Eating and Drinking in San Francisco

[P_Willenberg]

@todd waldmann

We are potentially headed to San Francisco for a weekend in the fall. Does anyone have any tips/tricks for getting a reservation at State Bird?

I stood in line for 30 minutes and sat at the bar.

[todd_waldmann]

@P. Willenberg

@todd waldmann

We are potentially headed to San Francisco for a weekend in the fall. Does anyone have any tips/tricks for getting a reservation at State Bird?

I stood in line for 30 minutes and sat at the bar.

Worthwhile?

[Leonard_Maran]

More than worthwhile for me.

[Leonard_Maran]

@todd waldmann

We are potentially headed to San Francisco for a weekend in the fall. Does anyone have any tips/tricks for getting a reservation at State Bird?

I live here in town and after an exciting birthday dinner early on, I could never score a reservation for my friends and I again. Sshh, but I recently learned after all this time that not only do you book two months ahead to the day but you do it at Midnight. I also enjoyed The Progress, their sister restaurant next door and it’s far easier to get a reservation.

[P_Willenberg]

re: State Bird.

I felt it was worthwhile. I found it a pretty good value compared to other higher end dining in SF. It’s best with a group so you can try multiple things, or befriend your barmates. They are constantly changing the menu, so there are some misses in there. If that kind of thing bothers you, be warned, but if you’re up for adventure and willing to overlook a bit of polish, it’s pushing boundaries in interesting ways.

[Jim_Friedman]

We ate at State Bird last year and thought it was great. Worth a detour.

[Glenn_L_e_v_i_n_e]

If you could be 20 again and walk into State Bird after a bong session I would think that America’s ultimate dining experience.

[P_Willenberg]

@Glenn L e v i n e

If you could be 20 again and walk into State Bird after a bong session I would think that America’s ultimate dining experience.

yes. I think of it like the Le Pigeon of SF.

[Robert_Dentice]

@Glenn L e v i n e

If you could be 20 again and walk into State Bird after a bong session I would think that America’s ultimate dining experience.

Who says you have to be 20! Sounds like a great idea for an offline. Besides there is so much weed everyone in San Francisco no one would notice.

I can’t even count how many redeyes I have taken so I could eat at State Bird!

[Sarah_Kirschbaum]

And you don’t need a group. I’ve ordered a huge number of dishes there just for myself. I’d be embarrassed if it weren’t so damn good. The bill for food never seems to get crazy, so it’s a great value in my opinion.

Like Paul said, not every dish is as good as every other dish, but the only thing that is a consistent fail to me is their octopus. It is always tough and rubbery. I always tell them it’s tough, and they thank me, and then when I come back next time I order it again thinking maybe they fixed it. And it’s tough again. But that is ONLY food complaint I have with State Bird. Love it!

[todd_waldmann]

Thanks for all the input everyone. If we do end up in San Francisco, we’ll go to State Bird (with or without reservations) and Acquerello (one of my favorites. Of the three nights we would be likely to be there, they only had availability at 5:45 each night and at 9:00 on one night and it is 2 1/2 months away!). Will probably have sushi on the third night. I’d want to make sure we have lunch at Kin Khao.

[alan_weinberg]

@Barry L i p t o n

I had dinner at Khin Khao last time in town; best Thai meal ever (including those on my three trips to Thailand). The flavored that you normally only get in Thailand combined with the protein quality you find here. It has a well deserved Michelin star.

I’ve long been a fan of Quince. Been to Saison twice, once in the old location. Disappointed the second time so in interested in hearing more, Alan. My issue was the repetitiveness of Unami - never thought I could get too much Unami, but I did.

going back to Quince in Sept. Will try and do a K Khao lunch. Thanks.

[CFu]

Shalimar on Jones is dope for Pakistani food. Always pretty busy, order at the counter. Really legit. The goat curry is awesome.

[todd_waldmann]

I called American Express Concierge to see about getting a reservation at State Bird…

Me: “Can you arrange for a reservation at State Bird? It would be for 61 days from now.”

Amex: “Oh yeah. No problem. We book with them at 4am Pacific time when they open up online reservations. If there aren’t any tables then, we call when they open at 10am since they hold some tables back for phone reservations.”

Me: “How likely is it you’ll have a table for me?”

Amex: “Very very likely. This shouldn’t be any problem. We are very familiar with State Bird and make reservations there all the time. We’ll let you know via email when we have your table reserved.”

Fast forward 24 hours. My phone rings.

“Hi this is American Express Concierge services. Just letting you know that we weren’t able to get you a table at State Bird Provisions. Is there another restaurant you would like us to recommend instead?”

Gee. Thanks. If I hadn’t gotten the response that it was essentially a given that I’d be getting my table, I would have been online at 4am myself and at least tried.

And I am fine just showing up on the day we want to eat there and putting our name on the list. It’s just the principle of the thing…

[Robert_Dentice]

Todd - if you are looking for 60 days out. Email statebird and see if they can help. They are about as helpful and accommodating as they can be given the demand.

info@statebirdsf.com

[todd_waldmann]

That’s Robert. I’ll give it a try.

[todd_waldmann]

Well, THAT worked out well. After sending them an email, the response I got was that they were booked that evening but that I was welcome to check the website and/or call to check for cancellations. I was also invited to walk in that night.

[R_Roberts]

Has anyone tried Ichido? I’m considering arranging a birthday dinner there, so hearing first hand experiences would be appreciated.

[Linda_Baehr]

If you don’t mind non-fancy, Mission Chinese is yummy.

[dteng]

Has anyone tried Monsieur Benjamin Bistro?
I never heard of it and have had a few people mentioned it.