Here’s yet another establishment that we had been to many times in the past and truly enjoyed but somehow it slipped off our radar or…we got lazy. Buona Tavola in Paso Robles is an Italian joint on Spring Street, a couple blocks from the downtown park. It is a quaint (small but very comfortable) fine dining destination well worth the visit.
They have a small bar, sits roughly 6 to 8, where we decided to perch because – as you most likely know by now – we love bars. The lady and gentleman that took care of us were fantastic. Great customer service. The gentleman had the Italian accent and was very professional and also aided us in our wine choices for the night. Now let’s get down to business.
Here’s what we ordered:
Carpaccio del Tiziano – Thin slices of seared black pepper beef fillet topped with arugula and shaved parmesan cheese in a horseradish dressing. $13.75
Insalata di gamberi e capesante – Warm salad of sautéed sea scallops and grilled shrimp with roasted bell peppers, green onions, organic arugula, capers, and garlic in a lemon mustard dressing. $15.95
Gnocchi Novaresi al pesto – Homemade potato dumplings in a light creamy pesto sauce. $15.25
The Carpaccio was amazing. As you’ll see in the slideshow below, there were big slices of parmesan cheese on top and we love parmesan cheese. The salad was exceptional and was Annie’s favorite because she’s a salad addict and the addition of shrimp and scallops made it her dream plate. She could literally eat that for breakfast, lunch, and dinner…daily! Finally, the Gnocchi, I have turned into a huge fan of this dish and theirs was so good. I didn’t want to share with Annie but my marriage is more important than one dish.
Our visit was another reminder to myself to avoid the ruts and routines we get in to. It’s cool to go to the same spots where you’ve made friends with the staff and all that but it’s really good to break out of that from time to time and get to those places you go to less frequently. We had a great time and will definitely be back to Buona Tavola soon.
Have a great weekend everyone! And be sure to share this post and tell your friends to subscribe to our blog. We have some big changes coming to this site pretty soon. One of those changes is a completely new look. Stay tuned.
Buona Tavola is one of my faves in the area. PLUS, all bottles of wine (under $100) are 1/2 off on Wednesdays! Just another reason, besides the great food and service and the fact you can start your meal with a “proper” cocktail, that this place is worth the visit.
Well said, Mitch. Funny how we get caught up into going to the same 2 or 3 places all the time. Been trying to break out of that.
There is a reason that you end up at the same 2-3 places though. Whether it be the food, the people, the fact that you can take your children there…
For sure, Mitch…totally agree with that. I think it’s good to push yourself though when you see you’re in those routines. It’s good for local business, good for your taste buds, and good for making new friends.
I’m a huge fan of the bar. If there’s a bar, I’m there.
I’m looking forward to your redesign. I’m about to revamp mine, too. Change is good.
It certainly is. We’re trying to go more minimal but we’re also joining all of our blogs on to one site and a new domain name.
A great place to eat. Antonio always provides meals well worth the price for such outstanding food.
Gary, I could not agree more. Lucky to have a place like that in town.
That pesto gnocchi looks absolutely delicious! I think I know where we will be going when we come out for harvest.
It was all amazing, Lori!