On our way from 5 Napkin Burger today, Dan and I spotted a soon-to-open bakeshoppe called Sweets First. I noticed it right away from its bright and cheery exterior that showcases its piece-de-resistance sweet, which is the cupcake. Anyone who knows me also knows how crazy I'm about cupcakes, so this is very very exciting. The sign in the window says it'll open soon, so I'll definitely keep you posted.
In the meantime, I took a peek at their website and saw their menu, which has a mixture of sweet and savory cupcakes too. I was surprised and delighted to see a sweet potato cupcake alongside a broccoli and cheese, and even a French toast cupcake. Really inventive and different, and I can't wait to take a bite. I'll make sure to keep you in the know.
Sweets First Bakeshoppe - 34-05 35th Street, Astoria, NY 11106
N/Q Train to 36th Avenue or R/M to Steinway Street
www.sweetsfirstnyc.com
Images by Vanilla Sky
There's a new froyo place in town, that I've been impatiently awaiting. Its status has been pending for most of spring and summer, but now it's officially open and I'm so glad. Getting a little sneak peek on Facebook, the cafe sells not only frozen yogurt and various toppings, but also other goodies that you see here such as cookies, muffins, croissants and such. They apparently also have coffee and lite bites such as focaccia, which is a nice option.
As a witness of the unbelievable cult status of other froyo lounges such as 16 Handles, I trust that Vanilla Sky will be embraced by the community, as it has a lovely, modern design that feels very conducive to hanging out.
While I have yet to stop by, I will soon, but wanted to give you a little glimpse ASAP. If you go this weekend, do let me know how you enjoyed it. Also, since it's still the first week of its opening, you may experience some nice discounts when you go.
Vanilla Sky - 33-18 Broadway, Astoria NY 11106
N/Q Train to Broadway
Last week, Meg and I had the pleasure to attend a great blogger pre-launch party for Singlecut Beersmiths, Astoria's very own brewery that's coming to North Western Astoria this fall. Everyone's been getting excited for their big launch, so it was really nice to get over there, meet the guys behind the beer and to hear more about what we can expect out of their venture.
The event was hosted at 5 Napkin Burger, which was the monthly meeting place of Singlecut's brewers for quite some time (via BrewAstoria), even when Singlecut was still a loose concept. Rich, the brewery's President and Head Brewer gave us a bit of history behind this new establishment and we got to observe first hand just how enthusiastic the folks behind this venture really are about beer. They live, breathe, and of course drink it. They are beer!
Atmosphere:
Hosted in the 5 Napkin Burger main dining room as well as in the private entertaining space in the back of the restaurant, the event was a lot of fun, simply because of how communal and social it was. Conducive to meeting new folks and reuniting with old friends, we mixed and mingled in the main tasting room (that's where all the Singlecut beer was poured) as well in the main dining room before and after Rich's presentation.
I loved seeing friends from the neighborhood such as Ben and Jen from the Queens Kickshaw, as well as fellow blogger and Twitter friends such as Astoria Haiku, nyc8675309 and others, which made the event feel like a true community affair. We enjoyed "unveiling" our identities to each other, chatting, eating and exchanging our experiences.
Beer:
I had two tastes of Singlecut beer, including the Queens Lager as well as one of their IPAs. The former was my favorite, light in color but really intense in taste and alcohol level. It had a pleasantly bitter quality that had an almost buttery finish at the end of each gulp. I also really loved it because it does a great job of elevating Queens (through its namesake) and showcasing its richness.
If you didn't make it out to this event but are still interested in checking out Singlecut before they officially open, check them out on June 29th at the Socrates Sculpture park 25th Anniversary shin-dig.
Singlecut Beersmiths - 19-33 37th Street, Astoria NY 11105
917.226.2509 (Rich)
N/Q Train to Ditmars Blvd
www.singlecutbeer.com
I grabbed a menu and liked what I saw - innovative dishes that span beyond just traditional sushi. There are tons of inventive specialty rolls with a cool selection of cold and hot apps that almost seem tapas like. Check out the sampling of the menu below, and prepare to drool.
Cold Appetizers:
Tuna or Salmon Dumpling - Avocado, wasabi caviar, scallion wrapped with tuna or salmon served with scallion truffle oil and wasabi vinaigrette sauce...$9.50
Seafood Ceviche - Tuna, salmon, blue crab, fluke, shrimp served with yuzu vinaigrette sauce...$10
Yellowtail Jalapeno...$9.50
Hot Appetizers:
Agetashi Tofu - Deep fried bean curd with tempura sauce...$4.50
Chilean Sea Bass Spring Roll - Chilean sea bass, scallop, shrimp & vegetable wrapped in crispy spring roll served with passion fruit & peanut lime vinaigrette sauce...$7.95
Thai Crab Cake - Pan-fried blue crab cake served with orange curry & passion fruit sauce...$8.95
Lobster Ravioli - Fresh lobster, scallop, shrimp & cream cheese served with cilantro-soy lime sauce...$8.95
Junko's Specialty Rolls:
Panko Crusted Tuna - Tuna with mixed greens wrapped with lightly fried panko served with chef's special sauce...$13.95
Sweetie - Crunchy spice salmon & avodado topped with salmon, served with spicy mayo sauce...$11.95
Junko's Roll - Spicy tuna, blue crab, lobster, eel & avocado topped with mango, kingcrab served with Thai pomelo, eel & raspberry sauce...$15.95
Broadway Roll - Tuna & avocado topped with salmon, crunchy seaweed salad & mix caviar served with spicy mayo and eel sauce...$14.95
Entrees:
Hot & Spicy Shrimp...$15.95
Conch with XO Sauce...$18.95
Seafood Delight with Cashews...$18.95
Pan Seared Tuna Soba...$18.95
Nabeyaki Udon - Chicken & egg udon noodle soup with two tempura shrimp on the side...$9.95
Yaki Udon - Stir-fried udon noodle with chicken, shrimp, vegetable & egg...$9.95
Junko Sushi -33-02 Broadway, Astoria NY 11106
718.777.1588
N/Q Train to Broadway
