Well, the restaurant’s called Rustic Canyon Winebar, so of course I went for the wine. But the food was pretty damn good too.

Rustic Canyon’s a somewhat higher-end restaurant — and very very popular with the Santa Monica lunch crowd, which makes the place a bit loud. Still, the space is beautiful — big windows for natural lighting, bamboo flooring, and communal tables.

Hannah and I ordered from a healthy menu of “Farmers’ Market-inspired dishes with ingredients that come from local farmers, ranchers, and fishermen who practice sustainable agriculture.”

Luckily, we got there before noon to order Seared Rare Ahi Tuna with Herb Aioli and Wild Arugula on Toasted Multi Grain and Rustic Homemade Falafel on Grilled Flatbread with Hummus, Roasted Pepper and Tomato Spread — which we split. The pics were taken post-splitting, which is why both plates have falafel AND tuna on them.

And we cleaned our plates — then ordered dessert! Warm Apple Buckwheat Cake with Huckleberry Compote and Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream, to be exact.

The one thing I didn’t like: The salad that came with my ahi tuna sandwich was way too heavy, topped with spindly potato chip sticks. Of course, it’s a little odd to complain about a salad being too heavy after voluntarily ordering buckwheat cake and practically licking the plate –

Rustic Canyon Winebar. 1119 Wilshire Blvd. Santa Monica. 310.393.7050.

Tags: rusticcanyon, santamonica

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