BARS • First Round
Tap this
The Skinny: Craft beer might be having a rough moment, but that didn’t stop friends and industry vets Zack Bassett and Dan B. from opening Pretty Things, a craft beer bar highlighting the area’s best beer makers still in the game. Most days, you’ll find Zack (who daylights as a Fieldwork brewer) pouring pints behind the bar, talking shop with locals.
WORK • Friday Routine
Candy land
SHEKOH MOOSSAVI • founder • Shekoh Confections & Shekoh Culinary Institute
Neighborhood you work in: Dogpatch
It’s Friday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
This morning starts with preparing and tempering cocoa butter colors for painting the molds used in our 21-piece chocolate box selection. Before any color can be applied, each cocoa butter must be carefully tempered to the proper working temperature, a meticulous, time-consuming process that requires patience and precision. Some designs are created entirely with a spray gun or spray pen, while others require intricate hand-painting before being finished with the spray gun.
Today’s focus is dedicated entirely to painting the molds. Although it’s one of the most detailed and time-intensive stages of chocolate production, it’s also one of the most rewarding, as it transforms simple molds into vibrant works of edible art before the chocolate is even poured. All these techniques are going to be taught at my culinary school, Shekoh Culinary Institute; the students will learn the art of painting, tempering, shelling, filling, and closing bonbons.
What’s on the agenda for today?
This evening, I’m making fresh pasta for friends coming over for dinner. It’ll be a simple meal, accompanied by the dramatic performance unfolding outside our windows as the fog dances around the Golden Gate Bridge. Later, we’ll continue the evening with a classic film noir, a perfect match for the moody atmosphere that only a foggy San Francisco night can create.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
One of my favorites is Nob Hill Café, a quaint little spot known for its warm hospitality and delicious Italian comfort food. It’s especially perfect on a Sunday morning for a leisurely breakfast or brunch, a place where you can relax and enjoy a good meal.
Any weekend getaways?
I enjoy hiking, taking long drives out of the city, and simply following the road to wherever it leads. One place that always calls me back is Sonoma. I’m captivated by its rolling vineyards, stunning landscapes, exceptional food, and world-class wines. Whenever I can, I make my way to Healdsburg, which perfectly captures the relaxed elegance of California wine country. It’s a place I can slow down, reconnect with nature, and find inspiration in every season. My favorite spot in Healdsburg is Bravas Bar De Tapas, a charming place with a beautiful garden and the nicest people operating it.
What was your last great vacation?
In June of this year, I took a three-week vacation to France. I spent my first week in Paris, wandering its beautiful streets, visiting museums, and simply enjoying the rhythm of the city. From there, I took the train to the Rhône Valley, where I spent four days in the charming town of Tain-l’Hermitage, surrounded by vineyards, exceptional food, and breathtaking scenery. My journey then continued south by car to Menton, a beautiful seaside town on the French-Italian border. With its colorful buildings, Mediterranean light, and slower pace of life, Menton was unlike anywhere I had ever been.
The trip revitalized my energy and awakened my soul. This year had been a difficult one, marked by the loss of someone I loved deeply. I needed to step away from the familiar — the places, routines, and memories — and immerse myself in somewhere entirely new. France gave me that gift. It offered moments of peace, beauty, and quiet reflection, reminding me that even after loss, there is still room to heal, to discover, and to embrace life again.
GOODS & SERVICES LINKS: SF’s best shopping remains hyper-local • Lids flips back to Union Square • Scammy social media ads lost shoppers $95M last year • Ralph Lauren won the workwear wars • The dream of the ‘90s vintage store.
REAL ESTATE • On the Market
Three homes that came to market in Piedmont in the last 30 days.
→ 80 Wildwood Gdns (Piedmont) • 2BR/2BA • 2362 SF • Ask: $1.995M • Clarence Tantau-designed 1953 build • Days on market: 7 • Agent: Jane Strauch, Grubb.
→ 150 Scenic Ave (Piedmont) • 5BR/3.2BA • 3691 SF • Ask: $2.495M • well-preserved 1922 build • Days on market: 8 • Agent: Sarah Abel, Compass.
→ 330 Wildwood Ave (Piedmont, above) • 4BR/3BA • 3860 SF • Ask: $2.898M • 1928 English Tudor on market for first time in 47 yrs. • Days on market: 7 • Agent: Daniel Silvert, Red Oak.
REAL ESTATE LINKS: SF home prices growing at fastest pace in nearly a decade • Controversial Marina Safeway development clears hurdle • Behold, SF’s most affordable one-bedroom.
GETAWAYS • Staycation
Pool up
Anyone who’s ever waited in line for pastries at Fournée Bakery knows the Claremont Resort & Club across the street is a hotbed of activity year-round. The tennis (and new pickleball) courts are always in full swing, but what stands out most to passersby is the joyful laughter of kids splashing around in the resort pool.
A wholesome beacon at the base of the Berkeley Hills, The Claremont has been known as Berkeley’s premier luxury stay for over 100 years – it’s drawn celebrity clientele from Count Basie to Bruce Lee to Michelle Obama, plus Angelina Jolie and her gaggle of kids. The Club is where well-heeled locals come to swim laps, but if you’re looking for a quiet, adults-only pool scene, you’re better off at Cavallo Point Lodge — the Claremont is all about welcoming family-friendly fun.
The pool, made famous by the Pierce Brosnan “run-by fruiting” scene in Mrs. Doubtfire, is 100% kid zone, making it an ideal family staycation destination for summer and fall. It’s an easy rhythm to fall into, where the property functions less like a hotel and more like a high-end summer camp for all ages. Parents can hand off the morning entertainment duty — guests receive three hours of complimentary childcare with every stay, and the Kids’ Club hosts everything from daytime adventure camps to hands-on arts and crafts. At dusk on select Friday nights, kids retreat for dinner and a film at kids’ movie night, leaving adults with an open window to sip a cocktail overlooking the bay.
For families traveling with a crew, the resort’s layout eliminates the usual logjam of standard hotel living. A range of connecting suites (like the two-bedroom Bay View Suite, which comfortably sleeps up to eight) gives parents room to exhale without sacrificing privacy or those skyline vistas.
The Claremont makes the pitch for a local escape remarkably easy, particularly given the seasonal incentives. The resort’s Summer Escape package (for stays booked by August 31) knocks 30 percent off stays of two nights or more, tossing in a $150 resort credit that translates nicely to poolside lunch rounds. It’s the rare Bay Area staycation where no one has to compromise. –Allison McCarthy
→ Claremont Resort & Club (Berkeley) • 41 Tunnel Rd • Rooms from $499/night/August weekend.
GETAWAYS LINKS: Restaurant boom in Carmel-by-the-Sea • Former Truth Social CEO opens Pismo Beach wine bar • Seating snafu after AA outsources rebooking tasks to AI.
RESTAURANTS • The Nines
Dining, Bayview
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.
Frank Grizzly’s (Third St, above), roast duck tacos, caviar tostadas, in-demand catering operation, walk-ins only