Ever read an airline magazine and come across those ads that list steakhouses in the U.S. that are highly rated?
I always wonder how they are chosen. Were they rated nationally? Or, did they simply pay for the spot? Nevertheless, I get tickled anytime I see a restaurant where I have actually dined. Makes me feel so in-the-know.
Or… in one case, I saw a restaurant listed that is within driving distance of Northwest Arkansas: Polo Grill in Tulsa which was located in my favorite Tulsa shopping spot for all things cool: Utica Square.
So, off to Tulsa we went.
It had all the markings of what I like: hidden, intimate lighting, cozy nooks and crannies, character galore, rack of lamb, and something a little different that made it stand out…
Instead of the usual pre-salad plate of bread, they brought a bowl of olives to the table.
Olives.
Not just any old olives in a bowl. These were olives artistically perched in a bath of olive oil.
So fancy yet so incredible simple.
And something we, too, can easily incorporate into our repertoire!
Next time you have a dinner party or setting up an intimate moment with a glass of cognac or cabernet, add a small bowl of olives (they don’t have to be expensive, either) and pour extra virgin olive oil over them.
I guarantee you it will add an element of specialness.
Experiment with different types of olives. I tried this once with a French olive that was quite tart by itself (example in photo, above). When I bathed it in the olive oil and let it linger, wow, the flavors were incredibly enhanced and savoring each olive was a joy. Oui!
I hope you try this out and let me know what you think. Or, what you discovered was your favorite olive to use with this method. Oooo, what about adding fresh herbs? Oh my, that could be wonderful!
Olive Marinade
Love surprising my dinner guests with something new or at least different than the same old. Great idea, thanks for sharing your tip.
Hey Lose Weight Fast (I'll have to check out your blog)!
I know what you mean, I need to break free from chips/salsa/cheese for my guest snacks! I'm always on the lookout for something new that doesn't take more time that meal preparation!
Thanks for the comment!
Lyndi
Hello Lyndi, after reading this post, I keep asking myself "why did I think of this?" lol.. Anyway, thanks for sharing. If you wont mind I'd love to guide Foodista readers to your post. Just add the foodista widget to the end of this post so it will appear in the Foodista pages and it's all set, Thanks!
Hey christine,
I added the Foodista widget! Is that your recipe for the olive marinade? I love the idea of adding garlic and the bay leaf. Hopefully others will use the widget, get that recipe, and explore Foodista, too. It's a neat site!
Thanks for the comment! Keep 'em coming! 🙂
Lyndi
Hello Lyndi,
Did you like the recipe? You can also put other foodista widget in your past and future blogs so that other foodista reader will follow it. If you have extra time, try to look around the site more or create and account so we can message each other. Anyway I'm glad you liked it. Have a good day!
Hi Christine, yes and I like the garlic suggestion! I forget about foodista all the time and I really shouldn't! It's a great site (www.foodista.com). I realllly need to spend some time back in there! Message you soon! 🙂
Have a great day, too!