Loving the Ice Cream Sammies at BareBurger

Hearing about the recent addition of Coolhaus ice cream sammies at BareBurger, I was eager to try them out – especially since I haven’t had a Coolhaus treat in so long!  Dan and I went in today on the fly and watched a little of the World Cup – Dan getting a beer while I had my eye on the prize, the ice cream.

Bacon Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sammy – When I first heard they had this on the menu, I didn’t think about anything else and immediately declared my sammie of choice.  Our server praised me for this selection and in just a few minutes brought out a large, luscious ice cream sandwich with a side of maple caramel sauce.  We had them split this baby in half, as you can see how large it was.  Each bite was heavenly, and had just the right concentration and essence of bacon – while it wasn’t overpowering, the flavor was just enough to get you thinking about it and to relish in the smokiness.  The caramel sauce too was a thing of beauty, reminding us of something you’d have while camping with friends.  

Service and Cost:

We experienced great service, which isn’t out of the ordinary here.  The BareBurger staff has a great thing going in terms of their overall team dynamic, including a nice rapport with customers. I liked the relaxed vibe of the afternoon, which is pretty rare for BareBurger, and we hung around for a little while watching a bit of the Colombia/Costa Rica game. 

Each ice cream sammie will set you back $7, which is totally worth it, especially if you split it with a friend.  Be prepared to lick your fingers clean!

3 Mmmms

BareBurger (31st Avenue) - 33-21 31st Avenue, Astoria NY 11106
718.777.7011
N/Q Train to Broadway
www.bareburger.com23-01 31st Street, Astoria NY 11105

718.204.7167
N/Q Train to Ditmars Blvd
bareburger.com

Happy 5th Birthday BareBurger!

I can hardly believe that our very own BareBurger has been around for 5 years! What started as a small indie burger joint on 31st Avenue and 34th street is now a national burger empire.  It's exciting to celebrate BareBurger in all its glory at the location that started it all exactly 5 years from this coming Thursday.  In honor of this milestone, BareBurger will be giving out free Coolhaus ice cream sammies, which are relatively new to their menu.  Here's the deal for those of you who will be stopping in.

Thursday, June 12th 
Free ice cream sammies (one per person)

Flavors offered:
Peanut butter with double chocolate chip
Dirty mint with double chocolate chip

BareBurger (31st Avenue) - 33-21 31st Avenue, Astoria NY 11106
718.777.7011
N/Q Train to Broadway
www.bareburger.com

New BareBurger Happy Hour Specials

I always love an excuse to visit BareBurger, which is why I was delighted to find out about their weekday Happy Hour specials. Even though they start quite early at 3 p.m., summer is coming and playing hooky won’t be out of the question. Consider this…

BareBurger Happy Hour 
Monday – Friday, 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. $2 off Sixpoint & Alphabet City Brewing Company 20 oz. pints

For some tasty and innovative munchies, you can also get your fix of $2 pickle spears. Nomie nom!

BareBurger – 33-21 31st Avenue, Astoria NY 11106
718.777.7011
N/Q Train to Broadway

23-01 31st Street, Astoria NY 11105
718.204.7167
N/Q Train to Ditmars Blvd
bareburger.com

Earth Friendly Restaurants in Astoria

Happy Earth day, Astoria!  To celebrate this important day, I've given thought to the eco-friendly restaurants in the neighborhood that do Mother Earth proud.  If you have a chance to visit these today, please do, and patronize their business.  What are some of your eco-friendly haunts?

Vesta & Pachanga Patterson - These guys aren't shy about their restaurant's mission, which is to provide their patrons an experience that's inspired by the local greenmarket, giving preference to everything that's fresh and in season.  I like that they often tell you where their ingredients come from, including the specific farms and their locales.  Vesta - 21-02 30th Avenue, Astoria. 718.545.5550.  Pachanga Patterson - 33-17 31st Avenue, Astoria. 718.554.0525

Image by The Brooklyn Grange Farm

Brooklyn Grange Farm - Despite its deceiving name, Brooklyn Grange Farm is located in LIC, boasting "the world's largest rooftop soil farms," growing over 50,000 pounds of organic produce.  A direct supporter of the farm itself, I've been up there on several occasions and have patronized them through their CSA program.  There's always an abundance of something delicious, and the folks who run it are open and welcoming to new volunteers.  That's right, you can even have a go at urban farming yourself!  37-18 Northern Blvd, LIC. 347.670.3660

