New eatery set to sprout on Garden St.

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• The Central Coast Sculptors' Group of the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art has put together The Phantom Project

  The Central Coast Sculptors' Group of the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art has put together The Phantom Project

  In the display window of a Higuera Street shop, a trio of foot-high figures are clustered, peering down. The black glazed ceramic work by Tom Peck is titled “What Do You Suppose That Is?”

  Passersby are asking the same question. The normally vacant space is the temporary home of The Phantom Project, an ephemeral exhibit that will only be up until March 2.

  Phantom shows are becoming popular in art-based cities, where the exhibits appear in unused buildings

• Bliss Café in San Luis Obispo offers food and philosophy

  Bliss Café in San Luis Obispo offers food and philosophy

  Given this season of both excess and reflection, perhaps it’s a good time to consider the food and philosophy of Bliss Café in San Luis Obispo, especially if you’d like to explore the idea of a “yogi-style, karma-free” vegan menu.

  This high-ceilinged, brick-walled eatery on Chorro Street has only a handful of seats, so it’s best experienced during non-peak hours or for takeout. Either way, plan on taking some time to relax and enjoy the soothing Eastern artwork and meditative music.

  Originally opened a couple of years ago as Vraja’s Kitchen, Bliss Café began its current incarnation at the beginning of 2011. Now, it’s co-owned by Dave Fintel and Palaka Sauer — the latter has been a familiar face at local farmers’ markets for the past five years with his Govinda’s Garden foods (which he still does under the Bliss Café name). Palaka, as he prefers to be called, has also owned restaurants in his native Brazil and Florida, and made several trips to India to learn the principles of this style of cooking.

• Splash Café marks 20th anniversary

  Splash Café marks 20th anniversary

  Twenty years ago, Joanne and Ross Currie bought a restaurant on the corner of Pomeroy Avenue and Cypress Street in Pismo Beach and began working to improve a clam chowder recipe.

  Now, the couple is celebrating their 20th anniversary of Splash Café by offering free cups of their signature chowder with every purchase of an entrée in December.

  The Curries purchased the Pismo Beach restaurant in 1991, a year after it was turned from a Mexican restaurant into a fish and chips joint. In 2005, they opened a location on Monterey Street in San Luis Obispo.

• Teaberry Frozen Yogurt Café opens in downtown SLO

  Teaberry Frozen Yogurt Café opens in downtown SLO

  Teaberry Frozen Yogurt Café, a locally owned and operated frozen treats and sandwich shop, is open for business in downtown San Luis Obispo.

• Tacos, plus 100 types of tequila in Atascadero

  Tacos, plus 100 types of tequila in Atascadero

  Que Pasa Mexican Café, a Bakersfield-based restaurant with locations in Tulare and Visalia, is set to open its fourth restaurant in Atascadero’s Colony Square at 6905 El Camino Real.

  “The restaurant is about 98 percent ready,” Que Pasa owner Baldo Cisneros said. “We should be open in the next two weeks.”

  A staff of 20 employees has been hired and is being trained to work in the restaurant, he said.