A.O.C.

Over the last 20 years, Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne's California-inspired small plates restaurant has maintained its stunning ambience and consistently excellent food and wine offerings. The neighborhood restaurant and wine bar now has two locations: the semi-original along West Third Street and a much larger space in Brentwood. Market availability informs every aspect of the menu, including cocktails, and the gorgeous patio at the West Third Street location makes for some of the best outdoor dining in the city. The exact makeup of delicious salads, wood-fired meat dishes and the focaccia toppings change with the seasons, but you can't go wrong with their signature Spanish fried chicken or the paella-esque arroz negro. The extensive list of organic, natural and biodynamic boutique wines from around the world also makes its a draw for wine lovers.