Restaurant experiment: Avenue Cafe

Avenue Cafe

35-27 30th Avenue at 36th Street

Astoria, NY 11103

718-278-6967

After a mug swill at Studio Square (a very modern beer garden experience) and stroll through Astoria, Joni and I ended up at Avenue Cafe for some hungry stomach soothing, not for a knock-down, drag-out dinner.  Avenue Cafe definitely has that Euro trendy vibe with the techno soundtrack blaring and the waiters with accents.  At one point, we heard a Nickelback tune sung in Greek (I think) on the soundsystem.  Nickelback doesn’t need to be sung in Greek or English or at all!

Since Joni and I were not ravenous, we opted to share an appetizer, the antipasto for $13.  This consisted of hummus, tzatziki, ktipiti (pepper and feta cheese spread), and dolmadakia (stuffed grape leaves).

On the drink side, I ordered my favorite Astoria[n] beverage, the frappe!  To clarify what I told Joni, here’s what a frappe is.

A frappé is nothing more complicated than instant coffee, sugar, and a small quantity of cold water shaken vigorously together to produce a thick foam, then poured over ice in a tall glass, and finally topped off with milk or water. That basic formula gets muddled not only by personal habits but also by the homespun guidelines passed on by its practitioners. Coffee and sugar are mixed by the heaping spoonful, without specifying the size of the spoon and the heap, rather than by grams or level measuring spoons. Water is dosed by finger width, without specifying whose finger, as in “pour two fingers of water into the shaker.”

–Taken from Frappe Nation, http://www.frappenation.com/recipes.html

The appetizer emerged in good time.  The stuffed grape leaves were the first items to be gobbled up by us.  Approved!  The tzatziki was fine but still not as good as the place a block away from my abode.  I just like it thicker and with more of a cheese influence and sour undertones, but that’s just me.  The hummus was also good but nothing spectacular.  The ktipiti was our jam!  It had a bit of a spicy kick but the feta kept luring me in.  Too bad there was not more drinkable frappe instead of a foam party.  So delightful anyway.

But what’s with giving five or so measly pitas?  In the photo, we had already eaten about two.  Do you really think five pita quarters are going to be enough for all of those spreads?  I certainly didn’t think so.  I asked for more, and then I saw a charge for extra pitas on the bill.  Not surprising.  I’d been charged $2 for sour cream in the West Village, sigh.  At least it was only 50 cents.

A word of warning: the service here is slooooow.  I requested for the extra spreads to go since I didn’t want to waste them nor spend more money for additional pitas triangles.  Make sure you budget plenty of time if you’re trying to make an appointment.  And there’s a credit card minimum.  Bleh.  So yeah, if you’ve got hours a plenty, Avenue Cafe is your spot.

Restaurant experiment: North Shore Diner

North Shore Diner

19652 Northern Boulevard at Francis Lewis Boulevard

Flushing, NY 11358

718-225-8000

Since Dave and I were famished and happened to be driving around in Flushing, I spotted this diner on a prominent intersection, and we both decided that it would be a fine choice.  There is a valet parking lot adjacent to North Shore Diner, but we just drove into a spot.  Valet parking at a diner?  Come again?  Since it was a Sunday afternoon/early evening, the expansive space had a fair amount of families and friends, but it wasn’t grossly crowded.  Dave and I were seated at a booth by one of the big windows.  The paper placemats announce to you that North Shore Diner has been around since 1979, and it’s obviously a Greek-run establishment as there is a Greek flag flying atop the structure which I noticed from the car.

As I was sitting down, my eyeballs spied the seasoned curly fries on the plates of the chicks in the booth next to us.  Mmm, curly fries!  They’re something you don’t see as much as you would like.  Immediately, I knew that I must have them.  After reading the large menu, I settled on chicken souvlaki instead of my usual cheeseburger, since I thought it might be pretty good, seeing as though North Shore is a Greek joint after all.

You could get curly fries for $1 extra.  Done and done.  But after eating chicken souvlaki from my neighborhood Greek restaurant, this diner chicken souvlaki just didn’t cut it.  Hi, is this the desert?  Because you’re arid!  The tzatziki helped heaps but overally the bird cubes weren’t as good as it could be.

I do have to admit that the portion size was more than generous.  I ate all of the sandwich and picked a little at the fries and salad before giving up.  Get a gander at that brick of feta!  Mmm, feta.  And the curly fries gave me warm fuzzy memories of Arby’s curly fries.  The waitress disappeared after bearing packets of requested mustard, never to be seen again.  Special props to the busboy who included extra sauce in Dave’s leftovers.

