Ornella Trattoria Italiana
29-17 23rd Avenue, Astoria NY 11105
718-777-9477
Food 6
Service 5
Ambiance 5
Overall 16
Good for authentic and creative pasta and salads
I wanted to check out Ornella after reading about it in Edible Queens and either Metro or AM NY. I am always on the lookout for great pasta like what I seemed to find so easily anywhere in Italy. So 2 weekends ago, my husband and I ventured forth on a Sunday night , with our Amarone in hand.They don't yet have a liquor license, so we actually came without Amarone, but ran to the liquor store next door to recitify that. On our arrival we were immediately greeted by the warm and very friendly owner, Giuseppe Viterale .He showed us to our table and began talking with us to find out if it was our first time visiting and how we had heard about it. Giuseppe is one of the main reasons I will be returning to this restauarant. His love and pride of his home cooking is evident. And he clearly is looking to make people feel truly welcome in his home style restaurant. Every small critique of his food he seemed to be taking truly to heart. Like he wanted us to truly help him make the restaurant better. A rare quality to encounter in a New York City restaurant. Back to the restaurant's ambiance. The place is long and narrow. The Viterales have tried to provide some rustic charm with cheery yellow walls and a few hastily made flowers along with a few poor man's frescoes on the wall, but alas, the place lacks the much needed t authentic charm of its owners. On to the menu. The main menu consists of an assortment of interesting appetizers $7-10, well priced pastas($14-19) and meat and fish main entrees($21-25). Of note a majority of the pastas and risottos are to be found in the menu vegetariano. So you should look at this before making a final selection. Since I had heard the star of the shows is pastas that is where we focused our attention. We started off with a $9 grilled octupus salad. A generous portion, definantly good for 3 to share, we were disappointed by the saltiness and toughness of the octopus. The accompanying salad was perfectly dressed and a refreshing counterpoint. I continued on with their $18 housemade chestnut pasta with shrimp, pasta di castagna, while my husband had the $19 imbustata. Both were generous portions of fresh homemade goodness. My chestnut pasta was similar to linguine made with chestnut flour and served with quickly wilted arugula ,cherry tomatoes and shrimp.We also ordered a side of rabe, which was a delicious garliced complement. Although my chestnut pasta was a tad bit on the salty side, it was a hearty and satisfying with the unique understated nutiness of the chestnut. It reminded me in color and taste profile of buckwheat noodles. Aside from the tad bit over saltedness of the dish I did not find the shrimp married with the other ingrediants- would definantly order this dish straight vegetarian next time. My husband's imbustata was essentially a lasagna filled with a rich creamy mix of ground veal and chicken with mushrooms,spinach, mascarpone cheese and mozzerrela cheese. It was too heavy and unrefined for my taste, the flavors collapsing together into an unrecognizable medly of mush. It was not bad, just in comparison with the sweet simplicity of the chestnut pasta quite surprising- and not for me in a godo way. My husband adored it. We finished our meal with italian flan and tiramisu. The flan was tasty but nothing extaordinary. For my taste, not enough sugar or creaminess. The tiramisu on the other hand I found too sweet , without enough balance of coco and coffe flavors and an unusual orange flavored aftertaste which was not to my liking.
Aside from the owner, waitstaff was adequatey present.
I will definantly be checking out Ornella again. It is rare to find such authentic Italian pasta at reasonable prices in the city. Although there were several misses in our meal, the owner and the opportunity to try more original and unusual pastas make me want to return.
The Quest continues..............
Showing posts with label Astoria. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Astoria. Show all posts
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Vesta
Vesta Trattoria and Wine bar
2102 30th Avenue
Astoria, NY 11102
(718) 545-5550
Food 6
Ambiance 6
Service 6
Overall 18
Good for casual couples dinner if you are in Queens, good casual wine bar for small groups
I heard about Vesta through the Edible Queens magazine, which has a nice listing of many new Queens restaurants. Since I am always looking for cool tasty options nearby, I checked it out 2 weekends ago on a Sunday night at about 7 pm. This restaurant is in a very residential part of Astoria and doesn't have many other restaurants nearby. When you enter the small space, you are struck by the understated casual charm of the place and the immediate smile of the host. Brick walls, light olive green banquets, tiny wood tables. It reminded me of your typical Brooklyn joint. Which is a good thing, if you had to guess. Promptly seated, we reviewed the nicely priced menu and small but well ranged wine list. The menu has a wide price range, from $11.95 pizza to $27.95 steak. Wine is offered in 3 sizes, a bottle, a glass or a shot, allowing you to create your own wine flights. We shared a $32 bottle of Aglianico, a nice medium body Italian red which we have only tried once before.We started with a $ 6 celery root soup, a massive portion of creamy goodness in a bowl. I followed with the $14.95 lasagna and my husband had the $27.95 grass fed strip steak. My lasagna was a disappointment. Burning hot, when it arrived on the table I imagined fresh tasty meat and cheese. Unfortunately, the lasagna was primarily a sour tomatoe sauce sparsely layered with mozzarella and which was not adeqautely seasoned. My husband fared better, with a tasty and perfectly cooked steak and potatoes. Nothing unusual in flavoring or presentation and a little pricey for what you get compared to everything else on the menu. We also shared a $4 escarole side, which was a beautiful fresh dish accented with garlic.
