Strange Bird
What do a streamliner and Mexican food have to do with one another? Everything if you are talking about the Strange Bird restaurant. What started as a food truck 6 years ago has developed into a physical structure located at the corner of Barnard and Henry streets. Located inside a restored streamliner the charm of the restaurant was surpassed only by the food and the attentiveness of the staff.
When Luke and I first arrived, there was two other couples sitting in booths. However, it filled up fast with every booth and stool at the counter occupied. We soon found out why. Not only was the food a pure culinary treat, but the entire experience left us wanting to come back for more. For appetizers we ordered the Georgia shrimp cocktail and Queso Fundido with chorizo along with two Mexican Cokes. Where do I start? We expected a typical shrimp cocktail and received anything but the usual cocktail. This cocktail was the epitome of fresh. There were huge shrimp mixed in a tomatillo vinaigrette, avocado, cilantro, serrano chile, and chulpe, served with totopos. The Fundido was one of the best we have ever had. Usually, I try not to eat chorizo on my food at a new eatery, because I do not know how salty or greasy it may be, but I relented to the whims of my husband, and I am glad I did. The chorizo was the perfect accompaniment to the pico de gallo, chiles, and pumpkin seeds. Yes, pumpkin seeds. They added a whole new texture and flavor profile to the Fundido. We were able to wash this down with authentic Mexican Cokes. By the time of this writing, Strange Bird should have added beer, wine, and other alcoholic beverages to the menu if that is your proclivity.
For our entrees we both had three tacos each in various incarnations. We always end up sharing everything and wanted to taste them all, except for the vegan option (cauliflower and mushroom pastor). The other selections included: Crispy Chicken, Cochinita Pobil, Beef Barbacoa, Chorizo, and Georgia Shrimp Salpicon. All we could do was take a bite of each before we had reached our fill. It is hard to say which was our favorite and they were all nestled inside a light, fresh tortilla with Oaxaca cheese, pickled vegetables, and salsa. I also had an order of the crispy potatoes with the strange sauce. The potatoes were very crispy, well-seasoned, and the strange sauce was strange, but tasteful. A good test for any meal is how well it travels. We had so much left over from the appetizers and our meal that we decided to take it home. The portion sizes are very generous. Even the totopos were still fresh when we reheated the meal several hours later for a late evening snack. Unheard of in most of my experiences. This is a must try restaurant! We loved everything about Strange Pig. The setting, the service, and especially the food.
