For those of you who never take the time to venture over the Grade, you’re missing a lot of the county’s ever-improving restaurant scene.
In Ticket this week, we spotlighted Thomas Hill Organics Market Bistro and Wine Bar, one of the latest culinary additions to Paso Robles, which has quietly become the best food city in the area.
With a cozy location near the City Park and a menu that features all sorts of home-grown ingredients from the owners’ farm, the restaurant appears poised to seize a good portion of the growing market niche devoted to fresh, local and innovative food.
I haven’t made it up there yet, but it’s on my list.
Two spots I did visit in the last few weeks were the Guest House Grill in Atascadero and the ever-popular McPhee’s in Templeton.
I’m not going to get into full-on reviews of these places here, but I’ll just say each offers at least one dish that is the best of its kind in the county.
The Guest House Grill is a standout eatery in city more notable for its culinary void. And though it suffers from the same shortcomings just about every other Atascadero restaurant faces — location, location, location … as in a not great one — they still manage to serve up some high-quality fare from their corner spot in the Spencer’s shopping center.
What does Guest House Grill do best? Burgers, hands down, and in particular, the Cajun Burger, which is a hefty, juicy delight of a meal.
What’s on it? Melted bleu cheese, grilled onions, lettuce, tomato and garlic aioli served on a fresh ciabatta roll.
For me, this meets three of the must-haves I would always include for a burger: the bleu cheese, the aioli and the ciabatta.
Plus, it comes with your choice of a wide range of potato-oriented sides, from sweet potato fries to garlic mashed potatoes to sweet potato and yam medallions.
To top it off, a salad is included. Yum.
You can’t go wrong with the meal at a friendly, casual restaurant like this one. And it’s open seven days a week! Imagine that.
Now to McPhee’s. Yes, there’s lots to love about this landmark eatery in Templeton.
Shoot, would there even be a downtown Templeton without McPhee’s and nearby A.J. Spurs? Certainly not one that anybody would think of visiting from 5 to 10 on a Thursday night, yet Main Street is regularly lined with parked cars from diners eating at one of these two spots.
I could go on all day about the many great entrees, from the filet mignon with Italian verde salsa to the thick cut of swordfish that’s as close to steak as anything you’d get from a steer.
But whatever main dish we choose on a particular night, we always finish with the same dessert, the warm caramel/homemade hot fudge sundae with toasted macadamia nuts.
This is actually a combo of two separate sundaes, but if you ask, they’ll give you both toppings.
What’s so great about a sundae, you ask?
When it’s simple and perfect and consists of the highest-quality ingredients, it’s one of those desserts that’s classically sublime with no extra adornment necessary.
Plus, they give you the toppings in miniature stainless steel pitchers so you can dole out the goodness at your own pace and add more whenever a bite comes up short of just the right ice cream-to-fudge/caramel proportion.
This is a dessert that’s meant to share, and the three scoops of vanilla are more than enough to satisfy even two appetites.
If your tastes also bend toward great burgers and divine ice cream desserts, try one of these two spots for your next meal out.
Do you agree or not? If not, who’s got a better burger or ice cream sundae in SLO County?
