date: 4/21/09
location: minneapolis
grade: b+ (group)/a- (me)

kind of a reverse heidi's (their neighbor just down the street a bit). everyone else seemed to like heidi's better than i, here i had one of the better dishes and seemed to like my meal a bit more than others. it can happen now and then you know.

everyone had the 'exceptional' service, though. the server knew the menus (food and beverage), inquired if anyone had any food preferences when stating menu favorites, followed through on my suggestion that they bring out a pitcher of water for the table to save them lots of trouble by refilling (clean) wine bottles with water and bringing them out. they knew the menu, they waited for conversations to die down before coming to the table to inquire about things. friendly without overly sharing, that sort of thing. really great.

now, on to food... though it is highly unlike me to order a sandwich that has no cheese on it, i opted for the walleye 'po'boy' ("cornmeal crusted, with pickled red cabbage & cajun mayonnaise handcut fries" $11.95). i did take exception to the name, as it was on a ciabatta roll, so wasn't a po'boy by any means. but it was delicious, spicy, but not too spicy, and flavorful, with interesting textures going on with the cornmeal and the cabbage. everything on that sandwich was fresh and/or housemade- including the pickled cabbage and the mayo. besides the small bone in the sandwich (i will cut them slack for the single wee fish bone... skankin' to the beat or not), it was all good. and the ketsup with the fries was tasted like it was made in-house too. the fries were decent enough, but needed salt.

as did the alaskan butterfish ("fenugreek cream, roasted asparagus spears, fresh water chestnuts" $19.95). alas, there was none on the table. this was the least enjoyed dish of the evening for some reason, but the place still merited a 'b' from the person who had it. sea scallops ("capicola wrapped scallops with yam mash & braised escarole" $18.95) were tasty, and would've worked a bit better as a plate if the yam mash had been less spicy, if i recall correctly. the gnocchi ("housemade potato dumplings with fresh tomatoes, hot italian sausage, dry cured olives & fontina" $12.95, not sure if it's less without the lamb) was ordered without the lamb listed on the menu- one of the dishes that they can make vegetarian, thus providing a decent amount of options for a smaller menu. they was of the light variety and were tasty.

the other vegetarian entree ordered was the second-best dinner of the evening (well, i liked mine better, as isn't it all about me anyway?), the southwestern sandwich ("black bean & brown rice patty served atop corn chips, with avocado, provolone & pineapple salsa" $7.95) which they got with the "house blend of lettuces dressed in a simple balsamic vinaigrette" instead of fries. once more, very nice flavors in the sandwich. it was more like sophisticated vegetarian frito pie than a sandwich, as it wasn't really on bread. but still. and the salad was light, and not overdressed. and it's a very good price, too.

so to go back to the beginning for a moment... among the starters the empanada ("pulled pork, cracked green olives, chipotle sauce" $4.50) and cup of celery brie soup ($4.50) were both good, and the soup was surprisingly springlike. the standout starter was the crispy duck roll with sweet chili sauce ($4.50). perhaps because they *make their puff pastry* here. that's puff pastry. they make it. here. one of the more heavily involved pastries that many at the table, those with mad baking skills among them, would never ever make at home. and it was light, crispy and flaky pastry, with tender duck confit (i think) on the inside, and despite being labelled "just a taste" it was sizeable. nice.

blackbird's decor is... eclecttic, with candles, mirrors, antlers, and paper lanters handing from sticks suspended from fishing line (looks better than it sounds) filling the tiny space. the partially tin-panelled bathroom reflects the eclectic vibe, too, though i will say the soap in there was way to strong smelling. i'm here to experience the food, not the lemony-fresh scent of my clean hands, which distracted me a bit too much.

it's a neighborhood place (alas, not quite my neighborhood) that tends to be very full from around 5-7 pm. they don't accept reservations, but you can call ahead to see if there's full and/or there's a waiting list. and be prepared to drive around a bit to find a place to park.