28 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM brimming with inspiring finds and neighbors you’ll want to meet. We swing by Woodside to learn how the Putnam family—a name that’s synonymous with Peninsula car dealerships—actually has deeper roots in farming. (Page 41) And we meet up with the owners of another iconic business in San Carlos—Goetz Brothers Sporting Goods—to trace a legacy dating back to 1937. (Page 64) We talk with Aurum chef Manish Tyagi about his culinary journey from the Himalayan foothills to high-concept Indian cuisine in downtown Los Altos. (Page 73) And the partners at Coffee Lab in Menlo Park give us the scoop on the science that goes into every cup of java. (Page 80) Hillsborough’s Amanda Barnes demonstrates how small edits can make a big impact when it comes to interior design. (Page 89) We go all aboard in Millbrae to see what goes into building Lilliputian-sized worlds known as garden railways in Peninsula backyards. (Page 106) Venturing coastside, we stop by Half Moon Bay’s Garden Apothecary to harvest lavender and luxuriate in a bounty of botanicals. (Page 114) And for our September QuickPUNCH Q&A, we find out what it’s like to be a San Mateo County park ranger at Fitzgerald Marine Reserve. (Page 38) Finally, it should be noted that of all the things you could be doing, you’re choosing to read PUNCH. Right now. Given the precious nature of time, we’re delighted that you share our mission to celebrate the Spirit of the Peninsula every month. Your support means everything to us! Sheri sheri@punchmonthly.com {editor’s note} it difficult to reconcile the mid20-somethings who accompanied us on our latest go-round. Here we were, dropped back into this familiar setting, but as if a magician had “tap-ofa-wand” waved two decades away. Heady stuff. Adding to my musings, my own age has certainly not frozen with time, and I find myself marking a milestone birthday this month. Always of the mindset to celebrate and cheer each year (especially given the alternative), it’s still a bit jarring to see a number that’s a disconnect with how I perceive myself. And if that weren’t enough, this month also commemorates my five-year anniversary with a brand-new undertaking called PUNCH. Five years! (Driven home by Naomi commenting that her heaviest box when she recently moved was her complete set of PUNCH’s 60+ issues.) My tenure here feels like a blink, so yes, I’m struggling to fathom that as well. I can remember my father telling my much-younger self, “Don’t be in a rush to grow up!” With apologies for the eyeroll back then, I’m constantly obsessing over the hyperspeed of life—I don’t want to rush any of it. As I trekked through Alisal Ranch’s golden hills, I reminded myself to stay as present as possible, even repeating a short mantra to myself: Right now. Having observed my propensity to get sucked into “time is fleeting” spin-outs, my husband came up with a saying that helps snap me back. Right now. As in, stay in—and be grateful for—every extraordinary and even ordinary moment. Come to think of it, that’s also what we aspire to do at PUNCH. Every new issue equates to an opportunity to pause and pay tribute to the unique Peninsula culture and people around us. With that reflection in mind, you’ll discover September is During a recent multigenerational family trip to Alisal Ranch (Page 55), I seized the opportunity to take a solo hike up to panoramic views of the Santa Ynez Valley. I needed some thinking time—to process the passage of time. When we first journeyed to Alisal back in 1998, we were chasing 19-month-old Naomi and I was pregnant with our second daughter, Ilana. Over the course of five more visits, we watched our children—and their Baer cousins—evolve from babies and busy toddlers into elementary school kids. A timeless property (albeit with appropriate remodeling and upgrades), Alisal appears impervious to change, making ABOVE: Sheri, Doug, Naomi and Ilana Baer at Alisal Ranch in 2004 and 2023.
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