Smoke show
ABSteak, Menlo Park listings, Patrick Schwarzenegger, FOUND launches, Edgewood Tahoe Resort, best NA cocktails, MORE
RESTAURANTS • FOUND Table
Belly of the beast
The Skinny: Professional snowboarder turned Las Vegas chef Akira Back is returning pizzaz to Union Square with a second location of his LA restaurant, AB Steak, opened last fall in an underground lair on Ellis St.
The Vibe: A glossy black flight of stairs leads below street level to an interior reminiscent of the inside of a cow: oxblood red marble, arches resembling ribs, and prime cuts of wagyu on display (in case the other references aren’t clear enough). A circular glass wine case completes the transformation of what was previously Infusion Lounge into Las Vegas-level splendor.
The Food: A luxe grill sits atop each table, constructed to suck the smoke downward, keeping it from lingering in clothes or hair. But this isn’t a DIY grilling situation: Servers brandish long chopsticks and scissors, grilling your steak of choice to perfection before your eyes. The beef is flown in from across the U.S., Japan, and Australia, to be dry-aged in-house for up to 45 days. The marinated galbi is bathed in bone broth, lending it extra richness. In addition to a solid lineup of banchan, the gurgling pot of spicy tofu jjigae is worth your attention. For dessert, there’s a cute little chocolate cow stuffed with cake.
The Verdict: A Korean steakhouse firing at Vegas levels of fun might be a desperately needed kick in the pants for an otherwise subdued downtown SF. Serious Wagyu fans will be delighted, as will anyone ready to have an unserious good time. –Becky Duffett
→ ABSteak (Union Square) • 124 Ellis St • Tue-Thu 5-10p, Fri-Sat 5-11p • Reserve.
SF RESTAURANT LINKS: Inner Sunset Starbucks becoming Saint Frank outpost • Refreshed Beauty Bar to mount Mission return in April • Lord Stanley to close Upper Polk doors May 31 • b. Patisserie expands to Union Square • Oakland shuts down Snail Bar’s “Upstairs” spin-off • French/Italian Augustine opens on Santana Row • Stop asking your bartender to surprise you.
REAL ESTATE • On the Market
Little lake
Menlo Park’s proximity to Stanford — the heart of the tech world and venture capital ecosystem — makes for a region where Rivians are more common than Mercedes, and closets are stocked with less Alfred Dunhill, more logoed fleece vests. Homes that moved last year went for a median price of $3.26M, Compass reports, while condos hit a median of $1.12M. Here, three listings for those considering life inside the Stanford Circle (see also Palo Alto, Los Altos, and Atherton):
→ 537 7th Ave (Menlo Park) • 3BR/2.1BA, 1689 SF house • Ask: $1.999M • Fully remodeled 1920 build in North Fair Oaks • Days on market: 28 • Agent: Kevin Song, Compass.
→ 6 Russell Ct (Menlo Park) • 3BR/3BA • 2120 SF house • Ask: $3.19M • High-ceilinged 1980 build with hot tub and old growth trees • Days on market: 5 • Agent: Josephine Chu, JC Financial.
→ 2160 Menalto Ave (Menlo Park, above) • 5BR/3BA, 2623 SF house • Ask: $4M • Freshly built Willows open-plan with one car garage • Days on market: 25 • Builder: Aro Homes.
SF WORK AND PLAY LINKS: SF home sales dominated by 45-and-over crowd • Big revamp planned for Embarcadero Plaza • China Beach bathhouse reno actually kicking off • Waymo launches in Silicon Valley • Half-past four is the new five o’clock.
WORK • Thursday Routine
Brain candy
This post appeared in last week’s edition of FOUND LA. Looking for a little more LA in your life? Subscribe to FOUND LA, with new issues dropping each Thursday.
PATRICK SCHWARZENEGGER • actor • co-founder & CEO, MOSH
Neighborhood where you work: Brentwood
Neighborhood where you live: Santa Monica
It’s Wednesday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
It’s always packed and usually has a fun, busy atmosphere. In addition to being the office for MOSH — The Brain Brand that I co-founded with my mom, Maria Shriver — the space is also the office for Shriver Media, The Sunday Paper, and a few people who work with the Women's Alzheimer's Movement at Cleveland Clinic (which receives a portion of proceeds from the sale of every MOSH bar). Lately we’ve been doing a ton of sampling and bar testing in anticipation of some new flavors we’re creating to launch later this year.
What’s on the agenda for today?
First, we’re going to make some new content for MOSH’s Instagram and TikTok. Then, we’re going to be drafting messaging about the brand for the employees at Erewhon and Ralphs to help educate them about our brain-boosting protein bars and our overall mission, which is all about supporting physical and cognitive nutrition. We’ll also be going over final designs for the new flavors we’ve been working on, and making some final decisions about what imagery we’ll be using for the packaging.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
It's my fiancée’s birthday, so we have a packed weekend of food. We're going to Jon & Vinny’s for Italian, then out for steaks the night after (we’re big steak people!). Then I’ll be traveling to New York, Spain, and Germany… so I know I'll be eating a lot of great food very soon.
How about a little leisure or culture?
We like to stay pretty active on the weekends and spend a lot of time outdoors. This weekend is supposed to be nice and sunny, so we’ll probably take our beach cruisers out to the Venice Beach boardwalk, and hopefully hop in the pool.
Any weekend getaways?
We're both working a lot right now, but we try to get to Santa Barbara — which has become a favorite local getaway for us — when we can. The beach is obviously great there, and there’s beautiful hikes and biking. There's a steakhouse there that we love, Lucky’s, and tons of great coffee shops.
