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 fundraiser for AmpSurf — http://www.winewavesandbeyond.com.
The sun was blazing as we stepped onto the lawn at the Cliffs Resort overlooking the Pacific and enjoyed wonderful wines, micro-brews and scrumptious food while perusing an impressive collection of silent auction items that showcased all that the Central Coast has to offer.
Ocean Grill Avila Beach offers Peruvian Ceviche
Those symbols I mentioned earlier? Spectacular Summer evening weather welcomed the event. Wines from Ancient Peaks, Chamisal, Claiborne & Churchill, Lone Madrone, Niner, Tolosa and Peachy Canyon were poured under a sea of white tents. New brews (to me at least) from Kona Brewing Co. and Central Coast Brewing Co. were great to pair with some of the more substantial small bites offered — and even Eureka! participated with a two tasty brews on tap.
And to match the libations, the restaurants stepped up with
some truly “outside the box” offerings. The Cliffs offered up a truly unique “Red Bull Donut” with Red Bull infused cream filling and Red Bull flavored icing. It was interesting but more my husband’s style as he’s a Red Bull Fan. The Cracked Crab offered their stand-by Crab Bisque — always delicious and loaded with crab. Luna Red offered a spicy seafood gazpacho that was perfect for the warm evening. Grassy Bar Oyster Company, a family affair out of Morro Bay Estuary, provided absolutely scrumptious barbecued oysters — I practically had to drag my hubby away. A highlight was the truly ingenious offering by a new restaurant coming soon to Avila Beach — Ocean Grill. The chef created a delicious Peruvian Ceviche with scallops and snapper – sweet roasted corn and a little bit of spice all displayed in a spoon-sized abalone shell — also a symbol of our Central Coast. If this is any indication the Boyers will have a new favorite spot coming this July. Can’t wait!
Live music from Aloha Radio highlighted this very well executed function and I was glad we had the chance to check it out. It is particularly rewarding to enjoy an evening out and have it benefit a worthy cause. AmpSurf has been a focus of donations from both my Rotary Club and my Keller Williams Central Coast office. AmpSurf™ is a non-profit organization established to Promote, Inspire, Educate and Rehabilitate (PIER™) all people with disabilities and their families through adaptive surfing and other outdoor activities.
Surf, Sun, Wine, amazing local food and a worthy cause! If you have the opportunity I highly recommend this event when it rolls around next year!
