Best of the County and Beyond 2021

The votes are in! Here’s your picks for the best of the county and the Bay Area for 2021.

Watch this space for more detailed coverage of your favorite spots.

 

Arts & Entertainment

 

Best Live Music Venue

Marin: Sweetwater Music Hall, Mill Valley 

Bay Area: The Fillmore, San Francisco 

Runners Up

Marin: Terrapin Crossroads, San Rafael 

Bay Area: Hearst Greek Theatre, Berkeley 

 

Best Live Theater

Marin: Marin Theatre Company, Mill Valley 

Bay Area: Berkeley Repertory Theater, Berkeley 

Runners Up

Marin: AlterTheater, San Rafael 

Bay Area: American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.), San Francisco 

 

Best Children’s Theater

Marin: Throckmorton Theatre, Mill Valley 

Bay Area: Sonoma Children’s Creative & Performing Arts, Sonoma

Runners Up

Marin: Marin Art and Garden Center, Ross 

Bay Area: Marin Theatre Company, Mill Valley 

 

Best Museum

Marin: Marin Museum of Contemporary Art (MarinMOCA), Novato 

Bay Area: San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), San Francisco 

Runners Up

Marin: Bolinas Museum, Bolinas

Bay Area: de Young Museum, San Francisco 

 

Best Children’s Museum

Marin: Bay Area Discovery Museum, Sausalito 

Bay Area: Exploratorium, San Francisco 

Runner Up

Bay Area: Academy of Science, San Francisco 

 

Best Band

Marin: Huey Lewis, Bolinas and Kentfield 

Bay Area: Santana 

Runners Up

Marin: Vinyl

Bay Area: Train

 

Best Comedy Venue

Marin: Throckmorton Theatre, Mill Valley 

Bay Area: Cobb’s Comedy Club, San Francisco 

Runners Up

Marin: Marin Center, San Rafael 

Bay Area: Punchline, San Francisco 

 

Best Art Gallery

Marin: Robert Green, Mill Valley 

Bay Area: Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco 

Runners Up

Marin: Art Works Downtown, San Rafael 

Bay Area: Altman Siegel, San Francisco

 

Best Hotel

Marin: Cavallo Point, Sausalito 

Bay Area: Auberge de Soleil, Napa Valley 

Runners Up

Marin: Casa Madrona, Sausalito 

Bay Area: Indian Springs, Calistoga 

 

Best Staycation

Marin: Water’s Edge, Tiburon 

Bay Area: Auberge de Soleil, Napa Valley 

Runners Up

Marin: Tiburon Lodge, Tiburon 

Bay Area: Fairmont, San Francisco 

 

Best Northern California Destination

Mendocino 

 

Best Northern California Family Destination

Santa Cruz 

Runners Up

Point Reyes 

Tahoe 

Beauty

 

Best Spa

Marin: Turning Point, Mill Valley

Bay Area: Osmosis, Freestone

Runners Up

Marin: International Orange, Larkspur

Bay Area: Indian Springs, Calistoga

 

Best Med Spa

Marin: Belle Marin Aesthetic Medicine, Mill Valley

Bay Area: Plastic Surgery Specialists Med Spa, multiple locations

Runners Up

Marin: Marin Medical Aesthetics, San Rafael

Bay Area: Morpheus Med Spa, Larkspur and Santa Rosa

 

Best Women’s Haircut/Salon Services

Marin: The Current, San Anselmo

Bay Area: Sugar, Petaluma

Runners Up

Marin: AP Luxe Salon, Mill Valley

Bay Area: John Velasquez Salon, San Francisco

 

Best Men’s Haircut/Salon Services

Marin: The Current, San Anselmo

Bay Area: Barber Lane, Larkspur & San Francisco

Runners Up

Marin: Xclusive Club Barbershop, San Rafael

Bay Area: Fahrenheit Salon, San Francisco

 

Best Facial

Marin: Eva Claiborne Beauty & Wellness, Tiburon

Bay Area: Envie Skin & Body, multiple locations

Runners Up

Marin: EVO Spa, Mill Valley

Bay Area: Skin Spirit, multiple locations

 

Best Massage

Marin: Bodywise Massage, San Rafael

Bay Area: Watercourse Way Bathhouse Spa, Palo Alto

Runners Up

Marin: Resonance Spa, Corte Madera

Bay Area: Elements Massage, multiple locations

 

