For most bakers, it would be more than satisfying to deliver a simple kouign amann. This flaky, buttery, Brittany-style pastry has become increasingly prevalent in Los Angeles and throughout the United States. In most instances, that would be more than enough for me. Thankfully, Zoe Nathan, one of the leading pastry stars in Los Angeles, decided to use her kouign as a trampoline for deliciousness, first at Huckleberry, and now at Milo & Olive, the Rustic Canyon Restaurant Group’s sister establishment in Santa Monica.

Last week, in the middle of prep for the second annual Father’s Day CollaBREWtive Brunch, which took place in Santa Monica, I swung by Milo & Olive for breakfast. In the pastry case, I was delighted to discover a Kouign Amann Strawberry Tart ($5.50). Nathan and her team filled a sheet pan with flaky kouign amann crust and piled on a thick slab of creamy vanilla custard, strawberry jam that cascaded down the sides of my slice, and fresh strawberries up top that were bright red, at the pinnacle of ripeness, and no doubt from the beach city’s irreproachable farmers market. The proof that a kouign amann didn’t have to be the end result pretty much blew my mind.