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

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

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

Finally Fridays - Guess What?

In this very different edition of Finally Fridays, we have you doing the work.  We picked five favorite venues that we like to frequent on weekends - can you guess what they are?  As usual, they're listed in no specific order of importance because they're all great!

Here are the answers: 

#1 - 24 Wine Bar.  25-19 24th Avenue, Astoria.  347.777.6164

#2 - Arepas Cafe.  33-07 36th Avenue, Astoria.  718.937.3835
#3 - Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden.   29-19 24th Avenue, Astoria.  718.274.4925

#4 - Bizaare Avenue Cafe.  35-01 36th Street, Astoria.  718.937.1234

#5 - Ovelia.  34-01 30th Avenue, Astoria.  718.721.7217

#1

This low-key place brings in not only the locals but ____ connoisseurs too. What is it?

#2

Fun, casual and inexpensive, this place produces great ____ cakes (they're called something else in Spanish).  What is it?

#3

Eat, _____ and be merry here.  What is it?

#4

This place changed names less than a year ago - are you a fan or do you think it's just plain weird? What is it?

#5

Day or night, this place is always hoppin'.  What is it?

Post your answers in the comments section. Enjoy and happy Friday!

Finally Fridays - Brunch

Wow I thought the weekend would never come...but finally it's here.  In this edition of Finally Fridays, we reveal five great picks for brunch.  As always, chime in with your two cents.

Sparrow - Leeks and fried eggs with sweet potato hash and crusty bread

24-01 29th Street, Astoria NY. 718.606.2260

Cafe Henri - Mushroom and goat cheese crepe with mixed greens

10-10 50th Avenue, LIC.  718.383.9315

Bistro 33 - Cajun fritatta with andouille sausage and crawfish

19-33 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria.  718.721.1933

Sage General Store - Ranchero Burrito with organic scrambled eggs, onions, smoky ham, tomato & cheese

24-20 Jackson Avenue, LIC.  718.361.0707

Brooklyn Bagel and Coffee Company - Fluffy, humongous cinnamon raisin and plain bagel

35-05 Broadway, Astoria.  718.204.0141

35-09 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria.  718.932.8280

36-14 30th Avenue, Astoria.  718.777.1121

Finally Fridays - Dessert

Want to indulge in something sweet after a long, arduous week?  In this Finally Fridays, we pay homage to the sweet tooth, as we reveal our top 5 picks for Astorian desserts. 

Cara Bella - Profiteroles with chocolate sauce, chocolate gelato and fresh raspberries
47-02 30th Avenue, Astoria.  718.956.1101

Vesta - Baby Jesus Cake.  Crispy, warm cake with butterscotch sauce and fresh whipped cream
21-02 30th Avenue, Astoria.  718.545.5550

Martha's Bakery - Vanilla butter cream cupcake with M&Ms

36-21 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria.  718.545.9737

Djerdan - Keks torta, layered custard cake, a bit like Tiramisu
34-04A 31st Avenue, Astoria.  718.721.2694

Laziza - Assortment of cookies and cakes - coconut-almond cake, baklava, pistachio and date cookies
25-78 Steinway Street, Astoria.  718.777.7676

Hope these satisfy your sweet tooth - please chime in with your personal favorites.

Finally Fridays - Burgers

Friday is here and we couldn't be happier. This week's Finally Fridays focuses on a comfort food that's hard to beat--burgers. Here are our top 5 picks for traditional and not-so-ordinary boighahs.

Sparrow Burger - Grass fed burger with thick-cut bacon and herbed fries
24-01 29th Street, Astoria. 718.606.2260


Sweet Afton Burger - Organic beef, Gruyere cheese, caramelized onions, sweet brioche bun
30-09 34th Street, Astoria. 718.777.2570


BareBurger Lamburger - Lamb patty, yogurt sauce, caramelized onions, 7 grain bun
33-21 31st Avenue, Astoria. 718777.7011


Indigo Turkey Burger - Turkey, toasted sesame seed bun, hand cut fries, cranberry mayo
28-50 31st Street, Astoria. 718.728.0050


Fatty's Turkey Burger - Turkey, jalapeno mayo, peppers, onions and a side of house salad
25-01 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria. 718.267.7071

Enjoy these fun varieties and let us know your personal burger faves.