A Late After-Dinner Snack at Gian Piero's

I'm happy to say that part of this past weekend included eating great food and hanging with good friends.  Spending Sunday night dinner at Mombar, Dan and I along with friends, Chris and Joanna enjoyed a lovely Egyptian meal, only to continue shortly after at Gian Piero's bakery for a little sweet snack.  The truth was that Joanna was looking for good bread and I craved to show her the Pane di Casa at this awesome Italian bakery.  But who was I kidding? We came by way too late, only to see that the best of the best was sadly picked over.  No matter...we dug into the dessert they still had, including the following:

Italian Cheesecake with Ricotta Cheese - While American style cheesecake is often very heavy and leaves you feeling super full, the Italian version is totally different, as it's made with ricotta cheese instead of traditional cream cheese.  I adored Gian Piero's version, which was really moist and airy and had a nice, slightly browned crust, which held the cheese together quite well.  Each bite was pure decadence, but again not in a totally gluttonous way.  I tasted some nice, fresh flavors of lemon zest too, which added to its authenticity and overall deliciousness.

Chocolate Mousse Cake - Dan ordered this beautifully colorful cake, which had the piece-de-resistance rainbow cookie on top, which he adores so much.  Although it looked quite pretty, I had the chance to taste it and wasn't impressed.  Unlike a good mousse, this one wasn't too light and felt a bit too buttery.  The chocolate flavor was quite nice and pronounced but overall, it wasn't a smooth dessert and I felt that it failed on execution.

Service and Cost:
As usual, the staff here are friendly and do a nice job of helping you right away.  They were apologetic about a few key items like the bread and cannolis being sold out, but they accommodated us with other goodies.

Costs are really affordable and for 3 treats, including the two I mentioned above as well as a rum torte, we paid a total of $6.75.

2.5 Mmmms

Gian & Piero Bakery - 44-17 30th Avenue, Astoria NY 11103
718.274.8959
N/Q Train to 30th Avenue

Gian Piero's Pane Di Casa - A Loaf to Remember

I haven't been to Gian & Piero's bakery in quite some time and decided to stop by yesterday to satisfy my craving for fresh, crusty bread.  Wow, did this place deliver!  I got a huge loaf of their signature, Pane di Casa, which made quite the impression on my family and me.  The loaf was so tasty, that a trek to this Italian haven is in my near future.

Pane di Casa - Aside from the amazing, fresh taste of this bread, its appearance is absolutely stunning.  The picture above shows a cut up version, but know that it's even prettier untouched.  Its blistery crust is an accurate preview for the deliciousness that awaits inside.

Once you cut this baby and slather it with your favorite spread--be it butter, hummus, pesto, whatever--your tastebuds instantly experience pleasure.  The crust is wonderfully crispy and the interior is soft with a slight hint of sourdough.  The consistency of the bread is light, with plenty of airy pockets from all the little holes.  Whether eating this bread with something savory or sweet, it brings out the best in each accompanying ingredient.

Price - This generously sized round of goodness comes at a modest price of $3.

Gian & Piero Bakery - 44-17 30th Avenue, Astoria NY 11103
718.274.8959
N/W Train to 30th Avenue

Gian Piero Bakery - Making Astoria That Much Sweeter!

Gian & Piero Bakery - 44-17 30th Avenue, Astoria NY 11103
718.274.8959
N/W Train to 30th Avenue

After our evening at DiWine, we wanted to finish with something sweet so we headed over to the famous Gian & Piero Bakery on 30th Avenue--an Astoria staple for 14 years. Known for traditional Italian pastries and strong espresso, we were ready to satisfy our sweet tooth.

Atmosphere:
In terms of decor, Gian & Piero's is no frills, very simple. The pastries are the main attraction, and despite the plain furnishings, there's always a crowd to be found--especially outside where they have a couple of benches set up. From young people to Italian nonnas, Gian & Piero's seems to be a popular gathering spot for exchanging the latest news or maybe even neighborhood gossip.

Pastries:
We immediately set our sights on the cannolis as well as the carrot cake. Meg told us that she heard the latter was great so naturally, our curiosity got the better of us.

Cannolis - It's nice that in addition to traditional sized cannolis, they also carry minis. Meg and I chose these in two variations--I got the chocolate dipped while Meg ordered the traditional. Although I didn't try Meg's, mine was absolutely delicious. The crust was crunchy and buttery and the cannoli cream was the best part--luxuriously thick with a hint of vanilla extract. The small size was just perfect to satisfy our craving.

Carrot Cake - Martha's carrot cake looked gorgeous, with colorful buttercream (not cream cheese) sprinkled with walnuts. We all shared it, as the slice was large and we loved its sweet-spicy flavor. Boasting nice texture, the cake was perfectly moist with yummy carrot shavings, raisins and an infusion of cinnamon. I could've eaten it all myself but that would've been gluttonous--and embarrasing.

Espresso - Martha also got a shot of Gian Piero's legendary espresso, which I didn't try but I trust her when she said that it was "awesome," and really strong.

Service and Cost:
The servers here are very old school, and they get things done. You might not be greeted with a smile but know that you'll be taken care of very well. I think they take their jobs seriously.

Gian Piero's sweets are by no means bank breaking. For three desserts (2 minis) and a shot of espresso, we paid $5.20 total! Watch out Magnolia, you aint got nothin' on this pasticceria.

3 Mmmms