After a week long conference in Palos Verdes, we couldn’t wait to get started exploring the LA we came for. Even after three years of living in San Francisco, we hadn’t had a reason to get down to LA until our Alaska Airlines travel series coincided with a business meeting.
Our friend Sean (who recently opened the new ISAIA boutique in San Francisco) had spent the past few years at their LA store. Naturally, we asked him for all of his recommendations. LA wine bar A.O.C. was one of his top picks, so we stopped in for lunch.
In addition to being exceptionally cute, especially the outdoor patio, this Beverly Hills wine bar has an amazing wine list. We were really impressed by the number of great available by the glass, including things you’d never see by the glass at normal restaurants, especially some of our favorite Napa whites like Matthiasson’s Linda Vista Chardonnay and CADE Sauvignon Blanc. That said, the wine bar is called A.O.C. (a French term), so we stuck with French selections this time around.
Chef Suzanne Goin is a James Beard Award winning chef, both for her book Sunday Suppers at Lucques and Outstanding Chef of Year 2016. We were also excited to see that she has a book inspired by A.O.C. Check out The A.O.C. Cookbook for small plate dishes like Bacon-Wrapped Dates with Parmesan; Duck Sausage with Candied Kumquats; Dandelion and Roasted Carrot Salad with Black Olives and Ricotta Salata.
The restaurant’s charcuterie board (we had the Vintner’s Plate) was the perfect light lunch for two, and we had an amazing time sitting on the patio in the perfect weather and people watching. The charcuterie board had a perfect selection of rich rillettes, savory charcuterie, and pickled veggies. Get the recipe for A.O.C.’s pork rillettes here.
If you’re planning a trip to LA we’d highly recommend A.O.C. for lunch or dinner (the patio at night is lit with candles and would be stunning!). They also have a wine bar at the Hollywood Bowl, so you can enjoy their premium wine selections at a show.
Thank you to Alaska Airlines for sponsoring this post.
GET RECIPE: A.O.C.’s pork rillettes