Winter 2011 - 65° Magazine

65°
This is the Monterey Peninsula

Visit us in our tasting room on dolores & 7th in downtown carmel!
Please visit www.caracciolicellars.com for more information.
D e f i n i t i v e e l e g a n c e
The Caraccioli family is committed to providing the best possible experience with each of our wines. Our Santa Lucia Highlands’ sparkling
and still wines are made for you in an old world style, by an old world Swiss-Italian family. Recently released, Caraccioli Cellars is the perfect
accompaniment for a casual evening in, a night out or a lavish celebration. Join us to sample our wines starting this fall. Saluté!

65° DEPARTMENTS
PERSONA
A Sea Change for Humanity
BY Mark Ali
The Good Life
BY deborah M. Saxton
More Than Miss Congeniality
BY monica guzman
A Gypsy State of Mind
BY kristin smith
SPECIAL
1833 Awakens
BY Phoebe Donato
65° Underground
SCENE
The White Party
Le St. Tropez –
1 Year Anniversary
Community
The Ballerina’s Smile
BY Nicole francois
stay
Tickle Pink Inn
columnS
Publisher’s Note
Faces of AT&T
Circle of Life
BY sabrina rouse
COVER
Photographer: D.M. Troutman
Post Production: D.M. Troutman / Chris Iatesta

SCENE
the
WHITE
Photography by Robert Jesse and D.M. Troutman
party

s Ken & Holly Daley, Scot t & Tami Papapietro, Jef f & Kelly Davi
Maddox t
s Bret t Wilbur & Shawn Supica
Joyce Dodd & Peter Gombrich t
s Sabrina Rouse & Todd K ing
Mar yann Sampognaro, Jenn Pomo, Kathr yn Sampognaro t
s A ndrea Becker & Rich Medel
A manda York t

is the Monterey Peninsula
PUBLISHER Richard Medel
rich@65mag.com
EDITORIAL
65°This
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
COPY EDITOR
Andrea Stuart
andrea@65mag.com
Mark Ali
Michael Cervin
Charleen Earley
Nicole Francois
Lisa Gunther
Monica Guzman
Debra M. Saxton
Kristin Smith
Carol Ziogas
WRITERS
Mark Ali
“Silvia Sweidan seems to live
life with this incredible desire
to take advantage of every
moment. Speaking with her
leaves you feeling like the
world shines a little brighter.”
~ markali82@gmail.com
CONTRIBUTORS
Lisa Gunther
“Interviewing Heather
Hartle reminded me of why
I love San Francisco. Her
entrepreneurial spirit and
creativity shine through in
everything she does.”
~ lisamgunther.com
Photographers
Hemali Acharya
“Translating intangible
perception into materialistic
image.”
~ hemaliphotography.com
PROOFREADERS
Jennie Tezak
Carol Ziogas
INTERN
Shawna O’Donnell
ART
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Christopher A. Iatesta
chris@iatesta.com
Hemali Acharya
Robert Jesse
D.M. Troutman
Michael Cervin
“The Tickle Pink Inn is where I’d
personally choose to get away
from it all.”
Monica Guzman
“I was amazed by all Kristyn
Admire has achieved at
such a young age. I found
her hunger for adventure
inspiring.”
robert jesse
“65° never fails to surprise
me. I look forward to the
next adventure.”
ADVERTISING
~ MichaelCervin.com
~ mosstories@ymail.com
~ robertjesse.com
SALES ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
Katana Natasha Alexander
katana@65mag.com
SOCIAL MEDIA
HEADQUARTERS
MAILING ADDRESS
Michelle Saar
65° Magazine
P.O. Box 6325
Carmel, CA 93921-6325
PHONE 831.917.1673
EMAIL
ONLINE
info@65mag.com
www.65mag.com
Charleen Earley
“As one who adores landmarks
and one day hopes to retire in
a Queen Anne, the Ritz-Carlton
gave me shivers just stepping
inside this beautiful, historical,
yet trendy and inviting hotel.”
~ charleenearleysmith@
gmail.com
Debra M. Saxton
“I was inspired by Todd
Harris’ ability to take life’s
experiences, be they good or
bad, and find the positives in
any situation.”
~ d-d.saxton@comcast.net
d.m. troutman
“Shooting covers and editorial
assignments for 65° provides
the kinds of photographic
challenges that I love!”
~ dmtimaging.com
57° Magazine
PHONE 831.917.1673
EMAIL
ONLINE
info@57degreesmag.com
www.57degreesmag.com
SUBMISSIONS: For article submissions email proposal to editors@65mag.com
65° Magazine is published quarterly, P.O. Box 6325, Carmel, CA 93921-6325. Subscription rate: $40,
payable in advance. Single copies $4.99. Back issues if available, $15 (includes shipping and handling).
POSTMASTER send address changes to 65° Magazine, P.O. Box 6325, Carmel, CA 93921-6325.
Entire contents © 2010 by 65° Magazine unless otherwise noted on specific articles.
All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part is strictly prohibited without Publisher permission.
Nicole Francios
“The transformation story
reminds us that people are
kind, doctors are helpful,
and smiles really do make a
difference.”
~ marketwellnow.com
Kristin Smith
“I really enjoyed interviewing
Zoe Alexander and Jim
Hollenbeck. While their works
are vastly different from one
another, they both followed
their passions and turned
them into successful business
ventures.”
~ kristinaurorasmith.com

MAGAZINE voted khaki’s “best men’s stores” in America
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
by Richard Medel
Winter chill has set in: the walls creak and moan in symphony with
crackling fireplaces, toes find warmth in their favorite slippers, and
hands snugly envelop themselves in robe pockets. It’s the ideal time to
curl up with a good read (might we suggest 65° and 57° Magazine?) and
immerse yourself into stories that will warm your heart. We’re starting
2011 with stories that will do just that.
Our cover features The Money Band’s front man Zoe Alexander, a selfprofessed
gypsy who traveled the world in search of the meaning of life
just to end up in his native stomping grounds where life finally came full
circle.
Silvia Sweidan graces our pages with her bright smile and optimistic
outlook on the future. Creating a sea change for herself and for humanity,
this movie producer, author, entrepreneur, and humanitarian is utilizing
every avenue available to take the sting out of life.
Read about the good life of Todd Harris—a dedicated Monterey Peninsula citizen who has harnessed what it means to live the good
life and to do so in the face of adversity—and Miss Monterey Bay herself, Kristyn Admire, who proves that chasing crowns is about
more than being Miss Congeniality.
suits • sweaters • sport coats • leathers
jackets • shirts • trousers & more
We also had the opportunity to write about my long-time friend Jim Hollenbeck, whose prodigious mind and affinity for “green”
bolstered a successful career despite turning down a college education. Also, former 7X7 Magazine Editor Heather Hartle tells us why
the city is her real home. And, we have the pleasure of featuring Austrian native and award-winning art director Richard Koscher, a
creative mind with an itchy foot who tells us how he has defeated homesickness by making his home in the city of San Francisco. It is
he I have to thank (or curse) for getting into the magazine industry…
New Location:
Beckoned indoors by the cooler weather, we figured this is a good time for featuring some amazing properties in our Stay sections.
From the amazing 6 Oak Meadow estate offered by Alain Pinel Realtors Owner/Broker Judie Profeta, to Carmel’s Tickle Pink Inn and
San Francisco’s acclaimed Ritz Carlton hotel, one peek at these immaculate locales and you just may find yourself creating an excuse
to make a home away from home in one of them.
And of course, thank you to D.M. Troutman for the Faces of AT&T spread in this issue.
We lean into the New Year with appreciation for where we started, and excitement for where we’re headed. We hope you’ll stay along
for the ride.
corner of ocean and junipero - carmel-by-the-sea
(831) 625-8106 • khakis@pacbell.net • www.khakisofcarmel.com • (800) 664-8106

