Wow!, is my first impression of this appealing, homey spot in the heart of Webster. Opened by two families brought together by tragedy—both lost young children to congenital heart failure—Olive + Oak is vibrant, welcoming and above all, delicious. That’s no suprise, given that chef Jesse Mendica spent eight years in the kitchen of Annie Gunn’s as executive sous chef. And co-owner Mark Hinkle—a friendly presence on the nights we visited—also hails from Annie Gunn’s, where he was part of the management team. There is simply no substitute for an owner’s friendly visits to your table.
As you’d expect of a place with this pedigree, provisions are fresh and locally sourced as much as possible. A soup starter of Roasted Onion +Ale ($6) was as good a French onion soup as I’ve had. The depth of its deep brown color was a testament to its concentrated flavors, which included Civil Life brown ale. Tuscan Kale salad ($6) sat on crisped potato slices, the shaved kale interspersed with red pepper slivers and grated egg and tossed with a delicious creamy sherry dressing. The Blue Crab Gratin ($12) was redolent with crab flavor and the pleasant bite of Calabrian chili. It came with toasted and buttered pretzel bread rounds and made a good shared appetizer for the table.
Entrees are à la carte and not super-large, but adequate. There are some tempting sides—charred broccoli, brown butter turnips, root vegetable hash—if you need more. Our Creamed Kale ($7) and Charred Broccoli ($6), were stellar, especially the broccoli, which highlighted the green rather than buried it in unnecessary ingredients. The crucifer was prepared simply, with oil, lemon, garlic and Aleppo pepper. And bucking the trend, a small plate of crusty artisan bread is brought to the table, gratis, with oil and butter.
The Gnocchi ($18) is a great showpiece for the talent in this kitchen. The potato dumplings are light and pillowy with the slightest exterior crust—just enough to offer a hint of resistance when you bite into them. The sauce is layered with great flavors: a lamb ragu with the intensity of a long braising, leaving tiny bits of lamb meat stuck to the gnocchi. Bits of creamy Baetje Farms goat cheese dots the dish, adding a mild scent reminiscent of the farmstead.
Another standout dish was the Pappardelle ($18). It’s another dish that separates the wheat from the chaff in the kitchen, showing off a thick, complex base sauce layered with slow-cooked flavors. The noodles were wide and delicious and the main ingredient, pork sausage, had been pan-crisped to offer great texture as well as taste. Other flavors included roasted peppers, tomatoes and bourbon.
The one disappointment of the evening was Hama Hama Clams ($18), which we found lackluster on all counts. They came in a thin, smoky broth with a few chunks of red potato; both the liquid and the clams were just ho-hum and barely enough food to whet your appetite, despite the accompanying toast points. It’s not every day I sing the praises of a vegetarian dish, but the Pot Pie ($16) here is tasty enough to qualify. With a generous, flaky, puffy pastry crust, it contains exotic local mushrooms, cauliflower, root veggies and a roasted leek gravy with perfect consistency. I detected a strong herb in there, probably sage, that gave the dish a satisfying heartiness.
As for desserts, the list is impressive. So is the delivery. Our Butterscotch Pot de Crème ($7) was creamy with a thin ‘head’ of banana caramel and a buttery scotch oatmeal cookie. It was good, but even better was the unexpected citrus cup called California Citrus ($8), which came bursting with exotic flavors. ‘Supremed’ (sectioned) mandarin, blood and navel oranges came tossed with a syrup of lime juice and orange bitters accented with pistachios and fresh mint. The dish had distinctive flavors reminiscent of Turkish cuisine—absolutely transportive.
amuse bouche
the scene | Bustling neighborhood gastropub
the chef | Jesse Mendica
the prices | $6 to $12 starters, $16 to $32 entrees, $12 to $14 sandwiches
the favorites | Roasted Onion + Ale Soup, Gnocchi, Pot Pie, California Citrus dessert, Pappardelle, Charred Broccoli
chef chat » jesse mendica
pedigree | I spent 15 years at Annie Gunn’s.
favorite ingredient | Honey
favorite restaurant | Annie Gunn’s
favorite cookbook | Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller
most memorable dining experience | At Schwa in Chicago. It was a tiny place, no menu. It was amazing.
guilty pleasure food | Totino’s Party Pizza
102 w. lockwood ave. | 314.736.1370
