Experience: Olive & Rose – Long Beach, CA

Overview

This dinner was part of something larger for us.

For 2026, I planned a year of intentional date nights with Charlene. Each month is anchored by a theme rooted in our relationship. The opportunities, the challenges, and the dynamics we have lived through together since 2007.

What started as a simple gratitude exercise, inspired by a friend Ali, turned into something more introspective for me. For every thing I felt grateful for, I had to look inward and understand why. And for the areas that once caused friction, resentment, or misunderstanding, I took time to process my own role first.

These dinners are meant to create space. Space to talk through each month’s theme, reflect, and reconnect. Life moves fast between work, kids, and everything else. Without intention, time passes and closeness either stays nurtured or slowly drifts. This is our way of choosing the former.

Olive & Rose had been on Charlene’s radar after learning it was opened by the same owners as Heritage, a restaurant we really love. We went in with curiosity and high expectations, and it ended up being a pleasant surprise across the board.

The restaurant is tucked inside a local hotel and feels like its main gathering space. The vibe struck me as mid century modern, small and understated, romantic and classy, rustic with a touch of modern. Nothing loud. Nothing trying too hard.

Service was excellent. Attentive, thoughtful, and warm. We felt genuinely cared for.

We sat at the chef’s counter, which we do not always prefer for date nights, but it was a refreshing change. Being close to the kitchen added to the experience and fit the tone of the evening well.

Overall, it set the stage for a meaningful night. Good food, a calm atmosphere, and the kind of setting that invites conversation rather than distraction. I could see us coming back for a night out with friends, and we would likely return again just us once there were new menu items.

Everything was delicious and well prepared, but there was not a particular dish that created a craving to come back immediately. I will mention that they have a secret item that is not on the menu. If you go to the restaurant ask for the secret item it looked delicious but we did not try it.

For drinks, Charlene started off with an english toddy. It was a delicious. Warm, comforting, and fun way to get settled in. It was alcoholic, whereas I opted to pace myself and started with the herbal remedy, which was a Matcha based elixir. I drink a lot of Matcha and water which I mixed together and stored in the fridge. This had a little bit of lemon in it and it was just a really refreshing way to get the meal started. We did share a white wine and a red wine nothing worth mentioning so I omitted those. They have a solid cocktail menu including non-alcohol alternatives and a compact but good wine offering.

Bread & Cultured Butter

From the chef’s counter, I could see the bread being prepared. Thick cuts of a sprouted loaf, generously buttered, then toasted on both sides on a flat cast iron surface.

I am always excited when bread and butter lead off a meal, and this more than delivered. The interior was soft with big, frothy holes. The crust was crunchy without being tough. The cultured butter was excellent and brought everything together.

Simple, done really well.

Top notch bread and a strong opening to the meal. There were four thick slices Charlene and I each had one and we quickly had them boxed up the remaining two so we wouldn’t eat the rest 🤪.

Amberjack Crudo, Honeynut Squash, & Bartlett Pear

This dish was very, very good. The amberjack was extremely fresh, with a buttery texture and a clean finish. I love amberjack, and this did not disappoint.

From a personal preference standpoint, I tend to like sashimi and crudo as simple and clean as possible. A very light oil based drizzle with minimal accompaniments is usually ideal for me when the fish is meant to be the star.

That said, the honeynut squash and Bartlett pear were beautifully presented. The dish as a whole felt graceful and sophisticated in its presentation. For me, there may have been just a touch too much happening around the fish, but overall it was very well executed and enjoyable.

Market Salad, Spotted Gem, Artichoke & Parmesan Dressing

This salad immediately reminded me of a few recent conversations I had with friends about Bestia in Los Angeles and how they helped set the standard for certain staples that have since become widely adopted. In particular, it brought to mind their little gem caesar.

This was delicious. Olive & Rose’s take felt familiar in the best way, while still being its own thing. The artichoke addition was especially enjoyable. We love artichokes, and these were cooked just right. Firm with a nice meaty texture that worked really well with the spotted gem and parmesan dressing.

A well executed salad that felt thoughtful and satisfying.

Wild Mushroom & Sunchoke, Shaved Mushrooms, Mushroom Jus

This was one of the standout dishes of the Menu for Two.

The combination of wild mushrooms with shaved mushrooms was layered in a way that immediately made you want to eat it. Nothing felt heavy handed. Everything felt considered, balanced, and inviting.

