The Oleander

Last night my girlfriends treated me to dinner at the Oleander in Olean, NY for my birthday. Have you ever watched the tv show Restaurant Impossible? Turning around a failing restaurant is a daunting challenge under the best of circumstances. Attempting to do it in just two days with only $10,000 may be impossible. But Chef Robert Irvine is ready to take on the challenge. He'll channel MacGyver and use a lot of muscle to rescue these desperate places from complete collapse.  Recently he remodeled Breadstix and completely changed the decor and the food.
   And what a change it was.

The bar area was fresh and modern and so clean. The lime green on the far wall really gave it a classy look.

This little nook was decorated with black and white flower photos that someone took at the local nursery. How clever and sophisticated.

The wallpaper was very upscale. We ate out in the addition room. The food was delicious. I had the gorgonzola chicken which was two small chicken breasts with a gorgonzola sauce. I also had mashed potatoes. That was all that was on the plate but I had ordered some caramelized onions on my chicken which I thing added flavor and texture. There was no salad, vegetable, or roll included in the price of $14. Kay had the steak which was very tender and served with a delicious veal stock sauce. Linda had a Pittsburgh salad, which for those of you out of the area means that they put french fries right on the salad.  Yrsa also had the chicken. We ordered deep fried green beans as our appetizer and they were served with a spicy sauce. We all thought the atmosphere, food and company were outstanding.