Denver Restaurant Week: Olivea

Denver Restaurant week is a special 2 week occasion that happens every year between February and March.  According to denver.org:

Denver Restaurant Week is a two-week celebration of the culinary scene in Denver. Participating restaurants will offer a multi-course dinner for the fixed price of $52.80 for two, or $26.40 for one (not including tax or gratuity).

My sister and I went to 2 different restaurants.  The first, Olivea, was a quaint Mediterranean style restaurant off of 17th Avenue in downtown Denver.  For the first course, I chose the "fritto misto with meyer lemon aioli."  This consisted of lightly fried lemon slices, cauliflower, red peppers, red onions, and sweet potato slices.  Once dipped into the aioli, the combination was delightful.

For the second course, my sister chose the "pork meatballs with soft polenta and san marzano sauce," while I chose the "house made tortellini in brodo with wilted greens and parmesan."  Despite their beautiful presentation, both dishes were underwhelming and lacking in flavor.  

The last dish redeemed Olivea: the "chocolate fleur de sel caramel tart with milk chocolate gelato and nougatine crunch."  Both my sister and I ordered this dish, and once we cut into the tart, the caramel oozed out and was a wonderful combination with the soft gelato.