A long weekend stay along California‘s Central Coast is not complete without dinner at Madeline’s Restaurant in Cambria’s West Village.

Cambria, a cozy, sleepy village is a California beach vibe with just enough European architectural charm to meld old- and new-world charm.

With Moonstone Beach and boardwalk less than five minutes away, Madeline’s Chef and owner David Stoothoff continues to impress locals and tourists for over 20 years.

Originally from Chicago, Chef David, wife Jessica, and his family were visiting friends in the area when they were amazed by California‘s Central Coast beauty. He quit his corporate job in Chicago and moved to Cambria.

While he worked in restaurants his entire life, he is self-taught and Madeline‘s is his first restaurant, named after his oldest daughter. In fact, all five of his children have worked at the French-inspired restaurant up until they graduated from high school.

Since opening in 2003, Chef says many of his favorite memories also include other employees who worked for him in high school who return to dine at the restaurant with their families.

He marvels at his journey and says he is amazed by its length. 

“I‘ve stood in this place, during good and bad, now for 20 years,“ David said. “That is my journey and I still love making great food. There is no drop-off in passion for what I do. I love changing the menu and bringing baseline French seasonal entreés to the table. It is still all so much fun.“

Having established credibility in the local, largely retired community, Madeline‘s commitment to quality and creativity attracts the patronship of many far beyond the Central Coast.

On any given night, Madeline‘s hosts 60-70 percent of diners from outside the area, including tourists.

Because Cambria is conveniently located on California‘s Highway 1, tourists pass through to destinations like Hearst Castle, and Big Sur, or drive to the coast from San Luis  Obispo and Paso Robles. 

Of course, Madeline‘s also has a strong following from Central California as well. Cambria fine dining is a testament to great chefs and staff, local produce, meat, and fish. Normally a town of only 6,500 could not support so many great choices.

Chef David’s new fall menu is out and he is excited to share his braised short ribs with pappardelle pasta and local wild mushrooms. He has created a house-smoked pheasant flatbread (savory pie crust) with caramelized onions and goat cheese. Plus, he‘s offering a special fall salad among other new items. 

Still in its original location on Cambria’s Main Street, Madeline‘s is also a Wine Cellar, complete with Madeline‘s Cellars labels and local wines.

While Madeline‘s Cellar’s wine list is nearly 90 percent local, he also boasts his own wine label. Five years ago, Chef partnered with longtime winemaker Jeff Branco. They are on their fourth vintage.

“I am partial to the Gigi Cuvée, named after our middle daughter, Gigi,“ Chef said. “The other three children don‘t have anything named after them. Although, I used to name menu items after the kids, but I‘ve stopped doing that as they got older. And they were all in agreement.“

As his winemaking endeavor was taking off, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed David‘s entrepreneurship to the next level.

“I wanted to focus on our Madeline’s Cellars wines, and, at the time, there was no tasting room on Moonstone Beach,“ David said. “During COVID, I inquired from many of the hotels there and the Cambria Shores Inn jumped at the chance to partner with our brand. And as luck has it, their patio is the only one that looks down over the ocean.“

He knocked on the doors of hotels along the water to see if he could start using a breakfast room that was dormant due to the pandemic. He eventfully secured a space and still operates there as Madeline‘s on Moonstone.

Chef went on to say that now Tooth & Nail Winery‘s tasting room at the Pelican Inn & Suites is a welcome neighbor. 

“When you have a cute, charming town like Cambria, and folks who want to stay two to five nights,“ Chef said, “you need enough good restaurants and tasting rooms to keep them in town.  When you have good competition, it encourages me to up my game, so to speak. I‘m focusing on what I am doing. I know I am a good competitor on both accounts: wine and food.“

When Chef joined forces with former Justin winemaker, Jeff Branco, who graduated from a prestigious wine school in Bordeaux.  Together, they are creating Bordeaux varietals under Madeline‘s Cellar.

