I'm not usually a big meat eater, but even I suffer from inexplicable cravings from time to time. I'm not talking about an "I'll have a turkey sandwich" desire, but a full-out "I want a chunky, juicy slab of beef" craving. My beef hunger pangs couldn't have come at a better time: my dad was in town and what sort of good daughter wouldn't bring her father to a nice restaurant? It was time to head over to the Blackfin Chop House & Raw Bar on Huntington Avenue.
We had tickets for a show at 8 p.m. so we arrived for an early 6 p.m. dinner. Even so, several tables were already seated and well into their dinners. After taking our jackets, the hostess led us over to our table by the window.
As its namesake indicates, diners can get more than just steak here. But even if you just wander in off the street, Blackfin's d?©cor is a clear giveaway: paintings of tall ships, wood paneling, and big fishing rods adorn the walls. Though I was there for a steak, Blackfin clearly prides itself on its seafood as well.
As I gaped at the swordfish mounted on the opposite wall, my dad turned his attention to Blackfin's extensive wine list. According to our extremely friendly and perhaps a bit over-enthusiastic waitress, Blackfin boasts a wine cellar of over 100 types of wine. Wines are available by the glass (averaging $8), by the half bottle ($20 to $30) and by the bottle (from not-so-cheap $20 to really-not-cheap $350). Daddy dearest eventually settled for a bottle of 2000 Duckhorn Paraduxx that was safely in the two-digit range.
Overhearing praise for the oysters from the table next to us, we followed suit and started with a plate of six oysters of the day on the half shell (market price). It turns out that there is usually more than one type of oyster available every day of the week; we asked for something that's small, clean and a bit salty. The oyster bar chef's recommendations hit just the spot.
For bigger parties, three different platters featuring assortments of shell fish, cold crab and lobster, and sashimi are also available. These large plates are unsuitable for parties of two however - if main courses are on the horizon, that is.
After slurping down the last of our oysters, we turned back to our menus to plan the rest of our dinner. We decide to split a spinach salad ($10). Further down the menu, all the seafood sounded excellent, but my mind was set on meat, meat, meat. I ended up choosing the 12 oz. filet mignon with rosemary scalloped potatoes (market price) and my dad opted for the 16 oz. pig chop ($22). Why pig chop and not pork chop? My guess is that at one whole whopping pound, it might as well be a pig. Be forewarned: the pig chop takes 40 minutes to prepare.
Our spinach salad arrived already split into two half portions and I discovered what the waitress meant when she informed us that the dish is a "wilted" salad: the spinach is cooked ("wilted") and the salad is served slightly warm. It was not what I was expecting, but it was excellent all the same. The vinegar in the dressing nicely balanced out its subtle sweetness. Unfortunately (or fortunately), the menu at Blackfin is frequently updated and at time of press, the spinach salad was no longer available.
As we waited for the pig chop to cook, a gigantic platter of lobster, mashed potatoes and various other sides arrived at the table to the right of us, drawing both my and my dad's attention. The man glanced over at us and said in jest, "Three pounds turns out to be a lot bigger than it sounds!" To my surprise, the table to our left joined in on our chuckling and had a brief chat with us, the lobster man and his wife. I love camaraderie, but when one can talk down two tables without shouting, or when I can hear exactly when the woman next to me has had enough of her dish, then the tables are too close to each other.
Just as we poured out the last of the wine, our main courses arrived. My filet mignon was all that I imagined it would be. It was done to a perfect medium: pink on the inside, juicy, tender and soft. The pig chop looked ... huge. There's only a measly four ounce difference between my steak and the chop, but those four ounces easily rendered that chop bigger than my head. My dad set his knife and fork aside with a third of the chop remaining. The pork was good, but more dry and tough than my steak. A worthy challenge, nonetheless.
The restaurant was full by the time we got up to leave. Evidently, Blackfin attracts all sorts of clientele. There were folks in pressed suits conducting business dinners, couples-young and old alike - enjoying a nice night out, and even families with (well-behaved) children.
And at the door, the hostess remarkably remembered which coats were ours (we were not given coat room tags). Call me easily impressed, but that was a great final touch to a wonderful dinner.
