We Need to Talk About Carb Corner

The dough has risen... in Santa Monica

Have you ever dreamed of having a bagel shop, a bread shop, a sandwich shop AND a pizza shop all within steps of each other? Enter what I’m calling - “Carb Corner” - the stretch of Ocean Park Blvd hosting Layla Bagels, Jyan Isaac Bread, Ghisallo Pizza and the latest bread-forward neighbor - Tre Mani!

I’ve wanted to cover this topic for several months now (basically since Layla opened), but needed to try all of the shops myself before I could do a full report for the TTS community. Tre Mani’s opening made this even more of a priority, so I made my way to Ocean Park this weekend to complete the bread suite. Full tour of the Bread Block (too soon?) below!

Ghisallo - Opened in November 2020, Ghisallo is slinging incredible wood-fired pizza pies. Options range from classics like margherita to more unique pies like cacio e pepe or squash blossom. The ingredients are fresh, the patio is cute as can be, and there’s plenty of other dishes for you to try alongside your slice.

Jyan Isaac Bread - If you don’t know the story of Jyan Isaac, read up! (Spoiler alert: Jyan is only 22 years old) The former Gjusta break maker pivoted to his own bread-making business in the pandemic and very quickly shot to sourdough stardom, fueling the opening of his brick and mortar on Ocean Park. There’s a good chance you’ve seen Jyan’s signature loaves stocked at your local specialty grocery store or farmers’ market, but the walk up window is a totally different (and better) experience IMO. You can’t go wrong with a sourdough loaf, but the cinnamon raisin bread is a fun pick if you’re feeling something sweeter.

Layla Bagels - Another Gjusta alum, Sergio Espana opened Layla this past January, serving crispy tasty sourdough bagels on the daily. The standout is easily the “pre-jam” - a rotating seasonal fruit-topped bagel (pictured above). I love that you can order 2 different halves - this is the kind of place where you want to maximize the menu.

Tre Mani - Pulled straight from the website because I couldn’t have said it better myself - “Tre Mani is the bread child of Italian mastermind Chef Travis Passerotti and prodigal dough whisperer Jyan Isaac. Together they bring California magic
to the revered Roman-style flatbread sandwich.” Ghisallo & Jyan Isaac have come together to create mind-blowing Italian sandwiches and the result competes with All’Antico Vinaio for me (hot take, I know!) I ordered the Salami - pecorino spread, berries, and pea shoots - and I can’t wait to eat the other half for lunch today!

Which spot are you hitting first? I know, there’s a lot to… *loaf* :) As always - you can find even more LA love over on TikTok! See you next week!

Ticket to Sarahdise Weekly Event Round Up - Week of 7/24

• Evan Funke x Badmaash - *EPIC COLLAB ALERT* The Felix/Mother Wolf/Funke Chef is curating a special Indian x Italian fusion menu with the Badmaash team this coming Friday, 7/28. Tickets go on sale at noon today - prepare accordingly!

• Barbie FroYo at Pinkberry - Hey guys remember Pinkberry? The OG frozen yogurt shop is currently serving up a very pink & sparkly Barbie sweet treat at all locations through the end of the month!

• SlauCienega x Jon & Vinny’s - Very Italian-heavy TTS this week - J&V’s Slauson is teaming up with local pizza legend SlauCienega Wed 8/2 for dinner, drinks and tunes.