The Art of Eat

The Cakery
773 E Foothill Blvd
San Luis Obispo, CA‎
(805) 545-7777‎

There are a whole lot of sandwich shops in San Luis Obispo and the Cakery is my second choice for a quick bite just following Lincoln Deli. While Lincoln Deli has a larger menu and a slightly better ambiance, the Cakery has a wonderful cookie and baked goods selection and their cakes are not only delicious but look like works of art. The Cakery also has better bread choices and their soups are consistently the best in town.

My favourite sandwich choice has to be the Turkey and Brie toasted on Herbed Foccacia if it’s available. The sandwich can also have a selection of mayo spreads including roast red pepper and basil pesto, the latter I recommend for that sandwich. It’s a delightful taste bud go getter with fresh cranberries and spring mix to top off the mix and there’s very few better tasting sandwiches anywhere. My second choice would most likely be the Caprese, mozzarella, whole leaf basil, and a balsamic and olive oil blend. Depending on who makes the sandwich it can be a little dry sometimes, but when it’s done right it’s stupendous. Again the bread makes a big difference and I like it on either the Herb Foccacia or Ciabbata.

To accompany a sandwich or just as a snack the cookies are worth trying. I am partial to Mexican Wedding cookies because they’re never too sweet and have a wonderful little almond taste to them but the Ginger Chocolate Chip gives a lot of flavour to an otherwise ordinary selection and if you’re a fan of candied ginger you won’t want to pass it up.

Unfortunately the Cakery is a little more expensive than most of the other sandwich shops in SLO including Lincoln Deli and for a sandwich, soup, and drink it’ll cost about $12. The quantity of the sandwiches are also a little smaller than most of the other delis but since the taste is so much better I’d still recommend it. The Cakery gets past up a lot due to its location in a shopping mall and it’s name which doesn’t do much to  advertise it as a lunch place, but it is the second closest deli to CalPoly and deserves better patronage due to that fact. So next time you’re hungry and don’t feel like having to drive to get a quick bite, try out the Cakery and you’ll be surprised by this little bakery.

Novo Restaurant and Lounge
726 Higuera St.
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
(805) 543-3986‎

So finally I am reviewing what I consider the best restaurant in San Luis Obispo. I’ve been countless times, and every time, excluding my first meal at Novo under the old management, I loved the food, the ambiance, the wine, and the service. Unfortunately to be the best in San Luis Obispo means competition with the poor likes of Firestone, Thai Palace, and Buona Tavola, and so Novo even with its flaws is still my top choice. I would venture to say that when it comes to preparation of the meal the only restaurant with equally good food is Native Lounge and Restaurant but only when chef Charles A. is preparing which is not a guarantee. But enough about the competition.

Novo is the best restaurant in San Luis Obispo for a number of reasons. In large part, the ambiance is brilliant. The outdoor patio in the back overhangs the creek making it one of the most romantic places to dine in all of San Luis Obispo and only the closed Grappolo had a patio worth comparing. Novo’s interior dining room is chic and trendy with a wine bar at both front and back and late at night fills with better dressed patrons than the usual San Luis haunt although I’ve never considered Novo a lounge like its name would lead you to believe. The service at Novo is hands down the best in San Luis Obispo with the best service coming usually from the male waiters who are perky, attentive, and chatty.

Where Novo falls down a little is the menu. A little more than half of Novo’s food is fantastic and, besides Native, is unparalleled in San Luis Obispo. Half the menu is a selection of traditional tapas dishes including meats and cheeses which are amazingly well done, but the other half of the menu is a selection of Pan-Asian inspired fusion dishes which are lacking in flavour and skill in preparation. The dishes are of the trendy small plate variety, with a couple daily specials and a soup du jour, although I’ve never ordered one of the entree dishes since I love a good variety. Almost everyone I know that’s eaten at Novo loves their Lobster Bisque although it’s a bit too thin for my liking. My personal favourites include their Roast Quail, Lavender Lamb Chops, Moroccan Lamb Mechoui, Chevre, and Shepherd’s Plate, and the best special I’ve ever ordered was a tuna tartar taco salad that was literally a small mountain - unusual since their usual dishes are very small. Of the dishes I didn’t like the ones that stood out the most are the Spring Rolls, Singapore Chicken Satay, Lettuce Wraps, and Roast Duck Breast which had no flavour at all and was only saved by the Penang curry accompanying.

