Mother's Day Restaurants In Queens 2024

Mother's Day Restaurants in Astoria, LIC, Sunnyside, Woodside & Jackson Heights

May 8, 2024 / Queens Neighborhoods NYC / Queens Restaurants NYC / Queens Buzz NYC.

Mother's Day is fast approaching. It's a good day to let your wife or mother or daughter know you appreciate their efforts in the most important role of their lives. Flowers, gifts and brunch or dinner are always welcome, as is any thoughtful gesture that provides some measure showing your recognition of her efforts in her role as mother of some children. After all, without mothers, we would all cease to be.

It's best to book a restaurant reservation early for Mother's Day brunch, as on Mother's Day in Queens, many restaurants are full. So if you're thinking about eating out at a restaurant this Mother's Day in Astoria, LIC, Jackson Heights, Sunnyside, Woodside or Flushing; it's best to do your research early, and call ahead to book Mother's Day restaurant reservations.

Remember, restaurants also have additional capacity since the pandemic, via all of those outdoor shanties built during the pandemic, which greatly increased overall space / seating capacity. And with the weather warming - the temperature is expected to be around 60 degrees on Mothers Day without a 50% chance of about 1/10th inch of rain as of this post, so outdoor dining is likely still a good option.

Mother's Day History - Restaurants In Queens

The origins of Mother's Day in the United States began with the efforts by Anna Jarvis to honor her own mother. According to Wikipedia, Anna began the campaign in 1905 - the year her mother died - and in 1910 West Virginia was the first state to adopt Mothers Day as a holiday. In 1914 Woodrow Wilson made the second Sunday in May as a national holiday to honor mothers.

• Click this link to view a brief guide of Mother's Day restaurants in Queens 2024 where you will find links to Queens restaurants we've reviewed. The restaurants we've reviewed include a mix of high, medium and budget priced restaurants that are spread throughout the borough and offer a large variety of ethnic cuisines.
• Enjoy.

Queens St Patrick's Day Bars, Restaurants & Historic Irish Pubs in QNS 2024

St Pat's Day Irish Pubs & Restaurants in Astoria, LIC, Sunnyside, Woodside, Jackson Heights & Flushing

March 11, 2024 / Queens Neighborhoods / Queens Restaurants & Bars / St Pat's Parade Queens NYC / Queens Buzz NYC.

St Patrick's Day is on a Sunday this year.

There are a lot of celebrations planned for St Pat's Day in Queens. There are a at least three St Patrick's Day Parades in Queens, but they are generally held on the weekends before or after the actual St. Patrick's Day feast on March 17th.

The photo to your right was taken on St. Patrick's Day weekend in a prior year at Donovan's Pub in Woodside.

This report contains a number of suggestions for St. Patrick's Day bars, restaurants and Irish pubs in Queens, including in Astoria, Long Island City, Sunnyside, Woodside [near Jackson Heights], Bayside [near Flushing], the Rockaways [near Jamaica] and in Maspeth / Ridgewood which are near Kew Gardens and Forest Hills. At the end of the report we've included links to St. Patrick's Day bars, restaurants and Irish pubs in other boroughs, outside of Queens.

Please drink responsibly and let someone else drive if you're impaired. St. Patrick's Day is a bit like New Years Eve, in that the amateur consumers of alcohol of all ethnicities come out to celebrate, and if they are not properly managed / or cared for, accidents may occur, and some of them with life changing consequences.

At a later date we'll add a bit of history of St. Patrick's Day.

• CLICK here to read about St Pat's Day bars, restaurants and Irish pubs in Queens NYC this year. NORMALLY this report would also include a listing of the three parade routes and times of St. Patrick's Day parades in Queens.

Queens Valentine's Day Restaurants & Events 2024

Romantic Restaurants For Dinner in Astoria, LIC, Sunnyside, Woodside, Jackson Heights & Flushing

February 6, 2024 / Queens Restaurants / Queens Neighborhoods NYC / Queens Buzz NYC.

Valentine's Day is less than a month away. Valentines Day is a good time to let your loved one know you care. Flowers, gifts and dinner are always welcome treats, and / or some thoughtful gesture that shows that the lady [or man] you're with, still means a lot to you.

The photo at right shows a main entree at a restaurant in Astoria.

This report provides a selection of various romantic and casual restaurants in which to celebrate Valentines Day in Queens. We also highlight a few local restaurant closures.

All restaurants that have been asterisked have either been updated or added in 2024. Those restaurants without an asterisk are from 2023, so watch the dates / year to be sure you're looking at 2024 specials.

Valentine's Day is on a Wednesday this year, so it may be fair game to make your VDay reservation on Valentine's Day or any day of the preceding weekend. Also, many restaurants have retained their outside dining capacity - so depending on the weather - NYC restaurants may have more capacity for Valentine's Day weekend than they did prior to the prepandemic.

It's worth reminding folks that there were a number of restaurant casualties during and following the pandemic, so it's best to do your research early. If you're thinking about doing something this Valentine's Day for dinner in or around Astoria, LIC, Jackson Heights, Sunnyside, Woodside or Flushing; call or go online to make the reservations as soon as you can for this Valentine's Day .

Valentine's Day Brief History - Queens Romantic Restaurants on V Day

The origins of Valentine's Day are not well documented. It's believed to have been named after Saint Valentine who was apparently a Catholic martyr who died over 1500 years ago. Today the holiday is not associated with religion so much as flowers, candies, cards and romantic dinners. And the holiday spokesperson is now Cupid, a Roman god of desire, and quite a mischief maker.

The restaurants we've reviewed include a mix of high, medium and budget priced restaurants that are spread throughout the borough and offer a large variety of ethnic cuisines. Click this link to view a brief guide of Valentine's Day restaurants in Queens / V Day events & romantic restaurants Queens NYC where you will find links to Queens restaurants we've reviewed. Enjoy.

Queens New Years Eve Parties NYC & NYE Parties & Events QNS 2024 / 2025 - coming

Fun Restaurants to Celebrate New Years Eve / News Years in Astoria, LIC, Sunnyside, Woodside & Jackson Heights in Queens on New Years Eve NYC

December 29, 2023 / Queens New Years Eve Parties & Restaurants / Queens Buzz NYC.

Weather Forecast. NYE Sunrise in NYC - 7.20 am. NYE Sunset in NYC - 4.38 pm. The temperature highs will be in the mid 50's on Friday, dropping to the mid 40's for the rest of the three day holiday weekend including Monday. The temperature lows will be around 40 through Sunday, dropping into the low 30's on Monday. Humidity will be around 70% on Friday, descending into the 60's for the rest of the three day weekend. The winds will be about 8 to 10 mph on Friday & Saturday, dropping to about 5 to 7 mph on Sunday and Monday. No precipitation is in the forecast, although it will be cloudy all days except NYE Sunday. Have a safe and Happy New Year.

New Years Eve occurs on a Sunday this year. While New Years Eve is one big party, it's important to keep in mind, that like St. Patrick's Day, all the amateurs come out to play [it's not just the Irish who are out drinking on St. Patrick's Day]. So some measure of caution is advised and you have to be careful.

The following are a number of different New Years restaurants in Queens NYC where you might consider booking a reservation.

Click this link to view a brief guide of Queens New Years Eve parties and NYE parties & events in Queens NYC where you will find links to Queens restaurants we've reviewed. The restaurants we've reviewed include a mix of high, medium and budget priced restaurants that are spread throughout the borough and offer a large variety of ethnic cuisines. Enjoy.

Queens Halloween Parties, Parades & Events in Queens NYC

Halloween Parties, Parades & Events in Astoria, LIC, Sunnyside, Woodside, Jackson Heights, Corona, Elmhurst, Jamaica & Flushing

UPDATING October 15, 2024 vs 10.25.23 / Queens Neighborhoods / Queens Restaurants & Bars / Queens Buzz NYC.

Halloween occurs on a Thursday this year. The Queens Halloween party celebrations begin the weekend before and the weekend after Halloween day itself. The following is a round up of some of the Halloween parties planned in Queens that are open to the public.

There are a lot of parties planned for Halloween Weekend and Halloween Day this year. There are costume parties and live music for adults, and parades and parties for the kids. This report will provide you with a sampling of party opportunities for adults in the borough of Queens surrounding the Halloween holiday. And this page also includes links to the kids Halloween parties in Queens, as well as Halloween parties in other boroughs.

The photo to your right was taken of a Halloween party crowd in Queens in an earlier year. Halloween allows the latent artist and theatrical actor in us all, to come out of its inhibition. In earlier times it was said that masquerade events were to give the upper and lower classes a chance to mingle without being scandalized - as everyone was in costume.

Click here to read about Halloween Parties Parades & Events in Queens NYC this year.

Click the heading above to view food & wine events this month in Queens. Click the following links to go directly into one of these Queens Neighborhoods: Astoria, Flushing, Jackson Heights, Jamaica, Long Island City and Sunnyside.

• CLICK here to view our Food & Wine Stores in Queens section.

Restaurants In Astoria

Kyclades - Albanian Seafood Restaurants

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.

Kyclades is located along Ditmars Blvd and can be reached via the N Subway line.  Click here to view the full review of the Taverna Kyclades - Albanian Greek restaurants in Astoria.

