Warm Up in Astoria - Part Deux

Surprise...the chill is back in our neck of the woods!  Just another good opportunity to highlight the warming foods and drinks you can get around town to deal with yet another round of the polar vortex.

Image by Bradley Hawks

Wine is always a good idea, especially at Bear where they're featuring $20 bottles, each day. Check it out also for their warming Russian-style cuisine such as hot Ukranian borscht, cabbage and beef casserole, hunter's stew (with lamb) and more. 12-14 31st Avenue, LIC. 917.396.4939

For more vino goodness, Rest-au-Rant is a great option, especially on Wednesdays when all their wine is 20% off.  Pair it with something luxurious such as their savory fondue or a gooey gorgonzola, fig and green apple panini.  30-01 35th Ave, LIC.  718.729.9009 

I'm loving Alewife's new craft beer collection, including thick malty options such as Peak Organic Oak Aged Mocha Stout, which can be enjoyed with a signature, Sigmund's Pretzel Shop pretzel.  If you haven't tried one yet, they're absolutely fantastic!  5-14 51st Avenue, LIC. 718.937.7494

There's nothing like a warm, delicious, melty mac 'n cheese and the one at the Sage General Store is hard to beat.  Featuring a five cheese concoction with spicy cayenne breadcrumbs on top, it's the ultimate comfort food.  24-20 Jackson Avenue, LIC.  718.361.0707

Warming up with a tasty burger is easy to do in the nabe, and these days I'm pretty excited about BareBurger's new bar offering, which goes beautifully with one of their signature burgers such as the Roadhouse or the Big Blue Bacon.  The 31st Avenue locale now has a full on bar with signature cocktails such as the Johnny Appleseed (bourbon, green apple, hot honey, ginger brew), Rachel Carson (rosemary infused vodka, blackberries, homemade lemonade), Old Macdonald (bourbon, white peach, agave punch) and more.   Check out the awesome $50 gift card giveaway we're doing with BareBurger on We Heart Astoria.  33-21 31st Avenue, Astoria.  718.777.7011

5 Napkin Burger Daily Drinks Specials

I was intrigued to see the latest and greatest at 5 Napkin Burger in terms of their drinks offering, as they rolled out their daily drinks specials this week.  It's nice to see that the offering is pretty varied and includes everything from craft beer, wine and cocktails.  Check out these fun specials and let me know which ones you like best.

Sunday - Craft Beer Night
Select bottled craft beers $5 each or 5 for $20

Monday - Martini Madness
$6 specialty martinis (i.e. Great Escape Martini, Cucumber Gin Martini, Luau Martini)

Tuesday - Flight Night
$12 flights of any 4 draft beers

Wednesday - Wine & Well Night
$5 glasses of wine, $20 bottles of wine, $5 well drinks
Includes Pinot Grigio, Mandra Rossa, Sicily, Italy 2010 $5 / $20
Riesling, Relax, Mosel, Germany 2011 $5 / $20
Sauvignon Blanc, The Infamous Goose, Marlborough, New Zealand 2011 $5 / $20
Chardonnay, Penfolds, Rawson’s Retreat, South Australia 2010 $5 / $20
Super Tuscan, Frescobaldi Remole, Toscana, Italy 2010 $5/ $20
Shiraz, Bergkelder Fleur du Cap, Stellenbosch, South Africa 2010 $5/ $20
Malbec, Don Miquel Gascon, Mendoza, Argentina 2010 $5/ $20
Pinot Noir, Edna Valley, San Luis Obispo, California 2010 $5/ $20
Well gin, vodka, tequila, rum

Thursday - Pint night

5 Napkin Burger - 35-01 36th Street, Astoria, NY 11106
 718.433.2727
N/Q Train to 36th Avenue
5napkinburger.com

Bistro 33's Artisanal Tasting

After a little stint of Bistro 33 bringing back their sushi on Halloween night, they're once again working on a special event for guests that should be interesting.  Featuring a special artisanal wine & cheese tasting, patrons will enjoy a unique menu of artisanal cheeses, breads, and charcuterie paired with the wines of Southern Europe.  Hosted in Bistro's private dining room, it should be a fun event, which can be nice to share with a small group of friends or your significant other.  Here are the deets:

Bistro 33's Artisanal Tasting
Thursday, December 6th from 7:00 p.m.
Bistro 33's Private Dining Room (21-76 21st Street)
Give a call soon to reserve your spot.

