Seller’s market
Rikki's, Nob Hill listings, best steak tartare, Ritz-Carlton Bacara, MORE
RESTAURANTS • The Nines
Steak tartare
The Nines are FOUND’s distilled lists of the best in the Bay Area and surrounds. Additions or subtractions? Hit reply or found@itsfoundsf.com. For the full archives, click here.
Caché (Inner Sunset, above), surf and turf tartare in chic French atmosphere, intel, reserve
Rich Table (Hayes Valley), sesame crunch and celtuce, reserve
San Ho Won (Mission), rich tartare w/ Asian pear, reserve
Niku Steakhouse (Design District), beef tendon and fermented pepper, reserve
ABSteak (Union Square), spicy wagyu w/ chili oil and wasabi, intel, reserve
Wayfare Tavern (FiDi), silky dijon-flavored version that goes all out, intel, reserve
Miller & Lux (Dogpatch), tenderloin marrow w/ bone marrow and quail egg, reserve
Bon Dèlire (Embarcadero), tartare w/ capers and shallots, potato chips on side, intel, reserve
WORK • Help Wanted
FOUND is seeking contributors based in the Bay Area’s greatest getaways — places including Napa and Sonoma, Tahoe and Truckee, and Santa Cruz and Monterey. You needn’t be a professional writer; more important are an interest in dining, hospitality, and shopping, as well as impeccable taste. If this intrigues, please get in touch at found@itsfoundsf.com
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REAL ESTATE • First Mover
Three properties that came to market in Nob Hill in the last 30 days.
→ 1201 California St # 502 (Nob Hill) • 2BR/2BA, 1124 SF condo • Ask: $995K • South east corner unit in the Cathedral Apartments • Days on market: 20 • Agent: Ted Bartlett, Compass.
→ 901 Powell St #18 (Nob Hill, above) • 3BR/2BA, 1760 SF condo • Ask: $1.329M (down from $1.689M on 11/11) • fourth-floor corner unit in the Elizabeth • Days on market: 15 • Agent: David Klein, Compass.
→ 1405 Hyde St (Nob Hill) • 5BR/2.1BA, 2650 SF TIC • Ask: $2.45M • renovated 1908 build with historic windows, wallpaper intact • Days on market: 27 • Agent: Joshua McAdam, Sotheby’s.
REAL ESTATE LINKS: Seller’s market: residential real estate hits highest point since 2022 • Embarcadero Plaza’s Vaillancourt Fountain to be dismantled • AI startup Sierra to lease 300,000 SF at 185 Berry.
CULTURE & LEISURE • Needs of the Many
Gerald Albright • Yoshi’s (Oakland) • Fri @ 915p • GA, $44 per
Tame Impala • The Deadbeat Tour • Oakland Arena (Oakland) • Sat @ 8p • sec 107, $251 per
William Shatner • Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan screening tour • Uptown Theater (Napa) • Sun @ 7p • Balcony AA, $165 per
CULTURE & LEISURE LINKS: Rena Bransten to shutter her Minnesota Street Project gallery, will adopt nomadic model • Maybaum Gallery moving to Union Square Barney’s space • The Killers join Super Bowl concert lineup • The best wine Substacks • The pure delight of joining a tennis team in midlife.
BARS • First Round
All the bases
The Skinny: SF’s first dedicated women’s sports bar, Rikki’s (named for groundbreaking local gay sports-league icon Rikki Streicher), debuted over the summer in the Castro, carving out a niche for the female end of the local queer bar scene, fans of both good bar food, and women’s soccer/basketball/you name it.
The Vibe: More mellow than neighbor Hi Tops, Rikki’s is part cocktail and beer bar and part restaurant, with a dividing pony wall that separates the dining area from the standing-room space. A funky little living room setup is tucked just behind the front window.
