Little Bird Bistro - Portland, OR

CLOSED October 27, 2019

https://www.oregonlive.com/dining/2019/10/little-bird-bistro-will-close-by-the-end-of-the-month.html 

215 SW 6th Ave, Downtown

Established 2010

Visited July 14, 2013

Chef Gabe Rucker owns  two of the best restaurants in Portland. Little Bird Bistro's and sister flagship Le Pigeon's making it on the list of best US restaurants. Little Bird gets less love.

Bone Marrow ($14) with octopus, chorizo, jalapenos, and black flatbread. It arrived lukewarm, under cooked, and bloody in spots. The marrow per se was flavorless but highlighted by the accompanying olive oil, and lemon (?). This preparation should have never left the kitchen without a quality check. An expensive unimpressive introduction to Little Bird.

Le Pigeon Burger ($12). Ordered medium rare and it arrived medium rare. One bite and it became immediately apparent that I had settled for less than burger perfection of late. The well grilled Ken's Artisan ciabatta provided a texture and crunch that sets it apart from the competition. Next came the tangy bite and crunch of the iceberg lettuce slaw, grilled pickled red onion, and in-house made ketchup, mustard, and mayo followed by the smooth mellow Tillamook white cheddar. Then came the bold beefy umami succulent flavor of the meat (7 ounce, 3/4 in. thick, local farm) with a great mouth feel. It is a burger where despite the toppings extraordinaire, they are the supporting cast playing second fiddle to the star meat. Each bite is an explosion of satisfaction. I hit the wall the last few bites as the cheese dominated yet it remained great to the last bite.

Rating: 9.9. Because I don't know what a 10 is. The only burger I've had that can compare against the Le Pigeon Burger is the Yakuza Burger.

Mini-macaron. Rucker's upgrade to the fortune cookie and check. This was my first macaron as I recall and it didn't do much for me.

Probability of making an out of the way return: 100%
Probability of returning if in the area: 100%

Bottom Line:  The Real Deal, despite the less than well executed bone marrow.

Mt Hood

Portland Chinatown is in a sorry state. I don't see it being re-vitalized unless government and business work in unison and crack down on homelessness, illicit drug use, and other ills.