While back home for Thanksgiving, dad and I went to dinner at one of my favorite restaurants on Johns Island, Wild Olive Cucina. We first dined at Wild Olive three summers ago and I’ve been in love with the menu ever since. The cuisine is simple and seasonal, while staying true to its Italian roots. Wild Olive is also a ‘Certified Green Restaurant’ (the first of which in South Carolina!), and not only do they buy the majority of their produce and meats locally but they also compost 85% of their compost. So awesome!! So not only is the food heavenly but also environmentally friendly, every Environmental Studies minor’s dream restaurant.
Olives are quite literally the first thing you see when you first walk into the restaurant. The entire wall is dedicated to preserved vegetables, although there is a sign that specifically states that the jars are just for decoration and are not used in the dishes served in the restaurant.
While the olives were cool, the back wall was more of my style–wine bottles hanging from racks. I wonder if that’s what Hana and I should start doing with our empty wine bottles instead of just recycling them?!
The menu is quite diverse with options that will please those looking for dishes ranging from ravioli to short ribs, and swordfish to chicken parmesan.
Dad ordered us each a glass of Pinot Noir Sartori di Verona, which I can say with 100% was much better than my most recent purchase from Total Wine. I should really just take my dad wine shopping with me so that he can point out the good bottles!
We started out with an appetizer of crispy calamari with marinara and garlic aioli. Garnished with lemon and parsley, the calamari was succulent and the aioli sauce really gave the dish an unexpected richness. It’s a bit of a tradition for dad and I to order calamari and I’m glad that we kept the ball rolling at Wild Olive.
My picture really doesn’t do my entree justice (I’m still figuring out how to take food pictures in dim lighting) but the ricotta and goat cheese gnocchi with marinara, mozzarella, and basil was actually to die for. I have a long-time love for gnocchi and the gooey mozzarella hiding in the sauce made me much happier than it ought to have. The pasta dishes come in different sizes and while I went for the smaller portion, I could definitely see myself upping my portion size so that I could have leftovers for lunch the next day.
Wild Olive Cucina is a total gem and I would recommend trying it out if you’re ever in the Charleston area.