Silvia V. Sweidan
PERSONA

A Sea Change for Humanity
by Mark Ali / Photography by Robert Jesse
One could say that Silvia Sweidan’s entire existence is a bridge between seas.
Having called a plethora of seaside locales home—near the Black Sea in Ukraine,
sequestered in the elbow of the Mediterranean and Red Seas in Jordan, nestled
on the Pacific Ocean in San Francisco, beside the Niger Delta in Nigeria, in
Lebanon, and finally Carmel-by-the-Sea—Sweidan has traveled the waters of the
world and carries their songs in the hem of her life.
She credits her childhood years in the Ukraine and Jordan for her love of fashion,
and her mother’s enduring character for her commitment to helping disadvantaged
women. Sweidan was born in Amman, Jordan, but lived the first six years of
her life in the Ukrainian village known as Debranka, where her mother, Valentina
Sweidan, was born. Sweidan’s father, Jalal Sweidan, was finishing medical school
in the Ukraine during Sweidan’s early years and the family stayed close by.
Sweidan lived in Jordan until she was 14 years old, after which, she, her mother
and brother, Majd Sweidan, moved to San Francisco to stay with extended
family. Sweidan attended high school and was eventually awarded an academic
scholarship to UC Davis, where she studied human development.
In 2005, she received her Master’s degree in Cultural Anthropology and Social
Transformation from the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco.
During her graduate studies, Sweidan traveled to Palestinian villages to do
research on women’s rights.
Sweidan also began working for various non-profit organizations during graduate
school, such as the Asian Women’s Shelter and the Arab Culture and Community
Center. In 2006, she went to Victoria Island in Lagos, Nigeria, where she began
working as the general manager for Lifesign Healthcare, the largest healthcare
corporation in West Africa, and where her life endured a transformation.
“I couldn’t live with myself after what I saw in Africa...” Sweidan says. “...dead
bodies, extreme disease, poverty and a complete lack of human value. When I
came home, all I wanted was to understand the purpose for why God had allowed
me to witness these things.”
Sweidan is now working on a fiction novel titled A Blade of Grass. Based on her
life, she describes it as a story that proves that even in the worst times, with faith,
there is hope. “Through all of these journeys, my commitment remains bringing
ethics back to people,” she says. “My life is the inspiration. There is a responsibility
to share with the world.”
“My mother is an amazing woman who worked two jobs to raise me and my
brother and give us the best possible life,” Sweidan says. When she was nine,
Sweidan’s mother left her father. Although he was the best OB/GYN in Jordan, he
was also an alcoholic. “I saw how strong my mother had to be in order to endure
my father. She is my hero.”
The family moved back to Jordan when Sweidan was six years old, but she
remembers the Ukraine as the birth of her fashion interest. “The village I grew up
in was under the communist system at the time,” she says. “If I wanted a pair of
shoes, I had to get the same pair everyone else had. There was only one style.”
She is also working on a film titled America with writer/director Isa Totah and
producer Mark Johnson, who has produced films such as The Notebook, The
Chronicles of Narnia and My Sister’s Keeper, among others. America is described
as a romantic-comedy about Arab Americans coming of age.
Sweidan is involved in the entire film process including helping to secure
funding, which intersects with her business and charity work. While her charity,
Woman4Woman, focuses resources and education toward women in the Middle
East and Africa who are developing fashion businesses, her store, SVS Fashion
Boutique, donates five percent of every purchase to Woman4Woman.
It’s all a continuous cycle of sustainability. It’s Sweidan’s way of taking a Red Sea
experience and transforming it into a bridge over troubled waters.

SCENE
A mbrose Pollock, Mar y Huber t, Michelle Pollock, Jean Huber t
A ndrew Schleimer, David Bernahl, Peter Blackstock
Come Hungry and Come Often
In the South of France, when the cold Mistral blows, one holds on to their hat and then heads for the warmth of a cozy fire, food, and
connection with friends and neighbors. Le St. Tropez French Restaurant in Carmel-by-the-Sea offers these warming ingredients and
more, adding that extra pinch of hospitality to the soup! Come share and enjoy the “Cuisine of the Sun.”
Modern & Classic French Savories featuring
Tableside Carving & Flambé • House Made Desserts
Specialty Coffee & Tea • Full Premium Bar
East Side of Dolores (Between Ocean & 7th) • 831.624.8977 • www.lesttropez.com • bonjour@lesstropez.com
Follow us on Facebook & Twitter
Jef f Burghardt, A l Gurries, Nicole Burghardt, Mar y Huber t
Le St. Tropez 1 Year Anniversary
A ndraes Mikulas, Soufiane Senlali, Michelle Bobbet t

Opening Early Summer 2011
T R AT TO R I A • BA R • P I ZZ E R I A
Carmel-by-the-Sea
www.vesuviocarmel.com
Another food & wine venture of the Pèpe family.
Judith profeta presents
6 Oak Meadow Lane
by Andrea Stuart with Shawna O’Donnell

Set gracefully atop the hills of Carmel Valley in
the gated community of Oak Meadow, 6 Oak
Meadow Lane presents panoramic views as
far as the eye can see. From the moment you
walk through the door of this single level, threebedroom,
three-and-a-half bath home it’s clear
that beauty emanates from every angle.
Presented by Judith Profeta, Owner and Broker
of the acclaimed Alain Pinel Realtors office in
Carmel, this home has enchanted the hills of
Carmel Valley since the day it was built. Fusing
it’s interior to the outdoors, 6 Oak Meadow Lane
offers 180 degrees of expansive windows and
strategically placed indoor lighting—arranged
so that every nuance of the home is highlighted
with subtlety and grace—which serve as the focal
point for this home.
Lending itself to the home as the vanguard of
exquisite detail and originality is a generously
proportioned, hand-carved front door that
serves as the first point of awe as you approach
the property.
Upon entry, the dinner-party friendly dining
room, which comfortably seats 12 people,
offers breathtaking views of the valley. Adjacent
to the dining area sits the loft-like living room.
Although the property is located in Carmel Valley,
this space offers big city charm with its gentle
contemporary design. Vaulted ceilings and
open floor space emanate New York penthouse
allure. Complemented by a home theater and
entertainment system (with motorized plasma
and front projection HD video), and a sound
system that is wired throughout the house, this
home sways with modern convenience. Playful
attention to such ambiance-enhancing features
serves as a catalyst for a relaxing night or busy
day of entertaining.
Speaking to the home’s diverse personality, 6
Oak Meadow was built for sharing yet serves as
a homeowner’s dream house. A den (or reading
room as the current owners refer to it) is located
directly across from the living room. Featuring
built-in bookcases, the reading room serves as
a page-turning oasis for the voracious reader, be
they guest or host.
Stepping through the threshold of the master
bedroom is where one truly begins to feel a sense
of home. The south-west facing master suite
serves as a private theater for viewing picturesque
sunsets of amber and lilac, and features a
fireplace to warm even the coldest valley nights.
Adding to the master bedroom’s opulence is a
wall of windows that frames the sitting area and
adjacent built-in shelving systems. As with any
worthy master suite, it’s further complemented by
a jaw-dropping master bath. Owners of the home
can shower while taking in views that overlook
Talbot vineyards and the valley—shower windows
are conveniently frosted up to shoulder level for

