Whenever DineLA rolls around, I always jump at the opportunity to try new and innovative restaurants at a more affordable price. Despite the difficulties in choosing a restaurant, this year I've focused my interests on none other than Fig & Olive. After President Obama held a fundraiser there last fall, I've been dying the know what the fuss is all about!
My experience began with a tasting plate of extra virgin olive oils. Sequenced from light to dark, each oil shared a story of its origin and history. Perhaps it was my imagination, but I felt like I had traveled from the South of France, to Italy, and then Spain in a matter of a few minutes. Fascinating.
CHEESE ($19)
served with fig & olive walnut tapenade & marcona almonds
For my first course, I indulged myself in an artisan cheese selection featuring fromage de chevre, gorgonzola dolce, robiola, manchego and roccetta. I found this assortment to not only be tastefully pleasing to the tongue, but also pungently delicious to one's sense of smell.
PENNE FUNGHI TARTUFO ($18)
cremini mushroom, black trumpet, parmesan, parsley, scallion, white truffle olive oil
For my second course, I found this vegetarian pasta anything but bland and tasteless. The cremini mushrooms burst with intense flavor as the white truffle olive oil shines through its pores. I would coin this dish as simple and elegant.
I wrapped up dinner with a desire to satisfy my sweet-tooth. For my last course, I had a DESSERT CROSTINI ($9) assembled with amarena cherry, mascarpone, and pistachio shortbread. While the name sounds exciting and decadent, I found it to be flirting on the sweet side with too much sugar. Next time, I hope to have a better experience by indulging in Andrew's Tasting and Sharing Plate featuring my choice of the following 4 Bite-Sized Desserts: Maple Crème Brulèe, Warm Marzipan Cake, Dessert Crostini, Chocolate Pot de Crème, Crunchy Praline or Raspberry Sorbet.
Fig & Olive is nothing short of a Mediterranean wonder. As founder Laurent Halasz puts it, “At FIG & OLIVE, I want to highlight our menu’s core ingredient of olive oil, which we use in place of butter in our dishes. From a sweet and delicate olive oil from the French Riviera that pairs well with a Steamed Lemon Sole Papillote to an assertive Spanish Picual or a Tuscan olive oil that holds its own with Seared Salmon with Fennel and Green Olives, and a green-fruit Provence olive oil that we serve with a Green Apple Sorbet. Our cuisine along with an elegant white, green and terra-cotta décor immerse our guests into the essence of the Mediterranean region in which I grew up.” If I had to choose, I would put Fig & Olive as one of the top five restaurants in Los Angeles.
Fig & Olive is located in West Hollywood on 8490 Melrose Place. For more information, please visit http://www.figandolive.com/
