• New FOUND locales are coming. We’re seeking contributors based in Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, New Orleans, Hawaii, Barcelona, Rome, Sydney, and Melbourne. A professional writing background isn’t required — mostly, we’re looking for passion about one or more FOUND categories (real estate, restaurants, shopping, culture & leisure, getaway travel & the modern workplace) along with impeccable taste. Is that you, or a friend? Interested candidates, drop us a line at found@itsfound.com and tell us a little about yourself.

• More FOUND Objects are on the way. We’re looking for contributors to write about goods & services that bring them (and their friends) joy — from sunglasses to swimsuits, watches to high-end appliances, and more. Send us your one-sentence pitches at found@itsfound.com.

• We’re seeking a freelance social media manager to give life to FOUND’s accounts on Instagram and potentially other platforms. The ideal candidate has experience managing social for a media brand or creator, is fluent in Canva and/or Illustrator, can adapt newsletter content into sharp, on-brand social posts (feed, stories, reels), and understands and enjoys neighborhood-based storytelling. If you’re interested, please send your portfolio, relevant social handles, and a short note about your availability to found@itsfound.com.

BARS • First Round

Play ball

The Skinny: Under new ownership since last year (but only recently out of soft-opening mode) The Lucky Spot is North Beach’s newest — and thanks to the World Cup, busiest — neighborhood watering hole and sports bar.

WORK • Friday Routine

Three ways

TAIRA KATER • culinary director • Foxtail Catering and Events
Neighborhood you work in: Dogpatch

It’s Friday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
Our kitchen starts humming around 5a for our workplace clients, 20-40 cooks at any given time will start filing in to work for our three brands, Tonic (beverage), Radish (workplace dining), and Foxtail (event catering). The warehouse team will be pulling design, packing trucks, and generally kicking ass. Our office folks; planners, sales and all the others that keep this place moving start coming in around 10a. We span over six warehouses that cover 30 square feet in a great building in Dogpatch that has been a haven for small businesses over the last 50 years.

What’s on the agenda for today?
I touch a lot of things for all three brands, and I’d have a hard time listing just one. Today, I did a tasting for an upcoming wedding with some very specific design requests, including some branded ice cubes. I’m plugging away at orders for next week and thinking about design for December parties, including how to incorporate ice sculptures that don’t melt for our Apres Ski themed events. I also have the very difficult job of tasting some new boozy slushies that Tonic is working on for our new slushie machine!

Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
Between two teenagers and a job that is 24/7, my favorite place is the kitchen table, but I do love a good burger (and some great slushies) and I can always find them at Lovely’s Burgers in Oakland. For this weekend, the plan is to take advantage of the great weather at Bombera — their patio is perfect as are their margaritas, plus the best carrots you’ll ever eat. I’ve been a fan of Dominica Rice-Cisneros since she had her place over at Swan’s Market and will use any excuse to visit her beautiful restaurant.

How about a little leisure or culture?
Leisure for me is a book and a sunny porch. If you can throw in some laughs about nothing with the people I love I have hit the trifecta! If I had more time I’d love to be the creator of my own culture and host a monthly salon where we drink, argue about politics, and eat some great food. Admission fee would be a bag of ice, because it’s the one thing I never seem to be able to supply myself. For pampering, I like to get my hair styled by Muffy at Edo Salon — she’s the best! And I might go browse books at Walden Pond Books, my go-to for the past 25 years.

Any weekend getaways?
In California, you can drive anywhere for an hour or so and be on vacation. My favorite spot is up north around Point Reyes and Tomales Bay. It’s basically in our backyard. Hog Island Oyster Co. is a perfect place to watch the water and enjoy some oysters and wine. LA is also great when a bigger city with a little more chaos is needed; Chainsaw and Holbox are two places on my bucket list.

What was your last great vacation?
I had the opportunity to tag along with my husband last summer to a 16th-century French chateau outside Paris, while he worked a wedding at Chateau des Joncherets. I was cutting branches from old fruit trees for centerpieces, using hand signals to communicate with French caterers and listening to the resident peacock (strangest sound ever) while working remotely. Work and play at the same time, it’s my dream.

Where are you donating your time or money?
I’ve been involved with Foodwise for the last 20 years. It’s a great organization and their yearly event, Sunday Supper, is always something I look forward to contributing my time to.

GETAWAYS LINKS: Boutique airline JSX adding OAK-SMO (Santa Monica) route starting in September • Cathay Pacific‘s luxe, game-changing Aria Suite lands at SFO • Gundlach Bundschu-adjacent winery and tasting room Abbot’s Passage shutters in Glen Ellen• Inside Napa Valley’s newly opened Casa Mani Resort.

REAL ESTATE • On the Market

Three Edwardian-era homes that came to market in San Francisco in the last 30 days.

→ 1180 Florida St (Mission) • 1BR/1BA • 622 SF • Ask: $549K • potential-packed fixer in area zoned for full redevelopment • Days on market: 8 • Agent: Patrick Lam, Century 21.

→ 548 Laidley St (Glen Park) • 3BR/2BA • 1598 SF • Ask: $1.95M • two-level 1908 build w/ Zen garden • Days on market: 8 • Agent: Terry Wright, Compass.

→ 771 Elizabeth St (Noe Valley, above) • 4BR/3.1BA • 2559 SF • Ask: $4.795M • updated 1905 build w/ wall-anchored Windy Chien installation • Days on market: 13 • Agent: Ryan Lenox, Compass.

REAL ESTATE LINKS: The Sunset’s YIMBY roots • Where Bay Area residents would move (if they could) • Amy’s Kitchen owners list Stinson Beach compound for $16M.

GOODS & SERVICES•The Nines

Coffee, trending

The Nines are FOUND’s distilled lists of the best in the Bay Area and surrounds. Paid subscribers have access to the complete Nines archive.

• HI NRG (Richmond), signature drinks from Mexico and Hong Kong, black coffee w/ light roasts from around the world, wine planned for this fall

Read more

• New FOUND locales are coming. We’re seeking contributors based in Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, New Orleans, Hawaii, Barcelona, Rome, Sydney, and Melbourne. A professional writing background isn’t required — mostly, we’re looking for passion about one or more FOUND categories (real estate, restaurants, shopping, culture & leisure, getaway travel & the modern workplace) along with impeccable taste. Is that you, or a friend? Interested candidates, drop us a line at found@itsfound.com and tell us a little about yourself.

• More FOUND Objects are on the way. We’re looking for contributors to write about goods & services that bring them (and their friends) joy — from sunglasses to swimsuits, watches to high-end appliances, and more. Send us your one-sentence pitches at found@itsfound.com.

• We’re seeking a freelance social media manager to give life to FOUND’s accounts on Instagram and potentially other platforms. The ideal candidate has experience managing social for a media brand or creator, is fluent in Canva and/or Illustrator, can adapt newsletter content into sharp, on-brand social posts (feed, stories, reels), and understands and enjoys neighborhood-based storytelling. If you’re interested, please send your portfolio, relevant social handles, and a short note about your availability to found@itsfound.com.

ASK FOUND

Today, three new PROMPTS for which we seek your answers:

• What’s your favorite specialty bookstore in the Bay Area?

• I need a caterer for a casual summer party. Any ideas?

• What Bay Area store or service do you love to recommend?

Hit reply or email found@itsfoundsf.com with more answers or questions.

WORK • Wednesday Routine

Still or sparkling

CAMPER ENGLISH • cocktails & spirits writer/educator • Alcademics
Neighborhood you live in: Mission District

It’s Wednesday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
I lead bottled water tasting classes on Tuesday evenings, so Wednesdays are a bit of cleanup and recycling — we taste around 20 waters, so there are a lot of cups and bottles to deal with. My office is upstairs in the Mechanics’ Institute library building, and the library is my favorite place in all of San Francisco, so I just moved in. And yet: I have my own cocktail book collection up here that’s already a bit much.

