Earlier this week, Meg, Sooz and I went to Winegasm for a generous tasting of wine and food, suggested to us by its owners. An incredible time was had by all and we'll surely keep this place on our list of favorites. The wine choices were impeccable and the small plates of food were divine. Meg, Sooz and I split everything, which was the way to go--we ate in small portions and sampled a lot. Below you'll find some of the delicious grub we tasted and I'll let Meg and Sooz cover off the wine in a later posting. Enjoy!Gasm Dip - This caught Meg's eye immediately and it consisted of a puree of beans, carrots and truffle oil with melba chips. It was tasty but definitely not my favorite thing here--partly because of the strange flavoring. I thought that I tasted tarragon or some sort of licorice spice, which I wasn't a fan of. Meg and I were saying that we prefer the carrot dip at Mundo.
Bacon Wrapped Prunes - This sounded amazing on the menu and it's one of my standouts of the night. The exterior was crunchy, smoky and salty from the bacon while the inside was ooey, gooey and sweet from the prunes. It tasted like a dessert and a tapa in one! I highly recommend it, especially if you're drinking red wine.
Bacon Wrapped Prunes - This sounded amazing on the menu and it's one of my standouts of the night. The exterior was crunchy, smoky and salty from the bacon while the inside was ooey, gooey and sweet from the prunes. It tasted like a dessert and a tapa in one! I highly recommend it, especially if you're drinking red wine.
Fresh Crab Cakes with Arugula Salad - These were suggested by Winegasm and we absolutely devoured them--the crabmeat was super fresh and flavored with lemony parsley and red peppers. The crab cakes were bite sized and their flavor was enhanced when dipped into the spicy mayo and vinaigrette dip. The arugula salad was a nice touch too, providing zest and freshness to the dish.
Molten Lava Cake and Orange Chocolate Mousse - We needed to cap off our night with something sweet and chocolatey so we selected these two favorites. Both were amazing and beautifully presented. The Molten Lava cake was garnished with silky raspberry sauce--it was so soft and rich inside that we had to switch off between that and the mousse. The mousse was also fabulous, with a tart orange flavor from the Grand Marnier. It was garnished elegantly with orange peel and creme fraische. Both desserts were beautiful, decadent dishes that should be tried at least once.
To view some of the other goodies we sampled, click here for a full review.Winegasm - 31-86 37th Street, Astoria NY 11103
718.932.3331
N/W Train to Broadway
www.winegasmeatery.com
7 comments:
I shared your initial enthusiasm when Winegasm opened, despite that awful name (why do all the cute, new wine bars in astoria pick ridiculous names like Winegasm and Rest-au-rant?).
I've visited Winegasm three times, now, and though the wine selection is great, the quality of the food and service is uneven. The service is confusingly both overattentive at times and absent others. Once I waited far too long for food only to have appetizers and entrees come out at once. Another time the wait staff forgot about a friend's order. When it arrived, the mac&cheese was refrigerator cold in the middle.
These things might forgivable because its Queens, where prices are generally lower. At Winegasm, though, entree specials can hover around $20, and bottles of wine, though good, are no bargain. Given the prices, these problems are not forgiveable.
If Winegasm wants to compete, it should take a lesson from some of the better run wine bars in the boroughs (DOC Wine Bar in Williamsburg is phenomenal). For now, I still haven't had my winegasm.
Bacon wrapped prunes?? I don't know..
I'm telling you...it's AWESOME. Best thing there!
You've told me to go here and I just can't find the time. Now I think I'll have to make the time.
that cake looks delectable!
To Joeys Gang I thank you for your wonderful reviews the greatest compliment a chef can ever recieve is from the ones who taste and experience ones creations as EXECUTIVE CHEF JAMES B. LUCAS
and founding team member to your winegasm exprience I thank you and all of astoria for this chance to bring you something new healthy and different in dinning expriences.
As I move on to new ventures I am confident that the staff I have embrassed and entrusted with the foundation of excellence will maintain this for our many friends of winegasm.
Thanks agian Astoria and Joey,s Gang!
Yours Truely
Founding Team member and Executive Chef James B. Lucas
I also was excited to see a new wine bar open in our area, only to be disappointed by the surprising high prices and small portions. The staff I found very friendly, tho at times inattentive. Overall the food was good, but unsatisfying.
In all, a good place to stop in for a drink, but I imagine that for most, hard to afford much more.
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