LURE FISH HOUSE is naming mid-March for their grand opening, bringing this brand new but oft-remodelled basically empty edifice to NOMO a tenant I’m actually looking forward to. Wait: does NOMO start at Johnson or Santa Rosa. I think maybe the former.

Unhinged Winebar closed in Colony District.
SLO Wine & Beer closed.
Flavor Factory closed.

Farmhouse Wine Lounge is opening. In the farmhouse. Imagine that. Anyone been to HOUSE OF BREAD’S resty there? I haven’t. BABYDUDES is open with the best winelist in the county and I’ve been all over the menu in two visits–both of which were PACKED–and this is the most exciting thing to happen to downtown Morro Bay since Sean’s on Main. They bake THE best bread I think I’ve ever had in my life. Across the street, the formerly-rumored “Felicia” is becoming Morro Deli or something likewise inspired. Those in the back rows will note this is deli number THREE in a same number of blocks. Although I will say it is sandwiched (see what I did there?) between two COMPLETELY different *sort* of “deli’s”. So I guess it will be up to the meat in the middle to etch out a vibe.

The little taco-truck always in front of the Rexall in Los Osos has opened in the former Round Table in AG. HANNA’S MEXICAN FUSION is an extension of HANNA’S STREET TACOS and it’s pretty good. So let’s do the count, CCW from Oak Park: Guerrero, Parilla, Hanna’s, and El Guero’s truck LITERALLY all within sight of each other in one block. TAQUERIA GUERRERO hands-down the best, and the other three in a dead heat of VERY VERY GOOD slightly-second-place. They all make *basically* the same taco, with Guerrero getting the nod for rotisserie, salsa selection, consistency, vibe and demographic. The last item playing FAR more into the equation than I feel comfortable admitting.

Personel Files: Landon Rust slotted in to manage OX & ANCHOR, Nick Johnson is moving across town to open LURE FISH HOUSE as GM; Brian Mathers is consulting at ROD & HAMMER ROCK and Jenna Congdon is dragging the KERMIT LYNCH rollie.

Speaking of people… the blonde meter maid downtown is WSET-2 so be extra nice to her. Those of you who FOLLOW MY STORIES know I’m kinda obsessed with downtown parking, and I’ve had a slow-building rant which exploded to epiphany the other day: Let’s get rid of ALL yellow on Higuera Street. Think about it. Seems rash at first but think about it.

Up in Atascadero, I think DON Q’S finally bit it. Still haven’t figured out if they’re related to the Don-something opening downtown by Ceilo. What a strange little resty, strange little spot, strange menu, strange name, strange everything but they held out for quite a while. HAS to be the cheapest rent in town, there, I mean–what a dump little center DESERVING its thrift stores and salons and hobby shops but a restaurant??? Brand new place opened next door: BIZARRE ANTIQUES & ODDITIES and boy oh boy if you’re into weird with a twist of the macabre, THIS is the place for you. Turkey ovaries in a jar, anyone? Around the corner remember that huge freeway-facing brewery–was it SM Brewing?–that had the worst, coldest, unwelcoming, warehouse vibe I’ve ever seen–and food to match? Seriously: this place made CCB feel like Madonna Inn and THE HUB a veritable Taj Mahal. Well, it is becoming another outlet of the BLAST & BREW empire. What is that, 5 locally now? Orcutt, AG, Pismo, Paso, and a tap-room *presence* in SLO. I rather like Blast: great menu, good winelist, excellent service, warm and inviting vibe–at least every one I’ve been to, with Orcutt my favorite. But for real tho: the huge open cold TV-as-art let your millennials-shouldn’t-be-parents kids run screaming through dog-friendly warehouse acreage there’s-a-pretzel-on-the-menu everything-is-grey brew-pub needs to be OVER.

POOR BUT SEXY opened Kreuzber’s roasting facility in Duncan’s Alley, bringing a welcome mat to, what, maybe 5 or 6 spots now? Still haven’t figured out if that taproom in front has food. If no, then there isn’t officially *food* there yet, which doesn’t make me sad and I will save you another rant about tin-citys being bad for downtowns.

Hey and one more note about Atascadero: be SURE and check out FUEGO ROSTICERIA in the south part of town. Don’t go in expecting tacos & rotisserie chicken like some of us who frequent deep Mexican areas would assume. I mean, yeah, there’s tacos and chicken on the menu, but it is a different sort of place. Full sit-down with beer, wine, and agave bar. Nicely home-made done inside with real futbol and a REALLY interesting menu. Including fabulous looking dinner items I can’t really decide sway more Mexican or Central American. If I lived in Atascadero, I would LIVE here. With the possible exception of JALISCO (downtown or Creston rd), THE most authentic-feeling Mexican Resty in SLOco. But a lot cleaner and shinier and professional.

Are you still reading this??!? Don’t you have ANYTHING better to do with your life?!??