Blackbird

-By Bill

A few weeks ago, my wife Jenny and I went to Blackbird for an indulgent 11 course tasting birthday dinner.  Located at the east end of "Restaurant Row" on Randolph, Blackbird opened in 1997 and is the fine dining centerpiece of Paul Kahan's family of restaurants (Publican & Avec). The restaurant itself is extremely minimalist, no real décor so to speak, just some white-clothed tables, a small bar and an open kitchen at the rear of the restaurant.  They seat 66 and it is a tight 66 (if you’re anti-social and don’t want to speak to the people either side of you, do not go here).  Despite the space issues, the service at Blackbird is extremely professional and they have a very reasonable and varied wine list; priced fairly for the quality of choices available. But mostly the focus at Blackbird is on the food.  And so, to the food: 

Course 1, Amuse: Ahi, buttermilk, olive, wild rice

Super fresh tuna, the buttermilk and wild rice gave it a nice, creamy crunch (almost like a little fish stick in ranch dip).  The olive gave it a nice saltiness (Jenny says it was better sans-olive, but she’s not an olive lover), but I thought the mint was overpowering.  I think mint overpowers everything it touches, but this dish seemed especially lost in "mintiness."

Course 2: Zucchini gazpacho, charred onion, shrimp, churro, white sesame

Cool and refreshing (particularly appreciated on the 90 degree day as I was sweating through my shirt.  To the aforementioned close table neighbors, I apologize).  The shrimp was perfectly cooked, the onions were nice and sweet while still holding some body, and the little churro was amazing.  They should sell these in bulk; think zucchini muffin meets funnel cake.

Course 3: Coffee scented fluke tartar, cucumber, saffron crisp

Not particularly coffee-like, but a nice clean, fresh tartar none the less.  The saffron crisp was a little chewy, and given the raw ahi amuse, this was just kind of ‘meh.’

Course 4: Foie gras torchon with charred green garlic, black garlic, green strawberries and shrimp salt

This is the fist torchon I’ve tasted, so I have no basis for comparison, but it was a very dense, creamy, rich mouthful of Foie.  The shrimp salt gave it a nice salty crunch (shrimp salt is a crushed dried shrimp, very Mexican), and the black garlic was pungent and delicious.  I don’t get the green strawberry, it’s just an unripe strawberry, I prefer them red and juicy.

Course 5: Slow-cooked halibut and brandade with Chinese broccoli, angelica and pickled cherries

The halibut was perfectly cooked, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside.  The brandade was a nice salty addition and the Chinese broccoli was creamy and delicious.  The cherries were a nice bright fruity component

Course 6: Sautéed skate wing with peach molasses, eggplant confit and chamomile

I’m unsure of this course given the halibut we just had, and in general to this point we’ve had 3 white fishes, plus a tuna amuse, so I’m a little fished out.  The skate was again perfectly cooked, and the peach molasses an incredible smear on the plate.  The eggplant confit was the first eggplant Jenny’s ever enjoyed, so it must’ve been really good.  The chamomile gave this dish a very tea-like scent and taste

Course 7: Roasted Berkshire pork loin with caramelized white chocolate, beets, plums and sea beans (MEAT!)

The pork was a nice hue of pink, cooked to a perfect medium (thank goodness the fear of trichinosis has passed, nothing is worse than dry, overcooked pork).  The white chocolate was a great accompaniment, almost mole like.  The sea beans gave a great salty crispness the dish, while the plums and beets provided nice fruitiness and earthiness (both of which are always great with pork).  There was a little sprig of dill, which to me much like mint can be overwhelming.

Course 8: Grilled wagyu tri tip with artichoke, figs, sprouting granola and cassia bud (MORE MEAT!)

The beef was possibly the best I’ve ever had, and the granola was a great crunchy pair.  The cinnamon really came through the cassia bud (I’ve never had such a thing), and the fig gave a good deep fruitiness to the plate.

Course 9: Brown butter cake with black raspberries, borage and goat’s milk caramel ice cream

This was a nice dessert, not too sweet or heavy but with a real deep nutty richness.  The brown butter cake was moist and the goat’s milk caramel (Cajeta in Spanish) ice cream was great, like a combined vanilla-caramel sundae.

Course 10: Cherry sorbet, blis maple syrup, candied pecan

A mistake!  This was meant to be the 9^th course, which when we brought to attention of our server, they brought us each a glass of sparkling rose, so we let it slide.  This was the best of the desserts, IMO.  The sorbet was candy coated so you really had to crack into it, which when you did, out poured a deliciously silky treat.  The blis maple syrup was nice and bourbony (Blis syrup is aged in bourbon barrels) and the candied pecan may have been my favorite bite of the evening.  I’d take these along with the churros to go if offered.

Course 11: Criollo chocolate with cupuacu, milk meringue and tonka bean ice cream

Final dessert, and after the 10 prior courses, bottle of wine (in addition to the wine at Pops pre-dinner) and 3 hours of eating, I was happy it was about to end.  I can’t really say if criollo chocolate is better than others as I’m not much of a chocolate person, but this really reminded me of a dipped cone from Dairy Queen (in a good way).

In all, a great experience.  Everything on our plates was perfectly (and I mean PERFECTLY) cooked.  Although there were a few too many white fish dishes (I would’ve loved some duck or lamb, or even some plain old chicken), overall the meal was a treat.  At $100 per person, the tasting menu at Blackbird is appropriately priced as a special occasion dinner, but it is great opportunity to sample a variety of dishes at one of the city's best and most consistent restaurants. If you are looking for a less expensive way to experience Blackbird, I recommend trying the surprisingly affordable 3 course lunch tasting menu for $22 (see Food Babies' recommended Mega Bites review here).

-Bill

Blackbird
619 West Randolph Street - (312) 715-0708
Open for Lunch Monday - Friday: 11:30am-2:00pm. 

Open for dinner Monday -Thursday 5:30-10:30, Friday - Saturday 5:30pm-11:30pm.
For more info check out the Blackbird website and the Blackbird thread on LTH Forum.