A new restaurant opened up in Paso so we had to go check it out, right? Right. We met our friend Lisa at The Hatch downtown, sat at the bar, and started with drinks. They have wine and beer but are also have a ‘Classic Cocktails’ and ‘Craft Creations’ section…which means…FULL BAR.
Lisa had the ‘Hatch a Plan’ craft cocktail which is pistachio infused vodka, lime, and ginger beer. Annie had a dirty martini to start and I went beer. From there it was wine and wine and wine. Now, I think we went a bit nuts with the food but when splitting among three people it seems to lessen the calorie count. Here’s what we had:
Ember Roasted Carrots- Honey Sherry, Bitter Greens, Popped Sorghum $9.00 – You can add Burrata for $4.00
Housemade Pate- Chicken Liver Pate, Assorted Accoutrements $12.00
Rooster Wings- Fire Grilled Chicken Wings & ol’ Blue Buttermilk Dip $12.00
Cauliflower- Hot Dip, Capers, Parmesan $9.00
Potatoes- Ember Roasted, Herbs, Buttermilk Aioli $6.00 (this was an accidental order but we ate it)
Lisa and Annie split: Grilled Local Fish (Rock Cod)- Chimichurri, Cauliflower Couscous $26.00
I (Matt) had: Hatch Burger- Bacon, White Cheddar and Hatch Ketchup $15.00 – Add Avocado $1.00 Add Fried Egg $2.00 (I added avocado)
All of the food was solid but my favorites were the wings, the cauliflower, and the burger I ordered. Amazing flavors in every bite. I want another burger right now in fact. It was so good. Good enough that I did not share. So there. (Annie here…I didn’t even ask for a bite, he was so into it!)
Prior to going a lot of people were going to The Hatch and giving very high praise so I was slightly wary. Not because I doubted what people were saying but I don’t like going in with all this expectation and being let down. I wasn’t. There were a couple of minor things in my eyes that can be improved on but hell, there are restaurants that have been in Paso for 10 years and don’t have a perfect night every night.
Knowing Maggie and Eric from their previous work in the area I suspect they will be just fine. I will definitely be back in based on the experience we had. One thing I should mention is the décor and layout. The bar layout is brilliant. There is no other bar like it in the area. If there isn’t a photo of it in the slideshow below you’ll just have to go in for yourself. The décor is perfect Paso…rustic, recycled, but classy.
Well done and thank you, Maggie and Eric.
If you happen to go in and see me at the bar come on over and say hello and yes, I’ll let you buy me a drink.
Leave a Reply