Chef Diego Moya had always wanted to work in California. The well-travelled Chilean-born chef\u2014whose resume includes stints at Peru\u2019s Astrid y Gast\u00f3n, Paris\u2019s Le Comptoir and L\u2019Arp\u00e8ge, and Best of Award of Excellence winner, Casa Mono<\/a> in New York City\u2014said of his move to Montecito, Calif., \u201cAfter getting used to the rhythms of being in New York for the last 20 years, I was looking for something else.\u201d<\/p>\n A few years ago, Graham Duncan, a Montecito resident with a background in investment firms, was looking for a chef to head up a restaurant he was opening with friends Eva and Bryan Schreier. He reached out to Moya through some regulars who knew his food.<\/p>\n The location:<\/b> Montecito is an affluent suburb along the American Riviera, home to celebrities like Oprah, Ellen DeGeneres, Ariana Grande and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle<\/a>. But its 8,500 or so residents, celebrities notwithstanding, generally enjoy a slow-paced, quiet lifestyle.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The design of Little Mountain pulls from surrounding Spanish Colonial architecture.<\/span> (Courtesy of Kort Havens)<\/span><\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/p>\n Little Mountain\u2014the translation of Montecito\u2014took over the Montecito Wine Bistro, founded by the late Santa Barbara vintner Pierre Lafond. The space, which had been unoccupied since the pandemic, is just down the road from Wine Spectator<\/i> Grand Award winner the Stonehouse<\/a>.<\/p>\n When it opened:<\/b> Nov. 6<\/p>\n The menu:<\/b> \u201cMy idea is to take inspiration from coastal grilling traditions around the world, like Baja and San Sebasti\u00e1n<\/a>,\u201d said Moya. \u201cPlaces where there\u2019s access to seafood and mountains; there\u2019s not many places like that, but the food tends to be amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n Moya\u2019s focus is on vegetables and preparing them in a variety of interesting ways. He says 95 percent of the produce will be sourced locally from dozens of community growers, including farmers growing specific seasonal vegetables for him. \u201cThink tomatoes in the summer, or like right now we\u2019re growing these obscure Italian chicories,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n A hearth at the center of the restaurant is used to cook many of the dishes. One current offering that exemplifies Moya\u2019s culinary vision is a humble salad of black coco shelling beans with hearth-roasted delicata squash. \u201cWe\u2019re taking the three sisters idea [from Native American cuisine], with these gunmetal black beans that are creamy and delicious, delicata squash and sweet corn,\u201d says Moya. \u201cThe vinaigrette is made with miso, passionfruit and sweet corn, finished with a bunch of my favorite herbs.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chef Diego Moya cooks seasonal produce\u00a0and even desserts in Little Mountain\u2019s hearth.<\/span> (Courtesy of Kort Havens)<\/span><\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/p>\n Another dish that speaks to what he\u2019s aiming for is a Basque cheesecake with Mexican-inspired flavors. \u201cI admire the hidden skeleton of Mexico here,\u201d Moya said of the Santa Barbara region, which is steeped in Mexican-Californian history. \u201cI wanted to weave in some of those flavors.\u201d The cheesecake is infused with caf\u00e9 de olla, a traditional Mexican coffee brewed with cinnamon and piloncillo, with other spices such as cloves or star anise. Moya burnishes the cheesecake with coals from the hearth and serves it with cr\u00e8me fra\u00eeche.<\/p>\n The wine list:<\/b> The small producer-focused list leans into organic and sustainable farming practices, showcasing the Santa Barbara wine scene, as well as other coastal and mountainous regions around the world that offer clean, crisp styles of wine.<\/p>\n Moya said the concise starting list of 100-plus bottles will grow steadily. \u201cThe space is a challenge, because there\u2019s not much room, but we\u2019ve adjusted and built some mini cellars. We\u2019re looking for an off-site cellar\u2014at that point, the sky is the limit.\u201d<\/p>\n For now, the wine list leans heavily on France, with everything from well-priced whites like Fran\u00e7ois Chidaine Touraine from the Loire Valley ($72) and Domaine de la P\u00e9pi\u00e8re Muscadet S\u00e8vre et Maine Clisson ($66) to classic collector reds like Domaine Dujac Morey-Saint-Denis and Domaine du Vieux T\u00e9l\u00e9graphe Ch\u00e2teauneuf-du-Pape La Crau<\/a>. Other collectible wines from around the globe include Napa\u2019s Mayacamas<\/a> and Philip Togni<\/a>, as well as Vietti<\/a> and Aldo Conterno<\/a> from Italy, and more.