Early Birdie Gets the Donut

Birdies Los Angeles, CA

(since rebranded as Dutchess DTLA: https://www.instagram.com/duchessdtla/?hl=en)

When I’m in LA, I usually stay on the west side. It takes a lot for me to trek through the slow-as-molasses traffic to downtown LA. But that was until I heard Chef J (Jason Harley) opened up Birdies in DTLA. Like some other popular donut shops (Federal Donuts, Gordoughs, Astro, etc) Birdies sells delicious fried chicken with their circular treats. And since they’re open 24-hours on the weekends, they can satisfy any savory or sweet late-night craving.

Let’s start with the savory. The Birdie’s Original sandwich is a free-range, antibiotic-free, crispy chicken breast that’s piled high with crunchy coleslaw, buttermilk ranch mayo, Tillamook cheddar & cured pickles. I can’t recommend this enough. Unless you prefer food that isn’t tasty. Then stay away from this one.

Moving on to the sweet – their donut flavors often change, but familiar faces include their signature Strawberry Shortcake, Lemon Thyme Pistachio, Blueberry Lemon, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Boston Crème, Black & White, Candied Bacon Maple and the fancy-sounding Horchata Twist with Dulce de Leche. Decedent.

I first reached for the Cinnamon Toast Crunch donut, which was similar to a spice cake. With its milk-like icing and crunchy bits, this cake donut satisfied. Next, the Strawberry White Chocolate tasted of wild strawberries. This fluffy yeast donut had the right balance of sweetness and fruit flavor.

I really enjoyed the Lemon Pistachio with its refreshing burst of citrus flavor. But the gold standard is their 24k Gold Edible Donut. It’s wrapped in gold leaf and comes with a $100 price tag. If you’re craving this, but your wallet is telling you that you’re crazy, wait for National Donut Day, when they’ve been known to sell them for a quarter of the cost.

314 West Olympic Blvd http://birdiesla.com