Where once his neighbors went to buy shovels and cut new keys, Capasso is now spinning pasta "love letters" tossed with braised rabbit, frothing "cappuccinos" steeped with figs, and working wonders with baby goat.
The name is a cumbersome mouthful, to be sure, embellished at the last minute to avoid confusion with another local business. But that's more an awkward vestige of Capasso's roundabout comeback than a reflection on the tasteful clarity of the experience he's created here. The bilevel space has been transformed into a bistro of warm and simple elegance, with mission-style wood and glass accents at the entrance, walnut floors, braided-leather banquettes, and artfully framed black-and-white photos of kitchen friends and family taken by the chef himself.
There is a nicely polished service staff led by Brazilian-born maitre d' Mark Nascimento, whose suave inquiry - "More pepper, Capitaine?" - was delivered with just enough wry charm to make us smile.
But it is the seamless contemporary cooking from Capasso and his longtime kitchen lieutenant, William Connelly, that truly makes Blackbird worth a trip - even with a $3 bridge toll.
Rooted in French and Italian techniques with a few nods to Asia, and using excellent local ingredients, Blackbird's kitchen delivers some memorable plates. Dinner isn't cheap, with regular menu entrees ranging into the high $20s. But Capasso also turned out one of the best $30 four-course menus I've seen for a recent "farm to fork" event, though I'll concede I couldn't resist that menu's numerous opportunities for upgrades.
