Cinco de Mayo Mini Roundup

Before the big Cinco de Mayo fiesta this Saturday, I wanted to make sure you have at least a couple of fun suggestions to consider before going out that day (or evening!)  Being that it's on a weekend, people will be out and about all day, and you can certainly hop around and try a few different things.

Mojave - For something authentic and festive, pop over to Mojave starting at 6 p.m. and enjoy a live mariachi band, the Mamboblue Trio.  As is customary, they'll also be featuring a tequila tasting all night, and will of course have their signature margaritas and sangria available as you please.  22-36 31st Street, Astoria.  718.545.4100

MexiQ - Another great way to celebrate is to walk over to 30th Avenue and check out MexiQ.  The party will be kickin' from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. the next day with Happy Hour prices ($3 beers) and a live band too.  My favorite thing to munch on here is their flavored guacamole, and I especially love the one with crispy pork on top.  37-11 30th Avenue, Astoria.  718.626.0333

Ditmars Station - The most convenient location in town, just under the N/Q train (Ditmars stop), they're hosting a big Cinco shin-dig which starts at 11 a.m.  You'll enjoy food and drinks specials, such as $5 Coronas, $5 Tecate/tequila combo, $4 PBRs, and a Grande Quesadilla special for just $10.  22-55 31st Street, Astoria.  718.777.1177

Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden - Although it's far from Mexico, they sure throw a great party and will certainly be making hay for Cinco.  So much so that they're starting as early as Friday and celebrating into all day Saturday with a beer tasting, raffles, live entertainment and more.  There's no cover this weekend, so go on and see what it's all about.  29-19 24th Avenue, Astoria.  718.274.4925

El Ay Si - Doing things a little differently, stop in at El Ay Si to check out their Bottomless Brunch Bash (not pants but cocktails).  For just $25/person, you'll enjoy a brunch entree of your choice and a bottomless supply of fizzy brunch cocktails such as mimosas.  The party starts at 11:00 a.m. and goes until 3:30 p.m. and reservations are highly recommended.  47-38 Vernon Blvd, LIC.  718.389.8781

MexiQ Charms Us Again

After watching a healthy dose of football last weekend, Dan and I paid a visit to MexiQ, the Mexican-BBQ fusion joint on 30th Avenue.  Having been there once before, and really enjoying the food, I wanted to introduce it to Dan, who I knew would love it.  Assumption confirmed...we got ourselves a convert. 

Here are some of the yummies we tried that night:

Crispy Pork Guacamole - Wanting to try this the first time around and not having the opportunity, I couldn't miss this chance.  Dan was only too happy to go along with the plan because let's face it, not many can say no to crispy pork.  What I envisioned and what we actually got was not far off - crispy golden bites of pork that were deliciously crunchy on the outside but nice and tender on the inside.  I wasn't sure how it would stand up to the guac, but the two complemented each other beautifully and were quite the duo.  The pork went fast, as you can imagine and we managed to polish off all the guac by the end of our meal too.

Tacos - Dan and I got two orders of tacos, which we split, as there were two per order.  Our choices included the baja fish grouper tacos as well as the bbq brisket tacos.  Both looked absolutely gorgeous on the plate, enveloped in a double layer of soft flour tortillas and each paired with a unique salsa.  I loved this little touch that really showed attention to detail - the fish tacos being paired with grilled pineapple salsa while the brisket tacos accompanied by a spicy creamy corn salsa. 

Although both tacos were really yummy, I preferred the fish tacos, which were light, flaky and were coated in a slightly sweet batter.  The pineapple salsa was the cherry on this Mexican sunday, adding a sweet and slightly spicy element too.

Beer - With over 48 craft beers on tap, it was hard to make a singular decision.  However, the minute I saw they had Dogfish Head Punkin Ale, I wanted nothing else.  I loved the spicy, sweet undertone with each sip.  The beer was hearty and robust and the perfect way to celebrate fall.

Service and Cost:

No complaints about the service, as we were paid attention to from start to finish.  I didn't feel that the service was absolutely polished and some of our waitstaff was a little awkward, but there were no major hiccups to report.

Costs are moderate to inexpensive and the dinner set us back about $45 total including tax and tip.  It was a good, casual way to spend a Sunday evening, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

3 Mmmms

MexiQ Kitchen & Draught - 37-11 30th Avenue, Astoria NY 11103 718.626.0333

N/Q Train to 30th Avenue

www.mexiqny.com

Astoria Cinco de Mayo Mini Round-Up

Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone.  What a fun excuse to go out and enjoy festive drinks, food and time with friends.  Astoria and LIC promises to be bumpin' tomorrow, and here's my mini round-up of cool happs you can partake in.

