Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/23459
ON PREMISE PATTER FROM THE MIDDLE EAST TO EUROPE TO AMERICA, SAEED FAZELI BRINGS A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE AND WORLD OF EXPERIENCE TO HIS VENTURE Chablis Food + Wine I n a cozy space with fi replaces and beamed ceilings, Saeed Fazeli, owner of Chablis Food + Wine, has teamed Chef Jorge Vasquez to offer an array of small plates and main dishes that provide the feeling of occasion dining while still being reasonable enough in price to allow guests to return on a regular basis. With Vasquez running the back of house, Fazeli can focus on his strength—interacting with guests and promoting the appreciation of wine and fi ne drink. His passion for the business has placed him at the forefront of “locavore” wine appreciation in this increas- ingly sophisticated Los Angeles suburb, showcasing local wineries that “people can identify with” because they are geographically close and, in return, giving small, regional vintners exposure in the competitive L.A. restaurant scene. Fazeli hopes to create a gathering place where everyone, even those new to wine appreciation, feels comfortable and never intimidated. He can usually be found at a table, tailoring recommendations to specifi c guests or offering a sample of a new fi nd. At Chablis, even the fi rst-time diner is greeted as an old friend, and returning guests often bring bottles that they want to taste and discuss with Fazeli. As he says, “The enjoyment for me is to see people having a great experience with wine and food, and feeling that this is an extension of their home. They are part of our family—a family that loves wine.” —Lydia Reid Saeed Fazeli owns Chablis Food + Wine in Tarzana, California. PHOTO: JIM REID