BareBurger - Everyone who's been to BareBurger can vouch for their environmentally friendly approach, which not only extends to its locally sourced food, including organic meat, but also the eco-chic decor.  It's not uncommon to encounter whimsy embellishments such as light fixtures built out of reused knives, forks and spoons, reclaimed wood tabletops, and the quintessential recycled tin sliding door.  33-21 31st Avenue, Astoria. 718.777.7011, 23-01 31st Street, Astoria. 718.204.7167

Milkflower - One of my recent restaurant faves, Milkflower also supports green business practices.  I love that their interior is adorned with refurbished accents such as reclaimed wood paneled walls, tables made of old police dividers, benches made of recycled burlap and more.  Their wood fired pizza doesn't suck either.  Mmmm... 34-12 31st Avenue, Astoria. 718.204.1300

Best Take-Out in Astoria and LIC

Since the weather doesn't seem to be cooperating on days like these, it's best to stay indoors and hunker down. However, that doesn't mean you shouldn't enjoy the delicious eats offered by neighboring restaurants.  Here's a quick run-down of some of my faves - what are yours?

Seva - It was so nice to see Gramercy Tavern's Chef, Miroslav's Uskokovic's Astoria recommendations in which he mentioned Seva for best take out.  I tend to agree, as they offer an easy online delivery system, and are extremely generous with their take-away portions.  One personal dinner will easily tide you over for two nights.  30-07 34th Street, Astoria.  718.626.4440

BareBurger - Always in the mood for BareBurger, you can't go wrong with something like the Roadhouse or the spicy Habanero Express burger.  Even though fries are outstanding, I'd recommend having them in the restaurant so they're super fresh.  They've added a new burger to the menu, which is the Southern with pepperjack cheese, applewood smoked thick cut bacon, pickled green tomatoes and fried onion.  33-21 31st Avenue, Astoria.  718.777.7011

Crave - Dan and our friends in the nabe often turn to Crave for a late night snack.  Their delivery is pretty consistent, and you can order comfort food such as a delicious Cuban sandwich, various chips and dips, as well as their signature Crave  Bowls, or my personal fave, the poppable falafel balls.  28-55 36th Street, Astoria.  718.726.4976

Watawa - If you love sushi, Watawa is a must and I've never been disappointed with their in-house or take-out dining.  Some of my favorite rolls are the most simplest such as the yellowtail scallion, spicy tuna or the eel avocado.  33-10 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria.  718.545.9596

PFC (aka Palace Fried Chicken) - Some of the best fried chicken and hot wings come from this micro chain located both in Astoria and LIC.  The chicken is without a doubt a must, however, steer clear of the pizza.  I unfortunately speak from experience.  44-45 21st Street, LIC.  718.433.1661.  21-02 36th Avenue, Astoria.  718.729.4811

Warm Up in Astoria - Part Deux

Surprise...the chill is back in our neck of the woods!  Just another good opportunity to highlight the warming foods and drinks you can get around town to deal with yet another round of the polar vortex.

Image by Bradley Hawks

Wine is always a good idea, especially at Bear where they're featuring $20 bottles, each day. Check it out also for their warming Russian-style cuisine such as hot Ukranian borscht, cabbage and beef casserole, hunter's stew (with lamb) and more. 12-14 31st Avenue, LIC. 917.396.4939

For more vino goodness, Rest-au-Rant is a great option, especially on Wednesdays when all their wine is 20% off.  Pair it with something luxurious such as their savory fondue or a gooey gorgonzola, fig and green apple panini.  30-01 35th Ave, LIC.  718.729.9009 

I'm loving Alewife's new craft beer collection, including thick malty options such as Peak Organic Oak Aged Mocha Stout, which can be enjoyed with a signature, Sigmund's Pretzel Shop pretzel.  If you haven't tried one yet, they're absolutely fantastic!  5-14 51st Avenue, LIC. 718.937.7494

There's nothing like a warm, delicious, melty mac 'n cheese and the one at the Sage General Store is hard to beat.  Featuring a five cheese concoction with spicy cayenne breadcrumbs on top, it's the ultimate comfort food.  24-20 Jackson Avenue, LIC.  718.361.0707

Warming up with a tasty burger is easy to do in the nabe, and these days I'm pretty excited about BareBurger's new bar offering, which goes beautifully with one of their signature burgers such as the Roadhouse or the Big Blue Bacon.  The 31st Avenue locale now has a full on bar with signature cocktails such as the Johnny Appleseed (bourbon, green apple, hot honey, ginger brew), Rachel Carson (rosemary infused vodka, blackberries, homemade lemonade), Old Macdonald (bourbon, white peach, agave punch) and more.   Check out the awesome $50 gift card giveaway we're doing with BareBurger on We Heart Astoria.  33-21 31st Avenue, Astoria.  718.777.7011

