I'm always shocked that I don't hear more about this restaurant! Their patio on Kensington is gorgeous, and as much as I almost want to keep it to myself, I do hope they become one of the 'foodie spots' in Calgary over the summer, because they certainly deserve it. The full patio wasn't open when we went (late April) but they have another outside seating area as well; we happened to be seated inside for this visit and the ambiance is top-notch. Service was equally fantastic. If you're seated with Kenedi, you'll feel right at home.
Blanco's menu offers a pretty huge variety. Classic apps of the chips-and-dip variety and baseline build-your-own dishes (tacos, burritos), plus plenty of unique options you don't find at every Mexican spot like jalapeño corn fritters! There's a protein choice for every taste plus a vegan taco option with mushrooms.
Our choices were nearly all flawless. I started out with a BYO taco trio, choosing tilapia & mushroom as my fillings -- your choice of corn or flour tortilla as well! My boyfriend picked the Diablo Shrimp Tacos and ended up ordering a second plate because after offering me a bite, he had a hard time keeping any to himself! The sauce on the shrimp deserves a shoutout, some sort of mango salsa that I could have eaten by the bucketful. We finished with the Churro Bites for dessert, warm and satisfyingly crunchy, which come with a Nutella dip. The quality was great across the board and there was plenty on the menu we were still interested in, so we'll be back for more.
My personal notes, accounting for the 4-star rating instead of 5:
Some dishes aren't elaborated on very well in the menu and require asking some questions if you're a bit picky with your food. I found the mushroom taco to be VERY spicy, which some might love (and I know is usually appreciated at a Mexican restaurant) but wasn't what I was hoping for. In contrast, the Diablo Shrimp were expected to be quite spicy, but had much less heat than the mushroom and ended up fitting my own taste much better, though I hadn't ordered them for myself to begin with because of the indicated spiciness. Breading on the fish tacos was VERY crispy and crunchy -- again, some might love that, some might prefer a more fall-apart-in-your-mouth take on the dish. I didn't mind them. Finally, the churro bites were a relatively small portion for the price and it would be great if there was another dip choice like caramel. read more