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The cuisine in Ventura and Santa Barbara is every bit as eclectic as it is in California's bigger cities; fresh seafood is a standout. A foodie renaissance has overtaken the entire region from Ventura to Paso Robles, spawning dozens of restaurants touting locavore cuisine made with fresh organic produce and meats. Dining attire on the Central Coast is generally casual, though slightly dressy casual wear is the custom at pricier restaurants.
A local favorite for anniversaries and other celebrations, Zack's serves classic European dishes in an intimate, two-room 1930s cottage adorned with local art. Entrées of note include seafood specials (depending on the local catch), slow-roasted boar shank, and filet mignon, the latter typically crusted in peppercorns or topped with porcini mushrooms.
The candle-lighted, creaky-floor restaurant in the main house at the historic inn of the same name is a Big Sur institution. It serves spicy seafood paella, grass-fed filet mignon, and rack of lamb for dinner and flavorful eggs Benedict for breakfast.
A barn-style restaurant with high ceilings and an open kitchen, Ember enjoys a red-hot reputation for Italian-inflected dishes prepared in an authentic Tuscan fireplace or a wood-burning oven. Chef-owner Brian Collins, a native of Arroyo Grande, the town bordering Pismo Beach, honed his culinary skills at Berkeley's legendary Chez Panisse Restaurant.
Savor the chef's carefully curated tasting menu with five different groups of eclectic California-French dishes paired with local wines at this elegant farm-to-table restaurant inside the Mirabelle Inn. The seasonal menu changes constantly, but regular dishes include smoked sweet-and-spicy duck wings, truffle-roasted cauliflower, local spot prawns, short rib bourguignonne, and pears poached in red wine from the sommelier-owner's organic Coceliquot Estate Vineyard.
Housed in a renovated 1886 building, erected during the stagecoach era, Mattei's encompasses several sophisticated, light-filled dining rooms with leather seats and benches, exposed brick walls, and high ceilings with wooden beams. The seasonal menu features California ranch–inspired dishes, many of which are cooked over a wood fire in the open kitchen and all of which use local and regional ingredients. You might start with Central Coast abalone and greens from local farms, then feast on squid ink rice with grilled octopus or pork belly and clams, and finish with a dark chocolate soufflé.
The coastal views are utterly spectacular from Nepenthe, named for an opiate mentioned in Greek literature that would induce a state of "no sorrow." For the best vistas, settle on the terraced deck in the late afternoon, order a glass from the extensive wine list, and watch the sun slip into the Pacific Ocean.
At cliff's edge 1,200 feet above the Pacific at the ultrachic Post Ranch Inn, Sierra Mar serves cutting-edge American cuisine made from mostly organic, seasonal ingredients, some from the on-site chef's garden. The four-course prix-fixe option always shines.
Tucked in a tiny space in the heart of Tin City, this Michelin-starred restaurant offers an intimate gastronomical experience nonpareil in SLO County—12 guests sit at a wooden counter that wraps around an open kitchen and dine on small plates, followed by a seasonal 12-course chef’s tasting menu (two seatings per night).
Shared dining—small plates and larger—and a seasonal menu showcasing local ingredients are the focus at this urban-chic restaurant named for an overnight all-Pullman train that chugged into the nearby railroad station for six decades. Sit at the 24-seat communal table set atop vintage radiators or at tables and booths crafted from antique Spanish church pews and other repurposed or recycled materials.
The elegant Stonehouse—consistently lauded as one of the nation's top restaurants—is inside a century-old granite former farmhouse at the San Ysidro Ranch resort. The menu changes constantly but might include pan-seared abalone or classic steak Diane flambéed table-side, and the Plow & Angel pub downstairs serves casual bistro fare.
The Alila Ventana Big Sur's restaurant sits high on a ridge, and magnificent terraces offer stunning ocean views and a full-service outdoor bar. Regional and international wines on a comprehensive list pair well with the California-inspired dishes, many of whose ingredients are sourced from local purveyors, and the bar serves seasonal specialty cocktails and California craft beers.
The Central Coast's abundance of organic and sustainably sourced bounty—veggies, seafood, meats, and breads—are creatively woven into innovative dishes at this brick-walled downtown favorite. The wine list celebrates local wines; with many by the half-glass, you can sample a good cross-section.
The fresh bounty of the Central Coast takes center stage at this hyperlocal eatery in a Victorian-era home in Cambria’s Old Village. Soups, salads, burgers, sandwiches, and small plates to share predominate here, but you can also order large comfort-food meals (roast chicken, eggplant cassoulet, Wagyu rib eye) for two persons.
Feast on ocean views and farm-fresh food at this casual café on a terrace atop three redwood water tanks and an art gallery. Lunch options include pizzas, vegan bowls, salads, mix-and-match dips, breads, and snacks—all made from organic, locally and ethnically sourced ingredients. The shop here is a good place to pick up picnic provisions.
Chef-owner Joy Reinhart opened this locals-favorite restaurant to honor her deceased mom, Ellie, a colorful, full-of-life character who enjoyed life to the max. The intimate, clublike dining room and deck invite socialization, and the seasonal, farm-to-fork menu is filled with Ellie’s favorites, including liver pâté, crab cake atop creamy, sweet-potato-bacon-spinach hash, and slow-cooked beef short ribs.
An organic farmer and his chef-wife run this funky café/bakery/market in Meiners Oaks, just a few miles west of downtown Ojai. Order a wood-fired pizza, bento box, sandwich, or a daily special, and then grab a table indoors or out on the patio.
Take a break from waterfront and State Street explorations at Jeannine's, revered locally for its wholesome sandwiches, salads, and baked goods, made from scratch with organic and natural ingredients. Dine in the expansive dining room or on the patio, or pick up a turkey cranberry or chicken pesto sandwich to go and picnic on the beach or nearby Chase Palm Park. Jeannine's also has outlets in Montecito, Uptown, and Goleta.
Award-winning local chef Jeff Wiesinger and his wife Kathleen opened this casual eatery, tucked in a hidden courtyard a block from downtown City Park. Feast indoors or out on made-to-order sandwiches, hearty mac-and-cheese bowls, house-made potato chips, fresh salads, craft beer, and local wines while listening to throwback soundtracks from the ’60s and ’70s.
Homemade soups, potpies, and other farmhouse comfort foods share the menu at this spacious East Village restaurant with fancier farm-to-table dishes such as organic, free-range chicken topped with raspberry-orange-cranberry sauce. Also on-site are a bakery, a café serving more casual fare (take-out available), and a gift shop that sells gourmet foods.
Just south of Paso Robles in tiny Templeton, this casual chophouse in an 1860s wood-frame storefront serves sophisticated, contemporary versions of traditional Western fare such as oak-grilled filet mignon and fresh seafood tostadas. The house-label wines, made especially for the restaurant, are quite good.
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