THE BASICS:WHAT:  Birch- New American shared plates.

WHO: Chef Brendan Collins.  Attached to a number of Michelin Stars, he is a name you should know.  Considering my experience below… he is quickly climbing up the ladder of my favs.

WHERE:  Hollywood Blvd and Cahuenga (a relaxing and clean escape amongst alllllll the cray cray)

WHEN:  Dinner.  But open for lunch and weekend brunch too (now high on the list).

 

THE DISH:

WHAT TO ORDER:  PORK SHANK ($28)!!!  Cannot say enough… legit haven’t stopped talking/dreaming/fantasizing about it.  No joke if I had to pick my very last meal on earth, this would be in the running.  Serious question:  how is this only $28?  Yes that’s not cheap… but for this, IT IS… trust.  You can share it with up to 4 people (depending on what else you get) OR be a fattie and get it for yourself and have food for the next couple of days (our waitress said this is what she does and we laughed, until we 100% understood the brilliance in that plan).  And then I peeked in the kitchen, asked to speak to Chef Brendan personally and expressed my love (for him and the piggy).  Also, the Burrata Cheese ($14) with fava bean crostini, beets and asparagus.  Complete success in making a dish that is equally delicious as it is stunning.

WHO TO BRING:   Any carnivore in your life.  Sure they have some veggie options, but not a lot.

WHAT TO KNOW:   Make a reservation.  It’s a small space and with it being the BEST option on that strip; better safe than sorry.

WHO YOU’LL SEE:   Class inside, crazy outside.

 

EDDR LIFE LESSON:  Less is sometimes more.  Ordering I felt guilty about only getting 2 things on the menu (to report back to you on), but 2 things was ALL that was needed.  Had I ordered more, we wouldn’t have been able to eat every last bite off that bone.  The pork had potential to leave you overly stuffed, but with a light veggie-friendly app and this entrée size… the meal didn’t break the bank and left us oh-so-satisfied.  And FYI if you’re a fan of the turkey leg at Disneyland or the Renaissance Festival it will be forever ruined… in the best possible way.

 

A² FINAL THOUGHT:  Fine-dining approach, casual feel.  Simple space, anything but simple food.  This is hard to do, but they did it… and did it damn good.  The only thing to say after the food leaving me speechless is B.R.A.V.O.

 

Still can’t STFU about it,

Alex

Birch ↔ Menu ↔ 1634 N. Cahuenga Blvd, LA, CA, 90028 ↔ 323-960-3369