Sunday, October 28, 2012

State Bird Provisions

I had the good fortune of dining at the State Bird Provisions (http://statebirdsf.com/) a couple days ago.  A friend was very much on top of the situation and was able to make a Friday night reservation happen.  There was a lot of build-up leading to the dinner itself, as reservations had been made a full two months in advance.

The restaurant has been getting great reviews, and the style is interesting.  They serve small plates to share, some of which are ordered from the menu and others from trays that circle around the tables in dim sum fashion.

The primary downer for the meal was that I was feeling a bit under the weather.  So, I was not a great dinner companion, and I probably didn't get the true experience as I'm sure my taste buds were not 100% on their game.

Anyway, the food was overall very good for the price.  A few dishes were spectacular, but overall they weren't out of this world.  But, that was totally fine as the price tag was not outrageous. The only dish that our group thought was a miss was the Seafood and Pork Belly Pancake.  That dish was simply overly salty and did not taste much like anything we expected.  The staff explained it was due to the kimchi, but I would disagree, as the salty flavor did not resemble kimchi at all.

As for returning for another meal... it basically comes down to the difficulty of obtaining a reservation.  If it weren't for that, then I am certain that I would be coming back to try their other dishes, which change with some regularity, I hear.  Of course, I could try getting a seat as a walk-in some time.

Here are some photos.  Enjoy!

State Bird Provisions Menu

California Quail

Cumin Lamb

Duck Liver Mousse and Almond Biscuits

Huckleberry Marinated Beets with Goat Cheese

Raw Oysters


Red Trout, Mandarin, Hazelnut Brown Butter

Seafood and Pork Belly Pancake

Seafood Salsa

Shrimp, Avocado, and Nori Chips

Sweetbread with Figs

Sweet Corn and Garlic Chive Pancake

Braised Beef Curry, Bok Choy, and French Crêpes

Plum Jam Ice Cream Sandwich, Cocoa Nib Macaron



Monday, October 22, 2012

Good-bye Peet, Hello Glatfelter

Looks like a long time holding of mine, PH Glatfelter (GLT), is joining the S&P Small Cap 600.   It and Coherent (COHR) are replacing Lawson Products (LAWS) and Peet's Coffee and Tea (PEET).  Hope this bodes well for the company's share price and the public's general interest.

I started buying shares of GLT in early 2007, and I've been adding steadily ever since then.  It has done reasonably well providing a nice total return over the years.  I still like them and will likely continue adding to my position for the long-term.

Saturday, October 20, 2012

European Mantis (Mantis religiosa)

Here are a few photos of a European Mantis (Mantis religiosa) hanging out on the side of my house. I haven't seen a praying mantis around here in quite some time, and I'm glad I was able to get some reasonably good shots. Too bad I didn't have the DSLR handy, but I think these came out good enough.

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