A Taste of the New Menu at BareBurger

Admiring BareBurger's new menu for a little while, I was totally jonesing to try it out, so my brother, Peter, sister-in-law Fiana (both BareBurger virgins), and I went to check it out.  Even though I originally intended to get something other than a burger - maybe a salad or a bare sandwich - in the end, I just couldn't resist the goodness of a big meaty sandwich.  Here are the new varieties we tried:

Habanero Express - In the mood for something spicy, I was totally intrigued by this super hot-sounding burger, dressed with red poblano peppers, pepperjack cheese, spicy pickle chips, a generous helping of buffalo sauce and spicy habanero chipotle mayo.  Since I knew all these flavors would be rather sharp, I paired it with a nice and mild turkey patty, which was as juicy and delicious as its more traditional beef counterparts.  While each bite packed an aggressive punch, the spice dissipated quickly and was really enjoyable for all the senses.  While I'd say that it's the perfect thing for spicy food enthusiasts, I'd recommend it to less adventurous palates too, to introduce you to something vibrant but not quite intimidating.

Roadhouse - My brother got the Roadhouse burger, which also spoke to him--stacked high with country bacon, sweet apple grilled onions, pepperjack cheese, fire roasted red peppers, avocados and a smoked paprika mayo.  It looked incredibly rich, and I was amazed at the generous portion of avocado.  While it was anything but light, my brother really enjoyed it and said that it was the perfect portion that left him feeling good - not overstuffed or guilty.  While I wouldn't mind getting it next time, I'd say this is a more masculine burger choice.

Service and Cost:
I love to see that the service here never strays, from our waters constantly being replenished to us being asked how everything was going, it was all good.  The staff is young and cheery and seems to really believe in Bare's menu, which is refreshing.

Costs are moderate but totally fair for the great quality of food and service you're getting.  For the above mentioned meal, including one other burger (the Original) as well as a side of fries/onion rings combo, we paid about $52 including tax and tip.

3 Mmmms

BareBurger (Ditmars) - 23-01 31st Street, Astoria NY 11105
 718.204.7167
N/Q Train to Ditmars Blvd (last stop)

BareBurger (31st Avenue) - 33-21 31st Avenue, Astoria NY 11106
 718.777.7011
N/Q Train to Broadway

BareBurger - 42-38 Bell Blvd, Bayside NY 11361
 718.279.2273
LIRR to Bayside
www.bareburger.com 

Have you tried BareBurger's Salads?

Image by BareBurger

It's interesting to see that the New Year's cleanse and healthy eating is very much prevalent in local restaurant menus - even BareBurger is jumping on that bandwagon with their salads.  While they've had them on the menu for a little while, they've added some new interesting options, now boasting 9 different varieties.  I'm highlighting some of the ones that I find particularly interesting - the Cranberry Blue is pictured above and includes some of my favorite ingredients of spinach, blue cheese, toasted almonds in a lemon ginger infused balsamic.  Here are some others (also note that all salads can come with a burger patty on top if you so desire).

Mexican - Bare greens, hass avocado, pepperjack, radishes, grape tomatoes, fire roasted red peppers, raw red onions, pickled mangoes, cilantro lime dressing, tri-colored tortilla chips...$6.95 - $12.95

Pickled Beet & Goat Cheese - Baby arugula, pickled beets, panko crusted fried goat cheese, toasted walnuts, organic olive oil, Vermont maple infused balsamic...$6.95 - $12.95

Asian - Broccoli slaw, watercress, pickled mangos, dried edamame, carrots, cucumber, Thai peanut sesame ginger dressing...$6.25 - $11.45

Poached Pear - Baby arugula, poached port wine pears, crumbled goat cheese, toasted almonds, organic olive oil, cinnamon pear infused balsamic...$12.95

BareBurger (Ditmars) - 23-01 31st Street, Astoria NY 11105
 718.204.7167
N/Q Train to Ditmars Blvd (last stop)

BareBurger (31st Avenue) - 33-21 31st Avenue, Astoria NY 11106
 718.777.7011
N/Q Train to Broadway
www.bareburger.com

Sweet New Items at BareBurger

Image by BareBurger

One reason why many people in the nabe love BareBurger is not only because of their amazing burger staples, which got them to where they are today - a fabulous sustainable burger micro-chain - but also because they're constantly diversifying their menu.  And the way in which they've done it so far has been just genius, adding things like organic beer, inventive shakes, and even some gluten free and vegan options for our friends with special diets.