ADVERTORIAL
privacy. The master bath also offers private his
and her sections, which include a glass-enclosed
closet system, dressing tables, and two showers,
one of which doubles as a steam shower. Once
under the spell of the master suite, it’s difficult
to peel one’s self away to enjoy the home’s
numerous other amenities.
One could say that 6 Oak Meadow’s ambiance
is defined by lighting. Ample natural light and
strategically placed interior lighting give way to
the unique features of the house. When Mother
Nature has dimmed her lamp, Lutron lighting
controls offer power to light any room in the house
with a touch of a button. Yet, when Mother Nature
shines a little extra light your way, individually
controlled electronic blinds on all south-facing
windows allow you to cozy up the abode.
When it comes time for that midnight snack, the
kitchen awaits your arrival. Featured in stainless
steel, the kitchen is a modern composite of granite
countertops, a large dining area, a spacious butler
pantry with preparation sink, a Sub-Zero fridge
and top-of-the-line appliances.
Wine lovers can enjoy libations with abandon
knowing that their wines are safely tucked away
in one of two wine storage units that the kitchen
provides. Meanwhile, two walls of windows allow
cascading light to illuminate the kitchen during
breakfast and lunch.
The property’s landscape was the impetus for its
design, which is why most rooms in the house lead
to expansive patios with access to the main level’s
pool and spa. A lower stone patio, guarded by a
magnificent oak tree, offers a remote controlled
gas fire pit and phenomenal views of the property’s
beautifully landscaped surroundings; punctuated
with sculptures and water features. Purposefully
placed lighting enhances this backdrop during
dusk and evening hours.
The conclusion to this home is the detached onebedroom,
one-bath cottage. Complete with its
own living room with fireplace, and private patio,
it shares this three-acre parcel not only with the
main house, but with 40 olive trees and over 120
citrus trees, ideal for making limoncello or other
delectable treats.
This one-of-a-kind home is truly a Carmel Valley
treasure; and is standing proof that Heaven really
does exist.
For more information, call
Judith Profeta, Owner/Broker,
Alain Pinel Realtors at
831-601-3207 or visit
www.6oakmeadowlane.com
for a virtual tour.

PERSONA
Todd Harris

®
The Good Life
by Debra M. Saxton / Photography by D.M. Troutman
To those who meet him, Todd Harris is a self-assured man with a Carmel-based
dog grooming business. He treats people with respect and expects the same. He
prefers not to judge or to be judged. He loves rousing debates and prides himself
on being headstrong and opinionated. He plays “Devil’s advocate,” giving people
more to think about than their own limited viewpoint. But upon marveling at his
confidence, one wonders what shaped Todd into the man he has become.
In Santa Cruz, Todd spent much of his time on his own, becoming self-sufficient at
a young age. They lived in apartments and moved frequently. Every summer Todd
visited his grandparents at their 10-bedroom lakeside cottage. A favorite memory
of those visits is lying on the docks, listening to the water lap against the pier. “It is
self-soothing,” he says of that memory, which comes to mind almost daily.
Even though he came from wealth, Todd had an innate drive to work. Work
defines him to the point that he is uncomfortable relaxing. His first job at 12 was
dishwashing. Within days he worked his way up to cook. At 14 he ran the kitchen.
From 16-18 he ran the restaurant. With his earnings he helped his mother and
supported himself after he moved out of his mother’s house at 16.
Iatesta Design is a full-service graphic
design studio dedicated to harnessing
the power of good ideas. We collaborate with
clients who have important stories to tell - promoting luxury
markets, events, hospitality, the arts, and much more. We deliver
communications that command attention and get results because
we engage the audience in a meaningful, thought-provoking way
by implementing effective designs that require strategic planning
Todd’s path to the grooming business came after he took his first pet, a golden
retriever, to trainer Kitty Fields. He began training dogs with Kitty’s daughter,
Tammy. Tammy was given an opportunity to run a boarding facility, so Todd
helped. At 18, Tammy had a brain hemorrhage. During her year-long illness, Todd
took over management of the facility, and became her caregiver. He was 17 at the
time. Eventually they fell in love, married, and bought the facility.
Deciding to marry Tammy weighed heavily on Todd because from age six he
knew he was gay and already had “gay” experiences. Marriage to Tammy was the
path he felt he needed to take because of family and peer pressure. Tammy didn’t
know Todd was gay until he “came out” at 23. They divorced in 1994. During their
separation Todd opened Suds ‘n Scissors, his grooming business.
and powerful creativity. We help our clients understand who they
are, discover what their strengths are, and express how they can
make a difference. Our strength lies in our ability to identify the
special qualities of each client and how to bring them to life in the
communications we create. Our goal is simple - we enjoy doing
great work for great clients.
Corporate Identity • Marketing Collateral • Advertising • Publications • Event Marketing
Pebble Beach Company | Corporate Collateral
Coastal Luxury Management / CHOMP
Publications
Born to a wealthy family in Sunapee, New Hampshire, Todd is an only child whose
mother was 15 and father was a year older when he came into this world. They
were forced to marry but divorced when Todd was two. It is his grandmother
whom Todd credits with raising him until age 10 when he and his mother moved
to Santa Cruz, following his mother’s boyfriend, Peter Knight, to California.
Peter was a stabilizing force for Todd. He taught Todd how to figure things out
for himself—nurturing what Todd calls his “fierce independence.” Fascinated with
how things worked, Todd took things apart and put them back together. Peter
supported Todd’s curiosity by buying things to dismantle and rebuild. Todd says
he gained self-confidence because of Peter’s efforts. “He taught me that whatever
I wanted to do was possible,” Todd says.
The marriage blessed Todd with a natural son, Shane, who is 24 and attending
grad school. Shane is proud of his openly gay father and served as best man
when Todd married Matthew Witten. Todd and Matthew are one of the few gay
couples whose marriage is legally recognized in California.
Todd is currently raising a second family with Matthew. They fostered a brother
and sister with the intent to adopt. There were court challenges to overcome.
After the trial, the adoption was completed in six weeks, an unheard of feat. They
recently became parents to Zachary, who is seven, and Savannah, who is four.
What’s next? Getting his children through college, providing them with stability
and teaching them to be independent—a thing he says Shane is brilliant at.
Todd has made significant choices throughout his life. Looking back, he always
focuses on the positive and learns from experiences without judging. He has no
regrets save one: he would have liked to have gone into medicine.
iatesta design
MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
Carmel Office: 831.869.6327
P.O. Box 2053, Carmel, CA 93921
www.iatesta.com
chris@iatesta.com
Cannery Row Brewing Company
Advertising
Artscape
Poster
SAVOR THIS
June 2010 • Volume 2 • Issue 6 • A monthly publication of The American Institute of Wine & Food ®
AIWF NAPA
REGISTRATION
HEIDI PETERSON-BARRETT
AIWF’s Newest Ambassador
AIWF AT
THE WHITE HOUSE
Representing Days of Taste ®
CHAPTER SPOTLIGHTS
Vermont and Atlanta
TRAVEL & ADVENTURE
Australia
American Institute of Wine & Food
Monthly Magazine

Mike Russell and Carmel Business Sales are your go-to experts for restaurant sales and purchases.
As the oldest and most successful restaurant broker on the Monterey Peninsula for the past 29 years, it was our pleasure to assist Tony Loeffler in realizing
his dream of owning and operating his own restaurant, Bahama Island Steak House (formerly Bahama Billy’s), on the Monterey Peninsula. We wish
him much success on his exciting venture. Carmel Business Sales is California’s quintessential business broker and consulting group. We not only sell
businesses, we revive them! A comprehensive business resource center providing business owners and principals with practical, cost-effective solutions
for lease negotiations, enhanced business models, financial analysis and forecasting, improving sales and profitability, and developing marketing plans.
San Carlos and 7th, 2nd Floor • P.O. Box 4335 • Carmel, CA 93921 • 831.625.5581
info@carmelbizsales.com • www.carmelbusinesssales.com • DRE#01517300
1833 Awakens
by Phoebe Donato / Photography by Robert Jesse

