I adore the view into the kitchen from streetside at Olivea

A girl’s gotta eat. Last evening, my friend @caligater (owner of the funniest damn Gchat avatar on earth) recommended that we give this new joint uptown a try: Olivéa. I took a gander at their website, noticed they even had a gluten-free menu, and said shit-howdy: let’s do it!

Located close to Steuben’s and right across the street from Hamburger Mary’s, there’s convenient, albeit tight, parking in the lot adjacent on the corners of 17th and Washington (leave your SUV at home and opt for the sedan). There’s patio seating on the 17th Street sidewalk between the kitchen and front doors, ideal for idyllic Denver evenings, though we opted for a seat inside since temperatures at our 6pm reservation time were still kicking around in the 90s.

A minimalistic and modern interior doesn’t mean tight quarters or less-than-comfy seating arrangements. Being in a currently crippled state, the hostess conscientiously seated us at a two-top in the corner so I could prop my crutches up against the wall and be out of the way (thankya, dear!).

Now, one thing I despise when dining out is the standard pitch for bottled foreign water once your ass hits the seat. At Olivéa? Nada. Loved that. The table had a substantial and swank vase/urn/vat of Denver’s filtered finest at Cali’s and my beck and call. We hydrated at-will without fear of the financial repercussions.

Our server, Miles, was adorable and knowledgeable (shocker) and has a penchant for all things peach (so he told us). When I inquired about gluten-free options, he took me on a guided tour of the menu and mentioned each and every item that was or could be prepared gluten-free. He also indicated that he would check with the kitchen if I ordered something in question to confirm. Simply awesome.

The menu is one page, so you’ll avoid the horrific Cheesecake Factory-like overload stemming from some restaurants’ culinary ADD. Continental cuisine with a true Mediterranean flair, Cali enjoyed the most delectable Fairy Eggplants (delish!) while I enjoyed the Halibut Carpaccio and the Local Greens Salad with a Pedro Ximenez Vinaigrette (sans the manchego cheese). A sweet note about the Fairy Eggplant: they’re grown 40 feet away from the back door of the restaurant in an urban garden run by a local Denver woman. Talk about a zero carbon footprint and delicious to boot.

We finished our meal with a serving of two of their freshly-made sorbets: Peach Rhubarb and Strawberry Balsamic. Naturally sweet yet not overwhelming, it’s nice to not feel guilty after enjoying something so seemingly naughty.

Now here’s the best part: Fairy Eggplants + Halibut Carpaccio + Local Greens Salad + Sorbet Dessert = $31.36

Can I get an amen from the choir?

Olivéa has been open since May 2009 and took the place where AIX used to be. It’s extensively reviewed with four stars on Yelp and pleasantly surprised this picky, redheaded diner.

Want a tip? Join OpenTable.com and make your reservations for Olivéa (and other Denver dining establishments) through their system and earn 100 points per. A long-time member of OpenTable, I love my dining rewards certificates that I earn by using their system for something I have to do anyway and the certificates are redeemable at ANY OpenTable.com-affiliated restaurant.

Olivéa definitely does NOT suck and I’m looking forward to going back to enjoy their brand-new Happy Hour as well: $5 wine and food specials from 5-7pm Sunday through Thursday (bar and patio service only).

Get off your ass – ask for Miles. Enjoy some sorbet already.