Duck and covers
Z&Y Peking Duck, al fresco dining, Mill Valley, Flour + Water, Alison Roman, the Dolomites, Paris Olympics, MORE
WORK • Wednesday Routine
Making the dough
RYAN POLLNOW • co-executive chef & partner • Flour + Water Hospitality Group
Neighborhood you live in: Haight-Ashbury
It’s Wednesday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
I rotate between the restaurants in our group (Flour + Water, Penny Roma, and Flour + Water Pizzeria). When it’s one of my Pizzeria days, I head to North Beach from my place near Golden Gate Park. The first thing I do after turning the lights on is turn on music, to set the tone for the day (today, I start with Bad Bunny, an artist the entire team agrees on). There's dough being mixed, and I'm tackling portioning and balling 500 pizza doughs for lunch and dinner service alongside our prep team. Deliveries are starting to arrive. Our CDC, Elliott, is working on the slice of the day.
I'm in charge of making family meal — today's is mapo tofu, so we'll use our pizza sausage in the base. I'll throw our first round of meatballs into the oven, put rice on the stove, and set a timer for both. It's now 10:30 a.m., an hour ’til opening, so we're conducting our line check (checking quantities and tastes of the mise en place at each station) and throwing our first tester pie into the oven. We're happy with the tester, but the dough didn't get quite as much rise as we want, so we'll change the proof setting to ensure that it's ready for our first guests.
What’s on the agenda for today?
Flour + Water is celebrating its 15th anniversary this month and we’re offering a "Greatest Hits" pasta tasting menu featuring favorites from our past throughout the month. After lunch, I’m checking in on that. Our weekly manager meeting is from 3-4 p.m. this afternoon, and I've got a chef's financial training for my sous chef right before. We're on the eighth round of testing for our GF pizza dough — so far we've been semi-happy with the results, but want to make sure it has the same quality and integrity as our standard dough program, so we'll continue testing. My partner Sophie is tasting at Golden Sardine so I sneak out of the Pizzeria at 8 p.m. to meet her for a glass of wine before popping over to Hilda & Jesse for dinner. We take the dog for a walk and fall asleep to reruns of Top Chef.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
This weekend I'm stoked to check out Four Kings in Chinatown, a new hot new Cantonese restaurant run by some talented Mister Jiu's alumni. We'll hit Moongate Lounge for a drink (and who are we kidding, probably a snack) before dinner. I've got the weekend off so I'll sleep in and hit Breadbelly on the way out of the city to go hiking up north around Mt. Tam.
How about a little leisure or culture?
I'm looking forward to getting back to the bocce court at Golden Gate Park across the street from my house. My friends and I always put together an epic spread of snacks and plenty of sparkling wine.
Any weekend getaways?
This weekend I'm going to Tahoe for some end of the season snowboarding, and plan to check out Tangerine, a new restaurant in Truckee run by one of our former Flour + Water chefs and owned by one of my business partners in FWHG. On the way up I'm obviously getting In-N-Out. I'll snowboard at Palisades and come back late Sunday night, order Burmese food, and fall asleep to more Top Chef reruns.
What was your last great vacation?
Last October I took a trip to Alto Adige and the Veneto and spent time hiking around the Dolomites, discovering the lesser-known pastas of the region. I was so inspired by the food that we hosted an 'Alpine Wine Dinner' at Penny Roma this April to share some of my favorite dishes from that trip.
Alpinn, El Brite de Larieto, and Finstewirt from the surrounding areas were all restaurant highlights for me. Alpinn showcased creative modern Alpine cuisine with absolutely breathtaking views. El Brite de Larieto is agroturismo at its best — farmstead cheeses produced on site and simple, rustic fare that changes daily. Finstewirt had a classic elegant setting with refined (but traditional) cooking techniques and presentations. One of my favorite discoveries from that trip was My Arbor, what they call a 'wellness hotel'. I was living my best Alpine life, using their sauna twice a day.
