On the Black Market

Last night, K picked me up from work and as we worked our way away from my office, I subtly suggested that a plan for dinner that didn’t involve either of us cooking or cleaning might be a really good idea. (I believe that went something like: “I don’t want to have to cook or clean. Can we go somewhere?”) This impulsive foolishness was brought on, in no small part, by the knowledge that our respective employers owed each of us hefty reimbursement checks which had taken a dent out of our previous month’s budget (although I’m pleased to say that our credit cards continue to gather dust…)

I couldn’t remember where I’d heard about Black Market Bistro, but I’m sure glad I did hear about it. We wound our way through a quiet neighborhood in Garrett Park, MD (where we would love to buy a home one day, should we happen to experience a windfall in the six digit range…), and came across this so-charming-I-could-spit bistro in a restored Victorian home, right next to the very teeny and unassuming Garret Park commuter rail stop. Every so often a train would roll by, but it really just seemed to add ambiance, so we didn’t pay it any mind. We walked in, and it was busy, which we took to be a good sign since it was only a Tuesday night. We were promptly seated and opened our menu.

This is where the dilemma began. Everything just looked so good. I mean so good. Then the waiter came and told us the specials. Damn him. That made it harder. We eventually settled on a cup of butternut squash soup (K), a cup of tomato basil soup (me), we split an order of their fried green tomatoes, K got grilled tuna with white beans and some delicious sauce, and I got pork tenderloin with apple slaw, braised red cabbage, and a crispy sweet potato cake. (As I said to K, they had me at “crispy sweet potato cake”.)

The soup was delicious. I am a huge fan of tomato soup, and I have to say – that did not suck at all. It was savory, with an intense tomato flavor, and just the right amount of basil. I had previously had an underwhelming experience with fried green tomatoes at a place in DC, so I didn’t get the fuss. Well, these were different – they were lightly breaded and obviously fried quickly, because the coating was light and crisp, not remotely greasy, and the tomatoes themselves were still firm and juicy. That was served with a Maytag bleu cheese slaw and a tomato puree.

That didn’t suck, either.

We were already pretty sure that we’d made a good choice for dinner, and our entrees really didn’t disappoint. K’s tuna was perfectly done, moist (ech – I hate that word) and tender, and complimented perfectly by the bean dish served with it. The pork tenderloin was perfectly done, and wonderfully balanced by the cabbage and the slaw, which was very light. And that sweet potato cake. Oh. My. Gosh. I could eat one every day for the rest of my life. Really. I’d probably get fat, but with all that beta carotene from the sweet potatoes, I’d have excellent vision. Lots of fiber there, too. So really, it’s like eating a salad. A delicious, crispy, sweet potato-y salad.

We were full, but I’d already heard the words “pumpkin cheesecake” bandied about, so we decided to peruse the dessert menu and possibly take something home with us to have later. However, the waiter informed us of other words, like “dark cherry chocolate bread pudding” and “ginger spice cake”. So we decided that would be the way to go, and after a wonderfully satisfying meal, we headed home. About an hour later, our desserts were everything we’d hoped, and I have to say that Black Market Bistro has definitely climbed onto our “go-to” list. It’s kind of out of the way, but it’s definitely worth the trek.