Food

SLO – San Luis Obispo – is far more than a half-way point between Los Angeles and San Francisco. If you haven’t discovered it yet, you should – it’s a food haven, a paradise for wine and beer afficiandos, and a town with delightful, uniquely different accommodations.

It would be hard to think of a destination that’s more of a one-stop pleasure. Take Amtrak, leave the car at home – or drive – either way, SLO is an easy and engaging destination that offers so much to explore we’ll be featuring this charming city in several articles in the next month.

Valentine’s Day sweetheart stay? President’s Day Getaway? Winter break or spring fling – SLO is a great choice.

We loved staying at SLO Brew Lofts in the center of town. The sleek urban lodging is more cool apartment than it is hotel.

Beautiful hip furnishings, a full kitchen, and bathrooms that will make you want to bask are enhanced by touches such as a blue velvet sofa, Edison lights, cushy leather dining room chairs, sleek industrial-style Smeg refrigerators and stoves, cozy, tile rimmed fireplaces, and a state-of-the-art espresso and coffee maker.

Another fun feature: rooms come with Crossley record players – replete with lp choices in the rooms, and additional selections available in the hallway.

Exposed brick walls, unique and artful lighting features, high-end furnishings all win large points; loft sizes range from one to three bedrooms, with the largest unit including a private, creek-side patio. They’re romantic, but with the space they offer, the lofts also make for an excellent friends’ getaway or family gathering.

Although the lofts make it incredibly tempting to just stay in and enjoy a 70s-era 33 rpm and a blazing fire, SLO itself is well worth exploring.

Besides, you might only have to take a short walk to one of the top restaurants in town. These five luxury short-term rentals are positioned over one of them, The Carissa.

The Carissa occupies a space that was once the more casual SLO Brew gastropub. It was terrific too, but this change is particularly sweet.

With a lovely outdoor patio that overlooks the creek, and location offers both fire pits and comfortable, cushioned alcove seating, making the restaurant a vacation in and of itself. Inside, it feels hip and airy.

The Carissa is named for the classic building in which it and the lofts themselves are located; the interior reflects its heritage with bright white and blue floor tiles, the space’s original white-washed brick walls, wood-plank flooring and pressed tin ceilings.

The Carissa has a definite California-cool feel with both beachy artwork and cozy nooks within the large room, providing a sense of intimacy.

A mezzanine level includes a pool table.

We sat outside for dinner, warmed by heat lamps and thoughtfully provided soft lap blankets, as well as inventive craft cocktails to start our meal. SLO Brew beers are also on tap, and an intelligent wine selection is available.

We went with a Salty Dog – a refreshing, vodka-based drink with bitters, grapefruit, and a sea salt rim; and the Cigar Smoke, which arrives in a dramatic, covered presentation that literally features aromatic wood chip smoke. I’ve enjoyed smoked drinks before, and this one is outstanding. Rod & Hammers straight rye, orange, sugar cube, and that richly satisfying smoke.

We began our meal with the vegan tortilla soup – thick, creamy, and delightful; redolent of cilantro and with just the right bite of spice offset by silky avocado. The Refreshing Salad lives up to its name. Spring and spinach mix with raspberries, Asian pear, candied walnuts and the lovely bite of a mint jalapeno vinaigrette, the palette is both original and just right – sweet and spicy and cool. We shared a salmon plate with fries and cucumber slices with a dusting of chili powder as our sides. Pan-seared in shallot ginger butter, the salmon was intensely flavorful, tender and fresh.

We left room for dessert: mini churros and a banana fritter. The churros came with a rich chocolate dipping sauce and more than delighted. The banana fritter far exceeded expectations – I’m not a banana fan – a fluffy fried banana with the restaurant’s signature waffle batter, caramel, strawberries, and a scoop of vanilla Van Leeuwen ice cream.

With twinkling white lights strung across the patio and feeling cozy we concluded our meal with two more cocktails – one the sensationally inventive Head in the Clouds. Featuring a pouf of pink cotton candy, Asian pear, aloe, and watermelon, this vodka based treat is also Instagram-ready. I opted for a more traditional off-menu Irish coffee, made sweeter and lighter with Amaretto in the mix.

Although shops and a bevy of other lively clubs abound on SLO’s main street, we retired to our loft suite for a great night’s sleep.

Morning found us at the lovely, bright Joliene Bakery located in The Creamery complex, where owner Chloe Fertel offered us pastries such as a lemon tartlette and honey almond cake.

The bakery features beautiful breads such as Meyer Lemon Herb, sandwiches, and French macarons. Flavors on macarons vary; we had pistachio, chocolate, and raspberry – all terrific.

We browsed shops and took a long walk along the Cerro San Luis Lemon Grove Loop. Vast views of SLO reward a steep but well laid out four-mile trail.

We’ve taken this trail at sunset as well, when the westward-facing heights make a stunning view point.

Rewarding ourselves for our hike, we had another terrific al fresco meal at 1865 Craft House & Kitchen.

For starters: Crispy Cauliflower, a dish that has been over-used in many venues was a treat here – dusted with Cajun seasoning and coconut flour, with a dipping sauce of bracing chipotle aioli. The Dip Duo is a classic appetizer that could make a meal. Comprised of both roasted corn elote and guacamole, it’s an elevated take on a casual nosh that’s hard to stop eating.

But then came the beet salad with shrimp: made with sweet greens and gorgonzola; and a mushroom truffle flat bread featuring earthy crimini mushrooms.

The restaurant added a Beyond Meat sausage topping that made the dish even heartier. To drink? The Ciro peach vodka based Pismo Fog with muddled strawberries was beyond delicious, and alluring served with dry ice for a stunning effect. The light Cambria Pines was gin based, and included fresh squeezed lemon, a quite wonderful rosemary infused simple syrup, and a splash of Brut.

The restaurant is multi-leveled, with two patios back and front; the fresh, modern look embraces its catch phrase of “eat, drink, be happy.”

Late afternoon found us just south of town in the Edna Valley, enjoying the sunny outdoor tasting tables at Saucelito Canyon Winery. Crafting fine red wines from 13 acres of Zinfindels, Bordeauxs, and a handful off off-estate Cabernets and Merlots, the winery is unique in the region which often features Pinot Noir as its signature red. In fact, Saucelito is the only winery in the region that doesn’t produce Pinot; their Zinfindel was planted in 1860 and remains a centerpiece.

Their flagship Zin is produced from 40-year old vines from Croatia, a part of the U.C. Davis Heritage Collection. 

My favorite was the late harvest Zin which was sweet and delicious with the taste of berries and chocolate notes. The Rose was crisp, bright and tart; the unique Dos Mas introduces Grenache to the winery’s line-up, blending Zinfandel with Petite Syrah and Grenache.

Open from 10-5 daily, the winery offers generous pours and an astonishing variety of tastes.

From a luxurious loft stay to wine tasting and fine dining – SLO is easy to visit and fabulously easy to enjoy.

Always reinventing and reinvigorating its historic spaces, there are more stories coming up on SLO — a Central Coast original.

• Genie Davis; photos: Genie Davis