What’s on the agenda for today?
I’m a full-time cocktail and spirits writer, but that means I do a lot of other things besides writing. I judged a cognac cocktail competition on Monday and I give bar history tours on Saturdays. Today, though, I’m finishing up articles I’m writing about Chartreuse in martinis, another about clear ice cubes (the thing I am most known for), and I’m really trying to work on a proposal for my next book.

Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
I put all my attention into cocktails. Lately my regular spots have been The Valley Club and (always) Comstock Saloon, but I’ve got bartender friends coming to town, so that means we do the route of True Laurel, Trick Dog, and down to ABV or Dalva, with a meal at Lolo along the way.

How about leisure or culture?
Because I do “fun” stuff for work, I do nerd stuff for fun, like going to lectures at the SF Historical Society, Big Brain events, and Nerd Nite at Rickshaw Stop. That said, my friends have convinced me to go to Horse Meat Disco at the renovated Castro Theatre this weekend. I may stay up past 10p!

Any weekend getaways?
Not in the short term, but I use visiting friends as an excuse to take the ferry over to Jack London Square to hit Heinold’s First and Last Chance Saloon, maybe hit Viridian or Tallboy, and take BART back.

What was your last great vacation?
Every year I go to New Orleans for the Tales of the Cocktail convention. I love the Monteleone Hotel to stay in, and visiting the old bars like Napoleon House and Arnaud’s French 75, but my favorite spot is Beachbum Berry’s Latitude 29 for both food and tropical drinks. Outside of the conference I’ll go to different sets of museums and attractions each year, like the Pharmacy Museum or some sort of history tour. I’ve been meaning to visit the Audubon Insectarium for years now. I’m really getting into bugs lately.

Where are you donating your time or money?
I created CocktailSafe.org to teach bartenders about safer drinks and techniques, and to steer clear of things like nicotine infusions and homemade tonic syrup. It’s bare bones, but full of good info.

WORK LINKS: Amazon Robotics moves HQ to Showplace Square • A guide to Peter Thiel’s Dialog invite list • Why mid-career women are trading corporate jobs for entrepreneurship.

RESTAURANTS • First Word

All claws

The Skinny: After years as a pop-up, Fat Cat Wine Club moved into a brick-and-mortar home in Bernal Heights this spring. In May, another former pop-up joined the business: Vietnamese-leaning pandemic sensation Claws of Mantis, which boosted the space into one of the city’s hottest wine bars.

RESTAURANT LINKS: San Francisco Brewing Co. opens Mission Bay outpost • Bay Area restaurants embrace frozen French fries • Local fermenters cash in on MAHA pickling boom • Trending: pickled beverages.

CULTURE & LEISURE • Lake Minnetonka

• USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina • World Cup, round of 32 • San Francisco Bay Area Stadium (aka Levi’s) (Santa Clara) • Wed @ 5p • Pitchside, $6750 per ($1612 lowest avail)

• Purple Rain • Paramount Theatre (Oakland) • Fri @ 7p • GA, $13 per

• Claypool Gold • Primus, Claypool Lennon Delirium, The Frog Brigade • Meritage Resort and Spa (Napa) • Sat @ 530p • Gold VIP, $136 per

• California Classic • Chase Center (Thrive City) • Sun @ 130p • Courtside, $206 per

CULTURE & LEISURE LINKS: Iconic SF wedding cake topper heads to Smithsonian • Speaking with the director of SF-set sensation Voicemails for Isabelle • Decentered Arts lands permanent home.

GOODS & SERVICES • FOUND Spa

Spa vista

During a late April stay at the Huntington Hotel on Nob Hill, I was struck by how the hotel’s upgraded lobby and rooms felt newly luxurious in a pleasingly understated way, drawing a comparison in my mind with LA’s Sunset Tower, one of my favorite hotels in the world. The Huntington’s restaurant, The Big Four (intel), reopened over just a month at that point, didn’t have an empty seat in the house the two nights I stopped in.

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During a late April stay at the Huntington Hotel on Nob Hill, I was struck by how the hotel’s upgraded lobby and rooms felt newly luxurious in a pleasingly understated way, drawing a comparison in my mind with LA’s Sunset Tower, one of my favorite hotels in the world. The Huntington’s restaurant, The Big Four (intel), reopened over just a month at that point, didn’t have an empty seat in the house the two nights I stopped in.

But what I consider the Huntington’s grandest comeback, I didn’t experience until my final afternoon in town, when I descended a set of stairs from the lobby down into the three-level Nob Hill Spa, which like the hotel and restaurant had been shuttered since the pandemic. I’d last set foot in the spa over a decade ago, but the impact of the stairwell’s intricate mashrabiya screens — slyly revealing the view across the pool atrium to the floor-to-ceiling windows framing the San Francisco skyline — hit me hard: surely, this is one of the great spa settings at any hotel in the country.

Like the rest of the Huntington, the spa’s redesign is the work of ubiquitous interior designer Ken Fulk. I sometimes find Fulk’s work obnoxious, but across this property, he’s shown admirable restraint. The spa, set in brown, beige, and aqua tones, is gorgeous.

I’d booked a 50-minute deep-tissue massage ($257.25 per) the day before, and was led immediately into the treatment room, where my masseuse went right to work. I like a good deep-tissue workup, and received exactly that; massages can be booked for 50, 80, or 110 minutes, depending on the type. Various facials, nail services, and body treatments are also on offer, including the return of the spa’s signature seaweed leaf detox wrap ($367.50 per), not my thing, but perhaps yours?

After the massage, I unwound in the pool atrium, reclining in one of the lounges that flank the room’s small dipping pool, off of which sits an outdoor terrace with another set of lounges grandly overlooking the city. I cycled between the (very pleasingly hot) steam room and sauna in the men’s room several times, returning to my perch in between; at poolside, bites are available from the Big Four along with a menu of tonics and teas. Spa day passes are available Mon-Thu, $125 per.

Shout it from the hilltops: the Nob Hill Spa, like the Huntington Hotel itself, is so very back. –Lockhart Steele

→ Nob Hill Spa (Nob Hill) • 1075 California St • Daily 730a-9p • Book.

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The Skinny: After years as a pop-up, Fat Cat Wine Club moved into a brick-and-mortar home in Bernal Heights this spring. In May, another former pop-up joined the business: Vietnamese-leaning pandemic sensation Claws of Mantis, which boosted the space into one of the city’s hottest wine bars.

The Vibe: A hip and queer spot to be sure, Fat Cat has an easygoing air, with both counter and bar service, extremely friendly staff, on-trend music selections at a fairly low volume, and some quirks like (the night I was there) a vintage stag film of some kind (soft-core) playing on a small vintage television tucked between bottles in the bottle shop area. Also, they’re open on Mondays, so between that and the cult fandom behind Claws founder and former Nari sous chef Kevin Tang, definitely attracting an industry crowd.

The Food: Tang’s California-meets-Vietnam dishes are out of the ordinary and delicious, beginning with a course of warm and crusty Bernal Bakery bread that comes with pickled carrots and kohlrabi, as well as butter that’s been blended with chicken fat, ginger, and scallion to create a deeply flavorful spin on schmaltz. Chicken croquettes come with ginger nuoc cham, calamansi-chili aioli, red mustard greens, and green mango. Beef tartare is dressed with mo hanh aioli, and garnished with fresh cherries, spring onions, cucumbers, and horseradish. While there are heartier plates including steak frites with a bo kho-inspired au poivre sauce, the lighter stuff might be more impressive, like a dish of perfectly cooked black cod in fish-sauce caramel with braised radish tops and Tokyo turnips. (There’s also 10-course, family-style prix fixe, $75 per, on Sundays and Mondays, if you want a full tour of Tang’s food.)

