Milo + Olive

This California-inspired bakery and restaurant isn't the first place you might think when you think “Italian cuisine,” but Josh Loeb and Zoe Nathan's wood-fired pizzas, housemade pastas and seriously delicious garlic knot have made Milo + Olive an all-day Santa Monica mainstay. The thin crusted pizzas here are some of the best in the city, and there’s a wickedly good bolognese on the menu that rivals some of the more authentic-leaning options around town. Lighter options like chopped salad and a citrus-y kale salad appeal for those dining in for lunch, and there's also, of course, a marvelous pastry assortment during brunch hours.