State Bird Provisions

"A lot of the fun at State Bird comes from the fact that the food is served dim-sum style, but it’s tiny portions of what would be full courses at other restaurants. You can get as much or as little as you want, depending on how much you’re allowed to spend, and if you can’t get away with whole bottles of wine, State Bird has a good by-the-glass selection. The menu changes regularly, but it’s always interesting and delicious, and you should make sure to get the state bird." - will kamensky

"Your Order: Pork Belly "Salad" This salad from the Fillmore legend is about 75% meat and 25% fruit and herbs—we have zero complaints. Salty, fatty chunks of pork belly get cozy with whatever fruit is in season, and a fish sauce vinaigrette that would make even the wiltiest lettuce come alive tops it off. Saying no to this dish when it comes to your table on one of their signature dim sum-style carts isn’t an option." - julia chen 1, lani conway, ricky rodriguez

"Verdict: State Bird Provisions is one of our highest-rated restaurants, so no surprise here—it’s worth the effort to get a table. The Fillmore spot is small plates royalty, and watching servers push around cumin lamb dumplings and herby pork belly salad on dim sum-style carts and trays (and eating everything in sight) is our idea of a perfect night.    " - julia chen 1, ricky rodriguez

"Reservations are released 30 days in advance at midnight on OpenTable. The bar is reserved for walk-ins. According to SBP, a line starts forming outside about half an hour in advance, so plan accordingly." - Julia Chen

"The reasons we love State Bird Provisions could fill an encyclopedia. But we'll get to the point: SBP does impeccably executed small plates with inventive flavor combinations. You’ll see crispy balls of corn mochi topped with goat gouda and Fresno chiles one day, and pork belly salad (that’s about 75% meat) and dumplings with ramp pesto and pine nuts the next. The fact that servers bring the food to you on dim sum-style carts and trays only adds to the excitement—all you have to do is say yes to whatever looks good, which is just about everything. A table in this rainbow-checkered dining room has been tough to snag ever since SBP opened in 2012, and we’re confident it’ll stay that way for a long time." - julia chen 1, lani conway, ricky rodriguez, patrick wong