Our most recent date night ended up built around three unplanned stops: a Waymo self-driving car, a wine tasting at AJA Vineyards, and dessert at Turn Dough in Santa Monica.
The Waymo Ride
Neither of us had taken a Waymo before. My husband, the tech enthusiast, couldn’t stop grinning when the car pulled up with no one behind the wheel; I was more skeptical handing control over to the car. It won us over fast — smooth through traffic, and confident enough through one tricky intersection that my husband said, “This is safer than most people I know behind the wheel.” If you’re trying it for the first time, set the app up in advance so booking is one tap when you’re ready to go — it’s currently only available in select areas, so check your neighborhood first. We went deeper on the comparison in our Waymo vs. Uber Family Rideshare Face-Off if you want the full breakdown on safety, cost, and convenience.
Wine at AJA Vineyards
The Waymo dropped us at AJA Vineyards’ Santa Monica tasting room — small and boutique-feeling, good for a couple rather than a crowd. The staff told us how AJA started as a family project, and that comes through in how they talk about the wine. The standout pour was the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon: bold but smooth, good dark fruit, just enough oak.
We ordered a few shareable bites alongside it: Honey Mustard Pretzels, Truffle Potato Chips (surprisingly good with a crisp Chardonnay), the Chef’s Board “Classico” charcuterie, and a Cacio e Pepe Pizza that AJA actually sources from North Italia across the street. If you’re going, order shareables rather than a full meal — you’ll want room for dessert.
Dessert at Turn Dough
Turn Dough does a chimney cake cone — warm, golden pastry rolled in sugar and filled with soft-serve gelato. We got one topped with sprinkles, caramel drizzle, and a waffle cookie, and it was almost comically large. At $15+ per cone it’s not an everyday order, but one cone is genuinely enough for two or three people to share, which makes it worth it as an occasional splurge. LA’s dessert scene has come a long way from thrifty scoops — more on that in our Ice Cream Renaissance piece.
Why It Worked
Book the Waymo ahead of time if you’re on a schedule, and reserve AJA tastings for peak weekend hours since the room fills up fast. None of these three stops needed a special trip out of town — just saying yes to something a little different, right in the city we already live in.
