Best Eats On Ocean Park Blvd
Ocean Park Blvd. stretches from Barnard Way right along the Pacific Ocean all the way East to Granville Ave. just south of the 10 freeway. This three mile stretch in Santa Monica which recently became a "Complete Green Street" thanks to an enhanced streetscape environment project, and offers a variety of breakfast, lunch and dinner options to try. From pancakes to sandwiches to Italian food, here are the top nine restaurants on Ocean Park Blvd.
Carvery Kitchen
3101 Ocean Park Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 450-0880
www.carverykitchen.com
This deli-style restaurant in Santa Monica provides a variety of quality dishes that satisfies meat lovers, vegetarians, adults or kids alike without compromising quality. Carvery Kitchen is a new twist on modern delicatessen and offers a selection of hearty sandwiches, delicious salads, soups, and much more. Everything is prepared in house to order, and they implore a unique slow roasting strategy to their meats. Along with locally grown produce and bread baked in house daily, they offer catering services to accommodate customized requests. Some popular items include the: Puebla BBQ Brisket Sandwich, Spicy Turkey Melt, Pesto Salmon Plate and Pastrami Dip.
Crimson
2901 Ocean Park Blvd #127
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 396-2400
www.crimsonla.com
The counter-service Mediterranean cafe on Ocean Park is known for their health conscious and vegetarian menu. They use hormone and antibiotic free meats which are marinated, seasoned and grilled over an open flame and then paired with their homemade sides and sauces. On weekdays, owners April and Eiman meet and greet new customers while catching up with regulars and tempt diners to finish off their meals with a delicious pastries. Crimson's wraps, salads, or grilled (chicken, filet mignon or salmon) kabobs which are served over a bed of delicious basmati rice can be enjoyed with a selection of coffees, hot/iced teas, palmers, and lemonades.
Il Forno Trattoria
2901 Ocean Park Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 450-1241
www.ilfornocaffe.com
Owned and operated by Joseph Suceveanu and Executive Chef Domenico Salvatore for 30 years, Il Forno Trattoria focuses on Northern Italian centric fare delivered to diners in a relaxed environment. This neighborhood Italian restaurant located next to the Santa Monica Airport, starts off each meal for diners with freshly baked Panne al Il Forno bread and their homemade bruschetta during dinner service. Sit at the counter and watch Chef Domenico Salvatore prepare dishes of note which include: the Linguini Mare Monti with baby lobster and shiitake mushrooms, Pappardelle all' Abruzzese named for Chef Salvatore's home region in Italy is accompanied by a homemade lamb ragu and the Filetto Agrodolce paired with a port and balsamic reduction.
The OP Cafe
3117 Ocean Park Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 452-5720
www.theopcafe.com
Since 1996, the family owned OP Cafe has been serving the neighborhood daily from 7 a.m. - 3 p.m with classic American breakfast and lunch fare spiced with hearty South of the border accents. The cafe's vintage craftsman-style bungalow - an homage to Ocean Park history and the early heroes of the Santa Monica Lifeguard Service - relaxed beach town charm, friendly service and prices attracts both locals and tourists. Mark and Lani Verge, lifelong Santa Monica residents, serve up popular dishes like their fluffy pancakes and Machaca Con Heuvos and many more delicious items.
Uplifters Kitchen
2819 Ocean Park Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 664-8868
www.uplifterskitchen.com
Known for their healthy, flavorful seasonal breakfast and lunch items as well as Stumptown coffee and cold pressed juice, Uplifters Kitchen features a Mediterranean inspired menu with an assortment of pastries, soups, salads, flatbreads and sandwiches. Owner and executive chef Elisabet Spaulding opened Uplifters two ago and is happy to serve new customers and regulars fresh, high quality ingredients and a made from scratch menu. Some of their popular items include the buttermilk biscuit breakfast sandwich for breakfast, the farmers market salad for lunch and other highlights include their mac and cheese and assortment of cookies including their signature salted chocolate pecan cookie.
Thyme Café and Market
1630 Ocean Park Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 399-8800
www.thymecafeandmarket.com
Following the success of Thyme Catering, Thyme Café and Market was launched in 2009 and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner offering guests fresh gourmet foods and delicious baked goods in a warm, communal surrounding. Favorites include the Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde and the Turkey Sausage Lasagna. The market offers a carefully curated selection filled with unique items such as small batch olive oil, jams and textiles sourced from boutique California companies; while in the summer months, it stocks an assortment of gourmet baskets with everything needed for an afternoon at the beach, a night out at the Bowl or a concert on the Pier. Thyme also offer a Gourmet To Go section which gives those on the go the perfect place to pick up flavorful, seasonal food.
Local Kitchen & Wine Bar
1736 Ocean Park Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 396-9007
www.localkitchenandwinebar.com
Local Kitchen & Wine Bar offers a dining experience that pairs small seasonal market-driven plates and handcrafted pizzas with a great selection of wines and small batch cocktails. With a wood burning pizza oven as the main focal point, the relaxed Westside setting is enhanced by an upscale casual interior and a cozy enclosed exterior space with a wood trellis - reclaimed from a decommissioned bridge in Santa Barbara that was originally built in the 1920's - designed by owner, Maire Bryne, with help from long time friend and interior designer, Leslie L. Hunt. The cozy neighborhood spot offers seasonable menus and for spring, new items include: lamb meatballs with roast carrots, rhubarb, pinenuts, pecorino gremolata and burrata with fava beans, meyer lemon, ramp oil, grilled bread.
Vito Restaurant
2807 Ocean Park Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 450-4999
www.vitorestaurant.com
The family-owned-and-operated restaurant opened their doors in 1980 and since then has delighted its customers with fine Italian cuisine. Featuring items inspired from Southern Italy, as the founders and current owners/operators are from Naples, Vito Restaurant provides great food with a cozy and romantic interior design which makes you feel like you are in someone's home in Italy. To make their flavorful, home-style cuisine, each dish is made with only fresh ingredients. Along with Caesars salad prepared at table site, other popular items include Linquine alla Pescatore, Fettucine alla Giovanna and Pollo alla Vito.
Zabie's
3003 Ocean Park Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 392-9036
www.zabies.com
The family-run gourmet café offers a variety of healthy California-inspired breakfast and lunch options. As one of the original restaurants in the neighborhood, being a fixture for more than 20 years, Zabie's takes pride in that they hand-pick their ingredients daily to ensure they deliver high quality, fresh and delicious meals. They are most known for their fresh eight-ounce burger, Z's Filet Mignon Steak Salad, breakfast scrambles and eight vegan soups, all made fresh daily, while their organic red velvet cupcakes are a neighborhood favorite.
