

Cover Story
Nocturnal nibbles: SLO has a late-night feast for your taste buds—alcohol not required
For a relatively sleepy place, SLO has a lot of neon glow. This realization dawns on me somewhere between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m., while in search of nocturnal flavor in May. It’s not just the regular suspects that burn into my retina: OPEN. CLOSED. COLD BEER. VACANCY. It’s in the luminous, orange-and-blue brilliance of…
Film Listings, 6/7/18 – 6/14/18
ACTION POINT What’s it rated? R Where’s it showing? Stadium 10, Galaxy Johnny Knoxville stars as D.C., the crackpot owner of a low-rent, out-of-control amusement park where the rides are designed with minimum safety for maximum fun. Just as D.C.’s estranged teenage daughter Boogie comes to visit, a corporate mega-park opens nearby and jeopardizes the…
This is America: Memorial Day is about freedom and remembrance
It’s Memorial Day, Monday, May 28, and my wife and I are posted up around the pool of the San Luis Obispo Elks Lodge, which is surrounded on two sides by a cemetery. As we drove in, we made note of the American flags dotting the graves of armed services members and their friends and…
Sashimi, steak make a splash at Arigato Sushi
This fish is for you Arigato Sushi is located at 667 Marsh St. in downtown SLO and is open Sunday through Thursday for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. for dinner, and Friday and Saturday for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 to 10 p.m. for…
Cal Poly club creates week-long camp and support community for children with a parent battling cancer
Kevin Allenstein remembers the first camp session that he put together with other students as new members of the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Chapter of Camp Kesem. His position in the chapter was camp counselor, and he also had the duty of planning daily activities for the campers. The lineup was the usual games…
Catch ‘The B-Side’ documentary at SLOMA
Learn all about photographer Elsa Dorfman and her medium, the larger than life Polaroid Land 20×24 camera at a screening of The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman’s Portrait Photography at the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art June 18 at 7 p.m. Director Errol Morris explores the life of this analog photographer with whimsical charm and wit,…
Good to the bone: New Times searches for the best wings in SLO
Get saucy To see what others think about the wing offerings in SLO, visit yelp.com. Is there anything more satisfying than biting into a perfectly saucy, crunchy Buffalo chicken wing dipped in creamy ranch dressing? We think not. So Arts Editor (and wing enthusiast) Ryah Cooley and Staff Writer Karen Garcia (admittedly on the fence…
Unhappy SLO
I recently saw that San Luis Obispo has been ranked as one of the happiest places to live in the U.S. Somehow, I think whoever came up with this designation for SLO had blinders on. Or maybe they’re just selective about who they ask about quality of life here. My wife and I have lived…
Shaken? Stirred? There’s no wrong way to enjoy a martini!
If the key to happiness really is enjoying the simple things in life, I’ll take mine straight up with a twist. While the martini is a seemingly straightforward glass of class—a few ingredients shaken or stirred, an olive or a curl of lemon peel seductively perched in the silhouette of a martini glass—its legend is…
Oceano doesn’t want to be the Dunes’ doormat anymore
For more than three decades, State Parks has violated its Coastal Development Permit, which allowed vehicles to temporarily enter the Oceano Dunes SVRA at Grand and Pier Avenues but required designation of a permanent access. The community of Oceano has waited too long to be relieved of the burden of being the doormat of the…
Meal prep 101: What I learned after a week of cooking for myself
