[Update]: Greek Festival

The Greek Festival, which was hosted by a local Greek Orthodox Church, was an interesting experience. We got there before the event really kicked off, but there were many carnival game and ride options for kids and some great food options as well.  We hung out with others under the a bridge and ate some yummy greek food while listening to the Greek band sound check.  We seemed to be the only festival goers who weren't speaking Greek and enjoyed people-watching, including congregants of the church sharing niceties with the priests (seen in the photo below).

Greek Festival

Off to the Greek festival in a little bit where there will be a variety of Greek food, games, dance performances, and acrobatics!  Sure to be a great event with a variety of offerings like that!!  A recap to follow after the event.

Food update #2

Time for another food round-up.  This time I'm happy to report on three delicious places that we've had the pleasure to try in Astoria!

Corner 26 Taverna (26-02 23rd Ave): Stumbled upon this amazing hole-in-the wall Greek restaurant where you can find all the traditional Greek foods with mouth-watering satisfaction! We started with perfectly made saganaki (how else to start a Greek meal) followed by one of the best gyro platters that I've ever had, delicious fried white fish, and the most amazing garlicy-lemon potatoes ever (emphasis on the garlic).  The atmosphere is so homey and everyone there excluding our table was speaking exclusively in Greek and seemed to know the hostess/waitress quite well. Will definitely be back to this neighborhood gem!

El Cafetal (30-19 Astoria Blvd): Quite an atmosphere at this small authentic mexican joint.  Loud music, rowdy patrons, and a huge selection of delicious and authentic mexican food.  We had enchiladas in mole sauce (outstanding) and perfectly crispy and flavorful flautas. With such a huge selection and well-made food, we will surely be back here often!

Sac's Place (25-41 Broadway): When you're in the mood for delicious Italian and coal-oven pizza, look no further than Sac's. The pizza crust was the perfect consistency, very thin and the ingredients were fresh and abundant! Couple that with many pasta options--from the traditional Italian staples to more inventive creations. We sampled the homemade gnocci, which was quite divine!








That's all for this installment. Stay tuned for future mouth-water restaurant reviews!

Live chicken market

A live poultry market that offers free delivery!  Only in Queens would you find the awning in Spanish (pollo vivo) while also boasting that the poultry is halal!  Inside (not pictured) we saw a bunch of live chickens in coups ready for purchase (or delivery, whichever method you prefer). 

Store signs that make me smile

Saw this grocery store sign and had to take a photo.  This is seriously a Spanish/American grocery store?!!  Only in a place like Astoria can a sign like this blend in without question!

Sign reads: Allah Tawakal Grocery & Halal Meat Spanish & American Grocery

Shoe repair meets passport photos?

Walking around the neighborhood you always find small shops that live up to the phrase "jack of all trades."  Case in point, what appears as your typical shoe repair shop from a distance, also boasts a passport photo deal in their window (and, may I add, for a great value - 2 photos for $4.50!).

Guess I know where I'm headed next time I need some updated pictures!

Heat index tops 114, thank goodness for ice cream trucks!

This ice cream truck is consistently stationed here every evening and each night between 7-7:30 we can expect to hear the jingle of the ice cream truck pass by on our street.  At the end of a brutal hot summer week (or anytime, let's be honest), this is a mandatory stop for all!  Or the ever popular ice cream stand outside of the pizza/taco joint that is stationed across the street from this truck!

Historical fact of the day

Do you know how Astoria got its name?!

The area is actually named after John Jacob Astor.  It was done in a ploy to get him to invest $2000 in the neighborhood, but didn't really pan out as he only offered up $500.  Nevertheless the name stuck and, although Astor never set foot in Astoria I'm told, he was able to see it across the East River from his home on the Upper East Side.

Oh the perks to having been the wealthiest man in America!

Hanging out under the train tracks

The subway tracks that run through our section of Astoria are elevated and I've come to realize that near our stop there are always groups of cab drivers that hang out here, standing outside their car and talking with one another.  Never a day goes by (day, night, and everything in between) that I don't see at least 6 gypsy cabs (*defined below) lined up under the subway station and several guys chatting it up.  Guess they have to pass the time somewhere!

*For those who don't know what a gypsy cab is, it's the word for black town cars that serve as cab service (not legally) outside of Manhattan where the yellow cabs are hard to come by. Funny thing is, many yellow cabbies live in Astoria so we see many cabs parked on the street, but never driving around looking for a fare!

Food update

It's been awhile since I did a food update and we've tried some interesting places in the past few weeks so I thought I would devote a blog post to some of the places we've checked out thus far:

Eco Table (33-20 31st Ave): Had lunch here and thought that the food was fresh, tasty, and offered a nice variety of options. The brunch special on the weekend is great, for $9 I got a grilled chicken panini loaded with veggies and gruyere plus a frappe (see post about this Greek deliciousness).  The restaurant, which opened a few months ago, offers food choices that support local growers and artisanal food producers as well as organic agriculture whenever possible.  Will definitely be back!

