Sac Biz Journal's Ed Murrieta ate at Blackbird on their opening night last week, and didn't like what he saw.

The blackened Romaine lettuce in the grilled Caesar salad ($9) tasted of whatever oil, spray or industrial fat product that was applied to the grill. There was no hint of garlic, no bite of anchovy or cheese. Salty and umami flavors were all in the aggressive crouton laid atop the hot mess of lettuce. Frying oil was the dominant flavor of the two fried smelt garnishes. The raw, lightly smoked Hawaiian butterfish ($10) needed lighter knife work and heavier saucing. I was served four slabs of fish flesh that were cut thick enough to stand upright. Blood orange sauced balanced creamy-hued fish. And the deconstruction of nachos ($10) that offered half the food for twice the price of a decent plate of meat, chips, cheese and salsa that you can order at virtually any other bar in town?

Read the entire review in the Sac Biz Journal.

I haven't been yet, but I wouldn't write Blackbird off after a bad opening night. Restaurants rarely execute well in their first couple weeks, but given the review, I may give the place a month or two to get its act together before I spend my hard earned money there.

For those who missed all the press surrounding its opening, here's a snippet from Sactown Mag's preview of the reincarnated restaurant:

Those who frequented Blackbird in the past will notice some marked differences. Although items like mussels will still be a menu focus, the restaurant’s trademark raw bar has been converted into “Sacramento’s first cider bar,” says Priley, which will have six different varieties on tap by the likes of Sacramento’s own Two Rivers Cider Company. Also noticeable is the more open, tavern-like atmosphere downstairs, with two large community tables (custom-made from claro walnut wood by head waiter Rob Risucci), as well as an extensive tap system attached to a quartz backboard that was etched and sandblasted by hand... “I saw Blackbird as having a persona that could take the beer experience and really change it into something that’s very different, to appeal to what I believe is an unserved demographic that wants to learn about beer but may not feel comfortable asking questions in a typical beer environment,” Priley says.

Read the entire article by Stephanie Towne in Sactown Mag.

More News:

Pilny Talks: Adventures in Sac Beer Week - No one could say they didn’t like the beer. All the Unlucky had put so much time and effort into the act of attaining the Younger that it started to taste like Anticipation and Victory. Plus, any haters would probably have been invited to leave. But most of my old friends, new friends and in-line-friends determined that the hype around the beer was true: strong, smooth and loaded with hops. Pliny the Younger, they agreed, was a February highlight, a California treasure and a must-taste for 2015. Leia Ostermann on Girls on the Grid.

Pliny the Younger makes splash at Pour House, but is craze waning? - Despite all the folks pining for a taste of Pliny, the scene was actually a bit more subdued compared to last year at PourHouse. That keg in the 2013 edition of Sacramento Beer Week was emptied in a mere 17 minutes, and the line this year was only a couple dozen deep about an hour before a $7 pour of Pliny the Younger went on sale at 4 p.m. Perhaps those who were curious about the elusive Pliny the Younger have received their taste by now, and while this is no doubt a fine and impeccably fresh brew, there might be better things to do than wait in line for hours for a small pour of beer. Call it the “been there, done that” syndrome? Chris Macias in the Sac Bee.

Local restaurant serves delectable Korean food - Inconspicuously located in the middle of a Rosemont strip mall just a few miles away from the Sacramento State campus, it is easy to miss the Korean restaurant, Sa Ra Bang, if you didn’t already know it was there. Nestled between the bright neon lights of a liquor store and the diviest of dive bars, the Mushroom Lounge, Sa Rang Bang both fits into its surroundings with its late-night hours and stands out with surprisingly good authentic food. Steve Senn in the Sac State Hornet.