Last week, we celebrated our Winter Blogger Social with my We Heart Astoria crew along with other Queens bloggers. It's always a fun time when we get the group together, and especially when we have a fantastic venue secured such as last week's at Alobar.
Working out a special family-style menu, a group of us shared a few portions of each course including apps, entrees and dessert - some of which were veggie friendly. Here are the highlights.
Apps - Starting with an assortment of goodies including the pickled veggies, an array of different cheeses, charcuterie, and the citrus roasted beet salad, there was plenty to choose from. While I've tried some of these dishes already, others were new to me such the beets, which turned out to be my favorite. A mixture of peppery arugula, crumbly goat cheese, salted pistachios and of course those amazingly tart beets provided a deliciously earthy combination. Veggies and carnivores alike enjoyed this very much, as it was also the lightest dish.
Entrees - New things I sampled that night included the ginger glazed baby back ribs, the fried chicken, a bacon wrapped meat loaf and the mac and cheese. While I stayed away from the latter, the meat-based dishes really sang to me, especially the meat loaf, which was incredibly tender and oh so smoky from all that bacon wrapping.
The chicken dish looked great and tasted nice too, but while I should've paid more attention to the bird, the pickled watermelon and radish slaw is what really got me going. I liked that the watermelon pieces were really bite sized, providing a welcome element of surprise and delight with every bite.
Desserts - Even though we were pretty full by this point, we couldn't not try the trio of desserts, including the salted caramel bread pudding, the goat cheese cheesecake and a ginger beer ice cream float. The first two blew me away, and the cheesecake had an especially nice texture and a richness that wasn't overwhelming, as can sometimes be with this dessert. The float was the most interesting of the sweet dishes, and it boasted complex and sophisticated flavors, that may have been a little too much so. Classical palates, you may prefer the more traditional options , but adventurous eaters, don't be afraid to ask for it.
Service and Cost:
We were very happy with the warm service that started out well and continued throughout the evening. Not once did we feel rushed or anxious, and I loved the fact that the staff was knowledgeable and ensured that everyone was well taken care of.
Costs are moderate and since we worked out a special menu with Alobar, it set us back only $25/person excluding tax, tip and cocktails.
3 Mmmms
Alobar - 46-42 Vernon Blvd, LIC NY 11101
718.752.6000
7 Train to Vernon Blvd/Jackson Avenue
www.alobarnyc.com
