The first thing I saw upon entering Olives, Calgary’s newest Italian restaurant, was a massive chainmail installation I instantly nicknamed “The Iron Curtain.” Fortunately, this new space is anything but oppressive.
Located across from the Stampede Casino at the base of the Arriva condos on 12th Ave. S.E., Olives is an immense space that features a myriad of stunning design elements like green-hued concrete columns, massive mosaic tile portraits of classical Italian sculpture, modern light fixtures and sleek bathroom fixtures.
Chef Johnathan Canning’s menu is simple and tasteful (the best kind in my opinion) and is broken into three categories: antipastos, pastas and mains.
Choosing to sit in the expansive lounge, our server brought my boyfriend and I a lovely dish of mixed olives and house-made bread to start. Sipping on a selection from an all-Italian wine list, these complimentary treats were a nice beginning.
Our first antipasto dish was the grilled squid ($12). Artfully plated, it was accompanied by a medley of artichoke hearts, cherry tomatoes and asparagus with salsa verde. Sprinkled with a toss of sea salt, the tomatoes were gorgeous, and the salsa provided a nice kick to the tender squid.
My favourite dish of the night was the Black Angus beef carpaccio ($14). Featuring thin slices of delectable beef topped with a truffle vinaigrette, light greens and a hint of fennel seed, each ingredient popped, and the combination was outstanding.
Our last appetizer was the marinated baby beets and fennel ($12), a dish that combined shaved pecorino, Italian parsley and a citrus mint vinaigrette with a colourful array of beets. Like the others, it, too, was a lovely blend of fresh flavours and textures.
For his entree, my boyfriend had the potato herb gnocchi with braised oxtail ragout and wilted mache ($19). This was our least favourite dish of the meal — the gnocchi was tasty but the accompanying sauce was askew. It tasted more like a tomato paste than a savoury ragout.
I sampled the veal bolognese pappardelle (large fettuccini noodles) with parmigiano-reggiano, thyme leaves and basil ($22). Resembling loosely assembled lasagna, the dish was generously portioned, with a silky bolognese sauce. The unique pappardelle pasta was a nice touch.
We skipped the larger mains, but I will return for the sous vide veal breast with citrus-braised fennel, slow-cooked tomatoes, caper berries and olives ($29). Sous-vide refers to a cooking style that uses sealed plastic bags placed in hot water below boiling point to slowly cook the dish.
We did, however, have dessert. The lemon ricotta cheesecake ($10), served with an array of citrus slices, was sweet and tangy and a great end to a lovely dinner.
Our visit to Olives was pleasant The service is professional and personable, though our server could perhaps spend more time learning the wine list. I think the next time we visit we will go with a few more friends to partake in Olives’ family dining option, where dish sizes are increased to accommodate larger groups that want to try a bit of everything.
Olives is located at 1129 Olympic Way S.E.; phone, 403-984-5000.
