Simply Oliver

Last Friday, Angela met up with me in the city...at NY Penn Station to be exact. We had made a bet earlier in the week predicated on the NY Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys game. The loser would have to buy the winner dinner at any restaurant of the winner's choosing. Well, guess who won?

My Dallas Cowboys, of course! They forced 6 turnovers during the game....and only won by 6 :) Whatever, a win is a win, and I'll take them any way I can. Seeing that I won, I chose a restaurant by the name of "Slightly Oliver." I always walk by this place on my way home from the gym, and the aromas that dissipate from the restaurant always make my stomach grumble. It's a gastropub...or in other words, a venue that serves high end beer and food.

1) I decided to order a cocktail. It was called "Simply Sparkling," and contained Elder Flower essence, lemon, mint & Prosecco. What is Elder Flower essence? I don't know, but this drink definitely had its fair share of bubbles...but was a tad too sweet. At least it looked pretty....

2) For appetizer we ordered one of the specials. It's a Margherita Flatbread Pizza. This was Angela's suggestion. She rarely ever makes suggestions when it comes to what to share, so when she comes out and says let's try a "Margherita Flatbread Pizza," I listen....and boy am I glad I did. Perfectly cooked, not too much cheese...I wanted to eat the whole thing for dinner!

3) I ordered an organic roasted chicken with sauteed carrots, sugar snap peas, and
chicken jus. Chicken jus is a sauce that's created from the juice of the chicken itself and some other liquid...usually a red wine.

This dish was absolutely delicious. The skin was crispy, and the meat was super tender, just how a chicken should be cooked. To give you a visual, it's akin to the skin being a nice tin foil to lock in all the juices of the meat. Well done, Simply Oliver! 

4) Angela's dish: Braised short ribs with roasted garlic mashed potatoes,
horseradisc creme fraiche, and crispy shallot. Creme fraiche is a soured cream that has a higher fat content than U.S. soured cream. I only had one bite of the braised short ribs, but I would say that they come a close second to my mother's braised short ribs. Yep, it was that good. Again, Angela made a great choice!

In case you can't tell by my descriptions of the food, I would go here again. Great place to eat, have a drink, and watch a sports game...if you're into that.