Playing Bartender at 5 Napkin Burger

It’s no secret that I’m passionate about food and do my fair share of dabbling in cooking and baking. But as far as cocktails are concerned, I’m a downright novice when it comes to creation. Sure, I know what I like and can figure out which flavors work well together – I’m just not a particularly talented mixologist.

That’s where 5 Napkin Burger came in recently, as they invited a select group of bloggers to join them for a night of cocktail mixing. Having a resident mixologist came handy, as we learned to make some basic yet classic cocktails you can never go wrong with.

Even though the whole process required a lot of patience (and sometimes a few different steps), the result was always a delicious and carefully crafted beverage that tasted so much better than something straight out of the bottle. I strongly urge you to try some of these at home, or pop into 5 Napkin Burger and they’ll hook you up.

Favorite Drink:
Even though it was the most basic of the three cocktails we made that night, the margarita was an absolute standout, and made me appreciate the art that goes into making it. The key was using fresh ingredients such as fresh lemon and lime juice, a little bit of simple syrup and a scoop of ice to ensure the drink tasted smooth and chill. You do need a few pieces of basic mixology tools such as a shaker, strainer, a mixing glass and a little jigger to measure everything out. The best part is shaking it up, and getting a little fancy with it. It was fun to watch everyone creating this cocktail, incorporating into it their own personal swagger.

Here’s the classic margarita recipe, courtesy of 5 Napkin Burger:

Ingredients:
1.5 oz El Jimador Silver Tequila          
2 scoops of ice
1 oz Bols Triple Sec                               
Lime Wedge
1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice                       
Kosher Salt
1 oz Fresh Lime Juice      
1 oz Simple Syrup

Equipment:
Metal shaker
Mixing glass
Strainer
Jigger
Ice scoop
Double Old Fashion Glass

Building Procedure:
1. In a mixing glass, add El Jimador Silver Tequila, Bols triple sec, fresh lemon juice, fresh  lime juice and simple syrup 
2. Add ice
3. Shake
4. Pour over fresh ice in the double old fashioned glass with salted rim
5. Garnish with a lime wedge on rim of glass
6. 2 small black straws

5 Napkin Burger - 35-01 36th Street, Astoria, NY 11106 
718.433.2727
N/Q Train to 36th Avenue
www.5napkinburger.com 

4 Random Creative Croissants

Just because I've been spotting some randomly cool food things around Astoria, I thought I'd round them up here for a little quickie inspiration.  A mixture of food deals, special menu items, contests and more, I hope you enjoy these creative croissants.

So fun! SingleCut Beersmiths is running a caption contest on their site.  You'll notice their mascot, Rulpsen popping up on their homepage, so why not give him something to say?  Submit your caption directly on their site or through Facebook or Twitter and you can win a 64 oz growlrrr filled with your favorite brew.

Have you checked (or downloaded) the awesome Scoutmob app? I've gotten tons of great deals out of it in Astoria, including a discount at Crave Astoria, Winegasm, the Mad Donkey, and now the latest discounts for Saffron Indian Cuisine, Ovelia, Latin Cabana, Astoria Bier & Cheese and more.  Remember that these are 100% free coupons that don't require a pre-payment.  Bottom line - they're awesome!

Did you know that 5 Napkin Burger is featuring a special Oktoberfest inspired burger? I've never had a German-style burger, but this one sounds pretty unique, as it's packed with lots of hearty ingredients such as ground beef infused with Knockwurst spices, munster cheese, smoky bacon, mustard, onions all enveloped in a pretzel roll. Sounds pretty awesome, especially when paired with a fall pumpkin ale.  35-01 36th Street, Astoria.  718.433.2727

Oh and how can I forget that my fellow foodie comrade, Tyson Ho, the hogmaster behind Arrogant Swine is in a great Arby's commercial.  See him giving expertise about the almighty pig, specifically Carolina style BBQ.

5 Napkin Burger Happy Hour Nosh

Last week, Dan and I spent Sunday evening at the Museum of Moving Image, as we went to see a great film called Enough Said with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and James Gandolfini (his last motion picture).  Prior to the movie, we stopped at 5 Napkin Burger's Happy Hour for a little bite and some beers.

