$$$ - New American - West Loop
619 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60661, USA
After having heard about it from various people and seeing it on Chicago Mag’s "The 50 Best Restaurants in Chicago" list, a friend and I decided to try Blackbird, a $$$ New-American restaurant in the West Loop.
We went on a Sunday night at 8pm with a reservation and it was not very busy. It took us a minute to find it as it is on a fairly non-descript street with few storefronts but eventually found it - a white frame around a large glass window. The space is very minimalist, with a bar and traditional white tablecloth tables on one end and a wall-long booth with tables on the other side.
Once inside, the host took our jackets and led us to a wide two-person table. They offer a $140 tasting menu but we decided to go for the a la carte menu.
We started the night off with a crunch amuse-bouche and a Crane Dance cocktail - a mix of vodka, lemon, soda water and honey. It was very light and refreshing with a light citrus flavor. We eschewed appetizers as we were saving space for dessert (but I was very tempted by the ahi tuna). My friend ordered the grilled sturgeon and after looking at the roast duck, I decided to go for the pork belly and loin. We were then served some sourdough bread and a french onion butter - an uncommon bread accompaniment but definitely appreciated.
When our food arrived, I was impressed with the plating and it looked very appetizing. The shiitake mushroom that accompanied it were delicious and went well with the dish, I usually don't like roe and have never seen it with pork belly but it was a very nice addition. The sauces that accompanied the pork belly were delicious and amplified the taste. The pork itself was pretty good - the belly wasn't the moistest, most melt-in-your mouth I'd had but it checked the boxes - and the loin was nothing special but the sauces made it taste great.
At this point we wanted a second cocktail but the menu lacked sweeter options. The very helpful server suggested a bartender's new creation with vodka and raspberry - which was similarly refreshing but a little bit more fruity than the first.
For dessert, we ordered a baked alaska (cake and ice cream in meringue) and a white chocolate namelaka (a creamy cake) on a blondie cake with basil sorbet. I wasn't a fan of the baked alaska as the cake has a flavor that wasn't to my liking but the namelaka was delicious - the white chocolate cream, crunch of the blondie and the cooling sorbet with meringue flakes resulted in a very yummy dessert.
Finally, we were served with two small cakes of almond and chocolate coconut.
Final Verdict
Overall, I’m not angling to go back ASAP and I’ve been to similar restaurants with a more diverse menu and/or more worth the $$$ (i.e. Boka or Somerset). In addition, not as important but the stark white layout wasn’t really my taste so it wasn’t amazing in the aesthetic category either.
However, the flavor profiles were very good, the servers were incredibly attentive and I had a lot of fun with my friend - not just from the delicious cocktails!
Overall, I would recommend it to those who enjoy fine dining and are looking for a new place to try - but if you’re saving up for a more expensive meal, this would not be my first choice.
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