An Urban Diner...

Olive, an Urban Dive was a pleasant surprise.  Located inside the old Wympee, the interior has been totally renovated.  They are continually making improvements but I thought it looked great especially for only being open a year.  From the outside the restaurant still looks like what used to be Wympee. Inside the diner though customers are welcomed into a warm, cozy setting filled with small tables and chairs. An outdoor patio with seating is also available but it was too warm the day we went to eat outside.

There’s not a whole lot of parking or seating at the diner so if you want a spot during a busy time you’d better call ahead for a reservation.
We arrived a little after 11 to make sure we didn’t have a problem getting a table.  We were seated quickly and by the time we finished our meal the restaurant was full.  The menu is full of delicious items that can satisfy vegetarian, vegan, and even gluten free diets.The food came out very quickly especially for a place with such a small kitchen and not only looked great but was also delicious!

My friend and I both ordered the patio made sun tea to drink which was refreshing.  For sweetner for the tea they offered agave honey.  I ordered the chicken salad (mayoless and free range!) sandwich on a croissant with a side of sweet potato fries and it was DELICIOUS! I loved the added flavor from the havarti cheese and the light taste of the sandwich.  I am a lover of sweet potatoes in any form and was not disappointed with their fries which were soft rather than crunchy.
My friend ordered the summer in a bowl salad which looked delicious with roasted vegetables on top of a green salad.  A cup of the house spicy sweet potato soup came with her salad and she let me try a taste.  It started out sweet but then had a spicy kick to it.

As I was paying for my meal at the counter after lunch I realized that I would receive a 2% discount to my bill for paying in cash since they are such a small establishment and want to prevent having to pay the credit card fees.
The best way to summarize our wonderful experience is probably by retelling a quote from my friend who claims to be a food snob said, “I can’t wait to come back!”

Ele Cake Company

I'm still not sure how to pronounce the name of this place but that doesn't stop me from enjoying it!

My experience started with a lunch invitation to eat at the café which is inside the West Carrollton location but separated from the bakery counter.

The café is only open for lunch (10-2pm). The café seating area was comfortable and reminded me a little bit of a coffee shop.  If I lived closer to this location I could picture myself coming to hang out and reading a book amongst their comfortable seating.

Soup, Sandwiches, Salad, Coffee, and smoothies are included in their menu.  Ele uses very fresh ingredients and their portions are intentionally light so you have room for dessert!  I ordered a combo meal of ½ Dijon ham sandwich (thinly sliced roasted cider glazed ham, caramelized onions, swiss cheese with Dijon mayo on a toasted pretzel roll) and a cup of the soup of the day.  It was very tasty and light.

After hearing about Ele cupcakes, I figured I didn’t have a good excuse to not try one.  I tried a plain vanilla one because I wanted to be able to measure the freshness of the cake and icing without extra flavor.  I was not disappointed!  The cupcake was moist with a good portion of icing but not too decadent like many other gourmet cupcakes. 

You must visit just to look at the beautiful cakes and bakery items in their display area if nothing else.  In addition to the West Carrollton location, there’s also one in Beavercreek that offers the bakery side of the business but not the cafe.