California Food and Wine Blog

Archive for the ‘Central Coast’ Category

For lunch we ventured into Arroyo Grande and stopped at what looked like the most happening restaurant on the main street; Rooster Creek Tavern. We were seated on the patio where they had heaters available and still had a view of the TVs by the bar to watch the Olympics!

They offered a wide variety of lunch salads, sandwiches, and entrees priced $8-$15, as well as a full pizza menu that was too tempting to resist.

I ordered the shredded duck pizza  and Nathan ordered the Mac N Cheese pizza for $12 each and paired my pizza with a glass of Blackhouse Chardonnay.

The shredded duck pizza was covered with what looked like dried green onion garnish that didn’t offer any flavor or texture to the dish. There was a crispy coat of asiago cheese and a fair helping of duck. Unfortunately for myself and the pizza, the dish was quite overcooked with overly dry duck and bland crust. I kept hoping there was a side of sauce to dip it in just to balance it out. The manager noted that particular pizza was frequently too dry and had considered adding more cheese; but a better idea would be to not overcook the duck or burn the cheese on top.  .

The Mac N Cheese pizza had a good blend of cheeses with a drizzle of white truffle oil that elevated the dish to the next level. The crust, like the duck pizza, was very plain and really could have used some simple herbs to liven it up a bit.  The truffle oil definitely stood out, though it seems that it was primarily in the center of the pizza.  The pasta was cooked well and surprisingly hadn’t been dried out by the baking of the pizza.  It was a fun and unique twist on pizza that works surprisingly well.  I would certainly recommend the Mac N Cheese pizza even with the bland crusts.

The ambiance was nice and service was decent; our waitress kept confusing the beers we ordered a few times, but overall it was a good experience. I definitely want to go back and try some of their other dishes, the dry shredded duck didn’t work out but I would still give them a second chance.

Taste: 3.5/5 (Mac N Cheese) 2.5/5 (Shredded Duck)

Service: 3/5

Value: 3/5

For this Wine Down Wednesday we enjoyed a 2008 Vinum Africa, a unique Chenin Blanc from South Africa for $20.

Strong oak flavor with nice citrus nose; pairs well with acidic appetizers like brochette. Not the most exciting of white wines, but easy to drink and refreshing on a summer night.

Nose: 3/5

Flavor: 2.5/5

Value: 3.5/5

We were out with some friends celebrating a birthday and decided to end our night with some fine Italian dining at Giuseppe’s. Nathan and I have been to the San Luis Obispo location and had amazing experiences so were looking forward to much of the same.

We ordered a bottle of Riesling and two appetizers that were on special that day which ended up pairing nicely together.

For dinner I ordered the Risotto di Pollo for $17 and Nathan ordered the Ravioli di Zucca for $17. Our dishes arrived about 30 minutes later which wasn’t at all bad considering we had fresh bread and appetizers at the table to enjoy in the meantime. Both our dishes were conservative in size.

My Chicken Risotto had very nice flavor with juicy meat, but the risotto had an odd consistency that Nathan took as being extremely overcooked. It was a nice dish and with the bread and appetizers it was filling enough.

Nathan was a little less satisfied with his dish. After the Ravioli di Zucca we’ve experienced at the SLO location as well as other italian restaurants, he was expecting a flavorful dish of butternut squash goodness. There were several decent size raviolis smothered in a cream sauce.  He tried his first ravioli to much disappointment, it seemed that the chef had forgotten in the ravioli.  Nathan tried a second to no avail, prompting him to give up trying to eat the very bland  dish.  Hands down the worst Ravioli di Zucca he has ever had.

When our waiter checked in with us Nathan let him know he really wasn’t happy with the dish and asked him to take it away. They suggested instead the Tortellini Giuseppe which he said was one of their best dishes. After a short time Nathan received a pasta in pink sauce with tomato, pancetta, and mushrooms.   This pasta dish was better, but not by much.  Once again they smothered the dish in sauce, but at least the tortellini had flavor that complemented the sauce.  The downside is that they had overcooked the pasta in their rush to prepare it.

When our check arrived they did charge us for the dish we returned but not for the ‘free’ one they provided in return. Since there were 10 of us at dinner we asked to split the check over a few different cards; he stood there staring at our bill and cards for a few minutes before asking what he should do if it doesn’t add up right. After an uncomfortable silence we assured him we divided it up correctly but if there are any issues we’ll be happy to fix it.

The dinner started out with great promise but ended on pretty sour notes; such that I don’t think we’ll be returning.

Service: 2/5

Flavor: 3/5

Value: 2.5/5

A recent Facebook post from our local book and coffee bar Kreuzberg prompted me to check out their brunch Saturday morning, and since they have an outdoor patio it was a great opportunity to bring along my dog!

The coffee shop is quite fun with an eccentric hipster decor with books lining the walls and two stories of couches, chairs, tables, and wifi access.

I ordered the Black Bean Burger for $8.95 with a regular drip coffee.

I received my coffee promptly, but it was quite unfortunate especially considering it’s from a coffee house. The coffee was extremely bitter and had a layer of grounds at the bottom; pretty sure it was brewed that morning and just left to sit out. I like to drink my coffee black, but that was not drinkable on its own.

About 20 minutes later my burger arrived served with a handful of potato wedges. The burger had fresh sprouts and avocado and the bean patty was a good consistency. I couldn’t taste the chipotle ketchup but overall the burger had good flavor. Served on the side were ‘spicy potato wedges’ that were so overwhelmingly salty that after one bite I felt sick to my stomach. Sad because the actual potato was good but doused in spices definitely ruined it.

Not the best experience; decent burger but the sides and beverage need significant improvement.

Service: 3/5

Flavor: 2.5/5

Value: 2.5/5