Since it was Sunday, they had all the football games on the big screen, and Dan enjoyed that aspect of the experience very much.  I liked the food a lot more, and there's a few things here I'd like to highlight:

Guacamole - We liked munching on this chunky guac, which came with a side of tortilla chips.  Priced at just $4, we thought the portion was generous and we even had a little extra left over at the end.  The avocados tasted fresh and boasted nice texture and flavor, the  whole mixture being seasoned nicely.

Fried Pickles & Pastrami - This is one of our favorite signature 5 Napkin Burger dishes, as it's a unique little roll of pastrami heaven.  Loving its fried exterior and the contrast of savory and sour flavors inside, it usually does the trick of satisfying our fried food craving.  We liked the Happy Hour version, but thought that the exterior had been crispier in the past.  It seems like the batter was done in a tempura style vs. the crunchy panko style we've been used to in the past.

Bavarian Pretzel Sticks - A big stand-out of our experience, the pretzel sticks were piping hot and were accompanied by a little pot of cheesy fondue.  The combination was excellent, and the thick cheese tasted as if it had beer in it.  It was the perfect pairing with my Singlecut ale.

Service and Cost:
I'm disappointed to say that our service was quite poor.  Unfortunately, we felt as if our waitress couldn't care less about us, and on several occasions  she forgot about our order, didn't bother asking us if we wanted something to drink or if we were satisfied in general.

Costs are competitive, and the above mentioned dishes, including 2 drinks set us back just $30 including tax and tip.

2 Mmmms

5 Napkin Burger - 35-01 36th Street, Astoria, NY 11106 
718.433.2727
N/Q Train to 36th Avenue
5napkinburger.com

It's a Bacon, Keg, and Cheese Party at 5 Napkin Burger

Image by 5 Napkin Burger

Now that the weather has gotten more cooperative, I like to see that local restaurants are reinvigorating interest in their sidewalk seating.  5 Napkin Burger is a good example of this, as they'll be featuring a special sidewalk event this coming Saturday in collaboration with SingleCut Beersmiths.  Penned as their Bacon, Keg & Cheese party, they'll be celebrating their summertime brunch outdoors with a special bacon, egg and cheese brunch burger (pictured above) that will be paired with SingleCut beer of course.  Here are the deets for this weekend, and if you're interested, you can reserve your seats so you can score a nice table outside.

Bacon, Keg & Cheese Party
Saturday, August 10th from 11:00 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Featuring $20 bottomless pints for anyone sitting on the patio

5 Napkin Burger - 35-01 36th Street, Astoria, NY 11106 
718.433.2727
N/Q Train to 36th Avenue
5napkinburger.com

5 Napkin's Kegs & Eggs Brunch

Last week, I mentioned 5 Napkin's Kegs & Eggs brunch, which I had the pleasure to attend.  My mom and dad came along too and really enjoyed themselves.  Even though we didn't go too crazy with the beer, we had a taste of the SingleCut Billy 18 Watt IPA and liked its bitter hoppy flavor.  

Just to recap things for you a bit, Kegs & Eggs offers $20 bottomless pints for 2 hours during brunch hours.  

It was nice to see the patio open and by the early afternoon, it was nearly all filled up with hungry Astorians.  Many folks came with larger groups and seemed to make a social outing from this experience, which was great to see.
In addition to the beer of course, here are some dishes we tried:

Healthy Frittata - Wanting to keep things nutritious, I ordered the egg white frittata with spinach, tomatoes, onions and peppers.  It was nice and light with little air pockets inside that made it feel super fluffy.  The veggies added an earthy flavor, which went nicely with the well done hash browns and the side of salad dressed with a simple oil and vinegar dressing.  I like that it didn't make me feel overly full, but instead energized and satiated.

Other Dishes - My parents also went with lighter dishes, my mom ordering the Southwestern Chicken Salad and my dad also going with a chicken dish, the Churrasco chicken breast. I was intrigued by the chimichurri sauce on top of the latter dish, which made it look vibrant and taste delicious too.  My dad also liked the side of fried goodies such as French fries and onion rings.  A little bit of salad came with it too, making this a generous offering.

Service and Cost:
Excellence in service never fails to prevail here, as our waiter was really wonderful and paid attention to all our needs. We asked him to hold our food until my dad came to join us and he was more than happy to oblige.  Everyone was really kind and accommodating.

