The Complete Package : Downtown Paso Robles

Explore libations, food, shopping, and adventure — all within just a few blocks

Photos and story by Katherine McMahon

Paso Robles is known as wine country — a place for getaways spent driving through oak groves and rolling hills to visit vineyards. But the heart of Paso, the Downtown area, has an incredible life of its own with enough dining, wine tasting, shopping, and places to stay to make an amazing vacation in itself — all without venturing more than a few blocks.

When Paso Robles was founded in 1889, two blocks in the center of town were set aside as a public park. The 5-acre City Park features massive oak trees, a gazebo, and a playground, as well as lawn areas and picnic tables. The park is used for events like the wine festival, holiday tree lighting, and farmers’ market. What was once the historic Carnegie Library, in the center of the park, is now known as the Paso Robles Historic Society and Museum. Downtown has grown up around the park, and within a few blocks in any direction is everything for a complete Paso Robles experience.

Start your day in downtown Paso with breakfast at AMSTRDM Coffee House or at the aptly named Brunch. AMSTRDM makes great breakfast sandwiches and excellent cappuccinos. Brunch is known for its breakfast pizzas. Red Scooter Deli , just opposite the southeast corner of the park, is also an ideal place for something to get your day going. They feature an extensive list of wraps and sandwiches as well as soups, salads, and smoothies.

In Downtown Paso, you can have the experience of wine country without having to get in your car. Without the vineyard setting as a backdrop, these tasting rooms let their personality take front and center. Many of them are small boutique wineries where you may be served by the owner and winemaker and get to engage in a discussion of wine, food, music, life, and all things Paso. There are almost 30 tasting rooms within downtown! Here are just a few that I have visited.

At LXV , Neeta Mittal brings an understanding of the spices from her native India to create a tasting experience that pairs exotic flavor blends with her wine, named by USA Today as one of the top 10 tasting experiences in America.

Copia Vineyards is a reflection of the partnership between Varinder and Anita Sahi. They bring their love for wine — and each other — together with their backgrounds in engineering and hospitality. The result is an attention to high quality and detail. The tasting room perfectly complements their wine through the elegance of the furnishings and the sophisticated selection of artisanal cheeses.

Jason Bushong of Bushong Vintage Company grew up in Southern California collecting vinyl records and has worked for 23 harvests in Paso. His tasting room vibe is like a retro lounge with a wall of vinyl and artwork that forms a link between his high-quality wine and his favorite record albums.

Ray Schofield of Cloak & Dagger is more guarded about his past, which fits with the mood of his sleek tasting room and luxurious wines. The varietals in the red blend Cryptology are a secret that he challenges you to guess when tasting. Is that Cab or

ENJOY A 2-FOR-1 TASTING FLIGHT!

Cypher Wines Paired with Seasonally Inspired Culinary Creations.

Open Thursday through Monday 1-6 pm

Located at the Paso Robles Historic Train Depot 740 Pine St. | Downtown Paso Robles | 805.237.0055 sheep’s milk ice cream. Or explore , a collection of art studios and galleries that also offers art classes, across from the east end of the park.

As the day ends, Downtown Paso has impressive dining options in a small area. Within a short walk of the park is an incredible range of cuisines – Italian, French, Mediterranean, Thai, Mexican, Japanese, Steakhouse, barbecue, farm-to-table organic, and more. My favorites are in the blocks between the park and 13th Street.

Side-by-side on 13th Street are The Hatch and Della’s . They are owned by Maggie Cameron and Eric Connolly. Most nights, Eric patrons one or the other. They opened The Hatch first as a rotisserie and bar famous for its black pepper honey roasted chicken and hot skillet cornbread. Della’s was opened in 2021 and focuses on wood fired pizza. The pizzas have fun names and flavor profiles like “Girl Crush,” topped with pepperoni, jalapeño, and hot honey, or “Smoke Show,” topped with short rib, pickled pineapple, and roasted jalapeño.

