The new kid on the block

Maybe not so new, but Oliveto is new to me. An Italian restaurant in Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin...where I happened to dash in for a quick bite to eat before the cinema recently. I didn't know it existed, probably because I haven't been eating out as much as I used to. On our first visit; the mountain man and I, we noticed tasting menus displayed for an evening that had already passed in October of last year, but which seemed to be a regular, seasonal event. It looked incredible, 7 courses, 3 different wines and all for the price of €60 a head. Ok....so €60 aint exactly cheap, but as a special occasion, could we stretch to it?

We did... I found out that OLiveto were having their second tasting night in February and added my name to the list. With only 40 places available, first come first served, I watched my inbox like a hawk, waiting for the email to arrive inviting us to book. I waited...and waited...when the menu didn't come I feared the worst. They had taken my email address down incorrectly and I had missed out. I phoned up, left a message, desperately hoping that I wasn't too late. I wasn't, hooray! Fla, the owner rang me and assured me that I was still in with a chance, just to sit tight.

So I waited some more and the menu arrived, glistening with the promise of new tastes and flavours. I replied in a breathless fashion and was on the list. Hip hip hooray! This was no ordinary night out...this was a belated birthday dinner for the mountain man, who unlucky for him, was born on the 23rd of December. That sucks. One present for 2 events. So, I wanted this night out to be special and oh boy, was it.

We were the second group in the door, at about 3 minutes to 7, like teenagers we could barely hide our excitement. The evening kicked off with glasses of delicious prosecco while we waited for everyone to arrive. Once the entire guest list had been seated, Fla thanked us for coming and explained the intention behind the evening. A thank you to their regulars (we were interlopers!) an opportunity to try something you might never order otherwise, a chance to showcase the 'talent in the kitchen. And so, he introduced us to Alberto, the head chef, who proceeded to take us (or was it just me?) on a journey, describing each course in detail, how he had marinated the ox tongue for a week to remove the toxins before marinading it further to enhance the flavour. He described the thick, rich chestnut veloute that came with the ravioli in the 3rd course and told us that the wild pheasant in the 5th course came from Glenmalure, just a few miles down the road...'I ring them up and say, I want 24 pheasant...and they go out and gather them up'. I was totally rapt.

All seven courses were, to me, incredible.
Course 1: Jerusalem Artichoke Soup - earthy, mellow, sweet...served with a brightly coloured chive oil.
Course 2: Ox Tongue & Portobello Mushroom Terrine - salty, meaty, delicate...delicious and as Fla pointed out, something that I might never order if offered it on an a la carte menu.
Course 3: Ravioli with Chestnut Veloute - light, rich, comforting...
Course 4 : A palette cleanser, mandarin jelly and beetroot granita. Beetroot? Really? Yes, really...possibly my favourite course. The beetroot looked like it had been crumbled over the top of the jelly, as soon as my spoon touched it, it melted. Sharp, tingly mandarin with the earthy, sweet taste of beetroot.
Course 5: Wild Irish Pheasant, cabbage puree, tomato & olive compote, salsify. I loved this least, but honestly, I adored every morsel.
Course 6: Orange Chocolate Fondant - happy Ruthie, chocolate....mmmmmmm... and no, it wasn't overdone as Alberto may have feared. Gooey and delicious.
Course 7: 3 Italian cheeses. Oh my word...is it over?

We finished up with the most delicious coffee, which we were later told is ordered direct from a supplier in Italy, who roasts the beans the day they are ordered and ships them directly to Oliveto. Mountain man doesn't really drink coffee in Ireland, but this double espresso bowled him over.

We were in the restaurant for 5 hours. We chatted comfortably with the most gorgeous couples sitting either side of us. We ate every morsel of food presented to us from what was described as the most challening season of all...and loved every bite. We took our time, we enjoyed wonderful conversation and left just before midnight, promising to return.

I won't wait until the next tasting menu and I would advise anyone else who loves good food not to wait too long either.