Here, I wanted to introduce a few items that are new or coming up very soon in the BareBurger Queens locations:

1. Banana foster milkshake (pictured above) - available in Queens locations and coming soon to other BareBurger locales
2.  Root beer float - with whipped cream and chocolate sauce on top, it's the perfect Sunday indulgence
3.  Vegan carrot cake - available in Queens locations and coming soon to other BareBurger locales

Enjoy these new treats, along with their fabulous, regular menu.

BareBurger (Ditmars) - 23-01 31st Street, Astoria NY 11105
718.204.7167
N/Q Train to Ditmars Blvd (last stop)

BareBurger (31st Avenue) - 33-21 31st Avenue, Astoria NY 11106
718.777.7011
N/Q Train to Broadway
www.bareburger.com

BareBurger Lunch Special Rocks It

Amongst my stir-craziness of being in the house the entire week, or squatting in coffee shops, trying to get power, I decided to take a little trip to BareBurger Bayside today to check out their new digs.  I've been meaning to try it forever, to see how it measures up to the Astoria locations and I'm happy to say that they're totally up to snuff. 

Atmosphere:
Very true to this micro-franchise, BareBurger's Bayside location looks pretty consistent with its other Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan relatives.  The same colorful chairs, funky wooden tables and their characteristic utensil light fixtures.  Although the Bayside location is quite small compared to its Astorian neighbors, the space feels cozy and lived in although quite new.  I love the location as well, as it's right on Bell Blvd, near all the major public transport including buses and the LIRR - and it's within walking distance of other businesses such as bakeries (Martha's anyone?), convenience stores, bars, etc.

Food:
Since I visited during lunch, I was expecting some specials and this is exactly what I got.  Impressed by their burger, fries and beer combo for just $10.95, I decided to go for it.

Lunch Combo Deal - Bareburger's Original was the burger of choice, included in this special, and you can pick either beef, turkey or a veggie bun.  I went for the latter, as I've never yet had their veggie burger - and I wanted to see how it'd measure up to 5 Napkin's, which I still think is superior.  The burger also came with a side of fries and BareBurger's house organic brew, which is light and delicious.

The burger itself was fantastic, and looked quite impressive on this fluffy tapioca rice bun, which was gluten free.  Even though it sounded exotic, it tasted like a regular bun, but a very delicious high quality one at that - very impressive for something gluten free.  The veggie patty was tasty, made up of a mixture of carrots, broccoli, beans, etc that you could actually see, which was a nice touch.  The toppings of thinly sliced red onions, lettuce, tomato and jack cheese, that was melted perfectly complemented the veggie patty and made me really really full.  Overall a very hearty meal that can fill up any hungry cub or bear alike.

Service and Cost:
Characteristic to BareBurger, the service was great and pretty fast and turnkey.  I was seated quickly and served soon after - my meal arriving in just a few short minutes.  Even though everything was expedited fast, I didn't feel like I had to leave soon after and was free to hang around and finish my brewski.

The cost of this lunch was really affordable - for $10.95 for all of this, I got a really proper meal that filled me up way until dinner time.

3 Mmmms

BareBurger - 42-38 Bell Blvd, Bayside NY 11361.
718.279.2273
LIRR to Bayside
www.bareburger.com 

Astoria Halloween Mini Guide

Hi Astoria!

I sincerely hope that everyone is doing well and has survived the big storm with minimal damage.  In a time of  need and when our community needs us most, it's important to support our local businesses, as commerce has been severely affected, and especially our beloved small businesses.  As we give our local heroes some much deserved props, here are some fun things you can do to help, starting tonight on Halloween.  Hope you have fun doing it!  There's also another fun round-up of things to do tonight on partner site, We Heart Astoria.

