Fat Olives and the Technicolor Cauliflower

By Brian Griffin

I had a story written out about this time that a guy threw a tantrum at Fat Olives, but Ginger made me change it. She believes in unicorns and only happy places and benevolent beings. We had a lunch at Fat Olives that took a little bit longer than expected, and this dude started waving his hands around like one of those inflatable guys at a used car dealership. I’ve been a server. It wasn’t easy. It is simple, but it isn’t easy. Anyway, Ginger doesn’t want me to talk about that. So let’s talk about bread and fashion. Bread is really what makes a sandwich. I mean that both literally and figuratively. If you don’t have bread, you have a salad. If you have the wrong bread, you technically have a sandwich, but you could possibly also have an abomination. Generally, you can imagine what kinds of breads should go with what kinds of ingredients. Bologna and Miracle Whip probably doesn’t bring to mind a nice crusty baguette. Unless you’re in college, a meatball sandwich probably isn’t on Wonder Bread. It’s like wearing shorts and sandals with a nicely tailored peacoat. You can get away with it in a pinch, but I wouldn’t make a habit of it. When you see the world, the world sees you. I could go on for days about the sandwiches at Fat Olives. The meatball in particular stands out to me as having an excellent combination of a telera roll with marinara, parmesan, and provolone. The roll has that perfect pairing of a crisp, thin crust and a soft… inside? Is there a word for the inside of bread? The body? The… meat? Anyway, I’m not one for an overly crusty bread. I don’t need my sandwich fighting back. I’m not trying to bleed at lunch. Know your role, roll. Last week, Ginger and I stopped in for a preview of some items on their upcoming menu. We started with gambas in a smoked chile beurre blanc. It arrived just after I Googled what the hell gambas are (it’s just really good shrimp) and we were greeted with a beautiful bowl of shrimp and cherry tomatoes in a pool of beurre blanc sauce and the aroma of paprika and white wine. Paired with the toasted bread for dipping, it was nothing short of exquisite. We finished up with the spiced apple wontons with salted caramel and basil. They were crisp, miniature apple pastries dusted with a little bit of powdered sugar and basil with a dipping sauce that reminded me of those awesome little caramel apple lollipops. Like everything else, the presentation was so beautiful, I wished that I wasn’t wearing gym shorts. Fat Olives is always nothing short of excellent. I absolutely love this place. Oh, and as always, respect your waiters. Tip your bartenders. Their job is simple. But it is not easy.

Love Curry? You Will Love Love Curry

By Brian Griffin  Note to view all pics & formated version visit: www.tricityvibe.com

For one reason or another, Indian food has not caught on in the United States in the way that other world cuisines have. One reason is perhaps that aesthetics are important when it comes to not only choosing what we are going to eat, but also how much we are willing to pay for it. I recognized a few years ago that I had never really explored Indian food in any concerted way, and I decided to give a curry a shot in the kitchen. I searched for some pictures of recipes to find the one that would have the most impact on Instagram when I was finished. Instagram is at least half of my motivation for cooking. I searched for a while, and I couldn’t really find any that were particularly impactful. They were just pictures of mush and bread. They looked like prison food. How hard could this be?

What I discovered when I got into the kitchen, however,  was that the simple appearance of the dishes disguises not only their difficulty, but also a truly intriguing set of flavor combinations.

In Western cuisine, we tend to use ingredients that overlap in their flavor profiles. Indian cuisine tends to do just the opposite. By combining flavors that rub up against each other in a completely different way than what we usually find. The very thing that makes Indian food so gripping is what has led to a slow integration into American culture.

Well, that and the Instagram problem, probably. What filter makes green on green look good? Lark? Juno? Hudson?

We started with the samosa with chana and a mint chutney. The samosa was very good, but the chana was excellent. I have a major soft spot for chickpeas. I say that with some reservation, because I told a British guy named Jim that I was really into hummus a few months ago and he said “how avant garde” in the most condescending way that I could have ever imagined. That damaged me.

Anyway, the menu is not long, which is generally a great sign. That tells me that they do a few things, and that they do them well. The menu contained words like “korma'stache” and “aloo gobi.” I am guessing that Scrabble is a totally different kind of game in India. We just dipped our toes in a little bit ordered the house curry, the butter chicken and the garlic naan.

It was all outstanding. Indian food is some of the most interesting food in the world, and to have it prepared with such skill in Pasco is a distinct pleasure. I could probably make up reasons all day for why Indian food isn’t as popular as I believe that it should be in the United States. The fact is that it lags behind Mexican and Chinese cuisines in some kind of tragic and foolish misunderstanding of how excellent it can be. If you have yet to venture into Indian food, Love Curry is a great place to start. I will undoubtedly be returning soon to get a little bit more adventurous with my selections. Perhaps some palak paneer, or dal makhani.

And then I’ll find Jim to see if I can get him to respect me.  

VIBE notes: Best Indian we have found in the Tri-Cities. That is saying a lot as there were 2 of us at this meal & one is a self-proclaimed ‘Indian Food Fanatic’. 2. They have a full on ‘Naan’ Menu. How bad@ss is that?! They carry wine & craft brews. Wine you will have to ask which wineries but mostly are WA wines so how bad can they be?!  3. They have a spice store next door, a little type Indian grocery. The restaurant is located on Rd 68 next door to Yokes.  Website w/ restaurant & grocery info here: http://lovecurrycuisine.co/  For menu, all food pics for Love Curry on Cork & Fork click here: https://www.facebook.com/pg/tricitycorkfork/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1684074445009468