SF constantly gets a really bad rap, especially where I live in Texas. I can’t speak for living there as I know prices are crazy, but for my money it’s one of the best places for a quick visit. From activities, sights, dining, and obviously proximity to wine country it’s hard to beat. We have a SF/Napa trip coming up mid May and I always get so pumped for both parts of our trip (SF and Napa). My fiancé loves Rich Table - we eat there every year at least once it seems, why mess with a good thing? Would highly recommend!
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I go there 5-10x per year. It used to be 20+. I agree it is getting a bad rap. Was just curious why this thread, unlike the other big city threads, is so quite lately.
We’re going in May. Will report back.
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I think one of our fellow Berserkers doesn’t post the same numbers as he used to. 
One person dropped out so I was able to get a 5pm reservation at State Bird and sat at the counter.
Absolutely loved it. Just wish we paced ourselves a bit better. By the time our steak came we were pretty stuffed.
Standouts were rainbow chard salad, the quail, the sauerkraut pancakes and most of all the cashews with fondue sauce. I still don’t know how they packed so many layers of flavor into that simple of a dish.
Only thing that I thought was meh was the pork rib dish. Everything else we had was firing on all cylinders.
Definitely a place I’d be itching to get to every time I was in SF.
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I was just at State Bird Provisions on Monday for dinner. I will definitely go back next time I’m in town. Amazing dinner and loved the concept. Pork katsu was perfectly cooked. However, star of the night was dessert. Popcorn flavored ic cream sandwich was the best dessert we had between all the Napa and SF restaurants. I can’t recommend going there enough. Checked out Dumpling Story by all the stores on Fillmore street and it very good. Bought some wine from Verve and then went there. $25 for corkage fee. Very clean and well done dumplings, scallion pancakes and fried chicken.
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Birdsong two weeks ago was great. They had Noah Sandoval and his team from Oriole in the kitchen doing a collaboration with Chef Bleidorn, so we had a mix of Birdsong and Oriole dishes.
The highlights were:
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Carabinero prawn, golden kaluga caviar, lardo (Oriole)
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Beet, sake lees, sea buckthorn, shiso (Oriole) – probably my favorite dish of the night–shockingly intense flavor from the beets balanced with the creamy richness of the sake lees
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Sea urchin cream puff, savory butterscotch (Birdsong)
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Dungeness crab, embered yam, brain fat, grilled shell cream (Birdsong)
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Sablefish, amazake, ramp, croquette, milk bread (Oriole)
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Aged lamb loin, Mt. Tam fava bean fondue (Birdsong)
Chef Sandoval and Chef Bleidorn have very different approaches to their cooking, but it was fun to see how seamlessly the tasting menu came together. The only thing I missed was the Birdsong blue cornbread!
I was at the Chef Counter and I had a nice conversation with Chef Bleidorn and the couple next to me during the meal. It was great to chat with him and learn a little bit about his cooking philosophy and his life. Fun times.
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Nice to see the San Francisco thread coming back to life! The popcorn ice cream sandwich sounds incredible.
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Now you’re making me wish I got this instead of the panna cotta. Glad it was delicious though.
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Some recent good eats in SF -
Dalida
Kitchen Istanbul
Abaca
Ernest
Gonna try Liholiho next week. 
My wife and I went to Dalida last night to celebrate my 70th birthday. There’s been a lot of hype and press. It totally lived up to it. I’ll be shocked if it doesn’t get a Michelin star next time the guide is updated for SF. We ordered the Chefs’ Menu. A screaming deal at $75/person. However, it’s a LOT of food, go hungry!
We drank '54 Marqués de Riscal Rioja Riserva. It was the best of the three '54 Rioja I’ve opened this month. Great wine.
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Good to hear, Larry. We are visiting Dalida next month for my mother’s birthday.
Dinners for us in the last couple months included Quince, Rintaro, Sons and Daughters.
Sons and Daughters last night was amazing, the new(ish) chef and team have created a fun and exciting menu. I am unfamiliar with Nordic cuisine and really enjoyed all of the cured, fermented, and smoke preparations combined with super fresh produce. I was already thinking about another reservation halfway through dinner. I brought a 2020 Fevre Les Clos that showed very well, all the power and texture you’d want from a GC.
Caviar w white asparagus, buttermilk, Hönökaka bread.
Cured trout smoked over spruce w fresh cream, lovage, green strawberries.
Quail cooked over smoking apple wood. The thighs were deboned up top.
Quince is beautiful and we very much enjoyed the wine service. The somm went above and beyond on comp pours of different wines; we had also purchased bottles of Gaspard Brochet Lion Tome IV and 2020 Lamy Chatenieres off the list. The food was very good but not quite as engaging as S&D; felt more like well executed classics. The seasonal produce from their farm in Bolinas was the highlight for me.
Green asparagus in spring mustard broth, fried egg, caviar.
Hadn’t been to Rintaro in many years so I am happy to report the food is delicious as ever, in particular the yakitori. Udon and tonkatsu also get a thumbs up. We sat in the courtyard which was perfect during the mini heat wave last week.
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Looking for suggestions.
Coming to SF with Nicole this Thursday through next Tuesday evening in a somewhat last minute trip. NYC is home for us. Will be staying in Presidio.
Looking for good meals at all times of day. While I have been to SF many times, I haven’t had to plan the dance card in a while. Couple of priorities:
- One very wine focused restaurant (Chambers/4horseman feel)
- One very local focused (like a blue hill though doesn’t have to be as fancy)
- One real community focus (Noreetuh feel)
- Pop- up that does the 1 thing really well
- One Veg focused (abcV feel)
In general, we’re both adventurous eaters and enjoy both high and low brow places.
Thanks in advance! I’m also going back through this forum and checking some other spots
State Bird, The Progress and Anchovy Bar are all incredible. All are owned by the same people. They hit a lot of your requirements. They use almost all local ingredients, the wine list at The Progress is very good and you can order from it at any of the restaurants. I would say Anchovy Bar fits the do one thing really well.
Thanks, Robert! Will check for rez.
State Bird holds about 1/4 of the restaurant for walk-ins. If you get there 10-15 minutes before it opens you are almost definitely going to get in. And if not you can go to The Progress which is right next door.
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Re: bullet 1, La Ciccia. Excellent Sardinian food and a great all-Italian wine list.
As I mentioned above, I had a great meal at Dalida last month. However, it’s a difficult res.
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Have you been to La Ciccia under the new ownership?
I saw on winedisorder that Massimiliano and Lorena are opening a wine bar!
Have you been under the new ownership? If so, how did your experience compare? We’ve only been once (pre-COVID) and had a delightful meal there.
I have not been post ownership change. I always loved it so hoping it is still great.