Bistro 33 - 19-33 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria, NY 11105

718.721.1933

N/Q Train to Ditmars Blvd (last stop)

www.bistro33nyc.com

Achieving a Proper Winegasm

I know what some of you may be thinking, "did she have to go there?!" Yes. I did. Come on people...loosen up and just go with it.  Anywho...

Wanting to re-visit Winegasm for a while now, I was incentivized by a Scoutmob deal for $10 off.  For those of you who haven't yet downloaded this nifty little mobile app, I urge you to go right ahead, as it'll change your life and bring you tons of advantageous savings.  

Mackenzi and I headed over to this wino haven last weekend for some casual snacks and wine, both of which were delicious, the vibe being fabulously chill.  We also really found ourselves enjoying the mild temperature that we soaked up from dining al fresco.

Snacks:
Since neither one of us was particularly hungry, we went for a few sharable snacks, which I'll go into now.  The portions were quite generous, and I'd highly recommend getting them if wanting to go halfsies with a buddy.  We even had some leftovers, which was encouraging.

Muhammara Dip - While I've had this before with Dan, it didn't stand out to me as much as this time around.  A somewhat creamy but still a little bit chunky dip, it was made up of red peppers (hence its brick orange color) as well as earthy walnuts that gave it a little bite.  Paired with nicely toasted pita bread, the dip was super spreadable and somehow hearty enough like hummus.  I think it'd also go well with protein such as tofu or chicken.

Wild Mushroom Crostini - Although it sounds like a super simple dish, it was actually quite complex and really outstanding.  Its excellence really stemmed from a delicious base, which was a thin piece of perfectly toasted bread that was slightly chewy on the inside.  The topping was brilliant as well, consisting of delicate little pieces of wild mushrooms and curly ringlets of asparagus, which were all melded by a sea of gooey fontina cheese.  A piece-de-resistance was the sprinkling of truffle oil on top that really made all these flavors sing.

Service and Cost:
It's interesting that my previous dining experiences have been somewhat mixed, and we haven't always received great service.  Tonight, that was totally set right, as our server was just awesome, pacing everything out perfectly and having a sense of humor at the same time.    He was also really gracious about us using the Scoutmob coupon, which I sometimes get a little flack for, even though it's totally legit.

Costs are fair, with the above-mentioned apps setting us back $7 and $6 respectively.  We also each had a glass or two of wine, so with all of that, the discount came in really handy.

3 Mmmms

Winegasm - 31-86 37th Street, Astoria NY 11103

718.932.3331

N/Q Train to Broadway

www.winegasmeatery.com

Wine and Sangria Nights at El Boqueron

It's been a while since I've been to El Boqueron tapas on the corner of 34th Avenue and 31st Street, but taking a stroll around the nabe last week, it caught my eye again.  I always think of this place fondly, serving deliciously authentic tapas and some stiff sangria too.  It looks like they're promoting the latter, hosting both a wine and sangria themed night, where they offer discounts on both.  Here are the deets - hope you have the chance to stop by during normal hours, or even for Happy Hour from 4 p.m. - 7 p.m. each day.

Wine Nights:
Tuesdays + Thursdays
15% off any bottle of wine

Sangria Nights:
Wednesdays
15% off any pitcher

You also may or may not have known that El Boqueron carries Ginger Sangria.  Sounds innovative!

El Boqueron - 31-01 34th Avenue, Astoria, NY 11106

718.956.0107

N/Q Train to Broadway

www.elboquerontapas.com

My North Fork Adventure

Last weekend was eventful for Dan and me, as we spent it on the North Fork of Long Island, a region known for vineyards. We attended a wedding at the beautiful Raphael vineyard, and then chose to extend our weekend, visiting various wineries and tasting local cuisine. It was super relaxing and I'd recommend it for an impromptu getaway, as it feels like you've left busy New York and entered into a beautiful, wine haven.

