March 31, 1997
"America's 10 Best Italian Restaurants" issue
CLASSIC ITALIAN SENSIBILITIES
by Harvey Steiman
 Not many restaurants offer a dish such as tagliatelle with fresh nettles and 1996 "vintage" olive oil, but that's the sort of simple, uncompromisingly pure cooking that Oliveto specializes in. When I asked which olive oil the kitchen was using for this extraordinary pasta dish, chef Paul Bertolli sent out four tasting glasses containing oils of various hues and turbidity, two from Tuscany and two from California. Not surprisingly, Bertolli ended up using the thickest, tangiest, most peppery oil, the one from San Giusto a Rentennano in Chianti.
 That's the essence of Italian cooking, and even though Oliveto doesn't advertise itself as an Italian restaurant, the name is Italian (it means "olive grove"), and the food vibrates with Italian qualities. Everything is scrupulously fresh and pulses with flavor, and the kitchen makes it all sing in harmony.
For such great food, prices are moderate. The place feels casual, a large L-shaped loft with walls painted to look like peach-colored stone.  Planters attached to the walls are cast in stone. Tables are lined up in rows, which makes Oliveto feel crowded when it is full. Downstairs is a small caffé, which offers pizza and sandwiches as well as terrific espresso.
Clearly, the main attraction here is around what's on the plate. The menu changes daily, offering six to eight choices in appetizers, first courses, salads and main dishes. Bertolli made his reputation as the longtime chef at Chez Panisse, in adjacent Berkeley. Here his own food reflects classic Italian sensibilities, such as tortellini with amazingly true flavor in a deep golden broth, and a sort of controlled creativity, such as a salad of escarole and arugula topped with slices of housemade duck prosciutto and housemade balsamic sauce. Each ingredient was perfect and balanced perfectly with the others.
 Pappardelle with braised duck could have come from an Umbrian farmhouse. Black sea bass with fennel and red wine comprised a simple plate of sweetly juicy grilled fish riding on a loose raft of braised fennel slices. One of the most extraordinary desserts I've had in a long time was a crustless apple tart with a spoonful of mascarpone. Have anything with fresh fruit in it. The espresso passed muster, too.
Owner Bob Klein and wine buyer Steve Kopp have assembled a short list that hits more than a few high notes from California (Dehlinger Pinot Noir 1994, $29) and France (two different Savennières at $24 and $50), but saves its best shots for Italy. Producers such as Paolo Scavino, Quintarelli, Giacosa and Leonildo Pieropan do not appear on too many lists, and seldom on the same one. The staff seems to know its way around the list, too. Finer glasses would be an improvement.
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