La Papa - Veggie Papa-licious

Not long after mentioning the opening of La Papa baked potato bar, I decided to try it. Quite a meal, for a mere $6, I'd recommend it for a quick dinner or a hearty lunch.

Atmosphere:
La Papa occupies the old Pastalicious space, and not much has changed. The dining area is small and like Pastalicious, it's better suited for an impromptu meal or take-out rather than for a sit-down.

I like the festive Turkish music, influenced by the owners' heritage. The decor is playful with an oversized stuffed potato greeting you out front, and fun vibrant colors used throughout the establishment.

Food:
I chose the vegetarian papa because it seemed like the lightest option. They offer plenty of meat variations as well and you can choose virtually any combination that you could conjure up from the 18 or so offered toppings.

Vegetarian Papa - My veggie potato included the following: corn, Russian salad, green olives, beets and mushrooms. The combination was delicious but what I liked best was the oversized potato, whose contents were mashed with olive oil and kasseri cheese. The mashed guts were pureed so carefully that you couldn't find any inconsistent lumpy parts, and the overall mixture was extremely moist and creamy. The mushrooms were my favorite, as they added a meaty texture to the dish, despite it being vegetarian. I was nice and full after finishing my portion, with about half to spare--this is more than enough for a dinner serving.

Service and Cost:
My server was friendly, welcoming and quick to prepare my potato. Since I was the only one there at the time, my potato was done in about 3 minutes - quick, easy and effortless.

The entire dish cost $6 and with tax $6.50, which is a deal for a satisfying dinner. I can't wait to check out their other options.

3 Mmmms

Mundo Introduces La Papa - Baked Potato Bar

Image courtesy of Mundo

When Meg told me last week that a baked potato bar was opening in Astoria, I got mighty excited. And when I heard that it's from the owner's of Mundo, my enthusiasm grew! Introducing, La Papa in the old Pastalicious space on 30th Avenue.

La Papa's show-stopper is the mighty baked potato (apparently a popular fast food in Turkey), which after baked, its contents are mashed with butter (or olive oil) and kasseri cheese. The rest is up to you, as you can choose unlimited toppings or you can go with a suggested "papa," such as:

LaPapa Classic - Beef franks, Russian salad, pickles, green olives & corn

LaPapa Chili con Carne - Chili con carne with beans, jalapeno, tzatziki, corn & tortilla chips

LaPapa Vegetarian - Corn, mushrooms, Russian salad, beets & green olives

LaPapa All-American - Corn, sour cream, bacon bits, fresh broccoli & pickled cucumbers

Or you can choose any of these toppings: artichokes, bacon bits, beef franks, beets, black olives, black olive paste, corn, green olives, jalapeno, mushrooms, pickled cucumbers, roasted red & green peppers, Russian salad, sour cream, sweet & sour red cabbage, tortilla chips, tuna salad, tzatziki

If you're not in the mood for a potato, they also have soups, a jumbo hot dog and Turkish-style paninis. A sweet treat that caught my eye was the Supangle (dark chocolate pudding).

Prices are very affordable with all baked potato options being just $6 (except for the chili con carne, which is $6.50). In fact, nothing on the menu is over $6.50, which is quite the steal.

I plan on trying them soon and will let you know my thoughts.

LaPapa - 25-13 30th Avenue, Astoria, NY 11102

718.777.7879

N/W Train to 30th Avenue
www.lapapaonline.com