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In This Issue
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Black Eyed Susan's
Redefining Culinary Excellence
You first notice it while you’re on Centre Street where it crosses India. Enticing aromas waft by, mingling with the crisp Autumn air and drawing you round the corner and a few paces up India Street to investigate the source. Peering through large front windows slightly glazed with steam, you see a tiny eatery—nine tables, a long granite counter with tall, padded stools, and an open kitchen where two chefs are very busy. Every seat is taken.
A glance at the menu hanging in their window and another deep whiff of warm spice…is it curry…or perhaps garlic? Just as your companion notices that the menu says BYOB, a young woman emerges and asks if you’ve come for dinner. You and your companion both nod. “About 20 minutes,” she says. Just enough time to get a bottle of wine.
You have discovered Black-Eyed Susan’s.
Since they opened at 10 India Street more than a decade ago, Black-Eyed Susan’s has challenged the traditional view of fine dining, and in doing so has earned a large and very loyal following.
Executive Chef Jeff Worster, who with partner Susan Handy owns and operates Black-Eyed Susan’s, is well-known for his impressive ability to create innovative dishes using fresh local ingredients paired with lesser known spices and seasonings. The result is an enticing one-page dinner menu with global accents.
Black-Eyed Susan’s opens at 7 am for breakfast that ranges from basic and very well done Buttermilk Pancakes and Eggs over Easy to one of the island’s best preparations of Eggs Benedict and a hearty Tri-Fold Omelette. Their Pennsylvania Dutch Cakes with Jarlsberg cheese is a patron favorite, as are their Scrambles, which can be Vegetarian, Portuguese-style, or Spicy Thai. Santa Fe Hashbrowns, Yucatan Chicken Sausage, Black-Eyed Peas, and Grits are some of their uncommon and uncommonly good sides. And everything on the breakfast menu is under $10.
Dinner begins promptly at 6 pm. You’ll know it’s close to time when the crowd gathers. Black-Eyed Susan’s accepts advance reservations only for this first seating; for a later table guests must stop by and add their names to the list. This time of year, you could get lucky and score a few seats together at the counter (one of our favorite seats: you can watch the chefs at work) or a lone table, but better not to count on it. During October and into November, Black-Eyed Susan’s fills with locals who want to get their fill of Chef Worster’s cuisine before they close for the season at the end of Autumn.
Chef Worster modifies his menu frequently, so there is almost always something new to try. Except, of course for the crusty sourdough bread, the crisp Caesar with asiago, the Angel Hair Pasta, and the Linguini with White Clam Sauce. Those never leave the menu. They’re that good! All three of these dishes, plus a Udon Stir Fry can be ordered in full or in half portions .
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At our dinner last week we ordered the Udon Stir Fry in half-portion for an appetizer, and it arrived in a generous portion. A perfect dish for a cool fall evening, this manages to be delicate yet full of bold flavors. Tofu, maitake mushrooms, black bean crumbles, rapini, and chunks of pineapple add an array of color, textures, and flavors to the noodles in a richly flavored hoisin sauce. Each bite is a little different from the last.
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Light and very tasty, the Salt and Sichuan Pepper Calamari is the perfect starter for a light eater or to begin a four-course feast. We don’t remember ever before describing fried calamari as “light,” but in this appetizer there is no hint of grease. The rings are deliciously tender with a wonderfully crisp coating. They’re tossed with fresh baby arugula, and a brightly flavored lemon-parsley mayonnaise is served alongside for dipping.
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Another appetizer that we savored at our recent meal, is one we’ve had before and adored. Tuna Tartar is a recurring special at Black-Eyed Susan’s. Fresh and clean-tasting, this is an ideal way to start your meal. The sushi-grade tuna is cut in to rather large chunks for tartar and mixed with just enough cilantro, capers, and chili oil to add whispers of flavor without overpowering the delicate flavors of the raw tuna. A few slices of chilled cucumber tossed in a mild kimchee add a refreshing crunch and a touch of heat. Triangles of grilled scallion pancakes are served alongside, with dots of pale green avocado puree and fiery-hot red sriracha sauce. We prefer the gorgeous tuna unadorned, but like to dip the pancakes in the red and green sauces.
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New to the menu is a Tortilla Espanola. Familiar to anyone who frequents Tapas Bars, this frittata-like Spanish treat is not prepared with corn or with flour tortillas. Chef Worster’s version adds shrimp and garlic to the classic filling of potato and onion. A vibrant salad of diced chorizo, roasted red pepper, and cilantro adds a pop of color and flavor.
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Each of the four entrees and the evening special at Black-Eyed Susan’s is very different. In fact, even with such a modest number of choices, you may find it difficult to choose which distinctive dish to order.
One of our favorites is the Wild Salmon—this is a dish full of bright, clean flavors. Chef de Cuisine James Vincent cooks the salmon to utter perfection: top and bottom seared to a deep orange, the middle a flaky, juicy pink. Tucked underneath the fish is a tender-crisp stir-fry of bok choy, lychee nuts, and ginger in a pool of green tea butter sauce with dollops of spicy wasabi creme fraiche. Each bite fills your mouth with flavor.
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Also stunning is the Daily Fish, which in our case was Halibut. The fish may change, but the preparation stays the same: a luscious and not too hot coconut-kaffir lime curry with studded with fresh sweet corn and fingerling potatoes. The potatoes are cut into large chunks, and the corn has been cut off the cob not as single kernels, but in small sheets so that the curry sauce catches between the kernels. The halibut, as beautifully cooked as the salmon, is topped with chilled pieces of juicy mango. Ask for a spoon if you order this—you’ll want every drop!
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Chef Worster’s 5-Spice Pork Confit is superb. Rich and hearty, this is the ideal choice for an autumn meal. The pork is served in two sizeable pieces that are rich and succulent. Warm flavors of sichuan pepper, star anise, cinnamon, clove, and cumin permeate the pork. The meat is served over a nutty-tasting salad of barley and edamame in a sweet-and-sour (more sweet than sour) orange-cherry sauce studded with whole cherries. Just writing about this makes us want go back for more!
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Our favorite entree is also the most intriguing of Chef Worster’s new creations: Chicken (Buffalo Style). This is a fine dining entree that very accurately duplicates everything that is so appealing about Buffalo Chicken Wings. The statler chicken breast (far meatier than wings!) has a delightfully crispy skin over its moist meat. The chicken is topped with large-cut pieces of cold celery and radish slices and is perched on a creamy blue cheese risotto that is an astonishingly good replacement for blue cheese dressing. A pool of bright orange, spicy-hot “buffalo sauce” fills the rest of the plate.
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Every evening, Black-Eyed Susan’s offers two desserts: one light and one indulgent. Lemon Sorbet topped with strawberries and served with a grilled tortilla topped with cinnamon-sugar was a refreshing finish.
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Chocolate Pot de Creme, rich and creamy, will satisy any sweet tooth, and if you cannot quite fine the room to finish, you can tuck the coconut macaroon, chocolate chip, and white chocolate chunk cookies into a pocket for a late night snack.
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Black-Eyed Susan’s
open through the fall at 10 India Street
stop by or call 508-325-0308 for reservations for 6 p.m. seating
Breakfast served from 7 AM to 1 PM, all items under $10
Dinner served Mon.-Sat. from 6 to 10 p.m. with seatings at
approximately 6 p.m., 7:30 p.m., and 9 p.m.
advance reservations accepted only for the 6 p.m. seating;
reservations accepted for the later seatings after 6 p.m. the evening you wish to dine
entree prices range from $23 to $29
Cash only, no credit cards
BYOB ($2 service fee per person) • no cell phones
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