Blackbird’s New Magician
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After a little more than six months, Sheerin, a 31-year-old who grew up on the north side of Chicago, has subtly and smartly put his mark on the restaurant. He’s preserved the identity of Blackbird–fresh and ingredient-focused food–but his cooking snaps with unexpected ideas.
“I get playful,” says Sheerin, who’s soft-spoken with a vaguely bashful look. His sturgeon plate, for instance, comes with a version of pastrami and rye–rye gnocchi and guanciale (cured pork jowl)–and of course mustard. Sheerin had been frustrated trying to make pumpernickel pasta, so he deconstructed a few rye bread recipes and came up with the gnocchi instead, with rye flour, molasses, and caraway seeds.
“What Mike is able to do is clean, superfocused, minimalist food,” says Kahan, who adds that although people call his own food simple, he sees it as cluttered. “For me, it’s always ‘add another ingredient.’ Mike’s much more of a technician. A few of the things he has on the menu, I would have been embarrassed to do”–because of their simplicity. “He has the balls to do it.”
Art accompanying story in printed newspaper (not available in this archive): Michael Sheerin’s pine nut gazpacho, pork belly, and sturgeon plate.
