Audio By Carbonatix
When I called Doug Robson, chef-owner of the fantastic new Gallo
Blanco Café at the Clarendon Hotel, I almost expected him to ask
me not to write about his restaurant.
“I wanna be just kind of quiet about it,” he said, pausing to take a
deep breath before talking to me in a hushed, hesitant voice. “You
know, it is what it is — simple food. Tacos are just something we
eat every day in Mexico.”
Wow. If I could eat like this every day, I would, too.
To be sure, the food at Gallo Blanco is casual and unpretentious,
with dirt-cheap prices to match. What isn’t obvious until you taste it,
though, is the thoughtful preparation and great ingredients that make
it so addicting.
Robson’s big on local purveyors — The Meat Shop for pork that
he transforms into scrumptious, slow-roasted cochinita pibil,
Schreiner’s for excellent chorizo, and La Sonorense for fragrant,
fluffy telera bread and fresh masa. And while he does keep things
simple, he doesn’t overlook the details that elevate the dining
experience. From made-to-order tortillas to charred tomato Bloody
Marys, everything gets a little extra oomph.
A native of Mexico City, Robson tells me the menu was inspired by
his upbringing — dishes his mom used to make, dishes he’s been
cooking for himself for years. After cooking contemporary American
cuisine under notable chefs such as Robert McGrath and Michael DeMaria,
and creating some of La Grande Orange’s most popular items as its
founding executive chef, he eventually made time to write down his
Mexican recipes and plan a restaurant of his own.
Gallo Blanco Café strikes me as a very favorable development
for the Clarendon Hotel, which was converted into a hip boutique hotel
several years ago. Known for its pool and its rooftop parties, the
Clarendon deserves a happening cafe. But after the high-style Camus
closed its doors a couple of years ago, the in-house restaurant space
never really recaptured its mojo, with a short-lived Japanese concept
followed by a Mexican joint that merely fed hotel guests and never made
it onto the radar of locals who’d made Camus so vibrant. Luckily, the
neighborhood has already embraced this place, and it’s been open only a
month.
The atmosphere is much more welcoming now — they’ve knocked
down interior walls that used to separate the hotel lobby from the bar
area, and the bar from the dining room. There’s an open kitchen, too.
Caramel-colored leather chairs, handsome wooden tables built by Robson,
quirky artwork, and a well-curated indie-rock soundtrack give it a
distinctive personality that’s unexpected in a hotel, even a boutique
one.
Meanwhile, the restaurant name reflects a sense of humor: “white
rooster” is slang for “white dude,” Robson says. Apparently, folks are
surprised when they learn that he’s Mexican.
At night, when things were lit up just so and the margaritas started
to flow, Gallo Blanco felt like it was plucked right out of a much
bigger metropolis. Drinks were noteworthy, from lime-kissed watermelon
agua fresca to affordable wines by the glass or bottle. The
Picoso cocktail, made with tequila and fruit, had a craveable
jalapeño kick, while the white sangria was full of juicy
peaches, grapes, and apple. And homemade horchata, a cinnamon-tinged
rice drink, was refreshing, not overbearingly sweet.
Grilled dishes comprised the highlights, including a
citrus-marinated half-chicken, bursting with juices under its crispy
skin; a deliciously seasoned 12-ounce “Nueva York” steak laden with
grilled mushrooms, sweet onions, and whole scallions; and a market
fish. On the day I ordered it, it was succulent halibut lightly brushed
with olive oil, with a pile of zucchini, corn, and onions on the
side.
Funny, they also had a cheeseburger on the menu — I suppose to
keep the hotel guests happy. No, thanks, I’ll take Gallo Blanco’s
cochinita torta, a pork sandwich straight out of my hedonistic
dreams. Marinated in a pungent mix of achiote, garlic, orange, and
guajillo, the tender pork was chopped up with crispy skin, sizzled fat,
and sweet bits of pineapple that accented it like candy. Creamy
avocado, fresh cilantro, and shredded lettuce provided a cool contrast
to the hot, spicy meat, and the soft telera bun could barely contain
all of it. I’m obsessed.
Cochinita was also available in taco form — that is,
tiny street tacos made with freshly griddled tortillas. It’s easy to
down three or four of these. You could also do tacos or tortas filled
with carne asada, grilled fish, or veggies. Of course, I had to
try all of them, and was particularly impressed with the charred tomato
salsa on the buttery chunks of grilled rib eye, and the chunky
guacamole topping the fish.
Beyond the meaty stuff, there were two chopped salads that I’d
gladly order again, perhaps with a taco or two. “House salad” was a
deceptively humble name for a mix of Romaine, tomato, pumpkin seeds,
cucumber, jicama, cotija cheese, tortilla strips, and chunks of
orange, brightened with tangy-sweet herb vinaigrette. And Ensalada
Cortada was an even more whimsical combination, with kale, red and
white cabbage, Manchego cheese, crunchy peas and corn nuts, avocado,
tomato, egg, and ranch dressing.
Chicharron de Queso made a fun, unusual snack. It was
basically a thin layer of cheese cooked into a golden disc that was
folded into a cylinder and presented upright (though slightly lopsided)
on a plate. My dining companion and I instinctively tore the thing
apart and dunked the chewy, crispy pieces in spicy aji aioli, not
knowing when to stop. Grilled corn was awesome, too — sweet,
smothered in cotija crumbles, and sprinkled with smoked
paprika.
Gallo Blanco also serves breakfast, and a filling one at that
— how about a torta packed with scrambed eggs, avocado, and
chorizo, or an eggs-and-chorizo plate teamed with creamy refried beans
and a stack of hot tortillas? At the moment, I’m dreaming of the spicy
huevos rancheros, chased with a shot of espresso and sweetened
condensed milk.
Nobody ever orders dessert with breakfast, but my favorite
dulce on the Gallo Blanco menu also happens to be available all
day: crepas con cajeta. That is, fresh crepes topped with sliced
bananas, heady caramel sauce, and whipped crema fresca, which
added the perfect tangy complexity to an otherwise sweet concoction.
So, so good.
For something decadent after dinner, I liked the thick chocolate
pudding with shards of graham cracker and a dollop of homemade
marshmallow fluff. And mixed fresh fruit topped with whipped crema
fresca tasted like something I could snack on anytime.
Usually, it only takes one really good dish to lure me back to a
restaurant. Gallo Blanco’s so tasty I might just have to check into the
Clarendon.
