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26 | August 10, 2016 | Malibu surfside news Dining Out
malibusurfsidenews.com
The Dish
Ollo brings two new summer specials to its menu
Barbara Burke
Freelance Reporter
Led by executive chef
Francesco Velasco, Ollo is
producing a delicious, refreshing
summer menu that
features local and organic
purveyors’ foods. “Using
simple, basic, farm fresh ingredients
and mixing them
all together is the magic
skill that chefs have,”
Velasco said. “Blending
them together is like writing
a song – when it works,
it is fantastic.”
Velasco, who is the executive
chef for Ollo and
its sibling establishments
Ollie’s Duck & Dive and
Bui Sushi, has been a professional
chef for 19 years.
He is originally from Chile
and was raised in Milan,
Italy, where he learned culinary
arts.
Ollo prides itself on being
a family purveyor of
locally sourced California
cuisine with both Mediterranean
and Italian influences.
The summer menu
creatively captures both
genres of cuisine.
“In summer, we’re all
about fresh vegetables,”
Velasco said. “The key is
to locally source them and
to make sure the fruits and
vegetables are absolutely
as fresh as possible. For
instance, tomatoes must be
perfectly ripe. We get them
locally from Thorne Farms
and they pick the tomatoes
at exactly the right time.
That makes all the difference.”
Conveniently, breakfast
at Ollo is served until 3 p.m.
Try the Crab Cake Benedict
($17), which features
two poached eggs, English
muffins, hollandaise, fried
capers, house potatoes and
The Shaved Baby Artichoke Salad is an appetizer built
for two or more.
mixed greens. It’s light and
airy and it has some – but
not too much - zest, which
Velasco says is attributable
to using just a wee bit of
Worcestershire sauce.
For lunch or dinner,
the Summer Truffle Pizza
($25) is not too filling and
features mozzarella, Swiss
chard, green onions, and
shaved black summer truffles.
The crust is just right.
“That pizza features the
perfect mix of crust and
content, said Kaya Ramos,
Ollo’s director of operations.
“I love that mix.” .
Velasco elaborated on the
pizza.
“It’s a totally different
pizza because we use
a mother dough and we
keep feeding that dough.”
Velasco said. “It’s like if
you overcook a pasta, it’s
too heavy and your body
cannot process it right.
Whereas if you cook pasta
al dente, it’s perfect for you
because your body can process
it right and you don’t
feel too full. It’s the same
with pizza dough. We use a
no-yeast dough that makes
for a great pizza”
Ollo updates its menu often,
segueing to new dishes
Ollo
• 23750 Pacific Coast
Highway
• (310) 317-1444
•www.ollomalibu.com
with the change in seasons,
and when the availability of
fresh ingredients changes.
“Francesco is an awesome
chef who is always
using seasonable items
creatively,” Ramos said.
“We are always changing
our specials every month or
so.” That doesn’t mean that
all dishes go away. Customer
favorites stay on.
For instance, the scrumptious
Shaved Baby Artichoke
Salad, which is an
excellent accompaniment
to any entrée or pizza, has
been a staple since the restaurant
opened.
Ollo’s presentation of
dishes is unique and very
aesthetic, as is the ambiance.
There is an open, airy
feel to the place, in part due
to the beautiful Olive tree
in the middle of the restaurant
and the lovely art on
the wall.
“We feature new artists
each month or so,” Ramos
said. “We like to give back
The crab cake Benedict melts in your mouth and is a unique twist on an old breakfast
favorite. Photos by Alex Vejar/22nd Century Media
The Summer Truffle Pizza is light, but packed with flavor.
to the community by offering
local artists a venue to
show their artwork.”
Other dishes not to miss:
•Squid Ink Pasta ($21):
Featuring tagliolini, a traditional
type of pasta from
the Emilia-Romagna and
Marche regions of Italy,
as well as snow crab, rainbow
peppers, green onions,
garlic, parsley, and a white
wine sauce.
•New Zealand Lamb
Shank ($32): Featuring turmeric
rice and a pomegranate
raitta sauce, an Indian
yogurt-based sauce used to
cool the palate.