Jeff worked for Justin, between 1997-2003 and created Justin’s Isosceles wines. With such a strong background, he has given much credibility to Madeline’s Cellars wines. Many know the Justine Isosceles became the No. 6 wine in the world. 

Jeff is the third American to graduate from the University of Bordeaux’s prestigious Master of Science in Viticulture and Enology program since its founding by Louis Pasteur over 140 years ago.

“Jeff left Justin to work on some other projects for a number of years and then moved back to our area, “ Chef David said. “I met him five years ago when he was consulting and making wine for another winery. He asked me whether I wanted my own label, and I initially told him no because I could not control the final product.“

Jeff fuses his French training with his Californian winemaking experience to create Bordeaux-style wines with a California twist. This fits very well with Chef David‘s vision of Bordeaux blends seamlessly pairing with Madeline‘s California French cuisine.

Chef serves traditional French-inspired dishes combined with California inventiveness and a commitment to locally farmed produce from mostly organic products from Santa Rosa Creek Road and several local farms. Chef uses organic produce as much as possible. Plus everything is made fresh every day. 

Chef went on to say he continues to demand full control of his restaurant; the good, bad or ugly, committing 5-6 days a week in the kitchen, often arriving by 4:40 a.m. to prep. 

With heavy involvement in the restaurant, Chef David knew he couldn’t also fully manage a winery. After initially rebuffing wine partnerships, Jeff and chef worked out an agreement to create wines for the restaurant.

“When I agreed to work with Jeff, we met to discuss and work as a team, creating wines that fit my palette and expectations.“

Chef David also said their relationship continues, one harvest at a time, but things have worked well so far.

“Jeff has a lot of connections in the area and still is able to source great fruit,“ Chef said, “that, in our estimation, make for a good fit for Madeline‘s Cellars. Our wines are created and produced in Paso Robles.

Madeline‘s Cellars produces about 500 cases of wines each year and are available both at the restaurant and at Madeline‘s on Moonstone tasting room a short drive away. 

“I am proud to put my brand or name on Madeline‘s wines,“ David said. “It reflects the integrity of our namesakes. Jeff and I remain friends and work well as a team.“

The close-knit Cambria restaurant community remains close, Chef said, and are all at the ready to help one another when needed. Early in September, a restaurant needed extra table linens, and Madeline‘s rushed over 50 more tablecloths to help with the shortfall.

On my visit, the Gig‘s Cuvée went very well with the pan-seared duck breast with dried cherry and brandy reduction. Chef suggested his salmon dish, which my daughter enjoyed. I want to go back to sample the gumbo, a local favorite.

One final note: Chef’s stuffed chicken remains one of the most asked-for menu items over the last 18 years.

“The fun part of what I do when I host in the restaurant,“ Chef said. “I love going around the tables during the evening to chat with the guests. I love to hear about the service, meals, and atmosphere. There is a good feeling here.  And it really goes beyond the food and service.“ 

David says he is a believer in treating his employees well and putting great care into what he creates each day. This sets the atmosphere and creates that good feeling when a guest walks through the door. The chef takes this very personally.

His employees are an integral part of the Madeline’s story, and Grady Pope, the marketing director whom David calls the “Swiss army knife of employees.“

“He is my Swiss Army Knife,“ David says. “I hired him as a server 15 years ago and he can do so much around here. He prints our menus; and, if things are broken, he fixes them. He hosts on Saturday nights and often works at the wine shop. Grady does a little of everything.“

Chef went on to share that Grady’s story is one of patience as he and his wife faced the disappointment of waiting for their first baby for five years. Well, they were getting frustrated and unhappy. But the moment they decided to celebrate not having a baby, Kaden was born. So we now celebrate with them and name our Cabernet Sauvignon after him.

Madeline‘s Restaurant and Wine Cellar is located at 788 Main St. Cambria CA, 93428. Daily Lunch 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. Daily dinner 5 – 9 p.m. For reservations, call 805.927.4175 or visit the website.