Anchovies & Olives

I finally had the chance to try Anchovies & Olives this past week. We stopped by at 6 pm on a Wednesday night (this proved to be a fortuitous time as the place was nearly empty and A&O does not currently accept reservations). I am a big fan of Union and Tavolata, though I agree with the criticism that both places (especially Union) have a corporate look to them. Myself, if the food is nearly always well-prepared, the waitstaff and bartenders professional, and overall a great value - I can overlook the lack of atmosphere and soul. A&O benefits from the open kitchen, its small size and the large picture windows. These facets lend it the feel of a neighborhood restaurant. Immediately after we sat down, the waitress asked us if we wanted prosecco. We were later nonplussed to find that each glass was $10 (would have been nice if the house wine was priced a bit lower). We also ordered the Columbia City Foccaccia (served with Arbequina Olives) to nibble on: at $2, this is the best value on the menu and I would recomend it to anyone concerned about going hungry at A&O (e.g. Yelpers)

Whenever I go to a seafood restaurant, I try to make choices based on sustainability. To read about the consequences of choosing farm-raised salmon & tuna every time you eat out, read this Bittman column. My authority on this is Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch - and I was able to access most of the data on their new cool iphone application. Shellfish are generally good choices - so I opted to try the Cherrystone Clam and the Kusshi Oyster for starters. I was a little disappointed by the lack of heat in the Clam, as it was to be served with a bit of chili oil. For my main dish, I chose the Daurade (more prosaically known as porgy here in the U.S.) with Gnocchi and Nettles (no Pancetta). The fish was nicely cooked with the skin kept on and crispy - and the flesh tender and moist. I could not taste the nettles (but maybe this was a good thing) and the Gnocchi was tender but a bit bland. The dish was well executed if not memorable. We opted for an Umbrian Red (well priced at $32) for the wine accompaniment - it was a good choice as the wine was light-bodied with fruity notes. We opted for the cheese plate to close out the evening. All in all, this was a satisfying but somewhat pricey meal (tab with tip was over $85 each). Next time, I will probably skip the Prosecco and the cheese plate.