Brabo, The Bird Break Out Spring Menus

Cooking to the season continues this week with the arrival of new menus at Brabo in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia and The Bird in Logan Circle.

Brabo’s newly minted executive chef Sebastien Rondier has composed dishes designated for the recently expanded bar, now known as the Brabo Brasserie, as well as the main dining room. Additions to the Brasserie include a veal burger with lemon confit, Emmental cheese, piquillo pepper, and tomato-shallot marjoram mayonnaise, as well as crostini with fried quail eggs, braised short rib, and peppered beef jerky. Entrees exclusive to the main dining room include linguine with garlic-poached King crab leg, sauteed asparagus, and English peas, as well as roasted veal tenderloin accompanied by braised sweetbreads, potato gnocchi, peas a la Francaise, ramps, lemon cream, and veal jus. Rondier’s menu updates take effect today.

Across the river, Bird executive chef Michael Bonk is ushering in spring with a flight of eggs ($11) — featuring poached quail with caviar, fried duck with scrapple, and chicken with ponzu — emu tartare with shallots, cornichons, and duck fat crackers ($12), and grilled peri-peri chicken with potato wedges, and garlic aioli ($18). A menu release party is scheduled for Sunday, April 2 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the patio.

Brunch Wire

Joselito Casa de Comidas has put its own stamp on brunch, tweaking house specialties for the weekend crowd. Featured selections include smoked salt cod and gazpacho ($12), seafood-laced rice ($15), and Andalusian-style French toast ($12). Bottomless mimosas, bellinis, Bloody Mary, and sangrias can be added to the mix for $15 per person. Brunch is available from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m on Saturday and Sunday.

Pop-Up Patrol

Chefs Bobby Pradachith, Louis Lin, and Samuel Meoño are teaming up Sunday, April 9 to orchestrate a “One-Night Collaborative Dinner” featuring distinctly Asian fare.

The meal is broken up into snacks (think: black sesame mochi; Japanese sweet potato with bagna cauda ), small plates (black bass with soybean, and pineapple; pork belly with fava beans and herbs), noodles (chilled ramen with pickled alliums and crispies), a family-style main (rotisserie chicken with plum sauce, grilled hearts, liver mousse, and crispy feet), and sweets (yogurt with rhubarb and melon). Alfie’s resident drink maker Fabian Malone is expected to provide pairings on an a la carte basis. Tickets to the dinner, which is scheduled to take place from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Alfie’s (3301 Georgia Avenue NW), are $75 per person.