As soon as it opened in 2002, A.O.C. became an essential Los Angeles dining and drinking destination. The name stands for Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, a wine designation, signalling the grape-driven project here: chef Suzanne Goin and her team marry small dishes to carefully curated wines. The fresh produce is Californian, the flavours are a deft synthesis of the Mediterranean. A second Brentwood location opened in 2021.