After five years of speculation, pop-ups, skater-only events, soft openings, and hype the likes I’ve not seen around a restaurant in these parts, Chick & Hawk is finally open, but you knew that.
I have a strong connection with the Chick & Hawk space as it housed Fulano’s for many years. Fulano’s was my first column for Encinitas Eats, the classic, yet short-lived Encinitas-centric weekly run by Mike Andreen and the late great Gary Taylor.
My headline was “No freezer, lots of flair at Fulano’s,” and, well, I wrote it mainly to unlock the mystery and conspiracy theories surrounding the restaurant that never seemed busy, but put out really good food, had a liquor license and made fabulous margaritas.
There really was no big mystery or dramatic, illicit money-making schemes. The proprietor owned the building and catered to small groups of families and regulars, and that’s really all he needed to keep the joint afloat.
The real drama unfolded over the past five years with the hurdles Andrew Bachelier and partner Tony Hawk had to clear to make this concept a reality. The idea is heavily weighted toward the Tony Hawk skate culture, paired with Bachelier’s world-class culinary chops.
And now we have two skater-themed restaurants across Coast Highway from one another, with the recent opening of Johnny Rad’z. Given the skater-centric culture of Encinitas, that’s not really a stretch…and honestly, themed restaurants are cool and all, but it really comes down to the food, right?
Before I get to that, for those of you not familiar with the culinary resume of Bachelier, it’s as good as it gets for a San Diego-centric chef. He spent six years at Michelin three-star Addison by William Bradley, was the executive chef at Campfire and Michelin-starred Jeune et Jolie in Carlsbad.
He currently owns Atelier Manna in Leucadia with his wife, Larah. It’s the best breakfast/brunch experience I’ve experienced, and evidently, that respect is shared by the heavy hitters, as it earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand award last May. So yeah, when Bachelier embarks on a new venture, it’s worth checking out.
So, about the menu. It’s tight, which is always a good thing, and it revolves around their signature chicken sandwich, The Birdman, that’s been touted as all that and then some. I guess that, given the plethora of solid chicken sandwiches that are brined and extra crispy in the area, starting with the Crack Shack that opened in 2017, it was an interesting dish to highlight. Maybe the name Chick & Hawk was just too perfect to go with anything else.
I’ve been making a buttermilk-brined, triple-dipped, extra-crispy chicken thigh sandwich for years, so yeah, I have somewhat jaded opinions, and my bar is probably higher than most. Anyway, it’s an elevated, solid sandwich for sure, yet I found that even the least of the three heat levels dominated in a way that distracted from any other flavors. But for the heat-seeking masses out there, you will be delightfully satisfied.
I found out after that it could be ordered without any heat, and I will definitely go that way next time. It’s a huge sandwich, though, easily two meals for those capable of portion control.
My sandwich jam at Chick & Hawk is The Seabird: crispy or blackened market fish, smashed avocado, butter lettuce, crispy shallot, tartar sauce, and American cheese. This is a unique and fabulous fish sandwich, both crispy and blackened.
The Kona Bowl combines chicories and lettuces, radish, citrus, avocado furikake and lemon parm dressing, and you can add a Birdman Thigh or Crispy Albacore to give it a delicious protein boost.
I also tried the Local Tuna Tataki with a Chick & Hawk spice-blackened tuna, carrot, orange, and ginger vinaigrette, and scallion. Tataki is a Japanese cooking method in which a protein, typically fish or beef, is seared briefly, then chilled and thinly sliced.
This is a fabulous dish, basically appetizer size for $22, and it went down way too quickly. When I feel like going big someday, I’m going back and ordering five or six of these and walking out a happy man.
For those of you with a veggie focus, the Maitake bo ssam is a vegetarian take on the Korean pork lettuce wrap dish. Maitake mushrooms are batter-dipped, tempura-fried and served with carrot and daikon strips, minty/citrusy shiso leaves for wrapping and a peanut sauce.
On the other end of the spectrum, the Eyrie Fries is a sizable, shareable plate of duck-fat fries with aioli, Parmesan, fresh herbs, and a drizzle of truffle hot sauce. The fries are savory, salty and extra crunchy, and again a bit of a heat kick. Chicken or albacore can also be added on for an additional charge. A smaller side dish of spice-free fries is also available.
And for those of you hankering to go big on caviar service, Chick & Hawk has that covered as well with a half or 1 ounce of Osetra Caviar with French onion crème fraiche and Kennebec chips, available for $74/$135. Seems like a random offering, but given Leucadia’s upscaling, I’m sure they will find some buyers.
Cocktails, beer and wine shine at Chick & Hawk with beverage director Nick Sinutko serving up a creative 11-cocktail lineup. I tried the Bones Brigade with bourbon, huckleberry, sarsaparilla, pineapple and spruce, and it was super refreshing.
A side note and tip, if you plan on cocktailing before dinner, hold off on your dinner order until you have cocktails in hand, as, for us anyway, our meal came out before the cocktails, and I had ordered a Mexican Squirt to go with my meal, so I basically saved the cocktail for dessert. Despite the caviar service, this is not fine dining, so cocktail timing is probably not a priority.
Yeah, I know, a high-class problem that most will not even care about.
And there is a reasonably priced house red and white wine, lager, pickle beer (all the rage these days), hybrid cider and of course the now-obligatory n/a lager. Bubbles are aimed more at the caviar crowd, with some pricy options for those who are so inclined.
I’m stoked Chick & Hawk is finally open, and given the creativity of chef Bachelier, I’m thinking the menu could change with the seasons or whims of this culinary star, so I’d keep your eye on their social media for updates.
Open 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays; 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 145 Leucadia Blvd., Encinitas. For more information or to make a reservation: Reserve by Google, tables.toasttab.com, instagram.com/chick.and.hawk, and chickandhawk.com.