We ended the meal with a dessert white and the speciality house Baby Jesus cake.We were underwhelmed by the Baby jesus cake, which is a semi sweet dense fig cake. It tasted too much like a brownie with minimal finesse.
Throughout, service was very good. With constant checking in and fairly speedy food to the table. The only exception was our dessert, which took a long time coming. The restaurant removed the cost of our dessert and glass of wine for the delay.
Although there were many misses in the actual food, I would check this place out again, especially for brunch. Would not trek out here from another borough for this place , given the price point and food quality. But if you are in Queens, its worth a try. Would definantly come here just for some wine and pizza although they have a fairly tiny bar area.
The Quest continues......................
2102 30th Avenue
Astoria, NY 11102
(718) 545-5550
Food 6
Ambiance 6
Service 6
Overall 18
Good for casual couples dinner if you are in Queens, good casual wine bar for small groups
I heard about Vesta through the Edible Queens magazine, which has a nice listing of many new Queens restaurants. Since I am always looking for cool tasty options nearby, I checked it out 2 weekends ago on a Sunday night at about 7 pm. This restaurant is in a very residential part of Astoria and doesn't have many other restaurants nearby. When you enter the small space, you are struck by the understated casual charm of the place and the immediate smile of the host. Brick walls, light olive green banquets, tiny wood tables. It reminded me of your typical Brooklyn joint. Which is a good thing, if you had to guess. Promptly seated, we reviewed the nicely priced menu and small but well ranged wine list. The menu has a wide price range, from $11.95 pizza to $27.95 steak. Wine is offered in 3 sizes, a bottle, a glass or a shot, allowing you to create your own wine flights. We shared a $32 bottle of Aglianico, a nice medium body Italian red which we have only tried once before.We started with a $ 6 celery root soup, a massive portion of creamy goodness in a bowl. I followed with the $14.95 lasagna and my husband had the $27.95 grass fed strip steak. My lasagna was a disappointment. Burning hot, when it arrived on the table I imagined fresh tasty meat and cheese. Unfortunately, the lasagna was primarily a sour tomatoe sauce sparsely layered with mozzarella and which was not adeqautely seasoned. My husband fared better, with a tasty and perfectly cooked steak and potatoes. Nothing unusual in flavoring or presentation and a little pricey for what you get compared to everything else on the menu. We also shared a $4 escarole side, which was a beautiful fresh dish accented with garlic.
We ended the meal with a dessert white and the speciality house Baby Jesus cake.We were underwhelmed by the Baby jesus cake, which is a semi sweet dense fig cake. It tasted too much like a brownie with minimal finesse.
Throughout, service was very good. With constant checking in and fairly speedy food to the table. The only exception was our dessert, which took a long time coming. The restaurant removed the cost of our dessert and glass of wine for the delay.
Although there were many misses in the actual food, I would check this place out again, especially for brunch. Would not trek out here from another borough for this place , given the price point and food quality. But if you are in Queens, its worth a try. Would definantly come here just for some wine and pizza although they have a fairly tiny bar area.
The Quest continues......................
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
La Rioja
La Rioja
3305 Broadway
Astoria,NY 11106
718 932 0101
Food 7
Ambiance 6
Service 6
Overall 19
Good for tasty cheap tapas for a couple or a small group of friends
So I must confess that my main reason for going to La rioja is they advertised serving the famous iberico jamon de bellota, this black pig found only in a specific part of Spain whose diets is primarily acorns. I had just seen a few weeks ago a Gourmet Foodie TV special about the jamon and saw it featured in another magazine article where everyone was raving about the exceptional and unusual taste of this jamon. So one thing to know about me is that I love all things pork and all things rarified. I will eat anything once. And eat it again if its tasty, whatever it is. Plus I love the idea of tapas because you really get a nibble of so many dishes and get a real idea of what a kitchen can do.
