The Black Olive

Recently my wife and son and I wanted to enjoy a relaxing meal in downtown Baltimore. We choose The Black Olive because we enjoy eating ethnic food. We where greeted by the hostess who sat us in the very back of the restaurant. At first we really did not think much about it, but as it turns out because of our son we felt as if we had to be seated at the back of the restaurant so we do not disturb some of the other patrons. Some of the clientele did not appreciate our sons' occasional whining. Our son was feeling a little under the weather, but he was by no means loud. The staff at The Black Olive where very professional, but I think they should have handled us have a child with more respect. As for the tall gentleman in the Maryland Terps hoodie, "No disrespect, but how rude are you to complain to the restaurant staff about our 20 month old son."
Also there was one other couple whom he adviced to move away from us to another table if they intended to have a pleasant meal.u
If you have children please think twice before going to The Black Olive, as some patrons find you having children there a Nuisance.

My wife and I went there for lunch. For $20 plus tip I got three smallish lamb chops and a handful of (pretty good) slaw and (pretty good) bread. The problem is that the lamb chops were so grossly over-salted I should have known better than to eat them, but we had been there a over a half hour when they arrived and we had a plane to catch. Service was pretty slow. I don't enjoy having to be confrontational about the food I am served. But I did mention it to the owner (??) when we ran into him in the elevator and he asked how we liked our meals. When I reported, he shrugged it off and said "drink plenty of water." No apology in any form. So here I am stuck with an unpleasant nagging thirst and constantly salivating mouth and trying to flush out sodium poisoning with so much water that I have to pee every five minutes while flying from Baltimore to Texas -- not good!

A good chef prepares food that is rich in flavor without using extreme salting as a sleazy cheap crutch. That crutch is typical of fast food and cheap mass produced packaged meals. The salt on the chops I was served exceeded even the crappiest of fast food -- at least as far as I have experienced. I don't eat much fast food.

Salt addicts are free to use a salt shaker if salt levels are too subtle for their taste.

We won't be back in any case. If you are the kind of person who puts tablespoons of salt on your food before even tasting it you should love this place, otherwise you have been warned.

Don

Somehow the owners of this wonderful Greek restaurant manage to maintain a warm and welcoming air despite the sophistication of the food and the crowds that flock to this restaurant. Every dish I've tried has been fresh and seasoned in a unique way; the staff are friendly and warm; the food even feels healthy to eat because of the organic produce that goes into every dish, and the owners clear love for bringing the diners the highest quality fish. Don't skip dessert...the carrot cake is my favorite!