Birthday Eats

I recently realized that in the whirlwind surrounding my recent birthday, I forgot to tell you what (are where) I ate during my birthday week. It's been a while since I posted about restaurants here in San Luis Obispo, so I'm going to take this opportunity to introduce you to a couple of Central Coast gems. First up was the meal Stuart treated my to the weekend prior to my birthday, at Ember in the nearby town of Arroyo Grande. Next up was a wonderful champagne-filled evening courtesy of my mother in law, Karen, who drove all the way up to eat with us at Giuseppe's Cucina Italiana in nearby Pismo Beach. Both meals were fabulous, and while the interiors of both restaurants are dark I did try to capture a few standout dishes in the photos below.

Where: Ember
Location: Arroyo Grande
Known For: wood-fired everything, from pizzas to meats, overseen by head chef Brian Collins

Shaved zucchini salad with toasted hazelnuts and Parmesan - simple but delicious

The crispy pork belly with Brussels sprouts appetizer

Wild Boar Chorizo and Tomatillo pizza - out of the ordinary toppings, wood-fired to perfection

Where: Giuseppe's Cucina Italiana
Location: Pismo Beach
Known For:the best Italian food in the central coast

Giuseppe's signature starter salad, full of fresh avocado, carrot, tomato, and garbanzo beans

 

The pan roasted petrale sole entree special with butternut squash risotto and shaved zucchini - this was hands down the best entree I've had at this restaurant. Amazing. 

 

Where: The Chiapella/Wendel Family Kitchen
Location: Gardnerville, NV
Known For: homemade cakes that don't look pretty, but taste delicious! Below is a German chocolate cake that my mom and I made when I visited home the weekend following my birthday. Of course, the main meal was also equally scrumptious. Thanks, mom and dad!

 

And a big thank you to Stuart for my birthday gift, the cookbook pictured above. I can't wait to bring a little bit of Paris to our home kitchen!