Review: Night Hawk is anything but lonely

When I first went to write about the opening of The Baby Grand, I tried to catch it all. But I knew it was efflorescent. To what extent, I didn't realize until I sat at the table for hours and devoured it — not just visually, but gastronomically, too. This time, I indulged in the experience of Night Hawk, the hotel's outdoor Mediterranean-inspired restaurant, one of two concepts at The Baby Grand alongside the more hidden speakeasy, Fallen Empire. According to the website, Night Hawk takes its name from an Edward Hopper painting of a luminous diner on an empty street corner. But this restaurant is the complete contrast: not hollow and lonely like the painting, but extravagant and flamboyant. The menu mixes seafood, pasta, skewers and wood-roasted proteins like 'charred lamb lollipops' and a 'whole fish.' The crafted cocktails were plentiful, with quirky names like 'Shade With Intent,' 'Jungle Bird' and 'Spanakopita Punch.' I began with the Adonis in Bloom, a cocktail made with California brandy, Spanish aperitif, biscotti orange danish oleo and a cream cheese whip, according to the menu's description. The drink was citrusy from an extraction of orange oleo saccharum, yet also grounded with sweet warmth from vanilla and sugar notes after an initial hit of bitterness from the aperitif and brandy. The cheese whip floated on top, cloudlike. It dominated half the cocktail with a creamy sweetness. The citrus in the cocktail cut the cream immediately, making the ingredients merge, slightly curdled, within a couple of minutes. Overall, it was something I wanted to savor. Next came something of an amuse-bouche, a spectacular, bite-sized entrance point to the meal that stole the show. Known as saganaki, it is a Greek cheese fried until rich and gooey, coated in panko to juxtapose the creamy inside with a crunchy exterior. When it came out, the server drenched it in olive oil and lit it ablaze to solidify the crunch. The Saganaki appetizer was lit on fire at Night Hawk on Sept. 3. Staff photo by Michelle Armas. Honey, lemon and ouzo – anise liquor– were drizzled on top. The ouzo was subtle, while the honey and sour lemon lifted the richness with something more complex. I could hear 'oohs' and 'aahs' from other tables, perhaps inspiring them to order as well. When I bit into it, it was crisp and then rich and sweet in my mouth. A new craving unlocked. While dining, I studied the restaurant's random symbols and designs: silver seashell-shaped pitchers, insect symbols on the menus, lobster designs on the cushions. The whole aesthetic teeters on a line between fantasy and reality. But with that, it can also evoke a Disneyland feeling where the servers, wearing peach-colored velvety suits with fake books as notepads, can feel farcical. For the main course, a half chicken came out roasted and crisp. It sat on a bed of cherry tomatoes, parsley and Kalamata olives, minced garlic and sumac, all soaked in olive oil. It took about 30 minutes to prepare, with a fair warning from the server. The chicken was perfectly crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Unfortunately, the sauce was a bit olive oil-rich and masked any tartness of the sumac. As a sumac lover, I wished I could savor the fruity spice more. While all the flavors were ones that would typically impact any dish, the balance was not there and therefore didn't feel overly inventive as a whole. Sumac & Herb half chicken served on Sept 3. Staff photo by Michelle Armas. Melodic dance music played, colors and patterns popped, and couples and friend groups came seemingly ready to have fun. They wore bright clothing and loud jewelry, cocktails in hand. And as a whole, another Consortium Holdings restaurant brought something loud into somewhere quiet like Coronado. Night Hawk is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Brunch is served from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekends.