Posidonio - Will it Last?

Posidonio - 33-12 36th Avenue, Astoria NY 11106
718.729.4945
N/W Train to 36th Avenue

Many of you probably recognize the facade on this "new" Greek eatery on 33rd Street and 36th Avenue. That's because the building stays the same but the name of the restaurant keeps changing often - as in every couple of months. The space has seen a plethora of Greek establishments from Athena to Matrix to g-d knows what. The newest iteration is called Posidonio and I'm curious about how long it will last. The sign is slightly scary and domineering, with a half naked Greek god showing a helpless ship who's boss. Anywho, I looked at the menu and wanted to give you a preview:

Appetizers:
Cold Dips - Taramosalata (caviar dip), tzatziki, melitzanosalata (eggplant dip)...$9.95
Kefalograviera - Imported Greek cheese with tomato and olives...$8.95
Pan Fried Calamari...$9.95
Garides Saganaki - Sauteed jumbo shrimp, feta, tomato and olive oil...$12.95
Keftedakia - Mini meatballs with lemon and wine sauce...$7.95
Loukaniko - Greek sausage with lemon and wine sauce...$7.95

Seafood:
Seafood Plate - Grilled jumbo shrimp and salmon...$17.95
Jumbo Shrimp Greek Island Style - With feta, tomato, onion, over rice...$15.95
Grilled Filet of Salmon...$14.95

Steak-Chops-Chicken:
Ribeye Steak 16oz - Marinated in Greek seasoning...$16.95
Baby Lamb Chops - Marinated in Greek seasoning...$17.95
Chicken or Pork Kebab - Over rice...$13.95

Rio Market - Brazilian Specialty Foods

Rio Market - 32-15 36th Avenue, Astoria NY 11106
718.706.7272
N/W Train to 36th Avenue

I was both surprised and delighted when I saw that a new Brazilian specialty supermarket opened up on 36th Avenue and 32nd street. A bit confused at first, I couldn't figure out what it was, as the space also houses a Brazilian travel agency and a small eatery, offering various grilled meats and even desserts.

Exploring the supermarket portion, which is located in the middle of the two aforementioned businesses, I saw that that they carry a lot of interesting national foods such as breads (both sweet and savory), meat, sweets and inventive frozen foods such as croquettes. They offered a generous tasting of the latter and they were delicious--I really liked the chicken breast and cheese croquette the best and might have to buy it the next time I host a cocktail party.

Prices are inexpensive and judging by Saturday's traffic, it doesn't get crowded. I'd suggest checking it out and stopping at Arepas Cafe for an afternoon snack. Yum!

Malagueta - The Steak was a Hit

Malagueta - 25-35 36th Avenue, Astoria, NY 11106
718.937.4821

N/W Train to 36th Avenue

I recently had a romantic dinner with Dan at Malagueta, mainly because I wanted to introduce it to him and also because I was craving their Moqueca de Camarao (shrimp stew, palm oil, onions, peppers, coconut milk and cilantro). Besides getting that and the already-tried Brazilian sausage with fried yucca, Dan ordered the most delicious steak that I wanted to highlight here:

Broiled Steak - Brazilians are known for their steak so Dan, a serious meat eater, was eager to try it. Malagueta's broiled steak over-delivered on all counts--presentation, taste and texture. The cut was a classic filet mignon and it was cooked perfectly, medium-rare. The mashed potatoes were also nice, although not overly exciting--again seasoned well and not too heavy.

The sauteed spinach was my favorite component and I pretty much finished most of Dan's portion--it was so crispy that I thought it had been fried. It tasted more like spinach chips rather than unexciting sauteed spinach--I asked how the chef prepared it but I didn't get a straight answer. I would definitely like to make this style of spinach at home if I learned how.

Service and Cost:
Our servers were hospitable and friendly but also lax. We liked that, as we were looking for a romantic evening without too many disruptions. Just perfect--I'd highly recommend it for an intimate meal.

A lovely dinner consisting of an appetizer, two entrees and two drinks set us back about $35 per person including tax and tip. Muito sabroso!