Diliberto Winery - This was the first vineyard that we visited after Raphael, and it was our favorite. Although it's one of the smallest in the region, we loved its personal feel--from the cozy patio seating to the friendly owners who educated us about their signature wines. We did the Summer Tasting for $6 per person, which included two whites and a rose. I enjoyed the Chardonnay the most and thought that the tasting provided a good value. The vibe was very chill and we didn't feel rushed to leave, enjoying our wine and good conversation. 250 Manor Lane, Jamesport NY 11947. 631.722.3416

Martha Clara Vineyards - Next was Martha Clara, which had a very different feel than Diliberto--it was a lot bigger and somewhat corporatey. I later found out that it's owned by the Entenmann family, who also produces the well-known cookies, cakes and doughnuts that many of us grew up eating.

We participated in a special wine and chocolate tasting, which for a chocoholic such as myself couldn't be more perfect. The tasting consisted of 5 wines and 5 types of chocolate, starting with light and sweet to very dark and bitter. I preferred the sweeter wines but the bitter chocolate. We even got to meet the chocolatier who made all of the delicious treats--he was from a local dessert company called Chip'n Dipped. I highly recommend it, especially their darker varieties, some of which contain ganache.

Besides the organized tastings, there's also a small petting zoo on the premises, which is adorable and perfect for kids. You can pick fresh sunflowers and relax on the many picnic tables that they have on the property. 6025 Sound Avenue, Riverhead NY 11901. 631.298.0075

Castello di Borghese Vineyard - One of the oldest wineries in the region, it's been around since 1973 and produces mostly Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. I tried the Riesling and liked it very much--it was light, crisp with a peachy undertone. Their facilities are nice and unpretentious--we relaxed outside on reclining lounge chairs, peacefully passing the time. Route 48 (Sound Avenue) and Alvah's Lane, Cutchogue NY 11935. 631.734.5111

After all that wine, we filled our bellies with Long Island's fresh seafood. We stopped at Crabby Jerry's in Greenport, which is run by Claudio's Restaurant. It was a simple, no frills seafood counter, situated right on the water and next to other Claudio's establishments such as the clam bar and the restaurant.

We ordered three things--fried clam strips with French fries, a bowl of steamed seafood as well as Manhattan Clam Chowder. Out of all of these, the fried clam strips and fries were the best. I loved how fresh and salty the clam strips tasted and the batter was wonderfully crispy and zesty, after a nice spritz of lemon. The assorted seafood was good too but it wasn't a great value at $24, as opposed to the amazing deal on the fried clam strips, which were only $8.95 for a generous portion.

The Manhattan Clam Chowder was enjoyable but not one of the best I've had--the broth was lacking in flavor but the clams were superb. If you dine here, I'd go for the fried stuff. It's ok to splurge--after all, you're on vacation. 111 Main Street, Greenport NY 11944. 631.477.8252

It was hard to come back to the busy streets of Astoria after this short but tranquil break. With no traffic, it's only about an hour and a half away.

Bistro 33 - Wine Wednesdays

I mentioned that Bistro 33 re-opened last week with a new winter menu and some interesting specials. Wine Wednesday is one of those specials, which offers a free second glass of wine with dinner. The wine selection is attractive and includes:

Muga Rioja Blanca - Haro, Spain
Maschio Brut Prosecco - Campegine, Italy
Onix Classic Priorat Carinena/Granache - Priorato, Spain
Illahe Pinot Noir - Willamette Valley, Oregon

Bistro 33 also suggests cheeses that create a lovely pairing with the wine:

Spanish Manchego, Stilton Blue Cheese, Cave Aged Gruyere or a French Mimolette

Enjoy Wine Wednesdays--they sound like fun!

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

The New Cookstr - It's All About Recipes!

Cookstr image by www.cookstr.com

Margot and I had the great fun of attending a party, celebrating the launch of a new website called Cookstr. Cookstr concentrates on all sorts of recipes, written by accomplished chefs and cookbook authors. There's a plethora of recipes on the site right now--and they plan to update it with new content each day!

Browsing through the site yesterday and today, I liked what I saw. Cookstr's look is clean and the site is easy to navigate. You can search according to different criteria such as author, price, cost, skill level, whether the food is kid friendly--and basically anything and everything that you can think of. What I like about it is that the recipes tend to be short and there's a picture of almost every dish. I saw a lot of good Thanksgiving suggestions on their homepage, so if you need help in that area, use this for inspiration.

