Queens Restaurant Week Releases Its Restaurant List

I recently mentioned that Queens Restaurant Week is almost upon us again, starting on September 20th and going through September 30th (weekends not included).  Partaking in the food fun that goes along with it in year's past, I can comfortably say that Queens Restaurant Week offers excellent value at $25 per person, usually for 3 courses.  In some cases you can even get a 2-for-$25 deal (but that depends on the restaurant).

Recently spotting the full participating restaurant list on QEDC's website, I wanted to share it with you to whet your appetite.  There are over 100 restaurants on the current list, with  detailed deal opportunities coming soon.  Here are some of the ones in particular that caught my eye.

Astoria
5 Napkin Burger - 35-01 36th Street, Astoria NY 11106.  718.433.2727 
Christos Steakhouse - 41-08 23rd Avenue, Astoria, NY 11105.  718.777.8400

Forno Italia - 43-19 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria NY 11105.  718.267.1068
Locale and Lucas Steakhouse - the latter would really be worth checking out, since its everyday prices are pretty steep.  Locale - 33-02 34th Avenue, Astoria NY 11106.  718.729.1980.  Lucas Steakhouse - 34-55 32nd Street, Astoria NY 11106.  718.786.5200
Punta Dura - 41-15 34th Avenue, Astoria NY 11103.  718.721.2137
Zuzies @MIX Cafe & Lounge - 40-17 30th Avenue, Astoria NY 11103.  718.406.9600

LIC
Lounge 47 - 47-10 Vernon Blvd, Long Island City NY 11101.  718.937.2044 
Penthouse 808 at the Ravel Hotel - 8-08 Queens Plaza South, Long Island City NY 11101.  718.289.6101

Forest Hills
Irish Cottage - 10807 72nd Avenue, Forest Hills NY 11375.  718.520.8530
Q Thai Bistro - 108-25 Ascan Avenue, Forest Hills NY 11375.  718.261.6599

Enjoy perusing the list and make your reservations early!

Punta Dura - Daring to be Different for Queens Restaurant Week

Punta Dura is doing things a bit differently for Queens Restaurant Week, and they're certainly standing out. Instead of a Monday - Friday offering, they're changing things up with a Tuesday - Sunday promotion from 10/6 - 10/18. I got a hold of their menu below, which sounds scrumptious (the fish is highly recommend).

Punta Dura Restaurant Week Menu - $25 per person, prix-fixe

Appetizers (choice of one)

Vegetarian Split Pea Soup - Topped with homemade croutons
Caesar Salad - Romaine lettuce, homemade croutons and Caesar dressing
Fried Calamari - Lightly fried calamari served with marinara sauce
Spiedini all Romana - Layers of mozzarella & bread, fried & served with anchovy caper sauce

Entrees (choice of one)

Filet of Sole - Broiled filet of sole with yellow rice
Three-Cheese Lasagna - Classic lasagna with ricotta, parmesan and mozzarella cheeses
Capellini Primavera - Capellini pasta served with chef's selection of seasonal vegetables, garlic & oil
Stuffed Peppers - Red peppers stuffed with ground beef & seasonings, served with whipped potatoes
Petite Steak - 8 oz petite steak with marsala and mushroom sauce, served with whipped potatoes
Chicken Scarpiello - Sausage, white wine & fresh rosemary served with chef's selection of seasonal vegetables

Dessert (choice of one)

Tiramisu
Key Lime Cheesecake
Fruit Tart

Another cool feature is Punta Dura on Opentable - you can make your reservation directly on the site and get dining points. I'm sold...are you?

Punta Dura - 41-15 34th Avenue, Astoria NY 11103
718.721.2137
R/V/G Train to Steinway Street
www.puntadura.com

Last Chance to Win a Punta Dura Gift Certificate

Last week I announced a raffle for a $20 gift certificate to Punta Dura. Tuesday, August 4th is the last day to submit your favorite Northern Italian recipe to me for a chance to win. If my review from last week hasn't convinced you that Punta Dura is a place you must check out, maybe this gift certificate will. My favorite thing was the grilled branzino (pictured above), which was cooked beautifully and deboned at the table. It's an authentic, homemade experience that you won't forget.

Respond to this post with your favorite Northern Italian recipe for a chance to win.

Punta Dura - 41-15 34th Avenue, Astoria NY 11103
718.721.2137
R/V/G Train to Steinway Street
www.puntadura.com

Punta Dura - Northern Italian Food with Star Quality

Punta Dura - 41-15 34th Avenue, Astoria NY 11103
718.721.2137
R/V/G Train to Steinway Street
www.puntadura.com

Meg and I tried Punta Dura, Northern Italian restaurant last week. We didn't really know what to expect but were pleasantly showered with excellent service and scrumptiously, fresh food.

