John Harbaugh's 'Off-Menu' Dinner With Giants Detailed by NFL Insider Amid Contract Rumors

If you're leaving a situation where you spent 18 years in a largely stable environment, the best way to determine if you want to enter unknown territory with a new franchise is to share a special meal with the key decision-makers in the organization.

According to Sports Illustrated's Conor Orr, the New York Giants set up a meeting with Jim Harbaugh at Elia Restaurant on short notice that prompted Tim Salouros, owner of the restaurant, and head chef Louis Falcone to go "off-menu" to help the club seal the deal.

"They had a separate steak, chicken and fish dish exclusive to Harbaugh and the Giants that, depending on the coach's preference, they would make fresh," Orr wrote. "The appetizer selection was a Rolodex of Elia's greatest hits: tuna tartare, fried zucchini and eggplant chips, octopus and fried calamari."

As Salouros explained to Orr, there was initially a "disagreement" about who would order first because Harbaugh gave Giants senior executive Chris Mara the go-ahead, but Mara pushed back by telling Harbaugh he was the "man of the hour."

Harbaugh and Mara both went with the fish for their main course. Giants general manager Joe Schoen had the ribeye steak. According to Orr, they also ordered a Silver Oak cabernet for the table.

The entire event had to be squeezed into a tight window because the Giants set up the dinner to start between 5-5:30 p.m., with Harbaugh having a private jet scheduled to take him back to Baltimore at 7:30 p.m.

Despite the quick turnaround time to put the event together and the restaurant straying from its usual menu, things seemed to work out well for everyone involved. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Thursday that Harbaugh and the Giants are working to finalize a deal that will make him their new head coach.

Given the Giants' on-field struggles in recent years, we can probably assume that fish must have been incredible to get Harbaugh near the finish line.