and these tasty tacos came with a nice spicy kick. Next time
we’ll have some of the skewers of shrimp, steak or veggies,
grilled over mesquite wood.
the Illinois
Restaurant Association, so he knows
what he’s doing in this
new adventurous space.
He started off our meal with an imaginative take on a margarita. This martini-shaped glass concoction came with two
different flavored salts on each side – one had lime salt, the
other had chili spiced salt. There was an inside out lime half
floating in the glass filled with Mezcal. Sanchez told us to drink
from the lime salt side, then knock over the lime half so the
Mezcal spilled into the margarita, then sip from the chili salt
side. The difference was a knockout – smoky and spicy
compared to the tangy citrus taste from the first sip. The tequila
dealt a delicious punch as well.
Then we stared with some fresh made guacamole, which Sanchez explained was his special recipe using serrano peppers
rather japaleno, which gives a richer taste. The Haas avocados
had a nice velvety taste and the house made chips were crisp
and fresh. There is a full salsa menu, with a variety of tastes
including mango, chimichurri and tomatillo.
For entrees we shared the catch of day fish, grilled banana
leaf-wrapped local catch , with chipotle sauce and fried plantains, a nice mix of Latin flavors with a good thick fish steak.
We also split the grilled lobster tail tacos with pickled red
onion slaw (red onion, banana pepper, radish, bitter orange
juice, oregano, cilantro) micro greens, and imported flour tortillas from Mexico. Lobster tacos seem like such an indulgence,
Of course we had to have deserts since Sanchez insisted, so
we let him order for us. Good thing we did, as these gorgeously
prepared plates were a real treat. One was a pan de leche cake,
moist and creamy topped with vanilla bean ice cream on a bed
of chocolate sauce with blueberries scattered about. The other
was a Lincoln Log house of churros – usually fried but these
were baked pastry made with vanilla and coconut, stacked
and topped with the vanilla bean ice cream with a Mexican
chocolate dipping sauce and more berries. Absolute heavenly
deserts, the churros were so good I took some home and had
them with my coffee the next morning.
Chef Manuel Briseno, a native of Durango, Mexico, serves as
the corporate chef overseeing the menu. Briseno began his
culinary career at age 17, catering events for large-scale events.
At 22, Briseno moved to Nuevo Leon, in Northern Mexico and,
at 24, he moved to the U.S. and spent eight years at McCormick
& Schmick’s, where he learned to cook traditional American
fare, so his cred as a Northern Mexican chef is truly earned.
There has been a lot of money and thought put into Banko
Cantino and it shows in every possible way with beautifully
detailed interiors, imaginative food and gracious hosts.
If you visit, the restaurant is located at 114 S. Olive Street, West
Palm Beach and opens daily for lunch and dinner.
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