Featuring a Special Mother’s Day Lunch in Paso Robles

Welcome to a special Mother’s Day edition of entrée! I couldn’t think of a better place to celebrate Mother’s Day than Berry Hill Bistro in downtown Paso Robles. The perfect mother-daughter duo was invited along as special guests – Anne Laddon and Sasha Irving of Studios on the Park.
Much to our delight, Berry Hill Bistro owner Jody Storsteen was on board with creating the perfect setting and menu for our dining experience. She greeted us like family, and we shared a great meal together while chatting about our grandmothers, mothers, children, and grandchildren.

:: Guest List ::
Meagan Friberg, PASO Magazine Writer
Hayley Mattson, PASO Magazine Co-owner
Millie Drum, PASO Magazine Ad Consultant & Writer
:: Special Guests ::
Anne Laddon, Studios on the Park Founder & Artist
Sasha Irving, Studios on the Park Executive Director
Jody Storsteen, Berry Hill Bistro Owner

A little background on my fellow moms: Millie is mom to Genevieve, Jamie, and Karin, and Grandma to Carter, Gavin, and Brody. Hayley is mom to Elle, Mirac, and Max; Jody is mom to Tanner and Tate, and Anne is mom to Sasha and Ian. And me, I am mom to Erica, Sarah, Joshua, Patrick, Matthew, Michael, and Adam, and Grandma/Meema to Kayla, Madilyn, Jillian, Aaron, Avram, Jackson, Alice, Penelope, and Arielle!

Frites and Sweet Potato Frites MeaganFphoto copy

Photo by Meagan Friberg
Frites and Sweet Potato Frites at Berry Hill Bistro

I asked Sasha and Anne, “After 10 years at Studios, you continue to work well together as a mother-daughter team – what is your secret?
“My mom’s approach is ready, fire, aim,” Sasha said. “She has vision, tenacity, and passion and such a creative mind.”
Anne said, “Sasha is in the back making sure all the donors are contacted, making sure we are organized; she’s responsible for all the underpinnings that make this work.”
Sasha adds, “It’s worth noting that we are part of Studios, but there are a bunch of other ‘godmothers’ that are right there with us – Barbara Partridge, Dee Lacey, Liz Hastings to name a few. When you’re dreaming big, and my mom is always dreaming big, and when you’re working with your family, or friends that are like family, it allows you to take big risks and have big results.”
Jody agreed, saying, “It’s like a family here at Berry Hill also, and we hope people can feel that when they dine with us.”

There’s nothing better than family and great friends! Let’s get started!

STARTERS/SMALL PLATES
Jody started us off with Frites and Sweet Potato Frites, served with three dipping sauces; *Sweet Potato Bisque, and Seared Ahi with wasabi coleslaw. *on Mother’s Day menu

Sasha’s favorite: Sweet Potato Bisque-sweet potatoes, vegetable broth, shallots, coconut milk, homemade croutons. “What I love about this soup is you can taste all the ingredients and actually feel healthier when you’re done eating it! The best dishes don’t weigh you down, but make you feel like you’re ready to take on the world! And that’s what this soup is all about! It’s simple, but simple things are the best-that’s when your ingredients shine.”

ENTREES
There was a nice selection of dishes for the Paleos, Vegetarians, Vegans, and Meat-Eaters among us! The Maple Leaf Duck Breast Salad, Grilled Veggie Panini Sandwich, *Chicken Curry Salad Croissant Sandwich, and the Chicken Mango Salad. *on Mother’s Day menu
Meagan’s favorite: Chicken Curry Salad Croissant Sandwich -this delicious mix of ingredients was piled high on a soft, fresh croissant roll and served with a delightful salad of mixed fruit. “Jody had Chef Efrain split the sandwich to share between myself, Anne, and Millie-and there was plenty for all of us! I loved this!”
Anne’s favorite: Chicken Mango Salad-organic mixed greens, mangos, avocado, and red onion topped with a house made dressing of mango puree, fresh ginger, cilantro, and olive oil. “This salad is absolutely beautiful. The presentation is full of beautiful colors and textures, it’s fresh, and there’s an interesting combination of flavors.”
Hayley’s favorite: Chicken Mango Salad, modified: All of the ingredients above, minus chicken for a vegetarian option. “This salad is light and refreshing, really great flavor combinations, and it’s just delicious! And I love the dressing, it’s simple and fresh.”
“Talk about a creative force! How do you dream up the recipes, Jody?” Sasha asked.
“I’m always on the prowl for new trends, but it really comes down to being creative and combining ingredients I think are fun and flavorful. My grandmother, in the Depression, cooked for crews and it’s been passed on. I learned from my grandmother and mom, but I never dreamed this was going to be my career. There are some old family recipes I still use; I like to pull up classics from the archives.”
DESSERTS
We shared two sweet endings -the Chocolate Kahlua Cake and the Olallieberry Apple Crisp.
Millie’s favorite: The Olallieberry Apple Crisp “This is a delightful blend of sweet, warm, crisp, and cool. But what I enjoyed the most is memories of what Grandma and Mom used to make from their summer berry patch. A classic, crispy crumble tops warm berries and apples with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream to the side. There is no guilt when you indulge in desserts steeped in tradition.”
Jody lends a hand in the restaurant most days. She relies on her amazing support staff including Kitchen Manager & Day Chef Efrain Garcia, Night Chefs Leo Merced and Justin Martinez, and Front of the House Manager Erin Lawrence to keep things running smoothly.
Our server, Cindy, said, “We have a great staff, it’s like a family here and Jody is the mom!”