Fig & Olive - Newport Beach

Reviews 3

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Christopher Meller

This was my email to FIG & OLIVE. Today is almost a year since the incident, and they still have done nothing except to say "sorry". To Whom It May Concern, My wife and I are somewhat new to the area, and we visited your Newport Beach location for the first time on Sunday 07/31/2016. Unfortunately, we were not only unpleased — we were actually displeased with the experience. First impressions are critical because they are lasting. As the popular proverb states: You Will Never Have a Second Chance to Make a First Impression. Allow us to elaborate. The #1 Disappointment Since I ordered the brunch buffet, I was initially disappointed that one member of your staff, while refilling the roasted potato trays, failed to empty the tray of old potatoes, or simply rotate the old potatoes forward or at the top before adding fresh ones. The obvious result was that there were fresher yet extremely hot potatoes at the top, and there were overcooked, already soft from being quashed, and not fresh potatoes at the bottom of the tray. The #2 Disappointment Large portion of the "fresh” roasted potatoes were completely undercooked. I actually was forced to spit 2-3 of them and placed the rest of them on a plate, which was eventually removed by the staff without inquiring if there was anything wrong with those potatoes. I enthusiastically volunteered this information, which, to my disappointment was disregarded and not brought to the manager’s attention. The #3 Disappointment The tray placed furthest to the left of the buffet contained 5-inch round pies. When we arrived, the first thing I did was to check out the buffet. That tray had 9 pitifully looking pies. Out of sheer curiosity, upon deciding to order the buffet, I tried one of those pies. The cheese and the filling tasted old — very old, and greasy. We were sitting within the eye view of the buffet, and I did not see anyone else partaking of those pitifully-looking pies. When we were leaving, I was the only one brave enough to try that pie — before I spat it out. That means that those pies were sitting there for almost an hour and a half. Assuming that they were already not fresh when I tried it, I find this observation disturbing. The #4 Disappointment I decided to take the valuable time out of my busy schedule and write this lengthy email not only because we were terribly disappointed, but because upon arriving home at about 3 PM, I have been: burping, almost throwing up, suffering with stomach pain. We had nothing but our regular organic oatmeal with raisins this morning before visiting your restaurant. I also had nothing to eat since the disappointing potatoes and pie at your restaurant. After our disappointing and disturbing experience, I am very concerned with the quality of your food and food safety. How exactly are you monitoring the freshness of the buffet? How do you do that on-paper and in-practice? The old potatoes being covered up by “fresh” yet undercooked potatoes is probably not a solitary experience. My report of this practice to the waitress and her failure to report it to the management is also probably not a solitary experience. My report of the undercooked potatoes to the waitress and her failure to report it to the management is probably not a solitary experience. The old and greasy food — specifically pies -- in not monitored buffet is probably not a solitary practice either. Our check number was #7326 and we arrived at 12:46 PM. We left the restaurant at 2 PM. Please satisfy our curiosity and offer some explanations. Thank you, Christopher

