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Brooklyn’s Blanca Restaurant to Close After 13 Years of Innovative Cuisine
Blanca, the acclaimed Brooklyn restaurant known for its distinctive tasting menus and unconventional setting in Bushwick, is set to close its doors at the end of this week. Since 2012, this unique dining destination has offered a refined culinary experience, marked by its highly individualistic cooking and a memorable ambiance, complete with a taxidermic tuna head.
Lease Non-Renewal Forces Closure of Acclaimed Dining Spot
Carlo Mirarchi, co-owner and original chef of Blanca, announced that the restaurant’s closure is due to the landlord’s decision not to extend the lease for the building.
An Unassuming Oasis of Culinary Creativity
With only 12 seats housed within a modest cinder-block structure adorned with vibrant murals depicting a mutant insect and a masked raccoon pilfering pizza, Blanca presents itself as an unexpected gem. This intimate eatery has been lauded as an unlikely haven of both comfort and inventiveness, seemingly poised to dissolve back into the industrial fabric of its Bushwick locale at any moment.
Navigating to Blanca: A Unique Entrance
Accessing Blanca requires diners to traverse the bustling and rustic atmosphere of Roberta’s pizzeria, turn left at shipping containers that accommodate a podcast studio, veer right at a tented tiki bar, and then descend several steps to reach a side entrance.
Inside Blanca: High-Stakes Cuisine in a Relaxed Setting
The interior reveals plush leather bar seats facing an expansive kitchen. Here, a small team meticulously crafts $198 tasting menus that may feature dishes such as delicate hand-folded seaweed tortelli, patiently grilled, aged pheasant over Japanese charcoal, and Alaskan king crabs – sometimes presented live at the meal’s commencement.
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Adding to its distinctive charm, patrons are invited to select vinyl records from stacks curated by owners, chefs, servers, and fellow diners, offering Blanca the atmosphere of a relaxed gathering in a retro, 1970s-style recreation room.
A Legacy of Culinary Excellence
This remarkable fusion of relaxed atmosphere and high-caliber cuisine has allowed Blanca to thrive for 13 years, garnering recognition both within New York City and internationally.
Reflecting on its early days, a review in The Times from its opening year noted the restaurant’s “abundance of courses” reminiscent of Roman feasts, the “Italian structure” of the meal, the “rigorous minimalism” of Japanese cooking, and the “easy and improbable grace” that unified these elements into a distinctly American experience. This initial review awarded Blanca two stars, followed by a third star in a subsequent 2015 review, recognizing even greater culinary heights and consistent excellence.
Blanca’s Revival and Evolution Under Chef Victoria Blamey
After a prolonged hiatus during the pandemic, Blanca reopened in 2024, showcasing the talents of new chef, Victoria Blamey. While maintaining a commitment to rigor, the menu evolved from minimalism to embrace a more intense and elaborate inventiveness. Drawing inspiration from her Chilean upbringing and experience in innovative kitchens like Mugaritz and Corton, Chef Blamey’s creations included crab empanadas enriched with fermented black beans, ají dulce peppers, and a subtle hint of Chartreuse.
Blanca’s culinary resurgence under Blamey was quickly acknowledged, securing the No. 2 position in a ranking of New York City’s top 100 restaurants just months later.
Signature Dishes and Culinary Philosophy
While the menu has largely transformed since Blamey’s arrival, notable exceptions include the crab empanada and the tortilla de rescoldo, a Chilean flatbread traditionally cooked in campfire ashes. Blamey prepares her version in Roberta’s wood-fired pizza oven, enhancing the dough with pork cracklings.
“Every American is so excited when you say it has pork chicharrones,” Blamey commented, highlighting the dish’s appeal. However, she noted contrasting reactions, “When you tell French people, they look at you with disbelief.”
Victoria Blamey’s Path Forward
Chef Victoria Blamey has consistently earned enthusiastic praise for her inventive and thought-provoking cooking across several restaurants, including Chumley’s, Gotham Bar & Grill, and Mena, all of which have since closed.
Regarding her future plans, Blamey expressed uncertainty, “I think I’m a very flexible person that has learned to pivot many times,” she stated. “Maybe I have to open my horizons to something not in New York.”