Best Nail Salon

Marin: Annie’s Nails, San Rafael

Bay Area: Polish Nail and Beauty Spa, San Francisco

Runners Up

Marin: NJ Nails Spa, Novato

Bay Area: Cuticles Nail Spa, Oakland

 

Best Cosmetic Dermatologist

Marin: Mill Valley Dermatology, Dr. Haydee Knott, Mill Valley

Bay Area: Kathy Fields, MD, San Francisco

Runners Up

Marin: Laub Dermatology & Aesthetics Dr. Laub, Mill Valley

Bay Area: Dermatology medical group, Dr. Megin Scully, San Francisco

 

Dining

 

Best Al Fresco

Marin: Watershed, Mill Valley

Bay Area: Hook Fish Co, Mill Valley & San Francisco

Runner Up

Marin: Bungalow 44, Mill Valley

Bay Area: Waterbar, San Francisco

 

Best Bakeries

Marin: Bootjack Wood Fired, Mill Valley

Bay Area: Tartine, San Francisco

Runner Up

Marin: Rustic Bakery, Larkspur

Bay Area: b. Patisserie, San Francisco

 

Best Bar & Grill

Marin: Buckeye Roadhouse, Mill Valley

Bay Area: Balboa Cafe, San Francisco

Runner Up

Marin: Perry’s, Larkspur

Bay Area: Cotogna, San Francisco

 

Best Barbecue

Marin: Pig in a Pickle, Corte Madera

Bay Area: Horn Barbecue, Oakland

Runner Up

Marin: Jerry’s Downtown BBQ, Novato 

Bay Area: 4505, San Francisco

 

Best Breakfast/Brunch

Marin: Shoreline Coffee Shop, Mill Valley

Bay Area: Rose’s Café, San Francisco

Runner Up

Marin: Half Day Café, Greenbrae

Bay Area: Hummingbird, Fairfax

 

Best Breweries

Marin: Pond Farm Brewing, San Rafael

Bay Area: East Brother Beer, Richmond

Runner Up

Marin: Marin Brewing Company, Larkspur

Bay Area: Anchor Brewing Company, San Francisco

 

Best Burger

Marin: William Tell House, Tomales

Bay Area: Gott’s, multiple locations

Runner Up

Marin: Watershed, Mill Valley

Bay Area: Super Duper Burgers, multiple locations

 

Best Chinese 

Marin: Harmony, Mill Valley

Bay Area: Henry Hunan, San Francisco

Runner Up

Marin: DJ’s, Larkspur

Bay Area: Shanghai Dumpling King, San Francisco

 

Best Coffee Shop

Marin: Equator, Mill Valley downtown location

Bay Area: Blue Bottle, San Francisco

Runner Up

Marin: Coyote Coffee, Mill Valley

Bay Area: Philz, Corte Madera 

 

Best Farmers’ Market

Marin: Sunday Marin Civic Center Farmers Market, San Rafael

Bay Area: Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market, San Francisco

Runner Up

Marin: Marin Country Mart Farmers’ Market, Larkspur

Bay Area: Clement Street Farmers’ Market, San Francisco

 

Best Frozen Yogurt/Ice Cream/Gelato

Marin: Swirl, Mill Valley

Bay Area: Salt & Straw, multiple locations

Runner Up

Marin: Scoop Fairfax, Fairfax

Bay Area: Smitten Ice Cream, San Francisco

 

Best Grocery Store

Marin: Good Earth, Fairfax

Bay Area: Berkeley Bowl, Berkeley

Runner Up

Marin: Nugget Novato

Bay Area: Real Good Greens

 

Best Italian Restaurants

Marin: Poggio, Sausalito

Bay Area: Flour & Water, San Francisco

Runner Up

Marin: Sorella Café, Fairfax

Bay Area: Acquerello, San Francisco

 

Best Mexican

Marin: Marinitas, San Anselmo

Bay Area: Mi Pueblo, Petaluma

Runner Up

Marin: Playa, Mill Valley

Bay Area: Comal Next Door, Berkeley

 

Best Pizza

Marin: Creekside, San Anselmo

Bay Area: The Cheese Board, Berkeley

Runner Up

Marin: Tamalpie, Mill Valley

Bay Area: Tony’s Pizza Napoletana, San Francsico

 

Best Sandwiches

Marin: Bruno’s Deli, San Rafael

Bay Area: Lucca Delicatessen, San Francisco

Runner Up

Marin: Michael’s Sourdough Sandwiches, Novato

Bay Area: Molinari Deli, San Francisco

 

