Looking forward to St. Paddy's Day tomorrow, it's nice to see there's tons of options to choose from as far as good beer and savory eats are involved. But in addition to all the hearty foods, how about something sweet for this festive holiday? Who's feeling lucky?
La Guli Pastry Shop - I'm loving their sweet bevy of St. Paddy's inspired goodies such as cake pops, choco lolly pops, green cupcakes, cookies, and more. 29-15 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria. 718.728.5612
Frank's Bakery - This traditional Italian style bakery carries all your St. Paddy's treats such as Irish soda bread, green frosted cupcakes, cream puffs with little green jewels and other treats. 36-02 30th Avenue, Astoria. 718.726.7813
Astor Bake Shop - Admiring their beautifully constructed Irish soda bread, you can get both sweet and savory Irish food at this beloved bake shop. The former boasts plump pieces of currants and fragrant caraway seeds. 12-23 Astoria Blvd, Astoria. 718.606.8439
Martha's Country Bakery - There's plenty of green to be found here, as Martha's has decked all their regular cupcake flavors in St. Paddy's decor. You can find everything from chocolate, cappuccino, banana, strawberry, Oreo and vanilla cupcakes with a new, Irish twist! They also have green and white cookies in place of black and white ones tomorrow. 36-21 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria. 718.545.9737
Brooklyn Bagel - Want a festive cream cheese alongside that bagel? Enjoy Brooklyn Bagel's pistachio cream cheese in honor of this holiday. 35-05 Broadway, Astoria. 718.204.0141, 36-14 30th Avenue, Astoria. 718.777.1121, 35-09 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria. 718.932.8280
During the holiday break, I wandered over to La Guli Pastry Shop. Pleasantly taunted by the photos of sweets they’ve been putting up on their Facebook page, I couldn’t just be an on-looker, I had to taste.
When I walked in, the place was buzzing, and rightfully so, as it was holiday time. Marveling at their beautiful display of holiday cakes and cookies, I appreciated these items, but knew they’re only there temporarily, so instead, I focused on their classics such as the cookies and pastries. Here’s what caught my eye:
Sfogliatelle – The beautiful shape of these pastries drew me in immediately and I could tell they’d be crispy to the bite even just by looking at them. There were two sizes, including a medium and large, which was a good option, especially since I just ate a big-ish lunch and wanted a little taste of something sweet.
I ended up buying one and biting into it at the shop. Wow! The flakiness of that crust was magical and while you had to eat it with a napkin under your chin (it’s very crumbly), I just loved all the freshness and flavor found in each bite. The filling found in the middle was spectacular as well, consisting of sweet, creamy ricotta cheese with a distinct but not overpowering flavor of orange. If you adore a little hint of dessert that’s not overly sweet, this one’s for you.
Brutti e Buoni – Even though I didn’t end up buying these cookies, I was so delighted when I saw them, as they remind me of the time I spent at Tasty Tuscany. Brutti means ugly in Italian, which is meant to represent the irregular shape of these meringue cookies. But don’t be fooled by their looks, as these little treats are anything but brutti in your mouth.
Service and Cost:
In quintessential La Guli fashion, the service was pretty standard but not exemplary, which I’ve come to expect here.
Costs are moderate and my sfogliatelle set me back about $3, while the cookies range between $9-$14/pound. They have so many varieties, so go ahead, drop in, and explore!
3 Mmmms
La Guli Pastry Shop – 29-15 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria NY 11105
718.728.5612
N/Q Train to Ditmars (last stop)
laguli.com
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| Image by La Guli |
With the Easter bunny rearing its floppy head this Sunday, you may be wondering what's in store in terms of the food scene. Here, I've put together a mini roundup of places you can go to sit down and have a proper meal, as well as just something sweet to pick up.
