A Titan In Our Midst

Titan & Optima Foods - Greek Food In Astoria Queens

Astoria / Queens Buzz. Astoria has long been known as the Greek section of Queens and NYC. And for nearly 30 years Titan Foods has been serving the Greek section of Queens and NYC with imported Greek food. In 1991 Optima Foods, which is owned by the same folks as Titan, began operating as a mid sized importer and since that time has grown to become one of the leading distributors of Greek food along the eastern seaboard of the United States.

Click this link to read the full story about Titan Foods - Greek food stores in Astoria Queens.

Italian Restaurants Astoria - Gastroteca Astoria

Was Cafe Bar Locale Italian Restaurant In Queens

Astoria Neighborhood / Astoria Restaurants / Queens Restaurants / Queens Buzz.  

Sometime around or after 2014 this restaurant was renamed Gastroteca Astoria.

This is a review of Café Bar Locale, a Mediterranean style Italian restaurant located in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens NY. Cafe Bar Locale is a casual dining restaurant and offers street side tables during the warmer weather. 

Cafe Bar Locale is located near the Museum Of The Moving Image, the Frank Sinatra School Of The Arts and Kaufman Astoria Studios.  The restaurant is accessible by foot from Sunnyside and Astoria, and by public transit along the N line as it is just a block south of Broadway St and between Steinway and 31st Street.

We visited the restaurant one comfortable evening and here is what we found.  Click here to read a full review of Was Cafe Bar Locale - Gastroteca Astoria - Italian Restaurant in Astoria.

Restaurants In Astoria

Kyclades Albanian Seafood Restaurant

Astoria Neighborhood / Astoria Restaurants / Queens Restaurants / Queens Buzz. Taverna Kyclades is located on Ditmars in northern Astoris. The Albanian style seafood restaurant provides its clientele with a full Adriatic menu and is well known for its delights from the sea. One could get the feeling of being along the Adriatic on a rainy windswept evening as we dined on octopus, red snapper and lamb chops, as well as a full complement of side dishes.

Restaurants In Long Island City

Manducatis Italian Restaurant In LIC

Long Island City Neighborhood / LIC Restaurants / Restaurants In Queens / Queens Buzz. This is a review of Manducatis Italian restaurant in the LIC / Long Island City neighborhood of Queens NY. The Italian restaurant has a wide selection of authentic Italian appetizers, main entrees and desserts. It has spacious dining rooms with a warm atmosphere.

Click here to read a restaurant review of Manducatis Restaurant in Long Island City LIC.

A Taste Of LIC

Story & Photos Of Taste Of LIC

June 7, 2011 / Long Island City LIC / Queens Restaurants / Queens Buzz.

It was a warm breezy evening as I made my way to the western most edge of Queens. There underneath the twin cranes overlooking Gantry Park were the festive white tents of the 6th annual Taste Of LIC. I was early and the 50 or so participating restaurants and food and beverage suppliers were busy preparing for the big feast. I walked around underneath the tent photographing and talking to those who would accommodate me.

The offerings looked delectable and the people staffing the booths were both knowledgeable and hospitable. There were a number of new entrants in the mix, making their debut on the Long Island City culinary scene. Click here to read our report with photos of Taste Of LIC.

Dutch Kills Gentrification: Restaurants & Real Estate

The Making Of The Crescent Grill Restaurant in LIC

July 13, 2013 / Dutch Kills LIC / Restaurants in Queens / Real Estate in Queens / Queens Buzz.  Last fall I embarked on a bit of an adventure when Michele Beaudoin of Beaudoin Realty Group [a QB client] introduced me to Daniel and Shaun Dougherty.  She had just sold the brothers a two-story, corner building that had been a Beauty Supplies store along Crescent Street in the Dutch Kills neighborhood of Long Island City.  The Doughertys had plans to convert the building into a restaurant.  Likely the first restaurant of its kind in the Dutch Kills neighborhood of Long Island City.

I went to meet the brothers at the site of what would eventually be their new restaurant.  I was given a tour of the facility while it was still, in essence, a recently vacated Beauty Supplies store.  But not for long ...

Click here to read the rest of the story about the gentrification of the Dutch Kills neighborhood of Long Island City and the making of the Crescent Grill restaurant in LIC.  The story includes information and photos about the design and construction of the renovated building, as well as a review of some of the culinary delights that await those who patronize the restaurant. 

Taste of LIC 2012

Chocolate Factory Produces Another Winner

June 5, 2012 / Long Island City LIC / Restaurants in LIC / Queens Buzz. The Chocolate Factory of LIC has been putting on avante garde theatrical productions in LIC since 2004, and organizing the Taste of LIC since 2005. I’ve attended a couple of them, and the Taste of LIC seems to provide the right blend of scene, scenery and 'tasty' nibbles and drinks .. to keep ‘em coming back.

But let me dally no longer as I take you with me on a journey to about a dozen food and beverage tables where I sampled some of each of their wares. Click here to read the rest of our report and view the photos of the treats provided by LIC restaurants & wine stores at the Taste of LIC 2012.

Click here to read our report and view photos of the Taste of LIC 2012.

Taste of Sunnyside

Food, Fun & Fanfare at Taste of Sunnyside

Fall / Sunnyside / Sunnyside Restaurants / Queens Buzz. 

It was a rainy evening as I headed down to the third annual Taste of Sunnyside at the Sunnyside Community Service Center on 39th Street.  I looked forward to seeing what new restaurants and people I would encounter - as the restaurants that participate in the Taste of Sunnyside change from year to year.

The main hall seemed less crowded than last year, due in part because the large sit down tables had been moved out to make more space. This had the effect of allowing people more room to mingle; but you pretty much had to stay on your feet throughout most of the event. The crowd that had gathered was ethnically diverse, somewhat youthful and hungry.

Click here to view our report on the Taste of Sunnyside Restaurants.

Whistle Stop Tour: Asian, European, Latin & American Cuisines

Taste of Sunnyside: An Enticing Blend of Modern & Exotic Culinary Delights & Beverages

May 16, 2017 / Sunnyside Neighborhood & Woodside Neighborhood / Sunnyside Restaurants in Queens / Queens Buzz NYC.

Late yesterday afternoon I joined writers from - the Queens Chronicle, the Sunnyside Post and Queens Eats - to sample some of the exotic cuisines and familiar foods that lie ahead …

On what might be called a whistle stop tour that we took through a few of the participating restaurants and beverage providers, who will be serving attendees at the Taste of Sunnyside 2017 next Tuesday, May 23rd.

As we all know, Sunnyside has been changing at a fairly rapid rate, and the neighborhood restaurants now represent of an even more eclectic mix of modern and ethnic cuisines, that is serving a steadily changing residential population as well. In the photo at right is a platter of lamb, beef and chicken kebobs served by Mangal Kebab on Queens Blvd near 47th Street.

Our Taste of Sunnyside Preview Includes Asian, Latin & American Fare

The Sunnyside Shines Business Improvement District [aka BID] is hosting its 8th annual Taste of Sunnyside to give longstanding and new residents an opportunity to sample the fare of some twenty of the new and well established restaurants participating in it, for the price of what it would cost to sample just one [$40 general admission & $70 for VIP]. The event also features seven beverage purveyors including some of the local micro-breweries, a vintner, a cider maker and the historic Lowerys Wine & Liquor store. And there will be live entertainment as well.

So All Aboard, as I take you along on an abbreviated preview tour to give you a sampling of some of what you might expect to encounter - should you climb aboard the culinary choo choo train next week. Sunnyside Shines BID Director, Jaime-Faye Bean was our hospitable hostess and conductor. In the photo at right is Luis Munoz serving a platter of fresh esquites at Arriba Arriba on Queens Blvd near 40th Street.

Our first stop was Old Mexico, the land of the Aztecs & Mayans, at the Arriba Arriba restaurant on Queens Blvd near the 40th Street / Lowerys subway stop. Click here for a sample preview of some of the tastes that will be served at Taste of Sunnyside 2017.

Taste of Woodside: Grammy Nominated Mariachi Music & A First Class Repast

Latin Grammy Nominated Mariachi Band Serenades Local Woodside Restaurant Feast

November 16, 2015 / Woodside Neighborhood / Woodside Restaurants / Queens Restaurants / Queens Buzz.

On Thursday I made my way to cover the Taste of Woodside at Gulshan Terrace at 59-15 37th Avenue in Woodside. It was a dry, pleasant November evening as I arrived along with a host of other attendees.

Inside the Gulshan Terrace event hall there was a bar off to the left and the ticket table off to the right. Straight ahead was a large open space that was populated with tables and chairs and an elevated stage. And off to both the left and right were the serving tables of the restaurateurs. I felt like I had arrived at the wedding reception of a young couple … but I had not.

