Black Market

Vegetable Chap Chae

I had heard so much about this hot new Mass Ave eatery that I was thrilled when Brad Sullivan (@DalaiWino) suggested it for the a recent business lunch. A little outside the fray on the upper end of Massachusetts Avenue (East of College), it is an innocuous little brick building without much fanfare or signage (not surprising, given the name). We cozy up to the bar. I surmise the space: rustic, industrial, almost bleak with that "I'm so cool I don't have to try at all" kind of air about it. There are few individual tables in favor of a long bar and a huge community table. I've always loved that concept: sit next to strangers, become friends by the end of a shared meal. Nice.

Black Market

This place clearly says, "It's all about the food. Period." In my perpetual quest to make pink wine sexy again, I order a lovely Chateau Virgile (a dry rosé from Costières de Nîmes) and Brad opts for a bottled Harpoon Celtic Ale. We ask the server what to order and decide to go halvsies so we can each taste 2 dishes. Though I have heard a million things about their burger (lamb and beef, goat cheese spread, grilled red onion, green tomato pickles), I am assured that it will be on the menu for awhile so the pressure is off. We opt for the Pork Bolognese & Macaroni and the Vegetable Chap Chae. 


The bolognese is really good and not as heavy as I expected from the description, though still extremely satisfying in a comfort food type of way. There is just enough pasta to add a nice texture to what is really more of a thick chili type of dish. It's all about the bolognese, which is salty, slightly creamy, and slightly acidic from tomato.

Pork Bolognese & Macaroni

The Chap Chae was comprised of the clear Japanese rice noodles marinated in a soy-shitake broth with long strands of sweet potato (either raw or barely blanched, I couldn't tell)  mixed in. The sweet potato  added a great textural component with it's crunch. There were loads of other veggies involved: shitake mushrooms, bok choy, etc, and the flavors were really complex with star anise and toasted sesame rounding out the soy and mushroom flavors. I loved the dish, though it was a bit salty for my palate. It did pair beautifully with the dry rosé, by the way.


All in all I give Black Market 4/5. The prices were extremely fair (it was about $45 with tax and tip, 2 entrees, 1 beer and 2 glasses of wine), the portions were generous, and the food was great. Service was personal and the atmosphere is great. I will definitely be back for that burger and all of the other things I had my eye on.  Cheers!