Bay days
Calistoga Depot, Enclos, Picobar, Half Moon Bay listings, Dead & Co tix, MORE
WORK • Friday Routine
Home and away
MARTINA KOSTOW • CEO & co-founder • Team Kostow (The Charter Oak, Loveski Deli, Ciccio’s)
Neighborhood you live in: Calistoga
It’s Friday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
Mornings are a bit chaotic getting my two daughters Daisy and Lulu ready and off to school and activities. I appreciate that my business partner and husband Christopher takes the girls to school, which allows me to go to the gym and clear my mind. It’s nice to get an hour to myself every day before I typically head to The Charter Oak.
I usually come in through the back kitchen door, say hello to everyone, and walk through and around the building, making my way downstairs to the office. There’s prep going on in the kitchen; team members are setting up in the service station and at the bar.
What’s on the agenda for today?
Christopher and I have been focused on further expansion, having conversations around where the next 1-2 locations should be, what the space(s) should look like, and what our offerings will be. We're very much curating each store and experience based on the size of the location and the community that we're in.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
My folks are coming into town this week, as well as my in-laws, so it’ll be nice for them to take the girls out for dinner at Picobar (a family favorite) while Christopher and I sneak away for a much-needed date night. We’ve been really looking forward to dining at Enclos in Sonoma — not only have we heard amazing things, but one of our longtime team members, Hollin, opened as their maître d’.
How about a little leisure or culture?
We had a great time taking the girls to BottleRock for the first time. They had some amazing acts this year. We also ventured down the new Napa Valley Vine Trail earlier in the year, when it was a little chillier.
Any weekend getaways?
We recently did a staycation at Carneros Resort & Spa in Napa with Daisy and Lulu and our dog Charlie. We love it there — we’re close to home and the businesses, but feel like we're a million miles away.
What was your last great vacation?
In April we went to London — I can see myself living there someday. I can walk Green Park every day and go out for amazing meals every night; that would be the dream. We visited Oxford and I was hard-selling my children on attending one of the Colleges someday — selfishly, as an excuse for me to visit often.
A couple years back, I was finally able to share Thailand with my daughters. Our friends own a beautiful place called Siri Sala (it was highlighted in the last season of The White Lotus) in Bangkok, then we traveled to Chiang Mai and Koh Samui. Christopher and our daughters had the opportunity to see where my mom is from and meet our entire family, who still live in a remote village in Sing Buri. Seeing the immediate connection between my daughters and my family in Sing Buri was very impactful, and I came home feeling more connected to my Thai culture.
Where are you donating your time or money?
The main charity we dedicate our time to and raise funds for every year is The Cameron Thompson Legacy Scholarship, a scholarship Christopher and I started alongside Tracy Thompson after her son, Cameron (who was a cook of ours at The Restaurant at Meadowood) unexpectedly passed away. Its focus is to make sure minorities are always represented in kitchens and that they have access to the resources they need to support their career endeavors.
WORK LINKS: Silicon Valley leans into 996 schedule • AI disrupting the career ladder • Keeping work tech off personal phones • Why bosses should shut up.
REAL ESTATE • First Mover
Foggy notion
Coastal city Half Moon Bay began in the 1840s as a fishing town called San Benito. By 1874, it was a vibrant rail and road connection up and down the coast, and when Prohibition came, it was a central point in the state’s booze-running operations. These days, it’s the home of one of the world’s most popular big-wave surf competitions, Mavericks, and a destination for tourists attracted to the landscape.
But steer away from the Ritz-Carlton, and you’ll find a cast of year-round characters that includes tech billionaires who escaped SF, veteran surfers, and a vibrant creative class. Area homes reflect that diversity, ranging from midcentury surf shacks to glossy mansions — in the past year, the region’s median sale price was $1.799M. Here, three listing for those ready for a weekend pied-à-terre, or a life on the shore:
→ 350 6th Ave (Half Moon Bay) • 3BR/2.1BA, 2120 SF house • Ask: $1.75M • Hillside A-frame with ranch view • Days on market: 3 • Agent: Frank Vento, Intero.
→ 443 Burning Tree Ct (Half Moon Bay) • 3BR/3BA, 2540 SF house • Ask: $1.899M • 1979 build inside the gated Ocean Colony • Days on market: 31 • Agent: David McCullough, Coldwell Banker.
→ 2786 Pullman Ave (Half Moon Bay, above) • 4BR/3BA, 2100 SF house • Ask: $2.375M (down from $2.495M on 05/23) • 2016 build in Westside Miramar neighborhood • Days on market: 64 • Agent: Kulda Group.
REAL ESTATE LINKS: Slanted Door founder’s Pac Heights mansion back on the market at $5.2M • AI workers spur SF rental boom • TMG Partners snag 149 New Montgomery • Zip moves into Macys.com building.
CULTURE & LEISURE • Truckin’
Fumi Abe • Punch Line (FiDi) • Fri @ 945p • preferred, $48 per
Dead & Company • Celebrating 60 Years of the Grateful Dead's Music • Golden Gate Park (Sunset/Richmond) • Sat @ 12p • VIP, $710 per
Mike Epps • San Jose Improv (San Jose) • Sun @ 6p • VIP premium, $125 per
CULTURE & LEISURE LINKS: Anniversary celebrations for Grateful Dead kick off • Hardly Strictly Bluegrass lineup announced • Outside Lands will be streamed • Moscone Center to host Fisher for first-ever concert.
GETAWAYS • Goods & Services
Hop on
The Backstory: Four years ago, Jean-Charles Boisset, heir to the French and American wine fortune, set out to restore and transform California’s second-oldest train station into an extravagant drinking and dining marketplace. Finally opened last spring at the head of Calistoga’s main drag, Calistoga Depot is all magic, just as Boisset intended.
The Experience: Sonoma panache meets humble hot springs destination. The marketplace comprises multiple bars and restaurants, where you’ll see and taste Boisset’s rendering of local legend.
In the Great Hall, a grand copper-clad still is the focal point of the distillery and tasting room. Flanked by double horseshoe-shaped bars, this is the spot to sample Boisset’s proprietary small-batch spirits — from Fame & Misfortune rye whiskey to Prosperous & Penniless barrel-aged gin — inspired by pivotal moments in the storied life of the station’s original builder (and California’s first millionaire) Sam Brannan. You’ll also find a cocktail menu and a wine selection highlighting Calistoga and Napa Valley favorites and rarities available by the glass or bottle.
Outside, elegantly restored rail cars line the original train platform, evoking the golden age of train travel. Each car is a distinct destination, including Oaxacan restaurant Casa Obsidiana, champagne-and-caviar bar JCB Parlor, and private event space First Millionaire’s Saloon (ask the staff politely and they’ll give you a peek inside the scarlet-hued Old West bar).
Why It’s FOUND: This is where luxury tastes meet small-town charm. It’s a wild ride through a fantasy land of Calistoga history ever leaving the station. –Allison McCarthy
→ Calistoga Depot (Calistoga) • 1458 Lincoln Ave • Sun/Mon/Tues/Thurs 9a-9p, Fri/Sat 9a-11p.
GETAWAYS LINKS: Legendary Tahoe Biltmore sold at auction for $150K • Twin Oaks Roadhouse up for sale in Sonoma • Maui to slash vacation rentals • Seven flight connection hacks.
LOST & FOUND • Behind the Paywall
→ A handful of favorite restaurants from new subscribers: Square Pie Guys (SoMa) • Greens (Fort Mason) • State Bird Provisions (Fillmore) • Le Soleil (Inner Richmond) • Baci (Healdsburg).