SPECIAL
I
t’s indeed a happy new year for the team at
Coastal Luxury Management (CLM), poised to
unveil their second restaurant venture: Restaurant
1833 at Monterey’s Stokes Adobe. The project, a
long time in the making, raises a tongue-in-cheek
question for many local foodies: 1833 or 2033?!
Owners David Bernahl and Robert Weakley
subscribe to the premise that “A restaurant is
ready when it’s ready,” and rather than rush to
completion, have taken pains to ensure they have
the best possible talent in place to deliver the
most dynamic dining experience.
Despite the departure of CLM’s restaurant guru
and close friend, Gary Obligacion, the team moves
forward as an unstoppable force in the local food
and wine scene. In a serendipitous series of
events, Bernahl and Weakley have gathered an
ensemble of savoir-faire never before seen on
the Monterey Peninsula. Tobias “Toby” Peach will
assume the role of General Manager at 1833. A
San Francisco native, Peach brings an impressive
resume, having worked under the tutelage of such
industry giants as Wolfgang Puck, Hubert Keller,
and Top Chef’s Tom Colicchio. His Las Vegas
restaurant, Craftsteak, garnered a semifinal nod for
James Beard’s “Best New Restaurant in America”
award. Peach is thrilled to have the opportunity
to work closer to his family, who currently resides
in Prunedale and Sonoma. “Everything happens
for a reason,” Peach says, as he explains his new
relationship with CLM. “We share a goal of being the
best we can be in what we do.” Peach will introduce
an exciting mixology program that promises to up
the ante for local cocktails.
1833 introduces a new culinary force with Chef Jon
Mathieson, whose career highlights include stints
with Le Bernardin’s Eric Ripert and as Chef de
Cuisine at New York’s “Lespinasse,” a AAA Five-
Diamond recipient. CLM encountered Mathieson
during a recent business meeting alongside Dick
Clark Production partners at acclaimed DC-area
restaurant Inox. As impressed with the food as they
were with illustrious new investors, Bernahl and
Weakley struck up a fortuitous conversation with
Mathieson and they quickly deduced the mutual
benefits of a partnership. Mathieson describes his
cuisine as “Progressive American using classic
French techniques” and will draw primarily on
the bounty of local, seasonal ingredients with
Mediterranean influences. The much-anticipated
Restaurant 1833 will open its doors mid-January.

PERSONA
Kristyn Admire

Aside from her academics, Admire was also very athletic. In high school she
played softball, basketball, volleyball and was a sprinter and pole-vaulter for track
and field. Now Admire concentrates on long distance running for charities.
After graduating from high school in Illinois, Admire attended college in her birth
state of Texas. While at the University of North Texas, she spent her junior year
abroad in Egypt to fulfill her interest in foreign language and cultures.
At times she felt her stay was difficult due to stereotypes about Westerners, but
her blue eyes still widened and a grin covered her face when asked about the
experience. Some of her favorite memories include bolting through the desert
to see the pyramids at sunset and time spent with her students as a volunteer
English teacher. This exposure also brought to life the concepts she studied and
created her desire to eliminate cultural stereotypes.
More Than Miss Congeniality
by Monica Guzman / Photography by D.M. Troutman
Kristyn Admire remembers her first visit to Disney World. She was five and carried
an autograph book filled with princesses’ signatures. Her cousins had raved about
the roller coaster Space Mountain and Admire was not about to be left behind.
The little girl enthusiastically boarded the ride and although her eyes remained
half closed throughout the ride, she enjoyed the thrill. Kristen, now 23, still takes
chances, and as Miss Monterey Bay, one can say she is still chasing crowns.
Currently Kristen is a second year graduate student at the Monterey Institute of
International Studies, mastering in Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies with a
language certificate in Arabic.
Academics were always a priority for Admire. She took advanced classes and
worked hard to get As. She was very hard on herself when she didn’t make the
grade, but despite the high expectations her parents had of her, they were proud.
Another motivation for her academic work was to be like her aunt Kay. “She was
able to provide well for herself and her family and I think that’s where I saw the
difference a higher education would have on your life,” Admire says.
Admire’s passion for language and culture began in kindergarten. Two of her best
friends were Japanese and Mexican. She remembers hearing her friends speak
with their families in their native languages and watching them prepare their native
foods. “From then, I knew the world was much bigger and I wanted to explore and
travel and see all there was to see,” Admire says.
When not immersed in schoolwork, Admire enjoys skydiving, scuba diving and
music. One of her all-time favorite bands is Green Day who, at their concerts,
choose audience members to perform songs with them. Admire described how
at the end, the lead singer gives away his guitar and she always thinks to herself,
“one day, that’s got to be me.”
Although Admire sang in her church choir and played the French horn in school,
she would love to be more musical. Both of Admire’s parents are musicians; her
father plays the guitar and her mother the piano. She hopes in the near future to
finally learn to play the guitar she purchased a few years ago.
Among her academics, athletics and other activities Admire still made time to
compete in three pageants between the ages of 13 and 18. At 18 she competed
for Miss Illinois but felt she lacked the maturity many of her competitors possessed.
With all her accomplishments and personal growth since her last pageant, Admire
feels better qualified for such a title and competed in Miss California 2011 as Miss
Monterey Bay.
She has enjoyed every moment of her participation and appreciates all the
networks created and support received. Regardless of the Miss California results,
Admire looks forward to her future traveling and furthering her career.

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SPECIAL
65° Under ground
Curt Grasing, Owner-Operator of Grasing’s Restaurant, and Project Director Michael Cayen, are
seen here strategizing as the interior renovations evolved for Grasing’s new Bar/Lounge area on the
corner of Mission and 6th in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Local commercial and residential renovations have
been keeping Cayen hopping as he manages his time overseeing recent projects such as Pastries and Petals Bakery/Café on Mission, which opened in June of
2010, and Grasing’s recently renovated Bar/Lounge space—which opened in November. The next notch in Cayen’s tool belt is the full renovation of Richard and
Sandra Pepe’s new Vesuvio Restaurant, formerly Piatti on Junipero and 6th, which is scheduled to open in Spring of 2011.
the lounge at Grasing’s
Leave the world behind at The Lounge at Grasing’s, where old-world charm beckons total relaxation.
Revel in a vast selection of libations from local wines and craft beer, to a cornucopia of specialty liquors.
The Lounge at Grasing’s echoes casual fun with a twist of cheer. Bottoms up!
6th & Mission • Carmel-by-the-Sea • 831.624.6562 • www.grasings.com

kitch en (n.)
1: a place to cook.
Hay ward kitch en (adj.) (n.)
1: a unique place to create
and nurture. 2: where families
live and friends gather. 3: where
stories are shared and memories
created.
Wyland
Carmel
“19th Hole” by Godard
The Hayward Design Team
will create the kitchen
that defines you.
Come visit our
Design Center in
Pacific Grove.
“Island Golf” by Godard
“Moonlight Golf” by Godard
Featuring: Wyland, Walfrido, Michael Godard, Richard Daniel, Val Warner, Tracy Taylor, Deborah Valiquet-Myers, Jim Warren, David Wight, Linde’, and Partrick Guyton
Ocean Avenue between Mission and San Carlos • Carmel, CA • 1-888 WYLAND-1 • www.wylandgallerycarmel.com
2004 Sunset Drive
Pacific Grove, CA 93950
831-646-1510
www.haywardlumber.com

