in bloom — Restaurant in Paso Robles

Perhaps it was elevated expectations, but on our recent visit, in bloom fell short.

We were seated promptly, our server guided us to a fe menu highlights and we ordered two cocktails, both of which (the white negroni and the barrel aged boulevardier) leant a little too heavily to the sweet side and probably could have used a bit more restraint with the demerara syrup. Though sweet, both were tasty.

For the first course we ordered the recommended carrots and pomegranate, the beets, and the fried burrata.

The carrots and pomegranate were fine, though a bit salty. The texture was a bit odd, the flavor of the walnut went missing in the shallot vinaigrette, but overall the dish was interesting.

The beets were a bit more straightforward; while red beets made up the majority of the dish a few lightly dressed slices of striped beets added some color and variety of texture. Some scant droplets of an apple jelly and slivers of almond helped add some complexity, but the dish didn't seem to ever amount to more than the sum of its parts.

The fried burrata was the disappointment that made us not want to explore the menu further. An overly-generous piece of burrata encrusted in a panko-style coating and deep fried was served atop a dollop of roasted pepper jam and topped with a bit of frisée . Grilled slices of baguette served as an accompaniment. There were multiple issues with this dish, starting with the main element. The size of the portion of burrata was so large that it was excessively hot at the perimeter and exceptionally cold in the center. The panko crust peeled away easily and seemed extraneous to how the dish should be served. The slices of the baguette were lightly grilled on one side, but completely charred on the other.

After noting the presentation of this dish, we felt that we couldn't order any of the three mains (fish, wagyu steak, or pork chop) with any degree of confidence, and instead chose to take our check and leave. Considering the fact that the restaurant recently received a very positive Michelin recommendation, we found this visit to be quite the...

This is the fourth time my wife and I have been to In Bloom. Unfortunately, it may be the last time too. The food has been a little spotty in the past, but some real winners have kept us coming back. But last night we were 0 for 3.

We started with the braised beets. The description reads "lavender creme fraiche, toasted pistachios, preserved onions, beet dressing." Sounds lovely, right? And it would have been if the beets were the normal slightly sweet flavor combined with the light accompaniment. However, the beets were pickled in a pretty strong vinegar and the resultant mess was reminiscent of a pickle dipped in mayonnaise. Not a strong showing out of the gate.

Next up, the eggplant: "tomato & fennel hummus, poached cherry tomatoes, sourdough." This was a really nice dish, sort of like a babaganoush with small chunks of eggplant dotting the top of the plate. It was rich and filling and generously proportioned. We both enjoyed it a lot - except it was served with burnt toast. Really. See the attached picture. This kinda spoiled the entire course.

For our entrée we had the duck confit. The duck looked great but was greatly over seasoned, much too salty; pretty much inedible. We took a couple of nibbles and called it a night.

The restaurant is simply not executing well. The beet recipe was not thought out well, at least two people should have caught the burnt toast before it was served, and proper seasoning is a basic course at all cooking schools (you can't remove salt once it's added to a dish).

Maybe these sins are forgivable if the dishes were $5 or $10 each (not the salty duck at any price). But In Bloom is a pricy high end restaurant and these three courses added up to about $75. For that kind of money we expected better. And we've had better in the past at In Bloom, but for now, we're staying away until they figure out how to run a restaurant.

We gave them a second star because of the cheerful prompt servers...

MEDIOCRE AT BEST We dined at In Bloom tonight and were thoroughly disappointed with the quality of their offerings. Honestly, I have no idea how they managed to secure a Bib Gourmand rating from Michelin—it completely baffles me.

We started with the $14 bread service, which was shockingly underwhelming. The bread wasn’t even made in-house; it’s purchased externally, and the crust was tough and overly chewy. To make matters worse, it was oversalted, and the carrot butter accompaniment was lackluster, to say the least. Paying $14 for a demi baguette felt absurd—especially when I can get a $4 baguette at my local market, slather it with butter, and end up with something four times better than what they served.

The beets appetizer ($15) featured braised golden beets, whipped avocado, macerated strawberries, and edible soil. Unfortunately, it was pedestrian at best, with flavors that didn’t meld together in any meaningful way.

Our next course was the Braised Beans ($17), described as containing chanterelle mushrooms, heirloom kale, kale pesto, and 12-month manchego cheese. It turned out to be a horrid concoction—a porridge-like mess of white beans and the other ingredients thrown together haphazardly. The dish felt amateurish and utterly failed to deliver on taste or texture.

To sum it up, we came in expecting a dining experience that lived up to its glowing reviews but instead were met with mediocrity at every turn. In Bloom simply does not live up to the hype. My recommendation is to stay far away. Get some...