Balmy break
The Boys Deli, Melisse, 45 Park Lane, Ava Hotel, Valentine’s Day chocolates, MORE
WORK • Friday Routine
On mission
HARRISON CHENEY • executive chef & co-owner • Sons & Daughters
Neighborhood you work in: The Mission
It’s Friday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
I’m the chef at Sons & Daughters, and we just recently moved to our new home on 18th St. in the Mission District. Two months in, and we feel settled — I couldn’t be happier in our new space.
What’s on the agenda for today?
A lot of farm deliveries, and meat and fish comes in, so it’s always important that we’re very hands-on. I’m also working on a sweet snack to hit the menu, with a cream made from pineapple weed, preserved strawberries, and crabapple juice that’s been aging in oak since last year — my sous chef Alex and I are trying to perfect an oat cracker that can be served on top of it, so fingers crossed, it’ll hit the menu soon.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
A few weeks back, we had a long weekend off, and my wife, daughter, and I ambitiously turned up to Flour + Water (our new neighbors) at 830p on a Saturday. Luckily, they squeezed us in. Great staff, delicious pasta, and a relaxed environment — we’ll definitely be going back. This past weekend, we grabbed a sandwich from The Boys Deli on Polk Street, walked to the water and ate it there — amazing.
How about a little leisure or culture?
My daughter is a huge Warriors fan, and loves to match jerseys. She also tries to chant the loudest “WARRRIOOOOOORSSS,” so any time at Chase Center is great. Last year, we went to see The Lumineers and Tom Odell there: truly incredible, my wife and I were in awe.
I love walking in the city with my girls. We walk everywhere we go, and cover quite a lot of the city on a Sunday. On one of the hotter days late last year, we walked through Golden Gate Park to the Sutro Baths, right up to the Golden Gate Bridge. We left feeling very tired, but very grateful to live in this amazing city.
Any weekend getaways?
We’ve been invited to do a collaboration dinner in LA at the end of February with a true chef legend, Josiah Citrin at Melisse, and I’m very excited to cook together and also to explore Los Angeles.
What was your last great vacation?
Last year, we took our daughter Isla to London for the first time. We stayed at The Dorchester Collection’s 45 Park Lane and she grew a whole new London Girl persona. It was amazing for her to see where I grew up, and to show her things that are special to me from my childhood. We spent the week walking and shopping and ate some incredible Middle Eastern food, Indian food, and of course, a traditional British roast.
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
When we moved restaurants, it almost tripled my commute. I wanted to make sure that my journey to work wasn’t only fast, but sustainable — so I bought an Aventon Level 3 E-Bike. The freedom it’s given me to take a simple bike ride to the beach or around the park to clear my head has been game-changing.
What store or service do you always recommend?
I love the Cartier store near Union Square. The level of customer service is completely unmatched: the staff is friendly and down to earth, and truly make you feel special during the whole experience. It’s not a store we visit every day, but saving it for the special moments is exciting.
REAL ESTATE • Market Reports
Big movers
The ultra-luxury real estate market saw broad and substantial growth in 2025, with 2261 properties trading hands above $10M — a 30% increase over last year, per the Compass year-end Ultra-Luxury report. The top 10 markets accounted for 71% of all sales, with Silicon Valley & the Peninsula in the sixth sloth and a handful of local markets notching big year-over-year moves.
The full top 10:
Manhattan NY • 398 sales (30%)
Greater Los Angeles CA • 292 (54% YoY)
Palm Beach County FL • 193 (46%)
Miami-Dade FL • 173 (14%)
Orange County CA • 121 (13%)
Silicon Valley & Peninsula CA • 98 (1%)
The Hamptons NY • 93 (83%)
Southwest Florida FL • 85 (18%)
Aspen CO • 58 (41%)
San Diego CA • 66 (18%)
Among markets with at least 10 transactions, Marin County was the second fastest growing with 17 sales (+183%), San Francisco was the 10th-fastest growing with 24 sales (+50% YoY), Carmel, Pebble Beach & the Monterey Peninsula was 13th with 13 sales (+44%), and Santa Barbara & Montecito was 16th with 50 sales (+32%).
Some other emerging markets: Boston notched 20 $10M+ sales, almost 3x last year’s number, Greenwich (CT) notched 38 sales (124%) Jackson Hole tallied 33 sales (120%), Aspen 82 (41%), Greater Seattle 26 (53%), Lake Tahoe, Incline & Reno 34 (34%), and Scottsdale & Phoenix 13 (+30%).
REAL ESTATE LINKS: Residential growth fast-tracked on Treasure Island • Former apartment complex at 3199 Jackson St hits market as $32M mansion • Anthropic leases full 300 Howard skyscraper.
