Chef Michael Toscano is no stranger to new ventures as the founding force behind Le Farfalle, da Toscano Porchetta Shop, da Toscano Fugazzi and Da Toscano (in New York City). He is a known provider of well-loved Italian cuisine.
Toscano’s new pop-up concept, Blanca Estrada, will showcase the chef’s wider culinary repertoire as he takes on a new challenge: the perfect taco.
Blanca Estrada is slated to open in the next month at 164 Market St., which will serve as a temporary location until Toscano secures a permanent spot for the venture.
The shift may surprise fans, but Toscano’s roots play heavily into Blanca Estrada and its menu reflects his heritage and upbringing.
“I became a student of Italian cuisine, and that’s when I fell in love with Italy. But more of my background is Mexican,” he said. “My father is Italian, but I grew up eating Mexican food. My mother is Mexican — her [family] is from Guadalajara — so I grew up with a strong influence of Mexican cuisine.
“It’s going to be authentic. And there’s going to be an influence of childhood memories that I have of different dishes.”
High-quality, casual fare
Carne Guisada, one of the chef’s favorites, is a standout on the menu. It’s a slow-simmered, hearty beef stew served in a chili gravy sauce.
“[There are] many versions of it in Mexico, but you definitely see it in Texas,” Toscano explained. “There’s a Texas rancher version that my mother grew up eating and just loves. And so I love it. When you put it in a perfectly toasted, homemade flour tortilla with cilantro, onions and a little salsa verde, it’s just magic.”
Above all else, Toscano said he hopes to showcase high-quality local ingredients — especially meats — in tacos that will be served at the pop-up.
“This is solely going to be a taqueria,” he said, explaining that the future, permanent Blanca Estrada will feature a full restaurant menu.
“We’ll be toasting tortillas from scratch — taking the dough, pressing it and toasting them to order. [We are] making an experience with really well-thought-out, well-sourced proteins and vegetables that will be going in those tortillas,” he said. “Between that and the whole beverage program of all our favorite [margaritas and] agua frescas … how do you not love that?”
Overall, simplicity is what Toscano hopes will make Blanca Estrada stand out.
“You just focus on those few things and do them well … the meat cookery, how we marinate, how we braise and stew and grill.”
Toscano emphasized that Mexican cuisine is casual.
“It’s meant to be eaten on a paper plate, devoured the second you get it. We’re trying to really pay homage to what it’s supposed to be, and make it excellent by doing that.”
At the start, Blanca Estrada will occupy the former UPS storefront adjacent to Le Farfalle. “We share a wall. … We couldn’t let the space directly next door go away,” he said.
While Toscano plans to eventually turn the pop-up space into a pizza shop that connects to Le Farfalle, he decided to initially use it to show off his newest concept.
“We knew that [we wanted] to do Blanca Estrada somewhere as a full-on thing. So with this [pop-up] opportunity, I used it as a moment to get it going while we’re looking for its final place,” he said.
While Blanca Estrada is still preparing to begin its taco service, Toscano predicts the restaurant will open around Nov. 20. Follow @blancaestradachs on Instagram to learn more.
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