Home decor picks

Pabu-Chan, Madrona Bakery, Pt Reyes, The Future Perfect, Air Supply tix, MORE

WORK • Wednesday Routine

Choice selects

ALEC BANKS • head of brand creative • Thuma
Neighborhood you work in: Presidio
Neighborhood you live in: Mill Valley

It’s Wednesday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
Wednesdays at HQ are pretty laid-back at Thuma, the homewares brand I work for, though you can find the espresso machine running nonstop. We have a lot of exciting projects we’re working on right now, and Wednesdays are a good middle-of-the-week check-in. The team gets me caught up on progress, what’s been done, what’s possibly stuck, and together, we’re working through any questions to keep the ball rolling.

What’s on the agenda for today?
The two main things on the agenda today are sorting through our storyboard for our new brand campaign taking place next month, as well as sorting through selects from our past couple product photoshoots.

Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
The weekend routine usually consists of me and the family going to Madrona Bakery in Mill Valley in the morning for tea and pastries, as well as a loaf of sourdough. My wife and I have been battling it out in the kitchen lately, so cooking and eating at home have been a priority. But when we’re being lazy, we love to get Chinese food at R&G Lounge and a glass of wine along with some tapas at Verjus.

How about a little leisure or culture?
You can definitely catch me outside on a walk with my dog, Hank. He’s quite the dog — some call him a small horse — so I have to make sure he gets his energy out in the mornings. We also like to pop around town and check out a few exhibits. My wife’s an artist, and one of her favorites is Tara Donovan, who currently has an exhibit up at ICF SF.

Any weekend getaways?
This weekend we’re going to take a little road trip to Point Reyes and get some oysters from Hog Island. At the oyster farm there, you can watch them pulling the oysters out of the water, then serve them to you. Doesn’t get any fresher than that. The scenery is so beautiful, so we’ll go for a walk followed by some buffalo soft serve.

What was your last great vacation?
Last spring, my family and I went to St. Barths. We tend to go in the offseason when the island’s empty. We never really have an agenda, which is the way to do it. There are so many unique beaches that we love for one reason or another. We always go to Ti’ Corail for lunch or dinner. It’s a small little shack right on the beach, where the food is fresh and made to order.

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WORK LINKS: Using the ‘non-negotiable mindset’ to get things done • Gen Z isn’t using its sick days • Why are banks pushing RTO so hard? • Trending: reverse recruiters.

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BARS • First Round

Sake masters

The Skinny: A tiny 20-seat tasting room, Pabu-Chan is restaurateur Michael Mina’s homage to fine sake. The idea here is to experience the depth and range of the Japanese rice wine through curated flights, thoughtfully selected single pours, and select cocktails showcasing sake’s breadth. Beyond evening bar service, the space also hosts private events and serves up lunchtime bento boxes for FiDi’s weekday warriors.