Wine has always played a significant role at this farm-to-table Paso Robles favorite, and now desserts do, too.
As its name implies, the focus of owner Debbie Thomas’s exposed redbrick restaurant is on organic ingredients, many grown or produced locally. But wine has always played a significant role in the Thomas Hill Organics experience. For any customers who might miss the point, “WINE” is spelled out in huge letters in the middle, and most popular, of three dining spaces stretching from the Park Street entrance to the small area, off the back service alley, that once contained the entire restaurant.
Seasonal Menu
The menu changes often to reflect the season, but wood-fired chicken, braised short ribs, and vegan shepherd’s pie are often on the dinner menu. The superb grass-fed burgers are perennial favorites for lunch, along with vegan Buddha bowls. Appetizers may include black-lentil tacos with candied jalapeños or (in-season) heirloom tomatoes with pickled stone fruit, cornbread croutons, housemade ricotta, and balsamic caviar.
Intricate But Not Fussy
The preparations at Thomas Hill Organics are intricate and well-spiced but not fussy, the flavor combinations often daring but never overplayed. On my last visit, a Belgian endive salad contained persimmons, shaved fennel, candied nuts, charred-cinnamon vinaigrette, and cocoa nibs, with aged Gouda sprinkled on top. An equally complex yet harmonious roasted chestnut soup followed the salad, the nuts the foundation for a puree that also contained fennel, apple, sweet potato, celery root, and parsnip. Grace notes included pomegranate seeds, toasted pumpkin seeds, bits of puffed-rice granola, crème fraîche made in-house, and smoked maple syrup. Lamb pappardelle with saffron ricotta was the rich and rewarding entrée on this visit.
Dessert and Wine
You can drop by just for dessert on the Park Street side for sweets without dinner; this area doubles as a wine bar. The wine list, no surprise, favors local producers, making this an excellent place to expand your Central Coast palate.
Info
1313 Park St., Paso Robles 93446
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Daniel Mangin is the author of Fodor’s Napa and Sonoma and coauthor of The California Directory of Fine Wineries Central Coast and Napa and Sonoma editions. He writes about California food and wine for Napa Valley Life, Marin Magazine, Fodors.com, and other outlets.
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