A Night at The Office on Atlantic Avenue

Spending your night at the office is not something most of us do willingly or often.  However, this past Wednesday my night was spent at The Office on Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach, Florida.  Please note the use of italicization in the latter sentence.  Italicization was used because I did not actually spend my night at the office sifting through papers, but instead spent my night at one of Atlantic Avenue’s  hottest “new” restaurants.

 The Office is a self-described “new-aged gastropub” and was established in 2009.  The concept was inspired by a combination of culinary artistry throughout California, Chicago and New York.  When it comes to shortcuts, The Office has a philosophy — they don’t take them.  This philosophy most certainly shines through in not only the meal, but also in the service.

Many friends have recommended The Office to me over the past several months and I jumped at the opportunity to go when Starla Brown informed me of some meetings she was attending near The Avenue.  I made arrangements for an 8:30 PM reservation the night before we planned on dining at The Office.  The following day, the day we planned on being there, I received a call from a hostess kindly confirming my reservation.

Starla and I arrived a full 30 minutes before our reservation and had no expectation of being seated immediately, as the restaurant seemed to be full at the time.  To our surprise the hostess showed us to a nice table for two positioned in front of open French doors.  Our server, an upbeat young lady, greeted us immediately and answered all of our questions in full detail.  Usually I am not the type to fill up on appetizers and simply ordered a loaf of their Warm Baked Pretzel Bread.  It was clear, however, that Starla had other plans.  My mouth hit the table as Starla rattled off her menu selections: Fancy Fried Green Tomatoes, Truffle Deviled Eggs, and The Best Crisp Brussels Sprouts Ever.

I would certainly be willing to help with the Fancy Fried Green Tomatoes which came topped with spiced shrimp, cheddar cheese, and green onion aioli.  As for the brussel sprouts, eh, she’d have to enjoy those on her own.  We received all four appetizers in no time and we quickly dug in!  I immediately tore a piece of my Warm Baked Pretzel Bread off of the loaf and spread some Tallegio cheese atop it.  One word came out of my mouth, and not just once...“Dang!”  I had just eaten, by far, the best pretzel/bread combination in my entire life.  After having polished off the entire loaf, leaving just a single slice for Starla, I began to slice into the Fancy Fried Green Tomato.  Upon entering my mouth, I felt the crispy fried green tomato, the firm and fresh spiced shrimp, and the gooey Tallegio cheese.  Each component atop the tomato provided the perfect taste and texture.  At this point, I realized I had not spoken to Starla for a good several minutes, and decided to check in on her and The Best Crisp Brussels Sprouts Ever.  Seldom is Starla speechless, but in this moment, she was.  Apparently she was enjoying those brussel sprouts very much.

After having finished our Office Supplies it was now time to order our Staple Items.  It was the Prime Office Cheese Burger for me and the Southern BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich for Starla.

Our food arrived hot and ready for consumption. My cheese burger was topped with butter lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles, office sauce, and aged cheddar.  I have consumed hundreds of burgers in my lifetime and most are the same, the burger is cooked wrong and the flavors blend.  

The Prime Office Cheese Burger was none of those, it was cooked to perfection (Medium for me) and as I bit down on the burger I could feel each texture and taste each flavor.  The smooth Office Sauce (mayonnaise-based) was delicious and complemented the crispy red onion quite well.  The burger was thick and after having feasted on several appetizers I was only able to take half home.  Starla, like a lady, peeled back the bun, and began to eat the pork out of her sandwich.  With a good flavor and large pile of nicely pulled pork, she was only able to consume half and also requested a box for what was left of her sandwich.

There is one thing Starla M. Brown does not need — caffeine.  However, a shot of espresso was ordered and promptly delivered to the table.  Feeling left out, I order a cappuccino to sip.  The house music was going, the restaurant was now most empty, and the sea breeze came right through the open doors.  It was the perfect end to the perfect night.  I would like to give The Office all five of our stars. Reservations can be made by visiting their website: www.theofficedelray.com.