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.

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.

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.

Restaurants In Sunnyside

The Turkish Grill In Queens

Sunnyside Restaurants / Queens Restaurants.  The Turkish Grill in Sunnyside is one of those great culinary finds you wish you would come across more than once in a good while. Great food, excellent service and a comfortable dining atmosphere - all at affordable prices. The Turkish Grill is located along Queens Blvd in the forties in Sunnyside. Click on the above link or photo to read a full review of the Turkish Grill Restaurant in the Sunnyside neighborhood of Queens NY. The Turkish Grill serves Ottoman Style middle eastern cuisine.

Click here to read a full review including numerous photos of the Turkish Grill - restaurants in Sunnyside.

Restaurants In Woodside

Donovan's - Irish Pubs In Queens

Woodside Restaurants / Queens Restaurants.  Woodside / Queens Buzz.

I had occasion to visit Donovan's Irish Pub in the Woodside section of Queens NY.  Donovan's is about as Irish an Irish Pub can get outside of Ireland. We took a different tack in this review and decided not to review their hamburger, but rather take a look at some of their other pub food offerings.

Click here to read our review of Donovan's Irish Pub in Woodside Queens, including a short interview with former detective Jack Donovan, brother of the pub owner.  FYI - please note that the pub owernship has changed hands since we did this story.

Restaurants In Sunnyside

Quaint Restaurant In Queens

Sunnyside Restaurants / Queens Restaurants.  Quaint Restaurant is a fun casual dining restaurant with outdoor space, good hors d'oeuvres and main entrees and wine. This is a review of Quaint Restaurant which is located along the tree lined Skillman Avenue in the heart of the Sunnyside neighborhood of Queens NY. Quaint is, as the name indicates, a unique spot serving a select and healthy menu.

Quaint came to Sunnyside in the early part of this decade. At the time it opened, it was something of a first in the neighborhood, serving modern healthy multi-ethnic entrees in a restaurant with modern, somewhat minimalist decor. Since then others have followed, but Quaint has kept its charm. Click on the link above or the photo to your right to read the full review. Photos were shot early one morning before the restaurant opened.

Click here to read the full review of Quaint - restaurants in Sunnyside.

Taste of Sunnyside in Photos

May 20, 2014 / Queens Restaurants / Sunnyside Restaurants / Queens Buzz. I attended the New Taste of Sunnyside which was held underneath the #7 subway line at 46th Street in Sunnyside.

One might think that this location could be distracting with the subway moving to and fro overhead, but with the live musical performances going on in the foreground, I didn't once - during the hour and a half that I was there - notice the subway overhead.

The crowd attending this event has changed over the years. This year the people in attendance seemed to be primarily in their 20's, 30's and 40's. In prior years, many of the attendees had already endured an additional decade or two of wear and tear.

I was informed that there were well in excess of 600 paying attendees, and a number of additional tickets were distributed for business and charitable purposes. Rachel Thieme, Sunnyside Shines Executive Director, was the primary organizer supported by the Board including John Vogt, Chairman and Artie Weiner, Treasurer - all of whom are shown in the slide show included in this report.

Click here to read the rest of our report including a slide show of photos of Taste of Sunnyside 2014.

Turkish Cooking Classes in Queens

Cooking Class Mixes Culture, Cuisine & Comedy In Cool Klatch

February 6, 2013 / Sunnyside / Food in Sunnyside / Queens Buzz.  I attended an evening cooking class offered by the Turkish Cultural Center in Queens. They offer one cooking class each month, wherein they teach Turkish cuisine. Seating is limited to about fifteen; and you don’t have to be a member or Turkish to attend. In fact almost all of the people in attendance were not Turkish, and there were a couple of males in attendance too.

My interest in Turkish cuisine has grown over the past few years, as Sunnyside and western Queens has become a small magnet for Turkish immigrants. Turks have a long history of culinary achievement and a number of them have opened grocery stores and restaurants which have become quite popular in their neighborhoods [see review of the Turkish Grill restaurant in Sunnyside].

Click here for our report with photos of Turkish cooking classes in Queens.

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.

Taste of Sunnyside

Restaurants in Sunnyside @ 2nd Annual Food Event

October 18, 2011 / Sunnyside Neighborhood / Food & Wine / Queens Buzz. It was a fine night for a food fest in Sunnyside, New York. So I sauntered on down to the Sunnyside Community Service Center to see what delectables awaited me at the 2nd annual Taste of Sunnyside.

There were 20 Sunnyside restaurants and four beverage vendors this year. All of which are located in the Sunnyside vicinity. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to sample all of them before the end of the first seating.

