Last week, I spent some time at Mojave with a good group of friends, including Meg, Tom, Michelle, Nuno, Jennifer, and of course Dan. We celebrated Cinco de Mayo in this fun Southwestern setting and even though it was chilly outside, we had a warm Mexican sunset in mind.
It was fun to dine outside in their beautiful outdoor garden, which is an oasis from the busy 31st Street, right underneath the subway tracks. You'd never know it from sitting back there though, as it feels private, relatively quiet and really cheery.
During our visit, we tried a few things I personally have never had here including:
Guacamole - Even though it's super basic, I never actually ordered it here before, and appreciated the lively presentation. The multi colored chips were fun and totally appropriate for the celebration and the guac was delicious too. I mostly loved its slightly chunky yet also creamy texture simply intertwined with some red onion. Further dressed with fresh lime and cilantro, I appreciated its freshness and simplicity.
Fish Tacos - I love me some fish tacos and was curious about how they'd turn out at Mojave. I'd have to say pretty good but not great. The fish, which was a tilapia, I believe, was a bit on the fishy side in not the best way. Even though a fried alternative wouldn't have been as healthy, I often find fried fish tacos a lot moister and appetizing. The red cabbage and mango salsa that came as a topper was really lovely though as well as zesty and refreshing.
Service and Cost:
I can't speak too highly about the service, as I think it was spotty. It could've been because they were swamped or because of Cinco de Mayo, but whenever we actually needed to get our waitress's attention, she was nowhere to be found. It also happened on more than one occasion that our empty glasses weren't cleared or replenished for that matter. So overall, I think the staff could've done a better job.
Costs were very expensive, which was probably due to the large amount of drinks we got, but still, it just felt a bit exorbitant to me at $50-$60 per person. Ouch.
2 MmmmsMojave - 22-36 31st Street Astoria NY 11105
718.545.4100
N/Q Train to Ditmars Blvd (last stop)
www.mojaveny
I can never turn down brunch plans and thought it would be fun to go to Pachanga Patterson with Renne (of Single Girl Cookies). We originally planned to just grab coffee, but thought this would be the perfect excuse to try something new. While I've been to Pachanga on several occasions, I've never yet tried brunch, and was totally intrigued.
Food:
While they have the usual suspects such as omelets, an egg sandwich, even a breakfast burger on the menu, I went for something totally different, which were their chicken hot dogs. Renee also chose something more lunchy and went with their signature tacos.
Chicken Hot Dogs - Even though I was on the fence about getting these, our waitress convinced me they were fabulous. I totally agreed and was right away intrigued by the crunchy cabbage/apple slaw that was layered on top of the dogs. The hot dog itself was delicious and quite light, I only wished it was a little bit bigger and that they went easier on the bread. The mayo sauce on top totally worked and went nicely with the vinegary, crunchy slaw. If I had to do it over again, I'd definitely get them, and I was glad they didn't make me feel overly full or heavy - the portion was quite right.
Single Girl Sweets - I also nibbled on some Single Girl treats including Renee's new lemon cupcake with a beautiful little lemon rind on top. The frosting was stupendously creamy and tart and coupled nicely with the moist, dense dough. I loved the manageable size as well, which was just enough for two delectable bites.
Renee's signature chocolate chip cookies were also a must try, and I loved how the chocolate morsels just melted in your mouth. I don't know if it was because I just ate a lemon cupcake, but I tasted some lemon or orange zest in them too. It was a welcome flavor that I totally devoured.
Service and Cost:
The service was nice throughout our meal, and both of our waitresses were attentive and friendly. One of them was downright quirky and funny, and I loved how animatedly she described (and recommended) the chicken hot dogs.
Costs were moderate and we paid about $17 for our entrees and coffees, tax and tip included.
3 Mmmms
Pachanga Patterson - 33-17 31st Avenue, Astoria NY 11106
718.554.0525
N/Q Train to Broadway
www.pachangapatterson.com
This past weekend, I had the great fun of attending a lovely birthday brunch for my friend Jenny at MexiBBQ. A bunch of us ladies (and one gentleman) came out to enjoy some yummy brunch treats with a BBQ twist. I adore this style of food, and haven't yet tried MexiBBQ's version, so I was curious to see how they'd stack up. Overall, they did pretty well, even despite that it was way crowded on a football Sunday, when half of Astoria is in one place.
Since there were plenty of tantalizing things on the menu, my sister-in-law Diana and I got a dish each and shared them, which proved to be a fruitful strategy. Here's what we tried:
Hangover Cure - Delighted to notice chilaquiles on the menu, I had to try MexiBBQ's version, as I wanted to to see how they'd stack up next to mine. They totally rocked it, as the tortillas were the perfect amount of crispy and soft (the chilaquiles I made were just soft), and dressed with a combo of salsa verde and salsa roja, sliced grilled chicken and chorizo. The latter ingredient had a hint of spice to it, which was great, but that was also dulled out a bit by the silky eggs that topped this thing. I loved breaking the yolk and letting it seep into every crevice of this dish. Rockin!
Shrimp and Biscuits - Diana had her eyes on this dish as did I, so we shared. Slathered in a hearty sausage gravy, this was no light bite, but it was great in small quantities. The shrimp was cooked well, but in my opinion was breaded a little too much - I would've liked something a little softer on the gums - while the biscuits were buttery and tender and just like they should be. It was a fun-to-try dish but I'm not sure I'd order it next time.
Service and Cost:
Despite the restaurant being really busy, the service didn't suffer at all and everything was brought out really quickly. Drinks kept flowing nicely, especially for the ladies who chose the unlimited mimosa option. Kudos to the good staff at MexiBBQ!
Costs are affordable and set us back about $10-$16 for a brunch entree and then an $11 extra if you went with the unlimited mimosa option.
Haaapppy Birthday Jenny!
2.5 Mmmms
MexiBBQ - 37-11 30th Avenue, Astoria NY 11103
718.626.0333
N/Q Train to 30th Avenue
www.mexibbq.com
