Atascadero has its own charm If you still haven’t made reservations on the coast this summer and fear everything is already booked, I have a suggestion – Atascadero. Seriously. It’s a quaint little town that’s 10 minutes from Paso Robles, 15 minutes from San Luis Obispo and 25 minutes from the coast. A perfect base of operations. Plus it has its own attractions. I had lunch at the revamped Carlton Hotel in the center of town and was impressed by what a great job was done on the interior and exterior. Rooms are about $160 a night for weekends. The burgeoning downtown has a bakery just up from the Carlton, called Hush-Harbor that you’ll definitely want to work into your visit. Two words: lemon scones. Around the corner is Figood food. It’s a tiny place but owner/chef Chris Dillow makes the most of the small space, whipping up original fresh fare such as the Frenchie sandwich with fig chutney and melted brie
mug, but it was apparently filled with beer. Beal also never let anything go to waste, including his many, many, many empty beer cans, which he cemented into retaining walls and other parts of the house. My favorite feature of Nitt Witt Ridge, was Beal’s use of toilet seats as picture frames. Hmmmm…who would you put in that frame? The tour lasts about an hour. Afterward, you’ll probably need some refreshment. Mozzi’s, formerly known as Kamozzi’s, is handily a short drive away. The bar has been cleaned up and remodeled from its former “dive” days. But, don’t fear, it still has more than enough “cowboy” in it. As we headed south to Cayucos, we had to stop at the picturesque town of Harmony to visit the Harmony Cellars and various
Atascadero’s historic rotunda administration building is under restoration. on focaccia bread. Mmmmm! And don’t get me started on the artichoke heart melt. They aren’t kidding about the “good food” part of their name. And this may sound weird for a “trip to the coast” but you have got to stop in at the new Galaxy Theater. Sure it has lots of screens, but even better, it has “D-Box” seats that jiggle and bounce around in concert with what’s happening on the screen to give you a true up close and personal movie experience. And the best part, the Galaxy has a VIP lounge that serves drinks, real. It’s comfortable and soothing, no screaming kids or angsty teens. Great for a night out with the adults! Speaking of nice evenings, we scooted over to Santa Margarita (also close by) for dinner at The Range restaurant, another locals-in-theknow kind of place. The salads are all unique and big enough to share by two and while all the food was great, I highly recommend the steak. And they have a really nice selection of interesting local wines that you won’t find in any chain restaurants. If that isn’t enough to entice you, Atascadero even has a little zoo next to a lake and park where they have barbeques and bands on summer evenings. And I haven’t even mentioned the nearby wineries and great cycling tours. Heck, there’s so much to do, you may not even make it to the coast! (OK, maybe one day.)
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