Pies were a “food trend” from a couple years ago, so I wasn’t surprised and they’re still going strong in San Francisco. New places have moved on from the pies though, and I had to try the “old news” bakeries and the new ones to get a better idea of what The Mission bakery and dessert scene had to offer.
Best Of…
State Bird Provisions – America’s Best New Restaurant… or was it?! I have my issues with anything being called “the best”, so I won’t even go there, but it was an excellent restaurant. The food wasn’t necessarily the highlight (although I had some fantastic dishes), but it was the whole concept and execution. It was innovative, smart, original and memorable.
I felt like I was a friend of the chef at a catered party featuring funky tapas and hors d’oeuvres. It was a nice open kitchen and I got to watch all the food being prepared and “sample” all the food before going out. That’s not what really happened and I didn’t get to “sample”, but it’s how I felt. It was almost like the New American version of a Japanese Izakaya place.
Line ups build anticipation and it can really make or break the experience. The restaurant needs to bring their A-game and the food needs to be top notch to make it worth it, so the pressure was on especially after winning what the restaurant world would call an Oscar (James Beard Award).
State Bird Provisions – America’s Best New Restaurant… or was it?! I have my issues with anything being called “the best”, so I won’t even go there, but it was an excellent restaurant. The food wasn’t necessarily the highlight (although I had some fantastic dishes), but it was the whole concept and execution. It was innovative, smart, original and memorable.
First off, there is a lot more to Mexican food than tacos and burritos, but I had to narrow my focus. Not having a taco in The Mission would be like skipping a croissant in Paris, so I committed to tacos on this occasion. A taco sounds like a simple thing, equivalent to the American sandwich, but there are things to consider when “judging” them.
More often than not I get more excited about a meal and a restaurant when I’m actually in the moment, but in this case it was the opposite. It was a thought provoking meal I appreciated more looking back on it. I did not necessarily remember each course because of how amazing it tasted, but it was the consideration for a concept that had me intrigued.
I did not have that toe-curling moment, but the execution, technique and development of each dish was so intense and fine tuned it was admirable. I could almost taste the determination for a third star. The precision, knife skills, and attention to detail at benu I hold high in regard. It wasn’t necessary my favourite movie, but it was mindfully stimulating.