The Drink: Self-taught wine maven Jessica Bell started Fat Cat as a passion project during a pandemic funk, and her love of wine — particularly small-production bottles from under-represented regions and producers — is clear from the moment you start asking about the menu. One night in June featured, in addition to the regular offerings, local winemaker Justin Michelle Trabue of Ward 4 Wines, a Black- and queer woman-owned operation with unique bottles like a dry and floral Muscat from Contra Costa County and a richly savory Barbera from Mendocino. There’s also a selection of vermouth- and wine-based spritzes, and most of the wines are available to-go by the bottle at reasonable prices, many under $50.

The Verdict: Do note that the lighting is on the brighter side, and while you can linger over your wine as long as you like, the food comes out at a brisk, fast-casual pace (read: might not be right for a quiet date). That said, Bernal Heights and the Mission may have an ample share of wine bars these days, but none with quite so distinct of a sensibility, and none with food as good as this. –Jay Barmann

→ Fat Cat Wine Bar/Claws of Mantis (Bernal Heights) • 3215 Mission St • Mon & Thu 5-10p, Fri 5-11p, Sat 3-11p, Sun 3-10p • Walk-ins only.

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CAMPER ENGLISH • cocktails & spirits writer/educator • Alcademics
Neighborhood you live in: Mission District

It’s Wednesday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
I lead bottled water tasting classes on Tuesday evenings, so Wednesdays are a bit of cleanup and recycling — we taste around 20 waters, so there are a lot of cups and bottles to deal with. My office is upstairs in the Mechanics’ Institute library building, and the library is my favorite place in all of San Francisco, so I just moved in. And yet: I have my own cocktail book collection up here that’s already a bit much.

What’s on the agenda for today?
I’m a full-time cocktail and spirits writer, but that means I do a lot of other things besides writing. I judged a cognac cocktail competition on Monday and I give bar history tours on Saturdays. Today, though, I’m finishing up articles I’m writing about Chartreuse in martinis, another about clear ice cubes (the thing I am most known for), and I’m really trying to work on a proposal for my next book.

Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
I put all my attention into cocktails. Lately my regular spots have been The Valley Club and (always) Comstock Saloon, but I’ve got bartender friends coming to town, so that means we do the route of True Laurel, Trick Dog, and down to ABV or Dalva, with a meal at Lolo along the way.

How about leisure or culture?
Because I do “fun” stuff for work, I do nerd stuff for fun, like going to lectures at the SF Historical Society, Big Brain events, and Nerd Nite at Rickshaw Stop. That said, my friends have convinced me to go to Horse Meat Disco at the renovated Castro Theatre this weekend. I may stay up past 10p!

Any weekend getaways?
Not in the short term, but I use visiting friends as an excuse to take the ferry over to Jack London Square to hit Heinold’s First and Last Chance Saloon, maybe hit Viridian or Tallboy, and take BART back.

What was your last great vacation?
Every year I go to New Orleans for the Tales of the Cocktail convention. I love the Monteleone Hotel to stay in, and visiting the old bars like Napoleon House and Arnaud’s French 75, but my favorite spot is Beachbum Berry’s Latitude 29 for both food and tropical drinks. Outside of the conference I’ll go to different sets of museums and attractions each year, like the Pharmacy Museum or some sort of history tour. I’ve been meaning to visit the Audubon Insectarium for years now. I’m really getting into bugs lately.

Where are you donating your time or money?
I created CocktailSafe.org to teach bartenders about safer drinks and techniques, and to steer clear of things like nicotine infusions and homemade tonic syrup. It’s bare bones, but full of good info.

Subscribe now

Three Stinson Beach homes that came to market in the last 30 days.

→ 215 Belvedere Ave (Stinson Beach, above) • 3BR/2.1BA • 1910 SF • Ask: $2.850M • 1939 build along sea-facing ridgeline • Days on market: 17 • Agent: Cristina diGrazia, Golden Gate Sotheby’s.

→ 20 Lincoln Ave (Stinson Beach) • 3BR/2.1BA • 2273 SF • Ask: $3.495M • 1948 build on double lot • Days on market: 29 • Agent: Sherfey Group, Golden Gate Sotheby’s.

→ 131 Dipsea Rd (Stinson Beach) • 3BR/3BA • 1958 SF • Ask: $5.795M • lagoon-side 1975 build w/ newly built deck • Days on market: 6 • Agent: Kathleen Beaver, Coldwell Banker.

WORK • Friday Routine

Glass half full

CLARA SIEG • co-founder & CEO • Loonen
Neighborhood you work & live in: Oakland

It’s Friday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
I’m the co-founder and CEO of Loonen, a water company born from my IVF journey, when I learned how pervasive plastics and endocrine disruptors are and started trying to avoid them. I made simple, foundational swaps around our home, but couldn’t find a bottled water brand I trusted for my family. So we started Loonen: spring-sourced, filtered for purity, balanced minerality, and only ever bottled in glass.

That family foundation shapes how I work. I live in Oakland with a distributed team that is mostly East Coast-based, so my days start early. I’m up at 5a when my husband leaves for the office, which gives me about 2.5 hours before my daughter wakes. It’s a quiet window: it gets me ahead, and it’s a little alone time, which I love and miss these days.

Sometimes an early call gets interrupted by Fiona, my now two-year-old, popping into Zoom. That’s normal here, and it’s our culture. I don’t think work-life balance really exists. Between email, Slack, Zoom, social, texts, there’s no compartmentalizing the two worlds, so we focus on integration instead. Everyone knows my daughter, and if childcare runs late, she’s bopping around with me. That’s okay. It adds humanity and keeps us grounded that there’s something bigger we’re all working for.

What’s on the agenda for today?
We just launched with Sprouts, our first major retailer! It’s a huge milestone, a real chance to get Loonen out there, and a little overwhelming because it’s where we shop, and I’m obsessed with their assortment and I want us to show up perfectly.

From day one we’ve focused on doing things in a very human way. The water category is mostly public-company or PE-owned. That’s not us. We’re a small, mom-founded company trying to do it the right way, even when that’s harder. So we go store to store, supporting teams on the floor and doing demos. I love it, but nearly 500 stores is a lot of legwork. Right now it’s balancing time in market with behind-the-desk work to keep things running smoothly.

Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
Tonight I’m heading to Flour + Water, a foundational, Mecca-level spot. Their margherita pizza is a true litmus test. No fancy toppings to hide behind, just everything executed perfectly. They’re also geniuses at pasta so I always order what’s rotating on the menu, because it’s peak seasonal and creative and grounded in excellent technique.

Other spots I love:

• Mister Jiu’s: the Peking duck.

• Spruce: San Francisco is a very casual town, so I love that Spruce exists as a reason to dress up for a more elevated vibe. We eat at the bar, which has a more casual menu but the same chicness as the rest of the restaurant, and the best dirty martini in town.

• Causwells: a more casual neighborhood spot in the Marina with truly the best burger maybe in America, but definitely in the Bay Area. It’s a double-patty smash burger and it’s transcendent. The special sauce blends with the cheese, there are super thin fried onion strings, and somehow it’s not a greasy gut bomb.

• Motoring Coffee: It’s a cafe and a car club, so when you go in there are rotating vintage cars parked inside. I’m usually a hot-milk-with-a-tablespoon-of-coffee kind of gal, but their coffee is so good that I get an Americano.

• Luke’s Local: yes, it’s a grocery store, lol. But I often call it my favorite restaurant in SF. They have such good, healthy-ish prepared food, and their sandwich menu is unmatched. Order the trippy turkey.

How about a little leisure or culture?
My favorite thing to do on the weekend is go to Tilden Park in Berkeley and hike, then hit up the steam train. It’s truly a treasure of the Bay Area, an actual, little steam train that rides through nature, and everyone who works there is a volunteer and train enthusiast. My husband likes it as much as my two-year-old, which is either an endorsement of the train or a revelation about my husband. After that we’ll go to Saul’s for brunch, a Bay Area institution where the owner, Sam, keeps the menu grounded in Jewish deli tradition. Our usual order is pastrami sandwich, watermelon salad, and corned beef hash.

