Two Interesting Food Events this Weekend

From the Eating in Translation blog - looks great!:

St. George Church Fundraising Fair
Saturday, April 25, noon-6:00
38-25 31st St. (38th-39th Aves.), Long Island City, Queens
"Egyptian and Middle Eastern food, desserts, and groceries" are promised; have a look at this flyer, spotted last week in Astoria, and you'll know everything about the event that I do.

Indonesian food bazaar
Sunday, April 26, 10:00ish-4:00
Outside the Al-Hikmah Mosque, 48-01 31st Ave. (at 48th St.), Astoria, Queens
"The food is authentic, the vendors mostly sell the food at their home or special order only." wrote the Eating In Translation fan who steered me to this event last year, where I enjoyed made-to-order lothek and much more. It's held several times during the summer, but just when, I usually learn only on short notice. Free admission

30th Ave Taco Truck To Have Additional Digs

Just read on astorians about the new restaurant opening soon by the same people that run the fabulous El Rey del Taco truck on 30th Ave. The exchange:

Question: While walking to the Steinway R/V station I saw a new awning across the street (A few storefronts down from that "El Mundo Discount" store, just north of the Thai take-out.). It read "Azteca Pride/El Rey del Taco." Can anyone confirm or deny that that's the taco truck people? (I mean the one in front of Rite Aid.)

Answer: Went to taco truck tonight and asked about this, they are going to have the restaurant and still have the truck.

Hot dog, this is great news! The taco truck is well loved in Astoria and they do make some of the best Mexican food in town. Here's hoping the restaurant will put out food of equal quality. Yum potential is high.

Photo credit: (cc) Meg Cotner

Organic Beef in Astoria

Organic Beef
Originally uploaded by mcotner

As I was getting off the train today at Ditmars Blvd, I noticed that the butcher on the east side of 31st Street is now selling USDA certified organic beef. They have been selling organic chickens for some time, but this is a nice new development. I haven't tried any of the beef (I don't eat much beef, honestly), but if anyone does, we'd love to hear from you.

Rose and Joe's Spells Delicious

I made a number of visits to Rose and Joe's today, because they are all too convenient for a quick snack before jumping on the subway there at Ditmars. They are one of my favorite bakeries in Astoria. Here are a couple pictures, one of the delicious cookies and one of the awesome sicilian slice. Enjoy!:

HipNoHop This Weekend

Just got this in my email box - it sounds promising!

HipNoHop

What: Let the local musicians entertain you with free music that blends all sorts of rhythms together. BBQ (veggie burgers or hot dogs/hamburgers) will be available for purchase in the patio area.

When: Sunday, August 19, 4PM-7:30 PM

Where: LIC Bar, 45-58 Vernon Boulevard.

Who: No cover charge; Dogs and children are welcome!

Alba's Pizza

I've been eating at Alba's Pizza for a couple years now, mainly because it's so convenient, being up the street and all. I was there this weekend and learned they have a new takeout menu! They've increased their pasta offerings, for one thing, and the menu itself looks more inviting in its layout. While I was there this weekend, I tried their Grandma slice. I have extremely high standards for Grandma slices, having eaten many of them from the wonderful Via Pizza in Stony Brook. Well, Alba's makes theirs a bit differently than what I'm used to, but the flavors were fantastic! My boyfriend and I liked it so much we had two slices! Highly recommended.

They also will make pizza with a whole wheat crust, which is great in this age of heightened awareness of whole grains. They also serve whole wheat spaghetti - also a great option. I haven't had any of their pasta dishes, so I'm looking forward to trying them.

By the way, you can order pizza from them online, here. They accept credit cards, which is a plus.

Alba's Pizza
36-20 Ditmars Blvd
Astoria, New York

Photo credit: Alba's Pizza

Le Petit Prince Bakery Closed???

I've been hearing rumors that Le Petit Prince bakery might be closed. Apparently people have seen ovens and baking equipment heading out of the bakery, and the space has been shuttered for a while now. So sad! It was a great bakery! Different from anything else in the area and certainly delicious. JIA friend Zora expresses her feelings about the situation here.

I still have hopes that their closing is only temporary, and that they are just upgrading their equipment.

If anyone has any other info, post it here!

