Keeping us safe–Oliveto’s Comprehensive Sanitizing Procedures

Keeping Us Safe – Oliveto’s Sanitizing Procedures

When we took on the responsibility of restaurant ownership, it was to offer our neighbors and community a place of respite, with exceptional traditional food, a lovely environment, and a space  conducive to laughter, good conversation, and a sense of convivial well-being. More than that, however, we took on the commitment to do the best, most conscientious job we could, to be transparent, and to hold the welfare of customers and staff uppermost.  The Covid-19 virus crisis presents by far the greatest challenge we’ve ever come against, and we are dealing with it head on.

Last week we implemented the CDC Guidelines at Oliveto, focusing first on staff monitoring, not letting anyone at risk to come to work.

This week we’re doing much more:
We’ve implemented a comprehensive sanitizing program in all public areas:
Handrails, backs of chairs, door handles and door push-plates, counters and table tops, bathroom surfaces and handles—all are on a frequent wipe-down schedule.
Menus will be used once only.  Pens, wine lists, check presenters will be sanitized regularly.

Personal distance:  By removing some tables, we’ve created a one meter space between tables.  In appropriate weather, our doors and windows will be open.

And, of utmost importance, we will make available hand sanitizer at the host stand and various places around the dining room for convenient, frequent use by staff and customers.  We encourage customers to use them whenever they want to.  We researched the hand-cleaning solutions that contain the percentage of alcohol necessary for Covid-19 virus kill.  Bear with us on this.  Those products are on order (we’ve gone to numerous stores and outlets, and have had difficulty obtaining them as they are on high demand).  Until they arrive, we are using an effective, well-vetted vodka/aloe gel mixture.

In the next week, we’ll be implementing new pick-up and delivery service, with menu items appropriate for informal, family meals at home.  The dishes are soulful and comforting.  They’ll be added to the Cafe fare available now by going to the App store and downloading the Oliveto app.  You’ll find a menu for pick-up after 5:30.  Soon, we’ll offer delivery, and earlier pick-up and delivery times.

These are difficult times for us all.  We must do the best we can, and take care of one another—our friends and families, our communities of farmers, fishermen, staffs–and our culture.

                                                                              —Bob and Maggie Klein

 

Oliveto Named #11 in 50 Best Italian Restaurants in the United States

50 Best Italian Restaurants in the United States

The Daily Meal released its Best Italian Restaurants in America list.

In our 33 years, we’ve had more than our fair share of accolades.  But in recent years, the press has become highly fragmented, struggling to find an audience and we don’t see these things as often.  We just put our heads down and try to do a good job.  But this piece is particularly satisfying to us–there are alot of very good restaurants on it.  That we’re placed so high, after 33 years, makes us smile.

#11 Oliveto (Oakland, California)

“At Oliveto, chef Brian Griffith’s menu is vibrant and soulful. The menu changes daily and always features unexpected local fare like linguine with Dungeness crab, tomato, pickled avocado and preserved Meyer lemon. At Oliveto you’ll try dishes and flavor combinations that you’ve never experienced before that are at once familiar and completely unusual, and you’ll be very glad that you did.”

“““““

#50 Broders’ Pasta Bar (Minneapolis, Minnesota)

#49 Al di Là (Brooklyn, New York)

#48 Carbone (New York, New York)

#47 Apizza Scholls (Portland, Oregon)

#46 Trattoria Lucca (Charleston, South Carolina)

#45 Giovanni’s (Detroit, Michigan)

#44 Patsy’s Pizzeria (New York City, New York)

#43 Motorino (New York City, New York)

#42 Trattoria Marcella (St. Louis, Missouri)

#41 Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen (Memphis, Tennessee)

#40 Flour + Water (San Francisco, California)

#39 Fiola (Washington, D.C.)

