Step inside Cosmic Bird, the new vegan joint on Baxter Ave., and you’ll find leftovers and memorabilia from its vegan-focused predecessors. However, despite reminders of the building’s Flour Shoppe and Morels Cafe past, owner and chef James Morier has his sights set on a fantastic and far out future.
A trained chef with 20 years of experience, 9 of which were spent working with sushi, Morier has high hopes that his plant-based chk’n sandwiches and upcoming vegan sushi Sundays will be a game changer for the Louisville food scene.
“Everything vegans are doing right now, from where we spend our dollars to the actions we take, it’s all for our grandkids,” he tells me, clad in the sort of tie-dye shirt you’d hope to find the owner of a restaurant named Cosmic Bird wearing.
When asked what prompted him to become vegan, he simply had to gesture around the cafe and the answer became clear. Morier’s love for animals is everywhere from the plant-based menu to a table spread paying homage to Butterfly Valley Animal Rescue.
Originally from LA, Morier first joined friends in Louisville in 2001 before following Phish and Grateful Dead across the country. Afterward, he returned to California where he began Cosmic Bird as a pop-up. He’s served his famed #fauxltry at local spots like ShopBar and The MerryWeather enough that the February 12th grand opening was a “smash success.”
Come July, Morier and his dedicated General Manager Sabrina Felts plan to have the back patio open for business and filled with live music and a space for growing mushrooms. Primarily Lions Mane mushrooms, of course.
Oh, and the food? The food is fantastic. I tried the $9 chk’n po’
boy and $12 Impossible sausage jambalaya and can promise they’re every bit as good as their carnivorous counterparts.
Cosmic Bird is located at 619 Baxter Ave. and is open from Monday-Saturday from 12-8 p.m.
This article appears in Dec 21, 2023 – Feb 13, 2024.
