Blanca
New American restaurant · Williamsburg ·
Upscale New American tasting menus in a tiny, reservation-only loft
Upscale New American tasting menus in a tiny, reservation-only loft
"To learn more about international cuisine, I worked for Blanca." - The MICHELIN Guide
"A critically acclaimed tasting-menu restaurant in Bushwick is closing on Saturday, April 12. Chef Victoria Blamey shared on Instagram that the landlord did not renew the lease. The restaurant was founded by Roberta’s Carlo Mirarchi and Brandon Hoy, and it has been operating next to the Bushwick pizzeria since 2012." - Nadia Chaudhury
"A restaurant described as soon-to-close whose chef, Victoria Blamey, is scheduled to participate in Una Night Only on Saturday, June 14." - Nadia Chaudhury
"The critically acclaimed tasting-menu restaurant founded by Roberta’s Carlo Mirarchi and Brandon Hoy is closing after service on April 12; the restaurant adjacent to the Bushwick Roberta’s location has long been a New York critic favorite since it opened in 2012. High-profile chef Victoria Blamey — who shepherded the restaurant to one of the top favorites of New York Times former critic Pete Wells — made the announcement on Instagram, saying, “I have shocking and sad news to share,” and revealing that the landlord did not renew the lease. She added, “It’s been a year and 5 months in this space, running, working, creating . . . showing and sharing what I had to offer in this room, like no other,” and thanked supporters and her cooks. In an early review, Pete Wells described Blamey’s cooking: “minimalism gave way to an intense and elaborate inventiveness. Drawing on her Chilean childhood and her training in forward-thinking kitchens like Mugaritz and Corton, she cooked, among other things, crab empanadas laced with fermented black beans, ají dulce peppers and a sweet trickle of Chartreuse.” The restaurant’s critical arc includes Wells awarding it three stars in 2015 (up from two in 2012, when Mirarchi and then Hoy ran the kitchen), a playful fine-dining spirit evidenced by eclectic murals, a spotlight on vinyl records, and an initial lengthy 27-course menu. It had at one time landed a Michelin star; controversially — with fans questioning Michelin inspectors — it did not during Blamey’s reign, despite its critical acclaim. Before steering this kitchen, Blamey was head chef at two New York icons: at one point Chumley’s (which, after she left and the ownership changed, turned into the short-lived Frog Club, and is now on its way to becoming something else); an iteration of Gotham Bar and Grill that closed in 2020 (which reopened under new owners and is closed again); and her own spot, Mena. As to what’s next, Blamey told Wells that she may look beyond New York." - Melissa McCart
"One of New York's most lauded tasting-menu restaurants, now overseen in the kitchen by Victoria Blamey, continuing its reputation for carefully composed, high-end multi-course dining." - ByEmily Wilson