BlackSalt, MacArthur Boulevard in Palisades - with Executive Chef and Fishmonger Jeff Gaetjen

[ktmoomau]

I called because we have reservations and I was concerned. It was a small fire in the kitchen hood. Pending inspection they will be open for dinner tonight, but at the latest hope to be open by tomorrow. So that is good, not great to have any fire, but at least it won't affect business too much.

[Pat]

Tom Sietsema just wrote on twitter:

BlackSalt has reopened after scary Tues p.m. kitchen shaft fire. Jeff Black says entire menu -- save for wood-grilled items -- is available

[soapy]

My husband and I took my mother in law and family here for mother's day brunch. The service was impeccable, and it was one of the best brunches I've ever had. Highlights were the English scones with clotted cream, bacon, quiche, maple glazed shrimp with corn cakes (kind of a sweet version of shrip and grits) and chocolate french toast.

[kirite]

My husband and I took my mother in law and family here for mother's day brunch. The service was impeccable, and it was one of the best brunches I've ever had. Highlights were the English scones with clotted cream, bacon, quiche, maple glazed shrimp with corn cakes (kind of a sweet version of shrip and grits) and chocolate french toast.

We also went for brunch and were underwhelmed by our entrees. We much prefer Zaytinya and Oyamel. But the service was extremely professional.. Our highlight was the fish market where we bought trout, salmon, cous cous, and beet salad. (and the fish monger went to the basement to give us some dill for the trout--grati). Thank you Black Salt Fish Market!

[ktmoomau]

My husband and I took my mother in law and family here for mother's day brunch. The service was impeccable, and it was one of the best brunches I've ever had. Highlights were the English scones with clotted cream, bacon, quiche, maple glazed shrimp with corn cakes (kind of a sweet version of shrip and grits) and chocolate french toast.

We were there for Mother's Day brunch, as well. I thought service was lovely. The beignets were very good. I had the Louisiana poached eggs and they were wonderful, spicy and rich without overdoing it, crawfish surprising, but not for Blacksalt the crawfish were not overcooked. Everyone seemed to really enjoy it. I liked the complimentary fresh fruit with nice herbs.

I just wish the nice little market outside had still been open when we got done. I picked up some lemon lavender sugar cookies for Mom on the way in!

[hmmboy]

I had the Louisiana poached eggs and they were wonderful, spicy and rich

Great stuff - the best eggy brunch dish I've had in DC

[ktmoomau]

Great stuff - the best eggy brunch dish I've had in DC

Yes, those eggs were poached perfectly. It would be between that and Cafe Atlantico's sous vide egg for me, I love the texture of that sous vide egg.

[porcupine]

Maybe I'm starting to sound like a shill for BlackSalt, but once again we had a great meal there. Not just a great meal - a great experience. Let me explain...

My mother-in-law likes to go out for brunch with us every so often. But, she can't eat eggs. Can't eat cheese. Doesn't like "ethnic" food. Doesn't want to go far (as in, further than Rockville; she lives in Rockville). Doesn't want to see us spend that much money. Wonders why we have to eat "fancy" or "weird" food.

(In her defense, I will say that finding a brunch menu with egg-less and cheese-less dishes can seem damn near impossible at times. And I'd be pretty cranky if I couldn't eat eggs or cheese.)

Oh, and last time we tried to take her to BlackSalt, she claimed that she doesn't like any of the Black's restaurants. (That might be because of the time, six or seven years ago, that we took her to Black's Bar and Kitchen, and she couldn't find anything that she liked that didn't have eggs in it. Or cheese.)

But this time, I pointed out that, what with BlackSalt also being a fish market, maybe - just maybe - she could pick a piece of fish from the front and ask them to cook it plainly. And then we called for reservations, and we asked about the "plain fish" idea.

And you know what? Though it isn't on the menu, you can pick anything from the front and have it done in one of two ways: simple prep, just olive oil and salt and some vegetables, or chef's choice, where you tell them what fish you want, what foods you can't eat, then sit back and wait for the surprise.

And you know what else? Mother-in-law ate every bite of food on her plate. And got dessert, and ate most of that. And left with a big smile on her face.

This never happens.

Thank you, BlackSalt. Thankyouthankyouthankyou.

