Out of all the things I did this month, the most important was that I turned thirty.

I don’t say that because I want everyone to rejoice in the day I was born; I really didn’t do anything, it was my mom who did all the hard work. Instead, turning thirty was important because I’m shocked I made it to another year. Considering all the bad food I eat, lack of sleep I get, and the amount of shit talking I do both Jesus and I are surprised I hit this milestone. I figured I would have been taken out by a heart attack, sleep deprivation, or at the very least karma. In celebration of my beating the odds, my friend TJ took me out to celebrate at a restaurant of my choice. It didn’t take long for me to decide: Redbird in Downtown LA.

I’ve dined in the restaurant a couple of times before and have developed a strong adoration to the Neal Fraser concept because of the gorgeous interior and expert menu. While I’ve experienced Fraser trying to fool me with food in the past, this time would be different. With the lights dimmed low and the windows open letting in the city, TJ and I looked over the menu to find plates to ring in my big day. In a matter of minutes, the waiter returned to take our order.

To kick off my birthday, I started with a cocktail. I went with the Bird of Paradise ($14). Made with gin, lime, raspberry, cream, egg whites, charged water, and orange blossom water this was such a deceitful drink. I say that because I expected it to taste the gin since it’s such a strong spirit, but in this cup it was very discrete. Instead, it tastes exactly how it looks. What came through with each sip from the straw was the fruit, the cream, and the egg white. The combination of the three alongside the drink’s additional components was so smooth and soft that it created a seductive cocktail that I almost inhaled it before the appetizer arrived.

The appetizer we shared was the Gnocchi ($23). A plate of braised rabbit, burgundy truffles, pine nuts, Brussels, and thyme both looked and smelled delightful! As I took spoonfuls of the pasta, what was undeniably clear was just how soft the shells were. They were cooked so perfectly that it felt as if they would collapse in my mouth. Add to that, I enjoyed how nicely seasoned they were and that the taste never let down from start to finish. I loved the scattered pieces of rabbit as they were tender and juicy and the pine nuts, although few and sparse, gave a nice crunch to it all.

After the gnocchi was cleared from the table, my entrée made its appearance. I went with the Aged Liberty Farms Duck ($35). A simple dish of wild rice, plums, and xo sauce sat underneath thin slices of duck. The best way to describe this dish is to say that it was succulent! The duck is delivered from the kitchen to the table with a crispy exterior that holds in the flavor of the dish. However the central portion of each slice is moist and mouthwatering. The somewhat spicy xo sauce bridges the rice and the duck together effortlessly making you want to have each bite with the two together as if they are never meant to be separated!

To close the night celebrating my birthday, we had dessert! The more I think about it, there’s no other way to close a birthday dinner than with dessert, right? TJ and I both agreed on the Yusu Sabayon ($13). It was an easy choice as it combined cotton candy grapes and verjus blanc with matcha ice cream. The iced cotton candy grapes held in significant level of sweetness from the verjus blanc that we poured atop the dessert. The deep green matcha ice cream helped to cut what could be an overwhelming amount of sugar with its calm and creamy nature. I loved how well the chef paired these ingredients because it was the perfect dessert for the adult who still wants to hold onto their youth.

  I am so glad that I got to spend my thirtieth birthday at Redbird. While I would easily recommend the restaurant for its lunch or dinner, it’s also the perfect destination for a celebration of any sort. I’m happy that I got to have their cocktail, gnocchi, duck, and dessert as delicious tokens to show I made it to another year. Here’s to the next twelve months where I hopefully won’t succumb to a heart attack, sleep deprivation, or the cruel workings of karma.

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