Coastal Traveler - Summer 2007 - (Page 15)

and visitors to Caledonia Street would be remiss if they came here only for the great food. Five Star Station, a recently opened art-and-antique store, will beguile and surprise you with the range of its merchandise. You can find anything from a World War I periscope to a miniature guillotine, as well as original work by Bay Area artists. Owner Durwood Zedd says the shop aims to recreate the feel of a vintage department store; store manager and artist David Gardella, whose work is for sale at Five Star, had a harder time defining his place of work. “It’s sort of all of the above,” he said. A few blocks north is Studio 333 designer Christopher Holbrook’s warehouse-style outlet for antiques, furniture, and art. Those with a keen eye will spot some great bargains here. Book hounds may want to spend some time at Flying Oliver Books, a cozy used bookstore, or take in a movie at the CineArts theater, which specializes in independent and arthouse films. Bridgeway Avenue To see the other Sausalito, take a short walk to Bridgeway Avenue, where the ferry from San Francisco lets off. Here, flocks of visitors, many of them underdressed for the Bay Area’s routinely overcast weather, wander the waterfront, gazing at the nearby city or stopping to peek in at art galleries (Bridgeway’s art scene on the whole verges on kitsch, but one notable exception is the Fingerhut Gallery, which features drawings by Theodore Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, as well as “trophy heads” he designed of some of the outlandish creatures peopling his books). If you can bear the crowds, a quick stroll down Bridgeway is well worth it. Pick up a cone of local and renowned Lappert’s ice cream at any of a number of small parlors and take a few minutes to enjoy the view. Bridgeway also has its share of great restaurants. Those craving fresh seafood will want to stop off at Paradise Bay restaurant, north of the ferry. This casual waterfront dining spot is slightly out-of-the-way, but worth the walk: the crabcakes are some of the best to be had in the Bay Area, and can be enjoyed on a back deck extending over the bay. If you get thirsty in Sausalito, stop in for a pint at beloved local watering hole the No Name Bar, also on Bridgeway, which offers live music many evenings. Smitty’s on Caledonia Street, replete with local flavor, is also a place for cocktails. Lodging There’s no dearth of fine hotels in Sausalito. One excellent choice is the Alta Mira on Bulkley Avenue, nestled in the hills above the downtown area, with simple, elegant rooms and a large patio offering spectacular views of the bay. Casa Madrona, on Bridgeway, has a variety of “themed” rooms catering to customer tastes and offers lodging in a Victorian mansion hidden in the hills behind the hotel façade on Bridgeway. Casa Madrona also has a spa boasting a number of relaxation therapies, including deep-tissue massage, airbrush tanning, and seaweed body wraps. Tiburon If after a day in Sausalito you hunger for more of “the Bay Area’s Riviera,” drive to nearby Tiburon, a smaller town that also offers excellent views of the city and long walks along the bay. While there, don’t miss Casa Mañana, an affordable hole-in-the-wall serving some of the best Mexican and Salvadoran food to be found in Marin County. Sam’s Anchor Café on Main Street, is a comfortable place to stop for a drink, and features a jocular crowd of regulars on weekend nights. of the top Japanese restaurants in the Bay Area. Owner Yoshi Tome opened up 20 years ago with the goal of serving a “more traditional” style of sushi. According to Tome, that means less mayonnaise, less avocado, and less intense spices - the fish and other ingredients should speak for themselves. “We can’t hide anything,” he says with a smile. “The people here have very discriminating taste.” Try the soft-shell crab or salmon citrus roll - the latter, made with marinated wild salmon, has a distinctive bite. And sit at the bar, if possible the artistry of Tome’s chefs is a spectacle not to be missed. Sushi Ran’s extraordinary offerings are a bit pricey; just down the street are other, less expensive restaurants that also serve excellent fare. Caffè Di Vino, an Italian joint with outdoor patio seating, is a great place to sit down on a sunny afternoon to watch the neighborhood’s goings-on over a bottle of wine. Right next door are Sartaj India Café and Arawan Thai Cuisine, both local favorites for a delicious and modestly priced lunch. There’s no better neighborhood in small-town America for window shopping, Where to Stay Alta MIra 125 Bulkley Ave • 415.332.1350 Casa Madrona 801 Bridgeway • 800.288.0502 Where to Eat Sushi Ran 107 Caledonia St • 415.332.3620 One of Steve Jobs favorites. Cafe Di Vino 37 Caledonia St • 415.331.9355 Sartaj India Cafe 43 Caledonia St • 415.332.7103 Arawan Thai Cuisine 47 Caledonia St •415.332.0882 Paradise Bay Restaurant 1200 Bridgeway • 415.331.3226 Casa Mañana 110 Main St • 415.435.8515 Sam’s Anchor Café 27 Main St • 415.435.4527 Where to Shop Five Star Station. 33 Caledonia St • 415.331.5055 Flying Oliver Books 215 Caledonia St • 415.332.1532 Where to Play CineArts theater 101 Caledonia St • 415.331.0255 Fingerhut Gallery. 690 Bridgeway • 415.331.7225 Studio 333 333A Caledonia Street • 415.331.8272 No Name Bar 57 Bridgeway • 415.332.1392 Smitty’s 214 Caledonia St • 415.332.2637 summer coastaltraveler 15

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Coastal Traveler - Summer 2007

Coastal Contents Coastal Connoisseur Coastal Surfer Coastal Review Coastal Rider Coastal Map Coastal Maifesto Sausalito - Tiburon Mill Valley Muir Beach Stinson Beach Bolinas Olema San Geronimo - Nicasio Fairfax Inverness - Inverness Park Point Reyes Station Point Reyes Station and Dillon Beach Sebastopol Petaluma Sonoma Coast Healdsburg Mendocino - Redwood Coast Lake County Napa Santa Cruz Monterey Carmel-by-the-Sea Big Sur

Coastal Traveler - Summer 2007

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