It’s not as if the Rustic Canyon restaurant family doesn’t have enough to think about, what with opening one of the most anticipated restaurants of the year and all—but before Santa Monica gets the Jeremy Fox homestyle treatment at the Midwest-inspired Birdie G’s, it’s getting a taste of New York City with Milo SRO, the group’s new slice shop.
Launching Thursday in the former Sweet Rose Creamery space—don’t worry, they’re still making ice cream behind the scenes—Milo SRO will operate as a sort of fast-casual extension of the restaurant group’s popular spot Milo + Olive from chefs Josh Loeb and Zoe Nathan. (The name does stand for “Milo Standing-Room-Only,” after all.) But whereas Milo + Olive’s menu involves pasta, pastries, bread, salads and wood-fired seasonal vegetables in addition to pizza, their latest venture will focus on whole and by-the-slice 18-inch pies made with either a 48-hour–fermented dough or a gluten-free crust.
Toppings will take their cues from the full-service sibling spot, which means drawing from seasonality and local farms. There are a range of set pizzas, such as the Roasted Mushroom and Braised Garlic with tomato sauce, raclette and fresh oregano; the Fancy White Pie with mozzarella, taleggio, raclette, ricotta, house-made giardiniera and fresh basil and garlic oil; and the Meat Lovers, with tomato-sauce base, house-made sausage, bacon, pepperoni, mozzarella and oregano. Whole pies range from $24 (a classic cheese variety) to $38, but you can also sub in vegan cheese for an additional $6. Of course you can also find these bad boys by the slice, but if none are to your liking, go wild with customization and build your own pie.
Photograph: Courtesy Milo SRO/Abby Mahler
For those who get there early enough, Milo SRO’s even offering a limited run of thick, fluffy, Sicilian-style slices topped with cherry tomato, parmesan, garlic oil, oregano and sea salt—and we do mean limited: Beat the crowds, because only 10 of these pizzas come out of the oven each day.
Not craving pizza? Expect mini sesame garlic knots, and chopped and caesar salads, plus gluten-free eggplant parm by the single serving or party tray. They’ve even got house-made dipping sauces for those knots or your pizza (we’re talking ranch, BBQ, caesar, and hazelnut romesco), some even vegan.
And for those who’ll miss the Sweet Rose Creamery scoop shop, you’ll still be able to walk into the space and find plenty of vanilla, chocolate, salted caramel, fresh mint chip, cookies and cream, and dairy-free chocolate ice cream, not to mention Sweet Rose’s seasonal flavors.
The focus here is on to-go and delivery (though there are a handful of stools and a counter)—so study the menu and take a peek at the photos, below, then get in and out and into some pizza starting on Thursday.
Photograph: Courtesy Milo SRO/Abby Mahler
Milo SRO opens on Thursday, April 25, at 826 Pico Blvd. Opening hours are 4-10pm daily, until May 6, when hours extend to 11am-10pm.