Blanco Cocina & Cantina in Denver has joined sister restaurant, Culinary Dropout (both of the Fox Restaurant Concepts group which also owns Flower Child), in Denver at the 9+CO mixed use neighborhood. We were hosted for dinner to check out what they have to offer – and that amazing patio.
We started, as all good meals at a Mexican restaurant should, with a couple of margaritas. I HAD to order the Skinny, not because of the name but because it listed rose petal and smashed orange along with blanco tequila and agave. My husband had the Smashed Watermelon with, you know, smashed watermelon plus white tequila and chile lime salt. Both were refreshing but I really loved the orange and rose element in mine – very unique. We’ll talk more about their boozy offerings later on so hang tight.
Chips and salsa came next. We put a lot of stock into a restaurant’s take on the classic and Blanco gets high marks from us. The salsa was thick and spicy and the chips were on the thick side (but not too dense), making them a scoopable marriage made in heaven. We hate it when salsas are too watery or chips are so thin, they collapse JUST before they make it to your mouth (and down your front). Sad. If my husband loves a salsa, he’ll spoon it up and eat it like gazpacho – which he did at Blanco.
On the starter menu, there were some strong choices from the light Spicy Mango Ceviche and Grilled Mexican Street Corn to Nachos Con Queso Blanco to which you can add Short Rib Macheca or Red Chile Chicken.
The first time we went to Blanco, it was during an avocado shortage so they didn’t have guacamole. The second time we went, that wasn’t an issue, thankfully. We were told that Blanco makes a fresh batch of guac every two hours to ensure that it’s very fresh. Nice. Having mentioned that my dining companion didn’t consume dairy, they brought it to us minus the cotijo cheese crumble on top which we didn’t miss at all.
We saw “Cheese Crips” on the menu and wondered what they might be. I had visions of shredded cheese that gets melted and fried up a bit on a plancha but, instead, they were basically a tortilla pizza. Nothin’ wrong with that though. There was a basic cheese one, a version with Short Rib Machaca, guacamole and charred onion; and Red Chile Chicken. We ordered the one with Roasted Poblano Chile and Tomato which was very good, especially the crispy and raggedy cheese I was hoping to taste. The Cheese Crisps are large so they’d be great to share with a few people so you don’t spoil your appetite for the entrees.
I had one of The Tucson Chimichangas which you can augment by ordering them “Enchilada Style or Sam Style (with a crunchy taco).” I had the Short Rib Machaca Chimi with cheese, guacamole, pico, rice, and beans. It was seriously meaty. The rice, usually an incidental, was really good, bordering on risotto in creaminess. I got black beans with mine but you can also get Charro beans cooked with bacon. When my husband ordered those to go with the Caramelized Sweet Potato Enchilada with grilled portobello, kale, zucchini, manchego cheese, and ancho chile sauce, our server made sure he knew that the beans had bacon and, therefore weren’t vegetarian in case that’s what we were after. Good catch.
On another visit, we ordered the Green Chile Pork which you can get as a burrito, bowl, or enchilada. Our server mentioned that he likes it best in a burrito because it comes with more “stuff.” I often take servers’ advice because they are, supposedly and hopefully, more in-the-know. The burrito was the way to go with guac, sour cream, beans, lettuce, and tomato.
We also ordered the Chicken Fajitas which were surprisingly colorful and had some nice spice to them. You have your choice of flour or corn tortillas but opt for the corn because they are made fresh and in-house. That was evident with wonderful golden color and irregular edges.
Other entree options include salads, tacos, fajitas, burrito bowls, enchiladas, or a combo with a ground beef taco, cheese enchilada and bean tostada.
While the Brown Sugar Caramel Flan was enticing, we went for the Mexican Chocolate Tiramisu because it was unique (and our server strongly recommended it!) It was the hit of our entire dinner experience, what with “Maria’s cookies” biscuits, chocolate mousse, dulce de leche, and candied walnuts that made it even better. Much like a pot de creme in texture, the chocolate mousse was cinnamony, as you’d expect, but without an obvious coffee flavor. Share it! Trust us. It’s rich and delicious but having one to yourself, especially after any of the plentiful entrees, and a drink or two, will force you right onto your couch the moment you get home.
A few words about the drink menu at Blanco Cocina & Cantina – there are a lot of options but not an overwhelming number. Along with margaritas, there are frozen margs, palomas, and sangrias; Aqua Frescas; beer and wine, flights, and a variety of types of tequilas. Great options! Okay, that was more than a few words.
Blanco Cocina & Cantina is located at 4177 E. 9th Ave. Check out their website, here. There is street parking around the neighborhood, when available, as well as a free parking garage nearby.
Please note, we were hosted for our visit but, as is always our policy, our opinions are our own, honest and true.
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