Franco-Italian Meal at Novo Restaurant and Lounge in San Luis Obispo, California by Ruth Paget
My husband Laurent, daughter Florence Paget, and I went to San Luis Obispo, California to have a dinner creekside at Novo Restaurant and Lounge. We reserved a table on the terrace, but rain drove us inside and downstairs to the wine cellar room. We settled in for a delicious meal of steaks for Laurent and Florence and seafood pasta for me.
We began our meal with the chèvre sharing plate. Everything was heated up and arrived very warm and fragrant of thyme. The plate held a generous bowl of chèvre, marinated black and green olives, a confit of red and yellow plum tomatoes, and toast crostini.
The chèvre sharing plate would be perfect for catering for cocktail parties with French themes like a Bastille Day Party, the French Open, the Tour de France, or Cannes Film Festival Week.
I also loved the papardelle al limone I ordered which seems to have its origins in Southern Italy. However, the French capital of lemons, Menton, might do something similar.
Novo’s version of this dish is pretty over the top with a zesty spice flavor. The papardelle ribbon pasta was made with only egg yolks, which gave the pasta an almost orange color and velvety texture. The pasta sauce was made with lemon juice, cream, and grated Parmesan cheese. (In Southern Italy, they probably use pecorino cheese in this sauce, but Parmesan is an elegant substitute.)
The papardelle al limone was loaded with briny shrimp, slightly sour artichoke hearts, savory broccolini pieces, tart sun-dried tomatoes, and zesty and pungent red chili peppers. The red chili flakes may have been Calabrian. I liked this combination very much, but other diners might want fewer peppers.
The papardelle al limone would be good dish for a small dinner party too with Italian themes like the Venice Film Festival or the Milan Fashion Week.
Both the chèvre sharing plate and the papardelle al limone made me happy despite rain on our mini vacation to San Luis Obispo.
Novo is most famous for its steaks and lamb shank, but they offer several dining options including curries, risottos, salads, and papardelle. The extensive wine list and full bar has a match for everything.
Diners will find many dishes to choose from at Novo Restaurant and Lounge in San Luis Obispo, California, making it a great spot for large parties with varying tastes.
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