Astor Room - Serving both a celebratory brunch and dinner, Astor Room will be cooking up plenty of delicious eats and mixing those famous drinks. For brunch, you get a starter, an entree and a morning cocktail for $28/person while dinner is also a 3-courser for $55/person, and includes some luxurious menu items such as a roasted leg of lamb, a short rib stroganoff, beef wellington and more. 34-12 36th Street, Astoria. 718.255.1947
The Chocolate Swirl - If you're looking for something sweet (and beautiful) there's still time to order delicious signature cake pops as well as the cute little bunny pops they have in time for Easter. Festive cupcakes and ice cream brownie pops are also a great way to go and will definitely get you noticed when bringing these over for Easter.
La Guli Pastry Shop - I just couldn't believe how much they're baking up at La Guli when I saw their Facebook page. From Easter bread with colorful eggs inside to Easter basket cupcakes, bunny cupcakes and all of their usual mini Italian cookies and cakes, you can't go wrong here. 29-15 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria. 718.728.5612
Another instrumental day in the food world that's coming up is Valentine's Day. As we get closer, I'm seeing more and more eateries reveal their V-Day menus and I wanted to share a few of them with you here.
The Queens Kickshaw - For a casual V-day, grab your hunny or your friends and head on over to this grilled cheese haven, where they'll be featuring a special 5-course prix fixe on the 14th and an anti V-day celebration on the 15th. I was excited to learn that on V-day evening they'll be featuring a special Beet Pasta Alfredo. 40-17 Broadway, Astoria. 718.777.0913
Tournesol - If you love French food, you're going to really enjoy dinner at this quaint LIC bistro. They've got a special menu for V-day, which includes dishes such as foie gras, coq au vin, a braised lamb shank, scallops risotto, crepe suzette and more. The dinner will set you back $49/person and it'll be mighty romantic. 50-12 Vernon Blvd, LIC. 718.472.4355
Veslo - I love the looks of Veslo's V-day menu, which is a 3-courser for $50/person, featuring yummies such as clams casino, stuffed mushrooms, a crown rack of lamb, Croatian style crepes and more. They'll also have some nice live music to get everyone in a loverly mood. 32-11 Broadway, Astoria. 718.728.0549
La Guli Pastry Shop - Preparing V-day dinner at home and don't feel like baking dessert? La Guli always delivers with lovely looking (and tasting) V-Day treats such as cookies, cakes, cannolis and other goodies. One of my favorite things to get here even though it's not Valentine's Day related are the chocolate mousse mice - they're adorable. 29-15 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria. 718.728.5612
Chocolate Girl - Do you guys know about Gnosis Chocolate? Its founder, Vanessa is from Astoria and has been making delicious raw chocolate since 2008. For V-Day, you can enjoy special seasonal goodies such as the "Passion Truffle Collection," featuring flavors such as Wild White Rose, Madagascar Mylk, Passionfruit Cupuacu and more. You can also find their chocolates in the neighborhood at places such as Sai Organics, Astoria Wines & Spirits, Vitality & Health, Fresh Start Market, and Broadway Natural.
It's been a little while since I last visited La Guli Pastry Shop, one of my old school neighborhood favorites that always brings me back in time. Although I love sweets, I try to behave myself on a regular basis, but of course love to splurge once in a while and yesterday was such a day. As it was quite warm and pleasant out, and I just got a haircut at the nearby SPAce salon, I thought it the perfect opportunity to pop in for a quick gelato refreshment.
For those of you who haven't yet tried La Guli's gelato, you simply must. I think it's really the best in the nabe and beats any other competitors, such as Martha's or Omonia, etc. Even though I really enjoy the latter ones as well, La Guli always upholds the highest standard. While I usually go for something rich and indulgent like chocolate/caramel, I went with pistachio this time.
Pistachio Gelato - The best part of La Guli's gelato is the texture. Creamy and smooth, it's the right amount of soft and frozen. It very much tastes homemade and you can feel the perfected recipe that has gone into this dessert and the rich history poured into each scoop. It's not overly sweet, which adds to its refreshing taste, and the chunky (and only slightly salty) pistachios that further add to its authenticity make me quickly reach for another consecutive spoonful. And so it goes, until the cup is empty...
