A Cold Beer and Small Plates at Black Olive Cerveceria

Great food and the world's best beers on tap. My kind of place...

Chef Carlo Miguel, the creative force behind Draft Gastropub, Opus, Beso and Publiko, introduces his newest concept at Capitol Commons. The Black Olive Cerveceria offers Mediterranean-inspired cuisine paired with some of the world's best beers. 

Inside, Black Olive Cerveceria offers two floors to fit an intimate dinner for two or a victory celebration with the entire team. The bright and spacious layout, along with a friendly and efficient staff, combine for a unique dining experience.     

With eight premium German and Belgian brews on tap,  choosing your first glass won't be easy. Mac, Black Olive's bartender, can run you through the different beers before making a choice. Once you've decided on your brew, a special glass is then chilled with a blast of ice-cold water before the beer is poured. 

Start with a light pilsner, Stella Artois, a leading Belgian pale lager with its familiar light golden color and fresh, clean flavors.

And since its December, follow it up with Paulaner's St. Thomas Brau Christmas Draft, a malty Bavarian wheat beer with a darker, golden amber color. Sweeter, and less bitter than the lagers, this specialty brew pairs well with many of Black Olive's mains and appetizers.  And if you're a fan of this Munich brew, Black Olive Cerveceria also offers four more Paulaner wheat beers on tap.

Beck's pale lager, with sharp flavors and a more pronounced bitter taste from the hops. The refreshing and clean flavors also pair well with the rich flavors of Black Olive's mains and "small plates."

And you just can't pass up on Chimay. You just gotta love these trappist monks for brewing such a heavenly brew. Brewed inside a trappist monastery in Belgium since 1862, Chimay's line of trappist beers are definitely among the world's best. The deep amber colored ale is capped by a creamy head to complement its sweet, almost caramel-like flavor.

Go for another round and pair it with Black Olive's Cerveceria's signature starters, or "small plates." Drawing from Italian, Spanish and Greek flavors, the best of the Mediterranean, Black Olive Cerveceria offers a wide range of dishes to go with world's best beers. Like the Crispy Boneless Chicken Wings with Mojo Picon (P 280), perfect with a light lager. The delicately crisp wings and the mild heat from the red pepper sauce combine well, perfectly washed down with a Stella Artois or Beck's.

The Burrata with Prosciutto, Walnuts and Marinated Onions, a light and tasty starter with fresh, creamy mozzarella and sharp prosciutto. The contrasting flavors of the bold prosciutto and rich mozzarella pair well with the full-bodied flavor of the dark Chimay ale.  

Involtini of Green Eggplant, Feta Cheese, Roast Tomato and Black Olive (P 270), classic and fresh Mediterranean flavors punctuated by the rich feta cheese and sharpness of the black olives. I never thought I would enjoy an all vegetable starter, and this one's a winner. Better yet, pair it with the St. Thomas Brau. 

Grilled Octopus, Green Romesco, Black Olive Salsa (P 230), a personal favorite. Smoky and tender octopus with fresh salsa and a creamy sauce made from almonds and peppers, complex flavors all in one plate. Grab a piece of grilled octopus, some creamy romesco sauce and fresh salsa, and go for it. Wash it down with a light lager or any of Paulaner's wheat beers. Perfect. 

Squid Ink Battered Prawns with Jalapeno-Honey Aioli (P 390), crisp prawns with a richly flavored squid-ink batter for a unique blend of flavors. The lightly salty squid-ink batter plays well with the subtle sweetness of the plump prawns, and the jalapeno-honey aioli rounds out the flavors. A light lager pairs well with this dish. 

Black Olive's Barbecue Pork Riblets (P 280), tender pork ribs topped with crisp thinly-sliced garlic (which reminded of the scene in Goodfellas, with Paulie Cicero using a razor blade to gently slice garlic in paper-thin shavings). The mildly sweet sauce and the juicy pork combine for another cool dish, great with a full-bodied wheat beer. 

Sous Vide US Angus Beef Salpicao (P 385), yet another favorite. The sous vide method results in unbelievably tender beef, with an almost melt-in-your mouth butter-like feel. Cooked for 18 hours, this is another must try at Black Olive. And goes perfectly with yet another round of trappist beer. 

Great food with some of the best beers. But there's more...check out my post on Black Olive's signature mains here at http://dude4food.blogspot.com/2013/12/mediterranean-flavors-lunch-at-black.html. Special thanks to Chef Carlo Miguel for a cool dining experience at Black Olive, just one more reason to check out the new Capitol Commons.

Black Olive Cerveceria is located at Unit R3A & B, Camino Verde Avenue, Capitol Commons, Meralco Avenue corner Shaw Boulevard, Brgy. Oranbo, Pasig City or call 633-2071 for inquiries and 0917-507-3512 for reservations.

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