Where Chef Stuart Brioza of San Francisco's State Bird Provisions Eats

By Rachel Ward on 02/19/2015, updated on 08/23/2017
A conversation with the chef/owner of the wildly successful, James Beard Award-winning restaurant
State Bird Provisions, San Francisco
Dim sum-style cart at State Bird Provisions (©Freda Banks)

The Bay Area is home to some of the most ambitious, inventive and discriminating chefs of the moment. One of them is Stuart Brioza, the chef and owner of State Bird Provisions, the 2013 James Beard Award winner for Best New Restaurant and Bon Appetit magazine’s Restaurant of the Year in 2012. The Progress, his new restaurant next door, was just nominated for the 2014 James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant.

 Stuart Brioza

How would you define your approach to cooking?

Open-minded. Inspired by what's around. 

What is dining at your restaurant like?

Warm, friendly, delicious, fun and adventurous

 The restaurant's eponymous California quail with provisions

What distinguishes San Francisco restaurants from New York restaurants?

In San Francisco, we have beautiful, organic ingredients year round and intimate chef driven restaurants. In New York, it’s about service, large-scale restaurants and awesome East Coast seafood.

What’s your favorite thing that you’ve eaten in San Francisco?

Local anchovies. Amazing!

Ice cream sandwich

If you only had 24 hours in San Francisco, where would you eat?

For breakfast, a bagel, knish or strudel at 20th Century Cafe. Next, an oyster lunch at Swan Oyster Depot followed by an afternoon Americano at Blue Bottle Coffee and a roast chicken dinner at Zuni Cafe. Then beers at Toronado, and finally, a late-night burger at Nopa. 

Any kitchen tips for us cooking at home?

Pay close attention to salt, acid, fats and texture.

Where Chef Stuart Brioza of San Francisco's State Bird Provisions Eats By Rachel Ward on 02/19/2015, updated on 08/23/2017