A new spot for classic New York-style slices and pies has arrived in downtown Santa Barbara with the debut of Milio's Pizza on Friday, August 14. Located on State and De La Guerra Streets, one block from City Hall and the Paseo Nuevo retail mall, Milio’s aims to offer an enticing alternative to the city’s core pizzerias.
The pizzeria now occupies a space that had been vacant since Hoffmann Brat Haus closed in 2019. Founders Chef Miles Robbins and London-born Kamil Jumale have since reworked the room, creating a long preparation counter visible to patrons, a check-out area, and stations for standing and eating. Outdoor tables are also available along a side alley off State Street.
Robbins, who grew up in Southern California, and Jumale have established firm roots in the area over the last five years. They first met pre-pandemic in London at Iyoki, a Michelin-starred West African restaurant. Together, they established FourFortyFour Catering out of Southern California, expanded their catering services to the Central Coast, and more recently developed the culinary program at Godmothers Graze bookstore in Summerland.
For their pizza, the duo tapped famed pizza consultant Anthony Falco, known as an original pizzaiolo for Roberta’s, during the research and development phase. The result is a firm sourdough crust made with organic flour, fermented over 72 hours. Toppings range from classic cheese and pepperoni to specialty pies like the namesake Milio, which features vodka sauce, Pecorino Romano, mozzarella, and chives. Ingredients are sometimes procured from the superlative twice-weekly farmers market on the same car-restricted portion of State Street.
Milio’s also offers a requisite square pie, with Robbins planning to experiment with seasonal ingredients for limited-edition pizzas. An entire pizza costs anywhere from $23 to $30, while slices are $4.50 to $6. Sicilian squares start at $6. For dessert, soft serve vanilla or chocolate ice cream is available for $5.50, with a swirl costing $.50 more. Experimentation with soft serve flavors is expected as the restaurant gets its footing.
While Santa Barbara County boasts beloved pizza destinations like Bettina, and reliable spots such as Third Window Brewing, Lucky Penny in the Funk Zone, and Revolver Pizza, Jumale is confident in Milio’s place in the market. He noted, "people are always looking for something new," expressing the hope that Milio’s will "make an impact in Santa Barbara." The pizzeria is still awaiting its liquor license for beer and wine.
Milio’s Pizza is located at 801 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101. It’s open Tuesday through Thursday and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
