Black's Bar and Kitchen, Bethesda - Chef Dane Sewlall on Woodmont and Norfolk Avenue

[mdt]

Thanks Zora. Our kids love seafood, and we usually split an adult entree for them since "kid's menus" almost never feature fish, shrimp, or scallops. We'll check it out on Friday...can't wait to check out the wine list.

Steal a copy as I am really interested in seeing the prices since they refuse to post them on their web site.

Although I am planning on making a trip there at some point, but I have to cross that damn river.

[Chris Cunningham]

Went to Black's with a date for the first time last night. Aside from our 4 1/2 hour stay getting to know each other and having a great time, I really enjoyed the food and decor. The only downside is that the noise level is crazy even though we were only 3 feet apart and felt as though we were shouting at times, but it would not make not want to go back just for that reason. The entrance doors are quite confusing with the faux bamboo/reeds on the glass and temporarily disorient you upon entering. We started with the 03 Talley pinot noir and ordered 1/2 dozen oysters and the grilled lamb tapas special. Then went to the cod fritters with lemon-black pepper aioli, and the goat cheese tartlette with beet tapenade. Then tried the Heirloom tomato gazpacho with crab and celery sorbet. The main course consisited of Black pepper and fennel tuna, while I had the Berskshire pork chop, with fried onion strings and a side of chimichurri for dipping. Dessert was the chocolate trio of fallen souffle tart, panna cotta and ice cream sandwich. All in all this was a great meal, service was very efficient and our waiter was quite patient as we did spent 4 1/2 hours dining. No rush and while I felt a bit bad for leaving at 12:10(we really camped out and enjoyed ourselves-and I did pay the waiter around 11:15, so I guess only the busboys were hoping for my sudden death so they could go home) total bill was $317. plus tip with the 2 bottles of wine. Date was fantastic as was the restaurant. Only downside was the parking ticket I recieved and the birds literally desecrating my newly detailed car with their offerings

[Erik Ox]

And Tom weighs in **1/2.

Seems tough to get that 3rd star these days. Mehtinks DR.com will be an interesting read when RTC gets its treatment.

[edited for grammar]

[smokey]

Wow, it does seem hard to get that 3rd star. It read like a glowing review (very minor complaints) for 2.5. Shrug.

[bilrus]

And it eats like a three star place. I guess the service issues he had were enough to dock it the half star.

[Al Dente]

[this will surely be a travesty in someone's book...]

Edited to admit: oops

[Heather]

And it eats like a three star place. I guess the service issues he had were enough to dock it the half star.

That and he didn't think all of the food was great - desserts in particular.

[Joe H]

That and he didn't think all of the food was great - desserts in particular.

This is what he actually wrote about the desserts:

"And the dessert list includes a couple of knockout performances that help offset the lesser choices. The charmers include a cherry sorbet that smacks of an orchard of fruit in each icy bite, and a warm, blueberry-filled pastry framed with a roasted peach and sweet corn ice cream. (The light crunch? The pastry is phyllo wrapped around crepe dough."

I think Bilrus is right in noting his service issues as the reason:

"I've had both middling and excellent service at Black's. It just depends. Some meals, little goes right; even managers patrolling the space overlook empty wineglasses, crumb-paved tables and lags in service that result in your pinot noir appearing just as you're finishing the pork chop it was meant to accompany. Other times, everything hums along, and you find yourself wanting to clone your waiter. The good news is, with each passing visit, the service improves."

Still, the only dish he had criticism for was the sesame fried oyster which he noted was "soggy." I believe this is their single best first course; however, neither of the times I had it was it anything other than crisp and fresh. I also wish he had tried their rockfish entree which I believe is the best one.

For me and I think for many Black's in Bethesda IS now the equal of Kinkead's which has three stars. Kinkead may have more professional service at the moment but Black's has a better room. Still, I understand Tom's rating: sitting by myself at Black's bar several weeks ago the excellent biscuits were not served to me despite having a first course, appetizer and entree. There was no bread or butter in sight. I also did not have a placemat as several others did from a second bartender. Similar to my criticism of similar service at Fore Street in Portland, Maine a month ago these kinds of glitches can make a difference. I've had excellent service at Black's and a return visit (though I swore I wouldn't) to Fore Street on Thursday night with several others turned up one of the best dinners I've had in the past year with outstanding knowledgeable, attentive service including excellent wine service and oversize glasses (the source of my earlier problem).

