Fig & Olive Now Open

Fig & Olive on Melrose Place is now open for dinner. The two-storied restaurant’s menu was created by Executive Chef Pascal Lorange. The communal table and 50-foot tasting bar sounds like great fun with sharable plates with a Mediterranean slant.

Last week I attended one of the three opening parties. The theme last Thursday was “An Evening in Spain.” We enjoyed some passed appetizers including great crostini with a variety of  toppings. My favorites were the crushed tomato,  bresaola and shrimp.

Besides the wine and champagne being offered, I was pleasantly surprised to see three house cocktails being made. There was a dirty martini with housemade verdial thyme olives, a red sangria (freshly muddled berries, cloves, vanilla, orange peel, cognac) as well as this marvelous cocktail called the Summer in Barcelona (10 Cane rum, housemade thyme syrup, muddled blackberries, lime).

I look forward to Fig & Olive opening for lunch on the first day of Spring but dinner may come first! I’m all about the chilled cucumber and pink peppercorn soup, Santa Barbara spot prawns and penne funghi.

The bar will be open from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Fig & Olive