Consider it much more than a promising start for Hovannes, or “Hovik,” Dolarian, better known as “O.V.” to the faithful horde of hungry regulars who fill OV’s Restaurant, an easily accessible, toaster-oven sized diner on Allens Avenue. Dolarian has tweaked the greasy spoon mantra, going far beyond the usual bankers’ hours to the appreciation of us weekend warriors — those who occasionally start the day with a 1 pm breakfast and end it with a 3:30 am breakfast.
OV’s is easy to miss amid the blue-collar backdrop of oil tanks and asphalt, but Dolarian has been industrious within his industrial surroundings, having recently launched a brisk business-to-business lunchtime delivery service. Most of all, OV’s is open year-round — literally 365 days — starting at 5 am.
The Dolarian family arrived from Armenia in 1989, and his hardworking yet spirited parents put three kids through college, including the eponymous chef-owner, who displays his J&W culinary arts and business management diplomas.
The ubiquitous $1.50 breakfast plate is the foundation for a dozen meat offerings, from the usual suspects to pork chop or grilled chicken ($5.45), ribeye steak ($6.25), or the bold flavor of Armenian sausage ($4.75). We just couldn’t nail the taste — a delicious combination of every conceivable cured meat, from kielbasa to pepperoni, teeming with garlic and spices.
The menu’s back page is devoted to 16 “Omelets of the World,” showcasing both his eclectic taste buds and his proud ethnic heritage. I’m usually torn between a handful of the choices, like the Russian Holiday ($5.55), combining corned beef hash, Swiss cheese, and Russian dressing (cardiogram sold separately), or the Texas Hold ’Em ($5.95) with mom’s pulled pork, Swiss, and fried onions (in a word, amazing). One in which I have yet to indulge is the Honeymoon in Paris ($5.25), combining berries and chocolate with, yes, feta cheese. One wonders, is this a palette-expanding experience or a horrific misprint?
“I wanted to come up with something totally different, a combination no one else ever imagined,” O.V. explains. Mission accomplished. But the proprietor claims a handful of brave souls have partaken over the past year. “Actually, it isn’t bad with syrup,” he suggests, with a raised eyebrow and a daring gleam, but I wasn’t biting, so to speak.
The 2x4 ($4.75) could be the biggest bargain on the menu, and it conquers the sweet-or-salty breakfast dilemma with two eggs, bacon and sausage, and choice of two pancakes or French toast.
“If a breakfast place has good home fries, then you know it’s all good,” my cousin Melissa once declared. OV’s nails it, with their interpretation heavy on the paprika and complete with that crispy finish, hot off a seasoned grill, differentiating a bland pile of mushy potatoes from a hearty carb complement.
The breakfast-all-day shares billing with a classic lunch menu, from weekday specials such as franks and beans, and liver and onions, to baby back ribs and Gyro platters. The Kujo Burger ($4.25) is named after O.V.’s diabetic mini-pinscher.
