Hi Ed,

Rosa’s is quite good we think! A bit more consistent than Guiseppe’s. As for dining in Santa Maria – I can’t say I know of any places therre that are really spectacular. We work in San Luis Obispo so we tend to venture up that way more often than not. We did try a place that is sort of new in Santa Maria called Cool Hand Lukes. Kind of a fun steakhouse – nothing like Jocko’s though. But if you go there knowing that, you’ll be ok. Sorry bout not being a good resource for food in Santa Maria – we do plan on exploring that area in 2008 though – one of our goals. I hope you have a fabulous New Year’s, wonderful meals and safe travels!

– Hydrationprincess

hello all – I have not checked in for a few days – so imagine my surprise when I saw that I had some replies to my posting – wohoo! I may have exaggerated a tiny bit when I said that my filet from Jocko’s had no fat…but it certainly has the least amount of fat than steaks I’ve had at other steakhouses and on a consistent basis. Thanks for all of your replies! I have a few places my husband and I really enjoy here in the Central Coast. One is a teeny, tiny Mexican establishment (I say establishment b/c there are literally only two small old fashioned diner tables in there and nowhere to eat outside). It is called "Chacho’s" and it is in the small town of Oceano off of Hwy 101. They make incredible home made tortillas and burrito’s. You can call ahead and get their tortillas to go and make your own creations at home.

There is an Italian restaurant we frequent in Pismo Beach called Rosa’s. They serve a mixture of Northern & Southern Italian food and it is delicious! A few doors down the street from them (same side of the street) is an excellent Thai restaurant called Thai Talay. These people retired from Southern California and moved up here and their food rivals some of our favorite Thai food restaurants from the Bay Area (where I’m originally from).

Both Rosa’s and Thai Talay are off of Hwy 101 and Price Street. If you stop by – enjoy!!! I hope you all have happy holidays!

For those of you who are venturing through California, you MUST stop at Jocko’s Steakhouse in a little town called Nipomo, California. It is about 8 miles north of Santa Maria in the Central Coast area of California. My husband and I live in Nipomo and it took us over a year to get up the nerve to visit Jocko’s – it’s not the nicest looking steakhouse. And boy were we disappointed that it took us so long when we finally made it. This place is INSANE! We eat there whenever we get the chance. The filet cut is my personal favorite. It is a minimum of 18 oz of perfectly cut beef with very, very little fat and it is cooked to perfection all the way through every time! I don’t know how the guys does it (he is a Culinary Institute Graduate) but it is without a doubt the best steak we have ever eaten – and we have tried many steaks throughout the U.S. The side dishes are just ok…nothing at all to write home about. But no one goes to Jocko’s for the side dishes. You get a salad (basically iceberg lettuce with a slice of a beet on top) and choice of steamed rice, baked potato or fries, Jocko’s baked beans and their delicious garlic break. You also get a scoop of ice cream with your dinner. The filet is about $30 and well worth it. This place ALWAYS has a wait for dinner so call ahead for reservations. Sometimes the wait can be almost 2 hours! Jocko’s address and phone number are:
125 N. Thompson Avenue, Nipomo, CA, (805) 929-3686. Take the Tefft Street exit off of Highway 101 in Nipomo – this is actually the ONLY exit in Nipomo, so you can’t go wrong. Jocko’s is a VERY casual place and the seats are VERY close together. Hopefully you don’t mind cozying up with strangers. For a treat, head out back and watch them do their magic at the grill. Best of all – ENJOY!!!