I was SkipDashing (doing SkipTheDishes and DoorDash deliveries) when I had a spur of the moment decision to take a lunch break and see what yummy food I could get into my belly (my little motivation hack is to reward myself with delicious food when doing food deliveries!).
Initially, I was going to check out Pho101 next door to see if they had any vegan-friendly options. However, O’love had menus displayed on their windows. And what made me really want to give them a try was the fact that they clearly labeled dishes as vegetarian or vegan-friendly (vegans of the world, don’t you LOVE when they do that?!). At the time, I was thinking “I don’t even really like Greek food, it’s usually dry or not that flavourful, but what the heck, let’s give them a try whilst supporting the vegan movement and local businesses during this Covid-19 era”.
Boy o’ boy was I glad I decided to give this place a try. I had the Goddess bowl. It had a ton of variety, which I love. If I recall, it had four salads with some sweet and savoury dressings, hummus, sweet and bright red beets, crisp red onions, cool cucumbers, and crumbly yet moist falafels. I also love that the falafels came out piping hot! They had a very very satisfying bite with a tender moist inside. Very good mouth feel, indeed.
For me, the only nuisance was that they were so super crumbly that they would fall apart when trying to pick them up with the fork. The forking challenge was worth the work though, transporting them from the plate to my mouth.
This dish is aptly named the Goddess Bowl because it has everything you could ask for: fresh and vibrant aesthetics, depth of flavour, and hearty ingredients.
I also feel really grateful to have had the opportunity to chat a bit with the Chef and owner Irene. She helped me realize that my notions of what “Greek food” was wasn’t traditional Greek food at all. Yenno, the typical meat-heavy souvlaki dishes with sides of Greek salad and potatoes. Traditional Greek food is full of fresh seasonal vegetables. Souv is typically a street food. It’s akin to comparing American or Canadian style Chinese food to traditional food you would find in China. HUGE difference!
During our chat, she let me know that she cooks at the restaurant like she would at home. It can take more time, but it’s worth it. It all started to make sense as to why the dish was so good! For instance (and I won’t divulge her possibly secret methods), it’s no coincidence that the olives aren’t overly salty or hard. The pita bread, oh my god… It’s so soft and fluffy (not the usual dry and tough bread I despise). It reminded me of the qualities I love in Indian naan bread.
And, in addition to quinoa and lentils, Irene adds hemp hearts for health– for health! I mean, who does that these days? …Somebody who is putting love into their cooking and cares deeply for whom they’re cooking for I believe.
Simply, it’s good food that’s also good for you. It’s all about quality ingredients that truly makes good food she told me. Her father was visiting her at the restaurant, and she told me about the plentiful gardens he had when she was growing up, growing their own ingredients, and making olive oil and wine from scratch. It was an amazing experience.
Oh, and I also ordered the Olove Hummus and pita bread. If going the vegan/plant-based route (which I hope you are ;P), ask for the pita to be pan-fried with olive oil instead of butter. At the end of the meal, I was pretty stuffed! I was going into food coma actually, but I resisted the temptation to just call it a day for food deliveries. Good job, me! I can’t wait to go back and treat myself and loves ones. And as if this place weren’t already divine enough, they also serve wine, too. Whaaattt?! Stop it…
Nope. They can’t stop, won’t stop. They also have some kick-ass-looking light bulbs! Check them out and let us know what YOU think! I give them a 5/5, and upon a quick Google search, I’m seeing 4 to 5 stars across the board, including Facebook, Google reviews, Yelp, and Trip Advisor. So, I’m fairly confident that y’all will love this place as I and many others have, too! Efharisto!
Olove Greek Restaurant’s lunch menu (they have a dinner menu, too): http://www.olovegreek.ca/lunch-menu
Feel free to follow Olove on Insta: https://www.instagram.com/olovegreek/
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