Ovelia Brunch: New Menu Tasting

As the new year rolled around, we causally asked our friends and partners if they had any exciting news that our readers should know about, and we were thrilled to learn from our friends at Ovelia that they were launching an entirely new brunch menu! This was a decision that the owners and brothers Peter and Chris Giannakas entered into with care and deliberation, since their original brunch menu was solid and beloved by many over the the past eight years. But the brothers knew it was time for a change—and boy, is it a delicious change.

The place was packed—standing room only—so other Astorians must agree that Ovelia made the right choice. And before we continue, we wanted to give a big thanks to photographer Marielle Solan for taking such beautiful photos of this mouthwatering food.

When we saw the new menu, I was really interested in trying out the Frapp-Beer, made with Founders Porter mixed with Nescafe coffee and vanilla syrup. It’s a great brunch drink for beer lovers! Frothy, coffee with a little sweetness, and that nice strong Porter taste. I would absolutely get this again. -Emily

The porter/frappe hybrid was surprisingly sweet and light. -Marielle

To be honest, I was dubious about the Frapp-Beer but was game to at least have a sip, and was pleasantly surprised at how tasty it was. It was a little bitter, a little sweet, had deep earthy flavors, and was sparkly too. What a combination! I love that this is an option for folks who are not into wine or liquor. -Meg

The mimosa is my most favorite brunch drink, and I especially liked that they used very fresh squeezed orange juice. That said, this particular mimosa was more champagne than orange juice, which suited me fine at the time. -Meg

You would expect to see Eggs Benedict on a brunch menu, and Ovelia has changed things up with their Revitho Benedict. It’s made with two poached eggs, of course, and in this case they sit on chickpea croquettes, all over a riced saffron cauliflower. For me this was a nice change to a classic Benedict which always leaves me feeling too full and a little bloated with all those rich flavors. The riced saffron cauliflower was my favorite part of the dish. -Emily

I’ve heard of cauliflower rice but had never tasted it, and I was happy to see that I liked it. The saffron gave the dish a gorgeous golden color, too. I am also a big fan of using things other than english muffins in a benedict dish, and the chickpea croquettes were very nice. They were softer than I expect them to be, but that was not a problem. This is a great option for the ovo-lacto vegetarian, and to some extent the LCHF or Paleo/Paleoish friend in your life. -Meg

This Apaki Tabbouleh is made with a smoked and brined pork tenderloin sitting on-top of bulgar tabbouleh, complete with a poached egg. Often when I hear about things being brined and smoked it never seems to do anything to the taste, but this pork was the exception. I loved it—mix a little of the runny egg yolk on top and you’ve got yourself a winner. -Emily

This was a great dish and I loved the pork tenderloin on top especially. I am also a tabbouleh fan, so that suited me just fine, too. The poached egg was a luxurious addition, and I would have been fine without it, since everything else tasted so good. But I am not going to deny myself a delicious poached egg, which was very well executed, with the egg yolk at what I would consider a very appealing consistency (runny but not thin). -Meg

We had a really nice time trying all of the brunch menu items, but this Kreatopita, was hands down my favorite. A pulled leg of lamb folded in a Kantaifi served with a side of herbed yogurt. The meat was spiced the crust was crumbly and that yogurt was the “icing” on top.  I really enjoyed it, Greek brunch all the way! -Emily

I’d go back for the flaky lamb pie, which was definitely the highlight for me.-Marielle

OK, this was my favorite dish of the morning. That lamb was amazing! It was so savory and wonderful, and being encased in crispy kantaifi (as opposed to simple phyllo) made this dish really special. I believe there was Kaseri cheese in it, which would have added to the overall umami element. I loved the side of dill yogurt. I would definitely return for this. -Meg

After all that Frapp-Beer, and savory brunch items, we had to end on a sweet note! Whole-wheat Tiganites or Greek style pancakes. Topped with Greek honey, walnuts, cinnamon and sugar! Another solid option for brunch goers.-Emily

Flavorful twist on a classic brunch item. -Marielle

Loved these little, lightly sweet pancakes, which were light and did not sit in the bottom of your stomach like a rock. The side of honey adds even more sweetness and a little goes a long way. There was something a little crispy in the dish—it could have been the nuts or the edges of the pancakes; whatever it was, it was a delight. -Meg

If you loved Ovelia’s brunch in the past, we think you’ll really enjoy their new brunch menu. Big thanks to the Ovelia team for treating us to a great meal.

Ovelia Psistaria, 34-01 30th Avenue, Astoria, (718) 721-7217, ovelia-ny.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram