New Thai in Sunnyside: Nodus

Wonder if anyone else has been to this place, which opened a bit over a month ago on Queens Blvd. in Sunnyside, next door to the UPS Store in the space that used to house a video store.

I've only been once, and it was by myself, so I didn't get to sample much, but I enjoyed what I tried and plan on going back to work my way through the menu. This should thus be considered a preliminary review, but as I said, so far, so good.

Nodus bills itself as a place for "Thai Noodles & Rice" and attracted me because its menu seems a bit different than the plethora of other Thai places in the area (all of which are fine, but seem to suffer from a kind of sameness, at least from a casual perusal of the menus). Nodus does mostly confine itself to noodle and rice dishes (at least for entrees), but they have quite a few interesting choices in (and out of) that range that seem to suggest an attempt to be at least a bit different, at least from the zillion places that offer basically two things - curries and hot basil preparations. This is not to say that most of this menu wasn't fairly familiar, but you could tell that at least they wanted to stretch the genre a little. This was evident particularly in the inclusion of a few fusion-y dishes, including some flambeed items that might be better theatre than they are food (won't know 'til I try them), but again, I give them A for effort.

My dinner started with Thai Spring Rolls, pretty standard Thai fare but fresh tasting, not at all greasy, and presented interestingly, diagonally cut in a little cocktail glass. This was followed by a Crispy Duck Salad, sliced crispy duck breast served with Thai style salad greens, pineapples, small cashews, spring onions and several other ingredients, tossed with just the right amount of a well made (if a bit standard) sweet and slightly spicy Thai salad dressing with a nice flavor of Nam Pla, the ubiquitous Fish Sauce (made from fermented anchovy) that is used in place of table salt in most Thai cooking. The salad was very tasty and had ample quantities of both greens and duck, both of which maintained their fresh and crispy character due to judicious (but more than adequate) application of the dressing.

For my entree, I selected a "Nodus Super Bowl," one of their signature dishes. Here you get a choice of one of five types of noodles and one of five protein choices, and you can have the bowl with broth or dry. I chose Asian Fish Balls, and asked the waiter to suggest the best noodles for that. He chose the rice noodles (as I suspected he would; probably the most delicate noodle to match the most delicate "meat' ingredient), and I ordered the dish with broth. The result was indeed fairly delicate -- some might even say a bit bland -- at first, but this was easily corrected via the carousel of various condiments delivered along with my noodle bowl -- a very spicy ground red pepper (cayenne, perhaps?), a red hot pepper sauce, some medium-spicy thinly sliced baby peppers in vinegar, and some ordinary table salt. In addition to this, the waiter kindly offered a couple of lime wedges. By the time I had doctored the broth to my liking, the dish was tasty and nicely balanced; the lime in particular added a nice acidity that worked well with the spices and brought out the fish flavors in both the fish balls and the broth. The fish balls themselves were, again, not extraordinarily flavorful, but this is as expected, and they benefited from the lime and spices as well. In the end, a satisfying experience, though I want to go back and try some of the other options that sound a bit more flavorful.

Nodus has desserts too, ranging from the traditional sticky rice & mango to some more adventurous offerings. Just for fun, I decided to try the "fried cheesecake," basically a wedge of cheesecake coated in something crispy and flash fried, much like fried ice cream. The cheesecake was topped with a strawberry coulis and doused in some sort of alcohol (didn't catch what) and lit at my table, where it happily blazed for about 20 seconds before it was safe to approach. Again, good theatre, though it probably didn't make that much of a difference in the taste of the resulting dish. About that taste -- the cheesecake was nice, with a hint of citrus in its flavor, and the fried outside was nicely crispy. The strawberry topping was a nice accompaniment, as was some lime-infused whipped cream piped into a pretty swirl on the side. My only complaint -- and it's more an observation than a complaint -- is that either through the frying or the flambeing process, the cheesecake itself developed a somewhat loose texture, such that it was a bit more the consistency of a firm pudding than the traditional cheesecake. So it lost some of its "tooth," but I'm not sure this was all that bad a thing -- it certainly tasted good, and the texture, if unexpected, was not entirely unpleasant.

