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Cafe Sebastian, North Lake Tahoe listings, St Hildie’s, The Marshall Store, Fireclay Tile, best East Bay specialty markets, FOUND obsessions, MORE
REAL ESTATE • On the Market
Glorious North
Made up of a group of small hamlets including Truckee, King’s Beach, and Carnelian Bay, North Lake Tahoe boasts more of a year-round population than other spots around the lake, which makes it feel closer to the cozy mountain town it is than the boom-and-bust resort areas elsewhere on the lake. Residents embrace winter and summer sports but also have an appreciation for the region’s abundant lakefront drinking and apres-ski dining spots.
In pandemic times, the region attracted city transplants, many of whom have been drawn back to the city by workplace changes (farewell, WFH) or an itch for something new. The result is a brisk market — 127 homes sold in the last year at a median price of $1.155M, while 77 condos moved at a median of $670K, per Compass. Here, three listings for those mulling a weekend or permanent change:
→ 1047 Trent Ln (Kings Beach) • 3BR/2BA • 2562 SF house • Ask: $799K • 1979-build geodesic dome w/ wraparound deck • Days on market: 12 • Agent: Jessie Jacobson, Home and Slate Real Estate.
→ 7905 Lahontan Dr (Truckee) • 1BR/2.1BA, 1198 SF house • Ask: $1.995M • cedar-ceilinged new construction in Martis Valley • Days on market: 92 • Agent: Carmen Carr, Engel & Volkers.
→ 573 Granite Rd (Carnelian Bay, above) • 5BR/6BA, 3800 SF house • Ask: $2.749M • lofty mock A-frame with expansive kitchen • Days on market: 266 • Agent: Nicholas Maloof, Maloof Properties.
SF WORK AND PLAY LINKS: Why 1 Ferry Plaza East has been vacant for 12 years • Union Square’s giant, nude statue spiked • 181-unit development at 2588 Mission St likely moving forward • Red and black are the new colors of spring fashion • What’s the point of a hoodie?
RESTAURANTS • First Word
Pyramid power
The Skinny: Inside the revamped Transamerica complex, Cafe Sebastian opened in November under the guidance of chef Brad Kilgore. Dinner is served until 8p Tue-Sat, but the restaurant is buzziest during breakfast and lunch, with an audience of building tenants, tourists, and the (gradually returning) FiDi weekday warrior crowd.
The Vibe: The space is spare but tastefully appointed, with polished concrete floors and slick Scandi-chic tables and concave-wood-backed chairs. Staff will point you to tables, but otherwise, it’s a QR-code order situation when seated, takeout at the counter.
The Food: Early highlights include a mortadella sandwich on sourdough focaccia dressed with cherry-apricot mostarda and pistachio pistou, and Kilgore’s open-faced “BLT,” which is actually two slabs of pork belly on toast with harissa-tomato compote, frisée, and dijon (order the add-on pommes Anna, too — delicious, if somewhat tiny).
You’ll also find pork belly in a “bacon and eggs” dish for breakfast, served alongside a soft scramble with cheddar. And toasts are available all day, topped with ricotta mousse and jam, or smoked salmon and fromage blanc. There’s also an excellent fudge brownie available daily, in addition to an array of daintier pastries, like a Japanese brown butter cinnamon roll and three kinds of housemade babka.
The Verdict: A new oasis tucked next to the Transamerica Redwood Park for coffee, fresh-pressed juices, pastries, and top-notch sandwiches. –Jay Barmann
→ Cafe Sebastian • 545 Sansome St • Mon 8a-4p, Tue-Fri 8a-8p, Sat 9a-8p, Sun 9a-4p • Reserve.
SF RESTAURANT LINKS: Proposed law might bring downtown bar boom • Suggested replacements for Tyler Florence’s abruptly dumped grant-funded downtown spots • Bagel boom: Schlok's Bagels and Lox plots FiDi location… as Bageletto opens in the Mission • Prima Materia Vineyard and Winery to shutter Temescal tasting room.
WORK • Linkblocks
Still spreading the love
Our sales team rang the bell a couple of times last week (once for a wellness company’s campaign, the other for sponsored real estate FOUNDLISTINGS), which reminded us that this piece originally ran behind the paywall. We’re bringing it forward today, for the folks in the back. Want to join the party and insert your brand into this delightful mix with a sponsorship campaign? We’re here at sales@itsfoundsf.com.
