Spring is in the air, that's for sure, and 5 Napkin Burger is celebrating. In honor of their springtime patio opening this weekend, they're hosting a Kegs & Eggs event this Saturday, 4/27 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. What's in store? Lots of local beers from SingleCut Beersmiths and their classic brunch. And if you're really thirsty, you can enjoy a 2 hour bottomless pints for $20. To whet your appetite a little more, here are some yummy highlights of their brunch:
Southwestern Chicken Salad - grilled chipotle rubbed chicken breast, mixed greens with chayote, cherry tomatoes, roasted red peppers, grilled corn, red onions, cotija cheese, tortilla strips & ranch dressing
Burger Salad - 7 oz. beef, turkey, lamb or veggie patty on top of chopped greens, endive, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, green beans, red onion, radishes, celery, pickled onions, choice of dressing
Cheesey Omelette - choice of gruyere, cheddar, american, pepperjack, feta, mozzarella
Healthy Frittata - egg whites with 1 yolk, spinach, tomatoes, onions & peppers
Artichoke Benedict - artichoke, spinach & mozzarella dip gratineed on a toasted potato roll with 2 poached eggs & hollandaise sauce
Breakfast Tacos - 2 flour tortillas, scrambled eggs & chorizo with cotija, avocado, crispy shallots & salsa verde
Whatcha think? Will I see you there?
5 Napkin Burger - 35-01 36th Street, Astoria, NY 11106
718.433.2727
N/Q Train to Steinway Street, R/M Train to Steinway Street
www.5napkinburger.com
Remember back in the winter when 5 Napkin Burger hosted their beer & bourbon series? Well they're back at it this summer, starting with a Michter's Whiskey event on Wednesday, June 13th followed by Stone Brewing Company on June 27th.
The format of the events is really fun and totally conducive to mixing/mingling and meeting new people. It starts off as a casual cocktail reception, during which you get to meet the brewers, start sampling their beer or whiskey and get a little nibble of 5 Napkin's delectable apps.
After the initial meet and greet, you'll sit down to a plated two course dinner, during which you also get to try different beers or whiskey (depends on the event). My favorite aspect of the dinners are when the brewers come around to gather your feedback on their various libations. It's really fun!
Here are all the vital deets for both events - the price is fair at just $35/event or $60 for both (this includes tax and gratuity), so if you're interested, go ahead and reserve your spots sooner than later.
Michter's Bourbon Dinner: Wednesday, June 13th at 6:30 p.m.
Stone Brewing Company Dinner: Wednesday, June 27th at 6:30 p.m.
RSVP and buy tickets here
5 Napkin Burger - 35-01 36th Street, Astoria, NY 11106
718.433.2727
N/W Train to 36th Avenue
5napkinburger.com
While it seems surreal, last week I embarked on a crazy awesome food adventure with fellow foodies, Bradley of amuse*bouche blog, Meg of Harmonious Belly and We Heart Astoria and new friend Stella from Tumbler blog, Queens Love. Together, we made an interesting quartet of enthusiastic foodies, ready to take on the ever-so-gluttonous world of burgers at Burger Club on 30th Avenue and 32nd Street.
Bradley ever so graciously set up the tasting, and because of him, we got to try nearly everything on the menu. And by nearly, I'm being literal, as I couldn't believe how much we actually tried. The below showcases my highlights of the meal, and even though I may not have written about literally every dish we tried, there was nothing we had that wasn't scrumptious and totally appetizing.
Atmosphere:
Fun and casual are the first two words that pop into my head when I think of the Burger Club. It's done quite the transformation since being my beloved Pinocchio's Palace, where the interior was a somewhat compartmentalized space. Here at Burger Club, everything is open and spacious, and I adore the way they've opened up the front and the side of the space through retractable garage doors. They keep them open during nice days, creating a pleasant breeze, and we were lucky to experience this open-air effect on the night of our tasting. I think everyone loved it, especially since it really makes you feel like part of all the action on 30th Avenue, so even though you're technically inside, you're never missing a beat.
