It had been well over three years since I last went to FINO.
I remember the lazy afternoons in college when the German, the Cuban, and I would head over to their fabulous terrace, have some rosé and anchovy stuffed olives.
Never really made it past the olives since their food was not the greatest. So, after reading the latest yelp reviews, Italianini and I gave it a go.
We were celebrating, so we went a little crazy (don't judge)....Fried goat cheese with red onion jam (YAY!), beet tzaziki, anchovy stuffed fried olives, pork confit, fried oysters with harissa aioli, mussels & sherry broth with lemon aioli, and the spinach & romesco salad with serrano ham, a poached egg, and croutons.
The Anchovy Stuffed Fried Olives are awesome.
They're like little magic poppers (the portion is definitely not enough!). The flavor of the anchovy (for those of you who are not huge fans) is dwarfed by the olive, but it gives it this certain kick you can't resist. The batter is delicious and just crispy enough. LOVE THEM.
The oysters were juicy and fresh, but the real winner in my eyes was the Tzaziki. If you try one thing here, try the Beet Tzaziki, it's a revelation in flavor. Who knew it would be so good?! Nevermind that it looks like Pepto, just try it! It's cool, fresh, it almost cleanses your palate. Also try the salad--- so simple, yet so delightful. It's spinach bliss (but then again, how couldn't it be when there's a jamon serrano involved!).
We closed with the zucchini cake with cinnamon ice cream. This was... hmmm... very sweet and boring. The ice cream was slushy and not great on flavor... Totally should have avoided this waste of calories.
Don't be turned off by the fact that it's right on West Campus or that it's in a strip mall. The couches on the terrace are great for happy hour after a long day of work (or play, whatever), you'll love the decor, and your taste buds will thank you.