So we arrived on last Thursday night around 8 pm without reservations. The place was fairly empty when we arrived although it filled up by the time of our departure at 9:30 pm. The restaurant is small, maybe 10 tables total tops. Standard unoriginal decor. Yellow walls, wood molding, ikea looking wood chair/tables. Nothing inspires you to think you are in Spain except you have a nice view of the little deli area in the back which showcases the jamon hanging from the ceiling and a pantry filled with a variety of resonably priced Spanish stapels from cheeses to chorizo, paprika to canned pimenton. In any case, I came to eat ,not to shop, so we quickly set down to the business of ordering tapas. I glanced at the main entrees, which were standard grilled meat entrees and a few paella. Nothing tempted enough to deter me from the tapas agenda. Before launching into our tapas forray, I must note this place is still awaiting a liquor license. Knowing this beforehand we came with a tasty Calfornia Merlot and were not charged a corkage fee. Throughout our tapas, the waitstafff was very good at keeping our wine glasses full.
Now back to the tapas. We started of course with the 20 dollar plate of jamon Iberico de Bellota. Now I was a little askance at the price and was expecting a few slices of the pricey jamon as my reward. Instead we were served a heaping plate of about 20 thin slices of the ham. It was interesting and different, sweet somewhat nutty flavor that melted easily in the mouth. The consistency reminded me of delicate smoked salmon. Now sometimes things are so hyped up that they can never reach the expectation created in the mind. This was unfortunately my experiance with this jamon. Very tasty but not something to fly to Spain for. Upfront I must say that we loved all the tapas with the exception of the $7.95 shrimp in garlic sauce. This was well spiced garlic olive oil goodness save the rubbery shrimp. They tasted previously frozen and were just not good quality,surprising given the quality of everything else.
We continued with $7.95 white anchovies with avocado, which were simple and unexpected. The white anchovies were marinated in a light vinegar sauce and were served on a bed of diced tomatoes with a squiggle of avocado sauce in top. The combination of the subtle sweetness and tartness of the tomatoes with the smoothness of the avocado highlighted the slight saltiness and creamy texture of the anchovies. We also had the $7.95 spicy chorizo with potatoes, which although it sounded like it might be very basic and boring turned out to be basic but definantly not boring. The chorizo was soft and spicy with its paprika soaked orange juices seeping into the potatoe mash underneath. At first bite, I though they had used sweet potatoe,because the mash became that sweet orange color and taste of the yam. The combination of the light mash with the spicy chorizo was simplicity at its best. Another tapas that was delectable was the $7.95 grilled squid, a la plancha. Super fresh and tender, with just enough hint of garlic and olive oil to add to the tasty char. I have only 2 complaints about this tapas. One was the pathetic bread they were served with. Although it was warmed, it was essentially somewhat stale basic dinner rolls. Second, although I am not a vegetarian, I do like my veggies, and the tapas selection is devoid of anything strictly veggie. After the quantities of food enjoyed, we were absolutely stuffed, but I decided to soldier on and taste a dessert. The waiter steered me to the crema catalana, which was an unimpressive creme brulee. Not bad, just nothing to get ecstatic about.
Service throughout friendly and attentive.
Although the tapas are not super inventive and creative, they are without question some of the best tapas I have had in some time. Simple, fresh, well cooked and seasoned with generous portions for the price, there are alot of reasons why I will certainly be coming back to this space. Hopefully, they will soon get a liquor license and charm up the ambiance but in the meantime I will return with a good rioja and baguette ready to sample more tapas.
The Quest continues........
3305 Broadway
Astoria,NY 11106
718 932 0101
Food 7
Ambiance 6
Service 6
Overall 19
Good for tasty cheap tapas for a couple or a small group of friends
So I must confess that my main reason for going to La rioja is they advertised serving the famous iberico jamon de bellota, this black pig found only in a specific part of Spain whose diets is primarily acorns. I had just seen a few weeks ago a Gourmet Foodie TV special about the jamon and saw it featured in another magazine article where everyone was raving about the exceptional and unusual taste of this jamon. So one thing to know about me is that I love all things pork and all things rarified. I will eat anything once. And eat it again if its tasty, whatever it is. Plus I love the idea of tapas because you really get a nibble of so many dishes and get a real idea of what a kitchen can do.
