Deep in the heart of autumn, families begin gearing up for the holiday season. With Thanksgiving just days away, Central Coast area hotels and restaurants ride to the rescue with a spate of innovative menus and relaxing spa packages for both hosts and their guests.
If relatives are headed your way in the upcoming weeks, consider letting some of our local establishments share hosting duties. Book a getaway package, spa treatment, or a table for dinner soon, and you’ll be able to lighten your load, while freeing up time and energy to better enjoy your guests.
A Central Coast landmark since 1917, the historic Santa Maria Inn recently celebrated the grand reopening of its Garden Room Restaurant after an eight-month remodel. Boasting a crisp new decor, the restaurant now features a state-of-the-art kitchen for its creative chefs.
“One of the main things we’ve done,” said John Reinacher, the inn’s general manager, “is to gut the space and put in $700,000 worth of equipment to speed up productivity.
“In the restaurant, we’ve added new drapes, and the wood tones have been changed for a lighter, more cheery look,” he continued. “Guests will see new white Italian china, new silverware. Virtually everything you see in the room is new, but the most striking difference is in the chairs and wall coverings.”
Voted “Most Romantic Restaurant” and “Best Place for Sunday Brunch” by Sun readers, this elegant eatery is ready to put on a spread for those imminently arriving out-of-towners. The new menu features the best of California cuisine and includes a number of new dishes created by Chef Alex Araizaga.
“We’ve added a lot of soups and salads,” Reinacher explained, “because people are eating lighter. We have a southwest Cobb salad, sunburst chicken salad, and watermelon crab salad. For dinner, you’ll find such things as lobster and crab cakes, beef carpaccio, wild mushroom ravioli, and a lot of fresh fish items.”
If relatives will be staying awhile, they (and you) might appreciate a night at the inn, combined with a getaway package. The Santa Maria Inn offers golf, spa, and wine tour specials that accommodate visitors in a deluxe room, and include things like greens fees, massages, and tasting room coupons.
You can turn over holiday cooking chores entirely by making reservations for the Garden Room Restaurant’s sumptuous Thanksgiving Day Buffet, which boasts a mind-boggling assortment of edible goodies. A random sampling includes roast turkey (of course), honey glazed ham, salmon, king crab, lobster, all the fixings, and a parade of desserts. If you don’t make their Thanksgiving dinner, however, do plan to take in one of the restaurant’s unforgettable Sunday brunches.
A few miles up the coast, SeaVenture Restaurant in Pismo Beach has introduced its new fall/winter menu, showcasing premium meats, free range chicken, and California-caught fish, as well as fresh local produce and sustainably produced ingredients. Executive chef Paul Novak aptly describes his exciting fare as “a dynamic mix of comfort cuisine and clean, light flavors.”
“By using as much seasonal produce as possible,” Novak said, “I created a menu that pairs the abundant tastes of autumn and winter with traditional southern favorites.”
Novak favors what he calls “soulful wine country cuisine” and delivers dishes that are soothing, satisfying, and laced with lively flavors. For ultimate freshness and creative control, Novak and his staffers prepare all stocks, sauces, and desserts in-house.
New items include ocean treats, such as pan-fried Cayucos abalone with spicy remoulade and winter root slaw, and Maine scallops wrapped in bacon. His winter salad of pungent greens, smoky bacon, toasted walnuts, apples, and blue cheese dressing is practically a meal in itself, while the spicy shrimp jambalaya will warm you even on the chilliest day.
Dinner entrees range from grilled pork chops with smashed yams and apple caramelized onion marmalade, to mustard rubbed sea bass with horseradish potato rosti. Rounding out the roster are braised lamb shanks on Parmesan risotto, filet mignon encrusted with blue cheese, lobster tail, and blackened salmon, promising something tasty for everyone.
Through Jan. 29, 2009, SeaVenture Resort offers tempting spa packages that include a night in a seaside room with a fireplace, featherbed, private balcony, and hot tub. Included in the deal are a 30-minute massage and complimentary breakfast delivered right to your room. As a bonus, the resort throws in a split of dessert wine, chocolate truffles, and a goody bag of sleep-inducing aromatherapy mist, eye pillow, music CD, and earplugs to take home, all so you and your guests can enjoy a peaceful and relaxed holiday season.
RECIPE:
The Pumpkin Soup
by Chef Paul Novak, SeaVenture Restaurant
Melt 2 T. unsalted butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 2 onions (diced), 2 leeks (trimmed, sliced, washed in cold water), 1 carrot (diced), and 2 Granny Smith apples (peeled, cored, and diced) and cook until translucent, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add 1 T. cinnamon and 3 lbs. pumpkin (peeled and diced) and cook for 5 more minutes. Add 6 C. water, bring to slow boil, and simmer for about 45 minutes. Add 1 C. heavy cream, puree in blender until smooth, and pass through a fine-mesh strainer. Add salt and pepper to taste. Heat to serve and sprinkle with minced chives for garnish.
INFOBOX: Let them handle the holidays
The Garden Room Restaurant is located in the Santa Maria Inn, at 801 S. Broadway. For reservations or getaway package details, call 346-7908 or log on to santamariainn.com.
SeaVenture Restaurant, on the third floor of SeaVenture Resort, is located at 100 Ocean Ave., Pismo Beach. For more information call 773-4994 or visit www.seaventure.com.
K. Reka Badger is waiting for her complimentary breakfast. Deliver it to her at rekabadger@hotmail.com.
This article appears in Nov 13-20, 2008.