by Sacramento News & Review · Best Place to eat fancy without the fancy: Hawks Provisions ·
Hawks Restaurant in Granite Bay and Hawks Public House in Midtown both offer exquisite dining experiences, among the best in the region. But they come with hefty price tags and certain expectations. However, you can roll into Hawks Provisions, the tiny cafe next to Hawks Public House, unshowered and with unruly hair, and receive a magnificent, top-grade meal. Grab a sandwich, like the amazing croque monsieur ($7), and the Public House Bar ($4), a candylike dessert with layers of chocolate, peanuts, feuilletine and caramel, and prepare to be dazzled. You just have to take them somewhere else. 1525 Alhambra Boulevard, (916) 588-4440, www.hawkspublichouse.com/provisions. J.B.(more…)
At Hawks Public House, a simple week night visit turns into a poetic dining experience. Last week, fellow Food and Wine Blogger friend Jamie Gall of Minnesotta Girl in the World and I decided to have dinner at the restaurant on a Wednesday night. Upon entry, the host Tom greeted us warmly and then sat us at the southeast corner of the restaurant, an area in perfect position for a beautiful bath of natural light; a perfect table for food and people photography, especially before sunset.
Soon after Jamie and I were seated, Tom momentarily leaves and returns with Esra Oktar, General Manager and Chef Justin Green. Jamie and I were both surprised, but delighted with this welcome from Esra and Chef Green. I told them that we had met Chef Michael Fagnoni1 at the International Food Bloggers Conference (IFBC) late last month. My conversation with Chef Fagnoni was brief at the IFBC, but I was quickly enamored by his charm and celebrity Chef good looks. The bites he served, I must say, were delicious, too, and was among the reasons for visiting Hawks.
The fabulous Esra Oktar, General Manager; and the masterful Chef Justin Green begin with clarity of focus and gregarious smiles to make restaurant magic happen.
Before our conversation with Esra and Chef Justin ended, I admitted something somewhat shameful: As a Sacramento local who lives about seven minutes away from the restaurant’s door, I have not been until that night; fortunately, that statement is now in the past tense.
In the present tense, I state that Hawks delivers a moment-by-moment stream of beautiful dining experience. The setting is simple and unassuming: The tables are bare and reveal the beautiful wood surfaces. This simulates the rustic romance one longs for in a city without the infections of pretension. The sky light allows entrancing natural light to flow in and sets the mood for a great beginning that invites other sparkling moments to follow.
Naturally, we begin with sparkling wine – a Col De’Salici Prosecco. With the bubbles, excitement rises, as we converse and review a menu that showcases the farm-to-fork goodness surrounding Sacramento.
Jonah and Prosecco: You had us at hello.
For our appetizers, we ordered two selections: First, the Melon Salad and for the second appetizer, we requested for Chef Green to select, himself. A few minutes after, four elegant plates arrived: the Melon salad we ordered, along with three other appetizers: Seared Hamachi, Grilled Jimmy Nardello and Shisito Peppers, and Grilled Eggplant.
Charentais Melon Salad with Summer Squash, Burrata, and Cucumbers
The Melon Salad combines three elements of similar texture, but with varying levels of flavor explosion. The melon mildly explodes with delicate fruit sweetness and lusciousness; the summer squash pops with a a little more robust texture and tempered sweetness; and the cucumber participates with its omnipresent serenity to complete the trio in this refreshing appetizer. The burrata, which a novice palate may suspect does not belong, melts with mouth-filling creaminess to embrace and unify the trio’s similarities and subtle variations.
Seared Hamachi, Husk Cherries, Gypsy Peppers, Shiso and Pickled Onions
The thinly-sliced seared Hamachi beautifully rests on the plate with elegant fat and creaminess and is graced with the acidity and sweetness of husk cherries, shreds of gypsy peppers, and pickled onions. This dish delivers another favorite flavor package: fat and creamy with tart and sweet.
Grilled Eggplant, Farro, Cucumber Rosewater, Pistachio, Yoghurt, and Mint.
The Grilled Eggplant dish makes one reminisce of the endearing comforts of home cooking – warm, satisfying, and tasty. As I enjoyed this dish, thoughts of grandma’s kitchen modernized came to mind.
Grilled Jimmy Nardello and Shisito Peppers, Jalapeno Cream.
The Grilled Pepper was my favorite appetizer, and one that I slowly ate, so I could have some leftover to enjoy with the main dish and to potentially take home. As the peppers slid between my lips and tongue, I also slid back to memories of times spent in Spain in a previous life when I was youthful, adventurous, and idealistic. I was also reminded of the power of great food to transport one to the vivid recollection of great experiences or revive the promise of future intentions.
Goat Cheese Toasts with Fennel Agrodolce and Cucumber.
Esra pours the Artesa Pinot Noir.
Just in time to bring me back to my current reality, Esra returns to our table and brings another pleasant surprise: Two pieces of goat cheese toasts with fennel agrodolce and cucumber. Again, we are seduced with the fantastic duality of sweet and savory; soft and crunchy; jagged and velvety to excite the palate even more for what is to come. Esra recommends a Rose or a Pinot Noir for the next progression of our meal. We agreed and the magical dining experience continued.
Lobster Roll in a House-Made Brioche Bun, Lemon Caper Aioli, and Dill Potato Chips; and the St. Louis Ribs served with White Corn, Succotash, Peperonata, and Black Pepper Honey.
