THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED SOCA

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED SOCA Restaurant Review:

About chef Aaron Robins: Valley veteran Aaron Robins is behind the popular Sherman Oaks barbecue haunt, Boneyard Bistro, where he’s also experimented successfully with eclectic, contemporary global bistro fare.

The décor: SOCA (which stands for Sherman Oaks, CA) perches elegantly on Ventura Boulevard, offering the neighborhood a sophisticated dining destination for steak, seafood and noteworthy cocktails. Long tangerine-hued leather banquettes and mod white leather chairs add chic comfort amidst romantically dim lighting, a giant driftwood sculpture, floor-to-ceiling windows and wooden beams. The sprawling patio overlooking Ventura Boulevard is ideal for lounging and sipping the prettiest gin and tonic in town.

Likes: A dreamy patio with a unique gin and tonic menu; utterly transcendent desserts.
Dislikes: Sherman Oaks is still a bit of a haul, and the 101 at rush hour is a nightmare.

Food & Drinks: The seafood bar offers up fresh oysters and clams, a fine accompaniment to the French wine selection and a Spanish gin and tonic menu. The latter rotates half a dozen stylish specialty cocktails made with select gins and seasonal fruits, berries and herbs like lemon verbena, shiso and makrut leaf. Small plates span global flavors; Korean king crab dumplings with kimchi slaw are simultaneously sweet, savory and juicy, while Basque-style pickled beef tongue salad has a rich tang. Large plates include a tender tea-smoked duck breast with delectable crispy shiitake rice cakes, and a lovely striped bass nestled in fresh English peas and sautéed pea sprouts. Desserts from Joy Cuevas (Redbird) are a destination unto themselves --- the curried pineapple semifreddo or “Enchanted Forest” of ginger crema Catalana, hibiscus foam and pistachio glass are unforgettable.