CLOSINGS: MOUNTAIN BIRD IN EAST HARLEM

Harlem Bespoke:  Mountain Bird on 2nd Avenue at the corner of 111th Street made the sad announcement on Monday via Instagram that they have closed permanently.  The eatery that caused a sensation to the New York City dining scene when they transformed their tiny catering space on 145th Street into a French bistro back in 2013 has moved to two other locations since opening 7 years ago.  Since then, there was somehow a Je ne sais quoi captured at the elegant restaurant with its gold rimmed plates and doily accents that stood out from the rest.

Of course the food was also spectacular and the menu introduced uptown to the delights of offal dining.  All the little bits that are usually tossed out from the bird were presented as silky mousse or wrapped pastries filled with chicken heart or sinful delights such as cocks comb cutlet.  Included in the offerings were also the more approachable dishes like the crispy schnitzel but daily specials such as gizzard with quail eggs would just mix things up in the right way.  Even the limited amount desserts such as the sticky toffee pudding was one of the best dishes to be found uptown. 

It had been a difficult year for everyone during the pandemic and the fine dining establishments appear to be hit the hardest since delivery is not really part of the brand identity.  Hopefully the talented husband and wife team will be able to maybe come up with a new restaurant when things get better.  But until then, Mountain Bird will go down in history as an uptown icon in the restaurant world.   Read more about one of the best restaurants in the city in our past post: LINK

HarlemBespoke.com 2021