AOC is A OK

A trip to AOC is always a treat for us. I'm fairly confident when I say that it's one of the better restaurants in LA, and surprisingly one of the better values. But I'll get back to that "value" theory in just a second.
Obviously reservations are required and honestly for any decent restaurant, you should just go ahead and make them. It's a lesson thats taken me 10 years to figure out, but just make a phone call before you go. Just make sure its 2 weeks before you go in the case of AOC.


Understated sign, a sign of what was to come.

We arrived 12 minutes late for our reservations and were seated promptly with no fuss or attitude. Typically, the seating is crammed upstairs, and tables for 2 feel like tables for 6 with 3 sets strangers. Somehow we pulled some strings and got the corner table and didn't have to involve any strangers in our conversation. The service was prompt, friendly and efficient the entire evening. Our waiter knew the menu like the back of his hand and answered even our most specific questions.

The menu here consists of three pages; cheeses; charcuterie, salads, fish and meat; and the wood-burning oven page. Offering a melange of European inspired dishes served tapas style, AOC is an excellent place to sample many different tastes. I should also point out that the wine list is vast and varied. We had a delicious Cabernet Franc by the carafe, but we could have spent $475/bottle on wine if we wanted. Anyway, the point I was trying to make is that you don't have to spend outrageous amounts of money for a decent wine at AOC. Serving by the glass, carafe, or flight also makes it easy to pair several different wines with several different dishes. How very chez pim of you... This also leads back to the inevitable defense of using AOC and "value" in the same sentence. The reasonable wine list combined with the tapas-sized dishes allows you to order a fairly diverse selection at a reasonable price. While certainly not inexpensive, I wouldn't eat here every night or anything like that, but the price is more than reasonable for the "upscale" experience.



Roasted dates, parmesan and bacon
An unexpected treat, the three flavors form a complex blend that made me rethink how versatile bacon really can be. Small complaint, there was a little too much bacon grease when served.


fava beans with labne, mint and grilled flatbread
This also was a great starter, seemingly simple ingredients mixed together to form such unexpected tastes really impresses me. Labne is a greek yogurt concoction and adds a nice texture and taste.


Arroz negro with squid and saffron aioli
The Arros negro, from the wood-burning oven page, was served extremely hot from a cast iron skillet and was amazing. The density of the sauce was matched by the denseness of the flavors. Saffron aioli was a nice subtle touch that layered nicely on top of the squid.


brandade fritters with meyer lemon aioli
Salted cod was never so good. In all honesty this ended up being the least successful dish on the menu. It was prepared properly, served hot and crispy (which is important with fried foods) but just overall reminded us both of fish sticks. Yes, they were covered with a delicate coating that was crisped to perfection. Yes, the brandade was blended nicely and the fish was tasty yet mild at the same time. I guess the concept was a little too close to childhood memories. The fried lemon slices were interesting but did compliment the meyer lemon aioli nicely. I dont think I've ever used "aioli" so much in a review. This is more indicitive of our selections rather than the menus offerings.



hazelnut brown butter cake with caramel ice cream
Look at it. Just look at it. I hate to bring her up, but Cynthia and her blackberry cobbler are so 2001...


the view from our secluded table upstairs