Now I also want to mention the party venue, Pasanella and Son, Vintners, located Downtown on South Street. I'm not very familiar with this neighborhood but last night's visit definitely peaked my interest. There were so many nice shops and restaurants on South Street, that I'm going to have to check them out when the weather gets warmer.

Pasanella is a quaint and very special kind of wine store. The building that it's housed in dates back to 1839 and you can definitely feel the rich history as soon as you walk in. Exposed beams, brick walls and an antique car embellish the main room, intriguing you to peruse every corner of this intricate wine shop.

Boasting over 400 wines from whites, reds and sparkling, Pasanella has it all. They merchandise their wines especially well, as each bottle is displayed strategically and even has suggestion cards/signs, showing why a particular wine is the perfect wedding gift, Thanksgiving complement or an aphrodisiac.

We walked past the main room into a private tasting room, which really impressed us. The antique look continued here, as everything was tastefully decorated with simple candles, photographs and paintings. They had an assortment of nice hors d' oeuvres such as cured meats and cheeses, focaccia bread and even dessert, consisting of shortbread cookies and good quality dark chocolate. Everything tasted delicious because it was fresh yet simple and not overdone.

The evening was a lot of fun and I'll gladly return to Pasanella to buy good wine and maybe even stop in for a tasting--they have them every Saturday from 2 p.m. - 5 p.m.

Oh and one more thing...we had local celebrity sighting, as we saw Tamara and Zora from Astoria's Sunday Night Dinner. They're working ferociously on their upcoming cookbook and are busy testing all sorts of recipes. It was fun to see them and I wish them much success for their awaited book launch!

Pasanella and Son, Vintners - 115 South Street, New York, NY 10038
212.233.8383
A, C, 2, 3, 4 or 5 Train to Fulton Street/Broadway-Nassau Stop
www.pasanellaandson.com

Vesta - New Trattoria in Town

Image provided by Vesta

I received news last week about Vesta, a new trattoria and wine bar on 30th Avenue and 21st Street. True that it's a bit out of the way but judging from its menu, it looks mighty enticing.

Vesta is owned by Astoria natives, Giuseppe Falco and Leo Sacco. Their kitchen is headed up by Michelle Vido, who's not only an Astoria resident, but she's also worked at impressive Manhattan and Brooklyn eateries such as The River Cafe, AIX, Monkey Bar and Little Giant.

I'll be checking it out soon and writing a real review but in the meantime, here's a peek at their food and wine menu. Wines come by the shot, glass or bottle--I found the shot thing kind of cool.

Small Plates:
Mixed olives, caper berries, garlic, herbs and lemon...$2.50
Cranberry beans, balsamic roasted cipollini onions & grilled crostini...$3
Ricotta, basil, olive oil & crostini...$3

Appetizers:
Ribollita - Tuscan bread soup...$5.50
Fennel and orange salad - Frisee lettuce and poppy seed dressing...$6.50
Antipasto plate - Manchego cheese, hot sopressata & fig spread...$8.95

Entrees:
Orecchiette pasta - House made fennel sausage, tomato and basil...$9.50
Linguini - With manila clams and chorizo sausage...$14.95
Baked gnocchi - With chanterelle mushroom cream...$15.95
Striped bass - Pan roasted with chick pea & cannellini bean broth...$18.50

Wines:

Red - Salice Salentino '03, Taurino, Puglia; Chianti '06 Palladio, Toscana; Aglianico "Contado" '05, Di Majo Norante, Molise

White - Gravina '07, Botromagno, Puglia; Pino & Toi '07, Maculan, Veneto; Vermentino "Costamolino" '07, Argiolas, Sardegna

Bubbles - Blanc de Blanc NV, Paul Louis, France; Prosecco NV, Zardetto, Veneto

Email me at critic@foodistanyc.com and I can send you the entire food and wine menu. And if you've been there already, let me know what you think.

Vesta - 21-02 30th Avenue, Astoria NY 11102
718.545.5550
N/W Train to 30th Avenue

Party at Kafene

Kafene, the casual eatery and wine bar on Hoyt Avenue South is having an opening celebration tomorrow and Saturday. The party will begin at 9p and there will be complimentary wine and hors d'oeuvres until 11p.

