After reading about it for ages, I finally made it up to Olive You the other day. Gub and I were famished and were about to go find a burrito when I noticed that I was standing right there in front of the Mediterranean deli, so we changed plans and headed in.

The dining room, long and skinny with tables somewhat awkwardly hugging the walls, sports a large variety of wines in shelves, a deli case packed with olives and spreads, and a funny little bar. The decor, which blends kitchy boating tchochkes with lots of different art, is very casual and homey. The whole place took me right back to Astoria, Queens, where I lived for a year in the midst of a huge Greek enclave many years ago.

The menu is large and includes salads, sandwiches and small bites, which are described as tapas. I opted to go with the falafel plate, which included hummus and tahini and plenty of pita. In the center of it all was one of the freshest tasting Greek salads I have ever eaten, subtly dressed and topped with a sheep's milk feta that makes the grocery store stuff seem acrid. Gub shared my food, mostly eating the pita and picking at the falafel.

I should have ordered something for her off of the children's menu, which has several choices from pita pizza to a burger, all under five dollars. Considering the huge portions of the regular menu, I'd guess that the kid's items are sufficiently large to fill up the hungry. What's more, on Mondays kids eat free with paying adults from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., one child per grownup.

If I lived closer, I'd make it a weekly treat.

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