The seating is varied and suitable for all types of parties including couples but also large groups, through the use of their lovely communal tables. We got to sit at one of these during our tasting, which was smack in the middle of the restaurant, so aside from having enough room to spread out, it was also perfect for people watching.
Food:
I loved that we really got the full experience, getting to taste multiple items from all parts of the menu, including apps, a salad course, burgers galore and even dessert. My favorite courses were the first two - apps and salad - as I'm more of a small plates/sharing girl, but the burgers were very tasty and quite large. Here are my various shining stars of the night.
Appetizers - We sampled a total of 6 apps, including the quesadillas, mozzarella fritters (pictured above), braised short ribs with hand-cut fries, flash-fried chicken strips, buffalo chicken wings and homemade nachos. Sheesh...that's a lot! It was hard to choose a favorite, but the nachos and the quesadillas of all things really stood out. I loved the former mostly because of the amazing freshness and crunchy texture of the homemade tortilla chips. We munched on them sporadically throughout the evening and even after a few minutes of sitting out, they never got soggy, even though they were fully loaded with goodness such as cheese, meat, veggies and more.
The quesadilla was a winner too, as it contained the same braised short ribs that were also on the frites you see above. Even though both options were delicious, the former really married the meat well with a smoky cheese blend, and wrapped it all up in a light flour tortilla that made it easy and fun to eat.
Salads - Although you wouldn't be expecting much out of the salad course, it was one of my favorites, showcasing two types of salads - the club and the roasted beet. Both were spectacular but the winner in my book (and in my dining companion's opinion too) was the Club. This was no ordinary club salad, as its flavor was elevated with sophisticated components such as candied walnuts, roasted peppers (same ones as used on the cheese fritters above), dried cranberries and a sweet balsamic vinaigrette. It was a more luxurious version of this classic salad dish, and I could've polished off a whole portion myself.
Burgers - There were so many varieties to choose from that I was slightly overwhelmed, but not to worry, I got to try nearly everything. Five of the choices included traditional beef patties and the remaining two were fish alternatives, one salmon burger and the other yellowfin tuna. But the most attractive burger for me was the Brunch burger with bacon, cheese and a fried egg on top. I've tried a version of this before at Sweet Afton and loved it, but the Burger Club surely didn't disappoint.
In addition to the Brunch Burger, the Frenchy with foie gras, sauteed mushrooms and caramelized onions was also a winner. The mushrooms were the best part, as they were chunky and seemed to be flavored with truffle oil. A top-notch aspect of each burger was the brioche bun, which was light, fluffy, buttery and eggy too. The fish burgers boasted whole wheat buns, which was a nice change that lightened things up.
Dessert - After all this gluttony, I can't believe we put another morsel of food in our mouths, but we sure did. The four tiered chocolate cake was da bomb - rich, moist and chocolatey to the max. Rich ganache melded the cake together, and elevated its decadence further through a luxuriously bittersweet flavor. I highly recommend a tall glass of water with this dessert - you'll thank me later.
Service and Cost:
Treated with care and attention, the waitstaff at Burger Club is really nice and super knowledgeable about everything. Our waitress had everything down pat, including knowledge about how they prepared the food, where it came from and such - I was impressed. The steady influx of customers throughout the evening also showcased that this place has done well for itself in the past 5 months since opening.
Costs are moderate and absolutely on par with competitors such as Sweet Afton and Bare Burger:
Salads & Appetizers - $7.25 - $9.25
Burgers & Sandwiches - $7.75 - $11.75
3 Meaty Mmmms
Burger Club - 32-02 30th Avenue, Astoria NY 11102
718.777.7788
N/Q Train to 30th Avenue
www.burger-club.com
Whenever there's buzz about BareBurger, I listen. And judging by how Astorians reacted to our We Heart Astoria giveaway to this fantastic burger joint, I have a feeling you'll all be interested in what I'm about to tell you.
