The following is a list of businesses that were new in Marin county in January 2020
EAT & DRINK
On San Rafael’s West End, husband and wife team Stephanie and Trevor Martens opened Pond Farm Brewing and its 16 taps to let the beer flow at its microbrewery and taproom. For now, guests can bring their own eats to enjoy at the outdoor picnic tables, purchase small snacks like chips and popcorn at the bar, or order from a rotating list of food pop-ups in the outdoor space.
Owner Chris Piro and General Manager/Partner Aram Gutowski of Tam Commons renovated an old bank building in downtown San Rafael, bringing a tap room with 34 taps plus a selection of international brews along with late night eats to the rapidly expanding San Rafael beer scene.
After 29 years of business at one location near Civic Center, Bogie’s Too recently re-opened for business on 4th Street in downtown San Rafael. The menu of breakfast favorites (omelettes, pancakes) and lunch time salads and sandwiches remains the same but the Alice in Wonderland décor has been replaced with fresh digs featuring 18-foot ceilings and a burlwood counter.
Renting the bakery from Craig Ponsford, Quinn Berger and Andrew Roth opened Compagnon Bread, serving financiers, traditional Breton-style kouign amann, and naturally fermented breads on Fridays and Saturdays only. For now, at least.
New to downtown, Boiadeirus Brazilian Steakhouse, recently opened to serve lunch and dinner, bringing South American style steak and all manner of grilled meats plus a huge, veggiecentric salad bar to San Rafael. Weekends bring feijoada, Brazil’s famous black bean stew with farofa and collard greens.
WELLNESS
IAYT certified Yoga Therapist, Lauren Ziegler launched a medical yoga program as part of Soluna Health, an integrative health and wellness center in downtown Sausalito. Restorative yoga therapy (for calming anxiety), a women’s health pelvic floor class (with a physical therapist) and other programs launched June 1.
SHOP
Sausalito resident Dennis Green opened his second Karl the Store closer to home than the original San Francisco location, bringing vintage mid-century modern furniture and accessories and a vibrant indoor plant shop to Bridgeway. It’s named after Karl the Fog, the famous anonymous Twitter account posting as San Francisco’s ubiquitous fog.
Owners Sachi and Joey Morlock opened their first brick-and-mortar store to bring local, sustainable and chemical-free flowers to downtown Larkspur at The Little Flower Shop. Bespoke flower arrangements for weddings, events and every day are on offer, and, in a nod to Sachi’s Tokyo roots, Japanese flower shears are sold.
With over 14,000 Sq ft. of showroom, Istanbul Rug expands from Berkeley, bringing its massive inventory of handmade modern and classically woven Nepali carpets to 4th Street in downtown San Rafael. Repair, restoration, and cleaning services are also available and each rug is guaranteed to be made without child labor.
Owner Sasha Lanka opened Westward Home earlier this year, bringing vintage furniture and textiles as well as handmade home decor items to downtown Larkspur. Look for Heather Taylor Home, Rush Matters, Cultiver, and De Jong & Co, as well as exclusive products produced in collaboration with California artisans like ceramacist Natan Moss.
After running an online shop since 2013, founder and CEO Deborah Osburn opened Clé, the showroom, as a playground to challenge and explore architectural surfaces. The studio, along San Rafael’s Francisco Boulevard, offers heirloom-quality tiles from across the globe, many produced in collaboration with artists, artisans and designers.
SUMMER CAMP
Free summer camp classes are every parent’s dream but kids will love to spend time with Harry Potter at the Harry Potter Creative Coding Workshop, available at the Microsoft Store. Other classes, designed for ages 6 and up, include Design and Create Your Own Video Games with MakeCode Arcade and Gaming Summer Camp: Grow Your Passion for Gaming and Learn Positive Life Skills.
Christina Mueller is a long-time Bay Area food writer. She hails from the East Coast and has spent way too much time in South America and Europe. She discovered her talent as a wordsmith in college and her love of all things epicurean in grad school. She has written for Condé Nast Contract Publishing, Sunset, and the Marin Independent Journal, among others. She volunteers with California State Parks and at her childrens’ schools, and supports the Marin Audubon Society, PEN America, and Planned Parenthood. When she is not drinking wine by a fire, she is known to spend time with her extended family.
