Ox & Son is a new modern American restaurant in Santa Monica….part of the food renaissance brewing on the west side of Los Angeles.
Ox & Son opened two weeks ago on suburban chic Montana Avenue. It is the latest addition to the FNA (Fork n’ Awesome) Hospitality Group.
Helmed by Executive Chef and Partner Brad Miller, the menu features seasonally-inspired, elevated comfort-food cuisine. The name pays homage to Chef Miller’s father, Gary “Ox” Miller, a Chicago-based butcher.
Mark Verge, Westside Rentals founder and partner with Cedd Moses, are behind the project, tapping the former Inn of the Seventh Ray chef to lead the kitchen.
We had an 8:30 reservation last Saturday night…perfect timing to catch the huge Final Four upset win by Wisconsin over top dog Kentucky.
It was a packed house. We found street parking and ambled in, our path illuminated by an amazing full moon. The place was buzzing.
Ox & Son has gone through a complete renovation, being transformed from mainstay Cafe Montana.
We were warmly welcomed and immediately seated.
We quickly got down to business, ordering a lovely bottle of Cabernet Franc 2013 from Chinon, France ($44).
Coincidentally, our daughter was dining at Ox & Son. She texted me her suggestions as she had a 45 minute head start on dinner. Recommendations included uni, oysters, yellowtail and asparagus.
She ordered the much heralded chicken fried duck confit and said it was fabulous ($25).
Wisely, we followed our foodie daughter and selected the uni deviled eggs which were served warm. The uni (sea urchin) was creamy and delicious ($14).
We also selected the fresh ricotta and radish with olive oil, black pepper, fava bean with toasted seed bread ($11). It was a exemplary opening act.
The yellowtail crudo was sweet and the yuzu yogurt with thai chili, cucumber, pickled mushroom and shiso accented the sublime yellowtail dish ($16).
The mussel and tomato chorizo poutine with kennebec fries, cotija cheese and dill wood sounded enticing ($14). Next time.
Our daughter and the table next to us had chosen the jumbo size asparagus. We needed those luscious stalks. The sauce of miso hollandaise was superb ($9).
Also note that beyond creating delectable food, the attractive, traditional serving dishes contrasted nicely with the modern feel to the decor of the restaurant. The glass windows flawlessly frame the room.
We shared a main of mushroom gnocchi which was the weakest dish we ordered. Conceptually, it should have been stellar. It had pea tendril, fava bean, parmesan and lemon confit ($23), but it fell flat.
Our neighbors had ordered the gnocchi and expressed the same sentiment. Their other dish, the roasted salmon with crispy carrot, brussel sprouts and kohlrabi, looked wonderful ($29).
Other mains included sticky pig cheeks & black rice ($27), a burger with raclete cheese, arugula, pickled onion, truffle aioli and kennebec fries ($20) and prime crusted hangar steak ($32).
We were curious about the crispy panisse which was decadent….translation ooey, gooey raclette cheese ($8).
We skipped dessert as we were satiated. The choices were milk-soaked yellow cake, lemon curd and strawberries ($11) and coffee cake & butterscotch with cinnamon ice cream (($10).
Ox & Son is a tantalizing neighborhood gem. The one drawback is that the tables are very close together. When you come and go it is definitely all about the bass in your face.
Ox & Son 1534 Montana Avenue, Santa Monica California. Open Sunday-Thursday 5:3-10pm, Friday & Saturday 5:30-11pm. Go to oxandson.com to make a reservation.