Across the street is Fish Gaucho , serving modern Mexican cuisine including an extensive margarita list. The nachos are amazing and like a meal in themselves, layered with beef, cheese, avocado, and pickled onions. The tacos, ceviche, and house- made guacamole made with Morro Bay avocados are all so good.

Down an alley in the middle of the block towards the park is Jeffry’s Wine Country BBQ . Jeff Wiesinger spent years working at winery kitchens and owned a food truck until the opportunity arose to establish his own restaurant in Downtown Paso. He has an array of smokers to make his own style of barbecue with a wine country twist. He’s won awards for his mac and cheese, but what really blew me away was the paella that eclipsed any paella I’d ever had before.

Close to the park is Alchemists’ Garden , which focuses on innovative botanical cocktails and globally influenced food. The menu includes the most amazing non-alcoholic cocktails I have ever seen. The menu also contains exciting small plates — beet pickled deviled eggs, cast iron fondue, corn ribs, and the single best desert ever: a brûléed banana split.

After the sun goes down, Downtown Paso remains alive. Done with wine? There is a thriving beer and cocktail scene in Paso. The Backyard on Thirteenth is an outdoor beer garden made from repurposed shipping containers and featuring live music on Friday nights. The CANE TiKi Room provides a fun, lighthearted experience of tiki-style cocktails in whimsical mugs. The Remedy , located in the Alchemists’ Garden, is a more serious speakeasy-style lounge where cocktails are an art form.

When staying over in Paso, I have enjoyed several of the hotels downtown. Hotel Cheval was named a top hotel in California. It’s conveniently located next to just about everything — it’s just a block away from the park. But it truly sets itself apart with its interior courtyard and private patios, which are an intimate refuge. And in the evening one of the staff acts as a S’mores Butler, making decadent, custom s’mores at the oak fireplace in the courtyard. A block away from the other side of the park is Piccolo , a contemporary hotel with a hip rooftop bar and a self-serve Moet champagne vending machine. Behind the Piccolo, facing toward the park, is the Paso Robles Inn , which is almost as old as Paso itself and has seen a lot of famous visitors in its history. It was renovated in 2014 and since the hotel was built on the site of mineral hot springs, it includes deluxe mineral spa rooms. Two blocks south, the Stables Inn is a charming collection of horse themed cabins that are unpretentious, yet stylish in every detail. A little further is the Farmhouse Motel . It is currently being renovated to reopen by mid-2023.

My favorite discovery on a recent visit to Paso was Libretto . This jazz club is in the basement under Fish Gaucho and features a nine-foot concert grand Steinway piano. This model is advertised by Steinway to be the overwhelming choice of the world’s greatest pianists, and it has drawn the talent from far and wide. Grammy award-winning pianists have traveled from all over to perform here. Libretto also showcases local talent. I saw the G2 Project, which features George Garcia — a San Luis Obispo architect who moonlights as a jazz pianist — along with Ken Hustad on bass and Darrell Voss on drums. They performed an incredible set of cool jazz classics, originals, and reinterpreted popular songs like “Roxanne” and “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”

Flowing through everything that I experienced was the Paso spirit. I was told several times that Downtown Paso Robles has evolved over the past decade to become a much more vibrant place. There is so much creativity, passion, and style. Creators compete to be the best, but they support each other with a sense of community. I found Downtown Paso an inspiring place to be.

Follow more of my adventures on Instagram at @vineyardsandvoyages.

Cinco de Mayo Menu

By Randy Graham

Cinco de Mayo is a national holiday in Mexico and is celebrated throughout our Southwest. Growing up in the 1960s, I used to think Cinco de Mayo was like our Fourth of July.

Cinco de Mayo, however, is a celebration of Mexico’s military victory over French colonialists in 1862. When Mexico declared a temporary moratorium on the repayment of foreign debts, troops from England, Spain, and France invaded. By April 1862, the English and Spanish had withdrawn. Still, with the support of wealthy Mexican landowners, the French remained in an attempt to establish a monarchy to curb U.S. power in North America. On May 5, 1862, a poorly equipped mestizo and Zapotec force under the command of Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza defeated French troops at the Battle of Puebla. Although the French withdrew from Mexico five years later, this battle symbolized Mexican resistance to foreign domination.

