queenseats's Profile
Breakfast in Astoria Near Ditmars
Are you looking for a sit-down full breakfast or something light? I recommend Patisserie Pistache, recently opened just north of Ditmars on 35th St. They source their pastries from Cannelle. There are a few stools in there, but could be a nice place to pick up some croissants and walk.
Best Greek restaurant in ASTORIA and bakery too(Greek) for dessert!
Thought I'd chime in here. It's pretty funny that every post for Greek food in Astoria turns out to be a bashing/defending back and forth re Taverna Kyclades. I, for one, am a supporter of Taverna. I've been going there for years with my family. Never had a bad meal once. I really enjoy their whole fish, saganaki, grilled octopus, sardines, dips. Had the quail as well, which was good, but I'd say their strength is in the fish/seafood department. The wait can be annoying, but I think it's worth it. It can be a rather affordable meal if you go with a group and share everything (otherwise, if you each order an entree and share a couple of apps, it can easily become a very pricey meal -- but this is no different from most Greek restaurants I've been to in Astoria).
As I mentioned above, I was really impressed by Agnanti. I loved Philoxenia, but it closed and has since been replaced by Thymari, which I have not yet tried. Whenever I pass it, it is empty, so not sure what kind of sign that is. I fear that their location is simply poor.
Another standby is Zenon. I had my wedding rehearsal dinner there. It will not blow you away, but it is consistently good and very affordable (particularly the mezze meals). I personally think that their meat dishes are stronger than their fish but they are Cypriot and I believe that Cypriot specialities are more meat based.
On the other hand, I detested Stamatis the couple of times I've been there. Very oily, greasy, sub-par and pricey. My family used to go to Elias Corner all the time back in the 90s but I haven't been there in over 6 years, so I have no idea if it's still good.
Summary: for simple, grilled fish/seafood Kyclades is a solid option. Have not explored enough of the menu at Agnanti to make a thorough assessment, but I plan to return often to do so. My first impression was very positive. Looking forward to trying Thymari if it thrives.
Best Greek restaurant in ASTORIA and bakery too(Greek) for dessert!
Wonder where you ended up. Finally tried Agnanti after ages of planning (it's usually too crowded when we've passed by in the past). Really enjoyed the experience. It was warm enough last evening to sit outside. Service is really friendly and efficient. We had a combination plate of the dips (best skordalia I've ever had -- super garlickly), Greek salad, grilled octopus to start. Then for our entree we shared the house specialty, the rooster with tiny pasta. Really interesting flavor. Never had rooster before -- kind of like dark meat chicken, served as two leg bones. The pasta was really light, airy and homemade (does not weigh you down). The sauce was the most interesting of all -- hints of spices not at all like an Italian pasta dish, I think we tasted cinnamon. Really different kind of dish, and we enjoyed it. They also give you complimentary dessert. We'll definitely be back this summer to enjoy some more good eats. Super pleasant to drink some wine and sit by the park.
D & f Astoria
D&F Deli on Broadway? Great Italian deli. We got hero sandwiches from them last weekend which were a big hit. Their cold cuts are very fresh and they have a nice supply of Italian grocery items.
Astoria Recs 2012
Most of the arepas are not spicy, in fact. And I'm sure they would accomodate dietary restrictions, they are very friendly and helpful there.
Astoria Recs 2012
Arepas Cafe for wonderful Venezuelan areapas, on nearby 36th Ave. It's casual enough for kids and has a nice array of choices.
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Arepas Cafe
33-07 36th Ave, Queens, NY 11106
30th ave in astoria? what's good?
Hi Janie. Lucky you, you have PLENTY of great options along 30th Ave. I just wrote this up over the weekend:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/836864
In addition to Via Trenta, there are a few recently opened places with great reviews. I enjoyed both Butcher Bar for locally sourced organic BBQ and Sugarfreak for Cajun. Heard very interesting things about Queens Comfort and hope to try it soon for brunch. Also on my short list to try is Harissa, a Moroccan cafe. Popular standbys include Ovelia (didn't love my one meal there but their menu looks promising) and Vesta further west. A new Indian restaurant opened near the N train, Namaste, which has gotten mixed reviews.
