Blackbird

 Address 
815 W. 50th St., Mpls., 612-823-4790

The Scene
Over the past several months, a former gas station, a deli, and a bakery have found themselves converted into charming little neighborhood eateries. The latest makeover in this pleasant trend is the transformation of a shuttered south Minneapolis Caribou outpost into Blackbird. The compact, reverse L-shaped room is a model of the genre. Storefront windows frame the street side, a small wine bar affords a view of the kitchen, and a collection of close-quartered tables paired with sturdy wooden chairs and a few banquettes hug the perimeter. The décor is a crazy-quilt of bric-a-brac that includes Oriental paper lanterns, wrought iron chandeliers, assorted mirrors, and the owners’ personal collection of mounted antlers. The crowd of predominantly baby boomer locals is befittingly animated and casual.

Our Take
At first glance, it’s hard to know what to make of a pair of small-plate and dinner menus that zigzags from a crawfish hot dish and a Vietnamese banh mi sandwich to duck rillettes and a caesar salad offered with an optional side of fried chicken satay. You must conclude that the owners, the husband-and-wife team of Chris Stevens and Gail Mollner, are simply doing their thing. And if everything is not stellar, so what? The prices are so modest that you can try two or three other things and still come out ahead of the game.  Among the items I particularly enjoyed were an excellent paprika-seasoned half chicken sided with a bowl of gravy and great mashed potatoes; wonderful skin-on fries with a homemade béarnaise for dipping; an appetizer of Asian green beans slathered in black bean sauce; and an exemplary salad of roasted beets, sun-dried tomatoes, piquant pecans, and Maytag bleu cheese. Items I wouldn’t recommend—a fishy-tasting, excessively breadcrumb-crusted deep-fried salmon; pork schnitzel with a clashing “crust” of caraway seed, fennel, and mustard; and the crumbly, bland rillettes. Speaking of which, I wish spreads weren’t served with an identical quartet of dried-out crostini. The warm baguettes provide a much better platform. As for service, one evening, we couldn’t elicit much out of our harried server; on the other, the banter was much more engaging.

Horny Blackbird
The collection of mounted antlers reflects a relatively recent passion. The owners take particular pleasure in the trophy nature of the horns that are memorialized on plaques glued to the mountings. Though some guests find the display objectionable, others have found it the perfect opportunity to clear their homes of their own trophies by contributing them to the growing herd. And if you have any such trophies that you care to donate, I’ve received assurance that you will receive a complimentary food or beverage item in exchange.