Zoe Nathan
The Sweet Sensation, Chef Of The Year, 2012
Why We Picked Her: Milo & Olive, Nathan’s fourth distinct food concept with husband Josh Loeb, hasn’t diluted the pastry chef’s breezy style one whit. Her restaurants are not just the kinds of places we like to frequent; they’re places we might open ourselves were we restaurateurs: unfussy, of the neighborhood, with food that seems effortlessly delicious. We’re most impressed by how the Santa Monica native has managed to impart her vision to two new executive chefs, who are helping to run her burgeoning little empire. Simple Pleasures: “I always wanted to have a restaurant where my friends could come in and gossip while I put something in the oven, a casual place where my dad could come and cook in the kitchen during the day. We just want to be us. If we tried to do anything else, we’d probably suck at it.
Where to Find Her: Milo & Olive, Sweet Rose Creamery, Huckleberry, Rustic Canyon
