2022 Telegraph Ave./20th St., Uptown, (510) 419-0622. D Tu-Sat.
Situated in an open space holding a zinc-topped bar with two TVs that is a magnet for solo diners, this cheery, friendly place features mellow music and invites lingering over one of the drink specialties.
At Hutch Bar & Kitchen you can choose from more than 100 American whiskeys, but perhaps the most fun way to go is with a flight. We chose to share “The other states” flight and sampled a Balcones single malt from Texas, a James Oliver whiskey from Oregon, and a Hudson baby bourbon from New York. Our clear favorite was the Balcones, which we could feel warming us up all the way down.
The wine and beer list is California-focused, and cocktails are also available. With my dinner I drank an unusual, not-too-sweet Sunny Mai Tai, which was light in color but not in wallop. My dining partner chose a New Two Jacks Sazerac (with St. George absinthe).
The decor includes some reclaimed wood highlights, including a redwood ceiling (from the 1930s), table tops made from 1950s walnut veneer, and a community table made of old growth pine. I was wowed by the two locally crafted, 6-foot-diameter metal chandelier circles wired with filament lights, and also by the huge, dramatic multi-panel photographs depicting the Hernando de Soto Bridge in Memphis and the original Bay Bridge. For starters, we chose crispy jalapeno hushpuppies served with a tasty remoulade dipping sauce, and the unusual bourbon-cured trout-fennel salad (the algae-fed trout is dry-cured two days, then soaked in bourbon for a day).
I unwrapped my dish-towel napkin and prepared for deep-fried chicken (an entire half that was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside) served with a delicious Sherry-herb gravy over rice and bacon-braised collard greens.
My dining partner had flavorful crispy-fried catfish with corn succotash. Portions were so generous that we took home leftovers that were enough for dinner the next night.
More entrees include bacon-wrapped meatloaf with mashed potatoes and a hunter’s gumbo made with trout, wild boar, rabbit, and smoked turkey. Available as a side, the restaurant's signature stone-ground grits from Mississippi are served creamy, thick, and very cheesy, but you can also get them as a bar snack in cheddar-grit croquettes. We did manage to share banana-bourbon bread pudding made with crispy squares of bread and served with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce, but we simply couldn’t finish it. Affogato is another option.
Chef King combines traditional family recipes with Californian ingredients. He is marking the restaurant’s third-year anniversary by offering, through the end of July, 2016, a value-priced, three-course prix fixe dinner menu showcasing some of the restaurant's classic dishes; it includes a complimentary glass of wine.
Hutch is named after chef/owner David King's grandfather, who is honored in a colorful watercolor portrait by the entrance.
Way more things to do in Oakland.
More ideas for exploring Northern California.
images ©2016 Carole Terwilliger Meyers
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| exterior of Hutch Bar & Kitchen in Oakland, California |
Situated in an open space holding a zinc-topped bar with two TVs that is a magnet for solo diners, this cheery, friendly place features mellow music and invites lingering over one of the drink specialties.
 |
| interior of Hutch Bar & Kitchen in Oakland, California |
At Hutch Bar & Kitchen you can choose from more than 100 American whiskeys, but perhaps the most fun way to go is with a flight. We chose to share “The other states” flight and sampled a Balcones single malt from Texas, a James Oliver whiskey from Oregon, and a Hudson baby bourbon from New York. Our clear favorite was the Balcones, which we could feel warming us up all the way down.
 |
| flight of whiskeys at Hutch Bar & Kitchen in Oakland, California |
The wine and beer list is California-focused, and cocktails are also available. With my dinner I drank an unusual, not-too-sweet Sunny Mai Tai, which was light in color but not in wallop. My dining partner chose a New Two Jacks Sazerac (with St. George absinthe).
 |
| cocktails at Hutch Bar & Kitchen in Oakland, California |
The decor includes some reclaimed wood highlights, including a redwood ceiling (from the 1930s), table tops made from 1950s walnut veneer, and a community table made of old growth pine. I was wowed by the two locally crafted, 6-foot-diameter metal chandelier circles wired with filament lights, and also by the huge, dramatic multi-panel photographs depicting the Hernando de Soto Bridge in Memphis and the original Bay Bridge. For starters, we chose crispy jalapeno hushpuppies served with a tasty remoulade dipping sauce, and the unusual bourbon-cured trout-fennel salad (the algae-fed trout is dry-cured two days, then soaked in bourbon for a day).
 |
| hushpuppies and bourbon-cured trout at Hutch Bar & Kitchen in Oakland, California |
I unwrapped my dish-towel napkin and prepared for deep-fried chicken (an entire half that was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside) served with a delicious Sherry-herb gravy over rice and bacon-braised collard greens.
 |
| deep-fried chicken at Hutch Bar & Kitchen in Oakland, California |
My dining partner had flavorful crispy-fried catfish with corn succotash. Portions were so generous that we took home leftovers that were enough for dinner the next night.
 |
| fried catfish at Hutch Bar & Kitchen in Oakland, California |
More entrees include bacon-wrapped meatloaf with mashed potatoes and a hunter’s gumbo made with trout, wild boar, rabbit, and smoked turkey. Available as a side, the restaurant's signature stone-ground grits from Mississippi are served creamy, thick, and very cheesy, but you can also get them as a bar snack in cheddar-grit croquettes. We did manage to share banana-bourbon bread pudding made with crispy squares of bread and served with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce, but we simply couldn’t finish it. Affogato is another option.
 |
| banana-bourbon bread pudding at Hutch Bar & Kitchen in Oakland, California |
Chef King combines traditional family recipes with Californian ingredients. He is marking the restaurant’s third-year anniversary by offering, through the end of July, 2016, a value-priced, three-course prix fixe dinner menu showcasing some of the restaurant's classic dishes; it includes a complimentary glass of wine.
 |
| bar manager LaMont Reed with owner David King at Hutch Bar & Kitchen in Oakland, California |
Hutch is named after chef/owner David King's grandfather, who is honored in a colorful watercolor portrait by the entrance.
 |
| watercolor portrait of Hutch at Hutch Bar & Kitchen in Oakland, California |
Way more things to do in Oakland.
More ideas for exploring Northern California.
images ©2016 Carole Terwilliger Meyers
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