Restaurant Review: The Black Sheep

I wrote two weeks ago that I’d review two restaurants in succession, and Chef Tyler Sailsbery’s Black Sheep, at 210 W. Whitewater Street along Cravath Lake, is the promised second of those two reviews.

And yet, it’s odd to write about Whitewater’s Black Sheep as the second of a series – it’s a fine establishment on its own. There never has been (and never will be) a perfect restaurant, but the Black Sheep is a strong addition to area dining.

The restaurant offers a New American cuisine, with with an emphasis on fresh, local ingredients. There’s a nationwide trend toward upscale restaurants of this type, and part of Chef Sailsbery’s accomplishment is embracing this trend for Whitewater.

Alice Waters, the author of the Art of Simple Food, derived from experiences at her Berkeley restaurant on Shattuck Avenue, would find much she’d appreciate at the Black Sheep. She calls her own recipes the ammunition of a delicious revolution, but it’s more informative to say that it’s a new, lighter, more organically-sourced American cuisine.

There’s an entire publishing industry for – and a bit against – Waters’s ideas, but I’ll declare my allegiance, and say that I’ve enjoyed many of her recipes.

For a smaller restaurant, the Black Sheep has a comprehensive menu. Although that might signal problems elsewhere, I found every dish I tried to be well-prepared; Sailsbery’s menu exhibits overall strength.

Lunch affords choices of about five salads, three soups, a few appetizers, and about ten principal choices. Patrons will find real enjoyment in the mushroom bisque, properly light and subtle. There’s none like it in the city, and that’s too bad: this is a bisque as it should be. It’s more than a shame that so many offerings in restaurants are heavy, thick, almost leaden.

The Black Sheep avoids this — successful New American cooking rests on dishes that are light, relatively simple, and never overpowering. One should taste the combination of ingredients, rather than only one over others.

Those having lunch will enjoy the salmon cakes, with chipotle aioli and sautéed spinach.

The dinner menu presents ten principal dishes, about four more of pasta, and two weekly specials (beef short ribs or lamb shank during my visits).

On one visit I chose the lamb ravioli, and the suggested pairing with Bell’s Two Hearted Ale was sound.

You know, that the suggested pairings include a Merlot (Velvet Devil Merlot) is an encouraging sign. Merlot’s taken quite the hit, in film and popular opinion thereafter, and Sailsbery’s suggestion shows a thoughtful assessment rather than an acceptance of a passing bias.

One enters the Black Sheep on Whitewater Street, to find two principal rooms: an entranceway with small dining room and full bar to the left, and a second dining room to the right. They’re not independent spaces: it’s simply the configuration of the building, one that formerly housed a meat market. The division of the space works very well, with the bar separate from the larger dining area.

One quick note – this is fine, but not formal, dining. I rather like that, but the atmosphere is more casual than some might expect. Seating includes couch and cushions along one row of tables, and to my mind that’s all to the good.

There are – in any place – a few gaps. On one visit I noticed that the menus had seen one to many presentations, and I’d switch the tablecloths for something just a bit more textured that wouldn’t need pressing.

One hears so much about what it means to aspire, to be aspirational. It does mean something, but nothing matters more for a restaurant than what patrons truly experience – the table is set only for them, and only their impressions truly matter.

The Black Sheep aspires to offer fine dining for Whitewater, but the strength of Sailsbery’s offering is not simply an aspiration, but rather an accomplishment.

Easily recommended – equally suitable for an enjoyable evening with one’s spouse, friends, or colleagues.

LOCATION: 210 W. Whitewater Street, Whitewater, WI 53190 (262) 458-4751.

OPEN: Mon to Sat, 11 AM – 10 PM — there’s much to be said for simple, regular hours like these, that patrons will easily remember.

PRICES: Main dish and a glass of wine for about $20-25.

RESERVATIONS: Accepted.

DRINKS: Good election of Whites and Reds. Wollersheim’s Prairie Fumé will not disappoint.

SOUND: Moderate, but one can hear one’s companions easily.

SERVICE: Relaxed, attentive, conversational, and friendly. I found a light, welcome playfulness in the waiters and waitresses I met during my visits.

VISITS: Three (one lunch, two dinners).

RATING: Recommended — 3.75 of 4.

RATING SCALE: From one to four stars, representing the full experience of food, atmosphere, service, and pricing.

INDEPENDENCE: This review is delivered without financial or other connection to the establishment or its owner. The dining experience was that of an ordinary patron, without notice to the staff or requests for special consideration.