Michael's Santa Monica

The legendary restaurant, Michael’s Santa Monica, helped re-define American gastronomy and hospitality when it opened 1979. With 38 years of business notched in his belt, the restaurant’s owner and namesake, Michael McCarty, has now handed the reins over to his son Chas, and award-winning chef, Miles Thompson--neither of whom were even born when Michael’s opened--to take the operation into the next generation.

Michael’s has been the cultural epicenter of so much over the years, and its playlist reflects that. Chas curated the playlist, and here in his own words is how it all came together: “Housed in a vintage building lit by glowing candlelight with psychedelic brain melting Californian food and a monstrously verdant garden, Michael's is an escape from the fabric of time. So while you’re out tasting some true compositions from the future — tucked away in a jungle as wild as time itself — you’re swayed by a handpicked soundtrack crafted of vibey gems that was made for nowhere else. The songs may be pre-punk, post-punk, twangy-filament-driven electric blues or Krautrock analog electronic, but they’re designed for that garden and with your experience in mind.”