Foremost Wine Company

What an amazing dinner we had last night. We had reservations originally at 7:15. I called and asked if we could be seated a little bit earlier (6:45) at which they said wouldn’t be a problem at all. We were seated at a lovely table with our server Emily. Let’s start with the staff and then I’ll get into the food…
Emily was FANTASTIC! She was sweet, intelligent and attentive. Just enough attentions without trying to take over our evening. We were there celebrating my sisters upcoming wedding at which Emily was engaged with our celebration. She helped guide us to choosing a delicious Chardonnay blend called Tooth & Nail. Yummmy! We enjoyed two bottles it was that good. Even the rest of the staff was wonderful. There were times that I believe what was their bussers kindly came over and asked how everything was this even. Even the hostess came over at one point. It was very nice. You can tell that everyone there enjoys working there and is passionate about their restaurant. Which I love that!
Okay food food food…
We started off with the Bees Keeper burrata! Omg eyes rolling into the back of my head! Delish!!! I don’t even know how to explain how good it was. Just get it!
Next we had the grilled octopus. Presentation was beautiful. It has one long tentacle wrapped around the plate with two other nice size pieces of octopus. I definitely appreciated the flavors on this dish. We loves the chorizo with it and the chorizo vinaigrette. However the octopus was slightly over cooked which left the texture a little undesirable. Bummer there but really good flavors accenting the dish so not a totally loss.
Then we indulged in the mushroom toast. Yummmmy!!! It was a nice thick toasted piece of bread with a mound of mushrooms on top with arugula and a perfectly done sunny side up egg. We cut it all up and let the egg run all over the toast and mushrooms. Mmmmmmm enough said! Get that too.
Then we got the pork and lychee dish. This one was interesting to me. Not bad at all. But just different. I’m not a huge lychee fan but the group I was dinning with wanted to try it. I loved the pork itself. Perfectly crispy. It had radishes, thinly sliced kumquats, sliced onion, nuts and lychee and some cream with it. It was nice when all out together and I definitely appreciate the flavors and glad I tried it but I wouldn’t be jumping to order it again.
Next we got the butternut squash and pesto burrata because we wanted just a little more burrata cheese to indulge in. This was a let down after we had the bee keeper one. The pesto was yummy but the butternut squash was hard. Our whole table agreed that it would have been nice if the squash was cooked longer so it was spreadable to put down on the bread and to layer the pesto and burrata cheese on top. But the cheese saved the day. We love burrata! Haha
Okay our fatty dinner is almost done. Haha we then had the churros beignets for dessert. Holy cow! These were amazing! So soft and fluffy and the Carmel sauce with it! Mmmmmmm just do it! Lol we also enjoyed some coffee with this which was pressed!
All in all we had a wonderful dinner. Yes some things were a miss. But it was still super yummy and we will definitely recommend this place to others when I hear they are coming to SLO and I look forward to visiting here again and dining here again!

The hubby and I tried out Foremost for the prix fixed on Valentine’s Day. We were really excited to try it out and got a babysitter for the occasion.
I give 3 stars because of the lack of freshness of some of the produce and the extra salty desserts.
The first course, avo toast and salad, were good tasting. The salad was surprisingly flavorful. BUT– some of the greens– radicchio, and the avocado were not fresh. The greens were wilted & brown and the avocado bruised & brown. Not a huge deal, but it seems like the kitchen would have presented the dishes better simply by getting rid of these pieces.
The next course, tuna tartar and poached egg were good. The poached egg with chorizo was yummy. The tuna tartar was fairly plain, but good.
The entrée– black cod and hangar steak. My hanger steak was delicious, though it was services with egg– seemed weird to have 2 eggs on a prix fixe meal.
My husband’s black cod– on its own– was cooked perfectly and was tasty. But there was SO much going on on his plate. Too many flavors right at once.
Had the dinner ended at this point, we would have been fairly ok with the meal… A little pricey but it was overall good. But the prix fixe came with dessert.
The dessert– butterscotch pudding and passion fruit pavlova with berries had parts that were good but unfortunately the whipped cream that accompanied both was so extremely salty.
My husband and I are both salted sweets fans– but this was not a normal amount. It was almost like they had made the whipped cream with salt instead of sugar.
The butterscotch pudding had good flavor but was grainy… It was a dessert I could have made better at home.
Worse of all, the desserts just left a bad last impression of our meal as they were inedible.
The waitress did offer to bring us new desserts (which we declined) and comped us a small glass of Viognier and port.
We will try out their regular menu at some point, but unfortunately our first impression of Foremost was not as we had hoped for.

This place is a gem! Noah took great care of us, but didn’t check in too often, and the wine and food were both amazing. Beautifully presented and great flavor!

