Blackbird - chef Paul Kahan - Chicago

[Devotay]

I had a fantastic meal at Blackbird last month, and was wondering what the rest of you folks thought of it and Paul Kahan's other place next door, Avec.

We had:

Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut with rye bread, tuna tartare and spring onion coulis

Seared Maine diver scallop with bacon, sweet peas, sweet pea coulis and a quail egg

Duvall Sancerre 2004

Softshell crab with basmati and a hazelnut-lemon sauce

Fried morels with trout and trout roe

Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir 2004 (O, my Lord.)

Minnesota venison with hen o' the woods mushrooms, bing cherries and a parsnip puree

Quail with pancetta, ricotto gnocchi, and cavolo nero kale

An assortment of cheeses including a french blue that was new to me called persette (sp?)

[ronnie_suburban]

Not exceptionally current, but there are some thoughts about both Blackbird and Avec here, here and here.

My last experience at Avec (mid Feb 06, iirc) was quite positive with a couple of standout dishes that I would definitely order again. Not sure if they're all still available but my guess is that the house-cured olives and house-made charcuterie are always on and they are great. I also loved the pan-fried oysters that night (so nice, we ordered it twice) but I thought that the brandade while tasty, was too loose for my liking (almost soup-like) and that the shortrib prepartion was somewhat of a missed bet. Still, my experience is that the flavors at Avec are spot-on even when the specific preparations are somewhat unconventional. And I definitely appreciate it when chefs take chances.

=R=

[Lateralus]

Avec is one of those restaurant that happened at the right time.. The atmoshpere and attitude captured at Avec is like nothing else. Donnie and Paul have a successful formula. I live a couple blocks form Avec and I go very often. In fact I am goin 2morrow.

Edited June 20, 2006 by Lateralus (log)

[ruthie jewell]

My husband and I dined at Blackbird in November of 04. We found that while most dishes soared, one bi-valve dish had, perhaps, passed its prime. When left untouched, our server neither inquired nor concerned himself. A small blemish in an otherwise wonderful meal.

Paul is a genius with the pig.

[Amy Viny]

High praise for both Avec and Blackbird. Paul is amazingly talented. His commitmnet to seasonal cusine along with his precise prepartion makes for an incredible experience. One of my favorite stories about Blackbird occured about 14 years ago. I was pregnant with twins--home on bed rest. My husband was traveling to CHicago for the day on business and was dining at Blackbird before flying back home that night. As Blackbird has always been one of our favorites my husband wanted to surprise me with a plate of Paul's delicious veal cheeks. My husband asked if he might get the dish to go. When the waiter discovered the dish would be traveling via air over one hour and hundreds of miles, he very kindly explained the restaurant could not fulfill his request. The dish they explained could not survive the journey and offer the rich flavors and texture the chef intended. Well my husband must have bent their ear about his poor bedridden wife because he did arrive home with the goods which were delicious. But I was so impressed at the concern for quality that this little negotiation evidenced. You can taste that kind of care and artistry-yet another reason I love Paul's restaurants.

[Darren72]

My last trip to Blackbird was mixed. I loved the food, but was seated 45 minutes after the reservation time. We spoke with the hostess several times during the wait, but they didn't seem particularly concerned about this. Once we sat down, we had a great meal.

I go to Avec more often and have always had a great experience. I tend to like to sit at the bar when I'm with just one other diner because I feel like I get better service, and I hate sitting next to random people at the larger tables. I always seem to be seated with someone who wants to talk with me and my guest, rather than his own party.

[Alchemist]

I went to Avec on July 2nd. We sat at the bar, the stools felt like the ones at Momofuko, so I was allready in a fine mood. Started with a bottle of 04 Torres "Vina Esmeralda" (Moscatel, gewürztraminer). It was lovely and light, good sturdy fruit.

For the first course we had...

The Whipped Brandad was awesome, salt cod whipped into mashed potatoes with a silky texture, strong flavors, and perfectly seasoned. It paired beautifully with the wine, as well.

Crushed tomato and olive oil braised octopus

Hands down the best octopus I have ever had. It took all our will power not to lower our heads and lick all the sauce off the dishes.