Costs are moderate and include anywhere from $9.75 - $15.50 for egg dishes or $11.50 - $18.95 for other lunch food.

3 Mmmms

5 Napkin Burger - 35-01 36th Street, Astoria, NY 11106
718.433.2727
N/Q Train to Steinway Street, R/M Train to Steinway Street
www.5napkinburger.com

Kegs & Eggs is Coming to 5 Napkin Burger

Spring is in the air, that's for sure, and 5 Napkin Burger is celebrating.  In honor of their springtime patio opening this weekend, they're hosting a Kegs & Eggs event this Saturday, 4/27 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.  What's in store?  Lots of local beers from SingleCut Beersmiths and their classic brunch.  And if you're really thirsty, you can enjoy a 2 hour bottomless pints for $20.  To whet your appetite a little more, here are some yummy highlights of their brunch:

Southwestern Chicken Salad - grilled chipotle rubbed chicken breast, mixed greens with chayote, cherry tomatoes, roasted red peppers, grilled corn, red onions, cotija cheese, tortilla strips & ranch dressing

Burger Salad - 7 oz. beef, turkey, lamb or veggie patty on top of chopped greens, endive, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, green beans, red onion, radishes, celery, pickled onions, choice of dressing

Cheesey Omelette - choice of gruyere, cheddar, american, pepperjack, feta, mozzarella

Healthy Frittata - egg whites with 1 yolk, spinach, tomatoes, onions & peppers

Artichoke Benedict - artichoke, spinach & mozzarella dip gratineed on a toasted potato roll with 2 poached eggs & hollandaise sauce

Breakfast Tacos - 2 flour tortillas, scrambled eggs & chorizo with cotija, avocado, crispy shallots & salsa verde

Whatcha think? Will I see you there?

5 Napkin Burger - 35-01 36th Street, Astoria, NY 11106
718.433.2727
N/Q Train to Steinway Street, R/M Train to Steinway Street
www.5napkinburger.com

5 Napkin Burger Daily Drinks Specials

I was intrigued to see the latest and greatest at 5 Napkin Burger in terms of their drinks offering, as they rolled out their daily drinks specials this week.  It's nice to see that the offering is pretty varied and includes everything from craft beer, wine and cocktails.  Check out these fun specials and let me know which ones you like best.

Sunday - Craft Beer Night
Select bottled craft beers $5 each or 5 for $20

Monday - Martini Madness
$6 specialty martinis (i.e. Great Escape Martini, Cucumber Gin Martini, Luau Martini)

Tuesday - Flight Night
$12 flights of any 4 draft beers

Wednesday - Wine & Well Night
$5 glasses of wine, $20 bottles of wine, $5 well drinks
Includes Pinot Grigio, Mandra Rossa, Sicily, Italy 2010 $5 / $20
Riesling, Relax, Mosel, Germany 2011 $5 / $20
Sauvignon Blanc, The Infamous Goose, Marlborough, New Zealand 2011 $5 / $20
Chardonnay, Penfolds, Rawson’s Retreat, South Australia 2010 $5 / $20
Super Tuscan, Frescobaldi Remole, Toscana, Italy 2010 $5/ $20
Shiraz, Bergkelder Fleur du Cap, Stellenbosch, South Africa 2010 $5/ $20
Malbec, Don Miquel Gascon, Mendoza, Argentina 2010 $5/ $20
Pinot Noir, Edna Valley, San Luis Obispo, California 2010 $5/ $20
Well gin, vodka, tequila, rum

Thursday - Pint night

5 Napkin Burger - 35-01 36th Street, Astoria, NY 11106
 718.433.2727
N/Q Train to 36th Avenue
5napkinburger.com

5 Napkin Unveils a $5 Burger

We sure love our deals in Astoria, so when I heard that 5 Napkin Burger has rolled out a $5 burger for lunch, I just had to spread the news.  Known for their sizeable 10 ozers, its $5 sibling is about half this size at 4 oz, which will still be delicious and filling.  