Atmosphere:
As most traditional Italian restaurants, Punta Dura doesn't differ dramatically in the decor department. The place is spacious with nice wooden tables and chairs, white tablecloths and large artwork, depicting the Italian countryside. While not overly inventive, the surroundings are comforting, nice and as mentioned earlier, familiar. There's a large bar in the front of the house, which is welcoming and conducive to hanging out if you're not looking for a formal meal.

Food:
The quality and freshness of the food impressed me. I especially loved the fish and would urge anyone and everyone to order it as an entree.

Mixed Salad with Chickpeas - Included in the day's specials, it sounded great to us. What sold us on it were the chickpeas and the balsamic glaze dressing. Overall, it was lovely--the veggies were fresh and the glaze was somewhat on the sweet side, yet still savory.

Baked Clams Oreganata - A traditional seafood appetizer, it was new to Meg but not to me. I happen to love it so I had no complaints, and this version was exceptionally amazing. The best part was the crunchy, well-done topping of breadcrumbs, garlic, butter and parsley. The breadcrumbs were as crispy as can be and the clams were fresh and juicy--tasting like good clams should, having an "of-the-sea" essence without being fishy.

Grilled Branzino - Our waiter recommended the fish of the day, which we gladly chose. The fish of choice was grilled branzino, filleted and served with vegetables and potatoes. It was impressive to watch it being deboned tableside, which took a couple of minutes but it was worth the wait.

The texture of the fish was exquisite--soft, gentle and flaky, with a nice off-the-grill flavor. The seasoning was simple but perfect and the veggies and potatoes were a nice complement. I especially loved the potatoes, as they had a crispy crust and a soft, delectable interior.

Penne Piccate - Unlike its name suggests, this dish wasn't spicy--at least in my opinion. It consisted of al-dente penne pasta with sun-dried tomatoes and a sauce with dried red pepper flakes. I was very happy with it, as it was flavorful and uncomplicated--and I'd suggest it to safe, non-experimental eaters. A nice sprinkling of fresh parmigiano cheese topped off the yuminess, giving this dish more personality.

Dessert - We ordered two desserts--I got the Torta Frutti di Bosco specialty while Meg went for her favorite, Tiramisu. Both were delicious but I preferred the Torta Frutti di Bosco, as it offered something new and exciting. I adore ricotta cheese, which was the filling in this, topped with fresh blueberries and plenty of powdered sugar. I thought that they went a bit heavy on the latter but I wouldn't say that I minded.

Meg's Tiramisu was decadent and creamy but not too heavy. I only had a couple of spoonsfuls so it's hard to judge, but she finished her portion, making me believe that it was awesome.

Wine - Meg and I enjoyed a lovely white Croatian wine, which was a welcomed difference from the standard pinot grigio. It was dry with fruity undertones, offering the perfect way to enjoy this fabulous meal. I'd highly recommend asking about their imported wines.

Service and Cost:
The service was truly excellent. Our waiter, Jordan took his job seriously--he was thorough in explaining the specials to us, as well as any dishes we asked about. He was meticulous when serving our meal, arranging everything beautifully in front of us, making sure that we were 100% happy and comfortable. Because we asked, he provided a little history lesson about the wine and other dishes on the menu, which are a mix of Italian and Istrian cuisine.

Costs are moderate and worth the investment, given the good quality. Appetizers range between $8.75-$12.75, pasta dishes are between $12.75-$21.75, meat and fish entrees run between $14.75-$29.75. And as I mentioned last week, I have $20 gift certificates available. If you'd like to get your hands on one, email me your favorite Northern Italian recipe (critic@foodistanyc.com).

3 Mmmms

$20 Closer to Yumminess

Last night, Meg and I ventured over to Punta Dura Northern Italian restaurant on 34th Avenue and 41st Street. I've passed this place many times when I used to live in the neighborhood without going in--and did I miss out.

The cuisine was not only fresh, it was interesting and homemade, with very careful and excellent service. I'll go into more details next week, revealing all that I ate but in the meantime, I wanted to whet your appetite...

Send me your favorite Northern Italian recipe and tell me what makes it special (i.e. your grandma makes it, you're famous for it, etc.)

10 lucky winners will be chosen at random to receive (1) $20 gift certificate to Punta Dura.

Send me your recipes by the end of next week, and I'll draw and announce the winners by August 4th - simply write your recipe into the comments section of this post.

Good luck, have fun, and in case you're wondering what that gorgeous berry treat is, it's Punta Dura's Torta Frutti di Bosco. Mmmmm...

Punta Dura - 41-15 34th Avenue, Astoria NY 11103
718.721.2137
R/V/G Train to Steinway Street
www.puntadura.com