Astorian Weekend Edition 28.01.10

It’s going to be a chiller this weekend, so you might as well plan your activities inside.  Good thing – there’s a lot of fun stuff going on that doesn’t involve being out in the cold.

This Friday, say good-bye to the old Café Bar (pictured above) and get ready to welcome a new and improved version next month. Starting at 8 p.m. Café Bar will host a celebration in honor of its upcoming renovations.  The café will re-open in about a month, so get your last fix (for a while) this Friday with great music, drinks and complimentary appetizers. 32-90 36^th Avenue, Astoria.  718.204.5273

Also on Friday, check out the first ever Far Out Festival, sponsored by Astoria Music and Arts and the Stomp & Howl Movement.  Proceeds go to a great cause—to benefit the victims of Haiti.  Music acts will include Deep Sound Diver, Illimanjaro, James Call & Erotic Photo Hunt featuring Adrienne Efficiency, Michael Benedetto and more.  $5 cover.  Shillelagh Tavern – 47-22 30^th Avenue, Astoria.  718.728.9028

If you’re a wine gal or guy and enjoy the game of chess, check out Winegasm’s second Wine and Chess event on Saturday from 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. You’ll want to try their homemade Istrian delicacy called “Fritule,” which they make on the premises.  31-86 37^th Street, Astoria.  718.932.3331

Looking to unwind this weekend? Here are some of my personal recommendations for a relaxing spa/salon day.   Natura Spa has a full offering of spa and salon services and even some special treatments such as hydrotherapy.  Spa Hydra’s 55 minute Swedish massage is great – although pricey, the atmosphere is as serene as it gets. SPAce’s haircuts are great and not too expensive.  I recommend Rudy!   Natura Spa – 31-24 Steinway Street, Astoria.  718.956.5530.  Spa Hydra – 35-11 36^th Street, Long Island City.  718.267.7991.  SPAce – 29-09 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria.  718.726.4477.

And last but certainly not least, there’s brunch!  Try something new with Ornella’s brunch, which officially rolls-out this Saturday.  Enjoy interesting brunch dishes such as potato pancakes with pancetta, nutella-filled crepes and also traditional food such as eggs and paninis. YUM!  29-17 23^rd Avenue, Astoria.  718.777.9477

Speaking of paninis, you can also check out Il Bambino, which now serves brunch.  There are 12 new paninis on the menu and most of them include the incredible, edible egg. Double YUM!  34-08 31^st Avenue, Astoria.  718.626.0087

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 10.12.09

Man oh man will it be cold this weekend! But don’t let a little chill stop you from enjoying these fun (indoor) “social sports.”

Ornella is a great new Italian restaurant worth trying, and all dishes are derived from deeply cherished family recipes. Order the imbustata (pictured above), a specialty pasta “envelope” with roasted veal, chicken, wild mushrooms homemade mozzarella, spinach, mascarpone cheese and tomato sauce. As you can see, it’s an all-inclusive type of dish that's absolutely scrumptious. 29-17 23rd Avenue, Astoria. 718.777.9477

Take a farm to table cooking class this Thursday (or next Thursday) at the Sage General Store. This week’s theme is “Trade Secrets from the Professionals” and covers topics from handling poultry to making the perfect pie crust. $80 per person – includes dinner and you get to take home a pie. 24-20 Jackson Avenue, Long Island City. 718.361.0707

In the mood for casual tapas or just good and inexpensive Latin food? Blend in LIC is a yummy option, and I had a wonderful dinner there last week. Top picks include the arroz con pollo, which is generous in portion and features the most aromatic seasoning, as well as the ropa vieja, served in a crunchy plantain cup. 47-04 Vernon Blvd, Long Island City. 718.729.2800

Indulge in a holiday specialty drink at Mezzo Mezzo--some of the creative concoctions they’ve devised especially for the holidays include martinis such as the chocolate peppermint, nuts-n-berries, an oatmeal-cookie latte and others. You can sample a drink for free with a purchase of an entrée. The special promo code is “holiday cheer” and it can be used on all days except for Saturday. 31-29 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria. 718.278.0444