What Novo misses in lounge ambiance, mainly a dj, loud music, dark lighting, and lounge chairs, it makes up in sheer variety of alcoholic beverages. Novo doesn’t have a fancy bartender that makes tropical concoctions that’ll knock you off your feet like Blue, but Novo has a wine list that’ll take a half hour to read through and a beer menu as large as Spike’s, the beer bar down the street. Novo stays open Friday and Saturday nights till midnight as a Wine and Beer bar and is one of the better places to go if you’re fashionable and have money to burn. Of the wine’s I’ve tried at Novo all were excellent with a wide variety from the Central Coast and almost equally wide variety from all over the world. Novo’s beer prices are pretty reasonable, but the wine prices are a bit high with a $10-15 markup per bottle from retail price and almost nothing in the upper $20s. A word of advice though, with such a large wine selection to choose from perhaps check out the bottle you’d like to try before going since the staff generally haven’t tried all the selection and may not be very helpful in recommendations.

As I mentioned countless times, Novo is the best restaurant in San Luis Obispo in terms of food, drink, ambiance, and service. The biggest draw backs are the cost and Asian menu selections, but if you’re willing to spend and know what to order it’s a very rewarding experience. If you’re a big drinker expect the tab to be in the $50-60 range after a meal, but I’ll say for the last time, it’s a price that’s worth it in this town.

Jaffa Cafe
1212 Higuera St, San Luis Obispo, CA‎
(805) 543-2449‎

In the middle of the incredibly white town of San Luis Obispo is a little bit of life disguised as a resturant. Jaffa Cafe is a family owned Mediterranean restaurant and serves some of the best tasting and most authentic Mediterranean and Near Eastern food I’ve ever tried. What’s really charming about Jaffa is the staff which always are up for a chat about business, life, and anything else you can think of. Most days the owner works the register and if you come even once a month he’s sure to remember your face, name, and probably life story if you are willing to share it.

Jaffa doesn’t have any pretensions about what it is and what it does. The restaurant is as laid back as restaurants come and fits perfectly with the San Luis lifestyle. Upon entering there’s a handful of tables strewn about with a big deli counter at the back. Like most other delis in the town, ordering takes place on a simple paper menu that is handed to the cooks and it’s a great way to ask what’s the best to get from the people making the food. After ordering it’s just a few minutes before it’s ready to enjoy. The whole tedious business of paying is taken care of after the meal so you get to eat relaxed, while thinking about how much to tip the great staff over whatever great dish you ordered.

Every visit I’ve enjoyed and I’ve tried quite a few things on the menu. My immediate favourites are the Lamb Shwarma, gyro, and kebab. All the meats are prepared just as they should be, full of flavour, soft, and tender. I don’t know how they do it, but it’s always amazing how great tasting such simple foods can be. I usually get some humus and pita or lentil soup to bolster the meal since the portions are relatively small. The humus and soups can be spotty since they are homemade and depending on the day can be amazing or rather bland. If you’re not sure whether you want a side or not I don’t recommend it due to their price, but if you’re definitely hungry give it a try and it might be a great choice. The pita is always great though and makes the best gyros and wraps. If it weren’t for the meats and falafel Jaffa would be just another average restaurant in a town already too full of them, but it truly is some of the best Mediterranean food I have ever tasted.

The one draw back to Jaffa is the cost. Probably due to the distance of San Luis Obispo to any major city, the ingredients are most likely a little more expensive than most similar Mediterranean restaurants and it’s difficult to get a full lunch for under $10. Some slightly better sides would help justify the extra costs and hopefully those will increase since business has picked up in recent years and Jaffa’s owners are expanding into more restaurants. As I said before, the meats, gyro, and falafel are really amazing and bring much needed spice to a town devoid of variety.

Native Lounge
1023 Chorro St
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
(805) 547-5544‎

A little over a year ago the overpriced and unnoteworthy Mission Grill was replaced by Native Lounge, a trendy big city club that set a new bar for classy drinking in an otherwise average small college town. Native stripped the old wood decor in favour of glass sliding walls and a shiny silver bar. The dining room was replaced with a good sized dance floor, and the tables were replaced with modern sectionals for reclining and tiny drink tables to hold the small plates and mojitos. It was shaping up to be the best thing that ever happened to San Luis Obispo’s nightlife, and for a time it was.

Native operates as a restaurant during the afternoon and early evening until about 9 when the music picks up and it reorients itself as a lounge. After about 10:30 on weekend nights it reverts to more of a bar and club with mostly upper classmen and sophisticates from the Bay area or Los Angeles that enjoy a collared shirt requirement and a $5 cover charge. I first heard of Native soon after I turned 21 when the head chef Charles A. came into the olive oil store I worked at on repeated Farmer’s Market nights. We got to talking food and olive oil and inevitably he invited me to try out the restaurant. He explained that the restaurant had a tiny fridge capacity and he used the Farmer’s market to stock up on fresh local produce and a bottle of olive oil for every weekend. Local food freshly procured! I set a date and a few days later there I was with 6 of my friends. Charles A. is the best chef in San Luis Obispo, and when he’s preparing the meals there is no better restaurant in the town. Unfortunately, most often he isn’t preparing the meals and the food is just so so and I picked up the habit of going only if I know he is working. But when he is cooking it’s as good as any restaurant in any big city.

