Olean - Unhealthy Mediterranean...it's possible.

To celebrate my parents' surprise visit to Boston and my..white uncle Zac's birthday, we went to Olean. The Mediterranean restaurant was located in Cambridge in a transformed house. It was very charming with an outdoor patio covered in large sunflowers. 

The menu was fairly simple with the basic meat and fish entrees. The pret a mangers were a real treat. If I go back, I want to order the Pret a Mangers as my meal! We had a fantastic rabbit Schwarma that was served with radished, cucumbers, and a tart Greek Yogurt. Next to that is a picture of a deconstructed soup with Kefka. It had some spicy meatballs and a deep-fried fennel cake. 

They also had a classic hummus appetizer that was scoops of hummus wrapped in a thin slice of meat, almost a cross between pastrami and prosciutto. The hummus was fantastic and so rich! They also had a deviled eggs appetizer that utilizes tuna with the yolk. It was fresh, not canned, and topped with tomatoes and black olives. The real kick, however, was the CURRY! They added curry to the yolk and tuna mixture to really give it a sting. 

I ordered a parmesan pork that was served with Radicchio, basil emulsion, and onions. It was very good - but I don't think pork is the right texture for me. I would've preferred what Doc ordered. It was a beef brisket that cut like a stick of butter. It was extremely soft and melted in your mouth. It's pictured ^^ above. Some chorizo was also plated with it. Zac ordered a crispy duck dish that he absolutely "oo-ed" and "awh-ed" over. 

We didn't stop there! We ordered some unique desserts and Turkish coffee after our entrees. Pictured with the candle is a salty straciatella ice cream with pear butter and almond beignets. Atop the ice cream was this incredible chocolate mousse. It was cold to the taste like ice cream, yet it didn't melt. It was a killer combination with the very unexpectedly salty ice cream. The Turkish coffee was like a grainy mud. It's served in a petite cup and has the consistency of coffee grinds mixed with touch of hot water. It was extremely bitter but, perfect for those who like their coffee...STRONG. 

The food was extremely rich and certainly not something to have on a regular basis. But this is definitely somewhere to take someone you want to impress. A lot of careful thought seems to be put into each dish and it's sure to be a unique Mediterranean experience. I've never felt so guilty about Mediterranean food. This a must when my sister comes back to town. :)