Astor Bake Shop's Burger...At Last, My Love Has Come Along

Since we both had a day off today, Dan and I were excited to spend some qt together over brunch and going to MOMI.  Brunch was first of course, and we originally planned on going to check out Sanford's, as I've heard that since its revamp, it's stepped up quite a bit.  To our chagrin (and I guess a testament to its excellence), it was totally crowded with a 40 minute wait for a 2 person table.  That, unfortunately wasn't going to cut it, so we headed out to check out an alternative by Dan's request - the Astor Bake Shop.

While I've been here on many occasions, I haven't actually sat down to a proper meal, and also hadn't had the pleasure of indulging in their legendary burger.  It was time.

Food:
We knew why we came, and right away zeroed in on the burgers.  I had my eye on the signature Astor burger, dressed with a special sauce, while Dan went for the classic burger with bacon.  We got some other goodies you see here along the way, and wanted to give you the scoop about each one:

French Onion Soup - Dan ordered this as an app, and it was awesome.  Not only did it look gorgeous, it tasted great too, with an earthy oniony broth that wasn't at all heavy and two pieces of crusty peasant bread submerged into it.  Topped with some melty gruyere, there was certainly an element of decadence (as there should be), but I was happy to see that the chef didn't overdo it.

The Burgers - This was of course the piece-de-resistance of our meal, and both burgers were absolutely stupendous.  I know it may sound lame to say, but my favorite aspect was the fluffy, buttery bun that was just a pleasure to grab on to and that hugged all the substantial ingredients inside the burger.  But don't get me wrong...it's not only about the bread, the meat patty was beautifully cooked and so, so juicy.  I liked that it was seasoned well but kept relatively simple, and nothing about it was over the top.  Something else I appreciated was the zesty little side salad that came with it, as opposed to fries, which always unnecessarily fill me up.

Dessert - How can we not get dessert here?! The display case was simply taunting us - especially those stunning lemon meringue pies.  We got one, naturally, and dug into the crunchy, buttery dough, the tart-yet-still-a-little-sweet lemon curd and the sticky, well done meringue.  It was the perfect size and gave just enough of that little sweet kick we were craving after the burger.

Service and Cost:
While the service was pretty good, I'd recommend a little more of it, especially on a busy day like today.  Although we didn't feel like we had to wait too long for anything, it was sometimes hard to catch our waiter's attention, as he juggled his time between the desserts counter as well as serving tables.

Costs are wallet friendly and set us back about $48 total with tax and tip.  Dan also got a bottle of Prohibition ale, fyi.

3 Mmmms

Astor Bake Shop - 12-23 Astoria Blvd, Astoria NY 11102
N/Q Train to Astoria Blvd

718.606.8439

www.astor-bakeshop.com 

Tournesol - A Taste of the French Kitchen

Tournesol - 50-12 Vernon Blvd, Long Island City, NY 11101
718.472.4355
7 Train to Vernon Blvd/Jackson Ave
www.tournesolnyc.com

I've been wanting to try Tournesol for a long time now--ever since I tasted their amazing bacon and onion quiches at the Taste of LIC event back in June. My cousin Vicky has been there a couple of times and suggested that we go after our birthday massages last week. A great plan and we enjoyed a delicious meal.

Atmosphere:
The vibe at Tournesol is very homey and personal--you almost feel like you're in someone's dining room rather than a restaurant. Local artists showcase their works on the walls and a rustic bar rests in the middle of the room. If you look up, you'll see that the ceiling is in its original design--another sign of personality and uniqueness. Needless to say, Tournesol is small but that's part of its charm. You really feel like you're part of something special here and that the food is going to be prepared with care, instead of being mass produced. The staff is charming and actually French--their accents are endearing to listen to.

