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Quieter Settings Improve Intimate Dining Experience at Oakland's Oliveto Restaurant

OAKLAND (CBS SF) – I go to a lot of restaurants. Ambience is of utmost importance and the number one complaint I and other foodies have is the decibel level at restaurants. Often it is so loud that you are shouting at your dining companion(s) and still can't hear. Many folks have given up on having a conversation in a restaurant and sit in silence, eat alone, or read.

So, how to combat this problem and make an "old" restaurant quieter and "new"?

Oliveto Restaurant & Cafe has been a mainstay in the Rockridge neighborhood of Oakland for nearly 30 years. They partnered with neighboring Berkeley's Meyer Sound and installed a state-of-the art acoustic solution called Constellation and Libra, to greatly reduce the noise pollution in the restaurant.

It was explained in detail by Bob Klein, the owner, who coincidentally used to work in the same building I have my full-time job.

Meyer Sound is known for its work with music including Jazz at Lincoln Center and also with Cirque du Soleil and other performing arts.

So the sound system repeat with microphones, acoustic panels, and speakers was amazing. I didn't measure for decibel levels, but it felt and sounded very intimate.

Oh, and yes of course we ate. The food is Italian and northern Mediterranean influenced California cuisine. Our compliments to Chef Rhodehamel.

We ate upstairs at the restaurant which was packed and seats 104, peaked inside the cafe, downstairs which seats 36 and has a bar. The cafe is available for walk in and the restaurant takes reservations.

For the antipasti we shared the salad of mixed chicories with Asian pears, Gorgonzola cheese, candied walnuts, and balsamic vinaigrette; and then next pan-roasted striped bass with Dungeness crab-scented risotto, Black Trumpet mushrooms, and fines heroes spumante for me and my dining companion had the charcoal-grilled Piedmontese ribeye with roast potatoes, creamed spinach, and sugo. We split the blossom bluff stone fruit sorbet for dessert. It was yummy and we had left overs.

Keep an eye and ear out for Oliveto Commons, launching soon, "an ongoing series of classes panel discussions and workshops focused on food policy issues, producers, cooking techniques and wine and spirits."

Oliveto is only the second restaurant to employ the Meyer Sound system. If you are weary of noisy restaurants, listen to what you can and cannot hear while you dine at Oliveto. Bon appetite and bonne conversation.

Antipasti at Oliveto Restaurant & Cafe
(credit: Elizabeth Ann Thompson/CBS Local)
Pan-Roasted Striped Bass with Dungeness Crab-Scented Risotto at Oliveto Restaurant & Cafe
(credit: Elizabeth Ann Thompson/CBS Local)
Charcoal-Grilled Piedmontese Ribeye at Oliveto Restaurant & Cafe
(credit: Elizabeth Ann Thompson/CBS Local)
Blossom Bluff Stone Fruit Sorbet at Oliveto Restaurant & Cafe
(credit: Elizabeth Ann Thompson/CBS Local)

Thanks to Oliveto, owner Bob Klein, and Ellipses Public Relations for the complimentary dinner.

More Foodie Experiences with Elizabeth Ann Thompson:

 

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