[zoramargolis]

.And you know what? Though it isn't on the menu, you can pick anything from the front and have it done in one of two ways: simple prep, just olive oil and salt and some vegetables, or chef's choice, where you tell them what fish you want, what foods you can't eat, then sit back and wait for the surprise.

We were there with vegetarian nieces, and they did the same sort of thing--asked what they liked and didn't like, didn't eat, etc. and created a dish for them with different kinds of mushrooms, vegetables and I can't recall what else, but the nieces loved the food, and were so touched that the kitchen had gone to all of that effort to make them happy. I've heard people complain that BlackSalt entrees are too highly seasoned, etc. But when I tell them that they can choose whatever fish they want and have it prepared very simply, sauteed or grilled, they are gobsmacked. Perhaps the management needs to make that possibility more obvious. It does say that on the menu, IIRC, but maybe it needs to be in bigger, bolder type.

[porcupine]

Maybe I'm starting to sound like a shill for BlackSalt,

In the interest of fair warning I have to report that the maple-glazed shrimp on corn cakes was the worst dish I've eaten in months, at least. At any restaurant. Stupidly sweet, and the shrimp were overcooked.

[goodeats]

Lightly breaded with

Wonderful, simple, flavors

Yum! Calamari.

[Rhone1998]

In addition to wonderful seafood, Blacksalt has the best potato chips I have ever tasted. Paper thin crisps coated with just the right amount of a tangy salt and red wine vinegar powder. Amazing. (They come with all the sandwiches at lunch and, says the helpful bartender, can be ordered separately for a couple of bucks during happy hour.)

Edited August 28, 2010 by Rhone1998

[stockwatch_1999]

Had dinner there Saturday night. First time there since they opened. One of the best meals I have had in a long time. Service was excellent.

Started off with the fresh bean salad. First rate.

Breads (3 types) were great and reminiscent of the choices you would find at 2941 when Jonathan's dad was breaking the bread.

Dinner was Tuna with fennel and olives. Fantastic. Could have eaten two plates. My wife had grilled salmon from the market fish that was served on a bed of mushrooms and cauliflower.

Desert was their version of Key Lime pie. Again, first rate.

I will definitely be a much more frequent visitor.

[jandres374]

The $18 lunch deal (Mon-Fri) may be one the best deals in town right now. Three courses for $18-choice of 3 from beverage, app, main or dessert.

Brought my parents who were visiting from out of town here a couple days before Christmas and had a fabulous lunch.

Between us we had the Squash Bisque, Vegetable Salad, Mussels and Tuna Sandwich.

We all thoroughly enjoyed our lunch. We selected the house wine with our meal, which was generous pour - can't recall what they were pouring.

[The Hersch]

I dined this evening at BlackSalt, the first time I've been there. If this is the best seafood restaurant in town, I'm afraid we're in real trouble. In both my first and second courses, the seafood itself was exemplary: grilled octopus in the first course was a little chewy, but nicely smoky and beautifully fresh, while the wild Alaskan rockfish was pearly white, perfectly cooked, and lovely. But in both courses, the other stuff on the plate was a confused mish-mash that pretty well canceled out the quality of the star ingredient. This was particularly problematic in the grilled octopus dish: the plate was overwhelmed by vinegar, which really ruined the whole thing. The fish was undermined by a supporting cast with no coherence but which was dominated by dry, tasteless lentils. I was dying to like this restaurant and was very disappointed. Service managed to be inoffensive while rather perfunctory. I've never had a meal at Kinkead's that wasn't better than this.

[DannyNoonan]

Very nice dinner Sat night at BlackSalt.

We arrived early for our reservation and were fortunate to find seats at the bar. I started with the Negroni from their specialty cocktail menu. Made with Bluecoat gin, it was a nice rendition of the classic. Next time I have to remember to order it on the rocks though as my wife said it looked like I was drinking a cosmo. My wife ordered something called The Porch Swing. If I recall correctly, it was gin, Pimms, lemonade, and cucumber served on the rocks in a tall glass. It was a refreshing concoction with many layers of flavor.

Once our friends arrived, we were shown to a table in the much quieter back dining room, which was nice as it made conversation easier and offered much roomier accomodations than the front dining room.