Service matters.

I'll bet Black's today has some of the best service of any restaurant in the D. C. area after this!!

I have not been to Ray's the Classics.

Edited August 25, 2006 by Joe H

[The Hersch]

Still, the only dish he had criticism for was the sesame fried oyster which he noted was "soggy."

Actually, he went on to criticise the goat-cheese-filled phyllo cup ("like a beginning cook's attempt at something fancy") and the Thai-style beef ("so itty-bitty a portion"). Still, it seemed like a three-star review to me too. (It also sounds like a restaurant I need to visit soon.)

[brr]

6 of us had a nice meal at Blacks last night - I had never been in its previous incarnation so can't comment on the scale of the changes but can say that its a handsome room....didn't find noise to be that much of a problem

service was excellent.....gracious and friendly

we started with a dozen oysters, a mix of malpeques, blue points and pickle points out of which the pickle points were the clear winner....just delicious....

we shared a variety of apps and small plates - they had a fantastic small plate special of seared lamb tenderloin that was delicious and a steal at $4.....the corn cakes w/ green tomato jam were different and very good and the fried oyster was decent but maybe I was expecting more based on other raves....the scallop w/ pea puree was excellent and brough back memories of the pea soup @ Citronelle

I had the scallops as an entree and they were excellent - beautifully seared, and served w/ garlic mashed potatoes and swiss chard w/ the added bonus of some shrimp nestling underneath it all.....others had the cod w/ chorizo...spicy, earthy very good....the seared halibut w/ vanilla sauce......interesting taste but would have been too sweet for me as an entree, and the tuna dish

someone also had the tuna carpaccio which was the one dissapointment of the night - the tuna itself was excellent but was overwhelmed by the various other accoutrements that were sprinkled atop it - a definite case of less being more for this dish

the 6 of us were sufficiently ful that we only split one dessert, the trio of chocolate - it was fairly good with the silky chocolate panna cotta being pronouned everyones favorite and the collapsed chocolate cake and ice cream sandwichs generating less excitement

all it all a good meal.....worked out to about $100 pp incl tax and tip including about $130 of wine, 6 cocktails, and bottomless pours of sparking water (which I love!) which I thought was quite reasonable

[diannesh]

We dined at Black's last night -- as has been said already, the decor is great. We dined outside. Service was Excellent -- questions were answered before they were fully articulated, prompt filling of requests, just the right attention, etc.

We had three small plates -- the goat cheese tart, the corn cake, and the corn dog. My husband loves corn dogs, so there was no question that he was ordering it. He loved it, but hadn't been sure what kind of dog was inside of its, so he asked -- and it was actually foie gras, and some kind of blood sausage... had that been written on the menu, he would have never ordered it -- he's a bit squeamish about untraditional meats. But it was a nice way of introducing him to this delicacy (the traditional looks like cat food doesn't ever work).

We followed with the soup of the day -- a carrot and fennel soup that had wonderful taste, yet a very unusual texture -- seemed creamy, but no cream. I would never be able to get a puree quite like that at home. It has ribbons of cheese and croutons and olive oil filling out the taste nicely.

For entrees we had the twice cooked chicken -- basically like fried chicken -- which my husband loved as much as he liked RTCs fried chicken (but he typically isn't that fussy). I had the rockfish, which was very good -- but I would try something different next time.

We couldn't decide on a bottle of wine, so we ordered by the Quartino... they have the right stemware, and the wine comes out in beakers that are about a 1/3rd of a bottle -- good size for the prices.

We will be back -- I'm especially interested in trying their lunch.

[zoramargolis]

We followed with the soup of the day -- a carrot and fennel soup that had wonderful taste, yet a very unusual texture -- seemed creamy, but no cream. I would never be able to get a puree quite like that at home.

You would if you had a VitaMix Blender. That is the machine used in the Black Group restaurant kitchens to make purees and mayo/aioli sauces. You can buy a home version of the machine (same motor--plastic housing instead of metal) from the company (www.vitamix.com). I use mine daily, and wouldn't want to cook without it.

[xcanuck]

All the reviews have me drooling. We have reservations for tonite and I can't wait!

