Cocktail Hour, Pork Rillettes, and Spring Tartines at Olive and Finch

 

Spring is officially here, and with its new wardrobe comes the great promise of patio weather and long afternoon cocktails, soaking up the sun.

For Springtime in Paris, brasseries and cafés open up their street-side seating – prime real estate for diners and people watchers. Parisians sip their beverage of choice for hours, nibbling if their hearts so desire, chatting away with friends or enjoying a good book. There’s an un-rushed feeling in the air…

My new favorite little neighborhood café just released a Spring cocktail and afternoon bites menu that is perfect for these new weather changes and relaxed dining. The cocktails incorporate fresh squeezed juices and gorgeous tartines delight with Spring acidity and a dangerous $5 price point.

Cocktail

My favorite nibble is Chef Mary’s house-made pork rillettes – slow roasted over night and hand-shredded, Chef Mary leaves a little bit of the pork’s texture in the rillette so you can taste the hand-preparation. The dish is rustic and unpretentious, but so thoughtful and precise like Olive and Finch’s other dishes. The little mason jar of rillette comes with some fresh baguette toasts, beautifully placed house-pickled vegetables, and cute cornichons. For $5, I can’t ever see NOT ordering this stunning plate again.

On the cocktail side, the H2OooooooMelon is definitely a “mimosa killer” with enough fresh-squeezed watermelon juice to make you feel like you’re being healthy instead of boozey. James’ Ginger is a ginger lover’s dream with some house-made ginger syrup that really takes over the whole cocktail.

What are your favorite Springtime drinks and snacks? Are you excited for patio weather? Let me know in the comments!