Amazing food, beautiful, chic décor, and courteous, attentive staff make this restaurant an all-​star choice. Add to that the amazing wine selection and the knowledge of Rob, the owner, create a very special place that is already gaining regional, state, and national attention. But please keep it a secret! We want to still be able to get a reservation!

Still a wonderful creative option in downtown SLO. A fun eclectic variety of tapas appetizers and mains. The wine is really different but a very deep collection of eclectic wines. Noah is an excellent sever who knows his menu and wine list, ask for him.

It was ok. Probably won’t go back again only because the menu was very confusing for me and didn’t realize that some of the portions were very large and could have been shared. Not much of a selection and it made it even more slim being gluten free. I ordered the steak and got a huge slab of beef (mostly fat) on my plate above a few potatoes. Way to much meat and no other side to wash it down. If you want any sort of salad you have to pay separately, then you have a huge salad (which was meant to be a main dish) and a huge main plate.

yummo! Took some clients here for dinner! Everything was great! The only thing I think they could improve on is the service although personable could have been a bit more attentive.
Burrata Bar — unreal!!!
Will go back for more!!!

I will most likely try to
FOREMOST FORGET ABOUT FOREMOST
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FOREMOST who like this type of trendy pricy place… HEY! Go FORE it.
~~~~~~~~
FOREME: I could let my pics speak for me… but it goes WAY BEYOND MEH
to the EKK level.
What was FOREWORSE:
1– The INCREDIBLE ETERNAL WAIT for 2 – 3 hours mostly for 2 sad snacks, or
2– The HORRID BURNT over oiled, vege starved, pretentious, vege/​small plates, or
3– The ROCK HARD Bar Stool that I sat on for an ETERNITY as I slowly watch the place go empty, or
4-​The UNFORGIVABLE waste of my time. or
5-​What I thought was at first a decent piece of NON-​BURNT SOFT OCTOPUS
was a decorative piece of what most HUMANS call MASHED POTATOES, but no, it was called POTATO PUREE.
FOREBEST:
Their OWN EXCELLENT PINOT FROM THEIR VINEYARD
IS APTLY & IRONICALLY
CALLED «STASIS»
& their OWN BREAD (which was not called «bread» LOL!).
I felt like a starving VAN GOGH from 130 yrs ago…
& almost felt like cutting off
an EAR
or 2!
Highlights:
1) Oddly enough, while I was waiting in vain for a table,
attention, or anything, after walking in… I happened to
have a 10 minute view of this smiling Asian Young Man,
skillfully making, cutting, rolling, reforming,
dough into individual balls
(it was the excellent Sour Dough Bread).
THAT FELLOW deserves a RAISE!
It eventually dawned on me, that I somehow was standing in the
«Bermuda Triangle»
of this place,
even though, I was standing clearly in the view.
of the Cocktail room,
the kitchen,
& a clueless hostess.
FOREMOST In my deluded mind,
I was hoping that one of the waitresses,
from the Cocktail area would notice… apparently,
either I was invisible,
or everyone thought
that someone else was helping me.
Other avoidance reasons include, that I was:
1) A dreaded demented geezer, or
2) A very scary Medusa-​like Alien from Galaxy 7?
Anyway, that was the first 10 minutes of my life,
that Foremost wasted (equal to a loss of $ 20+),
but more waste was yet to come
& at this inauspicious
moment in
STASIS
…I should have
WALKED OUT!
Instead, I advanced to a hostess &
asked for a quiet table in the Cocktail area.
Nix on that.
She then lead me to these lame low old coaches
that had low side tables on the end.
I had no idea how one would want to eat here,
except to have a drink while waiting for a table.
Nix on that! I needed to eat sideways? Huh?
WTH!
I then had a really bad idea & asked if I could sit at
DA BAR &
BE FEED &
WATERED.
I cramped into a small space on top of a
hard, NON-​EGONOMIC,
Crappy Bar Stool,
which did wonders for
my BACK
& NEUROPATHY!
I was now stuck in…
PERPETUAL
STASIS,
WAITING,
…excuse me, has the Universe died from ENTROPY YET?
WAITING for H20 or
lemon for 10 mins.
…finally coming to the horrid conclusion that the «Bar»
had no sink, thus no H2O, nor lemons…
A BAR
from AN ALTERNATE REALITY!
(As things died down,
I had a decent conversation with the frazzled bartender
who was clearly overworked).
I almost FOREGOT that I ordered food
(Before I FOREGET… PLEASE MAKE YOUR 1’s
look like 1’s & not 7’s,)
~~
NOW FOREFOOD:
1) Vege? Mushroom Toast= (supposedly with
Bone Marrow butter= FAT, FAT, but no taste of that)
& BURNT BLACK BUN with BURNT ONIONS,
OVER-​done EGG,
with tons of oil?,
A Cacophony of Burnt
& other flavors on the bland
mushrooms (surely not Portabello).
= Total Fail :(
~
YET ANOTHER ETERNAL
MIND NUMBING WAIT?
At no point in this
LONG ETERNITY
DID THEY OFFER
COMPENSATION,
for 2 – 3 hrs of wait!
2) Octopus?: 3 words: BURNT, TOUGH, & TINY!
