State Bird Provisions' Plates May Be Tiny, But They're Mighty Exciting

By Jonathan Kauffman Wed., Mar. 7 2012 at 7:35 AM

Categories: 'Eat', Western Addition

Lara Hata

One of the carts rolling around State Bird Provisions.

Considering the shrinking of the entrée that has taken place over the past two decades, the American dim sum that Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski are serving at State Bird Provisions -- the subject of this week's full-length restaurant review in the paper -- seems inevitable. Especially in a city where many of us yum cha as often as we do brunch.

The surprise of the two-month-old restaurant is that the dim sum format -- which still isn't kink-free, making you better appreciate the service at Yank Sing and Koi Palace -- isn't the most entrancing thing about the restaurant. Brioza and Krasinski's cooking is.

The two chefs (he handles savory, she sweet) are combining improbable flavors -- potato chips with orange-scented steelhead roe and horseradish crème fraîche, chocolate-black-sesame crunch with mandarin jam -- so thoughtfully that it's clear they've choreographed how each bite evolves in the mouth. As a restaurant, State Bird Provisions is still wobbly. As chefs, though, Brioza and Krasinski are already performing acrobatic feats.

Follow us on Twitter: @sfoodie, and like us on Facebook.
Follow me at @JonKauffman.