I haven't tried it yet but will surely join the party tomorrow. From what I hear from my Joey in Astoria colleagues, the food is incredible, the service is impeccable and the location is ideal. It's right across from Astoria Park so if you decide to go there during the day, you can take a nice walk in the park to digest your lunch. Check it out and maybe I'll catch ya there tomorrow.

Kafene - 23-08 Hoyt Avenue South, Astoria, NY 11102
718.274.6525
N/W Train to Astoria Blvd

Winegasm - An Out of Body Experience

Winegasm - 31-86 37th Street, Astoria NY 11103

718.932.3331

N/W Train to Broadway

www.winegasmeatery.com

My colleague Joey and I checked out Winegasm back in May and just this week, I returned there with my other two Joey in Astoria colleagues Meg and Sooz. We were generously invited to an informal tasting by Winegasm's owners. It was a fun night filled with laughter, delicious food and incredible wine. While I'm going to concentrate on the food here, my colleagues will cover the wine in a later posting.

We couldn't have survived the night without Winegasm's delicious grub--both because of its wonderful flavor but also because we needed sustenance to hold us over from the wine. Here are some of the things we sampled:

Spicy Almonds - In addition to having a nice kick from spices, these almonds were served warm. They were a delight to bite into, as you could taste their natural oil coming out--and the spices provided a cheerful greeting for the tongue. It's a good starter that's nice with both whites and reds.

Gasm Dip - This caught Meg's eye immediately and it consisted of a puree of beans, carrots and truffle oil with melba chips. It was tasty but definitely not my favorite thing here--partly because of the strange flavoring. I thought that I tasted tarragon or some sort of licorice spice, which I wasn't a fan of. Meg and I were saying that we prefer the carrot dip at Mundo.

Bacon Wrapped Prunes - This sounded amazing on the menu and it's one of my standouts of the night. The exterior was crunchy, smoky and salty from the bacon while the inside was ooey, gooey and sweet from the prunes. It tasted like a dessert and a tapa in one! I highly recommend it, especially if you're drinking red wine.

7 Cheese Mac with Country Bacon - This dish spoke to us from the beginning since the three of us love bacon. While it was presented beautifully in a rustic ceramic dish, we were surprised to see that the bacon was placed on top in large strips, as opposed to being cut up into small pieces and interspersed into the mac. But once we tasted it, the bacon faux pas was quickly forgotten. The mac was crunchy on top, smooth and rich on the inside. It didn't feel heavy as it often could--probably because it was split between three people. In the end, it was kind of fun to break up the bacon into smaller pieces and to place it on top of each forkful of mac.

Mozarella, Sun-Dried Tomato, Arugula and Pesto Panini - This hard-to-mess-up sandwich was another home run at Winegasm. The bread was fluffy and fresh and so were the inside ingredients. It was paired well with a mixed green salad and adorable, crunchy cornishons. Although we agreed that it was no Il Bambino, it held its own and I'd certainly get it again.

Fresh Crab Cakes with Arugula Salad - These were suggested by Winegasm and we absolutely devoured them--the crabmeat was super fresh and flavored with lemony parsley and red peppers. The crab cakes were bite sized and their flavor was enhanced when dipped into the spicy mayo and vinaigrette dip. The arugula salad was a nice touch too, providing zest and freshness to the dish.

Molten Lava Cake and Orange Chocolate Mousse - We needed to cap off our night with something sweet and chocolatey so we selected these two favorites. Both were amazing and beautifully presented. The Molten Lava cake was garnished with silky raspberry sauce--it was so soft and rich inside that we had to switch off between that and the mousse. The mousse was also fabulous, with a tart orange flavor from the Grand Marnier. It was garnished elegantly with orange peel and creme fraische. Both desserts were beautiful, decadent dishes that should be tried at least once.

Service and Cost:

The service was superb--mainly because they knew we were coming but even despite this bias, the staff seems to know what they're doing and their passion for Winegasm shines through. We were given tons of wonderful pairing suggestions and even some brief histories of wine, which were informative and interesting. If you'd like to find out more, check out their Thursday night wine tastings from 7-9p.

Winegasm's costs are reasonable and range between $3.50-$8.50 for appetizers, $6.95-$11.95 for paninis and $7.95 - $21.95 for main dishes. Wine is offered by the glass, $7-$14 or by the bottle, $25-$99.

3 Mmmms