The $5, 5 Napkin Burger is a classic take on their namesake dish - dressed with melted cheese, lettuce, tomato and pickles.  You can get this all week, Monday-Friday starting from 11:30 a.m. all the way through 5:00 p.m. And if your hunger still gets the best of ya, you can add on a $2 slider from their Happy Hour menu (M-S from 4 p.m. - 7 p.m.), which intersects with $5 burger time.  So the moral of this story is...get your burger on!

5 Napkin Burger - 35-01 36th Street, Astoria, NY 11106 
 718.433.2727
N/Q Train to 36th Avenue
5napkinburger.com

5 Napkin Happy Hour Has Changed But It Still Got It

It's been a while since I've sat down to 5 Napkin's awesome happy hour, and last week Meg and I popped in for a visit.  We were seeing some films over at MOMI and decided to take a quick break in between for some nourishment.  It was perfect timing too, as 5 Napkin's happy hour was still going on, which I love.  

We arrived with a half hour to spare and ordered right away.  Consequently, we found out there are some changes to the happy hour deal, as they no longer offer hand rolls on the menu.  We ordered them anyway for $4 a pop, which is still a good deal, considering their hefty size.

New Happy Hour Menu:
The items that are staying put on 5 Napkin's happy hour menu are the $2 sliders, which can't be beat.  I particularly love the veggie slider, pictured above, which is hearty and really flavorful for an all veggie patty.  Two other varieties still on this menu are their classic chuck slider and a slightly revamped turkey mushroom slider.

Beer:
In terms of the drinks, they're still offering $4 drafts, including the SingleCut 19-33 Lagrrr, which we both ordered.  It was bitter and clean tasting, and not too full bodied, which was perfect since we were also having sliders.  It comes highly recommended.

If you're wondering about the timing of all this goodness, it's remained unchanged and applies each day of the week from 4 p.m. - 7 p.m. as well as from 10:00 p.m. to close.

5 Napkin Burger - 35-01 36th Street, Astoria, NY 11106 
 718.433.2727
N/Q Train to 36th Avenue
5napkinburger.com

5 Napkin Burger's New Menu Upgrade

Image by 5 Napkin Burger

One of my all time burger faves in Astoria, 5 Napkin Burger never ceases to impress me with how they always keep things fresh and interesting for their patrons.  Not only are they experts in juicy, succulent and creative burgers, but now they're expanding their menu to new items, which are conducive to sharing, being that they're technically small plates.  

There are several categories of the new menu items including all American snacks, sushi and additional cocktails too.  Here's a little taste of what you can expect, as of today.

Wasabi deviled eggs with siracha
Warm Bavarian pretzel sticks with cheese fondue
Pimento cheese potato skins (pictured above)
Pesto flatbread
Crispy fried calamari
5 Napkin tacos with chipotle chicken, pulled pork, chipotle tofu, carne asada, grilled mahi or tempura shrimp

Maki rolls, including spicy tuna-cucumber, California crab, vegetable - avocado and spicy yellowtail

Triple roasted pineapple margarita, with Hornitos Reposada tequila
5 Napkin classic margarita, made with El Jimador Silver and citrus
Tecate michelada, with Frank's red hot and salt
Diablo agave, with Tanteo jalapeno tequila, cucumber and citrus

5 Napkin Burger - 35-01 36th Street, Astoria, NY 11106 
718.433.2727
N/Q Train to 36th Avenue
5napkinburger.com 

Friday is National Eat Outside Day - For Real!

Recently learning about this random yet fun little food holiday through Mojave's newsletter, I was only too happy to start thinking about some of my favorite places in Astoria with the best outdoor spots.  Mojave of course tops the list, but here are a few others.  For the record, National Eat Outside Day is this Friday, August 31st.  Happy dining!