Then the valet guys had to move a car that was blocking ours.  Sigh.  On the upside, I did have the leftover curly fries and Greek salad as a snack and part of a lunch, respectively.  Gotta keep telling myself not to expect too much from a diner!

Restaurant experiment: Zenon Taverna

Zenon Taverna

34-10 31st Avenue between 34th and 35th Streets

Astoria, NY 11106

718-956-0133

http://zenontaverna.com/

Every time I eat in Queens, it never fails to amaze me how much value/food you get for your buck.  Love it.

As Dave and I were spending a gorgeous Saturday in Astoria (check out the Noguchi Museum and Socrates Sculpture Park), we found ourselves famished and stepped into Zenon Taverna, highly recommended by a friend of Dave’s.  It was a non-traditional time to eat, and therefore the place was basically empty, but considering how many waitstaff were hanging out, the place probably becomes hopping at night.  And it seemed as though there were no two person tables.  Huh.  The decor is basically homey Mediterranean, with paintings of Greece up and such.  The servers wear smart blue button-down shirts and are friendly and seem happy to be working at Zenon.

The menu is rather overwhelming with oodles of choices.  Though I noted right away that the appetizer samplers sounded like a wonderful deal.  With the Cyprus meze, you get 16 appetizers for $19.95 (minimum two persons).  Sounded right up my alley.  Dave and I both went with this sweet deal.  I also ordered a frappe for just under $5 and sipped that strong coffee drink until the cold appetizers showed up first.  These are the descriptions from the menu posted online, and I should add that we were given a couple of strips of olive bread and endless strips of pita for the cold appetizers.  The bowls and plates are all Corelle, heh.

Kypriaki Salada – Cyprus Salad – Romaine, lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley, onions, scallions, fresh cilantro, caper leaves, imported Greek feta cheese and olives. Dressed in extra virgin olive oil and vinegar

Cilantro?  Boo.  Otherwise, very good.

Tzantziki – Yogurt and Cucumber Dip – Yogurt and cucumber with the taste of fresh garlic and mint

Mmm, love it!  Also went well with the meats. 

Melitzanosalada – Eggplant Dip – Mashed eggplant, onion, parsley, imported feta cheese and caper leaves with a touch of fresh garlic

I’m not wild about eggplant, so this was just okay.

Scordalia – Garlic Dip – Mashed potatoes with fresh garlic, extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice

Garlic mashed potatoes?  I’m there!

Tahini - Tahini Dip – Ground sesame seeds with fresh lemon juice and a touch of fresh garlic

If you like strong sesame tastes, this is for you.

Taramosalada – Red Caviar Dip – Mashed potatoes with red caviar, extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice

I’ve had red caviar dip at Turkish restaurants, but the Cyprus version uses potatoes as a base.  Choice stuff.

Pantzarosalada – Beet Salad – Freshly sliced beets and fresh garlic with extra virgin olive oil and vinegar

Just say no to beets, I say.  Dave rather enjoyed the purple vegetables, which were marked by a strong sour taste.  Lots of vinegar was used, apparently.

Thalassinosalada – Seafood Salad - Kalamari, crab meat, shrimp and celery with extra virgin olive oil and white vinegar

With my first bite, I was a little skeptical, but I kept eating and couldn’t stop.  Kind of like the Cyprus version of ceviche.

The waitress said to let her know when we wanted the hot appetizers to come out.  Thinking back, Dave thought we should have gotten everything at once, or maybe even the hots first.  I was rapidly becoming full and felt bad.  So much food!

Lunza – Smoked Pork Loin – Sliced pork loin prepared in a traditional Cypriot manner. Marinated in red wine, smoked and seasoned with dry crushed coriander. It tastes best with fresh lemon zest

The pork is shown above, on a plate with the Cypriot cheese.  It was certainly yummy.

Halloumi – Cypriot Cheese – Grilled sheep and goat milk cheese, known as the Cypriot cheese. Tastes best with fresh lemon zest

Sadly I permitted too much time to pass before slicing up the criss-crossed grilled cheese and gobbling it down.  It probably would have been much better.  My mistake!

Loukaniko Spitisio - Cyprus Sausage – Traditional Cypriot pork sausages marinated in red wine, herbs and spices. Then char-grilled to bring out the aroma of the wine

Thumbs up here.

Keftedes – Cyprus Meatballs – Fried meatballs made with chopped pork and shredded potatoes. Seasoned with onion, parsley, black pepper and mint

These reminded me of hush puppies.

