Longform article about Blackbird's opening and legacy
http://blackbird.plateonline.com/index.php

I had no idea its design was so old, comparatively, dating back to 1997. It still looks great. Also amazing that Rick is still there pretty much every time I go there holding down the fort.

This article/story is wonderfully told. I thought everyone's candor was a testament to the truly unique and inspiring environment that the four partners created. I also found some of the information, such as Paul's obsession with the cleanliness and order of the restaurant and the fact that they are all STILL so hands on, in spite of the burgeoning empire that they oversee, a fascinating contrast to the freedom and creativity that they foster in their staff. Great stuff! Should be required reading for anyone seeking to open a restaurant.

Figured I'd bump up this old thread since Blackbird celebrated 20 years earlier this month, and I hadn't been in a loooong time and haven't seen much chatter about it. Blackbird was actually my first ~nice~ restaurant experience so it was fun to revisit a place I hold pretty dear. My partner is averse to anything "too fussy", but he loved it. Four of us split the following, as copy-pasted from the website:

salad of endive. crispy potato. basil. dijon. pancetta. poached egg
grilled sea scallop. persimmon. pork rind. chicory. brown butter
wagyu beef. misoyaki. allium. enoki mushroom. seaweed

beer cheese pierogi. sunchoke. asian pear. sport pepper
wood grilled sturgeon. kabocha squash. hazelnut. sweetbread
rohan duck breast. pave. broccoli. sesame. ginger. mustard green
roasted venison. clam. fregola sarda. apple saba

For dessert we went with three orders of: frozen vanilla pavlova. fig. pistachio. lime. nougat ice cream.

The amuse bouche was an apple-y, mushroom-y gel-y goodness (a terrible description...). We were also given pieces of an apple cake, mini chocolate cream puff swans and packaged chocolate biscotti for the road. Definitely back in the rotation for special occasion meals.

On a funnier note, I was carded after ordering cocktails! I assume it was because of our very baby-faced friend whose birthday we were celebrating. It was the first time I'd been carded at a restaurant.

One of my pet peeves is being carded at a nice restaurant. I'm surprised to hear they did that, seems very tacky.

bhovsepian wrote:One of my pet peeves is being carded at a nice restaurant. I'm surprised to hear they did that, seems very tacky.

Well, they did say they had a baby-faced friend with them, which probably explains it. I'm all in favor of carding in such circumstances. The potential consequences of not doing so far outweigh the inconvenience it creates.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:

bhovsepian wrote:One of my pet peeves is being carded at a nice restaurant. I'm surprised to hear they did that, seems very tacky.

Well, they did say they had a baby-faced friend with them, which probably explains it. I'm all in favor of carding in such circumstances. The potential consequences of not doing so far outweigh the inconvenience it creates.

=R=

I totally understand why it happened and agree. I guess I'm looking less weathered in my 30s than I thought.

Great write up, Pocket. Thanks for reminding me of this place. I had no idea they were celebrating such a big anniversary this year. It must have been 15 years since the last time I've been there. I think it's time to pay them another visit.

Congratulations to Blackbird for making it to 20 years! We were there over the weekend and found it to be, if anything, stronger than ever. It was an anniversary visit for us and we were recognized as such and were served a nice glass of champers to begin the meal.

I'd already decided we'd do the tasting menu with pairings, and we weren't disappointed. In every tasting menu there's the chance of at least one dish that doesn't quite hit home and for us it was a crab dish that we thought the texture was a bit off. Beyond that a superb meal. Some of the pairings were absolutely spot on, the Illinois sparkling served with the first course of rhubarb was suprisingly delicious and perfectly matched the dish. Toward the middle some pairing we found to be just OK, but our pallets were getting tired and our tummies full. The first 2/3 of the meal could have been served to us in Japan, and progressed nicely. The Amish chicken, while delicious, broke the progression, and the lamb saddle, while great, would have finished the Japanese meal if they'd used Wagyu or Kobe beef instead.

Service was the same as always, efficient and just casual enough to make one feel welcome. I did feel that they'd mastered the art of adjusting to the table (a good thing IMHO). We were in a good happy mood as so was our service.

Not an inexpensive dinner by any means, and too much for a casual "let's go to Blackbird" tonight" suggestion, but it remains my Chicago go to place for a special occasion. Other review sites are full of complaints about the tables being too close together. Well, OK, I guess those people haven't been to Paris, by those standards they're more than far enough apart.

I was also there this weekend (might have even sat next to you based on our neighbors being an anniversary couple getting free champagne) and the meal was excellent as always. The real standout was the frozen pavlova dessert my wife got. I think it was the best dessert I've ever tasted.