I am making this for my family in celebration of Cinco de Mayo. I think you will also enjoy making some (or all!) of these for your family.

Chorizo Stuffed Poblano Peppers Appetizers

Makes 10 servings

Ingredients:

5 Poblano peppers

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

½ white onion (chopped fine)

1 small jalapeño pepper (seeded and chopped fine)

2 chorizo sausages (chopped into ¼-inch pieces)

1¾ cups cooked brown basmati rice

1¼ cups canned black beans (rinsed and drained)

1 cup fresh corn off the cob (about one corn cob)

½ teaspoon California chili powder

1½ teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon Mexican oregano (not Mediterranean oregano)

Salt and pepper to taste

2½ cups Monterey Jack cheese (finely shredded)

3 green onions (sliced for garnish)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut peppers in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and ribs. Rinse and place on a baking sheet. Place the peppers in the center rack of an oven set on broil. Roast for 4 to 5 minutes on one side, turn over and roast for another 4 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. While the peppers are roasting, chop the chorizo into ¼-inch pieces. Measure out 1½ cups and set aside. My omnivore wife, Robin, likes this dish with either meat or vegetarian chorizo. I like Soyrizo, but if you are an omnivore like Robin, substitute your favorite meat chorizo.

Heat the oil in a large skillet on mediumhigh heat. Add in the onion and jalapeño and sauté for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add the sausage, then stir and sauté until the sausage is warmed, about 6 minutes more. Stir in rice, beans, and corn. Sprinkle in the seasonings (chili powder through salt and pepper) and stir well to combine. Remove from heat and set aside.

Place the cooked peppers on a baking sheet and mound the sausage mixture onto each pepper. Top liberally with shredded cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese begins to brown. To serve, sprinkle with green onions. You can also drizzle a creamy chipotle dressing over each one for extra taste. I enjoyed a vegetarian Tex-Mex dish at Café de la Paz in Berkeley in the gourmet ghetto neighborhood. I tried duplicating the dish from memory when I returned to Ojai. What I came up with was more of a Mexican lasagna than the “Tamal Azteca” on the menu at Café de la Paz. I call it Lasagna Azteca.

Lasagna Azteca

Make 6 to 8 servings

Lasagna Ingredients:

1 batch of Azteca Sauce (see below)

9 stale corn tortillas

12 ounces fresh baby spinach

16 ounce package of frozen corn (thawed)

12 ounces Oaxaca cheese (cut into 1-inch pieces)

¼ cup cilantro

(chopped – for garnish)

Assembly Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil two quarts of water. When water is boiling, add spinach and allow to cook for 90 seconds (no more). Immediately remove from heat and drain well. Set aside.

Lightly coat a deep baking dish (approximately 9”x9”x3”) with vegetable oil spray. Spread a thin layer of sauce over the bottom. Cover sauce with three tortillas. Spread spinach over the tortillas. Top with ¼ of the cheese and one cup of sauce.

Place three tortillas on top and press down gently. Spread the corn over the top and cover with one cup of sauce and ¼ of the cheese. Place three more tortillas on top and press down. Spread the remaining sauce on the tortillas. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the sauce. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 10 minutes. Sprinkle cilantro on top of the cheese before serving.

Azteca Sauce Ingredients:

1 small white onion, chopped (about a cup)

½ tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic (chopped)

28 ounces crushed tomatoes (do not drain)

1 cup hot water

1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon

Vegetable Base

½ teaspoon salt

1½ tablespoons red chili powder

¼ cup chopped cilantro

Azteca Sauce Directions: Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent (about 5 minutes). Add garlic and cook for another minute or two. Add crushed tomatoes, water, Better Than Bouillon, salt, and chili powder. Stir till well mixed. Simmer uncovered over low heat for approximately 15 to 20 minutes until the sauce thickens. Stir in cilantro, remove from heat, and let cool. When still warm (but not hot), put the sauce in a blender and puree.

