Farm-to-table fare meets Spanish and Peruvian flair at revamped Paso restaurant La Cosecha 

Well-known restaurateurs Carole and chef Santos MacDonal, who launched Italian restaurant Il Cortile in 2009 and Latin-inspired La Cosecha Bar + Restaurant in 2013, rocked the Paso Robles restaurant scene in 2023 when they relinquished ownership of La Cocecha.

It was a stellar year for the couple, garnering their 10th consecutive Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator for Il Cortile and seventh for La Cosecha. The magazine lauded both restaurants for their continued outstanding food quality, exciting dining and cocktail menus, elite service, and robust and thoughtful wine lists that offer a range of prices and represent Paso's top wineries.

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• Photo Courtesy Of La Cosecha Bar + Restaurant
• CELEBRATING LAND AND SEA Feast on poached king crab legs with salsa verde butter, filet mignon atop charred scallion chimichurri, roasted corn and edamame succotash, and more at La Cosecha in Paso Robles on New Year's Eve.

However, the MacDonals were ready to downsize and knew the perfect transition team—Carole's nephews Eric and Matthew Carfagnini.

A grand re-opening party in October publicly sealed the deal.

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• Photo Courtesy Of La Cosecha Bar + Restaurant
• SIZZLING SIPS The craft cocktail menu at La Cosecha boasts signature and seasonal creations with local ingredients when available. Through the Looking Glass combines mezcal, key lime, orange Curaçao, and green Chartreuse.

The brothers have past ties to La Cosecha—Eric created its mixology program—and boast combined decades of experience running food and beverage programs across the country.

But the clincher for the MacDonals was preserving the family legacy.

The Carfagninis are 100 percent committed to La Cosecha's continued success and wasted little time assembling a stellar local team to help lead its next chapter.

"[I'm] a Bay Area local, while Matthew calls Arizona home," Eric said. "Despite our roots, both of us have dedicated the past decade to Paso Robles, being present in the community every other week."

They tapped general manager Benjamin Meyer and executive chef Christian Schnabel, both of Paso, to help finesse La Cosecha's new Spanish- and Peruvian-centric cuisine, with special events, music, and more slated for the new year.

"La Cosecha is more than great food, it's a dining experience," Eric continued. "Chef Christian collaborates seamlessly with our team to curate and present exceptional cuisine, complemented by the hospitality orchestrated by Ben and our front-of-house professionals."

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• Photo Courtesy Of La Cosecha Bar + Restaurant
• WINE WIZARD Sommelier, general manager, and musician Benjamin Meyer works his magic at La Cosecha by day and in his free time performs with his band Conjecture at local venues including The Raconteur Room and Tent City Beer in Atascadero.

Meyer also brings Michelin star power to the team. Previously the general manager at Paso's The Restaurant at JUSTIN, which earned a Michelin Guide star and green star for sustainable practices in both 2022 and 2023, Meyer has a storied career that kicked off at age 21, when he "became the youngest U.S. sommelier to pass what is now considered level two of the Court [of Master Sommeliers]," he said.

He was inspired by master sommelier Joseph Spellman, chairman of the Court's American Chapter at the time, who now serves as national spokesman for JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery and Sonoma's Landmark Vineyards, both part of The Wonderful Company.

After obtaining his advanced certification the following year, Meyer left his native Chicago for Los Angeles "to run the beverage program for Ashton Kutcher's Dolce restaurant group and then to Viceroy Hotels as the regional food and beverage director for Southern California working from ... Santa Monica and consulting with (chef) Alain Ducasse in new territories including Miami, San Francisco, and Mexico," he said. "I returned home to Chicago to take over as sommelier of Michael Jordan's renowned fine-dining establishment 160 Blue, even overseeing the legendary athlete's personal wine cellar."

Meyer landed subsequent jobs at restaurant management firms and standout eateries such as two Michelin-starred Acadia before the pandemic hit, when he reassessed his career and priorities.

