A Perfect Day In: Santa Monica
my kinda hometown-ish
Santa Monica and I go waaaay back. I first moved to the corner of 19th street and Georgina when I was eight years old, and only lived there full time for a year and a half before returning over a decade later (plus many summer months spent in between) to live a few blocks away. I saw it go from a cutie little beach neighborhood with bungalows filled with just-got-rich sitcom writers, with the promenade and Montana being safe havens for local cafes (RIP 17th street cafe, Babaloo, and Blue Plate </3) to a quite divided neighborhood of wealthy megamansion owners and unhoused people alike. I have a complicated and storied relationship with the area, but my heart still swells when I roll the windows down to drink in the sea air when I get off the 10. Here’s how I’d spend a big perfect day there.
Start with coffee and a pastry from FarmShop in the Country Mart (tech Brentwood, sorry! it’s borderline!) walk through north of Montana neighborhood til you get to either courtyard kitchen, salt’s cure, or arts table for real breakfast/brunch. Keep walking down Montana afterwards (make sure you stop in Zibby’s Bookstore, Brentwood General Store, and Naked Cashmere) til you hit the Montana stairs. Take the stairs down to the beach path or walk along the bluffs to elephante (bougie, make a res), little ruby, or interstellar for a late lunch. While I don’t condone slander, as a jersey girl at heart, I would like to talk you out of waiting an hour for a very good but not worth the wait Bay Cities sandwich.
If you’re feeling shoppy til you droppy tourist-y, go knock yourself out on the promenade (it’s mostly big box stores, but the brandy there is quiiite tempting, so I get it). If not, head up to the bergamot station art galleries, then get a drink at the rooftop of the proper hotel, followed by din at le great outdoor, birdie g’s, or bodega wine bar.
Alternatively, you can head to ocean park area for dinner- crudo e nudo (one of my absolute fav places). I’ve personally been dying to try cobi’s or pasjoli as well. If you fancy going out with some frat bros, end your night at the victorian (basement is better) or singing at gaslite, or library alehouse or the office back on Montana for a chiller vibe. Tbh I haven’t gone out out in Santa Monica in a year or two, and I’d probably rather go to Townhouse or Market over in Venice or like a super divey dive, but to each their own!!
If you’re feeling like, I know these infatuation approved vibey spots, but where do the locals reaaally go? Like, where am I going to run into Nicole’s parents? Ok ok…I want to gatekeep these…but here you go- Echigo for best sushi, Sogno Toscano for best italian sandwiches/salads, Pono Burger for solid af burgers, McCall’s for the best butcher, Caffe Delfini (far superior to it’s famous neighbor) for a romantic italian night, or Hillstone for the best chilled martini and cae sal/burger combo (ok, that one is obvious).
lmk if you think I’m missing any spots or if you do the perfect day and have thoughts!!
xoxoxo