So we arrived on last Thursday night around 8 pm without reservations. The place was fairly empty when we arrived although it filled up by the time of our departure at 9:30 pm. The restaurant is small, maybe 10 tables total tops. Standard unoriginal decor. Yellow walls, wood molding, ikea looking wood chair/tables. Nothing inspires you to think you are in Spain except you have a nice view of the little deli area in the back which showcases the jamon hanging from the ceiling and a pantry filled with a variety of resonably priced Spanish stapels from cheeses to chorizo, paprika to canned pimenton. In any case, I came to eat ,not to shop, so we quickly set down to the business of ordering tapas. I glanced at the main entrees, which were standard grilled meat entrees and a few paella. Nothing tempted enough to deter me from the tapas agenda. Before launching into our tapas forray, I must note this place is still awaiting a liquor license. Knowing this beforehand we came with a tasty Calfornia Merlot and were not charged a corkage fee. Throughout our tapas, the waitstafff was very good at keeping our wine glasses full.
Now back to the tapas. We started of course with the 20 dollar plate of jamon Iberico de Bellota. Now I was a little askance at the price and was expecting a few slices of the pricey jamon as my reward. Instead we were served a heaping plate of about 20 thin slices of the ham. It was interesting and different, sweet somewhat nutty flavor that melted easily in the mouth. The consistency reminded me of delicate smoked salmon. Now sometimes things are so hyped up that they can never reach the expectation created in the mind. This was unfortunately my experiance with this jamon. Very tasty but not something to fly to Spain for. Upfront I must say that we loved all the tapas with the exception of the $7.95 shrimp in garlic sauce. This was well spiced garlic olive oil goodness save the rubbery shrimp. They tasted previously frozen and were just not good quality,surprising given the quality of everything else.
We continued with $7.95 white anchovies with avocado, which were simple and unexpected. The white anchovies were marinated in a light vinegar sauce and were served on a bed of diced tomatoes with a squiggle of avocado sauce in top. The combination of the subtle sweetness and tartness of the tomatoes with the smoothness of the avocado highlighted the slight saltiness and creamy texture of the anchovies. We also had the $7.95 spicy chorizo with potatoes, which although it sounded like it might be very basic and boring turned out to be basic but definantly not boring. The chorizo was soft and spicy with its paprika soaked orange juices seeping into the potatoe mash underneath. At first bite, I though they had used sweet potatoe,because the mash became that sweet orange color and taste of the yam. The combination of the light mash with the spicy chorizo was simplicity at its best. Another tapas that was delectable was the $7.95 grilled squid, a la plancha. Super fresh and tender, with just enough hint of garlic and olive oil to add to the tasty char. I have only 2 complaints about this tapas. One was the pathetic bread they were served with. Although it was warmed, it was essentially somewhat stale basic dinner rolls. Second, although I am not a vegetarian, I do like my veggies, and the tapas selection is devoid of anything strictly veggie. After the quantities of food enjoyed, we were absolutely stuffed, but I decided to soldier on and taste a dessert. The waiter steered me to the crema catalana, which was an unimpressive creme brulee. Not bad, just nothing to get ecstatic about.
Service throughout friendly and attentive.
Although the tapas are not super inventive and creative, they are without question some of the best tapas I have had in some time. Simple, fresh, well cooked and seasoned with generous portions for the price, there are alot of reasons why I will certainly be coming back to this space. Hopefully, they will soon get a liquor license and charm up the ambiance but in the meantime I will return with a good rioja and baguette ready to sample more tapas.
The Quest continues........
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Sanford's
Sanford's
3013 Broadway
Astoria, NY 11106-2610
(718) 932-9569
Food 4
Service 5
Ambiance 6
Overall 15
Good for burgers and drinks - pairs or small groups, skip the brunch or pricey dinner
So I have passed by Sanford's several times and have always been intrigued by the very cool sleek interior of this place on a street which houses mainly a goodly amount of greek and brazilian restaurants in Astoria. Today, after checking out their 13 dollar prix fixe brunch menu online and some good reviews I decided to take the plunge.
When we arrived at 1:30 pm, there was line of about 8 people waiting. I got to the front to ask the hostess how long a wait for party of two could be. Before I even started speaking, the hostess, who was finalizing a takeout bill, imperially informed me to wait in a harsh tone. After several minutes, she looked up at the rest of the crowd, apparently having already forgotten me, although I was right in front of her, and asked who is next for a table. I then approached her again to ask for the wait time, and she informed with much dramatic disdain, that the wait would be at least 20 minutes. After all of this, we ended up eating here because we were too hungry and too tired to figure out an alternative. We walked in the neighborhoood for a little while and returned to the restaurant 10-15 minutes later, to find, surprise surprise several free tables and no more line.
