Tag Archives: Santa Monica Restaurant

MILO AND OLIVE

November 21, 2014 5:42 am ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅

WHERE: Milo and Olive, located in Santa Monica at 2723 Wilshire Blvd.

The bakery opens at 7am daily and breakfast starts at 8am. Lunch and dinner are served from 11am to 11pm. Breakfast is bakery driven, while lunch and dinner are a menu of Wood-Fired Pizzas and Salads/Small Plates with ingredients from the local farmers’ market.

The menu is seasonal – presently they are serving dishes such as Pumpkin Gnocchi with Apples, Brown Butter and Sage, as well as Roasted Butternut Squash Tortellini and a Wood-Fired Pear Salad – YUM!

This restaurant is not the easiest place to get a seat, so I would avoid going in large groups. They have a small bar and a couple of large communal tables. I am not sure when the “off” time to go is, so you just have to turn up when you’re hungry and (hopefully) get lucky – otherwise the wait can be very long.

milo and olive collage

 

MOTHER SAYS:

I taste the Burrata Pizza with Arugula first, it is light and fresh. The crust is the perfect ratio of chewy and crunchy. You could put anything on this pizza and it would melt in your mouth.

I then taste the Spicy Burrata Zucchini Blossoms Pizza and yes, it is out of this world. The Blossoms and the Burrata absorb the extremely spicy sauce, leaving your mouth salivating for one more bite then one more bite… then just one more bite. I try to control my insatiable desire for this pizza by alternating it with bites of the Milo Chopped Salad and sips of a crisp White Wine – but still, I want one more bite. This is truly a Pizza lovers heaven.

The only problem – one’s stomach size. You will want everything… every. last. morsel. I wanted to lick the plate… but I didn’t. I promise.

 

milo and olive last

 

MILO AND OLIVE 4

 

DAUGHTER SAYS:

The fresh Tagliarini Bolognese is very good and a little bit sweet. I love this dish and will get it again.

The Spicy Burrata Zucchini Blossoms Pizza is spicy and delicious. One word to describe it is SPICE-O-RIFIC, it’s spicy and terrific.

I like the family style tables. We sit while we eat, laughing and talking – I only feel a little bad at the long line of people waiting for our seats.

This is my favorite restaurant right now, so if you come here you might just be in the line watching me eat for a while! Sorry. I just can’t resist.

 

milo and olive foodies

OVERALL RATING:

LOCATION/AMBIANCE: 7 out of 10 – The location is not the prettiest, it sits along a row of nondescript buildings on Wilshire and parking can be a serious pain. Once inside and seated though, it is quaint and farmhouse like. We like it for when we are in that area.

SERVICE: 7.5 out of 10 – The staff is friendly, it is pretty busy all the time, but somehow the food comes out quickly.

FOOD: 9 out of 10 - The best, most original Pizza we have discovered. Get it to go, if nothing else. The ingredients are fresh, colorful and organic, it will appeal to all your senses – even if you have seven of them! The Almond Croissant is the best in L.A.

OVERALL: 8 out 10 - Try it, you will love it. This place really is a gem hidden amongst the pollution of Wilshire.

paris pizza

 

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Posted in: Best Restaurant, California Restaurant, Food Blog, Food Reviews, Foodies, Milo and Olive, MoDaFoodies, organic food, Restaurant Reviews ⋅ Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

BLUE PLATE TACO

October 26, 2013 8:58 pm ⋅ 1 Comment ⋅

WHERE:  Blue Plate Taco is located at 1515 Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica, just across the street from the Santa Monica Pier.

The menu is diverse, serving everything from a Mexican Chopped Salad with kale and quinoa, Carne Asada Tacos, and Lobster Tacos (a crowd favorite), to Grilled Yellow Peaches and Crispy Plantains.

Reservations are not accepted here, but you can call an hour ahead and put your name on the list.

This is a great family spot, there is something for everyone.  We love sitting outside in the moonlight under the palm trees enjoying the cool ocean air.

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char with moon

 

blueplate-taco

MOTHER SAYS:

The Ceviche Amarillo is original, it has yellow pepper blended with lime, pineapple, onion and ginger.  It is light and refreshing, but the cilantro and onion slightly overpower the dish.  However, others think it is the most delicious Ceviche ever.

The Pumpkin & Squash Puree Soup (a special for the night) is very rich and flavorful.  Charlotte and I love it.

My favorite is the Vegetable Taco, the best Vegetable Taco I have tasted…ever.  I enjoy the taco with their famous “Westside” drink – vodka, cucumber, mint, fresh lime, soda water and agave.  Maybe, just maybe that’s why the taco is so good!

Sadly, they are out of their Chocolate Pot De Creme, so we have the Churros & Raspados, (Mexican Shaved Ice) which is good… but it is not chocolate.

ceviche

soup

westside

 

DAUGHTER SAYS:

We start with the home made Chips and Guacamole, YUM!!!! Then the waiter says he is going to freshen up our plate, I think, “This is music to my ears. A clean plate, and MORE food”.

I share my mom’s soup, which I love, but a few bites are enough.  I also have the Steak Tacos & Beans, I eat it all.  I adore this place.

Chocolate desserts are really the only desserts I can rave about, so I will refrain from commenting on the Churros & Raspados, it wouldn’t be fair.  Rivers (my 5 year old brother) loved it, so most other kids probably would too, as he has a sweet tooth. My mom loved dipping her Churro in her Mexican Coffee.  I still want to try their Chocolate Pot De Creme, I bet it is delicious.

snocone

foodies-blue taco

 

OVERALL RATING:

LOCATION/AMBIANCE:  8 out of 10 – A great Santa Monica Restaurant with outdoor seating, and a light, chic, airy indoor bar and seating.  This is one of the better Santa Monica spots we have been to.