The room is long and narrow and tastefully decorated in a fairly minimalist way, with low -- but not TOO low -- light. My only complaint about the physical place is with the chairs, which had a kind of a wrap-around tubular metal design (continuous back and sides/arms) and were just too narrow for my somewhat large American backside (I'm definitely XL... not XXL, but firmly in the XL category). Also, the music (the night I was there) trended a bit too much toward the dance-electronica end of the spectrum for my taste. I know this is very common in some of today's "trendy" places, but I do not personally find the insistent and non-stop beat of drum machines conducive to my dining experience; I feel distinct pressure to chew in time with the music, and I kind of feel like I should be able to make my own decisions with respect to chewing speed.

But that's a minor quibble. Overall, my first visit to Nodus was a positive one. Whether it holds up on repeated visits remains to be seen, but I'm encouraged so far, and looking forward to those repeated visits to find out.

I think I would give this place 3.5 stars if I Had that capability, but since I have to rate in whole numbers, we'll call it 3 stars for now. But if it continues to be this good when I come back, I will seriously consider upping that to a 4.

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Nodus
45-04 Queens Blvd, Queens, NY 11104

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New in Sunnyside: Lenny's Pizza

Just an update, for those who might be interested. Lenny's is now under new management, and probably ownership as well. Lenny is gone, as are his brother Angelo and his wife (whose name I never got, though she was always very nice to me), as are the other faces I knew from before. There's a completely new crew there as of about a month ago I think; the menu has changed a bit too. I had a wrap there today that was pretty good, but I don't know yet how the overall quality has been affected. Some other sites (Yelp, etc.) have reported a decline in food or service quality since the change of ownership, though we should probably give them a couple of months to hit their stride before judging the new guys.

I'm disappointed, though - Lenny was a nice guy and a friendly face and a good cook, and I miss him already.

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Lenny's Pizza
44-08 Greenpoint Ave, Queens, NY 11377

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New in Sunnyside: Lenny's Pizza

I do understand what you're saying, and I am the first person (believe me, I am) to tout innovation in restuarant food, because I have eaten many a meal out over the years and I get bored pretty easily. I mean, don't even bother taking me to a steakhouse, unless they've got some kind of beef I can't get at the supermarket or do some wildly unusual preparation. A slab of plain grilled beef I can have at home, thank you.

I guess I apply different (and perhaps lesser) standards to pizza, though, because there is, to me, something to be said for the traditional New York pizza place that hasn't changed much since the 50s (or whatever). Maybe it's just a nostalgic thing for me, I dunno. Lenny's is that kind of place; it's the sort of place where pizza looks and tastes pretty much the same way it did when I was a kid, and that's attractive to me.

And I think that's a part of pizza's appeal in general - nostalgia. I like, say, the CPK version of Pizza as much as the next guy (I really do, love their Thai Chicken pizza especially), but to me that's not pizza. It's good, and I guess you can call it pizza, but to me, pizza is a thin crusted, white flour dough, circular pie with a raised edge and your basic tomato sauce mottled with shredded mozzarella on top. And the traditional toppings -- pepperoni, sausage, mushroom, green peppers, onions, anchovies... -- you know, the usual suspects, are just fine for me for THAT kind of pizza.

And for that kind of pizza, I find a lot of places in Queens (or at least this part of Queens) don't have it quite right. The crust is too thick and bready, or it's thin but soggy so that even the basic cheese topping is too heavy, causing the crust to flop over and the toppings to slide off onto the table. Or, if you're not lucky, your lap. Lenny's stuff doesn't do that -- it holds together, and it seems to have (to me) the right balance of sweet/salty, crispy/chewy, and sturdy/light. Is that enough for a great pizza? I guess to me it is, but maybe the state of the art has passed me by, I don't know.

BTW, you mention Nick's, which I've never had, but from the descriptions and photos I see their stuff appears to be more of a modern/gourmet take on pizza, not the "classic" stuff I'm talking about here. And again, there's nothing wrong with that, I'm sure I probably will love it (and I will definitely check it out, though the fact that they don't do slices makes that a little difficult), but I regard that as a different animal. Comparing something like that with the old style of pizza that Lenny's makes is, if not apples and oranges, at least Granny Smith vs. Red Delicous. Maybe they're the same animal, but I don't consider them the same breed.

One of the good things about Sunnyside is there is SO much good food in a reasonably small area that I tend to not have to stray very far from where I live to get a pretty good selection. So generally I tend to confine myself to the area between, say, 40th and 48th strreets, between Queens Blvd. and 47th Ave, occasionally down to 48th (some of this is probably Woodside). The place on 40th just north of QB is a place I probably wouldn't ordinarily go because it's just on the edge of my zone, but I'll give it a try next time I'm in that area. I've read mixed reviews of Marabella's, to be honest, but perhaps I'm reading too much into them. I'll check that out too. Before Lenny's, the place I went most for pizza was Mediterraneo (North side of QB between 46th and 47th, I think), which I think has surprisingly good (albeit simple) Italian food, but I find their pizza too heavy, too thick. Similarly, there's another place just north of QB somewhere in the 40s (44th? 43rd? I forget) where I've been a few times and been disappointed for the same reason -- too heavy.

As to fresh herbs and exotic toppings, I like those too, but I don't consider them a requirement. And, for what it's worth, I had a very good buffalo chicken slice at Lenny's, which is at least a *little* nouveau. :) And it was quite good. Or I thought so, anyway.

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Marabella
41-07 Greenpoint Ave, Queens, NY 11104

Mediterraneo
46-21 Queens Blvd, Queens, NY 11104

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New in Sunnyside: Lenny's Pizza

So that would be a NO vote, then?

Did you actually try the pizza here, or just look at it? "Vile" is an awfully strong word for something that you thought looked sad or wasn't original.

And as far as novelty goes... what do you want? It's a pizza place. Has anyone invented a truly original pizza in the last decade (that someone else wouldn't call "vile")? [That's a rhetorical question, OK? I'm sure people could name a few examples here and there, my point is that one man's "novel new pizza idea" is another man's "disgusting perversion of a tradition," and that if I'm looking for something unusual that I've never seen before, I'm not likely to go looking for it in a pizza parlor.]

Whatever. Lesson learned: do not say nice things about pizza on Chowhound. I looked through other posts on the subject and clearly it is among the most contentious subjects out there.

I think Lenny's is very good. I don't think they do anything novel, but then, they don't claim to -- they talk about using old world recipes, and I think they do that better than anywhere else I've been nearby. Your mileage may vary, and clearly it does...

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New in Sunnyside: Lenny's Pizza

As I mentioned above, pizza is a pretty personal thing, I guess. I also have only had pizza from Lenny's by the slice; haven't had the occasion to order a whole pie from them. And last weekend was their first full weekend of being open (I think), so that could be an issue as well.

Or maybe you and I just don't agree on pizza. I will be interested in seeing what you say after a second shot at it. I also will tell you that I had a really good chicken hero there, some linguine with white clam sauce which, while not the best I've ever had in my life, was certainly way better than you get from most neighborhood pizza places, and a chicken marsala dinner that was pretty nice (though I think -- for that one item -- that Mediterraneo's may be a bit better).

What other pizza places in the immediate area do you think are good, though? Maybe I haven't tried them.

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Mediterraneo
46-21 Queens Blvd, Queens, NY 11104

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New in Sunnyside: Lenny's Pizza

Yeah, I meant what I said for the most part, because that's been my experience. But perhaps I've just been lucky, or my standards have been lowered by living outside the area for too long. In any case, I still believe (and other comments posted here in the past seem to support it) that the average pizza in Queens is not as good as the average in Manhattan, and that in general the average pizza in Queens is not all that good.

