Hi @Porthos,
It’s thanks to you, @ipsedixit @J_L and many others on our old Chowhound that inspire me to try and return to a restaurant more than once, but I usually don’t have the luxury to do that (but I wish I did). Hearing you talk about all the visits to places like Mori, Shanghailander, J Zhou, etc., are really informative and helpful. 
Thanks!
And that’s pretty awesome to note that their Pao de Queijo is gluten-free! Nice.
Such a great write up. I haven’t been yet and want to go. The bread, beef, and lamb look so delicious…
I like to read your reviews when I have a moment to savor. Nice touch, highlighting the history of the beautiful location.
From yours and other reviews of Redbird, and correct me if I’m wrong, it seems the menu has too many dishes, resulting in quite a few fails. I can’t imagine anything worse than fishy raw fish. Are they trying too hard? Another observation is, with a few exceptions, they do a great job with vegetables. The asparagus dish and the desserts look beautiful. The cavatelli seems delicious. And I don’t mind a small amount of foie. It’s what I’m used to back in the day. I love pot pies. But, overcooked sea bass is a crime.
All in all, it looks like a lovely location, and with your food recommendations I’m still anxious to try Redbird.
Great review as usual!
P.S. Apologies for spelling errors. I hit reply before I was finished typing. Too much wine 
Thanks @paranoidgarliclover, @TheCookie.
Hopefully you give it a try and report back on how your visit went.
And yah, it seems they excel at many of the vegetable dishes, but there were a few meat dishes that were great as well (loved their Cottage Pie, Australian Rack of Lamb, Foie Gras).
Update:
We recently stopped by with friends for a delightful dinner under the stars.
Bread Service:
Definitely a highlight at Redbird, both their Brazilian Cheese Bread and the Dinner Rolls arrive piping hot. Delicious. 
Foie Gras Torchon (Strawberry, Elderflower, Malt Crisp, Brioche):
This was borderline Dessert, with the Foie Gras’ flavors being wonderful by itself, but surprisingly the pairing with the Strawberries and Elderflowers worked beautifully. 
Burrata Salad (Asparagus, Pistachio, Sungolds, Duck Prosciutto, Smoked Olive Oil):
Excellent. Fresh, creamy Burrata was wonderfully offset by the Pistachio and the Duck Prosciutto, which provided just the right amount of salinity. It just fit the season perfectly.
Avocado Salad (Smoked Bacon, Country Line Little Gems, Buttermilk Blue Cheese Vinaigrette):
This is one of the best tasting Salads we’ve had in a long time, with the Smoked Bacon (crispy, crunchy) really elevating the dish. But the Avocado and Little Gem Lettuces were also standout in their creaminess and brightness, respectively.
Bucatini (Uni, Lobster, Scallion):
I felt like @PorkyBelly at Kato, staring down at 1/2 of a tiny Soft Shell Crab… only here we were staring at maybe 1/2 of a tiny sliver of Uni! LOL. 
Sure there was a bit of the Uni in the Sauce, but barely there. So really it was mainly a Creamy Lobster Pasta. The Bucatini was al dente, but the tiny amount of Uni and Lobster made this feel like a waste of calories and rather underwhelming. 
Spanish Octopus (Blood Orange, Marcona Almond, Coraline, Salsa Macha):
Truly tender, smoky Octopus. The Salsa Macha was complex and added this nice backnote of tart, heat and saltiness. Highlight of the evening! 
Risotto (North Sea Shrimp, English Peas, Lemon, Mascarpone):
Delicious! Perfectly cooked Risotto, a beautiful balance of flavors between the North Sea Shrimp, fresh English Peas with its beautiful sweetness, and the touch of citrus and the Mascarpone!
It was also far better than the disaster at Rossoblu.
Sitka Halibut (Morels, Ramps, English Peas):
The outer edge was overcooked, but most of the Halibut was moist and tender. It was generally a “safe” dish, nothing amazing, but not bad either. Loved the Morels and English Peas paired with it.