Mojave - My We Heart Astoria colleague, Meg recently shouted them out as having a beautiful outdoor space, and she has some pretty neat pictures up on the site.  I couldn't agree more and think Mojave is a great respite after a long grueling day in the city.  My favorites to get are their frozen margaritas (especially the mango), the plantain empanadas appetizer, Motherroad Roadhouse Chili (yes...even during the summer!) and any of their fajitas.  22-36 31st Street, Astoria.  718.545.4100

Ovelia - Being around for a few years now, Ovelia has always had fabulous sidewalk seating that snakes around the side of the restaurant.  It's also great when they open up their "garage door" window, which makes you feel like you're sitting outside even if you're technically inside.  There's so many awesome yummies you can grab here including their fried feta cubes, coated in black sesame seeds; fried-to-perfection zucchini croquettes; the spicy kafteri feta dip and more!  34-01 30th Avenue, Astoria.  718.721.7217

5 Napkin Burger - Even though you normally may not think of this place as a choice for outdoor dining, their sidewalk seating is enormous, and it's right in the middle of the 35th Avenue action.  I love this place a lot because their food really accommodates any kind of diet restrictions, as both carnivores and vegetarians can chow down without compromise.  Although I'm far from a vegetarian, I often get their veggie burger, since it's so darn exceptional and filling.  Don't forget to get a side of sweet potato fries along with it.  35-01 36th Street, Astoria.  718.433.2727

Winegasm - Recently coming here with Mackenzi, we sat outside and enjoyed a really pleasant evening.  While the outdoor seating isn't as extensive as some of the other places I mention here, it's really nice and generally provides a private atmosphere.  If you're just stopping in for a quick snack, I urge you to try the mushroom crostini, which contains generous amounts of truffle oil and gooey fontina cheese.  31-86 37th Street, Astoria.  718.932.3331

At Home! - While we enjoy eating out as a special treat, there's nothing like cooking your own homemade meal and eating it on the porch, in the backyard, on the front stoop, front yard or what have you.  Some delicious resources that will surely keep you stocked with interesting foods include: Mediterranean Foods, Artopolis Bakery (just next door to Med Foods), Titan Foods, Parrot Coffee Market, Rosario's and more.  

Happy Eat Outside Day!

5 Napkin Can Really Roll

After what was a very long week, Dan and I hit one of our favorite Happy Hour spots, 5 Napkin Burger to celebrate the end of a long week, as well as some personal noteworthy accomplishments.  Congrats Dan!

It's no secret that 5 Napkin features a 7 day Happy Hour from 4 p.m. - 7 p.m. and now also from 9 p.m. - close.  This was news to us, and we'll definitely be taking advantage of this late night special on an upcoming weekend.

What I wanted to highlight here is something new that we tried, that was simply awesome.  While most of us come to 5 Napkin for their exceptional burgers and fries, Dan and I dipped into their sushi offering during Happy Hour, which proved to be awesome.  Even though I've heard good things about their sushi, I hadn't really tried it all that often.  Dan mentioned that their hand rolls were great, so we got a few (quite a bit actually) and weren't disappointed.

Spicy Tuna Hand Roll - Although the image above is actually of their salmon hand roll, the spicy tuna looked very similar, only know that each roll was a lot bigger.  In fact, I think almost double the size of the one you see above, which is the catering/party version.  

First off, I love their shape - looking like neat little cones, the delicious contents are placed somewhat loosely inside, and they're pretty different than your traditional sushi roll, which is pretty tight and compact.  The tuna is super fresh and found in generous chunks, flavored with spicy mayo, crunchy bright red roe and fresh, zesty cucumber.  It's a filling bite, especially if you have about two or three or four!

Service and Cost:
I've never experienced anything but great service here, and that's certainly also the case during Happy Hour.  All the waitstaff is attentive and the food is brought out in good time.  Note that if you're pressed for time, you can get in and out of here in about a half hour to forty minutes, drinks and food included.

At $4 beers, $2 sliders and $2 hand rolls, you simply can't go wrong. Need I say more?!

3 Mmmms
5 Napkin Burger - 35-01 36th Street, Astoria, NY 11106 
718.433.2727
N/Q Train to 36th Avenue
5napkinburger.com 

5 Napkin Stone Brewing Company Event was Awesome

Last week, you may recall me running a giveaway on the site in partnership with 5 Napkin Burger for their Beer & Bourbon dinner series, this one hosted by the Stone Brewing Company.  One lucky winner received a pair of tickets (congrats Christina!), and I was fortunate to meet this lovely woman, with an immense passion for good food and drink.  

Joined also by Meg and Mackenzi, my We Heart Astoria colleagues, we had a great time tasting all the thoughtfully paired food with the Stone craft beers.  Even Mackenzi who's not a huge beer fan became a semi-convert.

