Adelina’s Bistro, at The Monarch Club at Trilogy Monarch Dunes in Nipomo, features a fantastic menu of unique and wonderful choices in an atmosphere you just won’t want to leave. 
At Sandalwood Spa, at The Monarch Club, your relaxation begins as soon as you enter the treatment room. 
Between Sandalwood Spa and Adelina’s Bistro is a long, stone-walled hallway that maintains the ambience of The Monarch Club. 
The Negroni cocktail is a signature drink at Adelina’s Bistro. 
A fiery red appearance is one feature of the Negroni cocktail, but not the only. 
Adelina’s Bistro has a wood-stove pizza oven. 
The Classic White pizza is a fan favorite at Adelina’s Bistro. 
The wedge salad is another specialty.
Running a growing business, raising kids, attending board meetings and working through the ever-flowing responsibilities of life can wear the best of us to a ravel.
My business partner, Tonya Williams, and I are constantly on the move, searching for the best places to wine, dine and explore to recommend for Keys2theCoast. As much as we love our work and get to have a great time, sometimes a break is needed to gain clarity, relax sore muscles, refocus and recharge the batteries.
A great place to do just that is Sandalwood Spa in Nipomo with Amber B., a gifted massage therapist, kneading away the knots. It’s heavenly. With no direction from me, she seemed to intrinsically know exactly what I needed.
In one hour, I was rubbed, relaxed, rejuvenated and recharged. The facials are amazing as well.
“I loved it and wish that I hadn’t waited so long to get my very first facial,” Williams said. “I didn’t know that it included a neck massage. I felt like a queen for a day. Is it bad that I fell asleep?
“My face had a glow that I hadn’t seen in a long time. Treating myself is something that I am going to do more often.”
Let’s face it, no pun intended, the Central Coast is full of hidden gems. As I’ve written before, Sandalwood Spa at The Monarch Club at Trilogy Monarch Dunes, 1645 Trilogy Parkway, is a destination that is sure to please.
Soothing sounds come from various water features that are visually beautiful and create the perfect mood for relaxation. If you know it’s about time for a good time to nourish your body and soul, this would be a great choice.
“We strive to make our guests feel like they’re royalty in our treatment rooms,” shared Audra Napoli, Sandalwood Spa’s wellness director. “Seeing our clients’ faces when they leave us is all that I need to know that we’re doing a great job.”
Is there such a thing as overly relaxed? We felt like limp noodles floating over the dark, wood floors beside beautiful stone walls through the hallway for lunch. Located just down the hallway, in the same building, is a restaurant with delicious food: Adelina’s Bistro.
The entry to the dining room is bright with natural light and there is a huge fireplace putting off a golden glow. Comfortable booths, large tables with white club chairs, a long elegant bar and a brick-oven fireplace add to an incredibly relaxing experience and a fun atmosphere. The ceilings must be 30-feet high, with glass walls and an open-air feel that overlooks the bright green golf course.
The menu will light you up, since there are so many unique and wonderful things to order.
It was a pleasant surprise to read that Adelina’s has barrel-aged cocktails. The Negroni cocktail was recommended by our server and it was very good.
If you haven’t had one, you’re missing out. It was originated in Florence, Italy, in 1919, when Count Camillo Negron invented it by asking the bartender to strengthen his favorite cocktail, the Americano (not the coffee drink that you order at Starbucks) by adding gin. It is fiery red and the taste is smoky and unique.
Menu offerings included everything from a turkey burger, lobster mac and cheese, rack of lamb and antioxidant salads. The wedge salad was generously topped with melt-in-your-mouth blue cheese and a ton of crispy bacon.
If you like gourmet pizza, the Classic White is loaded with mozzarella and ricotta cheese, roasted garlic, spinach and a pinch of crushed red pepper.
“I can’t believe I get to work in such an amazing place,” Monarch Club general manager Chris Aldieri said. “Word of mouth has brought people in from all over the world to experience the spa, golf and enjoy delicious food.
“The Monarch Club is a jewel to be discovered and we are thrilled that more locals and tourists have learned that we are here and open for the public to enjoy.”
What can be better than a half-day getaway that restores the soul? Especially when it starts off with a mimosa and a massage, and ends with molten chocolate lava cake and a cappuccino?
— Donna Polizzi is a regional travel expert and founder of Keys to the Coast, a free Central Coast travel resource providing honest recommendations on the best places that locals want to go. She can be contacted at news@noozhawk.com. Click here to read previous columns. The opinions expressed are her own.