Native has the trendy small plate envisionment of food which allows for maximum sampling (a plus) and maximum cost (a negative). To start, I picked out the Armenian special, since Charles A. is Armenian I figured he’d be able to do a good job with this one, Parmesan and White Truffle Fries, and Baby Purple Artichoke Hearts served Crispy. All of these plates were absolutely bursting with flavour. Since truffle is my favourite flavour, of course the fries were stupendous and one order of those was enough to go around and then some. The artichoke hearts were the most unusual dish, but I have to admit easily as my favourite of the night. Sadly they no longer serve the artichoke hearts at the moment but hopefully I’ll persuade a comeback for it. For the entree small plates we got a wide assortment: Duck Confit empenadas, Meatloaf Sliders, Ostrich medallions on black rice with a sweet spicy sauce, Kimchi Chicken Wraps, and the fantastic Tuna Tartare tacos with Avocado Tempura. The Tuna Tacos were the best of the entrees and the avocado was so surprisingly good I don’t understand why more restaurants don’t do it. The Ostrich was cooked just right and spicy enough even for a chili fiend like myself. I was most unimpressed by the Meatloaf sliders, and the Duck empanadas were a little sparing on the duck although still delicious. For dessert Charles brought out Petron Chocolate Expresso Granites which were sweet, sexy, and the best way to end a meal.

Then there are the drinks. Native like most clubs and restaurants makes most of its money from the drink menu and do they have some fantastic drinks. All the mojitos are first rate, I tried a strawberry mojito and it ws stunning. My favourite drinks they offer are made with Dry sodas and the rhubarb soda based drink is as good as any classy club’s. And lest I forget, Native has a hibiscus champagne with a whole edible flower that’s to die for. The negative is the drinks are small and expensive so bring a big wallet if you’re planning on drinking a lot because they are dear.

Native was fun for a long time bringing big city djs to a town devoid of good club music. After establishing a good name for themselves, Native hired some local djs that unfortunately had the effect of ruining the good music and replacing it with crap top 40 hip-hop and R&B hits that play at every other bar in town. Now I primarily go for the food and only return on friends’ requests during my downtown sojourns. On occasion they bring in out of town djs and those are always parties worth attending. More information on special nights can be found at their website.

Tiber Canyon Ranch
Edna Valley, CA

Olio Nuovo 08/09
Olio Nuovo Lemon 08/09
Late Harvest Tuscan Blend 07/08
Yuzu Flavored Tuscan 07/08
Lemon Flavored Tuscan 07/08

After living in prime olive oil country for the past couple years I have been fortunate to visit a couple of local olive orchards. The most notable of these trips was to Tiber Canyon Ranch nestled in Edna Valley just 15 minutes out of San Luis Obispo, CA. The grounds of the ranch play host to a number of events and weddings throughout the year and the scenery around the area explains it all. California Live Oaks scour the countryside and nestled amongst them next to a large vegetable garden is the hand built barn that houses the olive oil storage drums and tasting room. The back of the barn is an art studio where the owners practice their glass blowing in the off season. If you ever have the chance to visit the ranch it’s a must.

On to the oil. Tiber Canyon produces a few varieties of extra virgin olive oil. The first and foremost is their Late Harvest Tuscan Blend, which they also use as the base for their flavored oils. The Late Harvest Tuscan is a mild, cool, and slightly impersonal oil with a gentle peppery finish. Picking the olives late in the harvest effectively mellowed out the usual bitterness and high pungency found in Tuscan blends, but left a hint of grassiness on the aroma and a mellow lasting peppery aftertaste. If you’re a fan of the olive flavor but don’t like too much spice or bitterness this is a good choice in oil. For something a bit fruitier try Robbins Family Farm’s Late Harvest Tuscan and for something a bit more olive flavored try Olea Farm’s Crescendo Blend.

The 2008 harvest Olio Nuovo knocks the socks off Tiber’s usual Late Harvest Tuscan and if you can find it before it’s all gone I recommend picking it up. The Olio Nuovo has quite a bit of sediment still suspended in the oil and resultingly has a very strong olive flavour, bitter taste, and huge peppery finish. Of the stronger oils, it’s delicious, strong, and complex without being plain punchy like the Pasolivo Tuscan, and I wholly recommend it for fans of strong flavours. The Lemon Olio Nuovo is likewise amazing, and again I recommend it over Pasolivo’s Lemon Flavored, primarily because it’s strong and graceful and the bitterness doesn’t overpower the flavor of the meyer lemon.

