Restaurant experiment: De Mole

De Mole

45-02 48th Avenue at 45th Street

Woodside, NY 11377

718-392-2161

http://www.demolenyc.com

I don’t get Sunnyside/Woodside.  I thought De Mole was in Sunnyside, but the website says it’s in Woodside.  Go figure.  Anyway, Greg and I decided to check this place out since it was convenient, and neither of us had been there before.  And it got great reviews on Yelp and elsewhere.  We arrived later in the evening  so we were seated promptly.  The place is very cozy and inviting, with dim lighting.  I remarked that it had a date vibe to it.

We were waited on by a man and a woman.  They were both nice and friendly.  The meal started off with complimentary chips & salsa.  The chips were thick and crunchy with lots of salt.  The salsa had a milky look to it.  Good start to the meal.  Okay, I have to say that details will be scanty since it’s been nearly two months since I’d gone to this restaurant.  I know, I’m terrible.  Well, better late than never I guess.

After much internal debate, I decided to go with the pork torta ($6.75) as my main which the waitress assured me was a popular option.  Considering the size of this massive sandwich, the price was very reasonable.  I love Queens for reasonable eats; your food dollar definitely stretches further here than in Manhattan.  The pork was soft and full of flavor.  There was kind of a kick but nothing that would have caused me to tear up in pain.  A bit messy but no matter.

Greg decided that we should cap off the dinner with some dessert, and coconut flan ($4.00) was his choice.  You know, I’d never considered myself to be much of a flan enthusiast, but I’ve been coming around on the custard-y stuff as of late.  I really like coconut too which helped I’m sure.  This flan had a wonderful consistency and was sweet but not disgustingly so.  Apologies for the washed out pictures; it was quite dark in the restaurant, like I mentioned.  Lovely presentation.

My dessert was a strawberry milkshake ($3.50).  Notice the twirled detail on the straw!  It was fine.  This milkshake was a little more water-based than milky.  Mmm, strawberries.

Greg and I really liked the atmosphere and edibles served at De Mole.  It definitely has a family-run vibe, not sure if it’s family-run but that’s how it feels.  Tasty and filling Mexican food.  Greg and I give it two enthusiastic thumbs up!

Restaurant experiement: M. Wells Dinette

M. Wells Dinette

22-25 Jackson Avenue between 46th Avenue and 46th Road

Long Island City, NY 11101

718-786-1800

http://magasinwells.com/mwells.html

http://momaps1.org/about/mwells

Back in 2011, three separate groups of friends told Dave and I about M. Wells in Long Island City and were raving about how way amazing it was.  That’s certainly a positive sign.  I had also read about the establishment in Time Out.  Naturally, I put it on the list of places to check out.  Alas, it was not meant to be.  The  day I planned to go, I was sick, and that was my last shot since I was leaving NYC.  Later I heard that M. Wells closed down.  R.I.P.  I shed a tear since I thought I would never get to try M. Wells, the one that got away.

Eventually, M. Wells was reborn as M. Wells Dinette in MoMA’s PS1.  I was very happy to hear this since I could finally realize my dream of eating at M. Wells.  Because I’d never been to PS1 either, I figured I could kill two birds with one stone.  I roped Amy C. into this museum-meal hybrid excursion.  I met up with her and her son Nico for a nice lunch right when the museum opened.

Since PS1 is housed in an old school, the Dinette takes up one big classroom.  All of the tables are long desks, and there are chalkboards, and the menus are in composition notebooks.  Cute.

The menu was divided up into charcuterie, starters, mains, and desserts.

The waitress suggested the jambon Paris for Nico, basically ham and a baguette with mustard and cornichons on the side.  I tried some ham and thought it was tasty.  I’m not used to dining with toddlers so it was an interesting experience!  I wouldn’t have thought this place would be kid-friendly, but I saw a baby and some other young children.

For starters, Amy and I shared the veal brains grenobloise ($13) and the chicken liver mousse ($11).  And what is “grenobloise,” you ask?  I had no idea but just wanted to try veal brains.  Some internet searching (thanks, Wikipedia) tells me that

A dish prepared à la Grenobloise (in the Grenoble manner) has a garnish of small croutons along with brown butter, capers, parsley, and lemon.

That’s the plate on the upper right.  I loved the seasoning on it.  Unfortunately I cannot tell you more about it but it reminded me of the stuffing that I eat on Thanksgiving that features oysters and I believe has poultry seasoning and bay leaves.  Interestingly enough, I likened the taste and texture of the veal to oysters.  Amy and I both really ended up liking this; I think I had suggested getting it, but Amy concurred.

