On Becoming a "Local" and not merely another "Just-Arrived"

One thing you can count on when living on the Central Coast is that people will come visiting. Friends, family and even some who aren’t exactly either love spending a weekend here. Now that you live here you’ve provided them with the excuse to visit more often. Get used to it. The day you received the keys to your new home you suddenly became more popular among those who live elsewhere.

Of course part of your responsibilities hosting these visitors is to acquainting them with much of what the region has to offer and a big part of that involves food and wine. Eating and drinking well is important to locals and visitors alike, but locals sometimes ferret out the great places not necessarily on the beaten paths trod by the tourists. Good eats and good sips will be a recurring theme here, no doubt.

You will discover that many dining establishments don’t accept dinner reservations during certain days of the week or times of the year. However, some such places sometimes bend the rules for locals. Whenever you call or visit a restaurant seeking a dinner reservation make certain they know upfront that you are a local. You might be surprised how a line like, “I live in Pismo and have some out-of-town guests coming. Would it be possible to get a dinner reservation for Saturday?” might work for you.

Cheryl from Arroyo Grande has a couple of suggestions for places you might want to give a try with or without guests. Hoppe’s Bistro and Wine Bar in Cayucos (arguably my personal favorite) is definitely among the higher-priced restaurants in the region. But an incredible and diverse menu that changes daily, a vast selection for the serious cheese and/or wine lover and desserts that simply can’t be turned down definitely make it a worthwhile splurge once in a while. For a great value Cheryl recommends Hoppe’s Sunday brunch. “At only $25 per person, sitting in the garden and wasting an entire Sunday is a must.”

Cheryl, clearly a wine and cheese aficionado, also recommends the Monterey Street Wine Company in San Luis Obispo. “The triple crème at Monterey Street is the best cheese on the planet. Sit at the wine bar, enjoy a wine flight and just relax” she writes.

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