Low and slow
Horn Barbecue, Butter & Crumble, Vampire Weekend, church & state, rooftop cocktails, Sonoma getaway, MORE
RESTAURANTS • First Word
Horn of plenty
The Skinny: Self-taught chef-owner Matt Horn quickly became the toast of the town with Horn Barbecue, serving BBQ-starved locals the kind of brisket that could hold its own with the best of Texas (to say nothing of the Bay). A fire decimated the West Oakland joint's original location last November, but Horn regrouped and reopened in Downtown Oakland in late April.
The Vibe: Down home. After you order at the counter and take a seat, don’t be surprised if the chef's mother, Enola, stops by your table and greets you with a warm "Welcome home!" A commanding mural of a smoking bull with a crown between his horns adorns the far wall, towering above wooden table backs as blues rock pumps through the speakers. Resilience is very much a theme, driven home by the scorched ephemera that survived the West Oakland fire decorating the room. While there's no outdoor patio at the new location, the new full bar spread — led by a loaded bourbon and rye selection — rests on an exposed brick wall, and the building's original accented copper ceilings have been painted smoke black, giving it all a modern Southern comfort feel.
The Food: The sign painted above the open kitchen window that reads "Brisket Is King" is a good indicator of where most people will start. In his quest to make elite-level brisket, Horn has produced one with marksman-like layers of pronounced bark, smoke ring, and a perfect, flavorful meat-to fat ratio. But to my pleasant surprise, his pork dishes deserve just as much attention. The pulled pork is among the best I've had in years, served by the pound (like everything else) or in a sandwich with house slaw and sweet and spicy BBQ sauce. Horn's spare ribs are juicy, and have a palpable snap, with a distinct smoke flavor that sticks.
Highlights from the sides include the bold-flavored pit beans, loaded with brisket chunks and finished in the smoker below the brisket — so drippings make their way into the layers of the dish — and the mac and cheese, which I couldn’t stop eating. Or, for that matter, the creamy, chunky potato salad, packed with boiled eggs’ whites, the way it should be. Don’t overlook the plump, smoked chicken wing flats in house bourbon BBQ sauce, great for sharing with a large group (same goes for the corn bread with honey butter).
The Verdict: For all the hype Horn Barbecue has garnered in recent years, its newest iteration is also its best yet. –Adrian Spinelli
→ Horn Barbecue (Downtown Oakland) • 464 8th St • Tue-Sun 11a-10p • No reservations.
RESTAURANTS & BARS • The Nines
Rooftops
El Techo (Mission), margaritas and fried pork shoulder tacos in the heart of La Mission
Chotto Matte (Union Square, above), indoor/outdoor Union Square digs for Nikkei cuisine and pisco sours
Cavaña (Mission Bay), diverse Latin American flavors and drinks with three different patios and weekend dancing
Rise Over Run (Downtown/TL), Danny Louie’s Thai-inspired cocktails and an unmissable fried chicken & biscuits in a birdcage
Good Good Culture Club (Mission), breezy Mission digs for chef Ravi Kapur’s Southeast Asian fusion
Kaiyo Rooftop (China Basin), Japanese and Peruvian bites with highballs and more near Oracle Park
Charmaine’s (Downtown/TL), uncompromised Mid-Market views, fire pit nooks and a reserve liquor list for the more adventurous
Fiorella (Sunset), oasis amid the 9th Ave fog with famed burrata pizza
Shelby’s (SoMa), elevated cocktails and tapas perched adjacent to Moscone
SF RESTAURANT LINKS: NightJar, sister popup to Nightbird in Hayes Valley, opens today with homage to House of Prime Rib • Cousins Maine Lobster debuts permanent location at Pier 41 • New cocktail bars and pool hall bringing more nightlife to Downtown Berkeley • Behold: San Francisco’s all-vegan omakase • Is sotol the next mezcal?
CULTURE & LEISURE • Modern Vampires
The Rolling Stones, Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara), tonight @ 730p, section 104, $266 per
Vampire Weekend, Greek Theatre (Berkeley), Sat @ 7p, section 6, $77 per
Esa-Pekka Salonen & Sheku Kanneh-Mason, San Francisco Symphony, Davies Symphony Hall (Civic Center), Sat @730p, orchestra, $79 per
GOODS & SERVICES • FOUND Shop
Buttering up
There’s been a line down the block for North Beach bakery Butter & Crumble since it opened in last fall, and for good reason. B&C’s baker/owner Sophia Smith got into custom cakes during the pandemic, deploying a decidedly Milk Bar style (naked sides, crumbs on top). But after a summer spent training in Paris, she’s doubled down on croissants. There’s a classic for purists, but also a bacon, egg, and cheese, with a perfect yolk dropped into the center of a swirl. Also on the June menu: a twice-baked brown butter peaches & cream croissant, spiced carrot cake croissant bread pudding, and s’mores pain suisse. Get up early and get in the line. This one’s worth it. –Becky Duffett
→ Butter & Crumble (North Beach) • 271 Francisco St • Thurs–Sun 9a until sold out.
WORK • Media
Church and state
A subscriber to this newsletter recently told a colleague that her favorite part of FOUND is the work item (oh, wow, blushing).
