February 12, 2025 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

Ox & Son In Santa Monica Inspired By Midwest Roots

Ox & Son is heavily influenced by executive chef Brad Miller’s upbringing in Ottawa, Illinois.
Ox & Son is heavily influenced by executive chef Brad Miller’s upbringing in Ottawa, Illinois.

The debut of modern American restaurant Ox & Son last month introduced new flavors and unique dishes to neighborhood locals and Westside visitors. As the newest restaurant on the restaurant-centric Montana Ave., Ox & Son is the result of the desire to create an eatery that served high-class fare within a friendly, relaxed atmosphere.

Located in the place of the former Cafe Montana, Ox & Son takes full advantage of its Southern California location and utilizes local farmers markets to obtain optimal seasonal ingredients.

“The cuisine I make is very L.A.,” executive chef Brad Miller said. “All of the ingredients and products we use are locally sourced, and my recipes are influenced by the vast culture we have here in L.A.”

With Miller as the mastermind of both the menu and the overall restaurant concept, Ox & Son was heavily influenced by Miller’s upbringing.

“We started with the idea of making a restaurant that would have high quality technique, elevated food/beverage, but in a casual fun atmosphere,” Miller explained. “The name and general vibe was inspired by where I grew up in the Midwest: I named the restaurant after my father, Gary ‘Ox’ Miller, a butcher from Ottawa, Illinois. We want this restaurant concept to have neighborhood, family-oriented feel and a welcoming atmosphere.”

The steak is a popular menu item at Ox & Son.
The steak is a popular menu item at Ox & Son.

Chef Miller aims to give American comfort classics inventive, modernized spins: according to the chef, Ox & Son is the fusion of Los Angeles’ fresh produce, the SoCal restaurant scene, and a butcher’s son from the Midwest.

“My creative process is inspired by eating at local, authentic restaurants throughout L.A.,” Miller said. “For example, just the other day I was eating Red Roast Pork in Koreatown, and it influenced a dish I’ve been tweaking over the past week.”

Miller pays close attention to his clientele and the likability of his dishes, catering to the desires of his guests.

“It’s important to me that I come up with new ideas and techniques each season,” Miller said. “I rarely repeat the same dish that I did the year before, and if I do, it’s because people are looking forward to that dish at that time of year.”

According to general manager Brandon Bernstein, “the amazing food” is one of his favorite parts about working as a staff member at the restaurant.

“The Chicken Fried Duck Confit and the Sticky Pig Cheeks are my personal favorites and also two of our highest sellers,” Bernstein said. “As if duck confit wasn’t already amazing, this incredibly talented Chef that I get to work with has taken it a step further and fried it in a similar manner to fried chicken and then plated it over a bed of Napa cabbage slaw.”

Bernstein said that the Uni & Eggs were also a popular dish so far, as the menu item boasts “great quality of uni” and “unsurprisingly sells like crazy.”

Ox & Son also offers a separate veggie and gluten-free menu for those with special dietary needs in order to provide even more convenience for its guests. An extensive wine and beer menu is available as well, which features sparkling, white, rose, and red wine as well as draft beers and bottled beers.

Even more prominent than the creative fare, however, is the basis on which the restaurant was founded on: the close-knit atmosphere.

According to Miller, the dining experience should be “all about enjoying who you’re there to eat with” in addition to the food itself.

“Everybody we work with here is very family-oriented,” Bernstein said. “It’s so nice coming into work knowing that we all have each other’s backs and that everybody works just as hard as the next person. To me, the family environment that we created here really stands out to be the true testament of this restaurant.”

Ox & Son is located at 1534 Montana Ave. in Santa Monica. For more information, call  310.829.3990 or visit  oxandson.com.

in Dining
Related Posts

Best Spots to Celebrate Valentines, Galentines, or Have a Super Bowl Party on the Westside

February 5, 2025

February 5, 2025

Cocktails, Game Day Grub, Valentine’s Pasta, and a Lonely Heart’s Tea Service You will find many excellent ways to celebrate...