I started with a fantastic Pacific bonito tartare from the specials menu. I don't recall the accompaniments but that's only because I was so focused on how great the fish was. Obviously high quality fish, simply prepared. Delightful. My wife ordered a beet salad that she enjoyed quite a bit and was notable for it's more than ample portion size.

I ordered the bouillabaisse entree, as I remembered an absolutely transcendent experience the last time I ordered this dish and was eager to have a repeat performance. What I experienced was a solid dish with high quality ingredients, but not quite transcendent. The seafood was expertly prepared. Each component was cooked what seemed to be the perfect time, which must be easy to mess up when trying to cook ingredients like monkfish, scallops, shrimp, and mussels. The difference this time was the broth. Last time, I remember being blown away. This time, I was a little underwhelmed. It needed salt and seemed to lack the nuance that I remember last tiime. Overall, a solid offering but not quite the heights reached last time.

Key lime pie for dessert was exquisite and a great way to round out the meal.

[jandres374]

I missed lunch yesterday so I stopped in for happy hour on my way home. Had a Victory Pilsner ($5), 1/2 dozen oysters ($6), and the Addie's mussels ($8, shows as $7 on their on-line menu). Oysters were Rappahanock and Chicouteague and were fresh and perfectly shucked. Mussels were huge in comparison to mussel bar and probably about 18-20 in the serving. The happy hour deals here are pretty solid and I am surprised it does not get more attention.

What stood out to me on this visit was the service. When I arrived at 4:30 I was the only one in the bar area. Shortly after my arrival a party of 3 arrived and included a gentleman who apparently grew up in the area and talked about the changes in the neighborhood. He then asked for a Budweiser (its all he drinks). He could not believe they did not carry it and he could not find anything else on the beer list that he would drink (Alagash White, Victory, Brooklyn Lager, Stella on tap). He finally settled on an Amstel Light but continued to complain. The bartender did not blink, asked him if he wanted Bud or Bud Light, took some money out of the register and went next door to MacArthur Beverage and bought the guy a 6 pack of Bud. Good stuff and not uncommon in places run by the Blacks.

[Rhone1998]

1/2 dozen oysters ($6)

Seriously? If this isn't a typo, that's pretty cool...

[Joe H]

I missed lunch yesterday so I stopped in for happy hour on my way home. Had a Victory Pilsner ($5), 1/2 dozen oysters ($6), and the Addie's mussels ($8, shows as $7 on their on-line menu). Oysters were Rappahanock and Chicouteague and were fresh and perfectly shucked. Mussels were huge in comparison to mussel bar and probably about 18-20 in the serving. The happy hour deals here are pretty solid and I am surprised it does not get more attention.

What stood out to me on this visit was the service. When I arrived at 4:30 I was the only one in the bar area. Shortly after my arrival a party of 3 arrived and included a gentleman who apparently grew up in the area and talked about the changes in the neighborhood. He then asked for a Budweiser (its all he drinks). He could not believe they did not carry it and he could not find anything else on the beer list that he would drink (Alagash White, Victory, Brooklyn Lager, Stella on tap). He finally settled on an Amstel Light but continued to complain. The bartender did not blink, asked him if he wanted Bud or Bud Light, took some money out of the register and went next door to MacArthur Beverage and bought the guy a 6 pack of Bud. Good stuff and not uncommon in places run by the Blacks.

Great story. Thanks for sharing.

[ktmoomau]

Great story. Thanks for sharing.

Agreed, love it. I always love Blacksalt, it's one of those places that never fails me when I take people.

[zoramargolis]

Agreed, love it. I always love Blacksalt, it's one of those places that never fails me when I take people.

When I worked there, a small group of elderly people came in for lunch and were seated in the dining room, some with walkers, two in wheelchairs, one who had to be spoon-fed by his attendant, celebrating a birthday. Jeff Black told me about a "regular" customer of theirs at Addie's who came in once a year. He was in a wheelchair and couldn't eat solid food. When he came, they would prepare one of their regular dishes-whatever the man ordered- and put it in the blender to puree it for him. The chefs were always glad to prepare something off-menu when I brought vegetarian relatives there to eat. Customers are all well-taken care of there, unless they behave abusively toward the staff.

