Matt Straus, Wine Director

Matthew Straus has been working in food service for the past eighteen years, beginning with a stint at the neighborhood McDonald's when he was fourteen. He worked primarily in kitchens until he graduated from college, at which point he began an extended involvement with service and wine. Prior to moving to Los Angeles in 2000, he worked in renowned Boston restaurants such as The Tuscan Grill, The Harvest and The Federalist, as well as with the acclaimed late French chef Sophie Parker, in Saratoga Springs, New York. Since moving to L.A., Matt has held service positions at Campanile, L'Orangerie, Sona and Grace, where he performed the duties of wine director. In March 2005, Matt marked his return to the kitchen when he concluded a program of study in European cuisine at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts in Vancouver, B.C.

He is thrilled to be a part of the team at Wilshire, where he maintains a wine program with concentrations on value, bottle maturity, and bio-diversity, and has the opportunity to pair wines with some of the highest quality food in the city. Matt’s impeccable selections have recently made him the “Best Sommelier/Wine Buyer by Patterson’s Beverage Journal and Anthony Dias Blue.” Other recent accolades include “Rising Star Sommelier,” from Starchefs.com, and his wine list at Wilshire was named one of the “Best New American Wine Lists” by Food & Wine magazine in 2006.

About him, LA Times restaurant critic S. Irene Virbila wrote “Straus is a thoughtful presence in the dining room, completely comfortable and passionate about wine. The stellar wine list is filled with bottle after bottle anyone would love to drink, and he's right there to offer intelligent advice whatever your level.”

©2008 Wilshire Restaurant