Openings

Harlem’s Mountain Bird Returns With a Rich, Meaty Menu

At the original location, the Underground Gourmet <a href=praised the ostrich crostini, and it's back." width="400" height="400" style="width:100%;height:auto;" fetchPriority="high" >
At the original location, the Underground Gourmet praised the ostrich crostini, and it’s back. Photo: Melissa Hom

Despite overwhelmingly positive reviews, Harlem’s Mountain Bird was forced to close in June of 2014 because of landlord issues. (What else?) Fortunately, the small restaurant, operated by husband-and-wife team Keiko and Kenichi Tajima, is reopening at East Harlem’s Tastings Social on September 1.

The fowl-centric, French-meets-Japanese-meets-American menu includes dishes like gizzard confit, a turkey burger topped with foie gras and truffle-mornay sauce, chicken schnitzel, and an extra-rich shrimp mac-and-cheese with lobster-bisque cream sauce. Better yet: No item exceeds $30, and most are under $20. You can also look forward to the launch of brunch on September 13, which will include intense offerings like French toast with chicken sausage. But first, take a look at a few of the dinner dishes:

Tasty Bite-Size Sampler: cock's combs cutlet, heart à la bourguignonne, truffle-wing ball, liver mousse.
Tasty Bite-Size Sampler: cock’s combs cutlet, heart à la bourguignonne, truffle-wing ball, liver mousse. Photo: Melissa Hom
Foie Gras Dumpling Consommé with chicken soup.
Foie Gras Dumpling Consommé with chicken soup. Photo: Melissa Hom
Mountain Bird Cassoulet with duck leg-and-gizzard confit, chicken sausage, carrot, onion, and white beans.
Mountain Bird Cassoulet with duck leg-and-gizzard confit, chicken sausage, carrot, onion, and white beans. Photo: Melissa Hom
Sticky Toffee Fig Cake.
Sticky Toffee Fig Cake. Photo: Melissa Hom
The space seats 31.
The space seats 31. Photo: Melissa Hom

Mountain Bird, 251 East 110th Street, (212) 281-5752

Harlem’s Mountain Bird Returns With a Rich, Meaty Menu