[DonRocks]

Last week was a tough one for the Black Restaurant Group, with the loss of Nate Waugaman at Addie's (people do not realize what a huge loss that is), and also the departure of Rick Cook from BlackSalt. I have no doubt that BlackSalt is still sourcing the highest quality seafood, and pastry chef Susan Wallace is one of our city's underrated gems, but I'm a bit concerned that Jeff Black is stretching himself too thin (they are printing money over at Pearl Dive, and this restaurant they're opening in Merrifield is supposedly going to have the largest raw bar on the east coast), and also with the relatively high chef turnover at BlackSalt - for the time being, I'm downgrading BlackSalt below Et Voila! in the Palisades section of the Dining Guide. This is being done only as a conservative measure until I can see for myself that the quality is still as good as it was before, so don't read too much into this.

Cheers,

Rocks

[Waitman]

So, I'm pissed. Belons at the BlackSalt market are $4 a pop, but they were only $3.50 at Pearl Dive where, one assumes, someone shucks them for you and arranges them artfully on a plate of crushed ice, perhaps with a splash of mignonette sauce, as well. Why am I paying more and supplying all the labor?

Color me annoyed.

[Ericandblueboy]

this restaurant they're opening in Merrifield is supposedly going to have the largest raw bar on the east coast)

In size or in variation of seafood served? I'd love to see platters like the ones at Au Pied de Cochon or DBGB.

[zoramargolis]

The happy hour bar menu at Black Salt (5 to 7 p.m.) is a great bargain, if you are willing to be an early bird. Many of the choices are the same dishes on the regular menu at a considerable saving. I had a hearty bowl of Provençal seafood stew for $10. (This replaced a disappointing fish and chips plate: thin, skinny filets were overwhelmed by a thick coating of mushy batter.) But the staff were really nice about wanting me to be happy. J had expertly fried calamari with chipotle remoulade, and a very tasty, juicy burger. He had a mojito, I had a carafe of Rioja. We got out of there for $44 before tip.

[kirite]

The happy hour bar menu at Black Salt (5 to 7 p.m.) is a great bargain, if you are willing to be an early bird. Many of the choices are the same dishes on the regular menu at a considerable saving. I had a hearty bowl of Provençal seafood stew for $10. (This replaced a disappointing fish and chips plate: thin, skinny filets were overwhelmed by a thick coating of mushy batter.) But the staff were really nice about wanting me to be happy. J had expertly fried calamari with chipotle remoulade, and a very tasty, juicy burger. He had a mojito, I had a carafe of Rioja. We got out of there for $44 before tip.

This remains a great restaurant. We had not been here since early December. After attending a wonderful concert of the Washington Bach Consort at the National Presbyterian Church, we had an extremely good dinner at BS. We each had two hot appetizers instead of entrees. North Carolina monkfish, Florida pompano, and butterfish with lobster. All were inventive, surprising, light, and satisfying. Among the sauces were a red pepper coulis, a green curry, and a pickled cucumber with mysterious vegetables.

[JonS]

I'm downgrading BlackSalt below Et Voila! in the Palisades section of the Dining Guide. This is being done only as a conservative measure until I can see for myself that the quality is still as good as it was before, so don't read too much into this.

Cheers,

Rocks

So have you been back yet? We had a great meal there with friends on Saturday evening. Three of us started with a dozen oysters to share, a nice selection from BC, NB, MA, and PEI, all expertly shucked. Another had the tuna tartare, which was delicious. All of us were happy with our entrees as well - tuna, softshell crabs (not on the menu, but prepared from the market), and the halibut special. The halibut (or least my taste of the halibut) was just slightly overcooked to my taste (but it wasn't mine anyway, and those who ordered it really enjoyed it), and they put an extra bottle of wine on our tab by accident (easily fixed), but overall no real noticeable decline since the change in our view. Love Et Voila! as well, but not sure I'd keep BlackSalt below.

[porcupine]

With restaurant desserts trending toward downright twee, it was a delight to find a real strawberry shortcake as the dessert special at BlackSalt a few nights ago. A real shortcake (not pound cake or some cookie-like thing), piled with berries (not three little berries sliced and fanned out) and whipped cream (not with a teaspoon-sized quenelle of some unexpected-ingredient ice cream).

Strawberries are like tomatoes: ruined by the food industrial complex; something strawberry-shaped and -colored is available in plastic packages all year 'round, but those seedy nuggets taste nothing like strawberries. At BlackSalt, seasonal and local applies to dessert, too.

