Oleana - Cambridge / Boston, MA
Last Visit: Nov 2007
OVERALL
Oleana is one of those Boston area restaurants that receives just about every conceivable award and rated highly every website you can find. When I was there for business, I felt compelled to find a restaurant with great reputation, mediterranean flavor (hard to find in California) and comfortable atmosphere. Oleana was the right choice.
FOOD
YES I did give them five stars - even though I personally wouldn't consider their food the best I've ever had, but I believe lots of you out there will find their food simply shockingly good - and good-looking too. The first impression their food gave was WOW, they look pretty! They are perfectly set up with the right kind of garnish and coordinated colors that enhancement the overall presentation of the dishes. They remind me of fine French dishes we had in Paris - even tiny little casual bistros make their dishes look like pieces of art work. They all tasted great too - from soup to appetizer to entress to desserts, the cooks didn't miss a beat.
When you taste the food though, it's a different story. I don't recall ever having an authentic Turkish meal, but I can't really tell what I had in Oleana, so I assume it's an exotic taste from a country far far away (well, like Turkey!). The spices used were intriguing (i.e. I didn't know what the heck I was eating) but not too overpowering - that's probably because it's NOT situated in a Middleeastern neighborhood. I must admit that some dishes are just too Californian and creative for my taste - nevertheless, they were a pleasure to taste.
SERVICE
Given the fact that the place was TINY - just like rest of the city of Cambridge - the service staff did a remarkable job making sure you are comfortable. We couldn't wait for a table (two hrs wait and no guarantee!!!) so we ate at the counter. It turned out fine - it was fun to be able to see the kitchen from the barstool. Waiters never really stop there because they were so overwhelmed, but they did pay attention to what's going on in front of you and met your basic needs.
AMBIENCE
This is a romantic kind of place, but you'd appreciate it ONLY IF you are used to NYC or SF city kind of dining surroundings - PACKED and kind of noisy. If you are from Texas then you will ask "howdy, where is the main dining hall". It's kept dark but decorations are tasteful and modern - nothing middleeastern about it. There were some instrument players but we couldn't hear them well from where we sat. Overall, it's very comfortable, mostly because of the colors and a very hard working staff want to make sure you are comfortable.
VALUE
This is, after all, a Boston neighborhood, and just like California you DO NOT find a good bargain in the greather Boston area. I walked in expecting to spend $40 on a three-course meal, but instead spent about $50 (not including tax and tips). Actually, it's not bad if it's located somewhere decent, but the neighborhood looks like South of Market in SF on a good day - which translates to not exact posh and upscale. I would probably go back there ONLY IF someone's paying for the meal because the price tag is simply not very appealing.
BOTTOMLINE
I love visiting Boston area for business. It's one place that is always filled with people, events and most importantly amazing cuisine. Oleana is one of those must-visits in my opinion, but if you can find some other place of similar quality but lower prices, you should let me know ASAP!
BTW
GO EARLY or make reservation. This place is simply too hot. Also, don't expect a nice waiting area, especially in the winter. After dropping off your guests and parking 20 min away, you don't want to stand outside and wait for two hours while slowly being buried by Bostonian snow!
