My Husband’s Birthday: Fig & Olive | Newport Beach, CA

A private birthday event at Fig & Olive Newport Beach, CA – Wine Room.

I’m not one to throw parties, nor would I consider myself to be much of a “party planner”, but for my hubby’s first birthday as “husband and wife,” I absolutely wanted to do something special for him.

Since I’ve dined at Fig & Olive New York City numerous times and love the fresh Mediterranean flavors here, I decided to host my husband’s recent birthday party at a familiar spot across the country, hence Fig & Olive Newport Beach, California. Yes, I’ll be relocating to SoCal for him very soon. 🙂

For this event, we had an intimate gathering consisting of our immediate family and closest friends.

Our private party was held at Fig & Olive’s Wine Room which is accented by their wine collection featured on one wall. Additionally, I worked closely with the Events Manager, Sheri, and customized a 3-course menu for my hubby’s birthday party.

Cocktails & Crostini (passed)
Fig & Olive offers a wide selection of cocktails and wines from their menu.
As we mingled, cocktails and Fig & Olive’s famous crostinis were passed around by our server, Anthony. The Mushroom Crostini topped with artichoke, truffle and Parmesan remains my favorite crostini to date. The Manchego Fig combo was a close second.

Appetizers (served family style)
Complimentary: Bread & Olive Oil, Charcuterie Board.

Mushroom Croquettes: my most favorite appetizer at Fig & Olive, the mushroom croquettes are phenomenal and will melt in your mouth as they are flavored with truffle mayo and topped with Parmesan. A favorite.

Zucchini Carpaccio: light and delicious, topped with lemon, pine nuts, olive oil and Parmesan. Very well-made. A favorite.
Tuscan Eggplant Tapenade: eggplant flavored with garlic, capers and parsley. This appetizer was just okay for me as it lacked the bold eggplant flavor.

Main Course (served individually)
Truffle Risotto: the best dish at Fig & Olive. The truffle risotto is prepared with cremini mushrooms and topped with parmesan and truffle oil. The portion appears small, but this dish is rich. Sinfully delicious. A favorite.
Riviera Salmon: salmon served with roasted cauliflower, swiss chard and a piquillo olive caper tapenade. This dish was good, but the salmon was a bit dry.

Fettuccine Shrimp Mascarpone: shrimp and fettuccine tossed in a tomato, basil, harissa, mascarpone infused with rosemary sauce. Excellent pasta dish, the sauce was creamy and executed well. A favorite.
Fig & Olive Tajine: chicken and vegetables cooked tajine style served with a side of couscous and harissa. Since only one person ordered this dish, I wasn’t able to try it, hence I can’t comment on this dish.

Dessert/Coffee (served individually)
Birthday Cake

Coffee: robust in flavor, enjoyed it.
Chocolate Pot de Creme: crunchy hazelnut praline served with of chocolate vanilla mousse. Decadent, and a favorite.
Olive Oil Cake: arbequina infused olive oil cake served with whipped citrus mascarpone and figs. Although I enjoyed the citrus mascarpone, I found the olive oil cake to be rather dry.

RESTAURANT REVIEW:
Fig & Olive, Newport Beach

COST: $$$
CUISINE: Mediterranean
FAVORITES: Rose Wine | Complimentary Bread & Olive Oil | Mushroom Crostini | Manchego Fig Crostini | Mushroom Croquettes | Zucchini Carpaccio | Truffle Risotto | Fettuccine Shrimp Mascarpone | Chocolate Pot de Creme | Coffee
OVERALL: 4.25 / 5
Fig & Olive is one of my favorite restaurants in New York City, and I’m so happy there is a location here in Newport Beach, California. Since I’ll be moving to Orange County in the near future, I look forward to many brunches, lunches and dinners at Fig & Olive. Our private event of thirty-five people was a success, and our guests had a great time. The food and drinks arrived in a timely manner. Although there were a few dishes that were okay, most dishes were delicious and flavorsome. The service was excellent, our server did a great job, and the Events Manager (Sheri) was a pleasure to work with. If you’re looking to host your next event in Orange County, I highly recommend Fig & Olive Newport Beach.

Have you dined at Fig & Olive? What’s your favorite dish?