I visited Los Angeles with a group of friends rece...

I visited Los Angeles with a group of friends recently and had a terrific first meal here at AOC. We came pretty much straight from LAX and we were all starving, and this place did not disappoint! We had made a reservation in advance but it was a random Thursday afternoon so I think we would have been fine without.

We had a really fun and friendly waiter who talked us all into ordering their drink of the day, a non alcoholic green juice made with green tea, cucumber, mint, and lime. Exorbitantly priced at $8 each but so good that all 7 of us sprang for one of our own. Most of the plates here are made to be shared, so we went ham while ordering and everyone was very satisfied at the end of the meal.

Spanish Fried Chicken: expertly fried, super crispy on the outside and well seasoned throughout. Definitely recommend.
Bacon wrapped dates - you can't really go wrong with these, perfect sweet/savory balance.
Two foccacias - one with sopressata, mozz, and jalapeno and one with broccoli rabe, burrata, and honey. The salami one was nice, good bit of heat but nothing too special. The broccoli one was spectacular, it paired really nice with the burrata and I'd definitely recommend this one over the other.
Morrocan chicken salad - the only miss for me, the chicken was a little tough and it was too heavily spiced with cumin that made it harsh tasting. There were a ton of raisins in it as well - one of my friends really enjoyed though, so maybe it's just me?
Charcuterie board - SO GOOD, definitely get this if you like charcuterie. Nice sampler of cheese, hard meats, pate, pickled veg, and a giant hunk of grilled bread (they'll bring more if you ask!).
Pasta with seafood and white beans - really yummy! I'm always skeptical of beans in pasta but here it worked really well with the seafood and tomato based sauce.

The vibe here is super cute, you almost feel like you're dining outside even though the space is covered. Great food, great service, and all in all a fun place to brunch with friends!