Pinoy Eats (31-01 21st St): This is a Filipino restaurant in the area and was our first taste of Filipino food. Can't say either of us came away excited about this cuisine.  It was a weird amalgamation of foods, such as our appetizer of pork snout, ear, cheek, and belly... a crunchy and unappetizing appetizer. The entrees had the potential to be great -- shrimp cooked in tamarind sauce and oxtail in peanut sauce -- but both items were bland and basic.  The wait staff was attentive and helpful, but we were the only people in the restaurant, which is never a good sign! Not sure we'll be attempting Filipino food again for awhile!

Bareburger (33-21 31st Ave): A great burger joint that boasts all organic products and natural, free-range meats. They have several different types to choose from.  From the traditional beef, turkey, veggie to the more exotic like ostrich, elk, and bison, there's a burger to meet all's taste buds.  The amazing fries and sides can only help to make this one of the best burgers in town!

Point Brazil (38-03 31st Ave): Amazing Brazilian cuisine. Stopped here for lunch and had the brazilian buffet where you can choose from probably 15-20 different dishes and sides.  Everything was incredible and only $5.99/lb!  We sampled so many tasty foods and got a very interesting and delicious homemade Brazilian juice as well.  We had actually attempted to come to this restaurant for their monthly special that they run on the first Saturday of each month, the "Taste of Bahia," which offers a selection of food from this Brazilian state, but it wasn't ready yet.  No worries, we will definitely be back to try it and get the lunch buffet several more times!

(a partial view of the amazing buffet spread)

That's all for this installment.  Stay tuned for future mouth-watering restaurant reviews!

The Sari Shop

Shortly after we moved into our apartment, we realized that we needed some decorative fabrics for two of our tables. Given the diversity of our neighborhood, we knew that there had to be a fabric shop nearby that sells material to make saris.  We walked all of 4 blocks before stumbling upon our first one -- Astoria Fashion Fabric.  Needless to say, it was an experience walking into this small store that was stacked from floor to ceiling with rolls of fabric and with whatever remaining room was filled with families choosing which fabric to purchase  (and arguing with the store employees over pricing and fabrics).  It took us some time to navigate the small walkways and find two perfect pieces, but with the enormous selection we knew there was no better place to find what we were looking for!  Definitely a fun place to visit, especially if you need fabric of any make, color, design, but even if not!  And it's of course not the only sari shop in the area, which only adds to the allure of Astoria :)

Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street?

Why yes, it's taped here in Astoria, exactly 1 mile from my apartment at Kaufman Studio to be exact!  This movie studio, which is one of the largest in NYC, has been home to many movie and TV show productions, including The Wiz, Hair, Arthur (the original), Moonstruck, the Cosby show, several Woody Allen classics, and importantly for my generation, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego (apparently, she was here the whole time!).

Unfortunately you can't tour the studio, but it's fun to see it from the outside at least and live nearby this landmark!

The true old school barber experience

My husband (J) and I were going for a walk this evening when he decided it was time for a hair cut as we passed the barber on our block (the same one I mentioned a few weeks ago who was playing the banjo in between customers).

I decided to hang out as well and boy was I glad I did!  I believe we stepped into a time machine and went back to 1950 as we stepped through the door.  The barber was finishing up on a client and ushered us to sit down.  Minutes later he came over with a bowl of gum and candies for us to choose from as we waited.  When it was J's turn, the barber's first question (after what would you like done) was "do you play music?"  He was very eager to show us his musical collection, several guitars and a banjo on the wall, and inform us that he was a professional musician.  His style: currently greek (he's from Greece) but prior to that he had done a lot of belly dancing music, arabic and even admitted that he played some turkish music.

Over the course of the next 45 minutes, J received a meticulous haircut, with straight edge razor and all while we learned all about Nick's life in Greece, the U.S., even found out he used to jam in Ann Arbor back in the 60s!  Photo albums of his former days were passed around and his friend George even stopped by to kibitz with us. We ended the evening with receiving Nick's business card (in all greek, literally), a phone number for the best greek restaurant in the area (can't wait to try it!), and handed over $10 for the haircut.  Quite an experience!

Is that safe?

This hanging electrical wire on our block has been in this state since we moved in.  Doesn't seem safe, but also doesn't seem to be of concern to the electric company or the city so I'm hoping it's okay.  We do see an abundance of electric wires intertwined like you see in developing countries in certain parts of the neighborhood (I'll add pictures soon on that).

One things for sure, this would not fly in Manhattan :)  Oh living in the outerboroughs (which sometimes feels like another country)!

Back on Bed Bath & Beyond's Good Side!

I received my first Bed Bath and Beyond coupon in the mail today and while most of you probably don't understand why that is anything special, any New Yorker will realize its significance!  Despite having several locations in Manhattan and despite all my efforts to be put on their mailing list so I could get coupons like the rest of the nation, Bed Bath and Beyond does not distribute coupons/mailings to residents in the city.  Over the years we've had to stock pile from family and friends and even though we don't shop at the store that often, it always unnerved me that I couldn't get access to the coupons on my own!  I was under the impression that all of New York City was under this ban, but lo and behold I got a coupon sans any effort on my part today and am thankful to be back in Bed Bath & Beyond's good graces!

