A roving taqueria that amassed a neighborhood adhering to through several profitable North County pop-ups has evolved into an classy Mexican restaurant that lately landed on Coast Highway in Encinitas.
Échale, which replaces St. Tropez Bistro, is the initial San Diego-based restaurant for Sean Yontz but not his 1st encouraged by Mexican delicacies. A good-dining chef by coaching, Yontz explored his Hispanic heritage by way of quite a few Mexican dining establishments he opened in Denver before transferring to Los Angeles for a corporate chef placement with Prepare Test, which when experienced various community dining establishments all through the city. Even though in LA, Yontz and his business enterprise companion Jon Rhinerson launched a predecessor to Échale as a pop-up in Venice Seaside.
All through the pandemic, Yontz’s son and his spouse and children relocated to Cardiff and Yontz followed, settling in Encinitas and re-starting up the taqueria through stints at the Shanty in Cardiff and Vino Carta in Solana Beach front.
Yontz tells Eater that his menu for the new restaurant reimagines the gourmet fillings from his tacos through more substantial structure, a lot more fine-eating style plates. Ancho chile-braised oxtail is now paired with handmade pappardelle, salsa ranchera, and grana padana when the chicken tinga has translated to a roasted half-rooster served with chipotle salsa, braised turnip and fennel, and caramelized onions. And Rhinerson’s beer and wine checklist involves tremendous funky, organic wines from Baja and the Valle.
Community designer Ryder England completely transformed the web site, describing the aesthetic as “wabi-Oaxacan”. Influenced by shou sugi ban, a Japanese process of charring wood to preserve it, England utilised a related remedy on recycled wooden for the restaurant’s furnishings and handcrafted the ceramics that adorn the room. Its centerpiece, a 7-by-7-foot tailor made hanging gentle fixture, normally takes immediately after regular Japanese lamps but was built with materials from the Yucatan.
Their well-known tacos return to the menu later on this thirty day period when Échale launches lunch provider, which will also contain tortas, ceviches, and seafood cocktails. Yontz says they’re also preparing to introduce weekend brunch down the line as properly as a takeout-concentrated breakfast of breakfast burritos and other grab-and-go goods.
Échale, 947 S. Coast Highway 101 Suite 103D, Encinitas Tuesday to Sunday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
