Blackbird Restaurant

Cuisine	American (New)
Price	$$$$ (51-100)
Rating	8/10
Last Visit	Aug. 17, 2019
Location	Chicago: West Loop

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General Notes

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Blackbird is perhaps one of the most well known restaurants in Chicago, serving "elegant and imaginative Midwestern cuisine". I still don't quite fully understand what exactly Midwestern cuisine entails, but Blackbird is definitely deserving of its one Michelin star distinction. Dishes here are fairly minimalist, but demonstrate thoughtful combinations of ingredients which are executed beautifully. Two of the dishes (lamb saddle and sturgeon) were absolute showstoppers and probably some of the best dishes I've ever had. While there were some bumps along the way which were not perfect, as a whole I had an excellent experience. A must-try restaurant in Chicago.

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Positives

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> Blackbird has a heavy focus on seasonal ingredients. The menu is constantly changing, and no two visits will be the same. Honestly, even though I just went I'd love to go back again. Maybe I'll just order many dishes to share off the a-la-carte menu this time though.
> If you don't want to splurge too much, Blackbird actually has a $28 lunch fixed-prix menu with three courses. Three courses, definitely a steal. Unfortunately this menu is only offered on the weekdays.
> The bread service came with a lemon herb butter, which was absolutely delicious combined with the sourdough bread. Warm, flavorful, buttery, and tangy.
> Blackbird is a very minimalist restaurant, and this manifests in both the decor and food. The decor is simple but clean, crisp, and elegant, with lots of whites. Don't get me wrong - the dishes are beautiful. But they are definitely not the most flashy and focus on executing solid flavor combinations well. Even the website is minimalist, but in a not so good way.

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Negatives

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> Blackbird's tasting menu is certainly not the most expensive out there ($85, 6 courses), but there are a bunch of random charges that will accrue on your bill. Apparently, they charge $7 per person for water service and $2 per person for bread service. It feels kind of ridiculous to charge for water, but I guess it makes up for the fact that they somehow forgot to charge me for the wine I ordered.
> Compared to most Michelin star restaurants, Blackbird is quite bustling and loud. I didn't have quite the best experience with the service - I had a reservation for two at 8:30pm but it wasn't until nearly 9pm until we were seated.

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Dishes Tasted

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• ★☆☆☆ Feta Yogurt, Cucumber, Dill -- Topped with ice cream. This dish is a concept that works to a certain extent in theory, but I don't particularly enjoy any of the composite ingredients (other than dill), which made for not the most enjoyable dish. It was a bit overly salted; I think some sea salt was sprinkled on top somewhat unevenly.
• ★★★☆ Tomato, Avocado, Dashi -- Tomatoes, avocado crema, served with a dashi broth. The dashi was really interesting - it started out white and opaque but soon turned clear. Fresh, tangy, and literally an umami bomb. A great way to start off the meal.
• ★★★☆ Green Tea, Rice, Peach -- Topped with crispy strands of rice cake and powdered green tea. An unusual dish, but the combination works surprisingly well. The flavor combinations are excellent and the textural contrasts are there - crisp, soft, fruity, etc. A nice light dessert.
• ★★★★ Roasted Lamb Saddle -- Topped with charred green onions, crispy noodles, and served with a couple of sauces. An absolute showstopper, the best dish by far. Lamb is cooked perfectly; flavorful, juicy, and tender. I love that they didn't trim off the fat. The green onions, crispy noodles, and sauces complement the lamb beautifully. I am kicking myself for not noting down exactly what the sauce was.
• ★★★★ Sturgeon, grilled in banana leaf -- Served with soy, coconut milk sauce, and greens/herbs. My first time having sturgeon, and it was divine. Has a texture that's halfway between swordfish and catfish, two of my favorites. The flavor combination works wonders, this dish is incredible.
• ★★★☆ Mussels, Trout Roe, Dill -- Served with mini croutons, some kind of diced root vegetable, and a dill broth. One of the most interesting items on the menu. The root vegetable and croutons add a critical textural component, and the combination of the dill, mussels, and dill broth is a flavor explosion.
• ★★★☆ Raspberry, Pop Rocks -- Surprise! Our waitress told us to eat this all in one large bite (without mentioning the pop rocks, of course). Sure has been a long time since I've eaten pop rocks. The flavor of the raspberry is intense and delicious. A cool and somewhat troll way to end the meal.