Any weekend getaways?
Inverness! It’s a little over an hour door-to-door from where we live and feels like a total escape. Barely any cell service, no real commercial area, and a lot of the quirkiness of northern Vermont (where I spent a lot of time growing up, and where we still go when we can manage getting away for a longer stretch). Great hiking, swimming, and any form of paddling or sailing.

• Elk Reserve: at the very end, you can walk literally out to the tip of Inverness. If you go during a bloom it’s even more dramatic, but no matter when you go, you’ll see some majestic elk.

• The Marshall Store: across the bay, you can either boat or drive around and get amazing oysters. Don’t skip the soft serve.

• The Meadery: I can’t really pretend to be an expert on mead, but it’s very good mead and relaxed and beautiful and a great way to spend an afternoon after hiking and paddling.

What was your last great vacation?
We went to Miami over the holidays and through New Year’s, with our daughter and my parents. When I was younger, I thought of Miami as a full party town, but now I’ve discovered farther north and just a quieter, more grounded, restorative side to the city. Mandolin Aegean in the design district is a gem. The food isn’t fussy, just very well done and fresh. It feels like European summer there with a lot of multigenerational families dining together and old to young, which makes a place feel like it has a soul.

What store or service do you always recommend?
As for service, if Etsy counts, I bought a fish rug on there for our family room that is very busy and huge and (you guessed it!) covered in fish. But it’s reflective of our life which is chaotic and busy and doesn’t seem like it should work, but somehow fits together.

As for a store, Graffeo! It’s this very old-school San Francisco coffee roaster and, as their tagline proclaims, simply the best coffee. They’re so quirky: a massive storefront in the heart of the city but no cafe. You can only buy the beans, you can’t actually get a cup of coffee there. Since I mostly work from home, I make my coffee at home, and it’s this little nod to where we live. They slow-roast the beans at a lower temperature for a smoother cup and while I’m definitely not a barista, I love learning the technique and the process behind simple things done really well. We’re similarly maniacal about that at Loonen.

GETAWAYS • Point Reyes

Tomales treat

The Lodge at Marconi sits on 63 acres of state park land above Tomales Bay, about an hour north of San Francisco, right off Highway 1. The setting is Marin County at its most concentrated: the freshest oysters and kayak launches within a short drive, and the national seashore just across the bay.

GOODS & SERVICES • FOUND Beauty

Makeup game

Ciele is an SPF makeup line that actually performs like makeup — no separate sunscreen step, no chalkiness, no white cast, no grease. LA-based makeup artist Nikki DeRoest and beauty industry veteran Cerre Francis launched Ciele in 2023 around the premise of making cosmetics that take sun protection as seriously as skincare. Every product in the line is formulated with broad-spectrum SPF and clean ingredients.

The standout is the Tint & Protect SPF 50+, a skin tint that evens out your complexion without looking like you’re wearing makeup. As someone with sensitive, acne-prone skin who already layers SPF under my makeup, finding a product that seamlessly folds both steps into one without any tradeoff was the kind of thing I immediately needed to tell everyone about. It’s the only complexion product I plan to wear all summer. The blush is worth noting, too, for its SPF in a product that almost never has it. –Loren O’Neill

→ SHOP: Tint & PROTECT SPF 50+ (Ciele Cosmetics) • $44 per.
→ SHOP: Blush & PROTECT SPF 50+ (Ciele Cosmetics) • $34 per.

GOODS & SERVICES • The Nines

Pools & plunges

• Aquatic Park Cove (San Francisco), protected open water swimming year-round for the hardy, with day passes or memberships to Dolphin Club or South End Rowing Club for lockers, showers, saunas, community

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Set sail

Designed by Sausalito modernist architect Don K. Olsen, The Spinnaker would be a show-stopper anywhere, a mid-century masterpiece that manages to evoke both The Jetsons and Miami Vice. But unlike landlocked counterparts like Westlake classic Original Joe’s, this Marin restaurant is perched (maybe a bit precariously?) at the edge of the Bay by a set of sea-worn bolsters, with kayakers, seals, and aquatic birds just feet from its floor-to-ceiling windows.

That’s the close view; in the distance you’ve got the SF skyline, Angel Island, and Alcatraz. It’s a slam dunk for visiting friends and family, a deal made even better by the venue’s abundance of seats and extremely rare waits for a table. The latter can be explained by the restaurant’s proximity just off Sausalito’s main drag. Built in 1960 atop Shell Beach, a prehistoric shell mound leveled into a spit of usable land around the turn of the last century. The restaurant facade, its name written in period script, isn’t visible to the throngs of tourists on the other side of the marina.

Its hidden-in-plain-sightness has made it a favorite with industry professionals and dyed-in-the-wool SF locals, many of whom remember when restaurant co-founder and former state senator J. Eugene McAteer’s namesake San Francisco high school (grads include Sam Rockwell, Aisha Tyler, and Margaret Cho — and, guess what, they’ve all been Spinnaker patrons, too) was still serving students. The school closed in 2003, but McAteer’s restaurant trucks on.

And it does with a menu that feels unchanged from the day McAteer and partner Bill McDonnell opened the spot, a throughline ensured by Bill’s son, Tim, who runs it today. Open for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch, we’re talking crab cakes, Shrimp Louis, and a respectable seafood grill, or a NY steak and lobster combo that — at market price — offers the classic Bay Area experience of jaw-dropping sticker shock.

The best nights at the Spinnaker are the ones that begin right before sunset, with a martini or bubbles (many on the decent wine list available by the glass) and a range of starters. The shrimp and prawn cocktails are always fresh and bracing, as are the oysters, served with a nice mignonette. Seared scallops and mussels, prepared with heirloom tomatoes and leeks, also satisfy, while roasted whole artichoke and its lemon aioli are a pleasant diversion. As you pick at shells and leaves, the sun will drop, the Bay will glow, and the night shift — herons, seagulls, maybe an otter — will roll by. In an ever-changing region, a place that remains the same, right down to its cast of wildlife regulars, can be a sweet comfort, indeed. –Eve Batey

→ The Spinnaker (Sausalito) • 100 Spinnaker Dr • Sun-Thu 11a-9p, Fri-Sat 11a-10p • Reserve.

GETAWAYS • The Nines

Hotel pools, wine country

• Auberge du Soleil (Rutherford), Provence-meets-Italy color palette, views of endless greenery, vintage fountain, intel, book

GOODS & SERVICES • FOUND Objects

Elevated water accessories, 3 ways

ON THE WATER: Boat days are fun, in theory. And for those who are simply guests on a seaworthy vessel, perhaps in practice, too. But, for the host, they can be chaotic and stressful. Yes, there are the practical elements: Do we have enough gas? Are we stocked with life vests? But then there are the essentials: Do we have enough snacks and drinks packed in appropriate containers? Junedays (above) makes coolers for life on the water, helping take some of the work out of pre-voyage planning.

Unlike traditional, popular coolers, which are hard, bulky and heavy, Junedays’ water-repellent and lightweight coolers are designed with lugging in mind: up and down a dock, back and forth from the beach, to and from a park picnic. They’re also made with food-grade material and feature a modular storage system, so lots of different snacks and sodas fit in separate compartments, all in one cold bag. I’m a particular fan of the Winnie 2 Bottle Wine Cooler, which I pack with a bottle of bubbles and plenty of cups. It’s water days made easy.

→ SHOP: Winnie 2 Bottle Wine Cooler (Junedays) • from $34.

MAKE IT SPARKLE: Many people stock their wedding registry with high-thread-count sheets and Ginori 1735 china sets, but when I got married, all I wanted was the Aarke Carbonator 3. Having lived many years with a hand-me-down SodaStream, I was ready for an upgrade from this Swedish home brand that defines elevated essentials, transforming mundane moments around the house (like carbonating water) via eye-catching sleek accessories.