One question for those in the know about Black's...a friend of mine made reservations for 3 tonite. However, my wife will most likely be 15-20 minutes late. Does Black's have a policy along the lines that everyone in the party has to be present before they will seat us? I don't mind calling the restaurant back and rebooking, but I'm eager to sit down asap and start slurping some oysters even before my better half shows up.

[zoramargolis]

I'm eager to sit down asap and start slurping some oysters even before my better half shows up.

You can sit at the bar in front of the oyster shucker and have some while you are waiting.

[xcanuck]

Well, we went to the new and improved Black's last night with another couple. Some comments (sorry for the long book here...)

Service - I found it above average. The place was really jammed around 8pm when I arrived and I didn't see a hostess in plain sight. I wandered over to the bar, which was really busy. Took them awhile to find me a clean martini glass but otherwise nothing out of the ordinary. Once we were seated, our server was competent, polite, and available but not hovering. Nothing really stood out but, looking back on it, I can't find fault with anything he did.

Food - The small dishes were amazing. Someone else had posted that the corn dogs were made of foie gras and blood sausage. Our server informed us it was a boudin blanc made with foie gras and chicken meat. I was all excited about the blood sausage so we passed on it in favour of the anchovies and goat tartlets. These were some of the best anchovies I've had since our trip to Barcelona! Lovely things...I also had the seared foie gras. It was matched with some kind of sweet corn salsa and cheese 'chips' that looked like they had been made on a Silipat. To be honest, the salso and cheese didn't add anything (IMHO) to the foie gras. The foie gras in itself was fine but didn't stand out. Maybe a nice little port reduction on it? Or some small berries on the side? Oh...and the oysters. They tasted SO fresh and of the sea that I didn't put anything on them, except for a slight bit of lemon juice. Worth every penny we paid for them, and then some.

The main courses were given above average marks by all diners, except for my wife who raved about the rockfish (not the first time I've heard this comment). My lamb loin was tasty but I think I erred in getting the cabernet demi-glace with it. First of all, I thought - and I could be wrong - that a demi-glace usually has a fairly thick consistency (should coat the back of a spoon) and a rich, deep meat flavour. Well, this demi-glace was as runny as my martini and didn't really taste of anything. That was a disappointment. Thank goodness the lamb stood on it's own merits.

Desert - We only had room to share the Blueberry Strudel with the Sweet Corn Ice Cream. I think we should have stuck with just a large serving of the Sweet Corn Ice Cream. The strudel itself was tasty but the ice cream was SO much better that I just kept wanting more and more. I'd LOVE to get the recipe for it (though it appears that truly sweet local corn is now a thing of the past).

Drinks - A very reasonable priced wine list and I appreciate the fact that there's a decent selection of wines by the glass. Only two of us were drinking so we ordered by the glass (the Cotes de Rhone). I look forward to coming with a larger group and really looking into the wine list.

Overall - not as good as RTC but more to explore and who can say no to oysters. I'm not sure where I stand when it comes to the new decor. It's really nice...but I miss some of the charm of the old place. Regardless, Blacks has clearly set a new standard in Bethesda. Definitely a place to visit again!

[diannesh]

Food - The small dishes were amazing. Someone else had posted that the corn dogs were made of foie gras and blood sausage. Our server informed us it was a boudin blanc made with foie gras and chicken meat. I was all excited about the blood sausage so we passed on it in favour of the anchovies and goat tartlets.

Sorry about that; I couldn't remember the term boudin blanc, and my husband had thought boudin blanc was blood sausage. (i have to confess I don't eat any of the above... )

[porcupine]

Dessert: Cherry Manhattan Float. A generous portion of bourbon ice cream in a tall glass, filled with cherry soda. Made me feel like a kid again, but in a good way. Only issue - needs to be served with a longer spoon.

Bourbon ice cream.

[hm212]

Took a friend for a birthday lunch yesterday. Had the seafood bisque; I felt it could have used a little more heat (both temp and flavor), it did have a lot of cream. The fried squid (calamari) was perfect. I have not had this done so perfectly in a very long time. We also shared the duck quesadilla. This was excellent.

We did not mention a birthday celebration and skipped dessert in the interest of calories and did not want to leave stuffed since we needed to go back to work.

Service was imperfect but adequate. Nothing was especially terrible, but one issue was not handled correctly but I chose not to make an issue since I was with a friend.

In a week or two I will post a "How should this have been handled question" not specifically to Blacks since this could have happened anywhere and they should not be slammed for it, but I am not sure of what they should have done.

