Next gen
Prelude, Go Duck Yourself, Super Bowl viewing, Kezar Stadium listings, Underdogs, Gallinette, Carlsbad, FOUND hiring, MORE
RESTAURANTS • First Word
Southland tales
The Skinny: Opened in August and tucked inside the Financial District’s luxe Jay Hotel, Prelude is folding Alabama’s foodways into Californian fine dining.
The Vibe: A teal-tiled kitchen is wide open to the primary dining room, where leather banquettes and chevroned stained glass panels punctuate a blend of earth tones and eucalyptus wood. Downtown evening light filters in from expansive windows to the wooden tables in the center of the room.
The Food: A dirty-rice-stuffed fried chicken wing is a perfect introduction to the neo-nostalgic style of chef Celtin Henderson-Jones, an alum of Niku Steakhouse and Commis. Gulf red snapper served like a torchon (with cajun shrimp mousse) feels a bit stiff, but that's quelled by the silver spork provided for the pillowy smoked catfish dumplings and crayfish etouffee. A crispy Duroc pork chop comes with Tierra hominy grits and a choose-your-own adventure row of garnishes, like pickled shrimp and crispy Benton's ham.
The Drink: The bar is a pleasant hideaway, tucked away from the main dining room facing the corner of Clay and Battery Streets, midway between the emerging Transamerica Pyramid social scene and One Maritime Plaza. Bar director Franco Bilbaeno's cocktails are as central to the experience as the food. Consider the Southern Roots, with brown butter, sweet potato, Maker's Mark, and fermented Jimmy Nardello pepper, and the Vodka P.F.C. Martini, with clarified buttermilk, black garlic, black pepper, pickle brine, and fried chicken skin garnish. Meanwhile, master somm Morgan Harris has stories to tell from the Cali Central Coast to Piemonte in a wine program that aims high.
The Verdict: Prelude's take on fine Southern comfort isn’t as much a careful replication of that region’s dining as a playful take on how a Californian imagines it could be. –Adrian Spinelli
→ Prelude (FiDi) • 333 Battery St • Mon-Sat 4-9p • Reserve.
SF RESTAURANT LINKS: North Beach’s Ristorante Milano to close 3/31 • Haas scion buys into storied Graffeo coffee business • Vinca Minor Winery ceases production in Sonoma • Why is my drink so damn weird?
WORK • FOUND Jobs
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Having lived through (and mostly ignored) the rises and falls of Flipboard, Facebook Instant Articles, Google AMP, and TikTok (risen again!), we’re wary of relying on social media for distribution. Strategies shift, algorithms reset, entire ecosystems disappear.
That’s why you’re probably reading this FOUND dispatch in your email inbox. It’s the best, most efficient way for us to make sure we reach you directly, at least for now.
But even as we endeavor to build a lasting media brand insulated from the whims of platforms, we’re still building audience. And so we’re going to beef up our capabilities a bit.
This quarter, we’re looking to bring on a freelance social media manager to handle accounts across the FOUND network. That entails posting regularly on Instagram and Substack Notes, fleshing out strategy on those platforms and others, and helping translate the FOUND voice, wherever it travels.
Ideal candidates will have a few years professional experience managing and executing on social media strategy, preferably for a media brand, and at least a few hours a week to spend on this project. If that’s you, drop us a line at found@itsfoundsf.com with some samples of your work.
REAL ESTATE • On the Market
Legacy grounds
Lots of people driving past the athletic field between Stanyan Street and Lincoln Boulevard have no idea they’re passing the original home of both the San Francisco 49ers and (the team once known as) the Las Vegas Raiders. But until 1971, Kezar Stadium was hallowed NFL grounds, hosting the Raiders for the team’s inaugural season and the Niners for a decade-plus. It wasn’t until 1989 that the facility was transformed into the open-to-the-community space it is today, the high bleachers demolished to allow a sightline to Golden Gate Park.
That redevelopment didn’t just remove some nightmare gameday traffic jams, but also made the stadium’s adjacent neighborhoods even more attractive to residents, a trend that continues today. Compass notes that the Cole Valley/Parnassus Heights area saw 29 homes change hands last year at a median price of $3.68M, while the Inner Sunset saw 30 move at $1.676M. Here, three listings that would have been within shouting distance of Minnesota Viking Jim Marshall’s famous wrong way run.
→ 1616 8th Ave (Inner Sunset, above) • 3BR/1.1BA • 1914 SF home • Ask: $2.1M (reduced from $2.388M) • 1914 build in historic Windsor Terrace development • Days on market: 75 • Agent: Patrick Lam, Century 21.
→ 1959 Page St (Upper Haight) • 3BR/2BA, 1644 SF TIC • Ask: $2.195M • fully remodeled penthouse with garage parking • Days on market: 11 • Agent: Derek Jackson, Vanguard.
→ 121-123 Grattan St (Cole Valley) • 4BR/4BA, 2735 SF multi-family • Ask: $1.699M (reduced from $1.899M) • 4-unit building with owner-occupant availability • Days on market: 132 • Agent: Sean Engmann, eXp.
SF WORK AND PLAY LINKS: Mayor-backed SF Music Week seeks to boost downtown SF arts scene • Transamerica Tower books up • Meta mulls reincorporation in Texas • LinkedIn removes accounts of #OpenToWork AI ‘co-workers.’
