Eleven Years Later and the Future Still Looks Bright!

As I began thinking about my first entry for the Grapevine Radio blog, I couldn’t resist looking back over the past decade. I’ve been writing about Central Coast wineries and restaurant in various publications for 11 years. I moved here in February of 1996 and a week later met a local foodie who said: “You must be depressed about leaving San Francisco.” “No,” I responded in surprise. Realizing she assumed I was suffering from withdrawals I laughed and added, “Not yet anyway.”

The truth is I’ve never been remotely sorry I moved here, although I had previously lived in San Francisco. During the 10-years I lived there I graduated from the California Culinary Academy, cooked for Wolfgang Puck at Postrio Restaurant, and became tasting coordinator at Wine Spectator magazine. But I left it all behind to move here with my soul mate Dan Hardesty, a nuclear engineer at Diablo Canyon. Besides, San Francisco didn’t seem so far away despite the four-hour drive.

I will admit some things disappointed me at first. I’d visit a locally owned coffee shop and find “homemade” muffins were nuked to the density of week-old-bread, and the coffee -- strictly industrial grade. No place compared with my favorites in San Francisco like the taqueria’s on Mission Street or Chinese restaurants that prepared excellent dishes, whether you ate there or ordered take-out, at dirt cheap prices.

In fact, a visit to the highly recommended Benvenuti Italian restaurant in San Luis Obispo subjected us to a self-described sommelier who couldn’t pronounce winery names correctly let alone varietals. When I asked her to recommend a nice Chianti around $35, she said, “Oh, you don’t want Chianti, it’s a blend.” So is Opus One I thought disdainfully but held my tongue. She recommended the prestigious Gaja Barbaresco hoping I’d “buy” her suggestion for the most expensive wine at $250.00 a bottle – that’s the ultimate in bad service. Happily, Central Coast experts like Archie McLaren led me to local talent, chef Bill Hoppe of Hoppe’s Garden Bistro in Cayucos and chef Rick Manson of Chef Rick’s in Santa Maria.

I loved San Luis Obispo and its down-to-earth locals who made me feel at home immediately. I was befriended by many just as passionate about food and wine as I: Archie who’s devoted his life to promoting the Central Coast wine and food scene; Brian and Johnine Talley who’ve honored every Central Coast winery by capturing the attention of major critics like Wine Spectator; Jim Adelman, general manager at Au Bon Climat and Qupe winery for16 years, who introduced me to passionate winemakers he worked with there, including Jim Clendenen of Au Bon Climat, Bob Lindquist of Qupe, Gary Burk of Costa du Oro, Gray Hartley and Frank Ostini of Hartley-Ostini Hitching Post wines.

In 1998, I was thrilled to learn chef Laurent Grangien was opening Bistro Laurent in Paso Robles, and many talented chefs followed him there. The self-effacing Grangien, who came by way of Paris, maintains his popularity no matter how much competition opens around him. Paso Robles was a sleepy little town a decade back, now it’s a destination for connoisseurs. In fact, we can credit this county’s popularity with foodies to the wineries that proved Central Coast wines stand beside the world’s finest wines.

What’s happened in San Luis Obispo County over the past decade is amazing, and I’m proud to be part of it. Restaurants run by passionate chefs can be found in every town in SLO County. We have a wealth of terrific locally produced foods, including abalone, sustainably grown foods, cheese and wine. Soon we’ll be able to find the finest quality foods and wines in every neighborhood, just like I did in San Francisco. I’d love to see local foodies join this blog to help report where to find the best of Los Osos, Cayucos, Nipomo or Santa Margarita.