Astorian Weekend Edition, 14.01.10

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday weekend!  I envy you lucky ducks that get Monday off.  This is a great weekend to relax and enjoy your time away from the office, and remember what this man did for our country.

On Monday, the MOMI has a bunch of great stuff going on that appeals to both kids and adults.  Be sure to check out the video games while you're there, one of the coolest parts of the place, IMO.

This weekend is a good opportunity to stop by KrisTEES (24-01 23rd Avenue) to check out their big winter sale. Save from 25-60% off on coats, dresses, blouses, handbags, and lots more. Ethereal Boutique (47-38 Vernon Boulevard, 1L) is also having a sale this weekend, with party dresses, winter merchandise, and furnishings available.

At Parrot Market on Ditmars (31-12 Ditmars Blvd), they receive a delivery of a very delicious Romanian sweet bread every Friday. It's a yeasted bread dough with a swirl of walnuts and chocolate inside. Really delicious, and at $9.99 it's a special treat. It's especially good toasted with butter. If you can stop by for a loaf, I highly recommend it. While you're there, take a peek at the cured meat products in the back refrigerator, the olive bar, and the homemade phyllo pastries.

On Saturday, the weather is supposed to be stellar, temperature-wise. I've been running in Astoria Park this week, and have loved seeing the amazing sunrises we've had. It should be nice enough for a brisk walk with a friend - and bring your dog with you if you'd like to socialize with other dog owners, as Saturday mornings are filled with dogs romping around (supervised by their humans, of course).

Brunch is coming to Sweet Afton (30-09 34th Street)! I was fortunate enough to be invited for a preview of their brunch last weekend, and it was awesome. I'll post more about it later, but for now, take a look at Judith's rundown of a wonderful new brunch menu in the neighborhood.

Astorian Weekend Edition 08.10.09

Fall is here, which makes it a lovely time to stroll around the nabe, discover new places and appreciate the foliage. Here are some fun suggestions for this weekend:

Visit a cool art show and do some shopping this Thursday at Ethereal Boutique in LIC. Leann Marie Zafuto will showcase her fashion based art and the store is featuring an accessories trunk show. Enjoy wine and treats while perusing. Thursday, October 8^th, 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. 47-38 Vernon Blvd, LIC. 718.482.8884

Some more awesome shopping also happening on Thursday night is at SITE. Mackenzi will be hosting a Fall Preview Party, where you can take advantage of fabulous discounts on unique designs such as Lattimo glass, metal and acrylic jewelry. You can hop around from Ethereal to SITE or the other way around – this shin dig takes place between 7p.m. – 10p.m. 35-11 34^th Avenue, Astoria. 718.626.6030

In the mood to express your artistic talent? Art House Astoria is kicking off their monthly Salon Series, where you could bring your best talent – whatever that may be – and perform in a casual and welcoming setting. Saturday, October 10^th at 7p.m. For more information, contact jdj83061@gmail.com. 23-35 Broadway, Astoria. 347.738.4148

Don’t forget that all this week and next, you can take advantage of Queens Restaurant Week. While most restaurants aren’t featuring this special on weekends (except for Punta Dura), you could check it out on Thursday or Friday. There are more than 75 awesome restaurants participating. Personally, I’m checking out Christos Steakhouse, which for $25 per person will be a steal.

Are you into football? Do you like wings? There are at least two great places in Astoria that deliver both at incredible prices. Gleason's is one with 25 cent wings on Sundays and Mondays and the other is Indigo with delicious burgers and a good selection of brew. Gleason's 33-08 Broadway, Astoria. 718.626.5393. Indigo - 28-50 31st Street, Astoria. 718.728.0050.

Astorian Weekend Edition 30.04.09

Thursday,shop at Ethereal Boutique (47-38 Vernon Blvd) in Long Island City and 10% of the proceeds will benefit Hour Children. They will be featuring styles from MINT Jodi Arnold™ and artwork by local artist, Vicky Barranguet. There will be wine and gift bags for the first 20 guests to purchase MINT Jodi Arnold styles!

Friday night Dutch Kills Bar (27-24 Jackson Ave) finally gets its unveiling! There's been plenty of buzz so now the big test, check em out and let us know if they rocked it.

This Saturday, City Year New York is having its 3rd Annual LICense to Serve Day in Long Island City. It's all going down from 9:30am to 3pm at Dutch Kills Park and Hour Children's “My Mother’s House”. There will be painting murals, playground games and gardening.
Volunteers need to register prior to the event by contacting Nick Florest at (646)-247-7735.

Sunday brings the first Spring Fling Market to Astoria. From 10:30am to 4:30pm join 40 vendors bringing us a variety of handmade, handcrafted and general cool stuff at the Cretan Omonia Association Hall building (32-33 31st St.). There will also be music and freshly made sweets and pastries.

Somewhere along the way, stop in at the Chicken Shack (35-02 30th Ave.) and get your grub on. I was pleasantly surprised not only by the quantity of food but the quality was pretty good too! Don't scoff at it, 2 people can get way overfull and still have leftovers for $20!