New Eats at the Sage General Store

Recently visiting the Sage General Store, which happens to be one of my favorite LIC cafes, I noticed they've rolled out a new and refreshed menu that I wanted to share with you.  While classics such as their Artisan Mac n' Cheese (pictured above) remain, they've also got a few new items adoring their menu.  Take a look and let me know what you fancy.

California Chopped Salad - with avocado, chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, chopped romaine, radicchio, and basil dressing...$12

Sriracha Tuna Tartini - with sesame and avocado...$16

Roasted Cauliflower Pizza - black olives, garlic confit, parmigiano...$14

Roberta's (an homage) Pizza - arugula, mozzarella, parmigiano, lemon olive oil...$13

Check out the entire dinner menu here.

Sage General Store - 24-20 Jackson Avenue, Long Island City NY 11101

718.361.0707

E/V/G Train to Queens Plaza

www.sagegeneralstore.com

Raven's Head Has a New Menu

Image by Raven's Head Public House

Speaking of places to watch baseball, and any other sport for that matter (the World Cup is coming too, you know), I noticed that Raven's Head Public House rolled out their new menu today.  The most exciting part, at least for me is their extensive burger menu, which you have the choice of sandwiching between a pretzel or a brioche bun.  See some of the other new yummies gracing this local watering hole:

New menu items at Raven's Head:
Steak Sandwich - Sliced hanger steak with spicy sauteed onions & melted cheese on a hero-style bun
Popcorn Chicken or Rock Pop Shrimp - served with a specialty dipping sauce
Buffalo Chicken Dip - served with tortilla chips, celery & carrots
Chicken Torta Sandwich - Fried chicken cutlet with lettuce, tomato, avocado, jalapenos, Oaxaca cheese on a brioche bun with chipotle mayo
Reuben Burger - topped with pastrami, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese & dill pickle mayo
Homemade black bean burger, and more! 

See entire menu (note: red items indicate what's new)

Raven's Head Public House - 38-04 Broadway, Astoria NY 11103
718.777.7565
N/Q Train to Broadway or R/M Train to Steinway
www.ravensheadpublichouse.com

New Winter Menu Items at Bear

As we begin feeling the winter's chill, lots of great restaurants that are in tune with the seasons are adjusting their menus - and Bear of course always leads the pack in bringing us season appropriate dishes.  What I love about Bear is that comfort food is in their blood, being that the owners, Natasha and Alex have Russian roots.  It's the perfect kind of winter food in my opinion, and I was excited to learn about their new winter offering that spills into every part of the day from brunch to dinner.  Just take a look at a sampling of their new yummies - now available at Bear.

Brunch:
Borscht - Hearty beet borscht, served warm prepared with potatoes, cabbage, carrots and other market veggies...$7
Chicken liver mousse - Made with French brandy, served on a crostini
Hunters Stew - Lamb, goat, beef, pork stewed in red wine with vegetables and herbs...$21
Veal Dumplings - Ukranian style dumplings in a caramelized onion creme dill gravy...$18
Bear Eggs Benedict - Toasted French baguette, pork loin, poached eggs, fresh Hollandaise sauce and a side of habanero salsa verde...$14
Tofu stir-fry (vegan) - Marinated tofu stir fried with fresh greens and vegetables...$14

Dinner:
Golden Egg - Deviled eggs with smoked fish and caviar...$12
Mini meatballs - With Italian tomatoes and aged white cheddar...$11
Roasted Duck with Apples - Slowly roasted Long Island duck served with pan fried potatoes...$23
Mushroom Stroganoff - Vegetarian mushroom pasta served with stewed forest mushrooms in a light cream sauce with aged white cheddar.  Can be made vegan...$18
Pork Loin Sandwich - Roasted pork loin on a fresh baguette with carrots, cilantro, sesame dressing and pickles.  Served with steak fries...$16

Chef's 7-course dinner tasting - $68/person (tasting is based on seasonal dishes prepared daily by the chef)

Drinks:
St. Dill Martini - Cornichon pickle brine, mustard seed, Stolichnaya vodka.  Garnished with a full small pickle and fresh dill...$12
Layover - Rum, lime juice, Cointreau, agave, French cognac...$12
Pond - Fresh mint, fresh limes, Bombay Saphire gin, agave nectar, served in a large chilled chalice...$11

Or...you can drink like the Russian Nobility and get the chilled vodka with a "zakuski" platter including Russian rye bread, pickled veggies, various smoked fish, cured meat, salad and warm bites, even a small book of translated Russian poems to take with you - $85/two

Bear - 12-14 31st Avenue, Long Island City NY 11106
917.396.4939
N/Q Train to Broadway
www.bearnyc.com

5 Napkin Burger's New Menu Upgrade

Image by 5 Napkin Burger

One of my all time burger faves in Astoria, 5 Napkin Burger never ceases to impress me with how they always keep things fresh and interesting for their patrons.  Not only are they experts in juicy, succulent and creative burgers, but now they're expanding their menu to new items, which are conducive to sharing, being that they're technically small plates.  

There are several categories of the new menu items including all American snacks, sushi and additional cocktails too.  Here's a little taste of what you can expect, as of today.

Wasabi deviled eggs with siracha
Warm Bavarian pretzel sticks with cheese fondue
Pimento cheese potato skins (pictured above)
Pesto flatbread
Crispy fried calamari
5 Napkin tacos with chipotle chicken, pulled pork, chipotle tofu, carne asada, grilled mahi or tempura shrimp

Maki rolls, including spicy tuna-cucumber, California crab, vegetable - avocado and spicy yellowtail

Triple roasted pineapple margarita, with Hornitos Reposada tequila
5 Napkin classic margarita, made with El Jimador Silver and citrus
Tecate michelada, with Frank's red hot and salt
Diablo agave, with Tanteo jalapeno tequila, cucumber and citrus

5 Napkin Burger - 35-01 36th Street, Astoria, NY 11106 
718.433.2727
N/Q Train to 36th Avenue
5napkinburger.com 

Sweet New Items at BareBurger

Image by BareBurger

One reason why many people in the nabe love BareBurger is not only because of their amazing burger staples, which got them to where they are today - a fabulous sustainable burger micro-chain - but also because they're constantly diversifying their menu.  And the way in which they've done it so far has been just genius, adding things like organic beer, inventive shakes, and even some gluten free and vegan options for our friends with special diets.

Here, I wanted to introduce a few items that are new or coming up very soon in the BareBurger Queens locations:

1. Banana foster milkshake (pictured above) - available in Queens locations and coming soon to other BareBurger locales
2.  Root beer float - with whipped cream and chocolate sauce on top, it's the perfect Sunday indulgence
3.  Vegan carrot cake - available in Queens locations and coming soon to other BareBurger locales

Enjoy these new treats, along with their fabulous, regular menu.

BareBurger (Ditmars) - 23-01 31st Street, Astoria NY 11105
718.204.7167
N/Q Train to Ditmars Blvd (last stop)

BareBurger (31st Avenue) - 33-21 31st Avenue, Astoria NY 11106
718.777.7011
N/Q Train to Broadway
www.bareburger.com