I’m not sure I can say with full confidence the Carbonator’s (very fizzy) bubbles are any fizzier than my previous machine, but the bubbles was never the issue — it was the ugly, plastic office-looking device that had to sit on my counter. Aarke’s models are composed of stainless steel and in addition to plastic bottles, they also sell stainless steel and (for other models) glass water vessels. As soon as my Aarke arrived, I happily put my Sodastream on the Brooklyn stoop — still totally usable for someone who was blissfully unaware of this superior option they could display with pride on their kitchen counter.

→ SHOP: Carbonator 3 Kit Stainless Steel (Aarke) • $220.

COME FLOAT AWAY: As the saying on the needlepoint pillow says: “Any day on the water is a good day.” But it’s an even better day with the right pool float. In the category of elevated pool floats, the Frontgate Lazy Day Pool Seat reigns supreme. Shaped like a classic chair, legs dangle freely in the water, while bottoms are fully submerged, torso and arms completely free to hold drinks or books. The floats are insanely durable, capable of surviving summers going from pool to ocean and back again. They’re the buoyant upgrade to those plasticky Amazon-specials currently deflating in your pool. –Sylvie Florman

→ SHOP: Lazy Day Pool Seat (Frontgate) • from $77.

GOODS & SERVICES • FOUND Beauty

Sun’s harvest

Botnia is the only skincare brand on the shelves of me, my mom, and my sister, three different cities, climates, and skin types between us. So when the cult-favorite brand out of Sausalito finally launched its Gentle Sun Cream SPF 30, I took note. A recent visit to their lab and microfarm confirmed it was worth the wait.

Everything at Botnia happens in-house, from raw material production to testing to shipping, and Botnia publishes its batch records online, following European manufacturing standards by choice. A few blocks inland from HQ, Botnia’s founder Justine Kahn tends a four-season microfarm abuzz, at this time of year, with California poppy, sage, calendula, rose geranium, witch hazel, yarrow, and lavender. It’s the sole source for the hydrosols in Botnia’s products, supplemented by partnerships with other local farms.

Those same hydrosols, calendula and rose geranium, show up in the new sunscreen, alongside 18% zinc oxide for broad-spectrum protection and jojoba, raspberry seed, and sea buckthorn oils to nourish and reinforce the skin barrier. Astaxanthin, an algae-derived antioxidant, helps the zinc blend naturally, so there’s no white cast typical of mineral sunscreens. I put the Sun Cream to the test in a week-long road trip up Highway 1 right after my visit, reapplying the silky, scentless, and never-greasy cream between beachcombing and coastal hiking.

I wear sunscreen year round, yet I’d never landed one I felt loyal to. Knowing exactly where Botnia’s Sun Cream comes from makes me think that — for me, and my family — a new staple has entered the routine. –Ilana Curtis

→ Shop: Botnia Gentle Sun Cream SPF 30 • $68 for 50 ML.

WORK • Wednesday Routine

Ocean action

ANNE PARK • CEO • Sustainable Ocean Alliance
Neighborhood you live & work in: El Cerrito

It’s Wednesday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
My days start at sunrise with a cup of Earl Grey tea and a few quiet moments to journal or jot down thoughts, before launching into a marathon of calls with partners, investors, entrepreneurs, and my team at Sustainable Ocean Alliance (SOA). Lately, we’ve been busy closing our latest ocean investment in Dispurse Bio and launching our Ocean Leaders Fellowship. A lot of my time is spent helping identify and support extraordinary entrepreneurs and young leaders working to solve some of the ocean’s biggest challenges.

What I love most about our work is the thoughtfulness behind it. Whether we’re evaluating a potential investment or selecting a new fellowship cohort, we spend a lot of time asking hard questions about impact, scale, and what it’ll take to create meaningful change. SOA is a fully remote organization, so my colleagues are spread across the globe, from the Philippines to Paris.

Living in the East Bay, I’m fortunate to have a desk that looks out toward the Bay. Between calls, I often find myself staring at the water, imagining the whales and sharks moving through it, and wondering whether my grandchildren will have the chance to do the same someday.

What’s on the agenda for today?
My job is ultimately about helping people understand that a healthy ocean is essential to a healthy future. Today’s a mix of meetings with philanthropists, investors, and entrepreneurs, all centered around one question: how do we accelerate solutions at the scale and speed this moment requires? While the challenges facing our ocean can feel daunting, what keeps me motivated is that many of them are still reversible — if we act now. Helping catalyze that action is what I’ve dedicated my career to.

Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
We’re incredibly fortunate in the Bay Area to have access to such amazing local produce and thoughtfully-sourced food. My current favorite lunch spot is Kitava. I love their focus on healthy, consciously sourced ingredients, and somehow everything on the menu manages to be both nourishing and delicious. It’s become my go-to when I need a quick reset between meetings.

Banter is my favorite wine bar to catch up with friends and bump into community members. It is El Cerrito’s best kept secret.

How about leisure or culture?
With summer upon us, you’ll often find my family and me at the Redwood Grove Concert Series at the UC Botanical Garden in Berkeley. The setting is magical: towering redwoods, great music, a wonderful community atmosphere. We also love catching shows at the Greek Theatre for date nights. There’s something special about live music outdoors on a warm summer evening.

Any weekend getaways?
We’re a family of weekend warriors. Hiking, biking, camping, sailing, if it gets us outside, we’re in. We just returned from our annual camping trip to Salt Point State Park with a group of close friends. We spend our days walking the coastal bluffs, admiring wildflowers, exploring tide pools, and building elaborate sandcastles on the beach. It’s simple, beautiful, and one of our favorite family traditions.

One of the highlights of every trip is stopping at Café Aquatica in Jenner on our way home. It’s become a ritual. We grab a table overlooking the water, listen to some live music, and enjoy whatever seasonal dishes are on the menu that day. There’s something about lingering over a great meal after a weekend outdoors that helps us hold onto that vacation feeling just a little longer. If we’re not quite ready to head home, we’ll sometimes go out of our way to stop at Heath Ceramics to check out their gorgeous wares and Fish in Sausalito for sustainably caught seafood before making our way back to the East Bay.

What was your last great vacation?
My last truly memorable vacation was a girls’ trip to San Miguel de Allende with my best friend, and it completely captured my heart. Every corner felt like a postcard. One of our favorite spots was Zumo Rooftop Bar, where we’d settle in with a cocktail and watch the sun set over the city as the pink spires of Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel glowed in the evening light.

As someone who travels frequently for work, I especially appreciated having the chance to slow down, explore without an agenda, and simply soak in the atmosphere. San Miguel is one of those rare places that leaves you feeling both energized and reflective. I came home inspired, already thinking about when I could return.

RESTAURANTS • The Nines

Restaurants, waterfront

• Greens (Fort Mason), enticing vegetarian dishes like mesquite grilled jerk tofu w/ veggies from local farms, vegan and gluten-free options, reserve

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At your own pace

One long coastal weekend at a time

Carmel-by-the-Sea is one square mile with no chain restaurants, no parking meters, and no real reason to rush. Mornings belong to scenic trails, dog-friendly beaches, and courtyard coffeehouses. Carmel has quietly transformed into a wellness retreat, too, with fitness studios and spas woven into the community. By night, the town settles into its favorite rituals: long, lingering dinners, performances at the acclaimed Sunset Center, beachside firepits. The best plans here tend to be the ones you don’t make.

→ Book a trip: Carmel-by-the-Sea. [spon]

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As the weather heats up in Napa, thoughts turn to a weekend getaway at Carneros Resort and Spa, which boasts a recently expanded pool, and a lineup of upgraded amenities.

Read more

MELISSA PERFIT • executive chef • Equal Parts
Neighborhood you work in: North Beach

It’s Wednesday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
The usual morning scene during the weekdays in the kitchen at Equal Parts is centered on prep for dinner service and the week in general. We have 2-3 prep cooks following a prep list that either my sous chef or I write for them the night before. They’ve worked for me at previous restaurants, and I’m lucky to have them working with me again here at Equal Parts.

