Rachel Lebeaux of TableCritic Inc recently visited and reviewed Ristorante Olivio located at 201 Mass Ave in Arlington.
Below are some excerpts from the review; to read the review in its entirety, please visit:
http://www.tablecritic.com/review-of-ristorante-olivio/
Enjoy~
Chef Angelo Bernardo DiGirolamo – who jovially greets diners tableside at some point during their meal at Ristorante Olivio — began working at a café in Marsala, Sicily, at age 9, and the restaurant business has remained in his blood ever since. He operated an eponymous restaurant as chef-owner for 19 years, and opened his current venture, Ristorante Olivio, on Mass. Ave. in Arlington, in 2002.
There’s a rustic yet refined feel to the place, with lots of dark wood, white tablecloths, a bottle of olive oil on each table, and flowerboxes sitting on the window ledges facing Mass. Ave. Urns, books and vases containing wine corks perch inside on ledges, photographs of old Italy adorn the walls and decorative plates on which guests have handwritten memories of celebratory meals here – anniversaries, birthday and the like — cascade across the walls, indicating the restaurant’s special place in many visitors’ lives.
After scanning the pizza menu, it didn’t take long to arrive on the pizza fra diavolo. The browned, doughy crust was topped with bubbly mozzarella cheese – and on top of that, calamari, completed with dangly legs emerging from pie in an eye-catching presentation. Calamari rings and shrimp rounded out the generous seafood array, spiced up by some garlic and red pepper flakes.
We were told the chicken bocca was one of the restaurant’s specialties, and it was easy to see why. Two large, thick chicken cutlets were stuffed with a double-layer of prosciutto and fontina cheese; when sliced, the cheese spilled out lusciously onto the plate. The cutlets rested in a wonderfully sweet Marsala wine sauce. On the side, a compote of zucchini, carrots and green beans, and even two arancini, rounded out the meal.
All Photos taken by Rachel Lebeaux for TableCritic Inc.