Atmosphere:
I like the steady format, which these events take, the first half hour - 45 minutes reserved for casual beer and app time, while the rest of it is spent at a big communal table eating dinner and indulging in various brews, paired with some delicious eats.

The first getting-to-know you part is quite nice, as you get to meet the brewers for the first time as well as your fellow diners.  All this is strategically timed for when you go into the main dining room and actually get to sit with these folks to a nice dinner and discuss everyone's favorite topics at hand - burgers and craft beer.  

Food:
There's usually a special menu that accompanies the beers, keeping in mind their unique flavors, making sure that it doesn't outshine them.  Last week was no different, as we indulged in an exciting menu of diverse apps, a beer/potato/cheddar soup, two choices of specialty burgers and a custom smoked porter creme brulee.  Needless to say, we were completely stuffed but in the best meaning of the word.

Apps - Finger foods are a nice way to enjoy beer, whetting your appetite for the main event.  I loved the nice variety here, which spanned from bite sized beer belly and egg sandwiches to grilled chipotle shrimp and even tempura fried vegetables.  Everything was fresh, piping hot, and ultra flavorful, which started the evening off on the right note.  My personal favorites were the fiery grilled shrimp and the pork belly sandwiches, which showcased a nice flavor mix of slightly sweet and savory.

Potato Ale & Gruyere Soup - I always love me some soup, and was excited to see we were kicking off the dinner in this way.  Judging by its name, I knew this would be a no joke, thick porridge, rather than a light soup, which was the right hypothesis.  It paired quite well with Stone's Arrogant Bastard ale, which as its name implies is also robust and aggressive in taste.  I enjoyed filling my spoon with the thick soup after each gulp of the Bastard, which further enhanced its flavors and brought out its yeasty beer notes.

Pimento Cheese Burger - This burger debuted on the menu just for this event, so I naturally had to see what it was all about.  It was a hot ticket item, as most of the table ordered it too and everyone seemed impressed by its bold, uncompromising flavor.  But even before I get into its taste, I want to first talk about its beautiful appearance, as it was dressed  generously with soft pimento cheese, grilled red onions and fresh jalapenos.  Each bite gave you a pronounced yet pleasant jolt of spice that hit you fast but that dissipated just as quickly.  That's what I loved about it; that bold 1-2 punch.  Paired with a "highly hopped" Stone IPA, it helped your senses cope with the sharpness of the burger, through its intensely bitter yet wonderful taste.

Stone Smoked Porter Creme Brulee - No doubt my favorite part of the meal, the creme brulee was a dark chocolate, creamy concoction with a buttery shortbread cookie on top.  Also made with the Stone Smoked Porter, with which it was also served, it was rich in flavor, giving off notes of coffee with a smokey finish.  Taking sips of the creamy porter provided the best kind of nightcap. 

Service and Cost:
As always, the service was exceptional, from the steadily flowing appetizers to the many varieties of Stone beers, also at our disposal.  I enjoyed speaking with Dennis, Stone's representative who seemed to have an immense amount of passion for the beer, and who also knew loads about Astoria and its many, diverse watering holes.

The cost of the dinner was $35, including tax and tip, which is a pretty sweet deal for all this booze and burger goodness.

3 boozy Mmmms

5 Napkin Burger - 35-01 36th Street, Astoria, NY 11106 
718.433.2727
N/Q Train to 36th Avenue
5napkinburger.com 

Think Fast! 5 Napkin Burger Stone Brewing Company Dinner Giveaway

I'm really excited to bring you a last minute (but wonderful) opportunity to score an amazing Beer and Bourbon Dinner series event tomorrow night at 5 Napkin Burger.  Mentioning these events in the past, they're now in their third year of doing them, as people really seem to enjoy the insider's view they get into the world of beer and/or spirits making, paired along with some great food and a mixing of a dynamic foodie crowd.

Now on to the contest, which will run through tomorrow morning!

Win a pair of tickets for you and a guest to tomorrow night's Stone Brewing Company event.

