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Olive
743 Larkin (at O’Farrell)
San Francisco, California 94109
(415) 776-9814
www.olive743.com
Cuisine: Tapas
Loved: Vanilla mojitos, groovy atmosphere, diverse crowd
To Die For: Spicy baked tiger prawns, sausage pizza, baked brie
Prices: $-$$ (Inexpensive-moderate)
Hours: 5:00 p.m. until late Monday-Saturday
Noise Level: Groovy, great music
Service: attentive and friendly
Good to Know: Tenderloin location isn’t the most idyllic location
Happy Hour 5:00 p.m.-7:30 Monday-Wednesday; 5:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. Saturday
”Daydream” party every 3rd Sunday, 4:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Live DJ on Saturdays
Major credit cards accepted
Recommended: Highly!
It’s often been said that you can’t always judge a book by its cover. The same can also be said of most restaurants, especially Olive, open since 2001. From the outside, there isn’t much to enjoy about the restaurant’s Tenderloin location (except for a strip club, a few interesting art galleries, and a corner market or two). But step through the polished wooden front door and the atmosphere and food make up for the grunginess outside.
Atmosphere
The atmosphere at Olive is relaxed, casual, and quite groovy. A modern bar (topped by large glass containers of infused vodka) dominates the room, while two cozy booths are tucked on either side of the front door for great group discussions with friends or a romantic (although somewhat loud) evening for two. With room for 75 diners, the room is filled with a modern art collection, dim lighting, candles, and fresh flowers, which enhance the narrow, loft-like space. On a recent Thursday evening, the busy crowd chatted noisily as they got their weekends started a little early. Fortunately, I didn’t have a problem finding a table, as I unexpectedly ran into friends who were already dining.
The Food
Once seated, my friends, who were whispering to each other about a hot guy who’d wandered into the bar looking for friends, offered me a few bites of their remaining small plates of Tuscan style chicken pate with walnut crostini and fig jam ($10) and spicy sausage and tomato pizza ($10). While they finished the last few sips of their Almond Joy martinis (coconut run, butterscotch, ground almonds, $7.50) and vanilla mojitos (vanilla vodka, simple syrup, mint, and lime, $7.50), I ordered the tuna with wontons, wasabi aioli, and ginger slaw ($14) and the amazing spicy baked tiger prawns ($10). Although the friendly and efficient waitress forgot my complimentary olives, I nibbled on my friends’ food. While I’m not a fan of pate, I must admit the slight gamey taste of the pate worked well with the crunchy crostini and sweet fig jam. The pizza simply oozed with lots of mozzarella cheese and moist sausage, quite effective for easing nasty hangovers.
Twenty minutes later, my food arrived. The tuna was seared to perfection, and worked well with the wasabi aioli and ginger slaw. I didn’t care for the wontons, which reminded me of flavored rice cakes. The spicy baked tiger prawns were heavenly, firm and fleshy, with the right amount of spiciness owing to their sauce (great for dunking) to make me want several more glasses of water. Other small plates worth mentioning include the crispy calamari with lemon and chipotle aioli ($10), three cheese plate with toasted hazelnuts and walnut bread ($10), baked brie with roasted garlic and fresh fruit ($9), an outstanding sauteed spinach Thai style ($8), and a decadent wild mushroom and truffle oil pizza ($12).
While it’s not a pretty scene on the outside, once you’ve stepped into the lively world of Olive, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the great décor and tasty food. It’s should be on your list of places to eat in San Francisco.
Bio & Past Articles
Past Articles
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Betty's List Restaurant Review
Columnist David Grabstald.
An enthusiastic freelance writer, editor and copywriter with marketing, media and daily newspaper experience, David serves as senior food critic for Betty's List. His articles have been published by Macy's Westbound, Mervyn's, The New Filmore, SF Examiner, Marina Times, North Texas Daily, And Baby Magazine and others. He is an experienced writer of grant proposals, documentation plans, feasibility reports, press releases, employee procedure manuals and other formats. David has written news scripts for NBC and produced video packages for the Irving Community Television Network. David can be reached at dgrabstald@gmail.com. His website is http://davidgrabstald.blogspot.com/ |
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