Photo: Kristen Loken
RESTAURANTS • The Nines
Al fresco dining
Xica (Levi’s Plaza), Latin-inspired, gluten-free tucked between palm trees and massive fountain
Hog Island Oyster Co. (Ferry Building), Tomales Bay oysters, side of fries & glass of wine steps from the Bay; bring a jacket
Chotto Matte (Union Square), over-the-top Japanese/Peruvian chain’s second U.S. location with vast terrace
Balboa Cafe (Cow Hollow), weekend brunch for prime people-watching, weekday lunch for power player sightings at street-side tables
Good Good Culture Club (Mission), Asian diaspora hot spot; walk-ins can often score two-tops on breezy back deck
Zazie (Cole Valley), sweet, secluded patio for daily brunch and dinner of French classics
Hook Fish (Outer Sunset), parklet from which to enjoy caught-that-day fish and chips w/ Ocean Beach views
Dalida (Presidio), front patio for lunch and incredible views of Marin; carry dinnertime drinks outside while waiting for table
Mersea (Treasure Island, above), deceptively casual ferry destination with mind-blowing sunset-hour scenery; note full menu of food for dogs
Additions or subtractions? Hit reply or found@itsfoundsf.com.
RESTAURANTS • First Word
Z&Y&A+
The Skinny: The Beijing native behind Chinatown’s Szechuan jewel Z&Y, chef Lijun Han, opened Z&Y Peking Duck right before the end of last year. The main event is sublime, though don’t sleep on the rest of the menu.
The Vibe: An elegant, distinctly contemporary, two-level space. The six-seat bartop upstairs tips a cap to the wine bar vibe of Han's Z&Y Bistro — the former occupant of this space — while the exposed brick wall it faces evokes Chinatown's architecture of old. Modern, painted steel braces bisect an open layout filled with white rectangular tables. Downstairs, things are a little more traditional, with gorgeous, circular wood tables laid out amid private rooms fit for groups.
The Food: Han’s duck is a labor of love that takes three days to prepare (and five years of training). Boiled, then air dried in a temperature-controlled room, the skin gets a glaze of house-made honey before it hangs in a roasting oven. The result is golden and caramel-colored, crispy and moist, and can be ordered by the half or whole duck. Han and his understudies slice it tableside before presenting it in a gorgeously symmetrical pyramid of bite-sized slices. It’s served with rice paper wrappers, Z&Y’s sweet bean sauce, cucumbers, and a little bit of a sugar to cut through the oils as you crunch through the duck.
Besides the duck, there’s a full dim sum slate, including delicious crab and pork xiao long bao. Staples from Z&Y have also made the trip down the street, like an exceptional chili-poached fresh sea bass served with green sichuan peppercorns, bean sprouts, whole garlic cloves, and chiles in oil.
The Verdict: At a time when Chinatown establishments like Mister Jiu’s, China Live, and Z&Y continue asserting the city’s Chinese cuisine into the national spotlight, Z&Y Peking Duck sets a new San Francisco benchmark for the regal dish. –Adrian Spinelli
→ Z&Y Peking Duck (Chinatown) • 606 Jackson St • Thurs-Tues, 11a-9p • Reserve for parties of 4 and up; smaller parties can contact the restaurant directly. Peking duck must be reserved in advance. Indicate if you want a full duck or half duck in the reservation’s special instructions.
SF RESTAURANT LINKS: Chef Charles Phan says The Slanted Door will not reopen at the Ferry Building • Tiya opens today in the Marina to put California spin on Indian cooking • New nightclub Dante’s Inferno may be coming to Mint Hill • Mission bakery Le Dix-Sept expanding to Potrero Hill this summer • Why House of Prime Rib is still the greatest • California wine is in serious trouble.
