[all images from Gothamist]

Dutch Kills in Long Island City is on the new side of things and definitely worth checking out. We checked it out the other night, in fact. The decor is great. All the design details are well thought-out, without being over the top. The menu is made of wood. I wonder if the printing is offset or laser? But anyway, the cocktails are tasty. The remote location adds to the mysterious 'hidden gem' quality of the place, and should keep down the city crowds. Or will it?


Dutch Kills
27-24 Jackson Avenue (corner of Dutch Kills Street)
Long Island City, Queens
718.383.2724

Galaktoboureko. Now that is a great name for a dessert. 'The best dessert in the whole Galaxy' is how I like to think of this Greek dessert which combines a semolina custard, flaky phyllo dough and honey drizzle. Yum! Here is a recipe. Not that I am suggesting you make one. I am suggesting that you take yourself to Astoria and share a galaktoboureko and a frappe at an outdoor cafe with the one you love. I did!

When I was writing about Demetris last night in the post below, I read on Chowhound that Anna's Corner may be closed for good. I didn't want to break the news to you then, until I had more time to investigate. I don't like what I am reading.

Anna's Corner was one of our all-time favorite restaurants! We went their for New Year's Eve and to celebrate birthdays! It was always an amazing festive time. And their mezze were so fantastic. The only bright side is that the Chowhound thread talks a lot about how the place will reopen with a seafood focus and drop the meat, which would work out perfectly for me. But what about the mezze? I will try to keep you posted on these developments.

my branzino, as lit by the blue light of Demetris Seafood Restaurant

Speaking of fish, lately I am most enthused to find branzino on a menu, and order this meaty, tasty white fish from the Mediterranean (sometimes referred to as Meditteranean sea bass or Venetian striped sea bass) whenever I get the chance.

I supped on the branzino pictured above (I opted for whole fish, grilled) at one of the best fish restaurants I have possible ever been to in my life. It was certainly one of the more pleasing dining experiences I have ever had, due to the company, the atmosphere and the appetizers. The restaurant is Demetris, located at 32-11 Broadway in Astoria, Queens, just down the street from the Broadway stop on the NW.

For the record, we love Anna's Corner at the Ditmars stop for their fantastic mezze, and we have tried Taverna Kyclades on Ditmars for fish; but Demetis tops Taverna Kyclades for variety of fish, atmosphere and service. If you love fish, you will not be disappointed.



A trip to Astoria never disappoints. We go regularly to visit the Greek grocery stores and bakeries and purchase feta, fresh mizithra, olives, grape leaves, breads and more, have a coffee frappe at an outdoor cafe, dine, and even join religious processions when we are lucky. And that is just the Greek section of Astoria. Don't get me started on the tamales for $1.25. I love Astoria!

It's not just nature...
Look beyond the fronds.

It's the United Nations!
I think my photo is postcard-worthy.

Gantry State Park in Hunters Point, Queens

Who would believe that just beyond these beautiful green fronds, there would be this spectacular view! Where else can you see the lower buildings of the UN and not just the Secretariat? This is our new contemplative spot.

Hunters Point in Queens is being aggressively developed with luxury condos, as is seemingly every other square inch of New York, but at least there is a beautiful park and viewing spot right on the East River for everyone to use. Take the 7 Train to Hunters Point and walk towards the spectacular skyline.

And now, more photos of dramatic Hunters Point and Gantry State Park.

The Citibank Building and amazing apartment buildings in the 60s.
Want to enjoy this view a little longer?
Turn around and recline in these fantastic chairs:


They did a really great job with the park furniture at Gantry State Park.
There are so many seating options,
including built-in tables and chairs to share an urban picnic.
Can you believe a spot this peaceful is in NYC?


Now this is dramatic.
When you look at these great old gantry cranes that once transfered boxcar freight from
rail barges to trains, you realize, hey, I'm standing right at the beginning of Long Island!
The gantry cranes luckily have been preserved, and serve as a gateway to this new park.
If you like Louie Nevelson sculpture, you are going to love studying these giant pulleys
and girders up close. Just beyond, the current luxury condo building boom
(R to L, Citilights built 1998, Avalon luxury rentals, 2007 and two more to come).

