Bear & The Wren -- San Luis Obispo, CA (Wood-fired Eatery)

This cozy establishment centers almost the entire menu around the wood-fired oven. Located at 570 Higuera Street, #2, the black walls and deep brown wooden bar echo the style of the menu offerings. The smell of each dish that came out of that oven is of that ingredient; heightened and enhanced with the extra char on the edges.

I'm happy to see Detroit-style pizza gaining popularity and spread. As much as I love Neapolitan-style pizza, (which is also an option at this restaurant) sometimes one needs a little burnt cheese.



https://bearandthewren.com/


Here are some of the things I've enjoyed.



Brassica. Two of my favorite cruciferous vegetables were on this plate. The Broccolini and Romanesco were cooked until perfectly al dente and seasoned with pecorino cream sauce, charred lemon, pine nuts, nutmeg and lemon zest. This was a bit toothsome, bursting with aroma from the wood oven and lemon zest, with hits of umami from the cheese.

Meatballs. A combo of pork and beef, these were tender wood-fired meatballs. The marinara was zesty and rich, the pistachio pesto had a nice nuttiness, and the pecorino and basil rounded out this dish with freshness and extra flavor.

Beef & Mushroom. This was a well-balanced pizza with garlic white sauce, gruyere, Italian ground beef, cremini mushrooms, caramelized onion, and fresh parsley. The burnt cheese along the edges had a very satisfying crisp, the mushrooms added savory flavors to the beef and the gruyere had a gentle funk that paired very well with the sweet, caramelized onions. 

Since this establishment rotates the menu based on the season, I will definitely have it in mind whenever I visit the area to try their other offerings.