SERVICE: 9.5 out of 10 –  The staff is overly friendly, and accommodating.  They are on top of it.  We loved getting Mexican blankets when the ocean air became too cold for us.

FOOD:  8 out of 10 – So many flavors, so many options.  We are really impressed.

OVERALL: 8.5 out 10 – This is such a great place for families or a night at the bar.  We will definitely go again, we have to try the Lobster Tacos.

sissys

 

 

 

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Posted in: Best Restaurant, California Restaurant, Food Blog, Food Reviews, Foodies, mexican, MoDaFoodies, Restaurant Reviews ⋅ Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , ,

MERCADO

April 22, 2013 3:38 pm ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅
WHERE: Mercado, an Mexican restaurant located in the heart of Santa Monica on 4th Street.

We went to Mercado for a different style graduation dinner.

Our close friend/babysitter, Shay is graduating from Pepperdine and has been part of our family for the past four years.  We had to celebrate her success.

The high communal tables were a hit among the kids and the weekly specials scrawled on the long mirrors added a cool touch to the restaurant.

The vibe was hip, the atmosphere fresh and the food was delish!

It was a fun night, filled with laughter.

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MOTHER SAYS:

The food was so original.  The chips were served with a wonderful guacamole that had spicy pepitas on top. The flavors and textures really popped in our mouths.

Shay and I shared a crunchy chopped kale salad along with ahi tostadas topped with shrimp tempura, avocado and jalapeño.  These were my favorite of the night.

We also shared a light halibut over colorful, perfectly cooked vegetables, covered in a light sauce.

We sipped the most mouth watering blood orange margaritas, so refreshing!

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DAUGHTER SAYS:

I ordered pork tamales.  I had to try these tamales.  My first reaction was mmmmm, interesting.  These were fancy tamales and they were really good.

The rice tasted yummy and had a really good texture.  I made myself one of Rivers’ steak tacos (carne asada), so spicy and good meat.

After eating two tamales, a steak taco, rice and chips with guacamole, I didn’t have room for anything else… except maybe dessert!

We had the tastiest cinnamon ice cream, we ate every last bite.  Rivers (my 4 year old brother) wanted to lick the bowl, but my mom wouldn’t allow it.

This night was all about Shay, that’s who it was all about!

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OVERALL RATING:

LOCATION/AMBIANCE: 8.5 out of 10 – A great spot in Santa Monica.  It had a cool, fun and different atmosphere.  We loved everything from the tables to the lighting to the menu scribbled on the mirrors.

SERVICE: 10 out of 10 – Our waitress was so attentive and let the kids sample different lemonades, made great recommendations and never kept us waiting.

FOOD: 8.5 out of 10 – Modern Mexican food but still kept the best parts of traditional Mexican.

OVERALL: 8.5 out 10 – We went at 5:30pm, it was pretty empty, by the time we left at 7:00pm, it was packed.  If you go early, you can take your kids (we didn’t see one other kid while we were there), it seems to have more of a hipster vibe. There is a happy hour menu with great food and wine choices.  We LOVED this new spot.  We highly recommend it, especially if your child has a sophisticated palate.

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Posted in: Best Restaurant, California Restaurant, Food Blog, Food Reviews, Foodies, MoDaFoodies, Restaurant Reviews ⋅ Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,

TRUE FOOD

December 22, 2012 4:42 am ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅

WHERE: True Food, Santa Monica

At the renovated Santa Monica mall, with fabulous indoor/outdoor seating and a clean modern vibe. We went with some of our closest friends (Veronica and her two boys) to have some pre-Christmas cheer.

MOTHER SAYS:

Veronica and I shared the chicken chopped salad (sans the chicken) with cranberry, local dates, jicama, manchego, farro, marcona almonds & champagne vinaigrette.  The sweet and savory flavors blended perfectly with the crunchiness of the almonds and chewiness of the farro.  It was my favorite item of the night.

We also shared the miso soup and tuna sliders, they were good.  The Tuna was lacking flavor, but was served with a fresh, simple kale salad and butternut squash.

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DAUGHTER SAYS:

The bison chili was so yummy.  The meat was good and it was so so spicy and I loved it.

I loved my pasta noodles dipped in marinara.  It is a great restaurant.

Rivers (Char’s 4 year old brother) had the margarita pizza, which he thoroughly enjoyed.  It had a thin, crunchy crust and was not too cheesy.

Wilson (Char’s 8 year old friend) had a turkey sloppy joe, he loved it – and ate every bite.

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OVERALL RATING:

LOCATION/AMBIANCE: 8 out of 10 – a bright and light modern restaurant filled with greenery and a comfortable patio.

SERVICE: 7 out of 10 – nice but not completely accommodating for children.

FOOD: 8.5 out of 10 – healthy, light and flavorful.  Your body feels nurtured after eating here.

OVERALL:  8 out of 10- a wonderful option for lunch or dinner.  It gets packed, so go early or late.

Have you been to this restaurant? Did you like it? Did you love it? Did you loathe it? Let us know by posting in the COMMENT box at the top of this post.

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Thanks!

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Posted in: Best Restaurant, California Restaurant, Food Blog, Food Reviews, Foodies, MoDaFoodies, Restaurant Reviews ⋅ Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , ,