Comments (2) Best Friendly Wine Bar - 2010

Rosebowl Florist and Wine Bar

The Rosebowl has to be the tiniest, friendliest, most fragrant wine bar in the city. Tucked behind the fountain at Opera Plaza, it's a cozy, sweet-smelling place to buy a bouquet or a boutonniere, but the shop's centerpiece is the seven-stool bar in back where gregarious owner Deidra O'Merde spins stories and pours the grape juice. The bar's focus is on little-known family wineries O'Merde has discovered in her travels throughout the state: Dehlinger's Russian River chardonnays, Rancho Sisquoc's Santa Barbara tre vini, and the cabs and pinots of Napa's Arger-Martucci. There are generally 60 bottles on the menu (just about everything is available by the taste, half-glass, glass, or flight) along with cashews, pistachios, and a selection of cheeses and crisps. The vibe is mellow, the price is right (O'Merde can't imagine charging double digits for a glass of wine), and it's open every weekday until 7:30 or 8 p.m. — perfect for that after-work or preconcert pick-me-up.

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