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Ovelia
34-01 30th Ave, Queens, NY 11103
Vesta
21-02 30th Ave, Queens, NY 11102
Harissa
34-05 30th Ave, Queens, NY 11103
Queens Comfort
40-09 30th Ave, Queens, NY 11103
Sugar Freak
36-18 30th Ave, Queens, NY 11106
Butcher Bar
37-08 30th Ave, Queens, NY 11103
Via Trenta
36-19 30th Ave, Queens, NY 11103
Namaste
31-15 30th Ave, Queens, NY 11102
Via Trenta - Astoria
Tried Via Trenta last night for dinner. It's a newish wood oven pizza/Italian restaurant on 30th Ave. The decor and vibe is more resto than pizza spot -- dimly lit, warm, cozy (perhaps the tables are a bit too close). The menu includes apps, salads, pizzas, pastas and a few secondi items as well as several daily specials. We shared the marinated olives, baby artichokes, Via Trenta pizza (with mozz, tomato, arugula, proscuitto de parma, and shaved parmesan) and the pappardelle with mushroom and truffle butter. They have a lovely marinated olive oil for the complementary bread. Cocktails were a hit -- a nice whiskey based drink and the other a spicy margarita. We then switched to some red wines (nice selection of reasonably priced Italian reds). The food was very good and we will be back to sample more of the menu. My husband and I were comparing it to Vesta (one of our favorites in this neighborhood). The individual dishes may not match some of the best that Vesta has to offer, but the meal was a uniformly solid one. We were also remarking how 30th Ave in Astoria has an incredible number of new, very good restaurants to chose from (Sugarfreak, Butcher Bar for example).
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Via Trenta
36-19 30th Ave, Queens, NY 11103
Great restaurant / food at the bar!? Where?
Does Grand Central Oyster Bar count? Love the ambiance of the bar. And full menu is available.
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Grand Central Oyster Bar
89 E 42nd St, New York, NY 10017
Are there any bbq places in queens that are good?
Another vote for John Brown Smokehouse. I'm not a huge BBQ fan but I was really blown over by this place. No ambiance to speak of, but the food is incredibly tasty. Everything we had was great, particularly the burnt ends.
Per my husband, who is from the midwest and whom I consider an "expert" in BBQ: "this is the best BBQ I've ever had." He also attested to the environment seeming straight out of Kansas City -- divey but who goes there for anything other than the food. We also liked Butcher Bar but upon comparison, John Brown is the clear winner. Though I'm glad to see these sorts of businesses that really care about the quality and source of their food thriving in Astoria. I was actually quite charmed by the off-the-beaten-path location of John Brown -- it feels like a well guarded secret. If it was in the middle of a more populated strip, the place would be mobbed. Though it sounds like they're doing well, as their Facebook posts often warn of things selling out quickly.
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John Brown Smokehouse
25-08 37th Ave, Queens, NY 11101
Have You Seen this Queens List???
Maybe we should start our own list? :) My biggest problem is that it encompasses such a wide range of places, from higher end to take-out or food stall types. Perhaps it may have been more useful to have it broken down into more specific categories. There were some I highly agreed with, others I found to be less deserving, and a few that were downright puzzling (5 Burros? Really?). I'm glad that some lesser discussed places got mentioned (Wafa's, Arepas Cafe).
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Arepas Cafe
33-07 36th Ave, Queens, NY 11106
Five Burro Cafe
72-05 Austin St, Queens, NY 11375
Wafa's
100-05 Metropolitan Ave, Queens, NY 11375
ASTORIA SALAD LUNCH PLACE-- HELP ASAP!! THANKS!!!
Hi Janie. What section of Astoria are you in? I really like JJ's Asian Fusion on 31st Ave for sushi. Down the block is Point Brazil, which has a great lunch buffet which includes good, fresh salad options. Another great lunch spot is Arepas Cafe on 36th Ave. I'd imagine that you can get a nice Greek salad at any of the reputable Greek spots, perhaps add some grilled chicken, etc. I love Zenon and Kyclades.
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Arepas Cafe
33-07 36th Ave, Queens, NY 11106
JJ's
3705 31st Ave, Queens, NY 11103
Zenon
34-10 31st Ave, Queens, NY 11106
Taverna Kyclades
3307 Ditmars Blvd, Queens, NY 11105
Point Brazil
38-03 31st Ave, Queens, NY 11103
Astoria bakery for a birthday cake
Hmm...their website shows pictures of various cakes, including birthday ones. I will call to find out.