The mushroom jus was delicious and tied the dish together beautifully. At the bottom was something I initially thought was the equivalent of duck fat roasted or smashed potatoes. It turned out to be sunchoke, also known as Jerusalem artichoke. I do not believe I have ever had sunchoke before, and it was a great surprise.

Overall, the dish was creative and different in a very good way. The flavors were rich but not overwhelming, the textures worked extremely well together, and the presentation was clean and restrained. One of those dishes that you want to ask if you can have another one on the spot and stays with you after the meal.

Maine Lobster, Bisque, Tarragon, Brioche

Much like the amberjack crudo, the lobster here was cooked perfectly. Tender, moist, and supple, with a freshness that was immediately apparent. It was plated in a way that made the lobster the clear focus of the dish.

Beneath it sat a butter toasted brioche. Not too much, not too little. Just enough to support the lobster without competing with it.

I really enjoyed this dish for its simplicity. There was nothing overly ambitious in the flavors or the sauce, and it did not try to be more than it needed to be. Instead, it leaned into letting a great ingredient speak for itself.

Clean, well executed, and satisfying.

(Subconsciously I think I was still thinking about the mushroom dish and logging for more)

Local Cod, Celery Root, Gem, Gooseberry

The cod was prepared really well. Moist, cooked properly, and seasoned beautifully. The small pops of gooseberry were subtle and never overpowering, adding little moments of brightness without pulling attention away from the fish.

The celery root purée ate like a buttery mashed potato, and similar to the sunchoke earlier in the meal, I appreciated the use of alternative starches. It feels elevated, thoughtful, and in some ways lighter and better for you without trying to make a statement about it.

Overall, the dish was very well balanced. Nothing competed with the cod. The fish was clearly the focus, both in flavor and texture.

(I had finally stop secretly wanting the mushroom dish after the cod 🙏)

24hr Braised Short Rib, Smoked Garlic Pommes Purée

Having recently dusted off our sous-vide at home after years of mostly wood-fired cooking, I was genuinely excited to watch the sous-vide process in action from the chef’s counter. Seeing that technique used thoughtfully in the kitchen, especially after revisiting it myself, added another layer of appreciation to the dish.

The short rib was cooked sous-vide and finished with a cast iron sear. The result was exactly what you would hope for. Cooked to about medium, somewhere between medium and medium-rare, it was tender, soft, and evenly cooked throughout. Well seasoned, rich without being heavy-handed, and prepared with confidence.

The smoked garlic pommes purée was a comforting, familiar pairing. Smooth, savory, and grounding. A classic combination done right. Short rib is inherently rich, and in the moment, after a few weeks of eating a lot of meat heading into the new year, I was personally a bit over-meated. That said, the dish itself was delicious. We finished nearly all of it, leaving just a small bite behind simply because we were full, not because anything missed the mark.

A well-prepared, satisfying main that leaned into comfort and technique rather than trying to reinvent itself.

Toasted Marshmallow Ice Cream Sundae, Brûléed Banana, Peanut

This was the second standout dish of the night.

Reading it on the menu and hearing it announced, I did not think much of it. It sounded simple. And it was simple, but in the best way. The kind of simple that makes you want to go home and recreate it for your kids because the idea is so approachable and doable with a thoughtful twist.

The toasted marshmallow ice cream was excellent. Not overly sweet, just enough to satisfy that end of meal craving without feeling heavy. The brûléed banana was the real highlight for me. Crispy and caramelized on the surface, soft throughout, with that toasted flavor that made the dish taste so good but elevated.

Combined with the ice cream and the crunchy bits of peanut, it all came together beautifully. Balanced, comforting, and genuinely enjoyable.

I had it with an espresso that was served in two small cups. One with the espresso itself, the other with sparkling tonic water, a small wedge of lemon peel, and a cube of sugar. It was thoughtful, simple, and felt intentional.

A perfect ending to the meal.

Food for thought

At the end of the night, this was simply one meal and one experience, shared at a specific moment in time. Everything here is just my opinion, shaped by where we were, how we felt, and the season of life we’re in.

The food was thoughtful, well executed, and at times genuinely memorable. But what stayed with me more than any single dish was the space the evening created. A reminder that good food can slow us down, invite conversation, and make room for connection if we let it.

Showing up for dinners like this takes more than a reservation. It takes intention, commitment, and a willingness to reflect. To listen. To be present. To do the quiet work that relationships ask of us over time.

Meals come and go, but unforgettable experiences and the quality of our relationships shape the stories we create, what becomes possible, and ultimately who we become.