THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Olivia

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Olivia Restaurant Review:

Owner-chef James Holmes, who did stints in France and at Picholine and Craft in NYC, has crafted a fine blend of sophisticated French and Italian cuisines with down-home Texas products. Our vote for best menu item is the appetizer of lamb’s tongue fricassée, which has a suppleness that may surpass even king crab or foie gras in the hierarchy of sweet, tender meats. Likewise, the seemingly simple beet salad proves impossible to pass up on each visit, but unfortunately, we are not as taken with the entrées. The veal chop, duck and Kobe tri-tip have alternately arrived undercooked or overcooked. Similarly, the service has, at times, been impeccable and enjoyable, and at other times disappointing. The wide-ranging wine list includes helpful, and sometimes comical, descriptions (“fleshy fruit nips your lips like a lizard’s darting kiss”) to aid your selection.