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- Price Range:
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$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
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- Yes
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- Waiter Service:
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- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
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- Good for:
- Dinner
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- None
10 reviews for Blackbird Dining Establishment
My mom and I returned for another lunch at Blackbird on Friday afternoon, just before Labor Day weekend. The restaurant was empty, with the exception of our table. Our server put our wine on ice and ran through the specials. He filled our water glasses, returned to take our order and headed back to the kitchen... all the while, our unopened bottle of wine sat taunting us from the ice bucket. When our server reappeared and said he was going to get us some bread, my mom decided to speak up about the wine. All was well once the cork was released and the glasses were filled!
To start, my mom had the romaine salad with creamy lemon dressing and a parmesan crisp. It was very good and the perfect size. I opted for the soup du jour, a carrot ginger concoction that was delicious down to the last spoonful, which I obtained by tipping the bowl (that's the nice thing about having the restaurant all to yourself; no one is watching!).
For our meal, we both opted for the smaller portion of gnocchi, which recently won a Philadelphia Magazine "best of" award. The gnocchi was not the thumb-sized variety that I've had in other restaurants. It was smaller and paired well with equally sized bits of fresh mozzarella. The tomato-based sauce was very rich and shreds of a bitey cheese were scattered atop the dish. The smaller sized portion was perfect for lunch and is something I would definitely recommend.
We passed on dessert and lingered over our remaining wine instead. I am once again looking forward to next time.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/27/2009
My mom and I went to Blackbird today because they were offering a South Jersey Restaurant Week deal… Read more »
We dined here for our anniversary dinner. It was Halloween, and the Phillies were on that night, but it struck me that the place wasn't very crowded.
we decided on the Restaurant Week prix fixe, which had been extended. My "Best of South Jersey" gnocchi first course was OK, but I think I was a little underwhelmed. I expected more character. Spouse enjoyed her mushroom dish.
Then came salad -- again, decent presentation, but a little uninspired.
Finally, the vel for the main course. I noted all the ingredients were fresh and balanced, and the preparation was clearly skillful, but again, it wasn't the home run I expected.
Dessert was so underwhelming that I let the spouse finish my -- this never happens.
We wanted to find a new favorite place close to our home, but at the end of the day, Blackbird didn't do it for us.
My Boyfriends mother gave everyone in the family gift certificates to Blackbird for Christmas, I believe there was a grand plan that we would all go together for a family dinner, but that didn't work out so well, so last Saturday night the BF and I decided to just go on our own. We're pretty broke and I had gotten a really nice bottle of wine for my birthday, and since I'm going to be working nights soon we figured, the family will just have to deal.
Now because we are incapable of getting out the door on time, we only brought the one bottle of red (Clos du Val..YUM!), which I mention only because it hindered my ordering , I usually try to bring a red and white, but this time not so much.
Anyway, i'd looked through the website and the menu and was not sure what to expect. The 'Dining Establishment' put me off I found it kind of twee for lack of a better word, but the menu looked fine and hey it was free right?
Ok we pull up in our 1988 Dodge pick-up and park right in front in between a Mercedes and a BMW, and everyone at the front tables stared at us, maybe this was the most exciting thing to happen to them, maybe they were worried we would muss their car, who knows, maybe because we are just so damn attractive!
Its cute in there, small warm, the hostess was sweet (we'd called to say we would be late) and we sat down right away. The decor was sweet and simple, with a few interesting touches, the tables had a textured copper vinyl overlay.
Everything looked great, but keeping my wine in mind I had decided to go for the Ribeye, even though Chicken Confit would have stood up to it. The BF wanted the same, usually I agonize over ordering the same thing, but the other steak was a NY Strip and it wasn't as intertesting.
Ok so we shared the app special, panko crusted buffalo mozzerella and split the fricasee of mussels. The Ribeye, came with Macaroni & Cheese, the guy next to us ordered it, it was HUGE and had fresh broccoli & fired onion rings on the top. I will say I was not excited about the steamed broccoli, very TGI Fridays, esp when asparagus is in season but thats me being a food snob.
OK so the bread service: The bread was wonderful, forgot to ask if it was made in house, our server Lauren was extremely competent and sweet, but it was difficult to get chatty because of the way I was sitting. I thought pouring the olive oil table side was kind of precious and would have preferred to have a separate plate so the oil didn't get all over the bread.
Much to my joy and rapture our first app came out split (two plates) and can I tell you how much I LOVE that. It's so considerate of the dining experience, especially since our apps didn't really go together.
It was a fine little plate of what was essentially fancy mozzarella sticks, (I let the BF make the final choices, sometimes I do that), It was crispy and yummy, could have done with a bit more tomato and perhaps a tangle of arugula for contrast.
