Every once in a while, I come across a new restaurant that I just have to rave about! Birdie G's is it for me! We went on a rainy Saturday night last week to the Bergamot Station section of Michaigan Avenue in
Santa Monica to find this jewel of a restaurant. Despite the crowd, we were seated immediatly at our reservation time. Let me tell you a little bit about the wonderful supper and cocktails, and also about the history of Birdie G's. Chef Jeremy Fox (Rustic
Canyon and Tallula's-two of our favorite places) works magic for starters! The restaurant gets its name from Jeremy Fox-Birdie is his daughter, and the G stands for Gladys, his grandmother. The menu is good-sized and the food
comforting and delicious.Local ingredients are used in all of the dishes and most dishes have a story behind them. The dining room and bar are both beautiful and functional and the service is top-notch. We had the pleasure of meeting Charity Sanchez, the
manager, who made our visit even more special and welcoming!
We had the most wonderful Italian Brut Rosato to begin our meal. Then we ordered the Heirloom Cucumbers
to start. This vegan, gluten-free starter was accompanied by a dill pickle dressing that was the perfect combination of tanginess and crispness. We also could not pass up the Matzo Ball Soup which is probably the best you'll ever have! (Sorry moms and grandmas!)
Carrots, carrot miso, dill, and chicken broth surround the light, fluffy perfect matzo ball. We could have ordered another, it was that good! The Summer Tomatoes and Burrata with fermented tomato vinaigrette, basil, capers, and cantabrian anchovies was fantastic.
I may or may not have shared any of it. Don't pass up the Dungeness Crab-Prawn Cake either! The Potatoes O' Brien, tartar sauce, and Birdie Bay, are just the icing on the cake. These crabcakes are playing in the big leagues! We also had the Jeremiah's
Wood-Grilled Chicken. The chicken was moist and flavorful. The tropical sauce on the side is so good and full of pineapple, that I could have eaten a bowlful! As if that wasn't enough, of course we had to have the Sugar Cream Pie and the Rose Petal Pie. The
Sugar Cream Pie was a creme brulee-type pie that melts in your mouth. The Rose Petal Pie is one of the most wonderful, creative desserts that I've come across! The pretzel crust is so good, I'd eat it alone...at every meal. The raspberry, strawberry, rose
and hibiscus just add to the party in your mouth. I cannot recommend this restaurant highly enough! It's fantastic and we can't wait to go back!
Birdie G's 2421 Michigan
Avenue, Santa Monica (310) 310-3616 Reservations are a must. Hours: Sun-Thurs: 5-10PM, Fri-Sat: 5-11PM.