Matū Kai Brings Its Signature Wagyu and Famous Cheesesteak to Brentwood

February 5, 2025

February 5, 2025

Team Behind Beverly Hills’ Acclaimed Matū Is Opening a Second Location One of Beverly Hills’s newest and most popular restaurants,...

The New School Launches Job Assistance for Restaurant Workers Displaced by Wildfires

January 29, 2025

January 29, 2025

Free Placement Services Connect Hospitality Workers with Restaurants in Need of Staff In response to the devastation caused by recent...

Top Chefs Unite for Exclusive LA Fundraiser Benefiting Wildfire-Affected Restaurants and World Central Kitchen

January 29, 2025

January 29, 2025

All-Star Culinary Lineup For a One-Night-Only Experience in Beverly Hills  Some of the most celebrated names in the culinary world...

Culver City’s Night Market Returns to Celebrate AANHPI Culture

January 29, 2025

January 29, 2025

Free Community Event to Feature Food, Performances and More The second annual Night Market, an event highlighting Asian American, Native...

Santa Monica’s Cherished Cassia to Close After Nearly a Decade After Series of Setbacks

January 29, 2025

January 29, 2025

Incredible Southeast Asian-Inspired Restaurant Cites Rising Costs, Financial Challenges Cassia, the acclaimed Southeast Asian-inspired restaurant, will close its doors in...

Beloved Palms Taco Shop El Barrio Closes Its Doors After Six Years of Service

January 22, 2025

January 22, 2025

Economic Challenges Force the Neighborhood Restaurant to Shutter El Barrio, a cherished taco shop in the Palms District officially closed...

James Beard Foundation Reveals 2025 Award Semifinalists, Including Los Angeles Culinary Stars

January 22, 2025

January 22, 2025

Celebrating 35 Years of Excellence, This Year’s Awards Honors Top Chefs, Restaurants, and Bakers. The James Beard Foundation has announced...

Dine LA’s Winter Restaurant Week Returns Jan. 24–Feb. 7 to Support Wildfire Relief

January 22, 2025

January 22, 2025

Support LA’s Culinary Scene and Help Raise $100,000 for Palisades Fire Recovery Dine LA’s Winter Restaurant Week will return from...

LA Restaurants Step Up: Feeding First Responders, Evacuees, and Communities in Need

January 15, 2025

January 15, 2025

From Free Meals To Fundraising Campaigns, Local Eateries Are Supporting Wildfire Relief  Many restaurants all over the city are doing...

Los Angeles Restaurants Rally to Feed Fire Victims, First Responders—Now They Need Your Support

January 15, 2025

January 15, 2025

Amid Tragedy, Local Restaurants Are Serving the Community While Facing Empty Seats By Dolores Quintana The city of Los Angeles...

Beloved Westside Restaurants Destroyed in Palisades Fire

January 9, 2025

January 9, 2025

Iconic eateries like Moonshadows Lost to Destructive Blaze Sadly, several historic and well-loved restaurants were lost in the Palisades Fire....

Toca Madera to Celebrate 10 Years with New Melrose Avenue Flagship

January 1, 2025

January 1, 2025

New West Hollywood Location Promises Bold Design, Elevated Cuisine Toca Madera, the Mexico City-inspired steakhouse that debuted in West Hollywood...

Rustic Kitchen in Mar Vista to Close After a Decade of Service This Month

January 1, 2025

January 1, 2025

Restaurant Announces Closure as 10-Year Lease Comes to an End. Rustic Kitchen, a Mar Vista Restaurant and Wine Bar which...

Chef Nobu Debuts Luxurious Gold Standard Roll for Golden Globes® Celebration

January 1, 2025

January 1, 2025

Indulge in a Limited-Time King Crab Roll Adorned With Gold Flakes and Caviar In honor of Chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s return...