Results may vary! But the compliment landed. In the early days of a start-up, especially one building quietly, the ratio of affirmation to uncertainty and doubt is very low. Add in the factor that FOUND is a fully remote operation, and the result is a feedback loop mostly running tortured laps in our heads.
As it happens, the admiring subscriber is a former co-worker. We only overlapped for a minute, and don’t know each other well, but I distinctly remember the first time I met her. It was in the mid-teens in the offices of the digital media company. I was “on the business side,” and she was a new editorial hire. At first sight, she expressed her point of view that the purpose of the business side was to make money and never talk to her.
It stung! Since my days pasting up pizza shop ads while editing the college newspaper, I always prided myself on being able to see all sides of the media business. Church and state, yes, of course, but we’re all on the same team here, making media and mixing metaphors together.
Ten years later, even the most successful media organizations remain beset by internal conflict. Often the wounds are self-inflicted, but usually, there’s that age-old business-editorial division at the core.
Fortunately, FOUND is too new for that sort of thing. And hopefully, we’ll build something lasting that heralds a new generation of enlightened media, one that truly understands how to have it all — to build a business and maintain standards, to make money and all talk to each other. Probably, though, we’re only months away from hiring the next rising editorial star who tells the business side to go fuck itself. –Josh Albertson
SF WORK AND PLAY LINKS: Homeowners plot to kill city’s rezoning plan to increase height limits in residential neighborhoods • Healthcare, not AI, is carrying the San Francisco economy • NFT members-only club Zo House opens in SoMa • Once sleepy West Portal forges a new identity • Inside Japantown, a Koreatown quietly emerges • ‘Ghost jobs’ are on the rise • Working late? Don’t bother.
WORK • Wednesday Routine
Downward dog days of summer
LISA CORSELLO • therapist & fitness trainer • Lisa Corsello Wellness
Neighborhood you live in: Sonoma
It’s Wednesday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
I start by teaching an online rebounder class to get my body moving and my mind settled. I turn up the music and feel so happy to see my clients bouncing along from home. The vibe is positive, sweaty, empowering, and fun. After class, I change into my “therapist clothes” and make my way to Sausalito, where I work as a somatic therapist at a treatment and recovery center. The place is stunning, with panoramic views of the entire Bay Area. I love seeing my clients and fellow therapists as I check in at the coffee area and transition into my new role.
What’s on the agenda for today?
I’ll see clients, run a group session, and attend a clinical meeting before heading back to Sonoma to pick up my kids from whatever sport or play they’re in. We’ll most likely go out to dinner, because — by the time everyone’s activities are over — I’ve been going for 10 straight hours, and have zero interest in cooking.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
Depending on where my kids’ games are and how tired they feel after, we’ll either head north to The Fig Cafe in Glen Ellen, east to Gott’s Roadside in Napa, or stay in Sonoma and go to HopMonk Tavern.
How about a little leisure or culture?
For my partner’s birthday, we’re taking a rare day off. I’ve booked us day passes at the Sonoma Mission Inn, where we’ll relax and enjoy the geothermal pools, gym, steam, and sauna. We’re looking forward to the reopening of Morton’s Warm Springs in Kenwood this summer, and we hope to get away to Olea Hotel in Glen Ellen, where we can bring the kids and dogs. Bonus: They have the BEST guest breakfasts.
As far as nightlife goes, there are some hidden and not-so-hidden gems. For a dive bar experience in Sonoma Plaza, Steiner’s Tavern and Town Square can’t be beat. The bar at MacArthur Place has great cocktails, and their restaurant, Layla, is great for date night. The Speakeasy is a fun venue for live music, and when it’s nice out, we head to Gundlach Bundschu for live music with beautiful views. And my favorite hiking spots are Bartholomew Park, the Sonoma Overlook Trail, and Sonoma Mountain Cemetery.
Any weekend getaways?
I love Olea Hotel in Glen Ellen, Indian Springs Resort & Spa in Calistoga, and the Claremont Hotel in Oakland.
What was your last great vacation?
I took my kids to Rome last year, and wow, was it an adventure. When I lived in Munich, I traveled to Rome many times by myself and with friends. But traveling solo with my kids forced me to slow down and see a different side of the city (they needed many gelato “breaks”). My kids were drawn to things I wouldn't have expected, and the things I thought they would like weren’t that interesting to them. So I was forced to change my plan, and let them lead, which helped me try new things.
What store or service do you always recommend?
I love shopping for gifts at Hello Sonoma and House of Botanicals. They happen to be next door to Purely Sonoma, where I see Monica West, who’s hands-down the best colorist around. For skincare, I recommend Ramona Birchler and Shari Spakes in SF and Dr. Jeanne Tsai at SF Aesthetics and Laser Center.
GETAWAYS LINKS: A drive north of Sea Ranch to a pizzeria at the edge of the earth • Seattle’s Pan Pacific Hotel to transform into 1Hotel Seattle • On Baja, Four Seasons opens second resort in Los Cabos, 30 minutes from SJD • Boarding last, not first, is the true airline luxury • Are summer travel deals finally back?
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’s your Restaurant of the Summer?
What San Francisco hotel do you always recommend for out-of-town guests?
My friends and I are searching for a new day spa for a weekend drop-in. What are the latest FOUND options?
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