I spotted a sweet lunch deal today on their Facebook page and wanted to spread the news pronto. After all, who doesn't love a great deal on lunch, and especially with these quality meats!
BareBurger Lunch Special:
Enjoy an original BareBurger with your choice of meat (beef, veggie or turkey), fries and soda for $11.95
This deal has an almost $20 value, plus it's another good excuse to get together with friends and enjoy the holidays. Bon appetit everyone!BareBurger - 33-21 31st Avenue, Astoria NY 11106
718.777.7011
N/Q Train to Broadway
www.bareburger.com
Any chance to visit 5 Napkin Burger and I'm there. Whether it's for their amazing Happy Hour deal or just for a regular sit-down dinner with friends, I continue to love it.
That's why when it came time to plan our We Heart Astoria Holiday Bloggers Social, 5 Napkin immediately came to mind. Not only did they roll out the red carpet for us in terms of service, the food offering was mighty generous and we got to enjoy everything in their private party room space (the very one where I had my relaunch party back in June).
While enjoying my time with awesome Queens bloggers, representative of sites such as We Could Eat, Beyond the Bread, Gardenfreude, Queens Mamas and more, I tried some new things on 5 Napkin's rich menu that I wanted to tout here:
Before I get into the specifics, I wanted to mention the special menu, which we enjoyed. It started with 2 full rounds of passed appetizers, followed by a plated dinner and then a dessert to cap it off. Decadence? I think so!
Appetizers - There was a plethora of appetizers that the staff graced us with, including warm spinach/artichoke dip served on thin slices of crispy baguette, lamb kofta skewers with tahini sauce, mini salmon tacos and an assortment of veggie tempura. All were delicious quite frankly but the lamb skewers were my favorite - warm, lamby goodness, flavored by spices such as mint and oregano that really stood out. The tahini sauce was a great addition that made these juicy pieces of meat pop even more, as it added tang and nice creaminess.
Burger Salad - I've seen people order this and really enjoy it, but I've never tried it myself, until now. Happy to report it lived up to the hype, it was substantial, fresh and creatively put together. Consisting of a medley of vibrant veggies such as endive, tomato, cucumber, green beans, pepper, red onions, radishes and celery, the best part was that it was topped with a full burger patty cooked to a perfect medium consistency. Further topped with the signature 5 Napkin sauce and oil and vinegar dressing, it was anything but a boring salad. I loved cutting the burger patty into small bites and skewering a nice big forkful with veggies and meat. Oh and there was blue cheese in there too, which added tang and more heartiness.
Apple Pie - Not that we had more room in our tummies, but when the dessert came, we didn't have the power to refuse. I'm such a sucker for good pies, that when I saw the crumbly crust and the substantial, chunky apple filling, I had to dig in. Each bite was better than the next, and I loved the convergence of the buttery crust with the decadent chunky filling and the crunchy topping. The whipped cream on the side sealed the deal on this very sweet ending.
Service and Cost:
As I mentioned above, the service was superior and we were treated with great care and attention. We appreciated it very much, but I can't say I'm surprised, as regardless of why I visit 5 Napkin, the staff is always stellar and the service has never disappointed me.
Costs of the dinner were very competitive and included about $27 for the food and roughly an additional $10-$15 for drinks.
Cheers to that! Thanks 5 Napkin for your incredible hospitality.
5 Napkin Burger - 35-01 36th Street, Astoria, NY 11106
718.433.2727
N/Q to 36th Street
5napkinburger.com
Given the funny date we're graced with today, I thought it was pretty clever of 5 Napkin Burger to roll out with this impromptu deal. Here are the deets - this is definitely a fun, last minute thing to do tonight, so I hope you get to take advantage of it, whether you're in Astoria or the city.
