 The Row just opened their first store on Melrose Place. This is not your ordinary store. Not only is it on the coolest street in LA, but it also is one of the most stylish and classic lines on the market today. What a treat to go and visit and do a little shopping. Read More
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Sunday morning, we picked up Trent from LAX after his two week medical mission in Ghana, Africa. He was craving three things: Starbuck's venti iced green tea, cement roads, and Bar Ama for lunch. Off we went to explore some culture.
Aubrey, McCall, and Trent exploring the street art Chef and owner Josef Centero has completely wowed my family and friends… and to wow me is a task. We went to his first place across the street called Baco Mercat before, which was crazy good. But Bar Ama has a Tex Mex menu originally coming from the inspiring recipes from his grandmother Grace Alice. The pictures tell all. 
The Michelada, an awesome pour for brunch
I can't wait to try the third location Orsa and Winston. He rules the corner of 4th and Main. Truly worth the 40 minute drive from the OC. It is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner with great Happy hour and taco specials. This is OCwino's top pick. Belly's full, off we went to explore.
We headed back to LA to try out The Factory Kitchen. Again this is located in the Arts District of Downtown. This restaurant is located in an old fish packing house. It has cool cement pillars which keeps the warehouse intact. It is a fairly large restaurant, which is open for both lunch and dinner. Restauranteur Matteo Ferdinandi and Chef Angelo Auriana share their vision of bringing fresh and locally sourced ingredients to their delicious menu. This team knows how to put traditional Italian fare in your face. It was absolutely off the charts delicious with a very friendly staff to guide you. I will most definitely try it again for dinner. Rumor has it, they might be opening another restaurant. And what an amazing menu. We started with the Mandilli di Seta, a handkerchief pasta with lingurian almond basil pesto. It completely melted in our mouths with each bite. 
Our next totally ridiculous thing we ate was the Focaccina Calda di Recco al Formaggio Tradizionale. This was a very thin double layer italian quesadilla made with crescenza cheese, wild arugula, and again the ligurian olive oil, baked in a wood burning oven. Wonder where these Italians are from? 
Next was the Catalana Salad, which has mediterranean octopus and pinzamonio vegetables in a champagne vinaigrette. 
Truly an OC Wino's favorite pick. 
Ms. Pearl and I went off to Downtown, which to me is the new and upcoming spot to hit. They have more restaurants to try, more cool pop-up stores, and have truly cleaned up the street level. So don't be afraid to park your car and explore. We started our adventure on the Westside of town, where we had a very nice pour of Far Niente Chardonnay at The Beverly Wilshire Hotel. We decided to use my favorite app Wayz to make our adventure Downtown as quick as possible.
Our first stop, one of Jonathan Gold's picks, was Guerrilla Tacos, owned by Wes Avila. I have to say, the taco truck scene has quieted down quite a bit. But this outrageous taco truck blew my socks off. We arrived at 12:30 and they were already sold out of the lambshank and lobster tacos. So we had a choice of a beer battered salt cod taco and a butternut squash taco with a sour grape relish that was to die for. We started with the amazing quesadilla that had an almond chile salsa and a fried egg on top. Truly these were some of the best tacos I've ever had in my life. And lo and behold, they cater. Don't even try it... I'm hiring them first.   Right nearby is an amazing store called Alchemy Works.  Nearby is also Matteo, a wonderful linen line I am sure you have all heard of. At this warehouse location, you can find some extremely beautiful linens for a discounted price. After a little retail therapy, we thought we would drop in and visit our friend John Secretan, who opened his fourth location for Zinc Café and Market. It is located on Mateo Street, which is known as the new Arts District Downtown. Wow, wow, wow... It is a really sophisticated, cool, spacious location for Zinc. They have a full bar, pizza oven, a lovely outdoor patio space, and plenty of parking. Our friend was there, and when he saw Miss Pearl and I, a big smile crossed his face as he welcomed us with open arms.
We of course did a little shopping and had to hit the freeway home. We punched in Wayz and unfortunately headed back to the OC.
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OC WINO
Isn't it frustrating when you go to a nice restaurant, order a glass of wine, and get three sips for $26. For me, enjoying a great lifestyle is key. The OC Wino will guide you to the best pours, restaurants, recipes, entertaining tips, travel, and great finds around the world. Come explore with me.
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