Meet Cucina sa’s Donna Seymour
My wife and I spend way too much time at Cucina sa. And now that Donna Seymour just told me about their new happy hour (Tuesday-Friday, 3-5pm), we’ll be at her San Anselmo institution of a restaurant even more. The following is an interview with Seymour:
What do you do?
Live and work in this great community of San Anselmo. I have owned and run Cucina sa for the last 25 years.
Where do you live?
My husband, Jim, and I moved to Sleepy Hollow nine years ago, shared by our collective four kids who come and go, as well as our three cats and two dogs.
How long have you lived in Marin? A quarter of a century!
Where can we find you when not at work?
Hiking the trails in Sleepy Hollow with my two labs, Roscoe and Amos; going to my new wonderful gym, FitLab in Fairfax; and shopping at Anthropologie for new dresses for work.
If you had to convince someone how awesome Marin was, where would you take them?
On a hike from Pantoll down the Matt Davis trail to Stinson Beach, then lunch at any one of several cool outdoor places—Hook Fish in Mill Valley, or Gravity Tavern or Cucina sa on the parklet.
What is one thing Marin is missing?
I’d love some good Chinese food. A dumpling place or real dim sum.
What’s one bit of advice you’d share with your fellow Marinites?
Appreciate the beauty of this special place that we get to live in, and show kindness. Talk to your neighbors, participate in town events, get to know one another.
If you could invite anyone to a special dinner, who would they be?
Any dinner is always more special with dear friends, and of course my awesome husband. Nothing is better than sharing a meal and conversation with those you care about.
What is some advice you wish you knew 20 years ago?
Try to slow down, work a little less, enjoy your time, at every stage in life. And don’t worry what others think of you—it’s a huge waste of time and energy.
What is something that in 20 years from now will seem cringeworthy?
How we are all so tied to our phones. Getting sucked into social media. Put it down and go outside!
Big question. What is one thing you’d do to change the world?
Make all universities free to all students. Period. Everyone deserves the time and space to explore and learn.
Keep up with Seymour at @cucina_sa on Instagram, or better yet, stop in for happy hour!
Nish Nadaraja was on the founding team at Yelp, serves on the San Anselmo Arts Commission and attempts to play pickleball at Fairfax’s Cañon Club.