Service and Cost:
Beware that it gets quite crowded in La Guli's narrow space on hot days, but the wait is never long enough to be a turnoff.
A single (but generous) scoop of gelato in a cup is $3, which I think is fair for such amazing quality, and comparable when you think of the competition.
3 Mmmms
La Guli Pastry Shop - 29-15 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria, NY 11105
718.728.5612
N/Q Train to Ditmars Blvd (last stop)
www.laguli.com
Happy Saint Patty's Day everyone! Hope you're all having a great time and enjoying this gorgeous day we're having. As you've probably noticed, everyone's in the spirit of celebrating St. Patty's and in its honor, I wanted to highlight a few fun things you can do to ring it in, Astoria style!
La Guli - Get a delicious St. Patty's Day cupcake or a green linzer tart, made special just for today. Personally, I indulged in a deliciously crunchy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside Irish soda bread (pictured above). The cupcakes are only $1.75 and the Irish soda bread will set you back a mere $1.25. 29-15 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria. 718.728.5612
Veslo - Even though they're far from Irish, who's to say they don't have the spirit. In honor of this holiday, they're featuring green palacinke (crepes) $6, corned beef on rye sandwich $8, corned beef & cabbage $12 and plenty of drinks to get you in the mood, such as Guinness $4, Jameson $3, Irish Car Bomb $5. 32-11 Broadway, Astoria. 718.728.0549
Queens Kickshaw - Always coming up with something a little different, Queens Kickshaw will have a special beer on tap from Flying Dog Brewery called the Lucky S.O.B. I can't believe this, but it's actually brewed with hand-picked four-leaf clovers. Far out! 40-17 Broadway, Astoria. 718.777.0913
Bear - These guys are doing it right with their cocktail menu tonight from 6 - 10:30 p.m. when they'll be serving $4 shots of Jameson and $5 Guinness. In addition to these staples, they're awesome at specialty drinks, which I highly urge you to try such as the American Pickleback, My Cherry Tomato Sweetheart (with citrus vodka, tequila, iced pickle cherry tomato), and much more. 12-14 31st Avenue, Astoria. 917.396.4939
Studio Square - Or if you're an all night partier, don't miss Studio Square's St. Patty's Day celebration with a live DJ, and "lucky charms" specials such as a pitcher of Killians Irish Red and 3 shots of Jameson for $18. And don't forget about $2 shots of Jamo as well! 35-33 36th Street, Astoria. 718.383.1001
As many are just thrilled about the big game this Sunday, restaurants are no doubt planning big parties with lots of food and drinks specials. It's going to get wild! While I usually do a round up of where to go out, this year I'm switching it up by giving you the scoop on the best places to take-in when hosting your own football shin-dig. Whatever you do, enjoy and let's hope the G-Men bring it home!