[lekkerwijn]

Went there for dinner Friday night and had the yummiest soft shell crabs of my life. A special addition to the menu they were available fried or broiled (? ) and served along with a choice of fresh seasonal vegetables, any side from any other dish on the menu, or you could let the chef surprise you with something special. I took the gamble and ordered them fried with a side of surprise. I wasn't disappointed. The two large soft shells arrived perfectly fried in a batter that was almost tempura like, impeccably seasoned. Served on top of a potato, tomato, mushroom, bacon, and marscapone hash. Ethereal.

A pet peeve: they didn't tell us the price of the special when talking about the additions to the menu. But we also didn't ask. So when we saw the dish joked that it was going to be fifty bucks. But was actually a reasonable $32.

[DonRocks]

Went there for dinner Friday night and had the yummiest soft shell crabs of my life. A special addition to the menu they were available fried or broiled (? ) and served along with a choice of fresh seasonal vegetables, any side from any other dish on the menu, or you could let the chef surprise you with something special. I took the gamble and ordered them fried with a side of surprise. I wasn't disappointed. The two large soft shells arrived perfectly fried in a batter that was almost tempura like, impeccably seasoned. Served on top of a potato, tomato, mushroom, bacon, and marscapone hash. Ethereal.

A pet peeve: they didn't tell us the price of the special when talking about the additions to the menu. But we also didn't ask. So when we saw the dish joked that it was going to be fifty bucks. But was actually a reasonable $32.

I get the feeling, just reading what people are saying here, that soft shell crabs are fantastic right now (Gordon Ramsay notwithstanding).

[MarkS]

Dinner last night at Blacksalt was superb. It isnt cheap as 3 appitizers, 4 drinks, 4 entrees , 2 deserts cam to $400 before tip.

But the food was great. Fried oysters and Clams were delicate and fried very well and the Black Group does their musels well.

Drinks were very good, I had a spicy Margarita that was heaven.

We all had fish for entrees and everyone cleaned thier plate along with two bottles of Savignon Blanc.

Atmosphere and noice level was great. We were able to talk for 3+ hours, dining room was well lit and patrons dressed in a nice casual way.

This is a gem in the Palisades and as I live in Rockville a very good choice as opposed to going further in DC.

[lekkerwijn]

I get the feeling, just reading what people are saying here, that soft shell crabs are fantastic right now (Gordon Ramsay notwithstanding).

So good in fact that we got them again Friday night. Blacksalt was the perfect place for a group to go to celebrate our friend's recent engagement. I had never been seated in the back room before. It is a lovely space but the AC wasn't pumping in there the way it was at the front of the house. It wasn't uncomfortable but it was a little toasty. But that could also have been because Andrea Mitchell and Alan Greenspan were seated there as well on a hot double date.

[Genevieve]

When did the chef leave - was it a while back, or recent? About to make a reservation but saw in the Dining Guide that DonRocks noted that the chef had left.

[kirite]

Had dinner at BS tonight, and while everything was very good , the tuna tartare is one of the finest appetizers in DC. Topped with incredible melt in mouth tuna over a bed of avocado, roasted cashews and a subtle mayo with a hint of spice. I should have ordered two of them and called it a night.

[KeithA]

We had an impromptu dinner at Black Salt on our way back home when crossing thru Palisades during dinner time. At about 6pm on a Sunday night they were packed, but we lucked out and got the last table in the front near the market. Not great ambience for fine dining, but perfect with 2 toddlers in tow. When we were close, I called to see if by chance they had a kid's menu (expecting a no), but they did and they were very accommodating to 2 parents desperate for a good meal but somewhat quick while trying to entertain the youngins. All of that being said the real praise goes to the food: really excellent bread and nice assortment too - foccacia, buttery croissant-like pieces (less flaky but just as buttery), and warm crusty baguette. Our entree were extremely flavorful and well-executed. I had the barramundi with puttanesca sauce special - excellent and a nice spicy kick. My wife had the flounder which had more subtle flavoring which paired well with this milder fish. Delicious - if like us, you haven't been in a while, go check it out again.

