LA, it’s often said, is like an Etch-a-Sketch. Draw, shake it clean, start again.
And beloved wine bar AOC has started again.
Just recently set up in the former Il Covo spot across from Cedars Sinai, AOC’s new digs have the warm-yet-open Mediterranean feel of a Spanish villa
Upstairs: your new spot for 40+ person parties.
Wines from Italy to Spain adorn the walls, all supervised by a golden bull’s head purloined from the old Tavern on the Green.
Downstairs: the fire-lit dining room and the patio, lined with herb-planted ceramic pots and bay leaf trees, which mixologist Christiaan Rollich snips for cocktails like the gin-laced 3rd Street Hotel.
As for what to eat and drink, the big draw here is the wine (see this delicious menu).
The Bodegas Ontanon Rioja goes exceptionally well with the arroz negro, a squid-inked spanish rice cooked and served in an iron pan and finished with saffron aioli.
And AOC has added large platters (view the menu) for parties of four, though the roasted chicken can be halved for two, making this a solid date spot.
In case it’s your relationship that needs a shake up.
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