Anyways, our hostess seats us initially at this center table, very close to the door, although there were several other open tables and booths further away. After 10 minutes at this table with the breeze blowing in my face every time a new customer came in, we asked to be relocated to a less wind accesible table.
SO you can probably tell that by this point I am not very impressed by this place, the hostess having left a rather poor impression on me. Our waiter, however, did make up for some of her annoying behavior and was attentive and helpful throughout our brunch.
Let me back track to the decor of this place. It is actually a fairly well thought out and executed space. Funky green and orange glass tiles on the walls, cool modern lamps, sleek floors and world music in the background. Very cool space except the noise level was problematic. We almost had to shout facing each other for most of the meal .
Anyways, our waiter arrives at our new location and takes our order. Although we ordered from the breakfast and brunch menu, this place has an extensive regular menu which looked interesting- especially their 8 versions of burgers. The brunch menu as mentioned is a 13 dollar prixe fixe which includes coffee or tea and one alcholic drink. The breakfast mains are fairly cheap. They focus as per the menu on organic free range eggs and local produce when possible. I ordered a Croque Madame(which they call Monsieur) for $7.95 and my husband had the $9.95 big boy breakfast - a combo of eggs, homefries, bacon and a waffle)
We also had a $5.95 side of fresh fruit. For drinks, I had a cup of revolution earl grey lavender tea while my husband opted for a cup of the hot chocalate.
Now before I speak much about the food, let me provide a neccessary detail. Apparently Sanford's has been around since 1922, as a corner diner. Recently, in response to the changing neighborhood they decided to revamp the place and expand the menu. Unfortunately for us, they still retain diner breakfast standards, and not the good kind either. My husband's Big Boy breakfast arrived with the standard cardboard tasting diner waffle straddled by unseasoned scrambled eggs, dried out over cooked bacon and watery tasteless spatula flattened homefries. The menu also publicizes their use of real maple syrup. However, our waiter initially brought out breakfast syrup and when we asked for the real maple syrup, which was quickly brought out, our final bill showed we were charged an extra dollar for the real deal. My croque Madame arrived a three layer grilled ham and cheese sandwhich made from Wonder White bread and not an ounce of bechamel. After this and Cafe Henri, I am starting to belive that I will not find a proper Croque Madame in Queens. Dense and overly stuffed with ham and unmelted cheese, I forced myself to stumble through half of it before my stomach hurled revolt. I focused my energies on the fairly fresh and bountiful side of fruit, which aside from my tea was the best thing as far as food in this place. My husband did not fare as well with his hot chocalate as I did with my tea. His had the undeniable smell and taste of Swiss Miss.
Overall, the brunch left me sorely disappointed and hungry. Because of the cuteness of the space, price and since these owners own a burger joint (Petey's Burger Joint) as well, I might venture again to try some strong drinks and big burgers.
The Quest continues......
3013 Broadway
Astoria, NY 11106-2610
(718) 932-9569
Food 4
Service 5
Ambiance 6
Overall 15
Good for burgers and drinks - pairs or small groups, skip the brunch or pricey dinner
So I have passed by Sanford's several times and have always been intrigued by the very cool sleek interior of this place on a street which houses mainly a goodly amount of greek and brazilian restaurants in Astoria. Today, after checking out their 13 dollar prix fixe brunch menu online and some good reviews I decided to take the plunge.
When we arrived at 1:30 pm, there was line of about 8 people waiting. I got to the front to ask the hostess how long a wait for party of two could be. Before I even started speaking, the hostess, who was finalizing a takeout bill, imperially informed me to wait in a harsh tone. After several minutes, she looked up at the rest of the crowd, apparently having already forgotten me, although I was right in front of her, and asked who is next for a table. I then approached her again to ask for the wait time, and she informed with much dramatic disdain, that the wait would be at least 20 minutes. After all of this, we ended up eating here because we were too hungry and too tired to figure out an alternative. We walked in the neighborhoood for a little while and returned to the restaurant 10-15 minutes later, to find, surprise surprise several free tables and no more line.
