Mimi's Closet Closing

Word on the street is that the charming Astoria clothing boutique Mimi's Closet is closing. Mimi is apparently moving her store back to Tokyo. I'm sorry to see her go, but with the crap economy that is our reality right now, it doesn't surprise me. I wish her lots of luck and good fortune in her new venture in Japan!

Astorian Weekend *New Year's Edition* - 01.01.09

Happy New Year Astoria!

We hope that you had a fun and eventful evening last night. And while you're probably still recuperating from last night's celebrations, we wanted to bring you the latest and greatest happenings for this New Year's weekend.

There's a new Greek taverna in town, which replaced the old Anna's Corner and the more recent Athens Taverna. The new eatery is called Psitopolio Ta Vlahika and it offers pretty much the same type of cuisine as its predecessors but at more competitive prices. They've refurbished the space so it looks brand spankin' new. 31-01 23rd Avenue, Astoria. 718.545.4000

Enjoy a lovely brunch at some of our Astorian favorites:

Ovelia - For $10 - $13 you'll get a hefty brunch entree with a coffee and a morning cocktail. One of my favorites here is the tiropita toast, which is a flat bread made with feta cheese. 34-01 30th Avenue, Astoria. 718.721.7217

You can never go wrong with Grand Cafe's $11.50 brunch special (pictured above), which includes adorable little breakfast muffins, coffee served with a delicious pirouette cookie, a morning cocktail and an entree. 37-01 30th Avenue, Astoria. 718.777.7321

And don't forget to check out our latest brunch favorite, Vesta. Meg provides a great recap of their dishes here. Personally, I can't wait to try their hangover pizza! 21-02 30th Avenue, Astoria. 718.545.5550

Another fun activity for this weekend is shopping--especially on Ditmars.

Check out Inside Astoria for their 50% holiday sale, where you can get cool holiday cards and funky home items. 37-20 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria. 718.956.4000. Nook n' Crannie also offers unique, gently used vintage furniture. 29-18 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria. 718.204.8399. Or get some fun jewelry on sale at Mimi's Closet . 21-10 31st Street, Astoria. 718.726.0971.

Astorian Weekend Edition 20.03.08

We love our local healthy CSA's, and now there are more and more organic choices popping up. Thursday (tonight) learn all about and taste some "certified organic" and "biodynamic" wines at Hunter's Point Wines & Spirits (47-07 Vernon Blvd). The event runs 6 to 8 p.m., but be

s ure to RSVP with Lynne Serpe at 646-202-0825 or Robyn Sklar, robynsklar@gmail.com. The store holds regular tastings on Thursday and Friday nights too, good to know.

We know how much our neighborhood rocks, but it seems that the cat is out of the bag bigtime! As much as we love Loveday 31 (33-06 31st. Ave) and Mimi's Closet (21-10 31st St.) , now that Zagat and Channel 7 are onto them: things might never be the same again! Pay them a visit and see why they rate so highly. Sticking with the cute boutique theme- Candy Plum (30-98 36th St.) has drinks and treats on Saturday in celebration of a local designer sharing her accessories collection.

Welcome Spring on Saturday with Savvy Cyclist and their free, one-day "introduction to cycling" program. It's a class "ideal for new cyclists who want to learn the basics, those returning to cycling from a long hiatus, people who want to be more independent on their bike, and those who feel a little nervous while cycling in traffic." It's an all day thing going from 9am-5pm at Recycle-A-Bicycle (46 Ave. & 5th St.) There are no walk-ins so be sure to go here and register first!

I have it on good authority that Family Market (29-15 Broadway) carries some delicious daifuku. Stop by the store for all kinds of interesting imports from tiny dried fish to full on ready-to-eat meals. I'm a big fan of this one of a kind (in this nabe anyway) shop.