Bottom line - Food very good *** stars, service weak *1/2 stars. - Definitely a keeper.

[hm212]

My lamb loin was tasty but I think I erred in getting the cabernet demi-glace with it. First of all, I thought - and I could be wrong - that a demi-glace usually has a fairly thick consistency (should coat the back of a spoon) and a rich, deep meat flavour. Well, this demi-glace was as runny as my martini and didn't really taste of anything. That was a disappointment. Thank goodness the lamb stood on it's own merits.

Overall - not as good as RTC but more to explore and who can say no to oysters. I'm not sure where I stand when it comes to the new decor. It's really nice...but I miss some of the charm of the old place. Regardless, Blacks has clearly set a new standard in Bethesda. Definitely a place to visit again!

Went for dinner the other night and got the lamb loin. Maybe I got it on a bad night, but I found it to be very oversalted and really missing something. I was bordering on sending it back, but it was a very late dinner and really just wanted to eat something and get home.

I did get the mussels and they were really good, the served extra bread on the side to help sop up the sauce. I was thinking maybe I need to stick to seafood next time, since I have never been disappointed with their seafood.

Sat at the bar and service was good and very pleasant. This is the first time I had ever sat on the bar side and I loved the decor.

Can anyone else comment on their non seafood entrees?

[DonRocks]

Eyes Fried Shut

To The Whole Branzino I Had For Dinner This Evening,

As you lay there on my plate, batter fried, overcooked, dried out, and lifeless, I looked at you with sadness, wondering whether your half-eaten carcass would meet its end in a wastewater treatment facility, an incinerator, or worst of all, a landfill, where you would slowly drop down, over the centuries, through the garbage, into the ground, underneath the topsoil, and eventually make your way to the groundwater where you would finally be free, trickling through creek, river, bay, and one day sweeping into the sea, cycling through the Earth's currents, where five-hundred centuries later, you would find yourself melded onto a bit of coral, a tiny fish stopping to rest, looking down at you, taking a nibble, and darting off before suddenly becoming motionless, shuddering briefly, and then swimming on, unaware that he had just honored the ignoble fate that befell a distant ancestor, long, long ago.

[MC Horoscope]

Did you get French fries with that?

[baczkowski]

Stopped here before a show at the Roundhouse last night and we shared oysters, a house salad, and the twice-cooked chicken. A dozen oysters for the $8 happy hour price was a steal if you like Bay oysters (your only choice for the deal), but they are not nearly briny enough for my tastes. The house salad was quite good with bitter leaves, sweet slow-roasted tomatoes, and a tasty mustard vinaigrette. The chicken, though, was a disappointment. Right after we ordered it, my wife said, "I don't know why we order chicken anywhere other than Palena," having the taste on our tongues from a return visit Friday night. I think the bartender said Black's chicken is poached first and then fried so that, in his words, "It's really juicy and tender." Wrong on both counts for our pieces. It was so hard to cut meat off that my wife thought it was undercooked and didn't eat more than two bites. The chicken meet itself was remarkably flavorless and the breading had little seasoning. The gravy underneath seemed like a strong beef gravy that didn't pair well either. Best part of the serving was the excellent wilted spinach side. Overall, though, the chicken entree is not worth your $24.

Pax,

Brian

[MMM]

Stopped here before a show at the Roundhouse last night and we shared oysters, a house salad, and the twice-cooked chicken. A dozen oysters for the $8 happy hour price was a steal

Seemed like a good idea, so we also went for happy hour before going to the Round House, last night. Instead of oysters, we tried spiced shrimp, calamari, and mussels (from the happy hour menu) plus $3 draft beer and $5 glass of Sauvignon Blanc. The service was prompt and efficient. They also brought some good bread to mop up mussel juice. All in all a very nice deal at happy hour prices and the food was quite good. We supplemented with a couple of "small plates" but you wouldn' have to. Have to add that the Thursday night happy hour bar scene is quite a show too.

[KeithA]

Went last night for the first time. Sorry for the long post - but it is broken down, so you can skip parts.

