SingleCut's Pies Hit the Spot

Last weekend, my We Heart Astoria colleagues and I participated in Shore Fest, which overall was a nice experience. Getting to interact with lots of folks from the community and with local business owners is always a pleasure, but the day involved a lot of hard work as well, and we were quite tired after.

Deciding to reward ourselves by going to SingleCut Beersmiths for a drink and some grub, Meg, Dan and I had the pleasure of sampling a few eats we haven't had there before.  Here are my highlights:

Jumbo Soft Pretzel - They were out of this the last time we came, so we thought it'd be a fun item to share, which it was.  We loved its beautifully golden crust that was studded with grains of sea salt, and the beer cheese dip tied it all together.  I enjoyed the grain mustard as well, which added a welcome sharpness to the more neutral taste of the pretzel.

Meat Pies - We went for both of the chicken meat pie varieties, which included the Hickety Pickety with chicken, leeks and mushrooms as well as the King and I with Thai Curry.  I've had the latter already, and was more impressed with the Hickety Pickety, which was lighter and overall incorporated more classic meat pie flavors.  If you like funkier flavors and want to get fancy, the King and I, which has more spice to it is a nice option.

3 Bean Salad - Along with the meat pies, we also got a side of the three bean salad, that was mixed in with a healthy dose of feta cheese.  I enjoyed it very much, as it was served cold and was an overall refreshing way to enjoy an otherwise indulgent snack.  The salad was also quite filling and the portion was on the generous side, making it a great item to share.

Service and Cost:
Just like the few other times that I've been here, I wasn't too impressed with the service, which always has a bit of an edge.  They weren't super accommodating when we brought in a growler to be filled up, and overall had an air of nonchalance that I didn't entirely appreciate.

Costs are moderate and included roughly $25 for the above mentioned food, plus three beers.

2.5 Mmmms

SingleCut Beersmiths - 19-33 37th Street, Astoria NY 11105
718.606.0788
N/Q Train to Ditmars Blvd
www.singlecutbeer.com 

A Delightful Pretzel Puff at the Teaspoon Bake Shop

In the mood to get some of Teaspoon Bake Shop's famous cake balls, I went in last week for just that but on top of these sweetly round confections, I also spotted another interesting snack that I just had to try.  The pretzel puff you see here was the perfect thing to tide me over in between meals and it's a nice combo of sweet and savory that I encourage you to try.

Pretzel Puff - Even though they had two versions of this snack, including one topped with sugar and the other with sea salt, I went for the latter, as I knew I'd have more sweets later.  What attracted me to this baked goodie was its beautiful golden color and its gorgeous puffy, blistered dough.  The inside was soft and somewhat sweet, made of buttery dough, while the outside tasted golden and well done, just like a good quality soft pretzel.  While it tasted lovely as is, it was even better when heated up for a few minutes in the toaster oven.

Service and Cost:
The service was nice, as always, and I believe I had the same gentleman helping me as last time.  While the bakery wasn't crowded on a random Monday afternoon, it certainly wasn't empty, and it was nice to see that Teaspoon is getting some steady business.

In terms of cost, the pretzel puff set me back $2, which I thought was good value for how big and fluffy it was - truly living up to its name.

Teaspoon Bake Shop - 36-41 Bell Blvd, Bayside NY 11361
718.224.4626
LIRR - Port Washington Line to Bayside
www.theteaspoonbakeshop.com