Ember

Ember was at the forefront of open fire cooking in the Central Coast when they opened, and this Arroyo Grande charmer hasn't lost any of its spark. Its inviting industrial-rustic interior is the perfect setting for their heartfelt and down-to-earth cooking. You'll likely never tire of the contemporary menu filled with comforting favorites like bruschetta, made here with slices of house-made country sourdough with burrata atop an English pea purée & walnut pesto. There are plenty of mains, with staples like the grilled under-a-brick chicken, as well as not-to-miss features like the 50-layer lasagna. A blueberry cream puff filled with a honey chèvre mousse and sided by lemon buttermilk gelato is creative, yet classic.