When the prestigious Michelin Guide came through the Central Coast the first time, they missed tasting at Six Test Kitchen in Tin City. But now, Chef Ricky Odbert, owner/chef at Six Test Kitchen, and his partner Matt Corella, who is also a chef, hold the very first Michelin star awarded in San Luis Obispo County. And it is well deserved!
See all Michelin ratings for San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.
Dining at a Michelin-starred restaurant is a special experience, from the multi-course menu and wine pairings (or accompanying interesting wine list) to the meticulous and creative steps taken in the kitchen and the overwhelming deliciousness on your plate, and also stretching to include the restaurant’s décor, overall feel and front-of-house service. A Michelin star means some exquisite dining, and the 14-course experience at Six Test Kitchen completely fits the bill.
The origin of this kitchen was a small, industrial kitchen built into a residential garage, bordered by a curved counter that sat 6 people max, as Chef Odbert thought this was the perfect number of people for a dinner party. (It seems 4 folks are not interesting enough, and 8 are too many to stay focused on a single conversation or experience.) Cooking his own wonderful and thoughtful creations for a small group while working for himself was always the dream. And coming home to Arroyo Grande after cooking in kitchens in San Francisco for 10 years turned out to be key to launching this dream.
Starting your own restaurant before the age of 30 take some financial heft. So Ricky sought the help of his dad, who helped build the perfect kitchen in the garage of their family home. The counter for 6 was the main focus, plus a small restroom and an exterior door. To operate legally, this was classified as a cooking class with 14 courses, where Chef Odbert and an assistant prepared, plated and served the entire dinner service, but also educated (and entertained) the guests the whole evening.
It’s the only dinner I’ve had where you have access to the Chef the entire night, and for Ricky that includes tons of information about the food and preparation, as well as plenty of sarcasm, subversive thoughts on the food world, and always a joke or 2. Dinner experiences were pre-sold online, wine was BYOB (Six Test Kitchen would contact you with pairing ideas after the menu was set) and the whole evening had one set price; it was up to the group to bring friends (up to 6 people) with which to enjoy it. Read more about this version of Six Text Kitchen by Matt Kettmann.
This atmosphere was key to Ricky’s success. He was free to experiment and take as long as he liked on a component or flavor of a dish. He knew exactly how many guests he would have each night, which helped control costs and limit any waste. And the personal time with each group of diners gave him feedback, ideas, satisfaction and desire for more.
As this setting began to limit Chef Odbert, he moved to a larger space in Tin City in Paso Robles, where he can have 2 counters of 6 people each. He staggers seating times, so that he is still present with each group of guests, and even found a way to add tables on the sidewalk leading up to the door during all the COVID outdoor dining.
This is the most interesting food happening on the Central Coast. I hadn’t seen a multi-course set menu at this quality on the Central Coast since the old Cass House restaurant closed in 2014 (Chef Lorenzen did amazing things there, too). Now, you can add on expertly paired wines, reserve dinner for the exact number of guests in your party, and spend the evening with Chef Odbert plus multiple talented sous chefs behind the counter. But be prepared to plan ahead! The reservations at Six Text Kitchen look to be 2-3 months out…and we couldn’t be happier about it.
See all Michelin ratings for San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.
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