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April 2008
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Life after George
San Rafael, the funky, affordable anti-Marin, continues to thrive—even after the departure of its star-spangled neighbor.
George Lucas put this town on the map in 1973, when he filmed American Graffiti here—and boosted its image a few years later, when he fled Hollywood to set up shop several miles north of town. So some San Rafael locals were worried when Lucas moved his headquarters to the Presidio in 2005. Would the town lose whatever cachet it had gained from rubbing elbows with one of the country’s most successful filmmakers?
Turns out it wouldn’t, since San Rafael’s true appeal has long been its small-town, regular-folks vibe—and there’s no sign that’s about to change. After passing a string of seriously monied enclaves (Sausalito, Mill Valley, Ross) on the way up Highway 101, San Rafael is the first place you come to that’s relatively affordable—home prices clock in around $800,000, compared to a million-plus in surrounding towns—and its sizable working-class population gives the town an everyday mix its strikingly homogenous neighbors lack.
Plus, there’s actual nightlife in downtown San Rafael, another rarity in Marin. People flock from all over the county to catch indie films with visiting A-listers at the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center. Starting each spring, the farmers’ market and outdoor patios at Fourth Street’s many restaurants keep the area bustling as late as—god forbid—10. North Beach’s Caffè Trieste opened on the City Plaza earlier this year, and a new branch of the East Bay’s now closed Kimball’s jazz club promises to debut soon. Outsiders may only stop at the big-box stores lining the highway, but it’s clear that San Rafael’s real asset is its downtown.
ONLY HERE
Celebrated actors and filmmakers regularly show up onstage at the revived art-deco Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center to participate in California Film Institute screenings and onstage Q&As. Audiences spill out to the sidewalk to photograph the likes of actors Adrien Brody and Josh Brolin and director David Lynch. 1118 4th St.
GRUB
There may not be any trade winds, but you’ll swear you’re in the Caribbean at palm-covered Sol Food Puerto Rican Cuisine. Linger over bistec encebollado (thinly sliced steak), camarones criollos (sautéed prawns), and six different varieties of plàtanos. 901 Lincoln Ave.; 732 4th St.
Catering to this movie-crazed town, Enrico Sbolci plays Italian movies on a flat-screen TV in his Cinecitta Ristorante Italiano (even the restaurant’s name is a nod to Fellini’s film studio). The bombolotti pastries filled with gorgonzola and porcini mushrooms, and the pasta with wild boar and black olive ragù, are as mouthwatering as Sophia Loren. 901 B St.
Two of Fourth Street’s Thai restaurants offer delicious entrées for around $10 in handsome settings. My Thai serves a standout seafood-pumpkin curry, while 10-month-old Citrus & Spice, a “Thai-California eatery,” goes the fusion route with portobellos stuffed with pork and basil, and sweet lychee saketinis. 1230 4th St.; 1444 4th St.
On the warm, balmy evenings so common in San Rafael, Lotus Cuisine of India opens up its retractable ceiling,
George Lucas put this town on the map in 1973, when he filmed American Graffiti here—and boosted its image a few years later, when he fled Hollywood to set up shop several miles north of town. So some San Rafael locals were worried when Lucas moved his headquarters to the Presidio in 2005. Would the town lose whatever cachet it had gained from rubbing elbows with one of the country’s most successful filmmakers?
Turns out it wouldn’t, since San Rafael’s true appeal has long been its small-town, regular-folks vibe—and there’s no sign that’s about to change. After passing a string of seriously monied enclaves (Sausalito, Mill Valley, Ross) on the way up Highway 101, San Rafael is the first place you come to that’s relatively affordable—home prices clock in around $800,000, compared to a million-plus in surrounding towns—and its sizable working-class population gives the town an everyday mix its strikingly homogenous neighbors lack.
Plus, there’s actual nightlife in downtown San Rafael, another rarity in Marin. People flock from all over the county to catch indie films with visiting A-listers at the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center. Starting each spring, the farmers’ market and outdoor patios at Fourth Street’s many restaurants keep the area bustling as late as—god forbid—10. North Beach’s Caffè Trieste opened on the City Plaza earlier this year, and a new branch of the East Bay’s now closed Kimball’s jazz club promises to debut soon. Outsiders may only stop at the big-box stores lining the highway, but it’s clear that San Rafael’s real asset is its downtown.
ONLY HERE
Celebrated actors and filmmakers regularly show up onstage at the revived art-deco Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center to participate in California Film Institute screenings and onstage Q&As. Audiences spill out to the sidewalk to photograph the likes of actors Adrien Brody and Josh Brolin and director David Lynch. 1118 4th St.
GRUB
There may not be any trade winds, but you’ll swear you’re in the Caribbean at palm-covered Sol Food Puerto Rican Cuisine. Linger over bistec encebollado (thinly sliced steak), camarones criollos (sautéed prawns), and six different varieties of plàtanos. 901 Lincoln Ave.; 732 4th St.
Catering to this movie-crazed town, Enrico Sbolci plays Italian movies on a flat-screen TV in his Cinecitta Ristorante Italiano (even the restaurant’s name is a nod to Fellini’s film studio). The bombolotti pastries filled with gorgonzola and porcini mushrooms, and the pasta with wild boar and black olive ragù, are as mouthwatering as Sophia Loren. 901 B St.
Two of Fourth Street’s Thai restaurants offer delicious entrées for around $10 in handsome settings. My Thai serves a standout seafood-pumpkin curry, while 10-month-old Citrus & Spice, a “Thai-California eatery,” goes the fusion route with portobellos stuffed with pork and basil, and sweet lychee saketinis. 1230 4th St.; 1444 4th St.
On the warm, balmy evenings so common in San Rafael, Lotus Cuisine of India opens up its retractable ceiling,
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THE EYE
Plays well with others
Berkeley Rep’s Tony Taccone has helped create some of the most brilliant one-person shows in recent memory. So why does he stay behind the curtain when he should be sharing the applause?
