While it's obvious that I primarily focus on the in-dining scene in and out of Astoria, today I wanted to shine a light on some of my favorite take-out joints in the nabe. You know...for days and nights that are so oppressively cold that you can't even make the short trip to the corner deli. And this winter, it looks like we'll be getting a lot more of those.Here are my top three take-out places that always deliver (literally and figuratively).
Seva - Not only is Seva a delicious option for dining-in, it's sometimes even better for take out because you get twice the amount of food than at the restaurant. I'm not kidding. Their $13.50 3-course delivery special is a fantastic value, for which you can get 2 large veggie or chicken samosas, a chicken, lamb, curry or veggie meal with rice and an Indian dessert such as a Mango Lassi or a Kheer (sweet rice pudding). A group of five of us ordered it last week, getting 2 delivery specials, an extra entree and an order of the rosemary nan, and were were all pleasantly full. Another cool thing is that delivery can be done completely online, which is super helpful--especially since they give you an estimated delivery time. 30-07 34th Street, Astoria. 718.626.4440 Balkh Shish Kabab House - Another one of my all-time favorites, Balkh is also generous with delivery portions, and the food is absolutely scrumptious. If ordering for two, be conservative because it's easy to over-order. Dan and I usually go for Morgh Kabob and Chicken Kabob combination meal (pictured above). This hefty meal comes with both white and dark chicken meat and Balkh's special house sauce, which is out of this world good. But not only is the chicken filling, it comes on a bed of long grain brown rice and a sweet carrot raisin salad, which almost tastes like dessert. This all for a mere $12. 23-10 31st Street, Astoria. 718.721.5020
Pita Pan - One of Dan's beloved take-out joints (and mine too!) Pita Pan is a fun, tasty and healthy way to go. We usually go for the souvlaki sticks, which come with tangy tzatziki and also the falafel sandwich. Portions aren't huge but just the perfect size, and because Pita Pan is relatively inexpensive, a $20 - $30 order can feed up to 5 people. I haven't had the pizza yet, but Dan tells me it's solid. 37-15 30th Avenue, Astoria. 718.204.1633
Hope you get to try these - and please chime in with your favorite take-out joints.
It was hot the other day and I really didn't feel like cooking, so we did the next best thing and got take-out. I'm not usually one for take-out and prefer to eat at a restaurant if I'm already choosing not to cook, but we got lazy and wanted to stay at home. Going through my mental check-list of trusty restaurants that deliver, my mental Rolodex stopped at Balkh Shish Kabab House, the unassuming yet ultra flavorful Afghan restaurant on the corner of 31st Street and 23rd Avenue. Remembering back on a delicious dinner that Meg and I had there last year, Dan and I ordered a chicken and rice combination platter, their famous pumpkin turnovers as well as a side of lamb tikka kabob. Not only was everything piping hot, it was really scrumptious.Morgh Kabob and Chicken Kabob - This chicken combination platter consisted of both white and dark meat--the white was off the bone and the dark had some small bones that we easily ate around. Both versions were ultra flavorful and juicy and I especially enjoyed the marination on the white meat, which wasn't spicy but had definite flair. Each bite was even more delicious when dipped into Balkh's special yogurt mint sauce, which was so refreshing on a hot day.Besides the meat, the bed of long grain brown rice and a side of carrot raisin salad were amazing. The rice was my favorite because it was so deeply flavored by the drippings from the chicken that it was like eating the chicken itself. The carrot salad, embellished with plump, sweet raisins was a great surprise that almost tasted like a sweet dessert after all the heartiness from the meat and rice. And on top of all that goodness, just look at the portion - it can last for about 2 nights and costs just $12.
You can read about the other two dishes we had here. I'd recommend getting the pumpkin turnovers at the actual restaurant as opposed to a delivery option because the outside crust got a bit soggy and oily in transit.
Cost:
For the above meal that I described, we paid a total of $26 and had plenty of leftovers for the next night. If I had to do it all over again, I would've skipped the lamb and the turnovers - the chicken combo plate was more than enough for two people.
