Gallo Blanco
Robson is rolling out service hours in progressive fashion. Dinner opened to the public on July 1, and lunch will follow later this summer, then weekend brunch. By fall, he plans to offer breakfast as well, bolstered by an in-house bakery that — in addition to telera bread for the tortas — will fire up a selection of pan dulce, Mexican pastries. Until the rest are revealed, the dinner menu will set some hearts aflutter among those who regard the original Gallo Blanco in a nostalgic light.
“I did ask a lot of friends and people that really enjoyed Gallo Blanco, I asked them straight up, what are the things that you feel we need to put on the menu to help our Gallo base feel comfortable?” Robson says.
That means old Gallo Blanco favorites like the huevos rancheros ($9), chilaquiles ($10) swimming in fire-roasted tomatillo salsa, elote callejero ($6) and the meaty, egg-drenched naco torta ($10) will all be in attendance. The Gallo guacamole ($4) also remains, though it’s now served a part of “la charola,” (literally, “the tray”) which also bears chips, Gallo’s classic tomatillo and chile de arbol salsas, plus a rotating salsa del dia.
Similarly, Robson’s crispy tower of griddled cheese — the “chicharron de queso” ($7) — is back. And he also has used it to create the “envuelto” ($10), juicy pork al pastor folded into griddled cheese that’s crisp at the edges and gooey in the center, to be torn off in chunks and eaten in a tortilla.
“It’s one of my favorite tacos on the menu,” Robson says. “It’s a kind of dish you see in Guadalajara a lot.”
The rest of the menu will be familiar to Gallo Blanco fans, if not in precise composition then certainly in spirit.
A coctel de mariscos ($12) and ceviche de pescado ($12) make for refreshing starters, and casual dishes like huaraches ($7$8) and tortas ($9-$10) abound. There’s a noassembly-required pozole rojo ($8) and a short list of Robson’s striking salads ($9), introducing some yogurt-based dressings and crunchy fried lima beans. Where: 928 E. Pierce St., Phoenix. Hours: 5 p.m.-midnight Tuesdays through Sundays. Monday hours, along with lunch, brunch and breakfast, to follow later this summer. Details: 602-327-0880, galloblancocafe.com.
Watch the video
At dining.azcentral.com: Chef/owner Doug Robson highlights signature dishes at the new Gallo Blanco and describes the concept of his Garfield neighborhood restaurant.
New Gallo’s tacos are all about execution