Tuesday was one of those days when I felt particularly lucky to live only minutes from the culturally rich city of San Francisco. To the rest of the world it was just another Tuesday night but to the sold out crowd at The Fillmore it was Dita Von Teese Tuesday.
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| No fog! Summer in the City is a tricky thing. I find myself holding my breath through the tunnel, not for nostalgic reasons but in hopes of sunshine and clear skies. |
After stealthily snagging a park we wandered a bit looking for a place where we could unwind from the day and amp up for the night. SF is covered in intimate little spots that each have a personality all it's own, making it easy just to go whichever way the wind blows and stop where you land.
We came across a queue of ladies waiting outside a restaurant that was just opening it's doors for dinner service. It's been ridiculously windy lately so we literally stumbled into State Bird Provisions and I couldn't be happier that we did. A long bar down the front of the open kitchen leads you to a 12ish tabled dining area, we were welcomed by everyone we passed as if we were regulars. The decor of peg boards adorned with string art and a mosh posh of colorful felt shapes is simple and sweet.
What I love most about this place is their short list of palate pleasing small plates supplemented by carts of unlisted creations that roll by DIM SUM STYLE! This is right up my alley since my eyes are almost always bigger than my stomach! Like most, I want to try a bit of everything and State Bird Provisions get it! The way it works is the back of the menu, which is banded to a woodblock, has a scorecard. The cost is on the cart and a hash mark is placed beside that price column when an item is eagerly accepted. It's easy to keep track of where you are at if you are on a budget.
Look at all the glorious dishes that went into our bellies!
We came across a queue of ladies waiting outside a restaurant that was just opening it's doors for dinner service. It's been ridiculously windy lately so we literally stumbled into State Bird Provisions and I couldn't be happier that we did. A long bar down the front of the open kitchen leads you to a 12ish tabled dining area, we were welcomed by everyone we passed as if we were regulars. The decor of peg boards adorned with string art and a mosh posh of colorful felt shapes is simple and sweet.
What I love most about this place is their short list of palate pleasing small plates supplemented by carts of unlisted creations that roll by DIM SUM STYLE! This is right up my alley since my eyes are almost always bigger than my stomach! Like most, I want to try a bit of everything and State Bird Provisions get it! The way it works is the back of the menu, which is banded to a woodblock, has a scorecard. The cost is on the cart and a hash mark is placed beside that price column when an item is eagerly accepted. It's easy to keep track of where you are at if you are on a budget.
Look at all the glorious dishes that went into our bellies!
oysters on the halfshell
tuna tartare & quinoa with bonito-rosemary
duck liver mousse with almond biscuit
tuna tartare & quinoa with bonito-rosemary
duck liver mousse with almond biscuit
guinea hen dumplings with aromatic broth
whipped smoked trout with peas & mint
smoked duck fingerling potato salad
smoked duck fingerling potato salad
kimchi-pork belly with tofu and mussels
CA state bird with provisions {Quail on a bed of tart onions}
cumin lamb with scallions, date & snap peas
chocolate-lemon verbena ‘ice cream” sandwich with roasted coconut & cherries
We actually passed quite a bit, so as you can see there is a lot to choose from.
This was a date night so I am sorry to say that due to my constant need to photograph everything that makes me want to squeal with delight, painfully delaying that much anticipated first bite, I was politely (but strictly) banned from my phone. Apparently food photo ops aren't fun for everybody. Wanting nothing more than to be present in the moment, I willingly obliged.
...although she did allow for some leeway as she often does. ;)
So feast your eyes on this!
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| A delicious 21st Amendment Extra Pale Ale 'Bitter American' |
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| kimchi-pork belly with tofu and mussels |
It was so hard to just choose one dessert but when lemon and chocolate are listed everything else becomes a blur of letters and numbers.
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| chocolate-lemon verbena ‘ice cream” sandwich |
The rest of the evening went undocumented for previously stated reasons but click below for a taste.
Dita Von Teese Burlesque: Strip Strip Hooray! Tour 2012 Promo
There are some truly stunning and steamy video clips of her shows on youtube.
If you have a chance to see her live show take it. Not 5 minutes in the door I wished I had bought tickets for both nights. She sold out her two San Francisco shows faster than any other on her tour which shows how much we adore our 'Queen of Burlesque' on the Left Coast. The tweets from Dita and her camp that followed showed mutual admiration. She is one classy lady.
There were all states of dress from men in sequin bunny suits and 3 foot purple mohawks to smart 3 piece suits with bowler caps and waxed mustaches. Classical evening gowns filled the balconies accessorized with fur wraps, long gloves, strings of pearls, topped with feathered & laced hats. Lovely ladies in classic pinup style fruit printed summer dresses with bright red lipstick and lined stockings leaned up against the bar. And it wouldn't be a burlesque show without plenty of lingerie, some worn more conservatively than others, but all added to the energy of the evening. My shimmery corset under a blazer with wedges and skinny jeans fit the scene perfectly.
Dita Performed with jaw dropping acts such as Dirty Martini, Catherine D'Lish, Selene Luna, Lada, Monsieur Romeo, and Perle Noire. There was something for everybody...it was magnificent!
The Fillmore hands out posters of the event as they bid you goodnight, leaving you with a memento of your experience. If you are lucky visions will be burned into your memory.
If you have a chance to see her live show take it. Not 5 minutes in the door I wished I had bought tickets for both nights. She sold out her two San Francisco shows faster than any other on her tour which shows how much we adore our 'Queen of Burlesque' on the Left Coast. The tweets from Dita and her camp that followed showed mutual admiration. She is one classy lady.
There were all states of dress from men in sequin bunny suits and 3 foot purple mohawks to smart 3 piece suits with bowler caps and waxed mustaches. Classical evening gowns filled the balconies accessorized with fur wraps, long gloves, strings of pearls, topped with feathered & laced hats. Lovely ladies in classic pinup style fruit printed summer dresses with bright red lipstick and lined stockings leaned up against the bar. And it wouldn't be a burlesque show without plenty of lingerie, some worn more conservatively than others, but all added to the energy of the evening. My shimmery corset under a blazer with wedges and skinny jeans fit the scene perfectly.
Dita Performed with jaw dropping acts such as Dirty Martini, Catherine D'Lish, Selene Luna, Lada, Monsieur Romeo, and Perle Noire. There was something for everybody...it was magnificent!
The Fillmore hands out posters of the event as they bid you goodnight, leaving you with a memento of your experience. If you are lucky visions will be burned into your memory.
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| I am madly in love with my Dita Von Teese Fillmore poster! |
It is one of the nice blog.
ReplyDeleteDinner suit