Rambling Spirits, the conversational cocktail bar in San Luis Obispo's Public Market, is now about more than distillation.

Owners Jon Carpenter and Ariette Armella have been dreaming of opening a bar and grill ever since Rambling Spirits debuted as a small workshop last year. The couple's dream is currently bustling as a 7,000-square-foot, two-story restaurant that's just a few steps from the main Public Market building.

• COURTESY PHOTO BY ARIETTE ARMELLA
• NEW YET FAMILIAR Chef Brenen Bonetti—the founder of Grinning Bear food truck—now heads the Rambling Spirits kitchen, dishing out his signature fried chicken and more.

Decorated with light wood accents, the Rambling Spirits restaurant references the great outdoors of SLO County.

"What we were hoping for the space was something that embraced the elements of the area—its rolling hills, its crashing waves—in a space that also embodied a sense of permanence," Carpenter said.

Armella and her sister, Mariana Armella, who works as an industrial designer from Mexico City and Querétaro, Mexico, took charge of most of the design.

A mural behind the bar in different shades of blue depicts a view of the Nine Sisters from the Miossi Open Space's Panorama Trail.

"This is the first hike that [Carpenter and Armella] took together in SLO while starting to work together on this project," Armella said. "The panels were all cut by a local craftsman, Jim Loesch, and painted by hand by Jon."

Beyond decor, the restaurant also embraced a more human element of SLO County: Brenen Bonetti, the former founder and head chef of the Grinning Bear food truck, famed for its brined fried chicken sandwiches. With the Grinning Bear now "in hibernation," he told New Times that he teamed up with Rambling Spirits as its new head chef once he decided he wanted to lead a brick-and-mortar restaurant.

"The vision was to have a menu that represents the bounty of the Central Coast, to have a little fun with some of the classics as well as bring some new flavors for our guests," Bonetti said. "There are a few Grinning Bear items on the menu—you can't just stop making fried chicken."

Bonetti's signature fried chicken makes an appearance in three forms on the Rambling Spirits menu. Bite-sized PickleBird Poppers roost in the small bites section; the pickle-brined fried chicken perches as a big plate that comes with honey hot sauce, a buttermilk vinaigrette, seasonal vegetables, and either mashed or crispy smashed potatoes; and the specialty chicken finally crows as a classic sandwich topped with sharp cheddar, lettuce, tomato, pickles, apple slaw, and Rambler sauce.

• COURTESY PHOTO BY ARIETTE ARMELLA
• CREATIVE COMBO Enjoy original offerings from the Rambling Spirits restaurant, including Chef Bonetti’s grilled oysters with garlic butter, and rustic gin distilled by co-owner Jon Carpenter.

Brined, dredged, and fried meticulously, the chicken stayed crisp until the last bite. But Bonetti is more than a fried chicken connoisseur. The chef, with a culinary background from San Francisco who worked at the Tooth and Nail Winery in Paso Robles as soon as he returned from the Bay Area, lets his creativity run wild in the Rambling Spirits kitchen.

Take his riff on s'mores. Called Campfire S'mores, a slab of Mexican hot chocolate terrine gets topped with a large marshmallow. It's then thickly dusted with crushed graham crackers and powdered sugar infused with tequila and lime.

On the savory menu, it was tough to pick a favorite between the buttery grilled ribeye steak that's drizzled with verdant and punchy chimichurri or the moreish grilled oysters with garlic butter, grilled lemon, and crostini to soak up all the juices.

"I am very excited about our grill and smoking program!" Bonetti said. "I can't wait to start getting more going, such as brisket."

Bonetti and his culinary team of eight work with hospitality manager Michael Beers to ensure patrons are well cared for when they dine at Rambling Spirits.

Despite Rambling Spirits' evolution into a restaurant, it hasn't forgotten its roots. Co-owner and distiller Carpenter still experiments with crafting cocktails behind the bar. And now, he has a bigger distillery on the second floor where he works on sharpening his gin-making talents.

• COURTESY PHOTO BY ARIETTE ARMELLA
• COME HUNGRY Tuck into a hefty plate of buttery ribeye steak at Rambling Spirits. It comes with crispy smashed potatoes or mashed potatoes, chimichurri, and seasonal vegetables.

Carpenter points out the Passionate Rickey cocktail as one of his top picks. He makes it with his gin, passionfruit, lime juice, and sparkling water. The spicy gin margarita is another creation he had fun making.

"This is made with our rustic gin, fresh-squeezed lime juice, Ancho Reyes, and Cointreau, garnished with jalapeño slivers and a Tajin rim," Carpenter said.

Diners can see Carpenter in distilling action soon thanks to the spaciousness of the new restaurant. It can seat 75 people on the ground floor near Carpenter's bar, another 75 on the outdoor patio, and 29 upstairs in the game room area near the distillery.

That second floor is currently home to a couch, several raised tables and chairs, and a handful of old-school arcade games. Carpenter and Armella are gearing up to open the game space and the distillery viewing room in early November.

"Our ultimate goal remains the same for this space as for the other, as is a general value of Rambling Spirits," he said. "We'd like to create a comfortable and welcoming space that brings the community together." Δ

Staff Writer Bulbul Rajagopal enjoys gin in her Rambling Spirits cocktail and tequila in her Rambling Spirits powdered sugar. Send cheers to [email protected].