San Francisco • Tartine Bakery & Cafe

Date: 07-04-13
Location: 600 Guerrero St.
Photography by: Luis Valdizon
Words by: Luis Valdizon & M. L. Morriss
Website: tartinebakery.com

Every now and again, I come across someone's life story I wish were my own to tell. The autobiography of Chad Robertson, half of the genius behind San Francisco's iconic Tartine Bakery & Cafe reads beautifully. At heart, it's a tale of the relentless pursuit of perfection within one's craft. His desire to create the ideal basic country bread would take him and wife Elisabeth Prueitt on a journey spanning over the country and world, culminating in a shop with baked goods in such high-demand you would think they held a long-term Jordan account if you saw the morning and weekend line-ups.

I remember specifically being in my home lusting over the life and work of Mr. Robertson: early mornings spent creating the extraordinary out of the most humble food item on the planet, setting out to the ocean to surf while the bread rose, coming back to finish the process and selling each of the 240 loaves made daily. The thought of fragrant mornings filled with the aromas of freshly-made bread and brisk morning sea air eloquently interweaving in and out of Mr. Robertson's daily regiment is nothing short of inspirational. I'm a longtime admirer of Mr. Robertson's and Ms. Prueitt's work, but until this July, I was only a fan of what I had heard, seen and read. I had never been to Tartine.

With a few days break in between shows on the Young, Loved, Hated & Broke summer tour and the next stops being Spokane, WA and Seattle, we decided to take our time driving up to the Northwest and to spend Independence Day in San Francisco. My only request while in the city was to make it to Tartine. It was the only thing on my mind from the beginning of the trip to "The City That Waits To Die" until Matt and I stepped inside the bakery. Thankfully, Independence Day traffic didn't stifle our journey there and the holiday line wasn't long. It was almost as if the leaven gods had heard and answered my heavyhearted prayers.

Not only had the gods split the sea of probable patrons before my arrival, but they chose Daft Punk's Random Access Memories as the sound scape of my first experience. The stars had aligned. We ordered an Almond-Lemon Poppy Seed Tea Cake and cappucinos, and sat down. The bakery's interior is a well-balanced blend of industrial / diner and is quite cozy. With the standard fare of hustle and bustle momentarily removed, Matt and I enjoyed our afternoon treat in a calm ambiance. Elizabeth's tea cake is undeniable. For me, it completely elevated my concept of what pound cake could be, and I've yet to find one better. It's crust was the perfect balance of crisp and buttery, and the inside was better than you could ever imagine such a simple baked good being. It alone was worth the years of patiently waiting. I'm a little bitter that I didn't get to try Chad's basic country bread, but I like to think that it was the work of my subconscious setting up the subsequent chapter of my love affair with Tartine.

San Francisco, CA • Unionmade

Date: 07-04-13
Location: 493 Sanchez St
Film by: Luis Valdizon
Words by: M. L. Morris
unionmadegoods.com

It's August 2013, and at this point, Unionmade in San Francisco is a retail staple of American menswear. But when I first visited the shop in January 2010 during my inaugural trip to the Golden Gate City, it was a brand new place that had only been open for two months. That was before GQ rated it one of the 10 Best Independent Men's Stores In America, before it more-than-doubled its size by conjoining with the space next door, before its second location opened six hours south at the Brentwood Country Market in Santa Monica, before its sister store, Mill, came into existence up the hill from the original, and before owner Todd Barket had enough influx of customers to let his team of employees do all of the floor work (I actually conducted a video interview with him on that visit that I planned to post on a very early mockup of The Cleanest Corner, but I decided not to launch the site at the time).

There's a reason Unionmade has incurred so much success in just three-and-a-half years, though. From its location inside of a beautiful pre-1906 Victorian building just blocks away from the famous Mission Dolores Park; to the racks, shelves and tables of RRL, Barbour, Gitman, Filson, Gant Rugger, Tanner Goods and countless other superb brands; to the jaw-dropping selection of Alden footwear that occupies the entire street-side wall; to the limited edition house brand collaborations with such names as Golden Bear and Harris Tweed that can be found every once in a while; to the fresh smells wafting into all corners of the retail space from the apothecary section; to the ample assortment of fine magazines, books and home goods that welcomes guests upon entering the front door; to its all-around well-curated and kempt layout; the store is nearly perfect. In fact, its only flaw isn't even a flaw—it's more of an obstacle that I, and I'm sure many other young 20-somethings who visit, hope to overcome in the next few years. That obstacle is not being able to afford much of the inventory. Although prices can get steep, Unionmade takes the admirable approach of purveying goods that will last years and decades to come, and look better over time.

I believe purchases at Unionmade should be viewed as investments rather than subtractions on a monthly bank statement, but during our recent stop in S.F. on our 21-hour road trip to Washington for the Northwest leg of the 'Young, Loved, Hated & Broke' tour, I couldn't have bought anything even if I wanted to. Do you know how packed a Ford Escape gets when it contains five grown men, their luggage, a spare tire and DJ equipment? Look out for another Unionmade post when we're riding 12-deep in a luxury bus and the last word of the tour name is 'Opulent.'