Yardbird Restaurant Debut A Lesson in Stylish Sustainability

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Brand New Restaurant Pays Homage to Farm Foods

From the bushel basket light fixtures, to the pickled vegetables enshrined in the wall, Yardbird Southern Table and Bar is an ode to local farm fresh foods. Bourbon, bacon and free bird chicken are the emblems of this new restaurant in Miami. The décor is a contrast of stark modernity with homespun farm chic, wide plank wood floors beneath, and industrial chic exposed duct work overhead, in between, whitewashed exposed brick walls, weathered wood dining chairs. Chefs work swiftly in an open kitchen with gleaming stainless fixtures while patrons get cozy in the mood lit dining rooms. The modern rustic mix is highlighted with high tech computers worn on the waist belts of servers.

Open Kitchen with Chicken, Pig and Bourbon Artwork

Yardbird joins Michael’s Genuine and Escopazzo, in bringing local, sustainable food to the fore in decadent South Beach. But it is clear that Yardbird intends to teach it. Before walking through the front door, we had already seen videos on their website of a chicken being chased around on green grass (the restaurant’s website is runchickenrun.com) and another of a herd of beef cattle running free on lush pasture fields. It reminded me of the movie, Born Free, and I excitedly thought, this guy is gonna teach people what real food is!

Chicken, Pig, and Bourbon Bottle Shirts Worn by the Smiling Hostesses Who Greet You at Yardbird

At the restaurant, we were greeted by three smiling hostesses wearing black T-shirts, with the bourbon bottle, pig and chicken designs. The Pig shirt says, God Gave Angels Wings and He Gave Us Bacon. I bet this chef has been to Cochon 555, an event which lauds the culinary brilliance of pork, and chefs snatch up pig T-Shirts to wear in their kitchens like they are going out of style.

At the suggestion of the owner of our favorite place to go for grassfed burgers in Miami, 8 oz. Burger Bar, Keith and I spent our 15th wedding anniversary at Yardbird. And, we enjoyed every morsel!

Friendliness served up with some of the best ‘vittles’ around make this a winning concept for the Miami foodie crowd. We visited Yardbird on its third opening night, and it was packed with people who wanted to feed at the trough of full of free ranging birds, Florida fresh produce, and Southern inspired dishes.

Budding Romance between Miami and Yardbird

The Southern family style menu features both small and large plates, both designed to share. We choose the small plates, so that we could taste a variety of dishes in one sitting. I chose a Malbec from the wine list, and Keith ordered the first two plates, short rib meat loaf and brussels sprouts. We asked the server to hold the bread (because of our healthy lifestyle we often refuse the bread, so as not to be tempted), only to learn that they don’t offer the typical bread basket.

While we waited and sipped our wine, the waiter appeared with a small black kettle of cider vinegar boiled peanuts topped with rock salt. This, we discovered, is the reason why they don’t offer bread! We peeled the wet shells off and tried the peanuts. They were quite unusual because of the soft rather than crunchy texture, and the tang of the vinegar. After the first few, we began to really enjoy them. I also found them less appetite spoiling than bread.

Small Plates: Brussels Sprouts and Short Rib Meatloaf

The nice thing about ordering small plates is the swiftness with which they are served. First came the short rib meatloaf, accompanied by the brussel sprouts. The meatloaf was crusty on the outside (if beef was served with skin, this is what it would be like) and the slow cooked shortrib meat was as tender as can be on the inside. I imagined that the ribs had been slow cooked for 10 hours, the meat was that soft.

I asked Chef Jeff McInnis for the Brussels sprouts recipe, it was so delightful. The sprouts were not served whole, rather the leaves were loose, and mixed with cubed apples and topped with sunflower seeds. It was served in a small orange crock with a lid. See today’s related post, Brussels Sprouts, Shallots and Apples for the recipe.

More Small Plates: Brunswick Stew and Grilled Mango Salad

The next dish was the Brunswick stew. Tender and tasty, my husband loved this one. I have always wanted to try and make a brunswick stew (although, still haven’t yet), Chef Jeff’s version is inspiring. It is really unique, with alligator sausage and smoked rabbit. My husband being a fan of Florida Everglades alligators (we go to see them every trip to Florida), it was fun to have a native wild meat in our stew.

The Mango Salad was seasoned with black sesame seeds which reminded me that the first time I ever heard of asian fusion cuisine was on a trip to Miami. It seems that Yardbird Southern Table & Bar is not so strict about southern cooking, happily, it invites the best flavors of other cultures into the mix!

Thanks to the wonderful staff who made us feel so at home. We plan another trip back, this time with friends and family in tow. We want to introduce them to our new favorite southern haunt!

Ramekin Baked Apple Pie with Chicken Top Crust, Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with Happy Anniversary!

Red Velvet Carrot Cake and Carrot Bourbon Sorbet

Get a gander at our dessert course!

Thanks, to all at Yardbird’s for the warm southern hospitality, and for making our 15th wedding anniversary the most memorable, ever.

Kimberly Hartke is a blogger with realfoodmedia.com, a blog network devoted to green living and sustainable farms.