If you’ve seen the construction happening next door to The Lark, itself in the former location of Avid Bookshop on Prince Avenue, wonder no longer. Birdie’s, a project from Kirsten Hindes, is working on the space (previously home to Model Citizen salon, which moved downtown in April) and hopes to open by October.
Rather than a restaurant, Birdie’s will be a specialty market, but it’ll also have about 12 seats between tables and a bar and will serve coffee, sandwiches, salads and possibly soup, made to order rather than grab-and-go. Hindes comes from the specialty cheese world, where she’s been in sales for the past couple of decades, and says she will be selecting cheese, deli meats and charcuterie that are “unique to the area.”
Pressed for details (the menu is still in flux, as is the space), Hindes says, “We will have a variety of sandwiches from old school hoagies on Amoroso rolls, to modern creations on bread from Independent Baking Company. We will feature (as seasons permit) local produce in our salads and sandwiches, and also use the highest quality meats and cheeses. We will sell pastries and breads from Independent, in addition to a wide variety of specialty grocery items. Our coffee bar will serve local and regional single origin batch brew, a bespoke ‘Birdies Blend’, and will feature espresso from an as-yet-to-be-determined partner.”
Market-wise, she plans to carry “Everything from olive oil to chocolate bars to cheese accompaniments, fun sauces, nuts, olives, crackers etc. Packaged coffee and tea, some cheese tools, cookies and shortbread etc.”
Birdie’s will be open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. You can check its Instagram (linked above) for updates.
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