Meet Carole MacDonal | Restaurant Owner/ Sommelier

We had the good fortune of connecting with Carole MacDonal and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Carole, what is the most important factor behind your success?
Being present every day to nurture and guide the progression of the restaurant. I grew up in the restaurant business … it’s in my blood. I learned very young the value of people and how one should never place money over people. This translates for both our customers and our team. As a producer and published writer in Hollywood with credits in both television and film “the Amazing Race” and “the Biggest Loser” I have worked with teams my entire career. Now I follow my passion for food and wine in our restaurants and the love of our community in Paso Robles.

What should our readers know about your business?
Il Cortile is a fine dining Italian Restaurant. As with many other restaurants, we source locally, our menus are seasonal and we import specialty items from Italy. But it is our attention to detail that sets us apart. We work closely with our local farmers to insure the best quality and freshness. Our pastas are made every day and we like to think we source our proteins from the best as well. Once it is in house, it is how the chef prepares the dishes with great enthusiasm and joy! As he says, he loves to see how the pastas “get involved” with the sauces and he gets to express himself in the dishes he prepares.

We match that with front of house as well. We pay great attention to everything we do to make the customers experience memorable. Even our design was very intentional. The colors of the walls are beautiful shades of yellow and that complements every diner, the lighting is romantic but you are able to read your menu, the sound is tempered so you can have a conversation and enjoy the ambiance as well. We pay attention to our regulars and remember as much as we can about them so when they come in, they feel like family. Our staff is educated and trained to give the best fine dining service without being snobby.

We have partnered with many of the wineries in the area and also include Italian and French wines on our list which has won awards for the past 10 years. We truly value our relationships with many wineries here in the Central Coast.

We began in 2009 during the financial crisis and it was very tough. We needed to make a name for ourselves and get the locals and wineries to know us and hopefully refer us to their guests. We were diligent in getting involved in the community, partnering with wineries for special dinners, getting involved with charity and non profits just to get known. Once they tried us, the referrals kept coming until we became the number 1 restaurant in the area. We did have a good PR campaign and social media helped us tremendously! All the while we kept our standards in food and service above normal and we continue to improve each and every year.

The lessons we have learned are first and foremost, people and relationships are much more important than money. Not that we do not want to make a profit. We do. And we do make a profit. But treating our employees and guests and even our vendors with respect and true compassion is paramount. Our staff has stayed with us for years and years and we have become a family. We know that keeping them happy and buying into the culture of the restaurant is paramount as their work helps us to become more successful! Our customers see it and are thankful for the consistency.

Another lesson was from my father, who had a restaurant when I was growing up. That lesson is that you have to be present and involved with the business every single day. They have to see our faces and guests want to interact with us and feel like they are part of the family as well.

What we want the world to know is we do this because we love it! Our goal is to make people happy and give them an experience they will not forget. We are creative and caring and go out of our way to create that experience for you.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Our Itinerary would include a variety of offerings here in Paso and on the Central Coast. It would start with where they would stay if not with us. My 2 favorite hotels are Hotel Cheval and Piccolo for a high end experience. There also are 2 very new and kitchy motels that have been redone, The Farmhouse and Stables.

There are multiple wineries to visit and on the top of the list would be L’ Aventure, Clos Solene, Benom, Tablas Creek, Epoch to name a few. And we would pepper them in all through the week. In town I would take them to Diablo Paso for a completely different experience.

There are 4 coffee shops and each day I would take them to Spearhead, Joebella, Cheval and AMSTRDM. For lunch I would visit Paso Market Walk and visit The Wine Merchant for the best grilled cheese sandwich ever and BL Brassiere for a traditional French experience.

I would include a visit to Studios on the Park to see great art and local artists.

A trip to the coast for hiking or just a beach visit, depending on the time of the year is a must. Cayucos is a great beach to walk or just relax. San Simeon and Hearst Ranch Beach is stunning and has to be included. There is a new-ish restaurant called Bridge Street Cafe in Cambria is a lunch we can hit on the way.

For dinners, I would of course go to Il Cortile more than once as there are so many items on the menu that call for your attention. Then Les Petites Canailles for another French experience. One night we would have to visit Goshi for Japanese food as well.

Sensorio Light show would be on the itinerary for sure. It is breathtaking.

And one evening, I would end the night at Libretto, our local Jazz Club that has world class artist playing.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My husband, Santos MacDonal who is the executive chef and my business partner. Santos’ philosophy is to use fresh, locally sourced ingredients to bring amazing flavors together in the dishes he creates. As the master of the kitchen he is ever challenging himself to create new dishes that reflect the seasonality of the year and keep our customers coming back. Santos makes all pastas and sauces and oversees every dish that leaves the kitchen and is served at Il Cortile. His meticulous approach is not only key to our success but his dedication is to be recognized. I also have to send a shout out to my father, Leonard Levin. He instilled in me at a young age the importance to people and surrounding yourself with a community who will support you. That core value has been tested time in time again. The result is a stronger team and successful business.

Website: ilcortileristorante.com

Instagram: @ilcortilepaso