2014 – OLIVETO RESTAURANT AND CAFE

This Just In: Bagna Cauda

If you’re not familiar with this classic Piedmontese dish, you’re in for a treat. Roughly translated, bagna cauda means “hot bath,” and what a glorious hot bath it is. The ingredients are simple — olive oil, garlic, anchovies, and lemon — but together they create something exquisite. The anchovies are garlic melt into the warm fat, mellowing and releasing their alluring aromas to form a dip perfect for the bounty of winter vegetables we’ve got in the kitchen. Served in these warm pots, the bagna cauda lives up to its name.

We’ll be serving our take on bagna cauda at dinner in the restaurant alongside roasted root vegetables and buttery, tangy Castelmagno cheese.

Call 510-547-5356 or reserve online.

Kate Williams2017-09-12T15:47:07-07:00January 7th, 2015|2014, Events, Happened already..., This Just In|0 Comments

Here’s to a joyous new year

December 26 marks the end of Oliveto’s 28th year. The past few months have been a period of renewal and change, and they’ve been some of the most exciting for us here on College Avenue.

Oliveto is tremendously satisfying to Maggie and me and gives our lives great richness. We cherish the relationships we’ve formed with our staff, customers, and the farmers and purveyors we work with. We’re deeply grateful to all and send our best wishes for a joyous new year.

Bob Klein2017-09-12T15:47:07-07:00December 18th, 2014|2014, Events, Happened already..., Kitchen Notes, This Just In|0 Comments

Jonah’s favorite dishes for New Year’s Eve

Over the past few years, Jonah has refined the prix fixe menu for our celebratory evenings. This year, at the top of his game, he has created an exquisite menu for our New Year’s Eve dinner. This year, we’re proud to show off our stunning new dining room, making for a stellar way to ring in the new year.

Jonah is particularly excited about a few of the items on the menu.

We’re serving delicious Acquerello Carnaroli rice in two different dishes: a savory risotto topped with truffles shaved table side and a sweet rice pudding served with roasted pineapple. This particular rice is grown in the Piedmont region of Italy by the Rondolino family, on a farm that receives only the purest water. The family is devoted to producing the highest quality rice possible — they have spent decades researching and experimenting with their growing method and aging process. From our visits there, we know this is a really wonderful family that makes a wonderful product.

The sea bass has also been spectacular this year. On New Year’s, we’re serving it with salsify crema, malted wheat berries, roast carrots, and old aceto balsamico to highlight the fish’s clean flavor and flaky texture. Sea bass makes for a dramatic presentation: its dark, crisp skin stands out against its pure white flesh. No wonder Jonah ranks sea bass as one of his top five fish.

For those who crave red meat for dinner, our Piedmontese beef Wellington is pretty perfect. This particular breed of cattle is renowned for its “double muscling,” which equals tender, juicy, and flavorful meat. Wrapped in pastry and served with Chanterelle mushrooms, creamed nettles, and black truffle sugo, our Wellington is simply a delicious dish.

No matter what you order, New Year’s Eve is certain to be unforgettable. Call 510-547-5356 to make your reservations for the early (5pm) or late (7:45pm) seating.

Kate Williams2017-09-12T15:47:07-07:00December 16th, 2014|2014, Events, Executive Chef Jonah Rhodehamel, Happened already..., Olivetians, This Just In|0 Comments

A Mushroom Discovery

Maggie took a long walk in Sibley this morning. What did she find? Mushrooms of all shapes and sizes. It’s amazing that all of this is right at our back door.

Kate Williams2015-01-27T12:35:27-08:00December 12th, 2014|2014, Events, Happened already...|0 Comments

A big change in the Oliveto dining room: Now, you can hear.

Oliveto Restaurant has partnered with Meyer Sound Laboratories in an effort to transform the restaurant dining experience. To support our belief that conversation and connection are key elements of a truly satisfying dining experience, Meyer Sound has customized its state-of-the-art Constellation and Libra acoustic systems for our restaurant. Together, these systems enable the restaurant to create the optimum sonic environment for guests. Constellation’s leading edge technology is already acclaimed for creating optimal variable acoustics in such venues as Jazz at Lincoln Center and Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall, as well as memorable sonic experiences on tour with artists like Michael Buble and Cirque du Soleil.

Active Acoustics: Constellation

Constellation allows Oliveto to control our sonic ambiance. The Constellation System is a suite of innovative technologies, including room microphones, advanced signal processing, and small self-powered loudspeakers. Working together unobtrusively in the background, these elements shape a room’s acoustics, ensuring diners consistently comfortable conversations, no matter the size of the table or the restaurant occupancy level.