Broccolini (Chili, Breadcrumbs):
Ample amounts of nicely cooked Broccolini that wasn’t burnt to a crisp! (unlike Rossoblu.) Tender, nice balance of heat with crunchy Toasted Bread Crumbs and a satisfying vegetal taste.
Porterhouse (32 oz Colorado Beef, King Oyster Mushrooms, Aceto Balsamico):
This was OK. It arrived partially medium (about 40% of it) with the rest being medium-rare, even though we asked for it to be medium-rare. This would be a sufficient / fine Steak if you were in the mood for it and at Redbird.
But after having CUT by Wolfgang Puck recently, there’s no comparison. CUT is just so vastly superior it wasn’t even close. 
Service was good throughout the evening. It was also a pleasant, semi-quiet dining room, with Redbird’s unique and gorgeous open roof, to dine under the stars. We didn’t have to shout to hear each other talk. 
Redbird is still one of the prettiest dining rooms in L.A., especially with the retractable roof and a chance to dine with a pleasant evening breeze, under the moon and stars (literally). Chef Neal Fraser’s flagship continues to have some great dishes and some so-so dishes, but knowing what to order will result in a very enjoyable dinner, with things like the Chicken Pot Pie, Shishito Peppers, their various Salads (generally always interesting, fresh and delicious), their Cottage Pie, Octopus, and Rack of Lamb.
Redbird
114 East Second Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Tel: (213) 788 1191
Just give up on uni dishes this season. I have. The uni supply is crap right now.
No! It’s actually much better now. I’ve had uni twice in the last couple weeks and it was sweet and briny, not bad at all. Local places, nothing fancy.
Finally hit Redbird the other night with friends and really enjoyed our meal!
We shared the chicken pot pie, lamb belly, avocado salad, burrata salad, goat gemelli, the duck, and the red wattle pork rack. All of the dishes ranged from good to great, and each of us had a different favorite.
Chicken pot pie was mine – rich and flavorful. Hearts can be a little chewy sometimes but these were just perfect. I was also worried the portion wouldn’t be enough to share but a little went a long way. The crusty dinner rolls from bread service were also perfect for sopping up the gravy.
Avocado salad was crisp and delicious. I was surprised how light and refreshing this tasted considering it was basically fat, fat, fat, and some lettuce.
Burrata salad was good but didn’t blow me away. I was hoping for a little more funk from the duck prosciutto. All I got from this dish was the burrata, which was good, but a little one note.
Goat gemelli was excellent. The goat was braised perfectly and melded well with the gemelli and poached egg.
Lamb belly was my friend’s favorite dish and I loved it too. Salty but balanced well by the sweet pineapple topping. The sweet potato underneath reminded me of Korean bindaeduk. Felt like something Roy Choi might dream up – like lamb al pastor at Kogi lol.
The duck with sea island peas was my other friend’s favorite dish. The skin was nice and crispy, and the duck fat properly rendered. I liked it, too, but wasn’t blown away like my friend.
The red wattle pork was another hit, though I was nervous when it came out. The fat looked undercooked and there was a faint fishy odor. One bite, however, alleviated any concerns. Fat melted in my mouth and the smell was apparently from another table. NB: This dish is big, almost twice the size of the duck, which was our other main.
Cocktails were tasty, though a bit on the sweet side. I tried the Bird of Paradise, which looked alarmingly like Pepto Bismol but tasted great. I also had the Black Eyed Susan, which was a little more my speed. I’d probably get that again.
The room itself is gorgeous, as many have noted. We were seated right by Chef Curtis Stone of Maude, which contributed to the special occasion feeling. My only complaint was that the seats against the window were taller than those on the other side of the table, creating a subtle but disconcerting sense my dining companions were talking down to me lol.
Service was excellent and unobtrusive. I have no clear recollection of anyone refilling my water glass, but it was never less than half full all night.
I’ve read a number of reports now echoing @Chowseeker1999’s observation the place can be hit-or-miss depending on what you order. Luckily, in our case, we had excellent reports like these to guide our choices. As such, there were no misses, only hits of varying degrees.
