Finally Fridays - Best Bar Food

Feliz Friday readers!  Hope you're enjoying the last couple of hours before the snow. 

We wanted to headline this Finally Fridays with the best bar food in honor of the Superbowl this Sunday.  We hope you have plans to do something fun, and if you're still unsure about what that something is, maybe these five suggestions will sway you. 

Gleason's - Honey mustard chicken wings, smothered in thick, slightly sweet sauce that hits the spot.
33-08 Broadway, Astoria.  718.626.5393

Astoria Brewhouse (previously Indigo) - Sliders with delicious, juicy beef (and pulled pork) topped with cheese and sauteed onions.
28-50 31st Street, Astoria.  718.728.0050

 

Sparrow -  "A burger that exceeds expectations - perfectly cooked meat, gruyere melting excellently, with the exact right amount of onion on top," says Meg.  

24-01 29th Street, Astoria NY. 718.606.2260

Dillinger's - Wings, wings, wings - fresh, piping-hot and really meaty.  You won't get any puny poultry here.

46-19 30th Avenue, Astoria. 718.956.5601

Studio Square - Pardon the phallic shot but this Schaller & Weber Kolbase is just delectable. 
35-33 36th Street, Long Island City.  718.383.1001

Random Access Music at Waltz Astoria

Waltz is hosting another classical music night, with guests the Random Access Music composers' collective. This will be their first concert of 2010.

Violinist Jessica Mathaes, concertmaster of the Austin Symphony, will be accompanied by pianist Colette Valentine, and they will perform new music by Allen Schulz, Andrew McKenna Lee, David Fetherolf, Erin Rogers, Jonathan Pieslak, and Stefan Weisman; six pieces in all.

Jessica is the youngest-ever concertmaster of the Austin Symphony! This is quite and achievement.

Info for the concert:
Friday, February 12, 2010
8:00pm
Waltz-Astoria
23-14 Ditmars Blvd.
Tickets: $15 table charge (drinks, desserts, and light snacks)

Hope to see you there!

Astorian Weekend Edition 04.02.10

So, this weekend is an unofficial American holiday - Superbowl Sunday.  The Foodista has a rundown of 10 Superbowl party offerings in town, and such variety!  A lot of fun is to be had... as well as good eats!

Since it's going to be a little chilly this weekend, perhaps consider making a visit to one of our many museums in town.  From the Museum of the Moving Image, to the Noguchi Museum, to PS1, there is a lot to see out there. Then stop over at Il Bambino (34-08 31st Ave) for a nutella hot chocolate to warm up.

Astoria Indies continues its Thursday film series at Bohemian Hall, with Adventures of Power, starring Adrian Grenier. "Adventures of Power is an epic rock n' roll comedy about the American Dream, love, and air-drumming. A Sundance fave, AoP walks the fine line between clever and stupid with grace and panache.‚" 8 p.m. at the beer garden (2919 24th Ave).

Friday night at Waltz (23-14 Ditmars Boulevard) brings you local talent in the form of The Ultimate Show - Steph Allen, Jon Christopher (both The Ultimate Singer Songwriter finalists), and Joe Jung, winner of The Ultimate Singer-Songwriter contest, will be playing from 8-11 p.m. $10 Drink minimum, no cover.

Finally, for something completely different, head to LaGuardia Community College (31-10 Thomson Avenue) to see Target Margin Theatre's production of The Really Big Once (a work-in-progress). This experimental theater piece incorporates the letters of Elia Kazan and Tennessee Williams on one of their most celebrated failures, Camino Real. This workshop will be followed by a Q-and-A with the company. The show starts at 8 p.m. on the Mainstage and it's free! For reservations, email: rsvp-lpac@lagcc.cuny.edu.

Photo:  (cc) pkeleher on flickr

Attention Veggies - Ornella's Got What You Need!

 

Eating vegetarian is becoming more and more common, and it's nice to see that restaurants are adapting.  The most recent place that has added a hefty vegetarian menu is Ornella.  Not only does the menu sound incredibly delicious, it also looks to be diverse and filling.  They've added a brunch menu last week, which also includes plenty of veggie options at a good price. 

Ornella continues to be a BYOB joint for the time being, so take advantage of it and bring a bottle of vino to enhance your experience.

Ornella's Vegetarian Menu:

Pasta di Castagna - Homemade chestnut flour pasta with arugula, cherry tomato in garlic & oil sauce...$18
Linguine al Pesto...$15
Pasta di Ceci - Homemade chickpea flour pasta with artichoke hearts, black olives in a garlic & oil sauce..$15
Pasta Riso - Rice flour pasta with baby spinach, fresh mozzarella in garlic & oil sauce...$16
Spaghetti Carbonara Vegan - Seitan wheat, organic eggs, pecorino romano cheese, cracked black pepper & parsley...$18
Orecchiette con Rape - Ear-shaped pasta with broccolli rabe & sundried tomato...$16
Pizzoccheri alla Fontina - Buck wheat pasta with cabbage, potato and fontina cheese...$18
Rigatoni Amatriciana Vegan - Tomato sauce, onions, seitan wheat and fresh peas...$18
Melanzana alla Parmigiana - Eggplant, tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella cheese...$16
Penne Integrali - Whole wheat pasta with oven-roasted cherry tomatoes, basil, escarole, fresh mozzarella, garlic, parmesan cheese, extra virgin olive oil...$15
Malfatti con Carclofi - Homemade uneven-shaped pasta with capers, artichokes & black olives...$15
Paccheri con Ceci - Super large rigatoni pasta with creamy chickpea sauce...$15
Lumache con Broccoli - Big snail-shaped pasta in creamy broccoli sauce...$15
Risotto con Spinachi - Italian arborio rice with baby spinach, raisins and pignoli nuts...$18
Risotto al Radicchio e Pere - Italian arborio rice with radicchio, pears & gorgonzola cheese...$18
Risotto al Funghi - Italian arborio rice with mixed mushrooms & goat cheese...$18