Astoria bakery for a birthday cake
I'm in search of something similar and am considering Astor Bake Shop. Anyone had any experiences with them?
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Astor Bake Shop
12-23 Astoria Blvd, Queens, NY 11102
Zaab-Elee, new Thai in the east village, now the best Thai in NYC, perhaps.
Hey Bob. I was also there last Saturday night and had a polar opposite experience. Our waitress asked us about spice level (only for the papaya salad, as I guess our mains were not meant to be spicy) and we went with "3." I can tolerate a lot of heat, but my fiance does not. WOW. I can't imagine what a 4 or 5 would be. The salad was so spicy we had to drink our wine/beer between mouthfuls to extinguish the fire. We then split two mains: the crispy pork dish with minced green beans (I think that's what they are) and one of the specials, a clam dish. We enjoyed both mains, though the clam dish had a very strong flavor, perhaps of fermented fish sauce, that took a few bites to adjust to. Fiance and I are going to Thailand for our honeymoon in a couple months, so we go to Zabb Elee as a sort of "research" for Isaan food. So far both of our meals there (one this summer after all the hoopla and last weekend) have been exceptional.
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Zabb Elee
75 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003
New recommendations in Astoria
Just to add on:
Completely agree with CitySpoonful on Arepas Cafe, Zenon, and Home Made Taqueria. I have never been disappointed by any of these. LINN is very good, though I agree that it is pricey. I stopped being a fan of Leng after one very terrible dinner there. Though the space is lovely and the prices are fair. Homemade Falafel is very good, but I wish there were more options (my point of comparison for amazing Lebanese is Wafa's). I love Queens Kickshaw's coffee, it is truly amazing. I am just not a big grilled cheese fan. I tried Sugarfreak last week. It is hyped up on Astoria sites. I thought it was very good, just also do not tend to crave Cajun food so don't imagine I'll be there very often. I have John Brown Smokehouse on my list to try.
I still stand by my love for Vesta. Janie, I encourage you to try their brunch if their dinner menu does not excite you. It's very reasonable and the food is on point.
Janie - As to your point about being let down by Astoria restaurants, I am hard pressed to find any neighborhood that does not have the same issues. There are no places that are universally loved (even the most popular spots - think Sri, Difara's, etc - have their detractors). I used to live in Kew Gardens...while some of the Astoria restaurants may be overhyped, it is wonderful to live in a neighborhood where I have real food options, diverse and often delicious. Astoria is a much richer food neighborhood than many others in Queens, unfortunately (they should all be so lucky).
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Arepas Cafe
33-07 36th Ave, Queens, NY 11106
Zenon
34-10 31st Ave, Queens, NY 11106
Leng
33-09 Broadway, Queens, NY 11106
Linn
29-13 Broadway, Queens, NY 11106
Vesta
21-02 30th Ave, Queens, NY 11102
Wafa's
100-05 Metropolitan Ave, Queens, NY 11375
Queens Kickshaw
40-17 Broadway, Queens, NY 11103
Homemade Falafel
36-18 Broadway, Queens, NY 11106
Sugar Freak
36-18 30th Ave, Queens, NY 11106
Home Made Taqueria
45-09 34th Ave, Queens, NY 11103
John Brown Smokehouse
25-08 37th Ave, Queens, NY 11101
Putting together a "Best of the 7 Train" food crawl
I actually did something similar with some friends last summer. We started off at two of the Flushing malls, then walked under the 7 to Corona, where we did tacos/etc at Nixtimal. Then we walked to Jackson Heights and were too full for food, but maybe this would be a good stop for sweets? Then Guinness in Woodside. It took many hours and I think a better tour would take even more, because there are so many great eats along that route.
St. John's (Jamaica) in Queens: WALKABLE or SHORT Local bus ride for lunch/dinner
Has Cooking With Jazz re-opened since their fire? The times I have passed it it looked closed. Another option is to continue on the Q46 for another 15 minutes into Glen Oaks/Floral Park for Indian food. I don't think that the immediate area around St Johns has many options.
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Cooking with Jazz
179-22 Union Turnpike, Queens, NY 11366
Bar With Backyard BBQ
What about LIC Bar?
