Blue Dalia

I am fortunate to have wonderful friends who came out to celebrate my birthday at Blue Dalia last weekend. We were lucky to have a reservation - the lobby was already packed when we showed up at 5 pm on a Saturday. We were seated at a family-style long table in the back of the restaurant - a perfect spot for a dinner filled with conversations and laughter.

Drinks arrived quickly and were amazing. My favorite was Honey & Spice Margarita (Casa Noble Crystal Tequila, Cointreau, house made spicy honey, and fresh lime juice, $12.50).

The restaurant's designer Mark Knauer created a beautiful space, contrasting dark furniture with colorful artwork and lots of natural light. Culinary director renowned Chef Roberto Santibañez developed a fabulous menu consisting of a modern take on dishes from all over Mexico. 

An added benefit of coming as a large group is that we got to sample quite a few dishes and drinks. Below are some highlights - enjoy!

Family-style table is perfect for a large group.

Guacamole is cooked to order - crushed by hand with mortar and pestle - fresh, flavorful, simply amazing. $12

A lovely paella with shrimp, scallops and mussels cooked in roasted tomato-jalapeno broth with guajillo flavored rice. Camarones Y Callos A La Tumbada. $24

Smoked trout escabeche, romaine lettuce, Mexican crema, shredded beets, carrots and chives. Salty and crunchy. Tostada De Trucha Ahumada. $11

Yucatán-style slow cooked pork, pickled white onions, charred habanero salsa, served with warm hand pressed corn tortillas to make your own tacos. Cochinita Pibil. $22

Achiote-marinated catch of the day (halibut) , black bean velvet sauce, tomato-habanero emulsion and pickled red onion. Pescado Yucatán. $23

Zesty shrimp cocktail with avocado, verdial olives, tomato, onion, cilantro and spicy cocktail sauce. Coctel De Camarones Acapulco. $12

Pear cactus, red onion, cherry tomatoes, lime, cilantro and crispy chile negro. Nopalitos. $8

A very flavorful ceviche made from citrus-cured kampachi, scallion, tomatoes, cilantro and orange-habanero marinade. Ceviche De Kampachi. $14

Masa boats topped with mashed garbanzos, roasted mushrooms with epazote, crema, queso fresco and chile de árbol salsa. Sopes De Hongos. $9

Chipotle chicken broth, shredded chicken, carrots, peas, garbanzos and avocado. Caldo Tlalpeño. $9

Poblano and cheese tamales served with black bean velvet sauce, asparagus and pickled red onion. Tamalitos De Elote. $10