WTN: CA Rose and Crozes-Hermitage at State Bird in SF

Wednesday morning we moved into our friends’ lovely little place in El Grenada, then drove to San Francisco. Nice hike in El Presidio and then poking around Japantown, before heading to our dinner at State Bird Provisions. Absolutely great food, though a bit loud for us (most of the crowd was younger). Most of the food is circulated like dim sum, we tried a bunch but still had to turn down great looking dishes like clams with ham, shishitos with green tomatoes, shrimp dumplings and more. But we loved what we had:
Hog Island oysters with kohlrabi kraut & sesame
smoked trout dip with basil oil and chips
cucumbers in tamari vinaigrette, crispy rice & sesame seeds
stone fruit with corn creme fraiche
scallops,blackberry, & serrano peppers
tomatoes with spicy XO sauce
duck liver mousse & almond financiers
bluefin tuna roll nori & sesame
silken tofu panna cotta with enoki and chili crisp
pork belly ‘salad’ with peppers and mint
Blue-fin tuna steak with sesame seeds
We also ordered 2 dishes off the menu:
CA state Bird (quail) with onions braised in Meyer lemon and rosemary
hand cut noodles nori, salsa macha, sunflower seed crema & sous vide duck egg

There was nothing I wouldn’t order again Betsy had a shiso/yuzu soda (and nice bartender gave us the recipe), I had 2 BTG

2023 Jolie-Laide Barsotti Vineyard Cabernet Franc/Gamay Rose
New producer to me, though know the vineyard from ESJ. I really liked this- crisp and snappy, raspberry and red cherry with grapefruit zest and a little herbal note. Very versatile and food friendly. Will look for this producer. B++

2023 Domaine Combier “Cuvee Laurent” Crozes-Hermitage
Another new producer to me, maybe not so eager to look for. Dark berries, fruity, a hint of Rhone pepper but not much depth or length. It was ok, in a boring Crozes kind of way. B-

Really fun night, not cheap but extremely reasonable for what was basically a tasting menu at a Michelin-starred restaurant. Extremely friendly (without being intrusive) service, we both LOVED the food.

Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C drinkable. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.

[David M. Bueker]

I like the idea of Cab Franc and Gamay together. Reminds me a little bit of Clos Roche Blanche.

Nice to see that Jolie Laide has picked up this combo. I made it for a fellow in Oregon for about 10 years (both a pink and a red); it was called Bebamé. Not at all Loire-like, but good farming, and a bit of luck in reading what the growing season had presented me with, and it turned out to be fun to drink.

Steve, I remember the Bebame red, well priced glou glou wine. I was a fan. don't remember having the rose.

[Jenise]

That's a restaurant I've always wanted to go to. Your meal sounds terrific.

That's a restaurant I've always wanted to go to. Your meal sounds terrific.

State Bird is one of my favorite SF restaurants. You owe it to yourself to try it, Jenise.

[Jenise]

That's a restaurant I've always wanted to go to. Your meal sounds terrific.

State Bird is one of my favorite SF restaurants. You owe it to yourself to try it, Jenise.

I agree! Just have to get there. After last weekend, though, not anxious to get on a plane. Maybe in the fall when things cool down.