Blackbird, one of Chicago’s most respected modern fine-dining establishments, opened in December 1997. Executive Chef Paul Kahan and Chef de Cuisine Mike Sheerin bring together a respect for local ingredients with the innovations of the modern culinary world to create a cuisine that has been described as quietly revolutionary. The James Beard Award-winning design, by Thomas Schlesser, incorporates sharp, Nixon-era lines with expanses of white space and soft gray mohair.