FTW - Artopolis Cheese Pies

It’s been a while since I’ve set foot in Artopolis Bakery, as I’ve been trying to abstain from sweets and various types of baked goods.  Saturday however, was a different story, as I took the opportunity to indulge and bring some of their goodies over to my brother and sister-in-law’s lunch get together.

Naturally, I wanted to get Artopolis’ rosemary bread that goes well with hummus, olives and even just on its own.  But one can’t simply leave this place without picking up a few other provisions.

Cheese Pies – The bread counter at Artopolis not only serves a few varieties of rustic loaves, it also boasts a display of different cheese and spinach pies.  I chose two varieties of the former, one of which was savory, boasting a crumbly thick crust and a tender, savory middle.  Although I’m not 100% certain of the cheeses used in this particular pie, my guess would be something like feta.

The sweet cheese pie was everyone’s favorite, which resembled more of a danish, and it was further sprinkled with powdered sugar and cinnamon.  Heated up a bit, each bite was decadent, boasting a sweet/savory filling of anthotyro cheese.  Even the most discerning eaters found this pie delicious.

Spinach Pie – Who doesn’t love a classic spinach pie!?  This one was executed perfectly, with a pretty golden brown crust that was a little crunchy and crumbly too.  The bright green inside was earthy and vibrant, the spinach layers bejeweled with a few flecks of white feta.

Service and Cost:
Since the bakery was quite busy, it took me a while to get someone’s attention, but once I did, it was all good.  All in all, I was in and out in a matter of 10 minutes, which is more than acceptable on a busy Saturday.

Costs are expensive but worth every penny, setting me back $31 for two loaves of bread and 6 pastries.

3 Mmmms

Artopolis - 23-18 31st Street, Astoria NY 11105

718.728.8484

N/Q Train to Astoria Blvd or Ditmars Blvd

www.artopolis.net

Artopolis' Bodacious Cheese Pies

It's been a little while since I've been to my favorite Greek Astorian Bakery, Artopolis, so I decided to pop in today, mainly to pick up some goodies for Queens Swap.  On my mind since I last read the Edible Queens article about their halloumi pita, I've been really craving their breads and of course wanted to try the aforementioned specialty.  

As I walked up to the bread counter, I noticed a nice round olive pita and envisioned the halloumi being somewhere nearby.  But when I asked about it, to my chagrin I found out that it wasn't yet ready, so instead I picked up these cute mini cheese pies you see above.  Wow oh wow, so much for settling!  Not only were these little cheesy bites a big hit at the swap, I've been thinking about them ever since.  Let me elaborate a bit.

Mini Cheese Pies - Looking like little golden torpedoes, the cheese pies were perfectly crusty on the outside and really soft and creamy on the inside.  The cheese filling was a mix of ricotta and a Greek cheese (maybe anthotiro), which was slightly sweet but also enhanced with some fresh herbs like thyme.  Overall, it was a really lovely treat, and something perfect and bite sized when cut up into thirds.  Great for entertaining, I'd recommend serving this on its own or alongside spanakopita too if you so wish.  Artopolis has the mini version of the latter too, which boasts the same flaky crust.

Cost:
It was nice to see that these little pies were only $1/piece, which was quite surprising, as the other baked goods in this place tend to be pretty expensive.  I found out that the halloumi pita I was longing for was a whopping $4.50 for a not so large piece. Go figure!

Artopolis - 23-18 31st Street, Astoria NY 11105

718.728.8484

N/Q Train to Astoria Blvd or Ditmars Blvd

www.artopolis.net