Best Seafood Restaurant

Marin: Fish, Sausalito

Bay Area: Hog Island, multiple locations

Runner Up

Marin: Trident, Sausalito

Bay Area: Hook Fish Co, Mill Valley & San Francisco

 

Best Steakhouse

Marin: Buckeye Roadhouse, Mill Valley

Bay Area: Ruth’s Chris, Walnut Creek

Runner Up

Marin: Marin Joe’s, Corte Madera

Bay Area: Izzy’s Steakhouse, San Francisco

 

Best Sushi

Marin: Sushi Ran, Sausalito

Bay Area: Kusakabe, San Francisco

Runner Up

Marin: Sushi 69

Bay Area: Wako Japanese Restaurant, San Francisco

 

Best Vegan/Vegetarian

Marin: Café del Soul, San Rafael

Bay Area: Green’s, San Francisco

Runner Up

Marin: Veggie Grill, Corte Madera

Bay Area: Golden Era Vegan Restaurant, San Francisco

 

Best Wine Store

Marin: Ludwig’s Fine Wine, San Anselmo

Bay Area: K&L Wine Merchants, San Francisco

Runner Up

Marin: Jillie’s, San Anselmo

Bay Area: West Coast Wine, Mill Valley & San Francisco

 

Education

 

Best Bay Area University/College

University of California, Berkeley

Runner Up

University of California Santa Cruz

 

Best Preschool

Marin: Marin Horizon, Mill Valley

Bay Area: The Little School, San Francisco

Runners Up

Marin: Belvedere Hawthorne Nursery Schools, Belvedere

Bay Area: Cow Hollow School, San Francisco

 

Best Private School

Marin: Mount Tamalpais School, Mill Valley 

Bay Area: College Preparatory School, Oakland

Runners Up

Marin: Marin Catholic

Bay Area: Lick Wilmerding

 

Best Public School

Marin: Hidden Valley

Bay Area: Lowell High School, San Francisco

Runners Up

Marin: Bacich Anthony Elementary School

Bay Area: Redwood High School

 

Best Tutor

Marin: Headlands Preparatory School, Sausalito

Runner Up

Marin: Bridge the Gap, Sausalito

 

Best Art Instruction

Marin: Studio4Art, San Rafael and Novato

Runner Up

Marin: Marin School of the Arts

 

Health & Fitness

 

Best Chiropractor

Marin: Dr. Chappy Wood, D.C., Corte Madera

Runner Up

Marin: Rina Tinozzi, Corte Madera

 

Best Cross-Training Class

Marin: TJ’s Gym, Mill Valley & Corte Madera

Bay Area: F45, multiple locations

Runners Up

Marin: Novato CrossFit 

Bay Area: San Francisco CrossFit

 

Best Equipment/Athletic-Wear Store

Marin: Athleta, Corte Madera

Bay Area: Sports Basement, Novato and San Francisco 

Runners Up

Marin: T&B Sports, San Rafael

Bay Area: Lululemon

 

Best Fitness Class

Marin: The Dailey Method, Corte Madera 

Bay Area: Orange Theory, Greenbrae, Novato and Mill Valley 

Runners Up

Marin: Get Fit Marin

Bay Area: Barry’s Bootcamp

 

Best Gym

Marin: Five Points Fitness, Corte Madera and Novato

Bay Area: Bay Club, multiple locations

Runners Up

Marin: The Club at Harbor Point

Bay Area: Fitness SF

 

Best Personal Trainer

Marin: Jake and JT Peterson, Studio Thirty, Mill Valley

Bay Area: Toby Wilson, Sonoma Fit, multiple locations

Runners Up

Marin: Sarah Hester, The Studio Pilates Marin, San Rafael 

Christine Waldron, Mill Valley  

 

Best Pilates Studio

Marin: Body Kinetics, Novato, San Rafael and, Mill Valley 

Bay Area: Mighty Pilates, Larkspur & San Francisco

Runners Up

Marin: Novato Pilates, Novato 

Bay Area: Sanchez Street Studios, San Francisco  

 

Best Spin Studio

Marin: Pelo Fitness, San Rafael 

Bay Area: Jewish Community Center of San Francisco

Runners Up

Marin: CycleBar, Novato 

Soul Cycle, Palo Alto, multiple locations

 

Best Yoga Studio

Marin: Metta Yoga, Corte Madera

Bay Area: The Pad Studios, San Francisco

Runners Up 

Bay Area: Love Story, San Francisco

 

