Blackbird

Go for the lunch and get the pork belly. At lunch the prices are much more manageable and the food is just as good. I don’t remember the other dishes we tried, but I definitely remember that the pork belly sandwich was awesome.

Went here for a fund raiser for my clients band-Eighth Blackbird and met Mario Batali. Nice place.

Okay, for those of you wondering if there are any good lunch spots in the West Loop area, Blackbird is your answer! They’ve been offering their 3-course $22 prix-fixe menu for quite some time now and I’ve always been meaning to go.

A month ago, I decided to meet a friend for a long-overdue visit. We took one look at the menu and our eyes bugged out. The cuttle fish noodles with a side of avocado cream is delicious. A good balance of flavors from the salty cuttle fish to the creamy consistency of the avocado. The salmon arrived with an asparagus broth? It was a pink island in a sea of green…and it was savory goodness. Oh, but the real killer was the dessert. I usually want something tooth-achingly sweet. But instead, I got a sesame sponge cake with a tangy yogurt ice cream. Surprisingly, it was a very satisfying way to end the meal. Note to self: do not underestimate the wisdom of Paul Kahan.

So, today I decided to drop in for round deux. Same lunch menu, a few different items. Okay, fine…I didn’t order anything too radical from my previous lunch. I still had the cuttlefish and sesame sponge cake. They were awesome, which makes blackbird even better. A consistent kitchen is a kickass kitchen. But the pork belly with apple cider jus…drool. The pork belly just melted on my tongue and the sweet acidity of the jus made the dish a real standout.

Because the menu is so wonderfully cheap – yes, for the meal you’re getting, paying a measly $28 (that includes tax and tip) is a steal – I will definitely be dropping by as often as I can.