The dish in the lower center was the chicken liver mousse.  You know, it actually looks pretty similar to the veal.  The mousse was buttery.  I told Amy it was like eating a stick of butter.  So in a starter-off between the brains and the mousse, I’d give the win to the brains.

The main course of leg of lamb with mint ($29) then made its entrance.  The key word here is green!  The veggies, especially the peas, tasted very fresh.  The lamb was soft and scrumptious.  Mmm, fiber and protein.

Naturally, I wanted to cap off my experience at the Quebecois diner by having dessert.  There were a couple of options; I can remember the pineapple upside down cake and the banana maple creme brulee which is what I ended up selecting.  It might have been the weaker part of the meal.  Don’t get me wrong, it was good but maybe I thought it would be more creamy and more maple-y but the banana was the strongest note, and I like bananas the least out of those ingredients.  Oh well!  It was still sweet and nice.

I was reading The New York Times review for M. Wells Dinette, and the critic mentioned how this place works so well with the nature of the museum it’s in and also the trendy neighborhood.  I would have to agree.  The only downside was that it’s a little pricey.  Not a super veggie-friendly place either, in case any vegetarians were considering going.  I loved telling friends later that I ate veal brains and seeing their reactions!

After all that heavy food, Amy, Nico, and I strolled around the hallways and peeked into the galleries.  The art was very random and strange.

Restaurant experiment: Cafe 52

Cafe 52

5129 43rd Avenue at 52nd Street

Woodside, NY 11377

718-424-0250

Greg and I were on the prowl for a decent breakfast in Sunnyside.  He wasn’t too enchanted with his usual diner options so we decided to try something new.  My trusty Yelp app suggested Cafe 52 as an option, along with some other joints.  The both of us were actually trying to go somewhere else but couldn’t  find it so we ended up at Cafe 52.

The place wasn’t too full when Greg and I plopped ourselves into a table by the window (it’s seat yourself), but then it filled up during the course of the breakfast.  The service was reasonably attentive but lessened some, correlated with the number of diners I guess.

Greg and I decided to get omelettes/omelets.  I’ll use “omelettes” since that is how Cafe 52 spells the word on their menus.  Originally, I wanted the same one that he wanted, but I have some weird thing about getting different entrees (unless I’m really dying to have it), so I swapped out the veggie.  I ordered the “Greek Omelette” with feta and tomato for around $6.  What a great price for NYC!  Ah, I love Queens.  Greg’s was the “Florentine Omelette” with spinach in for tomato.  The menu informed us that the meal is made with three eggs and comes with toast.  However, it doesn’t say anything about home fries, but as you will see, home fries came with our omelettes.

Greg didn’t want toast so he had requested no toast on his plate.  I believe he had asked for more potatoes instead, but guess what happened?  He got toast and I didn’t.  Well, easy enough to fix.  I simply grabbed his triangles.  Case closed.  He also ordered an espresso and deemed it incredibly strong.  And there was a vast quantity of it too.  I’m no coffee drinker, but doesn’t espresso usually come in those tiny cups?  I had a sip and definitely felt some hair popping up on my chest.

We passed the time by staring at a cute old (he had a grey muzzle) chocolate lab hanging out on the sidewalk while his owner dined in the restaurant.

I liked the home fries but Greg seemed less enchanted.  Too oily, he said.  Yeah okay, but I did think they had a pleasant seasoning.  And they weren’t hard as rocks.  I hate undercooked potatoes.  The omelette was fine and what you’d expect.  A reasonable amount of tomatoes and feta.  The thing is, we could have easily made this in our own kitchens.  Let’s just say we weren’t dazzled.

Cafe 52 should use fancier bread!  But then again, maybe the price would go up.  I ate about half of the Wonderbread before deciding I had enough carbs.

There was nothing wrong with Cafe 52; it’s a solid option for the Woodside/Sunnyside [Sunnywood?] area.  Greg and I didn’t feel like it was anything out of the ordinary, but it’s certainly not awful.  I’d give it a Yelp rating of 3 stars.  If I lived in the area, I would go back to sample the array of sandwiches and burgers.  A safe and economical breakfast choice.

Restaurant experiment: SriPraPhai Thai Restaurant

SriPraPhai Thai Restaurant

64-13 39th Avenue

Woodside, NY 11377

718-899-9599

http://www.sripraphairestaurant.com

I’ve been wanting to try SriPraPhai for a couple of years.  It’s one of the most reviewed NYC Thai restaurants on Yelp, and it’s gotten notice from the Michelin guys as a Bib Gourmand in prior years.  Sea Thai now has the most Yelp reviews but I’ve never been there, seems too clubby for me.  Greg was totally game to go to SriPraPhai and since it wasn’t a Wednesday (they’re randomly not operating on Wednesdays), we showed up about an hour before they closed and were seated promptly.  People were still coming in after us which was a positive sign.

