Redbird
The Devil’s Cocktail – Vermouth, Port, Lemon
Dinner Roll, Tapioca Flour Roll, Butter
Chicken Pot Pie – Hearts, Thighs, Thyme, Hen of the Woods
New Caladonian Shrimp – Grits, Cocoa Nib Chipotle Mole
Burrata Salad – Sweet & Sour Pears, Duck Prosciutto, Pistachio, Red Watercress
Braised Goat Gemelli – Rapini, Fresno Chili, Garlic Bread Crumbs, Poached Egg
Gnocchetti Sardi – Maine Lobster, Nettles, Black Trumpets, Tomato Confit
Thai Style Dungeness Crab Soup – Cauliflower Flan
Aged Liberty Farms Duck Breast – Duck Leg Chorizo, Hopping John, Pedro Ximenez
Rabbitchetta – Anson Mills Polenta, Pea Tendrils, Thyme Sauce
Day Boat Scallops – Peas, Morels, Orzo Perlato
Pommes Aligot – Point Reyes Toma
Creamsicle – Vanilla, Murcott Tangerines, Mint, Chile
Crème Catalan – Citrus, Tarragon, Marcona Almonds, Blood Orange Sorbet
Strawberry Tart – Harry’s Berries, Meyer Lemon, Passion Fruit, Crème Fraiche Ice Cream
Cream Biscuits – Rhubarb, Strawberry, Pink Peppercorn Ice Cream
Iced Double Espresso
Continuing the recent reinvention of Downtown LA’s dining scene with a fresh modern American concept inhabiting a former religious space, Neal Fraser’s Redbird was tapped for an early Thursday rendezvous with four friends and locating nearby meter parking with minimal difficulty our entry to the stylish space just moments after our 6:00pm reservation the scene could only be described as bustling, the low-lit foyer packed with a boisterous cocktail crowd while the main room sat awash in sunlight, a sizable four-top far from the open fire-pit ours for the better part of the next three hours.
Without a doubt one of Los Angeles’ most impressive dining rooms, the retractable ceiling and large windows surrounding several banquets, tables, and serving stations packed with bottles, glassware, and plates it was after a somewhat perplexing delay that a young man stopped by with menus and an ‘amuse’ cocktail, the water only available ‘on request’ and requiring frequently prompting throughout the evening, as did requests for more bread, share plates, and even a waiter from whom to order – the service surprisingly still green and undoubtedly burdened by a room in which no a single seat was empty for more than five minutes.
Reprinted each day, the menu focused on all of Southern California’s seasonal bounty with a few ‘signatures’ already beginning to emerge, it was with the dietary discretions of one at our table taken into consideration that options were weighed and after discussing portions with our captain over a dozen plates were selected, a total of four courses served in succession with intervals to chat plentiful between each.
Starting off with the sort of butter that immediately made me want to overindulge in a duo of rolls, the gluten free Tapioca flour iteration memorable as much for its flavor as for its composition, it would not be long before opening courses would arrive, and featuring two emerging signatures, as well as a creamy burrata salad that stood out as a result of pickled pears and duck prepared like a ham, one would be hard pressed to decide whether the ‘shrimp and grits’ or pot pie was more impressive, the former perhaps underserving the starch beneath textbook prawns and rich mole while the small-ish pot pie was the sort of thing we all shared reluctantly, the puff pastry featuring a golden crackle that stood up nicely to intense stew that balanced quite a bit of salt with herbal aromatics and the richness of offal.
Moving next to mid-courses, both sharing plates and bowls presented on request, it was to somewhat mixed results that two pastas and a soup arrived – the Thai-inspired potage a bit too spicy for my palate, though favored by others, while the shredded goat dish was unfortunately a bit muddled by chilis melded to slightly overcooked pasta by egg; the Gnocchetti Sardi more than happy to steal the spotlight with tender dumplings juxtaposing butter poached lobster, pan seared mushrooms, and blistered tomatoes with just enough acid to highlight the nettles, a dish that truly spoke to Spring and as such one that will likely not be on the menu for long.
Moving on to entrees, a trio selected along with a huge vessel of mashed potatoes fortified with Toma cheese, suffice it to say that higher prices on the menu’s third section are matched by portions far less dainty than those that precede, and although the buttery scallops were arguably a bit overcooked atop a delectable ragout of morels, peas, and pasta both the roulade of rabbit and the crispy skinned duck showed signs of a highly qualified kitchen, the former resting atop a base of creamy polenta while the fowl’s Southern themed starch dressed ‘beans and rice’ up in reduced PX to a sweet yet subtle effect.
Never one to forgo desserts, and dining with those of a similar mindset, it was with a double espresso over ice that a quartet of options were at long-last selected and following the recent trend of putting herbs and savories in unexpected places it was admittedly unsurprising that such experimentation yielded both highs and lows – the former exemplified by tangerines tinged with heat but mellowed by vanilla and mint while both the Catalan custard and Cream Biscuits would have been better off prepared more traditionally, the Strawberry Tart exemplifying the art of not overthinking top tier ingredients as Harry’s exemplary berries shined atop a buttery crust with just enough tang in the ice cream to offset passion fruit puree and Meyer Lemon curd.
