June 21, 2013 By Bill Parry
Astoria’s latest gastropub opened Wednesday night and drew more than 70 guests despite heavy rain.
The restaurant, called Oliver’s and located at 37-10 Broadway, offers menu items such as fish and chips, grilled skirt steak frites and grilled legs of lamb.
The owner, Jimmy Sullivan, is no stranger to the restaurant/bar business. He has a popular Woodside pub, called Sean Og’s (60-02 Woodside Ave.), which he has owned for 13 years.
Oliver’s offers snacks like barbeque spiced kettle chips and popped corn with smoked bacon & sharp cheddar. Appetizers include organic scotch eggs and PEI mussels steamed in white wine.
The sandwich menu includes a pork belly BLT and a buttermilk fried chicken sandwich.
The chef, Joe Butler, comes to Oliver’s via The Seagull in Rockefeller Center. “I love the space and the opportunity to do the variety of food we’re going to do here,” he said.
For drinkers, Oliver’s serves 47 bottled beers, with 14 microbrews and pilsners on tap. Additionally, it offers 13 different wines, although that list is expected to grow.
The restaurant provides communal seating for 75 diners.
“We’ve got permits on the way for 30 outdoor seats,” said restaurant consultant Antonio Prontelli. “It will really be nice with the whole front opened up to the street.”
“Opening night went very well,” Sullivan said. “It’s been a hectic few weeks getting the place ready, so it was nice to relax and enjoy the crowd.”
Sullivan said he chose to open in Astoria because “it’s such a happening place right now – very young and vibrant – and it has everything. Why go into the City?”
