Just a few steps off the bustle and din of Delray’s Atlantic Avenue is, well. . . Off the Ave Food & Spirits (19 SE Fifth Ave., 561/450-6768), an affordable, everyday “casual neighborhood bar” from proprietor Adam Knoblock, who ran a sushi restaurant, Vertigo, in the same space until shutting it down to do something more “mainstream.”
The two-week-old eatery features overstuffed sandwiches (like ½ lb. hot pastrami with thousand island dressing, lettuce and choice of cheese) on bread house-made daily, Knoblock says, as well as salads and pizza served in three sizes and by the slice. More dishes will be added in the future, from mac -n- cheese to hot pretzels, but the idea, Knoblock says, is to “keep it simple and good.”
The restaurant also boasts a full bar, with a roster of beers bottled and on tap, including the estimable Sierra Nevada and Yuengling. Inside the cozy, industrial-chic space is space for 39 at tables and couches, as well as seats at the long, granite-topped bar.
Off the Ave is open daily for lunch and dinner, and until 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