PERSONA
Zoe Alexander

to the sleek runways of Milan and Paris. With his good looks, natural charm and
a carefree spirit, Zoe gained success in the modeling world. While just a little
time ago he was picking coconuts from trees in Trinidad, now he was sitting at a
runway show, sandwiched between Donatella Versace and Tupac Shakur. “It was
one of those surreal moments where I wondered: how did I get here?” Zoe says.
STAY
Photograph by Robert Jesse
A Gypsy State of Mind by Kristin Smith
Zoe Alexander’s childhood home was filled with the blues. His stepfather, Rod
Piazza, has graced the cover of countless blues magazines, and his mother,
Debra “Honey” Piazza, is a pianist with more accolades than there are keys on the
piano. A young Zoe heard blues greats like Johnny Dyer and George “Harmonica”
Smith playing in the living room. And when you grow up in a home that eats,
breathes and lives the blues, it’s hard to imagine pursuing anything else.
But Zoe’s parents didn’t want him to follow the same musical path. Though they
taught him to play harmonica and sing at a young age, they hoped he would seek
out paths other than the arduous one of a professional musician. And for a little
while he did.
At 18, Zoe left home to pursue a life of travel and adventure, and in his words,
“to seek out the meaning of life.” Like many young wanderers, he fell in love with
India, and still travels there for spiritual ventures. But it was in Trinidad, where he
lived for six months—working on a ranch, foraging food from the land and learning
to play African music from his surrogate Rastafarian family—that Zoe felt most
connected. He would have stayed there forever if the Trinidadian government had
let him, but as Zoe says, “fate had other plans for me.”
He returned to the States, and while surfing in La Jolla, was discovered by a
modeling scout. Almost immediately, he was swept up from the dusty gypsy trails
While he enjoyed the glamorous life of an international model in Europe, there was
still something missing. When you grow up with a mother who bangs away at the
keys with unbridled fervor, playing with her fingers and toes, you learn early on
that music is passion, and a passionate life was what Zoe was seeking.
Zoe joined forces with other musicians, living and playing in Miami Beach,
Phoenix, L.A., and eventually back to the heartland of music, Memphis. It was
in Memphis that this nomadic pretty boy with a soulful voice paid homage to the
heart of rock ‘n’ roll. Zoe and the Alexander band became the house band for
Elvis’ nightclub, and performed at the 25th Anniversary Celebration. “That’s where
I got my chops,” says Zoe, of his time in Memphis.
But just as the star-filled modeling world wasn’t his home, neither was Memphis.
After traveling for years, Zoe had still not found his home. All of that changed when
he visited the Monterey Peninsula while on tour. With the healthy lifestyle and a
vibrant music and arts scene, Zoe found his home in Carmel Valley, not far from
the place he was born in Point Reyes.
It wasn’t long before he started his own group, The Money Band, who have
become one of the most popular local bands, headlining festivals, weddings and
local parties, and playing as many as 150 shows per year.
Only three weeks after he arrived on the Peninsula, Zoe met Katana. They were
both at a jazz show and the singer of the band leaned into the crowd and said to
Katana, “there’s somebody you have to meet.” And then he told Zoe the same
thing. Zoe and Katana were inseparable that evening—and ever since. Music
brought them together, and today it is the glue that keeps them close. Katana
does the PR for the Money Band and Zoe instills a passion for music in Katana’s
three children. “He set up a studio for them so they can pursue their own musical
passions,” says Katana.
In many ways, Zoe’s life has come full circle. “This is where everything came
together—my music, finding my family and business,” says Zoe, of the Peninsula.
Like the protagonist in The Alchemist, he traveled the world looking for home, only
to find it in what he had always known—playing music with his family in California.
Tickle Pink
Inn
A Room with a View
by Michael Cervin

perhaps a risqué place, but it really works and it’s a name
you don’t forget,” he says.
The selling points of being here are summed up in two
words; view and retreat. You cannot talk about the Inn
without mentioning what is arguably its best feature—the
views are insane: uninterrupted ocean, rugged cliffs with
trees clinging to the steep hillsides in defiance of gravity,
and aggregate rocks dotting the surf. Each of the 33
rooms has views, some with balconies 25 feet long and
glass windows and slider doors to match. Yet the Inn,
basically five levels cut into the side of the hill, still has a
retro feel, what with the painted cinder block walkways
and strategically placed round windows. True, Carmel has
more lodgings though they either have no view, or provide
merely corridor views to the coast. “We are not a traveling
inn, nor a business inn, we are a destination,” Gurries
says. “It doesn’t satisfy everyone, but those that get it love
that getaway aspect.” It’s prudent to mention that there
are no elevators; therefore, some stair climbing might be
in order unless you stay on the top level, accessed by the
parking lot.
Edward Tickle loved his wife, Bess. It turns out
that Bess Tickle loved her husband, but she also
loved pink flowers. The California State senator,
who served the state in the 1930s and 1940s,
and his wife built a home for themselves south
of Carmel; a stone cottage with the moniker of
Tickle Pink. In the 1950s the senator’s home was
razed and commercial lodging was built on site.
“My grandfather owned paper on the Highlands
Inn next door (now a Hyatt property) and
originally built the Tickle Pink Inn as an addition to
the neighboring Highlands Inn,” says Tickle Pink
Inn president Al Gurries. But that deal fell through
and the place was reinvented as the Tickle Pink
Inn, the only two-family-owned lodging south of
Carmel and north of Big Sur.
First off, let’s dispense with the obvious pink
and tickle references, it’s all been done before.
Wisely, the Inn begged off its former kitschy pink
theme and, yes, at one point it was a nauseating
saturation of pink everywhere from sheets,
to towels to even the pens. “When in doubt,
pink,” says Gurries, who assumed control from
his uncle in 1989. “The name does conjure up
Every guest receives a bottle of sparkling wine, a small
box of chocolates, two champagne glasses and a rose
to tie it all together upon arriving. There are wood burning
fireplaces and deep whirlpool tubs in the higher end rooms,
in-room coffee, which succeeds in that there is a canister
of coffee you can measure out, not a pre-packaged plastic
pouch of predetermined coffee which may, or may not, suit
your needs. They offer in-room massages from Montereybased
massage practitioners as well.
The evening wine and cheese reception in the Terrace
Lounge from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. features three main
cheeses: Port Salut, goat cheese, and cambozola, along
with cubed cheddar, pepper Jack, and Swiss. The wines
are predominately local, Chateau Julien being a favorite

here. Red, white, and rosé wines accompany non-alcoholic
sparkling cider, as well as coffee and tea. Couples meander
in, select their beverages and snacks, then huddle together
on the glassed-in deck, urgently awaiting the sunset over
Yankee Point. There is intimate conversation as the amber
hues of the setting sun paint their wine glasses with the
fading rays of sunshine. The lounge with its rustic wood
chairs and tables pulls in the suggestion of the surrounding
trees and with heaters mounted along the deck you can
stay a while on cool evenings.
ADVERTORIAL
From there, dinner can be had by driving to Carmel,
about four miles upcoast, since the Inn does not have a
restaurant. However, they do offer full room service from
the neighboring Highlands Inn, some 100 feet away. After
dinner you may choose to utilize your spa tub, should
your room have one, if not, there is the outdoor hot tub.
Basking in the water with the stars splayed out above,
you look straight onto two cypress tress, the ocean as
a backdrop, the distant sounds of the crashing surf—a
delicate punctuation to quiet conversation.
In the mornings, breakfast is at your disposal from 7:30
to 10 a.m., which can be delivered to your room. Or you
can head back to the lounge and choose from yogurt and
granola, egg dishes, ham, blueberry scones, assorted
juices and coffee and tea, and enjoy the repast from the
decks. The benefit to being up early is that you can sit and
watch the morning sun slowly creep over the white caps,
illuminating the rocks and hillsides as the landscape comes
alive. Though you can take a stroll along Highway 1, it’s
really not advisable, as the traffic on the narrow and windy
road can be lightning fast. Instead, you can get a brisk
walk and additional views if you head further up Highlands
Drive. It’s not a steep incline but will raise your heart rate
and get you past some charming and architecturally
diverse homes, past trees with Spanish moss hanging
from them, almost like mini curtains to the sea.
But the beauty of the Tickle Pink Inn is that should
you choose a romantic weekend, you never have
to leave your room, what with the views and
everything brought to you. It can be your retreat
away from the hectic pace. “We try and achieve
the perfect property for a romantic rendezvous,”
says Gurries. And this is the success of the
Tickle Pink. It’s not geared for high-strung worka-hololics
who need a disturbingly cluttered
schedule. It is made for those who have anchored
down, or those that want to. It is the ideal spot to
isolate yourself, rejuvenate and gain perspective.
It is not about being seen, but unseen, unavailable
and unconcerned. And after staying here you will
feel refreshed, emboldened and, yes, you’ll be
tickled…well, you know.
Tickle Pink Inn
155 Highlands Drive
Carmel, California
(866)598-4577
www.ticklepinkinn.com

Located on Mission • 2 NE of Fifth • Carmel-by-the-Sea • 831.620.1400 • www.pastriesandpetalscarmel.com

Christ pher’s
R e s t a u r a n t
On Lincoln, between 5th & 6th • Carmel, CA 93921 • 831.626.8000 • www.christopherscarmel.com
Faces of AT&T
Photography by
D.M. Troutman

