The latest in our Quick Bites series brings us to a rotisserie at the corner of Frederick Douglass and 116th Street, from the man who brought you Red Rooster.
THE VIBE
Marcus Samuelsson knows how to throw a party.
Yes, Streetbird Rotisserie, the Swedish/Ethiopian/Harlemite chef's new chicken restaurant, located a few blocks from his first Harlem hit Red Rooster, serves plenty of decent to very good food (more on that in a moment).
The thing that struck me most about Streetbird was how much I didn't want to leave. Even after six courses, eaten from a somewhat precarious perch overlooking the stairwell, my back to much of the action. Even though I had waited well over an hour outside before even getting in, forced to chill by the surprise "Be back at 6:00!" opening-day sign on the door. Even though, frankly, I'm usually just too restless for any sort of sobremesa, no matter how much I enjoyed my meal.
So after paying my modest check (under $50 for two-people's worth of dinner), I lingered in the take-out-orders waiting area by the door, soaking in every detail that I could of the dizzying decor, a kind of hyper-homage to Harlem in the early days of hip hop, with plenty of spillage into other eras as well. The centerpiece of the design is the iconic M & G Diner "Old Fashion' But Good" sign, salvaged from the wreckage of that 125th soul food classic, but there are literally a hundred other relics, real and imaginary, to discover throughout the space—from the Converse dangling from overhead pipes to the old-school party flyers papering your trip to the bathroom to the goofy graffiti everywhere.
Cassette tape lighting fixtures! (Scott Lynch/Gothamist)
I even listened to the tape of "chef's memories" of NYC back in the day, which you can hear through headphones jacked into the boombox tower up front.
For whatever reason, the room at Streetbird has enormous amounts of positive energy—the excellent music helps, which also hits the sweet spot, volume-wise: loud enough to bop to in your seat, but no need to shout to be heard. Being here feels like exactly where you want to be.
THE BITES
For a restaurant that basically only serves chicken, the Streetbird menu is impressively varied. The namesake dish, the Roitisserie, is available as a quarter, half, or whole, and you should definitely get some for your table. Samuelsson keeps the seasoning light on the actual bird—my leg and thigh combo nailed that juicy meat/crisp skin balance—preferring that you slather on the sauce of your choice (at fifty cents a pop). I tried two of the five, the thick, fiery, and almost South Asian Streetbird Hot Sauce, and the thick, chili-based and almost Tex-Mex Green Cowboy, and both delivered a welcome punch.
The spicy Old Broadway Wings, which arrive crunchy-fried and super sloppy (this is where you'll be thankful for the roll of paper towels that hangs by your table), are a solid entry into the category. Cornbread fans won't want to skip Auntie Mabel's dense and moist rendition, served in slabs with intense, spreadable "Bird Funk", which is not, alas, drippings from the oven, but rather a tomato-based chicken-y chutney. Still good though. And funky.
Samuelsson pays tribute to Harlem's ubiquitous Chinese food joints in the Noodles & Rice section of the menu, but my Sho' Nuff Noodles were a little too much like your basic lo mein grease bomb to order again, though the pickled mustard greens were a noticeably nice touch. Notti Greens, on the other hand, featuring roasted green beans in chili oil with peanuts, felt like a brighter, more deftly-flavored update of that Chinese take-out menu stalwart. That Return Of the Mac (and cheese) might be the way to go here.
The stealth winner of my meal, however, was also one the few dishes not featuring fowl, the plump and lively piri-piri catfish that provides the bass line for the Samuelsson mash-up Hot Splash. Structured like a taco, the African-spiced fish is piled onto some sort of crunchy bread-ish "tortilla", with chunks of avocado, cilantro, and crispy fried shallots all getting in there as well. It's terrific, and makes me think there are further delights to be discovered sitting there under the Bird & Bread heading of the menu.
THE VERDICT
Go for the fun, stay for the food. Locals are going to love it, old-timers and newcomers alike, and Samuelsson's name ensures that food tourists from everywhere (Europe, Asia, Manhattan below 96th Street) will show up as well. Basically: don't stroll in at 7:30 and expect to be seated right away. I imagine the Harlem Tavern across the street, with its large outdoor terrace, will welcome the opportunity to get a few drinks in you while you wait.
Streetbird Rotisserie is located at 2149 Frederick Douglass Boulevard, on the corner of 116th Street. Hours right now are listed as 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., every day, though they could be closing late afternoons (as they did when I went) during this, their self-proclaimed "Spring Training" season. (212-206-2557, streetbirdnyc.com)
