A.O.C. Wine Bar

Any friend of mine
knows that I'm a big fan of wine.

So whenever I'm on the Westside (near Cedars-Sinai and the Beverly Center), I try to stop by the lovely restaurant that is A.O.C.  The great thing about A.O.C. is that it offers a wide variety of delicious wine with delectable food in an atmosphere that is both romantic and refreshing.  And the new/not-so-new location is absolutely gorgeous.  I may be a bit impartial though, because I love the Lucques Restaurant Group (i.e., Lucques, Tavern, and The Larder Baking Co.), brought to us by the James Beard award winner, Chef Suzanne Goin and James Beard nominated restauranteur, Caroline Styne -- two fabulous women whom LA is blessed to have.

Main entrance.

Steps to the 2nd level dining area.

The restaurant's second floor has a charming, more intimate where you dine surrounded by bottles and bottles of wine.

AOC is a great brunch, happy hour, and/or a romantic dinner option for folks who enjoy a delicious meal in a beautifully-decorated and comfortable setting.  Family-style, shared plate dining is highly encouraged.  Thank you, Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne for your continued devotion of ensuring that Angelenos are well-fed!

Grilled blueberry bread with lemon butter

Famous Bacon-wrapped figs stuffed with parmesan

Spanish Fried Chicken & cornmeal waffle with jamon butter and syrup.

Meyer Lemon French Toast with strawberry, candied lemon slices, and pistachios.

Duck Confit hash with potatoes, spinach, and eggs scrambled.

Grilled asparagus with polenta, roasted veggies, and soft-boiled egg.

Classic steak & eggs with a side of spinach.

cuisine: American
location: Beverly Grove (near the Beverly Center)
hours: M-F: 11:30am-11pm; Sat-Sun: 10am-11pm [Sundays and Mondays close at 10pm]
websites: {AOC | yelp | facebook | instagram | twitter }
attire: Casual/Trendy
recommendations: Not necessary, but recommended
suggestions: Bacon-wrapped dates and the bread.

Sidecar Doughnuts & Coffee

While people are resolving to consume less sugar, less carbs, less calories, I'm continuing to champion one of my favorite breakfast (lunch, dinner, and/or dessert) items: the doughnut, aka - donut.  Glazed, sprinkled, cereal-topped, baconized, twisted, jelly/cream-filled, cake, crumb, bruleed, whole, hole -- you name it, I eat it.  Thankfully, LA is home to a multitude of doughnut shops.  But if I'm ever on the Westside (specifically, Santa Monica), Sidecar is a must.

Doughnuts + Stumptown coffee = a piece of heaven on Earth

Their claim to fame is probably the Huckleberry, a huckleberry cake doughnut with huckleberry glaze.  For those unfamiliar with huckleberry, the huckleberry is akin to the blueberry and is the state fruit of Idaho).  As you can see below, each doughnut is handled with care.

Huckleberry -- $3.50.  It tastes as good as it looks.  

Cinnamon Crumb Cake -- a classic cinnamon cake doughnut with a slightly sweet and spicy cinnamon glaze -- $2.75

An obligatory cup of Stumptown coffee for a perfect pairing.

Sidecar has certainly stepped up the doughnut game in Santa Monica, but like most things on the Westside, be willing to shell out a couple of extra bucks above what you would normally pay for a doughnut.  That said, you'll be in for a delicious doughnut made with quality ingredients.  Plus, in addition to their regular flavors, they offering some interesting flavors on a monthly rotation.  So do I recommend Sidecar doughnuts?  The answer is always yes.




cuisine: Doughnuts
location: Santa Monica
websites: { Sidecar | yelp | instagram | facebook | twitter }
hours: Daily, 6:30am - 4pm, except on Fridays and Saturdays, they're open until 9pm.
attire: Casual
parking: Small lot behind the store or street meters
other notes: If you're craving Sidecar while in Orange County, you're in luck!  You can check them out at their original location in Costa Mesa.

Maple Block Meat Co.

In connection with our barbecue crawl [last September] and after our first BBQ pit stop, our group moseyed our way up Sepulveda Boulevard to the next barbecue joint, which was a whopping 5-minute walk away.  Not having paced myself too well during round one, I found this short "exercise" a nice way to jump start my digestive system for round two.  Much to my dismay, but perhaps also unsurprisingly, Maple Block was bustling with folks at 8:00 p.m. on a Friday night.  So much so that our group was left standing around for over an hour... thankfully I was in good company.

Really nice touch with the mirror at the top so you can see the magic happening on the counter.

True magic.

Limited Indoor Space -- a couple of tables and bar seating.

Maple Block is not a large restaurant.  I also made the amateur move of not making a reservation for our large group (two strikes on me).  But the staff could have better communicated our wait time or at least have given us honest status updates.  The fact that they kept promising that a group was leaving soon because they had paid the bill was off-putting when, to our dismay, that group showed no intention of leaving anytime soon (lingering groups at busy restaurants are the worst!). Needless to say, by the time we were finally seated, my patience was truly tested.

