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Brilliantshine Santa Monica

As cocktail bars continue to open across Los Angeles at an alarming speed, it seems that the majority are centered around Downtown and Hollywood. But, luckily Santa Monica has Brilliantshine. Located on 5th and Wilshire Blvd, just a few blocks away from the 3rd Street Promenade but far enough away to appeal to locals, Brilliantshine took over the old Renee's Courtyard. A converted house with several rooms, Brilliantshine has a casual neighborhood feel. After all, it's in Santa Monica.

Julian Cox and Josh Goldman are the stars behind Brilliantshine. They have made their mark on a number of places around Los Angeles - Bestia, Acabar, Picca, Sotto, Petty Cash, to name a few. Now Julian and Josh, the Soigne team, bring more craft cocktails to the Westside.

04 December, 2014

Sommelier Saturdays at Del Frisco Grill in Santa Monica

The best way to learn about wine is to taste wine and taste wine and then taste more wine. The more you experience and taste, the more you will learn...

21 April, 2014

Go for the Goat at Tar & Roses!

Tar & Roses in Santa Monica has been open for more than two years now. I remember the first time I ate there, when it first opened, and watched a group of friends enjoy a hedonistic meals of sorts. When a large platter of meat was presented to them, I asked our server what they ordered as I wanted it as well! We were told that it was the Wood Fired Goat Dinner, good for groups of 4 or more and must be reserved at least 7 days in advance. Ever since then, it has been on my list of must-eats. So, when a friend called me recently to tell me he had an extra seat at the table for a Wood Fired Goat Dinner, I quickly accepted. Priced at $48 per person, the Wood Fired Goat Dinner with Moroccan accompaniments, is a three-course dinner, served family style. Once we settled into our table and ordered a bottle of wine (2010 Pesquera Tempranillo, Ribera del Duero, Spain), dinner began:

07 March, 2014