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LIC Bar
45-58 Vernon Blvd, Queens, NY 11101
Excellent Pressed Tortillas and tacos at Homemade Taqueria
This place is great. They have a nice variety of toppings on the side (including freshly-made guacamole, salsa, fresh cilantro) to add to your taco/torta/etc. They are super friendly. Excellent fresh juices as well.
The New Little Pepper in College Point
Biggest disappointment of the year for me. After having this place on my must try list for way too long, I trekked out there last week for lunch. Tried the sliced beef with green pepper, sliced fish (in some kind of soup), and the tea smoked duck. The fish was OK (for sure the favorite dish of the three), but all three really fell flat. Spice levels were just not there, despite telling the waiter that we like spicy. There were no flavor dimensions. The beef dish actually reminded me of a typical Chinese-American dish -- gloppy, one-note sauce. Barely Sichuan, other than the hot peppers in the dish. The duck was the most disappointing. Dry, gristly meat. I almost wanted to ask for a dipping sauce, just to make it edible. It was a $45 meal, after tax/tip. I hope that this was an anomaly, but we're in no rush to return. Service was prompt, however.
Awesome gyro
Just wanted to give a shout out to BZ Grill. It had been on my list for a while to try, and finally got a chance over the weekend. Had a pork and chicken gyro and a salad. The gyros, particularly the pork, were amazing. Juicy, meaty hunks along with the best tzatziki sauce I've ever had. I scarfed down my gyro in about 10 seconds, it was sooo good. The salad was a great value. Came with tomatoes, capers, roasted peppers. I threw in some good Greek feta and it was crazy good. Enough food for lunch the next day.
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BZ Grill
2702 Astoria Blvd, Queens, NY 11102
French person coming to NYC for the first time - I made a list for him
Quite a list! Note that Southern Spice's Flushing location has closed and is supposedly reopening in New Hyde Park.
Rockaway Beach eats
Had the papaya salad at Ode to the Elephants on Sunday. It was really fantastic, but waiting for it was a pain. The service seems disorganized and slow. There was a sign saying that they were opening at 12, but at 12 the guy was vague about when exactly they'd open ("a few minutes") and they were out of several menu items (or they had not yet been prepared). I also highly recommend Rockaway Taco (the store on 96th St). Their stand on the beach has a limited version of the menu. The actual store has excellent beef tacos. I also agree that the ice shop next door is excellent. They use real fruit to make the ices. The flavors vary each time I've been there. I was blown away by the plum and nectarine flavors -- it's like biting into the actual fruit. Amazing.
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Rockaway Taco
95-19 Rockaway Beach Blvd, Queens, NY 11693
Ode to the Elephants
Shore Front Pkwy Beach 96th St, Queens, NY 11693
Any Suggestions for Group of 14 in Long Island City or Astoria?
I'm doing my rehearsal dinner (with similar party size, age range, and tastes) at Zenon in Astoria. Prices are fair, considering the huge portions, and the food is fresh and delicious. My family does not like Mexican food, otherwise I would have considered De Mole in Sunnyside/Woodside. They have a side room which is ideal for small private parties. Food and ambiance is charming.
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Zenon
34-10 31st Ave, Queens, NY 11106
De Mole
45-02 48th Ave, Queens, NY 11377
Top 5 Restaurants to try in Queens?
MegC, thanks for chiming in. I'm with you on dislike for L'Incontro. Granted I had one meal there, almost three years ago, but it was so unspecial and overpriced, I have no desire to try it again. I think to some degree the "debate" over Vesta can be attributed to different tastes, but I also wonder if it was tried on an off-night. I just tried the pizza for the first time and really enjoyed it -- I opted for the whole wheat crust and it was great - thin but not crackery at all. I think that Vesta does some dishes more strongly than others (and I can say this too about almost any place I've dined at -- including high end restos like EMP). I don't think I'm over-hyping Vesta. When we were there this weekend, the place was full, so I don't think they're having any trouble with business. The great thing about Chowhound is that we're all entitled to our opinions and this is the place to share varying experiences.
Top 5 Restaurants to try in Queens?
That's how I've seen it described in blogs, but my association to toffee is that it can be cloyingly sweet, which the Baby Jesus cake is not. I can't really compare it to anything -- try it and see what you think!
