A True Artisan

I begged and pleaded Siege to go. I promised a land of unparalleled food and drink. I even appealed to her fondness for Rhone reds and artisan delis filled with the best sandwiches. Time and again she dissed my plans to head South to Paso Robles. Finally, after a couple of years, she took pity on me and we headed down to what has been described by Bon Appetite’s Andrew Knowleton, as “the next Napa,” which is a pretty big statement. So, it was time to see what the hype was about.

When we rolled into PR both of us expected the land of milk and honey, so to speak. Culinary gems at every turn. Perhaps our hopes were pinned a little too high. As it turns out, PR’s dining scene is just, well… pretty okay. That, or we completely missed it all. From our experience, there looked to be about four really good, higher-end restaurants, and the rest of it was pretty standard. The four restaurants I’m referring to are: Villa Creek, Thomas Hill Organics, Artisan, and Il Cortile.

Wednesday night we found ourselves at Artisan, a hip, modern restaurant in the heart of downtown Paso Robles, that really delivered on contemporary, american cuisine. After a lackluster first day of eating, we were due for a couple plates of tasty food. The ambiance is artsy and almost sterile at the restaurant, but comfortable none the less with a good, energetic vibe. The servers and staff do a nice job of making diners feel welcome and at ease combining efficient-friendly service alongside a deft attention to detail. The knowledgeable servers provide valuable information on everything from wine-pairing, to the way the dishes are composed, to where that tender piece of lamb was raised.

Speaking of dishes, ours were excellent. Siege was in red-meat-utopia with her Niman Ranch Hanger steak cooked to a perfect medium rare. The lusty steak had a fantastic Bordelaise sauce that put a nice finishing touch to an already exceptional plate of food. The potatoes that came with it were not to be slighted and were anything but an after thought. I’m not sure how much cream they put in, but those were some damn fine taters! I opted for the chicken, locally raised nearby in Templeton. The half-chicken was tender, juicy and had a great smokey zing from the ham hock gravy. Curiously, the advertised Hen of the Woods mushrooms snuck off the plate, which is a shame because I think that would have added an extra layer of flavor that would have been great. A tasty meal all the same- I suppose I’m just getting picky!

Artisan serves up smart, well executed menu items inspired by first-rate local ingredients, a theme that repeated itself during our visit in PR. It was cool to see a town embrace the “Farm to Table” philosophy in such an exuberant and exciting way. I only wish there were a few more affordable options. But alas, we were saving our dinero for more vino, some souvenirs, and, oh yeah- bills. It just means a return trip is in order. Besides, there were a number of good wineries that we just couldn’t fit in over the course of the 4 days, and that in itself, warrants another visit. On that note, my next post will highlight the wine roads of Paso Robles, and trust me, there are many roads and most of them lead to exciting, delicious wine.