The Annoyance:

Overall it was pretty good, but first I have to recount my one big annoyance. The dinner started off well, we showed up and checked in with our opentable reservation and they said we could sit outdoors on the nice patio or in the dining room. Since it was a nice night we chose outside. The patio was half empty then and at least a quarter empty all night. The dining room was half empty or so all night too. Which isn't too bad a statement for a restaurant on a sunday night on a holiday weekend when lots of folks have left town. I had seen on their website that they had a deal on Sunday nights for 1/2 off most bottles of wine. The website says in the dining room only. So we get our menus and the sizeable wine list, and I double check with the waiter before ordering wine that we can get the deal. He checks with the wine director, returns and says no it is only for the indoor dining room. So I ask to speak to the wine director who tries very nicely to explain their cockamamie, nonsensical policy of only giving the wine discount to people sitting inside. I responded this made no sense seeing as we were going to eat a full meal of 3 courses (which we did) and would like the same benefit (vs. someone only eating a quick bite or drink at the bar). She explained the deal is there to draw people inside because the patio already draws people to the restaurant in nice weather, and she offered me a table inside. Further, you can't get a reservation supposedly for the patio, only for the indoor dining room. Now I appreciated her trying to make this work, but this made absolutely no sense and I explained this to her. Since the patio never filled up all night, my table never stopped anyone from sitting outside who wanted to and I did in fact have a reservation and the hostess asked me if I wanted to sit outside or indoors. But the wine director held firm to her policy and wouldn't give us the discount unless we moved inside. So guess what, we passed on wine and they lost out on a sale of booze (maybe they didn't care because the markdown diminished their profits) and left all of the table annoyed. Not a good start to dinner. The dinner ended with an annoying reminder too, when the sizable check came with a printed note to ask for details about the 1/2 off wine deal on sundays.

Anyways enough of my rant. Here is the food/service review:

Bread:

• normally I don't comment on bread baskets, but the mini biscuits and whole grain bread were very good. I especially liked the salty biscuits.
  

Small Plates (really apps, but separate part of the menu):

• 2 goat cheese tartlets - good price of $3 for a nice personal phyllo cup of goat cheese top with nuts and beet bits. I didn't think the taste I had was great, but my two companions really liked theirs.
  
• cod croquettes - 3 tasty fried balls of fish in a nice aioli. However they were tiny, each one bite and they could have used more fish and less fry batter. Still only $4. 2 Amys take is much much better.
  

Mains:

• 2 halibuts - my companions thought the big fish was ok, but the dish was ruined by the "mushroom emulsion" which was this super thin and foaming mushroom juice that created in a big pool that ruined the accompaning mushroom risotto. Also there was only one tiny spear of white asparagus. Overall a downer.
  
• Seared tuna - pretty good. Big piece of tuna that was cooked medium rare (chef's rec), probably would have been better as rare. The fish was kind of plain, but once you flaked it into pieces and mixed it with the currant sauce, pine nuts and quinoa grained it took on a nice flavor. I enjoyed the contrasting flavors of the cooked fish, fruit and nuttiness of the pine nuts and grains.
  

Desserts:

• Pears and Apples - very good, but odd presentation. Really four mini desserts in one. However, they are served on a large square plate with each mini bite segregated to its own corner. Each was good - a mini candy apple, candy apple ice cream with bits fo candy in it, a poached pear, and a pear cake bite.
  
• Trio of Ice creams - great presentation and delicious. Scoops of sweet corn (tasted more like good vanilla with hints of corn), mint (really strong herb mint flavor, not like store bought mint chip), and caramel with brownie bits. The flavors weren't a perfect fit for their descriptions, but the ice creams were well made and good. The nice presentation came about from the 3 different mini cookies that were placed a top each scoop. Cookies tasted great too.
  

Service:

• despite the silly wine policy, service was so so. The small plates came out really quick and then we had a really long wait till our mains and the desserts took awhile too. We had to ask a few times for more water and for the check. But no real problems beyond the small delays.
  

I'd go back, but not regularly.

[baczkowski]

Sans power Thursday night, I went to Black's for the first time since my post back since last June. I have to say that though Rocks just moved this place down in his dining guide, I had the best meal I can remember here and the best thing I've had in Bethesda except for some really great pies at Mia's. Six pickling point oysters were wonderfully briny, the melon and almond gaspacho was amazing (asked for the recipe but got denied), the bread and biscuits were wonderful (and salty enough that the sea salt butter was overkill), and my sea bass composed plate was extremely moist and flavorful to the point that there was no half eaten carcass to be added to a wastewater treatment facility, an incinerator, or a landfill. Service was pretty attentive, too, and they fixed an issue for the gentleman to my left at the bar, who ordered the tuna. When it arrived, he promptly alerted the bartender that it was "tough as nails." Five minutes later they brought him a new dish that he said "cuts like butter." Everyone was happy. Great meal that makes me want to return more often.

