The Next Astoria Book & Supper Club is Coming

Image by Astoria Book & Supper Club

I told you about it before, and now it's back again with a bang - the Astoria Book & Supper Club is at it again with another exciting event.  And with everyone's busy summer schedules, you have until mid-September to get your act together with the book, which is A Confederacy of Dunces.

Lucky for us, the book is set in New Orleans, and the menu will reflect just that - taking advantage of the vibrant rich flavors and seasonings, characteristic of this region.  Just take a look at this seriously tastebud tantalizing menu:

A Sazerac cocktail and homemade Cajun-style potato chips 

Char-Broiled Oyster

Shrimp and grits balls - a play on shrimp and grits, these are deep fried: crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside

The Ignatius dog - what happens when you cross a hot dog with classic Muffaletta

Crispy soft shell crab - with remoulade sauce and roasted corn salad

King cake - with a hidden baby Ignatius

Saturday, September 15th at 7:30 p.m. Dinner will be served at 8:00 p.m. 
$40/person and you can also BYOB or add $15 to include booze
To find out more, check out Astoria Book & Supper Club

Astoria's New Supper & Book Club

Image by Lisa Commisso

It's my pleasure to introduce a new supper and book club in town, founded by my friend and fellow Queens Swapper, Lisa.  Full of passion for food and books, Lisa combines these two loves, as she hosts tres chic dinners and discussion parties right in Astoria.  I can guarantee the food will be delicious and the company won't be too shabby either.  Just take a look at the details below and the tastebud-tantalizing menu:

Lisa's Astoria Supper & Book Club
Next Event: Monday, July 16th at 7:00 p.m.
Book: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zaffon

Menu will include:

A refreshing glass of Cava to start, sangria to be served with dinner

Trio of “Pintxos” served on pan di tomate:
Boquerones: Fresh anchovies and roasted pepper
Serrano Ham and Manchengo
Cured Chorizo and Manchengo

Croquetas de Bacalao  

Cod and Potato Croquettes served with mashed avocado and lemon

Paprika Roasted Potatoes and Shrimp al Ajillo (in garlic)
served with Romesco sauce

Seafood and Chorizo Paella

Coconut Flan and Chocolate Toast

Dinner will be served promptly at 7:30 p.m. so make sure to come relatively on time so you don't miss all the goodies.  The cost is $40 per person and an additional $15 for unlimited drinks.

For more info, visit: http://theastoriabookandsupperclub.blogspot.com/ 

Astor Room Delivers on Intrigue and Great Drinks

This week, all the buzz was about the new Astor Room, the 1920's inspired supper club/bar located on the ground floor of Kaufman Astoria studios.  The hype was so alluring that I decided to check it out this weekend with our usual group of friends, Moses, Sonya, Paul, Jess and Adrian and of course Dan!  Overall, I was impressed by the historic space and the homage this place paid to classic cocktails. 

Although The Astor Room also serves food, we took advantage of just their drinks and therefore I'll solely concentrate on The Beaver Bar (Astor Room's dedicated bar) in this review.

Atmosphere:
Reminding me of other trendy speakeasies popping up in the tri-state area, including Queens' very own, Dutch Kills, Astor Room's Beaver Bar had a similar vibe.  Dark wood paneling, vintage leather stools, dim lighting, nostalgic music (preceding Gen Y and Gen Xers alike) and the signature stuffed beaver are just some of the elements that make this place special. 

I liked the clientele that hangs out here - trendy, sophisticated but not pretentious.  A benefit of this is that it makes The Astor Room a more mature hangout, excluding the raucous early 20's crowd that usually hangs out at the nearby beer garden.

Drinks:
We were pleasantly surprised by the innovative drinks menu, which honored many often-forgotten classic American cocktails.  Each drink was expertly prepared by Astor's on-site mixologists who clearly had a good handle on the art of drink preparation.  They made it look easy.

Mary Pickford - Named after a famous 1920's actress and co-founder of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts, this cocktail spoke to me.  Sweet and fruity, containing silver rum, pineapple juice, grenadine and maraschino liquor, this drink was a step-up from your simple rum/pineapple.  An added special touch was the marinated maraschino cherry, which almost tasted like a preserved sour cherry from a compote.

Queen's Road - My second drink was a lot stronger and more pungent but like the Mary Pickford, it was also rum based.  It had floral hints of sweetness from honey syrup, nice acid from the lime and orange juice and a strong aftertaste from the ginger. I liked it when this drink dulled out a bit with the help of large ice cubes floating on top.

Manhattan - Dan got a classic Manhattan but asked to have it with Bulleit bourbon, which is his favorite.  I didn't taste it since I can't handle the strong punch of this drink, but Dan said that it was very delicious and one of the best of its kind.

Service and Cost:
We loved the staff here - they were friendly yet low-key and for a new establishment, didn't try too hard.  Our bartender in particular was a really cool guy, and by the end of the night, the guys had been exchanging stories and jokes with him. 

It was refreshing (pun intended) to see how reasonably the cocktails, wine and beer were priced. 

Cocktails - $9 - $10
Wine - $6 - $10
Beer - $5 - $8

3 Classic Mmmms

The Astor Room - 34-12 36th Street, Astoria NY 11106
718.255.1947
N/Q Train to Broadway or M/F Train to Steinway Street
www.astorroom.com