With about a square inch of available space left in my stomach, the main dishes arrive: Lobster Roll and Dill Potato Chips, St. Louis Ribs, and White Corn.
The lobster roll was wonderful as it its appearance; but the St. Louis Ribs were far beyond its physical beauty. It was another moment when I, with neither guilt, nor reservation, exclaimed how I was so happy not to be vegetarian anymore. It was the first-ever St. Louis-style ribs I have tried, and it was most delicious. The rub coats not only with smokiness and flavor, but also with earthiness and grit; and when dripped with fresh lemon juice and coupled with sprinklings of basil, the flavor fireworks sensationally explode to splatter joy on the palate; and then on your life. The Artesa Pinot Noir from the Carneros region paired perfectly with this dish.
Earl Grey Panna Cotta with Friar Plums and Hazelnut Crumble and the Sweet Cream Gelato with Roasted Peaches, Hazelnut Shortbread, Olive Oil, and Maldon Sea Salt.
To conclude our meal, we ordered the Earl Grey Panna Cotta and the Sweet Cream Gelato. As an added treat, Jonah served a scoop of the Coffee Gelato, which was the most memorable of the three wonderful treats.
As I hinted in the prelude, last week’s visit at Hawks was not intended to be a search for a poetic dining experience, but it certainly turned out to be. The exceptional service, fantastic intimacy of the space, and memorably thoughtful dishes captured wonder and excitement; and inspired joy. Now if that isn’t poetic, then I don’t know what is.
Female chefs! This year’s chef lineup includes female chef leads, showing that our region can be an equity leader in an often male-dominated field. A super celery shout out to Allyson Harvie of The Patriot and Molly Hawks of Hawks and Hawks Public House. They’ll be joined by Billy Ngo of Kru and Fish Face, Kelly McCown of The Kitchen, Mike Fagnoni of Hawks and Hawks Public House, and Ramon Perez of Puur Chocolat. (more…)
“…one of the best meals I had was at Hawks Public House, which opened in December. Chef Justin Green masterfully uses the area’s bounty in such items as Humboldt Fog goat cheese with local honey, summer bean salad with figs and fried almonds, and braised pork with bronze fennel. What he creates would easily stand with the best in San Francisco.” Read full article online here.
Hawks recently revamped its whole menu, opting for a simpler, streamlined approach. Now, you’re handed the same list of dishes all day. What does that mean for happy hour? On weekdays between 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m., all food is 20 percent off. And until 6 p.m., there’s a designated list of happy hour cocktails, including a martini, Manhattan and Sazerac, which all go for $7. If you dig the trendy vibe but not so much craft cocktails, you can get Pabst Blue Ribbon and a shot of bourbon for $7 as well. And, in case you’re one of the many confused about the restaurant’s parking situation: Yes, you can safely leave your vehicle in Sutter Health’s parking lot. 1525 Alhambra Boulevard, www.hawkspublichouse.com.
Sacramento Bee: Additions of Hawks and OBO’ highlight the maturing food and drink scene in East Sacramento, where the current trend of high-end yet casual dining has been the thing for years.
For Savor East Sac, Hawks Public House is offering a three-course menu for $32, and Hawks Provisions a sandwich, drink and cookie for $12. (more…)
Next time you find yourself in Sacramento stop by Hawks Provisions + Public House. Having opened late last year, Public House has a casual setting with an urban industrial atmosphere while the Provisions side of the restaurant is more of a grab-and-go style coffee shop offering sandwiches, salads and pastries. This is a second restaurant for husband and wife team, Molly Hawks and Michael Fagnoni who have owned Hawks, the fine dining restaurant located in Granite Bay for the past nine years.
“Over the past nine years, Mike and I have worked so hard to offer our guests a great experience from amazing cocktails and wine to professional service and a menu that speaks to our region,” Hawks said. “We have such a great team at both restaurants that focus on the attention to detail at every turn and now we’re seeing so much talent and creativity unleashed! It’s exciting to see a whole new set of guests enjoy the Hawks experience in the midtown area while we are still able to serve so many regulars who have been with us in Granite Bay as well.” (more…)
Introducing some of the many people and places who are part of Sacramento’s innovative food scene
Meet Chef Justin Green
Sacramento Chef Justin Green may have honed his culinary chops in the kitchens of San Francisco, but one special woman originally sparked his love for cooking. Read full interview here.
Sacramento plays host to this year’s International Food Bloggers Conference which runs from July 28 – 31. Friday, July 29th, Chef Owners Mike Fagnoni and Molly Hawks will be serving 3 delicious bites at the Taste of Sacramento Culinary Fair. We’re so proud to represent the Sacramento Culinary Scene at this fun event! Click on the link to read a little Q & A with Chef Mike!
For all the coffee we drink around here, you’d think there’d be more coffee cake. It seems sort of old-fashioned, but it’s called coffee cake because it goes well with your morning (or afternoon) beverage. Hawks Provisions has a lovely, little streusel coffee cake ($3.50) that’s not just a muffin in hiding. The cake yields moistly without crumbling, and the topping—redolent of cinnamon—enlivens your coffee with heady spice. Forget all those boring bagels and oversized muffins and start the day with cake. 1525 Alhambra Boulevard,(more…)