The Drink: From the signature drinks to the solid selection of classics — the latter of which are available at happy hour prices (330-6p on weekdays and 1130a-2p on weekends), Rikki’s bar covers all the bases. Low-ABV and n/a options are unique and fun, too, including a low-ABV Manhattan option called Feeling (the) 22, made with more vermouth than rye. Signatures include the Iron Maven, made with bourbon, amaro, rosemary vermouth, hibiscus, ginger, and lemon, making it a spiritual cross between a whisky sour and a pink Cosmopolitan. The Ballhalla, named for the Golden State Valkyries’ nickname for the Chase Center, is a milk punch featuring white rum, plum brandy, cacao, guava, mint, cava, and clarified soy milk.
The Food: About as progressive as the concept itself, at least in regard to the spectrum of dietary preferences and restrictions, from vegan to carnivore. A dish of spiced carrots come vegetarian with whipped feta dip, or vegan with whipped turmeric tofu dip. The Caesar salad can be topped with chicken thigh, rock cod, or bacon. And the Comforts section of the menu includes bacon-wrapped bison meatloaf, pear grilled cheese, a beet burger, and fish and chips. There’s also a smashburger available with American cheese and chili aioli. (I will say that the Fried Chicken Sammy, while tasty, doesn’t really hold a candle to Hi Tops’ version and should perhaps be rethought.)
The Verdict: Rikki’s can’t help but be packed and lively as long as the Valkyries are playing, and they’re giving lesbian football fans a fresh option. And as bar food goes, the menu is a win, too. –Jay Barmann
→ Rikki’s (Castro) • 2223 Market St • Tue-Thu 330-10p, Fri 1130a-12a, Sat 1130a-12a, Sun 1130a-10p.
GETAWAYS • Santa Barbara
Sanctuary status
Perched high on a bluff above Haskell’s Beach with views of the Santa Ynez Mountains in the distance, the Ritz-Carlton Bacara is a paragon of luxury in the American Riviera. About a 15-minute drive north of Santa Barbara’s main drag, the 78-acre resort sits a comfortable distance from the hubbub of downtown, and chances are, if you booked a stay at Bacara, you’re not here for shopping or sightseeing anyway.
Spread across 19 buildings, the 358-room resort village recently completed a significant renovation for its 25th anniversary, and while the overall mood hasn’t changed, rooms, suites, and restaurants have been refreshed and upgraded. Whitewashed buildings and terracotta tile roofs blend classic hacienda style with textures and patterns that gesture to the area’s Indigenous roots. Guestrooms feature carved stone, aged leather, rugs inspired by Chumash motifs, and custom fabric headboards by Erica Shamrock that take cues from Californios’ horse blankets. Most rooms have fireplaces and balconies. Two Ritz-Carlton suites and a two-story Channel Islands suite are located close to the ocean in their own private villa building.
Its four clay tennis courts are perfect for a morning match, followed by an alfresco breakfast at the newly reimagined Mediterranean-style restaurant Lulio (above). Days at Bacara unfold with swims in three heated, saltwater infinity pools (including an adults-only option), followed by treatments like golden hour collagen massage and cryo-sculpt facial at the four-story spa.
End the day at chef Danny Grant’s new fine-dining restaurant Marisella, which offers great ocean views and an Italian-inspired menu of handmade pastas, local seafood, and wood-fired meats. –Allison McCarthy
→ Ritz-Carlton Bacara (Santa Barbara) • 8301 Hollister Ave • Rooms from $647, Nov wknd night.
GETAWAYS LINKS: Where in NorCal to spot turning leaves • Ian Schrager opening PUBLIC hotel in LA next year • Inside the just-opened Carbone Riviera at The Bellagio • Clear Plus expanding concierge airport service for members.
LOST & FOUND • Behind the paywall
→ A handful of favorite Bay Area restaurants from new subscribers: Besheram (Dogpatch) • Gold Mirror (Parkside) • Fifty Vara (Sunset) • Bourbon Steak (Union Square) • Ethel’s Fancy (Palo Alto).