Real food talk: Cooking for yourself is hard. Sure, it’s easy during the festivities of Thanksgiving and Christmas, when you have a date coming over for dinner, or on the days you actually feel like it. But cooking consistently, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Meal prepping week after week? That’s a different story, especially for…
Get PAC and corporate money out of elections
I strongly endorse Bill Ostrander for the Assembly. He stands against the corruption that comes with big corporate money in our elections. Corporations and PACs (Political Action Committees), that have no morality and no ability to vote, have the same right to donate to campaigns as people—even if they are headquartered outside our district or…
News nibs
Dads and grads: This Father’s Day, June 17, the Cliffs Hotel & Spa in Pismo Beach will offer spa guests a complimentary Firestone beer (for drinking) and an amber ale (for soaking). Fun fact: The beer softens the feet and has antiseptic properties! So, technically, Dad can immerse himself in beer from head to toe…
500 days of joy and gratitude
You may not have heard that Donald Trump recently celebrated his 500th day as our president. This would be true especially if you get your news from left-leaning media like … well … most of the media. But for me, it represented 500 days of joy and gratitude. You see, although I voted for Mr.…
Sip, swirl
Vineyard hangs: Claiborne & Churchill Winery (2649 Carpenter Canyon Road in San Luis Obispo) has launched a tasting flight of reserve and library wines that are not available in the winery’s tasting room. These pre-arranged sessions are led by seasoned staff and include pairings with cheese and charcuterie in the vineyard (sip the winery’s famous…
Water vapor, greenhouse gases, and global warming
This is a response to the May 24 commentary by Katie Ferrari (“Battling oil”). She states that “once the groundwater is mixed with the chemicals used in steam injection (of oil wells), it becomes toxic.” However, she fails to provide proof that the groundwater actually is mixing with the chemicals used in steam injection. She…
Wine learning
New art, old place: SLO’s Dallidet Adobe & Gardens, located at 1185 Pacific St. is now home to exhibitions and events sponsored by the Wine History Project of San Luis Obispo County. The adobe was built in the 1850s by Pierre Hypolite Dallidet, who grew more than 150 varieties of grapes, and made and bottled…
An obscene personal attack
American politics took a nosedive into a sewer last month with first “Roseanne” making a racist tweet about President Obama’s longtime closest personal advisor Valerie Jarett. For her brain-dead remark she lost her career of 40 years, was dumped by her network and her agent, and branded for life as an ignorant racist. This incident…
Rosé on wheels
Is there anything more “classic summer” than the hot sun bouncing off a metallic Airstream trailer? My family’s old Airstream had an 8-track player and a musty smell. This one is guaranteed to be a heck of a lot cuter. Just in time for summer, Malene Wines is throwing open the shiny doors of its…
More of the same
Early election returns weren’t really a surprise to anyone, especially not incumbent SLO County Sheriff Ian Parkinson who relaxed on the morning of June 5 with a sweet horseback ride and a serenade from the matriarch of one of SLO County’s powerful families. “Oh what a beautiful morning,” Phyllis Madonna crooned into Parkinson’s ear via…
Parkinson elected for third term as county Sheriff
On June 5, the inside of the large barnlike structure at Holland Ranch was bathed in a red glow from a large neon sign on one of the walls. As a DJ played Marvin Gayes’ “What’s Going On,” Holland family members and supporters spoke softly to each other and traded a few hugs. They’d come…
Social media sound off
New Times readers took to Facebook to share their thoughts about our May 31 news story, “Cal Poly academic senate may recommend capping security costs for invited speakers.”