FOUND is built on our obsessions across a range of lifestyle categories: dining, real estate, travel, shopping, culture & leisure, and work. Instead of siloing them, we bring them together in a way that promotes discovery without sacrificing depth. It’s different from the way we built Eater (dining), Curbed (real estate), and Racked (shopping), each of which stayed in their respective lanes.
To keep ourselves honest on the appeal of the approach, we pay close attention to reader surveys, and also, stats on what subscribers are clicking on in every issue. Some recent results from across the network on our most-clicked links:
San Francisco: On Wednesday, the top performers were two of the real estate listings in the shadow of the former Kezar Stadium, news of the first SF Music Week, and a Chronicle story on the Transamerica Pyramid’s new tenant. UPDATE: “/subscribe” was the big winner (hard paywall, best avoided by… upgrading!), followed by a trio of real estate listings. San Francisco real estate, very hot RN.
Los Angeles: Thursday’s top links were to Not No Bar, Topdrawer’s Kolo House Shoes, an SF Gate story on the Inn of Seventh Ray, and the White Water Inn, recommended in Meave McAuliffe’s Routine. UPDATE: Three picks from Jason Stewart’s A+ Routine were the most clicked on Thursday. The power of a good recommendation well-delivered!
New York: On Friday, the winner was a rice cooker, recommended deep in Margaret Austin’s Routine. On Tuesday, it was Ha’s Snack Bar, our lead restaurant story. The previous Tuesday, Canine Styles, the dog boutique we profiled, was tops. And on each of the last two Fridays, the three real estate listings in our First Mover posts were runaway winners. UPDATE: Another big day for Upstate real estate last Friday, joined at the top by the bar Jeremy’s, listed in our Upper East Side cocktails Nines.
Miami: The most-clicked links on Thursday were to our featured restaurant, a’Riva at the Harbour Club, a Super Bowl provisioning recommendation in the Nines, and the New World Symphony, the issue’s sponsor. UPDATE: Again, “/subscribe” took the top spot. Miami wants in.
That’s dining, real estate, travel, shopping, culture & leisure, and work — all represented, and in a mix of FOUND picks, recommendations from our profiled insiders, and links out to other sources in our local ecosystems (plus sponsors!). The FOUND dream, playing out in your inbox in real time. Got feedback on what we should be covering more or less? Drop us a line at found@itsfoundsf.com. And here’s that sponsorship email again: sales@itsfoundsf.com. –Josh Albertson
CULTURE & LEISURE • Awards Season
Mercury Rev • Rickshaw Stop (Civic Center) • Fri @ 830p • GA, $43 per
Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets • Uptown Theatre (Napa) • Sat @ 8p • Balc R, Row Q, $69 per
2025 Awards Benefit Bash • Roxie Theater (Mission) • Sun @ 3p • Red Carpet, $27 per
WORK • Wednesday Routine
Winning team
CHRISTINE PECK • co-founder • St Hildie’s
Neighborhood you work & live in: Mill Valley
It’s Wednesday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
I work from home, so there are two tween/teen boys running the show until about 805a. Once they push off on their bikes, I pour myself a second cup of coffee or tea depending on how I feel (Madagascar Coffee — my friend Ryan started it — or Lady Falcon, locally owned by Buffy Maguire). For tea, I love Puerh, which I get from The Good Earth, as it’s a bit more gentle than coffee.
What’s on the agenda for today?
We have our first big in-store marketing partnership with Whole Foods coming up, so we’re prepping for increased demand — I’m writing a bunch of purchase orders for our next production, which we’ll do up in Santa Rosa. We’re also raising our seed round of funding to help fuel our next round of growth and expansion. I have two calls with potential investors, and I’m also doing investor outreach.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
We’re walking down to Hook Fish here in Mill Valley on Friday night for a low-key dinner. It's a staple for us, a true neighborhood gem. Saturday night, we have plans to hit up Marufuku in Japantown.
How about a little leisure or culture?
