I made a lot of resolutions at the beginning of this year, chief among them my vow to see those resolutions through. I do that every year, but this time I made a list that I check off item by item as completed, with such everyday tasks as "paint apartment" (not done yet) and "new computer" (likewise) sharing space with more abstract goals such as "Own it!" I haven't owned it just yet, but I'm working on it. I still need to pick up a new chef's knife, a food processor, and a proper set of dishware, but can at least take comfort in my new wok, bamboo steamers, Japanese, Mexican, and Chinese cookbooks (among others), my pepper grinder, teapot, Chinese-style soup spoons, and gorgeous set of lacquered chopsticks. Another resolution was to read 30 books over the course of the year, which didn't seem like that many in January. But when I checked my list in mid-March, I found that I'd read, well, two.
Anthony Pidgeon
Bad Luck: Black Cat's sumptuous new interior doesn't make up for its unpredictable food quality.
Details
981-2230
Open for dinner Monday through Saturday from 5:30 to 11:15 p.m., 12:15 a.m. on weekends
Reservations accepted
Wheelchair accessible
Parking: valet for $10, otherwise difficult
Muni: 12
Noise level: moderate
Sidecar $8
Vacqueyras grenache $25/carafe
Octopus en daube $8
New York steak with frites $19
Grapefruit sorbet $6
Flourless chocolate cake $6.50
501 Broadway (at Kearny)
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Fortunately, I'm now back on track (10 books either finished or in progress) and ready to put my new knowledge to use. Since I wasn't too impressed with my most recent restaurant experience -- Reed Hearon's newly revamped Black Cat -- I'll liven up this review with a few of my reading highlights. I never managed to eat at the original Black Cat, which opened in 1998 as a sort of tribute to the legendary Montgomery Street gay/bohemian bar of the same name, with a menu that spanned a global range worthy of The Best American Travel Writing 2000. Call it bad luck, but the first time I walked in I smelled a fishy smell and left. I tried again a year later, but Black Cat was then working out some sort of zoning issue that prohibited drinking wine at the outdoor tables. We crossed the street to the outdoor patio at Enrico's, where I've enjoyed at least a dozen satisfying meals over the years. The food at Enrico's isn't always breathtaking, but it's dependable -- a quality that should mean everything in the restaurant business but was entirely lacking at Black Cat.
Since I find it hard to believe that Black Cat's kitchen staff is inept, the explanation for our surprisingly disappointing dinner might be good old-fashioned sloppiness. Either that, or Black Cat and I are destined to upset one another. (And if this review upsets anyone at Black Cat, he or she should know the meal I suffered through upset me quite profoundly.) It was as if there were two squads of chefs in the kitchen, each working at opposite ends of the spectrum. Some dishes couldn't have been finer, while others thudded so hard my friend Vincenzo and I figured a high school gym class could have done better with proper instruction.
We'll get to the food, but first a few words on the new décor. The place closed earlier this year for an extensive makeover, and the new layout is entirely sumptuous in a French brasserie kind of way. Rows of liquor bottles behind the bar bathe in warm, golden light, a gorgeous backdrop for the black-and-white tiled floor, dark wood columns set with mirrors and glowing gold panels, and raw seafood bar laden with glistening ice. Lilting French tunes and soft jazz added a soothing, sophisticated aura, and the hard-working front-of-the-house staff appeared ready to fulfill any desire we could have named. The new theme ("Bistro des Poètes") didn't exactly jibe with the dressed-to-the-nines Tuesday night crowd, which seemed more inclined to fret about the restaurant of the moment than about the intricacies of Baudelaire and Rimbaud. But then, I must admit the black evening dress worn by the woman a few tables down was pure, undeniable poetry.
As the late, great food writer James Beard once opined, a moderate amount of any spirit will not harm one's ability to enjoy wine during dinner. In tribute, we started with a pair of tipples that ended up foreshadowing the rest of our meal. Vincenzo sipped an exquisite Sidecar, while I received a Mojito that combined a pinch of mint so ragged it appeared to have been muddled in a blender with a cloying overdose of simple syrup. I've had worse Mojitos, but always sent them back; in this case, I managed to finish the drink before we moved on to a carafe of velvety smooth Vacqueyras grenache from the well-chosen, largely French wine list.
Black Cat's new menu is also largely French, and it seemed promising when things began with good, chewy-crusted bread and a bowl of almonds and olives. The small fruits de mer platter might have provided a bit more bulk for $28, but looked like it would make up for its small helpings with variety. Eight sparkling, fresh oysters were served with three tiny dabs of tartare over scallop shells. The first choice -- tuna with artichoke and Meyer lemon, drenched in rich, fruity olive oil -- proved entirely seductive. But avocado and Meyer lemon did little for the pasty sweet shrimp in the second, while crushed hazelnuts so overwhelmed the delicate scallop in the third that we were glad the portion was small.
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