As a fairly new venture for the two East Coast pizza lover owners, this establishment has been well received by locals and tourists alike. Located at 831 13th Street, it is right in the heart of downtown Paso Robles alongside many other delicious eateries and a nearby park. The atmosphere is modern with decorated high ceilings, metal shelving and bustling sounds of cocktail shaking and people enjoying their meal. The server we had that evening was very friendly and attentive, and the overall experience was pleasant and delicious.
https://www.dellaspasorobles.com/
Here are some of the things I've enjoyed.
Cali Paloma. A very refreshing and balanced cocktail made with Blanco Tequila, sage smoke, grapefruit and soda. This had a nice kick of tequila, sweet and sour from the grapefruit and a tongue-tickling fizz from the soda. The granules on top of the wedge of fresh grapefruit garnish was salt, which enhanced the taste of each sip.
Martini. There are not many restaurants that celebrate and focus on gin. Since gin has come a long way since the "bathtub gin" era, it's really nice to see a place that puts gin on the forefront. An entire page of the cocktail menu featured gin here, and I was happy to select Magellan gin as my spirit for this Martini, which was nice and cold, fragrant, well balanced and had a quick, sweet finish.
Meatballs. These were bouncy pork meatballs with no bread fillers. The preparation reminded me of Asian-style meatballs with emulsified fat and more of a tight, but still moist, texture. The pesto sauce on the ditalini pasta was fresh, the burrata was creamy and sweet, and the extra garnish of a preserved tomato was a nice touch.
Fried Mozz. This is not your bowling alley version of fried mozzarella cheese sticks. This was a low-moisture cheese, so it held together well, full of flavor, stretchy and oozy on the inside. The coating on the outside was buttery and crunchy. The extra parmesan cheese over the top added a bit of umami seasoning and the spicy tomato sauce (I would say light spice level) was a tangy and sweet, easy to dip accompaniment. They should sell these by the bucket.
Smoke Show. Gentle smoke aroma permeated this nicely made wood-fire baked Neapolitan-style pizza. The chewy on the inside and crispy on the outside crust was topped with succulent smoked short rib, juicy, sweet and tart pickled pineapple, and mildly spicy roasted jalapeno. The toppings played together very well and was not too much or too little, but well balanced and evenly distributed. A very enjoyable pizza.
If in the area, and in the mood for more fried cheese or pizza, I would absolutely come back to enjoy a well-made cocktail with well-crafted food and would recommend anyone else to do the same.