But I'm sure people will dispute that too. :) Pizza is a very personal thing, I think. I still like the place I mentioned here very much, and think it's better than anything else in the immediate vicinity, but I have a feeling I may come to regret some of the stronger statements in my original post. Oh, well.

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New in Sunnyside: Lenny's Pizza

Well, I said "good" and not necessarily great, but I suppose it's all relative. And subjective. My more important point was that the pizza in Queens is generally thought to be inferior, and having lived there for almost five years, I agree.... Whatever level of goodness you ascribe to the typical Manhattan slice, I think you can safely take that a couple of notches down when talking about Queens. Which is why I was happy about this place, which seems to buck the trend.

Can't say I've bought pizza on Staten Island, but given its high concentration of people of Italian heritage, that doesn't surprise me.

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any high quality sushi in brooklyn/queens??

I definitely would add my vote for Mickey's Place on Bell Blvd. in Bayside. Been going there since I lived in Forest Hills and they were also there (on the Rego Park line)... they moved East to Bayside and I moved West to Sunnyside and I STILL go there, plus I've turned a bunch of friends and relatives onto the place and they all swear by it. The thing about Mickey's is that the fish is impeccably fresh, and that's what makes the difference. The place is a family business and has that kind of vibe to it -- they don't do anything very fancy and they don't often stray very far from the familiar, but everything they do is really good, and surprisingly affordable compared to Manhattan prices. Plus, Mickey and Jennifer (the owners) are among the nicest people I know. They really get to know their regular customers, especially, and they and their staff treat them like family.

Another recent discovery of mine is TJ Asian Bistro, 50-19 Skillman Ave. in Woodside. This place is small and I understand the non-sushi dishes are average at best (never had any myself). But the sushi/sashimi is good and seemed fresh, and they have a very interesting array of unusual rolls, all served very artfully on beautifully-decorated plates. I don't find the atmosphere as welcoming as Mickey's (though I've only been there once, so maybe they need to get to know you first), and the sushi chefs' response to my question about which fish they especially recommended that day was the predictable but unhelpful "everything is good." But sill, there was much here to like, and I will be trying it again.

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Mickey's Place
40-17 Bell Blvd, Queens, NY 11361

TJ Asian Bistro
50-19 Skillman Ave, Queens, NY 11377

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New in Sunnyside: Lenny's Pizza

I know a pretty regular topic here is the dearth of really good pizza in Queens. There are a few decent places, but it's not like Manhattan, where you can walk in almost anywhere and be pretty certain you'll get a good pie, and sometimes an excellent one.

Well, I'm happy to report the recent opening of (at least in my opinion) a quite good pizza and Italian joint at 44-08 Greenpoint Ave. in Sunnyside (at the corner of 47th Ave., in the spot formerly occupied by the El Triangulo Colombian bakery, across the street from the Associated Supermarket): Lenny's Pizza.

There actually IS a Lenny, Lenny Russo, whose family has been in this business for a generation, running popular pizza places in the Flatiron district and, later, Midtown, but they left the business about seven years ago when the economy slowed down. Now, Lenny has decided to return to the pizza biz in Sunnyside, where he apparently grew up (most of this is from their website, by the way, but also from talking to Lenny, who's a really nice guy and presides over the counter with well-deserved pride and good cheer).

The pizza is uniformly good, I think, with a nice thin crust, nice sauce - not too sweet, not too salty - and a good sauce/cheese balance. I've sampled regular thin crust and "Grandma's" Sicilian style, and would rate them both top notch. I've also had a good Hero or two, a pasta dish and an entree; everything has been fresh and top notch in quality.

And Lenny's has only been open for about a week and a half, so as you can see, I like it quite a bit.

I'm originally from New York and am now back there again, but in between I lived in Boston (where the pizza isn't anywhere near as good) for a couple of decades, so I may be a bit less picky about pizza than I used to be. But I'm pretty sure this place is really good. Has anybody else been there? Would love to hear other people's comments.