In honor of today's date, 11/11/11, 5 Napkin Burger offers a special 11% discount off the entire bill during the 11th hour (as in 11 p.m. tonight). I love that this deal is relevant in all 5 Napkin Burger NY locations including Astoria, Hell's Kitchen and the Upper East Side.
Hope you guys enjoy and eat your hearts out.
5 Napkin Burger - 35-01 36th Street, Astoria, NY 11106
718.433.2727
N/Q Train to 36th Avenue
5napkinburger.com
I’m sure you remember me mentioning 5 Napkin Burger’s Beer & Bourbon Series, staring with the Kelso Brewery event, held on October 6th. So excited for this to take place, I ran a promotion through the help of my friends at 5 Napkin to send a lucky Fooditka reader and their guest to the event au gratis. That lucky winner happened to be Diane and her husband who I was lucky to meet at the event and even have dinner with. Needless to say, it turned out to be a spectacular night of indulging, making new friends and learning some neat things about beer and food.
The Set-Up:
As is the case with all 5 Napkin Burger run events, the Kelso dinner was nicely organized and went off without a hitch.
It began in 5 Napkin’s private party room (the same one I had my Fooditka re-launch celebration). There, we gathered as a group of food and brew lovers, got to meet Kelly and Sonya, Kelso’s brewers and tasted Chef Andy’s “beer tailored” menu.
I liked the intimacy and the insider feel of the private room. And even though we moved into the main dining room for the actual dinner and dessert, we were still treated like exclusive guests—approached by Kelly who engaged us in fruitful conversation about the beer, food or anything we felt like chatting about.
Beer & Food:
The beginning of the evening started with passed hors d’oeuvres and beer, while the middle-end of the event involved table-side service. It was the perfect mix, in my opinion, letting us warm up to our fellow party-goers and then officially breaking bread with them.
Beer & App Hour – This was my favorite part of the event, when we got to taste Chef Andy’s uniquely constructed apps, all including Kelso’s beer as an ingredient. The addition of beer in the Crispy Chicken Nuggets, the pulled pork sliders and the beer/cheddar soup was evident but in a subtle, intelligent way. It was clear that the beer was added, but it was done in a way that brought out the best in each dish and accentuated its other components.
The chicken nuggets to start were (as its name foreshadowed) amazingly crispy, flavored by a smoky bbq sauce that had a hint of Kelso’s lager. Each bite was intensely addicting and I appreciated the mix of dark and white meat that went into this. This was no engineered meat concoction, as I often picture when I think of a mass-produced nugget.
My other close favorite was the pulled pork slider, which was slow cooked for 18 hours in a beer reduction. The end result was tender, juicy and nicely spiced meat, its hearty taste cut by the refreshing carrot and jicama slaw and cilantro on top. If they haven’t thought of this already, I’d highly recommend putting this baby on the regular menu – or at least their happy hour menu. Please…?
A third app served during the beer & app hour was an aged cheddar and beer soup – the perfect accoutrement to beer, I think. The flavors were strong and tickled the back of your throat in a comforting way. Pieces of smoky, thick-cut bacon peered through the pumpkin-colored liquid, which were a lovely surprise that made this soup an even greater treat.
For the entrees, we were graced with 5 Napkin Burger’s signature burger (with their rosemary aioli), which I’ve had many times and always enjoy. For more info about this burger, you can see my previous reviews.
Whoopie Pie
– Dessert is my favorite aspect of any meal, and this one absolutely sealed the deal for me. And as everything else on the menu that night, it was accentuated with Kelso’s brew - the Flemish Red Ale, which is known for being sour. Overall, the taste was spectacular – a little spicy, a bit nutty with deep flavors of maple.