There were two seatings this year, and both were pretty well sold out … click here to read the rest of our report on the Taste of Sunnyside, including a slide show with photos of the food, many of the restaurateurs, and the folks who’d come to sample the fare of the restaurants in Sunnyside.

Restaurants In Woodside

Sapori D'ischia Italian Trattoria In Queens - Closed

Woodside Restaurants / Queens Restaurants / Woodside / Queens Buzz. We passed by Sapori D'ischia in mid October of 2012 and noticed that they were closed.  There was a city agency sign on their door regarding some regulatory issues.  The building seemed to be undergoing renovation.  We'll keep you posted as things change, but for the indefinite time being they're closed.

Sapori D'Ischia is an authentic southern Italian restaurant located in the Woodside section of Queens NY. Sapori D'Ischia is located in what used to be an authentic Italian grocery store. Today, the grocery store continues, but the primary business has evolved into a well known and well liked restaurant serving Italian dishes. Sapori D'Ischia is an island off the coast of Italy near Capri. Click on the link above or the photo to your right to read the full review. We apologize as the photos do not do the food justice. This was one of our early reviews.

Click here to read the full review of Italian Restaurants In Woodside - Sapori D'ischia.

A Taste Of Sunnyside: Delicious & Fun

October 19, 2010 / Sunnyside Neighborhood / Sunnyside Restaurants / Queens Restaurants / Queens Buzz.. The Taste Of Sunnyside was, in a couple of words, most delicious.

I just returned from the first annual Taste Of Sunnyside. It began tonite at 6.30 pm at the Master Billiards & Cafe on Queens Blvd near 39th Street [see Dining & Drinking section of Queens Events for event notice].

There were between 15 and 20 Sunnyside restaurants that participated in the event, and about five beverage vendors. We estimate that the crowd was between 500 and 1,000 people and hope to report the final numbers when we receive them. Click here to read about and view Taste Of Sunnyside photos and slide show.

Sunnyside Restaurants / Woodside Restaurants

December 2017 / Sunnyside & Woodside Neighborhood / Queens Buzz NYC.

This section of the site is about the restaurants in the neighborhoods of Sunnyside and Woodside in Queens NY. This section contains reviews of Turkish, Italian and American restaurants as well as an Irish Pub.

Click this link to enter the Sunnyside Restaurants & Woodside Restaurants section of this site.

Mother's Day Restaurants In Queens 2021

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

April 27, 2021 / Queens Neighborhoods / Queens Restaurants / 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 her efforts in the most important role of her life. 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.

Normally it's best to book a restaurant reservation 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.

Unlike last year, indoor dining is now available at most Queens restaurants, but at only at 50% capacity for restaurants located in New York City. Restaurants outside of NYC can accommodate 75% of capacity. That is likely because of the difference in the amount of space allocated to each diner in restaurants in the city versus restaurants outside of the city, as well as the higher density of population, etc. But that said, restaurants also have additional capacity via all of those outdoor shacks built during the pandemic, which has greatly increased overall space / seating capacity, and with the weather warming [the thermometer is expected to break the 80's tomorrow], outdoor dining is a pleasant, even welcome option.

But as the saying goes, the early bird gets the [worm] better seating, so book early.

COVID PRECAUTIONS. Lastly, be advised that most - if not all - of these restaurants may take your temperature prior to indoor seating and require masks except during dining. Other CoVid guidelines like social distancing also may apply.

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 2021 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.

We've identified over a dozen Queens restaurants open for indoor / outdoor dining on Mother's Day in Queens. Enjoy.

Valentine's Day 2021 Restaurants & Events in Queens

UPDATED FOR COVID - Romantic Restaurants For Dinner in Astoria, LIC, Sunnyside, Woodside, Jackson Heights & Flushing

February 5, 2021 / Queens Restaurants / Queens Neighborhoods NYC / Queens Buzz NYC.

UPDATED 2/12/21 - Editor's Note: Previously indoor dining was to resume in NYC on Sunday, February 14th, 2021, Valentine's Day. The Governor moved up the date to Friday, February 12th, so restaurants that may have sold out on Sunday, likely have indoor dining openings over the weekend. This report provides an update on who's open and taking reservations, but also highlights quite a number of local restaurant closures.

Valentine's Day is a bit more than a week away. It's 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.

This year it's especially important to make restaurant reservations early as restaurants first open for indoor dining at 25% capacity on Friday, February 12th, 2021. And given Valentine's Day is on a weekend, it may be challenging unless you make your reservation now. But that said, restaurants also have outside dining capacity - so depending on the weather - you may have some luck the weekend of Valentine's Day. For dinner in Astoria, LIC, Jackson Heights, Sunnyside, Woodside or Flushing; it's best to do your research early, and 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 V Day Restaurants

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.

UPDATED FOR COVID. 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.