Olivar’s been getting rave reviews since opening in the Loveless building on Capitol Hill, and starting today, they’re introducing brunch service that looks to be a winner.
No batter dishes here; Chef Phillippe Thomelin is doing the egg, cheese, potato and bacon thing with his uniquely Spanish flair (with French and Italian influences thrown in for good measure). The tortillas (think omelets) are satisfying, with a choice between the Francesa (Comté cheese, mushrooms, bacon and chives) and the Andaluza (grilled chorizo, Yukon potato and fried onion). There’s also a Croque Monsieur, which can sex-change to a Croque Madame with the addition of a fried egg. My favorite on the menu, though, is patatas al lo Pobre: pan-fried Yukon potatoes with Anaheim peppers (I like their heat in contrast to the usual bell peppers), chorizo Riojano and fried eggs. When the dish first came to the table, I thought the chorizo was Chinese sausage, which got me excited and confused. Nice flavor, but a little too long to the chew; I wonder if crumbled chorizo might be a better fit—or perhaps, even better, some morcilla?
If two go, I recommend one person getting one of the salads to help balance the meal, as the other dishes are a bit heavy. The ensalada de endibias has endive, Valdeon blue cheese, apple and walnuts—blissful for the blue cheese lover. Even better for me was the classic frisée with bacon, croutons, roasted shallot vinaigrette—and poached eggs.
Entrees range from $8-10, though a better bet might be the prix fixe option of any entrée plus drip coffee, fresh (and pulpy) orange juice, and ensaimada (Majorcan pastry) for $15 (tax and tip not included).
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- Olivar interior
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- Olivar tortilla (omelet)
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- Olivar croque monsieur
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- Olivar patatas a lo pobre
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- Olivar ensalada de endibias (endive, blue cheese, apple and walnut salad)
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- Olivar frisee salad with poached eggs, bacon, and crouton
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- Olivar ensaimadas (Majorcan pastries)
