today we went to oleana to see what the hype is all about.
they serve mediterranean dishes. when i think about mediterranean food i think of exotic spices with richness, depth, and bold flavors.
they have a wine list with an emphasis on riesling that i was super excited about. pork belly did not want to drink so i only got a glass by myself 😥
i believe i had -> 10 Riesling Spätlese, Selbach-Oster ‘Zeltinger Schlossberg,’ Mosel, Germany
it was disappointing, not smooth enough.
i loved the fresh olive oil and the bread below this pic.
Warm Buttered Hummus with Basturma & Tomato – this was good. the hummus tasted buttery
scallops- cucumber and cantaloupe. this was one of the specials of the night. my fave dish of the night. the spices were nice without being overwhelming. refreshingly delish.
another special of the night. duck breast with eggplant. the duck had really strong ducky taste that im not a big fan of and it was not tender enough. the flavor of eggplant was good.
Tamarack Tunis Lamb with Turkish Spices, Pita & Everything Green with Garlic and Yogurt
the lamb wasnt real lamb meat, it’s like ground meat. i thought it was only ok.
Baked Alaska; Coconut Ice Cream & Passion Fruit Caramel
this is their popular dessert that everyone raves about. i liked the first a few bites, but the sweetness become too overwhelming after the first bites. we could not finish it.
although i did enjoy the two appetizers, the two entrees were disappointing. i think if i ever come back again i will get nothing but all appetizers. they are also famous for their vegetarian tasting menu, but i love meat too much to have that.
overall it was a good meal but nothing really to rave about.
i can see why this place is so popular. americans like exotic spices and flavors that this restaurant offers since american food is so lame, but i was raised eating chinese food which also has bold flavors and tons spices so this did not wow me. the entrees were not well executed. like the duck didnt carry out the flavors of the spices they used. they could work more on the texture and the tenderness of the meat or maybe overall simplicity of the flavors and basics of the food itself. (i know i do not make sense at all. never mind)
service was professional and atmosphere was nothing too special.
this place gets 3/5 bunny belly.
anyways, have a great weekend everyone.
this is exactly how i feel at the moment.
night.
Category: Mediterranean
134 Hampshire St
Cambridge, MA 02139
Neighborhood: Inman Square
(617) 661-0505
http://www.oleanarestaurant.com
BunnyandPorkBelly 
i am totally on your level about this place. it was definitely a little mediocre, especially for the price. i had a super good salad/app to start but the meat in the entree was kind of a bummer. the dessert was a different one; i forget what it was, but it had fruit and was really refreshing.
also, i went to this brazillian bakery this morning you should definitely check out. it’s called ‘panificadora modelo’ and it’s in somerville. highlights: passionfruit juice, pão de queijo (cheese bread; get the extra cheese one… this was way good), and these butter cookies with guava in between them.
it’s way cheap and it rules.
oh dangggg, passion fruit and guava huh sounds like heaven! i ll have to try it this week!!!!!!!!!!!!! thanks so much for the recommendation :)))
Thanks for this review! I live really close to Oleana and I was going to go check it out to see what all the hype was about, but I’m not sure that I will now haha! Have you been to Punjabi Dhaba in Inman Sq.?? I think it’s amazing Indian food. The restaurant itself is a bit of a hole-in-the-wall but the food is outstanding! xx
their appetizers were enjoyable, jus the entrees and desserts were disappointing. you can check it out since a lot people seem to enjoy the place. thanks for stopping by 🙂