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If you haven’t read it, you’re the last one in Chicago . . . it being Chandra Ram’s epic account of the opening and early days of arguably our most influential modern restaurant, Blackbird, at Plate Online. My favorite bit (which I had heard before but has always been kind of kept quiet) is that back in 1998 the restaurant was nearly given the hilariously new wave-y name Menue (see, it’s like menu, and new!). It was back and forth between that and Paul Kahan’s desire to give it a twee Ye Olde name, the Little Blackbird, before they settled on the name whose classic simplicity (and possible Beatles reference) was a perfect fit with Kahan’s flavor-first, unfussy food. Or at least it seems that way after 15 years of Blackbird influencing our scene and sending its line cooks all over town.
• Condolences to the family behind now-closed Bleeding Heart Bakery on the death of partner, husband, and father Vinny Garcia over the weekend from leukemia. Matt Kirouac wrote a remembrance here.
