BY CAROLYN ONOFREY
Fig and Olive
420 West 13th Street
Meatpacking District
212-294-1200/figandolive.com
After a work week reminiscent of the never-ending story, I was in need of a relaxing night out with my boyfriend. My internal checklist for dinner consisted of good food, good atmosphere, and a good scene. Fig and Olive seemed like the perfect place, as I had heard many good things and its location in the Meatpacking District essentially sold me.
Located on a rather ugly strip of 13th Street sat Fig and Olive. Its cavernous interior was nicely divided into a large bar space to the left and dining area to the right. As we followed the hostess to our own personal nook, we took a step up to a level more fit for a flashy nightclub. The area was furnished with sleek white booth space, and allowed for a great view of the back of the bar in which shelving climbed to the ceiling illuminating a showcase of about a hundred bottles of all intriguing shapes and sizes of olive oil.
Olive oil from around the world at Fig and Olive
Our waitress greeted us with bread and an explanation of three different olive oils from around the word. I anxiously dove in to the different oils, transporting myself to Spain, Costa Rica, and Italy. I loved the attention to detail and needless to say, I couldn’t wait for the rest of the meal.
To start, we ordered a selection of crostini (3 for $9.50, one piece each but large enough for two to share). The shrimp, avocado, cilantro and tomato was bland and could have used a pinch of salt or two. I decided not to judge based on a set of flavors that probably weren’t the specialty of the house and moved on to the Manchego, fig spread, and almond (at least partly their namesake). I was pleasantly greeted by a combination of textures and flavors that melted together into a creamy, sweet, and salty bite that I definitely would not mind experiencing over and over again. The last crostini, prosciutto, ricotta, fig, olive, and walnut promised to be my favorite, but again disappointed with a lack of salt. Surprising, given the salty nature of the prosciutto, ricotta, and olive.
For my main course, I had to try the Fig and Olive Mediterranean Tasting ($29.00), a combination of three different dishes served at Fig and Olive; the grilled chicken with artichoke tapenade and a fig compote, the grilled shrimp with saffron rice, and the lamb and red pepper skewer over couscous and Greek yogurt with honey. I walked away from the chicken and lamb with no complaints. Both cooked well, with flavors that worked but were not overpowering (although I did seem to have a spell of deja vu with the lamb, Bristrouge anyone?). The shrimp however, was a bit of a train wreck. The shrimp was overcooked and the rice was undercooked and tasted curiously like the ‘fiesta’ rice side you might find in a box at the grocery store.
My boyfriend thoroughly enjoyed his filet mignon, cooked to medium, until he got to the center of the cut which was completely raw. A nice rare steak, but one that certainly could not pass for medium. We did not stay for dessert, and once again I walked out of a well known restaurant in the Meatpacking District wondering if it really is just a see and be seen kind of gimmick there. The clientèle was certainly a notch or two more beautiful than your average Midtown joint and I did get my people watching quota in for the month, but I left with my expectations not quite being met.