My absolute favorite way to spend my time is on the trails of Marin, which I do my very best to fit in between my sons’ sporting events. I love hiking in/around/or down to Muir Beach for a beach fire with friends or down to Stinson for lunch. A few of my girlfriends and I love to hit up Upside (the best local coffee in Marin), then pop up to the trails to catch a glimpse of the ocean before heading back to family duties. If we can swing in some live music from the Sweetwater or at The Junction in a weekend, my heart’s full.
Any weekend getaways?
We love to go up to Marshall, Bolinas, and Bodega Bay. In season, we make a day of clamming, go for a hike or surf depending on conditions, then stop at my all-time favorite, The Marshall Store. I’d go every week if I could.
What was your last great vacation?
This past year, we went to Hanalei on Kauai twice because we love it so much. Some of our local faves include Dolphin Sushi for poke, sunsets on Tunnels Beach, roasted chicken from Chicken in a Barrel, coffee and freakishly good acai bowls from Wishing Well Coffee and Tea, and dream-worthy vegan wraps from Nourish. We also had an exceptional and beautiful dinner at The Homestead with friends — utterly magical.
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
Our Dodge Balboa Camper Van. There were only a handful of them made in Costa Mesa in the ‘70s. It has a full kitchen and sleeps four very comfortably. We purchased ours from Paul, who rehabs them down in Encinitas. (Check them out.)
What store or service do you always recommend?
My friend Rayna Basta is the owner of Born to Roam vintage, which used to operate out of Sunday Market in SF. She curates vintage, deadstock, and reworks clothing and also naturally dyes from her very own dye farm. She has an amazing eye.
GETAWAYS LINKS: Napa judge orders Hoopes Vineyard to close tasting room • Resist temptation at Shasta County’s Burney Falls • Anticipated new Aman in Bangkok opening 4/2 • Trendwatch: Resorts embracing the natural beach • Palau, for the culture.
GOODS & SERVICES • FOUND Shop
Tile style
Anyone who’s ever dreamed of a kitchen renovation in San Francisco (first sighs, and then) thinks of Heath Ceramics, the iconic mid-century standard of California interior style. And yet, while digging into the kitchen renovation of our hundred-year-old fixer, our designer recommended Fireclay Tile, which turned out to be a delightful discovery.
Founded in San Jose in 1986, Fireclay has an airy showroom in the Design District. Tiles are handmade in California, and you won’t find them at big box stores — purchase through Fireclay, or not at all. A certified B Corp that’s into sustainability, Fireclay runs on renewable energy and recycles materials; they’re also 30 percent worker-owned.
But how are the actual tiles? Bon mots withstanding, I raised an eyebrow and booked a free consultation with designer Mark Jacques, who warmly welcomed us into the showroom and patiently explained to a couple of new homeowners how this overwhelming process works, starting with western-inspired colors from rosemary green to Crater Lake blue, then dialing in shapes from rectangles to honeycombs. He then loaded us up with samples to take with us and consider in our home’s distinct light.
We wound up with a glazed thin brick in “Olympic” white with a lot of variation, and an extra long “Norman” length. To me, it felt a little more rustic and European than a uniform subway tile; I’m hoping it will create a beautiful backsplash for our British-heritage Aga stove. And it rang in at $26 per square foot, a fair amount less than we were expecting to spend. Sold. –Becky Duffett
→ Fireclay Tile (Design District) • 901 Brannan St • Mon-Fri 10a-5p, Sat 10a-4p.
ASK FOUND
First, a quick primer on how this works: You send us the pressing questions of the day (on dining, services, living in the Bay Area). We all put our heads together (us, FOUND, + you, FOUND subscribers, who are also FOUND) in search of truth and beauty.
Three FOUND subscriber PROMPTS for which we are seeking intel:
What new fitness/wellness trend/class are you taking on?
What’s your new winter bar?
Tell us a secret about your favorite ski mountain!
Got answers or more questions? Hit reply or email found@itsfoundsf.com.
GOODS & SERVICES • The Nines
Haute provisioning, East Bay
The Nines are FOUND's distilled lists of the Bay Area’s best. Additions or subtractions? Hit reply or found@itsfoundsf.com.
Oaktown Spice (Oakland, Albany), specialty spices, herbs, salts, aromatics