What was your last great vacation?
I was in Thailand for seven months [filming season 3 of The White Lotus]. Although it was work, it was also vacation; we got to hop around from Ko Samui to Phuket to Bangkok. We explored the Phi Phi Islands and spent time on some beautiful beaches (including the beach from the movie The Beach).
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
I don't buy much, but I did get a new car this past year, which was a big one for me. And I bought some new stocks. Honestly… I usually just spend money on stocks!
CULTURE & LEISURE • No Obligation
The Linda Lindas • The Fillmore (Fillmore) • Fri @ 8p • GA, $37 per
Jay Mohr • Punch Line (FiDi) • Sat @ 915p • Preferred, $52 per
Jim Henson's Labyrinth: In Concert • The Warfield (Mid-Market) • Sun @ 7p • VIP, $148 per
WORK • Launches
Lunchwire
It’s launch week at FOUND, with our London and Paris editions debuting today and Friday, respectively. We’ll be celebrating the new frontiers from our home offices, having officially spoken our plans to build a GLOBAL MEDIA BRAND into an inbox near you.
Last decade, when we were launching a series of blogs in more than two dozen North American cities under the Curbed, Eater, and Racked banners, we would celebrate each launch with a special lunch at Curbed HQ in Manhattan’s East Village. I went back and checked the tape (i.e. emails to the team from Curbed ops czar Jackie Goldstein) on a handful of these lunches, which peaked during the release frenzy of 2011-2013. It’s a study in the power of pushing the ball forward and the ’10s downtown NYC lunch scene (Torrisi/Parm turkey hero, legendary).
Date: Sept 7, 2011
Sites: Curbed Atlanta & Detroit; Eater New Orleans
Lunch: Torrisi
Date: Jan 25, 2012
Sites: Eater Philly & Vegas
Lunch: “Unfortunately due to the NYT review of Parm we do not think they'll be able to cater to our large order on short notice so we're going to try NO. 7 SUB.”
Date: Nov 15, 2012
Sites: Eater Louisville, San Diego & Minneapolis
Lunch: Rubirosa
Date: Dec 5, 2012
Sites: Racked Boston, Philly & SF
Lunch: Parm
Date: June 27, 2013
Sites: Eater Detroit & Nashville
Lunch: “Parm recently started delivering and is amazingly on Seamless now.”
Date: Sept 24, 2013
Site: Racked TK (Which Racked??)
Lunch: “Amazing newish salad spot Sweetgreen… They don't actually do catering but are doing us a favor, so we have to get them the order today.”
Date: Oct 2, 2013
Sites: Eater Toronto, Montreal, & Vancouver; Curbed Toronto & Vancouver
Lunch: Mile End
Jan 2, 2014 (!)
Sites: Racked Dallas & Miami
Lunch: Parm
Here’s to more lunches in 2025 for all who launch. –Josh Albertson
GETAWAYS • Lake Tahoe
Living on the edge
Nestled on the shores of Lake Tahoe, Edgewood Tahoe Resort is undoubtedly South Lake’s most stylish stay — and the only luxury lakefront hotel property on this side of Big Blue. The independent, family-owned lodge and golf course have a long history on these lands, where the Park family settled as cattle ranchers 150 years ago. Hailed as South Lake’s premier luxury resort when it opened in 2017, it still has all the familiar comforts and alpine charm you’d expect at a mountain lodge: roaring fires, cozy reading chairs with fur trim, and rich textures throughout its 154 guest rooms and suites, all of which have fireplaces, balconies, and large soaking tubs. In winter, its prime location — just minutes from Heavenly Mountain — is just one of several reasons to book a stay here.
What Edgewood lacks in ski-out, ski-in access, it makes up for in top-of-the-line service. Consider booking a three-night stay in one of the resort’s new Villa Suites and arranging a full-day private mountain tour guided by a local expert, whose powers include skipping lift lines to hit the slopes. All lodge and villa guests can use Edgewood’s white-glove Ski Butler program, where a dedicated team member assists with gear fitting and delivers rentals to your room. A ski valet will then whisk you and your gear straight to the Heavenly gondola, five minutes away.
Aprés perks abound here too. Green juice and granola are served daily in the lodge’s Great Room; activities include snowshoeing, ice skating, hot cocoa with board games, and an evening s’mores bar. And this month marks the opening of Edgewood Spa, which offers holistic treatments and an oxygen bar. Two onsite restaurants (one, Edgewood Restaurant, reopens Summer 2025), a heated lakefront pool and hot tub, and ample outdoor firepits also sweeten the deal for one of South Lake’s best stays. –Allison McCarthy
→ Edgewood Tahoe Resort (Stateline) • 180 Lake Pkwy • Rooms from $425/night.
Credit: Edgewood Tahoe Resort.
GETAWAYS LINKS: Point Reyes’ Old Western Saloon sold to tech mogul’s nonprofit • Tahoe vacation rental restrictions reversed • Three installations stand out at biennial Desert X around Palm Springs • The life of a checked bag.
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:
After London and Paris, where should FOUND launch next?
What shops are you keeping an eye on for spring lines?
Which outdoor dining and rooftop spots are you most excited to visit as SF warms up?
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RESTAURANTS & BARS • The Nines
For NA cocktails
The Nines are FOUND's distilled lists of the Bay Area’s best. Additions or subtractions? Hit reply or found@itsfoundsf.com.
Nari (Japantown, above), tropical flavors alongside inventive Thai dishes, reserve