When Margaret Ranalli announced she would close her locally beloved Enoteca Emilia earlier this year, the news came with a heaping side of heartbreak for the restaurant’s many fans. But luckily, she returned with LoveBird, an eatery inspired by her time in Charleston, South Carolina.
The restaurant is, first and foremost, a fried chicken joint, and while the fried chicken is indeed delicious—crispy and crunchy and dripping with goodness—the menu goes deep into Southern cuisine. Start with the fried green tomatoes, thick slices of tangy tomatoes with a side of flavorful comeback sauce. Follow that up with the LoveBird favorite shrimp and grits, a dish of tomato, country ham, shrimp, and poached egg atop fluffy grits, all drowned in a green onion red-eye gravy that turns the taste up to 11. As for entrees, it doesn’t get more Southern than the chicken and waffles, a crispy, buttery Belgian waffle topped with fried chicken breast and spiced watermelon on the side, and the traditional fried chicken biscuit, a crumbly mess of fried goodness with a dollop of coleslaw. For sides, the collard greens, mac and cheese, and scalloped potatoes, are all excellent presentations of classic Southern fare.
The restaurant also serves up quality libations from its expansive bar. Sip on the refreshing blueberry mint julep or enjoy the LoveBird Long Island. (Those underage diners can have a tall glass of lemonade.) All in all, there’s a lot to love at this Southern food sanctuary.
LoveBird, 110 S. Second St., Loveland, (513) 583-0300
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