Tuscan Son brings a taste of Italy to an unassuming spot at the corner of Overland Ave. and Santa Monica Blvd. Chef Massimo Ormani, who worked at Locanda Veneta and had his own namesake restaurant in Beverly Hills, opened a cute restaurant on the bottom floor of a small office building, previously occupied by Bru’s Waffle.

Breakfast is offered, with scrambles, a breakfast panini and the ubiquitous avocado toast. They bake their own pastries and serve Lavazza coffee.

The rest of the menu is centered on paninis, salads, pastas and soups.

Their tuna sandwich, the Tonno Mare, features Italian tuna salad, romaine and tomatoes on grilled white bread. It’s a pretty straightforward tuna salad, mixed with mayo, nothing too surprising.

The Massimo Veggie was filled with grilled marinated veggies, roasted tomatoes, arugula and mozzarella on a pressed baguette. It was warm and tasty. Sandwiches are served with a small side salad of romaine, cherry tomatoes and kalamata olives (which come in their own container). If you like olives, you’ll love these olives. If you don’t like olives, you’ll be thankful that they’ve been separated from the rest of your salad.

Currently open Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm, Tuscan Son is looking to expand to weekends and dinner service next year. I’m hoping that once they do so, they’ll add some additional items on the menu that would better showcase Ormani’s skills, as the few pastas they have are 2 versions of macaroni and cheese and penne bolognese.

Tuscan Son is a nice little family-run neighborhood restaurant, a bright and cheery addition to an otherwise drab stretch of Santa Monica Blvd. I wish them well.

Location –  10700 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles 90025
Website – n/a
Kid-Friendly – Yes
Kid’s Menu – Yes
Vegetarian Friendly – Yes
Vegan Friendly – Yes
Gluten-Free Options – Yes