Lou Birds Opens at 20th and Lombard
Lou Bird’s opens at 20th and Lombard | Photo via Lou Bird’s
Once upon a time I was sitting outside of Varga Bar at 10th and Spruce, looking over at the packed sidewalks at Kanella and remarked this might be the most bumping corner in all of downtown Philadelphia without a place named Parc on it. I also remember thinking, now if something could turn up the voltage at 20th and Lombard across from Pub & Kitchen, then 10th and Spruce would have some competition.
Lou Bird’s is named for the Jordans’ daughter, Lexi.
Tonight, Thursday, August 25th, Pub & Kitchen gets some new company as Lou Bird’s opens at 500, South 20th Street, in the former home of Meritage. Norris and Debbie Jordan who own Happy Rooster have extensively rehabbed the 100 year-old building, an exercise that delayed the opening from spring to now. The interior was gutted, the roof, removed, restrooms were moved and a new kitchen was built. What results is an airier room with more windows and exposed brick. Some of the interior includes reclaimed items from the Divine Lorraine.
The Jordans have hired Natalie Maronski (former chef de cuisine of The Olde Bar and Volver) and Josh Jenkins (former manager of the Dandelion) as general manager. Maronski has developed a new-American menu that aims to be casual but elevated. Norris Jordan says, “we love café dining and wish the city had more options for it, so we are creating a new one. We look at The Rooster as a great bar that happens to have fantastic food-Lou Bird’s will have great restaurant that happens to have a fantastic, 20th Street facing bar.”
The restaurant will serve dinner nightly to 11 p.m. and the bar will be open till 2 a.m. nightly. Weekend brunch begins this weekend with service from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. In total, there are 74 seats, including the bar, dining room and sidewalk seating.
Lou Bird’s Opening Dinner Menu
First:
Hiramasa
Lemon verbena, plum, pickled fresno, smoked fish sauce
Pork Belly
Toast, sorghum glaze, braised collard green puree, black eyed peas
Pierogie
Roasted potato and duck confit, whipped horseradish buttermilk, lardo
Baby Artichokes
Sunflower seed pesto, dried kalamata olive, lemon
Second:
Dill Vichyssoise
Burrata, toast, proscuitto
Smoked Rigatoni
Sungold tomatoes, corn, mizuna, pecorino
Rainbow Trout
Mushroom cream, sage, grilled leek
Peking Poussin
Buckwheat waffle, soy syrup, scallion
Baby Lettuces
Walnut, kumquat
Third:
Milk fed pork loin
Peach pie, pancetta, pork jus
Striped bass
Fennel, farro, beets, onion
Duck Breast
Chestnut puree, blueberries, chicory duck jus, escarole
Lobster
Whole wheat hand torn pasta, maitake, sorrel
American Wagyu Strip
Fingerling potatoes, brussels sprouts, kim-chimi
Highlights from Lou Bird’s Brunch Menu
Lighter Fare
Pitted Fruits
Mixed greens, grilled peach vinaigrette
Yogurt Parfait
House granola, berries
Baby Artichokes
Sunflower seed pesto, dried kalamata olive, lemon
Dill Vischyssoise
Toast, prosciutto
Sides
Hashbrowns
Bacon
House pork roll
Chicken sausage
Grits
Mains
Tomato Tart
Black pepper tart, tomato, burrata, egg
Crepe
Peach, pancetta, lime creme fraiche
Salad lyonnaise
Frisse, mixed greens, duck confit, potato, smoked duck fat vinaigrette, poached eggs
Lobster and Grits
Anson mills grits, pickled kumquats, grilled scallions, bacon
Omelette
Gruyere, leeks, mushroom cream, breakfast potatoes
Vanilla Pancake
Birch syrup, whipped cream
Smoked Salmon Benedict
Pumpernickel, beets, poached egg, hollandaise,
breakfast potatoes
Two Eggs
Choice of breakfast meat, breakfast potatoes
Lou Burger
Kim-chimi, pork roll, fried egg, breakfast potatoes
Toad in a hole
Collard green puree, pork belly, sorghum syrup, breakfast potatoes
Lou Bird’s [Foobooz]
