Castelvetrano Olives at Osteria La Civetta
Who doesn’t love olives, right? Well, for my entire life (until this past year), me. I am a believer of re-trying food you’ve always disliked every so often. Check back in, because you never know – tastes can change. My gateway olive? Castelvetrano. For some reason, something just clicked. I’ve always had a bit of a Benjamin Button-type palate, turning my young nose up at sweet treats like whipped cream and s’mores. As a two-year-old in a highchair at a restaurant, I once put my head down and cried when not served a salad as my starter along with everyone else at the table. Now? Pile the stiff peaks of whipped cream high. Grab the marshmallows and light up the firepit.
When it comes to olives, Castelvetrano olives are not as overpowering as some others, like kalamatas. The firm, meaty flesh hits the right balance of salty and sweet. Because of their milder taste, they are a great snack on their own, or on a board with assorted cured meats and cheeses. Stuff them with blue or goat cheese to enrich the experience or garnish a martini.
We found a truly wonderful way to enjoy Castelvetrano olives by settling into a traditional and exceptional northern Italian meal at Osteria La Civetta on Main Street in Falmouth. It feels as if you’ve just walked into a local favorite haunt in the town of Cento. Located in the Emilia Romagna region of Northern Italy, Cento is where Osteria La Civetta’s chef owner Sara Toselli was born. Images of la civetta, Italian for “little owl”, of all styles adorn the walls of the restaurant decorated by Sara’s parents when it opened in 2007.
As our starter (antipasti), we ordered the Castelvetrano olives. A small serving board arrives with a mini cast iron skillet on one end holding a mound of Castelvetrano olives glistening in a pool of the herb-infused olive oil in which they have been marinating.
At the other end is a swirl of Gorgonzola mousse. The piquant cheese’s flavor is smoothed out beautifully by being blended with mascarpone cheese. Between these bookends are slices of crostini topped with a golden layer of baked Parmesan and herbs. The simple elegance of the board gives way to an ideal mingling of tastes as you spread the cheese atop the crostini, take a bite, and follow with an olive to finish the flavor. Osteria La Civetta’s manager Kelly Frink gave us a tip to heighten the experience. “Ask for them warmed,” she explains. “They’re just slightly warmed through. I don’t know, it just does something. It’s just some kind of magic.” The setting, the savors, it all adds up to a magical experience at Osteria La Civetta.
As for me, I’ll keep occasionally sampling once-loathed offerings with the possibility of magic striking once again. Except for Fluff. That marshmallow substance is just a bridge too far.
Osteria La Civetta
133 Main Street, Falmouth
osterialacivetta.com
