Everywhere You Need to Eat in Santa Monica Right Now

Before Uovo came along, there was nothing quite like it in the area: a traditional pasta bar where you could enjoy a plate of no-fuss tonnarelli all’Arrabbiata by yourself in under an hour (although small groups can linger for far longer, if supplementing with plates of yellowtail crudo and wagyu beef tartare). Uovo rightly prides itself on its pasta, made in Bologna using special eggs that aren’t available stateside to lend the noodles a rich yellow color and are overnighted to Santa Monica in a temperature-controlled cabin where the flight time is part of the required resting time. The noodles are prepared with a traditional sheeting and cutting technique, which gives them their superior texture and ability to bond with sauces, instead of a modern extrusion method. Although the pasta is the star, the team is equally fanatical about every other ingredient—sourcing tomatoes from Puglia, using sustainably raised beef and pork, and shipping Pecorino Romano from Italy. To taste a little of everything, opt for one of three tasting menus, which range in price from $32 to $37 per person.
How to book: Walk in or join the waiting list before you arrive. Pickup and delivery online.