ROBBREPORT.COM 43
CATEGORY | The GoodsIn the 15th century, Franciscan monks began bottling the juices of a tiny, indigenous grape from the
Umbrian village of Montefalco. Called Sagrantino, the small berry packed with antioxidants proved to be
as delicious as it was healthful; thus, the clerics, drinkers as they were, used it for their liturgical wine.
Several centuries later, Marco Caprai has spun the rare Sagrantino into a couture wine label called
Spinning Beauty ($300-$350; arnaldocaprai.it). Just 1,000 bottles are produced each year, with hand-
selected grapes from the best parcel of the vineyard. It’s fermented in barrel and then aged in French
barriques for 10 years, mellowing out the tannins. Rich and deep garnet in hue from long contact with the
skins, the latest release, the 2009, will be available in September and tastes of balsamic vinegar, incense,
tobacco and red fruit. The extra-long finish is remarkable. Janice O’LearySpinning
Beauty
2019
ROBB RECOMMENDS...He kept his head down, kicked the habit and
focused on cooking. The Ubuntu experience had
been formative in unexpected ways. He learned
what he didn’t want to do—which was cook
overcomplicated food solely to impress his peers.
Instead, he created dishes that weren’t flashy,
but straightforward and soulful and driven by
seasonal produce. “I almost wanted to not make
much noise,” Fox says. “Nothing was over the
top.” Still, it was creative. In his hands, simple-
yet-unexpected combinations such as beets with
berries or polenta with a savory strawberry sofrito
didn’t just make sense—they were unforgettable.
Fox may not have been looking to blow people
away at Rustic Canyon, but he did it anyway.
His vegetable-forward cooking has been widelylauded by chefs far and wide, from Matt Orlando
of Copenhagen’s Amass to James Beard Award
winner Zachary Engel of Chicago’s Galit. “He’s
inspired a generation of cooks,” says Engel. No
surprise, when Michelin returned to LA in June,
Fox’s casual neighborhood joint earned a star.
Stars aside, Fox was unfulfilled. “I’ve always
had this idea of a classic American restaurant,
and I don’t feel like I was ever able to do it,” he
says. “I wanted to do fun, whimsical, craveable,
comforting food.” So he handed the executive
chef role at Rustic Canyon over to Andy Doubrava
so he could spend more time to open Birdie G’s
in June, a deeply personal project that he named
after his daughter (Birdie) and grandmother
(Gladys). There, he’s riffing on what he ate asa kid in Cleveland, but he’s also inspired by his
career in California. “It’s not a Midwestern
restaurant, as everyone is saying,” he explains.
“It’s an American restaurant—and the Midwest is
part of my influence, but there’s inspiration from
everywhere.”
To that end, he’s serving country-club greens,
beef-tongue pot roast and Hangtown Brei—a cross
between the NorCal classic Hangtown fry (bacon,
eggs and oysters) and his grandmother’s matzo
brei (eggs and matzo). It’s a convivial style of food
and restaurant that’s letting the reserved chef
come out of his shell, and even make a little noise.
“I always wanted a quiet place,” Fox says. “But
now I want a loud place that’s bright, with big
portions and people having a great time.” J.R.Chef Jeremy Fox
seasons crispy rice.Rose petal and
pretzel pie.An overhead view
of dishes and drinks
from Birdie G’s.oROBBREPORT.COM 43
In the 15th century, Franciscan monks began bottling the juices of a tiny, indigenous grape from the
Umbrian village of Montefalco. Called Sagrantino, the small berry packed with antioxidants proved to be
as delicious as it was healthful; thus, the clerics, drinkers as they were, used it for their liturgical wine.
Several centuries later, Marco Caprai has spun the rare Sagrantino into a couture wine label called
Spinning Beauty ($300-$350; arnaldocaprai.it). Just 1,000 bottles are produced each year, with hand-
selected grapes from the best parcel of the vineyard. It’s fermented in barrel and then aged in French
barriques for 10 years, mellowing out the tannins. Rich and deep garnet in hue from long contact with the
skins, the latest release, the 2009, will be available in September and tastes of balsamic vinegar, incense,
tobacco and red fruit. The extra-long finish is remarkable. Janice O’LearySpinning
Beauty
2019
ROBB RECOMMENDS...He kept his head down, kicked the habit and
focused on cooking. The Ubuntu experience had
been formative in unexpected ways. He learned
what he didn’t want to do—which was cook
overcomplicated food solely to impress his peers.
Instead, he created dishes that weren’t flashy,
but straightforward and soulful and driven by
seasonal produce. “I almost wanted to not make
much noise,” Fox says. “Nothing was over the
top.” Still, it was creative. In his hands, simple-
yet-unexpected combinations such as beets with
berries or polenta with a savory strawberry sofrito
didn’t just make sense—they were unforgettable.
Fox may not have been looking to blow people
away at Rustic Canyon, but he did it anyway.
His vegetable-forward cooking has been widely
lauded by chefs far and wide, from Matt Orlando
of Copenhagen’s Amass to James Beard Award
winner Zachary Engel of Chicago’s Galit. “He’s
inspired a generation of cooks,” says Engel. No
surprise, when Michelin returned to LA in June,
Fox’s casual neighborhood joint earned a star.
Stars aside, Fox was unfulfilled. “I’ve always
had this idea of a classic American restaurant,
and I don’t feel like I was ever able to do it,” he
says. “I wanted to do fun, whimsical, craveable,
comforting food.” So he handed the executive
chef role at Rustic Canyon over to Andy Doubrava
so he could spend more time to open Birdie G’s
in June, a deeply personal project that he named
after his daughter (Birdie) and grandmother
(Gladys). There, he’s riffing on what he ate asa kid in Cleveland, but he’s also inspired by his
career in California. “It’s not a Midwestern
restaurant, as everyone is saying,” he explains.
“It’s an American restaurant—and the Midwest is
part of my influence, but there’s inspiration from
everywhere.”
To that end, he’s serving country-club greens,
beef-tongue pot roast and Hangtown Brei—a cross
between the NorCal classic Hangtown fry (bacon,
eggs and oysters) and his grandmother’s matzo
brei (eggs and matzo). It’s a convivial style of food
and restaurant that’s letting the reserved chef
come out of his shell, and even make a little noise.
“I always wanted a quiet place,” Fox says. “But
now I want a loud place that’s bright, with big
portions and people having a great time.” J.R.Chef Jeremy Fox
seasons crispy rice.Rose petal and
pretzel pie.An overhead view
of dishes and drinks
from Birdie G’s.