Waters Edge
A Luxury Boutique Hotel Just Over the Golden Gate Bridge

By George & Ninette Medovoy, Editors

Somehow the name Shark Point - Punta del Tiburon in Spanish - doesn't quite fit this charming waterfront village, located just a few miles north of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.

We're sure the 8,800 or so residents of Tiburon think of themselves as very lucky, indeed, to be living in a place where you can get up in the morning to wonderful vistas of the Tiburon Hills, Angel Island, San Francisco Bay and the city's skyline itself.

Sharks? What sharks?

That was our thought one recent weekend, newly arrived at the Waters Edge, a comfy boutique hotel built on the town's historic dock.

Mix of East Seaboard and Asian

The hotel's intoxicating mix of Eastern Seaboard architecture, Asian-inspired furnishings - like a stone Buddha head -- and nineteenth-century botanical prints lends these digs a certain sophistication that seems to conceal the village's humble beginnings.

And these are worth noting as you stroll through Main Street's Railroad-Ferry Depot Museum, converted from an earlier, original train depot. (At one time, of course, the only way to get here was by train or the ferry).

Back near the end of the 19th century, railroad tycoon Peter Donahue located a branch of his railroad, the San Francisco and North Pacific, at Punta del Tiburon.

He acquired the very buildings for the village from Sonoma County and then had them transported here by water - including the homes for his railroad employees and a hotel.

(Cozy comfort at the Waters Edge)

We thought about those early days as we walked through the front of
Waters Edge on Main Street, where today bicyclists make their way to and from trails to sample sweeping views of San Francisco Bay from the hills or hike around Old St. Hilary's Church, now an historical site, out beyond Tiburon Blvd.

Once in our second-floor room, we took in the arrivals of the Blue and Gold Ferry, which deposits visitors every 20 minutes - if you choose to come by ferry - from Pier 41 at San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf.

Try the Wood-Burning Fireplace

We promised ourselves to try the wood-burning fireplace that evening, but for now, it was time to visit the village. Some of Main Street's shops could have been imported from Cape Cod, like the charming Westerley Tea & Spice House, or Windsor House Vineyards green-and-mustard tasting room at the end of the street. If you peek inside, the friendly proprietors will entice you in to sample the wine - how could you resist?

The blue façade of Sweden House Café Bakery, where visitors line up in the morning, adds an eclectic flair with its obviously Nordic hints. We walked up Main Street to where it curves around past the Windsor Vineyards tasting room and started up historic Arc Row, a collection of restored arcs, or houseboats, each over 100 years old, which now house shops and galleries under rows of pine trees.

(The waters of San Francisco Bay are never too far away)

In some places, wooden planks have replaced the sidewalks, adding still another flavor of Tiburon's historic side. Across the street, the hillside, overgrown with wild vegetation, holds some of Marin County's prized residences - and harbor views!
Later on, we strolled along the quay.

Dinner at Sam's Anchor Cafe

That night we had dinner at Sam's Anchor Café, which has been a Tiburon institution since 1920. Behind the red neon is a story worth telling. Sam's, with its mahogany tables and crisp white tablecloths, was the creation of Sam Vella, who arrived in the Bay Area in 1913 from the island of Malta.

Vella's mother and father had died, and young Vella went to work on ships plying the trade routes of the Middle East. But in 1913, he boarded a ship for San Francisco and spent the next seven years working in the laundries of the old Palace and St. Frances Hotels. In 1920, after visiting friends in Tiburon, he pitched a tent on Tiburon Beach and began serving breakfast and sandwich lunches to rail yard workers.

Those were the humble beginnings of his famous cafe. By the time of Prohibition, Vella's place on Main Street had become a center of bootlegging activity, with liquor being dropped off from boats on the water's edge behind the café.

During our night at Sam's, the only waterfront activity we could see, in a nighttime sky illuminated by the San Francisco skyline, were several kayakers coming back to shore.

Sam's popular menu has a mix of fish, seafood and meat. The Grilled Porcini Crust Wild Sturgeon with caramelized shallot vinaigrette, baked polenta and winter vegetables was memorable. In the summer, there's plenty of patio seating dockside.

Sam's Famous "Ramos Fiz"

The memories of Prohibition, we found, still linger at Sam's in the "Ramos Fiz," whose ingredients were divulged, so the story goes, in retaliation against the feds.

Here's the recipe, for those of you adventuresome types:
1 ounce of gin
4 ounces of cream
1 ounce of lemon juice
1 ounce of limejuice
1 fresh egg
1 tablespoon of simple syrup
3 to 4 drops of Orange Flower Water
Add to blender and then add a splash of soda and a dash of nutmeg.

Happy hunting!

PLANING YOUR TRIP:
All 23 rooms at Waters Edge include fireplaces, balconies and a complimentary continental breakfast delivered to each guestroom, an evening wine reception, and free parking.

Reservations: 1-877-789-5999, or visit www.marinhotels.com.
If you plan on taking the ferry from San Francisco to Tiburon, call 415-773-1188 or visit www.blueandgoldfleet.com for current information.