Update on Dutch Kills Bar

News via liQcity. Sounds like April is the month they're going to open:

"We just got our refrigeration in this week, so we’re back to a construction site for just a couple more weeks. We’ll be opening in April.Our sinks, our plumbing, and the refrigeration are things we take very seriously. We’re juicing fresh to order behind the bar, so all of that has to be meticulously planned, and we can’t just slap that together and expect the same level of quality that we have at the other bars. We’ll also be introducing a hand-cut, made-to-order ice station behind the bar, so when you order a drink, someone will actually cut the ice right in front of you."

Dutch Kills Bar whipping online media into a frantic cocktail [liQcity]
Dutch Kills Bar Opens Soon [Joey in Astoria]

Vine Wine and Vesta Team Up This Wednesday

How cool is that? Lovely LIC wine shop Vine Wine, and Astoria fave restaurant Vesta are working together to present a food-wine tasting pairing. If I were free, I'd totally be there.

This Wednesday's in store tasting is not to be missed. Vine will be teaming up with Vesta Trattoria and Wine Bar in Astoria. We'll be pairing three Italian wines with delicious food provided by Vesta. These wines (which can also be found on the Vesta wine list) range from a bright, springy Sauvignon Blanc to a rich, spicy Primativo.

Vine and Vesta

• Tere de Gioia, Sauvignon Blanc
• Salvalai, Pinot Noir
• Flaio, Primativo

DATE: March 25th
TIME: 5:30 - 8:30pm

Vine Wine
12-09 Jackson Ave
Long Island City, NY

Swap and Book Drive Success!

So, I understand that the clothing swap and book drive was a HUGE success! A press release on the event came out this weekend and I wanted to share it with you here:

Swap-O-Rama Sweeps Astoria

Saturday, March 21st - A.R.R.O.W. Community Center was jammed full of men and women of all ages looking to swap clothing, shoes and handbags as a way to save the environment and save money.

As people arrived, event co-organizer Robyn Sklar explained how it all worked: "You bring clothes, other people bring clothes…and then you swap. It's a great way to clear out your closets and get free new-to-you clothes."

The event turned into an impromptu fashion show at times, as people tried on items and sought opinions from other swappers. Close to 200 people attended by the time the day ended, almost double original expectations.

"We were thrilled at the turnout," said co-organizer Lynne Serpe. "Everyone really understood how swapping clothing is a free and easy way to live green, by promoting reuse. And who doesn't want to look good while doing good?

As far as anything not taken? "We donated twenty bags of shoes and clothing to the Hour Children Thrift Shop on 12th Street," Lynne explained.

"We also donated at least 1500 books to the Queens Library," she continued. "After all, libraries are the ultimate in reuse, which is why we partnered with the Astoria Book Club on a book drive."

This event was sponsored by Triple R Events: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation and the Astoria Book Club. Triple R Events is a project of Lynne Serpe and Robyn Sklar. Serpe and Sklar are long-time Green Party members who don't just vote green - they live green. They organize monthly green events in Western Queens that are fun and educational, not boring and preachy. April 18th is their Second Annual Queens is Green Fashion Show.

For more information, visit http://www.3R-events.blogspot.com

Did you go? Let us know your experience in the comments!

New Products at The Little Soap Shop

Vivian, proprietor of The Little Soap Shop, sent us an email about a new product available:

Our current new product is Enchanted Dragon's Blood! A seductive combination of vanilla & musk with lily, jasmine, blood orange & grapefruit. It comes in organic body lotion & organic shower gel. It's a delightful scent!

I love their products, personally. One of my favorites - on the opposite scent side of the Enchanted Dragon's Blood - is their simple, basic olive oil bar soap. I can use it on my face, it is so gentle. Their lotions are really nice, too, and contain no parabens. Their soy candles are gentler to the environment as well (most candles are made with petroleum products), and smell great.

The Little Soap Shop
22-07B 36th Street
Astoria
718-704-4408

UPDATE - here are the hours of The Little Soap Shop:
Tues, Thurs & Fri 10:30 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Wed. 10:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Sat 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Sun 10:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Photo credit: The Foodista

Water Taxi Beach Events Up

Just saw in my feed reader that Water Taxi Beach has announced their upcoming music season! Here's some info:

Sunday, March 22, 2009

2009 Music Season

2009 is shaping up to be something special. With 3 beaches it will mean three times the music. WTB / LIC (Long Island City) will keep playing some great underground house along with some special events produced by Dance Here Now.