French Restaurants In Long Island City

Tournesol French Bistro in LIC - Background

Long Island City Neighborhood / LIC Restaurants / French Restaurants Queens / Queens Buzz. This is a review of Tournesol Restaurant which is located in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens NY. Tournesol is an authentic French bistro style restaurant which serves french food and wine.

Click here to read our report and view photos of Tournesol French Bistro in LIC Long Island City.

Taste of LIC 2018 Feeds the Hungry

Culinary Tasting Event at Kaufman Astoria Studios Lot A

June 5, 2018 / Long Island City Neighborhood / Astoria Neighborhood / Long Island City Restaurants / Queens Restaurants / Queens Buzz NYC.

The afternoon before the 2018 Taste of LIC it had rained. I paused from my work, contemplating whether the rain would affect attendance at the Taste of LIC which was to begin at 5.30 pm. But by late afternoon, as I began getting ready, it was a beautiful Spring evening full of sunshine and clouds and a slightly warm breeze. Perfect, I thought, … for the Taste of LIC tonight.

Taste of LIC at Kaufman Astoria Studios Lot

I arrived at the Kaufman Astoria Studios Lot, situated in a very changed neighborhood, compared to just ten years ago. After picking up my wristband I made my way under the big top tent sheltering the event. There were in the neighborhood of fifty restaurants and beverage companies participating in the event tonight. I knew I couldn’t sample them all, but I would try to photograph as many as I could. See the slide show at the end of the story to view some of the photos I took.

The first item I sampled was a burger named Priscilla. She was a tall, shapely burger filled with Thai peanut sauce, triple smoked bacon, pepper, cheddar cheese, sea salt and served in a pretzel brioche bun. Yes, she wasn’t your every day burger … and I could tell that from the first bite. The juicy, finely ground beef fought hard to compete for the attention of my taste buds, winning only some of the time.

• CLICK - for Taste of LIC - Long Island City Restaurants, Bars and Brew Pubs.

The Turkish Grill Restaurant

Ottoman Style Cuisine - Restaurants In Sunnyside

Sunnyside Neighborhood / Sunnyside Restaurants / Queens Restaurants. It was a warm Friday night as two friends and I set out to sample the Turkish delights I’d heard about from acquaintances in the neighborhood. I had made reservations through Aziz who is one of the four partners who own and run the popular restaurant found at 42nd Street and Queens Blvd in Sunnyside. Yasemin, Aziz’s wife and sister of the chef, Ferhat, seated us at a table in the corner where we could enjoy the restaurant’s ambiance and converse with her about the food without disrupting the rest of the restaurant.

Appetizers - Hummus & Tabbouleh

On Friday night the Turkish Grill offers some specials so we decided to go with the house suggestions. We started with a mixed appetizer plate that featured four different delectables. In the photo you can see the hummus, which is a dip made of chickpeas mashed with oil, garlic, lemon juice, and tahini. Next to it was the tabbouleh, which is a salad of ground bulgur (dried wheat), parsley, tomatoes, scallions, green peppers, olive oil and lemon juice. This provided a nice complement to the creamy yogurt included on the plate. The next two offerings were both eggplant dishes, one smoked with garlic pepper and ground into a soft, very fine creamy grainy paste that we ate like a dip with the pita bread. And the other offering was fried eggplant which was cut into small soft chunks garnished with tomato and red pepper that melted in our mouths as we savored them. These last two appetizers were my favorites. And, as you can see in the photo, soft white beans rounded out the plate.

The mixed appetizers were followed by the chef salad, which was made of fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and olives. The salad was properly dressed in a mixture of vinegar, olive oil, dill, parsley and Turkish bell pepper. Yasemin told us that they generally shop for their vegetables in New Jersey in order to get fresh-from-the-farm-produce, which frequently comes from Pennsylvania. They buy halal meat, which like kosher meat, requires it to be processed in accordance with well defined standards and guidelines that have a long history and tradition.

Sigara borek was served along with the chef salad. These are thin rolled doughy crepes filled with creamy feta cheese, dill and herbs; which is then pan fried. The taste of the soft feta cheese complemented the doughy exterior. We also tried the fried liver cubes, which had a nice breaded covering, and as we bit into them, had an almost cheddar cheese-like consistency. And for those who love liver, well, they had a very ‘liverly’ taste. The liver was complemented by onions, tomatoes, lemon and sprinkled with Turkish bell pepper.

Turkish Grill - Culture, History And Background

The Turkish Grill is run by two married couples, both of whom come from restaurant families back in Ankara, which is the capitol of Turkey. The Turkish Grill prepares and serves their food ‘Ottoman style’, which is cuisine that dates back to the traditions developed during the Ottoman Empire. In the photo to the right is Yasemin and her brother and chef, Ferhat.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our review of the Turkish Grill Restaurant in Sunnyside Queens NYC.