Second course was...

03 Chateau de Flaugergues. "La Mejanelle" A sahara dry Rose, yummy.

Prosciutto di Parma

With Georgia peaches, pickled feta, red onion, arugula and mint.

Sublime. Just a wonderfully well-composed dish. The richness of the prosciutto, the dryness of the arugula, the sweet of the peaches vs. the salty feta and then the mint brings to mind Vietnamese food. It was like a fun house in your mouth.

Focaccia

Taleggio cheese, truffle oil, fresh herbs. The focaccia was cloud soft. Then the truffle oil and herbs were a beautiful sun set, rich colors tattooing the sky.

Cheese course

Epoisses chalency, a cows milk cheese.

We didn’t even use the bread. Just a little quince paste on a spoon along with the cheese. Perfect. We had a lovely dessert wine that I don’t remember the name of, damnit. We had

two other cheeses, just forgot what they were.

The service was suburb, our waiter, recommending wine, food, and cheeses. He was attentive, without intruding, and he anticipated our needs.

I will eat there every time I visit Chicago.

Edited to add stuff. And not be a lazy sod.

Edited July 5, 2006 by Alchemist (log)

[ulterior epicure]

The Whipped Brandad was awesome, salt sod whipped into mashed potatoes with a silky texture, strong flavors, and perfectly seasoned. It paired beautifully with the wine, as well.

I hope it was whipped cod and not sod you were eating. Sorry, couldn't help myself. Was it served cold or warm?

Focaccia

Taleggio cheese, truffle oil, fresh herbs.  The focaccia was cloud soft.  Then the truffle oil and herbs were a beautiful sun set, rich colors tattooing the sky.

Yikes - if that doesn't sound stunning!

Oh, and just curious - what was the noise factor on a Sunday night before a holiday?

u.e.

Edited July 5, 2006 by ulterior epicure (log)

[Alchemist]

I would say it was just where you wanted to be. It was hive like busy, people were outside drinking wine basking in the glorious weather waiting for a table, workers buzzed through the crowd, celebs tried to be incognito in bad hats, people moaned with epicurian ecstasy at every table. I would have loved to wait 45 minutes for a seat at the bar. It was in no way packed and annoying. The music was good, and at the right level. My companion and I could converse easily, without feeling that the people right next to us were hearing every detail of our conversation. We ended up meeting the people next to us and sharing some food, and laughter. It was as good as it gets east of Yountville.

I will have to edit this later for spelling. My apologies to any English teachers out there. I am Wondriching and posting.

[ronnie_suburban]

Heading to Blackbird tomorrow night and it's been about a year and a half since my last visit . . . really looking forward to it. I'll be sure to report back.

=R=

[ulterior epicure]

Heading to Blackbird tomorrow night and it's been about a year and a half since my last visit . . . really looking forward to it.  I'll be sure to report back.

=R=

←

Look forward to hearing all about it!

u.e.

[liamdc]

Can't wait to read Ronnie's report on Blackbird (where I've yet to go). But as of last Thursday, I've finally been to Wrigley Field. So that's been rectified.

My wife and I ate at Avec last Thursday evening and had a lovely, relaxed meal as always. Avec's whole roasted fish special -- it was whitefish last week -- should not be overlooked. In addition, the housemade tagliatelle was a stand-out as well. The appealing wine list and communal tables are always something to look forward to at Avec. However, after sitting in Wrigley's bleachers all afternoon, Avec's wood benches were a bit too much for the arse to take that evening.

[ronnie_suburban]

I really can't say enough good things about Blackbird. It's easy to understand why it has become something of a flagship restaurant for the city of Chicago over the years. They know their business and execute it with what seems like effortless precision.

