Hercules takes over Hult’s space, new chef spices up Dio Deka

Hercules Draft House and Cantina is now open at the site of the former Hult’s/Flights location at 165 Saratoga-Los Gatos Road in Los Gatos. The menu is ambitious, but Chef Beltran Reyes aims to have folks making multiple return visits to try it all. The house-made corn tortillas and the quesabirria tacos are reason enough to do so.

When Dio Deka opened, superstar Chef Sal Calisi led the restaurant to a Michelin star and then disembarked to open Odeum in Morgan Hill. After his departure, Dio Deka has seen significant turnover in the top chef spot. That has all changed, says new Executive Chef Nicko Moulinos, crediting Sous Chefs Shelly Hernandez and Angel Melgarejo, with whom he worked at Taverna in Palo Alto.

“Having great people is most important; that they can cook is secondary,” says Moulinos. “They have to have manners and understand hospitality. I explained that things would be changing for the better, and started making those changes right away. We had to do the right thing for our guests. I said, ‘Some of you might not like it.’

“By the third week, the entire menu was done. We are getting a 95% positive reaction from our guests. If you do something with love and passion is shows, and people will see the effort.”

Moulinos is sourcing most of the fresh fish for Dio Deka from small fishermen who bring in chilipepper rockfish and petrale sole from Half Moon Bay, mussels from Tomales Bay, seasonal King salmon from Santa Cruz harbor, swordfish from the Channel Islands, calamari from Monterey Bay and uni from Fort Bragg.

Gone is the heavy lamb-based moussaka, replaced by a duck ragu and a feather-light béchamel to create a more approachable riff on the classic. All the vegetables are mesquite grilled for a unique flavor.