Troquet x California Olive Ranch

At Back Bay's cozy French Bistro Troquet I was treated to dinner and an olive oil tasting by the warm passionate folks of California Olive Ranch. An unassuming façade at 140 Boylston Street is home to a polished restaurant with simplistic décor, where hardwood floors and rustic tones inside are complimented by views of a lush leafy green Boston Common outside. The event was held on the second floor dining space, where an open kitchen meets you at the top of the stairs. I was greeted with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and before we sat for dinner got to mingle with attendees.  Once seated we were lead through an olive oil tasting and reminded to think of it as fruit juice because essentially, it is! 

The freshness of this olive oil is inherent as a result of the approach they have taken to growing and harvesting their olives and making and packaging their oil. 1) They cold press their olives within hours of careful harvesting. 2) They package the product in dark glass. These methods are essential to locking in the purest taste possible; as soon as the fruits come off the vine for as long as the oil remains in the bottle.

The olive oils were seamlessly and yet so poignantly woven throughout each of our three courses, which were prepared exclusively for our group by chef Scott Hebert. The smooth and versatile Everyday Extra Virgin Olive Oil subtly enhanced our first course of Burrata Ravioli. A pastel backdrop of luxurious and foamy braised artichoke and sweet heirloom tomato fondue sets the stage. The ravioli parades around a creamy and nutty bright green artichoke pesto ball, the soft set pasta enveloping springy burrata cheese. I thought this was a brilliant dish.

For the main course an emulsion of eggplant and vadouvan spices under a bed of saffron cous cous proudly displayed the King Salmon which was poached in Millers Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

This olive oils balanced fruity-with-a-peppery kick flavors make it ideal for using in dishes containing strong spices. The delicate preparation of the salmon will long stand out in my mind; bold orange pink colors of flaky layers were exquisite, with a topping of barely there olive oil fried crispy toast and a bouquet of crunchy green peppers.

While the fusion of olive oil into the previous courses was beautifully accomplished, the dessert course of Valhrona Chocolate Tart was especially impressive. A firm pastry shell with a decadent chocolate exterior contained Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil mingling with a black olive caramel sauce. This type of olive oil is characterized by fresh tropical fruity flavors, the distinct combination with rich chocolate and orange ice cream was quite a sensation. Dinning at Troquet was a real treat. I love discovering hidden gems among well traveled streets. While I had heard vaguely of this restaurant it somehow wasn't on my radar to try. Based on tonight's food and hospitality I would happily return and would definitely recommend it.

We received two bottles of California Olive Ranch olive oils as a parting gift. I am eager to start using the award winning olive oil in the kitchen!

Troquet 

(old location)

140 Boylston Street

Boston, MA 02111