| “Worth planning for when traffic dies down to make the trek out to Sherman Oaks to hang out with the ‘Oy Boys.’ An elevated dive bar with great drinks, an even better bar crew and Japanese/Jewish food that aims to impress. Whatever you do, don't get the flaming 'Green Wray' shots if you want to drive home.” — Max Reis, beverage director of Mírate "My go-to for wine in Los Angeles is always Cafe Triste! Their cellar is deep, diverse, always changing and fairly priced. It's become kind of an 'everybody knows your name' spot in a special way, but even more special is the food. I feel like we've all come to expect that our favorite restaurant menus are seasonally driven, but Triste's goes beyond that, with impeccable sourcing and a creative force behind their food program, Hannah Chumley. Wine wants food and vice versa, so I'm always excited when both the food and the wine check all the boxes.” — Kae Whalen, sommelier and owner of Barr Seco “The best place for cheap beer, fried chicken and a potentially not-so-friendly game of pool. Everyone here is good at the sometimes ill-regarded game, yet not an a-hole about it, which makes the table that much harder. I found out about this spot through an old friend from Miami who knew I am an avid fan of both the sport and fried chicken. It’s a great place to get better at the game while enjoying their nice array of ever-rotating locally brewed beers or just a simple cold Budweiser and some deep-fried poultry goodness.” — Felix Campos, beverage director at Rokusho Los Angeles | 