The Mussels were lovely and simple, very impressive given that nowadays chefs tend to throw anything and everything (including bleu cheese, the thought of which makes me thirsty- in a bad way) into a plate of mussels..this was pure and clean without being simple and just delicious, the bread boy brought us more of bread ( the bread had a crisp crackly crust and warm soft insides it really was perfect, I want some now with fresh butter!)
Our entrees came fast, too fast actually, the mussel plates were cleared for about a minute. I like a few minutes, actually I like about 20 minutes between courses but I know that's asking too much. 10 minutes though I think is reasonable.
The Steaks: I guess the kitchen ran out of broccoli & the crispy onions, I was not upset about the broccoli, the sauteed spinach was actually an better option, but I did long for the onions.
They were perfectly cooked, maybe a tad bit greasy (perhaps there is last minute butter flourish) but I expect Ribeye to have some fat.
The Mac & Cheese was tasty, I don't love that the chef chose orechiette, but it was good. If I was going to nitpick I would say that the pepper looked pre-ground and made it look kind of dirty, I prefer look of coarse ground pepper. If I could make a suggestion for presentation, it would be even lovelier if the Mac and Cheese came in a separate little crock on the side, that way it could have a bit of crunchy crust which always elevates it to sublime. The plate needed a bit of a crunch somewhere. But it was still very very good, and huge, I couldn't finish it, well I could but I wanted dessert.
Dessert:
BF: Milk Chocolate Caramel Creme Brulee
Me: Cold Lemon Souffle w/ Lemon Sorbet, Shortbread and Vanilla Sauce.
Lovely desserts, I liked mine better.
total bill $107, would like to apologize to Lauren for our poor math skills we meant to tip 25%, but I think it was closer to 18%..worth a drive over the bridge!
What a great meal! The food was pretty great and love that it was BYOB.
We all really enjoyed the special bacon croissant appetizer (with melted goat cheese and some blue cheese walnut and FIGS) - fantastic! A snails appetizer just ok and paled in comparison. The gnocchi were really great albeit a bit oily. The lasagna with eggplant and short ribs was really great, too. We had the free range chicken, which was just OK. The polenta cheesecake and chocolate 3 ways desserts were spectacular but the lemon thyme creme brulee lacked thyme flavor and wasn't anything special.
Overall it was a great meal and I was pleasantly surprised. One thing to note - we were obedient with the dressiness implied by the site's website but found the chef/owner wearing blue jeans and the waitresses in khakis and tshirts (more or less). Plus, some guests were in (not to fancy) shorts and tshirts. So, I'd so, dress up if you feel like it but don't feel obligated. This place is very hospitable and super comfortable and all about you enjoying yourself. Bravo!
I went to Blackbird this past Friday night and I'd like to share my experience. First of all, I was kind of set off by the fact that I made reservations months in advance to make sure I could get a seat during New Jersey's Restaurant Week and when I called the day before I was set to go, the person I spoke to said that they never received my reservations. She apologized and told me that they were having a problem with the online reservation system and that I could come in at 9:15 at night... I passed and she booked me for the following week. Luckily, they were extending Restaurant Week at Blackbird an additional week.
I was put off a bit but it really wasn't their fault. Working in the software industry, I know these things can happen.
Moving on to the following week...
My GF and I had reservations for 6pm, but arrived a bit early. The restaurant had no problems sitting us as there were only two other people in the whole place. It's ok... it was still early. As we sat down, our bottle of wine was opened no less than 2 min later. The décor of the restaurant was warm and inviting and the large front windows offered a good amount of natural lighting. As dinner progressed, however, the actual lighting in the restaurant itself seemed to bring out the warmth even more... very nice.
Let me say that the service the entire time we were at dinner was supurb, never once was my glass close to being empty. It was always full. Empty plates never sat on the table for more than 3 minutes. And everyone seemed to do their job in making sure that we were happy and attended to. Onto the meal... here's what we ordered:
Course 1:
Spinach and Broccoli Macchiato(it's soup served in a small espresso-type cup)
Course 2:
Blackbird Romaine Salad, Creamy Lemon Parmesan Dressing(I ordered the grilled shrimp)
Course 3:
Scallop and Crab Gallette, Saffron Couscous, Provencal Sauce(I got)
Short Rib and Eggplant Lasagna(my GF got)
Course 4:
Arborio Rice Rudding(my GF got)
Apple Streudel(I got)
For $35 each the food was outstanding. The only downside to the entire meal was my 3rd course seemed not as fresh as the rest... almost like it was prepackaged. The taste was wonderful, but the texture was so so. Of course, this was the first time I ever had gallattee before so it may have been a perfect representation of what gallattee is...
All things considered, Blackbird is a wonderful place that I would recommend and eat at again. By the time we left, the place was packed and everyone was smiling and happy. Also, I want to give propts to our main server... she was wonderful and took the time to explain the Chef's vision with each dish. I asked and she answered... you don't get that kind of treatment and attention at most places.
