For the moment, Matt Balke admits that the official strategy is, simply, making it up as he goes. Opening a restaurant is scary in steady time. It’s petrifying to imagine standing one up in a new spot, especially in a sacred location, during a global pandemic that’s still racing through the country.
Of course, Balke has kept a careful eye on the updates from the city. He’s watching his fellow chefs, tracking their chess moves in the face of a crisis: Where do they put their hand sanitizers? Are they just doing to-go for now? Do they test for COVID-19 every day, like Jon Alexis is doing over at TJ’s Seafood?
When the pandemic jolted through the city in April, construction slowed on Encina, his new restaurant opening soon in the former Bolsa space in Oak Cliff. “That’s where it started to freak us out,” Balke says. “Everything changes daily... It’s not ideal, let me tell you.”
Balke, formerly the executive chef at Bolsa, which closed in January, and partner Corey McCombs (FT33, Flora Street) signed a new lease agreement for the space at 614 W. Davis Street back in February. They envision a “more mature Bolsa,” so they’re running through walls to get it done. Encina ― the name references the verdant town of Uvalde, near San Antonio, where Balke grew up ― plans to be up and running by fall of 2020.
“We sort of have a game plan set for each roadblock we hit,” he says. If dining-in drops out from under them again, they’ll be able to move to takeout. The patio can be a safe haven in an instant, and he’s imagining scenarios like this to ensure a safe future for staff. Still, why do this right now?
“The space means way too much to me,” Balke says, his energy bouncing like a tennis ball. “I love the neighborhood. I love the people. I love Taqueria El Si Hay across the street.”
Balke was 14 when he got his first kitchen job. On the bank of the Frio River ― the icy spring-fed water running through the heart of Hill Country ― he began in the dish pit at Neals Dining Room (the 94-year-old diner is currently open for to-go fried steaks). He graduated from dishes to cheeseburgers at 16 years old.
The Encina team is still figuring out the details, but they will focus on Bolsa’s same seasonal, fresh ingredients. Cocktails, wine and beer from Texas and California will be hanging around, and he’ll work in, somehow, the inspiration of those early days in the Hill Country. Important question: Will Bolsa’s burger come back in some shape or form? It’s the early stages. There will, however, be some kind of cheeseburger, Balke says.
“You’ve got to. It’s a neighborhood place,” Balke says. “I miss a lot of the stuff we did.”
Encina will be located at 614 W. Davis Street, Dallas.