Oliveto, Rockridge
I’ve always liked Oliveto. The central Rockridge location makes it easy to find and a prized meeting spot for business lunches. What I like most, though, after the food, is the kitchen philosophy, with the chef being part of a larger team working together. Paul Canales has been with Oliveto since its opening, and his tenure in the kitchen is described by praises only- both for the chef and the boss.
I have had many wonderful meals at Oliveto before Italy in San Francisco was born, and I just went back to experience a wonderful lunch with my friend Rosetta- a review of her fabulous and highly-recommended cooking classes is coming soon! We headed for the upstairs restaurant for lunch, but the downstairs cafe is always an option, with its selection of pizza and panini. Rosetta, like me, enjoys a good dish of pasta when she sees one, so we both ordered the Spaghetti with Boston mackerel and rosemary. Wonderful!
The specialty dinners at Oliveto are legendary. The Whole Hog dinner keeps on fetching amazing reviews from diners, and the truffle menu is an event in itself for all tartufo-lovers around the Bay. Chef Canales is not afraid to experiment with “off the beaten path” ingredients, so you will find sardines and fresh anchovies on the menu if he finds fresh ones, as well as offals and amazing but hard to find cheeses like Castelmagno.
Many of the dishes at Oliveto will not be your plain Italian fare, but rather they will feature a bit of a twist. It’s always unexpected and well paired, and if the service is good (which it is, usually), your enjoyment of the dinner will be enhanced by prompt delivery of your plates just as the kitchen had intended them for you to experience. A visit to Oliveto, when in the East Bay, is always a safe bet for a great meal!
Oliveto
5655 College Avenue
Oakland, CA 94618
510.547.5356
Filed under: East Bay, Restaurants
An Italian-American friend recommended Oliveto to me yrs ago & I promptly tried it. What a terrible disappointment! My wife & I still joke about how dry & tasteless her rabbit dish was, so hard that it actually injured her mouth. Having just returned from Italy & tried delicious rabbit there, we can now say that it was the chef’s fault, not the rabbit’s. My impression of Oliveto is that it is not authentic Italian. With all the good recommendations, I would like to like Oliveto but I find myself reluctant to give it another try.