Awesome New Eats at the Queens Kickshaw

Even though it's been a couple of months since The Queens Kickshaw expanded their menu to include more than just their specialty grilled cheeses and mac 'n cheese, I just had the opportunity to try it.  Bringing along my new friends Thea and Emily from Eatdrinkjobs, I was able to accomplish two important tasks, including showing off a fabulous Queens venue to my newcomer friends, and at the same time get my hands on some pretty stellar food.  Here are the newbies we tried:

Basket of Knishes - Being a sucker for all things potato, including knishes of course, I couldn't resist this.  Another deciding factor was that these included a blue cheese blend, that I knew would add an interesting element, and it definitely did.  Their size was quite nice too, as they were small and bite sized, which was just perfect for knishes since they tend to be on the heavier side.  Spreading the beer mustard on top of each one added a nice little spicy-sharp tinge of flavor.  

Wild Mushroom Shepherds Pie - Since I really wasn't in the mood for meat that night, I went with the veggie shepherds pie with cauliflower mash on top.  That was actually what really swayed me to get it, as I adore cauliflower and was excited to devour the well done, slightly browned top.  The inside of it was delicious too, and contained a lot of other veggies such as carrots, potatoes, zucchini and of course mushrooms in a red wine reduction.  While I appreciated the veggie medley, I wished that they went heavier on the mushrooms, maybe mixing up different varieties.

Fontina Cheesecake - As soon as we saw this on the menu, we just had to get it, as it screamed of something unique and different.  First off, it looked like ice cream, and we had to prove to ourselves that it was actually made of a cheese custard.  Indeed it was true...it was certainly a cheesecake, with the most unbelievable mousse-like texture, and a hint of that fontina bite at the end.  The deep indigo blackberry sauce added a nice, zingy contrast to each bite, and the cereal crumble made me think of my favorite granola topping.  It felt like a familiar dish, but was far from any kind of cheesecake I've ever had before.

Calamansi and Pistachio Ice-Cream Sandwich - Ben, Kickshaw's co-owner surprised us with this awesome ice cream sandwich, using innovative ingredients such as calamansi (a citrus fruit originating in Southeast Asia) and pistachios.  As the cookie was nicely chilled, it hugged the citrusy ice cream like a glove and each bite brought out elements of sophistication and refreshment.  While it was ice cream in its full force, it didn't feel heavy and we each polished off our portion pretty quickly.

Service and Cost:
As we chose to dine in, we got great service and I loved that our food came out quite quickly. Even though we received our check, we didn't feel pressured to leave and would've hung around even longer if we could have.

Costs are reasonable and include the following for some of the new menu items I just mentioned:

Knishes - $7
Wild Mushroom Shepherds Pie - $12
Dessert - $6

3 Mmmms

The Queens Kickshaw - 40-17 Broadway, Astoria NY 11103
718.777.0913
M/R Train to Steinway Street
www.thequeenskickshaw.com

New Menu Items at Alewife

I wanted to spread the latest deliciousness going on at Alewife, as they've added new menu items and tweeked some oldies too.  You may remember me writing about this place a few months back, and totally boasting about the burger you see before you with a deep golden pretzel bun.  Well you can still get that, along with other new goodies such as:

Apps:
Winter risotto - with barley, butternut squash, cauliflower, and brown butter...$10 or $17
Liver and onions - foie gras, onions, tangerine and brioche...$12
Beet carpaccio - beets, hazelnuts, goat cheese...$11

Entrees:
Salmon - with carrot puree and dashi, cucumber, dill...$23
Berkshire pork shank - confit pork shank, spaghetti squash, apple butter and mustard jus...$27
Magret duck - black rice, brussel sprouts, pistachio and sherry gastrique...$22

Sides:
Brussel sprouts...$7
Pomme puree - with chive and garlic chips...$6
Cauliflower - brown butter, lemon...$5
Baby bok choy - with black sesame chili, charred scallion...$7
Soy glazed carrots - soy, passionfruit...$7

Still on the horizon - steamed pork buns, chicken wings, and steak. Exciting!

Alewife - 5-14 51st Avenue, Long Island City NY 11101
718.937.7494
7 Train to Vernon Blvd/Jackson Avenue
www.alewifequeens.wordpress.com

Gobble Up the Delicious Changes at Ovelia

A few weeks ago, I touched on some fun menu changes coming to our near and dear Ovelia.  It's exciting to report that these changes have now been fully incorporated and that Astorians seem to be gobbling them up. Literally.  My friends at Ovelia tell me that the response has been overwhelming, which I'm certainly encouraged by and can't wait to try for myself.  Here's what you can expect to find in their new menus (and on your plates):

First off...brunch:

• All eggs are now organic and dairy products come from a farm in upstate NY
• When ordering a brunch entree, you now have a veggie or a turkey option for the previously traditional "side meat"

Dinner:

• Rock 'n Rib Wednesdays' new special - Buffalo style calamari that has also recently debuted on the lunch menu
• On any other day, another new item to try are the feta cubes (appetizer) and the lamburgini, which is a lamb burger with crimini mushrooms on a pretzel bun that's baked in-house daily
• They now have a vegetarian version of their famous moussaka
• The new dinner menu has also changed in a way that it distinguishes the types of dishes one would typically find in a traditional Psistaria in Greece. Fun!

