Columnist Muriel Stevens: Olives at Bellagio is a wonderful treat

Friday, Dec. 4, 1998 | 11:39 a.m.

Olives, the Todd English restaurant at Bellagio, bears no resemblance to the original Olives in Boston where I dined last year.

Olives at Bellagio is a handsome dining room with comfortable seating, attractive appointments and a lakeside view. The Boston Olives is small, the seating is tight -- diners can't avoid becoming friends, and reservations are accepted only for parties of six or more.

What the two restaurants have in common is excellent food and service and delightful staffs.

My most recent meal at Olives at Bellagio only confirmed what I already knew; dining at Olives is wonderful.

English creates rustic Italian dishes that capture the flavors of Italy. Menus change regularly; seasonal items are always available. The base of the individual-size pizzas is made with crisp flatbread. In Italy, the season for white truffles is almost over, but not at Olives. The to-die-for pizza I had as an appetizer was covered with paper-thin slices of the precious fungus.

The aroma was divine. The pricey white truffles are always in short supply. Add a topping of them to the risotto with a crazy mushroom ragu ($18) and the price increases by $15. I took home part of my risotto and the pizza so that I could enjoy the truffles at a second meal. Pizza prices range from $10 for the classic cheese topping to $14.50 for a fig, proscuitto and Gorgonzola pizza with a rosemary crust. Each pizza can serve two as an appetizer.

At Olives I always have a difficult time trying to decide what to eat, the menu is so appealing. But, I was in the mood for some old-fashioned comfort food and Olives is definitely the place to get it. The savory spit-roasted, herb and garlic chicken with a crisp mashed potato cake and a watercress salad ($20) that I ordered was perfect. My dining companion thoroughly enjoyed his paella "Olivacious" ($27) -- a small paella pan filled with braised clams, mussels, chicken, lobster, seasonal fish and chorizo sausage in a saffron broth with short grain rice.

Entrees range in price from $20 for the spit-roasted chicken to $29.50 for a grilled sirloin with shiitake glaze.

Recent specials were pan-seared, maple-glazed Hudson Valley foie with butternut squash gnocchi, chicken ragu with rosemary and Gorgonzola tossed with pasta and pan-seared Hawaiian red snapper with fiery eggplant and potato cake with crispy calamari pomodoro. The selection changes every day.

The pasta selection includes Olives' signature tortelli of butternut squash with brown butter, sage and Parmesan ($16.50) and zesty whipped ricotta ravioli with hot Italian sausage, tomato-basil sauce and garlic bread crumbs ($17.50).

A delicious meal could be made from two or three of the appetizers ($9-$14). Not to be missed: the beef carpaccio on a crispy Roquefort polenta or a cod cake with lobster remoulade and Boston baked beans or the pearl-size Israeli couscous with a carbonara sauce.

After our satisfying dinner we decided to forgo any of the wicked desserts and opted instead for a small scoop of sorbet. Olives' personable General Manager Peter Smith must have thought we looked deprived, so he sent over a roasted banana tiramisu ($9) that dashed all of our good intentions. This delectable version of the classic tiramisu was light and delicate. On the side were slices of bananas with caramelized tops.

Desserts at Olives ($8-$9) are not easy to resist, they're so good. Order the chocolate falling cake when you order the meal. The cakes are baked to order.

A smaller, but similar a la carte menu is available at lunch. In addition to appetizers and salads, pizzas, pasta and entrees, there are great sandwiches ($10-$23) -- barbecued short rib with jalapeno slaw, lobster salad on toasted brioche, roasted chicken, and a rolled vegetable sandwich with hummus on warm Moroccan flat bread.

My friend lives in Boston and had, of course, dined at the original Olives. He was taken with the warmth and, yes, coziness of this much larger Olives. Like the original, it is a most welcoming place.

English wisely moved a number of key people from Olives in Boston to Olives at Bellagio including, GM Peter and Executive Chef Victor LaPlaca. They have re-created the essence and spirit that makes Olives what it is.

Olives hours are Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-midnight; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Dress is casual. Reservations are recommended for parties of six or more. Call 693-7223. Olives is located within the Via Bellagio shopping arcade. Use the North entrance for easy access.

Short orders

*Chin Chin names Bryant new GM

Robert Bryant has been named the new general manager for the Chin Chin restaurant in the Summerhill Plaza at West Lake Mead and Buffalo. Bryant's goal, he said, "is to make the Summerhill Plaza location the neighborhood choice for exceptional dining and great service. We want Las Vegans to feel the same way about Chin Chin as our Los Angeles customers feel. We're doing everything we can to make that happen." Chin Chin's healthier Chinese fare has been a Southern California favorite since 1983, when it was founded by former attorney Bob Mandler. The first Las Vegas Chin Chin is in New York-New York. Chin Chin is open daily Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.

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*LV Hilton wine dinner

Bistro Le Montrachet at the Las Vegas Hilton will feature its first wine dinner Dec. 12. Showcased will be the wines of Joseph Phelps and a six-course dinner created by Chef David Ventimiglia. Tickets, on sale now, are $95. Included are duck foie gras confit, venison consomme, and a "Bistro Trilogy" of long bone lamb chop, mousse of Dover sole and lobster and veal rosettes with chanterelle mushrooms. For more information, call 732-5755.