Anyways, our hostess seats us initially at this center table, very close to the door, although there were several other open tables and booths further away. After 10 minutes at this table with the breeze blowing in my face every time a new customer came in, we asked to be relocated to a less wind accesible table.
SO you can probably tell that by this point I am not very impressed by this place, the hostess having left a rather poor impression on me. Our waiter, however, did make up for some of her annoying behavior and was attentive and helpful throughout our brunch.
Let me back track to the decor of this place. It is actually a fairly well thought out and executed space. Funky green and orange glass tiles on the walls, cool modern lamps, sleek floors and world music in the background. Very cool space except the noise level was problematic. We almost had to shout facing each other for most of the meal .
Anyways, our waiter arrives at our new location and takes our order. Although we ordered from the breakfast and brunch menu, this place has an extensive regular menu which looked interesting- especially their 8 versions of burgers. The brunch menu as mentioned is a 13 dollar prixe fixe which includes coffee or tea and one alcholic drink. The breakfast mains are fairly cheap. They focus as per the menu on organic free range eggs and local produce when possible. I ordered a Croque Madame(which they call Monsieur) for $7.95 and my husband had the $9.95 big boy breakfast - a combo of eggs, homefries, bacon and a waffle)
We also had a $5.95 side of fresh fruit. For drinks, I had a cup of revolution earl grey lavender tea while my husband opted for a cup of the hot chocalate.
Now before I speak much about the food, let me provide a neccessary detail. Apparently Sanford's has been around since 1922, as a corner diner. Recently, in response to the changing neighborhood they decided to revamp the place and expand the menu. Unfortunately for us, they still retain diner breakfast standards, and not the good kind either. My husband's Big Boy breakfast arrived with the standard cardboard tasting diner waffle straddled by unseasoned scrambled eggs, dried out over cooked bacon and watery tasteless spatula flattened homefries. The menu also publicizes their use of real maple syrup. However, our waiter initially brought out breakfast syrup and when we asked for the real maple syrup, which was quickly brought out, our final bill showed we were charged an extra dollar for the real deal. My croque Madame arrived a three layer grilled ham and cheese sandwhich made from Wonder White bread and not an ounce of bechamel. After this and Cafe Henri, I am starting to belive that I will not find a proper Croque Madame in Queens. Dense and overly stuffed with ham and unmelted cheese, I forced myself to stumble through half of it before my stomach hurled revolt. I focused my energies on the fairly fresh and bountiful side of fruit, which aside from my tea was the best thing as far as food in this place. My husband did not fare as well with his hot chocalate as I did with my tea. His had the undeniable smell and taste of Swiss Miss.
Overall, the brunch left me sorely disappointed and hungry. Because of the cuteness of the space, price and since these owners own a burger joint (Petey's Burger Joint) as well, I might venture again to try some strong drinks and big burgers.
The Quest continues......
Friday, October 16, 2009
Trattoria L'Incontro
Trattoria L'Incontro
2176 31 st Avenue
Astoria,NY
Food 7
Ambiance 6
Service 7
Overall 20
Good for small to large groups ready for a loud time with fresh well made pastas and well portioned mains
So I finally decided last night I must dine in Queens. I figured enough with the focus on all things not in my borough. The problem is that there is not a plethora of cool or interesting spots. The list is fairly small with many options having been sampled prior. And unlike Brooklyn or Manhattan, I find there are not new restaurants popping up every week. Many tried and true favorites. However, running through my head restaurant file, I remembered Trattoria L'incontro, which has often received uniformly good reviews. I was in the mood for good Italian, less Italian American and more new Italian ,so it seemed like a possible good match. I must confess that what sealed my fate for coming here was a review on yelp which talked about there many daily specials with unusual combinations like pear Gorgonzola ravioli. I am partial to the point of mild lunacy to that particular combination because on my honeymoon in Italy, my first afternoon in Florence ,I had the distinct pleasure of being forced heaven bound by eating just such a ravioli. They melted in my mouth ,a succulent lush combination of fragrant ripe pear dotted with creamy Gorgonzola enveloped in a pillow of the thinnest and freshest pasta in a butter sauce dotted with hazelnuts. Yes, I digress. But if only I could just bite into them one more time....
So obviously there was no chance in hell we weren't going to Trattoria after I read that review.