C ircle of Life
Sabrina
Rouse
FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY
sabrinarouse.com
Valley Hills Center • 7166 Carmel Valley Road • Carmel, CA 93923 • 831-625-2252 • www.bajacantina.com/carmel
Image Title: the family

Image Title: Aggy 3
Image Title: Marti G

Image Title: Suneye Image Title: Iona 1

COMMUNITY
The Ballerina’s Smile by Nicole Francois / Photography by Robert Jesse
Children can be brutal in ways adults are not. That is where this story begins;
in a children’s ballet class, nearly three years ago, when a five-year-old girl
said something appalling about her teacher’s smile. That teacher is Heidi
Humphreys, a local ballet instructor who trained in Europe, has a Master’s
degree in Dance, and enough patience and grace to teach ballet to children
ages two through eighteen.
When Dance Kids of Monterey Co-Founder Carol Richmond overheard a little
girl’s comment to Miss Heidi, she knew something must be done. Richmond
contacted Dance Kids board member, mother, and resident smile doctor,
Jeanette Kern, D.D.S. Kern explains that Richmond pulled her aside during a
dance class her daughters were attending. “She told me a little girl said Miss
Heidi had one of the ugliest smiles she had ever seen. My heart sank,” Kern says.
The two women decided to take action. Kern approached Heidi, knowing
that extensive dental treatment would not be possible to fund on a dance
teacher’s salary and limited health benefits. Because of the special
circumstances, Kern offered treatment pro-bono. “I couldn’t believe it,” Heidi
exclaims. “When I was younger we made a choice between sending me to
Europe to learn dance, or braces. Of course we went with Europe. Over the
years I had stopped smiling.”
Originally Kern hoped to simply whiten Heidi’s smile and perhaps place
veneers. However, after a thorough examination, Kern realized there were some
structural issues. So, she contacted Dr. Cassady, a board-certified orthodontist.
Chad Cassady, D.D.S., M.S. examined Heidi. He also recognized Heidi’s case
would be complex because his shared patient still had some primary teeth,
was missing her incisors and needed her wisdom teeth extracted. He called in
Periodontist, Ehsan Rezvan, D.D.S., M.S., a specialist in gum health and dental
implant placement.
“We took out Heidi’s wisdom teeth and the remaining primary teeth, and noted
Heidi would need two dental implants because she never grew lateral incisors.”
Rezvan says. With extensive treatment and doctors volunteering, it was essential
Heidi be a good patient. Dr. Rezvan likens Heidi’s cooperation to her professional
role. “With doctor and patient it takes two to tango,” Rezvan says. “She did
everything we asked of her, practicing excellent dental care at home.”
The doctors changed Heidi’s smile with their three-pronged approach. “When
Heidi came to us she was self-conscious about her smile,” Cassady remembers.
“She had wanted to change it but didn’t know how. As doctors we understood we
weren’t just addressing aesthetics; we were addressing function.”
Over the course of two years, Heidi’s teeth were aligned, dental implants were
placed and crowns were added. For the finishing touch, Heidi had a deep
cleaning and an in-office whitening treatment. “Now I can really present myself
without thinking about my teeth,” Heidi says. “I just smile at people automatically
and engage in conversation.”

180 Franklin Street • Monterey, CA, 93940 • 831.643.1100
This is the city

Rombauer Vineyards
800.622.2206 l 3522 SILVERADO TRAIL, ST. HELENA, CALIFORNIA l WWW.ROMBAUER.COM

57° DEPARTMENTS
PERSONA
Free Falling
BY andrea stuart
Money Talks
BY kristin smith
The Long Way Home
BY Lisa gunther
COMMUNITY
Frameline: Strength in Diversity
BY andrea stuart
STAY
Ritz-Carlton San Francisco
BY Charleen earley
COVER
Photographer: Hemali Acharya
www.poggenpohl.com
This is the city
Visit the newly renovated 2,500 sq. ft. Poggenpohl Kitchen Design Studio to see the latest in sustainable and award-winning kitchen design in the heart of SOMA. Poggenpohl Kitchen Design Studio, 650 Townsend Street, Suite 90, San Francisco, CA,
Tel. 415-865-0443, www.sanfrancisco.poggenpohl.com, info@sanfrancisco.poggenpohl.com

PERSONA
Richard Koscher

Free Falling
by Andrea Stuart
STAY
Nestled in the southern crux of the Austrian Alps lies a suburb of Klagenfurt known
as Viktring. This is where creative mind Richard Koscher was born: to a world
where winter snow blanketed the ground and salted the trees. Where frozen lakes
transformed into icy playgrounds, and Christmas was celebrated with firecrackers
as well as visits from St. Nicholas and Krampus.
Koscher grew up knowing no less than his childhood experiences afforded. And for
a child who hails from a large family—many of his relatives owned local businesses
including the bakery, the hotel, and the carpentry and flooring business—it was as
though his family stamped their legacy onto the world. “My mom ran a B&B until my
sisters and I got old enough to need our own rooms,” Koscher’s Austrian accent
slips through English syllables like pearls rolling between folds of silk. “The people
who lived there helped care for us.” Koscher’s extended family also included outof-town
hockey players that stayed at his aunt’s hotel, in part, sparking his interest
in hockey and other sports.
At age 16, Koscher’s admiration for movie magazines—his collection began early,
upon the discovery of his sister’s Cinema Magazine—translated into a magazine
apprenticeship with a local reproduction engineer, beating out 80 other applicants.
“That was back when we did things the old fashioned way,” Koscher recalls.
While he was an average student in most areas, he received honors in his
apprenticeship. When the mid-1990s approached, Koscher found himself in
Vienna working as an information graphic designer. There he was, coming along
in his craft, perfecting the art of design in all mediums when he was emotionally
catapulted into the sport of skydiving. Post-breakup, Koscher thought a freefall
might assuage the heaviness he felt. With a parachute strapped to his back he
took to the sky. And upon that first fall, he discovered clarity. Something about the
ground whirling toward him at 160 miles per hour while being able to see past the
horizon opened up his eyes.
“Skydiving feels like another family. You all have common goals, though you
come from different places. You get a glimpse into other people’s lives,” he says.
“Skydiving made me realize how easy it would be to have world peace.”
After completing the Accelerated Freefall Program, Koscher upped the ante of
his adventurous side, traveling to the U.S. for skydiving, adopting skysurfing (in
which snowboard-like equipment is strapped to the feet), competing for Team
Austria (gaining 14th place worldwide), and serving in media relations at the 2000
X Games. Life became his sport of choice. Then, Koscher’s career and personal
life met at the first major intersection of his life when he made a permanent move
to the San Francisco Bay Area and started a family—daughter, Ella, and son,
Nikolas—amidst building upon a portfolio that currently includes 13 awards for Art
Director and 10 American Graphic Awards.
“I had two dreams as a kid: own my own magazine and have lunch with George
Lucas,” a grin shoots across Koscher’s face. In 2003, he published his first
magazine, which led to starting 65° Magazine in 2005. Once the publications
were mature enough and he landed a job offer from his childhood icon, George
Lucas, he handed the magazines over to new publishers. Koscher’s legacy
continues on as both publications are thriving in an environment where industry
giants like Condé Nast are shutting down some print operations.
Koscher describes watching Lucas descend from his office at Skywalker Ranch
as things movies are made of. “There was that ‘there he is’ moment,” Koscher
recalls. “And working with him was a little like the Wizard of Oz when I finally ‘looked
behind curtain’ and saw who he really was…” In 2009, after a divorce and after
Lucas closed the doors to the print version of Edutopia Magazine—Koscher’s
project—Koscher found himself in a virtual free-fall of uncertainty. Questioning his
career objectives and lifestyle, he took up acting, film, editing, and scriptwriting
classes, eventually finding himself again.
Koscher is now an art director for Future U.S., the parent company of over 180
publications worldwide including Nintendo Power, Mac|Life, and Official Xbox
Magazine. “I’m re-energized,” he says with a spark on his tongue. “From picking
models, to scouting, and designing projects, I’m excited again.” Despite the trials
of the last half decade, San Francisco has proven itself a home away from home
to Koscher. In addition to providing roads in which he can wind around on his
Ducati 620, and providing inspiration for completing his screenplay The Snow
Queen, for which he is now seeking literary agents; the City’s European-spiced
persona exudes an essence of Vienna that helps him defeat homesickness.
“There’s comfort in knowing that I can simply stroll down the street for my favorite
home dishes, Kärntner Käsnudl and Wiener Schnitzel,” he shares. Sometimes
those creature comforts are all it takes to get a rock like Koscher to float again.
Puttin’ on the Ritz
Ritz-Carlton
San Francisco
by Charleen Earley