Hi @Bigmouth,
Great report and glad you liked your meal. I love their breads! and that Avocado Salad, yah I think it’s the crisped Bacon bits that help. 
We also like the Chicken Pot Pie.
I think with knowledgeable ordering, it makes for a great evening, and the dining room can’t be any better.
The Yuzu Custard, washed down with their “Lifesaver” cocktail is the perfect way to end the evening.
Especially when you’re evening starts off with fish n chips at Badmaash down the street.
Hi @Bigmouth -
Nice report!
Haha… I saw the owner of Redbird wandering around at the Arroyo Seco Festival this weekend. Only us food nerds make more of a thing about chef sightings than movie star sightings .
Chef Neal is an avid cyclist also.
Oh good… Chefs should take a page from his book. All those ventures require stamina.
Had some Yuzu Custard last night while dining with friends. Pretty good. Some sea bass and bbq tofu as well. Shishito peppers and some Chateau Flotis Red. Good stuff.
Really neat idea: Redbird is partnering with Phil Rosenthal (of “Somebody Feed Phil” (Netflix) / “I’ll Have What Phil’s Having” (PBS)) for an evening in Morocco, celebrating the start of Season 3 of “Somebody Feed Phil.”
There’ll be a Zoom video link with Q&A Session with Phil and Redbird Chef-Owner Neal Fraser and others.
Moroccan Feast with Phil Rosenthal and Redbird Tickets, Sun, Jun 14, 2020 at 6:30 PM | Eventbrite?
Meals can be picked up at Redbird or they do Delivery within 15 miles of the restaurant.
Watching the Trailer, it feels like a way to live vicariously going to various countries to eat… and it feels like something we might be able to do for a long time.
MENU
WINE
Sparking Rosé
Pinot Grigio
WELCOME
Liberty Duck Bastilla with Almonds and Currants
APPETIZER
Brick Oven Pita, Hummus, Chermoula Octopus, Orange Cured Olives
SALAD
Chickpeas, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Pistachio, Black Lime Vinaigrette
FIRST (demo with chef)
Socca, Pickled Walnuts, Dried Tomato, Coriander
SECOND
Chicken Thighs, Preserved Lemon, Cauliflower Cous Cous
THIRD
Moroccan Strip Steak, Spiced Lentils, Braised Apricots
DESSERT
Chocolate Tart, Hazelnut Brittle
COCKTAILS
TBD (collaboration with Tobin Shea & Charlotte Voisey)
WATER
San Pellegrino
INCLUDED - With the purchase of two (2) tickets
(2) Cocktails
(1) bottle of wine
(1) bottle S.Pellegrino
Pick-up from 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM on the day of the event
Tax & Tip included
Zoom Invitation provided (sent 1 day prior to event)
Cooking demo by chef
BENEFITING
LA Family Housing with a donation from our good friends at Wells Fargo
Wow! Great looking menu!!
Redbird has converted their Vibiana Courtyard area into an outdoor dining space (smart). And a new “Redbird Garden” area.
Their main dining room (with gorgeous retractable roof) was always a beautiful place to dine, but keeping the glass roof open is also a nice idea during the pandemic (for more ventilation).
Peony: We’ve been to Redbird many times. I always like the soft and warm gougeres, which used to be served in a cute fabric bag along with another bread. This time Redbird served them on a plate, and they cooled down faster and were not as soft. Regarding tonight’s dishes, I liked the scallops and pasta the most as they had complicated flavor and al dente texture. The branzino, although it was very rich in flavor too, was very dry and chewy, and was therefore my least favorite dish tonight.
Warrior: Dinner at Redbird is nice, but not good for the price. The roasted branzino (which cost a whopping $100) was dry and overcooked. The other dishes tonight—citrus salad, rigatoni, and scallops—were good. Wine list and service were good too.
$100 for branzino??? Was it stuffed with caviar?? Smh