Pax,

Brian

[jiveturk21]

It has been a while since I have eaten at Addie's or BlackSalt, but I love those places for the memories that I have had at each of them. So, I was excited about trying Black's for the first time last night, although I am afraid to say that it did fall a bit short of my expectations.

Let's get something clear first, the space is great, loved everything about it. And the food, the main reason why anyone should go to a restaurant, was top notch as well. High grades go to the pappardelle (although some more would have been nice!), the blue fish and the wonderful chicken dish. But, service fell WAY short of what should be expected from a restaurant like this. Seated at 6:05, first drinks came at 6:30, place was about 10% full at that point. Couldn't order for the life of us, couldn't get anyone's attention, even after two requests to people at the front of the house. And, as the place filled up, it got worse.

Hey, it happens sometimes, we were just at a table that got lost in the shuffle. We also had a very timid server, you could see it in her eyes, but no matter how many times we assured her that she should stop by to ask us questions and that she should be willing to come refill our wine (I think she was petrified of interrupting us), it fell on deaf ears.

Whatever, won't keep me from coming back, but it did make me realize, yet again, how important good and attentive service is to a dining experience. I am becoming more and more convinced that it is on par with the food itself.

[mdjordy]

I had lunch at Blacks last week...

Two us had the pumpkin soup, poured into the bowl table side. Luke warm and very under salted, almost bland. It was the first cold day and we both ordered soup to warm us up.

We shared the Mahi Mahi BLT and the Oyster Poorboy. The oysters were coated with such a thick batter/breading you almost could not bite into them. They were also cooked well done, perhaps they were cooked too long and this affected the coating. Perhaps it is just me but I think fried oysters should be wet inside. The roll looked like a ballpark hot dog roll (but thicker)...but was so crispy it flaked away when you took a bite. The best part of the sandwich was the carrot slaw and the fries.

The Mahi Mahi BLT was a bit better. The major complaint was the bread was seared on the grill too long and tasted burnt. It was also very difficult to eat- everything slid out of the bread.

It was not possible for me to give this information to the server or the manager at the moment, but I did reach out to them in an email. It really bugs me that they never even wrote back or called.

[beezy]

How is Black's these days? Still as good as everyone posts? Looking for a place in MD for family to go out over the holidays.

[DonRocks]

How is Black's these days? Still as good as everyone posts? Looking for a place in MD for family to go out over the holidays.

Todd Wiss is no longer with Black's Restaurant Group.

[tcarman]

Todd Wiss has been gone for awhile now. His replacement, Arra Lawson, formerly of Addie's,has come and gone now, too. Black's new chef is Quanta Robinson, formerly of BlackSalt. Jeff Black explains the latest moves.

[zoramargolis]

Black's new chef is Quanta Robinson, formerly of BlackSalt.

Quanta was on the grill when BlackSalt opened. She was one of the young cooks from Addie's and Black's Bar and Grill who Jeff brought over to open BlackSalt. I don't know whether she had any formal training, or worked at other restaurants before coming to work for the Blacks. One of Jeff's best qualities is that he finds unskilled young people who have a strong work ethic, loyalty and desire to learn, and employs them in a European-style system. About a year after I left BlackSalt, I bumped into a young guy named Maxwell who had been washing dishes and mopping floors when I worked there. I remember him as being a particularly hard worker. He very proudly told me that he was now a prep cook who worked on his own during the weekends, and expected to move up to the line fairly soon. I don't know where he lived, but I remember that he'd told me he spent hours getting to and from work every day on the bus. It wouldn't surprise me to hear someday that he was now Executive Chef at one of the Blacks' restaurants.

[KMango]

...One of Jeff's best qualities is that he finds unskilled young people who have a strong work ethic, loyalty and desire to learn, and employs them in a European-style system...

Good to know, thanks for sharing. I like to support businesses that forge such opportunities for their staff.