What’s on the agenda for today?
Once I get to work, I usually check in with the lead prep cook to see if he needs anything, has any questions, or if there were any problems with the orders. Next on the agenda is organizing the walk-in if needed, followed by general daily organization. I double-check the reservations for the day, check on any new parties, and review the menus to make sure we’re set up and ready to go. At 3p, the morning cooks leave for their night jobs, and the night cooks arrive after their morning jobs elsewhere. These cooks work so hard! After that, stations are set up, breaks are taken, I touch base with front-of-house to address any questions, and then, we’re ready to go!

Right now, I’m excited about a seasonal dish that’s about to hit the menu, a pluot and Early Girl tomato salad with a vegan miso bagna cauda, finished with black and white sesame seeds. Simple, but so delicious.

Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
Working so much in the first year of this new restaurant makes me happy to cook dinner at home and relax on the couch. But I did go to Hog Island at the Ferry Building for a late lunch yesterday, and it was great as always. My favorite restaurant in the city is Rintaro (a very common answer for most chefs, I’m told!) and I like to go there whenever I want to treat myself. The environment is fun and relaxed, while the food is always on point and completely different from anything I make.

How about a little leisure or culture?
When I can, I like taking quick overnight trips up to Guerneville and staying at the relaxed motel resort R3. Anytime I have the opportunity to get to a pool or other body of water, I’ll make it happen! This might be the Florida in me that I’ll never shake.

Any weekend getaways?
For a day trip I like to drive up to Tomales Bay and go to The Marshall Store for lunch. I worked with the owner, Shannon Gregory, years ago at Hog Island.

What was your last great vacation?
A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to go to Japan (above) to tour historic sake breweries in Fukuoka Prefecture — like Kitaya and Oga Shuzo — to see firsthand how sake is made. From washing the rice to fermentation, and finally, the finished product, it was one of the most amazing things to learn about and see up close. After that, I went to Tokyo for a few days. I wish I could’ve stayed longer, but I’ll never forget that trip!

What store or service do you always recommend?
I always recommend my chiropractor to people, probably too much because now it’s impossible to get an appointment! I’ve been going to Dr. Taylor Rabbetz, at Rabbetz Sports Chiropractic for 20 years, mostly to keep me healthy and on my feet since the long hours make it hard for me to take care of my body sometimes. He’s also helped me heal from multiple injuries.

Where are you donating your time or money?
I’m taking part in an auction for a private chef experience through North Beach Citizens. It’s a resource center for unhoused and extremely low-income people to help rebuild their lives and reconnect with their community. Equal Parts is also partnering with Up Hill Climb to donate to the Kilimanjaro Orphanage Center to feed the entire center every Monday, for an entire year.

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Divvy up

MELISSA PERFIT • executive chef • Equal Parts
Neighborhood you work in: North Beach

It’s Wednesday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
The usual morning scene during the weekdays in the kitchen at Equal Parts is centered on prep for dinner service and the week in general. We have 2-3 prep cooks following a prep list that either my sous chef or I write for them the night before. They’ve worked for me at previous restaurants, and I’m lucky to have them working with me again here at Equal Parts.

What’s on the agenda for today?
Once I get to work, I usually check in with the lead prep cook to see if he needs anything, has any questions, or if there were any problems with the orders. Next on the agenda is organizing the walk-in if needed, followed by general daily organization. I double-check the reservations for the day, check on any new parties, and review the menus to make sure we’re set up and ready to go. At 3p, the morning cooks leave for their night jobs, and the night cooks arrive after their morning jobs elsewhere. These cooks work so hard! After that, stations are set up, breaks are taken, I touch base with front-of-house to address any questions, and then, we’re ready to go!

Right now, I’m excited about a seasonal dish that’s about to hit the menu, a pluot and Early Girl tomato salad with a vegan miso bagna cauda, finished with black and white sesame seeds. Simple, but so delicious.

Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
Working so much in the first year of this new restaurant makes me happy to cook dinner at home and relax on the couch. But I did go to Hog Island at the Ferry Building for a late lunch yesterday, and it was great as always. My favorite restaurant in the city is Rintaro (a very common answer for most chefs, I’m told!) and I like to go there whenever I want to treat myself. The environment is fun and relaxed, while the food is always on point and completely different from anything I make.

How about a little leisure or culture?
When I can, I like taking quick overnight trips up to Guerneville and staying at the relaxed motel resort R3. Anytime I have the opportunity to get to a pool or other body of water, I’ll make it happen! This might be the Florida in me that I’ll never shake.

Any weekend getaways?
For a day trip I like to drive up to Tomales Bay and go to The Marshall Store for lunch. I worked with the owner, Shannon Gregory, years ago at Hog Island.

What was your last great vacation?
A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to go to Japan (above) to tour historic sake breweries in Fukuoka Prefecture — like Kitaya and Oga Shuzo — to see firsthand how sake is made. From washing the rice to fermentation, and finally, the finished product, it was one of the most amazing things to learn about and see up close. After that, I went to Tokyo for a few days. I wish I could’ve stayed longer, but I’ll never forget that trip!

What store or service do you always recommend?
I always recommend my chiropractor to people, probably too much because now it’s impossible to get an appointment! I’ve been going to Dr. Taylor Rabbetz, at Rabbetz Sports Chiropractic for 20 years, mostly to keep me healthy and on my feet since the long hours make it hard for me to take care of my body sometimes. He’s also helped me heal from multiple injuries.

Where are you donating your time or money?
I’m taking part in an auction for a private chef experience through North Beach Citizens. It’s a resource center for unhoused and extremely low-income people to help rebuild their lives and reconnect with their community. Equal Parts is also partnering with Up Hill Climb to donate to the Kilimanjaro Orphanage Center to feed the entire center every Monday, for an entire year.

GOODS & SERVICES • FOUND Sponsor

Summer is here! Meet NatureWind Studio

Bring the soft natural breeze indoors without opening a window.

NatureWind Studio by BALMUDA uses patented dual-blade technology to recreate gentle airflow found in nature.

Soft, comfortable, and remarkably quiet, it delivers refreshing air while operating at sound levels as low as 9 dB. Designed and made in Japan, it combines thoughtful engineering with a deep appreciation for everyday comfort.

Whether you’re sleeping, working, or simply enjoying a slower summer day, NatureWind Studio helps create a calmer, more comfortable home inspired by the outdoors.

→ Learn more [spon]

REAL ESTATE • On the Market

Three homes with city views that came to market in San Francisco in the last 30 days.

→ 55 Coleridge St (Bernal Heights, above) • 4BR/1BA • 2420 SF • Ask: $1.759M • 1908 build w/ legal studio and Sutro Tower view • Days on market: 6 • Agent: Jeffrey Salgado, Compass.

→ 239 Princeton St (University Mound) • 3BR/2.1BA • 2802 SF • Ask: $1.449M • MCM classic on cul-de-sac, Dogpatch view • Days on market: 7 • Agent: Kevin Wakelin, Compass.

→ 2833 Vallejo St (Pacific Heights) • 5BR/6.1BA • 6175 SF • Ask: $19.9M • glass-fronted modern build w/ elevator, roof deck, Marina view • Days on market: 6 • Agent: Nina Hatvany, Compass.

REAL ESTATE LINKS: Alamo Square home trades for $9.125M, setting new record • Massive mixed-use development planned at Bernal Heights Safeway site • Can you really buy a house with AI stock?

FOUND FRIENDS • Broke-Ass Stuart

RAD DEALS AT 50+ SF RESTAURANTS: The Delicious Card is here! Discover new eateries and get awesome discounts for visiting your favorite restaurants in San Francisco. New deal-drops and locations every month, all locally owned and loved eateries across San Francisco, $750 worth of savings while discovering amazing spots all around SF. Support independent journalism and small businesses while feeding your face. Sign-up at Broke-Ass Stuart.