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Chelsea Madren

Burrata, Tomato, Pesto, Balsamic Crostini (Mix and match - 3 for $12, 6 for $21) is creamy from the velvety smooth burrata, herbaceous from the pesto and microgreens, and sweet and tangy from the balsamic and tomato. Rating: 5/5 Manchego, Fig, Marcona Almond Crostini (Mix and match - 3 for $12, 6 for $21) is simplicity at its best. Even though it is simple, it is rich and powerful in flavor from the nutty manchego to the sweet fig. Rating: 4/5 Shrimp, Avocado, Cilantro, and Tomato Crostini (Mix and match - 3 for $12, 6 for $21) has a perfectly cooked shrimp with a nice snap. With an almost Latin flair, the ingredients work well together from the creamy avocado to the sweet tomato to the refreshing cilantro. Rating: 4.5/5 Octopus, Hummus, Pimenton Crostini (Mix and match - 3 for $12, 6 for $21) is lovingly topped with tender, thinly sliced octopus. The hummus adds a creamy flavor for a Mediterranean flair. Rating: 5/5 Pata Negra, Smoked Tomato Concasse Crostini (Mix and match - 3 for $12, 6 for $21) has a Spanish tapas influence. Pata negra (also known as jamón ibérico) is a cured ham produced in Spain and Portugal from black Iberian pigs or cross-bred pigs that are at least 50% Iberian. The cured flavor of the pata negra pairs well with the smoky, rough chopped tomato. Rating: 4.8/5 Crab Salad ($15) combines jumbo lump crab, celery, celeriac, snow pea, green apple, lime, cilantro, scallion, horseradish mayo, and pink pepper. This salad is a clean, refreshing way to start any dinner. The vegetables and green apple add a crisp texture to the moist, tender crab meat. Great dish for spring! Rating: 4/5 Paella Del Mar ($32) includes black tiger shrimp, sea scallop, calamari, mussels, saffron rice, green pea, red bell pepper, artichoke, saffron aioli, pimenton, and oregano. The saffron rice is creamy like risotto. All of the seafood components are cooked to perfection – the shrimp has a nice snap, the calamari is tender, the scallops are nicely seared, and the mussels are succulent. The peas, bell pepper, and artichoke help tie everything together with a nice fresh flavor. Rating: 5/5 Rosemary Lamb Chops ($39) are grilled, smoked à la minute with a bouquet of Herbs de Provence, goat cheese & chive gnocchi, braised eggplant with honey, thyme, and rosemary garlic olive oil. The presentation is lovely with smoky dome. Using a bit of artistic flair, the server removes dome in a swirling motion so the smoke spirals up into the air. Then, they top it with an olive oil drizzle. The lamb has a Mediterranean flavor profile from the rosemary, garlic, and olive oil. The goat cheese gnocchi are a nice creamy, starchy surprise. Rating: 4.5/5 Caramelized Apple Tart ($12) is a crisp puff pastry with caramelized apples and topped with vanilla ice cream. It is a very light dessert, reminiscent of something you would pick up for breakfast at a French bakery along with an espresso. The vanilla ice cream makes it a bit more decadent with its creamy flavor and texture. Rating: 4/5 Chocolate Fondant ($12) is flavored with candied orange and topped with vanilla ice cream. This dessert is like a marriage of a chocolate lava cake and soufflé. It has a slight chocolate lava-like center, but is light like a soufflé. The vanilla ice cream acts like a crème anglais as it starts to melt into the nooks and crannies of this cake. Rating: 5/5

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Brighton Laiman

Newport Beach Restaurant Week.... perfect opportunity to try out new food and restaurants without the repercussion of breaking the bank. This brings a great opportunity for the average person to venture out to more extravagant venues that usually costs you an arm and a leg for a plate portion which you can gulp in one bite. Although Fig & Olive isnt necessarily as described as the aforementioned, the decor and venue itself will make you feel like youre living the rich(er) lifestyle! We came in on a Sunday for lunch ready to order off the restaurant week menu. To our surprise, the pricing of the food on their standard brunch menu was fairly reasonably priced and from the looks of other peoples orders, you get a fulfilling amount of food at the very least. In addition, they offer a brunch buffet for a little over $30. Unfortunately it said nothing about unlimited mimosas or champagne as you normally would expect to get at brunch buffets like at say TAPS. Everything we had from the restaurant week menu was nothing short of delicious and flavorful! Manhattan Sour: Being a fan of Whiskey Sours, I was intrigued by something called a Manhattan Sour which caught my eye on the cocktail list. Its essentially a Whiskey Sour with a bit of a twist of adding some red wine to the top. If youre into Whiskey Sours, youll definitely be into this! In addition to the hint of bourbon you get with each sip, its followed by a sweet aftertaste that comes from the wine. Absolutely refreshing and something I could see myself enjoying throughout the whole day. Truffle Mushroom Croquette: This appetizer is normally $14 on the menu and typically I wouldnt have been so inclined to get it in fear of getting something bite sized for a steep price. I was glad to see that my assumption was wrong and that youre actually given a very generous amount! With each bite you take of these croquettes, you get a nice crunch from the crust followed by a nice creaminess and mind blowing taste of the truffle. I dont know how they made these things or what exactly they put in them besides the stated obvious, but Im a fan and will definitely be ordering it again during future visits. Paella Del Mar: Theres not much to say... its a seafood medley tossed on top of paella, how can you go wrong with that mix?! Each piece of seafood was perfectly cooked and there was nothing but tenderness with each bite, even with the calamari. The rice was flavorful and fluffy, complimenting the seafood really well; not that the seafood needed much more complimenting than it already has. For an additional $7, you can add a couple of seared scallops to it which is buttery and melts in your mouth! Chocolate Pot De Creme: If I had a big tub of this thing, I would seriously have some fat boy problems! The top white layer is very creamy and heavenly and is followed by the sweet chocolate pudding-like creme. As if that wasnt enough, they give you this bar shaped biscuit which has awesome hazelnut flavor followed by a hint of lemon from the shaved lemon zests laid on top of it. Didnt see this on the brunch tables, which is probably a good thing considering that I would probably eat serving after serving of these things if they were!