October Specials at Bear

Photo credit: Bradley Hawks

Loving all the attention Bear has been getting lately through their interesting foodie collaborations and most recently through a nice piece in this month's Edible Queens, I was happy to see that they've got interesting food specials this month.  With all that hype, which the restaurant lives up to, it's nice to know that they're mixing things up and offering some great deals for people to come in and enjoy their food.  Here are this month's specials:

October Specials at Bear:

Wednesdays
$18 - Include 2 house pork sausages, sauerkraut, smashed potatoes and a pumpkin pie.  All this also comes with an ice cold Yuengling beer

Tuesday - Friday
$25 - 3-course dinner special

Saturday/Sunday
$15 - brunch includes coffee, toast and your choice of entree

Bear - 12-14 31st Avenue, Long Island City NY 11106
917.396.4939
N/Q Train to Broadway
www.bearnyc.com

Artopolis' Bodacious Cheese Pies

It's been a little while since I've been to my favorite Greek Astorian Bakery, Artopolis, so I decided to pop in today, mainly to pick up some goodies for Queens Swap.  On my mind since I last read the Edible Queens article about their halloumi pita, I've been really craving their breads and of course wanted to try the aforementioned specialty.  

As I walked up to the bread counter, I noticed a nice round olive pita and envisioned the halloumi being somewhere nearby.  But when I asked about it, to my chagrin I found out that it wasn't yet ready, so instead I picked up these cute mini cheese pies you see above.  Wow oh wow, so much for settling!  Not only were these little cheesy bites a big hit at the swap, I've been thinking about them ever since.  Let me elaborate a bit.

Mini Cheese Pies - Looking like little golden torpedoes, the cheese pies were perfectly crusty on the outside and really soft and creamy on the inside.  The cheese filling was a mix of ricotta and a Greek cheese (maybe anthotiro), which was slightly sweet but also enhanced with some fresh herbs like thyme.  Overall, it was a really lovely treat, and something perfect and bite sized when cut up into thirds.  Great for entertaining, I'd recommend serving this on its own or alongside spanakopita too if you so wish.  Artopolis has the mini version of the latter too, which boasts the same flaky crust.

Cost:
It was nice to see that these little pies were only $1/piece, which was quite surprising, as the other baked goods in this place tend to be pretty expensive.  I found out that the halloumi pita I was longing for was a whopping $4.50 for a not so large piece. Go figure!

Artopolis - 23-18 31st Street, Astoria NY 11105

718.728.8484

N/Q Train to Astoria Blvd or Ditmars Blvd

www.artopolis.net

LIC Market Hosts a Supper Club on Saturday

Image by www.ediblecommunities.com

In honor of Edible New York's Eat Drink Local week, which officially starts tomorrow, a lot of great food venues around Queens are hosting community events.  You should get in on the fun if this topic fascinates you, and one event I particularly wanted to highlight here is the Supper Club dinner hosted by small, local eatery, LIC Market. 

Exemplifying the essence of what it means to be local foods eatery, LIC Market is known for its clean, innovative and respectably prepared food.  I especially love their soups and brunch dishes! 

In celebration of this event, they're hosting a four-course tasting menu, featuring Chef Alex's fresh, seasonal creations that will surely excite your local palate.  Here are the deets, and don't forget to reserve your spot soon, as space is filling up quickly.

Saturday, January 25th
Seating 1 - 5:30 p.m.

Seating 2 - 9:30 p.m.
$50/person

LIC Market - 21-52 44th Drive, LIC NY 11101

718.361.0013
7 Train to 45th Road/Courthouse Square
http://www.licmarket.com/

Update About Queens Restaurant Week

A few weeks back, I mentioned that Queens Restaurant Week is coming. Well it's now just over a week away (October 5th), and I found an updated--and quite impressive--list of participating restaurants. We're now up to 78 restaurants (I'm not counting New Hyde Park because I don't view that as Queens - feel free to disagree).

Here's the list that I spotted today on Edible Queens. Astoria is the strongest representative with 22 participants followed by Bayside with 11, LIC and Forest Hills with 7 and so on.

Most of the prix-fixes are $25 per person but some offer 2 for $25 specials. You can see details about each offer here.

I'm only including a full list of Astoria and LIC participants but you can access the complete list here.

As seen in Edible Queens:

ASTORIA

Aegean Cove, 20-01 Steinway St., Astoria, 718-274-9800

Balu Café, 37-11 30th Ave., Astoria, 718-626-2258

Barril Grille, 30-18 Broadway, Astoria, 718-545-8498

Bizaare Avenue Café, 35-01 36th St., Astoria, 718-937-1234

Campagnola Cucina Italiana, 36-02 35th Ave., Astoria, 718-392-8989

Cavo, 42-18 31st Ave., Astoria, 718-721-1001

Christos Steakhouse, 41-08 23rd Ave., Astoria, 718-777-8400

Fresh Juice Bar & Health Eatery, 38-01 30th Ave., Astoria, 718-626-3737

Gandhi Haute Cuisine of India, 34-14 30th Ave., Astoria, 718-956-7555

Las Margaritas, 38-01 Broadway, Astoria, 718-777-1707

Mezzo Mezzo, 31-29 Ditmars Blvd., Astoria, 718-278-0444

Momento Bistro, 29-35 Newtown Ave., Astoria, 718-267-2771

Ovelia Psistaria Bar, 34-01 30th Ave., Astoria, 718-721-7217

Pinocchio Palace, 32-02 30th Ave., Astoria, 718-932-4976

Ponticello, 46-11 Broadway, Astoria, 718-278-4514

Portobello Pizzeria Restaurant, 43-18 Ditmars Blvd., Astoria, 718-204-8766

Punta Dura, 41-15 34th Ave., Astoria, 718-721-2137

Seva (lamb biryani pictured above), 30-07 34th St., Astoria, 718-626-4440

Taverna Sophia, 34-21 34th Ave., Astoria, 718-626-0303

Time Café, 44-18 Broadway, Astoria, 718-606-0500

Zenon Taverna, 34-10 31st Ave., Astoria, 718-956-0133

Zlata Praha, 28-48 31st St., Astoria, 718-721-6422

LONG ISLAND CITY

Court Square Diner, 45-30 23rd St., Long Island City, 718-392-1222

Da Gianni's, 21-50 44th Dr., Long Island City, 718-707-0442

La Vuelta, 10-43 44th Dr., Long Island City, 718-361-1858

Renaissance Steakhouse, 27-34 21st St., Long Island City, 718-274-4590

Riverview Restaurant & Lounge, 2-01 50th Ave., Long Island City, 718-392-5000

Tournesol, 50-12 Vernon Blvd., Long Island City, 718-472-4355

Waters' Edge, The East River at 44th Dr., Long Island City, 718-482-0033