Best Health & Wellness Coach

Marin: Susan Hauser, Corte Madera

Bay Area: Saskia Kleinert, Integrative Health and Nutrition, Emeryville

Runners Up

Marin: Thought Partners (formerly known as Marin Psychotherapy for Women), Kentfield

Bay Area: Clara Gray, Novato 

 

Home & Design

 

Best Architect

Marin: Crome Architecture, San Rafael

Bay Area: Sutton Suzuki Architects

Runners Up

Marin: Chambers & Chambers, Mill Valley 

Bay Area: Wade Design Architects

 

Best Builder

Marin: Lamperti Contracting & Design, San Rafael

Bay Area: Hadley General Contractors

Runners Up

Marin: Diego Brothers, Inc., San Rafael

Bay Area: Jeff King & Company

 

Best Painter

Marin: Ross Painting, San Rafael

Bay Area: Flying Colors

Runners Up

Marin: Bob Kunst Painting, San Rafael

Bay Area: Karoll Julian

 

Best Flooring

Marin: Architectural Design Carpets, San Rafael 

Bay Area: Carpet Connection, San Francisco 

Runners Up

Marin: City Carpets, San Rafael 

Bay Area: Chacon Flooring, San Francisco 

 

Best Interior Design

Marin: Sandra Bird Designs, Kentfield

Bay Area: HSH Interiors, San Francisco 

Runners Up

Marin: Robert Federighi Design, Novato 

Bay Area: Sunrise Home

 

Best Kitchen Design

Marin: Kress Jack at Home, Mill Valley

Bay Area: Henrybuilt, multiple locations

Runners Up

Marin: Yami Arvelo of Moones Home, Novato 

Bay Area: MAS Design, multiple locations

 

Best Landscaping Company

Marin: Yardzen, Sausalito 

Bay Area: Zeterre Landscape Architecture 

Runners Up

Marin: Integrated Design Studio, Mill Valley 

Bay Area: Kearney Gardens, San Francisco

 

Best Real Estate Company

Marin: Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty, Greenbrae 

Bay Area: Coldwell Banker

Runners Up

Marin: Engel & Vöolkers, Sausalito 

Bay Area: Compass Realty, San Francisco

 

Best Home Organization Company

Marin: Changing Places, San Rafael

Bay Area: The Balanced Abode, San Francisco

Runners Up

Marin: California Space Organizers, San Rafael 

Bay Area: Diane Woodall Organizing

 

Best Outdoor/Patio Designer

Marin: Dig-It Landscape Design, Sausalito

Bay Area: Scott Lewis Landscape Architecture, San Francisco

Runners Up

Marin: MAS Design, Tiburon 

Bay Area: Patio World, multiple locations 

 

Kids

 

Best Clothing

Marin: SeeSaw Children’s Consignment Shop, San Anselmo

Runners Up

Marin: Sprout, Mill Valley

 

Best Kids Haircut

Marin: The Shop, San Rafael 

Bay Area: Prep, Danville, Palo Alto, San Francisco & Walnut Creek

Runners Up

Marin: Panda Room, Corte Madera

Bay Area: Snippety Crickets, Berkeley 

 

Best Kids/Family Photographer

Marin: Torrey Fox Photography, Mill Valley

Bay Area: Jamie Diger

 

Best Swim School

Marin: Nancy’s Mommy and Me Swim School, San Rafael

Runners Up

Marin: Marinwood Community Center, San Rafael

 

Best Toy Store

Marin: Toy Crazy, Larkspur

Runners Up

Marin: 5 Little Monkeys, Corte Madera and Novato

 

Philanthropy

 

Best Charity

Marin: Lifehouse Agency, San Rafael

Runners Up

Marin: 10,000 Degrees, San Rafael

 

Best Fundraiser

Marin: Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bay Area 

Bay Area: Cabernet for Connoisseurs by Family House, San Francisco

Runners Up

Marin: Halleck Creek Ranch, Nicasio

Bay Area: Day In The Park, Livermore

 

Best Family Give-Back Opportunity

Marin: Adopt-a-Family, San Rafael

Runners Up

Marin: Health Hubs

 

Services

 

Best Florist

Marin: Green Door Design, Mill Valley

Bay Area: Farmgirl Flowers, Watsonville

Runners Up

Marin: The Little Flower Shop, San Anselmo

Bay Area: Hoogasian Flowers, San Francisco

 