How to enter:Submit a comment to this blog post, telling us about your favorite 5 Napkin Burger beer and burger combination.  You'll receive an extra entry into this giveaway if you submit a picture of yourself enjoying any kind of 5 Napkin Burger beers or grub.  Please send your pictures to: critic@fooditka.com

Submission period:
Between now and tomorrow morning 10:30 a.m. EST

Winner:
A winner will be chosen at random tomorrow and announced via this site and via Facebook and Twitter. *Please make sure to leave your email contact information in your submission, so I can contact you ASAP*

Runners Up:
For those of you who do not win, you still have the opportunity to attend.  Get $5 off tomorrow's event by using discount code FOODITKA. Purchase your tickets here. 


Good luck!

Singlecut Beersmiths Coming Soon

Last week, Meg and I had the pleasure to attend a great blogger pre-launch party for Singlecut Beersmiths, Astoria's very own brewery that's coming to North Western Astoria this fall.  Everyone's been getting excited for their big launch, so it was really nice to get over there, meet the guys behind the beer and to hear more about what we can expect out of their venture.

The event was hosted at 5 Napkin Burger, which was the monthly meeting place of Singlecut's brewers for quite some time (via BrewAstoria), even when Singlecut was still a loose concept.  Rich, the brewery's President and Head Brewer gave us a bit of history behind this new establishment and we got to observe first hand just how enthusiastic the folks behind this venture really are about beer.  They live, breathe, and of course drink it.  They are beer!

Atmosphere:
Hosted in the 5 Napkin Burger main dining room as well as in the private entertaining space in the back of the restaurant, the event was a lot of fun, simply because of how communal and social it was.   Conducive to meeting new folks and reuniting with old friends, we mixed and mingled in the main tasting room (that's where all the Singlecut beer was poured) as well in the main dining room before and after Rich's presentation.  

I loved seeing friends from the neighborhood such as Ben and Jen from the Queens Kickshaw, as well as fellow blogger and Twitter friends such as Astoria Haiku, nyc8675309 and others, which made the event feel like a true community affair.  We enjoyed "unveiling" our identities to each other, chatting, eating and exchanging our experiences.

Beer:
I had two tastes of Singlecut beer, including the Queens Lager as well as one of their IPAs.  The former was my favorite, light in color but really intense in taste and alcohol level.  It had a pleasantly bitter quality that had an almost buttery finish at the end of each gulp.  I also really loved it because it does a great job of elevating Queens (through its namesake) and showcasing its richness.

If you didn't make it out to this event but are still interested in checking out Singlecut before they officially open, check them out on June 29th at the Socrates Sculpture park 25th Anniversary shin-dig.

Singlecut Beersmiths - 19-33 37th Street, Astoria NY 11105
917.226.2509 (Rich)
N/Q Train to Ditmars Blvd
www.singlecutbeer.com 

5 Napkin's Summer Beer and Bourbon Dinners are Back

Remember back in the winter when 5 Napkin Burger hosted their beer & bourbon series?  Well they're back at it this summer, starting with a Michter's Whiskey event on Wednesday, June 13th followed by Stone Brewing Company on June 27th.

The format of the events is really fun and totally conducive to mixing/mingling and meeting new people.  It starts off as a casual cocktail reception, during which you get to meet the brewers, start sampling their beer or whiskey and get a little nibble of 5 Napkin's delectable apps.

After the initial meet and greet, you'll sit down to a plated two course dinner, during which you also get to try different beers or whiskey (depends on the event).  My favorite aspect of the dinners are when the brewers come around to gather your feedback on their various libations.  It's really fun!

Here are all the vital deets for both events - the price is fair at just $35/event or $60 for both (this includes tax and gratuity), so if you're interested, go ahead and reserve your spots sooner than later.

Michter's Bourbon Dinner: Wednesday, June 13th at 6:30 p.m.
Stone Brewing Company Dinner: Wednesday, June 27th at 6:30 p.m.

RSVP and buy tickets here

5 Napkin Burger - 35-01 36th Street, Astoria, NY 11106 
718.433.2727
N/W Train to 36th Avenue
5napkinburger.com 

5 Napkin's Hornitos Bowl Starts Wednesday

I was excited to learn that 5 Napkin Burger is stepping it up for this year's Superbowl and doing something totally different by creating their very own Hornitos Bowl.  Happening at all their locations, not just in Astoria, the Hornitos Bowl  is a fun way to participate in healthy team rivalry by placing some fancy cocktails into the mix.  Here's how it works:

5 Napkin will be rolling out two themed cocktails, the Deja Blue in honor the G-Men and The Redemption for the Patriots.  Each drink will be served starting from tomorrow all the way through Superbowl Sunday.  Based on which cocktail gets ordered most (eh hem...G-Men?!), a winner will be announced on Monday in its full glory.  Will the Hornitos bowl reflect the outcome of the big game? Let's all hope so.

