Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski are the chef-owners of three standout San Francisco restaurants: State Bird Provisions, The Progress, and The Anchovy Bar. In this dual Q&A, the longtime partners reflect on personal food memories, fine dining, their evolving goals, and what restaurants are still on their bucket list.
Stuart Brioza: “I always like to say that if it’s a deserted island, I want tropical fruit and grilled fish over fire. But there would also be chips and salsa.”
Stuart Brioza: “When I was in third or fourth grade, my family hosted Japanese exchange students for a summer program, and a student named Yuki cooked rice balls stuffed with umeboshi for us. I remember making them and shaping them, dipping our fingers in salty water—the details, the filling, that salty-sour flavor has been pervasive in my cooking.”
Stuart Brioza: “Any chef that puts in the time to secure particular ingredients and curate a menu that encompasses seasonality, locality, and the farms’ philosophy, can be counted as fine dining. It’s philosophy-forward dining, really. It’s a restaurant that curates a specific style and puts effort into every aspect of the restaurant, from genuine hospitality to food that you wouldn’t necessarily cook at home.”
Nicole Krasinski: “At this point in our careers, the goal and the dream is to see our philosophies as integrated, no longer ours. But also to continue finding relevancy as we grow older, make sure that the restaurants age gracefully and continue to find new ways to stay relevant in a constantly changing environment.”
Stuart Brioza: “To use everything, to not be wasteful.”
The Chef
Pastry chef and co-owner of State Bird Provisions, The Progress, and The Anchovy Bar, Nicole Krasinski brings an artistic, instinct-driven approach to desserts that balance spontaneity, structure, and flavor.
Award-winning chef and co-owner of State Bird Provisions, The Progress, and The Anchovy Bar, Stuart Brioza is known for bold, ingredient-driven cooking rooted in California’s seasonal bounty and technique.
