Two SLO county restaurants have earned a coveted Michelin Star this year: Six Test Kitchen and The Restaurant at Justin, marking them as the county’s finest dining experiences. Five more restaurants were featured in the Michelin Guide California: Ox + Anchor, Nate’s on Marsh, Ember, Les Petites Canailles, and The Hatch. Six Test Kitchen The…
Pismo Beach, nestled along California’s stunning Central Coast, isn’t just a haven for surfers and sun-seekers—it’s a food lover’s paradise. Whether you’re craving fresh seafood, locally sourced ingredients, or unique culinary experiences, this beach town offers a smorgasbord of dining options. Here are our top picks for restaurants in Pismo Beach that you absolutely must…
My husband and I have been going to Celia’s Garden Café in Los Osos since it opened 18 years ago. Celia and her staff have always been so friendly and welcoming to their customers, and the food has always been delicious! My favorite is the Los Osos Scramble. But Celia decided to retire. Theresa-Marie Wilson…
We stumbled into this yummy pitstop during the peak of the Covid shutdown – searching for time outside in our Jeep we had just come back from some trails off of 166. We immediately were lured in with a band playing, and plenty of outdoor seating. The bar area has large doors open to the…
Summer Days – Summer Glaze! Summer is among us and to me summer days means it is time for barbecues and friends! Barbecuing can be so fun and rewarding and you can do it in so many different places – the beach, the lake, your home, the park, even on the back of a tailgate…
In our household it is a rarity for my husband and I to disagree on things. However, our weekly conversations on what food to buy and meals to make, occasionally are a heated topic. While I am the kind of person who would be fine on a diet of mostly veggies, my other half doesn’t…
Oyster Loft with Executive Chef, Jared Hurst Dinner with a view of The Pismo Pier! Listen to the waves crashing while sipping one of their amazing specialty drinks. Last week I enjoyed a delicious tequila-based cocktail with a hibiscus “bubble”, then watched as it popped with a beautiful puff of smoke sprinkling magic all over…
Fall has always been my favorite time of year. Not only does the weather transition from warm to cool but the color of the trees’ leaves transition from green to auburn and yellow. It’s a reminder that the year will soon be over with the ramping up for the holiday season about to begin. My…
If you are ready to grab a great bite out and try somewhere new to eat, check out the Olde Ale House in Los Osos! Located next to Rexall’s on Los Osos Valley Road on the way to Montana De Oro State Park, this is the perfect stop for a local beer after a long…
Living in Pismo Beach, where we connect you with some of our favorite people who live and work on the Central Coast. Those community and business leaders who make living on the Coast such a unique and diverse experience. Episode #17 Brooke Town owner of the spoon trade Brooke Town owner of the spoon…
Living in Pismo Beach, where we connect you with some of our favorite people who live and work on the Central Coast. Those community and business leaders who make living on the Coast such a unique and diverse experience. Episode #7 Brian Collins Chef & Owner of Ember in Arroyo Grande, CA Brian Collins…
Living in Pismo Beach, where we connect you with some of our favorite people who live and work on the Central Coast. Those community and business leaders who make living on the Coast such a unique and diverse experience. Episode #3 Charlie Puffer Owner of Puffers of Pismo Charlie Puffer the Owner of Puffers…
A word that has been frequently thrown about since that fateful week in mid-March when California shut down to flatten the curve is “pivot”. Business owners are encouraged to embrace the new normal, shift their practices and “pivot” to a new direction embracing the current “situation” and restrictions. Watching our favorite business owners grapple with…
As the Shelter at Home order began to take effect across the Central Coast in mid-March, restaurants were having to decide whether to stay open in a limited capacity or shut down for the time being. Given that most folks in the community a) love to eat out b) want to support local businesses c)…
The annual Valentine’s Day Wine Walk is back and better than ever! With Valentine’s falling on a Friday this year, the Pismo Beach Chamber folks have redesigned the Wine Walk for the weekend! No need to agonize over expensive and elaborate plans for your Valentine! Unlike previous Wine Walks hosted by the Pismo Beach Chamber…
CALLING ALL FOODIES! Sound the alarm! There are just two weeks left to take advantage of SLO County’s “Restaurant Month!” This is a fantastic opportunity to enjoy a three-course fixed menu at many participating restaurants around the county for the low, low price of $30 per person! Plus, many restaurants also offer a wine pairing…
Shell Beach has a brand-new restaurant you won’t want to miss — Cape Cod Eatery, located at 1127 Shell Beach Road, recently opened it’s doors and has instantly become a new hot spot! The Cape Cod Eatery & Taphouse gets its name from the building where it makes its home — previously “The Cape Cod…
Memorial weekend is coming, and with it some sweet, juicy strawberries! Arroyo Grande’s 36th annual strawberry festival is here again and the event schedule sounds as delicious and entertaining as ever! If you have never been to this event that happens every year in the quaint little village of Arroyo Grande you are in for…
There is a sweet little spot, just blocks to the beach in Downtown Pismo Beach called Puffers of Pismo. From the moment you walk through the door, you are welcomed by friendly staff, warm tones in the décor and delicious aromas from the kitchen. Make sure to belly up to the bar and introduce yourself…
