Dining and drinking review: Casco Antiguo

Casco Antiguo is located at 1901 Dock Street

Review and photos by Ted Broussard

The New Neighbor . . .

If Mr. Rogers was still around and lived in the Esplanade, he’d be singing his heart out with the opening of Casco Antiguo. Located on the water-facing side of The Henry, this new outpost of the Seattle eatery brings tacos, tequila and killer views to our neighborhood. But there’s more. With a comfortable and airy interior, a varied and interesting menu, and friendly and eager service, Casco Antiguo is poised to be the neighbor we’ve been hoping would move in.

Unlike Sue Kidd of the TNT, I have no policy about not reporting on a new restaurant right away. While generally I had a very positive impression on three visits in their first week, they do have some new restaurant kinks to work out, but nothing so worrisome that would give me even the slightest hesitation in recommending this restaurant.

Get ready to be transported to a fun and casual space to forget about your troubles. First impression when walking in was what a big open space. White metal chairs with dark wood seats pop against the natural wood topped tables set with a single Gerbera daisy in technicolor. Bright mango colored walls adjoin a striking mural spanning the entire wall near the open kitchen and kicks up the energy just a notch in the otherwise neutral palette. Soon to be a showstopper, a “living wall” of 16 potted plants will eventually grow to be a wall of green at the other end of the restaurant bathed in light by the floor to ceiling windows. And just in case you need reminding about why you live here, ask for a table near the sliding window wall facing the Thea Foss. It’s the next best thing to sitting on the patio.

The tagline for Casco Antiguo makes the claim of being an “authentic Mexican cocina & cantina in the Pacific Northwest.” While the space and décor are certainly more in line with a modern look and feel, the food and flavor is the real deal along with the requisite Northwest emphasis on fresh and local. We tried several things on our three visits with other people at the table so here are the highlights:

>> Chips & Salsa ($5) Add guacamole for extra $3---small amount of chips but they do give free refills; decent salsa but I’ve had better guac.

>> Queso Flameado ($9)---rich, and creamy melted Swiss and Cheddar cheese dip with secret spices and thick enough to require their special dipping chips. We took the “add Chorizo option for $2” and it was good but did not deliver the extra punch I was looking for.

>> Plantain Empanada ($8)---delicious crust with sweet plantain and black bean filling topped with avocado emulsion, crema and queso fresco. Served one per order as an appetizer.

>> Pescado Tacos ($11)---beer battered and fried halibut, Baja style with cabbage, chipotle aioli and cilantro---very light and crunchy outside and very tender inside. Proclaimed to be the best fish tacos ever by two different people in our party.

>> Pork Carnitas Tacos ($8)---Braised pork shoulder with salsa verde. Usually one of our “go to” choices at Mexican restaurant, this version is delicious but the long strands of meat with scrumptious crunchy brown edges are a bit hard to manage all in one bite. Quick solution is for them to cut the meat pieces in half and keep all of the flavor.

>> Pollo y Mole Enchilada ($13)---Beautifully presented and deeply flavored house made mole sauce over enchiladas stuffed with chili and wine braised shredded chicken. Very good.

>> Cachete de Cerdo ($15)---Guajillo and sherry braised pork cheeks with asparagus, radish & chili-pickled onion served on corn mash. Never had pork cheeks before but will be adding it to “must do again” list soon. Outstanding flavor on three meaty portions of tender but dense pork served over a bed of corn mash, another pleasant surprise of whole kernel corn mixed with creamy mashed potatoes---deelish!

>> Churros ($7)--- Crispy fried, cocoa, cinnamon, sugar, dolce de leche. Two choices for dessert: churros or flan. Can’t tell you about the flan because we were spoiled for life by the churros and ordered them at each visit---melt in your mouth goodness with died and gone to heaven caramel dipping sauce. Delicious!

If you’re a tequila fan, you’re in the right place. There are several pages of just tequila and mescal varieties from which to choose but if you are a true connoisseur, word has it that there are two extra special bottles of the really good stuff:  Casa Dragones Joven for $55 a shot and Clase Azul, a bargain at $65 a shot. We stuck to the Casco Antiguo Tap Margarita ($8) and the Rotating Tap Margarita ($9) and were especially enthralled with the current rotating flavor of Cucumber Mojito.  Plenty of other scratch and classic choices if tap doesn’t speak to you.

Their Red Wine Sangria was not at all what I expected. Served in a small juice glass, its purple color is the first thing I noticed and then the thick almost velvet taste of tempranillo, brandy, Cointreau and fresh juice took a little getting used to. Despite the small size, it packs a punch and if it had been called anything else, I might have loved it. I just couldn’t get past that it didn’t look like all the other sangrias I have known.

Service was excellent on two of our three visits but there were some service glitches on our third visit. I’m convinced it’s a “working out the kinks issue” and will not be a problem long term. One of the managers, Rob, is very friendly and welcoming and I take him at his word when he says they are committed to offering great food and service.

Special note for those with food restrictions: The menu does not indicate if any offerings are gluten free. I asked about it and learned that they do not have a special separate set up to ensure gluten free preparation, so they describe themselves as “gluten free friendly.” The server went on to say that most of the items are gluten free because they use only corn tortillas but it might be worth asking about specific dishes to confirm.

Casco Antiguo is the neighbor you will want to visit again and again.  The food is interesting and delicious with authentic flavor, the tequila menu will keep you busy for weeks and the window tables and outdoor seating will be your home away from home this summer. As if that’s not neighborly enough, two of our real neighbors at the Esplanade work there! Say hello to Sarah at the bar and Ashlee on the floor if you see them and welcome Casco Antiguo to the neighborhood.