4 of us -- me, my wife, jesteinf and Alex (who organized us) -- had an early dinner on Thursday night that was not only immensely satisfying but also managed to feel homey and refined at the same time. Blackbird's menu is populated by funky, more uncommon items which -- along with a preponderance of seasonal and local ingredients -- define its mission with crystal clarity. While they offer some great meat dishes, there is no "safe" steak at the bottom of Blackbird's menu. Fish (wild king salmon, California sturgeon, Alaskan halibut), Seafood (maine diver scallops, soft shell crab), Fowl (guinea hen, bob white quail), Veal (cheek, sweetbreads), Venison (from Minnesota), Lamb (t-bones, spicy sausage) and Pork (belly, swan creek farm's suckling pig) round out the roster of tempting choices. One could almost describe Blackbird as a meat emporium but in a way that is on the other side of the spectrum from a churrascaria. This is not about quantity -- although, the portions are ample -- it's about quality and luxurious fare which, even in a market like Chicago, are not frequently offered.

We started with an amuse of cold corn chowder with peeky-toe crab and smoked paprika. It was a nice kick-off. The flavors and textures came together nicely and the paprika provided a nice little kick at the finish. I wasn't wild about the bits of raw, sweet onion at the bottom of my cup, but that's just me. My companions relished that element and also thought the amuse was successful. A very nice start.

Next was an appetizer of crispy veal sweetbreads with fresh egg noodles, smoked green olives, patty pan squash, chantrelles and verjus. Sweetbreads are so hot in Chicago right now. I think I've had them 5 times already this year. This preparation just about trumped them all. The combination of flavors worked very well and the contrasting textures and temperatures made the dish exciting. I'd never had sweetbreads paired with these other elements but the dish was inspired, tasty and uniquely delicious.

I tried my wife's appetizer of crispy confit of suckling pig with pickled ramps, braised mustard greens, rhubarb mostarda and guanciale vinaigrette. This was another inspired and extremely tasty combination. The pork was confit-tender and totally delicious. Again, the other elements on the plate highlighted the best aspects of the pork without overshadowing it. I didn't get to try a lot of this dish (wonder why? ) but the few bites I had were sensational.

For my entree, I ordered the wood-grilled organic pork belly with sweet corn beignets, chantrelles, celery root and maple dijon vinaigrette. This was a show-stopper. I have worked quite a bit with pork belly over the past several months and prepared it in numerous ways -- everything from braising to smoking to curing. I've also ordered it out on a few occasions at some excellent restaurants, yet I was delighted and stunned by the unique flavors this preparation delivered. I'm not sure, but I believe that the generous slab of fork-tender, organic belly had been brined and cooked very slowly to melt out some of the excessive fat. From there it was grilled over wood, which gave it a delectably crispy exterior and a truly unique flavor. It was sublime. All those times I'd crossed paths with pork belly in the past several months and I'd never had anything like this before. The wood-charred element fit so perfectly with the pork, made such perfect sense on my palate that I was stunned by it. "How could I have not have not thought of this before?" I asked myself. "Well, because I'm not a Beard-award winning chef," that's why. I loved this dish. This dish spoke to me. If I can, I will steal this dish and make it at home.

Instead of a more traditional dessert, I opted for a terrific selection of artisinal cheeses and accoutrements. I loved the "kit" aspect of the cheese course, since each each cheese was paired with its own "matching" component. A goat's milk from Prairie Fruit Farm in Champaign, IL was paired with pickled asparagus. A cow's milk -- Meadow Creek Mountaineer, from Galax, VA -- was served with balsamic jelly. Another cow's milk -- Jasper Hill Winnermere, from Greensboro VT -- was paired with rhubarb. A sheep's milk -- Brebis Pyrenees, from France -- was served with smoked almonds. And last but certainly not least, a blue sheep's milk -- Persille de Malzieu, also from France -- was served with caramelized onions. These cheeses were delicious and very fun to taste with their designated accompaniments. This rich and varied parade of flavors was was a terrific way to end the meal.

We finished up with some glasses of port and amontillado and cups of coffee. Service, provided by Chris, was seamless. He helped us greatly with the wine pairings by tailoring our selections to match up specifically with what we were ordering. He was always nearby, never intrusive and incredibly helpful. We never wanted for anything and when we had questions, he provided detailed, information-filled answers.

On this night Blackbird was better than it was the last time I was there and I got the distinct feeling that I was cheating myself by not eating there more often. A friend who works in the loop tells me often that Blackbird is his very favorite restaurant and that he tries to eat there as often as possible. Not only can I understand why, I'm actually more than a little jealous. If I worked in the loop, I'd be lunching at Blackbird once a week, minimum.

