By Kristin Bartus

Local businesses that have won their categories five times are elevated to the Best of Marin Hall of Fame. This year eight new members join eight already on the roster. Congratulations to all these winners who have been consistently voted tops for their terrific service.

1st Year
Hall of Fame

Best Brewpub
I believe Homer Simpson said it best when he dreamily (and droolingly) uttered the phrase, “Mmmmm…BEER!!” TV’s favorite father is a modern day American everyman. He knows what is important in life and beer is at the top of the list. If Homer lived in Marin, you would undoubtedly find the cartoonish beer connoisseur putting away pints at Marin Brewing Company (1809 Larkspur Landing Circle, Larkspur, 415/461-4677). Since its opening in 1989, the Larkspur-based brewpub has become the favorite destination for local beer aficionados. It’s easy to understand why. Not only do Marin Brewing Company’s brews come to the table directly from the on-site brewery, thirsty customers have an incredible variety of delicious beers to choose from as well. The light and refreshing Bluebeery Ale, chocolaty Point Reyes Porter and dark San Quentin’s Breakout Stout are just a few of the outstanding options. They’re all natural too—none of those funky fillers. And then there is the food. Imbibers can enjoy their tasty beverages with everything from pub classics like bangers and mash and burgers to foodie friendly wood-fired pizzas and crisp salads. Cheers!

Best Health Club
It’s not easy to stay in shape, especially as we grow older. So if you’re looking for some rock solid inspiration, just look to Gold’s Gym (10 Fifer Ave., Corte Madera, 415/924-GOLD). The famed gym is turning 40 this year and still looks absolutely fabulous. A visit to Gold’s should be just the motivation you need to get that body movin’. Gold’s Gym originated in Venice, California, but now boasts more than 600 facilities around the world. Even though it’s getting up there in years, the company prides itself on providing the latest equipment and services for its 2.5 million members. Not just a weightlifting gym, Gold’s offers opportunities to do some spinning, take a yoga class or participate in Pilates. Yet the number one concern is not being trendy, but rather helping members achieve their individual potential. Going for the Gold has never felt so good.

Best Bike Shop
Mike’s Bikes (1601 Fourth St., San Rafael, 415/454-3747; #1 Gate Six Rd., Sausalito, 415/332-3200) is the retail equivalent of Jack Nicholson. The original San Rafael store, founded in 1964, was considered cutting edge in its early days for being one of the first in the country to sell mountain bikes. Today, Mike’s Bikes is not only still a purveyor of cool, new products, the store also garners great respect in the bicycle industry. Mike’s Bikes recently earned a spot on the Top 100 Bicycle Retailers 2005 list. This International Cycle Works honor was voted on by 12 industry leaders who assessed 5,300 bicycle retailers across the country. But, just as cool cat Jack didn’t stop stretching his acting chops when he won his first Academy Award for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Mike’s Bikes isn’t resting on its laurels either. In addition to stocking its five Bay Area stores with the best cycling equipment, Mike’s Bikes maintains a large, highly professional staff of bike experts. Mike’s 70-plus staffers are adept at helping cyclists pick out the most suitable equipment and making sure their customers’ rides are well maintained. With all of that expertise and positivity, it’s no wonder that Mike’s Bikes isn’t just a bike shop anymore, it’s a cycling community center.

Best Contemporary Furniture
Thoroughly modern homeowners have beaten a path to Scandinavian Designs (1212 Fourth St., San Rafael, 415/457-5500). It’s the place to go if you crave all things contemporary to fulfill your interior design desires. The 40-year-old company thrives because it is simultaneously au courant and accessible. Scandinavian Designs prides itself on bringing its customers high-quality European creations that are affordable and functional—there’s no reason why your sofa can’t be stylish, squishy and nicely priced. Whether you’re looking for an item for the living room, bedroom, dining room or office, the cheerful sales staff will help you find what you want. There is even a selection of furniture designed with youth in mind. And the accessories—you won’t be able to resist. The store is chock-full of exquisite lamps, candleholders and vases. After a trip to Scandinavian Designs, you’ll feel like you’re living in the pages of Architectural Digest.

Best Kitchenware
Williams-Sonoma (1802 Redwood Hwy.,The Village at Corte Madera, Corte Madera, 415/924-6799) is more than a store. It’s a place where grown men and women can recapture their youth. When confronted by Williams-Sonoma’s massive array of kitchen goods and gadgets, home chefs tend to feel a lot like a kid in a candy shop. Sonoma-based cooking buff Chuck Williams founded the company in 1956 as a small cookware shop that specialized in French cooking equipment. From its humble North Bay beginnings, however, Williams-Sonoma has grown immensely. Its stores can now be found across North America. From the Great White North to the sizzling Southwest and sea to shining sea, Williams-Sonoma offers just about every gizmo a foodie might fancy. You can always count on high-quality kitchen basics like dishes, pots and pans. In addition, you can pick up excellent items that make life in the kitchen even more fun. Products like the candy-colored espresso machines, panini makers and dinosaur-shaped pancake molds are simply irresistible. Cooks, prepare to be kissed!

