Local Flavors: Paso’s Wine Attic offers food, wine that’s on the level

Owner Jan Manni offers customers a new ground-floor location and cuisine courtesy of a new executive chef

By Katy Budge

PHOTO BY KATY BUDGE

Executive chef Jeffry Wiesinger of The Wine Attic.

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The Wine Attic, at 1305 Park St. Alley in Paso Robles, is open Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a. m. to 8 p. m., Sunday, 11 a. m. to 5 p. m., and Monday, 11 a. m. to 8 p. m. (closed Tuesday). For catering information, takeout or box lunch orders (advance notice for large orders is appreciated), or courtyard reservations, call 227-4107; for menu and event information visit www.wineattic.com .

You might not think to look in an attic for fine food and award-winning wines, but The Wine Attic is a different story.

Jan Manni, the owner and wine sommelier, launched her upscale Paso Robles wine store four years ago, getting the name from its original, cached-away, upstairs location.

Now, The Wine Attic occupies ground-floor digs off the Park Street alley in downtown Paso, and Manni recently ramped up the cuisine element by bringing aboard executive chef Jeffry Wiesinger.

Bistro-style menu

In addition to providing gourmet to-go items such as box lunches for wine tasting groups, Wiesinger is showcasing his “globally influenced, wine country cuisine” with an all-day, bistro-style menu.

The dozen items range from an antipasto plate to a charcuterie/cheese plate, a baby spinach salad to soup du jour, a pulled duck confit quesadilla to a “Southern French-style, no mayonnaise” tuna melt panini, and even steamed clams to grilled beef kabobs.

If you’re looking for a sweet treat, try the vanilla cheesecake, or the luscious, handcrafted chocolate truffle trio.

A ‘passion for food’

Wiesinger came to the Central Coast last year to be closer to family, bringing culinary credentials as varied as chef de cuisine for a ski resort, chef/consultant for the 2007 World Series, and executive chef for Restaurant LuLu’s location in Mammoth Lakes.

He has wholeheartedly pursued his lifelong “passion for food and am still wearing the (chef’s) coat,” but he’s also understandably proud of the fact that he graduated cum laude from the prestigious Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R. I., receiving not only his associate’s degree in culinary arts, but also a bachelor’s degree in food service management.

“My sister actually sent in the application,” admitted Wiesinger, “but going through with it and putting myself through school was one of the best decisions I ever made. It was a world class culinary education, and it transformed my career.”

Katy Budge is a freelance writer from Atascadero. If you have a favorite “Local Flavor” you’d like to see featured, e-mail your suggestions to ktbudge@sbcglobal.net.

SALSA OFFERS A PEACHY TANG THAT’S GREAT WITH FISH OR FOWL

Fresh summer peaches are wonderful in this grilled peach salsa recipe, though chef Jeffry Wiesinger noted that frozen (not canned) would do in a pinch, and although freshly roasted red peppers work best, canned or jarred roasted peppers would work as well.

At The Wine Attic, “we serve this salsa with our duck confit quesadilla,” he said, “but it’s also good with grilled fish, chicken and pork.”

This recipe makes a hearty amount, but it’s easy to adjust the amounts according to what you need and/or have on hand.

CHEF JEFFRY’S GRILLED PEACH SALSA

• 4 cups peaches, grilled,

peeled, diced

• 2 cups red peppers, roasted, peeled and seeded, diced

• 6 Roma tomatoes, cored, diced

• 3 jalapeño peppers, de-stemmed, de-seeded, finely diced

• 2 medium red onions, peeled, finely diced

• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped

• Zest of 1 fresh lime

• Juice of 2 fresh limes

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 1 teaspoon ginger powder

• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, or to taste

• 1 tablespoon black pepper, or to taste

Combine all the ingredients except salt and pepper together in a mixing bowl.

Mix thoroughly and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cover with plastic or fitted lid and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld together, though up to 24 hours is best.

—Katy Budge