Green tea cherry dessert at Blackbird
A staple of Chicago fine dining for two decades and counting, Blackbird needs no introduction. And while you might be familiar with its new executive chef, Ryan Pfeiffer—who became the restaurant’s second-ever executive chef this summer after years as the chef de cuisine under chef-partner Paul Kahan—his launch of the Blackbird Reserve Tasting Menu is a different bird entirely. Available only on weekends and in limited quantities, the 12- to 14-course tasting menu ($170 to $190) will revitalize your taste buds at every turn, with dishes like Santa Barbara sea urchin chawanmushi with shio koji and maple. Focusing on live shellfish like langoustines and rare ingredients like Périgord truffle, Pfeiffer reimagines the menu after each three-day run—leaving guests with a completely new experience every time they’re up for a splurge. 619 W. Randolph St., 312.715.0708
Photography by: ISABELLE LANGHEIM/ BLACKBIRD
