NYCReview
photo credit: Noah Devereaux
Mountain Bird
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New York is full of unusual restaurants. But none of them are quite like Mountain Bird.
When you hear the facts, they sound like something out of a weird 21st century children's book: The restaurant is run by a Japanese couple, and they serve almost exclusively poultry. The husband cooks up all the parts of all the birds, right down to the gizzards, mostly using traditional French styles, while his wife runs the front of house in a clumsily endearing way. The whole thing goes down in a quaint little room complete with monogrammed plates that feels like a countryside bed and breakfast, but is actually in Harlem. It's as if you're eating in the couple’s living room (which you kind of are). To top it all off, the server is wearing fashionable gray sweatpants. Also - the restaurant keeps changing locations.
Mountain Bird flies all over, refusing to stay perched in one place. We first experienced the restaurant in its short lived location on West 145th Street, and promptly hung an 8.6 rating, calling Mountain Bird "one of the most unique and delicious meals that we can remember."
Now it's moved to a new location in East Harlem, in the small dining room of a catering company called Tastings. It may or may not be permanent - we couldn't get a straight answer. The new spot isn't quite as cozy as the original, as it lacks the quirky homeyness of their first location, and is the main reason for the rating reduction. The food and overall experience, however, are still great and we’re psyched we got another chance to try New York's best cassoulet again. Haven’t had a cassoulet since Grandma made one when you were 7? Theirs is a glorious winter stew featuring cockscomb and duck leg, and it’s incredible.
photo credit: Noah Devereaux
There’s something a little off about Mountain Bird, which is the exact reason why we love it so much. It’s not like the service is great, or the dining “experience” part of it is impressive. It’s not. But the people are just so damn nice, and so earnest - the wife actually remembered us from eating in her restaurant a year and a half ago. Most importantly, the food is awesome and it’s different from what you see on every other menu. They make unfamiliar parts of a chicken seem approachable, if not totally desirable. We tried to enjoy the gizzard salad, but just couldn’t do it.
Ultimately, we love Mountain Bird for being different, for being creative, and for serving cockscomb. If you live on the Upper East Side and are desperate for a great new restaurant to go to, you’re in luck. Turns out this place is totally for real.