Cocktail: William's Little Italy at Michael's in Santa Monica.

Michaels, the landmark Santa Monica restaurant with one of the most romantic back patios in the city, has just introduced a guest mixologist program. Now you can sample creative cocktails from a rotating cast of tastemakers while supping on chef Michael McCarty's classic California cuisine (he was doing local and sustainable long before it was all the rage). Currently there is a whiskey drink on the menu called "William's Little Italy" that can knock you over with a single sip. Made with straight rye whiskey mixed with a clever sampling of fine Italian apertifs, the drink inhabits a universe of bittersweet flavor where notes of vanilla, rhubarb, licorice, orange and peach bounce off of one another like pieces of cosmic dust. Suffice it to say that this dark beauty demands respect.