While a heavy storm can be a romantic, relaxing excuse to lounge around the house, it can leave you feeling trapped. Luckily, we live in an area with a surplus of enticing options for avoiding the rain without succumbing to boredom. It should be noted that no one is advised to drive around in a truly vicious storm, so always put your safety ahead of your entertainment. With that in mind, here are some local remedies for a case of bad weather. 5. The Library (San Anselmo or Fairfax) We all knew it was coming. Yes, the library is the defacto answer parents give their kids when they whine …

Everyone in the Bay Area will be flocking to friends houses and bars this Sunday, gathering around TVs as the San Francisco 49ers play the New York Giants at Candlestick Park for a berth in the Super Bowl. The game starts at 3:30 p.m. But if you weren't among the chosen few headed to the 'Stick for the big game, there are some choice viewing locales around Central and Southern Marin where you can order a pitcher, celebrate with friends and watch the red and gold strive for glory.  San Anselmo Matteucci's114 Greenfield Ave, 456-3614A 49ers stronghold since the heydays of Joe Montana and Steve …

  Just as I’ve finally settled on a Halloween costume, it’s time for Christmas. Well, for some of us anyway. My family has long been a proponent of the “wait until four days before Christmas and then drive around looking at castaway trees” method. This year I decided to stake out my options early by visiting the three main tree lots in the San Anselmo/Fairfax area: O’Donnell’s, Sunnyside and United Market. As a caveat, it must be recognized that a Christmas tree is expected to offer something different to every consumer. Some of us are Douglas Firs people, while others prefer Nobles, or even …

We’ve all had amazing dinners and scrumptious lunches, but only a fool denies that breakfast is the best meal of the day. Do we always acknowledge its greatness? Of course not. For most of us, our morning sustenance usually consists of yogurt or a donut. Perhaps this is why, when we get the chance for a breakfast or brunch of restaurant proportions, it seems like the best thing ever. Fluffy french toast, perfect eggs, fresh-squeezed juice – whether they be a hangover cure or the start to a leisurely Sunday, we are hooked. Charged with the task of naming the best breakfast around, I loosened …

Humans were meant to swim. As proof, I cite the throngs of people willing to expose their bodies, share confined spaces, and smell of sunscreen and chlorine, all for the sake of a dip on a hot summer day. Swimming is, of course, not limited to pools, but they remain the conventional destination for folks to beat the heat. More dedicated aquaphiles may endure a hike to reach more hallowed grounds, and still others choose to pay a premium for the chance to be left alone. Whatever your druthers may be, there’s nothing like submerging yourself in a body of water before the rain starts to fall and…

Summer means something different to each of us, but there are a few things that seem to be intrinsically linked to the year’s hottest months. There’s air-conditioned movies with lots of explosions, swimming, and ice cream. How we would survive without the sweet sustenance of ice cream and its younger brother, frozen yogurt, is a question I hope we will never be forced to tackle. In the interim, I paid a visit to four places in our neck of the woods that specialize in the official desert of summer to determine which best satisfy the sweet tooth's cravings. Choosing one simple flavor in order …

Zack Pick’s will rate not the fancy restaurants, but goes out in search of the basics in San Anselmo/Fairfax. He has previously settled the best burrito debate. With an unquenchable thirst, he now seeks to answer the question: what is the best bar?  Everyone looks for something different in a bar. You might put an emphasis on the quality of the drinks, or the number of pool tables, or how low the lighting is. There might be one type of place you do your weeknight baseball watching at and another for more boisterous celebrations. The towns of San Anselmo and Fairfax offer a diverse array of …

Your friend is visiting from Tulsa, or Denver, and you've promised them a full dose of the Bay Area while they're in town. They pass on a few of the specifics they'd like to cover: hang-out at a beach, take the ferry to the city, and try one of these NorCal burritos they've heard so much about. The first two are no-brainers, with a wide selection of quality beaches and ferries leaving on the hour. Where, however, will you take this pal with the discerning palate to properly introduce them to that most majestic food item, the burrito? Fear not! I have tackled just this question in the past and…

Zack continues his quest to answer the age-old question: who makes the best burrito. Read about his last trip to Burritoville. You can keep your Michelin stars, your Zagat ratings and the key to the city you got from the mayor. If you can’t deliver a quality burrito, your “authentic” Mexican cuisine is simply a sham. Luckily for the staff of Taco Jane’s, they have managed to create a superb dining experience, while still featuring a menu simple enough to rival the options of local taquerias. I was obligated to deviate from my standard order of a chicken burrito with guacamole, sour cream and …

Once a week, Zack Pick’s will rate not the fancy restaurants, but the basics in San Anselmo/Fairfax. With a tireless gullet, he’s starting off to answer the ubiquitous question: who has the best burrito? This week: Burritoville. Burritos – everyone’s got a place for them. What makes one superior from another is an argument we’ve all had. For the purposes of my quest, I’ve devised a list of five criteria: quality, consistency, zing, construction and the leftover factor. I’ve also committed to eating a chicken burrito with sour cream, guacamole and cheese at each place in order to establish a …