Where to Watch Baseball in Astoria (and where to eat and drink)

Dan sporting his mini Mets cap

Baseball season has officially returned, and with lots of loyal Mets and Yankees fans amongst us, I thought to put together a helpful Astoria guide of where to catch the games.  Hope you enjoy the action in these fun, festive and sports oriented spots.

Katch - Checking out this place during football season, it has plenty of TV screens to catch the games and tasty food and drinks specials.  The one I spied recently was for 60 cent wings and a special on red velvet rice crispies treats.  31-19 Newton Ave, Astoria.  718.777.2230

Mad Donkey - Just a few steps away from the 36th Avenue subway stop, the Mad Donkey always has you covered with daily specials on draft beer and their simple but delicious bar food (fried pickles anyone?).  Insider tip: You can save a few bucks off your bill if you download the Scoutmob app and use the discount during your visit.  32-07 36th Avenue, Astoria. 718.204.2070

Astoria Brewhouse - Situated in another convenient spot, just off the 30th Avenue subway stop, I like that the Brewhouse offers plenty of good sports watching in a casual comfortable setting.  Whether you're a sports fan or not, you'll appreciate its laid back atmosphere and solid food.  They also host trivia on Thursdays, which is a lot of fun! 28-50 31st Street, Astoria.  718.728.0050

Dillinger's - Having a positive experience at Dillinger's myself, I always get a positive response when asking Astoria natives about it.  They have great food and drinks special virtually every day of the week, with Tuesdays being their 25 cent wing night.  Dillinger's creates a perfect atmosphere for watching sports such as baseball.  46-19 30th Avenue, Astoria. 718.956.5601

Studio Square - There's nothing like watching a game on the big screen, and since the weather will hopefully get warmer soon, there will be more opportunities for that at Studio Square.  I love perusing their fun drinks specials, such as the current Cherry Pop Special, featuring Sam Adams Cherry Wheat beer. Yum! 35-33 36th Street, Astoria. 718.383.1001

Fooditka Previews the Citi Field Food Line-Up

This week, Dan and I got to attend a really great press event at Citi Field, in honor of the upcoming baseball season, and the new eats featured at the stadium.  It was so much fun checking out all the different concessions, including the well known ones from Union Square Sports & Entertainment Group, World's Fare Market, Brooklyn Burger, Delta Sky360 Club, Promenade Club and the eats at Metropolitan Hospitality.

Everyone brought out the big guns and I was excited to see all the executive chefs, proudly displaying their new dishes for us to try.  As most tasting events, it was thrilling, wonderful and overwhelming at the same time, but we managed.  Trying a little bit of everything (in small bites of course), here are some of my standouts, as well as videos with two of the chefs, whose dishes caught my attention. Enjoy!

Buffalo Dog at Box Frites - This was pretty incredible because even though it looked like a hot dog, it tasted exactly like a fabulous buffalo chicken sandwich, complete with tangy blue cheese sauce and fixin's of pickled carrot and celery, which elevated it from something ordinary.  A smoky bacon dipping sauce that came as a side with the dog spoke volumes, and Chef, Scott Levine will tell you more about it in my interview with him.Interview with Chef, Scott Levine

Pastrachos from General Concessions - A big step up from your traditional stadium nachos, these are called pastrachos, as they embody all the characteristics of a classic Reuben sandwich, except in nacho form.  "How innovative!" I thought, as I kept reaching for seconds.  The sour taste from the sauerkraut, the savory nature of the pastrami and the creamy thousand island dressing make you want to close your eyes and envision being at a Jewish deli.  YUM!  Check out the interview with Chef, Javier Delgado as he reveals more details about this awesome new treat.
Interview with Chef, Javier Delgado

Fried Flounder Sandwich at Delta Sky360 Club - I loved the look of this bite sized sandwich, resembling a good sized slider.  The inside was filled with fried fresh flounder, which was light and flaky, but also topped with a tomato-parsley salad, which added a nice zestiness to the whole thing.  When the dish becomes officially available at the stadium, it'll also be served with guacamole and steak fries. 

Fried Fruit Pies at Box Frites - How can I forget about mentioning dessert...this is often my favorite part of any tasting!  The fried fruit pie was one of the first things we saw when we came in, but obviously saved it for last.  Boasting two flavors including apple crumb and mixed berry, we went for the latter and absolutely loved the crunchy sugary crust and the warm, thick and syrupy filling that was also slightly chunky.  Overall, it was pretty easy to eat and I think it'd make a great stadium dessert.

Banana Bread Pudding at Citi Field Desserts - Another awesome dessert was the cute little portion of banana bread pudding cups you see above.  Filled with warm banana cake that had a crunchy top and a gooey middle, each bite was pleasure, with a hint of cinnamon at the end that made you reach for another spoonful. 

Hope this little ballpark preview has piqued your interest for the upcoming season.  Take me out...to Citi Field!

Food & Mets Event Wednesday Night

For any Mets fans out there, there’s an event Wednesday night called “Teammates in the Kitchen” where you can meet Mets alumni Sid Fernandez, John Franco, Tom Seaver, Darryl Strawberry, and some award-winning chefs. The meet and greet benefits the James Beard Foundation and the Queens Economic Development Council.

If you’re less of a baseball lover and more of a foodie, how about these names - Jay Lippin (Strawberry’s Sports Grill), Anita Lo (Annisa), George McKirdy (pastry chef at Astor Bake Shop!), David Pasternack (Esca), John Schenk (Strip House), Michael Sobelman (Acela Club at Citi Field), Bradford Thompson (Miss Lily’s Restaurant), and Flavien Trichery (executive chef at Citi Field)?

Details:
- Wednesday, Sept 22 @ Delta Sky360 Club at Citi Field

- 6-7p VIP Reception (including exclusive GTS wine tasting with Hall of Fame Pitcher Tom Seaver and early access to chef’s tasting)
- 7-9:30p General Admission
- Tickets: $75 General Public, $175 VIP Experience
- Reservations: 212-627-2308 or 800-36-BEARD or teammatesinthekitchen.com