Name: Spumoni

Address: 713 Montana Ave Santa Monica, Ca 90403

Number: (310) 393-2944

Cuisine: Italian

Yesterday, I was in a pizza mood. Do you ever just crave melty cheese for no apparent reason? This is a constant reality in my life, but I have been trying to make better choices for the sake of this “summer body” I’m trying to create. But today I made an exception. I had been playing Spike Ball at the Santa Monica Beach all day, when I walked by Spumoni. This place looked small and cozy, so I walked right in. In hindsight, I should have looked at the menu first. The food items turned out to be on the pricey side, but I should have known that given the area I was in.

I chose a Neopolitan Style Pizza and my boyfriend, Rob, chose a NY Style Pizza. According to the menu, “The pizzas are baked in our wood burning oven which was built in Napoli and reaches an optimal temperature of 900 degrees. This allows the pizza to be cooked (in) 90 seconds and will allow you to feel like you are eating a pizza the way it was first made in the 1700’s.” Well I sure wasn’t aware that pizza has been around that long. You learn something new everyday. I decided to get the Massimo pizza ($17), which had “tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, fresh arugula, shaved parmesan cheese and prosciutto di parma.” My boyfriend ordered the Pomodoro pizza ($17), which had “tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, basil and sliced tomatoes.” While we waited, the server brought out fresh baked bread and an olive tapenade. The bread was tasty, with some of the pieces smothered with a butter&garlic sauce. The tapenade was fresh, and sort of tasteless, but it added a nice subtle texture to accompany the bread. I appreciated the prompt service from the server. He brought the bread out right after we ordered our food, and consistently topped off our water.

On a side note: yes, this establishment carries ranch dressing. Too many times I’ll go to a pricey restaurant, and for whatever reason the owners think it’s beneath them to offer ranch as a side option. But with certain foods, I think it is an absolute necessity. I have been to way too many fancy food places that unfortunately do not offer this lovely condiment.

The food came out pretty quickly, maybe about 10 minutes after we ordered. It was so quick, in fact, that a neighboring table complained that our food came out before theirs! But, they ordered pastas and we ordered a pizza that only take 90 seconds to cook, so it makes sense. The Massimo pizza was aesthetically pleasing with a rustic look. I love arugula and I’m glad it was raw, instead of cooked and wilted. The prosciutto was a little heavy handed, so it was overwhelming to eat. The Pomodoro pizza was just ok, but not particularly remarkable and not worth the money.

The setting can be described as either cozy or cramped…it all depends on your perspective. We were so close to other tables, that I could clearly hear every word of everyone else’s conversation. It just looked like the restaurant wanted to make as much money as possible, with how many tables they managed to squeeze in such a small place.

Would I visit again? Yes, but only to try out the gnocci and pasta options. I honestly believe that for the price I paid, I could’ve received higher quality pizza.

Total cost with tip: $41

Ambiance: 5/10

Service: 8/10

Taste: 7/10

Overall: 6.7/10

Helpful Links:http://www.spumonirestaurants.com/locations/santa-monica/