Brunch at Bistro 33

Latest news from wonderful neighborhood eatery Bistro 33: their outdoor seating is set up and they are offering brunch! From 11am-4pm every weekend, you can head over for a delicious meal - here are some of the things on their brunch menu:

• Cajun omelet - crawfish, andouille sausage, red peppers, green onion
• Apple Brie Omelet
• Quiche Lorraine
• Blueberry Pancakes
• Truffled Eggs and Salmon
• Sushi Brunch (bagel roll [salmon, cream cheese, cucumber] & spicy tuna roll)

Not to mention mimosas, bloody marys, and of course, coffee. Yum!

Mastercard and Visa are now accepted, which is pretty convenient. So, check 'em out! Bistro 33 is on the corner of Ditmars and 21st Street in Astoria.

Buffalo in Astoria

Well, that would be buffalo burgers. While I was at Family Corner, a tiny little diner in the Ditmars neighborhood, this past weekend I noticed they had buffalo burgers on the menu. You can get the burger by itself ($4) or deluxe ($5.50). I am intrigued.

Loved their eggs over medium - so tasty! And the iced coffee isn't half bad.

Family Corner
21-02 31st Street
Astoria

Talk about the New Gourmet Market in LIC

A little while back, I posted about a new gourmet market coming to LIC, a project by the Manducati's people. Over on Queens West, they've been discussing the possibility of a wine shop, but that doesn't seem to be a potential reality. But, there are already enough wine shops in LIC. Anyway, if you'd like to read the thread, go here.

And apparently Manducati's is a pretty awesome restaurant as well. I need to go soon.

Kabab Cafe Finally Re-opening!

Via JIA friend Zora on Chowhound:

Straight from the horse's mouth: the long dry spell is over! Ali will be back in the kitchen [today]. (I think the super-auspicious date is a coincidence?)

He has done some major revamping of his kitchen, due to perpetual hassle from the fire-code people, so expect some new stuff on the menu.

This is great news! I've had some terrific meals there and look forward to returning for more. Kabob Cafe is on Steinway near exotic 25th Avenue.

Photo credit: flooz!

Exciting LIC Food News

From Eric at Long Island City:

So the Manducatis family is back, this time they are about to open up a high end gourmet market right Vernon Blvd, its about 5000sqft and will have everything from cheeses, to olives, breads, wine and even gelato…

Not sure exactly where on Vernon, but I'm guessing its further into LIC. But the news is very exciting!

Hellgate CSA

The Hellgate CSA had its fourth week of distribution today, which included the first week of the fruit share. We've had some great stuff come through, and today's share didn't disappoint: cherries, apples, savory, sorrel, chives, red mustard, lettuce, tarragon, snap peas, and beets. Here are some pretty pictures of today's haul:


Beets

Savory, sorrel, chives

Cherries

Peas

Red mustard

Around Town

Boy is it a hot day! It's been steamy all morning, and I've been outside, so it's nice to be home in the a/c before I have to head out in a bit. One way I've found to beat the heat is to drink lots of liquids, preferably cold ones. I've got the water on to heat up for tea, which I prepare in a very large mason jar. Three tea bags seems to be enough, I let it steep then put it in the fridge. Keeps me hydrated with some variety, as drinking just plain water gets a little boring for me all the time. I'm going to brew some "Thai Delight", an herbal tea I discovered via my housemate. It tastes a bit like thai iced tea when you put milk/soy in it.

While walking home, I discovered that Alba's Pizza (37th Street and Ditmars) serves pizza with a whole wheat crust by request. The other place in town that does that is Pizza Palace (31st and Ditmars), but there's been chatter that their pizza has really gone downhill. Plus they are truly annoying with that whole "freedom fries" crap. WTF???

Oleput (Ditmars and 32nd) is a fantastic new sweet shop in town. It's the brainchild of the guys behind Sparrow, my favorite bar in town. They sell Mary's Dairy ice cream, and make it into wonderful shakes ($4.50). They have the most magical pies in NY, Briermere pies, as well as baked goods from Tomcat bakery. They also have some homemade stuff. More delicious offerings of the savory sort are coming as well. Sooz and I checked it out last week and we both said thumbs up! Stay tuned for more talk about it, plus more pictures!

Stamatis has been working on their new building across the street from their current one (23rd Ave between 31st and 29th streets) for many months, and it's finally looking like an actual restaurant! I've peeked in while walking by and it looks really nice. Am looking forward to checking it out when it opens.

More to come!