[lekkerwijn]

For the past couple of weeks I have been seconded to an area of New Jersey about an hour west of Newark that can only be described as a food swamp. The grocery stores are a like something out of the former Soviet block. The only places restaurants are chains with gigantic plates of mediocrity, fast food, dirty diners and mom and pop Eye-talian. The latter two being the better options by far, but also not prize specimens of their respective genres. You drive from parking lot to parking lot. No wonder middle America is fat. But I digress. I note all this to demonstrate why on Friday night I got off the nearly hour delayed Acela craving a really good meal and a big glass of wine in a civilized setting. Blacksalt to the rescue.

We started the night out by committing a major faux pas and bringing a bottle of 2006 Brickhouse Chardonnay with us to the restaurant. We should have checked the wine list first online. They carry that Chardonnay but in a younger vintage. We were prepared not to be able to open the bottle, but the sommelier didn't mention it and opened the bottle right up.

For appetizers we had the muscles and a crudo salad. The mix of roes on the crudo really made for a fun texture experience. Our only complaint of the night was that a couple of the muscles arrived unopened and a little bit of grit. Spring is my favorite time of year to go to Blacksalt because I love how they prepare their softshell crab. We both opted for the seasonal delicacy out of the market and let the kitchen surprise us with the preparation. The crabs were primordially huge and perfectly fried. They came on top of a coconut curry broth with mushrooms and bok choy. Yum. For dessert we had the strawberry shortcake and the butterscotch pot de creme. The shortcake was tender and moist with a generous topping of fresh, in season berries and whipped cream. The pot de creme was decadent and not too sweet. This meal was just what the doctor ordered.

I am writing this review while sitting on another delayed Acela on my way back up to Newark. I'm open to suggestions for where to go when I get back home this week. Note that it will need to be as good, if not better than what we had on Friday.

[lovehockey]

The happy hour bar menu at Black Salt (5 to 7 p.m.) is a great bargain, if you are willing to be an early bird. Many of the choices are the same dishes on the regular menu at a considerable saving. I had a hearty bowl of Provençal seafood stew for $10. (This replaced a disappointing fish and chips plate: thin, skinny filets were overwhelmed by a thick coating of mushy batter.) But the staff were really nice about wanting me to be happy. J had expertly fried calamari with chipotle remoulade, and a very tasty, juicy burger. He had a mojito, I had a carafe of Rioja. We got out of there for $44 before tip.

Earlier this evening I had the exact same dishes as J: fried calamari with chipotle remoulade and the burger (I hadn't read Zora's post until I got here this evening to write about my visit). The calamari batter was light but with a bit of heat, and it was just the right amount of calamari for one person. The burger was juicy but also with a char and flavor that made me think they had a grill out in the backyard.

I had the Coopers Creek Riesling (NZ) from the selection of four happy hour wines, which was fine and a generous pour for $6.

This was my first visit to BlackSalt. I don't live near there but if I did I'd probably visit quite a bit for the happy hour, which is a good value. The happy hour bar menu is available from 4-7 M-F and 4-6 on weekends.

[jayandstacey]

Excellent meal. The menu seems to change often as not all things mentioned above were available...of course, that's a good thing.

I like that the oysters come with a few pieces of flatbread. This is something I haven't seen before - and as I'm a sucker for cocktail sauce, it allows me to keep eating the cocktail sauce long after the oysters are gone.

My fish came with a bean ragout that was really nice. It had a strong flavor but not any bite of heat, so the fish continued to stand out. Others had pea puree and salads and such. Others can write about the meal better than I can.

Oddly, the meal started with a declaration from the waiter: "Welcome to Blacksalt, some consider us one of the top 5 restaurants in DC" or something like that. True? Is that a normal script or just an ad lib that seemed to fit the table? I don't care that it was said per se, just seemed curious.

[monavano]

That's a really odd thing to say. I think we've all seen the the brag wall of nice reviews and mentions in publications as we enter restaurants and the like, but I've never heard this.

"Wow, how good for YOU, now let's focus on ME".

What matters is how each customer feels at the end of the meal, so brag all you want, but I'm judging based on MY own experience.

I like BlackSalt, food and service both, and see no need for this humblebrag.

[brr]

Had a lovely meal there on Sunday night - arrived at 8.30 and was suprised at how bustling the place was that late on a Sunday in August so clearly they are still drawing a crowd.

Food and service both excellent.