The few micro-​burnt chewy pathetic pieces, sat,
covering a trio of BLOBs of Pureed Potatoes (Nursing Home-​like).
All made more «pretty» by
OIL PONDS
(which are fantastic for both my GERDS & IBS)
plus.
wait for it.
3 twisted long,
inedible brown things
for décor,
or a decoy?
= TOTAL FAIL
At this rate, I was realize that I may spend the remainder of
MY PATHETIC LIFE THERE…
so why not ease my way into ETERNITY
with a glass of a STASIS,
but my butt was sore…
AFTER-YET~ANOTHER~ETERNITY
3) Hanger Steak: Tasty, Char-​broiled out, but raw inside,
Yet another over-​done burnt egg, butter, 2 small mushrooms,
TRACE veges.
Unknown BROWN SMEAR for décor? WTH?
Had to ask for the «Bread» that came with it. WTH?!
=Borderline pass (for the great «bread»).
~
FORE $ 88, I EXPECT FAR MORE
THAN MISPLACED HYPE.
AMPLE TRUE VEGES ARE A MUST!
(BTW=
Mushrooms are
FUNGI
& are NOT Vegetables)
THUS = 1 Star for STASIS VINO, «BREAD»,
the «BREAD» MAKING DUDE,
& DA TENDER.
FOREMOST
NEEDS
IMPROVEMENT!
P. S. I am sure the owners
are nice people, but hey, while
I was in STASIS, you did not
notice! Nor did your overworked
staff really care.
You serve unhealthy food that
is no healthier than
FAST FOOD!
ADD LOTS OF
VEGES 4 for
LESS $
CUT THE DARN
FAT!
!!!
Thank you!

I am actually a bit surprised at the other reviews. We keep giving this place another chance, tonight was the third. We waited twenty to thirty minutes between courses, ridiculous. Started with the crab salad, just ok. Next thirty minutes later, the octopus, absolutely delicious. Twenty minutes after we had finished the octopus the sea bass arrives and again just ok. It was a Wendesday night, not really busy and we ordered everything at once. We have tried various dishes and just really underwhelmed, we won’t be back.

ENJOYED EVERY BITE AND SIP. Our table of five shared everything. Each dish was a feast for the eyes and a joy for the tastebuds. Endive and pear salad, roasted butternut plus olives burrata, mushroom toast, pan roasted diver scallops (three orders, 2 scallops each), lamb tartare (!), miso glazed black cod, and a special: two pound pork shoulder steak (a sight to behold!). Desserts: cardamom beignets, passionfruit and meringue tart. Bottle of recommended Tooth and Nail Malbec «The Fiend» Paso Robles, Murmur Vineyards Santa Barbara chardonnay, moscato with dessert (from d’Asti region of Italy). Best restaurant experience I’ve had in a long time, everyone was satisfied. GO, BE DELIGHTED!

Absolutely delicious, they nailed each dish, timing was perfect, appropriate wine selection… I put my picky/​foodie/​bratty/​chef hat on to critique this meal and found everything delightful.

By far the best restaurant in Slo! Not only was the food good but the wine and service was excellent. The atmosphere was cozy and enjoyable as well.
We ordered the Zinfandel for wine which was nice a smooth. For our app we ordered the Shepherd’s plate. Instead of getting two entrée’s we ordered from their small plate section. We enjoyed both the Albacore Tuna Tartare and another dish which name escapes my memory but it had quail which was very tasty. All around it was a great experience and I have never had service like we did here in Slo county. Foremost has the set the bar pretty high.

I rarely give out 5 stars, so 4 is really good.
The food and ambiance are awesome. Super hipster, but that is not a bad thing.
Foremost has come a long way since they first opened, and I’m glad. We will be back for sure.
Only problem is that SLO has too many rad spots to eat at.
When choosing a spot to eat in SLO it is hard to make a choice. If you choose Foremost, you will not be disappointed.
Enjoy
D

Thoroughly enjoyed this experience from start to finish !
–beekeeper burrata with delicious honeycomb
–melon and cucumber salad
–kale salad
–grilled octopus small plate
–caramel budino dessert
with French pressed decaf
=Ultimate happiness.
What a great dinner! There truly aren’t words to express how delicious this experience was. It was one of those dinners where my friend and I just smiled while we chewed.
I would describe the décor as a dark, romantic spot. Also our server was amazing. All the bussers, servers, and manager worked together very well.

The most amazing restaurant in SLO! Noted San Francisco Chronicle restaurant critic Michael Bauer was spot on with his review. Started in the fun casual lounge with a glass of Pinot Noir and the beekeeper burrata to start. Amazingly presented with dark and light honey comb, almonds and edible flowers. Followed with small plates of oat crusted prawns fresh from Morro bay complimented by ginger and outstanding hanger steak. Everything freshly prepared farm to table. Chef Julie Simon and her enthusiastic staff are top drawer. Extensive wine list and shop.

One of San Luis’s hidden gem. Seriously though, this wine bar is tucked away in the creamery down Higuera Street.
