Birdie G's

Yes.

Departing from the norm by reporting on a closed restaurant, but we went twice, had a really good time and I snapped a bunch of photos, so…

Loved the hanging hoshigaki as holiday decor.

Blanton’s Old-fashioned

Unknown White Wine

Not what I ordered, can’t remember what it was (chardonnay I think) and they took it off the bill.

What I ordered :heart_suit:

Bashed Persian Cucumbers, Crème Fraîche & Dill Pickle Dressing

I wanted the Kyoto Red Carrot ‘Nduja on the website menu but they didn’t have it.

Smoked Trout Party Dip w/Trout Roe, Deli Flavors & Matzo Frito

My favorite dish. I :heart_suit: a smoked fish dip. This one had trout roe, crumbled boiled eggs, “deli flavors” and that matzo frito! So good!

Duck Mousse Brûlée, Derek’s Pumpernickel, Hoshigaki, Dijon, Pickles

It really is a crème brûlée—same textures. Almost too rich, but a bite with all the accoutrements - sweet chewy hoshigaki, acidic mustard and pickles - cuts the richness and is delicious. The pumpernickel roll was kind of like a bagel, but not—I wished for pumpernickel sliced bread.

Steak + Frites - Prime Steak Marinated in Shio Koji & Montreal Spice Rub

Al’s Steak Sauce + Sauce au Poivre

Hubs liked this dish so much he ordered it again a few days later.

”World Famous” Rose Petal Pie - Raspberry, Strawberry, Hibiscus, Rose & a Pretzel Crust

After much discussion (okay, a little discussion) about whether Cento copied this dessert—and after @komajiyokai posted a vintage Jell-O pie recipe reminding us that neither version is original—here’s my verdict: Cento’s Mosaic Cheesecake wins! :purple_heart: Yes, I ate the Birdie G’s pie at home, but it couldn’t have changed that much in transit. It’s very pretty but the flavors were surprisingly bland.

The restaurant & bar were packed. Servers were stretched, but service was very good, all things considered. I noticed a serious looking fella quietly making the rounds and checking on every table.

2nd visit - slipped into the bar at opening…

Old-fashioned & Henriot Brut Souverain

Market Vegetable Relish Tray + 5 Onion Dip

Jeremiah’s Jerk Chicken + Heirloom Polenta & Grilled Habanadas

Very moist, smoky, good jerk flavors, fruity habanadas, but lacked jerk heat, salty.

Groundhog Day

Sans sauces.

Chilled Chocolate Layer Cake, Cashew Mousse, Malt & Whipped Cream

We took it home where it became un-chilled and was delicious.

All ladies behind the bar. Energy was great. Very festive. The potions they were concocting made me wish I’d ordered at least one cocktail.

I don’t disagree with @yogachik’s opinion—I looked at older Yelp posts and can see how this menu could’ve been a letdown to long-time regulars. Wish I’d made it to Birdie G’s during its first year. It requires a freeway from our ‘hood which makes it feel farther, but in actuality is only 20 minutes door-to-door, so no excuse—Bergamot Station is not the North Pole, Cookie

Looking forward to the deliciousness Chef Fox presents next!

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Definitely check out Rustic Canyon if you can. The bar program is even better imo & the chef there came from Birdie G’s. It’s got a lot of the Fox DNA but with a Latin twist

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Will do!

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Adam Perry Lang is doing a duck pop-up on Tuesday, Feb. 17.

TABLES ARE FOR TWO PEOPLE. ONE WHOLE EIGHT POUND DUCK PER TABLE.
Your table is yours for the night. Doors open at six and close at nine.

One night only. Tuesday February 17.
Former Birdie G’s space in Santa Monica.
Limited presale. Tickets via link in bio.

A dinner in celebration of Chinese New Year and the influence it has had on how I cook.

I’ll be cooking Buddha style fresh ducks, prepared in my own way with honey, garlic, and sage. Ducks are shipped fresh by Michael Jurgielewicz of @tastyduck

The menu

Duck liver terrine and garlic toast served at the bar
Duck fat potatoes from @weiserfamilyfarms with confit duck tongue and wild onion
A garden of mixed greens with sherry shallot vinaigrette
Duck egg crème brûlée

This is a hands on dinner.
I’ll be chopping ducks to order throughout the night.

Wine curated by Thatcher Baker Briggs and team. @thatcherswine

Hosted in Jeremy Fox’s former Birdie G space, a room that holds a lot of meaning for me.

Limited presale. Tickets available through the link in my bio.

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69 posts were split to a new topic: Guilty until you prove yourself innocent

what does this mean?

@pomodoro Apparently, some butchers/farms in the U.S. refer to fresh duck with “head on, feet on” as “Buddhist Duck”. See https://culverduck.com/product/buddhist-style-whole-duck-head-and-feet-on-4-5-7lb/ and https://tastyduck.com/product/buddhist-style-hofo/

First time I’ve heard this term and as an actual Buddhist, I find it bizarre.

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looks to be a marketing term by the purveyor. I hadn’t heard of it, either.

yet in the socials, the ducks look to be prepared without head and feet on. for Peking duck, traditionally or at least for the way it’s usually cooked, it seems to help to have the head on for various parts of the multi-step process. the results look a bit different, though “Chinese New Year” influences may be loose and they could still be in R&D.

He didn’t come up with the term.

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yea looks like a term by Jurgielewicz.

HOFO makes sense when preparing Peking duck, as tastyduck says. head on, for hanging while air drying, freezing, scalding / basting with oil, etc. for evenness and fat preparation, makes sense. from what little snippet i can see on socials, doesn’t seem like APL is really preparing it like a Peking duck. to that end, I wonder what purpose HOFO serves. or, is HOFO “Buddhist style” simply a good product, regardless of whether the cooking process shares Peking duck’s methods or not?

I’ve had squabs prepared in the style of Peking duck; those were great, and HOFO was pretty necessary for the cooking. i’d say pretty near essential for how it’s traditionally/usually cooked to get the skin a certain type of crispy.

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fox opening edna

https://www.instagram.com/p/DVj3-OCkhFL/

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The new owners of Edna Valley Vineyard are rolling the dice with this venture, but snagging a chef like Fox is an essential part of the business plan. The California wine industry is hurting right now.

Hope they’ll give him the freedom and resources to create something “worthy of a special journey.”

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We think birdie g’s still going to move to century city with this update? I don’t.

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I stand corrected

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Perhaps a silly question but… will this still be under the Rustic Canyon group?

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So I was told correctly, back in December.

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