Signature Dish: Oliver's Astoria

The Spot: Oliver’s Astoria, 37-19 Broadway, Astoria.

The Deal: Over the last year, the site of a former French restaurant on Broadway in Astoria has become the bustling craft beer gastropub. A main focus of Oliver’s Astoria has been making the restaurant a friendly neighborhood location, through its décor, events and provisioning.

On a warm Friday afternoon, the windows and doors are thrown open so the inside restaurant blends into the outdoor café, and plenty of patrons are idling over a late lunch and one of the rotating tap beers.

Oliver’s has a one-and-done keg policy that keeps the selection fresh and new. Although co-founder and general manager Rob Williamson says that it is more work than a typical bar, it’s helpful for bringing in special brewery guests and appealing to beer fans. The next guest brewery will be Dogfish Head on Thursday, October 9th.

“I’ve worked in beer bars forever,” he says. “The spectrum of beer is fantastic. Not all of them are winners but when they hit, they hit.”

To further the local vibe, Williamson says the restaurant works with local businesses to meet the menu needs. They purchase from the butcher and baker on the block.

“It’s always easier to shop in your backyard,” he says.

Oliver’s continues to expand its offerings and events, from Monday night trivia to brunch with $3 cocktails. The brunch menu has recently expanded to weekdays to accommodate Astoria’s large population of restaurant industry employees.

Read about Oliver’s Signature Dish after the jump…

The Dish: The local taste comes through in Oliver’s signature dish: the buttermilk chicken sandwich.

Although the New York City fried chicken competition has gotten stiffer in the recent years, Oliver’s uses a light breading so the taste of the chicken (from the butcher down the street) comes through.

“When [a fried chicken sandwich] is done well, it really sets it apart,” Williamson says.

The crispy chicken is on a light buttery bun and topped with a generous amount of vinegar coleslaw but just a dab of Sriracha ranch for a cool-spicy contrast. Like the rest of the burgers and sandwiches on the menu, the buttermilk chicken sandwich is served with a choice of sides. Seen here are the truffle fries, which are topped with shaved parmesean.