If you like to play pool or ping pong and appreciate a relaxing, low-key setting, check out Break Bar on Broadway between 32nd and 33rd street. It’s pleasantly full but never too crowded on weekends, and the bartenders make you feel like part of the family. Pool is free until 9p.m. and they feature happy hour from 12 p.m. – 9 p.m. on the weekends with $3 beers and $5 spirits. 32-04B Broadway, Astoria. 718.777.5400

Ornella - New Italian Restaurant in Astoria

Last week I had the pleasure of attending a tasting at the new Italian restaurant Ornella, at Judith's invitation.  We were fortunate enough to enjoy our meal with the owners, Ornella Viterale (for which the restaurant is named) and her husband Giussepe, as well as a family friend.  I had been very curious about the restaurant, which previously housed the Brazilian restaurant Samba Grill (which I never got to try, unfortunately).  I love Italian food, so I was pretty excited about checking it out.

Our hosts and guests were lovely, which provided a great entry to an excellent meal.  As we chatted together, there was a plate of bruschetta in front of us.  Not being able to resist tomatoes and bread, I went for a piece early on, and was impressed by how flavorful the tomatoes were for this time of year.  The bread, which is house-made, was also good and substantial, and the two went really well together.

We were asked, "Do you like nuts?"  Well, I told them, "I love nuts!" (I really do).  They were happy to hear this and presented us each with a plate of homemade noodles made with chestnut flour, and served with roasted cherry tomatoes, arugula, and shrimp.  Such a delicious combination!  The noodles were thick and resembled the texture of dumplings.  They were beautifully colored, and the combination with the vegetables and shrimp was mighty tasty.  Apparently, this dish of chestnut noodles is common in their region.  I'd never had anything like it, so it was a real treat for me.

I also had a caprese salad, one of my favorite things to get at Italian restaurants.  Their version was a little bit different, in that it was served with buffalo mozzarella and also roasted red pepper along with the tomatoes.  I loved it, and especially adored the quality of the mozzarella.  It was soft and supple, almost resembling burrata, one of my favorite fresh milk cheeses.  The addition of the pepper to the dish made it more interesting than your average caprese salad.  I'd get it again in a heartbeat.

I am also a gnocchi nut.  I love the stuff!  So, when I saw their gnocchi dish, I couldn't resist.  The little potato dumplings were in a cream and gorgonzola dolce sauce, so rich and creamy, but not overly heavy, as the gnocchi were nice and light - no lead weight in my stomach that night.  It was sweet, salty, and savory all at the same time. Fantastic.

I did get a chance to taste some of my fellow diners' dishes.  I was especially fond of Ornella's swordfish, partnered with olives, capers, onions and tomato sauce. Its texture was flaky and light but substantial, a far cry from the tough swordfish I had years ago at BeniHana.  I also had a bite of a very interesting dish that Judith ordered, called Imbustata, which was basically a large "envelope" of pasta filled with roasted meats and mushrooms.  So savory, rich, and deeply flavored.  I might have to try that next time.

For dessert, they brought out what looked like fried eggs, sunny-side up... in actuality, it was two halves of a poached peach resting in a pool of vanilla gelato.  Two of my favorite tastes, I ate it up gladly.  After that, they brought out a plate of cake slices - tiramisu, chocolate mousse, and Italian-style cheesecake.  Although I'm a total chocoholic, and a devout fan of tiramisu, the cheesecake stole my heart.  It was light, creamy, and perfect.  Don't get me wrong, the other two cakes were excellent as well, but there was something really special about that cheesecake.  Later, I learned that Ornella baked the tiramisu and cheesecake herself.  I  highly recommend keeping room for dessert - you won't regret it!

The space itself is narrow but doesn't feel cramped, and certainly gives the impression of more space than I got when peering into Samba Grill.  The walls are painted to resemble stone walls, nice and light, with street signs named after Ornella and Giuseppe's children.  I found myself feeling relaxed and comfortable there.

Prices are on the moderate side - $8-10 for appetizers, $15-19 for pastas, fish and meats from $18-25, desserts from $5-8. See the Foodista for more menu details.  Please see her review here.

Ornella Trattoria
29-17 23rd Avenue (Ditmars neighborhood)
Astoria
718-777-9477

Photo credit:  (c) Judith Klein Rich