GETAWAYS • Paso Robles
Town faire
The Ava Hotel in Paso Robles is all about location and affordable luxury. Just a block away from the charming town square, it’s within easy walking distance to shops (including a fantastic general store), restaurants (like Les Petites Canailles), and because this is Paso, plenty of tasting rooms (Justin, Hope on Park, Derby). Open since August, the 151-room hotel is on brand for the Central Coast: slow, relaxed, and built around an excellent food and wine program.
Interiors mix fresh and modern with mid-century touches, layered stonework, and handwoven textile art referencing Paso’s heritage of craftsmanship; the sun-washed color palette references the Central Coast’s golden hills, olive groves, and vineyard-lined roads. Ample seating areas indoors and out, with fireplaces and fire pits, encourage lounging with a bottle of Clos Solène vino in hand. There’s also a quiet, communal table equipped with plentiful outlets off the lobby in lieu of a more formal business center, since some rooms lack proper workspaces.
As for hotel restaurants, there are three. The casual Pine Street Bistro serves coffee and espresso drinks via a shiny new La Marzocco machine, with a breakfast menu that hits on savory, sweet, and healthy. The “avocado toast of your dreams” is true to its name; the baked custard French toast with creme fraiche and berry compote is more of a breakfast bread pudding.
For dinner, there’s the Mediterranean-inspired EMRE with a menu of live-fire cooking from local chef Julien Asseo (of the aforementioned La Petites Canailles). The rooftop lounge is the hotel’s crown jewel, with views of downtown Paso, a heated saltwater pool, and the Baja-inspired Esperanza restaurant and bar scene for happy hour or after-hours fun.
A full events calendar draws locals and visitors with Meet the Maker wine tastings and local chef competitions, a reminder that the hotel is also a popular community space run by local veterans of the wine and hospitality worlds. –Allison McCarthy
→ The Ava Hotel (Paso Robles) • 944 Pine St • Rooms from $225/night/December weekend.
GETAWAYS LINKS: Waymo finally lands at SFO • Beloved Jenner restaurant Café Aquatica to open retail shop and wine bar in adjacent space this summer • Snow draught in west reaches record levels • Capitol One lounge access changes take effect this week… Amex says Centurion Lounge access rules will change in July • Fractional home ownership company Pacaso launches invite-only exchange for $5M-$20M homes • Private jet operators are transforming hangars into luxe enclaves.
CULTURE & LEISURE • Big game
Celebration of Champions • Friday daytime fan fest • Gold Bar (Alameda) • Fri @ 10a • GA $39 per
The Killers • Palace of Fine Arts (Marina) • Sat @ 7p • GA, $1500 per
Super Bowl & 2026 Bay Area Cub, Calicubby Beer Bust • Lone Star (SoMa) • Sun @ 4p • GA, $15 per
CULTURE & LEISURE LINKS: Potrero Hill’s Thee Parkside to end live music in March, shutter this summer • Bad Bunny-related events dominate Super Bowl weekend • Peaches Christ plots Castro return • Sundance to Boulder marks the necessary end of an era.
GOODS & SERVICES • The Nines
Valentine’s Day, chocolates
The Nines are FOUND’s distilled lists of the best. Paid subscribers have access to the complete Nines archive.
Dandelion Chocolate (above), Bay Area-based chocolatier, single-origin bars and bonbons, plus new chocolate-dipped strawberries
Fruition Chocolate Works, Hudson Valley gem making phenomenal, ultra floral single-origin bars and more
Melissa Coppel, bonbons and haute candy bars crafted by former L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon chef
État de choc, serious and playful bars packed w/ chili corn, miso, more
Black Jaguar Chocolate, Nicaraguan cacao made into fruity bars, flavors like passion fruit and kiwi
Dark Matter Chocolate, Dark Matter Coffee offshoot known for petite bars made from Mexican cacao, highlighting unique terroirs
Goodnow Farms, the cashmere of chocolate
Meurisse, Belgium-born bars, flavored w/ ingredients like roasted hazelnuts and orange
Vigdis Rosenkilde, nuanced, floral chocolates made with just 2 ingredients and premium Peruvian beans
LOST & FOUND • Behind the paywall
→ A handful of favorite Bay Area restaurants from new subscribers: Burma Love (multiple locations) • Absinthe (Hayes Valley) • Boulevard (Embarcadero) • Funky Elephant (Berkeley).
The Ava Hotel section caught my attention, especially the emphasis on being a comunity hub for locals, not just tourists. That Meet the Maker wine tasting series sounds like exactly the kind of thing Paso needs more of. I've always felt like hotel restaurants either cater to guests or locals, rarely both succesfully.