Just on the other side of the door from where the vocal Australian bird it's named after lives, Atria's Kookaburra Kitchen serves National Aviary visitors a combination of chef-prepared fare and basic snacks. Atria's Kookaburra Kitchen, which opened in March at the spot formerly held by Bistro To Go, serves up freshly made flatbread pizza, gourmet nachos, hand-carved deli sandwiches, and Atria's-made hummus and soups, like crab bisque and chicken tortilla soup. The kitchen offers a daily special, with items like gourmet cheddarburgers and burritos. For people seeking a more casual snack, you can find simple things like chips, ice cream cups, pretzels with cheese, and more. “It's a real deli kind of feeling,� says Josef Karst, the Atria's chef who oversees Kookaburra Kitchen. Atria's Restaurant & Tavern has seven Pittsburgh-area locations, not including the aviary's new eatery. Coffee lovers, don't forget to try a cup of Kookaburra's popular bird-friendly coffee, with beans harvested from areas of the rainforest that have uncut canopy trees, which protect the birds' habitats. The eatery also tries to be eco-friendly by using a lot of locally grown ingredients like vegetables. The aviary's feathered theme continues on the Kookaburra menu — like two popular dishes, the Big Bird Nachos ($3.99) with multi-colored chips, and the Big Bird House Salad ($4.99). Other popular entrees include cheese ($4.99) and pepperoni ($5.99) pizza, a chicken tender basket with fries ($5.99), and many different kinds of deli sandwiches ($4.99) on white or wheat bread from Breadworks in the North Side. Kookaburra Kitchen, which also does catering for events like weddings and birthday parties at the aviary, serves food for people sitting in the aviary's indoor seating area, and on the outdoor patio. A little-known secret: You can eat lunch at Kookaburra Kitchen even if you're not going to the aviary. Many North Side workers do just that. “What a great location, don't you think?� says Karst, a Germany native who lives in Mt. Lebanon. “We are here to stay.� Visitor response to the new eatery has been great, says Pat Mangus, the aviary's executive director. It's nice for aviary visitors to be able to eat lunch there if they plan on spending most of the day there. And Atria's has such a great reputation, he says. Atria's Kookaburra Kitchen, located inside the National Aviary at 700 Arch St., North Side, is open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Details: 412-258-9447, www.aviary.org or www.atrias.com. Kellie B. Gormly is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at kgormly@tribweb.com or 412-320-7824.