Sal, Chris & Charlie's Deli - Want to ring in the Suberbowl with a big sandwich? This is the place to go, as any true Astorian knows they make the most delectable sandwiches in town with fresh, premium cold cuts and great quality cheeses. The bread is fantastic, sealing the deal on this big time hero. Pre-order yours pronto to get it in time for the big game. 33-12 23rd Avenue, Astoria NY 11102. 718.278.9240
Key Food - I know what you may be thinking..."Key Food...really?!" Yeah, really. Their big hero sandwich is also legit and generally more affordable than the full monty at Sal, Chris and Charlie's. It's packaged conveniently and comes with all your necessary condiments like mayo, mustard, and a side of potato salad and cole slaw. 32-21 Newtown Avenue, Astoria NY 11103. 718.728.9403
Palace Fried Chicken - One of the best places for wings in Astoria, you can get them as hot or mild as you want to. They do a nice job with take-out, as the wings arrive fresh and piping hot. The fried chicken and biscuits are also really delish and make for a perfect football snack. 27-01 21st Street, Astoria NY 11102. 718.932.8855
The Chirping Chicken -For more chickeny goodness, try the Chirping Chicken where the bird is king. There's tons of football friendly options to choose from such as buffalo wings, chicken nuggets, mozzarella sticks, and whole or half chickens too if you're interested. 30-15 Broadway, Astoria NY 11106. 718.721.7766
Pita Pan - Although not your traditional football grub, I love their take-out options including the healthy souvlaki sticks, chicken or beef gyros and even a variety of pizza if you're so inclined. I like that they offer a whole wheat option on the pizza and the portions aren't gargantuan if you're trying to tone things down. Their delivery is pretty quick too, but allow for extra time on Superbowl Sunday. 37-15 30th Avenue, Astoria NY 11103. 718.204.1633
Sac's Place - If you're in the mood for really nice quality brick oven pizza, treat your guests to Sac's. You can choose from your basic margarita pizza to fancy options with prosciutto, meatballs, gourmet cheeses and more. Pasta is a nice complement to your order, and since it's pretty filling, it'll go a long way. 25-41 Broadway, Astoria NY 11106. 718.204.5002
La Vita Mia - Another yummy place for pizza take-out, I love the great quality of their dough on their traditional pizzas, but especially on the thicker-crust Grandma pizza. You'll pay a premium for the latter but it's worth every penny. Their wings are pretty delicious as well. 28-01 24th Avenue, Astoria NY 11102. 718.267.0310
La Guli Pastry Shop - Making the food at home but still looking for a gorgeous dessert? My colleagues at We Heart Astoria just spotted this beauty from La Guli Pastry Shop, which is making Giants themed cakes in honor of Superbowl Sunday. Order yours in advance or pick up a couple of spontaneous treats on game day. 29-15 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria NY 11105. 718.728.5612
Make Your Own Big Sandwich - If you're the one making the grub for the shin-dig, consider making your own big sandwich. For great quality cold cuts, I highly recommend Rosario's Deli, and in terms of bread, you can't get anything better than at Rose & Joe's right across the street - especially their olive bread, it's amazing! Rosario's - 22-55 31st Street, Astoria NY 11105. 718.728.2920. Rose & Joe's Bakery - 22-40 31st Street, Astoria NY 11105. 718.721.9422
Bacon Deviled Eggs - You may remember that I first tried making these a week ago for the championship Sunday party and they were a hit. I love them for a football party because they're bite sized, easy to eat, and the bacon makes them stinkin' delicious. See my recipe here.
La Guli Pastry Shop - 29-15 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria, NY 11105
718.728.5612
N/W Train to Ditmars Blvd (last stop)
www.laguli.com
Last weekend, you might remember me talking about my quest for great gelato, when my parents and I tried a variety of flavors at Da Franco's. But even though our experience was pleasant and certainly refreshing, I wanted to try something new this weekend, so I decided to sample the gelato at La Guli.
A true neighborhood icon, La Guli is a nostalgic Italian bakery with beautifully made sweets ranging from cookies and pastries to cakes and pies and homemade gelato to ices. I knew what I came for and I did a good job at keeping my dessert blinders on, ordering a rich-looking chocolate/caramel gelato cup.
Chocolate Caramel Gelato - Wow! If I thought last week's gelato at Da Franco's was good, the one at La Guli truly blew me away. The texture was rich and creamy and so chocolatey, tasting of good quality dark chocolate. The caramel was interspersed throghout in soft gooey chunks and it was a truly excellent pairing. Although the flavor was very rich, it didn't feel heavy and did a great job at cooling me down on a hot day. I highly recommend it if you're a hard-core chocolate fan. In addition to this flavor, I spied some other ones such as coffee, strawberry, pistachio and am curious to try them soon and see how they measure up to Da Franco's.
In terms of cost, it was a bit cheaper at $3 for a small cup - and the scoop was more generous than the one at Da Franco's.
3 Sweet Mmmmms