Street fair

Yesterday there was a really nice street fair on 30th Ave.  Usually throughout NYC there are standard street fairs that can be found in different sections of the city each weekend and they're usually pretty boring -- all of 10 different vendors repeated on each block.  This one though was intermixed with local artisans and vendors, which made for a unique and more varied experience.  My friend and I enjoyed perusing the fair and then going up to Astoria Market to check out the local artisan market there! Definitely a fun Sunday in Astoria, as always :)

 Selling football (European) gear

 View of the crowded street fair

Interesting popcorn/cotton candy vendor station

The melting pot that is my grocery store

Living a block away from the most diverse grocery store I've ever seen has its perks!  In addition to normal grocery aisles, there are aisles dedicated to different countries/regions, including Greece, India, the Middle East, Brazil, and Latin America.  I can't help but walk down all of these aisles each time I come in and stare at all sorts of products that you'd never find in a normal grocery store... many of which, of course, I've never seen or heard of.  Take the Indian aisle for instance -- there are probably 40 different types of grains being sold, of course none of them with instructions (or at least not in english).  I see some google searches in my future!

It's great to have so much selection to choose from (like 8 different fresh fetas at the deli counter) and to find items we usually can't find (like Yellow Label tea!) plus unbelievable prices (at least in comparison to our Manhattan grocery days), but I admit it does get a little confusing when you're looking for something basic like coffee and there are 6 different aisles to find it in... no joke!  Different coffee bags can be found in the greek, brazilian, middle eastern, latin american, general, and deli aisles...  It took probably 3 trips to locate all of the different aisles that we can find coffee in!

But I wouldn't trade this grocery store in for any other in the world!

Opa!

Tonight we ate at a delicious greek restaurant called Opa Souvlaki of Astoria (28-44 31st Street). Great ambiance in the back (unfortunately it was raining so we couldn't sit in the garden) and the food was delicious! We had all of my favorites -- lemon rice soup, saganaki (the full works, with lighting the cheese on fire at the table and saying "Opa!"), eggplant salad, and a Mediterranean platter filled with yummy Greek favorites like gyro, moussaka, greek salad, spinach pie, pastitsio, and lemon potatoes.

Delicious food, great ambiance, and great service.  We will definitely be back!

Kiddie Rides R US?

I find it strange that many storefronts have coin-operated kiddie rides outside.  Some appear to be in operation, although I've never seen anyone using the machine, while others have the coin insert taped over so I guess they are just for decoration?  Haven't seen so many of these rides since my childhood trips to the supermarket, but I find it quite amusing to see all over Astoria.  Here are 3 within a few blocks of my apartment:

Greek Orthodox Churches Galore

I'm amazed by the quantity of Greek Orthodox Churches in the neighborhood. There are several just within one or two blocks of our apartment. They definitely add to the color and character of Astoria!

Local music festivals

Walking home after work I often stumble upon live music in Athens Square park, which is a small park at the end of my block. Someone is playing (with mic and speaker setup) at least 1-2 times per week. So nice to see everyone out hanging out on the benches, sometimes dancing and enjoying the music.  Astoria definitely has a great vibe!

Astoria Park pool

In the heat of the long weekend, we attempted to take a dip at the pool in Astoria Park and were amazed by the long line to get in.  The pool, which is the largest and oldest pool in NYC, can accommodate 3000 swimmers and the line sure made us feel like it may reach its capacity that day!  We waited for a bit, but after not moving even the slightest bit, gave up and just enjoyed the park and views of the East River and nearby bridges (Triborough and Hell Gate).

The park itself also offers tennis courts, a track, a stage, and beautiful greenery. We will definitely be venturing here again and, hopefully, getting a second chance at the swimming pool!

Fishmongers still exist!

Feels like a flash back to a different era. We have at least 3 stores within short distance of each other that exclusively sell seafood.  Each have TONS of options and the prices are cheap to boot! Then there are the nearby butcher shops (at least 3 within a block and a half of each other) and millions of bakeries! We won't be going hungry this year, that's for sure!

You know you live in Queens when...

You can have Filipino food for dinner one night and the next day have Brazilian for lunch followed by a hang out at the local greek cafe (with a delicious greek coffee selection)... all within a 5 minute walk of your apartment.

(Newly discovered cold Greek coffee drink, frappe -- it's delicious!)

Work day life

I had a half day from work today so I got the chance to see the hustle and bustle of mid-work day life around my neighborhood.  The quick run down: many men on their way home from their mid-day prayer at the mosque; lots of women with their children getting the day's groceries; people selling knick knacks on the street; and, most amusingly, the barber on my block passing the time in between clients by playing his banjo on one of the barber chairs.  Good times!