The Pepsi Sign (!!) from the Queens perspective.
Yes, it is even more dramatic in person.
Want to visit? Take the 7.
Imagine the fireworks from Hunters Point!

The Frappe is almost like a good Guinness.
2/3 foam when it arrives at your table.
And look at the beautiful cascade.

There is a mysteriously good coffee drink served up in every cafe in Astoria. One sip and you will say goodbye to Starbuck's forever and start embracing local color again (which you should do anyway, sip or no sip, in my humble opinion...) The drink is called a frappe (pron. frappay). Take the N or W to Queens and get off at Broadway or 30th Avenue where the Greek cafes are most plentiful. Just walk the neighborhood a little and you will see many people enjoying these drinks.

Order your frappe with milk or without, with sugar or without. The coffee beverage is made with a special kind of Nescafe instant coffee which you can buy at Titan Foods or Mediterranean Foods, should you want to continue the coffee fun at home. The ingredients (instant coffee, water, milk optional, ice, sugar optional) are mixed together in a milkshake machine or a blender. My husband and I started drinking these last summer, became obsessed, and then started making them at home with a martini shaker. They are quite caffeinated and as it turns out, much more enjoyable when someone else makes them. This year I think I will save my coffee treat for the cafes, and enjoy a leisurely chat n' sip outdoors with my hubby.

You can buy a can of Nescafe Classic at nearby Titan Foods
and make Frappes at home.

Or just leave it to the experts.

Mangos dazzling red decor

a closeup of the fascinating ceiling

I was dazzled by the decor at Mangos as we sipped our cafe con leche and sampled a flaky Colombian-style pastry filled with cheese and guava paste. It was a heady kind of dazzle. The kind I feel when we find something totally new. My husband and I chatted in between the roars of the 7 Train overhead. Right overhead. Mangos Bakery Steakhouse Bar is nestled under the elevated 7 Train on Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights, Queens. If you have ever seen a film by Wong Kar Wai (Chungking Express, Happy Together, In the Mood for Love), you would be charmed by this spot. Urban, sleek and rather exotic, with great music.

In addition to the pretty spectacular array of chocolate desserts and French-style tartes, Mangos makes a tasty pandebono. I cannot describe the deliciousness of the pandebono in words. You simply must taste this cheese bread, at times shaped like a giant gumdrop, at other times shaped like a doughnut, made from corn and yucca flours. Make Mangos a must when you visit this fantastic food neighborhood that is jam-packed with restaurants, eateries, small groceries, and food carts from Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Argentina and Mexico.

Mangos
Bakery.Steakhouse.Bar
78-14 Roosevelt Avenue
Jackson Heights, Queens
718.639.3005
E,F,R,V,7 to Roosevelt Avenue

I am sure Mangos is heaven for steak lovers.
If I ate steak, I'm sure I would love their Churrasco.

This post is featured on About.com for March 22, 2007







And also featured on The Girl Who Ate Everything
for April 4, 2008

I am pleased to say that after several posts about The Greek Cup, some readers have begun to associate me with The Greek Cup. Some have written saying that whenever they see The Cup, they think of me. Now that is flattering.

Recently, my husband and I stopped in to Laziza Sweets on Steinway Street in Queens to sample some of their fantastic pastries. 'Beyond Baklava' doesn't begin to describe the vast selection. Like the tiny date- and pistachio-stuffed cookies in the window. There were so many varieties I have never seen before. Because when do you really find yourself in a bakery in an Egyptian neighborhood, after all. As I sipped my small coffee, which was served in The Greek Cup, I thought to myself, how funny. I guess all ancient civilizations use The Greek Cup.


Laziza Sweets
25-78 Steinway Street
Astoria, Queens
718.777.7676