Miles Thompson Returns to LA With New Gig at Michael’s in Santa Monica

It’s been essentially two years since Los Angeles lost Miles Thompson, one of the city’s most prolifically gifted young talents. Thompson had spend time at places like Animal and Son of a Gun before turning his sights onto a wonderfully-received pop-up series called The Vagrancy Project and, ultimately, Allumette in Echo Park. Now, after more than twenty months away, Thompson is back to take over the iconic Michael’s in Santa Monica.

The LA Times has news of Thompson’s return, noting the history that such a move comes with. First off, Michael’s is a powerhouse in the modern Californian cuisine movement, having acted as a forward operating base for the likes of Nancy Silverton, Jonathan Waxman, Brooke Williamson, Sang Yoon, and more. It’s also perfectly positioned within shuffling distance of the Santa Monica Farmers Market, one of the best places to buy fresh produce in the entire country.

A shot at greatness inside one of the city's most important restaurants

The move is also significant for Thompson, who, before he left in 2014, was doing some of the city’s most innovative food at Allumette on Echo Park Boulevard. Unfortunately the restaurant wasn’t able to stay the course, and it eventually flipped into sports bar spot The Holloway. Thompson took off for Sonoma County and, eventually, the Caribbean, before deciding to return to Los Angeles for a shot at greatness inside one of the city's most important restaurants.

Thompson is already back in town and ready to work, too. The Times says Michael’s will close briefly at the end of the month and part of September to retool under Thompson’s new tutelage, which means the place should emerge in early fall as one of the Westside’s most intriguing restaurant reservations. Not bad for a place with a decades-long pedigree; but that’s the pull that the 28 year old Miles Thompson has.