Came here on a Saturday with my boyfriend without making prior reservations, but were able to be seated immediately. The wine and drinks menu is no joke. There is at least 10 different types of drink for every type of drinker. I really appreciate how most of their selection is locally sourced as well.
The food menu is limited, but I found their dinner selection to be just what I was looking for. There is a bit of a fusion play on cultural taste buds, but the menu stays true to «American (New).» That being said, the naan and rice that was part of our main meal was plainer than I would have liked. The meat, however, was especially tasty and literally melted in my mouth.
The ambiance is great. It’s nice how within one room, they’ve managed to set an environment that is not only intimate for couples, yet inviting for larger groups to socialize.
Only downside is that I was not overly impressed with the food to warrant the price and overall, you couldn’t expect to come here without dropping $ 30 per person (and that’s if you really try to save money). I really enjoyed trying this place and am glad to have gone before I moved from SLO.

Came on a Wednesday evening around 6pm. Only like 2 – 3 other tables taken. Seated right away. Service was very attentive and fast, and the ambiance is really nice. Excellent wine! But I wasn’t a huge fan of the food, oddly. I didn’t find it to be full of flavor. Plated beautifully though.
Ordered the bee keeper burrata — this was nice, I think their cheeses/​burrata and other charcuterie are what they really excel at.
Asian greens with Brussels sprouts– boring.
Roasted cauliflower — better than the Asian greens, but again not a lot of flavor.
Hanger steak — now this was too salty and I LOVE salt. Tasted like it had been marinated for a solid month.
Goat tartar — this was actually really good, and I would order again.
Grilled octopus — 4 small pieces of octopus were nicely grilled, but very singular in flavor even with all the other things on the plate I tried with it.
Crispy duck Thai salad — no. Barely any flavor.
Dessert was the coffee/​Caramel pudding — meh, I didn’t see what all the obsession was about.
I’m kinda bummed cause of all the hype I heard about this place. I had super high expectations. My 3 stars go to the ambiance and the staff.
Bill was around $ 220 without tip for all that with about 6 glasses of wine.
Would I come here again?
For the burrata and the charcuterie (which I didn’t try! It looked so good too) and wine.

I came to Foremost knowing it came into the picture long after my years living in SLO, and no idea what I was giving up Novo for. Now I KNOW. This was one of the most incredible meals of my life, and this comes from an SF Foodie, who had written only ONE Unilocal review before this.
The Beekeeper burrata plate was one of the most beautiful and sweet cheese dishes of my life, and every dish after did not cease to amaze. We had the burrata, charcuterie, goat tartare, duck crostini, Thai duck salad, hangar one filet, and a dessert I don’t even know the name of. Everything was beautifully plated, deliciously paired, and wonderfully delicious. Just GO.
Signed,
Fat n’happy

So excited about this new Wine Bar in SLO! Absolutely loved the ambiance. The décor and setting are perfect for a relaxing evening out whether for a glass of wine and small bite or a full meal. We came with some friends for my birthday and they brought their own wine so I didn’t get a chance to try more than one offering, but the list is impressive.
I loved the food. The menu was great — full of small bite options, my fav. Loved all of the farm fresh choices and interesting combinations.

I’d never heard of this place before seeing on Unilocal and I was pleasantly surprised. The service was very prompt and friendly and we were welcomed coming in the door.
The menu pairs food with wine and wine is all they carry. The food selections consist of meats and cheeses, small plates (you would need 2 for dinner) and a few family style plates. Our waitress told us that a family style would feed two people, but we felt like it was a little light.
We got a small plate of meatballs and then the lamb biryiani to share. There were three large sized meatballs and 5 small-​ish pieces of meat in the biryiani. There was plenty of rice and naan, but if we hadn’t gotten the meatballs, we definitely would have felt gypped. The food itself tasted great. You should totally get the meatballs.
The menu has lots of veggies and seafood, so be aware before you come. There was only 1 small plate and 1 large plate that my husband would have tried.
The restaurant has an urban feel with reclaimed wood on the walls, airplants on the table and open rafters. I probably won’t be back unless I come with one of my friends, since there weren’t too many options for my husband.