SoHo, Tribeca, and More    

Fig & Olive Restaurant

A recent visit to the Fig & Olive Uptown was a dining highlight of that NYC trip. We had inadvertently arrived at that location, only to find that our reservation was actually at the new restaurant in the Meatpacking District. Despite this, the host welcomed us warmly and we were quickly seated.

I love olive oil, so Executive Chef Pascal Lorange’s concept of featuring it in every dish needed no selling to me. Rather than ordering entrees, my companion and I selected a variety of tapas-style smaller dishes. Fennel with Lemon and Rosemary, Crostini with Goat Cheese, Bresaola and Olive Tapenade, the selection of different olives, and especially the Manchego Cheese with Fig Spread and Almond were all wonderful, especially paired with the dry rose offered on the extensive wine-by-the-glass menu.

The uptown F & O is the original location, and while crowded with diners along its long, narrow configuration, never reached the “shrieking level” of conversation that makes eating in so many restaurants very uncomfortable. Artwork on the walls is charming, lighting flatteringly low (but not so low you can’t see your plate), and service prompt and well informed. I will definitely be back.

Reservations highly recommended.
Janis Hashe is a freelance travel journalist currently living in Chattanooga, TN. Her work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Sunset Magazine and numerous AAA magazines, among others