The Black Hen & Bar Blue in Blacksburg, Virginia

@thinlinesandsuch and I don’t go out to eat very often. As chefs, we can usually create something at home that’s restaurant quality for a fraction of the price. Tonight, our business partner (we own our restaurant and food prep company together) decided he was going to spoil us. We’re very glad he did.

The Black Hen & Bar Blue is New American cuisine at its finest. Here’s a photo of their current menu...

We started off with the cheese plate (all 7), and shrimp cocktail.

The fontina paired with the onion gastrique was my favorite combination on the plate. The shrimp cocktail didn’t try to be anything it wasn’t. It was almost perfect...I can eat at least 5-6 shrimp by myself ;)

For our main courses, I had the Duck Breast with Broccolini, roasted potatoes (I’m pretty sure they were cooked in duck fat), mango glaze and a poached duck egg. It’s pictured above, but here it is again...

My guess is that the duck breast was done with a sous vide, then broiled. It was unbelievably delicious, and perfectly paired with the sweet mango glaze. The yolk from the poached egg perfectly pulled the entire dish together. The potatoes were, hands down, some of the best I’ve ever had.

@thinlinesandsuch ordered the Lamb Chops with purple fingerling potatoes, Brussel sprouts, turnips, carrots, parsnips and a blueberry balsamic glaze...

It was a wonderfully executed and beautiful Dish. The root vegetables combined with the flavors of lamb and blueberries just worked.

If you find yourself in Blacksburg, VA, definitely check out The Black Hen. It’s actually priced pretty reasonably for the caliber of food and excellent service.

Here’s a link their website:
https://www.theblackhenrestaurant.com