#38 Totonno’s (Brooklyn, New York)

#37 Osteria (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

#36 Il Posto (Denver, Colorado)

#35 Di Fara (Brooklyn, New York)

#34 Pizzeria Bianco (Phoenix, Arizona)

#33 Nico Osteria (Chicago, Illinois)

#32 Cafe Juanita (Kirkland, Washington)

#31 Delfina (San Francisco, California)

#30 Roberta’s (Brooklyn, New York)

#29 Al Forno (Providence, Rhode Island)

#28 Vincenti Ristorante (Los Angeles, California)

#27 Monteverde (Chicago)

#26 Bistro don Giovanni (Napa, California)

#25 ll Buco Alimentari & Vineria (New York, New York)

#24 City House (Nashville, Tennessee)

#23 Valter’s Osteria (Salt Lake City, Utah)

#22 Vincenzo’s (Louisville, Kentucky)

#21 Razza (Jersey City, New Jersey)

#20 Macchialina (Miami Beach, Florida)

#19 Sally’s Apizza (New Haven, Connecticut)

#18 Bottega (Birmingham, Alabama)

#17 Arancino di Mare (Honolulu, Hawaii)

#16 Marea (New York, New York)

#15 Domenica (New Orleans, Louisiana)

#14 Costa di Mare (Las Vegas, Nevada)

#13 Cotogna (San Francisco, California)

#12 Frank Pepe (New Haven, Connecticut)

#11 Oliveto (Oakland, California)

#10 Ristorante Bartolotta (Wauwatosa, Wisconsin)

#9 Chi Spacca (Los Angeles, California)

#8 Scampo (Boston, Massachusetts)

#7 Frasca Food & Wine (Boulder, Colorado)

#6 Osteria Mozza (Los Angeles, California)

#5 Del Posto (New York, New York)

#4 Bestia (Los Angeles, California)

#3 Spiaggia (Chicago, Illinois)

#2 Vetri Cucina (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

#1 Quince (San Francisco, California)

Reserve online now, or call 510-547-5356

Methodology
To assemble this ranking, we looked at our lists of the 101 best restaurants in America as well as the 101 best casual restaurants in America, which we release early every year. To build those rankings we recruited a panel of judges that included some of the country’s top food writers, critics and bloggers to take a survey and vote for the best of the best restaurants from across the country. The final rankings included a significant number of Italian restaurants, and this ranking took those restaurants into account as well as ones included in recent roundups of the best Italian restaurant in every state, the best pasta dish in every state and the best pizza in every state.
All of these restaurants fit a certain criteria: impeccable, un-snooty service; high-quality food sourced from the finest purveyors; creative-yet-classic preparation and craftsmanship; and an overall experience that leaves you happy and content in the fact that you just ate a world-class meal.

Love is in the Air: Valentine’s Day Menu 2020

Valentine’s Day Menu 2020

Stuzzichino:  Yellowfoot mushroom beignets

**

Antipasti

Endive salad with watercress vinaigrette, Gorgonzola cheese, Gala apple,

and fried shallots

~or~

Oysters with prosciutto, spinach, and hollandaise sauce

**

Pastas

Cappelletti of caramelized pear and sunchoke with Caprino cheese fonduta

~or~

Burrata ravioli with Dungeness crab

**

Entrees

Bigeye tuna with Borlotti beans, California sweet rice, avocado-lime

vinaigrette , and romesco sauce

~or~

Pork tenderloin with persimmon-lime crema, roasted sweet potato,

and harissa verde

**

Dolci—tba

~

~ 85 per person ~

A  20% pre-tax service charge will be added 

Oliveto New Year’s Eve 2019 Menu

New Year’s Eve 2019

We’re hopeful — and we’re certainly going to celebrate.

Reserve Now

Chef Brian’s New Year’s Eve Menu

Gnocco fritto with lonza and truffle vinaigrette

Stuzzichino (choose one)
Oyster with beet and horseradish crema
~or~
Asian pear with fennel and lime

Antipasto (choose one)
Water buffalo tartara with pickled celery root, Satsuma mandarin-nettle oli, and cracker
~or~
Crab salad with endive, citruses, Caprino cheese, grapefruit vinaigrette, and squid ink brioche

Primo (choose one)
Lobster risotto with Chanterelle mushrooms, sweet potato, and black truffle
~or~
Paprika vodka gnocchi with egg mimosa, Ossetra caviar, and horseradish broth
~or~
Chestnut rigatoni with Black Trumpet mushrooms, orange, pickled red onion, and Pecorino cheese