Serving Sunnyside a Taste

Neighborhood Businesses Provide Samplings of Beverages & Cuisine

May 24, 2016 / Sunnyside Neighborhood / Queens Food & Wine / Queens Buzz.

Lowerys Wine & Liquor Prepares for Taste of Sunnyside 2016

On Tuesday afternoon on my way home from a gig, I found myself stopping in at Lowerys Wine & Liquors for a brief hello. Lowerys has long been an institution serving the Sunnyside community, and I found Owner Anthony Lodati and Manager Janet Rios hard at work, preparing for the 7th Annual Taste of Sunnyside, which was to be held later in the day.

Along the casked walls there was an ample selection of wines, and I found Anthony moving about the store like a sommelier in pursuit of a mix of wines for the evening. Meanwhile, back in the office and staging area, I found Janet preparing party favors for the event, which were to be gifted at half-hour intervals, during the Annual Sunnyside Taste 2016.

As they were both pre-occupied, I shot a few photos and continued my journey home.

Later that afternoon, I headed over to the Taste of Sunnyside, for a few nibbles and sips. This year the Taste of Sunnyside featured seven beverage companies and 25 Sunnyside restaurants.

7th Taste of Sunnyside 2016 in Photos & Video

The Taste of Sunnyside 2016 is in its 7th year, the first of which started at Queens Boulevard and 39th Street in 2010. The intent of the Taste of Sunnyside event is to raise awareness of some of the restaurants and beverage companies serving the neighborhood, while simultaneously raising funds for the Sunnyside Shines Business Improvement District [BID].

The Sunnyside Shines BID’s mission is to promote a specified commercial district of the neighborhood running from about 50th Street down to about 38th Street along Queens Blvd and the eastern section of Greenpoint Avenue through a combination of area maintenance and business enhancement services.

Click here to read the rest of the story about the Taste of Sunnyside 2016 with photos & video.

News Briefs about food and wine in LIC, Sunnyside, Astoria, Jackson Heights, Flushing, Jamaica, Corona Queens

Eating Right in Queens in the New Year

December 14, 2012 / Astoria & LIC / Food in Queens / Queens Buzz. I attended a lecture on nutrition sponsored by Mount Sinai Hospital of Astoria at the LIC YMCA. The presentation was given by Effie Nerantzis, Registered Dietician, who is shown in the photo to your left.

She provided a lot of information that one can use to begin to make smart, healthy choices in their diet, while continuing to lead an on-the-go modern lifestyle. Some of the lecture including how to read nutrition labels on the backs of packages, how to interpret the claims on the front of food packages, she touched on how organic foods factor into the mix, and how to shop and prepare foods in short order.

We'll have more on this seminar later in the quarter. In the meantime, click here for other Astoria Food & Wine Shopping News briefs.

A Taste Of The World 2011 Photos

Fun Way To Sample Many Queens Restaurants

May 11, 2011 / Flushing / Queens Restaurants / Queens Buzz. Continued / If needed use the search function to find the story introduction.

This year I decided to focus on the food stands that I hadn’t hit last year. There were many returning restaurants, including Dazies of Sunnyside and Parpazzio of Bayside, both of which received the Icon Restaurant award from the Queens Economic Development Corporation, organizer of the event.

Peking Duck, Parmesan & Artichoke - Finger Food

I sampled a couple of appetizers made by Creative Concepts NYC. They informed me that they had just opened up a location at 36th and Northern Blvd in LIC, but that information wasn’t contained on any of their printed materials nor on their website, so I think they’re using the QEDC entrepreneur space for their Queens address. I sampled the Peking duck appetizer, which had the sweet tender taste of duck atop a crispy wafer. This was followed by parmesan and artichoke rolled in moist dough. I ended with a mixed vegetable roll, which paled in comparison. I suppose this was due in part to being much lighter fare, following the cheese and duck appetizers.

Some of the appetizers served are shown in the photo to your left.

The Strawberry Grill - Smokin' Good

My next stop was Strawberry Grill. I heard from a fellow reporter, that Darryl Strawberry’s brother was on hand. I started by sampling their house smoked pork which had a wonderful hickory and cherrywood flavor. This was followed by a sampling of their Championship Chili which was a sweet broth containing ground beef, smoked brisket and beans. The Strawberry Grill is located at 235th Street in Douglaston near the train stop and they just opened within the past six months or so.

Darryl Strawberry's brother is shown in the photo to your right along with some of the employees of the Strawberry Grill in Douglaston and a fellow reporter [far right].

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report on the Taste of the World in Flushing Queens.