When I meet with Matthew Morgan, owner of Endless Color in Topanga, he carries himself with a quiet humility. Humility is a birthright when you grow up in poverty and pull yourself out of the weeds to succeed.
His family struggled to make ends meet, and moved around a lot. Morgan attended three different schools during seventh grade alone, a pattern of instability that repeated in eighth. Those early experiences shaped the way he now thinks about family and community.
He opened the restaurant with a simple goal: to build the kind of safe, welcoming environment he never had. Together with his partner in life and business, Augustina Ferguson, he has turned Endless Color into something that feels distinctly Topanga —equal parts restaurant and community hub.
It was 2019 when the conversations began.
With both Abuelita’s and Froggy’s shuttered, there were limited spots to dine and hang out. Morgan saw an opportunity. He began making plans with Ferguson, who brought her expertise as the owner of Topanga Living Cafe. The grand opening was delayed due to the pandemic; finally, customers walked through the door in August 2020. Since that time, the menu has evolved. Now divided into ‘daytime’, ‘nighttime’, and ‘all day’ sections, there’s something for everyone.
The food offerings are serious. Morgan’s menu is ingredient driven, relying on carefully sourced local items, many of them purchased at farmers markets stretching from Topanga to Camarillo. You won’t go wrong with the broccolini and fresh herb omelette or the breakfast burrito, and should you sit down to a meal in the evening hours, you’ll be tempted by mussels, roasted chicken legs, and spaghetti and meatballs. I’ve had more than a few friends tell me that California white sea bass, served over white beans, is their go-to.
Then, of course, there’s the pizza.
Toppings move beyond standard fare into something more expressive: rapini, squash blossom, winter truffle, pesto, and hand-selected shimeji and king trumpet mushrooms. The sausage & rapini pie in particular stands out, balancing bitterness, spice, and richness with restraint. Even the gluten-free pie avoids compromise. A crust topped with cold house-made cashew cheese arrived at my table thoughtfully composed, the cheese placed in small dollops to allow the vegetables and herbs to remain distinct. Any pizza on the menu can be made this way, gluten and/or dairy-free. Note that the kitchen uses shared ovens and equipment, so those with celiac disease should exercise caution.
Beyond the food, the restaurant hosts karaoke nights, live bands, and sells vinyl records, creating a space where local creative types naturally gather. Any given Saturday you’ll see barefoot kids mixing it up with the adults, grabbing slices and wandering the outdoor patio, while adults linger over conversation. The atmosphere feels like an extension of Topanga itself.
“We definitely have regulars that come in a couple times a week,” Morgan says. “For a lot of people, this is where they get their daily dose of interaction. And for people just passing through, they get to experience how nice it is just to come and spend a day in the Canyon.”
Morgan’s investment in the community extends outside Endless Color. He contributes to the Topanga Farmers Market, where produce boxes are made for residents experiencing food insecurity—another reflection of the ethos behind the restaurant: nourishment, connection, and care woven together. Nestled in a town that supported him through the era of covid and the Palisades Fire, Morgan wants to give back. Speaking of that challenging time, he says, “There were months we couldn’t get pizza boxes. It was tough.”
A February 2021 New York Times article hailed pizza places as the heroes of the previous year, highlighting how—in stark contrast to industry-wide closures—pizza parlors were thriving. Of that, Morgan says, “We thought, at least we’ve got that going for us. Beer and Pizza. Evidently, that’s a win.” More than five years later, I ask Morgan where he sees Endless Color in another six, or sixteen. Father to three, he hopes his kids will be running the place.
About the name… “When we first opened,” remembers Morgan, “a lot of people came in looking for a haircut. They thought we were a salon. My friends talked me out of naming the place ‘God,’ and I settled on Endless Color because I’m an artist, I love color. But also, layers of color represent the multi layers of existence.”
It’s a quantum physics laced, psychedelia-tinged answer. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
