100 Best Restaurants 2009: Black Market Bistro

Reviewed by Todd Kliman , Ann Limpert , Cynthia Hacinli , Rina Rapuano , Eve Zibart

No. 47: Black Market Bistro

Black Market Bistro

4600 Waverly Avenue
Kensington/Garrett Park, MD 20896
Phone: 301-933-3000

Cuisines:
American, Modern, Breakfast

Opening Hours:

Wheelchair Accessible:
Yes

Nearby Metro Stops:
White Flint

Price Range:
Moderate

Dress:
Informal

Noise Level:
Chatty

Reservations:
Recommended

Special Features:
Weekend Brunch, Kid Friendly

Website:
Click here to open in new window.

Price Details:
Lunch appetizers, $4 to $9; entrees, $8 to $14.
Dinner appetizers, $7 to $12; entrees, $9 to $25.
Brunch entrees, $10 to $14.


 

Reader's Rating:
5 out of 5

Cuisine: The most engaging and consistent of Jeff and Barbara Black’s four restaurants—BlackSalt, Black’s Bar & Kitchen, and Addie’s are the others—dishes up new American classics such as shrimp with grits and cornmeal-crusted oysters, with sauces and condiments that take them beyond the ordinary.

Mood: A turn-of-the-century post-office building in Garrett Park with antique-filled rooms. Trains rumbling by add to the dining-in-the-country allure.

Best for: Weekend brunch in the sunny dining rooms; summer supper on the porch; lunch with a friend; well-done American cooking anytime.

Best dishes: Pizza bianca with caramelized onion; New Orleans–style barbecue shrimp over corn-and-scallion grits in a buttery-spicy “gravy”; cider-cured roast pork tenderloin with bacon-braised cabbage and mustard sauce; hardwood-grilled hanger steak with chimichurri; roast chicken with intense jus; hardwood-grilled burger; chocolate bread pudding with vanilla ice cream.

Insider tips: Ask for a table in the main dining room; the smaller annex feels a bit like Siberia unless you’re having a private party. The handful of tables on the porch in summer are prime real estate—first come, first served.

Service: ••

Open Monday through Saturday for lunch and dinner, Sunday for brunch and dinner. Moderate.

See all of 2009's 100 Best Restaurants

Reader ReviewsWrite your own review
 
Excellent Black Market Bistro
popi1854 — February 15, 2009 5:21 AM
We chose the Black Market Bistro for our valentine's day dinner mostly on the recomendation of friends who had spoken highly of it. It turns out they were quite right. Our evening was exellent. Every dish that was put on th table delivered more than More ...
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