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Since opening The Baler Restaurant last November, owner and chef Raul Escareno has been constantly working to reinvent his menu and approach after finding running things in a large location quite a bit different from when he ran Mangia, his previous restaurant.
“It’s not like having a small spot like Mangia,” he said, which was located on Airline Highway. “Once you have a larger place, it puts a different perspective on things. Thank goodness, I have been cooking for so long that at least I know I can execute the food correctly.”
The original idea behind The Baler, located in downtown Hollister, was for it to be a high-end steakhouse, the kind of place, Escareno said, people would want to dress up for.
“Everyone has dreams,” he said, “and my concept was to be a place that makes you feel like you’re in Santana Row or Carmel or Monterey. I really wanted people to feel special when they came in. And no kids’ menu—we didn’t want high chairs.”
But Escareno also paid close attention to what his customers wanted, even if it did not fit into his dreams—even adding that kids’ menu. He also cut down on the number of high-end steak selections in favor of bringing in a large selection of Italian favorites from the now-closed Mangia, focusing more on the stovetop and less on the grill.
The results are straight out of the traditional fare served in San Francisco’s North Beach, with elegant takes on dishes like seafood linguini, with prawns, mussels, clams, calamari and salmon served in a saffron tomato sauce, and Toscana chicken made with pan-seared chicken, sun dried tomatoes, spinach and a pesto cream sauce, topped with melted cheese and bacon.
“I went back to making things my way from recipes I created,” he said. “Trying to cook pasta with just six burners can be a little difficult, and I am surprised we can shoot things out so quickly. But it is just the way we have to roll.”
One thing he did not bring over from his former restaurant was what he referred to as an attitude that had alienated some customers.
“I did a lot of damage by not caring and being rude,” he said. “I was blessed enough to start my own restaurant, and my ego made me think I did it myself instead of saying thank you to the Lord. I was thinking I did it when I didn’t do anything.”
Giving up drinking, Escareno began volunteering at the church his father pastors and learned to enjoy his work again.
“I love what I do,” he said. “Now, when I am frustrated, I go to the kitchen and create new recipes. If you want a really good meal, come here when I am frustrated, and I will be cooking like I have never cooked before.”
The creativity can easily be seen in dishes like the Caribbean-style seared salmon with mango pico de gallo, avocado and shrimp, or his mac & cheese, smothered in a creamy truffle sauce. He loves fusion as well, in dishes like the Chicken Curry Bowl, a melting pot of Indian and Middle Eastern influences, saying “I just want The Baler to be an American restaurant, a bunch of different cultures coming together to be one.”
Lately, he has been experimenting with Mexican-Italian and Cajun flavors, having started at Mangia with dishes like chile verde pasta and “Mr. Mangia,” Cajun meat sauce tossed with sausage and cannellini pasta then topped with melted pepper jack cheese.
“People used to call up and ask when we were going to have those dishes,” he said. “So I am doing a lot more of it, like a poblano pepper sauce and chipotle pasta. They are kind of hard to prep every day, and we are hoping that people will go towards them so we can offer them more often.”
Escareno is also sensitive to the economy, offering a range of dishes at a lower price point and opening early with a lunch menu that includes Harris Ranch hamburgers and chicken sandwiches.
“I’m not trying to become a billionaire or a millionaire here,” he said. “And it is always interesting to get insight into what customers like about the dishes. I have been having an awesome time here at The Baler and all I want is to keep people happy and coming back.”
Lunch and Dinner at The Baler
Brussels Sprouts – On the “Small Bites” menu, the Brussels sprouts are steamed, then sauteed in a balsamic vinegar reduction along with bacon and finely diced red peppers. Served drizzled with more balsamic reduction, they are topped with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese, and the portion size is sufficient enough to be a flavorful side dish for the table. I am not a big Brussels sprouts fan, but I found these to be well-prepared, with the dark, balsamic-saturated outer leaves offering a rich chewiness, serving as a nice contrast to the fresh crunch of the inner part of the sprout.
Chicken Curry Bowl – Made with marinated chicken pieces in a light curry sauce that is served on a bed of jasmine rice and topped with house-made tzatziki sauce and raw cucumber. The curry is buttery with a nice burn of Cajun-like heat at the back of the throat, which is easily tapped down by the refreshing combination of tzatziki and cubed cucumber. The rice has a nice texture reminiscent of brown rice, adding another dimension to the dish. Though listed on the “Small Bites” menu, it is filling and would make a tasty lunch choice.
Short Ribs – Boneless beef ribs are seared along with the Trinity—carrots, celery and onions—then slow-cooked for eight hours with tomatoes and seasonings that are added to produce a complex sauce. The results are served over buttery whipped potatoes and accompanied by fresh vegetables: broccoli, red peppers, and carrots. Pure Old World comfort food, the rib meat carries a marinated flavor picked up from being slow-cooked in the sauce. It could not be more tender and hearty in the simplicity of the ingredients and the care in preparation and was my choice of the dishes I tried.
Vegetable Pasta – Made with cavatappi pasta, this dish offers a bounty of cherry tomatoes, onion, mushrooms, spinach, artichokes, and bell peppers lightly tossed with marinara. (Pesto sauce can be substituted on request.) “We want all the vegetables to have that bright flavor to them,” Escareno said, “just like they are straight out of the field.”
Recommendations for future Eat, Drink, Savor articles can be emailed to roberteliason@benitolink.com.
BenitoLink thanks our underwriters, Hollister Super and Windmill Market, for helping to expand the Eat, Drink, Savor series and give our readers the stories that interest them. Hollister Super (two stores in Hollister) and Windmill Market (in San Juan Bautista) support reporting on the inspired and creative people behind the many delicious food and drink products made in San Benito County. All editorial decisions are made by BenitoLink.
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