Right off the bat I have to admit that I am a big fan of chef Todd English and own a few of his cookbooks. He has a relaxed manner and this applies to his cooking as well which I admire. The food at Olives is rustic Mediterranean, with a strong influence from Italy.
We went on a Wednesday evening to break up the week. It wasn’t overly busy but the ambience was good.
What better way to start the evening than with a cocktail in the lounge which is separate from the dining room. I ordered the Smoked Negroni which was poured table-side with smoke streaming out of the craft – very nice touch. Soft low lighting and big comfortable leather chairs.
For dinner we ordered the oysters and foie gras. Unfortunately neither were available so we opted for the beef carpaccio which made up for it. The carpaccio was absolutely delicious and the Gorgonzola cake hidden beneath the huge plate of thinly sliced meat could easily feed a group of 4. We also ordered an olive mezze plate with a tasty assortment of dips and grilled flatbreads.
We were quite full after our appetizers so we shared linguine alle vongole which is Italian for “spaghetti with clams”, it was fabulous! I was happy as a clam.
Overall the restaurant was lovely. A nice excuse to get a little dressed up and have great food in great company. I would definitely recommend.
Highlights:
Room for improvement:
