RESTAURANT REVIEW: Fig & Olive

We breezed in to Fig & Olive on a Friday afternoon. A walk through the expansive restaurant was like a stroll through a courtyard in Provence. Full-grown olive trees, lots of natural light, the scent of fresh rosemary bushes, the coolness of terracotta floors and white stucco walls enveloped us – the only thing missing was the Mistral.

Outside the kitchen facing the main dining room was the great wall of olive oil. Rachel, our server, informed us they cook with over 25 different varieties from the Mediterranean Basin. In fact, they play such an important role the varietals are listed among the ingredients on the menu, and a “tasting” of three from Spain, ranging from sweet to pungent, are served with a spongy focaccia.

The lunch menu was filled with Mediterranean-inspired goodies from the imagination of executive chef, Pascal Lorange. Tartines are the newest addition to the menu, but we were enticed by the Crostini.

We had nine to choose from and managed to narrow it down to three. I’ll eat just about anything with Burrata, so that made the crostini with Burrata, roasted tomato, herbs and balsamic a no-brainer. Surprisingly, it wasn’t my favorite of the trio. My favorite was, as my lunch companion Cindy described, a “mouth-watering” layering of yogurt cucumber tapenade, radish and tomato. It is incredibly light and refreshing and the latest addition to the crostini menu. The third we tasted was shrimp, avocado, cilantro and tomato.

In the spirit of keeping things on the light side, we ordered the Fig & Olive Salad. This delicately dressed salad of fig, apple, tomato, walnut, romaine and Manchego cheese was made even better by the generous chunks of Gorgonzola Dolce. I tried to get a piece of fig and Gorgonzola in every bite. Because we had been strong and not easily seduced by the creamy Truffle Risotto or rich Lobster Bisque to start, we continued on to our main course selections.

I couldn’t have been more thrilled with my choice – the Fig & Olive Tajine. The Moroccan stew was piled high in a tajine (an earthenware pot) with veggies, olives and apricots on top of succulent chicken. The condiments – charmula and harissa, and a sprinkling of almond slices – came in a separate dish, as did the couscous.

The presentation was all about participation, as the lucky eater had the opportunity to mix all the flavors together. The couscous absorbed the tasty jus collected at the bottom of the pot.

Cindy was wild about her Striped Sea Bass. The filet beneath the crispy skin was moist and flaky. A zesty cumin orange dressing enhanced the heirloom vegetables – baby carrot, potato and Brussels sprouts.

Executive pastry chef Lestourgeon found his calling in life at Fig & Olive just as the apples and puff pastry met their destiny in his Carmelized Apple Tart, served warm with vanilla ice cream. As Cindy’s eyes rolled back in her head, she cooed, “Angela, you have not tried anything like this before.” This turned out to be an accurate statement.

That was until I was served an uber-decadent Warm Chocolate Soufflé with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Tiny pieces of candied orange added a bit of unexpected texture and tartness to the gooey sweetness of the soufflé. Our café lattes were served with emoji designs – a heart and a smiley face – and couldn’t have expressed better how we were feeling at that moment.