24 Hours in Paso Robles
Parrish Family Vineyards
Maybe Paso Robles is one of those places you discover after you’ve turned a certain age, because it is certainly a destination I’ve only recently discovered even though I’ve lived nearby my whole life.
After months of being quarantined at home, I was dying to break up the routine. Paso Robles, a 1 hour-45 minute drive from where we live, posed as the perfect escape.
I had been daydreaming of a short getaway for a while, so I already had a cozy Airbnb picked out as well as a short list of wineries that had made the cut and were drafted to my itinerary.
On Saturday morning we drove down scenic Highway 101 through small ag towns that were flanked by rolling foothills. One of the things I love about Paso is the trip down there - hardly ever traffic, and a relaxing drive that is just long enough to feel like you’re somewhere new.
THE VINEYARD
Once in Paso, we wind into the hills to Parrish Family Vineyards. I also highly recommend enjoying a glass at DAOU Vineyards, but this trip was dedicated to trying something new. Pulling into the scenic drive of Parrish brings you to a beautiful plantation style house -complete with wide verandas and white bead board on the ceiling. As soon as you step out of the car you see through the double doors straight to massive picture windows that frame the verdant vineyard. Beautiful. We were seated on the outdoor deck overlooking the vines and somehow two hours passed without much notice. We just ate, and talked, and sipped.
Parrish Family Vineyards
We ordered a Welcome Tasting each ($25) and were surprised when we were presented with 6 different varietals. As I told Josh, I would have happily purchased a bottle of any vintage we tried. Alongside the wines we ordered food. I got a heavenly Burrata flatbread made on garlic naan and Josh ordered their souped-up BLT. If it is any indication, it was silent on our corner of the deck as we devoured our meals.
The winemaker came to each table to introduce himself and tell us a little about the vineyard. We lazily chatted and sipped and ate until our last tasting, then drove into town with sleepy smiles.
DOWNTOWN
When we reached town we parked at Downtown City Park and wandered through the shops. The General Store is always a must, chock full of curios and local wares. Once it was time to check into the Airbnb, we found a cheese shop (wine town = cheese shops) and pulled up to Vivant Fine Cheese. I loved this little shop. Made to order cheese boards are their specialty; they hand select five cheeses accompanied by a nut, dried fruit, and fresh sliced bread (only $12). We added olives and salami, then took our meal and a couple of brews to go.
The view from Casa Oliva, Josh on the patio, cheese board from Vivant Cheese
Our Airbnb was a refreshing retreat situated on an olive orchard - Casa Oliva, if anyone wants to look it up. Instructions to not feed the cows even if they are mooing for attention confirmed our suspicions that we weren’t in town anymore. We dove into the cheese board, took a cat nap, and enjoyed some reading on the patio that featured a valley view.
For dinner we made reservations at Fish Gaucho, right in the middle of downtown. It’s a local and visitors favorite, and I had to try this mainstream must. The most striking feature of the restaurant is its impressive wall of liquors, backlit for nearly two stories above the bar. A Mexican joint, tequila is their specialty. We didn’t indulge after our stint at the winery but some mezcal is definitely on the list for next time. Ice tea and coke for these two kids! We both got the carnitas tacos which were an explosion of flavor. Braised short ribs lathered in a pineapple habanero salsa, topped with microgreens and cilantro, and flecks of cheese grilled to the tortilla. I was full after three, but indulged in the final taco because it was just that good.
Carnitas tacos, Downtown City Park, Barrelhouse Brewing
Our post dinner walk took us around a couple blocks to work off the food and plan our next stop. We had a few options: Jeffry’s Wine Country BBQ, Barrelhouse Brewing, or 1122. Our waiter suggested 1122, a swanky speakeasy in the heart of town. Though I am dying to try that out, we were looking for a more relaxed atmosphere and returned to a crowd favorite, Barrelhouse Brewing.
COVID-19 regulations called for food to be served at any establishment that serves alcohol. In order to adhere to the rules without forcing customers to purchase a meal, Barrelhouse came up with a creative solution. As we belly up to the bar, the server explained that we need to buy food - at which point he cheekily presented us with a Cup of Noodles for $0.25. Gladly we tacked on this dorm room staple to our bill and opted to “donate” it back to the brewery. Some people chose to cook the noodles and bring back memories of the quick dinners that American college students are built on.
We posted up at a cocktail table out back and people watched: families, friends, and dogs alike wandered across the large property. We toasted to the perfect end to the day.
DAY 2
Back at the Airbnb, our Moroccan style bed created a cozy cocoon, inset into the wall. We took the morning slow and lazily packed our things between bouts of enjoying the valley views. Casa Oliva has a fully stocked kitchen and complimentary light refreshments! Finally packed, we left our sweet Airbnb and headed into town for brunch.
Brunch offerings: California Eggs Benedict and Breakfast Burrito
As if a line item on the itinerary, we made our way to a restaurant called Brunch. A light and airy farmhouse style characterize this downtown spot, and we were quickly seated at a table outside. We watched the young families and couples walk by as we chatted over coffee and orange juice. Our food was incredible! My California Eggs Benedict was laden with the best hollandaise sauce I’ve ever had and Josh’s breakfast burrito was made with fried eggs rather than scrambled, which was a welcome twist on his signature favorite. We also saw a plate of the french toast piled with berries go to a neighboring table, and agreed that next time that would be a must.
Filled to the brim we were charged up for our 2 hour drive home. We took the back way, and wound through the foothills that crisscross the San Andreas Faultline as our weekend came to a satisfying close.