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• Thai Elephant in San Luis Obispo

  Thai Elephant in San Luis Obispo

  Wherever you are on the spectrum of meat lover to vegan, you’ll find a thundering herd of options at Thai Elephant in San Luis Obispo.

  Located in the historic Railroad District, Thai Elephant exudes a clean, casual warmth accented by dark wooden floors, high ceilings, and well-placed pieces of Asian artwork. Ample split-level seating is available inside — either at booths, tables, or the vintage bar — but the sprawling, shady patio is a favorite spot in the summertime.

  Owner Anek Thammuenyong (who also operates the Thai Elephant in Atascadero) originally opened the restaurant as Vegan Spices Thai Cuisine about a year and a half ago. As the name suggests, the menu featured only tofu and soy meat alternatives as its protein options, and that dedication even extended to offering vegan beers, gluten-free beers and organic wines.

• SLO Donut Company thinks outside the box

  SLO Donut Company thinks outside the box

  A lot of doughnut places take a cookie cutter approach to their recipes and layouts, but Jacob and Jesse Pickering really wanted to think outside the box when they opened their SLO Donut Company in October 2010.

  In addition to serving up jolting java custom blended by Joebella Coffee, SLO Donut features such unique flavors as avocado/cream cheese, cereal-coated, pumpkin pie, a maple-bacon bar, and peanut butter and jelly. You can certainly also find traditional favorites such as glazed, buttermilk, apple fritters and the like, “but we’re making almost 90 flavors on a daily basis (availability depends on the baking schedule),” said Jesse Pickering, “and when we think of new things we’ll definitely try it out. It’s like a mad lab back in the kitchen.”

  The vibe at SLO Donut is decidedly new school, catering in large part to a student population that needs a place to hit the books. In addition to being open 24 hours, there are counters, stools and plugs for electronic devices throughout, and although the soundtrack

• April gardening — where’s a good place to start?

  April gardening — where’s a good place to start?

  Q: My garden is beginning to come alive. Other than the usual clean-up and watering, what needs to be done this time of year? — Jeanette Wolff, Cambria

  A: If you’re planning on adding new plants to what you have — and what gardener isn’t — now’s the time to visit a nursery to pick colors that will accentuate established plantings.

  Choose a new clivia for a shady corner, a clematis for arbors and fences. New and exciting varieties of perennials such as agapanthus, chrysanthemums, coreopsis, gaillardia, gazania, verbena and yarrow are best planted now and will give you color for many months of the year.

• Court won't reduce student's music download fine

  Court won't reduce student's music download fine

  A former Boston University student who was ordered to pay $675,000 for illegally downloading and sharing 30 songs on the Internet says he will continue fighting the penalty, despite the Supreme Court's refusal Monday to hear his appeal.

• 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.