At WTB / LIC will have paid music events Thurs - Sunday for entire season (Memorial Day Wkd to Columbus Day Wkd).

Our WTB / LIC 2009 Grand Opening is Memorial Day Weekend

For even more info, go here.

[Photo from Streetsblog]

Additional Delicousness

While walking down 30th Ave to dinner at Les Minots last week, I stopped in at Frank's Bakery (36-02 30th Ave) and bought - yes - a zeppole! I was delicious. I now remember buying one from them last year and really enjoying it. I also bought a little strip of their apple strudel. Can I just say, yum?!?? It was really good. I loved the big sugar crystals on top and the sweet apple filling. There were raisins, and normally I don't like raisins in this sort of thing, but in this case it worked for me.

So, if you are craving something apple-y and sweet, give it a try. I think it's $7.99 a pound, and you can get any size strip you like. Sorry I don't have a picture - I ate it before I could even think of pulling out the camera! Perhaps I'll have to stop in again for another bit so that I can take a picture... yeah... that's it! :)

Astoria Artists are Awesome

Yes they are!

There's a group of artists in Astoria that want to meet you. They say "Astoria Artists are Awesome" and are interested in bringing artists of all sorts (visual, physical, sounding, etc.) together, along with the spectators, the supporters, and the critics, to make the arts in Astoria "more visible and more of a thing to do on a Saturday night for local residents."

Led by dancer Esther Palmer, they meet a couple times a month, once for drinks and chatting, once for a meeting to talk more in depth about the arts in Astoria. They are having one of their meetings this weekend. Join them on Saturday 3/21 at Cafe Bar at 2:30pm to discuss what AAaA is doing/can do/should do to promote the growth of the artistic community in Astoria.

I know they'd love to see you!

Carnaval a Brick Cafe Next Week

The lovely ladies from KrisTees and Candy Plum have put together another fashion event! Here's the info:

I am very happy to announce that KrisTees & Candy Plum boutiques have gotten together once again to bring you another AWESOME Astoria Event!

Carnaval a Brick Cafe will be held on Thursday, March 26th at the Brick Cafe on the corner of 33rd Street & 31st Avenue.

Starting at 6PM and going till 10PM, we are inviting you to enjoy a very intimate evening of shopping among local designers launching their new spring lines… from tees, to jewelry, baby wear, house wares and accessories, there is something unique and handmade for all! Upon entering, you will receive a complimentary aperitif and then it is off to an atmosphere of spring innovation!

RSVP for the event to astoriafashion@gmail.com or call 718.721.2299.

We’ll see you there!

Reminder! Spring Swap and Book Drive on Saturday

Just wanted to remind you all about the upcoming spring swap and book drive. We wrote about it a month ago, and the event is almost here! Greater details here, but the logistic info is below:

Spring Clothing Swap and Book Drive
Saturday, March 21
11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
ARROW Community Center
35-30 35th Street (between 35th and 36th Avenues)
Astoria

The books will be donated to Queens Library and any leftover clothes will be donated to Hour Children Thrift Shop. Hope to see you there!

Two Coves Community Garden in the News

As I've written here before, Two Coves Community Garden is at risk: the Parks Department and Goodwill Industries' want to impose a decade-old design for a park on 75% of the garden's space. This would uproot the garden and eliminate one of the most exciting, educational, and positive elements in the community: local residents gardening and growing food and flowers together, developing connections and friendships, and providing a natural oasis of calm and beauty in the area.

The garden has gotten a lot of attention lately, so here's a rundown of the latest articles so you can get a better idea of what's been going on:

Two Coves Community Garden threatened by park plan [Astoria Times]
Community Gardeners Fight Parks Department Takeover [Queens Gazette]
Parks Finally Has Money to Address Two Coves [Queens Ledger]
Two Coves Garden seeks permanency in Astoria [Queens Chronicle]
And the Two Coves Garden website

If you feel strongly about supporting the future life of the garden, please consider writing or calling Councilman Peter Vallone and/or Queens Parks Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski. Here's their contact info:

Councilman Peter Vallone Jr.
22-45 31st Street
Astoria, NY 11105
718-274-4500
vallonejr@council.nyc.ny.us

Dorothy Lewandowski, Queens Parks Commissioner
Queens Borough Office
The Overlook
80-30 Park Lane
Kew Gardens, NY 11415

I also have seen pre-stamped, pre-written postcards at places like Sparrow (24-01 29th St) and Il Bambino (34-08 31st Ave), so if you are near either of those, pick up a postcard and send it on!