This is a great BYOB!!!!
My husband and I had dinner at Black Bird this past Sat evening with 2 great friends. I think this is my new favorite restaurant in Collingswood! Chef Alex brings a unique touch to his great menu which includes pasta (voted Best pasta by Philly mag!), seafood, and steak. We had the mushroom linguine (all pasta dishes have small portions available which I love), the yellow fin tuna, and the gnocchi. Everything was fabulous from beginning to end including the friendly and professional wait staff. I also like that for a BYOB they serve appropriate wine glasses which is not typical of a BYOB. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!
Another great BYO in Collingswood NJ! I swore Tre Famiglia was the only place I'd go for dinner. But then a friend recommended Blackbird. We walked in on a Saturday night. The place was packed but I was impressed at how fast the tables were turned over.
We were seated in five minutes. Fresh, warm crusty bread was served along with olive oil. It's a family run operation with some interesting photography displayed on the walls. I had the frizze salad with goat cheese. The presentation of the food was very enticing. They were out of the Chilean Sea Bass, so we opted for the shrimp over white beans with escarole. The shrimp were cooked to perfection and the tails were removed. Nice touch.
The servers checked on us throughout the night and the service rivaled that of Tre Famiglia and the BYOs in Philly. Dessert was called "Chocolate Three Ways." It consisted of chocolate mousse, a serving of whipped white chocolate and and a slice of fluffy chocolate cake.
We will definitely come back!
As a Colls resident I've been on a quest to dine at every restaurant in town - Blackbird was last on the list, mainly because I expected way too high prices for what I personally might consider to be 'foo-foo' cuisine. Well, I was right about the prices but everything we had was delish! The hostess was all smiles and soo nice, she even let us pick which table we wanted to sit at - the server was also far above average exceeding all of our expectations. If you're a 'foodie' looking for great presentation of dishes you wouldn't normally find at an average restaurant- this is the place.
At first, the great glass windows of Blackbird seem like a shop's window display trying to convince outsiders that there's good eatin' inside. And inside, that impression is rendered irrelevant. The glass allows light to mingle with diners and the space inside. Tables are positioned perfectly apart ,and in the evening a copper-warm light breathes across gorgeous smooth wood surfaces from flooring to tables to steps leading into the back seating area.
Simple, sophisticated, and low maintenance are key at Blackbird. The silverware is sleek, easy to handle, free of curly cues, and just as soon as it seems 'what you see is what you get' you notice that your knife is balanced on its edge. The wait staff is attentive, but of course not overmuch. They are young, enjoyable people who really hope you love your food.
My family made reservations here during restaurant week. Spoiled by the city, I thought only metropolitan meccas had Restaurant Week! However, it does seem to be different in South Jersey: restaurants only serve the prix fixed meals during the Week, whereas cities continue to offer their regular dishes. But onto the important details!
(1st course) Handmade potato gnocchi, fresh mozarella, tomato basil sauce : absolutely phenomenal, mini gnocchi, with just hints of mozarella, and a light creamy tomato sauce, probably my favorite
(2nd course) Jumbo lump crab and green apple, miso dressing, creme fraiche, mache : very light and fresh, very interesting with the green apple, not my favorite, but devoured by three of four family members who ordered the same thing
(3rd course) Braised suckling pig, goat cheese tart with carmelized shallots and black mission figs, Madeira wine sauce : exuded the tastiest smell an inner fat kid can imagine, pulled pork perfectly paired on top of the cheese tart, a glorious combination of sharp and sweet, accentuated by the Madeira, almost a refined barbecue sauce.
It was so glorious in fact that I could not finish it. Mid meal, my brother and I swapped plates and I also got a taste of the pan seared scallop with artichoke risoto and bouillabaise sauce.
In the final stretch, our awesome waitress brought my desert out with a candle, as the occassion for this mealsplurge was my birthday. The black cherry chocolate bread pudding is to live for. It is that amazing, my friends. Moist, chocolate, not heavy, tinted by tastes of cherry... I think I'll go have the leftover now. Yes, it was the bread pudding that sent me into my comfortable food coma. And it is the bread pudding that is calling to me now.
I love this restaurant. I will travel from the city in the pouring ice cold rain to go to this restaurant. Five enthusiastic stars. I don't need to be too specific here because I'm confident that whatever Chef Alex makes will be phenomenal. The first time I was there was the fall of 2007 and I had a lovely ravioli with truffle oil appetizer (very memorable). I was there a couple nights ago and had the mussels as an appetizer (lovely) and the scallops with orzo in a vermouth sauce. The desserts are delicious, and each one has homemade cookies incorporated into it somehow. Blackbird is a special place that is very dependable for an inspired and delicious meal. I shouldn't forget to mention that it is BYOB.
