The Central Coast is home to several nationally renowned winery restaurants, including Roblar in Santa Ynez, Presqu’ile in Santa Maria, and Niner and The Restaurant at Justin in Paso Robles.
In the heart of Edna Valley—nestled between San Luis Obispo and Arroyo Grande—Center of Effort is eyeing inclusion in this esteemed list.
Reservations required
To reserve an estate tasting or lunch and wine pairing at Center of Effort, located at 2195 Corbett Canyon Road in Arroyo Grande, visit coewine.com. The winery is open daily, with the lunch and wine pairing offered Thursday to Sunday only. Follow the winery on Instagram and Facebook @coewine.
Leading the charge is the winery’s estate chef and culinary manager, Lindsey Carroll, of San Luis Obispo, who recently ratcheted up the competition with a Native American-inspired pairing experience that wowed visitors.
“Seeing how well-received this menu has been has truly warmed my heart,” said Carroll, who soft-launched the winery’s seasonal lunch and wine-pairing experience in 2024. “Being able to share my Native American heritage with our members was incredibly special.
“Featuring dishes like raw venison and stewed bison definitely made me nervous at first. I worried they might be too unfamiliar, but people embraced the challenge and really loved them.
“What made it even more meaningful was being able to share the stories behind the food—my grandmother, my memories visiting the Crow reservation [in Montana] with my family, fishing, gathering, and enjoying wild game together.
“It was such a gift to translate those memories and experiences into the dishes we served.”
Added Center of Effort proprietor Bill Swanson: “Lindsey has a natural talent for creating thoughtful, farm-to-table dishes that elevate our wines through pairings … [and] that make a visit to Center of Effort truly stand apart from other wineries in our region.
“Her work adds a special dimension to the COE experience, transforming each tasting into something memorable and unique.”
Carroll’s culinary journey began in 2013, when she left her hometown of Pacific Grove to study dietetics and nutrition at Cuesta College. After receiving her associate degree, she transferred to Cal Poly and obtained a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management with a concentration in culinary science.
“In late 2019, I joined the opening team at Hotel Cerro [in San Luis Obispo] as a pastry chef, which was my first real back-of-house restaurant experience,” she said.
“At the time, I was also working full time in events and marketing at [SLO’s] Foundation for the Performing Arts Center, so I’d bake in the early mornings and late nights around my regular 9-to-5.
“Even though it sounded a little insane to my friends, family, and my boss at the time, I absolutely loved it. Working in restaurants made me feel genuinely fulfilled, and I knew that was the direction my career would eventually take.”
When a position for assistant tasting manager at Center of Effort opened up in 2020, Carroll jumped at the chance.
“The tasting room is built around a beautiful state-of-the-art kitchen, and I immediately felt aligned with a winery that prioritized presenting food and wine together,” she said.
“I spent two years running the tasting room, but I was constantly itching to get into the kitchen. I even started our in-house cheese and charcuterie program just to whet my appetite. … Eventually, I heard the company was ready to build out a full culinary program, and I was brought into some of the early planning conversations. I finally decided to throw my hat in the ring.
“My interview was cooking a five-course dinner for our owners, general manager, and hospitality director. I made gochujang-glazed rib-eyes, and the rest is history.”
She’s been cooking at Center of Effort since February 2022.
“It has truly been the most challenging, rewarding, and joyful professional experience of my life,” she said. “I’ve grown so much as a chef, a community member, and a colleague, and I feel so grateful to be here in this beautiful place doing what I love.”
Credit: PHOTO BY CHERISH WHYTE
Carroll is joined in the kitchen by culinary assistant Sophia Ewing, a fellow Cal Poly graduate with a degree in liberal arts and sciences.
“Coming up with new menus every six weeks is one of my favorite parts of the job,” Ewing said. “Dish ideas are highly collaborative and usually start with a random idea from one party that is then added onto or tweaked by the other over and over again until we have a completed idea for a dish. So far, Lindsey and I agree that each new menu we come up with is a step up from the previous one.”
Credit: PHOTO BY CHERISH WHYTE
The duo usually prepares a three-course meal consisting of five plates, each paired with Center of Effort’s estate wines—the domain of general manager and winemaker Nathan R. Carlson and winemaker Kevin Bargetto.
“Our pairing process always starts with the wines,” Carroll explained. “Nathan and I taste through the selections we think we want to feature for the season, and I write down his tasting notes, and from there Sophia and I pull ingredients from … seasonal sources to see how everything begins to come together.
“It’s fascinating to see how certain flavors can highlight different nuances in the wines, and that’s really the fun part, where we get to experiment, play, and discover unexpected pairings.”
Center of Effort’s wines—chardonnay, pinot noir, Rhône varieties, and chenin blanc—are all estate-grown, SIP (Sustainability in Practice)-certified, and critically acclaimed, regularly garnering 93- to 96-point ratings from industry publications.
“My job as a winemaker is to tell the stories of our land and seasons in the form of bottled wines that reflect their place,” Carlson said. “Lindsey extends this mission, translating our … regional bounty into food that makes sense, has a point of view, and elevates our wines.
“[She] is creative and attuned to bright, fresh flavors and celebrating what is at its best at each point in the cycle of the year. She holds herself to really high standards and has a great handle on flavor, balance of texture and acidity, and an eye to present the dishes in visually appealing ways.”
Credit: PHOTO BY CHERISH WHYTE
Carroll sources ingredients from the 150-acre property’s garden, orchard, cover crops, and insectary and also “frequents farmers markets and partners with nearby growers and suppliers to keep our plates hyper-seasonal and as fresh as possible,” she said.
“For [the December] menu, we’re really leaning into indulgence, featuring dishes that are rich, layered, and decadent,” she continued. “Guests can look forward to broiled Morro Bay oysters dressed in a luxurious gruyere Mornay and pork belly glazed with estate orange.”
In the new year, she hopes to further refine and promote the winery’s culinary offerings.
“Center of Effort is such a special slice of the Edna Valley, and I want more people to know we’re here,” she said. “My goal at COE is to continue creating interesting, delicious bites that bring people together around a table.” Δ
Flavor Writer Cherish Whyte thinks COE’s lunch and wine pairing ranks among the top culinary experiences on the Central Coast. Reach her at cwhyte@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Dec 11-18, 2025.