[DonRocks]

I dislike cutting-and-pasting press releases, but I'm tired and in a hurry. Thus:

Mike Huff becomes the latest in a revolving-door of Chefs at Blacksalt. The dishes he has added - although they sound quite busy - are very enticing in terms of flavor combinations.

It is very difficult to keep track of Chefs de Cuisine at many of our local restaurant groups these days. The very concept of being a "Chef" has become ambiguous and diluted in the past ten years (this has nothing to do with Blacksalt).

Incidentally, that 1776 Rye listed down at the bottom is some seriously expensive rye - about $140 a bottle at full retail: that cocktail cannot be cheap. See the two posts which follow for a correction.

Mike Huff Joins BlackSalt as Executive Chef, Debuts New Menu Items

BlackSalt Fish Market & Restaurant is pleased to announce a new Executive Chef, Mike Huff, who joins the restaurant most recently having cooked in Naples, Italy and previously, at Kinkead's Restaurant.

Huff, who grew up in a large Italian family, always knew he wanted to be a chef from a young age after watching his grandfather cook elaborate family meals in the kitchen. Graduating at the top of his class from Johnson & Wales University's Culinary Arts Program, Huff counts stints at the now shuttered fine dining powerhouse, Le Titi de Paris in Chicago, Bob Kinkead's Colvin Run Tavern in Va., and Kinkead's namesake restaurant in Washington, DC.

Most recently, Huff cooked at Pizzeria Da Gennaro in Naples, Italy, where he lived for three years while his wife was stationed there with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. During his time in Italy, Huff enjoyed learning how to make fresh pasta, Neapolitan pizza, and having access to prized ingredients such as white truffles and fresh Mediterranean seafood. His cooking philosophy favors clean, bold flavors, and allowing high quality ingredients to shine on the plate.

Since joining BlackSalt earlier this fall, Huff has debuted several new dishes on the dinner menu, including*:

Wood Grilled Whole Branzino with cannellini beans, braised fennel, Kalamata olives, preserved lemon, Braised Lacinato kale, and topped with a salad of organic arugula, shaved fennel, orange segments, red onion, and olive oil.

Wood Grilled Swordfish with roasted root vegetables, turnip purée, Swiss chard, glazed Cippolini onions, and maple Balsamic brown butter.

Creekstone Farms NY Strip Steak with beer battered onion rings, sautéed wild mushrooms, pea tendrils, BlackSalt steak sauce, and bone marrow butter.

Pan Roasted Day Boat Scallops with parsnip purée, house made potato gnocchi, shaved Brussels sprouts, Maiitake mushrooms, pancetta and aged Balsamic vinegar.

Tuna Tartare lightly dressed with a spicy tamari, and accompanied by a cucumber, avocado, grilled pineapple salad with macadamia nut butter, toasted coconut and crispy taro chips.

*As always, guests are invited to select a fresh protein from the front Fish Market, and Chef will prepare it using fresh ingredients on hand.

To complement the new dinner menu, assistant general manager Melissa Baum has created a new cocktail menu, featuring seasonal drinks such as The Washingtonian, a play on a Manhattan made with James E. Pepper 1776 Rye Whiskey, Carpano Antica Vermouth, Roasted Apple Bitters and Honey, and garnished with house-made apple chips; and The Expat, made with EG Windsor Sage and Earl Grey vodka, tea, lemon, Domaine de Canton, and sage.

[Erik Ox]

Incidentally, that 1776 Rye listed down at the bottom is some seriously expensive rye - about $140 a bottle at full retail: that cocktail cannot be cheap.

Are you sure on that?  It looks like it's around $25 a bottle from what I can find: http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1128080.  I think you were looking at the 15yr. old bottle for around $140.

[DonRocks]

Are you sure on that?  It looks like it's around $25 a bottle from what I can find: http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1128080.  I think you were looking at the 15yr. old bottle for around $140.

Yes, you're correct - I was thinking of the 15-year-old bottling.

Incidentally, Tom Sietsema notes that Mike Huff's brother, James, is currently running the kitchen at Pearl Dive Oyster Palace. Does anyone know how long he's been there? I realize I may be in a minority, but my last two meals at Pearl Dive were "not up to par" (and that's being gentle to a fault). That said, it's been awhile, and if there's been a kitchen overhaul, it may be worth trying again.

[naxos]

Went to BlackSalt for happy hour last night. A first visit but will not be my last!