Best Facials
Anyone who flips through fashion magazines on a regular basis can’t help but long for that glorious glow that radiates from models’ faces. But really, there’s no need for such envy. A visit to Espirit Skin Care (36 Tiburon Blvd., Mill Valley, 415/383-3534) will have you looking just as gorgeous as a supermodel. Whether you’re in need of a little waxing, a classic European facial or some nurturing oxygen, co-owners Sherry Julin and Genna Lewis (who are both girlhood best friends and decades-long business partners) will take good care of you. In addition to treating clients to topnotch skin treatments, the duo and their staff strive to create a warm, relaxing and professional environment. They want you to leave not only with luminous skin, but also feeling de-stressed and rejuvenated. That’s why Espirit also offers soothing and beautifying services like massages, nail care and lash tinting as well. Move over, Cindy Crawford.

Best Fine Jewelry
Anniversary? Engagement? Valentine’s Day? Lincoln’s birthday? No matter the occasion, jewelry always makes an excellent gift. But if you want that gift to be exceptionally elegant, exquisite and unique, you must go to Stephan-Hill Jewelers (1226 Fourth St., San Rafael, 415/459-5808). Owned by design-savvy husband and wife team John Stephan Garfolo and Marian Hill Garfolo, Stephan-Hill is known for its distinctive selection of quality jewelry, as well as for the staff’s gemology expertise. In addition to showcasing their own creative designs at the store, the Garfolos also feature wonderful creations by a variety of international designers. You can add a little color to your loved one’s life with a pair of French-designed pavé earrings, “paved” with beautifully hued precious stones. Or show your adoration for your one-of-a-kind amour with a string of interestingly cut beads from Germany. Need some help? The Garfolos will be happy to guide you in the right direction. You’ll definitely find that singular sensation at this singular jewelry store.

Best Indian Restaurant
Get ready to rave. Because when you dine at Lotus Cuisine of India (704 Fourth St., San Rafael, 415/456-5808), it’s impossible not to gush about the amazing gastronomical experience you’re treated to. If you don’t believe us, just ask the folks at Zagat. Those famed food experts also have been extolling the restaurant’s eats for five years running. Inspired by the clean and hearty dishes of North India (where the food is well spiced, but not so hot that you burn the roof of your mouth), Lotus’s menu is massive. There are eight different types of naan alone! Naan, of course, is the flat yet fabulous Indian bread used to scoop up all of the divine main dishes. Try the special Lotus Naan, which is stuffed with spiced chicken, cashews and raisins. If you can’t choose among the 10 mouth-watering appetizers, don’t worry. Simply opt for the combo platter. You may, however, have more difficulty choosing only a few entrées—what with all the vegetarian delicacies, chicken, seafood and lamb curries, tandoori specialties and biriyani rice dishes. I recommend inviting lots of friends to join you for the meal—even your vegan pals can enjoy this eating extravaganza. Or, you can opt for the buffet lunch, available Monday-Saturday.

2nd Year
Hall of Fame

Best Late Night Dining
Given the Bay Area’s food-centric image, you’d be surprised how few restaurants exist for folks prone to the late-night munchies. Here in the North Bay, we’re incredibly lucky to have Marin Joe’s (1585 Casa Buena Dr., Corte Madera, 415/924-2081). Not only is the restaurant open past the bewitching hour (every night except Sunday), its menu is magnificent. Night owls are treated to hearty and delectable traditional Italian meals. The place has been around for more than 50 years, so the Della Santina family has a pretty good idea of what customers crave. Who could resist appetizers like antipasti, fried zucchini or garlic bread? Now that’s Italian comfort food. Equally soothing (not to mention filling) are the many varieties of pastas and sauces, like gnocchi with meat sauce, linguini with meatballs, rigatoni with pesto, lasagna and cannelloni. There are also plenty of salads and sandwiches, as well as chicken, veal and steak dishes. Marin Joe’s is open until 12:30am Monday-Saturday, 11:30pm Sunday. Now mangia!

Best Foreign Care Repair
Easy Automotive (145 Jordan, San Rafael, 415/457-1688) is a place that completely lives up to its name. For years Sun readers have been praising the auto repair shop because Easy employees make their experience so incredibly easy. Easy Auto staffers provide solid work, offer honest auto insights and maintain an easygoing vibe to boot. They can even keep your hot little hybrid in tip-top shape. And while the car gurus work their magic on your vehicle, you can count on being kept comfortable in the shop’s pleasant waiting room or quickly catching the courtesy shuttle to wherever you need to go. Easy’s owners for the past four years, Debbie and Mark Linder continue to make life easy for all their customers.

