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RESTAURANTS
Big Sky Cafe / 1.5*
1121 BROAD ST, SAN LUIS OBISPO; 805/545-5401
Anyone who's familiar with L.A.'s Farmers' Market knows funky Kokomo
Cafe and its cousin, the Gumbo Pot, and will recognize some signature
recipes on the menu of this eclectic, imaginative restaurant opened by
a former Kokomo chef. At breakfast they serve the same red flannel turkey
hash and a beet-fortified ragout topped with basil Parmesan glazed eggs,
and the Cajun-Creole influence spices up the menu ,_ at almost every turn.
In fact, Big Sky might be the only place on the Central Coast to find
decent jambalaya, gumbo, or authentically airy beignets. The menu is self-classified
"modern food," a category that here
means a dizzying international selection including Caribbean shrimp tacos
with chipotle-lime yogurt. Thai curry pasta tossed with sauteed tiger
shrimp, Moroccan pasta with spicy tomato cumin-peanut sauce and Mediterranean
broiled chicken infused with garlic, rosemary, and olive oil. The setting
is comfy casual; creative paint treatments and weathered furniture create
a vaguely Southwestern ambience accented by local art and a blue, star-studded
ceiling. Big plush booths and small wooden tables coexist happily and
complement the long counter/bar. Big Sky is well known and well liked,
as evidenced by the benches thought fully placed outside for customers
who encounter a wait. $; AE, MC, V; local checks OK; breakfast, lunch,
dinner every day; beer and wine; reservations not accepted; between Higuera
and Marsh Sts.
Buona Tavola / 2.5*
1037 MONTEREY ST, SAN LUIS OBISPO; 805/545-8000
Situated next to the Art Deco masterpiece Fremont Theater, this upscale
dining room and its charming outdoor patio offer well-prepared Northern
Italian cuisine in a setting that's fancy enough for special occasions
but welcoming enough for the casually dressed. Checkerboard floors and
original artwork adorn the warm, intimate interior, while lush magnolias,
ficuses, and grapevines lend a garden atmosphere to terrace seating out
back. Begin by choosing one of the traditional cold salads on the antipasti
list, then proceed to a main course menu that highlights delicious homemade
pastas. Favorites include agnolotti di scampi allo zafferano, half-moon
purses pinched around a scampi filling then smothered in saffron-cream
sauce, and spaghettini scoglio d'oro, a rich pasta dish overflowing with
lobster, sea scallops, clams, mussels, shrimp, diced tomatoes, and saffron
sauce. The balance of the menu can be equally tongue- twisting, filled
with rich, intense sauces and satisfying meat dishes. The wine list is
a winner, with traditional Italian offerings complemented by stellar choices
from the surrounding wine region. $$; AE, DIS, MC, V; local checks only;
lunch Mon-Fri, dinner every day; beer and wine; reservations recommended;
between Osos and Santa Rosa Sts.
SLO Brewing Company
1119 GARDEN ST, SAN LUIS OBISPO; 805/543-1843
Hang out with the area's collegiate population at this local-brewpub-
makes-good success story. Their homemade beers—Pale Ale, Amber Ale,
and Porter—have created such a buzz (no pun intended) that they're
now nationally distributed. Located downtown in an historic 100-year-old
brick commercial building, the Company offers a bar (all beer, all the
time) downstairs and a cavernous dining room upstairs. Illuminated by
industrial skylights and filled with hardy wooden tables and chairs, the
restaurant is comfortable, although it can get loud. The menu—burgers,
deep-fried appetizers, and other pub basics—is far from gourmet,
but
quite satisfying with a tall, cold one. All in all, this is a great place
to meet friends, celebrate a sports victory, or grab a pre-movie bargain
bite. $; AE, DIS, MC, V; local checks only; lunch, dinner every day; beer
and wine; reservations not accepted; www.slobrew.com; between Higuera
and Marsh Sts. |