Bear - Stop by for their Halloween/Hurricane special featuring deviled eggs with mackerel, a cucumber sandwich on focaccia bread, a fabulous homemade pumpkin pie and much more - all these items are just $5.  12-14 31st Avenue, Long Island City. 917.396.4939

Veslo - Sure their big Saturday night Halloween partay is over, but they're fully open for business tonight and serving their delicious Dalmatian specialties such as octopus salad, an Adriatic shellfish combo, goulash, gnocchi in a hearty veal sauce and more.  32-11 Broadway, Astoria.  718.728.0549

Sac's Place - Featuring fun Halloween menu specials, come in for dinner and enjoy their homemade, comforting dishes such as bocconcini mozzarella with red & yellow roasted tomatoes; spinach fettuccine with ham, peas & mushrooms in garlic oil; grandma Dorothy's homemade apple pie and others.  25-41 Broadway, Astoria. 718.204.5002

Thymari - Ring in a lovely Halloween dinner at this modern Greek taverna.  They're not only known for their delicious Greek meze but also for fancy cocktails, including an apple cider martini that's available now (and especially for Halloween).  32-07 34th Avenue, Astoria. 718.204.2880

BareBurger - All BareBurger Astoria locations have been reopened, so why not go in and enjoy a fabulous burger and a shake in costume?! Bring the kiddies along with you and treat them to a cubby meal, served with your choice of carrot sticks, apple slices and fries (and an organic juice box).  33-21 31st Avenue, Astoria.  718.777.7011; 23-01 31st Street, Astoria.  718.204.7167

Bareburger Ditmars Celebrates 1 Year

Well...I can hardly believe it, but Astoria's second Bareburger location on 31st Street and 23rd Avenue (Ditmars nabe) is celebrating its first year in business.  There's no doubting how successful the Bareburger franchise has proven to be, spreading its wings into other parts of Queens such as Bayside and Forest Hills, as well as Brooklyn and Manhattan.

Don't miss their special anniversary celebration this Thursday the 20th.  Come by and enjoy:

All day food and drinks specials, including:
1/2 priced snacks and essentials
$3 individual grizzly sliders (beef, turkey and veggie)
$4 any 16 oz beer, $5 any 25 oz beer
$6 pitchers of Lionshead Lager

Bareburger - 23-01 31st Street, Astoria NY 11105
718.204.7167
N/Q Train to Ditmars Blvd (last stop)
www.bareburger.com

Make Music at BareBurger?

In honor of summer and in support of the arts, this Thursday, June 21st is the sixth annual Make Music New York Day, where various local venues all around NY lend their spaces for free music concerts.  This "festival" so to speak is really unique because in addition to NY, there are over 460 cities around the globe that will also be ringing in the first day of summer in just the same way.  It's a "global celebration of music making," as Make Music calls it.

Our very own BareBurger (the original location on 31st Avenue) will be taking part this Thursday with its own joyous festivities from 6 p.m. - 7 p.m.  Not only will they feature Breakaway, a popular Blues band, but they'll also have food and drinks specials to go along with it.  So come on in this Thursday and enjoy:

$4 pints of organic beer
$4 baskets of fries 
And don't forget about the 14 varieties of burgers, including my favorite The Big Blue Bacon with a traditional, organic beef patty.

Enjoy the tunes, and bring a group of friends along with you.

BareBurger - 33-21 31st Avenue, Astoria NY 11106
718.777.7011
N/Q Train to Broadway
www.bareburger.com

The Original BareBurger is Renovating

Image by Aaron

No force of any kind could stop BareBurger - it's spreading at the speed of light, with recent new openings on the Upper East Side and Forest Hills.  I just love hearing all this news, and sharing the goodness of this organic burger eatery with other neighborhoods.

But along with the shiny new, the older locations are thriving too.  Take for example the original BareBurger location on 31st Avenue and 34th Street that has undergone a recent expansion and is now getting another spruce-up through renovations, more on the back-end of things, so you continue seeing exceptional service and wonderful quality of food.

With that, I wanted to let you know that you can expect to see this location closed towards the end of this week, from April 8th - 11th.  So if you get the craving for one of their signature burgers, just know that you'll have to hit up the newest Astoria location on 31st Street and 23rd Avenue.

Good luck with the revamps, BareBurger #1!

BareBurger - 33-21 31st Avenue, Astoria NY 11106
718.777.7011
N/Q Train to Broadway
www.bareburger.com

Burger Club Blows it Out of the Water

While it seems surreal, last week I embarked on a crazy awesome food adventure with fellow foodies, Bradley of amuse*bouche blog, Meg of Harmonious Belly and We Heart Astoria and new friend Stella from Tumbler blog, Queens Love.  Together, we made an interesting quartet of enthusiastic foodies, ready to take on the ever-so-gluttonous world of burgers at Burger Club on 30th Avenue and 32nd Street.

