Hawks

A New American Restaurant

Review by Stefani Hays

‘I would be hard pressed to return to Hawks and order anything besides the short rib—it was incredible and one of the best meals I’ve ever had!’

Try the Slow-Cooked Baby Back Ribs

Hawks is a new American restaurant in a suburb of Sacramento, about 25 miles from the city’s downtown. It’s upscale but not pretentious. On the night we were there, diners wore everything, dressy attire to jeans and sneakers.

The menu is robust, with choices that felt like a mix of comfort, cuisine and creativity. Between the array of first course options and entrees it was difficult to choose, as so many of the choices sounded tempting, even unusual. Luckily our server was as attentive as he was professional and helped us navigate the menu by describing dishes that intrigued us.

Before the salad course arrived, we were delighted to be served a complimentary amuse bouche. On the night we visited, this was a small shot glass of hot potato leek soup glossed with drops of peppered olive oil. Mild and flavorful, the rich soup had just the right amount of creaminess. I could have eaten an entire bowl.

For a starter, I tried the seasonal beet salad with locally grown mandarins and pistachio vinaigrette. This was extremely fresh, vibrant with color thanks to both red and golden roasted beets, the beautifully prepared mandarin segments, micro greens and a wafer-thin slice of aged dry jack cheese on top: the perfect accompaniment. I loved the creative touch of the pistachio dressing, which was light but with a full-bodied nutty flavor. Whole pistachios added a nice extra crunch to the salad. Half the fun of this dish was the multitude of different flavor and texture components which paired perfectly with one another.

For my main dish, I opted for slow-roasted short rib with a side of caramelized brussel sprouts and bacon. The meat was presented on a bed of buttery puréed potatoes surrounded by a full-bodied red wine sauce enriched with meat jus. In a nutshell, I would be hard-pressed to return to Hawks and order anything besides the short rib; it was incredible, one of the best main dishes I’ve ever had. The fork-tender beef melted in my mouth. The puréed potatoes were so buttery, velvety smooth and complementary to the meat, I can’t imagine the short rib served with anything else. The entire plate was a flavor explosion thanks to garnishes of tiny bits of bacon, roasted mushrooms and shallots. No one flavor overpowered the other. Every bite was heaven. And those sprouts! Plenty for two people to share, they were perfectly cooked, with just the right amount of tender balanced by crisp.

At the end of your meal, there’s another treat on the house. Even if you don’t order dessert, you’ll be offered a small plate with a few sweet bites before you leave. These included a nugget of almond brittle and a little piece of black currant fruit pate. Both were delicious. Those tidbits were a wonderful surprise, the perfect finish to an amazing meal.

In short, Hawks rivals any top restaurant. Our server was friendly and attentive throughout the meal. Every bite of food was perfectly flavored and prepared, the little touches like the amuse bouche and complimentary sweets helped to create a special dining experience worth every penny.

Location: 5530 Douglas Blvd., Granite Bay, CA 95746   map
Phone: 916.791.6200 
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