Oh Yay-ah for Olea!

I almost lost my camera at Olea the other night! Thank god the waitress ran after me, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to post about this delicious Mediterranean meal. Olea is a cute, open space on Lafayette Avenue and Adelphi with high ceilings, big windows, and a tavern-like appeal. I'd been here once before for tapas, and found the food to be simple, well-seasoned and fresh. The wine list was also pretty great. After that experience, I couldn't wait to return for a full meal.

We started with Boquerones Marinated White Anchovies served with chopped toasted almonds and celery leaves. These were so good that they were all gone before I realized I forgot to take a picture! I've never had almonds with anchovies -- they added great texture to the fish which was pickled and marinated in a delicious mix of oil and vinegar.


For my main course, I had a special; Pan-Seared Scallops served with a barley-like grain sauteed with roasted red peppers, spinach, and portobello mushrooms. The scallops were amazing! I never really order scallops because I fear there will only be three on the plate and I will leave starving but I decided to go for it and I'm glad I did. These were perfectly seared with a nice crisp exterior and a great buttery flavor inside. The grain mixture was a nice complement; it was much lighter in flavor. The only thing was it was a bit oily in taste. Surprisingly, the dish was kind of filling.


My husband ordered the Roasted Mediterranean Brazino with fingerling potatoes and balsamic glazed cipollini onions. The dipping sauce was a lemony-garlic combo with what we think was parsley. While there were a lot of bones to navigate around, the fish was really well prepared and the sauce was to die for. I didn't try the onions or potatoes, so can't comment on those (but he said both were great).

We shared the Roasted Brussell Sprouts as a side. All I can say is yum.

All in all, a great meal. Really glad this place is only a five-minute walk from our apartment!