Tastings Social Presents Mountain Bird
“It is on a quiet side street in East Harlem with outdoor seating to enjoy the nice summer nights.”
“For desert we had the sticky toffee fig cake which basically got us high because it was so delicious and sweet.”
“It is well decorated, and charming.”
Tastings Social Presents Mountain Bird
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
4 reviews
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My favorite meal for quite some time. This restaurant is a great breath of fresh air in comparison to the impersonal corporate fine dining establishments downtown, with their ever-changing concepts and formats. Mountain Bird has a lovely cozy atmosphere, warm and efficient service including friendly attention from the owner, and great, great food. We loved every dish that we had here–the truffled chicken wings, the duck, and the coq au vin. All were delicious. None of the dishes was "show-offy" and you never felt like the chef was trying too hard. Rather, all the meat and all the vegetables were perfectly cooked, and sauces were rich, subtle and satisfying. The only thing we didn't like was the vanilla butter served with the excellent pumpernickel baguette. We thought it needed a savory butter flavor, not a sweet one. Finally, for dessert the sticky toffee fig cake was incredible–there was a perfect combination of warm toffee goodness, balanced with sour cream and some crunchy toppings. The prices are quite reasonable given how good the food is and in comparison to restaurants below 96th Street. The night we dined there the crowd looked like a lot of Columbia academics — I have a hunch that Mountain Bird developed a loyal clientele in their previous West Harlem location that has followed them east. Anyway we are excited to come back and try more menu items, and probably a double order of the sticky toffee fig cake.
This venue is a MOST welcome addition to Spanish Harlem. The neighborhood was very much in need of a place like Mountain Bird. I'm so glad it's here.
My wife and I had dinner here last week Friday, and it exceeded all of our expectations. First, the decor of the venue is stunning. When the opaque glass doors are shut, you cannot see inside, and so the exterior is very unassuming. I think that gives it a strong exclusivity factor. But then you walk in, you see classy wooden beams in the ceiling and you immediately feel as though you've been transported to a restaurant in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, or even in wine country Oregon. It's perfect.
We began the night with cocktails. If you're a whiskey or bourbon drinker, I highly recommend the whiskey cocktail (Rye Whiskey, Cherry Herring, Grand Mariner, Angostura). It's excellent and super strong (hope you're not driving). The lavender cosmopolitan is also excellent. The bartender, who is super friendly by the way, is a true artist at choosing just the right balances of each ingredient to make the perfect cocktail.
For starters, we had the lobster mac & cheese and the crab salad. Both are divine. Highly recommend. For our mains we had the chicken duo and chicken schnitzel. Pure delight. Also highly recommend. We washed down our delicious food with glasses of the Chateau La Gordonne red wine. The wine selection is the opposite of extensive here, but it doesn't matter, because I think they chose just the right wines to pair with the food selection. So trust in that.
For desert we had the sticky toffee fig cake which basically got us high because it was so delicious and sweet. A must try 🙂
Bottom line: if you're in Spanish Harlem and you don't try this venue at least once, you have chosen to miss out on one of the best dining experiences both in this neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods as well. Yes, it's that good.
KenScale: 8.5/10
One of my saddest moments this year was when Mountain Bird in Harlem decided to close the shop due to rent hike. A casual French restaurant from a Japanese couple, this relatively modest operation really won my heart with a lot of poultry-centered dishes that just make your heart warm. I was so glad to hear when the couple decided to re-appear via a pop-up at Tastings Social. On a recent weekend night, I had another stellar dinner.
The menus at Mountain Bird haven't changed much, perhaps a little more variety than Mountain Bird 1.0. The cute head to toe sampler (consisting of four cute bite-size pieces of cock's combs cutlet, liver mousse, chicken heart and wing lollipop) was still a nice start to the meal. Foie gras dumpling consommé was still as soothing as I had remembered. Black truffle wings, which I don't remember the previous restaurant had, wasn't quite impressive as I had hoped it would be despite the use of black truffle balsamic reduction, but I very much enjoyed ostrich steak tartare (despite my initial trepidation, it had a very nice, tender texture, perhaps a little meaty than beef). The main courses were all great as well. Chicken duo at the original location was replaced with moulard duck duo with vegetables, creamed spinach and cherry brandy sauce, and was just as good with rich flavor. Cassoulet consisting of duck leg and gizzard confit, chicken and turkey sausage, carrot, onion and white bean was just as good as I had remembered as well. The highlight of the night, however, belonged to simple chicken schnitzel that we had with potato salad. I don't know if a lot of restaurant in the city can top this simple thin chicken breast cutlet that was just absolutely perfectly cooked and didn't have any rubbery texture to it. Seared sea scallops were also delicious. For dessert, sticky toffee fig cake was pure decadence, while apple tart with vanilla ice cream was also a pleasant dish.
Getting a reservation wasn't particularly difficult, and the restaurant wasn't as nearly packed as I had thought it would be (by this time, I would've thought this place would be a neighborhood favorite, which it deserves to be with not just the awesome food but also the cozy vibe that makes a dinner here on any given night a charming affair). I guess going to a restaurant in East Harlem has less of a crowd issue, which I'm not complaining. The restaurant has a full bar with some nice wine selections. I'm so glad that Mountain Bird is back and I hope it sticks around longer this time. I rarely venture out to Harlem area, but it is one thing that could possibly make me keep coming from time to time.
I wish I could say that I loved this place. Certainly there were some tasty and interesting dishes on the menu — but it was hit and miss. The starters and small dishes were better than the large dishes. The deserts were fine, but nothing exceptional. The atmosphere is great, however.. Nice room, good vibe.