New to the restaurant lineup in Pismo Beach this year is La Bodega, specializing in shareable Tapas plates. An inviting environment of warm colors, luscious aromas, beautiful wines and delicious farm to table fresh food. Located in a lovely building that offers soaring ceilings and plenty of natural light. There is a small outdoor patio…
https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-range-santa-margarita (805) 438-4500 Driving down the main street in Santa Margarita, it’s easy to miss The Range. But don’t. Inside that small, unassuming building with no sign there is magic happening. Once inside, it would be easy to mistake The Range’s cowboy charm as hokey. The wait staff mostly wears Wranglers, there’s classic Country music…
Looking for a fun place with an excellent view in Pismo Beach? Look no further than Pismo’s newest hotspot at Willow located at 2131 Price St. This building used to be the old Marie Calendars right in front of the Sea Crest Hotel. The new owners have done a complete remodel that is so inviting…
Avila Beach has always been a family favorite. While Pismo is the obvious choice for visitors, Avila stays a bit more quiet and feels a bit more like a small town. It also has the best weather on the Central Coast, often remaining sunny and warm when fog is still hovering over the other beaches.…
It just so happens that right behind our Paso Robles office sits a gem of a restaurant – opened in 2009 by an inspired local organic farm owner, Thomas Hill Organics has become a staple of the North San Luis Obispo County restaurant scene. A restaurant with a passion for farm-to-table that was established long…
Stroll the streets of San Luis Obispo and you’ll have so many options it is almost hard to choose! Enjoy historic architecture, shop in the wide variety of boutiques, visit the art galleries or the Mission and just in downtown you can easily fill a day of activities! And when you’ve built up an appetite…
This restaurant has been featured before – but has changed so much in five years it deserves a second look. This is our favorite family weekend spot. The place where we kick off the weekend with a yum-o fresh meal to get us ready for a paddle, a bike ride or a day at the…
Grover Beach is a happening little beach town all year long but come August of every year, it is a rockin’ town with their fantastic Stone Soup Music Festival & Street Faire. The dates this year are Saturday, August 27th from 10am-9:30pm and Sunday, August 28th from 11am-5pm. Some streets are blocked off near Ramona…
Located at the corner of Mason Street and Grand avenue, Mason Bar is a most welcome addition to the quaint village of Arroyo Grande. Local owners Bill and Meygan Hales (who also own Rooster Creek and Shell Beach Brewhouse) have created a fabulous gastro pub that could be best described as country chic and has…
Have you ever noticed that when you meet someone who has lived in an area for most of their life, they tend to refer to businesses, areas, restaurants and so forth by how they used to be known. Sometimes those names stick — as in Dinosaur Caves Park — I am not sure if there…
Grover Beach and fine dining are not typically mentioned in the same sentence – in fact in our history on the Central Coast those words have never been paired. We are happy to report that Grover’s culinary history has been upgraded with a new eatery. Owners Jacob and Brook Town, and Patrick Bergseid have made…
Updated April 15th, 2015 – When Gather was forced to close due to failed landlord negotiations the Village lost a favorite. What we got in return was a better, bolder, bigger version with many new features. Armed with many researched ideas owner/chef Kari Ziegler wanted a bistro with a gourmet market and wine bar as…
I hesitate to write this post because once I do, our secret getaway … my happy place … will be revealed. However, I want it to remain successful and keep providing us with our getaway so it is with that in mind that I share the Big Sur River Inn. Just a couple hours up…
Six months old and still growing! Tonight will be the inaugural cooking class at Comfort Market — soon to be a regular event as this evening’s first run sold out days before. Tonight owner/chef Kari Ziegler, previously of the much-missed Gather Wine Bar, will share her insider secrets from behind the kitchen door in creating…
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…
The Village of Arroyo Grande has grown up a bit in recent years — adding some new faces to the usual dining choices. While we love the stand-by’s of the Village Grill, McKlintocks Saloon and Alphy’s Broiler, new-comer Rooster Creek has become rooted in our regulars. Of course Jack loves Klondikes … pizza, video games and…
Gnocchi. Ricotta Gnocchi. Ricotta Gnocchi atop a bed of gently sautéed Bloomsdale spinach. Gnocchi in a brown butter sauce. Gnocchi with a dusting of artichoke fritti. This is a glorious dish and I hope it remains as a revolving item on the menu at Ember. But you never know what inspired new dishes might arrive…
Years ago I was invited to a friend’s birthday party that was being held at Debbie Duggan’s Central Coast Culinary. I had met Debbie on a few occasions working at KSBY as she was our local “celebrity chef”. She would rise ridiculously early to inspire us with a fantastic (and fast) dish on the morning show.…
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…
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…
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…
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 —…
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…
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…
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…
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…
