Greek restaurant opens in town

Valanti Vailiotou is the proprietor of The Olive Eatery, a new restaurant in town featuring Greek and North American fare. Vailiotou purchased Delish and made several changes before reopening earlier this month. (Jeff Helsdon Photo).

Jeff Helsdon

There’s a new cuisine option in Tillsonburg.

The Olive Eatery opened on Nov. 12 at 518 Broadway and features homemade Greek and North American cuisine.

Valanti Vailiotou and her husband Tony own the new eatery. Vailiotou and her family are well known in the area for a long history of owning restaurants. Her family operated the Bunkhouse restaurant in Delhi for years after her father Vasso opened it in 1996. Prior to that, they operated Dorana’s in Delhi, and her uncle is the proprietor of Mike’s Delhi Subs.

Vailiotou purchased Delish, changed the name, food and the décor.

“We didn’t want people to think it was Delish still, and we changed the menu,” she said.

The menu features many of the items that Delish was known for, but added several Greek specialties, fish and chips and Lake Erie perch.

Vailiotou was raised in the restaurant business. She worked her entire life in the Bunkhouse, starting as a waitress in her teenage years. Then she moved to the kitchen, and worked both parts of the restaurant. Her dad recently sold the Bunkhouse, and is still helping there as well as his daughter.

Speaking to why she opened up a new restaurant, Vailiotou answered, “I’d rather have something of my own and a little smaller,” she said.

Going into a little more detail on the Greek items on the menu, she said there is souvlaki, moussaka, calamari and shawarma. Although the latter isn’t thought of as Greek fare, Vailiotou said her family is from Cyprus and food there is a combination of cuisine from Greece and the Middle East. There is also traditional North American fare such as roast beef, lasagna, salmon, salads, wraps and sandwiches. There is a difference, however, in the food is made from scratch.

For example, the fish is freshly battered and lasagna is home-made. There are also gluten-free and vegetarian options.

“We thought we’d start with a little bit of everything and then in a couple of months see what goes,” she said.

The goal is the business will appeal to families, business people, and constructions workers.

“I wanted it to feel like a comfortable place, a casual and welcoming place,” Vailiotou said.

Those who dine in and were regulars of Delish will see many familiar faces as Vailiotou kept the staff. The Olive Eatery also offers catering.

The restaurant is open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday to Saturday It presently isn’t licensed to serve liquor, but that process is underway.