rustic canyon wine bar

good food, not the best value.. therusticcanyon 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 this place could be legendary.

for now, i’ll considerrusticcanyon to be a good restaurant with a solid burger, but will reserve the right to change my mind once i’ve had the original burger.

we finally managed to stop in on the burgeoning eatery empire that josh loeb and zoe nathan have established in santa monica with an evening visit torusticcanyon in santa monica. under the direction ofrusticcanyon chef evan funke - whom you might find perusing the produce at santa monica's farmers market a few blocks away - the kitchen's focus is on presenting high quality ingredients to diners in simple preparations that let all the elements of the dishes shine.

great place and great food. great place for 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 outrusticcanyon's brunch counterpart - huckleberry - up the street, which is run byrusticcanyon's pastry chef.

for this week’s restaurant, we stayed close to home. in fact, we walked the two blocks to the restaurant. nothing beats the california culinary scene when you factor in being able to walk to the restaurant as a “must have.”rusticcanyon wine bar and seas

and while it seems like every neighborhood nowadays has their own farm-to-table eatery, one of the earlier ones that i've been meaning to go for a while isrusticcanyon wine bar and seasonal kitchen in santa monica; i've heard very good things about thei

at $16,rusticcanyon’s burg is 1 of the most expensive non-kobe jobbers in all of la. and dang, it’s worth it. while the cheddar is sharp, it served to only add another dimension of smells without enveloping the beef like the gorgonzola did to taste’s as

fabulous food....rusticcanyon offers up seasonal fare plus a few favorites that are always on the menu. every dish is prepared to perfection and i have never anything but great food and service there. there are many options for vegetarians as well, and the desserts are not to be missed. excellent selection of wine, great coffee..overall a great dining experience. eagerly anticipated, in early 2009, they will be opening another restaurant just down the street called huckleberry, which will serve their spectacular breakfast menu that they tried out atrusticcanyon last fall, as well as all-day menus. you will want to make both of these spots a regular dining destination!