MexiQ - Festivities will start as soon as they open their doors at 5 p.m. with dedicated food specials (i.e. seafood and short rib empanadas), $5 Mexican beer on tap and a live Mariachi band that will make an appearance later in the night.  37-11 30th Avenue, Astoria NY 11103. 718.626.0333

Mojave - This Southwestern eatery always has something fun and boisterous going on for Cinco.  This year, it'll be a special drinks promotion from Herradura and  Tiki tequila.  Shots incorporating both tequila brands will be complimentary, and there will also be a live band later on in the night to enjoy.  22-36 31st Street Astoria NY 11105.  718.545.4100

El Ay Si - Kicking it off at 8 p.m., El Ay Si's Cinco party will include enticing drinks specials, new menu items as well as lively entertainment.  Featuring guest DJ Monk One, you'll be able to groove to some hip Latin beats from Cuban Sol to Cali Salsa, Nuyorican Boogaloo and more.  The party will last all night, so you don't have to worry about showing up early.  47-38 Vernon Blvd, Long Island City NY 11101.  718.389.8781

Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden - Even though it's far from a Latin establishment, the Beer Garden will be celebrating full-force with a special Mexican menu.  Instead of the typical dumplings, potato pancakes and pierogies, you can get $5 burritos, $2 tacos and $20 buckets of Corona and Corona Light.  29-19 24th Avenue, Astoria NY 11102.  718.274.4925

Pachanga Patterson - The newest Mexican eatery in town will be doing something really special tomorrow. Get this...from 7 - 8 p.m. they'll have free drinks. Yep...FREE (I was astounded too).  You can also order 2 new tacos that they're adding to the menu especially for tomorrow.  Ole!  33-17 31st Avenue, Astoria NY 718.554.0525

Looking Forward to 2011...

2010 was a good year.  A very good year.  Filled with tons of eventful happenings, I was excited to share with you my eclectic, (and I hope) culinarily rich insights.  As I look forward to what the new year will bring for The Foodista (and for you!), I wanted to recap 2010 with a fun highlights reel.  Here are my 10 biggest accomplishments this year, in order of importance.

10.  Taste of Tennis - I had the pleasure of covering this amazing event on the "green" carpet and even managed to cram in a foodie interview with Alex McCord of the Real Housewives of New York.

9. Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation - Being on the planning committee of this amazing charitable food event allowed me to not only to help make it happen, but to also be a part of the action!

8.  Interviewing the Ace of Cakes - How fun it was to meet the cake man himself!  Duff Goldman was just as cool in person as on TV.  Our interview got a little controversial at the end, just take a look.

7.  New York Culinary Experience - Having the honor of covering one of the greatest hands-on culinary events in New York, I got to interact (and cook with!) amazing top chefs such as Babbo's Gina DePalma, Hearth and Terroir's, Chef Marco Canora, SHO Shaun Hergatt's Chef Hergatt and more.

6.  Interviewing Sandra Lee -  The semi-homemade queen and I went one-on-one at the Silver Star diner in NYC, where she talked about her love of tuna fish and the creative ideas that make her who she is.  See the buzz the interview caused in the NYT.

5.  Interviewing Paula Deen - Another Food Network star highlight was meeting the priestess of Southern cooking, Miss Paula Deen.  Not only was she genuine and warm, she really does love her butter more than anything in the world.

4.  Being a Guest on Martha Stewart Living - I was so excited to be a part of Martha's radio show on Sirius XM where I told readers all about the fabulousness of Astoria and about my family dessert favorite, Ceresnova Bublanina.

3.  Judging the French Culinary Institute Student Final - This was a huge honor for me, as I got to taste and critique the dishes of up-and-coming culinary talent.  My fellow judges included high profile chefs such as Carmen Gonzalez of Top Chef Masters and more.

2.  Tasting and Exploring Astoria - From new restaurants such as L'Artiste, MexiQ, 5 Napkin Burger to amazing mainstays such as Vesta, BareBurger, Ovelia, Ornella, Seva and more, Astoria never ceases to amaze in its richness and cultural culinary diversity.

1.  Connecting with You - Most of all, I love interacting and engaging with my community in Astoria, LIC and beyond.  I love the lively commentary that you take part in as a result of my posts, and I hope you find them helpful and valuable.  Your enthusiasm and candid opinions further motivate me to provide you with honest, uncut and behind-the-scenes culinary insight.

Thank you, and Happy New Year to you all.  See you in 2011!