[ktmoomau]

The Momma and I headed to Black's before a concert at the Strathmore the other night (Steve Earle was really good, Joan Baez is more my Mother's thing). We wanted to get to Bethesda before the bad bad traffic from NOVA to make sure we had enough time. Went to Black's and sat at the bar in a little booth. Had the happy hour wine a Sauvignon Blanc from Chile, which was crisp, but well balanced a nice choice for just a drinking wine. We shared the mussels with spicy tomato sauce on bar special. While the mussels weren't huge, they were quite tasty and the broth was so good I think we almost ate it with spoons when our bread ran out. We also split the flank steak with chimchurri sauce and greens. It was really nicely seasoned and cooked, the greens were fresh and the onion straws served with it were great. We also had a side of cornbread that was really good, a little denser than some cornbreads, but in a good way, it wasn't crumbly at all.

Service was attentive and we got everything pretty quickly and made it out in time to get to the show. Based on the quality of the mussels and the broth, I would like to come back to try some other seafood dishes here.

[Mainah]

I know that making a critque based on one experience is risky so take this as one person's experience on one day. Went to Black's on a Sunday. Really did not think that the food was worth the money. Three of us ate, had two drinks each and one dessert for about $205. Pre-dinner drinks were not generous. I had a flounder fillet on a bed of barley with a few slices of summer squash and feta thrown in. The fish was cooked perfectly but seriously this is not difficult for someone who cooks alot and the accompaniment was unimaginative. A companion had scallops and found them less than sweet and tasty. Not somewhere I'll go again.

[jandres374]

Really $3.25 for an iced tea?

[Kibbee Nayee]

Lady Kibbee's birthday was yesterday, and we hosted a party of seven at Black's. The food was excellent all around, and even my non-seafood-eating son raved about the perfectly fried chicken entree with an a la carte side of mashed potatoes. Lady Kibbee and I each had the tuna loin cooked rare and served over spicy veggies with a cauliflower mash, and I accompanied it with a la carte Brussels sprouts with bacon. Both were wonderful. This was an excellent meal all around -- her dad loved the North Carolina tuna and her daughter loved the whole fish special (dorado). Of course, I picked up the check, and a full out meal for seven with tax and tip was just north of $450, but the quality was worth it.

[rockcreek]

Sitting at the bar; they are super nice, but their execution isn't sharp. (This is no kefir lime gimlet.) But it's still pleasant.

Let's see how dinner goes.

Sorry for the delay: dinner was fine, but BlackSalt two weeks ago and Pearl Dive two months ago were better. I had a whole flounder on a bed of pureed sweet potato and wilted bitter greens (collards?) but the greens were terribly oversalted, and tended to interfere with the fish. The Mrs. had the seared scallops, though, which were fantastic. Same salty greens, tho.

Eh. It was fine - out with friends, nice place. Not in a complainy mood, I guess. (It's a new thing I'm trying. )

[porcupine]

I notice they updated with two corrections to that story, but I think there must be a third. Black's Bar and Kitchen opened before 2006. I don't know the exact year, but 2006 can't be correct.

I believe 2006 is the year they re-opened after renovations.

[Pat]

I believe 2006 is the year they re-opened after renovations.

Thanks. I was wondering about that.

[Pool Boy]

Isn't this place closed? I have blinders on sometimes in my work neighborhood, so I could be wrong, but isn't it?

[LauraB]

I think you may be confusing it with BlackFinn, which is closed.  Black's Bar and Kitchen is not closed.

[Pool Boy]

Oh I knew about BlackFinn (no great loss that), but glad to hear Black's is still cranking.

[dwt]

I drive by there nearly every weekday and they are most certainly open. I've noted that with the warmer weather the doors by the front communal table have been flung open and folks are starting to venture out to the patio for happy hour. One of these beautiful spring days, temptation will get the better of me -- I'll skip my evening gym session and stop in for some oysters and a drink. 

[schulju]

First visit to Black's this Saturday.  We had been in Bethesda for a few hours buying a car, and so by the time we got around to eating it was 3pm.  Granted a weird time to go into a restaurant, and perhaps that's why our experience was, well, weird.

The room is pretty much split with the bar are to the left and the more traditional dining area to the right.  The space is pretty, but starting to show some wear and tear.  The bar area was fairly full, but there was no one in the dining room.  We were offered a booth in the bar and told to seat ourselves; just to find out that there actually weren't any booths available and we had to go back to have the hostess seat us in the dining room.  This meant we had a server all to ourselves.  She was very sweet, but overly attentive.  We couldn't utter two complete sentences to each other the entire time without being interrupted by her.  If our glasses are empty and we are still waiting to be served our entrees, we likely want refills...(water and ice tea...not alcohol), so do you really need to interrupt a conversation where we're both head's down over a document to ask, twice?