Bradley ever so graciously set up the tasting, and because of him, we got to try nearly everything on the menu.  And by nearly, I'm being literal, as I couldn't believe how much we actually tried.  The below showcases my highlights of the meal, and even though I may not have written about literally every dish we tried, there was nothing we had that wasn't scrumptious and totally appetizing.

Atmosphere: 
Fun and casual are the first two words that pop into my head when I think of the Burger Club.  It's done quite the transformation since being my beloved Pinocchio's Palace, where the interior was a somewhat compartmentalized space.  Here at Burger Club, everything is open and spacious, and I adore the way they've opened up the front and the side of the space through retractable garage doors.  They keep them open during nice days, creating a pleasant breeze, and we were lucky to experience this open-air effect on the night of our tasting.  I think everyone loved it, especially since it really makes you feel like part of all the action on 30th Avenue, so even though you're technically inside, you're never missing a beat.

The seating is varied and suitable for all types of parties including couples but also large groups, through the use of their lovely communal tables.  We got to sit at one of these during our tasting, which was smack in the middle of the restaurant, so aside from having enough room to spread out, it was also perfect for people watching.

Food:
I loved that we really got the full experience, getting to taste multiple items from all parts of the menu, including apps, a salad course, burgers galore and even dessert.  My favorite courses were the first two - apps and salad - as I'm more of a small plates/sharing girl, but the burgers were very tasty and quite large.  Here are my various shining stars of the night.

Appetizers - We sampled a total of 6 apps, including the quesadillas, mozzarella fritters (pictured above), braised short ribs with hand-cut fries, flash-fried chicken strips, buffalo chicken wings and homemade nachos. Sheesh...that's a lot!  It was hard to choose a favorite, but the nachos and the quesadillas of all things really stood out.  I loved the former mostly because of the amazing freshness and crunchy texture of the homemade tortilla chips.  We munched on them sporadically throughout the evening and even after a few minutes of sitting out, they never got soggy, even though they were fully loaded with goodness such as cheese, meat, veggies and more.  

The quesadilla was a winner too, as it contained the same braised short ribs that were also on the frites you see above.  Even though both options were delicious, the former really married the meat well with a smoky cheese blend, and wrapped it all up in a light flour tortilla that made it easy and fun to eat.

Salads - Although you wouldn't be expecting much out of the salad course, it was one of my favorites, showcasing two types of salads - the club and the roasted beet.  Both were spectacular but the winner in my book (and in my dining companion's opinion too) was the Club.  This was no ordinary club salad, as its flavor was elevated with sophisticated components such as candied walnuts, roasted peppers (same ones as used on the cheese fritters above), dried cranberries and a sweet balsamic vinaigrette.  It was a more luxurious version of this classic salad dish, and I could've polished off a whole portion myself.

Burgers - There were so many varieties to choose from that I was slightly overwhelmed, but not to worry, I got to try nearly everything.  Five of the choices included traditional beef patties and the remaining two were fish alternatives, one salmon burger and the other yellowfin tuna.  But the most attractive burger for me was the Brunch burger with bacon, cheese and a fried egg on top.  I've tried a version of this before at Sweet Afton and loved it, but the Burger Club surely didn't disappoint.

In addition to the Brunch Burger, the Frenchy with foie gras, sauteed mushrooms and caramelized onions was also a winner.  The mushrooms were the best part, as they were chunky and seemed to be flavored with truffle oil.  A top-notch aspect of each burger was the brioche bun, which was light, fluffy, buttery and eggy too.  The fish burgers boasted whole wheat buns, which was a nice change that lightened things up.

Dessert - After all this gluttony, I can't believe we put another morsel of food in our mouths, but we sure did.  The four tiered chocolate cake was da bomb - rich, moist and chocolatey to the max.  Rich ganache melded the cake together, and elevated its decadence further through a luxuriously bittersweet flavor.  I highly recommend a tall glass of water with this dessert - you'll thank me later.

Service and Cost:
Treated with care and attention, the waitstaff at Burger Club is really nice and super knowledgeable about everything.  Our waitress had everything down pat, including knowledge about how they prepared the food, where it came from and such - I was impressed.  The steady influx of customers throughout the evening also showcased that this place has done well for itself in the past 5 months since opening.

Costs are moderate and absolutely on par with competitors such as Sweet Afton and Bare Burger:

Salads & Appetizers - $7.25 - $9.25
Burgers & Sandwiches - $7.75 - $11.75

3 Meaty Mmmms

Burger Club - 32-02 30th Avenue, Astoria NY 11102
718.777.7788
N/Q Train to 30th Avenue
www.burger-club.com