St. Joseph's Day Brings Deliciousness

FYI, today is St. Joseph's Day. I have a friend named Joseph, so I send him good wishes today!

It being St. Joesph's Day and all, know that Rose & Joe's bakery (home of the very tasty pizza) has St. Joseph's Bread today. It is believed by some, that if St. Joseph's bread is kept in the home, the family will never starve. What I know, is that it's delicious!

Sfinge/zeppoli are also tasty St. Joseph's Day baked items. Totally worth it. Check it out at Rose & Joes. In fairness, neighboring La Guli probably has some pretty kickass St. Joseph's Day goodies, too.

Where else in the neighborhood do you find your St. Joseph's Day sweets?

Astorian Weekend Edition 19.03.09

As the weather gets warmer, I'm noticing a lot more fun weekend options. This weekend promises a rich offering of haps from a cool photo exhibit to a rockin' heavy metal night.

This Thursday--and every Thursday moving forward--wine and beer bar, Rest-au-Rant will feature their "Live Music Thursdays" with various musicians performing some of their best works. Performances are free and start at 8:30pm. 30-01 35th Avenue, Astoria. 718.729.9009

On Friday, check out Heavy Metal Night at the much-talked-about Vikingo's Dungeon. You'll enjoy 2-for-1 beers until 9pm as well as some nostalgic heavy metal tunes. It's a good way to channel the '80s and '90s. 35-55 33rd Street, Astoria. 718.383.3000

Interested in attending a photo exhibit opening? LIC's Local Project will be showcasing the photography and other works of Sol Aramendi. The show opens this Friday with a reception from 6pm - 9pm. 45-10 Davis Street, LIC. info@localproject.org.

Enjoy a historic walking tour this Sunday from 1pm - 3pm, which goes from Greenpoint all the way to LIC. The day promises a lot of historic riches and is guided by local historian, Jack Eichenbaum. Contact, jaconet@aol.com if you're interested.

There's a new French eatery in town, Bistro Les Minots (pictured above) on 47th Street and 30th Avenue. I spied their menu and it looks mighty yummy with plenty of authentic French treats such as escargot, mussels and profiteroles. They're offering an attractive $19.95 prix-fixe everyday from 5pm - 7pm. 47-16 30th Avenue, Astoria. 718.606.2535

Local Project Open Call

This looks pretty cool, I must say:

Local Project Open Call

Queens Sky a Mail-Art Show
curated by Renzo Ortega

Participation is open to all, artists and non-artists alike.
To contribute, send a postcard with a small note that includes your thoughts, feelings, impressions, etc. about the "Queens Sky."
Use a regular postcard or be creative and do it yourself!
Photos, drawings, prints all apply.
Only standard card size (4"x6") will be accepted.

We encourage to create a Postcard specially for this show
A reproduction of an artwork is not going to be considered

Send the postcard by regular mail, do not drop it off.

Send Postcards to:
Local Project
45-10 Davis Street 1st floor,
Long Island City, NY 11101

All correctly sized postcards will be exhibited

Opening reception Sunday May 31, 2009

We suggest to send the postcards by april 2009
in order to receive your postcard on time

for more info email: renzo@localproject.org

Astoria Symphony Concert this Weekend

These days I'm getting some lovely emails from a publication called The Q Note, which chronicles life in the greater borough of Queens. This week they highlighted the Astoria Symphony, our neighborhood's very own orchestra. There are a lot of classical musicians that live in town, so it makes sense for Astoria to have a group like this. I know Silas Huff and have a lot of respect for what he does here in the name of classical and new music.

The Astoria Symphony will be playing a concert this weekend. From the email article entitled, Classical Music: Just An Everyday Art for Astorians:

This weekend’s performance of "Spring Song Dance", a collaboration between the Astoria Symphony, Long Island City Ballet and the revered Martha Graham Ensemble, enlivens classics like Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring and features new stuff, including the world premiere of Huff’s own Chun Zhi Ge ("Spring Song Festival"), Chinese folk melodies set to orchestral music, inspired by artist Shanye Huang’s paintings. "We’ve done Mozart, but it’s the first time we’ve ever done a ballet," Huff points out.

"Spring Song Dance" takes place this Saturday, March 21 at 8 pm at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center; Tickets are $20, $15 for students; 31-10 Thomson Avenue, Long Island City, 718-482-7200; 7 train to 33rd St/Rawson.