Hubby ordered the mussels, which he thought were good, but not great.  The one I had was a bit gritty.  Similarly, the broth was okay, but seemed under seasoned to me.  The bread served with the mussels was a portion of a baguette.  I like to dip bread in the broth when he gets mussels, but both the broth and the bread were ~meh~.

I ordered the buttermilk waffles and these were very good.  They were crispy and airy, served with strawberries and blackberries, sweetened butter and warm syrup.  A perfect brunch plate.  Hubby had the eggs Benedict served with braised pork belly.  He thought they were okay, but said he would have preferred Canadian bacon.

Overall a B rating.  Not bad, but I'm not in any hurry to return.

[DonRocks]

Jamie Imhoff is the new Wine Director and Sommelier here (that's a good thing).

[Pool Boy]

They make a respectable reuben sandwich. I just wish their sauerkraut had a bit more bite. Had this just this week for the first time.

Is it bad to say I still miss Gulf Coast Kitchen, that used to be in this spot?

[dinwiddie]

My wife and I went to Black's to celebrate our anniversary.  I took a 2014 Kosta Browne Kanzler Vineyard PN with me.  It turns out that they have the Sonoma Coast in a half bottle, but had no issue with me opening the Kanzler.  They provided a decanter and excellent glasses to go with it.  We go to Black's a couple of times a year and have always been pleased.

We started with the Gala Apple and Brie Salad for my wife (Belgian Endive, Frisée, Radicchio, Apple Butter, Apple Cider Vinaigrette, Ginger Snap Croutons).  She loved it but said that she could have used it as her main, it was quite enough.  I had the  Wood Grilled Bruschetta (Sliced Prosciutto, Marinated White Beans, Chimichurri) that was also excellent.

For our mains Karen had the Pan Seared True North Salmon (chorizo emulsion, potato, pearl onions, sautéed peppers, chorizo, shaved sprouts, almonds) which she finished even though she said the salad had filled her up.  I ordered the Linguini Carbonara (black pepper linguini, spinach, mixed mushrooms, pancetta, sous vide egg, parmesan cream sauce)  I still haven't figured out how they peel a soft boiled egg, but there was a whole soft boiled egg on top of a mound of fantastic Carbonara.  (Anyone who knows me can tell you that I am a sucker for a great Carbonara.)  in fact it led to a discussion of a great Carbonara we had at a small trotteria in Monteclio Tuscany on our 25th anniversary.

Dessert was shared, a mango/banana tarte with banana/coconut ice cream and passion fruit coulee.  I don't normally like banana or coconut ice creams, but this was out of this world.  Since I had told them that we were celebrating our anniversary, the plate had Happy Anniversary written in chocolate around the sides.

Service was excellent, and once I explained that I would prefer to do the pouring, were not bothered by anyone trying to fill an empty glass.  (I hate when they keep trying to do that.  I prefer to drink at my own pace and I know my wife's preferences in that regard.)

I am glad we made a reservation because the place was packed on a Friday night, both inside and outside on the patio.  I asked for a table away from the bar when I made the reservation and they had no problem making sure that my request was honored.

All in all, an excellent meal with excellent service that one has come to expect from all of the Black's chain.

[pras]

Bethesda Magazine is reporting that the raw bar at Black's will be replaced with a fish market a la Black Salt.  The article also mentions a Black Salt pop up, for a few days while Black Salt is closed for renovations.

[Pool Boy]

I was here this past November for a meet-up with friends and sat at ine of the bar booths.  Food was good (enough choices for everyone including our resident vegetarian), but I have to say the service was quite slow. We were not in a rush or anything, but it was just slow service from the bar staff - and we ordered not just food but a number of beverages over 3 hours - it was just so odd. It wasn't like the bar was super busy, maybe 3-4 other parties always during out time in there (It was a lunch think like 1pm to 4pm).

Anyway, it's a spot in Bethesda proper that is the agreed upon general area to meet due to us all living in different directions from there so it's centrally location acceptable.

I'd still go back, but maybe next time we get seated in the dining room instead.