Orange County Register

When Blanca opened in Lido Marina Village last year and specialized in the hard-to-find Italian-style sushi known as “crudo,” meaning “raw,” the reviews were very positive. Serious food critics, from the professional to the leisurely, reported coming away quite impressed with Chef Nicholas Weber’s efforts.

After a dispute led to Weber’s departure, the crudo mastery was gone and the menu was reoriented entirely to serve Mexican fare. Nonetheless, at least one local foodie reported being “pleasantly surprised” by the new dishes. Funny thing, though - between the time that foodie dined in December and posted her review this month, the menu was again completely scrapped.

That brings us to the present, where Blanca is offering “Tapas Americana” - reasonably priced small plates that can’t be neatly pigeonholed into one culinary genre. With the new menu, of course, all the old reviews are once more out the window, so we stopped on by this waterfront venue to see if Blanca’s one constant - good food - remained intact.

Before I touch on the dishes, a few quick notes on the atmosphere at Blanca. The decor is a chic minimalist, and the restaurant is divided among its long patio and three separate rooms.

When the little lady and I went at 6:30 on a Friday night, there was not one other soul dining there, and when we left at 8, there was still not one other soul there. Naturally, the service was great.

Still, the desolation is a drawback, although depending on your timing, you might share space with several hundred well-dressed and slightly buzzed locals hoping on or off the big Electra wedding boats docked right in front of the dining patio. I’m also told that private parties and the late-night bar scene are keeping Blanca afloat as it tries to spread the word about its latest rebirth.

So, on to the food. Blanca stays true to the budget-friendly Tapas tradition, with the most expensive items on the menu (besides the market-priced fish) topping out at $11.95 and most plates running $5-$7.

Most of the choices come across as refined comfort food, often with an Italian approach. For $4.95 there’s a roasted fennel and tomato soup with fresh basil and cracked black peppercorns; at $6.95, there’s the handrolled cheese gnocchi with creamy white truffle oil sauce and fresh parsley, and at $10.95 is a goat-cheese-filled chicken breast with prosciutto, roasted tomato bruschetta, risotto and Mornay sauce.

We started with the $6.95 tuna tartare on parmesan crostini with apricot-cilantro glaze, avocado spread and brined cucumber.

The only real downside here was a texture issue - I’m not sure tartare really works with tuna, for me, as it devolves into a watery mass; I think a fine chop of the fish, as opposed to a grind, would work wonders on this plate. That said, there was a whole lot going on flavor-wise on these three little slices of baguette, and everything married together very happily.

That apricot glaze endowed a conspicuous sweetness, but was tempered and contrasted by the brined cucumber and the savory avocado spread beneath the tuna.

After seeing the size of the first portion, I was pretty certain I faced a steep bill if I wanted to fill my tummy, but the subsequent dishes proved me wrong. The $5.95 macaroni au gratin with brioche bread crumbs and Italian parsley, shown at top, was a dense little tub of noodlely goodness that was more than enough for two to share.

Taste wise, the mac presented both a solid crust of cheese and bread crumbs while preserving a fluffy noodle consistency within. The sauce was much more butter-and-oil than cheese-and-cream, and I would have preferred the latter, but it nonetheless was a fine plate.

Last up was the $5.95 risotto of the day, a creamy garlic shrimp version that we found very nicely exceuted.

The rice grains were plump and soft but still had body, each one offering a nice subtle bite. The sauce was restrained, neither too decadent nor too light, and every bite really sang when you got a drop or two of the basil oil on your spoon. Finally, the shrimp were excellent, ultra-lightly seasoned so as to add only a fresh oceany flavor to the dish, and just barely cooked through, keeping them plump and super moist.

In truth, I doubt Blanca would much impress the gourmands who were so justifiably fond of its high-end crudo offerings. But I don’t think it’s attempting to recapture its past glory - this place knows it has a magnificent location, and it’s offering some very fairly priced, very respectable dishes to go along with it. I recommend stopping by and giving the new Blanca a chance - but sooner, rather than later.

Blanca
3420 Via Oporto
Newport Beach
949-673-0414

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