El Toro Blanco is Chef Josh Capon’s newest addition to his collection of fabulous restaurants (Lure Fishbar and Burger & Barrel), and this time it’s Mexican- just blocks away from his other two spots. The space reminds me of Burger & Barrel with its dark wood and red hughes, but it has a little Mexican pop to its decor. As usual, Josh is be-boppin around nightly chatting with all his guests as he is the man when it comes to hospitality and one reason why I love coming to his restaurants. You will see it’s obvious that others find it contagious as well. While this is no Tex-Mex spot (nor is it trying to be), the food and ingredients are super clean and fresh. The tuna tacos are awesome, and you get a fantastic grade of rare tuna in a corn tortilla which is hard to find in this cuisine.
Green Chili Queso Fundido
While the guacamole and homemade chips look awesome, go for the Queso Fundido with Chorizo because you can’t get this just anywhere. Wrap it up in a tortilla and boom, you’ve got yourself an improved and delicious quesadilla. This baby tastes like home and like Texas. I also loved the Chicken Tamale which is tender with Red Mole sauce. It’s not your average tamale, so try it for something different. The Lobster Ceviche sounded like a good idea and the amount of fish you get is impressive, but I just wasn’t a fan of the coconut flavor. Short Rib Empanadas are stellar and the BBQ sauce on top is a winning combination and sweetly addicting.
Short Rib Empanadas
Basically, I love El Toro Blanco not only because Josh is one of my favorite chefs, but this food is craveable, fresh, not too rich/heavy and just simply well done. The energetic room is filled with “ladies who cocktail,” friends, dates, etc. It’s the kind of place you can order several different starters and plates to share and sample while enjoying a few drinks. Load up on the margaritas. They dont kick you in the back of the throat like most and aren’t too sour. This is your new spot.