blacksalt restaurant & fish market. palisades - 4883 macarthur blvd, dc

blacksalt has been on my hitlist ever since they opened three years ago or so. combination fish market/restaurant, it may sound like you're going to be dining in a warehouse with newspapered tables, high ceilings, a captain's platter, schooners of beer, mallets and plastic bibs featuring a lobster smiling back at your date; quite the contrary. thankfully.

instead it's the perfect marriage of a cozy market to pick up fresh, fresh fish with a terrific neighborhood restaurant. you trust these people too because they know what's up. they are committed to providing fish and shellfish only from sustainable aquaculture stocks. (by the way there's a great website to check out if you want to know more about what fish to buy and why: http://www.mbayaq.org/ so you too can avoid illegally-fished or over-fished fish.)

way back when, i did visit blacksalt soon after they opened, to check out the fish market offerings and to see what the buzz was. they offer some cool and real products (my preferred brand of fleur de sel is a good sign to me), some great olive oil, truffle oil, vinegars, brining spices, condiments, etc. this, of course, in addition to a fairly well-stocked case of fresh fish, whole and filleted. the fishmonger is well-versed and explains anything you need. what a cool place to get your catch of the day from all aspects. there was a curtain drawn to separate the fish market from the dining room so i couldn't get a feel for the dining atmosphere but i think i thought it wouldn't be that cool. i was wrong.

so, last night i had dinner there. finally.

i'm always leary of ordering fish when i'm out (this is partially because i don't order entrees due to my commitment-phobia). mostly it's because i was "raised" in a kitchen where we revered fish, and cooked it impeccably. i cooked fish impeccably. (i had to, else face the wrath of a 28-year-old chef who was eager to demean, belittle, debase, humiliate, scream, throw things at you and use every four-letter word in english and french you can imagine and some you can't). i know most kitchens aren't like that so it couldn't possibly be as good a product as what i used to prepare. at blacksalt, you really have no choice but to order fish and that's a good thing.

we started with a bottle of their house cabernet (mid-priced at $52, can't recall the name, but good after breathing a bit), a couple of appetizers - fried clams, white anchovy "pizza". first, they bring you a selection of bread with olive oil for dipping. the foccacia was good, the french bread pretty good and the really yummy looking yeast rolls, not worth the calories. yes, i tried them all - research, research, people. the fried clams were well-fried and crispy served with a curried mayonnaise. i thought it needed a little lemon and while curried mayonnaise sounds flavorful, it was missing something. i love white anchovies. they're mild and delicate and yummy. not like your typical anchovy. try them if you ever see them and please stop saying, "i hate anchovies." this "pizza" has hummus on it and something really smokey, not sure what - paprika? it was good (teeny tiny) but i'm not the biggest smokey flavor fan and thought it overwhelmed those yummy little anchovies i was so looking forward to.

i wanted to try the skate wing but they were out. this plays well with they're fresh catch theme don't you think? instead i ordered the salmon (well they were out - but they did have arctic char - same difference but perhaps a little more mellow than salmon). It was served on top a delicious crisp-tender bed of shaved brussels sprouts that were cooked in lots o' butter and bacon. the sauce was a surprising orange sauce which i guess gave it an asian twist. it was sweet but absolutely delicious. i ate every bite.

i should've but didn't feel guilty about ordering dessert - a generous slice of chocolate peanut butter crunch cake with peanut brittle and chocolate sauce. no complaints there. kind of wish i'd tried the trio of creme brulee though. i might be chocolated out right now.

i incontrivertibly recommend blacksalt. its atmosphere is neighborhoody, simple and cozy and clean and unpretentious, it's the diners who bring sophistication to it. a good spot for dining with friends or a date. the maitre d' was charming and funny. people with english accents can get away with anything, can't they? he was sweet and helpful and made us feel right at home. our server was fantastic and very attentive. take my advice on this one and go, go, go fish.