MexiQ Kitchen & Draught Brings on the Flava and Spice

MexiQ Kitchen & Draught - 37-11 30th Avenue, Astoria NY 11103
718.626.0333
N/W Train to 30th Avenue

After a lot of enticing press coverage about MexiQ and given that I'm a huge fan of Mexican food and BBQ, I went to check it out last week with Fran, a friend and colleague of mine. What started off as a cold, rainy night, turned into a pleasant (and filling) evening of good food in a cheery, funky atmosphere. I'll get into the details in a minute, but in a nutshell, I think it's a major step up from its weak predecessor, Balu, that a lot of Astorians just couldn't wait to see go.

Atmosphere:
A cross between a bar and restaurant, MexiQ offers a fun, playful vibe with warm colors and cheery decor that isn't too gimmicky. Although the atual space hasn't changed from its predecessor, it's a lot friendlier and not as monochromatic. They've kept the TV screen in the far back right of the restaurant, but instead of scenes of tropical fish, which didn't have much to do with anything, it now showcases vintage Western flicks, further solidifying a Southwestern theme.

One other aspect which I have to stress is the awesome (and very eclectic music) we heard throughout our meal. Ranging from The Shins to the more obscure, Mumford and Sons, I really enjoyed their indie music mix--a rarity in 30th Avenue cafes, which are drenched in mass popdom.

Food:
Clear from its name, MexiQ dishes up modern Mexican food with BBQ flavor. Think chicken wings with spicy cilantro achiote BBQ sauce, Mexican style fried chicken, adobo rubbed ribs, pulled pork carnitas and more. Fran and I started off traditionally, with guacamole, then took it up a notch with the braised meat tasting, only to end on a sweet note with a tres leches cake.

Guacamole - Although there were four different types of guacamoles on the menu, we chose the most basic of its kind. I was a little disappointed at that, as the other flavors sounded really different, incorporating lime poached shrimp, roasted pork belly and even chicken cracklin'. No matter...the classic would do just fine, I thought. Even though it was passable, I'd leave it at that, as it lacked an injection of flavor and spice that some of the best guacamole has. Overall, I'd suggest more fire and salt.

Cazuela Tasting - Fran and I were excited to try this little smorgasbord of braised meat including carnitas, brisket and shortrib. First off, it looked gorgeous, divided into individual cast iron dishes with little shot glasses of fixins including sour cream, pickled red slaw, guacamole and MexiQ's spicy house sauce on the side. There were also two packets of soft flour tortillas, which we opened immediately and filled with the tender meat. I first tried the meats individually, stuffing each in a separate tortilla. But as time went on, I combined the three. All permutations were delicious and smoky, my favorite being the carnitas, which had a slightly sweet taste from a pineapple marinade. The coca-cola reduced shortribs were a close second, with a nice kick at the end and a slightly sweet touch from the coke syrup. Yum!

Tres Leches Cake - I was personally running out of room but Fran suggested we try dessert. We went with a tres leches cake that was hard to refuse. It was just divine - a moist, dense cake with tons of flavor on its own, and when drenched in MexiQ's concoction of 3 milks (tres leches) including coconut, condensed and whole milk, it was to die for. On top of that, it had silky caramel on top. Plain and simple, this dessert was legit.

Drinks - In addition to all the food, I wanted to mention that MexiQ has an impressive drinks selection, boasting 48 beers on tap. I took advantage of that and tried a special fall brew, the double chocolate stout from Young's. It was a great drink to sip on, on a cold Fall night and went perfectly with the hearty meat and corn based menu items.

Service and Cost:
Our waitress was nice and sort of low-key, which was good. She knew the menu well and checked in on us periodically, without being too overbearing. No complaints at all. I also liked that the servers who gave us our food explained what was on each plate thoroughly and knew their ingredients to the T.

Costs are moderate and include:

Appetizers - $6 - $32
Salads - $9 - $12
Quesadillas - $12 - $18
Entrees - $21 - $32
From the Smoker - $16 - $26
Burgers - $7 - $13
Sides - $4
Desserts - $8 -$9

2.5 Mmmms

MexiQ Comes to Astoria - How Will it Stack Up?

There's a new Mexican restaurant in town and everyone is talking about it.  Still just in its second week of operation, MexiQ is buzzing with customers and so far has garnered some pretty favorable user reviews. 

I peeked inside to find the large, modern space (previously Balu Lounge) to be warmer, more inviting and somewhat bar-like.  There's a large bar that occupies the left part of the restaurant and they have a plethora of flat screen TVs to watch your favorite sporting events.

In terms of the food, I'd call it upscale Mexican Barbecue with dishes such as Mexican fried chicken, tequila-and-oregano braised brisket, and other standbys such as tacos and quesadillas.  My plan is to try them next week, so I'll report back with a full review.  In the meantime, let me know what you thought if you've already tried it.

MexiQ Kitchen & Draught - 37-11 30th Avenue, Astoria NY 11103
718.626.0333
N/W Train to 30th Avenue