When heading up the coast from Southern California, it’s good to have a destination. Cambria is a good one. Did you know it’s the Latin name for Wales?
I love the fantasy of place names in America. Cambria sits on the coast midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, so it’s a ways away but not too far. It’s a cozy size for exploring the coast along the Moonstone Boardwalk and the inland bluffs. It also happens to be a stone’s throw to the wine country of San Luis Obispo.
Beat the heat this weekend by hopping in the car and heading up the coast with a few stops along the way. I share where to eat on the journey with Madeleine Brand on Press Play.
If you want, you can wend your way inland to the wine tasting rooms flanking Paso Robles. But for pure chill, Cambria itself is enough. And if food is your focus, you’ve come to the right place.
One of our former colleagues, Evan George, has spent decades exploring the area. He is now the Communications Director for the Emmett Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at UCLA School of Law. I asked Evan for breakfast, lunch, and dinner recommendations, which he has generously supplied. He is quoted here:
On the way up, you can take a break to stretch your legs and maybe pick up a few things for the Airbnb at Los Olivos Grocery & Cafe, then move on to eat at Bob’s Well Bread in Los Alamos. Or do what KCRW colleague Kerin Smith does and stop at Priedite Barbecue, a pop-up at Bodega Los Alamos. Their brisket & burger are standouts.
And if you have an extra day and want to stop somewhere special on the way up, Jeremy Fox’s new place, Edna in the midst of the vineyards near San Luis Obispo, is opening any day now. Book a reservation and stay overnight in SLO, then continue on in the morning.
A friend of mine, Brigit Binns, who has written scads of cookbooks and a memoir, splits her time between Italy and Paso Robles. She says, “Pappy McGregor’s for lunch. It’s pubby, small town-y, right on the beautiful downtown square with its Carnegie Library. Or Etto Pasta Bar for dinner (or lunch), in “Tin City,” south of town a bit, a hip new-ish development where many of the younger winemakers’ tasting rooms are scattered about. Unique. They make their own top-quality dried pasta which is now for sale all over the place. Very nice little garden in back. Next door to a world-class Italian market so the ingredients are stellar.”
You’ve made it to Cambria and the first meal of the day.
BREAKFAST
Stop in Hidden Kitchen for savory and sweet blue corn waffles and superfood smoothies. They operate out of a cute alleyway in Cambria on weekends but also have a full-service restaurant in Cayucos that’s open seven days a week.
LUNCH
Boni’s Tacos for veggie or al pastor burritos — classic California-style rice and beans with cream, cotija, and salsa verde, pick your size, with pineapple tucked inside, Monday–Friday in a parking lot for the local bank on Main Street.
Or take a jaunt to…
Hearst Ranch Winery
It’s technically in San Simeon (and across the highway from Hearst Castle) — book a wine tasting & order lunch from their food vendor ahead of time — their picnic tables are oceanside, so you get to sip & eat whilst taking in breathtaking views
Or further south to…
High St. Deli makes fabulous subs on Dutch crunch, and you can “make it Stoney” by letting the sando maker add their choice of extra ingredients. There are three locations, including one just off the water in Baywood Park, a short drive to Montaña de Oro State Park. Great for a picnic at the idyllic Spooner’s Cove.
DINNER
Evan G. says, “I can’t in good conscience recommend anything but Sea Chest Oyster Bar off Moonstone Beach in Cambria, which has been celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Folks wait in line starting at 1 PM, and the line grows to 80–100 people by 5:30 when they open, and you file in for the first of two seatings. A mix of locals and tourists, you always end up meeting someone from Fresno, LA, San Diego who’s been going there for decades. Cash only, old school fish specials, calamari steaks with herbed tartar, one of the best ciopinnos, snag a seat at the bar and watch the pirates cook.”
If you don’t want to commit to the line, go to Robin’s for farm-to-table New American slash international menu.
I should also give a shout-out to a couple of Sarah Sweeney’s recs. Sarah was the managing producer of Press Play for years. Now she’s the VP of Talk Programming. Most of us need some caffeine pick-ups throughout the day. She suggests Cambria Coffee Roasting Company. She also loves Brydge Restaurant for dinner. And for some close-by winery action, she recommends a visit to The Parr Collective.
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