GETAWAYS • Napa

Cottage core

As the weather heats up in Napa, thoughts turn to a weekend getaway at Carneros Resort and Spa, which boasts a recently expanded pool, and a lineup of upgraded amenities.

The property’s 100 private cottages, family suites, and residences are arranged across 28 acres, grouped into secluded neighborhoods named after local flora and fauna indigenous to the region (juniper, fig, lavender). Front porches with rocking chairs give the resort a distinct, small-town charm, but inside each cottage you’ll find not-so-small-town features: Heated bathroom floors, and floor-to-ceiling bifold glass doors that open onto private backyards with fire pits and outdoor showers.

As temperatures drop with the sun, request an intimate fireside booth at the FARM restaurant, which last month welcomed Franco Fugel (Per Se, PRESS) as its new executive chef. His arrival has prompted a slight shift in its Italian-inspired menu, including a new tagliatelle with Dungeness crab and Fresno chili, and a blackberry mousse cake with corn ice cream. After dinner, take a snifter of single-malt scotch or cognac to the heated patio, where live music plays five nights a week.

The resort’s adults-only heated pool and infinity-edged hilltop-perched hot tub (above) have some of the better views in Wine Country. The spa, which features 10 treatment rooms reserved exclusively for resort guests, was also revamped in 2024, and just might be worth the visit. –Allison McCarthy

→ Carneros Resort and Spa (Napa, CA) • 4048 Sonoma Hwy • Rooms from $1669/June wknd night.

CULTURE & LEISURE • The Nines

Music venues, outdoors

The Nines are FOUND’s distilled lists of the best in the Bay Area and surrounds. Paid subscribers have access to the complete Nines archive.

• Stern Grove (Parkside), free summer Sunday festival concerts in lovely eucalyptus grove for 87 years

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→ 55 Coleridge St (Bernal Heights, above) • 4BR/1BA • 2420 SF • Ask: $1.759M • 1908 build w/ legal studio and Sutro Tower view • Days on market: 6 • Agent: Jeffrey Salgado, Compass.

→ 239 Princeton St (University Mound) • 3BR/2.1BA • 2802 SF • Ask: $1.449M • MCM classic on cul-de-sac, Dogpatch view • Days on market: 7 • Agent: Kevin Wakelin, Compass.

→ 2833 Vallejo St (Pacific Heights) • 5BR/6.1BA • 6175 SF • Ask: $19.9M • glass-fronted modern build w/ elevator, roof deck, Marina view • Days on market: 6 • Agent: Nina Hatvany, Compass.

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Today, three new PROMPTS for which we seek your answers:

• What’s your favorite specialty bookstore in the Bay Area?

• I need a caterer for a casual summer party. Any ideas?

• What Bay Area store or service do you love to recommend?

Hit reply or email found@itsfoundsf.com with more answers or questions.

GOODS & SERVICES • FOUND Sponsor

Summer is here! Meet NatureWind Studio

Bring the soft natural breeze indoors without opening a window.

NatureWind Studio by BALMUDA uses patented dual-blade technology to recreate gentle airflow found in nature.

Soft, comfortable, and remarkably quiet, it delivers refreshing air while operating at sound levels as low as 9 dB. Designed and made in Japan, it combines thoughtful engineering with a deep appreciation for everyday comfort.

Whether you’re sleeping, working, or simply enjoying a slower summer day, NatureWind Studio helps create a calmer, more comfortable home inspired by the outdoors.

→ Learn more [spon]

WORK LINKS: AI boom bumps local execs to billionaires list • Tech workers turn to religion • Escaping a career rut • It’s still a good time to be a lawyer • RTO has stalled out • Hybrid work makes employees happier, fully remote lonelier.

RESTAURANTS • First Word

Any port

The Skinny: The closure in January of Squat and Gobble — arguably the most popular brunch and lunch spot in West Portal for the last 32 years — left a void in the sleepy neighborhood. Five months later, Tur swung open in its place: a restaurant with similar daytime service hours to S&G, but a decidedly different menu. Instead of the standard scrambles, Tur’s menu features breakfast and lunch offerings inspired by what owners Arkaranit Dusitnitsakul and Wipada Rattanapun enjoyed as kids in Thailand. Is the change-averse neighborhood ready for seven kinds of jook at 8a?

CULTURE & LEISURE • Wolf Out

• Valkyries v Lynx • Chase Center (Thrive City) • Fri @ 7p • R17, A1, $383 per

• Shakira • Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour • SAP Center (San Jose) • Sat @ 730p • FLR2, Row 33, $315 per

• Gaffigan Conducts Beethoven 9 • Davies Symphony Hall (Civic Center) • Sun @ 2p • Tier 2, $139 per

CULTURE & LEISURE LINKS: Powell Street adding illuminated art installations • Bay Area students create alternate vuvuzela • SF World Cup watch parties abound.

GOODS & SERVICES • FOUND Shop

Open sesame

Watercolorist Sophie Tivona’s eponymous boutique is just around the corner from Oakland’s buzzy Poppy Bagels, a proximity that led to one of the shop’s most intriguing partnerships.

RESTAURANTS • The Nines

Dining, Embarcadero

FOUND’s 9 favorite restaurants in the neighborhood. Paid subscribers can access all of our neighborhood Nines.

• Coqueta (Pier 5), the late Michael Chiarello’s Spanish dining experience carries on w/ tapas, pintxos, wood-grilled meats, reserve

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A mix of vintage goods, Oaxacan tiles, and feminist books, the Temescal Alley store is presided over by its owner, a former Waterbar server who ended up designing some of the San Francisco restaurant’s special menus, if you’re wondering why those oysters and anchovies look so mesmerizing. Here, you’ll find her behind the counter, perched on a stool as she explains the provenance of her goods.

Tivona takes inspiration from the natural world, and her shelves are filled with watercolors of leaves, flowers, and birds, available as cards, prints, and more. Art depicting seasonal produce is always a bestseller, including prints of local citrus, figs, and persimmons. Tivona also leads classes at her Oakland space and at other locations; while she declines children’s birthday parties, participants over 10 are welcome.

Lately, she’s working with Poppy Bagels, with which she’s created a complete set of bagel cards ($32 per), consisting of two sesame bagels, two poppy bagels, one lox, and one veggie card. The cards are sold only by the set, so don’t show up seeking singles — like a visit to Poppy near closing time, you’ll leave empty-handed. –Becky Duffett

→ Sophie Tivona Paper (Oakland) • 470 49th St • Wed-Fri 12-5p, Sat-Sun 10a-5p.

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The Skinny: The closure in January of Squat and Gobble — arguably the most popular brunch and lunch spot in West Portal for the last 32 years — left a void in the sleepy neighborhood. Five months later, Tur swung open in its place: a restaurant with similar daytime service hours to S&G, but a decidedly different menu. Instead of the standard scrambles, Tur’s menu features breakfast and lunch offerings inspired by what owners Arkaranit Dusitnitsakul and Wipada Rattanapun enjoyed as kids in Thailand. Is the change-averse neighborhood ready for seven kinds of jook at 8a?

The Vibe: If Dusitnitsakul and Rattanapun were “outsiders” (that’s what West Portal folks call the rest of us, don’t shoot the messenger) the answer to the above question might be “no.” But the couple opened Khao Tiew in 2024, a dinner spot that amassed raves as one of the city’s best Thai restaurants, while still managing to prioritize regulars and locals. That banked goodwill spurred the area’s crew of comfortable, older residents to pack Tur since it opened mid-May, thrilled that a walking-distance weekday breakfast is back. And the space is definitely spiffed up since S&G departed, now freshly white, wicker, and wood. It’s an airy, unpretentious upgrade.