Another blow was when I learned that the restaurant was out of prime rib.  My heart was lifted only after we were greeted with a large steel tray of sliced beef brisket and massive ribs.

Meat presentation.

Smoked Beef Brisket -- served with pickled onions, red & green chimichurri-like sauce-- 1/2 lb; $14 and 1 lb.; $27.

Full Rack of Pork Ribs  (plus some)-- meaty. 

Mac N Cheese with crumbled cheddar -- $11

Buttermilk biscuits with honey butter -- $7

Banana Pudding with Peanut Butter and Bacon Sprinkles -- $9

Comparing our first BBQ stop with Maple Block is like comparing apples to oranges.  They're part of the same "family," but they each offer different tastes, different vibes, and different price points. Maple Block offers a more sophisticated flair to barbecue whereas Holy Cow is a more of a roll-up-your-sleeves kind of place.

Even without trying the prime rib (I'll come back for you!), Maple Block's brisket and the buttermilk biscuits with honey butter really hit the spot.  Maple Block's menu also includes chicken, pork, fish and veggies. Less conventional barbecue offerings, but without losing the comfy quality of that familiar smoky goodness. Definitely worth a visit.



 


cuisine: Barbecue
location: Culver City
hours: Daily; 11:30am-3pm (lunch); 5pm-10pm (dinner)
websites: { MBMC | yelp | facebook | twitter | instagram }
parking: Small lot; street parking
attire: Casual
how it works: Get seated; table service
notes: Lunch menu is different. You can also order online! If dining in for dinner, make a reservation.

Holy Cow BBQ

Just within the last couple of years, Culver City really upped its barbecue game with several different barbecue joints, including one still to come.  Yessir, some of the gems of the South are getting some legitimate representation here in Southern California.

In an effort to get to know these places better, some friends and I ventured on a slow barbecue crawl, hitting up two restaurants.

First up, Holy Cow BBQ.  Like its first location in Santa Monica, Holy Cow Culver City offers some smoky, lip-smackingly delicious 'cue in a casual atmosphere.  If you like MessHall in Los Feliz, you'll likely enjoy the vibe at Holy Cow (think rustic with just the right amount of homeyness).  Loosen up your belt a notch (or wear stretchy pants like me) and dig in!

As anticipated, their menu caters mostly to omnivores, but there are some options for non-meat lovers, too.  In fact, there are plenty of menu options, period.

Menu: Meat & Meat Combos.

Menu: Salads and things.

Menu: Sammies

Menu: Sides.

Indoor seating, great for groups.

Bar seating with beers on tap.

Order at the counter; get your number and grab a seat.

Since we were a large group of 10, we ordered a couple of meat combos, a number of shareable side dishes with a round of delectable desserts to follow.  Needless to say, we kicked off the BBQ crawl strong and without any restraints.

Buttermilk Cornbread with honey, chives and maple butter -- $3.50

5-Cheese Mac N Cheese (Aged Vermont, White & Yellow Cheddar, Bechamel, and Monterey Jack) -- $7

Oh yea.

4 Meat Combo (L to R: brisket; tri-tip, baby backs; pulled pork) -- $22

Texas Brisket, paired with housemade Texas red sauce

Santa Maria Tri-Tip

Baby Back Ribs -- the best!

Carolina Pulled Pork, paired with housemade Carolina yellow sauce.

Hand-rubbed Beef Ribs -- $12

House Slaw -- dressed green and red cabbage, celery seed, aioli, roasted garlic

Collards -- slow braised in vinegar, ham hocks, sweet onion, pork belly -- $5

O-Rings -- sweet onion, spicy buttermilk, seasoned corn flour -- $6

Idaho Potato Salad -- Russets, vinegar, egg, celery, chive, dill, mayo -- $4

Kettle Beans -- medley of beans, cured bacon, braised peppers & onions, house spieces, Q-sauce -- $4

Warm Peach Crumble -- sweet peaches, brown sugar & oats -- $7

Warm Chocolate Bread Pudding -- brioche, vanilla bean cream, chocolate, sugar & spice, fresh whip cream -- $7

Banana Cream -- fresh vanilla bean custard, banana brulee, whip cream, toasted almonds, wafer -- $7

After stuffing our faces, the verdict was in: (1) the Baby Backs define Holy Cow's modus operandi -- Slow Smoked Goodness; (2) the brisket is tender and especially tasty with their housemade Q sauce; (3) Collards are slow-braised in pork belly and Kettle Beans are cooked with cured bacon = winning;  and (4) that Peach Crumble will warm your heart and belly.  Would I return?  With such fair prices, generous portions, and tasty shareables?  Yes ma'am!  So if you're in Culver City looking for a quick bite to eat (in or for takeout), definitely check out Holy Cow for a satisfying meal.






cuisine: Barbecue
location: Culver City
hours: Daily, 11am-10pm
websites: { HC | yelp | facebook | instagram | twitter }
parking: Lot
attire: Casual
how it works: Peruse the menu, order at the counter, take a number and grab your seats.
notes: Some of the best things on the menu are the Baby Backs, Kettle Beans, Peach Crumble, and Banana Pudding.