The Beer – We had the pleasure of tasting 7 different Kelso ales that night, and I sure learned a lot. For one – I didn’t know there were this many varieties, a lot of them being very rich in flavor, ingredients and taste. Something else I learned, which made a whole lot of sense in retrospect is that 5 Napkin’s Signature Ale is actually Kelso’s Nut Brown Lager, except under a different name. It’s no wonder that Dan and I are constantly impressed by it, ordering it time and again when we come here for dinner or for their Happy Hour offering.
So besides the 5 Napkin Lager, which is a dark, full-bodied malt, my other favorites included the Recessionator, the Pilsner, and the Flemish Red Ale. All three beers are very distinct, the Recessionator, a thick, malty, nutty brew with rum toffee flavorings; the Pilsner a drier, European-style beer that reminds me of the beers I have when visiting family in Slovakia; and finally the Flemish Red Ale, which is Kelso’ rendition of a sour beer that’s aged for 6 months. I first tasted the latter at 5 Napkin’s Captain Lawrence event last year, and it was a bit much for me to take – good but very, very strong. Kelso’s version however, was a lot lighter, slightly sweet and paired really well with the Whoopie Pie.
Service and Cost:As is customary for 5 Napkin, the service was outstanding and always on point. The pacing of each course was just right, in that we didn’t feel rushed but at the same time we didn’t find ourselves waiting for anything too long. I really liked the special attention we got from the brewers, which is the real value of attending something like this. It would make for a really nice gift for an uber savvy (or curious) beer lover.
The cost of the dinner is $60 per person and includes tax and gratuity – really not bad for all the special attention and the ample food and drink you’re getting.
3 Mmmms
5 Napkin Burger - 35-01 36th Street, Astoria, NY 11106
718.433.2727
N/Q Train to Steinway Street, R/V/G Train to Steinway Street
www.5napkinburger.com
Although I've written about their Happy Hour many a times, I've never actually been *embarrassed shrug.* Last night's rain date was a perfect way to finally try it, and you must be wondering why I'm talking about going to Happy Hour on the weekend. But...if you know a little bit about the offering here, you'll know they boast Happy Hour every day of the week (including weekends). No, your eyes don't deceive you.
Trying nearly everything on their menu, I did manage to have something new to me, which were the chicken wings. The other foods we ordered we've already experienced, but some of which I haven't yet written about. Here's what I thought:
Hell's Kitchen Wings - Loving that these babies were just 50 cents each, Dan and I split 10 of them. There's a reason they're called "Hell's Kitchen" and I don't think they're only talking about the neighborhood, as these are hot, hot, hot. Drenched in spicy bbq sauce, they're quite messy and you can't help but feel like a savage consuming them. But the flavor and the tenderness of the meat hold its own, and make this a very solid and filling way to enjoy happy hour. The wings are also a good, generous size and are nice to share with a partner you feel comfortable with. As I said, this dish is messsssy!
Veggie Slider - Dan was eager to get the veggie slider, as he remembers eating it at my re-launch party. Wowza, it was better than I remembered, not tasting like a purely veggie pattie, but a meaty, hearty one. Topped with 5 Napkin's signature sauce, they also use on the inside out burger (aka burger salad), it packed some creaminess and also tanginess from the thin-cut b&b pickles. I could've put down more than one of these, so veggie friends get ready for the goodness this brings!
S'mores Milkshake - While I've had this milkshake on various occasions, it continues to be a favorite, with its rich, creamy consistency and a perfectly burnt marshmallow on top. The flavors are simple as can be, but they're classically delicious, using really good quality ice cream as a base.
Service and Cost:
We were astounded at what a superstar our bartender/waiter was. There was just one for the entire bar, which seated more than 25 people. Our guy was hustling, serving drinks left and right, helping set food on the table and making those delicious shakes I just told you about from scratch. Like I said...superstar.
Costs are wonderfully inexpensive, due to the Happy Hour special, which offers $2 sliders, $4 drafts and $.50 wings. Our bill including a friend's drink, 3 sliders, 10 wings, an order of tater tots, and a milkshake was just $36. If that doesn't deserve 3 Mmmms, I don't know what does.
