Olivers Twist

02/09/09

Next time, we'll go to Stumbling Goat instead.

by hubriis at Citysearch

We've been by Oliver's Twist a million times and finally made it in on a cold night in December. We were looking forward to comfort food and from the previous reviews we'd seen, though Oliver's Twist would be the perfect spot. Unfortunately, we were disappointed with our experience.

We started off with the garlic truffled popcorn and it was indeed a taste treat,definitely the highlight of our dinner. Next we tried the tomato cappuccino with mini grilled cheese sandwich. Decent tomato soup, but it could have been Campbell's from a can.

We rounded out our tasting dinner with the blue cheese-bacon stuffed dates with marcona almonds and warm tomato vinaigrette. Good lord, how could something with such amazing ingredients go so horribly wrong?!?!? Ugh. The dates were mushy and tasted like a salt lick. You could not discern the bacon, nor the blue cheese flavor. Forget about trying to find the subtlety of the tomato vinaigrette.

Next time, we'll go to Stumbling Goat instead.

05/23/08

Not too bad... just average

by lqagrl at Citysearch

At first glance, the food menu looks great and, considering the fancy and delicious-sounding concoctions listed, prices look very reasonable. However, once the food arrives, it turns out to be overpriced for what you end up getting - and how much of it. One of us ordered an platter of open-faced mini-sandwiches of ham and tomato relish on toasted baguette slices (I forget the exact name of this dish). The bread was completely dry from the toasting and the texture of the over-crisped bread slices did not mesh well with the tomatoes and smoked meat on top. Definitely not worth $8. My own order, a chocolate-and-marshmallow grilled sandwich, was appropriately warm and gooey for the first few minutes but turned cold and sticky all too quickly, and the bread was way too dry as well. We're glad we found this restaurant, as it was one of the very few places in this neighborhood open after 9 pm, and the three of us were able to sit down, have a snack, and chat... but they could have done a much better job with the food.

• Pros: one of only a couple of eateries in the neighborhood open after 9 pm on a Saturday night
• Cons: food quality and value are average at best

02/04/08

Good for late-night drinks and nibbles

by getfuzzygurl at Citysearch

Oliver's Twist lives up to its name with its tasteful atmosphere and clever dishes. True Dickens fans will love that all of the house cocktails are named, appropriately, after bizarre Oliver Twist characters. Others will just love the ambience, music, casual feel and delicious appetizer-sized dishes. I'll give fair warning that this is not a good place to go if you're expecting to get full. While the food is wonderfully presented and delightfully different, this spot is much more condusive to the late-night, cocktail-sipping crowd. Plates are reasonably priced at around $8 and the combinations of flavors on the menu will indeed be an adventure for you to try! I recommend the Rose Maylie cocktail which, while the ingredients are slightly daunting, has a wonderful flavor that is accented by tones of rosemary.

It's a great place to mellow-out with friends and just be at ease as the waitstaff is friendly and quick to make suggestions but without rushing your party. If you are open to new tastes... give Oliver's a try!

• Pros: wonderful infusions in food and drinks, friendly waitstaff, cozy scene
• Cons: parking, no real entrees