Here's the scoop about these drinks:

Deja Blue (New York Giants) - $10

2 oz  Hornitos Plata
1/4 oz Blue Curaçao
1 oz  fresh lime
1 oz simple syrup
1/2 oz fresh lemon
1/2 oz fresh OJ
4 ea cucumber wheel
3 ea jalapeño wheel

The Redemption (New England Patriots) - $10 
2 1/2 oz Hornitos Plata
3/4 oz triple sec
1 oz strawberry purée
1 oz lime juice
1/2 oz lemon juice
1/2 simple syrup

5 Napkin Burger - 35-01 36th Street, Astoria, NY 11106
718.433.2727
N/Q Train to Steinway Street, R/V/G Train to Steinway Street www.5napkinburger.com

5 Napkin Burger Salad Deliciousness and More

Any chance to visit 5 Napkin Burger and I'm there.  Whether it's for their amazing Happy Hour deal or just for a regular sit-down dinner with friends, I continue to love it.

That's why when it came time to plan our We Heart Astoria Holiday Bloggers Social, 5 Napkin immediately came to mind.  Not only did they roll out the red carpet for us in terms of service, the food offering was mighty generous and we got to enjoy everything in their private party room space (the very one where I had my relaunch party back in June).

While enjoying my time with awesome Queens bloggers, representative of sites such as We Could Eat, Beyond the Bread, Gardenfreude, Queens Mamas and more, I tried some new things on 5 Napkin's rich menu that I wanted to tout here:

Before I get into the specifics, I wanted to mention the special menu, which we enjoyed.  It started with 2 full rounds of passed appetizers, followed by a plated dinner and then a dessert to cap it off.  Decadence? I think so!

Appetizers - There was a plethora of appetizers that the staff graced us with, including warm spinach/artichoke dip served on thin slices of crispy baguette, lamb kofta skewers with tahini sauce, mini salmon tacos and an assortment of veggie tempura.  All were delicious quite frankly but the lamb skewers were my favorite - warm, lamby goodness, flavored by spices such as mint and oregano that really stood out.  The tahini sauce was a great addition that made these juicy pieces of meat pop even more, as it added tang and nice creaminess.

Burger Salad - I've seen people order this and really enjoy it, but I've never tried it myself, until now.  Happy to report it lived up to the hype, it was substantial, fresh and creatively put together.  Consisting of a medley of vibrant veggies such as endive, tomato, cucumber, green beans, pepper, red onions, radishes and celery, the best part was that it was topped with a full burger patty cooked to a perfect medium consistency.  Further topped with the signature 5 Napkin sauce and oil and vinegar dressing, it was anything but a boring salad.  I loved cutting the burger patty into small bites and skewering a nice big forkful with veggies and meat.  Oh and there was blue cheese in there too, which added tang and more heartiness.

Apple Pie - Not that we had more room in our tummies, but when the dessert came, we didn't have the power to refuse.  I'm such a sucker for good pies, that when I saw the crumbly crust and the substantial, chunky apple filling, I had to dig in.  Each bite was better than the next, and I loved the convergence of the buttery crust with the decadent chunky filling and the crunchy topping.  The whipped cream on the side sealed the deal on this very sweet ending.

Service and Cost:
As I mentioned above, the service was superior and we were treated with great care and attention.  We appreciated it very much, but I can't say I'm surprised, as regardless of why I visit 5 Napkin, the staff is always stellar and the service has never disappointed me.

Costs of the dinner were very competitive and included about $27 for the food and roughly an additional $10-$15 for drinks.

Cheers to that!  Thanks 5 Napkin for your incredible hospitality.

5 Napkin Burger - 35-01 36th Street, Astoria, NY 11106 
718.433.2727
N/Q to 36th Street 
5napkinburger.com