Blackbird Bistro and Mission: Side-by-side, cozy and caliente

When Eric Cozens and Peter Morse opened their Mexican-themed lounge, Mission, in February of last year, they never thought that by year's end the place next door would also be theirs. But when Café Zaffarano closed in July, the restaurateurs figured the best way to head off competition next door was to operate something complementary there themselves.

After a cosmetic makeover, Blackbird Bistro opened in December. Executive chef David Hilliard does double duty, overseeing both the South of the Border fare at Mission, as well as the North American comfort food prepared in Blackbird's exposed kitchen. Which one will appeal to you depends on your idea of a good time.

Blackbird is the more sedate of the two, a casual, family-friendly place outfitted with pale walls and sheer white panels that flutter above the backs of the mahogany booths. Gone is Zaffarano's wood-burning oven, but flames still rage in the dining room as the line cooks play with fire behind the L-shaped counter.

The kitchen can perform unevenly (tepid food plagued one meal) and sometimes servers need a firmer hand at the helm, but it's possible to eat well here for a moderate price and consume a civilized cocktail while conversing comfortably with your companions.

Blackbird Bistro


2329 California Ave. S.W., West Seattle; 206-937-2875, www.blackbirdbistro.com

American

$$

Reservations: accepted.

Hours: lunch 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays; dinner 5-10 p.m. daily; brunch 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays; limited lunch menu 3-5 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays.

Prices: lunch $7-$12; dinner appetizers $5-$12, entrees $8-$22.

Drinks: Brief wine list covers the basics.

Parking: on street or validated parking in public lot one block east below Bartell Drugs.

Sound: moderate.

Who should go: West Seattle families and friends in search of a nice meal in sedate surroundings.

Full bar / major credit cards / no obstacles to access / patio dining.

Mission

Mexican

$$

2325 California Ave. S.W., West Seattle; 206-937-8220, www.missionbar.com

Reservations: accepted for parties of six or more only.

Hours: 5 p.m.-midnight daily; bar open until 2 a.m.

Prices: tapas, tacos, enchiladas $3-$13; entrees $10-$16.

Drinks: margaritas and sangria, Dos Equis (and more) on tap, and a short wine list that tilts toward Spain and South America.

Parking: on street or validated parking in public lot one block east below Bartell Drugs.

Sound: loud.

Who should go: the party crowd.

Full bar / major credit cards / no obstacles to access on ground floor; stairs to mezzanine.

Salads and sandwiches are the mainstay of the lunch menu; some crossover to the dinner menu.

Opt for the beet salad and you'll be delighted with the elegant bundle of vinaigrette-dressed salad greens surrounded by blushing golden beets. The shaved-beef salad is garish in contrast: underdressed greens, overcooked meat and a five-alarm dressing that clobbered both like an anvil.

Tiny clams make a nice starter; their buttery wine broth benefits from bits of pancetta, rosemary and thyme. Even more alluring is a pairing of peppered, seared ahi with a sauté of calamari, olives and sun-dried tomato, a bold and briny duo that manages to complement rather than fight with each other.

Pastas tend toward rich and richer. Lovely mushroom-filled ravioli resting on tender kale look like lilies on a pad in a pond of light-green pesto cream. Gruyère, cheddar and Parmesan combine to give macaroni and cheese backbone and bite, but the breadcrumb topping is too fine and too thickly applied; the unfortunate result is that every bite has the texture of a Nestle's Crunch bar.

Sweet almond-apple-cinnamon compote complements a fabulous French-cut pork-chop special ($21) that is as carefully grilled as the fillet of Hawaiian ono. Anointed with butter, wine and chives, the firm-fleshed white fish is canti-

levered over a cliff of savory herb-flecked polenta and cubes of sweet, steamed squash. But sweetness runs amok on a plate of scallops with apple-cider sauce, pumpkin and candied pecans.

If your sweet tooth begs for more, you can't go wrong with chocolate layer cake or apple croustade come dessert.

In contrast to its sepia-toned sibling, Mission resembles a Technicolor rumpus room with bars, tables and TV screens on two levels. It can be fun for the whole family: People young enough to be carded and those old enough to be their grandparents party here; there's even a kid's menu.

A dramatic timber-framed stone wall behind the ground-floor bar stretches two stories high, creating an illusion of grandeur in the skinny space, while niches displaying religious icons impart a tongue-in-cheek gravitas to the downstairs dining room. The upstairs lounge sports a large-screen high-definition TV.

Tacos, enchiladas and tapas highlight a menu geared for grazing. Tapas choices include nibbles like guacamole, nachos, quesadillas, ceviche and steamed Penn Cove mussels. Crumbled chorizo, cilantro and a whiff of saffron flavor the mussels and their deep pool of tomato broth, into which slabs of toasted bread just beg to be dunked.

Ceviche is generously studded with salmon chunks and tiny bay scallops along with cabbage cilantro and red onion. Though prettily presented in a cocktail glass rimmed with tortilla chips, it's submerged in its marinade, a liquid so acidic it tastes like vinegar.

Enchiladas come in pairs. Consider the meatless version sporting portobello mushrooms and asparagus sauced with an apricot mole, intriguingly spiced and just a trifle fruity.

Chicken, steak and fish tacos are built on thick, handmade corn tortillas, but the grilled-ahi version with Dungeness crab salsa needs some fine-tuning. The warm tortillas wrap cold fish and colder salsa, both so heavily spiced it effectively obliterates the taste of crab.

The chile relleno could also be tweaked. This portly poblano looks gorgeous, but the diced chayote-squash filling is too firm and bland. Spanish rice, black beans and a striking red-pepper coulis on the side compensate for its lack of punch.

As the dinner crowd ebbs, the late-night lounge action flows. After polishing off a plate of enchiladas and a few beers, two women at the bar switch to cocktails. Like them, the night is still young, and their "mission" is not yet accomplished.

Providence Cicero: providencecicero@aol.com

Blackbird: sample menu

Beet salad $7

Peppered ahi and calamari $10

Burger $10

Ravioli in pesto cream $13

Grilled ono $16