Little Bird

Little Bird Restaurant Review:

A sibling of Gabriel Rucker’s Le Pigeon, Little Bird serves French bistro food in a casual, affordable environment. The theme is simpler here, but always well-executed. With its downtown setting and late hours, the narrow storefront buzzes and hums with happy diners, many enjoying a meal before or after a show or concert. Polished dark wood booths and tables sparkle with reflected light. The menu changes regularly and may simultaneously include radicchio salad, barbecued lamb ribs, duck confit with pastrami and chestnut fried rice, or a crispy shrimp soft roll. Trout is a frequent star, often presented as a chicken-fried preparation with fresh herbs, radish and pickled carrots to wrap in lettuce leaves. Vegetable sides, such as truffle butter corn or a salad of field greens with heirloom tomatoes, arugula, watercress and parsley, are fresh and satisfying. Similar to Le Pigeon, rich meat innards are a constant presence on the menu: marrow bones; pig ears and beef carpaccio; the perennially popular truffled foie gras. Cozy up to the long bar with a signature cocktail concocted using French liquors and all will be well. There’s a sizable wine list emphasizing (no surprise) French producers. For dessert, indulge with an ice cream and sorbet sampler, or maintain tradition by ordering apple tarte Tatin.