Dining In Brooklyn — at Olea

There are 18 restaurants in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill offering three-course meals for $25 until the end of the month, and if you’re planning on taking advantage of the gastronomic bonanza, put Olea on your list.

The Mediterranean mainstay on Lafayette Avenue is offering three entrees as part of its Dine In Brooklyn menu, but one immediately caught my eye: the seafood paella.

Normally, the Spanish, saffron-infused dish is priced beyond my range, but paired with an appetizer and dessert the meal was too hard to resist.

The feast began with an arugula garnished with endive, pears, candied pistachios, and a goat cheese croquette. The dish was a tasty opener with contrasting flavors: the bitter arugula mixed with the sweet pistachios, the creamy cheese blended with the sweet, juicy pears.

Next came the piece de resistance, the paella. The presentation was impeccable. The mussels ringing the bright yellow rice filled with calamari, scallops, shrimp and chorizo screamed “seafood feast.”

But closer inspection revealed that this dish had fallen prey to the Dine In Brooklyn curse: small portions. The spicy entree included only one shrimp and the chorizo was chopped into small bits that made it an afterthought. It was good while it lasted, but I was left wanting more.

Only reinforcing my slight disappointment was a dining companion’s lamb shank, which he ordered off of the standard menu. It was a hulking, gargantuan piece of meat fit for Henry VIII.

To close I had the almond tart with dates, whipped cream and vanilla gelato. It was a rich, delectable way to finish the meal — if also a tad bit small. In fact, the almond variety gave the chocolate tart (also available as a dessert) a run for its money in terms of creaminess.

Setting aside my own gluttonous instincts, Dine In Brooklyn at Olea did exactly what it is intended to do: it teased my palate. The restaurant is due for a return visit.

Dine In Brooklyn runs until March 31. Check here for a full list of participating restaurants. Olea, 171 Lafayette Avenue at Adelphi Street, 718-743-7003.