This past weekend, we relaunched a concept we first introduced in 2019 – Four Favorites. A concept where we spotlight one of our favorite local businesses and share it with our community. We’re thrilled to bring this back to life and incorporate our Fourtillfour Car Club community in getting a behind the scenes, special access look into some of our favorite businesses.
On Saturday, our Fourtillfour Car Club members in the San Diego area were treated to a private breakfast at one of our favorite spots, Échale, in Encinitas, California. It was the perfect morning filled with cars, coffee, and community, all while enjoying the beautiful space Échale has created.
First stop: coffee and cars at Fourtillfour Cafe Encinitas
The Saturday morning meet fell on the last Saturday of the month, which means Vintage Offroads + coffee at Fourtillfour Cafe Encinitas. It was a great turnout for the morning of offroad rigs and Fourtillfour Car Club Member cars. We kicked off the morning the best way we know how – with vintage cars and coffee.
Next Stop: Échale in Encinitas
After our morning coffee and meetup, we drove to Échale, in Encinitas. Located in the Lumberyard, and just a short drive from Fourtillfour Cafe Encinitas. Échale owner, Jon, opened up the space early for our Fourtillfour Car Club group, and served up a special menu.
We’ve always loved the food at Échale, and this time was no exception. The team prepared some amazing off-menu breakfast tacos, including Carne Asada, Shredded Duck, and Potato, all served with a selection of their incredible house-made salsas. To top it off, we enjoyed fresh-squeezed orange juice, lemonade, and a few glasses of natural red wine – it was a delicious morning.
photo by @mak_creativ
Échale: Our Four Favorites Feature
Beyond the incredible food, inviting atmosphere, and the hospitality of owner Jon Rhinerson, we chose Échale as our Four Favorites spotlight for the entire experience. Échale is a place that feels effortless and authentic. We admire their attention to detail, and the blend of Mediterranean and Californian cuisine, paired with natural wine, truly makes Échale a hidden gem in North County.
We were able to sit down and talk to Jon and learn more about the history of Échale, how it all came to be, what’s next, and how food brings people together:
“Our staff is all one big friend group. We all surf together and grab drinks together. I think our guests pick up on that energy and feel like they are a part of our small family. I don’t know how sustainable this is as we grow, but I’d like to think that food and beverage is the backbone to bringing people together. A night out is a precious commodity, I like to think that we provide more than just food & beverage, we provide an experience. The staff, the design, the music, the food, the wine – it's an alchemy that is more than the sum of its parts.”
- Jon Rhinerson, owner of Échale
An interview with Jon Rhinerson, owner of Échale
What inspired you to start Échale?
I spent most of my adult life in the fashion industry and knew that the life I wanted was a creative life. The Great Recession knocked me out of what was starting to become a successful career path for me. Retail took a hit and I lost all my clients. I turned to bartending in my in my mid-30’s to try and survive and pay the bills.
It was during this time that I was inspired by the creativity of the genius restaurateurs I was working for. I had always loved interior design, but now I was seeing it in a whole new light. The importance of space, lighting, food and beverage concept, menu, and the whole overall guest experience – I thought to myself “I could Art Direct” an experience. I could combine design and hospitality, including music, staff wardrobe – every detail could be thought of from a creative standpoint. And the beauty of the restaurant business was that it was transactional and immediate.
So I made the choice to not pursue fashion design and develop restaurant and bar ideas instead. Echale was the offshoot of that time in my life. Originally it was supposed to be a mezcal bar – Tiki drinks, mezcal, and tacos. But as I quickly learned, you have to adapt to the opportunities presented to you and your surrounding audience.
What does Échale mean to you, and what do you love most about what you do?
I love the idea of a home. A home for the staff that is like a family, and a home for guests to enjoy a night out. I’ve always been the kind of guy that would rather go to a few places often than always trying different places all the time. I like familiarity – I’m a creature of habit.
Echale is a place that one can come and have a different experience each time due to the diverse and expansive menu, but feel comfortable and acknowledged regularly. I love hosting. I love how people bring an empty space to life. It’s the people that bring life to a space.
How do you stay true to your vision while evolving?
It’s not easy. I had very rigid ideas when we opened. Didn’t want to have an IPA on the menu. Didn’t want to have a chardonnay on the menu. I wanted the staff in vintage 80’s concert tees. I wanted elevated cuisine and a casual vibe. And two years in I have a great IPA on the menu from Viewpoint Brewing. The owner of Viewpoint, Charlie is such a great guy, I wanted to bring in a couple of his beers. I have a Chardonnay on the menu now. Granted it’s a $21 chardonnay from Texas, but its incredible – creamy with some minerality.
The 80’s band tees have given way to just an all-black dress code. It’s more elegant and simple and less distracting. And the food is more rustic now and less precious. The menu is also less specific – there’s something for everyone without it feeling like a cheesecake factory. It’s California cuisine with all the influences that abound – Mexican, Asian, Spanish, old-fashioned American, all with a southern Californian sensibility. And the wine list is progressive without being off-putting. All natural and organic wines.
We offer something for everyone and I still get to stay true to my vision – a comfortable California bistro with natural wines and small plates. Wait, wasn’t my vision tacos and tiki? You have to evolve.
If you could go back in time, what advice would you give yourself when you started?
Believe in yourself. You don’t need a partner, you can go it alone. Trust your vision. Never give up. You’ll figure it out.
How does your food bring people together at Échale?
The kitchen was always the heart of my home growing up. It was never the TV and the living room. I was bugging my mom while she cooked and helping set the table. I was always a hungry little boy. I like to think that Echale serves the same purpose. Our staff is all one big friend group. We all surf together and grab drinks together. I think our guests pick up on that energy and feel like they are a part of our small family. I don’t know how sustainable this is as we grow, but I’d like to think that food and beverage is the backbone to bringing people together.
A night out is a precious commodity, I like to think that we provide more than just food & beverage, we provide an experience. The staff, the design, the music, the food, the wine – its an alchemy that is more than the sum of its parts.
You have an old car—what does that mean to you? Why do you like it?
I just bought a 1972 International D 1100. It’s a 4x4 pickup truck that drives like a farm tractor. Not the best decision I’ve made recently. But I had to have it. All original, and rough around the edges.
There's something about the history and the wear that I like. And there’s something to be said for taste – anyone with a bank account can walk into a dealership and purchase the latest status symbol, it takes someone with taste and some knowledge to seek out a diamond in the rough, or have the taste to appreciate a classic.
For example, I love Porsches - I want a 964 turbo. Air cooled. It’s the car of my childhood dreams. The garage would include: 1969 Camaro z/28 RS, 1993 Turbo 911,1990 Defender 90 or 110, and maybe the 2008 Audi RS4
What’s next for Échale?
We are moving out of our current location. We need more indoor space and I’d like a liquor license to serve cocktails. Adding a cocktail program to Echale was always the plan. I’d like to open more restaurants, but I have different ideas. Developing concepts is the fun part and I miss that the most. I’m not against doing multiple Echale locations, but I have so many ideas for new spaces.
You can visit Échale at their space in Encinitas, located at 947 S Coast Highway 101, Suite 103D, Encinitas, CA 92024. Here are some directions.
Follow them on Instagram @echale.encinitas to stay updated on their next moves
