Review: Oleana
Best Mediterranean food in Boston? Ask that question, and you’ll usually hear two answers: Sarma and Oleana. It’s no wonder why both restaurants have achieved such popularity though – they’re both owned by the same person, Ana Sortun, who has truly made a name for herself in Boston’s culinary scene! Where Sarma is more of a tapas place and is known for having a widely diverse menu, Oleana serves to be a more typical sit-down restaurant and has a more traditionally structured menu. In addition, the restaurant offers one item on their menu that has drawn in crowds from all over – their famous Baked Alaska.
But before we talk about dessert, what is dining at Oleana like? For starters, Oleana offers both small plates (Meze) that can either be shared or treated as appetizers, as well as larger plates that can serve as entrees. In terms of layout, the interior of this restaurant is split up into 3 regions – the main dining room, the back dining room, and an outside area right behind the back dining room for al fresco dining. We sat in the back dining room, which had the perfect lighting for our photos.
For two people, we ordered 4 Meze plates, one Fish large plate, and the Baked Alaska for dessert. First up was Whipped Feta which came in a small bowl, and is probably best enjoyed as a spread with their complimentary bread. Do note that their bread is served cold and comes with its own olive oil to dip.
One of our favorite dishes of the night was the Spinach Falafel with Tahini Sauce, Beet Yogurt and Cress. The falafel and its accompaniments are already arranged in a way such that you only have to add a pickle and roll them up before enjoying them. Overall really vibrant flavors and texture. The Sultan’s Delight, which is basically Tamarind Beef with Smokey Eggplant Purée and Pinenut, was also really tasty, but perhaps just a tad too salty for me.
Another popular dish that the restaurant serves is their Moussaka with Tahini, Fava Beans and Fried Peas. There were a lot of flavors going on in this dish, but it was definitely a bit too salty for both of us. I think the next time, we will have to eat this with some bread or pita.
Perhaps our favorite dish of the night was the Sauteed Scallops, Egyptian Tomato Sauce, Fava Beans, and Dukkah. These were unbelievably delicious and perfectly cooked, and the scallops had that beautiful sear on the top and bottom that you always want to see on your scallops. The tomato sauce and dukkah also really added to the dish, and the only thing I regret was not ordering two of these plates!
And finally, the dish we had been waiting for all night – the Baked Alaska with Coconut Ice Cream and Passion Fruit Caramel. This dessert is truly a sight to behold, and several of our neighboring diners turned around and stared as our server brought us the dessert. The Baked Alaska is certainly large enough for two people to share, and I would definitely recommend against eating it by yourself lest you want to find yourself in a food coma later on!
Fluffy meringue, subtly sweet ice cream, and a delicious macaroon bottom – I loved everything about this dessert except for the passion fruit syrup – it was overly sweet and overpowered the rest of the dish. Personally, I felt like the Baked Alaska would have been better without it, but it did add some nice color and contrast to the plate.
All in all, Oleana is a terrific place to bring your friend, a date, or even your entire family. The food definitely is sure to delight, and even your guests who don’t like Mediterranean food will likely leave here impressed. Also, despite its location in a relatively suburban neighborhood, Oleana attracts diners from all over the Greater Boston area, so if you’re planning on eating here, I would recommend looking into reservations at least a 2-3 weeks in advance.
Price: $$$
Final Rating: 4.5/5