always gourmet: exceptional dining right around the corner

as a full time wife, mother of two and business owner opportunities to go out for a nice, leisurely meal with friends and no children are few and far between. last Saturday the opportunity arose for a night out with friends at a restaurant of my choice. i have been following a local restaurant on twitter called Blanca and drooling over their menus, so i jumped at the chance to try it! imagine my surprise to find such an exceptional dining experience right around the corner in the sleepy and beautiful city of solana beach.
the ambiance and decor were a treat to the senses as we walked in the door and the quiet was a blessing to our ears, both couples the proud owners of 5 children between us, quiet is not something that happens often. i could go on about this, but my girlfriend who treated us to the experience is a graphic designer with a background in architecture and she does a much better job, i have included her twitpic at the bottom of the blog, so you can see and hear her words yourself. on to the food!
first let me say chef gavin smith has an amazing flair and palate for working with the local farms and local, seasonal ingredients. the menu was full of fabulous flavors and twists, an indulgent experience for the foodie in me. as each course arrived, we all tried, shared and devoured the delectable items that arrived on our plates in the form of artworks themselves. i am quite certain the pictures to follow will not give the food justice, as we took them with our iphones in the dark of the restaurant. everything from the charcuterie platter, to the local farm raised pork, local, seasonal vegetables and herbs to the black cod, each bite was an explosion of flavor and melt in your mouth delicious. the dessert finale really sealed the deal for me, a caramelized brioche filled with strawberry jelly, was nothing more than pure bliss, crunchy from the sugar, light and airy brioche and decade filling and sauce. excuse me for a minute, i am drooling as i think of this. i look forward to the chance to taste and experience more of blanca, next time maybe a happy hour in their stylish lounge to try the many interesting items on the lounge menu.