In fact, there is only one other restaurant in the entire town of Paso Robles with a Michelin star, making this an incredible achievement. On a recent trip to the Central Coast town, we took the opportunity to see if the restaurant lived up to the Michelin hype.

About The Restaurant at Justin

The Restaurant at Justin opened in 1991, ten years after the winery. In the 1980s and 90s, Paso Robles was a very compact wine region. Because there were only a small number of wineries, and an even smaller number of restaurants, Paso was not the wine lover destination that it is today.

The then owners actually created the restaurant to give them a place to entertain wine distributors, because there just wasn’t a suitable option in town. Times have changed at JUSTIN, and so too has ownership of the winery, which is now owned by Steward and Lynda Resnick, who are the owners of the Wonderful Company, an ag-business not without controversy. 

The new owners have made a concerted effort to elevate the dining experience, and by all accounts, they’ve pulled it off.

The Menu

Chef Rachel Haggstrom, whose resume includes time at the French Laundry and San Francisco’s Ritz-Carlton, has been the restaurant’s chef since 2019. To showcase the very best flavors in both the food and the wine, she has crafted a four-course menu with two supplemental course options. We opted to experience the full breadth of what the restaurant had to offer. All courses are paired with JUSTIN wines, and most of the produce comes right from the 26-acre on-site culinary garden.

Not Every Wine County Permits On-Site Winery Restaurants

If you’re wondering how it is that an up-and-coming California wine region managed to obtain a Michelin star, while wineries in foodie-favorite destinations like Napa Valley and Sonoma County have failed to do so, the answer comes down to red tape.

According to a piece by Jess Lander in the SF Chronicle:

Ordinances in both Napa and Sonoma counties prohibit wineries from operating full-service restaurants. Napa Valley did have one exception: Étoile, the Domaine Chandon restaurant that closed in 2014, had a Michelin star from 2006-2012. (The restaurant opened in 1977, and Napa’s ordinance was passed in 1990.) Since then, loopholes have enabled some wineries to offer educational food pairings, but they still cannot be legally classified as a restaurant.

While Napa and Sonoma are without Michelin-starred wineries, we may see this phenomenon continue to expand to regions like Santa Barbara, or even Anderson Valley.

The Experience

When we arrived at The Restaurant at JUSTIN Winery, we were warmly greeted at the entrance by staff. Prior to sitting down to dinner, you are given a tour of the grounds, including the picture-perfect garden, which is impeccably maintained. We should also mention that you’re given a glass of rose prior to the tour, which is a thoughtful way to set the mood for the evening.

The staff were even kind enough to snap a few photos of us standing with the lush vineyards behind us, as well as in the garden. This is a beautiful setting and the restaurant takes full advantage of the vineyard views.  

Now, on to the food!

The Starters

At a Michelin-star restaurant, the presentation matters just as much as the food, and the first starter, an oyster with pickled cherry and rose sauce, was about as gorgeous a plating as we’ve seen. The salinity paired perfectly with the rose.

We don’t always give a special shout-out to a restaurant’s bread offering, but JUSTIN’s deserves a nod. The sourdough starter is 4-years-old, named Brandon (!!), and the butter is hand-churned, and imported from France. Not only that, but they offered us a gluten-free bread option, in addition to the flour-based bread. A very nice touch.

Following the oyster amuse bouche, we enjoyed a trio of starters, which featured crab and carrot. Each was excellent. 

The Four-Course Menu

Yellowtail Crudo

Passion Fruit | Cilantro | Daikon | Avocado | Tamari

2021 JUSTIN Viognier Butter Balm

This Yellowtail Crudo was the perfect dish, and the pairing of the 2021 JUSTIN Viognier worked well. Dollops of avocado-tamari balanced out the sweetness of the passionfruit, to create an excellent palate-cleansing dish.

Supplemental Course 

Regis Ova Malossol Caviar

Asparagus | Chive | Beurre Blanc | Hollandaise | Buckwheat

Supplemental Wine Pairing for $5

2021 Landmark Vineyards Pinot Gris 

If you’re a caviar person, you must get this supplemental course. It was just amazing, and presentation-wise, the plate is popping with color and texture. The caviar was paired with the 2021 Landmark Vineyards Pinot Gris, which is also owned by the Resnick’s Wonderful Company. Both the wine, and the dish were very good, and each hit all of the classic notes you would expect.

Triticale Culurgione 

Dreamweaver | Black Trumpet Mushroom | Fava Bean

Guanciale | Nasturtium | English Pea

2017 JUSTIN JUSTIFICATION 65% Cabernet Franc and 35% Merlot.  

The Culurgione, which is a ravioli-like dish, was filled with spring flavors in the form of fava beans and English peas. This seasonal interpretation was even complemented by the addition of beautiful edible flowers.The Old World-style JUSTIN Justification, a blend of Cab Franc and Merlot, hit all the right notes. A textbook execution on this bottle. 

California Lamb Saddle

Green Garlic | Farmer Frank Mushroom | Artichoke | Local Chèvre

2014 JUSTIN FOCUS 100% Syrah. 

The wine stole the show on this course. While the lamb was good, albeit a little heavy on the rosemary, it was the 2014 JUSTIN Focus that captivated our palates. Just an outstanding Syrah. Lots of dark fruit notes, a little vanilla and oak, and hints of pepper. This might have been the best wine of the night.

Supplemental Course

Challerhocker Croquettes / Soufflé

Pickled Blackberry Coulis | Estate Greens

Supplemental Wine Pairing for $25

2012 JUSTIN Isosceles. 

This dish was a pass for us, and we regretted ordering it after the first bite. The molten cheese within the croquette was so hot that it burned and blistered our mouths. Putting that aside, it wasn’t a great dish anyway. After the first supplemental course, which was spectacular, this was a total waste of the upgrade. 

The pairing, a 2012 JUSTIN Isosceles, wasn’t much better. We know some people love this wine, but it just never hits us the way it should. Maybe it’s the high alcohol throwing things out of whack. Either way, the dish and the wine were a big miss. If it’s on the menu when you dine, we recommend skipping it.

Goat Cheesecake

Bearss Lime | Olive Oil Cake | Blood Orange | Cara Cara

2018 JUSTIN Sunny’s Block 

We’ve said it for so many of the dishes in this meal, but the plating and presentation really is second to none here. The contrast of the deep red blood orange with the bold orange of the cara cara fruit is stunning. This dessert was almost too pretty to eat! The sommelier pairing was the 2018 Sunny’s Block muscat, a nice muscat for a very nice dessert

Final Thoughts

All in all, it was the little touches, in addition to the excellent execution, that put this meal over the top. From the Manager Crystal, to the hostess, Angie who seated us to our servers, Amanda and Collin, everyone we encountered at the restaurant was friendly.

The restaurant even personalized our menus by printing “Welcome Martin Party” on them. The table-side preparation of the mushroom tea and the box of chocolates that the restaurant brings around at the end of the meal in lieu of petit fours was just the right ending. A subtle, but appreciated touch of elegance for what was overall, an excellent experience.