I think there is a psychology behind becoming obsessed with a restaurant. That when a person discovers a place and enjoy what they eat, days later the brain starts to crave it and it can’t stop until it gets it. It’s not just about the food; the obsession comprises the travel to get to the location, the restaurant itself, the staff, and of course the food. Synapses are fired from the brain to the body’s sensory systems crying out for the experience and the food, that a person can eventually become consumed by it to the point that they experience Compulsive Obsessive Restaurant Disorder (CORD). I think I made that up. That may sound extreme, but if you think about it for a second it may also sound like what people experience when they’ve developed an addiction to anything. It may be gambling, exercising, or relationships. It my case I developed a CORD for Birdies, Chef J was my enabler, and the dishes were what I craved.

Sure, that’s a bit extreme, but hear me out.

Yesterday I was at work contemplating what I should have for lunch. I could eat the soup I had for the last three days or something else. “Please God, let it be something else!” I whispered. My mind started to scan the parameter of Downtown LA looking for something to eat. That’s when it pinpointed to Birdies. A week prior I was with TJ (I’m always with him) checking out the new spot to see what their dishes would be like. “Donuts, coffee, and chicken” a pretty straightforward tagline of their offerings was all I needed to get my foot in the door. Walking past the Einstein mural on the side of the building and inside the restaurant you could see that although it’s small, it was well designed. Exposed brick acted as an accent wall, clean glass was placed as a necessary sneeze guard, an eye-catching checker floor for pictures (of course), and the staff greets you the minute you step in. It was lovely.

 

That’s when Chef J stepped out and greeted us. Stepping from behind the counter he carried himself with a positive level of confidence. Not too cocky and not shy either. As he began speaking, it seemed like he exuded east coast from his pores, but not in the obnoxious, “I’m from Jersey!” manner. Instead, he was even-keeled and with a smile that went from ear-to-ear; he was so pleasant! He told us a bit of the Birdies history and about how the word about the restaurant was picking up rapidly. His smile got bigger when he mentioned everyone coming in from the everyday consumer all the way to Robin Thicke–all whom he was appreciative of in the same way. Then he got straight to feeding us. Where did we begin? With donuts! Almost like an appetizer in the restaurant, the counter displayed a beautiful array of colorful and equally mouthwatering donuts.

Chef J then came out with a tray of donuts for us. I would have been fine with one or two, but his generosity extended past that. He gave us some of their most popular donuts. They were all incredibly beautiful and their taste matched appropriately. Out of the first ones we tried there was the Horchata Twist with Dulce de Leche ($3), Cookies and Cream ($3.25), Strawberry ($3.00), Cinnamon Toast Streusel ($3.25), and S’mores ($3.50). Each donut was incredibly fresh as if it just came out the oven, soft like a pillow, and tasted artisanal! From this set of donuts, the one I liked the most was the s’more. The donut was incredibly rich and chocolaty, but not in excess. The sweet and sticky marshmallows provided a delicious gooeyness that took me back to being a kid.

 

Of all the donuts, my favorites were the Strawberry ($3.00, not pictured), Candied Bacon Maple ($3.50), and the Lemon Thyme Pistachio ($3.25). These three were such gorgeous donuts whether it was because of the gentle cherry color, bacon accents, or the duo of the green and the brown. Each one was just as delicious as the other donuts and I loved how unique and individual they were by comparison. It showed that the restaurant is definitely a place where there’s something for everyone.

While the shop has become popular because of its 24k Donut ($100, not pictured) the one I really liked was the Red Velvet with 24k Gold Leaf Sprinkles ($10). The color combination of the vibrant red against the white frosting and gold flakes was beautiful! The actual taste of the flakes isn’t as noticeable as you would hope, but the decoration of it is what’s really important. On top of that, the warm donut was decadent. It’s hard to justify spending $10 on a single donut, but after having this one there’s a part of me that is considering doing it again. My bank account wants to suffocate that part of me.

After all the donuts, Chef J brought out the sandwiches. I got the Birdies Original ($9) and TJ got the Birdies Spicy ($10). TJ’s sandwich was made with cole slaw, ghost pepper mayo, cured pickles, and Tilamook pepper jack cheese. When Chef J said it was spicy, I didn’t really listen. Instead I learned the hard way. I merely got some of the mayo on my hand from picking it up and it was extremely hot. If you get this sandwich, consider yourself warned. I on the other hand went the safer route and got the Original sandwich which was just like TJ’s, but instead of the spicy mayo it was drizzled with a buttermilk ranch mayo. My sandwich was much calmer and since there wasn’t any heat to get in my way, I could taste how amazing it was. This was such a delicious chicken sandwich that I’m tempted to say it’s the best I’ve had in Los Angeles. The chicken was tender, moist, and full of flavor and the skin is nicely fried. The ranch brings a needed smoothness to the sandwich and the cole slaw is a fresh addition. I seriously love it and I know this is what has me hooked on Birdies.

Now, I know what you must be thinking: is Birdies her new addiction? Yes. Will Danielle spend an inane amount of time in the restaurant getting to know the staff and eating more of the food? Absolutely, and I think it’s important that I can admit that. But regardless of how things may appear, please don’t feel compelled to get a camera crew and sit in a living room with my closest family and friends prepared to tell me how to quit. As long as I’m not eating a chicken sandwich behind a dumpster and twitching, all is good. That may happen if they keep making such good food, but until then, just remember: you don’t work for A&E and I don’t need an intervention.

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Address: 314 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90015
Phone: (213) 536-5720
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