The name Chef Paul Kahan is now famous in Chicago and the food world at large, thanks to the success of his restaurants like avec, The Publican, and, of course, Blackbird {619 West Randolph Street, Chicago; 312.715.0708}. Blackbird, and Kahan, have been Chicago staples for two decades, providing our Windy City with 20 years of unique and delicious menu items. Kahan is now a partner of One Off Hospitality, as well as continuing his work in the kitchen, alongside Blackbird’s Chef de Cuisine Ryan Pfeiffer. This duo is changing the Chicago food game one plate at a time, and after so many years of success, we had to know just a few of their secrets. Kahan and Pfeiffer are giving us a sneak peak at their menu philosophy, Blackbird’s place in Chicago, and some very special 20-year celebrations…
DiningOut: Congratulations on this milestone! What does the continued success of the restaurant mean to you?
Kahan: Thank you! We put a ton of soul into this project when it opened, and we’ve continued to do so right up until today. Alongside my partners, Donnie Madia, Ricky Diarmit and Eduard Seitan, we’re proud to see the restaurant at the 20-year mark. We’ve come a long way together, and although we didn’t always agree on everything, and it wasn’t always easy—we’re all working towards the same thing, which is to present something special that’s welcoming and unique.
Do you have anything special planned to commemorate the anniversary?
Kahan: Even though the restaurant technically opened doors in December ’97, we decided why not celebrate the 20th all year long? We’ve invited six of our friends to come to Chicago throughout 2018 for six individual dinners at Blackbird that will be ticketed and open to the public. Together with chef de cuisine, Ryan Pfeiffer and the entire Blackbird team, we’re excited to collaborate with some of my favorite people in the industry including Suzanne Goin, Marc Vetri, Sean Brock, Wylie Dufresne, Jeremey Charles and Chris Cosentino. You can find all the details here.
How has the Chicago food world changed since Blackbird opened?
Kahan: It’s great to see so many independent restaurateurs emerge. In the ’90s, there was super high-end fine dining on one end of it, and then corporate groups and chains on the other—but there’s been some really creative and talented people somewhere in the middle of all of that. A lot of those people have gone on to do some amazing things.
How has the restaurant changed and adapted to this changing landscape?
Kahan: One of the things I love most about Blackbird is its ability to remain timeless. Through all of the various menus and eras of the restaurant, to me, the food, design and hospitality still feels like it did when we kicked things off two decades ago. This is really due to the incredible amount of passion and leadership that our team puts into it everyday.
What do you want people to experience when they dine with you?
Kahan: Our goal is to bring delicious, sustainably sourced food and a sense of genuine hospitality to the guests we’re lucky enough to welcome into our restaurant every day.
Chef Ryan Pfieffer
What are some of your favorite menu items right now?
Pfeiffer: If I had to choose some standouts, the first thing on the menu that comes to mind is the current chicken dish. I feel like a restaurant that can take something as “pedestrian” as chicken and make it exciting, is a restaurant that is really pushing for good food. We brine the chicken in dashi, roast the breasts in a cast iron pan and serve it with morels stuffed with a chicken mousseline, a brioche and sherry pudding, and the cuisson from cherrystone clams.
How do you keep the menu fresh year after year?
Pfeiffer: I keep the menu fresh every year by constantly pushing for new knowledge, but maintaining an integrity toward old techniques. I also do this by making sure my staff is as honed in skill as myself. A chef is only as good as the people he teaches.
How do the food and beverage menus work hand in hand?
Kahan: Part of what makes Blackbird work so well is the teamwork and collaboration. Ryan and David Barriball (our GM and Wine Director) work closely together to taste each dish and pair things up in a way that not only makes sense, but is sometimes almost unexpected. These guys are really fantastic on knowing what works and presenting it in a way that’s unique to their own styles. If you haven’t checked out our tasting menu yet, this is where you can really see the collaboration between these two at its best.
What is next for Blackbird?
Kahan: Ryan is an incredible leader. A lot has changed in the industry, and running a kitchen now is much more difficult to do than it was 20 years ago, but he’s able to achieve the same things in a totally different way. To me, a strong team produces a great restaurant. When everyone from the front to the back is taking extreme pride in their work, you can see it and feel it in every detail that the restaurant puts out. That’s where we’re at now, and I’m willing to say the Blackbird is just as exciting as its ever been.
Interview by Kaleigh Glaza | Online Editor
The post Blackbird Celebrates Two Delicious Decades appeared first on DiningOut Chicago.