SLO LIFE Magazine Aug/Sep 2019

THE MEATY MIRACLE
The silver bullet of low-carb menu options, the Steak Cobb
Salad at Firestone Grill in SLO brings new meaning to the
genre. Loaded with blue cheese, onion, tomato, bell pepper,
bacon, and generous hunks of tri-tip on green leaf lettuce,
this dish packs a powerful protein punch.
Interestingly, the salad originated not as a specialty but as a
way to minimize waste in the restaurant. “We sell steak, so
when we trim the ends of that steak, we use those trimmed
bits for our salad, along with other items,” says a Firestone
owner, Hal Billingsly, whose family owns locations in
Cambria, Fresno, and Bakersfield, in addition to SLO.
Billingsly estimates the restaurant goes through 1,000 to
1,800 pounds of tri-tip per week.
While Firestone Grill, of course, prides itself on Central
Coast barbecue, it offers more than one leafy option,
including the Firestone Salad (with feta and pine nuts),
Asian Chicken Salad, and Southwest Salad, with all
ingredients prepped daily. But the king of Firestone’s
salads? “The steak cobb is our most popular salad by far,”
says Billingsly.
SLO LIFE
BONUS ROUND: Salad With A Steak Knife
If you’ve never dined at The Range in
Santa Margarita, first of all, come out
from beneath that rock: Chef/Owner Jeff
Jackson and his team are making country
culinary magic over the hill. Secondly, be
sure to get The Original Man Salad when
you visit. An homage to wedge salads of
yore, this dish comprises half a head of
iceberg lettuce, paper-thin red onions,
sweet cherry tomatoes, croutons, and
slices of bacon beneath a blanket of blue
cheese-creme fraiche dressing. With a
couple hunks of housemade bread, this
makes for a satisfying summer dinner.
And, as for presentation? The Range
serves it with a massive Davy Crockett
knife, sturdy enough for a T-bone.
84 | SLO LIFE MAGAZINE | AUG/SEP 2019