☞ EAT: Formal & Casual French at Mountain Bird

The surprise restaurant arrival in September was Mountain Bird on 145th Street which was the most popular opening posted on Harlem Bespoke.  This new eatery just east of FDB/8th Avenue (on the north side of the street) seats only 19 people but the decor is on point with a balance of rustic, formal and casual which is a style that some of the bigger names in Harlem still have a hard time in figuring out.

Based on just the look of the boutique restaurant, we had to make it a point to have dinner on 145th Street this past weekend.  One of the key offerings on the menu that serves up all things fowl is the From Head to Toe appetizer plate which is $8 for one or $15 for two.  This starter of informal parts is served up formally on gilded plates with doilies as part of the presentation and opera music playing in the background. The platter consisted of a breaded chicken combs cutlet which was crisp and tender in the center, then a duck gizzard spring roll, a little chicken liver pate and then the chicken wing lollipop.

For the main course, the BBQ Turkey Burger stuffed with Truffle Mornay sauce for $13 was our choice of the evening.  Once more, the bespoke doily was present with the croquettes which were basically a serving of perfectly fried mash potato. The turkey burger was tender, just rich enough and presented nicely on toasted brioche roll.  Everything was very grownup but somehow the ambiance was inviting to even the most casual diner to walk into.


Mountain Bird is a little out of the way but somehow shines as that hidden gem in the neighborhood that only folks in know will tell you about.  Other menu entrees such as the Chicken Schnitzel, Moulard Duck Duo or the Turkey Drumstick Goulash will have us returning soon to try out the full range of the chef's culinary repetoire.  Dinner service starts at 5:00PM with BYOB, closed on Mondays and cash only for now.  Check out more of the interior of Mountain Bird in our past post: LINK