With summer comes summer vacation and in California, it is easy to hop into one’s car and motor up and down Highway 101.   Leaving Napa Valley and heading south, one does not have to travel very far to find outstanding cuisine and other wine regions.   Descending into San Luis Obispo County, the temperature warms and the golden hills are suddenly painted with lush, full vineyards.   The soil beneath these vines is known for its limestone.   Limestone coupled with heat means Mourvedre and other Rhone varietals are not far behind.    

Paso Robles is still a small rural California town that is best known for its farmers and vineyards.  Driving through the streets of downtown Paso Robles at the end of the day reminds you that there is no reason to rush and that some of the best things California has to offer are simply grown from the earth.   People in this small town are friendly and greet you readily with a smile and an unsolicited “hello”.   There is a natural warmth that transcends and you instantly want to find a patch of shade, put your feet up and stay for awhile.   Despite what some may perceive as slow small town culture, high quality cuisine and wine are not missing from this backdrop.

Located in downtown Paso Robles at the corner of 14^th Street and Park, is Chef Chris Kobayashi’s restaurant, Artisan.   With a culinary education that was completed at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, a well-earned certificate in Baking and Pastry at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley and culinary experience received from Asia de Cuba at Clift Hotel, Roy’s in San Francisco and Brix in Napa Valley, Chef Chris Kobayashi brings a combination of experience, sheer talent and artistry to Paso Robles’ culinary stage.

Whenever and wherever possible, Artisan supports local, sustainable and organic practices.   Given that San Luis Obispo County is renowned for its local organic produce, farms and grass-fed ranches, it is no secret why a chef of Kobayashi’s ability would elect to set up a kitchen in Paso Robles.   In fact, Chef Kobayashi has a local cheese maker create a cheese specially for him and it is aptly named, “Koby”.

On Monday night, my brother and I dropped into Artisan in Paso Robles and right out of the gate ordered the cheese plate.   Prior to arriving, my brother and I committed to two concepts:  (i) to order something that we had never tried before; and/or (ii) to order menu items which reflected a clear commitment to locally obtainable food or produce.  Studying the menu, we knew that our choices were going to be difficult, but only because nearly everything fit squarely within our criteria.   As you will see and follow vicariously below, clearly there are worse problems to have.

The cheese plate (which may be ordered either as a starting course or as a dessert) included four cheeses, three of which had local roots:   1) Koby; 2) la panza gold; 3) Templeton GAP; and 4) loma alta.

For a cheese plate to truly stand out, each sampling must be matched with an ingredient that helps to accentuate natural elements found in the cheese.  The Koby cheese for example has a natural nutty component and a subtle rich flavor that is enhanced with a bit of fig or date preserve.   The la panza gold seeks salt and yet when paired with olives, it meets its match.  The Templeton GAP is a delicious and creamy, yet becomes decadent with honey and almonds.   Finally the soft creamy flavors of the loma alta are enlivened by thinly sliced pieces of apple.

With two more starting courses on the way, main courses and ultimately dessert, one has to wonder what wine to pair.   Again, seeking local vintners, we were pleased to discover that we could order a flight of three wines.   After discussing what we were going to order, each of us settled on a red Rhone flight, which included a 2006 Anglim Grenache, a 2008 Calcareous Grenache/Mourvedre and a 2006 Ecluse “Lock Vineyard” Syrah.

Wine at our side, our next starter course arrived:  a dish involving meatballs, ricotta gnocchi, piave, and guanciale.

While Grenache is not known for its acidity, it does pair well with pork making it an excellent candidate to sip while nibbling on meatballs with guanciale.   Similarly the split peas in the dish are a creative and refreshing touch.

Next arrived a morel mushroom toast complete with a perfectly soft poached farm egg and crisped pancetta.

It is rare to visit a restaurant and find a wine that will inspire a love affair, but when Calcareous’ 2008 Grenache/Mourvedre is paired with Chef Kobayashi’s morel mushroom toast one’s palate wants to commit to this wine and food pairing immediately.   There is a rich smooth texture to the wine coupled with flavors of plum and ripe blackberries.   This in turn pairs beautifully with the earthiness of the morel mushrooms and the Grenache/Mourvedre wine expertly slices through the rich buttery nature of the poached farm egg and overall flavor of the morel mushroom toast.   If the concept is not enough on its own, it is the readily recognizably fresh flavors of the local ingredients used in this dish which makes it over-the-top.  

Ready to move to the main courses, my brother ordered the local farm raised rabbit with rabbit sausage, cavatelli and pioppini ragù.

Rabbit is something that fans often write with the request to ask me to prepare a weekly pairing, but frankly, I have not been bold enough in the kitchen on my own to take on such an endeavor.   Restaurants, however, are a perfect place to explore and learn about such dishes.   The local farm raised rabbit was so tender and almost melted in your mouth and as my brother savored each bite, he exclaimed, “Now I understand why Elmer Fudd was trying so hard to catch Bugs Bunny… he’s delicious.”

For myself, I ordered the hearst ranch grass fed beef flatiron with caramelized julienned shallots, cabernet butter and fries.

Knowing that I would finish with a local Syrah, I wanted beef to handle any potential tannins.   Seeing that a local grass-fed beef was on the menu, this was an opportunity that I could not pass up.   Grass-fed beef is far leaner than that which is found in commercial supermarkets and frankly tastes the way that beef should taste and much like it did when I was growing up.  While a Syrah may offer some tannins, this Syrah was silky smooth and made to mirror a French style of Syrah (which is my personal preference).   With its tannins in check, the cabernet butter is a wonderful complement to the wine with its cabernet notes.

Finishing a meal with beef and a tasting of Syrah, a palate cleanser is merited.   For those who followed my endeavors this spring at the Hall Cabernet Cookoff, you will recall that created a cabernet braised lavender beef, complete with a lavender chocolate truffle at the end.   Throughout my dinner at Artisan, I sat facing the chalkboard reflecting some of the nightly dessert offerings.   Seeing Medjool Date ice cream on the board and also a lavender ice cream, I knew my selection before I even commenced the meal.   Lavender, related to the mint family, is a natural palate cleanser.  

Remembering the Chef Chris Kobayashi also completed his pastry chef training at the Culinary Institute in Napa Valley, dessert is something special at Artisan.   He makes his own ice creams and my brother, somehow finding room went for the Peach Buckle with blueberry crisp and peach crème fraiche.

All in all, every item that we ordered consistently revealed an eloquent thoughtfulness conveyed collectively through each dish’s texture, flavor profile and compatibility with local regional wine pairing.  Food and wine are serious business when paired properly and when studying the menu at Artisan, it is evident that this theory is embraced here.  Yet while cuisine is taken seriously at Artisan, the experience is equally enhanced by the quality of the folks who are working here.   Each individual is friendly, kind and readily willing to answer any question or patiently wait while you study the menu.  Smiles abound from each individual working at this restaurant and the environment is inviting despite the high caliber of cuisine emerging from the kitchen.   

Also, having explored several menu items, it is easy to trust Chef Chris Kobayashi and if you find yourself at Artisan on a Monday night for the next month or so, let him take you on a “field trip” and allow him to show you his local culinary world with a pre-determined menu.   If I find myself motoring through Paso Robles, I certainly will.