Bluebirds are known for bringing happiness. Like its name, the Blue Bird Cafe brings happiness, in this case culinary, to its customers.
The Blue Bird Cafe, located at 625 W. Main St. for the last eight years, is known for its variety of daily specials. Nina Solomon, one of the owners and executive chef, said there are a minimum of nine daily specials at dinner and four or five different ones at lunch. Inall, there are about 40 entrées on the menu. For a small restaurant, this is enormous, she said.
Entrees include everything from a more orthodox fettuccine alfredo to the less common boneless breast of free range chicken. There were also several vegetarian choices available. But Solomon claimed the restaurant was known for its crab cakes.
"There's something for everyone," Solomon said.
Prices for a main dish are about $20, and the food is generally worth the price.
All dishes come with a house salad and fresh herb bread. The house salad contains an assortment of greens like dandelion. Among the dressings available is a delicate raspberry vinaigrette. The bread, with its herbal taste, is a welcome addition to the table.
The Blue Bird's vegetable stir-fry with herb tofu is also good. This dish contains a generous pyramid of rice, vegetables, tofu and a liberal scattering of sesame seeds. The flavoring of the sesame seed oil is evident, but the spicing lacks intensity.
The grilled spicy peanut chicken receives nothing but praise for its perfect spicing and even cooking, although the side dishes of rice pilaf and sauteed vegetables are a little too bland.
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Jenny Mills, a waitress at the Blue Bird Cafe for three years, said the crab cakes, linguine with shrimp, Caesar salads and duck breast are all popular dishes.
"We have a very good Caesar salad," Mills added.
The dessert menu lacks the extensiveness of the overall menu, but all desserts are made at the cafe. The chocolate pate, advertised as a "chocoholic's dream," is very tasty. But buyers beware: It is so rich that some diners might not be able to tolerate more than a few bites.
The drink menu is no exception to the large variety of tastes the restaurant offers. The selection of wines from Virginia and beyond range from $18.95 to $20.95 per bottle.
The service is fast and attentive. The water glasses are never empty, and the frequent questions about customers' comfort are assuring.
The strength of this restaurant may lie in the diversity of its menu, but care and attention are evident in the decoration, as well.
The entire cafe exudes a feeling of comfort with its soft music and flavorful decor. The walls host a few criss-crossing neon lights that add a splash of color without making the restaurant look like something off Times Square. The remainder of the restaurant sports its signature blue color in varied tones and shades. Gold stars are scattered across the blue walls to create the feel of a soothing night sky.
The booths are somewhat cramped, but mirrors at the end of tables help create an illusion of space. With limited seating, reservations are recommended for large parties and on busy weekends.
Like its menu, the customers at the Blue Bird Cafe are diverse, including University students and Charlottesville residents.
"It's a nice mix of people," Mills said. "Young, older people, families, business types, students."
With numerous daily specials, pleasant atmosphere and good service, Blue Bird Cafe tries, as Solomon said, "to make sure that everyone leaves happy." It is a true bluebird wish.
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