Perch at Blackbird Eatery for Mary Swortwood's latest

Mary Swortwood has been a creative force in Cincinnati dining for a long time. She's roved around a bit, opening a number of her own restaurants. Her original Brown Dog Cafe had things on the menu no one here had done before. Tink's turned the old post office in Clifton into a stylish bistro. Green Dog Cafe was an early offerer of healthy, vegan, gluten-free food in a fast-casual format, and Buz, next door, did casual small plates. 

Her latest is Blackbird Eatery, and has some elements from other parts of her career. It's a small-ish, full-service restaurant with a menu of things she says she'd order if she was out to eat. Not quite as surprising as Brown Dog was in 1998 or as healthy as Green Dog, but great flavor combinations, well-made dishes and nice desserts.

It's in the building just off Madison Ave in O'Bryonville that was most recently Son of a Preacher Man. The new look is pale and cool, with floor tiles in faded green pattern, antiqued green chairs and pretty layered white hanging lamp fixtures. There's a bar and two new handicapped-accessible restrooms. 

A friend and I waited for a third with a couple of glasses of rose. We shared the malakoff. That's a large cheese fritter, a bit like solidified Swiss fondue, with a crisp-crumbed exterior. The cheese is a fairly strong Swiss, so it's a far cry from mozzarella sticks, and well-matched with cornichons and a swipe of mustard. Later we tried the beet hummus, such a pretty version of the dip, hot pink with yogurt swirled through and crispy chickpeas scattered across. 

Skewered prawns come in a set of three, and they are huge. They're whole shell-on prawns, stretched out on a skewer and served above a pool of anchovy butter to swipe them through. They're a little intimidating to eat, because you have to break through the shell and separate the head from what you want to eat. it's a full-on seafood flavor enhanced by anchovies, plus a little smoky touch from the grill: not your usual shrimp cocktail experience. 

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There are also a couple of salads on the appetizer menu, along with clam dip, flat bread, fries and pan-roasted corn. There are enough shareables for a couple of friends that it makes Blackbird a good spot to meet for a drink at the bar, without necessarily having a whole dinner. 

But if you go on to a main meal, there's a well-chosen list of entree possibilities. I had lamb medallions, the meat tender and mild, served on top of very firm lentils, with a pesto of mint and chili, plus sumac-enhanced yogurt. All things that go beautifully with lamb, though not usually all at the same time, and evoke Middle Eastern dishes. 

Short ribs make sense on this menu. Their appeal is two-fold: the extreme tenderness of the meat and its rich flavor. The drawback is that once you pull the braised meat off the big, flat bones, there isn't necessarily a whole lot of it. But the gravy, the cheese-enhanced mashed potatoes, the turnips and carrots make a harmonious, rich stew. A little parsley-lemon gremolata on top brightens it up. 

"Fish and chips" is a typical Swortwoodian play on words and formulas. This is a swordfish "schnitzel," the firm juicy fish cut very thin, then breaded and fried. Unlike, say, cod, it eats a little more like a chicken cutlet or veal schnitzel, but with a juicy fish flavor. The chips are delicious homemade fries, and instead of tartar sauce, there's a green goddess dressing, fresh with tarragon and chives, an unusual change of pace that really takes this dish up to another level. 

For dessert, we had a fancy little frozen chocolate mousse wrapped in a thin layer of striped cake, which was good, but I liked the simplicity of the ginger cake better. Not like gingerbread, more like a pound cake enhanced with fresh ginger. It was surrounded by a classic macedoine of strawberries with basil. 

The service was pleasant and efficient, without a lot of fuss of to-do. Our server answered questions about the dishes usefully, without forcing descriptions of them on us. 

I was concerned that the room would end up being loud, with its tile and windows. It never got bad, though I imagine a lively table of four could tip the balance. Blackbird also serves lunch two days a week, brunch on Sundays, and on Sunday evening, they do a Sunday supper, featuring simple, less expensive family-appropriate meals. 

Blackbird Eatery 

3 stars 

Where: 3009 O'Bryon St., O'Bryonville

When: Dinner 5-9 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday; 4-8 p.m. Sunday; Lunch 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; Brunch 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday.

Prices: Starters $4-$14, entrees $14-$32.

Vegetarian options: Several starters (hummus, fries, malakoff, salad,) and one entree (quinoa and lentils with beets, pine nuts, pickled cauliflower).

Reservations: Taken by phone.

Miscellaneous: Full bar. Accessible to disabled. 

Phone: 513-321-0413

Website: blackbirdeatery.com