Cosetta
Restaurant · Santa Monica ·
Wood-fired pizzas, Italian-Californian fare, great hospitality
Wood-fired pizzas, Italian-Californian fare, great hospitality
"Cosetta, a Cal-Italian restaurant from chef Zach Pollack of Alimento fame, beckons from a sparsely occupied business park off Ocean Park in Santa Monica. Don’t let its humdrum location fool you: This is a neighborhood restaurant through and through, with droves of locals already embracing its relaxed string-light-lit patio and crowd-pleasing menu. The dish lineup seems to merge the easy seasonality of Alimento with the nostalgic Italian American riffs that made Pollack’s Cosa Buona a bona fide hit in Echo Park. The standout might be the latter’s revived mozzarella sticks, which come in a Jenga stack with marinara sauce that cuts through the richness of the smoked cheese. It’s a dish that lends to the fun and conviviality of the restaurant, ideal for splitting with the rest of the table. — Nicole Fellah, cities manager" - Matthew Kang
"Beckoning from a sparsely occupied business park off Ocean Park Boulevard in Santa Monica, this newish California-Italian neighborhood restaurant from chef Zach Pollack wins over droves of locals with a relaxed, string-light-lit patio, millennial pink and red accents, sage green chairs, and blondewood tables, plus a crowd-pleasing menu that merges the easy seasonality of Alimento with the nostalgic Italian-American riffs of Cosa Buona while still feeling fresh to Westsiders. One of its more compelling aspects is how allergen-sensitivity inclusive it strives to be—crispy Milanese can be made gluten-free (go for the eggplant rendition doused with marinara); dishes like crunchy smoked mozzarella sticks, Buffalo chicken wings, and a garlic-bread-crumb-covered Caesar salad already are. The standout might be those mozzarella sticks, arriving in a Jenga stack with marinara sauce that cuts through the richness of the smoked cheese, while the bloomin’ radicchio riffs on a blooming onion with battered and crisped radicchio leaves, piave cheese, and a not-too-acidic oil-and-vinegar dressing; purists can go for Caesar. The raw bar selection is surprisingly solid—try the albacore with tomato conserva and crispy onions or yellowtail dotted with “nonna’s caponata” and thinly sliced chiles. This is truly a take-anyone restaurant—friends, loved ones, out-of-towners who think Santa Monica is only the beach—and kids will get loud over blistered pizzas that the staff gamely tolerate. You’ll feel better about being in the deepest recesses of Santa Monica when you realize parking in the nicely sized lot is validated." - Nicole Fellah
"It's got that effortless beachside elegance that only works in Santa Monica—bright, airy, and sophisticated without trying too hard. The kind of place that makes you want to order a glass of wine at 3 p.m. and call it research. Housemade pasta that rivals anything in the city, plus Italian classics executed with California sensibility—lighter, brighter, but still satisfying. The seafood dishes make the most of the proximity to the ocean. Italian wines that transport you somewhere warmer, plus cocktails that lean into the coastal location. The Negroni variations are particularly strong here. You're coming for Italian comfort food that doesn't leave you needing a nap. Perfect for long lunches that turn into early dinners." - Celeste Moure
"After closing Alimento in Silver Lake and Cosa Buona in Echo Park, chef and restaurateur Zach Pollack has opened his latest project in Santa Monica. Cosetta melds his past at both restaurants and his time at Sotto into a family-friendly California-Italian menu. Find dishes like smoked mozzarella sticks (borrowed from the Cosa Buona menu), along with bluefin tartare, shrimp scampi served with toasted focaccia, and a punched-up chopped salad. Pollack’s puffy-crusted pizzas return as well, available topped with pepperoni, mushrooms, garlic, and more. Larger plates are comprised of roasted chicken, roasted tri-tip tagliata, and barbecue prawns alla griglia. The Milaneses are available with chicken or eggplant, and can be made gluten-free. The menu’s strength is its accessibility: Find plenty of options for vegetarians, gluten-intolerant diners, and everyone in between. Book a table on Resy. — Rebecca Roland, editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest" - Matthew Kang
"Chef Zach Pollack honed his approach to pizza after years of working the oven at Sotto and later the Italian American versions at his now-closed Echo Park restaurant Cosa Buona. Now with Cosetta, he’s doing blistered wood-fired 10-inch pizzas in a variety of creative topping combinations. The puffy crusts straddle a neo-Neapolitan and New York style, with a less craggly exterior and a more composed underbody. The results are something shareable and fun that likely travels well in delivery and takeout. The peparazzi comes with a sizzle of spicy sopressata and vegetal Fresno chiles while the decidedly untraditional Hawaiian sunrise gets house-smoked coppa, pineapple, onion, cilantro, and jalapeño. After sharing some slices, be sure to try the crispy-crunchy chicken, eggplant, or sand dab milaneses, which can come gluten-free as well." - Matthew Kang