blanca Food+Wine — Restaurant in Norfolk

Ate here Friday night on a glowing recommendation from a friend. We made a reservation and walked through the front door excited. We were seated and it took about 5 minutes for the waitress to come over. She was about to pour still, and I asked if they had sparkling. She said they did but each bottle might only fill one glass. I said “no problem at wall” with a smile. She seemed irritated that she had to get sparkling water and take her still water back. We ordered a cocktail which took forever to get. We asked about the menu and if she has any favorites. She briefly described the menu but generally just seemed to be miserable. I asked for a wine menu, which she forgot. I asked her again a second time about 15 minutes later, she forgot again and then I saw her spraying down and wiping a table. She looked at me and realized she forgot the wine list. She grabs it and then brings it over and lays it on the table. I said thank you, but she did not even say you’re welcome. At every turn we thanked her and always no response. She passed by several times not asking if we found a bottle. At this point there was no way I was going to order a bottle (they don’t have decent wines anyways which is ironic given the name) My wife waved her down and asked for another cocktail. She then grabbed the wine glasses and said, “I guess you don’t need these.” The next thing I see is her in the kitchen flailing her arms around yelling at the kitchen staff. I had lamb ragu pasta, my wife had mussels, both were mediocre at best. I could not wait to get out of there and go somewhere else to have a nice glass of wine to decompress after the experience. We went to Luce and had a $150+ bottle of Barolo. I was not going to give her the satisfaction of ordering wine and then expect she would receive a tip for that. The only time she perked up was when I asked for the check. I guess she felt like she deserved something. It’s not hard to be personable, say your welcome, say my pleasure or generally be a nice person. I am not sure who hired her, but she just does not belong in the service industry. I guess this is why blanca was mostly empty on a Friday night and a place like Luce was packed up...

My boyfriend keeps a running tally of how many times I say "I want blanca" in a week. It’s not unusual for me to hit double digits by Wednesday. How did we hit the jackpot with THIS PLACE as our "go-to neighborhood spot"?!

The menu is always rotating, and packed with original, fresh, and creative dishes. Nothing boring, always something new to discover. They showcase each season beautifully, incorporating as many local ingredients as possible. And the portion sizes are fantastic. They introduced us to Brillat-Savarin, our new favorite cheese and fridge staple, but somehow, it just tastes better at blanca. 😂

Some other favorites include the Spaghetti Limone—simple but perfectly executed every time—and their savory tarts, where the flavors always come together beautifully, wrapped in an impossibly flaky crust. They do scallops like no one else. And the chicken? We still can’t figure out how it’s that good—easily the best we’ve ever had. Juicy, flavorful, and cooked to perfection.

We love the familiar faces we see each time. Sitting at the bar and chatting with Brandon and the rest of the crew while watching them work is one of our favorite ways to spend an evening. It’s a small, intimate restaurant, but it never feels chaotic or cramped—just full of warmth.

Courtney and her team have created something really amazing here. Every visit reminds us why we keep coming back. (Mmmmm, I...

This will be my very first review I have ever done in my entire life but I feel as though it is necessary. My friends and I went to blanca to celebrate one of their bdays. We had a great time. We ordered drinks and apps and enjoyed the atmosphere. Then our entrees came. One of our friends has been dealing with health issues for a while and so she could only eat certain foods. She ordered the steak. She took a bite then another and it didn't taste right to her. She asked us to try and our other friend and I took a bite as well and we agreed there was a strong gamey taste to it. She didn't feel comfortable finishing her plate. Our waiter came by and we told him about it. He asked her if he could bring her out something else. She's on a very strict diet due to her health issues so she just passed on getting something else. We ordered a couple desserts and coffee. After we finished we asked for our check. THEY STILL CHARGED US FOR THE STEAK! Now I get it. Ok we ordered the steak they cooked the steak and we returned the steak. But our friend literally took 2 bites and returned the dish! And it wasn't like that was all we ordered! Our bill was over 300 dollars! Needless to say I was pretty upset. We paid and left. Def won't be returning and will never be...