Friday is National Eat Outside Day - For Real!

Recently learning about this random yet fun little food holiday through Mojave's newsletter, I was only too happy to start thinking about some of my favorite places in Astoria with the best outdoor spots.  Mojave of course tops the list, but here are a few others.  For the record, National Eat Outside Day is this Friday, August 31st.  Happy dining!

Mojave - My We Heart Astoria colleague, Meg recently shouted them out as having a beautiful outdoor space, and she has some pretty neat pictures up on the site.  I couldn't agree more and think Mojave is a great respite after a long grueling day in the city.  My favorites to get are their frozen margaritas (especially the mango), the plantain empanadas appetizer, Motherroad Roadhouse Chili (yes...even during the summer!) and any of their fajitas.  22-36 31st Street, Astoria.  718.545.4100

Ovelia - Being around for a few years now, Ovelia has always had fabulous sidewalk seating that snakes around the side of the restaurant.  It's also great when they open up their "garage door" window, which makes you feel like you're sitting outside even if you're technically inside.  There's so many awesome yummies you can grab here including their fried feta cubes, coated in black sesame seeds; fried-to-perfection zucchini croquettes; the spicy kafteri feta dip and more!  34-01 30th Avenue, Astoria.  718.721.7217

5 Napkin Burger - Even though you normally may not think of this place as a choice for outdoor dining, their sidewalk seating is enormous, and it's right in the middle of the 35th Avenue action.  I love this place a lot because their food really accommodates any kind of diet restrictions, as both carnivores and vegetarians can chow down without compromise.  Although I'm far from a vegetarian, I often get their veggie burger, since it's so darn exceptional and filling.  Don't forget to get a side of sweet potato fries along with it.  35-01 36th Street, Astoria.  718.433.2727

Winegasm - Recently coming here with Mackenzi, we sat outside and enjoyed a really pleasant evening.  While the outdoor seating isn't as extensive as some of the other places I mention here, it's really nice and generally provides a private atmosphere.  If you're just stopping in for a quick snack, I urge you to try the mushroom crostini, which contains generous amounts of truffle oil and gooey fontina cheese.  31-86 37th Street, Astoria.  718.932.3331

At Home! - While we enjoy eating out as a special treat, there's nothing like cooking your own homemade meal and eating it on the porch, in the backyard, on the front stoop, front yard or what have you.  Some delicious resources that will surely keep you stocked with interesting foods include: Mediterranean Foods, Artopolis Bakery (just next door to Med Foods), Titan Foods, Parrot Coffee Market, Rosario's and more.  

Happy Eat Outside Day!

Superbowl Take-Out Eats - Are you ready?

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. 

Porchetta's Chef Gives Astoria Restaurant Recos

New York’s annual cheap eats list made its way on to newsstands this week, much to the delight of budget-conscious foodies citywide. This year’s trends include fried chicken, meatballs, dan dan noodles, and tortillas.

Astor Bake Shop was the only Astoria spot to made the list for its combo burger shop and bakery set up. Luckily, Sara Jenkins (the chef-owner of Porchetta and consulting chef at Veloce Pizzeria) gave the magazine her money-saving food picks in the neighborhood.

1. Agnanti
19-06 Ditmars Blvd., nr. 19th St. 718.545.4554
My favorite Greek restaurant. The little zucchini fritters ($7) and tomato fritters ($7.50) are amazing.

2. Rosario’s Deli
22-55 31st St., nr. Ditmars Blvd. 718.728.2920
Amazing cheese, sandwiches, pizza, and bread. He has only one kind of slice (Neapolitan), and it’s really good ($2).

3. Mediterranean Foods
23-18 31st St., nr. 23rd Ave. 718.721.0221
This shop has all the great prepared foods like taramosalata, a classic Greek dip with salted cod roe ($3.85/lb).

4. Naseem Meat Market & Grocery
25-65 Steinway St., nr. 28th Ave. 718.777.7032
They make the best merguez ($3.99/lb). Also: really good Moroccan preserved lemons ($3.99/lb).

5. Seva
30-07 34th St., nr. 30th Ave. 718.626.4440
I particularly like the fried-bok-choy appetizer ($3) at this Indian restaurant. Also, the apricot-lamb curry ($12).

6. Petey’s Burger
30-17 30th Ave., nr. 31st St. 718.267.6300
It’s kind of In-N-Out inspired. I do delivery and get the double cheese with sauce and extra-crispy fries ($9.01).

7. Cedars Meat House
41-08 30th Ave., nr. 41st St. 718.606.1244
Their shish tawook sandwich ($3.50) is the closest thing to the grilled-chicken sandwich in Beirut.

8. Laziza
25-78 Steinway St., nr. 28th Ave. 718.777.7676
A pastry shop that makes classic Middle Eastern sweets: phyllo-and-nut pastries, baklava ($1.50, or $12/lb).

So Foodista fans, what do you think of Chef Jenkins’ list? What are your favorite Astoria cheap eats?

Excerpted from New York Magazine.

By Nicole K.

Rosario's - Old-School Gourmet Italian Deli

Rosario's Deli - 22-55 31st Street, Astoria, NY 11105

718.728.2920

N/W Train to Ditmars Blvd (last stop)

I stumbled upon Rosario's yesterday afternoon on my way to Key Food. On a mission to get good brie and light snacks for our dinner guests Lauren and Keith, I peeked inside and liked what I saw. After my great experience, I'll definitely be hitting it up again for quality specialty foods.

Upon walking in, I immediately saw that this was a traditional, old-school, Italian deli--cured meats and cheeses displayed by the deli counter and neatly stacked shelves of specialty pasta, sauce, olive oil and various chocolates, both domestic and international. The staff is hospitable and really seem to know their customers--they're nice Italian guys who smile a lot and spend time with customers, making small-talk.

Browsing through the shelves and the deli section of Rosario's, I was impressed with their goods:

• Gourmet pasta and olive oil
• Mozzarella bufala so fresh, it was still warm
• Eurocrem, which is similar to Nutella but in addition to hazelnut, it also contains milk creme
• Fresh pizza dough, which you can take home to make your own pie
• All types of Baci chocolates
• Specialty sandwiches made-to-order (i.e. mortadella, fresh mozzarella, lettuce, tomatoes and roasted peppers--$4.95)
• Other specialty snacks such as Serendipity 3 Frozen Hot Chocolate Mix

I ended up buying a block of Le Chatelain Camembert, which is a creamy French cheese that's very much like a brie. Our guests seemed to like it a lot and I cut up half of it yesterday and the other half I saved to bake and garnish with strawberry preserves ($4.99). It was hard to pass up the Serendipity Hot Chocolate Mix so that went into my basket too for a whopping $4.99. It's a specialty product after all, so I was OK with paying a premium.

Rosario's will remain on my must-list in the future and if you haven't been there yet, I urge you to stop in--you'll be glad that you did.