Happy New Year! Foodie Friday:  My Favorite Meal of 2015 – Birthday Dinner at State Bird Provisions

NOTE:  Yes.  I am back.  It has been a little over 2 months since I have blogged & the break was partly because I lost my SD card that held my precious photos and I was very bummed about it because I can never recover those lost memories & partly because my work projects were consuming my time.  However, 2016 is here and I must move on.  And so, I am.  I also want to point out that I want to continue blogging as frequently as I can but now that Dahlia is a toddler, she requires much more energy and attention which makes for one exhausted Mama.  So, I will blog as frequently as I  can.

Anyway, here is the gist on the best meal I had in 2015 and hoping we all eat well in 2016.  Cheers!

Finally.  I have finally, after 2 years, tried State Bird Provisions and they did not disappoint.  It was, by far, the best restaurant experience I’ve had in San Francisco.  I wore comfy clothes, sat at the chefs table, chatted with many of the employees and tried some amazing food along the way.  Read along and get hungry with me 🙂

Review:  State Bird Provisions | The Fillmore | San Francisco, Ca

Website:  http://statebirdsf.com/

Ambiance:   Casual & Cool

Kid-Friendly: Not really (?)  We came for dinner and didn’t see one child.  We also knew that we weren’t going to bring Dahlia and it’s good we didn’t.  It’s not a very big restaurant and she’d run wild in here if we did.

Pet-Friendly:  Definitely not.  No outdoor seating for this joint.

Tips:  I did not make reservations, because like many, it is impossible to try to schedule one online.  Even when I was on Maternity Leave and up at crazy hours of the day, I couldn’t get a reservation to save my life.  I know that they save about half of the reservations for walk-ins so that is your best bet.

Anyway, we came on a very rainy Monday (My actual birthday) crossing our fingers hoping that we’d get in.  We got there around 5:30pm (near opening time) and when we checked in, they said our wait would be about 45 mins. No prob!  So, we went around the corner to a very lovely bar and had drinks and 20 min. later, they called!  Lucky us!  So, if you are going and haven’t made reservations, try to go on a day where most people wouldn’t be out!

Below is their menu and you can select their standards as shown or you can just wait for servers to come around with trays and carts just as a dim sum place would do and select food that way.  So fun!

Our view from the chef’s table was amazing, we got to see everything get made and saw all items leaving.

Foods we tried:

• Polenta Cake – was super crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.  Well-seasoned and delicious!  This was one of my favorites

• Can’t recall the name of this dish (yes it’s been 2 months – give me a break) – but it was aromatic & yummy and came from the cart, so it was a seasonal dish.
• Hog Island Oysters on a half shell are always a good choice!  This one came a little spicy with kraut.  The sesame seeds were a nice touch as well.

• Duck Confit Dumpling was really good, only downfall was that it only came with one!  Didn’t want to share with my husband :
• Amazing garlic bread with burrata!  I’m a sucker for cheese and this dish is something I could eat everyday.  Everyday.
• Steak Tartare with Umeboshi-Rosemary Vinaigrette topped with Sea Urchin – Obviously not a good photo but the dish itself was OK.  I always prefer a Tuna Tartare over steak, but had to try this because of the Sea Urchin.
  
• Kabocha squash mochi with brussels sprouts, savory oats & black truffle – This was one also OK – interesting textures and flavors mixed together.  I was intrigued by the mochi and truffle.

• Kimchi & maitake ‘fried rice’ a la plancha with smoked egg bottarga – this came out last and we probably could’ve done without it because we were so full by the time we got it, so I would say not to order it and try more of the smaller plates.  Flavors were different than any other kimchi ‘fried rice’ I’ve tried but not different in a bad way.
  
• Fried Green Tomatoes & a Shrimp Louie Salad – I got this because, well, when do you ever see fried green tomatoes.  My sister made them once in college and I’ve loved them ever since.  These had a nice crunch to them and the shrimp salad was a nice addition.

• Sourdough, sauerkraut, pecorino & ricotta pancake – this little gem was a bite of goodness.  Perfectly cooked and seasoned.
  
• Pork Belly Grape Salad – This was got all my taste buds going.  It was sweet, salty, crunchy, and spicy all at once.  Pork belly is always a good option to try and making it part of a salad makes you feel less guilty for eating it. 🙂

• CA state bird with provisions wolfe ranch quail – This was probably my favorite and is probably why the restaurant is named after it.  It is tangy, crunchy and delicious.  I wanted to eat everything from the bowl especially because it had that cheese in there, but that sauce was everything!

• Dessert:  double chocolate ‘ice cream’ sandwich, burnt meringue & cherries.  The dessert was amazing.  Perfectly paired together with fresh ‘world peace’ peanut muscovado milk and a side of birthday candle.  The cherries on top made this dessert extra delicious!
  

My husband and I had such a great dinner here and the service was spectacular!  We will definitely be coming back again, if we ever get that lucky again.