NOVO

This is probably the best location in SLO for a beautiful brunch, lunch or dinner on a summer day. Novo supports seasonal produce and their prime location in the Central Coast region makes their menu rich with diversity and flavor.

I had brunch at Novo, in their outside patio, which is their best seating area. Their patio has views of the San Luis Creek and lush greenery that surrounds it. I ordered a Greyhound with fresh grapefruit juice, a suggestion by our waitress, it was perfectly bitter and sweet and of course fresh.

For brunch I had their grilled salmon salad with spring greens, perfectly roasted beets, vine-ripened tomatoes, crumbled bleu cheese, caramelized pecans with a raspberry vinaigrette. The pecans balance out the blue cheese and the raspberrry vinagrette brings the entire dish together. Their salmon is farmed, which in my opinion, is better than wild-caught salmon (because of the deplition of wild fish)

Next on the menu, Sirloin on ciabatta, perfectly cooked, soft, sliced thin with horseradish cheddar, red onion, lettuce and dijon aioli. It was served with a cup of tortilla soup and avocado.

I'll let the picture speak for itself...














So if you like a delicious, local meal served in a beautiful patio, Novo is your next stop.

Bon Appetit!

SLO weekend

I took a little vacation to a small town, a town with some delicious food, beautiful views, miles of fertile soil and plenty of beaches to choose from. So if you ever find yourself away from the Bay and decide to head south to San Luis Obispo, these are a few of their best spots.

Whether you are into breakfast, brunch or an early lunch Big Sky Cafe has a menu that will probably make you ask your waiter for a little more time, chef and owner Charles Myers is comitted to using local ingredients in every dish and his menu changes with the seasons.

I  had their Pesto Chicken Sausage Scramble tossed with roasted bell peppers and fresh spinach, the smoky chicken sausage brings all the flavors together. This scramble also includes seasonal fruit and one of their daily pastries ( I got the Ginger-Coffee Cake)

My friend ordered the Traditional New Mexican Pozole, and I must say this dish truly tasted like the real thing.This spicy hominy stew came with a poached egg on cornbread with queso fresco and seared pork...a perfect balance of cilantro and cumin and a delicious meaty taste without overpowering the egg and cornbread.

My other suggestion is the Kreuzberg Cafe. This Cafe's name is based on the Kreuzberg neighborhood in Berlin next to where the Berlin wall used to stand. Today, it’s the creative and cultural heart of the city; and this little coffee shop does a little of  the same with walls full of books you can pick up, read and buy...

One of their most unique products was the Honey-processed Coffee which is the most environmentally friendly way today to process cofeee. This means there is zero water used. Not a single drop is wasted for pulping, washing or fermenting! (Compare this to traditional traditional washed method wich uses around 2000 liters per bag of green beans )

Honey-processed coffee is very light and sweet, there is a small after-taste but it is not coffee-like, to me it was more like a tea-after taste, with an aroma more than a taste.

Kreuzberg also surprised me with their bottled 

drink selection, ranging from old-school cream sodas to  BOXED WATER! 

 I think I will leave you with these two spots for now....MORE TO COME!