Blackfinn Ameripub

   Howdy folks, it's been awhile since I've blogged, so please forgive me if I'm a bit rusty articulating descriptions of dishes. 
   Today we will be reviewing Blackfinn Americpub (http://blackfinnameripub.com/) at the Domain.  This restaurant has a nice upbeat vibe of an upscale pub, with the food to match.  My Sister, once again, recommend another knock out of a restaurant...
   For an appetizer we ordered the "Finn Fries: crispy fries tossed in signature blackfinn seasonings and served with bbq and buttermilk parmesan dipping sauces."  The fries themselves were not extraordinary or even remarkable by any means; however the in-house made bbq and parmesan dipping sauces gave the deep fried spuds additional flavors needed to be one or two notches above that of fast food.  Its almost needless to say, but I don't recommend this appetizer.

   Luckily, an appetizer is not what a meal makes.
   My sister ordered the 14 oz. Ribeye cooked medium with the Blackfinn style seasoning topping and garlic mashed potatoes and mac n' cheese as her sides.  She also ordered the Jumbo Lump "Crowned" Crab Cake on the side.  I was fortunate enough to have a bite of the her steak and I have to say, it was pretty darn good.  The steak was very moist and cooked to a perfect medium as well as very tender and not overly seasoned.  I didn't have enough of a piece of steak to deconstruct the "Blackfinn style seasoning."  As for the sides, my sister actually makes better garlic mashed potatoes, but the mac n' cheese was phenomenal.  The "iron skillet Mac-n-Cheese: blend of cheese, cavatappi pasta, bacon, tomatoes and toasted bread crumbs" would be worth ordering again.  The pasta had a nice tooth feel and the blend of (what I could taste) Parmesan, aged cheddar and mozzarella with the additional seasonings complemented one another extremely well.  The Jumbo Lump Crab Cake was good, not the best I've ever had, but by far not the worst.  The crab in the cake was moist and flavorful.  The only things that I can really fault the crab cake was the fact that it didn't hold its shape very well and that corn kernels were used as part of the stuffing.  I've never had a crab cake with corn, but I don't think that it was necessary.

      So it's not everyday that a pub has Chilean Sea Bass.  Surprisingly this one does and that's exactly what I ordered for my main entrée.   "Hong Kong Style Chilean Sea Bass: broiled and served with coconut curry rice cake, citrus finger soy and snow peas."  And I also, ordered a Large Lump Crab Cake on the side.  I'll start by saying that I don't really like coconut, so with that being said, I didn't really like the rice cake.  And before you ask, "Why, if you don't like coconut, did you order it?"  The answer, even though I don't like the taste, I like seeing how ingredients (in general) are used, whether it be something I like or not.  So, to me, the creaminess of the coconut didn't mix well with the rice, it made the rice a tag soggy and I couldn't really taste the curry because it was mainly burnt off when the patties were seared.  Of course the star was the Chilean Sea Bass.  The Sea Bass was, creamy, soft, moist, not overcooked, was wonderfully seasoned, with only a hint of coconut and basically melt in your mouth good.  So if you're looking for a great seafood dish and want something out of the ordinary (at least for around Austin), order the Chilean Sea Bass, its the real deal good.  Oh and the snow peas (when eaten with a piece of the sea bass) gave a nice crunch and contrast of texture without actually taking away from the delicate flavor of the Sea Bass.*

   Dessert:  We couldn't leave without trying Blackfinn's signature dessert, "Blackfinn Hot Chocolate: fallen chocolate [brownie] ontop of [homemade] peanut butter, with [Mexican] vanilla bean ice cream, with a [cream cheese] whipped cream and caramel drizzle."  This was magnificent.  I'm a big fan of peanut butter and chocolate.  I believe that these two flavors are one of the best food pairings known to man and Blackfinn didn't disappoint with this dessert.  The peanut butter was fantasic, probably the best home-made peanut butter I've ever had.  And the brownie was moist and so super chocolatey and sweet that you almost need to chase each bite with a sip of water.  The cold Mexican vanilla bean ice cream, when eaten with the gooey peanut butter and the warm brownie, is...well...just damn near the perfect dessert.  Order this dessert when you visit Blackfinn Ameripub.

  So if I had to give a numeric rating to Blackfinn Ameripub, I'd give it a solid 7 out of 10.  It has a great atmosphere for if you want to watch the game and upscale enough to take a casual date.  The food is above average with an above average menu selection.
   That's it for now folks.   So until next time, I wish y'all happy eating.
-Henry