Drinks:

• The Karpouzo is back for the summer. (Ask your favorite Ovelia bartender all about it)
• They now boast 7 beers on tap and a new wine menu to come soon

Now that I've gotten myself completely hyped up, I hope you'll share in my excitement and check out these awesome Ovelia changes. Eat up!

Ovelia Psistaria - 34-01 30th Ave, Astoria, NY 11103
718.721.7217
N/Q Train to 30th Avenue
www.ovelia-ny.com

Still on Dessert - New Sweets at Ovelia

Ovelia's sweet offering just got a little sweeter with new dessert items that are Greek inspired with a modern twist:

Strawberry Banana Crepe - Topped with honey and walnuts...$8
Glyka Koutaliou (Spoon Sweets) - Served over Greek yogurt or ice cream with a choice of fig or sour cherry preserves...$6
Loukomades (little Greek donuts) - Topped with with Nutella or orange marmalade and served with ice cream and walnuts...$8

New sweet items come not only in eats but also in drinks. Here are some of Ovelia's new cocktail options:

Rakomelo - Hot Raki with honey, cinnamon, cardamom, clove...$8
Portuguese Sangria - Port wine over ice with a sprig of mint and a slice of orange
Bubble Berry Tea-ni - Blackberry tea, raspberry vodka, chambord, champagne, honey, lemon, garnished with mint

I continue to love Ovelia because they never stop reinventing their menu and trying new, interesting things. Try 'em out and see what you think.

Ovelia Psistaria - 34-01 30th Ave, Astoria, NY 11103
718.721.7217
N/W Train to 30th Avenue
www.ovelia-ny.com

New Chef brings New Dishes to Bistro Les Minots

With the addition of a new chef, Joe Kurauchi, Bistro Les Minots is making more changes and exciting additions to their menu. Their latest culinary developments include the following classic French dishes - they sound delicious to me and many of them incorporate my favorite ingredient, bacon!

La Salade de Foie de Volaille - Baby spinach and warm chicken liver confit in a balasamic reduction sauce

Les Rougets a la Nage - Pan seared fillets of red mullets with tomatoes, zucchini, and an arugula & mussel pesto nage

Le Coq Au Vin - Dark chicken meat cooked in red wine with bacon, mushrooms, onions & carrots over spaghetti served in a red wine sauce

Les Travers de Boeuf Braises - Braised short ribs in red wine and served with polenta gratinée and a fricassé of carrots & mushrooms. The short ribs will also be available in a sandwich served with fries and salad as a variation of “Le Citadin”, the hanger steak sandwich.

Les Moules A La Normande - Steamed mussels with bacon, mushrooms, shallots and an apple brandy sauce

Bistro is also continuing its 3-course $19.95 prix-fixe from 5p.m. - 10p.m. 7 days a week.

Bistro Les Minots - 47-16 30th Avenue, Astoria NY 11103
718.606.2535
N/W Train to 30th Avenue or R/V/G Train to 46th Street www.bistrolesminots.com/

Bistro 33 is Back from Vacation!

Two weeks ago, I mentioned that Bistro 33 was going on hiatus. Well, they'll reopen their doors tomorrow along with new, exciting additions:

First off, their new winter menu is now available.

Then, check out 2 for $10 Tuesdays, where you'll only have to shell out $10 for select small plates, sushi (such as the beauties pictured above), wine and beer.

And lastly, hit up Bistro for Wine Wednesdays, where during dinner, every second glass of wine is complimentary.

How could you refuse these deals? I'm personally looking forward to the 2 for $10 Tuesdays. Although this special has been around for a while, I have yet to take advantage of it, and I think I'll start now.

Bistro 33 - 19-33 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria NY 11105
718.721.1933
N/W Train to Ditmars Blvd (last stop)
www.lilbistro33.com

Uncle George's - New Menu Items

Uncle George's - 33-19 Broadway, Astoria, NY 11106

718.626.0593

N/W Train to Broadway

www.unclegeorges.us

I stopped by Uncle George's yesterday, the old-school Greek eatery on Broadway and saw a couple of new menu items that I'll share with you:

Shrimp Saganaki...$10

Seafood Salad Platter...$13

Grilled Chicken Breast Salad...$11

Shrimp Kebab...$16

Gyro Sandwich...$6

Gyro Platter...$8

If you haven't been there already, Uncle George's is as traditionally Greek as you can get. The food is simple yet satisfying and homemade. There are always plenty of regulars around and you can hear the beautiful Greek language spoken in all corners of the room. The service can be hit or miss and on the weekends, it could get pretty backed up.

I'd suggest it for a quick gyro stop but would avoid it if you're looking to sit down to a celebratory meal.