This sauce stores well in the refrigerator for up to one week.

We can all agree that a good burrito is made with fresh ingredients. The right combination of ingredients distinguishes a good burrito from a great one. Here are my recommendations for what a great burrito must include at a minimum:

- Fresh flour tortillas. Handmade tortillas are preferable to store-bought ones.

- A variety of colors, textures, and fresh flavors. Mono-filling burritos are bland.

- Beans. I love rice but not in my burrito. Rice tends to make a burrito mushy and doesn’t add all that much flavor.

- Pico de gallo, made with farm-fresh ingredients. This provides texture and flavor.

- Creamy guacamole. This is an additional flavor layer.

- Tangy Monterey Jack cheese. ‘Nuff said.

- Grilling. This provides a crispy outside texture – but not too crispy. The burrito must still be chewy.

I like my burritos to be uncomplicated yet tasty, familiar yet unique. I’m not convinced that burritos should include a mound of fancy fried potatoes or French fries. Too trendy for me.

My use of local, farm-fresh tomatoes, onions, cilantro, chilies, garlic, avocados, kale, and limes makes them unique. Fresh cactus leaves with which to make nopalitos are available at many Certified Farmer’s Markets, or you can find them already processed and pickled at one of our local markets.

A Great (and tasty) Burrito

Makes 4 burritos

Ingredients:

5 medium and firm tomatoes (¼-inch dice)

1 medium white onion (peeled and diced)

¼ cup fresh cilantro (chopped fine)

2 jalapeño chilies (seeded and chopped fine)

1 medium clove garlic (peeled and minced)

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

4 ripe avocados (peeled and pits removed)

3 tablespoons red onion (chopped fine)

¼ cup fresh cilantro (chopped)

1 large clove garlic (peeled and minced)

1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons Mexican Crema

½ teaspoon salt

2 serrano chilies (retain seeds and chop fine)

½ cup pickled nopalitos (drained - Doña María is a good brand)

½ teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon lime juice

⅛ teaspoon cumin powder

Pinch of salt

3 large fresh kale leaves (ribs removed and leaves cut into ribbons)

2 cups cooked or canned black beans (rinsed and drained)

2 cups Sonoma Jack cheese (grated fine)

4 flour tortillas (12-inches in diameter)

Directions:

Combine the first seven ingredients (tomatoes thru salt and pepper) in a bowl, cover, and set aside. This is the Pico de Gallo.

Add the next nine ingredients (avocados thru nopalitos) to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl, cover, and set aside. This is the guacamole.

Combine the next five ingredients (olive oil thru kale) in a large bowl and toss to mix well. Set aside. This provides color, flavor, and crunchiness.

Assembly and not five? Five would have been fantastic because the title could have been “Cinco Salsas for Cinco de Mayo,” which sounds much better. I wish I had a better answer, but the truth is that I only have three different salsa recipes in my culinary bag of tricks. These salsas are so good, however, that three are good enough. Give them a try and let me know what you think.

Gently heat one of the tortillas on a grill over medium heat for about a minute. Place the tortilla on a clean work surface and add a base of beans down the middle of the tortilla (about ½ cup of beans per burrito). Layer two heaping tablespoons of Pico de Gallo on top of the beans. Layer two to three tablespoons of guacamole on top of the Pico de Gallo. Layer ¼ of the kale mixture on top of that. Finish with ½ cup grated cheese.

Once you have all the fillings in place, pull the bottom half of the tortilla over to meet the top half. Then, pull the tortilla back. This will form the filling into a nice roll. Fold both ends of the tortilla over and tightly roll your burrito. Set the completed burrito aside (with the seam side down) and repeat this process three more times.

Place the burritos on a grill preheated to medium-high heat. Grill each burrito for 1 minute on one side, then turn it over and grill for another 30 to 45 seconds on the other. Put the leftover Pico de Gallo and guacamole in dishes and serve as sides to the burritos.

