We just got back from Stonehill Tavern, Michael Mina’s Four-Star restaurant inside The St. Regis Monarch Beach in Dana Point, Calif. The sleek spot, designed by New York-based interior designer Tony Chi, is a great place to dine — the bar’s green and off-white mosaic floor tiles lend a Mediterranean feel, the dining room’s views of the Pacific will make your jaw drop and Mina’s upscale twists on home-style favorites are flawless. But we were most impressed by the Orange County restaurant’s focus on smaller, family-style wineries and liquor. The list emphasizes California wines, with 400 to 500 bottles. The “Rare Tavern Collection” section features older vintages from cult California producers, including Abreu, Bryant Family, Joseph Phelps, Harlan Estate, Chateau Montelena and Ridge. The bar (pictured above with a straight-up martini) also highlights rare small-batch liquor, such High West Whiskey, Blanton’s single-barrel bourbon and Hardy’s Perfection “Earth” cognac — with some blends dating back to the 1870s.
