Finally Fridays - Best Pasta

TGIF!  This edition of Finally Fridays features one of my favorite foods, pasta.  I love it for its versatility and creativity of preparation - here are 5 of our top picks that you can enjoy this weekend, or anytime for that matter.  Let us know what you think - and as always, share with us your personal picks.

Da Franco - Ravioli Al Profumo di Tartufo, with mushrooms, cheese and truffle oil cream sauce
23-92 21st Street, Astoria.  718.267.0010

Vesta - Lasagna, baked with a crusty top, with 3 meat ragu
21-02 30th Avenue, Astoria.  718.545.5550

Trattoria L'Incontro - A humongous plate of spaghetti with shrimp and porcini mushrooms 
21-76 31st Street, Astoria.  718.721.3532

Ornella - The "imbustata," a pasta envelope stuffed with roasted veal, chicken, wild mushrooms, homemade mozzarella, spinach, mascarpone cheese and fresh tomato sauce. Oh my!
29-17 23rd Avenue, Astoria.  718.777.9477

Manetta's - Linguini neri, fresh black linguini with slightly spicy tomato sauce and jumbo shrimp
10-76 Jackson Avenue, LIC.  718.786.6171

Astorian Weekend Edition 20.08.09

With only half of a rainy weekend ahead, enjoy a mix of indoor and outdoor activities--from shopping, an outdoor movie and lots and lots of eating.

What could be better on a hot day than a cold, creamy gelato or a cup of ices? I recently tried some delicious hazelnut gelato and chocolate ices from Terrizzi Pasticceria. Both were awesome and super refreshing. They have a variety of flavors and the place doesn’t get busy, so you’ll get quick service. 35-14 30^th Avenue, Astoria. 718.726.9698

Not far from Terrizzi is Thai Pavilion, which is known for good, consistent Thai food. You can visit the original location on 30^th Avenue (37-10 30^th Avenue, Astoria. 718777.5546) or you can check out the brand, spankin’ new one on 21^st Street and 24^th Avenue (23-92 21^st Street, Astoria). If you’re in the nabe and feel like having Italian food instead, you can pop into DaFranco’s next door (23-92 21^st Street, Astoria. 718.267.0010)—they also serve homemade gelato (pictured above). 22-36 31^th Street, Astoria. 718.545.4100

One last call for eating...Sac’s Place is celebrating their 20^th Anniversary by scaling back their prices to year 1989. This enticing offer is going on between now and Sunday and you must dine in the restaurant to get the discount. Buon compleanno Sac’s! 25-41 Broadway, Astoria. 718.204.5002

Our newest guest blogger, Mackenzi shone a spotlight on a fabulous Astoria boutique, Inside Astoria. Take a walk over there this weekend and check out their cool collection of furniture, books, kid’s items, jewelry and so much more. You can even enjoy a complimentary glass of vino while shopping. 37-20 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria. 718.956.4000

Extend your weekend activities through Monday by attending a fun and informative movie premiere about the history of Astoria. The Human Family Tree, brought to you by National Geographic and narrated by Kevin Bacon “demonstrates how we all share common ancestors who embarked on very different journeys.” Monday, August 24^th at 8p.m. in Astoria Park, no RSVP required (Shore Blvd between Hell Gate Bridge and the pool).

Astorian Weekend Edition 11.06.09

Rain, rain go away! It will this weekend, in time for you to check out a couple of restaurants, a museum and even a cool music festival.

I finally visited the new Italian restaurant, Da Franco’s. While the décor is generic, they have great outdoor seating and delicious salads, side dishes and nice brick oven pizza (pictured above). The gelato was quite enjoyable too. 23-92 21^st Street, Astoria. 718.267.0014

Check out Malagueta for a chill weekend dinner. Offering indoor and outdoor seating, Malagueta serves Brazilian fare with lots of flavor and spice. I recommend trying their signature shrimp dish (Moqueca de Camarao) – it’s out of this world and not expensive. They also serve a darn good sangria! 25-35 36^th Avenue, Astoria. 718.937.4821

Start your weekend with fresh coffee from Sweatleaf in LIC. They serve Stumptown Coffee, named “The Best Coffee in the World” by NPR and also feature really delicious treats. Their chocolate chip cookies are crunchy and luxuriously rich. 10-93 Jackson Avenue, LIC. 917.832.6726

In the mood for good tunes? Visit the Exit 44 Music Festival this Saturday from 3 p.m. – 2 a.m. at Wonderland in Astoria. Featured acts include Tigercity and Project Jenny, Project Jan, Action Painters, The Shondes, My Teenage Stride, Schwervon! and more. Tickets are $10. 38-01 23^rd Avenue, Astoria. To purchase tickets, click here.

This Sunday at 3 p.m. (and every second Sunday of the month), enjoy Music in the Garden at the Noguchi Museum. Taylor Brown will kick things off with a classical guitar performance. He's performed with well-known artists such as Carly Simon, Dar Williams, Felicia Collins and others. 9-01 33rd Road, Long Island City. 718.204.7088