3 Mmmms
Balkh Shish Kabab House - 23-10 31st Street, Astoria 11105
718.721.5020
N/W Train to Ditmars Blvd (last stop)
Balkh Shish Kabab House - 23-10 31st Street, Astoria 11105
718.721.5020
N/W Train to Ditmars Blvd (last stop)Meg sold me on this place when she described their fried pumpkin turnovers. I couldn't wait to try it, and was surprised that I live so close to Balkh but have failed to notice it before. It's one of those quiet, unassuming places that's remarkably good--and after you try it, you're going to want to return.
Atmosphere:
Like most small, ethnic restaurants, Balkh doesn't have much of an atmosphere. The long, narrow dining room extends to the far back with plenty of tables to choose from. We sat in the back so we could observe everything.
I didn't notice any music but liked the Middle Eastern mural that occupies one of the walls. The grill is located in the front and all food preparation takes place there. I was confused by this and thought that the kitchen would be in the back, but the action takes place in front where everyone could see.
Food:
Balkh serves Afghan cuisine - something I'm not familiar with, but am open to. They incorporate a lot of grilled, shish kabab-style meat, especially lamb. Side dishes tend to be rice and veggies rather than potatoes or even bread - although they do provide you with a basket of traditional Afghan flat bread.
Bolanee Kadu (Fried turnovers with pumpkin) - This is the dish that Meg initially told me about and naturally, I had to try it. It surpassed my expectations with its crispy, buttery dough stuffed with small bits of sweet pumpkin. I loved that it incorporated a mix of sweet and savory, coupled with a cooling mint, yogurt sauce. Every bite sent my senses in different, pleasing directions - there was hot and cold, sweet and salty, buttery and flaky.
Aushack (Dumplings filled with scallions) - Based on some of the reviews I read, this was a popular choice with diners and it also spoke to us. The dumplings were silky smooth and very thin - almost translucent that you could see the rich green scallion mixture inside. Once we punctured its perfect exterior, we devoured the earthy scallion/herb mixture, which was mild yet perfectly seasoned. It had a light tomato based broth on top and a refreshing yogurt sauce, which introduced yet another texture.
Sabzi (Spinach with lamb, onion and tomato) - We wanted some greens with our meal and ordered this interesting spinach side dish. It was wonderfully soft and fragrant from the bits of lamb and spices. And just like with the other two dishes above, a yogurt based sauce was a nice accompaniment. Every time I put it on top of the spinach, it reminded me of a luxurious creamed spinach that I eat on special occasions.
Tikka Kabab (Lamb) - A simple kabab platter with speared chunks of lamb in Balkh's "special marination" was quite the show-stopper. While the consistency of the lamb was on the firmer side, I didn't mind because the flavor was as intense and aromatic as can be. I loved that it had a slight kick from Middle Eastern spices, and the rice was so deeply flavored by the lamb that you hardly needed the meat to enjoy it. This dish was a great value, as it comes with a heaping pile of rice and veggies. Both Meg and I couldn't finish it - so imagine just how full it would make one person!
Desserts - Despite our enormous gorge-fest, we saved room for not one but two desserts. The selection is limited so we decided to try both (and the only) options on the dessert menu - firny (an Afghan pistachio pudding) and the baklava. Both were excellent, especially the flaky, nutty baklava, which came in a very generous portion.
The non-traditional pudding was a great way to soothe the palate after the plethora of spices and textures that hit it during the appetizer and entree courses. The pudding was more of a cool custard, lightly flavored with pistachios and condensed milk. I tasted a hint of rose water, which was a nice surprise that luxuriously lingered on your tongue.
Service and Cost:
Our waiter was nice, welcoming and hospitable. He was courteous in asking when we wanted everything to be served (together or separately). I liked that he wasn't afraid to tell us how to correctly pronounce everything, and he came by periodically to check on us, making sure that all was OK. I appreciated the gesture and felt cared for, but not smothered. When it was time to pay, we didn't feel the least bit rushed - everything was laid-back and relaxed.
The costs are super inexpensive and so worth it for a fantastic, authentic meal. I'd recommend it to everyone on a budget and to anyone who wants to get their money's worth--and then some.
Appetizers: $3-6
Entrees: $9-$15
Dessert: $2-$3
3 Mmmms