Best Jewelry Repair

Marin: Gold Rush, Novato

Bay Area: Watson & Son, Sausalito & San Francisco

Runners Up

Marin: Julianna’s Fine Jewelry, Corte Madera

Bay Area: Appelblom Jewelry, San Mateo

 

Best Movers

Marin: Birch Circle Movers, San Rafael

Bay Area: Celtic Moving & Storage, San Francisco

Runners Up

Marin: Movers of Marin, Mill Valley

Bay Area: Cunningham Moving & Storage, San Francisco

 

Best Pet Grooming

Marin: Doggie Styles, Mill Valley, 415.381.1777

Bay Area: Wags, Novato & San Francisco

Runners Up

Marin: All Aboard Dog Grooming, Novato

Bay Area: Ziggy’s Pet Grooming, 415.485.1745

 

Best Caterer

Marin: Stacy Scott

Bay Area: Big City Catering, San Francisco

Runners Up

Marin: All Seasons Catering, Mill Valley

Bay Area: A Black Tie Affair, South San Francisco

 

Best Photographer

Marin: Amy Perl Photography, Mill Valley

Bay Area: Jan Lundberg, A-List Photos, San Francisco

Runners Up

Marin: Buoncristiani Photography, Novato 

Bay Area: September Days Photography

 

Shopping

 

Best Book Store

Marin: Book Passage, Corte Madera

Bay Area: Green Apple Books, San Francisco

Runners Up

Marin: Copperfield’s, Larkspur and San Rafael 

Bay Area: Books, Inc., San Francisco 

 

Best Women’s Clothing

Marin: Viva Diva Boutique, San Rafael

Bay Area: Margaret O’Leary, San Francisco

Runners Up

Marin: The Store, Mill Valley 

Bay Area: Betty Lin, San Francisco 

 

Best Consignment/Thrift

Marin: Swan Dive

Bay Area: Cris, San Francisco

Runners Up

Marin: Stella’s Fine Consignments, San Anselmo

Bay Area: Reloved, San Francisco

 

Best Men’s Clothing

Marin: The Perfect Provenance, Tiburon

Bay Area: Mr. Lin, San Francisco

Runners Up

Marin: Nordstrom 

Bay Area: Rag & Bone, San Francisco 

 

Best Eyewear

Marin: Wink Optics, Mill Valley and San Anselmo

Bay Area: Rims & Goggles, multiple locations

Runners Up

Marin: Marin Optometry, Mill Valley

Bay Area: 20/20 Optical

 

Best Gifts

Marin: Poet & the Bench, Mill Valley

Bay Area: Maker’s Market, multiple locations

Runners Up

Marin: Chase Ace Hardware Garden & Gift, San Rafael

Bay Area: Rare Device, San Francisco

 

Best Home Furnishing/Home Accessories

Marin: Sunrise Home, San Rafael

Bay Area: RH, multiple locations

Runners Up

Marin: Summer House, Mill Valley

Bay Area: Hudson Grace, SF

 

Best Jewelry 

Marin: Sofia Jewelry, Mill Valley

Bay Area: D&H Jewelers, San Francisco

Runners Up

Marin: California Girl Jewelry, Mill Valley

Bay Area: Gallery of Jewels, San Francisco 

 

Best Pet Store

Marin: Woodlands Pet, Mill Valley

Bay Area: Pet Food Express, San Francisco

Runners Up

Marin: Pet Club, Corte Madera petclubstores.com

Bay Area: George, San Francisco

 

Best Shopping Center/Mall

Marin: The Village at Corte Madera

Bay Area: Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto

Runners Up

Marin: Marin Country Mart

Bay Area: Fourth Street, Berkeley

 

Best Bridal Shop

Marin: Lea Couture, San Anselmo

Bay Area: Emerald City Gowns, Berkeley

Runners Up

Bay Area: Bliss Bridal & Black Tie, Petaluma

 

Best Home & Garden Store

Marin: Ground, Belvedere-Tiburon

Bay Area: Sloat Garden Center, multiple locations 

Runners Up

Marin: Green Jeans Garden Supply, Mill Valley

Bay Area: Flora Grubb Gardens, San Francisco

 

Best Cannabis Delivery

Marin: Ona Life, San Rafael

Runners Up

Marin: Nice Guys

 

Best Cannabis Dispensary

Bay Area: The Apothecarium Dispensary, San Francisco

Runners Up

Marin:  Moonflower, San Rafael