Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/912565
BRIEF ENCOUNTERS 22 / the tasting panel / december 2017 Around the World, One Dish at a Time MIKE RIBOLI OPENS TURNINGFIRE ROTISSERIE IN L.A. A s lovers of wine and food, The Tasting Panel staff pays attention when a local sommelier and winemaker pursues a culinary project. We spent a night at Turningfire Rotisserie, a premium-casual restaurant nestled in Los Angeles' Eagle Rock neighborhood and the newest venture of Mike Riboli, sommelier and third-generation winemaker at the San Antonio Winery. What the wine and beer list lacks in length, it makes up for in versatility; their Spanish red will blow you away when sipped with the vertical rotisserie pork and ground beef meatballs. The same can be said of the whites, including the Leese-Fitch Sauvignon Blanc, which elevates Riboli's take on Los Angeles street fries with grilled chile corn, cotija crumble, and cilantro lime crème. Riboli used memories from his extensive travels to conceptualize Turningfire's menu. With dishes like a Roman-style pork sandwich, Israel minted carrots, Jamaican Jerk rotisserie chicken, and a Japanese-style Teahouse salad with house-pickled turmeric daikon, a dinner here can play out like a round-the-world trip. Yet Riboli's attention to detail and presentation is the constant that reminds diners they're still in the same country, let alone the same restaurant, as their tablemates. The approachable beverages, uniquely-delicious fusion dishes, and welcoming atmosphere of this new neighborhood favorite will definitely warrant a prompt return. —Mara Marski story and photo by Jessie Birschbach B efitting of the bohemian Silver Lake neighborhood to which it has just opened its doors, Vinovore is a new wine retail shop with a unique twist and commendatory spin. That twist is an animal-centric wine tasting chart that helps consumers identify the wine style they're seeking. Once this has been determined, you can look for those bottles with the cor- responding sticker. It's akin to finding your spirit animal—or the spirit animal of the person you're buying that special bottle for, of course. And the commendatory spin? More than 90 percent of the wines sold at Vinovore are made by women. Owner Coly Den Haan elaborated on the inclusive concept behind the store as I watched a hip Angeleno couple sip rosé by an old Zoltar fortune teller machine. "Regardless of who made the wine, you're going to walk out of here with a great bottle," she says. "I wanted to create a shopping experience and environment that was warm, casual, and all-encompassing. Most of these wines are pretty geeky, most of them are natural, but even if you don't know much about wine you can just go this chart and pick out that perfect bottle of wine all by yourself." The useful yet lighthearted chart at Vinovore in Los Angeles' Silver Lake neighborhood. Vinovore Offers an Innovative Shopping Experience While Specializing in Female Winemakers The Jamaican Jerk rotisserie chicken at Turningfire in L.A. is a perfect pairing with Three Pines' 2012 Black Granite Red Blend.