This sounds like a great concert! If you go, let us know what you thought!

Image from astoriamusic.org

Miami Comes to LIC

Image by nymag.com

I read the following blurb in New York Magazine's Grub Street today. Apparently, there's a new, upscale rooftop bar/lounge opening up in Long Island City this May. It looks absolutely gorgeous and very Miami-esque. I can't wait to check it out along with the boutique hotel, the Ravel in which it'll be housed. Look out Manhattan, LIC just stepped it up another notch. Here's the article...

If there’s one thing we love, it’s new rooftop boîtes, and we’re happy to unveil our first of the season. In May, Long Island City boutique hotel (yes, there is one) the Ravel will soft-open its 6,500-square-foot roof deck. There’ll be cabanas, frozen drinks, unparalleled views of the Queensboro Bridge, and a menu of “gourmet” fish tacos, mini-burritos, and lamb sliders (which we can’t help but refer to as lamburginis, like North Square does), all under a retractable roof. The Ravel’s owner, Ravi Patel, tells us he’s going for a Miami theme, with live D.J.'s spinning till 1 a.m. Converted trolley cars will pick up partyers from nearby subway stations. As if all this weren’t enough, a smaller roof deck will serve as an outdoor movie theater. LIC, baby!

The Rooftop at the Ravel Hotel
8-08 Queens Plaza South, Long Island City NY 11101
718.289.6101
www.ravelhotel.com

Eat and Drink Your Way Through St. Patty's Day in Astoria

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Still wondering what to do today? Well, Astoria has a lot going on, so celebrate on our side of the East River. For some inspiration, head on over to our own Foodista's site for some delicious recommendations!

St. Patty's Day in Astoria - Drink Beer, Eat Cabbage! [The Foodista]

Vikingo's Mystery Solved... In Part

Got an email from a reader who knows what up with Vikingo's Dungeon! Enter, Heavy Metal:

My friends and I would like to tell you about the first Heavy Metal Mondays on Fridays at Vikingo's Dungeon. We know that everybody wonders what Vikingo's Dungeon actually is and so we decided to make the place what we wanted. After talking to the owners they decided to give us Friday evenings between 6 and 10 (late enough for after work and early enough not to mess with your plans for the night). There are 2 for 1 beers til 9PM and a playlist of your favorite metal songs courtesy of Ala Muerte. So if things go well my friends and I are hoping to make HMMoF at Vikingo's a regular Astoria event. Please come down this Friday and enjoy our festivities. Thanks.

The Heavy Metal Mondays on Friday Crew

If you go, you must let us know what you think!

Photo credit: (c) Susan Vasconcelos

Astoria Walk

(apologies for the crap cellphone picture)

Was running some errands near Ditmars today, and while walking on 31st Street, I saw this curious gate with the words "Astoria Walk" above it, on the east side of the street. Through the "walk" (which was gated similarly on the other side) were gated protrusions that looked like they could be mini storefronts. Very curious. This is just south of the evil GEM pawnshop. I'll investigate further - but if anyone knows what's up, let us know in the comments!

Sparrow Kitchen Hours Extended

I was recently at Sparrow and noticed that they have extended their kitchen hours:

Sunday-Thursday until midnight
Friday and Saturday until 1:30 a.m.

Nice! And yum, of course.

Recent Events: Queens Holistic Moms and LIC Boathouse Fundraiser

Just wanted to post a little about two recent events I attended - the Queens Holistic Moms kickoff meeting on Wednesday, and the LIC Boathouse Fundraiser event last night.

The Queens Holistic Moms meeting was a huge success! Lots of people showed up with their kids and families, so much so that the space had to be expanded at ARROW (they have movable partitions to separate the space into multiple sections). It was great to see so many people interested in holistic living/wellness in Astoria. They have a bunch of events upcoming, which I think will be a good time for all involved.

The LIC Boathouse event was also a great success! There were probably over 200 people there throughout the evening. I didn't get a chance to taste much of the food, but the few sweet things I tasted were wonderful - I'm guessing they were from Sage General Store. There was beer, wine, and soft drinks, a slide show, and a film or two playing in the background. It was neat to see The Foundry as well, which I'd heard so much about. The best part about the night was seeing so many from the community come out and support this important community resource. On a personal level, I loved seeing so many friends there!

I took pictures of both events and will share them with you here as soon as I can upload and edit them!