a week. Marriott’s Hotel Paradox, a contemporary-style, 170-room hotel just a 10-minute walk from downtown, emerged from a renovation in October with a forest theme. With a toppled tree trunk for a front desk, the lobby features gnarled benches hand-crafted from entire teak tree roots and 11 tree trunks. Savor honey from the hotel’s rooftop beehives at Solaire Restaurant + Bar, where tastings and talks are offered by Santa Cruz Bee Company. “Normal is just a setting on the dryer,” a thought-provoking sign on my floor proclaimed—a fitting motto for a trip to delightfully offbeat Santa Cruz.
48 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {due west} TRAILS blooming good hikes words by LINDA HUBBARD There’s a show taking place on the Peninsula— and it’s all yours for free, or nearly so. Thanks to the winter rains, wildflowers are springing up all over our local nature preserves. A kaleidoscope of color sweeps the landscape with sunset orange California poppies, the yellow and white petals of tidy tips and spiky stems of purple lupine. Now—while skies are likely to be clear, ahead of summer’s fog—is a great time to lace up your trail shoes or hiking boots and see them up close. For a bounty of blooms and scenery that puts a spring in your step, visit these four parks offering distinct experiences, from a good ramble to more strenuous outings. A gentle reminder for visitors: take photos not flowers. Leave plants and wildlife undisturbed so that everyone can appreciate them. spot wild turkeys and deer, and may even catch a glimpse of a coyote or bobcat disappearing into the purple needlegrass and blue wild rye. GOOD TO KNOW + The main parking lot has an interpretive center and is located at 1530 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto + Terrain is packed gravel with a few rocky sections + Open to hikers, cyclists, equestrians and leashed dogs + Restrooms located at the parking lot + Find more information and a trail map at cityofpaloalto.org/parks ENID PEARSONARASTRADERO PRESERVE Ten and a half miles of trails loop up and around a nice mixture of oak woodland and grassland. This City of Palo Altoowned, 622-acre preserve is at its greenest in March—and punctuated with wildflowers. It’s named for former City Councilwoman Enid Pearson, who was instrumental in passing the 1965 ballot measure that prohibits Palo Alto from selling any park land without voter approval. Set your sights on a number of good hilly loops, or take an outand-back trail along Arastradero Creek for gentler terrain. Firsttime visitors may be surprised to encounter so much wildlife so close to suburbia. You’re likely to
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50 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {due west} more strenuous activity, along with breathtaking views across the Bay. GOOD TO KNOW + The park is located at 1600 Marsh Road, Menlo Park + Terrain is mostly unpaved dirt + Open to hikers, cyclists, and leashed dogs + Restrooms located at the first paved parking lot + Find more information at menlopark.gov/parks BEDWELL BAYFRONT PARK Longtime residents may remember when Bedwell Bayfront Park was a landfill before it was capped in the 1980s. Covering 160 acres, the dog-friendly park shares some of the same attributes as Arastradero—there’s water and wildlife, but of a very different sort, specifically shorebirds drawn to its salt marshes along the San Francisco Bay that surrounds it on three sides. Popular with bird watchers and kite flyers, it’s also a picturesque place to spread out a picnic blanket and watch the clouds. Walkers can take a relatively flat 2.3-mile trail around the perimeter. Bedwell’s interior trails are hilly with some good up and down pulls for those seeking PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF FRANCES FREYBERG / ROBB MOST
The number of off market sales on the Mid-Peninsula varies year to year ranging from 10% to 30% of the inventory sold.
52 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF FRANCES FREYBERG {due west} the Santa Cruz Mountain range. It’s also home to Brooks Falls, the tallest waterfall in San Mateo County, dropping 207 feet off of Montara Mountain—and mostly visible after a significant rain. GOOD TO KNOW + Located at 600 Oddstad Boulevard, Pacifica + Terrain is dirt; lots of switchbacks + Open to hikers and equestrians; no dogs or cyclists + Restroom at the visitors center + $6 entry fee + Find more information and view a trail map at smcgov.org/parks MONTARA MOUNTAIN TRAIL On clear spring days, the butt-kicking Montara Mountain Trail provides glorious views out over the Pacific Ocean. Just over two miles in length, the elevation change surges 1,174 feet. Those not keen on making the full ascent can circle back on the Brooks Creek Trail. Along the way you’ll weave through a towering blue gum eucalyptus forest, pass large granite rock formations and encounter the unique Montara manzanita, a shrub with tightly bunched blooms that only grows on this mountain. The trail is part of the 1,052acre San Pedro Valley Park located in the northernmost part of climbing, but it’s fairly gentle, and the trail surface is free of rocks and other potential ankletwisters. For a quick jaunt and easy access to the preserve and its 550 varieties of plants and wildflowers, park along Cañada Road just south of Edgewood Road and enter the park via the Clarkia Trailhead. GOOD TO KNOW + Main parking lot is at 10 Old Stage Coach Road, Redwood City + Terrain is dirt + Open to hikers and equestrians; no dogs or cyclists + Restroom in the picnic area near parking lot + Find more information and a trail map at smcgov.org/parks EDGEWOOD COUNTY PARK & NATURAL PRESERVE Driving along Highway 280, you can catch a glimpse of the showcase that permeates Edgewood Park in the spring—not just a sprinkling of wildflowers but also carpets of colorful blooms like goldfields and purple-blue lupine. What makes its wildflower display unique is its serpentine soil, which inhibits invading non-native plants and allows well-adapted natives to thrive. Keep an eye out for the telltale flutter of the white, black and orange wings of the rare Bay checkerspot butterfly. The species thrives at Edgewood, where its caterpillars fatten up on a diet of California plantain and owl’s clover. Covering 467 acres, 10 miles of trails wind along its woodlands and grasslands. There’s a bit of
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