SAMMY HAGAR RAISES the bar when it comes to multitasking. The Mill Valley rocker, restaurateur, cookbook author, and spirits merchandiser is a successful business- man in a number of coveted métiers. So when it comes to cooking at home, Hagar likes to keep things low-key and simple. Entertaining? You bet, but as Hagar essen- tially entertains for a living and owns a number of restaurants that can easily host a
party (such as the cozy-elegant El Paseo in Mill Valley), who needs to party big in one’s downtime? When he is home, it’s all about making food for his family and a few friends in his open
kitchen with panoramic views of mountainous bliss. We navigated a vertiginous canyon road
to visit Hagar and his wife, Kari, in their midcentury-modern home perched in the shadow of
Mount Tamalpais, and we concluded that his cookbook pretty much sums up their lifestyle
with its title Are We Having Any Fun Yet? Yes, they are.
MILL VALLEY
SAMMY HAGAR You divide your time between Mill Valley, Cabo and Maui. What distinguishes the
Mill Valley kitchen from the others? For our
Mill Valley kitchen we went all out when we
remodeled it, because it’s our main residence.
That said, we made sure Cabo and Maui both
have very nice kitchens too.
What changes did you make or challenges
did you face when when you renovated the
kitchen? Our house is solid steel-reinforced
concrete, so installing the plumbing for a second sink in the center island was challenging
but worth the mess and the jackhammering.
A center island and work space with an extra
sink is a must in my kitchens.
