Occasionally, you find a place that is so comforting, so cozy, just such a great space to occupy that the food seems almost secondary. Mockingbird Bistro is such a place. Tucked inside a tiny little brick building on the corner of Welch and McDuffie, Mockingbird beckons with a beautiful hardwood bar, gold and brick walls, and a sweet little upstairs dining room that almost encourages quiet conversation.
When I say the food is secondary to the atmosphere, I mean that in a very literal sense: the food follows the decor, so that just by looking at the restaurant you can tell what kind of meal to expect. It's going to be high-quality, expensive (but not pretentious), satisfying and comforting. I'm happy to report that the food at Mockingbird was all of those things.
I didn't take pictures (it just felt wrong to disturb the mood with a flash), but I had the onion soup and a warm spinach salad, as well as a glass of the house white. My husband went with the chef's special, kobe beef short ribs. My meal was good; quality ingredients, prepared simply. My husband's meal was truly a thing of beauty. The ribs were so incredibly tender, they pretty much dwarf any other beef dish I've ever had. Ever.
For dessert we shared apple bread pudding with cinnamon ice-cream. This was a very creative take on the traditional apple pie a la mode. The texture of the bread pudding was perfectly dense, and the ice cream had a light cinnamon flavor that tasted great paired with the pudding and alone. Another truly wonderful dish, and worth saving room for.
Service at Mockingbird was attentive. My husband commented that we didn't seem like our waiter's first priority, but I didn't get that impression. We never needed anything for very long before he appeared, usually with a smile, suggestion or joke. His demeanor fit the atmosphere -- laid-back but professional. I feel that if he had checked in on us any more than he did it would have disturbed our conversation and the experience as a whole.
Chef John Sheely has created a very special little bistro on the corner of Welch and McDuffie. From the moment you arrive, you feel like you belong to a special club. A club full of hip, friendly and upscale people who know how to relax and how to eat. Go once, and you'll want to go back.
