THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Blackie's

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Blackie's Restaurant Review:

Shedding its burly red-meat image and part of its name, Blackie's (formerly Blackie's House of Beef) has landed squarely in the 21st century adding an improved interior, French executive chef Claude Rodier, upscale steak-and-more menu and seamless service. New image or not, four beef dishes still lead off the menu, from prime rib of beef to a butter-tender 18-ounce porterhouse steak. But Rodier also tempts patrons with such dishes as a rotisserie-roasted duck, gleaming with its lemon-ginger glaze and its delicately darkened skin, a bacon-wrapped pork medallion, sautéed scallops with lobster ravioli, and, another of our favorites, crab cakes fashioned from lump crab meat. Almost a cliché in this town, crab cakes can vary in appeal, but these, though small, are superior: quick seared and no bread crumbs. The result? Pure, tender, sweet crab meat, enhanced by grilled vegetables and a dollop of a rich lime-ginger cream sauce. As for desserts, consider one of the two soufflés. We are also partial to the chocolate and pineapple cheesecake which has pineapple bits layering the crust and a slick of chocolate on top.