=R=

[Devotay]

YES! Glad you agree Ron. I too think Paul's place may be the best in Chicago, and can't wait to get back to try Avec, I love the concept and the menu is right up my alley.

[Alex]

Great report, Ron. Actually, I think I was more impressed by the service than by the food. The folks who answered the phone for my several calls, as our group dwindled from nine to four, couldn't have been more courteous. The hostess was friendly, pleasant, and accommodating. Chris, as you mentioned, was attentive without being intrusive and, after I narrowed down our wine options, made spot-on recommendations for our first (Trimbach Pinot Gris Reserve) and second (Bethel Heights Pinot Noir) courses.

I loved the amuse -- I could've been happy with a vat of that for dinner. I wasn't as impressed with the sweetbreads as you were. I thought there was too much breading, which interfered with my appreciation of the taste and texture of the sweetbreads. I was duly impressed, though, with my entrée of braised veal cheek and boudin blanc with morels and ramps.

And did I mention that the company was very enjoyable, as always?

[jesteinf]

Absolutely an outstanding dinner. I started with seared scallops, served along side some house cured bacon, English peas, and a poached quail egg. The scallops were beautifully seared and all of the ingredients on the plate complimented each other nicely.

For my main, I also had the pork belly that Ron mentioned. Two things here. First, the fat to meat ratio on the belly was spot on. Just enough fat to give it that perfect texture and rich taste, but not so much that you felt like you were just eating a big old hunk of pork fat. Second, there was a lovely green salad served along side the belly. The salad had a pretty acidic dressing which acted as a perfect foil to the richness of the belly.

Dessert was also outstanding. I was torn between a few items, but our server pointed me towards the fried peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Two good sized pieces of fried dough filled with jelly and served on top of a peanut butter mouse. These were served along side a scoop of ice milk. So, you've essentially got a re-imagining of the classic PB&J and a glass of milk. Just delicious.

Finally, in the most random moment I've had in quite some time, Alex and I discovered that we had both attended the same summer camp in NE Pennsylvania, albeit about 30 years apart (not to make anyone feel old here ). Small, small world.

Edited July 9, 2006 by jesteinf (log)

[maggiethecat]

Finally, in the most random moment I've had in quite some time, Alex and I discovered that we had both attended the same summer camp in NE Pennsylvania, albeit about 30 years apart (not to make anyone feel old here  ).  Small, small world.

←

Wonderful recountings of a dinner I missed -- I was one of those buffoons who made Alex change reservations a few times. That cold corn chowder -- I want a vat right now.

(Alex seems to conjure random moments: We both own a piece by the Toronto artist Arto Yusbasiyan. That's pretty random!)

[ronnie_suburban]

. . . Second, there was a lovely green salad served along side the belly.  The salad had a pretty acidic dressing which acted as a perfect foil to the richness of the belly.

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Yeah, I completely agree. That was a wonderful combination. And the salad itself was also delicious. I loved the julienne strips of celery root.

Regarding the sweetbreads, I have to respectfully disagree with Alex in that I thought the coating was just about perfect. It didn't seem like breading to me but more like a light dusting of nicely seasoned, coarse-ground flour. In any case, other than the company, it was that pork belly that was the ultimate highlight of the meal for me. I understand that Blackbird offers a pork belly sandwich on their lunch menu. I'm going to have to try that . . . and soon!

=R=

[tetsujustin]

I had dinner here last friday night. We had planned on going to Avec but a person in our party was extremely hungry and the hostess at Avec said it would be about an hour wait whereas the hostess at Blackbird said it would be about a 10 minute wait.

However, it turned into at least a 20 minute wait, and I actually think I'm being nice on that... I know for sure we didn't get seated until a bit after 11 when we had gotten to avec at 10:15. This wouldn't have been a problem, but we were staring at the open table that was to be ours and watched them set up half of it, wait around a while, then set up the rest of it. The hostess then said it would just be a minute, and we stared at our set table for what seemed to be forever before being seated.