3 Mmmms

Sabor Tropical is now Samba Tropical

A few months ago, I mentioned Sabor Tropical's move from 30th Avenue to 36th Avenue. A few changes took place along with the move including a new name--it's now called Samba Tropical. Not sure why this happened, as I thought that Sabor had good recognition amongst Astorians.

The second most significant change was the stop in rodizio style service, which so many people--including my husband and I--love. But it's not all bad news, for I think that the new location has better visibility, now closer to the subway. They also boast some interesting and affordable specials--just take a peek at the below lunch offering:

All dishes are served with rice, mixed greens, fried banana, potato salad.

Bife Acebolado - steak and onions...$7.95
Bife Acavalo - steak and eggs...$7.95
Frango Grelmado - grilled chicken breast...$7.95
Frango Milanesca - chicken breast battered and fried...$7.95
File de Peixe a Limau - tilapia filet sauteed in lemon and butter...$8
Fraldinha Carioca - skirt steak topped with harts of palm...$9

Samba Tropical - 35-48 31st Street, Astoria NY 11106
718.777.8506
N/W Train to 36th Avenue

Arepas Cafe - Pockets of Heaven

Arepas Cafe - 33-07 36th Avenue, Astoria NY 11106
718.937.3835

N/W Train to 36th Avenue
www.arepascafe.com

My visit to Arepas Cafe was spur-of-the-moment, and it happened right after I ran out of the Astoria Shopping Event, held at the Cup. The event sounded great in theory, but in reality it was too crowded and the merchandise wasn't all that. I dragged Dan out with me in the cold, so I made it up to him by taking him to Arepas, a delicious, low-key Venezuelan spot.

Atmosphere:
Arepas is as simple as can be yet it still evokes feelings of comfort and ease. The space is small, seating about 25 - 30 people and it's definitely more suitable for singles, couples or small groups rather than large parties.

The decor is standard, with blond wood tables and chairs that still manage to be comfortable. There's a counter up front from which you can order or you can get waited on by the sole waitress there. Arepas didn't get very crowded throughout our visit, so one waitress for three occupied tables wasn't such a bad ratio.

Something interesting--that also looked very Venezuelan--was a colorful tribal mask that hung right above the counter. The design and the colors were beautiful, embellishing the room and making it feel more authentic.

Food:
We knew what to expect from the menu, as we sometimes fix-up arepas at home--but our amateur attempts didn't come close to this goodness. We walked out of the restaurant happy and full but not grotesquely stuffed. Here's what we tried:

Mini Empanadas - Yum! These were so tasty mainly because of their crispy arepa crust. It was a very different kind of empanada from what I'm used to--more crunchy and less flaky. Each empanada had a unique stuffing, as there were four varieties - cheese, shredded beef, chicken and baby shark. Surprisingly enough, my favorite empanada was the baby shark--the meat was tender and seasoned perfectly. It had nice freshness to it, and there was no fishy aftertaste whatsoever. A close second favorite was the chicken and I was glad to see that they doubled up on this flavor.

Arepas - These were the real show-stoppers and the main reason why we came. I went for the chicken with melted cheddar cheese while Dan ordered the popular, Carne Mechada (Venezuelan shredded beef). Both were delicious and the meat in both was extremely tender and seasoned with a plethora of Latin spices. Once again, the actual arepa was my favorite part--crunchy, light and not greasy at all.

Jugo de Papelon con Limon (Brown sugar homemade lemonade) - This sounded too good to be true and I was skeptical until it arrived before me in all its glory. A tall glass of beautiful bronze liquid, it looked like apple cider. The taste was unlike anything I've tried--super sweet with a lovely tart finish--a cross between a cider and a lemonade, if you will. Although I'm not doing it justice with words, trust me on this one and just try it.

Service and Cost:
Our waitress was good. Although I'm not sure that she spoke great English, we communicated well and all of our dishes came out quickly. It was nice that she was within arm's reach, so we could ask her a question or request something whenever we wanted to.

Arepas Cafe won't put a dent in your wallet and I'd go as far as to call it an economy meal. Arepas are cheap and generally range between $5 - $6. For the meal that I just described, which included an appetizer, two arepas and two drinks, our total was $21.

Don't miss this recession-friendly deal--I'll certainly be back.

3 Mmmms