Kalamari – Squid – Char-grilled tender fresh calamari seasoned with oregano, extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon zest. It can be deep-fried in vegetable oil 

I’m not the calamari person, though I would have eaten more had I not been so stuffed.

Souvlaki – Pork Kebab – Char-grilled pork kebab seasoned with oregano, salt and pepper

This was one of the guys who left Zenon with me, in a styrofoam container.  Eating cold, hours later, did nothing to diminish its awesome taste.

Ortikia – Quails - Quails marinated in wine, lemon and garlic. Charl-grilled and seasoned with oregano and black pepper

I ate this many hours later too.   The quail was seasoned well, but it had a lot of bones, kind of like squab.

Sheftalia – Pork Meatballs – Char-grilled pork meatballs with herbs and spices

The last doggie bag item.  Mmm, these are a Zenon signature item for a reason. 

We left Zenon wanting to come back.  That’s saying a lot.  I don’t know if I ever will, but it sure was scrumptious.

Restaurant experiment: Dafni Greek Taverna

Dafni Greek Taverna

325 West 42nd Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues

New York, NY 10036

212-315-1010

http://www.dafnitaverna.com/

Lisa and I decided to see Hair one fine mid-week evening. I picked out Dafni Greek Taverna as our pre-theater dining destination for a couple of reasons: I was able to snag a reservation on OpenTable, I read its Yelp reviews, it was close to where Hair was playing, the prices were right, and I hadn’t had Greek in a while.

It was kind of loud in the restaurant, and I realized that I had been speaking strongly when my throat was grumpy after. Maybe they should look into some noise absorbers. The tables are a tad tight as well. Dafni, being right across Port Authority and in the theater district, entertained a packed house. Glad I made a reservation. I showed up first and was seated; Lisa walked in soon after. Our table was smack dab in the middle of the dining area which wasn’t the best table, but what can do you.

Our waitress accidentally brought us an iced tea intended for a neighboring table. Not a huge deal, and she later joked about it when she brought over Lisa’s salad which was actually meant for her. She wasn’t a bad waitress. I ordered lamb shish kebab, and Lisa selected moussaka. We tossed back pita triangles like no tomorrow as we waited eagerly for our entrees to show up. And Lisa also offered me some of her salad too. It wasn’t your standard Greek salad. Mostly lettuce with some scallions, I recall. I’d eat it if it came with my kebab.

The lamb shish kebab was great, perhaps edging into dryness territory, but the strong flavors made up for it. I was tasting garlic and onions in my mouth the rest of the evening. I selected rice as my side (potatoes were the other option), and the lemony zing of the rice led me to try and fork up every single grain. The slices of pickled cucumber in the ramekin were all right but nothing to gloat over. The huge dollop of tzatziki sauce was great for rolling lamb pieces in.

The restaurant’s populace petered out as it approached curtain time. Later during the show, I realized that I was very thirsty so Dafni may want to tone down the salt. Otherwise, good Greek. Go Greek. Let the Dafni shine in!

Restaurant experiment: Ethos

Ethos

495 Third Avenue between 33rd and 34th Streets

New York, NY 10016

212-252-1972

http://www.ethosrestaurants.com/

The parentals requested a Greek restaurant near their hotel, and Ethos was what I had come up with since a trip to Astoria seemed to be out of the question.

I patted myself on the back for making a reservation since the place was stuffed to the gills.  We ended up at a high table in the front corner which was rough on the posterior (stools with no cushions) but at least afforded people watching opportunities.

The service was weak.  The waiter occasionally made appearances  but the majority of interactions were with the professional busboys.  Ethos was just too busy and cramped.

Luckily the food was great or otherwise we’d be super steamed.  There was complimentary bread, like a rosemary loaf along with a few pitas.  A small bowl of olives tagged along.

I’m irked that the menu on the restaurant’s page is incomplete so I can’t properly name what I ate.  Grumble grumble.  At any rate, I ordered grilled shrimp with tomatoes, mushrooms, and feta.  This was rather tasty though I personally thought more huge chunks of feta would elevate the dish to the next level.  There were four shrimps but they were fat.  Nice scoop of rice in the middle.

What was a pleasant surprise was the free dessert at the end.  We made sure that it wasn’t secretly tacked onto the bill or anything, but yeah, who does that in NYC?  Not exactly sure about this specimen.  Honeyed cinnamoned phyllo dough wrapped around some sorta ricotta or custard filling.  The layers were scrumptious, the filling not so much.  Decrease the filling, increase the phyllo!

For those Greek cravings, if you can’t jaunt to Astoria and are stuck in Murray Hell, you could do a lot worse.

