Olivia’s Restaurant
For Brandon Roderick, every night feels like the perfect dinner party.
“We say it's like having 40 people in your living room. And sometimes it gets lively. And it's just such a really nice environment in here, especially when the sun goes down a little bit and it's moody and romantic and it's great.”
And you’ll most certainly want to be on the guest list at Olivia’s.
Set in this quaint Fairhaven neighborhood, Olivia’s Restaurant is a small, stylish spot specializing in coastal cuisine and old school hospitality. Owner Brandon Roderick set out to create a space with the seaside charm of the fishing port just outside.
“We wanted a return to classic New England with brass accents, dark wood, mahogany and all those things that kind of go into ship building as it was, kind of staying true to that classic New England vibe.”
The room has an elevated energy, all due to a bustling open kitchen.
“The open kitchen adds a sense of controlled chaos, but also a lot of energetic fun. You see the food being made and sent out to you. You see how hard the cooks are working. You know how fresh everything is. It kind of adds to the whole ambiance. It's just really exciting.”
Since Brandon also owns The Baker, a beloved New Bedford bakery known for turning out exceptional bread and pastries, the focaccia at Olivia’s should be a requirement.
“This focaccia is a 36 hour fermented focaccia. It's going to be really nice, light and soft. We do a really nice olive oil with sea salt and rosemary over the top with a burrata cheese with candied pistachios, Sicilian oregano and a really nice fruity, spicy olive oil. They just complement each other perfectly.”
Other great ways to start your meal at Olivia’s include their wings featuring a rotating sauce with combinations like Blueberry Hot Honey topped with whipped goat cheese and fresh lemon zest.
Calamari drizzled with a black garlic yuzu aioli.
And these Asian inspired Tuna Nachos.
“We're taking tuna and dredging it with sesame seeds and searing it really hard to keep it nice and rare on the inside. That gets sliced and put over these fresh wonton chips with pico de gallo, and then we drizzle it with a sriracha aioli and a sweet soy glaze. It's like a one bite wonder. It's absolutely amazing.”
Since they’re just steps from the ocean, fresh seafood is a natural star of the menu, with a rotating white fish of the day, built around whatever catch is at its peak, like a beautiful haddock with a miso brown butter crust.
And standout dishes like these perfectly seared scallops.
“We're using New Bedford, Mass.'s finest scallops. Those are seared. And then we're using North Country Smokehouse bacon with an orange gastrique. And then there's a little salad with some shaved fennel, some citrus and avocado. It's a refreshing way to enjoy scallops and bacon.”
For something completely indulgent, order the Lobster Mac & Cheese.
“We're making our sauce from scratch. We do four kinds of cheeses, including a smoked gruyere. The lobster is folded in there. We also put a little bit of bacon in there. It gets topped with the miso brown butter crumbs and then baked in the oven. When you get a bite of the lobster with the bacon and that creamy sauce with a little bit of smoke in there, it's great.”
If seafood isn’t your thing, Olivia’s still delivers plenty of spectacular dishes that show this kitchen is just as skilled with comfort food as it is with coastal cuisine. Like coffee rubbed duck breast with a blackberry balsamic reduction alongside sweet potato puree and broccolini. Or this elevated take on chicken parm, made to order.
“The chicken gets cooked when you order it, it gets topped with mozzarella and then put in the oven and the pasta gets sauce, a little bit of micro basil. And it's comforting and delicious.”
Meatlovers will want to try Olivia’s Wagyu Burger topped with a maple bacon jam and pepper jack cheese on a house made bun. And if you really want to get your meat on, order the sirloin. A steak so special, it’s not even listed on the menu, this prime sirloin comes cooked to perfect, topped with a fig prosciutto jam and savory brie foam.
“When you bite into it, you get like the sharpness from the Brie. You get the sweetness from the fig. That little bit of fatty goodness from the prosciutto. And then of course, you have a prime sirloin under it. So what's not to love?”
The same skills they use at The Baker are applied to Olivia’s expertly composed desserts.
Like the Pistachio Croissant Bread Pudding topped with vanilla ice cream and caramel, a Lemon Basque Cheesecake topped with a scratch made blueberry compote, and hot, sweet churros made with a pate a choux dough and served with caramel.
“When you take that warm churro and dip it into the caramel, it's just amazing.”
And while Brandon wants every plate at Olivia’s to leave an impression, he believes the hospitality behind the food matters just as much at Olivia’s.
“I wanted to open a restaurant because I wanted to return to the level of service I was used to, working in Boston and coming home to New Bedford and being able to do that through food and craft cocktails and service. It's just such a rewarding experience for me.”
