Blanca

With 18 courses, at least six chefs, and a three-hour runtime, the tasting menu at Blanca in Bushwick plays out like a culinary thesis show—equal parts inspiring and challenging. We've had some unforgettable dishes here, but would recommend this $275 marathon only to food nerds who get excited at the prospect of three separate seaweed courses, and who are forgiving of the odd failed experiment.

Behind an unmarked door in the back of Roberta's pizza, Blanca's 12-seat counter first opened in 2012, with a whopping 27 courses. After reopening post-pandemic, the menu is relatively tighter, skews towards seafood, and incorporates some Chilean influences from its new executive chef. A huge open kitchen is key. As you wait for each course, you’ll watch cooks grill crabs, scrape out oyster conches, and prepare sea-flavored foams. Their stamina is impressive, but yours should be too. Even in its trimmed form, the menu lacks a clear through-line.

photo credit: Kate Previte

photo credit: Kate Previte

photo credit: Kate Previte

There are moments of brilliance, like a smoky brown rice porridge made with three-week aged pheasant, and a Chilean flatbread with chunks of chicharrón baked in. But with so many courses, the misses—like a pasta with snails, lavender, and celery foam that’s too bitter and conceptual to be tasty—make the meal feel three times longer. 

In an effort to keep things moving, the hosts bring some of Roberta’s super casual, pizza-tossing energy to the counter, refilling your drink right as the soundtrack ramps up from Amy Winehouse to techno. There is plenty to see, taste and talk about at Blanca—especially if you're the sort of person who uses the word "gastronomic" into everyday conversation.

Food Rundown

photo credit: Kate Previte

Belon Oyster

We watched chefs prepare these ceramic bowls for a good half hour, carefully placing oyster shells on top of elaborate piles of kelp at exactly the right angle. It’s a lot of prep for a few bites of oyster, but wild belon oysters—known for being particularly plump and creamy, with a metallic taste—are worth fussing over. In this case, they’re covered in a super tart, super milky calamansi-flavored foam that brings out their briny flavor.

photo credit: Kate Previte

Sopresine Pasta

For a place so tied to Roberta’s, Blanca falls short when it comes to pasta. This one came with meaty snails, french lavender, and celery foam. It looks pretty, but the earthy ingredients don't come together.

photo credit: Kate Previte

Crab Empanada

Filled with sweet crab and fermented black bean, the empanada holds everything together while still being light and flaky enough to venture into croissant territory. The pastry is a pretty big portion for a tasting menu, and every bite is meant to be eaten with a spoonful of cochayuyo salsa, which is actually the more interesting part of the dish: a mix of chewy bull kelp from the Chilean coast, chiles, and acid. It's the perfect, ocean-flavored plate of food, and at the end of our meal, they gave us a small jar of salsa to take home.

Surf Clam

Surf clam and yuzu sauerkraut is a good start, but the citrus doesn't pair well with the mashed sweet potato beneath it.

photo credit: Kate Previte

Tortilla al Rescoldo

Tortilla de rescoldo is a traditional Chilean bread cooked under hot sand and ash, giving it a distinct smoke and char flavor. This version has an uber thick crust and chunks of chicharron. We’re into it.

Hobnob Cookie And Cheese

We love a good hobnob, but these aren’t the British oat biscuits we are used to. They're better. They’re just as crispy, with a buttery finish that leaves a sheen on your fingers, but almost entirely savory, except for a slightly sweet aftertaste. Paired with a sliver of Vermont cheese and quince jelly, this course is one of our favorites. Our take-home bag included a couple as well.