Ornella Trattoria Italiana
29-17 23rd Avenue, Astoria NY 11105
718.777.9477
N/W Train to Ditmars Blvd (last stop)
www.ornellatrattoria.com

LOST in Astoria

Why Leave Astoria?! is holding a LOST viewing party at Studio Square (35-33 36th St.) tomorrow night. Looks like it's going to be a lot of fun! It's always a good time watching such things surrounded by other fans. Great drink specials, and more! Details:

Join fellow Lost fans this Tuesday for the borough's best (and only) official Lost viewing party. Watch the final season premiere of Lost like you've never seen it before--on a 60" plasma screen and five mounted 42"...all in surround sound!

We'll have Lost trivia at each commercial break and give away free beer and gift certificates throughout the night.

We'll have $12 pitchers of Dharma beer on tap and $5 Dharma sangrias...in addition to a full island cocktail drink list. We'll have lots of surprises in store, so stop by and see what everyone will be talking about next week.

The series catch-up airs at 8p, then the new episode at 9p.

Finally Fridays - Best Thai Food

It's Friiiiday again - we wish you a happy one even though it's so stinkin' cold outside.  I was thinking...what could be nice on a blistering weekend like this one?  Some good, hearty (and warm) food.  Thai food comes to mind, which features comforting carbs like noodles and protein such as beef, pork, seafood and tofu.  Enjoy our five recos below and feel free to suggest your own too.

Wave Thai - Tofu in spicy brown sauce with Japanese eggplant, bell peppers, basil, chili and scallions

21-37 31st Street, Astoria.  718.777.6789

Thai Elephant - Chicken, potato curry puff in a fried pastry crust, served with fresh cucumber salad

21-09 31st Street, Astoria.  718.204.8827

 

Bangkok Tasty - Sweet and sour shrimp with cherry tomatoes, onions, pineapple, cucumber, carrots & sweet pepper

29-06 23rd Avenue, Astoria.  718.545.8203

Leng Thai - Crispy vegetarian egg rolls served with a side of sweet and sour sauce

33-09 Broadway, Astoria.  718.956.7117

SHI - Seafood tom yum soup with noodles - "an awesome combination of spice, fire and flavor"

47-20 Center Blvd, Long Island City.  347.242.2450

Astorian Weekend Edition 28.01.10

It’s going to be a chiller this weekend, so you might as well plan your activities inside.  Good thing – there’s a lot of fun stuff going on that doesn’t involve being out in the cold.

This Friday, say good-bye to the old Café Bar (pictured above) and get ready to welcome a new and improved version next month. Starting at 8 p.m. Café Bar will host a celebration in honor of its upcoming renovations.  The café will re-open in about a month, so get your last fix (for a while) this Friday with great music, drinks and complimentary appetizers. 32-90 36^th Avenue, Astoria.  718.204.5273

Also on Friday, check out the first ever Far Out Festival, sponsored by Astoria Music and Arts and the Stomp & Howl Movement.  Proceeds go to a great cause—to benefit the victims of Haiti.  Music acts will include Deep Sound Diver, Illimanjaro, James Call & Erotic Photo Hunt featuring Adrienne Efficiency, Michael Benedetto and more.  $5 cover.  Shillelagh Tavern – 47-22 30^th Avenue, Astoria.  718.728.9028

If you’re a wine gal or guy and enjoy the game of chess, check out Winegasm’s second Wine and Chess event on Saturday from 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. You’ll want to try their homemade Istrian delicacy called “Fritule,” which they make on the premises.  31-86 37^th Street, Astoria.  718.932.3331

Looking to unwind this weekend? Here are some of my personal recommendations for a relaxing spa/salon day.   Natura Spa has a full offering of spa and salon services and even some special treatments such as hydrotherapy.  Spa Hydra’s 55 minute Swedish massage is great – although pricey, the atmosphere is as serene as it gets. SPAce’s haircuts are great and not too expensive.  I recommend Rudy!   Natura Spa – 31-24 Steinway Street, Astoria.  718.956.5530.  Spa Hydra – 35-11 36^th Street, Long Island City.  718.267.7991.  SPAce – 29-09 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria.  718.726.4477.

And last but certainly not least, there’s brunch!  Try something new with Ornella’s brunch, which officially rolls-out this Saturday.  Enjoy interesting brunch dishes such as potato pancakes with pancetta, nutella-filled crepes and also traditional food such as eggs and paninis. YUM!  29-17 23^rd Avenue, Astoria.  718.777.9477

Speaking of paninis, you can also check out Il Bambino, which now serves brunch.  There are 12 new paninis on the menu and most of them include the incredible, edible egg. Double YUM!  34-08 31^st Avenue, Astoria.  718.626.0087

2 Astorian Quirks to Brighten Your Day

Photo by Nancy A. Ruhling

There are two stories recently featured in the Gothamist and the Huffington Post about Astoria's little quirks that we love so much.  One is a feature about our "Scum River Bridge" on 33rd Street under the Hell Gate Bridge, where a make-shift bridge has been built out of recycled materials to aid pedestrians in crossing the street and avoiding ummm let's just say...scum.

And the other is about our dear beloved French Bulldog, Oskar - aka the mascot and the "face" of The Jumping Bulldog pet boutique, headed by Tanja Firrigno. 

Enjoy the articles and make sure to check both of these Astorian quirks out. One is cute and fuzzy and the other not so much, but it'll make you laugh.

Astoria Scum Bridge
Oskar: The Fabulous Frenchie King