We arrived on Saturday a little after 7 pm without reservations. The exterior decor is beige brick- that is unassuming and fairly boring. We entered the restaurant and were immediately overwhelmed by the noise level. This is a fairly large restaurant and it caters more to small groups than the romantic pair. The decor is standard attempted charm. Annoying "bathroom-kitchen" looking floor tile with large village scenery paintings on the wall. As soon as we entered, we were greeted warmly by the host and promptly seated at our table. Within seconds our server arrived, dressed in a black suit with an earpiece in his ear. I paused briefly to verify there was no President in the house, as our server looked suspiciously like an political bodyguard. Trattoria ,as I was soon to learn, is all about the show. Our waiter paused to greet us briefly before launching into a litany of specials.And when I say litany I mean litany. All we needed was a few Hail Marys and we would have all been blessed.The standard menu, in case you are wondering, is not by any measure small to begin with. A decent selection of antipasti, pasta and mains to choose from. The specials easily double that menu. Our waiter,apparently having the specials fed to him on the earpiece, paused infrequently, only enough it seemed for requisite breathing and my necessary questions. Honestly I cannot remember most of what was shared. I strategized once I got the gist of the game to pay attention to ingredients that sounded tasty to my ear. While I enjoyed the extensiveness of the specials and the show of the delivery, it would help for those not graced with incredible audible memory to have a board listing the specials. In any case after several questions of clarification, my husband and I decided for an "only specials" meal. We opened with the ravioli with apple and mascarpone cheese ($19) to share and I would continue with a whole grilled branzino ($29) and my husband with a grilled double Berkshire pork chop ($28). Both mains were served with a standard roast potatoes and green beans. While pondering our menu, we surveyed the wine list which featured a well priced selection of primarily Italian wines with a few other options thrown in. As I am a big lover of Amarone, we though about getting an 80 dollar bottle until the host came to whisper in my ear that they had two wine specials, a 200 dollar Brunello going for 60 dollars and and Amraone/Brunello mix. We went for the Brunello, which I have never had but heard much about and which is usually very for my budget both here and Italy. Our Brunello arrived, an average tasting wine which paired better with my husbands pork than my branzino, certainly not enough complexity for the prior price tag of 200 dollars but not too bad for the 60 we paid.
Back to the food forray. Our apple ravioli on separate places, a nice accommodating touch. The ravioli looked fresh- 3 each with a subtle truffle perfumed cream sauce laced across . The ravioli were tasty and fresh but unfortunately the apple was lost in the cheese. Every so often I had a faint whiff of sweetness but not enough to know there was apple in there. A shame, I had pictured small chunks of faintly sweet apple juxtaposed with the creamy cheese. Now that would have been spectacular.
My branzino arrived a well sized whole fish nicely browned with perfectly cooked and seasoned sauteed green beans and under salted white potatoes. The branzino was incredibly fresh but could have been seasoned more assertively with a bit more char flavor. My husbands pork was a tad over cooked but very well seasoned with beautiful caramelization on its exterior.
We continued to dessert where I had the house made tiramisu and my husband had the lemon tart. The tiramisu was light, not enough cream ng or coffee flavoring for my taste. The lemon tart was nicely tart but oddly capped off with a blueberry glaze which was overly sweet.
Disappointingly, they do not serve many after dinner drinks by the glass, most by the bottle.Again, the restaurant is very group friendly. I was considering getting vin santo or passito, but the waiter informed me they were out of both that night. Even though they are not my preferred post dinner drinks, I was surprised at the lack of grappas on the menu.
Over all, I would recommend this restaurant for a memorable friends night out on the pricey side with theatrical flair with friends if you are in Queens. If you are trekking from Brooklyn or Manhattan, there are many more memorable places to spend your money on. I did enjoy the sense that if I became a regular here I would soon be on a first name basis with the chef(who did make table rounds) and the the staff. As you may have guessed from the review so far, the service was very attentive and friendly.
2176 31 st Avenue
Astoria,NY
Food 7
Ambiance 6
Service 7
Overall 20
Good for small to large groups ready for a loud time with fresh well made pastas and well portioned mains
So I finally decided last night I must dine in Queens. I figured enough with the focus on all things not in my borough. The problem is that there is not a plethora of cool or interesting spots. The list is fairly small with many options having been sampled prior. And unlike Brooklyn or Manhattan, I find there are not new restaurants popping up every week. Many tried and true favorites. However, running through my head restaurant file, I remembered Trattoria L'incontro, which has often received uniformly good reviews. I was in the mood for good Italian, less Italian American and more new Italian ,so it seemed like a possible good match. I must confess that what sealed my fate for coming here was a review on yelp which talked about there many daily specials with unusual combinations like pear Gorgonzola ravioli. I am partial to the point of mild lunacy to that particular combination because on my honeymoon in Italy, my first afternoon in Florence ,I had the distinct pleasure of being forced heaven bound by eating just such a ravioli. They melted in my mouth ,a succulent lush combination of fragrant ripe pear dotted with creamy Gorgonzola enveloped in a pillow of the thinnest and freshest pasta in a butter sauce dotted with hazelnuts. Yes, I digress. But if only I could just bite into them one more time....
