Blackbird

On Saturday Kate and I met our good friends Kirk and Mary Kate for our annual holiday season dinner. We decided on Blackbird in the West Loop. After having  enjoyed all Paul Kahan's other restaurants a number of times (Avec, Big Star, Publican), I was excited to try the flagship.

Blackbird is in an interesting space on Randolph.  It is in one long room, all white with some large modern art pieces decorating the wall. Tables are packed in and the ambiance is chaotic. 

We started out with cocktails. I ordered a London Calling. This was a Pimms based cocktail. Pimms is a British gin based liqueur. This was mixed with house-made cucumber soda and garnished with a cucumber. I love cucumber based drinks and this one really hit the spot, very smooth and refreshing.

London Calling

Bread service was good, it consisted of a multi-grain bread slice and some of the sweetest butter I've ever had. Next came an Amuse Bouche of Hamachi (Yellowtail). This was a nice touch, a tasty little piece of fish.

Bread Service

Amuse Bouche

Next we ordered three appetizers. Roasted pork belly with shredded beets. This was tasty, the tanginess of the beets matched well with the rich fattiness of the pork belly. Next was a king crab dish. The crab was poached in butter, very rich and flavorful. We also had an appetizer of sweetbreads which featured an unidentified ingredient that was very reminiscent of crumbled graham crackers.

Pork Belly

Sweetbreads

King Crab

 With a variety of appetizers under our belts, it was time for entrees. I ordered the wood grilled sturgeon. The fish was perfect, juicy and tender. While the sturgeon was flavorful, I was not totally convinced the fish was wood grilled asI didn't pick up on any flavor indicative of wood-grilling. On top of the fish, there were a ton of "onion noodles" covering the pieces of fish which tasted like pickled onions. There were dollops of a buttermilk sauce on the plate, a nice touch that added a pleasant creaminess to the dish. The presentation seemed to be a bit sloppy with excess liquid running all over the plate. The dish was quite good overall, great fish with decent garnishes. I could have used a bit more buttermilk and a little less onion. Or instead of having piles of onion on top of the fish, maybe a bed of onion puree would be a bit more subtle.

Sturgeon

Kate ordered a dry-aged strip loin served with polenta. The beef was perfect, very juicy and tremendously flavorful. The polenta was great, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Strip Loin, Polenta

I'm not normally a desert guy but Blackbird has a very highly regarded pastry chef. I figured it would be irresponsible not to order desert. I ordered a goats milk cheese desert served with poached quince and fresh honeycomb. The sweetness of the honeycomb paired perfectly with the intense creaminess of the cheese. I was also able to try a bite of Kirk's sweet potato ice cream which was very reminiscent of pumpkin pie.

Goat's Milk Cheese, Honeycomb, Quince

 Overall, Blackbird was a real treat. The service was attentive, the atmosphere was hectic, and the food was interesting. I would recommend Blackbird to anyone who appreciates fine dining and has an occasion to celebrate.

Michelin Star