Hog wild
JOHN FINGER • Hog Island Oyster Co.
WORK • Wednesday Routine
JOHN FINGER • co-founder & CEO • Hog Island Oyster Co.
Neighborhood you work in: North Bay (Petaluma, Marshall, Larkspur)
Neighborhood you live in: San Geronimo Valley
It’s Wednesday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
I start my day with a light workout and yoga at home and then check emails. Wednesday is usually light on meetings, so I have some flexibility about where I end up. Our main office is now in Petaluma, but we have restaurants throughout the Bay Area, and I’m not usually in the same place every day. I do spend a lot of days out at our oyster farm in Marshall, which is right on the shore of Tomales Bay and where our company started back in the ‘80s.
What’s on the agenda for today?
Today I’m at our Larkspur oyster bar in the Marin Country Mart, checking in with our management team and meeting with the Mart landlord to discuss some outdoor seating ideas. I also spent the morning with a group of colleagues (other CEOs) who I get together with quarterly.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
Tomorrow, we’re having dinner at Tony’s Seafood, one of our restaurants on Tomales Bay. Our new chef, Chris Loberg, is doing a special dinner as part of our ongoing series called Tony’s + Friends. Each month, we host a different themed dinner with a prix fixe menu and partner with our purveyors, guest chefs, and winemakers. The dinners have been a big hit with the West Marin community.
How about a little leisure or culture?
When I have the time and the conditions line up, I’m surfing in Point Reyes. Otherwise, I do a fair bit of mountain biking in West Marin. I also went to the Super Bowl a few weekends ago! Hog Island had a few different oyster bars throughout the stadium, both in the public food area and in a few private boxes, so I went with our team to shuck oysters and catch the game. It was a wild experience to see the production of it all, and I loved the halftime show.
Any weekend getaways?
Calistoga is always a quick trip and feels like you’re someplace different (especially when the coast is cold and foggy). We love Indian Springs. My wife Debra and I also like to go to Santa Cruz, which is where we met. We just spent a weekend there and stayed at the Dream Inn for the first time. It was a blast.
What was your last great vacation?
I’ve been going on wilderness river trips in Alaska with a group of friends for many years. We spend a few weeks up there and do everything ourselves — rowing, cooking, camp set up, and lots of fly fishing. Last year, we attempted to run a river called the Aniakchak. It wound up being unrunnable, but we camped two nights in the caldera of an extinct volcano. It’s so beautiful up there. I look forward to going every year.
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
My Ibis Ripley mountain bike.
Photo: Remy Anthes