September’s Honor Roll
West Marin community radio station KWMR is receiving almost $32,000 in grants for local service and efficiency thanks to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. • Over at WildCare, naturalist, illustrator, artist and educator John Muir Laws is the 2009 Terwilliger Environmental Award winner. • In Ross, teen Erin Schrode (pictured), one of the founding members of Teens Turning Green, has a little extra cash in her pocket thanks to her recent $36,000 2009 Diller Teen Tikkun Olam award in acknowledgement of her visionary leadership and outstanding service to the community. The money can be used for her college education or toward furthering her community service activities.
Farm for All!
With inspiration from Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Tara Smith left a job in the insurance industry, bought a 234-acre plot of property with her husband, Craig, and started an organic farm from scratch. The Smiths welcome the public to Tara Firma Farms, where you can go on a hike, fish in the pond, meet the animals, have a picnic and pick up chicken, pork, beef, honey and vegetables to take home. Tours are on Sunday at 10 a.m.; call to RSVP: 707.765.1202, tarafirmafarms.com
Update: Gara Dima
Emebet Billingham has recently returned from Ethiopia, where her group, the World Family, is creating a community center for the village of Gara Dima. “We worked with the Ethiopian staff on a program implementation plan to create economic strength through skill training, income generating activities and micro credit,” says Billingham. theworldfamily.org
Eat In
The Child Nutrition Act is up for renewal this month, and local slow food advocates like Hilary Jeffris are encouraging the public to get involved. The suggestion is to raise the federal funding for the school lunch program from $2.57 to $3.57 per child per day. Slow Food’s vision is that people will organize Eat-Ins across the country. Jeffris has organzied a Mill Valley Eat-In on September 7 from 3 to 5 p.m. at Boyle Park. “It’s a family oriented, public potluck,“ she says, “so tell your friends and don’t forget to bring a dish to share.” E-mail [email protected] for more info.
Gold in Tiburon
Sign up now to swim next to (or behind) Tiburon resident and U.S. Olympian Erik Vendt, at this year’s RCP Tiburon Mile Open Water Swim on September 13, 2009. Vendt most recently was a member, along with Michael Phelps, of the 800 Free Relay gold medal–winning team at the 2008 Olympics. rcptiburonmile.com
Andy's Summer Fest
Don’t miss Andy’s Summer Fest on September 26, a benefit for the San Rafael Headsup Foundation. The festival includes two stages of music by local artists and schoolchildren along with an Andy’s barbecue lunch and a variety of ethnic food from the local community, a beer garden, petting zoo, pony rides and an evening concert by Tommy Castro and Friends. Andy’s Local Market, 688 Point San Pedro Rd., San Rafael.
Bites
Sushi in Marin & SF Dining
Sushi is Tops in Marin
Sushi Ran chef Allan (Hyun Min) Suh brought top honors back to Sausalito, emerging as the grand champion sushi chef in the Sushi Masters California Regional Competition in San Diego. Suh won for his signature roll and Morikomi plate. His win follows the victory of Sushi Ran’s executive chef Mitsunori Kusakabe, who recently won the world championship in the Seven Sushi Samarai competition held in London.
For more sushi options, head to the new Tsukiji Sushi, in the former Ora space in Mill Valley. The restaurant, named after Tokyo’s famed fish market features chef Roy Lui, who will be working alongside former Sushi Ran chef Haruo Komatsu. Lui already owns sushi restaurants in San Rafael (Akira) and San Francisco (Morpho), so why Mill Valley? “Many of our former customers are located in Southern Marin.” says Lui. “And most importantly, people in Mill Valley know good sushi. The servers are mostly from Mill Valley and Sausalito so the restaurant has a local feel. The restaurant is located in Sunnyside’s infamous “restaurant killer” locale so quality food and local visitation are incredibly important in keeping the restaurant afloat.” 24 Sunnyside Ave. (Mill Valley). 415.383.1382.
Dinner Downtown SF
Want to catch a showing of Wicked or Rent at the Orpheum Theater but aren’t looking forward to parking prices? Head to American gastropub Urban Tavern, which has made the trip to the city a little easier with a $34.95 pre-theater dinner package, which includes a three-course prix fixe meal, a glass of wine and five hours of complimentary parking. For an additional $15 per person, guests will be transported, via town car or limo, to and from the theater that they will be attending. The package is valid with proof of a theater ticket for a Shorenstein Hays-Nedelander performance. Urban Tavern (SF). 415.923.4400, urbantavernsf.com
After the theater, indulge the sweet tooth with downtown’s Oola Restaurant Monday soufflé nights. Pastry chef Alicia Montalvo (previously of Aqua) whips up the rich dessert, alternating flavors among Valrhona chocolate, lavender and passion fruit. If you don’t make it on a Monday, don’t pass on a late-night roasted beet and watermelon salad with pistachios, goat cheese and a thyme vinaigrette. Oola Restaurant (SF). 415.995.2061, oola-sf.com –SF