Holt. “We had a tree-lighting ceremony on December 1 with
Make-a-Wish-Foundation, where we honored the wish of
a three-year-old girl who wanted to go to Disneyland. She
lit the tree by flipping a switch and we hosted her and her
family for dinner in our restaurant after the ceremony.”
A benchmark for the city’s luxury hotels since it opened
in 1991, Holt says this registered San Francisco landmark
was first built in 1909 and was home to Metropolitan
Insurance headquarters for its first 50 years. For the next
20 years, it gave way to Cogswell Polytechnical College,
a school of engineering in the 70s. Now, the Ritz is on
the cusp of celebrating its 20 year anniversary in April
as the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco and $12.5 million in
renovations later, its majestic structure stands as a pillar
on Nob Hill.
Blocks away from literally anything and everything you
need in San Francisco—the Financial District, Union
Square shopping, street events, cable cars schlepping you
to Fisherman’s Wharf, and walking distance away from the
Ferry Building—Holt says the location of the hotel is one
of the many amenities that makes your hotel experience
several notches above the rest. “Our clients look to us as
their guide to the City,” says Holt.
You might live across the Bay or even a state
away; however, spend just one night in The
Ritz-Carlton Hotel in San Francisco and you will
immediately feel worlds away. If not because of
their 400-thread-count, 100% combed cotton
linens, or because the Ritz Carlton has San
Francisco’s only Forbes Travel Guide Five Star
restaurant, hen you’ll swoon over the extravagant
entrance with a pair of Louis XVI blue marble urns
with gilt mountings decorated with 19th-century
Waterford candelabras. Above the beauty and
ambiance, your Calgon experience will have
everything to do with their five-star service and
the experience their staff will lavish on you.
“We basically set the standard within the branding
of hospitality and service,” says Steven Holt, Ritz-
Carlton Market Director of Public Relations, who
was excited about the 40-foot Christmas tree
preparing to be hoisted atop the carport entrance
to the luxury hotel at the time of the interview.
The tree not only helped ring in the holidays, but
it was also a part of one of the many charitable
events in which the hotel and staff participate.
“We partner with many non-profit organizations as
part of our Community Footprints Program,” says
Should you decide to book your stay on the Club
Level Lounge, floors eight and nine, your Ritz-Carlton
experience will be off the charts. “Our service ability sets
us apart, too, since we ‘wow’ our guests and inspire their
loyalty,” says Holt. “It’s the hallmark of our service. We
all work on trying to anticipate the needs of our guests
before they ask for something.”
With 336 rooms to choose from, sixty of which are suites
and two of which are Presidential Suites, the Club Level
Lounge is the place to be. With a dedicated concierge,
and separate elevator key, these more expensive rooms
feature computers, printers, comfortable work stations,
views of the city via the south slope of Nob Hill, and

complimentary small plate meals throughout the day to
include an espresso, coffee and dessert station.
“It has a residential feel, sort of a hotel within a hotel type
atmosphere on these two floors,” says Holt. “You don’t
have the hustle and bustle of the main lobby with guests
coming and going. Up here you can read the London
Times or The Wall Street Journal in peace and leisure.”
ADVERTORIAL
And try as you may, you won’t find another restaurant in
town that offers more formal service than the Ritz Carlton
Dining Room, which serves modern French cuisine with
a Japanese influence created by the award-winning
Chef Siegal. The less formal Terrace Restaurant serves
contemporary Mediterranean cuisine and the city’s best
Sunday brunch. If that weren’t enough, the hotel goes
beyond your expectations by offering classic afternoon
tea and cocktails with low-key live entertainment daily, and
sushi Wednesday through Saturday in their Lobby Lounge.
It also features Oyster Bars and special drink nights.
While floors eight and nine are amazing, guest rooms on
floors one through seven are equally amazing, showcasing
furniture reflective of San Francisco’s various multi-cultural
influences: Chinoiserie cabinets, European-influenced
bed chests and intricately detailed bedside tables and
headboards, original artwork by local artists featuring
city landmarks and scenes, Kohler Performance rain
showerheads, upgraded bath essentials, in-room gourmet
coffee and tea presentations hidden in a decorative wooden
chest, and added bathroom shelving and cabinetry.
For the “Tim Allens” in all of you, you’ll enjoy a 32-inch High-
Definition, LCD flat-panel television with dual speakers
and DVD/CD player and Lodgenet High-Definition Digital
cable television and Pay-Per-View movies, wireless
Internet access, built-in electrical outlets and Broadband
connections on guestroom desktops, electronic inroom
laptop safes, and iPod docking stations. For the
Presidential Suites only, which will set you back a
mere six grand, you will enjoy a Bang & Olufsen
10-speaker surround-sound system and a 50-
inch High-Definition, LCD Flat-screen television
with dual speakers in the living room and 32-inch
High-Definition, LCD Flat-panel television with
dual speakers above the bathtub.
Irving Berlin wrote it right and Fred Astaire sang it
best … “Come, let’s mix where Rockefellers walk
with sticks or umbrellas in their mitts … Puttin’ on
the Ritz,” but you don’t have to be high society to
enjoy all the amenities this hotel has to offer. “Our
guests come from all walks of life, from business
people to guests of leisure who want to explore
Wine Country or Half Moon Bay. Our clientele is
a broad spectrum who comes from all over the
world. They’re here for the service and location,”
says Holt. “They know our name and reputation.
Our clients have an expectation of beautiful
rooms and excellent service.”
ritz-carlton
san francisco
600 Stockton St. at California St.
San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 296-7465
RitzCarlton.com/SanFrancisco

How Does the World See You?
Perception is everything.
In today's fast-paced, multi-channel, global marketplace,
it's not enough just to be seen by the world.
You must also shape how the world sees you.
At Hollenbeck Associates, we help you do both.
Hollenbeck Associates
Strategic Marketing, Public Relations, Exhibits & Display Services
5 Third Street Suite 1200 San Francisco, CA 94103 Tel. 415-227-1150 www.hollenbeckassociates.com

