Surprising Fran Was So Much Fun

Fran is one woman that is hard to surprise, so when her long time friend Judy called me and wanted to surprise her with a small birthday lunch, I was skeptical.  Could everyone keep a secret?  Yes they could.  Six of us met at Fig and Olive in Newport Beach.  The look on Fran's face when she approached our table was priceless.  At first it was one of confusion, then it was shock.  She was so surprised, and we were so happy to have pulled it off.

Any meal at Fig and Olive is memorable.  The restaurant has several branches, including Melrose Place in LA, Chicago, several locations in New York, and Newport Beach, where we ate.  The restaurant is big, bright, and beautiful, done mostly in white and shades of beige.  It's hip and contemporary, and so is the food.  The philosophy of the restaurant shows their passion for the best olive oils, flavors and cuisine from the Rivera and Coastal regions of the South of France, Italy and Spain.  They have a large variety of extra virgin olive oils, selected and paired with each dish.  Here is some of what we had for lunch.

We started out with an array of crostini, little round of bread or toast, covered with deliciousness.  Prosciutto, ricotta, fig, olive and walnut were on one crostini, another was covered with mushroom, artichoke, truffle, scallion and parmesean.  We ordered a platter of six, cut each in half, so we could each sample two.  The starter menu also includes crudo, or raw salmon, tun or beef tartare.  A variety of cheeses and olives are available, as are soups, bruschetta, and carpaccio.  Main courses include salads, tarts, Panini, burgers and several entrees.  The lobster roll on a brioche bun with truffle oil French fries was wonderful, as was the fig gorgonzola tartlet.  The chicken Panini that Judy ordered, was delicious, too.  I loved my salad filled with wonderful fruits and vegetables, including manchego and gorgonzola cheese, apple, fig, tomato, walnut, olive and greens.  Main courses include salmon tartar and favorite of mine, chicken tajine (Moroccan chicken).  It's a very ambitious menu, but everything I ate was outstanding.

To top off this fabulous meal, Judy ordered thin homemade sugar cookies, topped with marscapone cheese and special cherries, somewhere between fresh and dried.  Really special.  The whole day was special.  A chance to have lunch with six wonderful women, and surprise Fran.  My birthday is in February and I told this group we're all going back to celebrate again.