Restaurant Report - Rustic Canyon in Santa Monica - NYTimes.com Emily Roth The bar at Rustic Canyon. At 9:30 on a Wednesday night, it was three deep at the bar at Rustic Canyon, a wine bar and restaurant in Santa Monica. The dining room was buzzing; outside, bundled diners braved the chilly late-winter air. In spite of his status as a cult figure among chefs and epicures, Jeremy Fox, who took over the kitchen in January, claims no credit for the crowds. "The place is really busy and was long before I got here," he said. Mr. Fox says his mission at the restaurant, which opened in 2007, is to build on its seasonal dining model. "I'm learning what the produce in Los Angeles is like and what the clientele in Santa Monica is going to go for right now," he said. There's little doubt that he has settled nicely into his new niche, in part thanks to his much ballyhooed time at a similar spot up north. Before relocating to Los Angeles in 2010, Mr. Fox was the chef at Ubuntu in Napa, which was awarded a Michelin star, the first ever for a vegetarian restaurant (it has since closed). Following his exit from Ubuntu, Mr. Fox didn't exactly jump into the Rustic Canyon gig. The owners "needed to fill the position of chef and I was available," he said. We talked about if for months. The restaurant's menu features ingredients culled from farms along the Southern California coast. For pairing, there is a 500-bottle wine list, including around 25 by the glass, 3 craft beers on tap and over a dozen by the bottle. Mr. Fox has brought items from his Ubuntu repertory with him, like almonds with lavender sugar and sea salt. And there is also one holdover from the menu he inherited, a subtly spicy dish of California shrimp with Calabrian chile butter. The rest of the dishes change regularly to reflect market availability. During a February visit, the menu included fried brussels sprouts with a tangy apple agrodolce. Tender roasted chicken was served with luscious ricotta dumplings, brussels sprouts and green garlic. Most of Mr. Fox's dishes - we tried close to half of them - were balanced and technically successful. The biggest misstep was an amberjack crudo with citrus, keffir lime, satsumas and Turkish pepper; it was decidedly one-dimensional. But a whole wheat cake and Meyer lemon tart made by the pastry chef Laurel Almerinda provided a simple and satisfying finale. Rustic Canyon, 1119 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica; (310) 393-7050; rusticcanyonwinebar.com. Average price for a dinner for two, without drinks and tip, is about $90.