Olivia's Mediterranean Restaurant opened it's doors in 2005 and is located south of Gettysburg on the Baltimore Pike. Harry Tassou, the owner and chef, originally owned the local favorite Honeybee Diner. Olivia's serves mostly authentic Greek and Mediterranean dishes, but also provides a fine selection of American menu choices. Harry comes from a family of restaurateurs. After his parents retired, Harry moved on to the famous Jimmy's restaurant in Fells Point, MD. Mike Pappas the head chef at Jimmy's and a top 10 chef in the tri-state area was a big influence on Harry. Mike's insistence on using only the best, healthiest and freshest ingredients is reflected in the recipes Harry uses today. Augustine Perez is the head chef at Olivia's. Chef Auggie has over 25 years experience preparing Greek and Mediterranean specialties.
We arrived just about noon on a Thursday, between Christmas and New Year's day. It took a few moments for my eyes to adjust, Olivia's is a bit dark inside. Once my eye?sight returned, I was able to take in the interior decor. It is not what I expected. To me, the interior design looks like a modern twist on Mediterranean style. Deep, colorful tones throughout create a warm and comfortable dining environment. Another surprise is located out the back door - Olivia's Parrot Island deck! Starting in May and continuing throughout the summer months, Olivia's has Jimmy Buffet deck parties every Thursday evening from 6 pm to 11 pm. Island music is provided by a popular local entertainer, DJ Breeze-Mon. Olivia's Parrot Island deck is very well done, what you'd imagine a Florida Keys outdoor bar to be like. I bet after a few drinks you may even forget you're in PA.?If you're a Jimmy Buffet?fan, they have Parrot Head Society meetings there the first Wednesday of each month.
The menu features classic Greek and Italian fare such as lasagna and fettuccini. Meat dishes include chicken, steak, pork and fresh seafood. They also offer a fine selection of unique sandwiches on fresh pitas or buns. Dinner entrees range from $10 to around $20. If you appreciate good wine, Olivia's is especially proud of their wine list. Most of the wines they offer are special ordered from smaller, family-owned vineyards. Harry feels that these smaller wineries offer a product that has better flavor when compared to the big named, mass produced wines.
Our waitress was very attentive during our meal. We started with crab nachos for our table of four. Then, I ordered off the seafood menu and asked for Herb Encrusted Haddock which is served with garlicky smashed potatoes and fresh steamed vegetables. Yes, smashed is not a typo. I also ordered a house salad and a Blue Moon Winter Abbey Ale. Others at the table ordered Maryland Style Crab Cakes. Our appetizer was served right away. The light and crispy nachos were covered in imperial crab sauce, cheese, olives, and some other ingredients. Being a big nacho lover, I quickly realized I was going to have to fight for every morsel I got. The nachos didn't survive long and everyone at the table enjoyed them. After we were finished with the appetizer, our entrees arrived about ten minutes later.
My Herb Encrusted Haddock was cooked just right, light and flaky without being over cooked. It was covered in imperial sauce, romano cheese and seasoned bread crumbs. After enjoying the nacho appetizer I could only finish about half of my entree. I wanted to have more, but ran out of room. My daughter and sister enjoyed their crab cakes. Our waitress stopped by throughout our stay to make sure drinks were filled and to check if we needed anything. In all, Olivia's was a nice choice for lunch, we?enjoyed our?meals and our time spent there. Next time we're in the area and hungry, we'll be sure to drop in.
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