Encina Is a Must-Visit in Bishop Arts’ Fantastic Restaurant Scene

When one door closes, another one opens — as is the literal case for the new neighborhood restaurant Encina, which opened three weeks ago in the former Bolsa space in Bishop Arts. Headed by chef Matt Balke and Corey McCombs, the new, Southern-inspired spot is now open for dinner, with weekend brunch service coming soon.

On a chilly Monday night, my guest and I took a seat at one of the tables on Encina’s newly remodeled, climate-controlled outdoor patio. It has a very comfortable and homey feel (with properly spaced out seating), along with folksy music from The Head and the Heart and Frank Sinatra classics playing in the background — a welcome escape from the chaos of 2020 and the anxiety of pre-election night.

The Encina cocktail menu features 10 unique concoctions with bases like mezcal, vodka, gin, whiskey, and tequila. To start, I opted for The Flower Patch, a delightful mixture of strawberry and rosemary vodka, grand poppy, lemon, and bubbles. Another favorite was the beachy Mokonuts, a mezcal drink with Velvet Falernum, coconut, agave and lime.

On the Encina dinner menu, savory starters include 44 Farms beef tartar, cheese plates, crispy beef tongue, and shrimp ceviche. We went with the popular black eyed pea fritters, plated on top of a white bean hummus and served with fried bread — we requested more of the latter to scoop up every remaining bit. The Devils on Horseback also came recommended, and for good reason. These addicting little dates are filled with blue cheese and wrapped in bacon (and accompanied by apple butter dipping sauce). The skillet cornbread, made with feta cheese and sorghum butter, is also a must-try.

As for entrees, the butternut squash grain risotto is a stunner. The pork chop is also tasty with smoked carrot and roasted cauliflower on the side. I will soon be back to Encina to try the pear and gorgonzola flatbread, as well as some ricotta gnocchi —  we were just too full to try it all.