Charlie Bird

Charlie Bird Restaurant Review:

Celebs, the see-and-be-seen crowd, and Big Apple fooderati all collide at this SoHo address, which is something of an anomaly: a very scene-y restaurant where the food actually lives up to the promise. Chef Ryan Hardy, who did a long stint at the stoves at Little Nell in Aspen, cooks his takes on Italian and American cuisine. The menu changes frequently, but, while listening to the ’90s hip hop that’s always spinning, expect dishes like fresh spaghetti with sausage, duck and sage, or Tuscan beef rib-eye with smoked kale and anchovy butter. The roasted chicken, which has become something of a signature, is akin to the well-known suckling pig offered at Eleven Madison Park: a thick crisp slab of skin encasing juicy meat. For dessert, consider the moist pistachio lemon cake. The wine list consists of mostly French and Italian labels and will intrigue the aficionado. Cocktails are also available.