Feast On Handmade Pasta At Wild Olive In South Carolina
By AnneMarie|Published November 14, 2022
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AnneMarie
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South Carolina has been home for AnneMarie since 2001. Her favorite part of the state is Lake Jocassee. An App State alumna, it's always the mountains; the lake bonus makes it heavenly. When not writing about the state, she may be spending time with family, relaxing by the pool, or out somewhere enjoying nature.
Did you know that researchers may have uncovered a sixth basic taste? In 1990, umami was added as a fifth to the existing four of sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. And now, it’s been discovered that … wait for it … “starchy” could be a sixth! Hmm, no wonder the obsession we have with carbs, seriously. So when you need your next carb fix, we’ve got you covered with a restaurant to try where you can get the best pasta in South Carolina.
Wild Olive is located in the Charleston area at 2867 Maybank Highway on Johns Island, which is known for sprawling, majestic oak trees like this one next to the restaurant, which seems small compared to the renowned Angel Oak, also on Johns Island.
It opened in 2009 with the notion of capturing the cultural magic of true Italian dining, placing the utmost value on simple, seasonal cuisine, paired with food-friendly wines.
The wine list even includes selections of Super Tuscan wines, very current in Tuscany itself but only rarely found in restaurants in the United States.
In the bar area, there’s a seating option with an eye-catching chandelier adornment made from faux grapes over the handcrafted antique wood-toped community table.
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There are two other seating areas, including a quiet, romantic front dining room or a back dining room with a view into the bustling kitchen. Make a reservation and specify your seating preferences if you’re looking for a specific type of atmosphere for your meal, but it’s overall unique and cozy, relaxed yet lively.
Meet Executive Chef Jacques Larson, the one responsible for the delicious culinary goodness here. He spent nearly six months in 2006 working in Mario Batali's restaurants in New York City and the Piedmont region of Italy.
The pasta pictured here was being made for a ravioli dish with pistachios, roasted spring onions, and goat cheese with double roasted beets and lemon butter sugo.
If you’d rather have something besides pasta, this baked ricotta gnocchi with lamb ragu, goat cheese, and orange pine nut gremolata looks amazing. The gnocchi is also handmade.
Just be sure to save room for dessert and ask about the specials, as the regular dessert menu is limited. This was a Halloween weekend special, Reese’s Pieces Peanut Butter Pie, made with Oreo crust and Reese’s Pieces peanut butter pie filling topped with whipped cream, chocolate peanut butter sauce, and a Reese’s Pieces/Oreo crumble.
The first Certified Green Restaurant in South Carolina, Wild Olive believes and practices the importance of supporting a healthy environment, which in turn affects the health of the community. It takes its obligation seriously to reduce waste and utilize finite local resources as responsibly as possible.
This quaint island gem is TripAdvisor’s #2 restaurant for Johns Island and has been named one of the Best Restaurants in Charleston by the Food Network, which is not surprising after seeing all the mouthwatering food served there.
Have you ever eaten at Wild Olive before? What did you have? Share all about it with us in the comments section below!
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