El Ay Si

Although not technically within the borders of Astoria, El Ay Si is worth a notable nod as a creatively comforting restaurant in Long Island City. Located on Vernon Boulevard, and rubbing shoulders with a handful of emerging restaurants and bars in the blossoming LIC food scene, El Ay Si focuses their menu on comfort food classics such as Mac n’Cheese and Slow Cooked Pressed Pork Belly while also experimenting with some not so traditional combinations.

Considering how much I had heard about El Ay Si, I was surprised at how small and narrow the restaurant was. Entering El Ay Si’s thick velvet curtains, you are greeted with the bar area. Walking past the bar and accompanying tables, you enter a narrow hallway filled with intimate, cozy, dark wood booths for two, featuring high backs and set beside a brick wall. The ambience is perfectly romantic and warm. Walking further back, you enter a more open bar room, featuring a large table for six, a bookcase hosting memorabilia and a collection of wine bottles, the restroom (which gains bonus points for being cute), and a door to an outside area which may not actually be in use. Graffiti artwork splashes the areas opposite the brick walls, a possible homage to the graffiti scene in LIC (and home to graffiti Mecca 5 Pointz).

hallway 

graffiti + ceiling

 My companion and I looked over the drink menu, and being fans of the deliciously white Sauvignon Blanc, ordered two glasses. Within a few minutes, our waitress came back, apologizing that they had in fact run out of Sauvignon Blanc but had this other white that we might like – Falanghina. She proceeded to give us each a sample of the wine, which we fell in love with, and also wrote down the name for us for future reference. This going above and beyond typical waitress duties had a lasting impression, and is a definite strength of the place.

We started our meal with the Grilled Calamari Small Bites. The calamari was fresh, and lightly seasoned with olive oil, garlic, lime, and sea salt. The flavorings were subtle, and accentuated the taste of the squid and olive oil. It was a great appetizer that did not leave us feeling overly full. For our dinner, we opted for one of the specials of the night, a Brisket Sandwich served with sweet potato fries (which we substituted for tater tots), and the Pulled Pork Tacos al Pastor.  The Brisket Sandwich was perfectly spiced and seasoned, and the meat was tender. The tater tots were also cooked perfectly - flawlessly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Grilled Calamari

Brisket Sandwich + Tater Tots

The Pulled Pork Tacos al Pastor featured grilled pineapple and caramelized onions inside the soft tacos, and sat atop a market salad, featuring pico de gallo, cilantro, and a flavorful citrus based dressing. The pork tacos were very tender, however they were laden with grease. The grilled pineapple and caramelized onions both added a sweetness in flavor to the meat.

Pulled Pork Tacos al Pastor w. Market Salad

The Cookies and Cream – fried Oreos with vanilla ice cream - was our dessert of choice. This comfort food classic was a great end to our night. Covered in a light, sweet dough, the fried Oreos were warm and reminiscent of childhood.

Cookies and Cream

The meals at El Ay Si offer a spin on classic comfort food, executed with precise details to make each dish the best it can be. The restaurant vibe leaves me craving more time in the private booths. El Ay Si features brunch on weekends, and features a Kid’s Menu for tiny tots and full bar for the big kids. They are closed Mondays and Tuesdays. This is a place I will recommend for the great staff, relaxed environment, and fun takes on American dishes.

Canz a Citi Roadhouse

Canz a Citi Roadhouse is your typical neighborhood sports bar, serving bar food, an extensive beer list, over twenty TVs showcasing the different games, and employing “Canz-a-Citi Girls.” What is a Canz-a-Citi Girl you may ask? Well, the website defines them as girls (emphasis on the word girl, as you are out of luck to find a woman over 25 here) “who wear their signature denim shorts, black tank tops, and timbaland boots.” I wouldn’t go so far as to call their “signature denim shorts” anything resembling a complete article of clothing, but to each their own. You can take a look for yourself soon enough, as VH1 is planning a show called Canz, a reality show on what it takes to be a Canz girl. One can also purchase a Canz-a-Citi calendar, filled with artistic bikini shots of some of the favorite Canz girls.

I had walked past Canz many a time, mostly to visit Queens Comfort right next door. On game days, the place gets pretty full, and the majority of customers lean towards the male, athletic types. Or the types that like to get a side of eye candy with their burger. Although I was hesitant to give this place a shot, my curiosity was peaked after seeing what looked like an outdoor area in the back stacked with wine barrels.

