“It’s not a restaurant, this is an experience:” Six Test Kitchen becomes the first restaurant in San Luis Obispo to earn a Michelin Star
Keeping up with the fine dining scene can seem like a hassle but San Luis Obispo County might become the newest destination for diners worldwide.
The lights are dim and the music is loud. It’s only one room and there’s limited seating, it feels like a rock club except it’s not: it’s Six Test Kitchen, one of the most elite restaurants in San Luis Obispo County
“It’s not like a typical restaurant, like we’re not cooking everything to order, that’s kind of what we’re doing right now,” Sous Chef David Ward said.
Ward is the sous chef to owner and Head Chef Ricky Odbert who opened Six Test Kitchen in 2019 Tin City Paso Robles.
“We were kind of testing a concept, which was a tasting menu of fine dining restaurants, in an area where that was pretty much nonexistent,” Odbert said.
Now Six Test Kitchen has a Michelin star, which is a globally recognized award that has been given out by the Michelin Tire Company since the early 1900s.
“Any guest that comes in here, could potentially be a Michelin inspector. But it pushes us, it pushes us to be better, to be more diligent,” Odbert said.
The “us” Odbert refers to is a small team of four men who work on everything in the restaurant together.
“It’s not like, ‘here are your notes for this evening’s menu, talk about it.’ You know, It’s somebody that cooked that duck, that’s telling you about the duck dish,” Odbert said.
A meal off Chef Odbert’s menu starts at $155. It’s ever changing but what’s on the list for the night is what you’ll get — Odbert’s team does not make any modifications.
“This is not a restaurant, this is an experience,” Food and Beverage Journalist Jaime Lewis said.
Lewis has dined at Six Test Kitchen twice, and said that these requirements are worth it.
“If people balk at the price, they should probably think about it more like going to a show,” Lewis said.
Odbert said he will keep putting on that show, with his mind set on a new goal: earning another Michelin star.
“One star is not what we eventually want. We’ve been recognized, and like now it starts. The games have begun,” Odbert said.
Six Test Kitchen is currently only taking reservations, with “tickets” being released at the beginning of every month.