CULTURE & LEISURE • Snake
John Doe • Hopmonk Session Room (Novato) • Fri @ 7p • GA $45 per
Lunar New Year Concert + Banquet • SF Symphony • Davies Hall (Civic Center) • Sat @ 4p • Ruby, $2500 per
Doodler • Theatre Rhinoceros (Mission) • Sun @ 3p • GA, $35 per
WORK • Wednesday Routine
Winning team
DOUG MARSCHKE • CEO • Underdogs Restaurant Group
Neighborhoods you work in: The Sunset, South Beach, Cow Hollow, North Beach
Neighborhood you live in: Outer Sunset
It’s Wednesday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
Organized chaos! Each restaurant produces all of our product fresh daily, so there are a lot of people working on salsas, marinades, butchering, etc. The front of the house is busy opening the restaurant, stocking and setting things up. I’m sure there are some maintenance issues we’re dealing with as we check in, and sales reps come in to pitch their products. Plus, we’re answering all the emails, voicemails, and reviews we received the day before, and it isn’t even 10am yet!
What’s on the agenda for today?
Been working on our new menu for dogs, because they (the dogs) all seem jealous of their owners eating tacos. We’re working on getting a better non-alcoholic drink program going, too. Also, after my kidney transplant three years ago (my wife was my donor), I try to do something for kidney advocacy or education daily.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
My wife and I try to hit a new restaurant each week if we can. We’re excited about Gallinette right across from Underdogs Too, and Spruce is our go-to for special events.
How about a little leisure or culture?
I have a three-quarter basketball court in my backyard, so every other Saturday, us old guys get together, play a little basketball, then head over to Underdogs for some tacos and margaritas. The game itself isn’t the point, it’s really just an excuse for people to get together, burn some calories, and relax.
Any weekend getaways?
Healdsburg! We belong to a few wine clubs, and it’s always a great time. We also went to Disneyland for Christmas. It’s the happiest place on earth, right?
GETAWAYS • Carlsbad
Block party
Chef Eric Bost currently oversees two restaurants on the same block in Carlsbad. While both spots have different menus and vibes, both are worth the trip.
The first, Campfire (above), features a massive, relaxed indoor-outdoor dining room, where shelves of chopped wood double as decor and cooking supply. Outside, string lights hang from retractable canopies. There’s always a convivial energy here, with a hint of smoke in the air. As per the name, fire’s at the center of the menu. Oysters warmed over coals are topped with smoked oxtail dashi. Octopus gets roasted over fire. Coffee-rubbed brisket is smoked and served with polenta. Even the bread comes with charcoal butter.
If Campfire is dark and rustic, sister restaurant Jeune et Jolie is a more subdued, pastel-colored spot. There’s a central U-shaped, eggshell-blue bar and pink velvet banquettes. The dining room menu is a French-Californian four-course prix fixe ($115 per) with a supplemental raw bar, but there’s also an a la carte menu at the bar. On that menu is seabass with perfectly crisped skin and a sauce of saffron, vanilla, and warm spices — an extraordinary execution.
Campfire’s menu is best explored with a group, while Jeune et Jolie is tuned for couples or solo diners — even those who, if you’re anything like me, insist on eating an entire plate of mornay-filled gougeres, each topped with a sliver of black truffle.
If one night is all you can spare in Carlsbad, no matter. Sidle up to the bar at Jeune et Jolie when it opens at 5p for some light bites, and then stroll over to Campfire for dinner. –Fiona Chandra
→ Campfire (Carlsbad) • 2725 State St • Mon, Wed & Thurs 5-10p; Fri & Sat 5-11p; Sun 4-9p.
→ Jeune et Jolie (Carlsbad) • 2659 State St • Wed-Sun 5-10p.
GETAWAYS LINKS: The changing face of hotel ownership in Mendocino • Navigating new restrictions at Delta Sky Clubs • Private jet pitfalls, examined • The cutthroat game of snagging a pool chair on vacation.
RESTAURANTS • FOUND Table
Duck, duck, duck
The Backstory: One of the great duck legends of Chinatown relocated to Bernal Heights last year, when the former Hing Lung Company reopened as Go Duck Yourself. Fortunately, the roast duck remains just as crispy and fatty as ever, now served in a modern setting.
The Experience: It’s gone from a classic Chinatown takeout experience (i.e. ducks hanging in the window, line snaking out the door) to a striking dining room looking out onto Cortland Street. There are black honeycomb tile floors, natural wood, concrete gray, and industrial light fixtures. A hand-painted sign with a tattoo-style font and a meat cleaver gleam on the door.
Brothers Eric and Simon Cheung can be spotted deboning birds in the open kitchen. While it’s tempting to pick up half a duck for takeout ($33 per), it’s worth sitting down for the full feast. Round out the table with steamed bao buns, shredded scallions, and sesame hoisin, as well as lotus leaf-wrapped sticky rice, and garlicky greens caramelized with a shot of whiskey. They arrive on a mismatched spread of blue-and-white floral plates.
Why It’s FOUND: Go Duck Yourself is repping the next generation of Cantonese American food in San Francisco, and giving the iconic dish of roast duck a cool new dining experience. –Becky Duffett
→ Go Duck Yourself (Bernal Heights) • 439 Cortland Ave • Wed-Sun, lunch 11a-230p, dinner 5-830p.
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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.
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What new fitness/wellness trend/class are you taking on?
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Tell us a secret about your favorite ski mountain!
Got answers or more questions? Hit reply or email found@itsfoundsf.com.
BARS • The Nines
Super Bowl viewing
The Nines are FOUND's distilled lists of the Bay Area’s best. Additions or subtractions? Hit reply or found@itsfoundsf.com.
Buzzworks (SoMa), preeminent Chiefs bar, 40 beers on draft, 30 TVs