PASO RESTAURANTS HONORED IN THE 2022 MICHELIN GUIDE

Paso’s dining scene is smokin’ hot

By Mira Honeycutt

In the past two years, five local restaurants have joined the pantheon of recognition from the world-renowned Michelin Guide, with two receiving one star and three others inducted in the 2022 Guide.

In 2021, Chef Ricky Odbert’s Six Test Kitchen became Paso's and SLO County’s first restaurant to receive one Michelin star (see story on pasoroblespress. com). Add to that: The Restaurant at JUSTIN received one star and a Green star for sustainability practices in the 2202 Guide.

In addition, three other Paso restaurants — In Bloom, Les Petites Canailles and The Hatch — were inducted into the 2022 Guide.

“It’s amazing,” commented Julien Asseo, co-owner/chef of Les Petites Canailles. “But it’s only the beginning. There are bright things in the future and Odbert helped shine attention on Paso.”

Yes, it’s a great honor for Paso chefs/restaurateurs and I had the pleasure of chatting with all the honorees.

Cuisine: Cali Contemporary justinwine.com

“I was elated, I cried and I laughed,” said Executive Chef Rachel Haggstrom. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget that.”

The soft-spoken chef admitted she was a bundle of nerves when The Restaurant’s name was announced as winning the Green award and then the one star.

“I stood on stage in shock and awe,” she recalled of the awards ceremony at Los Angeles’ Peterson Museum last November. (Odbert was also present among the winning chefs of the 2021 Guide, receiving the honor due to the 2021 cancellation of the ceremony in observance of COVID restrictions.)

The California native, known for her upscale farm-to-table cooking style, commands The Restaurant’s kitchen and leads the culinary team that services JUSTIN winery events and the restaurant program at the JUSTIN winery and the downtown tasting room.

However, the star is for The Restaurant’s prix fixe dinner service only. The current multi-course menu paired with JUSTIN wines begins with Alba white truffle and Jarrahdale squash tortellini followed by Maple Leaf Farms duck and Challerhocker souffle, finishing with fig and walnut torte. Canapés and amuse bouche are offered in between courses. The award-winning wine list includes JUSTIN and international wines.

“We do accommodate dietary requests and make sure that the [substitute] dish is made in a similar style so wine pairing matches the flavor profile of food.”

For her culinary style, Haggstrom is cognizant of the fact that she has to stay within the parameters suitable for the winery’s wines. However, she feels fortunate to have access to JUSTIN’s 25-acre produce garden and orchard lush with 150 fruit trees.

With a 15-year experience having worked with Michelin chefs Thomas Keller and Wolfgang Puck, Haggstrom arrived at JUSTIN in 2019 from the Balboa Bay Resort where she discovered JUSTIN at a wine dinner. “I didn’t know JUSTIN had a culinary department. An opening popped up and I emailed Justin [Baldwin] and asked, ‘Is this for real?’ We went from there and here I am today.”

In Bloom

Cuisine: California inbloompasorobles.com

“It feels great,” commented Executive Chef Kenny Seliger when I met him and proprietor Chris Haisma at In Bloom. “it’s been a long road. We still have a lot of work to do but it’s nice to get a pat on the back.”

“What’s blooming? What’s in season?” said the German native who also worked with Thomas Keller. “That’s where the In Bloom concept took seed — it’s about the farmers and the good products we have in this area.”

“The focus is on the ever-changing menu. In Bloom is a living breathing project that’s never going to be stagnant,” Seliger emphasized.

“The reason we have so many repeat diners is people know they’ll come in and find something different each time,” said Haisma.

The ever-evolving menu is designed as shareable dishes so you get to sample a wide variety, such as sunchokes from Mt. Olive farm served with celery root aioli, mushrooms with a butternut squash yogurt, and the panzanella salad circled with whipped burrata. However, the signature mustard-coated pork chops currently served with sauerkraut and pickled radishes is a constant menu item.

Although heavy on vegetarian dishes, the menu does include Mary’s organic chicken, Wagyu beef, Kurobuta pork chops and barramundi. There’s an impressive cocktail menu and local and international wines.