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Paso Robles Rolling Hills And Colorful Autumn Colors
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Central Coast Food & Wine Journal

Learn about the latest food and wine happenings, as well as our recommendations for dining, wine-tasting, and relaxing.


Wine and Chocolates?

What do you think about pairing Paso Robles wine and chocolates?

Broken Earth Chocolate Pairing
Broken Earth Winery Chocolate Pairing

We’ve recently discovered a winery that makes a specialty out of pairing Paso Robles wine and chocolates. Interested? Heck yes – I was! But, call me a chocolate lover. I must say, I even convinced Yule to give this pairing a try. So where to find Paso Robles wine and chocolate?

Yule’s friend is a tasting room associate at Broken Earth, a winery on the East side of Paso Robles. He encouraged us to visit Broken Earth and try their wines paired with chocolate. On a day off, we did just so and found a winery we had little known. From 20 years ago this was the turf of Arciero Winery, with the high gloss spectacle of his Italian racing cars. Things have changed and Broken Earth is making a go of it. They offer a dynamite cheese plate for $12 and a nice little cafe offering salads, sandwiches and Australian Pot Pies. On Saturday’s they bring in the music for their guests to enjoy the ultimate comfort of Wine, Music and Food.

Thomas Hill Organics

Thomas Hill Organics has a new offering that I want to share with all our friends – their “Raw Bar”.

One of our favorite restaurants in Paso Robles is Thomas Hill Organics, led by owner, Debbie Thomas. Debbie has a knack for creating food and experiences on the cutting edge of “cool”. Her new Raw Bar is just such an example. Score another hit for Thomas Hill Organics!

Offerings for fresh, raw seafood has always been hard to find in Paso Robles. Enter Thomas Hill Organics! Their new Raw Bar offers a top line experience to experience the ambience of the restaurant while also offering a raw bar experience with thoughtfully curated sakis.

Wine Bags!

 

MaryAnn’s Wine Bags

To everyone’s good fortune, Mom is busy making wine bags! Yep, most of our friends know we are a family affair, and mom’s a big part of our business. She does everything from catering, to cake baking to occasionally leading one of our tours. Add to the list, making these awesome wine bags!

I can’t think of a classier way to present your Paso Robles wine than in one of her custom crafted wine bags.

Imagine doing a family reunion here and having her craft wine bags of the same material for all the guests – you wine visit will be long relived through these wine bags which will inevitably be shared and passed along. Maybe engagement o wedding parties will want to memorize their event through a custom crafted wine bag.

wine bags

Get even more creative and provide her with the fabric from your daughter’s childhood for a special gift. Well, you get the idea. Here’s some shots of wine bags she has ready made.

Mom is taking orders for these amazing wine bags. Call her and see what she can do for you. Reach her at mrutshaw@yahoo.com or give her a ring at 805.550.6825. Ask for Mary Ann – she’s the best!

Cheers and Enjoy,

Laura

A Wonderful Weekend in Paso Robles

How could one NOT have a wonderful weekend in Paso Robles?

Paso Robles Wine Weekend
Paso Robles Wine Weekend

This last weekend we were honored to host a birthday party of 21 guests. I mean, really, how fun that these guys got it together to gather all their friends for two days of celebration in Paso Robles. “Rose” the lady behind this incredible troupe of individuals has my enduring admiration for her ability to pull off this birthday extravaganza.

Accolades for Paso Robles Wine Country

How great to see my beloved Paso Robles Wine Country getting the attention it deserves!

Paso Robles Wine Country
Paso Robles Wine Country

Just recently, three well-known authorities of travel were all in agreement: Paso Robles is the “must-see” place to be. Hint – Hint: if you have yet to discover this amazing realm of great wine, fabulous food and astounding natural beauty, now is the time!

It always surprises me when people who genuinely know and enjoy outstanding wines, are just discovering Paso Robles Wine Country. I mean, I know how great these wines are – I guess I just thought everyone else did too.

First, Paso Robles is recognized by Trip Advisor as a destination on the rise. Yes, I’d say Paso Robles has hit its stride. Read more here: Destinations on the Rise.

Second, here’s a “Shout Out: to the AAA’s travel magazine! I’ve read the magazine and it is a good source for new adventures. Nice to be included as one of  ” 8 Great Places to Visit in 2018.

Third, happiness planner and traveler, George Stone, surveyed locations across America looking at everything from healthy eating habits, to community engagement, to the satisfaction of inquisitive minds to develop his list: These Are the Happiest Cities in the United States. Access to green space, destination bikeability and premier culinary experiences all fit the mold for what he found led to happy people.

What a great way to celebrate the start of a new year: Accolades for Paso Robles Wine Country! If you’ve yet to visit or it’s been a while, come on over. San Luis Obispo County, in general, and Paso Robles, specifically, is truly a great place to delight, indulge and enjoy.

