Happy Mother's Day Astoria

Wow this week is busy with two big special occasions happening so close to each other - yesterday's Cinco de Mayo and of course Mother's Day, which is this Sunday.  Below are 10 fun suggestions for Mother's Day in Astoria and Long Island City.  I hope whichever route you take, you treat Mom to something nice and make her feel special.

Ovelia - Although they're completely booked for brunch, dinner reservations are still available.  There's no Mother's Day menu, but they are serving their Sunday Night 3-course prix-fixe for $25.  That's a great deal on a regular night, but especially for Mother's Day when a lot of restaurants jack up their prices. 34-01 30th Ave, Astoria. 718.721.7217

Bistro Les Minots - This quaint little French bistro is also doing an affordable $29.95 prix-fixe menu for Mother's Day with a 3-course French meal and even a complimentary glass of sangria.  The offer runs from noon to 10 p.m. on Sunday.  47-16 30th Avenue, Astoria NY 11103. 718.606.2535

Seva - My all-time favorite Indian restaurant in Astoria, they'll be doing business as usual on Mother's Day.  Because it's so intimate and often-times busy, I suggest you make a reservation.  My favorite dishes here are the apricot lamb curry as well as the chicken Korma.  And definitely get the naan! 30-07 34th Street, Astoria. 718.626.4440

718 - I love going to 718 for Mother's day and took my mom there two years ago.  She loved the clean, modern atmosphere and enjoyed her tarte flambee very much.  This year for Mother's Day, they'll serve brunch as usual and for dinner they're featuring a lamb special. Everything can be ordered a la carte, which is great. 35-01 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria, NY 11105. 718.204.5553

Akti - If you're in the mood for wonderfully fresh Greek food, give Akti a try.  They'll be serving their regular menu, which is fabulous for Greek meze and fresh fish.  I highly recommend the dip platter and the zucchini croquettes. 34-19 30th Avenue, Astoria, NY 11103. 718.721.3530

BareBurger - In addition to being a big fan of their burgers, I've recently discovered their amazing brunch and highly recommend it for Mother's Day.  The menu will remain the same and so will the prices.  If you want to indulge, I urge you to try their organic omelette with Danish blue cheese, applewood bacon and caramelized onions. Need I say more? 33-21 31st Avenue, Astoria NY 11106.  718.777.7011

Zenon Taverna - This deliciously homey Greek restaurant will be offering a great deal for Mother's Day with a 3-course prix fixe (including your choice of a separate side dish with your entree) for $24.95.  Reservations are highly recommended. 34-10 31st Avenue, Astoria, NY 11106. 718.956.0133

Cavo - Want to take mom somewhere a bit fancy? Cavo is a great place, especially if the weather is cooperating because they have a large outdoor garden.  The Mother's Day offering is a 3-course meal for $35 per person.  You can come for brunch or dinner - service starts at 1p.m. 42-18 31st Avenue, Astoria. 718.721.1001

Tournesol - I think moms will enjoy a casual meal with panache at this adorable LIC bistro.  The cuisine is French and the menu will remain unchanged on Sunday.  However, they will be featuring a lamb special.  If you try it, definitely don't skimp on dessert - the bread pudding is amazing.  50-12 Vernon Blvd, Long Island City, NY 11101. 718.472.4355

Manducatis Rustica - Tradition and homestyle cooking is the theme here with tasty thin crust pizzas, pasta favorites and homemade gelato.  The menu won't change so you can enjoy all their regular specialties at their gentle prices.   46-35 Vernon Blvd, Long Island City, NY 11101. 718.937.1312

Akti - Worth the Wait

Akti Restaurant - 34-19 30th Avenue, Astoria, NY 11103

718.721.3530

N/W Train to 30th Avenue

I've been following Akti's big opening for quite some time and after much waiting (a year!), this new Greek eatery is finally here. I had the chance to sample their exquisite dishes last week and have to say that I will definitely return--and soon. Aside from my own experience, a group of my friends also tried Akti this past weekend and were very pleased.

Atmosphere:

Akti's decor is modern and clean. You'll notice lots of royal blues, symbolizing the ocean--this is after all a seafood restaurant. A really cool feature that goes along with the theme is the waterfall window at the front of the house--kind of psychedelic, it makes you stare in amazement.

Outdoor seating is available on nice days and I had the pleasure to experience it. While it's pleasant to enjoy the warm breeze and observe the happs of 30th Ave, I thought that the tables were a bit small--especially for larger parties. Akti's patrons vary in age but I definitely observed a predominantly young and trendy crowd.

Food:

Fresh, interesting and delicious are words to describe Akti's cuisine. The seafood, which is the specialty here is fantastic and I definitely recommend trying at least one fish entree. The fun thing about the menu is that you get one per table. It comes with a dry-erase pen, you mark your choices directly on the menu and then hand it over to your waitress. I really enjoyed this new way of ordering, especially because of the direct interaction with the menu and with my dining companions. And here's what we chose:

Tyrokafteri (Roasted peppers and feta cheese spread) - This dish had tons of flavor and spice but it didn't feel heavy. We started spreading it on our toasted pita and even continued to eat it with other dishes such as zucchini croquettes.

Haloumi (Grilled goat cheese with tomato in pita bread) - Wow! Another beautiful dish! The cheese had gorgeous grill marks and the combination of the tomato and the lemon gave this starter a zesty and refreshing bite. Because the cheese is filling, it's nice to share this with at least two other people.

Kolokithokeftedes (Zucchini croquettes with tzatziki sauce) - These were the best zucchini croquettes that I've had on 30th Avenue--hands down. I'm sorry to say but they beat Ovelia's version, which is pretty damn good. Akti's are crispy on the outside and deliciously hearty on the inside. They're seasoned beautifully with oregano and parsley and when dipped into fresh tzatziki, they're your mouth's best dream. This dish is a must!

Oktapodi Sta Karvouna (Grilled octopus) - I'm a fan of grilled octopus and it was done well here. It had nice char marks from the grill and was cut into bite-size pieces, which was convenient. While I enjoyed it, it wasn't my favorite grilled octopus because it was a bit chewy.

Tsipoura (Porgy) - We ordered this entree to share between the three of us and it was definitely enough. Presented in its full glory with the head, tail and bones in tact, this gentle tasting fish was grilled to perfection. Despite the bones, it was really easy to take apart and after we spritzed some lemon on it, it reached a whole new level of freshness. Our porgy came with a side dish of choice--the Patates Tiganites (Greek fries). Seasoned with oregano and grated cheese, they were definitely a step up from American fries. My only wish was that they could've been crispier.

The Wine: Akti has a wonderful selection of Greek wines, which are easy on the wallet. And since we didn't know too much about them, we asked our waitress for a recommendation. We ended up getting a sweet white wine with fruit undertones, which was so gentle on the senses and enhanced the flavor of our food and especially the fish. A bottle was only $24, giving us 2 full glasses each.

Service and Cost:
The waitstaff was especially attentive during our visit probably because Akti is so new. Our waitress was lovely--smiling and always ready to give us her helpful 2 cents. My only complaint was that it took a really long time (half hour) to get the check. I'm not sure if the staff was just letting us chat away leisurely or if they forgot about us.

The prices are definitely wallet-friendly, especially given the large portions. A full dinner with a bottle of wine, appetizers and an entree only set us back $32 each. Starters range between $6-$13, fish entrees are in the neighborhood of $17-$21 and wines generally range in the mid $20's. My friends who came here in a larger pack said that dinner for 5 was only $160--again, $32 each!

3 Mmmms