Creative Organic Local Plates
Location: Paso Robles, California
Style: Farm-to-Table Cuisine
Budget: ££
Along with its rustic wine country, touted by those in wine industry as one to watch out for, Paso Robles is also blessed with some superb dining options to enjoy after a day of wine tasting. Thomas Hill Organics showcases local produce and fresh flavours in a quaint setting in the heart of Paso.
Dining at Thomas Hill Organics
Set in the heart of Paso Robles, Thomas Hill Organics offers a chic bistro and wine bar, with earthy, natural decor and tones, and wine dotted around the walls in a nod to this up and coming region. Nestled in the centre is a pretty courtyard, lined with gentle fountains and greenery and lit by twinkling fairy lights.
Thomas Hill Organics offer a full a la carte menu for brunch, lunch and dinner, with some variances between each. Focussing on farm-to-table dishes, with local, organic produce, including meat and fish, and bread from a bakery in Paso itself, you will find menus with mouth-wateringly bold flavours from start to finish.
With chef Libry Darusman joining in August 2019, a number of new exciting dishes were added to a revamped menu. The Tho ceviche is a delicious version of the Peruvian classic – don’t expect the typical Tiger’s Milk, but instead served with puffed rice, plum pearls and a cilantro foam. Bursting with sweet, fresh and umami flavours, this is a great dish to start with.
Equally, another cold, raw starter very much worth your while is the beef tartare. More traditional in style than the ceviche, but with modern twists, this wagyu beef is served with cured and shaved egg yolk, pickled mushrooms and crunchy shallots. Not as spicy as some versions of beef tartare, this dish is expressive of the gorgeous beef flavours and its superb accompaniments.
One of Libry’s best new introduction was the corn ravioli – expect to find this dish around late summer, showcasing the seasonal sweetcorn that is used to make the pasta. With salty duck bacon, the ravioli is filled with house made ricotta, garden peas, brioche croutons and olive oil snow.
For the entrees, again expect the dishes to be centred around fabulous cuts of meat or fish, as well as one or two vegetarian options. If you ever thought pork to be a somewhat boring choice of meat, prepare to have your mind changed after trying out Thomas Hill’s bone in pork chop. Expect a thick cut piece of pork, grilled to perfect tenderness, and served alongside a mustard jus, potato hash and braised chard.
If you fancy going all out for a great cut of beef, don’t miss out on the incredible bone marrow crusted rib-eye, cooked medium rare for a juicy and rich main. To compliment the beef, a radish yoghurt and roasted vegetables go extremely well, creating a lavish dish full of great flavours.
If you even have any room left, you can then consider the mouth watering sweet selection. Options such as a fruit cobbler, with local, seasonal fruits, homemade sorbet or ice cream, and olive oil cake, provide a refreshing finish to your meal, without compromising on beautiful flavours.
Being a wine bar as well, you can be sure that the drink and wine list alongside don’t fail to disappoint. They offer a great selection of Paso Robles’ producers, such as the well known DAOU and smaller names such as ONX, as well as many from other Californian regions, including the Willamette Valley and Monterey. If you’re not feeling the wine pairings, Thomas Hill also offer a number of craft lagers, ales and ciders, again largely local breweries and a great pick for a modern food and beer pairing.
Key Information about Thomas Hill Organics
How much does Thomas Hill Organics cost?
For brunch and lunch, Thomas Hill offer slightly lighter dishes costing the region of US $15-20 for a main course. The dinner menu on offer is a la carte only, including some of the more richer, inventive dishes, plates cost around US $15 for a starter and US $30 for a main. It does have one of the best wine lists around, which is reasonably priced at around US $10-15 per glass.
Where can I stay near Thomas Hill Organics?
Thomas Hill is nestled in the centre of the cosy town of Paso Robles, along the central coastal area of California. There are several good hotels and B&Bs in town, but one excellent choice would be the Paso Robles Inn, only a 5 minute walk from the restaurant. Steeped in the history of the town, this inn was built at the same time as the town itself, and with many wine themed rooms with jacuzzis, this is a great place to come back to after a great meal at Thomas Hill.
Our final thoughts on... Thomas Hill Organics
The town of Paso Robles is still fairly unknown to international tourists and its quaint atmosphere lends itself to the impression of typical small town America. However, we were blown away that a small town like that could pack such a punch by having Thomas Hill Organics in its midst. Chef Darusman is passionate and creative with the flavours and dishes he creates and, of course, their pride for produce and provenance is second to none – don’t miss out on your way down the West Coast.
Find Out More…
Thomas Hill Organics – https://www.thomashillorganics.com
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Many thanks to Thomas Hill Organics for hosting our meal during our time in Paso Robles. As always, all thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely our own, we wouldn’t recommend something if we didn’t love it!