Secondo (choose one)
Seared scallops with California sweet rice, crab broth, grapefruit crisp and juice, sorrel, and celery salsa

Dolce
To be announced

~$135 per person ~ Wine pairing: $76 per person~
A service charge of 20% will be added ~ $25 corkage

Reserve online now, or call 510-547-5356

 

This Just In: The Season’s Frist Asparagus

The First of the Spring Asparagus is in the Kitchen

A quick note to herald in the changing of seasons. The asparagus this early spring are particularly sweet and delicious. They’re grown in the Salinas Valley, supplied to us by long trusted farmer Martin Bournhonesque. The season came 10 days early this year. Martin thinks that the proximity to the sea is in part responsible for their flavor.

“Sparrow Grass”, as it was commonly called in England, has been eaten by humans for centuries. Originally found growing wild, there are records of it from ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Highly nutritious and low in calories, these perennial spears were cultivated for their gastronomic, medicinal, and even aphrodisiacal virtues.

We’re serving them simply, blanched and sautéed with olive oil.

Reserve Online or Call 510.547.5356

2018-02-21T12:52:40-08:00February 21st, 2018|Coming up...|0 Comments

Valentine’s Day Dinner Menu 2018

Valentine’s Day Dinner 2018

We googled Saint Valentine to see if there was
anything worth writing about. Turns out there really
isn’t, but we think you’ll like this menu.

Stuzzichino
Kushi oyster with blood orange gelée and shiso

 

Antipasto
Parfait of Dungeness crab, winter citrus, and avocado
~or~
Soup:  vellutata of wild mushrooms with Perigord truffle crema

 

Primo
Tortelli di zucca with crumbled Amaretti cookies, brown butter,
and sage
~or~
Acquerello Carnaroli risotto of Maine lobster with fines herbes and
Pecorino Romano cheese

 

Secondi

Butter-poached Maine lobster with celeriac crema, Black Trumpet
mushrooms, and smoked trout roe spumante

~or~

Due of Liberty Farms duck:  breast and sausage with rainbow chard
and Seville orange mostarda

 

Choice of desserts.  tba

 

Prix Fixe Menu

95. per person

A 20% pre-tax Service Charge will be added.

 

Reserve Online or Call 510.547.5356

2018-02-01T17:07:05-08:00February 1st, 2018|Coming up...|0 Comments

New Year’s Eve Dinner 2017

New Year’s Eve Ball in Time’s Square

New Year’s Eve Dinner 2017

We’re ready for a new year, the menu is complete,
come join us on Sunday December 31st to celebrate.

 

Prix Fixe Menu
First seating (5:00 – 6:15), four courses $95
Second seating (7:45 – 9:15), five courses $130

 

Stuzzichino  Smoked salmon-stuffed gougères

 

Antipasto  (choose one)
Dungeness crab and winter citrus salad with watercress and avocado
~or~
Salad of roast winter vegetables with töcco di noci, fried garlic, and lemon

 

Primo (choose one)
Acquerello Carnaroli risotto with Perigord truffle
~or~
Tortelloni of Fontina Val d’Aosta with truffle honey and candied walnuts

 

First Seating:

Secondi (choose one)

Pan-roasted salmon with soubise, candied carrots, and caviar spumante

~or~

Due of Liberty duck:  pan-roasted breast and sausage with sunchoke crema and saba

~or~

Roast Piedmontese ribeye of beef with long-cooked onions, barley, and truffle sugo

 

Second Seating:

Secondi di Pesce (choose one)

Pan-roasted salmon with soubise, candied carrots, and caviar spumante

~or~ 

Pan-roasted truffle-studded scallop with salsify purée, fingerling potatoes, and old aceto balsamico

 

Secondi di Carne (choose one)

Due of Liberty duck:  pan-roasted breast and sausage with sunchoke crema and saba

~or~

Roast Piedmontese ribeye of beef with long-cooked onions, barley, and truffle sugo

 

 

Choice between two special desserts.  tba

 

Reserve Online or Call 510.547.5356

2017-12-14T14:12:51-08:00December 12th, 2017|Coming up...|0 Comments

Valentine’s Day Menu

Treat yourself and your loved ones! Chef Jonah’s menu for Valentine’s day consists of four courses of indulgent delights: truffles, crab, Chanterelles, lobster. Hearts will beat wildly, cares soothed away, and love, hopefully, will grow.