James Hollenbeck
PERSONA

Money Talks
by Kristin Smith
Photography by Hemali Acharya
Like many people who came of age in the Bay Area in the 1960s, James (Jim)
Hollenbeck is a product of that pivotal decade. But it wasn’t the counter-culture
movement that attracted him; that was for his older brothers. Jim, the youngest
of three boys being raised by a single mom, wanted more. And it was the
experimental education movement of the times, plus the newly commissioned
BART system that gave it to him, starting him down the road to being one of the
youngest and most successful marketing leaders in the area.
With his intellect and charm, Hollenbeck had always done well in school. “I was
the kid the teachers loved. I got all the awards,” he says matter of factly. But
the educational success wasn’t enough for him. He wanted to make money;
something there wasn’t enough of in a house where his mom often worked two
jobs. “I knew that business was the way to make it,” says Hollenbeck. “So I turned
down a full scholarship to Harvard to pursue business ventures.” Beyond his
teenage years at UC Berkeley, Hollenbeck never went to college. “I don’t usually
tell people that,” he says. “But I guess it’s okay that it’s out.”
At 17, Hollenbeck moved to Los Angeles. He landed a job in the burgeoning home
warranty system business. He was still a teenager, but looked older and blended
in with the adults in suits. This chameleon skill would prove beneficial for years to
come. A year into the job an investor offered to help him start his own business.
When most 18-year-olds were deciding on colleges, Hollenbeck was running a
business. “I got a little cocky. I had my own home, I lived quite the bachelor life,”
he admits.
At 13 years old, Hollenbeck began taking classes at UC Berkeley, an opportunity
he was granted as a gifted student in San Leandro. The classes led him to
Berkeley’s animal hospital, where, at 14, he became the youngest tech assistant
they’d had. But not all of the educational programs were positive. “Some of the
programs gave me great opportunities, but others robbed me of my childhood. I
grew up really fast,” says Hollenbeck.
But then it all fell apart. New legislation in home warranty put him out of business.
“I thought my life was over. My engagement broke off. I lost my job. I moved back
to the Bay Area.” Hollenbeck was still only 19 years old and though he couldn’t
see it at the time, had a lifetime of business opportunities ahead of him.
Just as he did as a child, Hollenbeck used all that the Bay Area could offer, and
proved himself to be the marketing whiz that he showed promise of as a teenager.
During the dot com boom, he ran a site that specialized in celebrity news. He ran
PR for fashion companies, a personal passion for him, and eventually started his
own fashion line that was sold in large stores across the country.
But it was when he started his own boutique PR and marketing firm, Hollenbeck
Associates, 25 years ago that everything really came together. Hollenbeck
chooses his projects, working with large Fortune 500 businesses, as well as
reserving 25-30 percent of his work for non-profits he connected with like SF
Pride and Frameline Film Festival. “It’s an honor to be able to work with these
non-profits,” he says.
This last year, Hollenbeck’s husband, Robert, joined his company, merging his
own display and merchandizing company with Hollenbeck’s marketing. “We’re
totally simpatico,” says Hollenbeck of the partnership, both business and personal.
“I’m really happy where I am. I have lived all my fantasies.”
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COMMUNITY
Frameline: Strength in Diversity by Andrea Stuart
to create their Youth in Motion program. The
goal is to alleviate misunderstandings of the
LGBT community and to create safe school
environments by giving student activists and
teachers new tools to educate their peers about
LGBT history and culture. They do this by offering
free LGBT themed movies to high schools
throughout California.
themselves and positive about the future.”
since the Fund was established, grants have
been awarded to 100 films.
In 1977, a small group of people gathered
together with a bed sheet, eight Super 8 films,
and a modest audience. What unfolded was
the first ever San Francisco International LGBT
(lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) Film
Festival screening.
“Film is one of the most predominant forms of art
available to people these days,” says K.C. Price,
Executive Director of Frameline. “Frameline’s
Festival enables people to come together to
celebrate the power and beauty of film, and be
with their community.”
In a world where diversity has met challenges
and creativity has been looked upon as social
woo for the ego, San Francisco non-profit media
arts company Frameline is dismantling taboos
as the nation’s only non-profit organization solely
dedicated to the funding, exhibition, distribution
and promotion of LGBT media arts.
Since that first makeshift film festival screening in
1977, Frameline has evolved into a comprehensive
media arts company that has broadened the
definition of cultural arts and paved a road for
emerging LGBT film makers.
“Several factors make the organization special.
Some have to do with our cutting edge film
festival that shows films that push the limits and
boundaries of cinema,” says Price. “We’re also
fortunate to have an impassioned audience, one
of the largest in the country, and to have grown to
carry out other important work.”
The other work that Price speaks of is Frameline’s
non-profit distribution division, which reaches out
to educational institutions, libraries, and activists
throughout the country in order to provide critical
support that many emerging LGBT filmmakers
are not likely to receive elsewhere.
Frameline Distribution recently formed a
partnership with Gay Straight Alliance Network
“The Youth in Motion program speaks to the root
of the problem of what teens are up against in
society,” says Price. “Personally, I had a terrifically
hard time coming out when I was a teenager, so
I know just how much this program can help with
teens and young adults coming to terms with
their sexuality, and helping them to feel proud of
For this program, Frameline has taken several
distributed titles, put them on DVD as a collection
of shorts, created a curriculum and action
guides, and packaged them to send out to high
schools throughout California. “This program
has helped to educate students and peers to
combat homophobia. This is extremely important
considering the rash of suicides and bullying
taking place lately,” Price explains.
In addition, Frameline runs the Completion Fund,
a grant program dedicated to offering grants to
emerging and established lesbian, gay, bisexual,
and transgender filmmakers. In the 15 years
Approaching their 35th anniversary, Frameline
is responsible for more than just producing
one of the most internationally acclaimed film
festivals. It’s a medium for individuals to express
themselves without persecution; a place where
audiences can enjoy accurate depictions of their
worlds. Mainly, the organization symbolizes the
bridging of cultural gaps through the seamless
blending of frame lines.
Visit Frameline.org for more information about
their programs, to donate, and for dates of their
bi-monthly screenings at the LGBT Center.

PERSONA
Heather
Hartle

The Long Way Home
by Lisa Gunther
Photography by Hemali Acharya
At the impressionable age of 15, Michigan native Heather Hartle traveled to
California with her parents to visit her older brother in Carmel. From there, the
family drove north up the winding coast, stopping in Big Sur, Monterey, and finally
San Francisco. The visit marked a moment of revelation in the young woman’s life,
and years later she would return to help create 7x7, a local magazine dedicated to
celebrating the unique culture and natural beauty of the City by the Bay.
granddaughter of the famous American investor, Warren Buffet—speaks to her
sense of style.
Hartle has always had a passion for art, fashion, and photography. As a girl, she
even built her own dark room in the basement of her parent’s house, and dreamed
of someday taking pictures for famous fashion magazines.
Raised in Bloomfield, an affluent suburb of Detroit, her upbringing was traditional,
if not conservative. Hartle is the youngest of three children, and after 54 years
her parents are still married. Besides photography, her interests included riding
horses and listening to Frank Sinatra. In fact, when she was six years old she
was taken to a Sinatra concert in Chicago. “He winked at me,” she remembers, a
touch giddy. “We were in the second row.”
With such an ingrained appreciation of arts and entertainment, it isn’t surprising
that Hartle eventually became involved in media. After working for an ad agency
doing marketing and PR for major film studios such as Disney, MGM and
Paramount, she co-founded HOUR Media in Detroit with then husband, Tom.
In 2000, the two moved to San Francisco, where they launched 7x7—named for
the city’s 7x7 mile radius—within one year of their arrival. They also purchased
and revamped California Home and Design, though she is no longer affiliated
with the publication. “I remember people were like, oh you won’t be able to do
this, because you aren’t from here—you don’t know the city,” Hartle grins. “But I
looked at that more as a challenge that I was going to embrace. I thought it was
kind of wonderful that I was looking at it with fresh eyes.”
For Hartle, embracing the city also meant giving back to the community. In 2004,
she was named Woman of the Year for her work with the Leukemia and Lymphoma
Society, and she served on the board of directors for the Yuerba Buena Center for
the Arts from 2008 to 2010.
“There was something that just clicked inside of me, and I knew I was going to end
up here,” Hartle says of her first experience in the city. “I didn’t know how. I didn’t
know when. I didn’t know why. But I knew I was going to end up here.”
Today, nestled between the sharp, sloping hills of San Francisco’s Cow Hollow
district, Hartle’s dream has come full circle. Her cozy apartment boasts breathtaking
views of both the bay and the Palace of Fine Arts. The stunning panorama reflects
not only Hartle’s love of the city, but her appreciation of aesthetics. Lined along
the walls of her stylish abode are dozens of artfully stacked photography and
fashion books, and the abstract painting above her couch—by Nicole Buffet,
Though she has recently stepped down from her dual role as editorial and creative
director of 7x7, her passion for the city is as strong as ever. “The entrepreneurial
spirit here is just so incredible,” Hartle explains. “People are drawn here, and they
don’t even know why. Like me—it was almost like a magnet.”
For now, the media whiz is focusing on a new digital start-up, spending quality
time with her two dogs, entertaining friends, cooking, and of course, having the
time of her life raising her 14-month-old daughter.
In a city that sees millions of people come and go, Heather Hartle has truly found
a home.

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