Tres Salsas for Cinco de Mayo

Grilled Peach and Avocado Salsa

Ingredients:

2 ripe Haas avocados

2 ripe peaches

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (divided)

¼ cup shallots (chopped fine)

2 garlic cloves (minced)

2 jalapeños (seeds removed and sliced thin)

¼ teaspoon salt

Ingredients:

Tres Salsas translates as “three salsas” in English. Cinco de Mayo translates as “Fifth of May.” So, what is this title trying to say? It’s my clumsy way of saying I’m offering three different salsa recipes to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Why do I offer only three different salsas

Preheat your grill on medium-high heat (400 to 450 degrees) for 10-15 minutes. While the grill is heating, slice the avocados and peaches in half lengthwise and remove the pits. Brush a mixture of one tablespoon of olive oil plus one tablespoon of lime juice on the flat sides of each half. Make sure they’re coated generously to avoid sticking to the grill.

Once the grill is hot, add the avocado and peach halves, cut side down, and close the lid. Grill for 4 minutes. Use grill tongs to carefully remove the peach and avocado halves to a plate. While the peaches are still hot, they can be easily peeled. Allow them to cool before dicing. Use a large spoon to scoop the avocado flesh away from the peel.

Combine the remaining lime juice, shallots, garlic, and jalapeños in a large bowl. Dice the avocados and peaches into small pieces and fold them into the salsa. Refrigerate for approximately 30 minutes before serving.

Mango Habanero Salsa

Ingredients:

2 fresh mangoes

¼ teaspoon fresh habanero chiles (seeded and diced fine)

3 tablespoons red bell pepper (chopped fine)

2 tablespoons white onion (diced fine)

1½ tablespoons fresh cilantro (chopped fine)

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

½ teaspoon salt

Directions:

Remove the skin and seed from mangoes. Puree enough fruit in a blender to provide ½ cup mango pulp, and cut enough mangos for another ½ cup diced mango.

Remove the seeds from the habanero and dice finely. Note: when removing seeds, use gloves if necessary and wash your hands thoroughly afterward. If you like hot salsa, use ½ teaspoon diced habanero chiles.

Place all ingredients in a bowl and stir to mix well. Cover and let sit for one hour to allow flavors to blend. If the salsa is too thick, add a small amount of water.

Salsa Fresca

Ingredients:

5 - 6 medium tomatoes (diced)

1 medium white onion (diced)

¼ cup fresh cilantro (chopped fine)

2 jalapeno chiles (seeded and chopped fine)

1 garlic clove (minced)

Juice of 1 lime

Salt (to taste)

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, stir, and enjoy.

Jalapeños in Escabeche

Escabeche is a Mediterranean cuisine, generally referring to a dish of poached or fried fish marinated in an acidic mixture before serving. In addition to Mediterranean countries, escabeche is common in Salvadoran, Panamanian, Peruvian, Philippine, Puerto Rican, Dominican, Guatemalan, and Mexican cuisine.

And although escabeche is generally identified with fish dishes, it also refers to the vegan marinade itself. In Mexico, sliced or whole jalapeños en escabeche are used as a garnish for various dishes.

Ingredients:

16 ounces jalapeño peppers

1/3 cup olive oil

2 - 3 medium white or yellow onions (thickly sliced)

3 medium carrots

(scrubbed and thickly sliced)

1 head garlic

(cloves separated and peeled)

4 cups apple cider vinegar

1 cup water

2 tablespoons Kosher salt or sea salt

2 bay leaves

½ teaspoon dried oregano

4 sprigs of fresh marjoram or ¼ teaspoon of dried

4 sprigs of fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon of dried

1 tablespoon sugar

Directions: lic.#01488460

Wash the chiles, leaving the stems intact. Cut a cross in the tip end of each chile so the vinegar can penetrate. Heat oil on medium heat in a large, deep skillet. Add the chiles, onions, carrots, and garlic. Cook for about 10 minutes, turning them over occasionally. Add the vinegar, water, salt, herbs, and sugar, and boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Make sure the chiles are entirely cooked through before canning.

Pack 4 pint-sized sterilized jars with the chiles and vegetables. Top with the vinegar and seal. Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Share with friends and family.