Menu

Stuzzichino: Perigord truffle and Parmesan cheese gougère

Salad of Dungeness crab, winter citrus, and avocado

~or~

Soup: vellutata of Chanterelle mushrooms with essence of Madeira

Acquerello Carnaroli risotto with Perigord truffles and Fontina Val d’Aosta cheese

~or~

Saffron chitarra pasta with Maine lobster, fines herbes, and bergamot

Liberty Farms duck two ways with Medjool date-studded gratinata and Calvados sugo

~or~

Pan-roasted black sea bass with Black Trumpet mushroom crema, salsify, and spumante

Devil’s food chocolate cake with hazelnut filling, chocolate frosting, and vanilla ice cream

~or~

Passionfruit tart of passionfruit curd, shortbread crust, raspberry meringues, and toasted meringue

 

95./person

A 20% Pre-Tax Service Charge Will Be Added

2017-09-12T15:46:30-07:00February 11th, 2017|Coming up..., Events|0 Comments

Whole Hog menu is complete!

Piglets2smallerReserve now.

Whole Hog Dinners 2015
March 3–7, 2015

We’ve got our hogs ready to go and our menu finalized. Get ready for a feast of epic, delicious proportions.

Antipasti: smaller items, soup, and salads

~cold~

Affetati misti: large array of house-cured, aged salumi

Burrata cheese with house-cured prosciutto, candied walnuts, and old aceto balsamico

Minestra of pork, barley, and escarole

Crostino of “young” lonza with swordfish tonnato, capers, and lemon

Country pâté with brioche crostini and spring onions

Garden lettuces vinaigrette

~warm~

Terrina of pork trotters with Puy lentils, frisée, and mustard vinaigrette

Salad of first-of-season asparagus, pancetta, torn bread, and Parmesan cheese

Charcoal-grilled Italian-style sausage with escarole and breadcrumbs

Fritto of battered pig’s ears with bagna cauda, green garlic, and spring onions

Charcoal-grilled pork heart with ragù of beans, Castelvetrano olives, and rosemary

Cassuola of Gigande beans braised with pork skin

*

Primi

Potato gnocchi with whey-braised pork

Cavatelli with pork ragù allʼabruzzese

Fusilli bucati with garlic pork sausage, Manila clams and turnip greens

Tortellini of mortadella in rich pork brodetto

Agnolotti dal plin of pork offal

*

Secondi: grills, sautées, and rotisserie

Cinta Sonoma alla Caja China: Cinta pig roasted in a box

Spit-roasted house-cured ham

Due of boudins: blanc and noir with house-fermented sauerkraut

Roast pork “osso buco” with roast potatoes, broccoli di ciccio, and salsa verde

Spit-roasted, pancetta-wrapped pork tenderloin

*

Dolce

TBD

*

Plus, we’ll be offering these special menu items each day of the week:

Tuesday, March 3
Porchetta: layers of boneless pork middle, fat, skin, rolled in savory, moist, boneless pork meat and spit-roasted over wood

Wednesday, March 4
Front Porch Farms Cinta celebration

Thursday, March 5
 Saucisson en croûte: a lovely French-style pork sausage, wrapped in puff pastry, baked in a terrine and served warm

Friday, March 6
Zampone: the prized Modenese dish of boned pig’s trotter, stuffed with highly seasoned ground pork meat, rind, sinew, and fat, which is then trussed and cooked in broth

Saturday, March 7
Bollito misto: various cuts of meat and sausages, cooked and served in a rich pork broth and accompanied by multiple herby and full-flavored salsas

call 510-547-5356 or reserve online

2017-09-12T15:47:03-07:00February 24th, 2015|2015, Coming up..., Events, Front Porch Farm|0 Comments

New Year’s Eve 2014

NYE550_draft2

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

2017-09-12T15:47:08-07:00December 2nd, 2014|2014, Events, Happened already...|1 Comment
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