Their website is www.lennyspizzany.com, by the way - their whole menu is there, also available in paper form at the counter. If you just look at the sign over the counter, you'll miss a lot of what they have (Lenny tells me there wasn't room to put everything on the sign unless he used type so small nobody could read it). They accept all major credit cards and offer free delivery,

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Lenny's Pizza
44-08 Greenpoint Ave, Queens, NY 11377

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Mongolian BBQ NYC

The "best" (i,.e., most comprehensive selection, most professional operation) Mongolian BBQ place I know is a small chain based in Boston calle Fire & Ice (http://www.fire-ice.com). They seem to be expanding slowly; in addition to their two original locations in Boston/Cambridge, they have one in Providence, one somewhere on the West Coast, and, apparently, one in West Nyack, in Rockland county. I know that's not exactly in Manhattan, but it might not be too bad a ride if you live in Westchester or Yonkers or near the NY/NJ border, or generally up in that direction. Dunno if that one's any good, though -- perhaps someone here has been there.

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Anyone Remember this Place in Lexington Center?

Actually, that's where I was headed. I wasn't so much wondering if people remembered the place for nostalgia's sake, I was wondering if people remembered it because I wondered if the people behind the place were still making their product and selling it somewhere. Alas, I seem to have hit a dead end there. Oh, well.

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Anyone Remember this Place in Lexington Center?

I remember Bel Canto being in the upstairs, end-of-building location at one point. I also remember them being somewhere else originally, a ground floor location, though my recollection was that it was not in that building. I could be thinking about a location in a different town, though, I dunno.

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Anyone Remember this Place in Lexington Center?

Hmm. That sounds vaguely familar, but I can't figure out if that's because the place in Lexington was Joyces English Muffins or because I have a cousin named Joyce.

If it is Joyce's, then here's an interesting article on the company and it's founder, David Vickers (and his brothers Rich and Dan):
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2004/12/16/building_a_better_english_muffin/

This says that Joyce's was at the Atrium from 1987-1991, which might be about right. It also says that the brothers started a new business ("New English Muffin Company") in 2004, which operated out of a warehouse in Woburn and sold its muffins through supermarkets and gourmet stores (including Whole Foods). I found a NY Times article from 2006 saying that the company had expanded into New York.

But alas, New English Muffin Co. seems to be gone now, too. Their website seems to be down and their phone number has been disconnected. Also, none of the stuff I've read has said that Joyce's had any locations other than the Atrium Mall one, but I guess that doesn't necessarily mean anything.

I dunno... does anyone else remember the place in Lexington being called Joyce's? I'm not sure about that. But I'm not sure it wasn't, either...

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Anyone Remember this Place in Lexington Center?

Interesting that you should mention Wilson Farms. Prior to posting this query, I did my research here like a good doobie to make sure nobody else had already bought it up. And in searching for messages about English muffins, somebody mentioned that Wilson Farms has really good ones -- and this was recently. I wonder if they're the same stuff; maybe the people closed their store but continue to make them for Wilson's.

Hm. I might have to check this out next time I'm in town...

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Toro dinner report

The corn sounds like a slightly upscaled version of elote, a popular street food in Mexico. A google search will yield plenty of recipes (here's a particularly good one, I think: http://foodblogga.blogspot.com/2008/09/how-to-make-elote-or-mexican-grilled.html), but basically it's a half (or sometimes whole) ear of grilled corn, coated with a mayonnaise/lime juice mixture (I'm sure nobody in Mexico calls it an aoili, but I guess technically that's what it is), then rolled in the crumbled cotija and sprinkled with a bit of cayenne and a litltle more lime juice. Traditionally, it's served on a little round stick and sold from little food carts (which you can find in latin-heavy areas of major US cities -- I know I've seen them in NYC, for instance, and heard reports that they are pretty common in Chicago).

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