With over thirty years in the food business, Kathy Marcks Hardesty provides great information about our local Food & Wine businesses here on the Central Coast. She loves writing about great food and wine, entertaining your senses and placing you on the edge of your seat as you look forward to trying the next great new restaurant…
It’s been said that humans are creatures of habit and I am afraid this describes me rather well. I go to the same places for the same things and I tend not to expand my horizons as often as I should. When Harry and David first moved into the Pismo Beach Premium Outlets I thought…
How often is it that you can walk out of your office door in Pismo Beach and say “I feel like having the best burger on Maui” and not twenty minutes later be taking a huge yummy bite? Well it can be as often as every day if you are in San Luis Obispo and…
It’s next to impossible to be a co-inhabitant of our planet today and not recognize that humans are having an impact on our climate, our resources and the realization that we need to do something — however small — to make it better for future generations. Ever since our son was born we made the…
First you have to love the name … doesn’t it sound official?! Great for that lunchtime “business” meeting. You can just tell your boss you’ll be in “The Board Room.” Before he figures out that you don’t have one you’ll be gone! This great little brew pub and eatery is right in the heart of…
When you’ve lived in one place pretty much your entire life you know the history of all things and how they’ve evolved — both good and bad. The nice thing about the quaint Village of Arroyo Grande is that while things have changed, they’ve mostly stayed the same. And that is true of one of…
Those of us that have the awesome gift of living where most other people only get to visit on vacation know that we frequently take it for granted. Months can go by without a visit to the beach or stopping to really enjoy a sunset. But when we want to be a tourist in our…
The theme this Summer has been “Stay-cation” for our little Central Coast Family. Since we are lucky enough to live where many people vacation we are playing backyard tourists and enjoying all that the Central Coast has to offer within 20 minutes of our doorstep. One of our absolute favorite day-off activities is to pack…
We found ourselves playing tourist in our own backyard a few weekends ago and decided to try a few new things. While we waited for our standup paddling reservation at Central Coast Standup Paddling we found ourselves with time to kill on the boardwalk in Morro Bay. So we did as we do and looked up restaurants we…
Being locals, it can be hard to surprise us. On the other hand we also find ourselves falling victim to routine, returning to the same ol’ haunts over and over again. So it was through an effort to help our son learn to navigate traffic on his bicycle better that we were pleased to discover…
There are a few icons that define the Central Coast of California and this past Friday all of them were on display at a great event I had the opportunity to attend for the first time. This past Friday evening was the Barrel to Barrel night during the annual four day Wine, Waves & Beyond…
I have to admit that while I scrolled through some of the reviews for Rooster Creek, I found myself nodding my head in agreement… some were spot-on. I will say that the service left much to be desired in the beginning, however they seemed to have listened to the feedback and have made adjustments —…
My memory may be fading (I am turning 40 this year after all) but of the many Taste of Pismo events my hubby and I have attended I think this year was unequivocally the best. Maybe it was the great “Farm Fest” Farm to Fork event that ushered in the Taste the Friday night before.…
There aren’t many restaurants that take a break during the holidays and go on holiday themselves… and there aren’t many restaurants that when they do take a break make my grown husband cry. It was so bad I even drove by during their break once to make sure they hadn’t returned early. This is what…
Being the Past President of the Rotary Club of Pismo Beach/Five Cities that has met for a decade in the beautiful banquet room downstairs at the now Ventana Grill, our little group of 60+ members had the unusual opportunity to watch the current management go through an extensive remodel of what had become a slightly…
Well I have never written a review of the Lido at Dolphin Bay because it had all of the makings of a fantastic restaurant … without the food, in my opinion. Partly because it was trying to be a little too “metropolitan” for the area, and partly because it ignored what is going on all…
Woodstone Marketplace has become our regular pit-stop as we chase our speed-demon four year old son down the Bob Jones Trail — either on foot, bicycles or scooter. It is like an oasis when we come up from under the bridge that gives us safe passage to the other side of San Luis Bay Drive…
Mo’s is one of those “hang-out” type places, decorated with old photos and rusting signs, and of course an amazing variety of pigs out of various materials, in various sizes. It is a no-nonsense rib joint, with a few other notable items on the menu. My husband loves the Philthy Phil’s Ribs and the Sampler…
Growing up on the Central Coast, we’ve had our share of Pizza Places come and go … but in the past few years there hadn’t really been one that stood out from the crowd. Then one night when Gather Wine Bar was just getting started — maybe even during her “Soft Opening” — Kari ordered…
I have to admit that I am a fan … just like the four stars says. Right on the beach, this is a fantastic little boutique hotel that we often use for “Staycations” to celebrate Valentine’s Day, Birthdays and Anniversaries. From the moment you pull into the covered parking, you feel appreciated and well taken…
I’m a Central Coast Native and small business owner… so there are very few restaurants in our area that I haven’t visited. However the owners at Golden Moon and their fantastic Chinese offerings are what keep me returning! Jack and his wife remember us by our phone number — even if it’s been months since…
If you don’t know what “show us your stacked” means, then you obviously haven’t sampled the scrumptious handcrafted sandwiches at this South County gem. I heard the rumors a few years ago that the “best” sandwiches were at Stacked. When I finally made it in, I fell in love! I have a tendency to always…
Nestled in the heart of Shell Beach, right on Shell Beach Road, you might drive by any day of the week and see a line on the sidewalk for this popular cafe. Originally just open for breakfast and lunch, they now serve dinner … which is always a great place to find yourself on a…
As a busy family we frequently have to rely on take-out when the day becomes a little bit too hectic. Luckily, we have Yanagi just a few blocks from home and office. They are awesome when it comes to speedy and fresh take-out — everything from the true, quality Sashimi that my husband and son…
Two words: Oriental Salad. It’s heavenly. But just in case you think I am giving five stars based on a salad, don’t worry! They have a special Prime Rib Sandwich that makes my husband’s mouth water just mentioning it! And let’s not forget their Salmon Salad. Or how about their extra fresh, extra yummy Salmon…
In Grover Beach, what folks must keep in mind when heading to Fin’s is that it’s a family restaurant with a seafood focus — It’s on the sand, folks, at the entrance to the beach at the bottom of Grand Ave. So, if you don’t like seafood or families, I would choose another restaurant! That…
Rosa’s is one of our “go-to” restaurants. For date night, for business lunches, for their fun and fabulous annual (JUNE) fundraiser, the “Martini Shakedown” — we are at Rosa’s once a month on average. They have always had a fantastic menu, constantly updated by chef Doug MacMillan. My favorites are the Arugula Salad, Pasta California,…
This is one of our favorite go-to restaurants with friendly staff and casual dining atmosphere. We go when we are bored with cooking and share an entree with additional side salads — the meals are more than large enough for doing this. Our son loves the “Rope and Ride” atmosphere and my husband like to…
Warm, inviting, intelligent, metropolitan, chic and intimate … just some of the adjectives I would use to describe the most recent addition to the bright lights in the Historic Village of Arroyo Grande. Having lived on the Central Coast for 31 years, I am so excited to have a venue that offers a diverse menu…
