For a dish, sometimes it starts with an ingredient I'm really excited to work with. Other times it is a technique. From this starting point I'll add elements of seasonality, interesting contrasts of flavors and textures and a consideration of its eventual wine pairing. Dishes have two roles, two personae in the context of dinner. Each dish is a creation that stands alone, each dish has a creative tension. However, each dish also has a place in a menu and a relationship with wine that must be considered. That is the 'other' part. The more challenging part. How well does the dish fit in the context of the meal.

The menu then, is a collection of insirations that weave together the themes of locality, seasonality, wine pairing, palate, composition, design and taste. My menus at the Black Cat are dynamic and changing. They express the season and what is exciting right now. That might be a pairing of buttery hamachi with spicy peppercress from my garden or it could be just having fun, making old-school, throw back dishes like terrines, spatzel and schnitzle.

Please visit our ever-changing wine list. Wine List

BlackCat A Metropolitan Bistro

Little Bites

Appetizers

Eric's Kitchen Garden Salad

Tastes from the chef's personal garden, poulet eggs, baby carrots, sherry vinaigrette 10

Salad of Market Beets

Roquefort blue cheese, toasted hazelnuts, roasted shallots 10

Rocket Arugula Salad

Crisp brandade cakes, olive oil poached vegetables, tomato tapenade, lemon 13

Seared Diver Scallops

Braised leeks, summer truffle shavings, haricots verts 16

Crisp Duck Confit

Salad of grilled fennel and lemon balm, ginger gastrique 13

Blue Crab, Hot and Cold

Blue crab salad and soufflé, sugar pea salad, mint coulis, lemon 14

Farmer’s Cheese Gnocchi

White bolognaise, rosemary whey, marinated tomatoes, bloomsdale spinach15

Entrées

Saute of Lemon Snapper

Blue crab 'udon,' wilted choys, asian vinaigrette, garlic chives 23

Juxtaposition of Duck

Fennel honey roasted breast and confit leg strudel, roasted cherries, braised fennel 24

Roasted Garlic-Polenta Gratin

Pecorino pepato, marinated tomatoes, roasted shallot, oregano coulis 16

Confit of Berkshire Pork Shoulder

Braised chard from eric's garden, heirloom roses, grilled figs, toasted pistachios 21

Tagine of Pacific Rockfish

Braised vegetables and chickpeas, olives, preserved lemon 19

Highland Veal Scaloppini

Chevre polenta, roasted peppers, thyme jus, haricots verts 24

Tasting Menu

Chef’s five course tasting menu 62/99 with paired wines

Chef’s seven course tasting menu 71/109 with paired wines

Vegetarian or vegan five course tasting menu 62/99 with paired wines