Stephen T.
Yelp
I received a gift certificate for The Hatch a few months ago, and although we had made reservations a couple of times, we had to cancel due to other obligations. Finally, on Saturday, January 20, we were fortunate enough to visit the restaurant with friends who were celebrating their 29th wedding anniversary. We had made reservations weeks in advance for 6:30 pm, considering how challenging it is to get in during business hours. We arrived a few minutes ahead of time and were seated relatively close to the front door. Despite my usual indifference, the evening was chilly, blustery, and rainy, making things slightly uncomfortable for the two hours we spent there.
Having spent the day wine tasting, we opted to skip cocktails or wines and stuck with water and one Diet Coke. Not the most exciting choice, I know. The drink menu looked appealing, but like many eateries, it was somewhat overpriced. Although we had considered bringing a bottle of wine, we decided against it. Corkage was $25 or waived if you bought a second bottle while dining. We began with a few appetizers; John, pouring tastings at Glunz Family Winery, recommended the mushroom, and we also ordered cornbread to start our meal. The mushroom was a nicely sized Lion's Mane with a molasses BBQ sauce and topped with a nut/seed crumble. While it was good, the pickled veggies (cucumbers, celery, and onions) on the plate didn't complement the dish well; their hard and acidic (vinegar) taste clashed with the flavors. The cornbread was good with honey butter, but I found it slightly on the dry side, causing it to crumble when trying to add the honey butter. Nevertheless, the taste was delightful.
With appetizers behind us, we listened to the waiter, who, in my opinion, wasn't very knowledgeable about the menu (for instance, he didn't know what the sauce on the mushroom was). The Saturday special was Wagyu Tri-Tip Wellington, and after contemplating our choices for a few minutes, our group ordered Chicken-Fried Wagyu Tri-Tip, Grilled Baja Sea Bass, Pork Chop, and I opted for the special.
According to those who had them, the sea bass and pork chop were both very good. I tried a bite of the sea bass, and while it was nice, it was a bit fishy for my liking; however, the potatoes were crunchy and tasty. The Chicken-Fried Wagyu Tri-Tip was substantial, but it was mentioned that it was overcooked around the edges, with just a very light pink inside.
As for the Wellington, it was good--a nice piece of rare tri-tip in a duxelles. It was a generous portion, but what didn't impress was the side that looked like someone had scooped out the inside of a squash, cooked it, and placed it on a plate with some vinegary onions on top. The seeds from the squash were unpleasant, and the squash itself was disappointing. It looked nothing like the dish at the table next to us, and that diner also expressed dissatisfaction with it. I'm not quite sure what the intention of this side was.
We decided to skip dessert after the meal. My girlfriend hoped it was just an "off night" for The Hatch; maybe it was. However, at this moment, I don't plan on spending that sort of money there again or visiting in the near future. It was quite disappointing, considering how this establishment had been built up; it just didn't live up to the hype surrounding it. I hope your experience is better. Can't give half stars because I'd score a 2.5 but will give the eatery the benefit of the doubt and give it 3 stars.