Brunching at my brother and sister-in-law’s yesterday, we wanted to surprise them with a fun host treat. Noticing a sign at a nearby café that caught our eye, we were all about it, as it advertised Stumptown cold brew coffee. Dan and I have been getting into this lately, as we’ve been trying various cold brews from around the area (more on that soon). So we walked into Café 1 of a Kind – yes, strangely that’s its name – to check it out.
Atmosphere:
Situated on Northern Blvd in Little Neck, Café 1 of a Kind sits right next to other food establishments such as La Baraka French Café and Red Lotus Chinese bakery, which is one of my favorites. Unlike its neighbors, Café 1 of a Kind boasts an ultra modern façade and a sleek, contemporary interior.
I liked it from the minute we walked in, as the furnishings are earthy with a hint of rusticity. You’ll find dark wood paneling, a few welcome bursts of green and fun light fixtures that have a whimsy feel.
It’s great to see they have free wifi and lots of communal tables to sit with a larger group or even smaller tables if you want more privacy. I can see this as a good place to spend time and do work, blog, or have a meeting.
Food & Drink:
Although we came here for the Stumptown, we walked out with something else – cupcakes to be exact. Noticing a lovely display of baked goods and various savory things, we quickly chose a treat to bring over for brunch.
Sweet Street Cupcakes – Given that I’m a cupcake freak, I immediately stopped to marvel at these beauties, which came in a few different flavors including chocolate, peanut butter/chocolate, vanilla bean, red velvet and lemon meringue. Supplied by Sweet Street Bakery in Pennsylvania, which started out as a small batch producer, I knew I wanted to try a few flavors including the chocolate ganache, chocolate/peanut butter, lemon meringue and jelly roll.
We cut the cupcakes carefully in order to try them all and quickly devoured them. While they were all delicious, my favorite was the lemon meringue, which came with a light, fluffy dollop of frosting (or meringue to be exact). The inside was lovely too, as it was soft, airy and injected with a shot of lemon curd. Agreeing that the chocolate cupcake was a close second (or first for some), we enjoyed its unbelievably rich frosting and perfectly moist chocolate cake.
Stumptown Coffee – Although I found the cold brew to be expensive ($5 a bottle) and didn’t end up purchasing it, I did however go with the hot drip coffee and it was awesome. Rich, earthy and potent, you didn’t need to mix it with too much milk and a little went a long way. If you’re a Stumptown fan like me, you’ll be happy to know that they sell 1 lb bags that you can grind and brew at home.
Service and Cost:
Because this place is brand new, and also to give credit to its lovely staff, Café 1 of a Kind’s service was on point. Even though at times I found the baristas a little slow, it’s only because they were trying their very best to please each customer, including going downstairs and fetching the cupcakes of my choice. Everyone was simply lovely, and I’m eager to come back.
Costs are on the higher side for coffee, but reasonable comparatively speaking for desserts. Given the high quality of everything they sell, I think the costs are fairly justified.
Coffee/Espresso - $2.50 - $5.50
Breakfast/Sandwiches - $4.50 - $9.50
Desserts - $5 - $9
3 Mmmms
Cafe 1 of a Kind - 255-13 Northern Blvd, Little Neck NY 11362
347.408.4780
www.facebook.com/cafe1ofakind
Being that I'm a chicken, rice and beans kind of girl, I was naturally intrigued by the a fairly new Peruvian restaurant I spotted in Little Neck called Lima 33. Previously a sushi joint, Lima 33 came on the scene about 4 months ago and sits amongst a sea of Asian food establishments. Lima's differentiation certainly helps it stand out, as my brother Peter and I noticed it right away, and then shortly after, perused their Yelp reviews. A few days later, along with Fiana, we were there devouring their delicious Peruvian cuisine.
Atmosphere:
Located on a busy corner on Northern Blvd and 254th Street, Lima is accessible by car, bus or even the LIRR. Because it's new, the decor is sleek and modern, boasting a few colorful touches such as bright pink banquettes and seat cushions. A royal blue accent wall injects more cheeriness and elegance, along with enlarged prints, showcasing scenes from Lima.
While the kitchen isn't completely open concept, you do get a glimpse of what's cooking, especially the golden brown rotisserie chickens that are Lima's specialty. Since they're still in the process of getting their liquor license, you can for the time being enjoy a BYOB option, so if you fancy a a little vino, make sure you stop across the street at the new Collezione Wine & Spirits. The staff will even get a bottle of wine for you, if you ask nicely.
Food:
I liked perusing Lima's classic but uncomplicated menu, making it easy to choose something quickly. Since we were in the mood to share, we went for the appetizer special of the day as well as the Super Combinacion meal, which was big enough to share between 3-4 people.
Stuffed Plantain Appetizer - Sounding too good to pass up, we were immediately entranced by our server's description of this dish and ordered it on the spot. Consisting of a pretty layer cake of mashed plantains, chicken salad, olive tapenade and avocados, it presented virtually all of my favorite Latin flavors. While we liked the overall flavor profile, we agreed that it would've been preferable to serve the chicken warm, instead of in a chilled salad format.
