"Merenda is a wine bar in Oceanside with great European bottles and generously spiced Mediterranean small plates. There's usually something new to try every week, as well as mainstays like lamb tartare with Turkish çemen (a fenugreek-scented tomato paste), or charred leeks with a baharat-spiced sunchoke purée. It's versatile enough for a full dinner or just a catch-up with some friends, but either way, you'll probably want to grab a pic in the large, scallop-edged mirror before putting your phone away and tucking into some duck liver pate." - ligaya malones