Art Chowder July | August 2018, Issue 16 | Page 51

N
ow, let’s talk about Zona Blanca.
It is fine dining food in a fast-casual
environment — the first and only ceviche
bar in Spokane. The concept for his
ceviche bar began around “counter service,
simplicity, and low brow” and that’s exactly
what he has achieved. He emphasizes
sustainability and using local ingredients.
Zona Blanca is passion-driven and as soon
as you bite into a tostada or bowl, you will
understand what we mean. “It is about so
much more than the dollars and cents,”
Chad says.
Enter through Steel Barrel Taproom and
you’ll see Zona Blanca, tucked away in the
back with brick walls covered in eclectic
drawings of fish. The way the building is set
up doesn’t allow for Zona Blanca to have a
hood, which means no grease, no oven, no
nothing. This really limited them when they
were trying to figure out how to fill this
space. All they use is a small toaster oven
to toast their torta sandwiches. The ceviche
method is all about preservation. They soak
the raw fish in lime juice, which prevents
bacteria growth and kills the parasites. They
stepped up to the challenge and have made
Zona Blanca a huge success!
The menu changes with time, but our
all-time favorite is the “Baja Ceviche”
followed by the “Jalisco.” The “Baja
Ceviche” is a classic ceviche with fresh
flavors, citrus ponzu, cilantro, and avocado.
It has an Asian flair with soy sauce and
sesame oil. Chef White explained to us how
these Asian ingredients were brought over
to the Baja region via migration, and his
ceviche tells this history through the cross
pollination of ingredients.
Jalisco is the Mexican state in which Puerto
Vallarta and Guadalajara are found. They
cook with a lot of meat and dried beef. Chef
White wanted to bring influence from this
region to make a “Surf and Turf” ceviche
dish. He did this by incorporating smoky,
salty, spicy, and sour flavors into one dish
and it knocked our socks off.
July | August 2018
51