Shared a dozen oysters and each of us ordered the Mediterranean fish stew with saffron which was garlicky and delicious. The fish and seafood were perfectly cooked- priced at $11 - a great bargain! The mojito was yummy- only regret was not enough room for dessert.

Not sure what took me so long to go.

Slightly off topic but of note- the guy at the fish counter will order 16 oz jar of squid ink if asked or sell it it smaller quantities!

[DaveO]

Was at BlackSalt for happy hour.   I must admit to getting "happy" on the house IPA.  Many dishes and apps were ordered.  We started with the dozen oysters and 1 or 2 more of those.  Just delightful.   And then I got "happy" and the array of dishes were hazy.

But it was excellent.

[pras]

Before I really get into anything, I want to give a big shout out to the staff at Blacksalt for making my evening truly memorable!  My wife and I went here last night to celebrate our 10th anniversary.  It was our first time eating here.  We have wanted to check it out for years, but never were able to (story for a different time).  We arrived early and our table wasn't yet ready, so we had a drink at the bar.  We were called for our table and were showed to one in the bar area.  I asked the host if another table was available, and he said they were booked.  When I reminded him that we had a reservation, he found it and quickly re-sat us.  Once we were ready to order, the waiter came over.  My wife wanted tuna, but doesn't eat meat--the preparation on the menu included pork belly.  He said that they could do it with 3 different alternate preparations--my wife choose chef's choice and told him our preference.  Appetizer came, which grilled sardines, they plated each separately and it was accompanied with a slice of grilled lemon and olives.  It was cooked perfectly and was very tasty.  While we were waiting for our mains, the waiter brought a shell bowl for each of us.  My wife wondered why, I was just enjoying the evening and didn't think much of it.  The waiter brought us out something we didn't order, compliments of the house, due to the table mixup and the "long wait".  Funny thing is, there was a long wait, but I didn't really notice.  This dish was some mussels, clams, and a head-on shrimp, the head was stuffed with crab meat.  It was in a nice thai style broth, with alot of mine acidity, coconut milk, and leeks.  It was amazing.  Mains came out next.  Wife got the tuna--chefs choice preparation, I got bouillabaisse.  The tuna was on a bed of risoto, spiked with some pickled cabbage, and a side arugula salad.  The tuna was prepared rare but it was smoked.  It had a deep smoky flavor while at the same time being rare.  Neither of us have ever had tuna like this.  It was a revelation!  My bouillabaisse included clams, mussels, shrimp, scallop, and monk fish.  It was perfect, everything tasted amazing, there were a couple potatoes in the mix, and just a hint of broth at the bottom.  For dessert, we got a cherry chocolate bread pudding, topped with cherry chocolate chip ice cream and stewed cherries.  A nice end to a great meal.  When the check came they had also comped the desert.  Moral of the story here, is that the food was great, but what made it a truly memorable evening was the service and generosity.  The entire staff went above and beyond to make our night special.  Thanks again!

[DonRocks]

The entire staff went above and beyond to make our night special.  Thanks again!

What a great story, and kudos to Blacksalt.

[Genevieve]

Very glad to hear it - we went last year before the new chef, and felt both the food and service had gone downhill (the food a lot, the service a little).  We had struck it from our list, sadly, but I didn't realize they got a new chef in December, and based on these reports, we'll be going back.

[CSRoute1]

Definitely go back!  I had no idea about it going down hill.  The new chef is definitely good. I was there about a month ago with some foodie friends from out of town.  It was our first time.  We ordered about 6 appetizers, a dozen oysters, and a market fish prepared chef's choice for the three of us.  Our preference for the chef's choice was that he not use a lot of butter.  We didn't have a single bad dish!  We thought the seafood was just prepared perfectly.  We also had their specialty cocktails and thought they were really well made.  It wasn't cheap, but it was totally worth it.  It will definitely on my list for good seafood.

[Lydia R]

It's hard to believe that Black Salt has now been open for ten years. Time flies.

Rebecca Cooper, in WBJ, posted a video and article featuring Jeff Black reflecting on this anniversary. His comment that some new restaurants fail before they serve their first plate is so sadly true. He was, thankfully, given realistic advise by his mentor Bob Kinkead.

After reading through the thread, it's good to remember that Black Salt has a generous happy hour all week.