He traveled the country, focused on his music—Meyer and his band Conjecture are set to drop their first album Wrong House by January—then got sidelined permanently in Paso after reconnecting with fellow Chicagoan Spellman.

While at JUSTIN, Meyer said, "I would spend my few nights off eating around downtown Paso Robles and returned to La Cosecha on multiple occasions for the energy and the food. It felt like the place to be.

"When the opportunity arose to become GM and after meeting with owners Eric and Matt Carfagnini, I felt it was the right fit for all involved and enthusiastically signed on to take the helm."

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• Photo Courtesy Of La Cosecha Bar + Restaurant
• SWEET AND SPICY Lamb ribs with Calabrian chili-hot honey butter, goat cheese yogurt, and Marcona almonds are popular with La Cosecha patrons and are one of chef Christian Schnabel's favorite dishes to prepare.

La Cosecha also benefits from the culinary leadership of Schnabel, Meyer said.

His lengthy hospitality career kicked off at age 19, working as a prep cook at Cal Poly, followed by stints at Splash Café in San Luis Obispo, Sissy's Uptown Cafe in Lompoc, and Thomas Hill Organics in Paso.

As a sauté grill cook at Thomas Hill Organics, he worked alongside his mentor Libry Darusman, who went on to help open Michelin-mentioned Nate's on Marsh in SLO and now serves as executive chef at Le French in Denver.

"I then worked at various food trucks and later at Enoteca at the La Bellasera Hotel & Suites in Paso," he continued.

In addition to learning "how to combine the five flavor sensations of sweet, salty, acid, bitter, and umami/savory" from Darusman, Schnabel said he draws inspiration from his father, "who taught me to cook from scratch at the young age of 7," as well as from Irma S. Rombauer's Joy of Cooking.

"I haven't worked much in Peruvian/Spanish food in the past," he conceded, "but I'm now invested and intrigued about knowing the flavors, cuisine, and culture. I do extensive research every day, broadening my knowledge and playing with food in different ways.

"I love to think outside the box and collaborate with [Meyer] to find the perfect pairings between food and beverage."

Standout dishes at the restaurant include lamb ribs, Peruvian ceviche, paella, grilled octopus, and flatbreads combined with an extensive craft cocktail list and carefully curated selection of local and imported wines.

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• Photo Courtesy Of La Cosecha Bar + Restaurant
• CEVICHE PERUANO La Cosecha's signature appetizer combines aji amarillo tigre de leche, or yellow pepper-citrus marinade, and corn-based cancha and choclo with sushi-grade raw fish upon ordering for maximum freshness.

The team takes its namesake—Spanish for harvest—seriously, sourcing from a slew of area producers, including "Farmer Frank's Mushrooms ... Windrose Farms for greens and carrots, Adelaida Springs for ground beef, Central Coast Lavender for honey, and the produce we get from Berryman is as local as available," Meyer said.

They had to eliminate some "old favorite comfort items in lieu of a more focused menu," Meyer added, "but when you are choosing to become Spanish and Peruvian, that's a heavy task. It can't be phoned in. It has to be authentic.

"Spain and Peru have garnered more attention from Michelin than any two other countries combined. We're not out for a star, but it doesn't mean we don't take it just as seriously as if we already had one.

"A bib would be apropos though—wink, wink, Tire Man."

Rounding out the re-envisioned restaurant is a sophisticated, yet inviting and eclectic atmosphere that supports local artists, philanthropists, and businesses. For example, unique and sometimes mismatched pieces of flatware and stemware from antique and thrift shops adorn tables—even walls—and spark conversation.

"The name of the game in a town like Paso, which I am so happy to call my home now, is engagement, narrative, and consistency, but make sure you have fun and don't take yourself too seriously along the way," Meyer said. "Take the food and hospitality seriously, but you shouldn't be stiff or scripted. They smell that a mile away." Δ

Flavor Writer Cherish Whyte thinks La Cosecha's future is bright. Reach her at [email protected].