Restaurant Review

February 21st, 2008

Blanca
A Restaurant Review
by lyle e davis

We found a fantastic restaurant for dinner . . . a place just a block from our time-share at the Sand Pebbles of Solana Beach (we didn't know this and paid $4 for valet parking; we could have easily walked there. Live and learn.) It's an elegant place, the staff couldn't be nicer as they take your money. Muted tones of black, brown and white . . . excellent menu . . . a bit pricey, but that's kinda what we were looking for.

I had a Nebraska (naturally) Ribeye steak (which, out here is known as a Spencer Steak) while Evelyn had a Snake River Farms Kobe Flatiron Steak. She had parmesan creamed spinach, I had black truffle potato puree'. Not sure what they put on those steaks (I suspect Sea Salt, among other spices) but I don't recall a steak tasting that good since having left Omaha, the home of great steaks. Same with Evelyn's. Super delicious meal.

Evelyn broke out laughing when the waitress brought us "Fennel Soup with an accent of Blue Basil." I said something like, "Oh, Goody, we get to play Dolls!" The soup was served in tiny, tiny cups . . . the kind you find in doll houses.

"Evelyn," sez me, "I'd be embarrassed to offer a cup of soup this small if I owned an elegant restaurant like this, and was charging prices these folks charge."

"You don't go out to elegant restaurants very often, do you?" she asked.

"Often enough that I know when I get a large plate with a tiny bit of food, or a small serving of something in something small, I'm gonna pay through the nose for it."

Later, the waitress came and put an elegant glass brick on our table, on top of which was an elegantly cut of specially made butter. Everything elegant has a price tag on it.

"What in the hell is that?" I wondered aloud to Evelyn.

"It's flavored butter," said Evelyn, the only high class member of this couple.

I have since learned that a demitasse is a small cup, originally served by the Turks with their very thick and strong coffee. Typically they are made of white pottery or porcelain and accompanied by a matching saucer. They are about half the size, sometimes less than half the size, of a regular tea cup.

The restaurant is Blanca. You can find it on the Internet at: http://www.dineblanca.com/serving/up/flash/

The food, out of 100 I'd give a 100 rating. The service, 60 for the initial wait (After 15 minutes I was ready to walk out just as our waitress arrived) and about 75 for the waitress service. (She poured water for us. Once. Did not check back to see if we wanted more water. Adequate service, at best. When I pay these prices I expect service). A gent came by and offered us our choice of hot dinner rolls, either olive or fig. They were delicious. But we were offered one. One dinner roll. The gent never returned to offer us seconds. We left the waitress a 15% tip but she didn't really earn it. No complaints on the price charged for the food . . . it was worth every nickle. Make that every dime.

I enjoy fine restaurants, even if I do tweak their noses now and then (they generally earn the tweaking, however). I definitely would like to go back to Blanca. It's good. Very good. I think Evelyn would not be too hard to persuade.

But, for now, I'm back amongst you all.

Try and contain your emotion.

Epilogue: On Tuesday evening, based on our recommendation, a couple visiting us from Yucaipa went to Blanca for dinner. They arrived at 5pm and a very rude and snooty hostess abruptly told them . . . “ we don’t open till 5:30!”

Very bad form.

Blanca is an outstanding restaurant in terms of food. Their service staff needs to have their hands slapped and taught how to treat clients (for at the prices they charge you are clients, not customers). I am embarrassed and disappointed that a restaurant I recommended so highly would insult close friends of mine. I would be equally offended if any readers of The Paper would opt to patronize the restaurant and be treated so rudely. (And, no, my friends did not return to Blanca!)