<\/p>\n The design:<\/b> The restaurant seats around 120, including an airy outdoor covered patio, moody, lamplit, dark wooded bar-lounge area and a 14-seat private dining room. The building\u2019s Spanish Colonial bones lend a warm, inviting atmosphere to the main dining area. Muted earthen tones and light-hued wood mix with rustic materials like antique terra cotta, ironwork and exposed wood beams in an understated, elegant and classic manner, punctuated by the hearth at the center. \u201cIt feels like a home you could have walked into 100 years ago,\u201d said Moya.\u2014Aaron Romano<\/i><\/p>\n Who\u2019s behind it:<\/b> Best of Award of Excellence winner Ilili NYC<\/a>, a longtime New York City destination for authentic Lebanese food, expanded with a second Manhattan location, in Midtown. The 150-seat restaurant, on the ground floor of the towering 601 Lexington Ave. building, accompanies its elevated Mediterranean menu with a 120-selection wine list. Both the kitchen and wine program mesh the Levant\u2019s centuries-old culinary traditions with modern, international flair.<\/p>\n The original Ilili opened in 2007 in the Flatiron District after chef and co-founder Philippe Massoud, dismayed by the shortcomings of store-bought hummus and pita pockets, felt compelled to bring the cuisine of his homeland to the United States. Massoud was the right person for the task\u2014his family\u2019s roots in the restaurant industry go back to the 1800s. He received his initial training at the Coral Beach Hotel, a resort in Beirut owned by his grandparents, where he apprenticed with the head chef. After earning a degree in hotel, resort and restaurant development in the United States and working stints in kitchens abroad, Massoud opened Ilili\u2019s flagship location with his brother and business partner, Alexander Massoud.<\/p>\n Ilili also has a location in Washington, D.C.\u2019s The Wharf neighborhood, which opened in 2021.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ilili Midtown\u2019s 120-selection wine list highlights Lebanese producers.<\/span> (Courtesy of Ilili)<\/span><\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/p>\n When it opened:<\/b> Nov. 7<\/p>\n The wine program:<\/b> \u201cWe want people to travel without going anywhere,\u201d the restaurant\u2019s beverage manager, Ian Garcia, told Wine Spectator. Indeed, the list is noteworthy for how much global diversity it packs into its 120 selections while still maintaining a comprehensive picture of Lebanese wines<\/a>, which make up roughly half the labels.<\/p>\n Garcia acknowledges that most customers aren\u2019t familiar with Lebanese wines, but he sees that as an opportunity for distinction: \u201cIn New York, we have a thousand restaurants, right? So what can we do to stand out? I think the Lebanese wine selection is going to be a major component of that.\u201d He credits the legendary Chateau Musar<\/a> with \u201ccreating the market\u201d for the country\u2019s wines, but he aims to highlight the broader diversity and rich history of the region with the budding program. Other Lebanese producers on the list worth seeking out include Massaya<\/a>, Domaine Wardy<\/a> and Chateau Kefraya<\/a>, among others.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The opulent dining room of Ilili Midtown was designed by Nasser Nakib Architects.<\/span> (Courtesy of Ilili)<\/span><\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/p>\n While adventurous wine lovers have plenty to explore within the Lebanese selections, Garcia notes that \u201cNew York is a Burgundy town.\u201d A solid collection of well-known Old World and domestic producers flesh out the other half of the list, with bottlings from the likes of Burgundy\u2019s Domaine Laroche<\/a>, Barolo\u2019s Paolo Scavino<\/a>, California\u2019s Ridge<\/a> and more.<\/p>\n The menu:<\/b> There\u2019s a cosmopolitan edge to the otherwise customary Levantine fare: Terms like chimichurri<\/em>, meuni\u00e8re<\/em> and escabeche<\/em> pepper the menu. A few of the more contemporary creations include Wagyu skewers served with scallion and bitter orange kosho, beet shawarma made from spicy shaved beetroot, and tuna crudo served with pomegranate aguachile, purple ninja radish and smoked jalape\u00f1os.<\/p>\n The foundation of the menu, however, is the traditional cuisine of Lebanon, particularly mezze\u2014small, sharable plates like hummus, tabbouleh, labne and fattoush (a garden salad with sumac lemon vinaigrette). Larger traditional offerings include lamb shank served over \u201cLebanese dirty rice,\u201d falafel served with fava bean croquettes and\u2014a dish Massoud has been honing since childhood\u2014a mixed grill platter of chicken shish taouk, beef kebab, kafta, lamb chops, Lebanese salsa verde, lemon, toum duo and harissa.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/mshanken.imgix.net\/wso\/bolt\/2025-12\/restaurant-news-little-mountain-montecito-interior2-121125_1600.jpg?auto=compress,format,&sharp=5&vib=20&q=70&w=320)
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<\/p>\nNYC Lebanese Favorite Ilili Adds New Midtown Location<\/h2>\n
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