Central Coast Archives - Ferronlandia

I’m driving from the Bay to LA a lot these days— and I don’t have AC, so summertime means I’m taking the 101. It’s a longer ride, but cooler and exponentially more beautiful than the I-5 (I mean, a pile of garbage is more interesting than the 5). There are also way more options for food stops.

Here are two places I went to recently on my way home from LA. Got any you’d like to share? Please comment below, hungry drivers should stick together (otherwise we’ll be hangry drivers, and that’s dangerous). I’ll be updating this list every few months.

Santa Barbara County
Industrial Eats, Buellton

Casual, farm-to-table, order at the counter kind of place. At the front there were quick-grab baskets of pig ears and honey sticks, which I took for a good sign. Appropriately named, this place is tucked in a surprising area: you can spot it amongst the warehouses by the cartoonish illustrations of vegetables and meats on the outside walls. Inside, nicknacks cover the wall and two wood burning ovens illuminate the back. The pizza was tempting but we opted for roasted peaches with prosciutto and burrata, lipstick peppers with bottarga, and oysters with uni and avocado. Good selection of local beer and wine. Prices range from $9-$15 and portions are generous. Open Monday-Sunday 10 am- 9 pm.
Directions here.

Bell Street Farm, Los Alamos

I used to not want heavy food while on road trips, but then I had the porchetta sandwich at Bell Street Farm. It was on par with my best umbria porchetta finds, and came on ciabatta with an apple and jicama slaw, and a few pickled veggies on the side. I’ve noticed that the central and southern california wine countries have mastered that casual daytime farm-to-table with a glass of wine vibe, which I’m all for. The menu has sandwiches, salads, charcuterie plates, a deli case and rotisserie chickens. The back patio is straight out of a Pinterest barn party board with red picnic tables, string lights and lots of tin. I could have ordered a glass of rosé and chilled for longer. Los Alamos is just off the 101 and while it’s only a few blocks long, the old western charm is complete with a weathered saloon and antique stores. Sandwiches range $12-$15. Open 11 am-4 pm Thu, 11 am-5 pm Fri-Sun, 11 am-4 pm Mon. Closed Tues & Wed. Directions here.

Panino, Los Olivos

There’s nothing too unique about this local sandwich chain, but it’s good and Los Olivos is so damn cute you want a reason to make it a pit stop. Tons of salad and sandwich options here and the portions are generous. I had the number 16 sandwich with salami, roasted red peppers, goat cheese, olive spread, fresh basil, greens & red onion on a baguette. There’s seating outside next to the Los Olivos general store, which is worth a gander for locally made products. Of course, as I was leaving town (and after I had eaten my lunch) a taco truck had shown up right near the 101 entrance, so keep an eye out for that. Sandwiches ranges $11-$12. Open 10am – 4pm, Mon – Sun. Directions here.

San Luis Obispo County
Foremost Wine Company, San Luis Obispo

I thought I couldn’t get more bougie than having oysters as a road snack, but then I ordered a cheese plate and pâté. They have a burrata bar here, but we went for the board of mimollette, saint angel and comté, sprinkled with jams, nuts, and seasonal fruit. Owned by farmer and winemaker, Rob Murray, the place has a stellar wine list. We just missed happy hour (4-6:30pm daily), with $5 glasses of wine and cheaper bites. The place is chic and dark, but still comfortable. Prices range from $12 to $36. Open for dinner Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 5-9 PM, Friday and Saturday 5-10 PM and Sunday brunch 10-2. Closed Mondays.
Directions here.

1. Romo’s Market (728 Guadalupe St)
Couples express their love and appreciation for each other in many ways. For us, “baby, I think you just introduced me to one of the best burritos of my life” is one of the highest compliments my boyfriend could get. It came from a market next to a gas station in a 7,000-person town called Guadalupe. Head to the back of Romo’s Market and you’ll find a foggy glass case over several kinds of guisados (meat stews) including chile verde and pollo rojo, and your standard grilled meats. I ordered a carnitas taco and received a styrofoam container of carnitas, about three times the amount of a regular taco, with a tortilla on the side. $2. My boyfriend ordered a burrito with pollo rojo. The way that tasty sauce soaked into the rest of the burrito was like toasted buttery bread and jam, warm latkes and apple sauce, melted cheese over a plate of refried beans— oh crap, can I use something with beans to describe how much I loved something else with beans? Fuck it, I just did. $3.

2. Crazy Sushi Fever
A sushi restaurant with the word “fever” in the name didn’t inspire too much confidence as we pulled into the strip mall. But my doubts evaporated into thin air once we tried our first roll of the night— a heaping pile of translucent, orange salmon roe topped with a bright yellow quail egg. It was briny, creamy and delicious. I’m not sure why they need to go overboard on the fried rolls and “tapas” (and overboard on names, like “Who’s Your Daddy?” and “Call 911”), because the nigiri here was top quality, the wasabi root was the real deal, and they had several good beers on tap. Truth be told though, when we received the “When Omega 3 Met Asparagus”, a salad with deep fried salmon skin and asparagus pieces, I stopped perusing the menu for more ridiculous names, because I couldn’t stop eating.

3. Red Moose Cookies
The owner told us that he removes directional signage to this place when they’re at capacity, so don’t expect to arrive here easily. Locals, however, like the older woman that swiped the last six packages of molasses cookies under our noses, have no problem finding the place. This tiny cookie factory in what looks like a storage facility is just outside of Cambria’s town center and churns out cookies of so many tempting flavors we weren’t sure what to choose from. Cookies come in packages of four ($6 each) and there are no samples, so keep in mind that these are like christmas shortbread cookies or grandma’s snickerdoodles— straight up sugar and butter with an old school secret ingredient that’s even more sugary, like reese’s pieces or almond joy. We went for the root beer float, a flat, chewy cookie with sasparilla and root beer reduction that we devoured on our way home.

4. Taqueria Guerrero

All tacos here are $1 to $1.50 and most of them are pretty good. This is a family restaurant with much more than tacos, but we made our stop here for the al pastor. Think cinnamon-laced skin, pineapple juices, and crispy bites covered in a roasted red salsa (my favorite from the plentiful salsa bar).

5. Ruddell’s SmokeHouse

Any town in which you can accidentally leave your credit card in a liquor store, call after you’re two hours away with the hope that it’s in safe hands, only to be told that they will send it tomorrow—no charge, no pre-paid envelope, no nothing but an old fashioned favor—is a town worth promoting. So if you’re in the Central Coast area, head to Cayucos, buy a beer from the good samaritans at the liquor store (there’s only one) and drop by Ruddell’s SmokeHouse. A bit overpriced, yes, but where else can you find a celery-apple slaw on a sandwich with perfectly smoked albacore and salmon. This tiny shack across from the beach has just a few tables outside, and it looks like it belongs in Santa Cruz— flannel, guitars, and reggae abound. We thought we’d be adventurous and try the smoked oysters despite the fact that they looked more unappealing than oysters normally do. Let’s just say I was glad to have a beer in a brown bag to wash it down.

Got the travel bug?
Romo’s Market 728 Guadalupe St, Guadalupe
Crazy Sushi Fever
Red Moose Cookies- 2531 Village Ln, Ste C & D Cambria, CA 93428
Taqueria Guerrero- 123 West Main Street Santa Maria, CA 93458
Ruddell’s SmokeHouse

Category Archives: Central Coast

Good Food on the 101: Road Trip Stops from the Bay to LA

Five Eating Destinations Along the California Central Coast