Gibson re-elected; Compton, Paulding race too close to call
In a San Luis Obispo County primary election dominated by landslide victories for incumbents, the race for a critical swing vote on the county Board of Supervisors remained too close to call as of press time. Both Lynn Compton and Jimmy Paulding left their respective election night parties in Nipomo on June 5 without news…
Neo-swing act Big Bad Voodoo Daddy headlines the Live Oak Music Festival on June 16
What was happening with the American zeitgeist in 1989 that led to the swing revival? Was it the fall of the Berlin Wall and the impending end of the Cold War? Was it the economic recession of ’89 and ’90? Was it a desire for a retro alternative to the ubiquitous LA metal hairbands or…
Cambria rejects more fire funding; county OKs providing fire services to Cayucos
The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors on June 5 unanimously approved a plan to provide fire services for the Cayucos community and a proposal to assess future fire protection needs countywide. First District Supervisor John Peschong said he doesn’t see how certain areas of the county can have the necessary fire coverage without…
Art 2.0: California artists use the iPad as their canvas
Swipe right Electric Abstractions, featuring the work of California artists Daniel Leighton, Jayne Behman, and Robert Chapman, will be on display at the SLO Museum of Art through June 10. The museum will also host Art at High Noon with Behman on June 7. Visit sloma.org for more information. Daniel Leighton has Crohn’s disease and…
Carbajal, Fareed to face off for U.S. House; Cunningham, Ostrander vie for Assembly
A buzzing crowd of supporters of Republican candidate Justin Fareed sipped drinks at the Santa Maria Elks Lodge while awaiting the primary election results on the evening of June 5. By 10 p.m., Fareed’s campaign felt comfortable declaring that he had shut out Republican primary candidate Michael Erin Woody for the GOP ticket, ensuring that…
Goodbye, Daisy: ‘The Last Flapper’ chronicles the end of Zelda Fitzgerald’s life
Last call Wine Country Theatre’s production of The Last Flapper is on stage through June17 at the Park Ballroom in downtown Paso Robles. Tickets are $15 for students, $20 for group seating, and $25 for general admission. Visit winecountrytheatre.com for more information. Sometimes fact is even stranger than fiction. Such is the case when you…
Voters pass county pot tax; SLO sends one to next ballot
SLO County voters overwhelming approved a new cannabis tax on June 5 for pot businesses in unincorporated areas. On the same day, the SLO City Council put the finishing touches on its own cannabis tax for voters to decide on in November. Unofficial results show that Measure B-18, a 4-percent gross receipts tax on all…
Find your Zen through art
Learn the Zentangle method of mindful creation as a way to relax, focus, and expand the imagination at a workshop at Art Center Morro Bay June 9 at 10 a.m. Through drawing guided systematic patterns, students learn to trust their creativity, increase awareness, respond confidently to the unexpected, and discover the fun and healing in…
‘Adrift’ is a sappy romance and survival tale mash-up
ADRIFT What’s it rated? PG-13 What’s it worth, Anna? Rental What’s it worth, Glen? Rental Where’s it showing? Downtown Centre, Park, Stadium 10, Galaxy Baltasar Kormákur (Contraband, 2 Guns, Everest) directs this true story of survival about Tami Oldham (Shailene Woodley) and Richard Sharp (Sam Clafin), two free-spirited lovers and avid sailors who set off…
Man shot by AG police pleads insanity
A carjacking suspect shot by Arroyo Grande police after allegedly charging at an officer with a knife pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the charges brought against him by the SLO County District Attorney’s Office. Christopher William Allen, 48, originally pleaded not guilty to the six criminal charges filed against him in connection…
Walk through historical downtown SLO
Explore the architecture and history of downtown San Luis Obispo June 8 and June 10 at 1 p.m. at the Victorian Houses, Old West Lives: Guided Walking Tours. Architectural historian James Papp will show not only the outside of historic buildings, but also take attendees inside many of them and everyone how to read their…
Underrated: Hulk
What’s it rated? PG-13 When? 2003 Where’s it available? DVD Before Edward Norton and Mark Ruffalo donned those infamous purple trunks for films set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Eric Bana took on the role of Bruce Banner in director Ang Lee’s vastly underappreciated—dare I say, incredible—Hulk. Lee, largely known for directing Crouching Tiger, Hidden…
SLOCOG is ready to roll out a ride program for seniors amid protest from one local nonprofit
As the senior population of SLO County continues to grow at a rapid rate, the local organizations tasked with helping them get around town are trying to keep up. Many of the estimated 49,000 SLO County residents older than 65 need some kind of transportation, and the SLO County Council of Governments (SLOCOG) is rolling…
Cuesta performing arts receives $1.5 million donation
The Cuesta College Foundation received a $1.5 million donation from the Harold J. Miossi Charitable Trust, officials announced June 1. The gift will support the Harold J. Miossi Art Gallery and the Cultural and Performing Arts Center. This donation is the largest gift ever to support the fine and performing arts at Cuesta. Δ






