Caroline Styne is a successful restaurateur and a partner in the Lucques Group. She and her partner, Suzanne Goin, are also responsible for the first self-conscious ‘small plates’ restaurant in Los Angeles, a.o.c., which began a trend that is still going strong today. In doing so, she also initiated a vast by-the-glass wine program that not only provided many options to diners eating an unusual variety of things for dinner, she also made sure that those wines were really good and often quite different than what was around in 2003 when a.o.c. opened with 50 wines by the glass.
The quality, diversity and number of wines that suddenly became available at an exciting and unique restaurant made a large impression on the Los Angeles restaurant culture. But if we look around us presently, it’s hard to overstate the undeniable effect of a.o.c. on many of our favorite restaurants now almost twenty years on. Range of artisanal wines on the list? check. Generous by-the-glass menu? check. Small plate dishes of various influences? check. Casual but informed and efficiant service? check.
As the eating public became more food and drink literate in the beginning of the 21st century, Caroline’s restaurants were a good fit and her instincts as to what L. A. was ready for in terms of wine were also spot-on.
More recently, The Lucques Group has expanded its landmark brand of hospitality to providing food and beverage for the Hollywood Bowl. On the horizon are several new projects for the new downtown L. A. Proper Hotel complex.
Note:
At one point in the interview, I state that most wine makers in California do not make estate wine. This may not be true and I should have specified that I meant that most small(less than 5000 case) artisanal winemakers in California do not make estate wine.