To complete the great August Central California Road Trip, so far from Los Olivos to Solvang, the buck stops at Centrally Grown in Cambria.
This local gourmet restaurant, featuring organic California cuisine by 5 star Executive Chef Eric Olson, doesn't fit in Cambria – and I mean that in a good way.
Cambria is a quaint, charming seaside village located halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Visitors come to escape the city, and take in the cool fresh ocean breeze and beautiful pine speckled rolling hill countryside. Like many of the antique shops in town, the same restaurants have been here for decades, like Moonstone Beach Bar & Grill and Creekside Cafe. Recently, Cambria has seen some new changes, like craft brewery openings, and now Centrally Grown.
Taking over the old Hamlet spot on the northern end of town, Centrally Grown boasts big grounds with a natural goods grocery market & bakery, edible garden, custom driftwood sculptures, gift shop, restaurant, and ocean-view bar.
It's really quite a sight. And the focus on organic, sustainable, pesticide & preservative-free food is something you'd expect out of West LA or Malibu – same with the hand-crafted mixology cocktails.
The Grubdown:
- buttery, flaky, tart 'n iced, Fresh Baked Boysenberry Poptart
- gooey maple, salty 'n sweet, Maple Bacon Donut
- the town's most talked about berry, Ollalieberry Mojito with Crusoe Organic Silver Rum, Mint, Fresh Lime, Ollalieberry Preserves & Hansen's Natural Soda $15
- rich 'n creamy, Baby Kale Rainbow Quinoa Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes, Organic Carrots, Local Cheese & Toasted Pine Nuts $16
- well-rounded 'n refreshing, Organic Strawberry & Roasted Beet Burrata Salad with Mache Greens & Champagne Vinaigrette $16
- tender smoky meat with cool crunchy veg, Oak Grilled Wagyu Carne Asada with Roasted Red Salsa, Guacamole & Corn Tortillas $18
- buttery lemon sauce that hit the spot, Local Halibut with Beurre Blanc, Lentils, Zucchini & Carrots
- spicy meat 'n lapable broth, Drunk Mussels in 805 Beer with Chorizo Sausage
Make sure to call in for their Daily Specials, as their regular menu is somewhat limited.
Overall, I was very impressed by the refined flavors and local ingredients Centrally Grown had to offer.
I recommend going with a group and grabbing the large dining room table because it has the best views and acoustics. (It can get quite loud at night between the live music and growing crowd amongst Cambria's hottest new spot!)
7432 Exotic Garden Drive, Cambria, CA 93428. 800-717-4379.
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