Vintage cuts
The Big Four, Marine Layer, Piedmont Ave dining, Palace Theatre, Barbara’s Fish Trap, MORE
RESTAURANTS • The Ask
Since we launched FOUND, we’ve been asking all new subscribers to tell us their favorite restaurant. Thousands of you have obliged, for which we’re grateful. (It’s a great list!) Today, as we prepare to draft the first-ever canonical list of FOUND’s favorite SF restaurants (the FOUND 45), we’re asking those of you who haven’t shared your favorite restaurant to reply to this email and give up the goods. A bonus line or two explaining why you love the restaurant is welcomed, but not essential.
THE STORYBOOK COAST: For those trading long-haul itineraries for something slower this summer, Carmel-by-the-Sea delivers the kind of coastal escape people usually fly across oceans to find. Check into a charming inn, then let the rest fall into place. Big Sur, Pebble Beach, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium are wonderful day trips, but the real luxury may be staying put in storybook Carmel. Book a summer trip [spon]
RESTAURANTS • First Word
Boom cycle
The Skinny: If you’re looking for old money in SF, try the top of Nob Hill, where the Huntington Hotel opened in 1924 during San Francisco’s third cycle of bust and boom. Its Big Four restaurant followed in 1976, during boom five, and both borrow names from the founders of the Central Pacific Railroad, robber barons whose narrative arcs have been replicated across SF’s history ever since. After a long pandemic closure, change in ownership, and deep renovation, the hotel and its restaurant reopened in March, the latter back as a glorious steakhouse that channels the Gilded Age of California.
The Vibe: Noted designer Ken Fulk renovated and restored the Big Four’s clubby interiors, featuring dark wood panels, a gleaming brass bar, green leather booths, and hushed tartan carpets. You’ll pass oil portraits of railroad tycoons, a golden bear statue, and ram horns twisted on walls. “This looks like the kind of place that Willie Brown would love,” my friend said, and she called it — as he was wont to do prior to its closure, the former mayor was back in his corner seat, surrounded by business diners and their dates.
The Food: The menu delivers the classics with flourishes. The Louie wedge salad stars local avocado and asparagus, and why wouldn’t you pile on Dungeness crab. Servers finish the cioppino at the table, pouring saffron broth over clams, squid, and yellowtail. One pro expertly sliced round the rim of our puffed pot pie, and asked if we’d like a splash of sherry to spike the cream sauce. There are only three cuts for steaks and chops, and it feels like a moment for filet mignon, alongside creamed spinach swirled with Boursin cheese.
The Drink: Martinis, of course, and other classic cocktails. The Big Four signature martini combines vodka and gin, and gets a floral lift from yuzu bitters and a citrus twist. A long wine list, includes plenty of steak-friendly Napa cabs.
The Verdict: It’s worth sliding into the Big Four for the interiors alone, drinking it all in to the tune of the live grand piano. The second show of the evening is back out on the street, seeing Grace Cathedral lit up at night, completing San Francisco’s timeless illusion. –Becky Duffett
→ The Big Four (Nob Hill) • The Huntington Hotel, 1075 California St • Daily 7-10a & 11a–2p, Mon-Fri 5-9p, Sat-Sun 5-10p • Reserve.
WORK • Wednesday Routine
Peachy keen
BANBURY CROSS • burlesque showgirl & cabaret director • Palace Theatre
Neighborhood you work in: North Beach
It’s Wednesday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
My days are a mix of producing, rehearsing, and performing. On any given morning, you’ll find me coordinating rehearsals, checking costume details, communicating with performers, and preparing for my own performances later in the week. The atmosphere is equal parts creative chaos and precision, one moment we’re discussing lighting cues, the next we’re adjusting crystals on a costume.
What’s on the agenda for today?
Today is all about rehearsal and show preparation for our debut of Bohemienne, a show we just ran and will bring back later in the summer. We’re refining production elements, and making sure every detail is ready for our audience. A large part of my role involves balancing the feel and flow of the group acts within the show juxtaposed with my performance and getting into that mindset. Right this second, I’m likely juggling emails, rehearsal schedules, and notes on acts while planning some ideas for future programming.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
In Oakland I love Tallboy; who doesn’t want to drown in a giant martini and vegan hotdog? In the city, I usually pop in to Li Po Lounge for a drink or stroll to the Ferry Building. I love Lunette’s Cambodian food.
How about a little leisure or culture?
My life revolves around live performance, so even my leisure time tends to include some form of culture. I love catching local cabaret, theater, live music, and immersive experiences around the Bay Area and outside of it. 200Channels, where I also perform, transforms the speakeasy space next to The Pawn Shop into an immersive cabaret. In Brooklyn, I love to go to House of Yes and Red Pavilion. When I need a reset, I enjoy getting outside near the water, whether that’s a walk along the Embarcadero, or simply taking in the views around Alameda.
Any weekend getaways?
A favorite quick getaway is day trips down the coast. It’s close enough to make for a spontaneous day but always feels like an escape. I love combining great food and being by the sea, it’s always reminiscent of England for me. Pescadero is super cute and Half Moon Bay has great food options like a bowl of chowder at Barbara’s Fish Trap.
What was your last great vacation?
I just got back from a lovely holiday in Honolulu and Maui. There are so many excellent places to eat, drink and spend time. The standouts for me were Skull & Crown Trading Co, a tiki bar in the Chinatown district of Honolulu that serves an amazing clarified zombie. Down the street is a cute little vintage shop called Single Double. Lastly, for dining, I’ll jump to Maui where Tiffany’s had some of the best food and drinks of the trip.
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
A custom acrylic champagne glass designed for my 80s Centrefold performance, along with several recent bespoke feather and Swarovski-crystal costumes and jewelry handmade in Italy. Investing in pieces and props that are beautifully made and uniquely mine makes every performance feel a little more magical.
WORK LINKS: Snowflake’s HR chief Arnnon Geshuri on mandating AI at work • The Silicon Valley diaspora might be over • Feel less busy by thinking in work weeks, not work days.
RESTAURANTS • The Nines
Dining, Piedmont Ave (Oakland)
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.