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Fall 2023 – Issue 41

From Mike Sinor, Founding Winemaker of @ancientpea

From Mike Sinor, Founding Winemaker of @ancientpeaks and Co-Founder of @sinorlavallee , comes Shuck Shack Oyster and Natural Wine Bar in Avila Beach. He opened the business with his children, Tomas and Esmée, with premium hospitality as the priority.

The wine bar is just steps from the beach and offers local oysters, tinned fish, caviar and chips alongside heavier options like wood-fired pizza, European-style nachos, Nduja and cheese melts, and other shareable bites. The wine list spotlights rare pours from a deep bench of producers, many championing regenerative farming, alongside a few Sinor Family favorites.

🇵🇹 Portugal style wines are on the menu at Monarch

🇵🇹 Portugal style wines are on the menu at Monarch Grove Winery (@monarchgrovewinery) in Grover Beach (@visitgroverbeach where the owners recently opened a new tasting room. 🦋🍷

- - -

“On the Move” is featured in the 2026 Summer Issue of
@edibleslo

Story By Emily Basanese
Photography by Sarah Kathleen

Monarch Grove Winery’s tasting room has been a fixture of the Grover Beach Amtrak station, greeting riders as they disembarked from the train. Like the butterfly, the tasting room recently migrated away, just around the corner to a larger space. Owners Ercilia Martins and Julie Garcia are excited for this new stage of their business.

After that initial trip, Julie was hooked. She began taking winemaking classes and scouting locations for the right space to open a tasting room at home in Grover Beach. They wanted to apply that same Old World approach characteristic of Portuguese winemaking to their wine. That’s when they landed on Monarch Grove Winery.

Ercilia and Julie purchased Monarch Grove Winery on the first day of 2024, but their passion for wine started long before their acquisition. Ercilia is originally from Portugal and grew up in the countryside, where her family made their own table wine. She brought Julie home for visits in 2019 and 2022. That’s when Julie first began learning about winemaking from Ercilia’s father, Joe Martins.

“I fell in love with the culture and wine, and how food went with wine,” Julie says. “It’s an art.”

Transformation has been a running theme in both Julie and Ercilia’s lives, so a winery branded with the Monarch butterfly, a creature that undergoes dramatic physical change itself, was a serendipitous fit.

“The Monarch is a symbol of transformation and this whole experience has been a big transformation in our lives,” says Julie.

Grover Beach was also spot-on. When Ercilia first visited the small beach town, she instantly felt at home; it reminded her so much of Portugal. Grover Beach may not have the renown of San Luis Obispo or Pismo Beach, but that was part of the appeal.

“There definitely has always been a pull to this community,” says Ercilia. In 2018, the two purchased their first home in Grover Beach and

Some frames from Edible SLO Summer 2026 release pa

Some frames from Edible SLO Summer 2026 release party. Thank you again to everyone at @theandersonpaso for your hospitality!

🎥: @stephenheraldo

We laughed, we toasted, we celebrated - and we’re

We laughed, we toasted, we celebrated - and we’re still smiling about it!

What a beautiful evening of merrymaking to celebrate the release of our Summer issue. We’re grateful to all who helped bring the magazine to fruition: our editors, writers, photographers, illustrators, designers, story subjects, advertisers, partners, EVERYONE who graciously shared their resources, talent and stories with us. The only thing that could top that was enjoying a pretty rad party together.

Huge thanks to @theandersonpaso for hosting the party in such a beautiful space, and for the delicious food, drinks and hospitality that made it so memorable. Now let’s show up for them - their restaurant is OPEN! ✨👏

Thank you, Edible community, for making these events some of the highlights of our lives. We’re grateful to celebrate alongside you. Consider our cups (and hearts) full ❤️

📸: by @simpledaysocial

“Have It Your Way” introduces you to @chinagourmet

“Have It Your Way” introduces you to @chinagourmetpr owned by Jack Ming Chen. At China Gourmet, the menu is just a suggestion.

Words by @ajabgoare
Photography by @fusillofoto

“I don’t see my favorite on the menu but I want it.” @chinagourmetpr owner Jack Ming Chen is happy to oblige.

Team members at China Gourmet as well as on photographs of some of their popular dishes.

Team members at China Gourmet as well as on photographs of some of their popular dishes.

At China Gourmet, it’s all about having the dining experience that’s all about what you want.

🤤

This article was featured in our Summer 2026 issue.

Subscribe to Edible SLO and receive your quarterly printed magazine delivered to your door.

🤔 “Perspective: Executive Taste” - In this Perspec

🤔 “Perspective: Executive Taste” - In this Perspective piece, Loretta McFarland shares how learning to cook in her home kitchen as a child led to a career with unexpected opportunities to serve some iconic people, including a music legend and an American president.

Words by Loretta McFarland
Illustration by Jenna Hartzell

➡️ This piece is featured in the Summer 2026 issue of Edible San Luis Obispo.

© Copyright Edible San Luis Obispo

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