Restaurant experiment: Ovelia

Ovelia

3401 30th Ave at 34th Street

Astoria, NY 11102

718-721-7217

ovelia-ny.com

I’m an iota jealous of Max since he’s a regular here. I’ve always sorta kinda wanted to be a regular at some food provider but I think I’m doing it wrong. The sandwich shop I go to nearly ever week seems to not know me at all. Sad. Sob. Our waitress greeted my dining companion warmly during this weekend brunch, and she knew what drink he wanted. See, that’s the bomb.

Astoria eateries are so quaint. They all seem to have glamorous bathrooms and turn into loungey dance club-esque joints at night. Here at Ovelia, we were seated adjacent to the DJ booth, and since Ovelia’s on a corner, the space was flooded with light and offered views of the fleeting flurries.

I ordered a tiropita toast: a sandwich of sorts which was crispity crunchity granny smith apples, cream cheese, and bacon enclosed between two slices of grainy feta bread, and I got a Greek salad as a side. The salad had generous bricks of feta in it, score! It’s a cinch to make me happy: use cheese. My stomach rebelled, and I had to take half the tiropita toast home with me. The food portions in Queens are impressive; I’ve been living in Manhattan too long.

Bummer: the faucet in my bathroom was out of order.  But it was still a snazzy bathroom regardless.

Restaurant experiment: Omonia Cafe

Omonia Cafe

32-20 Broadway between 32nd and 33rd Streets

Astoria, NY 11106

718-274-6650

omoniacafe.com

Continuing our whirlwind tour of Astoria, the team of Max, Lily, and myself migrated to Omonia Cafe which I hadn’t tried but Lily and Max had. As they were discussing the place, I thought it was Ammonia Cafe, like the cleaner. They warned me that it had a clubby atmosphere. The bakery which looks like a bakery is attached to the restaurant which during the day is normal, but at night, it transforms into a colorful glowing establishment with techno music pumping in the background. Stare at the bar; it’ll change through all colors of the rainbow.

The menu, handbook sized, has a lot of food options. Since we were here for dessert only, there were options aplenty for us, including a section of Greek desserts, most of them being variations on honey, phyllo, custard, and nuts. I went with the politiko, again because I liked the name, very political. It was generously sized, with lots of custard and the leaves of phyllo swimming in honey. Maybe a bit too sweet, but it was fine. I guess I like more crunch than drench. Lily let me try some of her coffee. Can we say potent?

I must give props to Omonia for having the niftiest bathroom sinks I’ve seen in NYC. The sinks are practically flat pieces of stone, with only a subtle concave just under the faucet. Almost an optical illusion. If you come here, be sure to wash your hands.

Restaurant experiment: Anthos

Anthos

36 West 52nd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues

New York, NY 10019

212-582-6900

anthosnyc.com

Anthos sure has accumulated the accolades: one Michelin star, nominated as a James Beard Foundation Award Best New Restaurant. This was the last meal during my Restaurant Week. We were seated upstairs in a small anteroom containing four tables. I couldn’t decide if upstairs was where they put the rejects, or if it was special and more private and quieter than the main dining hall downstairs.

The meal started off with lots of little goodies. There’s a tray of olives and fried fish, amongst other things. And you get a free shot of mysterious vegetable puree. The guy who presented it to us was sort of a low talker. I thought he said parsley soup, but that couldn’t be right. Parsnip? It was truly amusing my mouth. And there is a roll presented with both cow and goat milk butter.

Down to business. My first course was the raw meze of fluke with apricot, yogurt, and hazelnut. It was pleasant, then again, I am a raw fish fiend and am partial to uncooked fish flesh. Ambika said it was a bit salty, but it wasn’t too sodium laden for me. The second was a lamb shank. The meat was falling off the gigantic Flintstones-sized bone, very tender. However the flavors just weren’t doing it. I was eh on it. The dessert was interesting. Stacy got prepared strawberries in a little bird nest, too cute! Ambika and I went with the chocolate sesame cake: chocolate bottom layer, mousse-like sesame top layer. And hazelnut brittle crumbs on the side. At first bite, the combo was a bit weird, but it grew on me with each subsequent bite.

Anthos sure has a large staff. We had a main waiter, and with each plate, it was a different runner. With this kind of upscale joint, you expect a certain level of service. Therefore I was slightly dismayed when the runners put the wrong item in front of me not once but twice. We had to tell the guys that I ordered that, this plate is hers, blah blah. At least the service wasn’t snobby. And when they put the forks down, the tines were facing the table. I wonder if there is a reason for that. The check comes with little take homes, twin almond cookies wrapped up with pink ribbon. Like a party favor from a wedding!