Inspired by Her Sons, a Mom Opens Restaurant for Those With Severe Food Allergies

In what might be a first for Southern California, a fast-casual restaurant designed to accommodate those with severe food allergies. Noble Bird Rotisserie opened late-December into Long Beach’s sunny 2nd & PCH complex, where the building and kitchen are completely free of dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, and mustard.

This is the first restaurant for Noble Bird owner Sidney Price, whose sons developed life-threatening food allergies at a young age. These dietary restrictions kept Price’s family from dining out. For some, eating foods with a touch of forbidden ingredients can mean life or death. Last September, a London teenager died after eating a fried chicken sandwich coated in buttermilk. Yet he warned staff of a severe dairy allergy.

The menu was developed by chef Andrew Bice, formerly of Border Grill, Ivory on Sunset, and Blue Plate Oysterette. Price makes sure each dish comes with a complete list of ingredients. The specialty of the house is sustainably-sourced and pasture-raised rotisserie chicken. It’s brined for 24-hours before being placed on a spit with two flavors: lemon herb and spicy gochugaru.

Choose from sides like sweet and sour eggplant, blueberry black rice, and rotisserie potatoes. Price curated local beers, wines, and lemonades on the beverage menu.

Both Price and Bice realize it’s impossible to fully avoid cross-contamination of some ingredients. Price doesn’t promise that Noble Bird will be the ultimate destination for sensitive diners, but hopes Noble Bird can lend a hand while dining out.

Noble Bird hours are Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.