Instead I was greeted by a young-at-heart couple of Woodside on the Move Board Members. Jim Daley wasted no time in making me feel quite welcome and Joanne Smith made me feel right at home … like I was one of the family. Before they had become too dispersed, I was able to gather the full Woodside on the Move Board for a photo, which is included at the end of the report next to the thanks and appreciation section.

This was the fourth annual Taste of Woodside, and tonight I would have the opportunity to sample the food of fifteen restaurants from Woodside. But alas, I was not able to sample all of them in the allotted time.

What follows here is a brief sampling of the foods I was able to sample at the Taste of Woodside. I have included a few photos of the fifteen Woodside restaurants at the Taste of Woodside and a video of the music performed by an all female Mariachi band.

Viva La Comida

Jackson Heights Hosts Culinary & Cultural Celebration

September 25, 2017 / Jackson Heights Neighborhood / Food & Wine in Jackson Heights Queens / Queens Buzz NYC.

A weekend ago [9/16], I had an opportunity to attend the annual Viva La Comida Festival in Jackson Heights. The festival originated in 2011 or 2012 as a sort of mini Vendy Awards festival for local food trucks and vendors who mostly served the Jackson Heights and nearby neighborhoods in Queens. They were accompanied by a whole host of local entertainers who were featured on the stage at Dunningham Triangle.

Delicious Ethnic Food Trucks & Latin Jazz

Today, six or seven years later, the basic tenets of the festival have held fast, but it has evolved into a more holistic celebration of Jackson Heights culture, including the food ... but with fewer trucks. This year there were two trucks, which was down from about six trucks back during the program inception. Although I hasten to add, that several food carts were added offsetting some of the decline of the food trucks.

On the entertainment side, the event has blossomed, featuring numerous local musicians, dancers and theatrical performances. One of the most enjoyable aspects I experienced this year at Viva La Comida was an incredible Latin jazz band called Los Macheros. I'm not sure, but the name - which appears to have been invented - could be mixing the meanings of macho [male] and hacheros [axes] to mean something very loosely translated as the 'male axes' or a take off on the word mecheros which means [cigarette] lighter.

Los Macheros are a seven member Latin jazz band that includes a talented vocalist, two guitarists, two percussionists, and while I was there I enjoyed a very talented duel between the flautist and the violinist which you can see below on the video when I post it. The music moved people to dance and numerous couples were swinging to the jazzy tunes the entire time I was there.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report about Viva La Comida Food Festival in Jackson Heights Queens NYC.

Restaurants In Jackson Heights

Arunee Thai Restaurant

Jackson Heights Neighborhood / Jackson Heights Restaurants / Queens Buzz. Tonight I ventured out to a Thai restaurant in Jackson Heights that I had discovered on pure happenstance. I arrived at the restaurant around 7.30 pm on an cool overcast Saturday evening. More than half of the sixty seats had already been filled and it seemed the waiting staff had fallen a bit behind. As I sat there waiting, I began to doubt my choice.

As I surveyed the restaurant I noted that many of the customers were Thai, which I took to be a good sign, as I was looking for real Thai food, not some Americanized version of it. Within the next five to ten minutes, things completely turned. The waiting staff turned up the energy and within minutes it seemed that everyone who had been waiting now had a drink or appetizer sitting in front of them … myself included. Click here to read the full review of Arunee Thai restaurant including photos.

Viva La Comida - 82nd Street - Jackson Heights

82nd Street Partnership Hosts Festival At Dunningham Triangle

September 24, 2012 / Jackson Heights / Food in Queens / Queens Buzz. On Friday evening the 82nd Street Partnership hosted Viva La Comida at Dunningham Triangle on 82nd Street at Baxter in Jackson Heights. The event was a fun, quirky preamble to the Hispanic Month activities that officially began on Sunday with the Hispanic Day Parade [click for Hispanic Day Parade report & photos].

I arrived while it was still light out. City Councilman Danny Dromm, Seth Taylor and City Councilmember Julissa Ferreras were standing for photos sandwiched between two men who’s names I will try to obtain and post at a later date. A performance by the youngsters from the Mestizo Art Center followed, much to the delight of the warm and enthusiastic crowd.

