IJ correspondent
Stop by 310 Bon Air Center — or any SusieCakes bakery — between noon and 3 p.m. Aug. 13. for DJs spinning classic beach tunes; kid-friendly activities such as temporary tattoos, balloon art, a coloring contest, games and prizes; and complimentary sweet treats for all. If you're one of the first 50 customers, you'll get a free box of six mini red velvet cupcakes with purchase.
Can't make the party? Submit your favorite five-ingredient dessert recipe on the SusieCakes Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/SusieCakesBakery?ref=search) by Aug. 31 and your recipe may be featured at a select SusieCakes during September. And the frosting is that 5 percent of all proceeds will also go to a local charity.
Call SusieCakes at 461-2253 or go to www.susiecakesbakery.com.
Baker's secretsChad Robertson, co-owner of Tartine Bakery and author of "Tartine Bread," will be chatting about all things delicious with David Muller of Outerlands Restaurant in San Francisco from 10 a.m. Aug. 13 in West Marin.
Robertson will talk about his start at what is now Brickmaiden Bakery in Point Reyes and will demonstrate bread making at the free event, part of Marin Organic and Point Reyes Books' "Food for Thought Author Series."
This event is at Toby's Feed Barn at 11250 California Route 1 in Point Reyes
Station. For more information, go to www.marinorganic.org.Marin takes the Cakebread
Napa's Cakebread Cellars will be celebrating its 25th anniversary with panache, so of course Marin locals will be part of the Aug. 19 event.
Hog Island owner John Finger, Peggy Smith from Cowgirl Creamery and Lynne Giacomini from Point Reyes Original Blue are among the chefs and purveyors offering tasting and seminars at 4:30 p.m. and at 6:30 p.m. Each event is $25. A grand chef's tasting is from 5 to 7 p.m. and costs $75.
Cakebread Cellars is at 8300 St. Helena Highway in Rutherford. For more information call 800-588-0298 or go to www.cakebread.com.
Putting on the Ritz
San Anselmo's Ron Siegel, who has been in charge of the Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco since since July 2004, is planning big changes for the venerable establishment.
After two decades as a fine dining restaurant, it will close and reopen as a "more approachable, contemporary and less formal" dining room with a simpler menu to fit the new look.
In addition, it will feature a bar and lounge area in the dining highlighting handcrafted cocktails and small plates.
The redesign won't start until after Sept. 15 — plans are to reopen by the end of the year — so there's still time to catch Siegel's salt and pepper tasting menu, available until Sept. 15.
The Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton is at 600 Stockton St.; call 773-6198.
Rose and pate
The Left Bank Brasserie is planning a special event — a rose and pate pairing — from Aug. 15 to 21.
Enjoy an $11 flight of three roses (2-ounce pours); a pate portion will be $8.50, $2.50 for additional slices. Or choose a pairing of the rose flight and one pate for $18 or a full pate selection for $25. Pates and specialty sausages include Pate De Campagne, a rustic country pate, and Saucisson Aux Pistaches, smoked garlic sausage with pistachio.
Left Bank Brasserie is at 507 Magnolia Ave. in Larkspur. Call 927-3331 or go to www.leftbank.com.
Toasting success
Raise a glass to toast Novato's Michael Mina, whose wine team grabbed quite a few 2011 Wine Spectators Awards. Most notable is the highest award, the "Grand Award," given to RN74 in San Francisco; only 74 restaurants in the world received this designation for 2011.
The members of Mina's group also scored an award of excellence and 15 best of award of excellence.
RN74 is at 301 Mission St. in San Francisco. ?Call 543-7474 or go to www.michaelmina.net.
Warm and melty
Just want some good ol' comfort food? Stop by Brick & Bottle for Grilled Cheese Wednesdays.
Each week a grilled cheese sandwich with a different type of cheese will be offered with a cup of soup and either salad or French fries for $15. Aug. 10 features burrata and Aug. 20 features Sonoma white cheddar.
Brick & Bottle is at 55 Tamal Vista Blvd. in Corte Madera. Call 924-3366 or go to www.brickandbottle.com.
Anna Haight is a longtime Marin resident and an even longer foodie who blogs at Anna's Cool Finds, www.annascoolfinds.com. Her bread & butter column appears Wednesdays. Have news about chefs, restaurants and other foodie goodies? Contact her at annahaight@gmail.com or on Twitter at http://twitter.com/annahaight.