The real spotlight for Tiber Canyon is their flavored oils. Based on the Late Harvest Tuscan which I would consider one the better blending oils I’ve tried, Tiber produces Lemon and Yuzu flavored oils. Although limited in production, these oils are exceptional in quality and flavor. My favorite flavored oil overall is in fact Tiber’s Yuzu, which has a distinct rind type flavour that is well balanced and neither overpowers or underpowers the olives. One issue with the Yuzu is typical uses which I haven’t quite captured besides salads, but I’ve heard it’s an interesting ingredient in baking which I don’t really partake in. The Lemon Flavored uses Meyer Lemons and also has more of a rind type flavour than the usual lemon oils. I prefer the Yuzu although the Lemon is more versatile and goes great with vegetable and fish dishes. Enjoy.

Buffalo Bar and Grill
717 Higuera St
(805) 544-5515‎

I don’t know a single soul who’s eaten at this newer pub in downtown San Luis Obispo but I have to admit I’m wholly impressed. Buffalo replaced an average Basque restaurant, Fandango, about a year ago and became one of those lights-turned-on-too-bright, loud classic rock, stand-around-with-a-beer pubs. I generally stay far far away from the pub because I hate standing around with a beer in my hand, especially when it’s cheap beer, but for some reason as I was wandering around looking for a lunch spot I noticed the doors were open and decided to try it out.

The menu is very short and has the usual assortment of pub grub: sandwiches, lots of fried appetizers, and a few salads. I wanted to try an appetizer but instead got a beer since it’s a pub after all. I was supremely disappointed with the selection of beer on tap. A pub should have at least a few good beers to choose from and Buffalo had nothing special with the two best choices being Stella and Bass. Really now? Lamentable beer choices aside, I ended up with a 14oz Bass, the Chimichurri Sirloin Steak Sandwich, and a side of salad. My friend got my first choice, Pastrami and Pepperoncini Grilled Sandwich with a side of fries. And here’s where everything changed.

The Chimichurri Sirloin steak sandwich used delicious tender strips of steak, still a little red in the middle, marinated in a slightly spicy chimichurri sauce of chopped parsley, cilantro, garlic, salt, pepper, onion, chilli, mustard seed, and paprika with olive oil. The crispy fried bread was perfectly charred and full of flavour. The whole sandwich was delicious. The Pastrami sandwich was equally delicious and well cooked. The copious amount of pastrami and cheese hung out on every side and dripped delicious fatty goodness all over the fingers, plate, and everywhere else. The fries were thin cut and deep fried just right and the salad with the Caesar was simple but good, although the fries were definitely the better choice.

I was extremely surprised that a little pub like Buffalo which no one eats at prepared such a tasty lunch and will definitely go back again. The ~$11 sandwiches are worth it and if the beer selection gets a little better Buffalo would be one of the better pubs I’ve eaten at. It was funny being the only diners in the place, but we got great seats by the window and the food was excellent.

Vallarta’s
1761 Monterey St
San Luis Obispo, CA‎
(805) 543-0777‎

After meeting the owner of Vallarta’s I was finally inspired to write a review of this exceptionally awful (awful is a terrible understatement) restaurant. I’ve visited Vallarta’s four times over my years in San Luis Obispo and not once have I come close to enjoying my meal. In fact, I generally consider it the worst Mexican food I’ve ever eaten. That somehow doesn’t stop it from being frequented by torrents of college students from CalPoly, although it is within walking distance of the dorms (most likely the only reason it is still open).

The decor is pretty run of the mill, although it’s a little more on the seedy side than most sit down Mexican restaurants. Vallarta’s is known for two things: a giant burrito that is so mammothly bad I wouldn’t consider trying to eat it in one sitting, and a 60 ounce margarita popular on students’ 21st birthdays. From speaking to the owner I know for a fact bartenders at Vallarta’s use only 6 to 7 ounces of tequila in the huge drink (and at least for me that isn’t nearly enough alcohol by volume to warrant ordering it despite its low cost). But I’m a Long Island Drinker and I tend to enjoy tasting the alcohol in my drinks. I’ve heard many college students applauding Vallarta’s margaritas - I generally shake my head at them and walk away speechless.

My last visit I ordered a 16 ounce margarita and tostada bowl with chicken. The margarita was weak and served in a pint glass. The flavour was bland and the salt made it slightly tolerable. The tostada was mushy and made without care. At another restaurant I would’ve returned my food and walked out, but I was with company and had to be respectful of their choice. I’ve tried the giant burrito on a previous visit and tacos, too, and felt the same way about those dishes. If you can help it stay away from this restaurant at all costs. A better alternative is Pepe Delgado’s just down the street which isn’t particularly interesting but at least it won’t make you yak.