| The new restaurant from Ouzo Greek Taverna owners Jeromy Gilchrist and Laurel and Tom Luzzi features an entirely different look and menu from the former Cedars Deli, where the Blue Olive Bistro now resides on Stephen Avenue.
Where patrons once ordered from a counter then seated themselves, now it’s "please wait to be seated" service. Adorned with circular black mirrors, the front room is long and narrow, and high-top tables hug the wall all the way down the restaurant. Be sure to shoulder-check before getting off your chair, or you may very well collide with a server cruising down the aisle.
There is also seating along a wooden counter against the opposite wall, at the new bar illuminated by blue-speckled glass pendant lighting. A back room framed by an exposed brick archway offers tables with multiple seating. Reservations are recommended — it was a full 80-seat house at noon on a weekday.
A block east of Bankers Hall and a few doors down from the old Palace nightclub, the Blue Olive is largely frequented by the business crowd. Respectful of the fact that people wish to take a quick lunch during the workday, service here is efficient and friendly.
The Blue Olive is a licensed salad and sandwich place, with daily feature soups, pasta and hot entrées. The salads – Caesar, Ouzo Greek, cobb and healthy choice (romaine, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red onion, bell peppers, garbanzo beans and toasted almonds with roasted red pepper and goat cheese dressing) – are big and run from $6.95 to $10.95.
Several sandwich variations are offered – turkey, ham, chicken, vegetarian and smoked meat in a wrap, panini, ciabatta or rye. Watch your sandwich being prepared at the open kitchen. We ordered the Mediterranean veggie ciabatta ($8.95), a delicious combination of hummus, red onion, feta, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, bell peppers and lettuce. All sandwiches are served with a light, creamy coleslaw, kosher dill pickle and a slice of toasted rustic bread with the restaurant’s signature blue olive spread.
We also ordered the king-sized Montreal smoked meat on Winnipeg rye bread (king, 10 oz, $10.75; queen, 8 oz, $8.95; regular, 6 oz, $7.75), presented on red-and-white-checkered sandwich paper, on a basket plate. The sandwich was overflowing with meat, but the meat itself was extremely fatty and veered more toward a thick pastrami than smoked meat.
While diners aren’t asked for their mustard preference, a make-it or break-it detail for smoked meat lovers, the restaurant does use one of the best in the grainy Dijon. For an extra $1.50, this sandwich can be morphed into a Reuben, with sauerkraut and Swiss cheese. Other sandwich choices include a chicken curry wrap, turkey ciabatta, a Monte Cristo, and a chicken Caesar wrap. Chef Richelle Landry also hails from the Greek taverna.
If you’ve come to watch March Madness over a drink and appetizer, there’s the kalamata olive tapenade, hummus and a sun-dried tomato spread, all from Ouzo, as well as bruschetta and an artichoke, cream cheese, almond and Asiago cheese dip, all served with toasted rustic bread. The marinated seafood antipasto comprises pieces of squid, shrimp, mussels, octopus and clams marinated in olive oil, artichoke hearts, peppers, lemon and garlic ($9.95). The lunch and dinner menus are the same.
If you’re in the mood for a big salad or a big sandwich in a centrally located and bustling spot, the Blue Olive is a good choice.
Blue Olive Bistro is located at 225 - 8th Ave, SW; phone 233-0564. |
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