Cheers,
Laura

Marinated Cabbage Salad

MARINATED CABBAGE SALAD

This is sort of a weird and funky salad, though definitely delicious and addictive!

cabbage Ramen salad
cabbage ramen salad

Thanks to Chef MaryAnn for sharing this recipe with us! The recipe that follows is the foundational recipe for the salad. There are all sorts of goodies you could add to it to reflect the season or your particular tastes.

For example, if you are feeling creative and are familiar with our local flavored olive oils and vinegars from Panolivo, I’d encourage you to experiment with both the oil and vinegar to make the salad even more distinctive.

Ingredients:

4 TBS Toasted sesame seeds

1 Cup Toasted almnds

1 Large head of cabbage – shredded

6 Green onions

2 Pouches of Chicken flavored Top Ramen

1 TBS sugar

1/2 Cup of oil

10 TBS red wine vinegar

Process:

Chop the cabbage into thin slices, slice the 6 green onions.

Assemble the Dressing: Add 1 TBS of sugar, 1/2 c of oil, 10 tbs of red wine vinegar  and the 2 flavor packs of seasoning from the ramen noodles. Mix well.

Put the dressing into the cabbage bowl and mix well. Leave in refrigerator 12-24 hours to marinate.

To Serve:

Toast the almonds and sesame seeds in a pan over the stove – be careful not to burn.

Add the almonds, sesame seeds and finely broken ramen noodles to the marinated cabbage and mix well.

Enjoy this easy to prepare and tasty salad! It stays delicious in the refrigerator for a few days.

Laura

Avila Beach

We at Central Coast Food Tours have a special place in our hearts for Avila Beach.

Avila Beach
Avila Beach

The Avila Beach community has much to offer to curious tourist and especially wine lovers! Several wineries have set up tasting rooms in Avila Beach along the beach, and you’ll find other wineries on the country roads just outside of town.

The white sand beaches and sparkling blue water is a real draw to beach lovers. And those with children will enjoy the gymnastic equipment on the beach. The views are gorgeous as you look out over Avila beach and bay and view the sea.

Hungry? Then take a short walk through the town and stop in at many of the delicious restaurants. If you choose to head over to the pier, you find Fat Cats (yum) and a wharf with fresh catch unloaded daily. The Fishmongers are a great source for fresh local seafood – give it a try!

I invite you to discover this beach and all it has to offer.

Pasolivo Olive Oil

We love Pasolivo Olive Oil!

Pasolivo Olive Oil
Pasolivo Olive Oil

Direct from a 160 acre ranch with more than 6,000 trees, Pasolivo Olive Oil presents some of the best olive oil to be experienced and enjoyed. With 4 different flavor profiles of their Extra Virgin oils, they also offer 2 herbaceous blends and 4 citrus blends. Pasolivo olive oil offers enough variety to please even the most discerning palate.

The pure flavor of the olive oils, are expertly blended with different herb combinations. Every time I visit Pasolivo Olive Oil, I learn about some new way of blending a herb or spice blend with these oils to produce extraordinary flavors.

If you are out wine tasting, stop by the ranch on Vineyard Road. If you are in town in Paso Robles, Pasolivo olive oil has a new store on Park Street between 13th and 12th streets.

Enjoy this olive oil!

Visit Hearst Castle

Located in the small town of San Simeon on California’s Central Coast, I encourage you to visit Hearst Castle. A visit to Hearst Castle will open your eyes to the art and architectural collections that Hearst amassed over his lifetime. Built by the famed publisher William Randolph Hearst, Hearst Castle is the jewel of the Central Coast.

Hearst Castle
Hearst Castle

Hearst was known for his love of collecting priceless art and artifacts and modeled his home to highlight these delightful treasures.

Built by Julia Morgan, there are sweeping views, gorgeous gardens and breathtaking architecture. Offered to visitors is a IMAX film documenting the build of the castle. It is a MUST SEE. In addition to a number of daily tours there is also a free museum of artifacts and exhibits on Hearst’ life.

For more information on the Hearst Castle and its variety of programs please visit www.hearstcastle.org

SLO Downtown Trolly

As many of you know, Central Coast Food Tours offers a wonderful walking tour in San Luis Obispo.

SLO Trolly
SLO Trolly

Our San Luis Obispo Downtown Walking Tour finishes up about 4:40 – 5:00 p.m. Our guests are always wondering if the SLO Downtown Trolly is operating – or not.

It always seems the SLO Downtown trollies are operating – then they aren’t…what exactly is the SLO Downtown Trolly schedule? First of all you can visit www.slotransit.org to get an update on their ever-changing schedule. Meanwhile, they’ve just posted their most recent schedule. Here it is:

Thursdays: 5:00 pm – 9 pm         All year round

Fridays:      5:00 pm – 9 pm         June through Labor Day

Saturdays:  5:00 pm – 9 pm        April through October

We’re in April right now, so we can count on the trolly Thursdays and Saturdays from 5:00 pm – 9 pm.