Blackbird (Chicago, IL)

Its rare that I have an opportunity for a midweek lunch in the city, so I decided to make the most of it and try out Blackbird. Having already enjoyed a dinner at Avec, I was very interested to try out the fine dining, 1-star Michelin rated, sister restaurant in Paul Kahan's empire.

Looking at the menu, I figured the best way to try out the restaurant would be the 3-course prix fixe menu. Immediately after ordering, I was brought a few warm slices of multigrain bread and butter topped with salt and herbs. The bread was only okay, as the crust was a bit on the tough side rather than crunchy.

Charred Baby Sepia with Green Tomatoes, Blueberries, Chamomile Almonds, and Cynar

I chose sepia, or cuttlefish, for my first course. The legs were charred while the body appeared to have been griddled. The body was by far the most tender that I've had. I would have never guessed that blueberries and sepia would go well together, and the chamomile almonds added a fabulous nuttiness to the dish. There was a broth at the bottom of the bowl that was relatively flavorless, so I ignored it.

Roasted Chicken and Sausage with Lime Onions, Tamarind, and Smoked Cucumbers

This plate featured white and dark meat bound together to form a "sausage", which was wrapped with chicken skin and roasted. When this plate was served, I just assumed I misread the menu as "Roasted Chicken Sausage", but after seeing other plates get sent out after I was done eating, it appears that they forgot to add the sausage to the plate. Disappointing that the sausage wasn't included, but the chicken was fantastic. I'm guessing that it was initially cooked sous-vide, and was even more tender than the roast chicken I recently had at Graham Elliot. Also, this was served with pickled cucumbers (instead of the smoked cucumbers listed on the menu), providing a nice tart textural contrast. I thought the tamarind was a bit too sweet and was distracting.

Cocoa Gateau with Goat's Milk, Kola Nut, Fresno and Hibiscus Sorbet

This tasted much like it looks. Rich, crumbled gateau was topped with Kola nut in gelee and crunchy meringue forms. There was also a tart hibiscus sorbet that kept everything from being too rich.

I enjoyed my lunch at Blackbird, but I probably won't be back soon. The prix fixe is a great deal, but its a bit too pricey and I've got too many other places (including Kahan's two other restaurants, Publican and Big Star) that I'd like to try before returning.