Food:
Vicky and I decided to order from the appetizer menu and share everything. I love this approach because it allowed us to try a variety of dishes and even dessert. Here's what we tried:

Grilled Calamari With White Beans - What immediately sold us on this dish was the grilled vs. the fried calamari as well as the chorizo. We weren't disappointed--the calamari was quite large and the white bean salad provided a heartier touch. I was a little surprised to find that the chorizo was dried (I would've preferred it in its traditional form) but it was still good--crispy and smoky.

French Onion Soup - This was by far the stand-out of my entire meal. The cheesy crust was bubbly, hot and well-done--as I like it. The broth couldn't be more flavorful, as it was packed with tons of garlic. While I'd probably avoid this dish on a first date, I was more than happy to finish it in my cousin's company. She tried it as well and also commented on the fabulous garlic flavor-- tres bien!

Goat Cheese and Tomato Tart - Hmmm, I'm not sure what I was expecting here but it didn't quite meet my standards. There was a little too much acid from the tomato and the goat cheese could've been crumbled into smaller pieces. The flavor was too strong and I could only handle a couple of bites. However, the heirloom tomatoes that dressed this dish were fantastic.

Grilled Shrimp Skewer - This was yummy and we both devoured it quickly. The shrimp was large and grilled to perfection--with a nice char taste. It was accompanied by veggie cous-cous and frisee salad--refreshing and light, it was a great summer dish. I'd definitely recommend splitting it between two people--the portion was generous.

Bread Pudding - Another memorable dish, this ranked high for me, along with the onion soup. It was super soft and decadent, with a ribbon of cinnamon running through it. A garnish of a fresh raspberry and mint leaves made this even more elegant and once dipped into the luxurious Creme Anglaise sauce, I was hooked. Although Vicky swore that she didn't want dessert, she simply couldn't resist this heavenly treat.

Service and Cost:
We didn't have complains about the service except that it seemed inconsistent. A new waiter every few minutes seemed strange but it didn't bother us because all of the waiters were very attractive (and polite) French men. We had one female waitress who took our dessert order and she was a bit short with us and not as friendly as the men. But overall, the service was nice and just like Tournesol itself, it was personal and homey.

Tournesol is wallet friendly. Appetizers range from $7-$11.50, entrees from $14-$19 and desserts are all $7. You can easily spend less than $30 per person here for a great dinner. They also serve brunch on weekends, which is affordable, with most dishes under $12.

3 Mmmms

Effortless French Onion Soup

I was stumped as to what to make for dinner yesterday and was feeling bored with my usual repertoire of burritos, salad, pasta--you get the point. I decided to make a delicious--and very semi-homemade--French Onion soup in the following fashion. I think the secret lies in the presentation, which makes the soup feel celebratory and special. Try it and feel free to use variations that work for you.

Effortless French Onion Soup

Ingredients: Serves 2

(1) 19 oz. can of Progresso French Onion Soup

1-2 pieces of toasted seven grain bread (or whatever bread you like or have at home)

6 generous slices of smoked mozzarella cheese (or whatever cheese you like or have at home)

Italian seasoning or fresh parsley (whichever one you have on hand)

2 soup crocks (with or without handles)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 500 degrees (or broil).

Heat the soup on low-medium until warm but not boiling hot. Ladle the soup into the individual soup crocks. Cut the toasted bread into small squares and put into the individual soup crocks. Mix into the soup to let the bread soak up nicely. Top with three slices of smoked mozzarella cheese or as many as it takes to cover the top of the soup crock. It's ok if the cheese does not go over the dish like in restaurants. Use as much cheese as you like and remember that adding cheese also means adding calories and fat so you might want to go light--it's up to you.

Bake in the oven (not yet the broiler) for ten minutes. Take out and place carefully in the broiler for 1-2 minutes. Be very careful to watch the soup once in the broiler because it has a tendency to burn the cheese very quickly. When ready, the cheese and the liquid below will bubble nicely. Top with Italian seasoning or fresh chopped parsley. Make sure to cool it for at least 5-7 minutes before you dig in.

Bon Appetit!