Best French Restaurant
The French are an amazing people. They excel at food, wine, romance—heck, Jacques Chirac is apparently such a charmer that even famed Francophobe George W. Bush is trying to kiss and make up with him. To sample a bit of the French good life for yourself, book a table at El Paseo (17 Throckmorton Ave., Mill Valley, 415/388-0741). The restaurant has long been celebrated for its scrumptious classic French dishes, elegant décor and amorous atmosphere. Tucked away on a charming brick alley, El Paseo is the place to go when you absolutely must impress your dining partner. Menu items such as escargots, portobello and goat cheese tart, sliced duck breast and fondant au chocolat have delighted lay-diners and restaurant critics alike. And then there’s that infamous wine list—El Paseo’s thoughtful and extensive wine menu has been praised by Wine Spectator for years. Forget Paris, just visit El Paseo.

3rd Year
Hall of Fame

Best Cards/Stationery Store
Papyrus (1726 Redwood Hwy., The Village at Corte Madera, Corte Madera, 415/924-2355; 1260 Northgate Mall, San Rafael, 415/491-4708; 1320 Fourth St., San Rafael, 415/459-3250) will improve your relationships with all your friends and family. You may laugh, but just try leaving the store without a bag full of cool, well-wishing cards—perfect for sending merry messages to every person you know. The incredible variety of delightfully designed creations at Papyrus will inspire you to pick up cards not only for this month’s birthdays, but for all the birthdays in your calendar for the rest of year. No more grumbling from Grandma or Aunt Sally about how you missed their big days. You’ll be back in their good graces instead. And that card with the shiny Buddha on it would totally lift up your best pal’s spirits. Send her a greeting for no reason. She’ll love you for it. Might as well buy a whole box of ’em. But don’t leave without stocking up on stationery. You’ll find enough fine and fun stacks of paper that you’ll probably even want to start writing to all of your old high school friends again or throw your parents an anniversary party just so you can indulge in Papyrus’s custom printing service. Keeping in touch with your loved ones has never been so much fun.

Best Mexican Restaurant
You know you’re in a magical place when every single dish listed on the menu makes your mouth start to water. That’s what happens when you sit down at Las Camelias (912 Lincoln Ave., San Rafael, 415/453-5850). Chef/owner Gabriel Fregoso’s inventive spins on Mexican favorites feature exciting flavor combinations that are inevitably delicious. His roasted poblano pepper, stuffed with caramelized onions, zucchini and corn, for example—holy yum! Or the shrimp marinated in agave, ginger and garlic, sautéed with strips of onions and bell pepper simmered in a tomatillo cilantro sauce—double yum! Fregoso’s dishes are inspired by his family’s traditional recipes, which he learned growing up in Jalisco, Mexico. His repertoire also reflects his training at the Lark Creek Inn. With Fregoso’s superb skills and flair for flavors, it’s no wonder that he and wife Carol have been in business at Las Camelias for 27 years. Here’s to 27 more.

Best Chinese Restaurant
Jennie Low’s (38 Miller Ave., Mill Valley, 415/388-8868; 120 Vintage Way, Vintage Oaks at Novato, Novato, 415/892-8838) is a perfect restaurant for Marin. Founder Jennie Low, a longtime Bay Area cooking guru, serves up dishes that appeal both to our foodie proclivities and our health consciousness. Her menu features a combination of traditional Chinese dishes (Cantonese, Szechuan, Mandarin and Hunan) and innovative Chinese creations that utilize California’s fabulous fresh foods. What results is gastronomic giddiness and guiltlessness. The only trouble is deciding which delicious dish to indulge in during your visit. Luckily, the prices are nice enough that you can dine there as much as you want. And with such marvelous meals and so many menu options, you’ll want to dine there a lot. Creamy crab puffs, hot and sour soup, princess chicken, spicy broccoli and green beans—you really can’t go wrong.

Best Italian Restaurant
Il Davide (901 A St., San Rafael, 415/454-8080) may be celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, but a meal there will still leave you feeling as warm and wonderful as in those exciting early days. Il Davide continues to deliver taste-bud tickling Cal-Ital cuisine, a lavish wine list (which has been commended by Wine Spectator) and comfortably chic atmosphere. Each dining experience here is memorable, whether you’re on a big date, enjoying a fun meal with your kids or just hanging out with some friends. The expansive menu ensures that every eater will be pleased. From traditional Italian favorites like bruschetta, minestrone and gnocchi bolognese to more original items like wild mushroom torte, smoked chicken ravioli and ahi tuna with shiitakes, Il Davide offers a dazzling array of options. Mamma mia!

Best Traditional
& Contemporary Furniture
So you’re a traditional kinda gal, but your husband prefers a modern look. No worries. You can settle your interior design differences easily at Sunrise Home (831 B St., San Rafael, 415/456-3939). With 30,000 square feet of traditional and modern home furnishings, it’s possible to create a home that appeals to both sensibilities. From armchairs and armoires to dining room tables, rugs and lamps, you’ll find everything you desire at Sunrise Home. And no matter what kind of “look” you decide to go for, be assured that each piece you choose will be of the finest quality. Staffers stock the store with impeccably crafted items from Europe as well as furniture by acclaimed national lines like Ralph Lauren. In addition, Sunrise Home’s talented team of designers is ready and willing to help customers turn their home décor fantasies into reality. There’s no place like Sunrise Home…

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