So obviously there was no chance in hell we weren't going to Trattoria after I read that review.
We arrived on Saturday a little after 7 pm without reservations. The exterior decor is beige brick- that is unassuming and fairly boring. We entered the restaurant and were immediately overwhelmed by the noise level. This is a fairly large restaurant and it caters more to small groups than the romantic pair. The decor is standard attempted charm. Annoying "bathroom-kitchen" looking floor tile with large village scenery paintings on the wall. As soon as we entered, we were greeted warmly by the host and promptly seated at our table. Within seconds our server arrived, dressed in a black suit with an earpiece in his ear. I paused briefly to verify there was no President in the house, as our server looked suspiciously like an political bodyguard. Trattoria ,as I was soon to learn, is all about the show. Our waiter paused to greet us briefly before launching into a litany of specials.And when I say litany I mean litany. All we needed was a few Hail Marys and we would have all been blessed.The standard menu, in case you are wondering, is not by any measure small to begin with. A decent selection of antipasti, pasta and mains to choose from. The specials easily double that menu. Our waiter,apparently having the specials fed to him on the earpiece, paused infrequently, only enough it seemed for requisite breathing and my necessary questions. Honestly I cannot remember most of what was shared. I strategized once I got the gist of the game to pay attention to ingredients that sounded tasty to my ear. While I enjoyed the extensiveness of the specials and the show of the delivery, it would help for those not graced with incredible audible memory to have a board listing the specials. In any case after several questions of clarification, my husband and I decided for an "only specials" meal. We opened with the ravioli with apple and mascarpone cheese ($19) to share and I would continue with a whole grilled branzino ($29) and my husband with a grilled double Berkshire pork chop ($28). Both mains were served with a standard roast potatoes and green beans. While pondering our menu, we surveyed the wine list which featured a well priced selection of primarily Italian wines with a few other options thrown in. As I am a big lover of Amarone, we though about getting an 80 dollar bottle until the host came to whisper in my ear that they had two wine specials, a 200 dollar Brunello going for 60 dollars and and Amraone/Brunello mix. We went for the Brunello, which I have never had but heard much about and which is usually very for my budget both here and Italy. Our Brunello arrived, an average tasting wine which paired better with my husbands pork than my branzino, certainly not enough complexity for the prior price tag of 200 dollars but not too bad for the 60 we paid.
Back to the food forray. Our apple ravioli on separate places, a nice accommodating touch. The ravioli looked fresh- 3 each with a subtle truffle perfumed cream sauce laced across . The ravioli were tasty and fresh but unfortunately the apple was lost in the cheese. Every so often I had a faint whiff of sweetness but not enough to know there was apple in there. A shame, I had pictured small chunks of faintly sweet apple juxtaposed with the creamy cheese. Now that would have been spectacular.
My branzino arrived a well sized whole fish nicely browned with perfectly cooked and seasoned sauteed green beans and under salted white potatoes. The branzino was incredibly fresh but could have been seasoned more assertively with a bit more char flavor. My husbands pork was a tad over cooked but very well seasoned with beautiful caramelization on its exterior.
We continued to dessert where I had the house made tiramisu and my husband had the lemon tart. The tiramisu was light, not enough cream ng or coffee flavoring for my taste. The lemon tart was nicely tart but oddly capped off with a blueberry glaze which was overly sweet.
Disappointingly, they do not serve many after dinner drinks by the glass, most by the bottle.Again, the restaurant is very group friendly. I was considering getting vin santo or passito, but the waiter informed me they were out of both that night. Even though they are not my preferred post dinner drinks, I was surprised at the lack of grappas on the menu.
Over all, I would recommend this restaurant for a memorable friends night out on the pricey side with theatrical flair with friends if you are in Queens. If you are trekking from Brooklyn or Manhattan, there are many more memorable places to spend your money on. I did enjoy the sense that if I became a regular here I would soon be on a first name basis with the chef(who did make table rounds) and the the staff. As you may have guessed from the review so far, the service was very attentive and friendly.
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