5 Napkin Burger - 35-01 36th Street, Astoria, NY 11106
718.433.2727
N/Q Train to 36th Avenue
5napkinburger.com
As most of you know, last night was my big launch party at 5 Napkin Burger, celebrating the re-naming of my site to Fooditka. To sum it up simply, the party was smashingly wonderful. Not only did I get to celebrate with my close family, friends and food colleagues, the setting was quite fantastic and we indulged in lots of delicious goodies and some stiff drinks too.
The Setting:
The shin-dig was held at 5 Napkin Burger's now officially opened private party room, which is spacious and great looking. Decked with black & white vintage photographs and their signature, subway tile, it provided a comfortable, classic setting for my guests. Overall, the feedback about the space was great, and many specifically remarked about how huge it was and about how much they liked its privacy.
The Menu:
We absolutely loved all the signature goodies that were served such as their classic 5 Napkin Burger with rosemary aioli, the 5 Napkin Veggie Burger with housemade 5N sauce, deep fried pastrami and pickles (my fave!), spicy crunchy salmon rolls, pork taquitos, Hell's Kitchen wings and more! There were even little glasses of chocolate and vanilla milkshakes at the end, which were just a perfect little bonus.
I was also excited to learn more about the inner workings of booking this private room for future parties and wanted to share the special menu with you here. Most convenient is that 5 Napkin does not charge a room fee, which is often the case for private rooms, and the cost per person is affordable. I'm already thinking about it for an upcoming birthday celebration...
Here's the menu: $26.95/person
Starters (choose 4, served family style)
Hell's Kitchen Wings
Deep Fried Pickles & Pastrami
Pork Taquitos
Cornmeal Crusted Onion Rings
Vietnamese Shrimp & Salad Roll
Spicy Crunchy Salmon Rolls
Hot Spinach & Artichoke Dip
BLT Salad
5N Chopped Salad
Mains (choose 3)
Original 5 Napkin Burger
Bacon - Cheddar Burger
5 Napkin Veggie Burger
Italian Turkey Burger
Inside Ahi Tuna Burger
Lamb Kofta Burger
Macaroni & Cheese
Milanese Chicken Tenders
Peanut Chicken Salad
Blackened Shrimp Salad
Grilled Fish Tacos
Lobster Roll Sliders +$3.50
Sides
Bowls of cole slaw & pickles served family style with a choice of 2 or more sides
French Fries
Tater Tots
Sweet Potato Fries
Onion Rings
Steamed Broccoli
Creamed Spinach
Hope these yummies have piqued your interest, as I'm really craving a burger right now ;)
Thank you to everyone for supporting me in this new venture, and I can't wait to celebrate more good times with you! For more pictures of this event, please check out my new Facebook page.
5 Napkin Burger - 35-01 36th Street, Astoria, NY 11106
718.433.2727
N/Q Train to 36th Avenue
5napkinburger.com
Here's a fun update, especially relevant since the weather was so darn gorgeous today - 5 Napkin Burger is opening up a new outdoor cafe area. It'll be quite extensive, seating around 60 people who'll be able to eat and drink al fresco.
In honor of this new development, 5 Napkin will be extending their awesome Happy Hour special to this new outdoor area. So anytime between tomorrow, April 27th and Thursday, May 5th (Cinco de Mayo) you can enjoy $2 sliders, 5o cent Hell's Kitchen Wings, $2 Pork Taquitos and $4 drafts. Not only will you get your money's worth, I think you'll also really enjoy these goodies. My personal recommendations are the turkey slider (pictured above), the original 5 Napkin Burger slider and the pork taquitos. Enjoy the outdoors and this delicious new deal.
5 Napkin Burger - 35-01 36th Street, Astoria, NY 11106
718.433.2727N/Q Train to 36th Avenue5napkinburger.com