Service at Thai places can be a little iffy.  Let’s just say that attentiveness and friendliness are not hallmarks.  They didn’t seem interested in moving the two of us to a better table, oh well.  Hello, aisle.  The menu was huge like a diner and of course resulted in me taking a lot of time to decide what I wanted.  Greg was dismayed that they only serve certain soups UNTIL 5 PM.  I mean, really, what?  I kinda wanted soup since it was a chilly evening.  Finally I settled on the Crispy Egg Noodles.

N-8 Crispy Egg Noodles (G, S)  $9.50
Topped w. shrimp, chicken, bamboo shoots and mushrooms

I’ll admit that this seemed like a pretty Chinese dish to order at a Thai restaurant, but that was fine with me.  I loved the subtle crunch of the yellow noodles here and there.  I described it to Greg as a very comfort food dish, and that was exactly right.  Nothing too exotic or bizarre.  More than fair portion size too.

 

The bathroom was out of toilet paper when I paid it a visit.  Tsk tsk.

Cash only!

Restaurant experiment: Neptune Diner

Neptune Diner

35-01 Astoria Boulevard between 32nd and 33rd Streets

Astoria, NY 11102

718-278-4853

Ah, the NYC diner.  I’m glad I was able to visit at least one on this jaunt.  And why did I end up here?  Mostly because it was convenient to Wayne, Tom, and myself.  That’s it basically.  But it is right next to the Astoria Boulevard subway stop, so Neptune Diner has that going on.

The service was fine: not too friendly, not too curt.  Since it was later in the morning, the joint was not that packed out.  Looked like families and friends hanging out mostly.

As with diners, the menu is huge, spiral bound, and peppered with stock photos.  The paper placemats declare that Neptune Diner was awarded the title of “Best Diner” by the NY Daily News in 1999.  Um, okay.  That was a long time ago.  Not sure if that title even has merit anymore.  So I hopped onto the Daily News’s website to see what diner holds the crown presently, but nothing that recent even comes up.  Neptune Diner better watch out.  Astoria’s Bel-Aire Diner was recipient of the glorious title in 2002.  Uh-oh!

I ordered the Belgian waffle with bacon.  I forgot how much this was, but it was in the ballpark of $8.  I was looking around on the table for a syrup pitcher but didn’t see one.  Just as I was on the verge of despair, I noticed packets of Smucker’s syrup on the plate full of packages jams and jellies.  The waffle was perfectly serviceable.  Okay, that sounds mean.  It was pretty good.  Not the best waffle in the world, but fine.  I realized that I ordered poorly since I wolfed my order down and was still not sated.  They should give you two waffles instead of just one.  The fatty bacon helped somewhat but it wasn’t enough.

Since I was still hungry, I mooched off Wayne and ate his buttered toast.  Whoa, Neptune Diner needs to put the brakes on the buttering there.  Both sides of the bread were totally drenched in butter.  Just one side is fine, thanks.

So, let’s see.  Neptune Diner…best diner in NYC?  Probably not.  But it’s a respectable choice if you’re in Astoria.

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: Erawan Thai Cuisine

Erawan Thai Cuisine

42-31 Bell Boulevard between 42nd and 43rd Avenues

Bayside, NY 11361

718-428-2112

http://www.erawan-nyc.com

I was here at the Lord of the Rings-sounding restaurant for a Mother’s Day brunch.  Erawan was busy with a large number of families, and it had even prepped for the holiday by tying helium-filled balloons to a lot of tables.  Erawan, unlike a lot of Manhattan Thai establishments, is not made to look like some eatery from the year 3000.  The walls are brightly painted, and there are a lot of decorations from Thailand sprucing up the decor.  My main complaint was that the tables were too close together.  Since it was Mother’s Day, maybe the Erawan employees were attempting to squeeze in more bodies into the room.  Not sure.  Regardless, packing in the people/having my chair bumped doesn’t really win brownie points in my ledger.

Our large party sipped funky cocktails; I was happy to be in the company of my Thai iced tea.  A couple of appetizers were ordered including curry puffs, jeeb pu [crab dumplings], and Thai spring rolls.  Mmm.

After glossing over the huge menu, I ordered the pineapple fried rice.  I had read some reviews online earlier (just doing my research), and noted that the pineapple fried rice came out in a pineapple half, so I was a little dejected when the dish came out on a regular old platter.  Oh well.  Maybe those reviews were old, or maybe they only do that  for dinner.

