A Race Street Northern Italian Bistro
Editors Note: The Blackbread is closed until March 2012 for some fixing up – they will also be re-opening their upstairs Martini Bar!
It was only a year ago we returned from Italy, marveling at the simplicity and tastefulness of the food – whether it was from one of the ubiquitous neighborhood pizzerias, or someplace a bit fancier, tucked into a sidestreet.
That’s how we felt after an evening at the Blackbread Cafe, located on Race Street, in one of Jim Thorpe’s 1845 brick rowhouses. Actually, it’s two, stitched tastefully together. My brother and sister-in-law had just come in from Chicago, and the warm atmosphere felt perfect for a pre-Christmas dinner.
Presently a BYOB, the Blackbread staff was still well-versed in how to present a nice bottle of wine, even though we brought it, and they did it without any hint of stuffiness. The place is fun!
We started off appropriately enough with an Italian bruschetta of ripe summer tomatoes, fresh garden basil, and garlic. The four of us set upon that, and the night was on. It set us up perfectly for our delicious crabcakes appetizer, drizzled with a snappy, pleasing sauce. Smiles all around.
Then it was time for entrees, and here’s what we tried: Chicken Trieste, Salmon, Penne California, and an evening special - gnocchi with vodka sauce. It seemed like a nice sampling of what the chef could do, and he passed our very unofficial test with flying colors. The chicken – hearty, tasty, but not too much. The gnocchi – great texture, and with the complement of a little sauce, just excellent flavor. Same with the salmon and penne: delicious.
OK, bravo!
We were pretty well satiated and at first declined dessert, but thought about it a bit more. We were glad for that. A lovely sorbet arrived, enveloped in lemon, along with a fine, not-too-sweet cake.
But the highlight was the tableside preparation of Bananas Foster. And it wasn’t just about the show: the sauce was just right, the slivered almonds a great touch, and the bananas not at all overcooked.
To top it all off, owner Mark Pawlitchek availed us of some complementary dessert wine – again not too sweet, and just an outstanding finish to an excellent meal. The Blackbread is understated and relaxed, much like its Northern Italian cousins.
Check it out – open Thursday through Sunday during winter.
We were in Jim Thorpe the weekend before Halloween when they had their first snow storm of the season. The electric was out on Race St. and we had made reservations for 7 people at Black Bread. We were assured that they could still serve us? Not sure how this was going to turn out, our experience ended up being the best meal we have ever had while visiting Jim Thorpe. The entire resturant was lighted by candles, while the staff served us the best meal we have ever had in Jim Thorp! This experience has brought us back again and again. I highly recommend this resturant.