Now granted I know it was at the end of the service and people normally start taking it easy near the end of service on a Friday night, I would probably think that they would want to get us out of there. However, the service that night was absolutely horrible which is a shame because I'd had amazing service the previous time I had there, and also because to me the food was good -- but I'm sure it could had tasted better if the service was good.

We had let our waiter know that one person in our party was vegetarian, but they had brought out a non-vegetarian amuse anyway, and it took an extremely long time for the waiter to get back to us. We had our water filled once, only given bread once, and the space between the appetizers and the entrees was very, very long and again, because no one ever came to check on us or tell us our entrees were arriving soon... or that we couldn't flag anyone down, we couldn't complain or at least ask how much longer it would be. I also had wanted to switch my entree after first deciding on the veal and tried multiple times to flag down a waiter (we were sitting outside) to no avail. My girlfriend wanted pepper for her entree, but after we got our entrees no one ever came to check on us even once and again we tried to flag down waiters. I'm a firm believer of not having to walk up to a waiter to try to get something, especially at a place like blackbird.

I think what topped it off was that I had complained about the service being non-attentive and the waits being long as they tried to present us with the dessert menus (we had considered getting desserts because we wanted some, but decided it was probably best that we'd just leave before we'd have to wait another 20 minutes.) And I made it a point that I wanted them just to know and work on it, and that we weren't looking for comps or anything. The waiter sort've just stared at me with a pretentious look on his face and said, "well, um, noted." So you would think he would try his best to get us the check quickly then get us out there quickly. So we were presented with our check, and he didn't come back for what we timed as 14 minutes as we sat there looking through the window watching the waitstaff standing in the middle of the dining room talking and laughing to each other (also to note, we weren't the last table there. There were several.)

I wish I could write about the food, but to say the least, it was the least of what we were thinking about when we had left. We had planned afterwards to go to avec, but didn't feel it was right. I was so disappointed because I'd gone to blackbird two times before and had nothing short of an amazing night. I suppose I may go back after a while whenever I get back to Chicago, but I won't make a point of it.

However, the next day my friend convinced me to go to avec at around 12 in the morning and we had a great time. The food was great, the wine was great, and even though it seemed as if there was only one waitress, she was very personable, and we had great service plus she came to check on us a couple of times and I was very glad that I went. I certainly hope that our night at blackbird was just a "night off" for service, because Chef Kahan's food shouldn't suffer like that.

[kansascitykid]

Making a trip to Blackbird this weekend, is there a flagship item(e.g. oysters and pearls, tuna napoleon "nicoise", zuni roast chicken) I should try?I realize the chef is pretty in tune with the seasons but surely there is something he's known for.

[VeryApe77]

Making a trip to Blackbird this weekend, is there a flagship item(e.g. oysters and pearls, tuna napoleon "nicoise", zuni roast chicken) I should try?I realize the chef is pretty in tune with the seasons but surely there is something he's known for.

←

Others may want to chime in here, but I'd say the dish most closely associated with Kahan is his braised pork belly.

[ronnie_suburban]

Making a trip to Blackbird this weekend, is there a flagship item(e.g. oysters and pearls, tuna napoleon "nicoise", zuni roast chicken) I should try?I realize the chef is pretty in tune with the seasons but surely there is something he's known for.

←

Others may want to chime in here, but I'd say the dish most closely associated with Kahan is his braised pork belly.

←

I agree; go with the pork belly (which I believe is braised and then wood-grilled).

=R=

[Alchemist]

You must have the waffle dessert. It comes with Bacon! A dessert with bacon!!! Brilliant. Two little hot waffles, hazelnut butter, milk chocolate sabayon, home made marshmellow, and BACON! Did I mention that it comes with bacon?

[kansascitykid]

pork belly for dinner and bacon for dessert....sounds good to me. I'll report back. Thanks for the suggestions.

[ulterior epicure]

Okay, leave it to me to recommend a salad...

If their online website is current, I highly urge you to try either (or both) the heirloom tomato salad with burrata or the endive with poached egg. I've had versions of both and they were stellar.

I can't vouch for the waffle & bacon (although that sounds great to me) as a dessert, but I think you'll find it difficult to be disappointed with anything that Ms. Lane produces (is she still there? I can't remember.).

u.e.