Shrimp, chicken, Oriental sausage, Thai rice, pineapple, tomatoes, onions, and scallions all collided in my meal for $16.  I would say that $16 was a dab pricey for Queens and for a Thai restaurant (Dare I say, cheaper in Manhattan?  But then again, you can’t go five feet without running into a Thai restaurant on the island).  I did have leftovers, though that was because I had eaten a bagel not too long ago.  Good stuff, I would eat the pineapple fried rice again.  Everyone else at the table seemed to be pleased with his or her dishes.

The friendly servers even gave out complimentary scarves for the mothers (and non-mother ladies).  How sweet!

Argggggggggggghhhh, accidentally deleted the pictures.  Whoopsie.

Restaurant experiment: Aunt Bella’s Restaurant

Aunt Bella’s Restaurant

46-19 Marathon Parkway at Beechknoll Avenue

Little Neck, NY 11362

718-225-4700

http://auntbellas.kpsearch.com/df/default.asp

Dave had been to this hidden gem before and had positive things to say, and I therefore was eager to try it with him.  Aunt Bella’s is on a random block, surrounded by a residential area.  It’s not flashy and and doesn’t have a horrible valet service, like some other Italian restaurants in this neighborhood.  When you go in, it’s like going to a grandmother’s home: the wallpaper is flowery, and there are fake flowers on the tables.  The ventilation system kicked off during the meal; it sounds just like a rainstorm outside, even though it wasn’t raining at all.  Aunt Bella’s has been around since 1977, impressive.

The menu offers what you’d expect at an Italian restaurant: antipasti, pasta, pasta, baked dishes, meats, seafood, and so forth.  On the wine menu, I did spot a Yellow Tail bottle of red for $18!  Ouch.  The prices are great otherwise.  I eventually went with linguini and white clam sauce ($10.25), while Dave went with the lasagna and two large meatballs ($10.50).  While we were deciding, half a loaf of bread and two pieces of bruschetta came out.  A worthy free appetizer.

Dave’s lasagna was massive and swimming in tomato.  You can’t see the meatballs here, but they too are of the gigantic variety.  My linguini wasn’t a shrinking violet either.  I briefly considered getting the last dregs to go, but I soldiered on.  Mmm.

The other patrons were generally middle aged folks from the area.  This is truly a neighborhood joint.   This one woman next to me had a terrible smoker’s voice and souded like a man.  Combined with the New York accent…sheesh.

We had a coupon for 10% off, yeah.  Where else can you buy two big meals for $25?  Score!

Thanks Aunt Bella!

Restaurant experiment: Pio Pio To Go

Pio Pio To Go

84-21 Northern Boulevard at 85th Street

Jackson Heights, NY 11372

718-426-1010

http://www.piopio.com/#/pio-pio-jackson-heights-to-go

Initially Dave and I started at the bigger, sit-down older brother Pio Pio just down the block.  We were scared away since it was deafening in there and seemingly filled to the brim with boisterous families and other large groups.  Anyway, it’s funny because it’s probably the polar opposite clientele at the Upper East Side outpost, which I used to pass by on a regular basis.  Pio Pio has branches all over NYC: several in Manhattan, Queens, and even the Bronx.  No Staten Island or Brooklyn [yet] though.  It didn’t help that there was a wait (you can make a reservation of OpenTable apparenlty, good to know), and the host informs you that you have to wait there; you can’t take a stroll around Jackson Heights.  What kind of lousy rule is that?

Luckily there was Pio Pio To Go just down the block, to our rescue.  Even though “to go” is in the restaurant’s moniker, there are a handful of tables with waiter service.  We snagged a table and ordered the matador combo which for $32, is not a bad deal and probably would work swimmingly for a group of three or four; it was a tad much for just the two of us.  It consisted of a whole chicken, rice & beans, avocado salad, tostones (green plantains), and salchipapas (apparently fries and hot dogs) which we substituted with yucca.

The avocado salad was generous with the slices of avocado; that, the lettuce, tomato, cabbage, and onion were doused in a delightful vinaigrette.  The tostones and yucca came with a dressing which reminded me of a cross between Italian salad dressing and a vinaigrette.  Having both the tostones and yucca might not have been the smartest choice since they were both prepared the same way and were a bit heavier.  But no matter, both were quite tasty.  The rice and beans were basic, nothing too out of the ordinary.  Of course, the chicken was terrific.  I would prefer the meat to be a tad more moist, and I’d definitely favor more crispy fatty skin, but all in all, thumb up.  And also thumbs up to the  green dipping sauce, delish.  I also dunked my tostones and yucca in there, yay. 

A steady stream of customers came and went with their bird delights.  It’s actually a pleasant atmosphere for dining in, with a big window, cheerful Peruvian images on one wall, and friendly servers.

When you can’t get in at the Jackson Heights Pio Pio or just don’t want to deal with rowdy parties, Pio Pio To Go is your go to!  However, they only take AmEx (and cash), how silly.

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!