Super Combinacion - This combination meal represented everything that I appreciate about Peruvian restaurants, and it reminded me of a similar menu item you can get at Pio Pio. We loved that the plates just kept on coming, creating quite a feast before our eyes of a whole rotisserie chicken, rice & beans, salchipapas (little hot dogs with French fries), sweet plantains and an avocado salad.
The chicken was my favorite, boasting a beautifully golden crispy skin and an incredible amount of juiciness in both the white and dark pieces. A close second were the sweet plantains that had a slightly sticky, sweet coating and a nice firm texture when you bit into them. The mountain of slightly smokey salchipapas and the crispy fries didn't suck either. Together, it was more than enough food to feed a small Peruvian village (or at least 3 hungry New Yorkers).
Service and Cost:
While our food experience surpassed expectations, the service was even more remarkable. Not only were we greeted in a friendly fashion, every last detail of our experience was well taken care of, including the refilling of our water and wine glasses, clean silverware, and an acute attention to virtually everything. We felt well taken care of but in such a way that was friendly and welcoming, enjoying an easy conversation with the staff.
Costs are super affordable, especially now that Lima is still BYOB. The above mentioned hefty dinner only set us back about $57 for 3 people, which includes tax and tip! Que bueno!
3 Mmmms
Lima 33 - 254-04 Northern Blvd, Little Neck NY 11362
718.225.4949
LIRR to Little Neck or N20 Bus
Happy to be invited to a tasting in Little Neck’s Il Bacco, I was interested in checking it out, as it’s a cross-over restaurant. What I’m referring to is its location that lies on the Queens/Long Island border, and therefore services residents from both counties.
Atmosphere:
Situated on the busy Northern Boulevard in Little Neck, Il Bacco stands out amongst other competing restaurants in the neighborhood due to its impressive exterior. Sporting a lovely yellow façade with a crimson roof, it not only looks inviting but is also elegant.
If I’d have to characterize Il Bacco’s style, I’d say it’s traditional Italian with a sophisticated twist. Dining there on a Monday, which is usually an off-night for restaurants, it was nice to see it relatively busy. Looking around the dining room, I noticed a lot of couples, not unlike Dan and me, and it was good to see a variety of age groups. I’d imagine that the clientele looks a bit different on the weekends, with larger parties and kids as well, as Il Bacco offers tons of space.
Another pretty aspect is its rooftop seating, which opens up during warm weather months (now), and I’d imagine it’s really beautiful on a mild summer night.
Food:
Dan and I tackled the menu by sharing everything, which was a fun way to go. We appreciated the manageable portions sent out by Il Bacco’s thoughtful staff, as we walked out happy and sated but not excessively stuffed.
Appetizers – The evening started with a simple plate of marinated olives and spicy peppers. These classic antipasti were a great way to whet our appetite, providing a little bite from the spicy olive oil. We also munched on thin slices of prosciutto that paired well with the olives and peppers.
Two additional apps we tried were the grilled octopus and the garlic roasted shrimp. Out of those, I preferred the shrimp, as it was relatively mild, cooked in a white wine sauce with a few salty capers on top. An earthy side of spinach came with it, and was cooked in a simple, clean style with a bit of garlic and lemon.
Pasta – We couldn’t refuse the pasta course and went with the cheese ravioli with crunchy walnuts on top. As you can see, the large pasta pockets were filled with fresh ricotta cheese and then bathed in the creamy walnut sauce. Dan, who’s picky about his cheeses absolutely loved it, and I was happy to experience that despite the creamy sauce, it wasn’t heavy to digest.
Entrees – Our dose of protein came in the form of cod and lamb chops. While both were delicious dishes, we both fell in love with the cod, which was perfectly flaky and so fresh. The tomato sauce on top was gorgeous and a little chunky too, which gave it nice texture. Laced with pieces of roasted garlic, fresh tomatoes and basil, it was an all-around winning combination. I highly recommend this to all seafood fans out there.
Desserts – As you can imagine, we were both pretty full after the aforementioned feast, but there’s always room for dessert. What arrived was a beautifully colorful platter of assorted Italian goodies such as tartufo, tiramisu, Italian cheesecake, poached pears and a variety of fruit. It’s hard to choose a favorite, as everything was outstanding, with the tartufo leading the charge in excellence. Its dark chocolate shell was a pleasure to eat, as well as its ice cream layer, boasting a distinct amaretto flavor that was so delicious. The simple poached pears were a close second favorite, followed by the delicate tiramisu. However, as I said, all the desserts were delightful.
Service and Cost:
We appreciated the old school wait service here, made up of mostly male waiters. Not only were they cordial and charming, they know their stuff and I felt confident entrusting our waiter in deciding most of our dishes. In fact, the service reminded me a little bit of what you’d experience at a classic institution such as Peter Luger’s (also not far from Il Bacco).
Costs are moderate and accurately reflect the high quality of one’s overall dining experience:
Appetizers: $9.95 - $12.95
Pasta: $15.95 - $24.95
Entrees: $20.95 - $36.95
Dessert: $7 - $9
3 Mmmms
Il Bacco – 253-24 Northern Blvd, Little Neck, NY 11362
718.224.7657
LIRR to Little Neck Station
www.ilbaccoristorante.com
