rustic canyon wine bar

awesome. been there 3 times and each time was greeted by a new menu. my girlfriend and i treat theplacelike a tapas bar. the small plates are always fantastic; i've tried a dozen or so dishes and savored every bite. that wasn't a euphemism, i actually savored every bite. can't wait til i try an entree. also, the ambience is great, the service is attentive, and the wine is awesome. could eat here every night. save room for dessert.

good food, not the best value.. the rustic canyon has a bright and modern feel. service is very attentive and friendly.

you can tell there's skill and care in what they do. the menu items are creative, and there's some finesse in creating the food. but it tops out as just good because i think there's small details that keep the food down.

most recently we had the ricotta gnocci and the branzino. the gnocci was a very comforting plate of food although the portion size was a bit small...the nepitella (think mint) that would have really raised the bar was the smallest little sprig of garnish. so then it became like any other gnocci in a tomato sauce.

the branzio was expertly cooked, the lobster mushroom and squash blossom sauce were great, as was the purree but when you charge $27, you really should get a reasonable amount of startch. also the dish lacked acid and became heavy. there are a number of mains that have starch and some that don't. unfortunately i think this is a bit of a let down. if you're catering to the yuppie crowd, just reduce the amount of starch.

so a nice place, just a few adjustments to price, portion and balance and thisplacecould be legendary.

have the vegetables.. i know a lot of people who've been disappointed in this place, but i wasn't. i had the zucchini flowers (absolutely delicious -- very lightly battered with a minty edge -- not doughy as some fiori can be), the artichokes (they were delicious, but the portion is too small for what they charge, and i noticed that other portions i'd seen while standing at the bar were larger, so i wonder if they weren't running out), and -- best of all -- the roast cauliflower. i took some of the cauliflower home and ate it the next morning for breakfast -- just as good the next day (a good sign of fresh ingredients).

i'm told they have great burgers here, but thisplaceis also really good for vegetarians.

greatplaceand great food. greatplacefor good wine and a seasonal menu that includes fresh veggies and food from the local farmer's market. the soups and salads are amazing and you can't beat the vegetarian shepherd's pie or an array of cheeses from andrew's cheese shop on montana. the desserts are to-die-for as well. you can also check out rustic canyon's brunch counterpart - huckleberry - up the street, which is run by rustic canyon's pastry chef.