I made my way over to the food trucks where I tasted some delicacies and met interesting people … click here to read the rest of our report on Viva La Comida festival hosted by the 82nd Street Partnership in Jackson Heights. The photo to your left was taken from the inside of the Solber Pupusa food truck at the Viva La Comida festival on 82nd Street in Jackson Heights.

Jackson Diner In Jackson Heights

Jackson Heights Neighborhood / Jackson Heights Restaurants / Queens Buzz.

This is a review of the Jackson Diner Indian Restaurant which is located in the Jackson Heights neighborhood of Queens NY. The Jackson Diner is an Indian restaurant serving Indian food tailored to suit the American palate in Jackson Heights.

Click here to read our report about the Jackson Diner - Indian restaurants in Jackson Heights.

Dumplings From Five Distant Cultures

Flushing Town Hall Hosts 'Round The World' Dumpling Tour

November 18, 2013 / Flushing / Ethnic Food In Queens / Flushing Restaurants / Queens Buzz. This past weekend I attended a workshop entitled Harvesting Our Diversity at Flushing Town Hall. They had invited five restaurateurs to come to discuss and present the dumplings indigenous to their homelands which they serve in their Flushing restaurants. The presenters would first talk a little about the history of the dumpling in their culture and then provide us with a sample dumpling made in their restaurants.

In the photo to your right the audience is being served samples of Indonesian, Korean and Chinese Korean dumplings at Flushing Town Hall.

The Harvesting Diversity event was designed to take us around the world on a dumpling tour, where we would sample dumplings made by the Italians, the Indians, the Indonesians, the Puerto Ricans / Latin Americans and the Koreans / Chinese. Click here to read the rest of our report on a world tour of dumplings at Flushing Town Hall - served by Flushing restaurants.

Queens Taste 2012

Sampling the Fare of Queens Restaurants & Food Entrepreneurs

May 1, 2012 / Flushing / Queens Restaurants / Food in Queens / Queens Buzz. I arrived at Queens Taste 2012 at Caesars on the fifth floor at Citifield about an hour after the event had begun. The feeding frenzy that generally occurs at the very beginning had passed, and most people had found tables and were pleasantly enjoying the fare and light dinner conversation, along with intermittent people-watching.

Borghese Red & White Wines of LI

I started into the food and beverage area surveying the vendors offerings this year and made my first landing at the Borghese Vineyards wine table. I met Ann Marie Borghese, who along with her husband, bought a farm in the 1970’s in Cutchogue, NY, which is located about in the middle of the northern fork of eastern Long Island.

Click here to view our report of Queens Taste 2012 [formerly Taste of the World].

Festival of Herbal Tonic Soup

Asian Cooking In Flushing Queens

February 11, 2012 / Food & Wine / Flushing / Queens Buzz. I attended an herbal tonic soup class arranged by Dr. Hsing-Lih Chou at Flushing Town Hall. Dr. Chou presents one Asian cooking class each year at the same location, featuring some aspect of traditional Asian home cooking. This year he introduced us to two Asian cooking aficionados: Madame Hwei-Yun Hsieh and Mr. Kelby Leow.

Ms. Hsieh was to treat us to a lesson on how to cook her famous Chinese Sesame Oil Ginger Chicken Soup, while Mr. Leow would introduce us to his famous Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup. Dr. Chou explained that he had selected these two soups in order to ‘balance’ each other, as one had a robust flavor and the other had a more subtle flavoring.

Click here to read more about how to cook Chinese and Korean herbal chicken soups - Asian cooking in Flushing Queens.

Joe's Shanghai Restaurant - Flushing

Chinese Restaurants In Flushing Queens NY

Flushing Neighborhood / Flushing Restaurants / Queens Restaurants / Queens Buzz.

I’ve passed by Joe’s Shanghai in Flushing on many occasions. Without a miss, every time I walk by there’s a good crowd inside, and sometimes a few groups waiting outside the door. I reckon, as they say, that that is about as good advertising as one can get. But that kind of trade doesn’t happen overnight and it doesn’t happen without a lot of hard work.

I arrived a bit past the rush hours, which generally run from about 7 to 9 pm. I was greeted and seated by Keith Yip [see photo to left], who is the restaurant manager and also a relation to Joe. Like the customers around me, I was instantly waited on and served tea. I perused the menu and decided to try the signature dishes recommended by Keith. You might want to take this review with you next time you head into Flushing, because everyone of these dishes was a hit.