The Food: Chef Varunthorn Ratanakachain developed brunch creds after five years at Saratoga’s Asian brunch spot Darla Café, experience showing in a menu that’s compact while still hitting all the most crucial sweet and savory daytime dining notes. Honey walnut shrimp and waffles, served with honey sauce, tobiko, and lemon is a smart twist on the fried classic, while the congee offerings feel a natural fit for the first meal of the day. For lunch, seek out the Caribbean pasta, made with squid-ink spaghetti and dried chiles; it’s savory, and just acidic enough.

The Drink: Coffee is made with Counter Culture beans, and drinks go beyond the usual espresso or latte. The Talay is a whole production: butterfly pea tea and coconut milk with a shot of espresso added as part of the show. There’s also a short list of local beers on draft, pandan milk (on the menu, called Not A Matcha) and freshly squeezed orange juice.

The Verdict: In other hands, a lot of Tur’s menu could feel gimmicky, but the combination of Dusitnitsakul, Rattanapun, and Ratanakachain give its offerings a level of accessible (and inspiring) ease. A good weekday breakfast is hard enough to find in San Francisco, a great one even harder, so what a joy to have Tur fill that gap. And if you decide to go on the weekend, there will be an imposing line, but the wait will be worth it. –Eve Batey

→ Tur (West Portal) • 1 West Portal Ave • Wed-Mon 8a-2p • Walk-ins only.

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WORK • Friday Routine

Wild west

XANDER SOREN • owner • Xander Soren Wines
Neighborhood you live in: Design District

It’s Friday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
I can do all my office work at home, or on the go, so it all depends on where we are in the season and winemaking cycle. I wear a lot of hats, so it could be creative work, administrative, customer service, sales/distribution, or winemaking planning. My favorite activity is going into the cellar with my winemaker, Shalini Sekhar, checking in on how various barrels are tasting, and doing blending trials.

What’s on the agenda for today?
We’re coming off the Memorial Day holiday weekend, and my morning inbox greeted me with new wine orders from some of my favorite San Francisco restaurants that are adding some of our new spring releases to their menus, so that’s great news!

Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
As much as I go to Japan, I still love to eat Japanese food in San Francisco, and plan to hit Bar Shoji (from the same team as Shota) tonight. It’s elevated izakaya fare and I think the food and cocktails are so good, and it’s fun, lively — kind of like similar places in Tokyo. The aged sashimi, tebasaki (Nagoya-style chicken wings) and Shoji Burger are my go-tos.

Of course there are many other cuisines I love, and the pinsa at Montesacro in SoMa is a favorite! I also always order either the radicchio or Brussels sprouts and kale salads. For a special occasion or celebration, I love the chef’s counter at Birdsong, it’s just really great food and vibes.

How about a little leisure or culture?
I’ve been so busy with the launch of the new wines I’ve had little time to do much else this year, but late last year some friends and I had a blast seeing Fred Armisen on his tour. A few weeks prior, I attended a fundraiser Armisen was a part of by Musack that aims to connect children in need with musical instruments, and what a lineup they had! Jack Black, Margaret Cho, Lisa Loeb, Thomas Lennon, and The Go-Go’s.

Speaking of The Go-Go’s, I’m participating in a fun upcoming panel for the California Wine Institute at Little Saint in Healdsburg, covering music, wine, and innovation and community. Other guests include my friend Jane Wiedlin, who happens to be the guitarist of The Go-Go’s.

What was your last great vacation?
One of the benefits of working in wine is that I’m able to blend my work trips with vacation time, and whenever I visit Japan I always try to carve out extra days to travel around the country and explore new places. My last trip there this spring was especially memorable because it coincided with the 50th anniversary celebrations surrounding the historic Judgment of Paris. My importer also represents Chateau Montelena, so I had the chance to spend several days in Tokyo and Osaka with the legendary Bo Barrett, celebrating the legacy of those iconic wines and their place in California wine history.

When I’m in Tokyo, I always love staying at the Park Hyatt Tokyo, which recently reopened after an extensive remodel. There’s something incredibly calming about it: the understated elegance, the quiet sense of luxury, and the incredible views over the city, and the feeling of being tucked away above the energy of Shinjuku. I also have a soft spot for the Hotel Okura. The history, mid-century Japanese design, impeccable service, and serene atmosphere make it feel timeless.

Tokyo also never runs short on amazing meals. One favorite I always return to is Ginza Karin, an upscale izakaya in Ginza owned and operated by chef Yuka Nakamura. She and her team prepare an incredible variety of Japanese dishes designed to be enjoyed alongside great drinks, and the whole experience feels warm, lively, and welcoming. The food is outstanding, the energy is fun, and if you stay late enough, there’s a good chance the evening will end with karaoke!

What store or service do you always recommend?
My friends who visit wine country always ask for great places to visit for wine tastings. I have a handful of my favorite wineries and tasting rooms that I like to share, but my number one pick is the wine bar Maison Healdsburg. It’s run by Evan and Jade Hufford, the team who helped launch SingleThread in its inaugural years. They offer amazing local selections, alongside wines from around the world, and also lots of educational and fun tasting experiences, casual chef pop ups, and rotating wines by the glass. And they’ve built an amazing community, as it’s a frequent stop by local winemakers, wine fans, and restaurant industry workers who stop by after their work shifts to end their day with a great drink.

Where are you donating your time or money?
One of my annual contributions is to WAM (Women’s Audio Mission), which I learned about during my career at Apple. They help train and provide job placement for young women who want to learn music production and audio engineering, a space that has been historically underrepresented. One of our team’s goals in creating technology like GarageBand was to help democratize music creation and allow more people to be hands-on with the technology themselves, and bring it into reach for everyone (in an industry that used to be very technical, geeky, and expensive to enter).

REAL ESTATE • On the Market

Three homes with multiple parking spots that came to market in San Francisco in the last 30 days.

→ 349 3rd Ave (Inner Richmond) • 4BR/1.1BA • 1884 SF • Ask: $1.495M • 1900 build w/ demo permit and 3-condo plan • Days on market: 7 • Agent: Jason Chan, BarbCo.

→ 29 Joy St (Bernal Heights, above) • 3BR/3.1BA • 2455 SF • Ask: $2.495M • rare modern build w/ 3 levels, sweeping views • Days on market: 10 • Agent: Rohin Dhar, City Real Estate.

→ 37 Calhoun Ter (Telegraph Hill) • 3BR/3BA • 2260 SF • Ask: $6.25M • rare cul-de-sac offering in SF’s most-coveted neighborhood • Days on market: 5 • Agent: Gregg Lynn, Sotheby’s.

REAL ESTATE LINKS: How the AI goldrush is impacting SF residential sales • SF’s rent boom spreads to other parts of the Bay Area • SF city government signs largest lease yet in Mid-Market.

RESTAURANTS • First Word

Golden brown

The Skinny: To clear up any confusion, a mallard is a breed of duck, while the Maillard reaction is the scientific process for browning food (say it fancy, it was discovered by a French chemist). So despite the cute duck logo, Maillards Smash Burgers was named after the latter, in honor of what makes their burgers so delicious. They’ve been popping up at the Outer Sunset Farmers Market and Heritage Restaurant & Bar since 2023, at the forefront of SF’s smashburger obsession. Now they have a permanent spot in the Outer Sunset outpost of Two Pitchers Brewing, which opened in April.

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The Nines are FOUND’s distilled lists of the best in the Bay Area and surrounds. Paid subscribers have access to the complete Nines archive.

• The Nobo (Presidio Heights), IRL pop-up of online luxury resale platform, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Maison Margiela, Nobo bucks ‘barter’ option gives instant purchase power

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There’s no shortage of boutique luxury hotels and charming bed-and-breakfasts in bustling Monterey, but about 10 minutes north on Highway 1, in the tiny town of Marina, an unexpected treat awaits. Nestled among 19 acres of pristine, wind-swept sand dunes, the oceanfront Sanctuary Beach Resort is the ultimate hideaway for the in-the-know, a striking escape designed for unplugging and escaping.

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