When the host asks if you would like to dine inside or outside, always (barring an unforeseen hail storm) say outside. If the wait is more than an hour for a table on the patio, book it to the bar and drink as many frosty glasses of sparkling rose as it takes until a spot is ready. The wicker-backed chairs, the string lights, the white mosaic tile tables—it all screams of that new effortless kind of LA luxury.The food at Winsome is pretty much the edible embodiment of the serene outdoor dining room: beautiful plates of airy-fresh Los Angeles-ness with just enough substance to back it up. Chef Jeremy Strubel, who logged time cooking at Santa Monica's beloved Rustic Canyon, takes a simple, elegant, produce-forward approach. SHISHITO PEPPERS are roasted until the skin blisters and served naked except for a pungent black garlic aioli for dipping. The LAMB RIBS with harissa are almost as of- the-moment as the chill patio vibes. There are large-format dishes too, but Winsome really shines in the small plates department. As they say around these parts: go with the flow.
