The Olive and Grape, which is taking over the spot at 8516 Greenwood Ave. N. from Olive You, plans to open just in time for next Friday’s Artwalk on Sept. 10. Owner Paola Corsini says she’ll open the doors at 4 p.m. and plans olive oil tastings for the evening.
I popped in today and they were still getting everything ready.
Corsini will have a soft opening next Wednesday or Thursday for invited guests to test out the kitchen and wait staff. She says everything will be made fresh in-house, even the bread. Her head chef, Garbis Husikyan ( nicknamed “Captain G”), is an Armenian from Turkey, so she says their Mediterranean food will be completely authentic.
“He knows a lot. He’s going to make different dishes every week and it’s going to be very fun,” Corsini said. “He’s going to be a great asset; he’s going to bring a lot of color to this restaurant.”
The restaurant’s head waiter, Andrea Onetti, is from Rome and also a chef, and he’ll be bringing authentic Italian foods to the table, including fresh-made pasta.
The Olive and Grape’s phone number is 206-724-0272, but it won’t be hooked up until later today. You can sign up for The Olive and Grape’s newsletter online, and see lunch and dinner menus.
Local artist Chrystine Westphal was working on the wall murals inside today.
Westphal also created 12 paintings for Tarah Jade, which opened at 6801 Greenwood Ave. N. in June, and tomorrow she’ll be hanging 10 of her paintings at Scent of Youth day spa at 6826 Greenwood Ave. N.