Beer Special at Sunswick

Was at Sunswick today to get a bite and catch some of the Yankee game (first few innings were painful to watch), and saw that they are having a beer-centric event - Lagunitas Night. On Monday they'll be serving various Lagunitas beer, including their IPA and PILS. $4 pints all night - worth checking out. Their food is pretty tasty, too; I'm partial to their chicken quesadilla. Oh, and they've got Young's Chocolate Stout on tap right now, too!

Yum Yum

Was just in the Trade Fair on Ditmars and they are selling "honey pecans" by the deli (where the olives and feta are). Can I just say, YUMMMM??? Man, they are good - by themselves, in a salad. I don't know if the other Trade Fairs are carrying them, but it's really worth checking out because are tasty!

Ice Cream in Astoria

So, it's getting warmer, which means (screams?) ICE CREAM to me. I love the stuff. Ice cream and gelato and sorbet and sherbet and frozen yogurt, I love. it. all. The other day I made some ice cream and it was a great success; I'll make more, too. But sometimes I just like to go out for it. I'm sure you do too.

The other night I was down at Martha's Bakery (37th And Ditmars) scoping out their gelato offerings. Right now they have a lot less of a selection of flavors than they did last year, but the flavors they do have are just great - hazelnut, mint chip, dulce de leche, strawberry, lemon ice, to name a handful. It runs about $3.25 a scoop. Yow. Kind of pricey, but it was worth it when I wanted it.

La Guli Bakery up the street (Ditmars and 29th) also has gelato in classic flavors (I love the La Guli Chocolate, which has caramel in it). I haven't been down there to price it, but it usually runs around a couple dollars for a scoop. I also like their hazelnut gelato, and they have delicious italian ices. Terrizi Pastry Shop (30th Ave near 36th Street) also has gelato, which is supposed to be very good.

JIA friend Zora told flooz and me the other day about the presence of Ciao Bella gelato in the neighborhood, sold by the scoop. This is exciting! You can get it at the New Town Coffee House on 31st Street just north of 30th Ave. It's a mere $1.95 a scoop. She also passed on some news that I had already been given, about ice cream coming to a new sweet shop opening up on Ditmars. But the new bit of info is that the ice cream will be made by a local NYC company (I'll withold the name for now). I've been guaranteed that it's really good!

As far as more mass-produced stuff, there are plenty of Baskin Robbins in town. Cold Stone Creamery is on Broadway. Igloo on 31st Street near the Ditmars train station serves Sedutto ice cream and that weird All-Star Burger is set to have Hershey's Ice Cream available, but who knows if they will stick around, what with the awful McDonalds just a few doors down. Oh, and I can't not mention Uncle Louie G's ice cream, on 38th Street right off of Broadway.

And if all else fails, there's always Mister Softee!

News from Fresh Start

The other day I was at Fresh Start, the natural foods/organic grocery over on 23rd Ave between 31st and 29th (right between delicious Michael Angelo's and the nice people at Omega Wines), and as I was in the back getting cat food (Wellness - my kitty loves it!), I saw a door open...to a backyard patio! They are finally opening the outdoor/garden space they had talked about soon after opening a year and a half of so. It looks really nice. It's a space where you can take your prepared foods and and drink sit back and eat. They also want to make it available to community groups looking for a space in which to meet. I think it's going to be a really nice addition to the area.

Also, the owner told me that they are going to make the changeover to environmentally serving products soon (the order has already been placed). That means instead of plastic cups and straws, they will be made of corn, similar to what Freeze Peach uses. Also, they are going to provide biodegradable cutlery, and I guess maybe serving containers.

Big thumbs up!

5 Boroughs Ice Cream Founders

Scott and Kim Myles, founders of local 5 Boroughs Ice Cream, live right here in Astoria (we've mentioned them before)! They also use biscotti and baklava made in Astoria (Rose and Joes and Victory Sweet Shop, respectively) for their ice cream. Gothamist has a nice interview with Scott Myles, here. Check it out!

Mmm...ice cream...

Time to VOTE...for food

Do what's right my peeps, log on to Time Out NY's Eat Out Awards and help our local favs reign supreme!
If you haven't tried them yet, there's still time! Go out today and sample some fine food for the greater good of Astoria. 3, that's right 3 of the 5 are places right here in our little neck of the woods. Here are the contenders:

Best new Queens restaurant

• *Aces
• *Il Bambino
• Jade Eatery & Lounge
• *Ovelia
• Quaint

Still need convincing? here are pictures from all three places and a few others from my flickr account. Can you tell i like food, just a little?