REAL ESTATE • On the Market
The view from Mill Valley
Heading north to Marin — specifically, Mill Valley — 241 houses sold in 2023 for an average price of $2.2M, per Compass. Today, 19 houses are for sale, ranging from $1.295M all the way up to $8.195M for 95 Cascade Drive, an original Mill Valley homestead property, with walls of windows looking onto a large, wooded property.
We’ve pulled two more new listings below. The first, 101 Cornelia Ave, was built in 1913, and maintains an updated charm. The second, 7 Barrie Way — listed just this week — is a refreshed mid-century modern with big sliders leading out to manicured outdoor spaces beneath the trees.
→ 101 Cornelia Ave (Mill Valley) • 4BR/2.1BA, 2259 SF house • Ask: $2.495M • 1913 home near downtown on small, wooded lot • Days on market: 8 • Agent: Agents: Kat Ryan, Berkshire Hathaway.
→ 7 Barrie Way (Mill Valley) • 4BR/3.1BA, 2436 SF house • Ask: $3.25M • remodeled mid-century modern with • Days on market: 3 • Agent: Holly Welch, Corcoran Icon.
→ 95 Cascade Dr (Mill Valley, above) • 5BR/4.1BA, 5130 SF condo • Ask: $8.15M • on 3/4 acre with 800-bottle wine cellar • Days on market: 14 • Agent: Lisa Smith, Engel & Völkers.
SF WORK AND PLAY LINKS: Number of homes for sale in SF remains at 13-year seasonal high • Google exiting One Market Plaza offices • Bay Bridge to be relit with twice the lights • As market for private company stock soars, controversy follows • Could ketamine be the next fix for workplace depression?
CULTURE & LEISURE • Sweet Enough
Alison Roman Gives Solicited Advice (Live), Palace of Fine Arts (Marina District), Tonight @ 8p, orchestra, $45 per
Ronny Chieng, The Masonic (Nob Hill), Sat @ 7p, floor 4, $187 per
Mendelssohn's Scottish Symphony, Davies Symphony Hall (Civic Center), Sun @ 2p, main left, $89 per
GETAWAYS • Paris
Olympian feat
Despite the hoopla surrounding the Olympic Games in Paris this summer, hotel rooms are still plentiful, as are seats on flights from the U.S. The airlines and Parisian hotels are getting nervous, offering promotional fares and rates. Should you book? Know this: Paris is a world-class city that understands how to handle big crowds efficiently and with European service — this isn't Salt Lake City. It’s walkable and bikeable, and the Metro is safe and clean.
Here’s how to make it work:
Plan to stay in the heart of the 7th arrondissement. Centrally located for the games, the neighborhood is a peaceful respite after navigating the city all day. Tourists are sparse, except when you get too close to the Eiffel Tower.
Specifically, stay near where the Parliament convenes at the Assemblee Nationale on Rue Université. The police are everywhere, and you’ll need special access during the Olympics. A hotel room in the area solves that problem. Next to Parliament, the Bourgogne Montana Hotel is a good option (€358 per night in July).
From SFO, book a direct Air France or United (Lufthansa) flight in business class, $3500-$5500 round trip.
If you want to luxe out while you’re in town, download the Wheelie app and cruise around La Grand'Ville in a Maybach. Or call Clemence ( +33 6 58 93 46 10) and say you are a friend of Monsieur Inman. You’ll be in excellent hands; she doesn’t speak English, but it doesn’t matter. She drives like a true Parisian, aggressive, but respectful, and knows the city well.
iPad hospitality is still taboo in Paris.
Oh, and tickets to the Olympic games: they, too, remain available, except for women’s basketball. Don't be deterred; StubHub is always an option. –Brad Inman
GETAWAYS LINKS: GETAWAYS: Highway 1’s Big Sur Bakery destroyed in fire, owners says will rebuild • Latest on Highway 1 reopening: May 25 • Why Highway 1 is the climate challenge California can’t fix • A trip to Leadville, Colorado, is a must for some shoppers.
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