Oleana

We've lived in Inman Square for five and half years, and in those five and half years we have walked by Oleana countless times and never tried it.  More than once, after telling someone where we live, and saying that we haven't eaten at Oleana, we've gotten the "you've got to be kidding" look.  We decided this had to change so two weeks in advance we made reservations for dinner on a Friday night.

Upon walking in I was kicking myself for not having gone earlier.  The atmosphere is absolutely lovely.  The hostess was very pleasant and led us to our table quickly.  The decor is middle eastern, but not over the top.  The color palette, of soft oranges, purples, and browns, gives the space a really cozy feeling.  The tile tabled give you a sense of the cuisine and ethnic flair of the restaurant.  The dinning room is split into two parts, by a 3/4 wall. One side is strictly dining, the other dining and bar area.  There is a wood burning stove in one corner, although I'm not sure if that is just decoration or not.

The menu is full of small plates and some main sized entrees.  We decided we would try a couple of small plates, and order main meals, so we could taste a lot of different dishes.  We started with the deviled eggs and they were pretty delicious.  I would never have thought of putting tuna on an egg but it really works.  The black olives were not overpowering, as evidenced by "Mr. Anti-Olive" JO eating them.

I got the lemon chicken, and JO had the halibut and we split the flattened potatoes.  The food is a true experience.  I love that there are definite middle eastern flavors, but nothing overpowering.  The lemon chicken was perfectly cooked, with a most delicious crust.  The lemon made the whole dish taste so vibrant and the flattened potatoes were the perfect accompaniment.  In fact, the potatoes were phenomenal and a reason to go back on their own.

Over the course of the night we had really been impressed by our waitress.  She was knowledgable, friendly, and authentic.  She gave us the scoop on the gorgeous patio, no reservations are accepted.  Instead, you have to get in line and hope for the best.   Get there early for the best chance for a patio table.  But what she did for us during our dessert course made me send an email to her boss the next day.  We had told her the story of how we had liven in the  neighborhood for a long time and never tried the restaurant.  We ordered the "special of the night" dessert but when she brought us our dessert she also included, free of charge, an order of the Turkish style profiteroles.  She explained that the dessert we picked was delicious but she wanted us to experience the profiteroles because they are the signature dish and our first visit wouldn't be complete without tasting them.  She was so right!  They were delicious, creamy, and covered in a sesame caramel sauce.

The restaurant is definitely pricey so we can't go here all the time, but we'll definitely be back!  Plus, the bar looks great so we could sneak in for drinks from time to time!  Overall, I give Oleana 4 stars...a true Inman Square gem!