America's 100 Best Wine Restaurants of 2019
The upscale-cool atmosphere, hyperlocal plates and standout wine list at this Santa Monica spot only seems to improve with age. Wine Director Kathryn Coker and Sommelier Ferdinando Mucerino maintain a focus on small producers near and far, stocking more than 500 bottles and serving a rotation of 30 wines by the glass, all tailored to its simple-but-excellent seasonal menu. A longtime vegetarian, Mucerino has particular skill pairing wines with the vegetable-driven cuisine that Chef Jeremy Fox is known for.
From The Sommelier: “More than ever, Angelenos are eager and willing to step out of their comfort zones. Not a day goes by that someone isn’t asking for orange wine or natural wines. Guests are open to trying bottles from lesser known regions and grape varieties they’ve never heard of. We’ve even poured wines from Lebanon and Mexico by the glass! It’s a very, very exciting time to be serving wine and drinking in Los Angeles.” —Kathryn Coker, Rustic Canyon
Dish We Loved: Zuckerman’s Farm asparagus, pickled rhubarb, housemade bacon & vin jaune sabayon
