I was in central Pennsylvania, a few miles north of Gettysburg, attending a peach festival. Afterward the festival, I was looking for a place to eat. There are many fine restaurants in downtown Gettysburg, but the ones I was interested in had long waits. A quick search found Olivia’s Mediterranean Cuisine nearby. What a fantastic find! Olivia’s has amazing food and great ambience.

Olivia’s is located on the Baltimore Pike in Gettysburg, just a few miles off of Interstate 270. Established in 2005 by Harry Tassou, the restaurant in co-owned by his son Yanni. His wife Adrienne is also involved with the business. The restaurant is named after Harry’s daughter. Olivia’s serves both Italian and Greek dishes.

The Menu

Oliva’s menu boasts over 100 items. I’m not going to be able to cover them all here, but I’ll try to give a sense of them. The section are Salads, Mezedes (appetizers, Scarra (Grilled), Classico, Sandwiches, and Mediterranean Saute. In addition to that, there is also daily Specials. The Meze section features common Greek classics like hummus and Dolmades. But it also has some less common items: Saganaki (a grilled block of cheese) and Lukaniko Reganato (Greek sausage). Italian items in this section include Eggplant Parmigina and Lasagne Fritte. In addition to the classics, the menu features contemporary Meze items such as Grecian Crab Nachos and Oysters Rockefeller.

The Grilled section includes New York Strip Steak and Kebobs (Greek or Thai Style) The Classico section features Greek and Italian entrees. Baked Lasagna, Greek Moussaka, Stuffed Peppers can be found there. Sandwiches is the section that contains Greek classics like Gyros and Solvaki, but it also has burgers and crab cake sandwiches. The Mediterranean Saute section has a wide variety of pasta dishes. Exemplars are: Bolognese with Sausage & Beef, Pork Marsala, Steak Gorgonzola, Lobster & Seafood Macaroni & Cheese, and Thai Crab Cakes. In a section all their own are Yia-Yia’s Meatballs (Grandma’s meatballs). They are one of Oliva’s most popular dishes. They are served Greek, German, Italian or Thai Style.

My meal

Meals start with complementary bread with a hummus dip. The bread is a small loaf, and the hummus differentiates itself with whole chickpeas and balsamic vinegar. I loved the bread. It was quite fresh and tasty; perfect to have with hummus. While I liked the whole chickpeas, I did not care for the balsamic. The tang of the vinegar was a bit of a distraction.

For my entree, I did not want anything heavy as I had just come from a festival. Fortunately, Olivia’s has a good selection of entree salads. These include both Greek and Caesar salads, both of which come in bread bowls. The salad that struck my fancy, however, was one called Lattuga Alla Griglia.

The Lattuga Alla Griglia features Romaine lettuce and grilled chicken breast. There is also some vegetables. But the Romaine is not cut leaves of lettuce. It is a whole heart, fire grilled and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and a balsamic glaze. The chicken is well marinated, making it quite tender and flavorful. And on top of it all is a honey pepper bacon dressing. A fantastic blend of flavors and textures, I loved the dish.

Dessert

Olivia’s has two kinds of desserts: cheesecakes and baklava. I originally ordered baklava as I figured it would be light enough for me to finish. But they were out, so I ordered a cheesecake instead.

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They have several kinds of cheesecakes, all displayed prominently in a case at the front of the restaurant. The choices are: Cherry, Tuxedo, Oreo, Caramel Macchiato, Turtle, Reeses, Coconut Creme Pie, and White Chocolate Raspberry. All have the same base, but differ in the toppings.

I chose the Turtle. The base layer is exceptional: very dense and rich. The Turtle Cheesecake is topped with nuts, caramel, and chocolate. A classic combination, but I would have liked more toppings. I will get a different flavor the next time. As you imaging, this is a very heavy dessert. I had a few bites and took most of it home.

Cocktails

Olivia’s has a selection of about 13 cocktails. They also have beer and wine, but I stuck with the cocktail menu. The cocktails have creative names like Mango Dragon, Creamsicle Crush, and Greek on the Beach. Several of them are served in buckets. I was thinking an ice bucket filled with bottles, but that is not it. The drink is served in a small plastic bucket, the kind you would see a kid playing with on a beach. The bucket holds more liquid; the equivalent of about 2 drinks.

I did not get a bucket, but did get a cocktail called Revenge of the 5th. It is a Margarita made with freshly squeezed orange juice and Jalapeno tequila. The rim is covered with chili powder instead of salt. The drink wasn’t spicy as I had hoped, but it had a clear, crips flavor that I found refreshing. I would get it again.

Atmosphere

Olivia’s Mediterranean Cuisine has both indoor and outdoor seating. As I was there on a mild summer day, I took a seat outside on the back patio. When I got there, only one other table was occupied. As the evening progressed, more tables filled in. Vastly more people were dining inside.

I was quickly seated. It took me a while to go over the menu which, as I described, is quite large. Once I was ready, my order was quickly taken. Throughout the evening, the waitress checked on me regularly. The bread was brought out immediately and my drink right after. The food took a little longer, as everything is freshly made. But the wait was reasonable, around 20 minutes.

While I was waiting, a house magician visited my table and did card tricks. In all my years of dining, I have never encountered anything like that. I was delighted. While Olivia’s is a Mediterranean restaurant, the decor and drinks struck me as more Caribbean. The back patio also featured live music. Just one singer, but he played a variety of music. Altogether, I had a pleasant evening.

With great food, great atmosphere, and fantastic service, I loved Olivia’s. I hope to go back there soon.