Passive Acoustics: Libra

Libra is a system of custom-designed acoustic wall panels that provide effective sound absorption, which is key to optimal acoustic environments. Each Libra panel — featuring the stunning photography of renowned Bay Area photographer Deborah O’Grady (see above images) — adds an extraordinary visual design element to the room while also playing a crucial role in creating an ideal aural environment.

Working seamlessly together, Constellation and Libra create a multi-sensory dining experience where conversation is heard crisply, without distractions from music, background noise, or voices from neighboring tables. This cutting-edge installation provides a solution for increasingly disruptive restaurant noise, cited in a 2014 Zagat survey as diners’ biggest irritant, enabling guests to relax and enjoy the distinctive and impeccable Oliveto experience.

Kate Williams2017-09-12T15:47:08-07:00December 8th, 2014|2014, Events, Happened already..., Kitchen Notes, This Just In|0 Comments

Sunday Supper for December 7, 2014

Prix fixe $40.

Served family-style. For groups of one to twelve. Whole table must order prix fixe menu.

(Please note that wine and gratuity are not included.)

call 510-547-5356 or reserve online

Larger parties: please let us know at the time of your reservation if your table will be ordering the Sunday Supper menu so that we can plan accordingly. Thanks!

Kate Williams2017-09-12T15:47:08-07:00December 4th, 2014|2014, Events, Happened already..., This Just In|0 Comments

New Year’s Eve 2014

Stuzzichini: tartufati

Choice of:
Vellutata of lobster with vanilla-orange zabaglione
Torchon of duck liver with old aceto balsamico and poached pear
Antipasto of roasted winter vegetables with Castelmagno cheese

Choice of:
Linguine with Dungeness crab, lemon, and tarragon
Tortelli di zucca with brown butter and amaretti cookies
Acquerello Carnaroli risotto with optional white truffles shaved table side

(second seating only)
Local Dungeness crab cake with white truffle aïoli

Choice of:
Pan-roasted sea bass with salsify crema, malted wheat berries, roast carrots, and old aceto balsamico
Liberty Farms duck three ways: pan-roasted breast, sausage, and confit-riso nero arancini; rainbow kale and kumquat sugo
Piedmontese beef Wellington with Chanterelle mushrooms, creamed nettles, and black truffle sugo

Dolce:
Gianduja with smoked creme anglaise
Acquerello rice pudding with slow roasted pineapple

◊

Early Seating
5pm – 6pm
95.

Late Seating
7:45pm – 10pm
125.

Phone reservations ONLY 510-547-5356

Catherine Meng2017-09-12T15:47:08-07:00December 2nd, 2014|2014, Events, Happened already...|1 Comment

More truffles in December!

Our annual truffle dinner just ended, and the event was a huge success. As we told you last month, this fall was a banner year for truffles — their quantity and quality are out of this world. In fact, we’re so in love with this year’s truffles that we’re going to have two truffle dinner revivals: December 11–13 and December 19–21.

We’ll be featuring three truffle dishes on this menu. Last month’s mortar and pestled truffles were such a hit, we’re bringing those back. The white truffles will be ground up with fresh, piquant olio nuovo and then slathered on grilled beef vitello. In addition, we’ll be serving truffle spumante alongside a poached egg topped duck confit-potato hash cake as well as a tajarin with sage butter and, of course, plenty of truffles!

But this truffle dinner isn’t the whole story. We’ll also be continuing to shave truffles over all of our menu items for the entire month of December.

Make your reservations for next week’s truffle dinner soon. Seats will go quickly!

Kate Williams2017-09-12T15:47:09-07:00December 2nd, 2014|2014, Events, Happened already...|1 Comment

This Just In: truffles mortared and slathered

As mentioned before, because the quality and quantity of this year’s truffles is so extraordinary, we’ll have the opportunity to fully flex our tartufo.

Based on a dinner prepared by famed truffle-hunter and friend, Giorgio Sacchini, in Italy nearly fifteen years ago that has seared itself in Bob’s memory — this year there will be the option to have a handful of piccolo truffles mortar and pestled with Chalk Hill olio nuovo and then slathered on…whatever you want! We’d recommend the lamb chops.

Friday night is getting pretty full but tables are available most nights after 8 pm, and Wednesday and Saturday still have tables on the early side as well.

SEE THE 2014 MENU
for Truffles & Autumn Mushrooms

Catherine Meng2017-09-12T15:47:09-07:00November 19th, 2014|2014, Events, Happened already...|0 Comments

Sunday Supper for November 16, 2014

Prix fixe $40.

Served family-style. For groups of one to twelve. Whole table must order prix fixe menu.

(Please note that wine and gratuity are not included.)

call 510-547-5356 or reserve online

Larger parties: please let us know at the time of your reservation if your table will be ordering the Sunday Supper menu so that we can plan accordingly. Thanks!

Catherine Meng2017-09-12T15:47:09-07:00November 14th, 2014|2014, Events, Happened already...|0 Comments