When Olive and Finch chef-owner Mary Nguyen was starting to think about opening a second location, she had some very specific menu ideas. "I instantly knew that I wanted to have a steak on the menu that was chef-driven, scratch-made, flavor-forward, and affordable," she said.
For those of you who have only been to the 17th street location, that quote may be a little confusing. Though Olive and Finch started as a cafe—serving mostly breakfast foods, sandwiches, and pastry items—this second location in Cherry Creek wanted to embrace heartier meals, perfect for dinner.
When the restaurant opened in February, the steak Nguyen imagined was on the menu and it has proved itself to be a customer favorite. It's a pan-seared bistro filet, on a bed of green chili and corn succotash and potatoes, topped with a caramelized onion demi glace and chimichurri sauce.
"I knew I wanted to serve it alongside a veggie dish that was just as good as the steak itself. I also knew I wanted it to be southwestern, which is where the green chilis come in," she explained. The succotash has zucchini, squash, onions, roasted tomatoes, eggplant, green chili, and charred corn. The crunch of the vegetables are the perfect balance to the steak and potato texture.
Nguyen packs a ton of flavor into one plate with this dish, but each profile has a purpose and a counterpart. The chimichurri counters the fresh veggies, the caramelized onions extracts all the flavor from the green chilis, and the potatoes absorb all the spices from the rest of the dish.
"You can eat this entire plate without feeling heavy. It's a healthy dish that is absolutely satisfying." It's a healthy portion too. There are few other places in the city you can get such a generous piece of steak at such an affordable price.
Olive and Finch is open every day for dinner and the steak plate is available after 11 a.m.