The outdoor area turned out to be a faux outdoor area, with a transparent skyroof that can be reeled down for a more open air style. The décor does not stray far from the mandatory sports bar scene, with lots of TVs everywhere you look, wooden tables, a large bar with stools, and the faux outdoor area decorated with empty wine barrels, hubcaps, and license plates from different states strewn on the wall. Unfortunately Canz gets their cable through satellite, which caused bouts of blackout due to the rain on my visit. The music was loud, and features Top 40 pop hits.

wine barrels

interior

hubcap + license plate wall

The food at Canz features Burgerz, Sandwichez, Wrapz, Appetizerz, and more of your average bar food. And yes, every single word ending in an S (and then some) is replaced with a Z in the menu, which got under my skin more than anything in the restaurant. I can’t really take your food seriously when I’m presented with “Canz-a-Citi Quezadillaz”, “Grilled Chicken Ceazar Wrap” and “Choice of Mozzarella, Cheddar, Jack, Swiss, or American Cheezez.” Reading the menu is agitating for anyone who uses basic grammar and spelling, and leaves me to wonder who was tasked in writing the menu.

Our waitress was nice, albeit a bit awkward. She was trying to be playful, but did not get much attention or interaction from us. Canz starts each table off with a bowl of popcorn. The popcorn wasn’t fresh, and tasted like the premade bags you buy at the grocer. My friends and I ordered the Chicken Club sandwich with tater tots, the Buffalo Chicken sandwich with fries, and the Buffalo Chicken sandwich (turned into a wrap) with a side salad. Ordering the Buffalo Chicken wrap took about six minutes too long. I told the waitress I wanted the Buffalo Chicken sandwich in a wrap, and seeing as they had a whole wrap section, I did not see what would be so difficult about this. Substitute the brioche roll for a wrap, you’re golden. Our waitress, however, did not understand that this could be done, because the buffalo chicken was one whole piece of chicken. She then asked if I wanted ranch on it like the Chicken Ceazar wrap, which led to more confusion. After another explanation of what I wanted registered, we were good to go. And I was very curious as to what I was actually going to get.

Difficulties aside, I did end up getting (mostly) what I ordered (no celery), with the Buffalo Chicken cleverly cut up into small pieces to fit into the wrap. The wrap was a good, standard Buffalo Chicken wrap. My side salad consisted of mesclun greens with chopped onions, carrots, and tomatoes overflowing on top, making it a bit hard to eat and add dressing to.

Buffalo Chicken wrap + side salad

The Buffalo Chicken sandwich was a solid sandwich, and the fries were crispy and light, perfect by my standardz.

Buffalo Chicken sandwich + fries

The Chicken Club sandwich consisted of a fried chicken cutlet topped with pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and bacon ranch dressing on a toasted brioche bun. Again, this was good, nothing amazing, but also a fulfilling choice. The tater tots were also crispy and light, and fried perfectly.

Chicken Club sandwich + tater tots

All in the all, the food was okay, typical of what one would expect at a sports bar. A lot of the allure to these types of places is not so much the food, but the atmosphere -- being able to catch all your sports games, while enjoying your favorite beer and some food, in a loud, boisterous environment with your friends. And for some, the icing on the cake (and to others, the actual cake) is having that special Canz-a-Citi girl serving you.

Pachanga Patterson

Living in a city with a significantly large Mexican population, finding a delicious taco in New York City is never too far away. Here in Astoria, Mexican cuisine ranges from the street meat variety (El Rey Del Taco Truck and El Rey Del Taco Truck #2) to the traditional (Los Portales) to the fusion (MexiQ).  Pachanga Patterson nestles into the traditional Mexican food territory, with a bit of fusion seen in their unique taco offerings.

Pachanga Patterson has a cozy, intimate atmosphere, with rustic and cultural décor adding to the charm and beauty of the small restaurant. During the warmer months, the restaurant has a small outdoor seating area. A wooden bar outfitted in a weathered turquoise wash is the main focal point of the space, opposite a simple brick wall dotted with prints, and another maroon and red color blocked wall. Festive string lights hang year round, and Dia de Los Muertos memorabilia sprinkles the space. Soft indie music, a refreshing relief from the Euro club tunes that abound in this part of town, plays in the background, making the whole experience very enjoyable, fun, and comfortable.

Pachanga Patterson

bar

bar

interior

tarrot card wallpaper

fish print

outdoor seating

outdoor seating

menu

We started our meal with the Honey in Heat and Tequilla Mockingbird cocktails. Aside from a full bar, Pachanga Patterson has a selection of margaritas, tequillas and mezcals that are a step above your standard cocktail. The Honey in Heat is a Margarita consisting of habanero infused tequila, lime juice, honey, and an ancho-salt rim. The Tequilla Mockingbird is a refreshing blend of tequila, lime juice, cucumber, and mint.

The menu at Pachanga Patterson is a bit limited, but you will find that the offerings are a different take on some traditional Mexican dishes, and that the dishes change throughout the months. The menu is broken down into Salsas, Small Plates, Entrees, and Sides. We started with a Salsa, choosing the Mustard and White Bean, although the Hummus and Chili came in a close second option. The Salsas come served with house fried corn tortilla chips. The dip was different from anything I tasted before, and had a pleasantly thick consistency. The mustard was a spicy whole grain mustard, giving the Salsa a kick, while the white bean mellowed out the flavor. The house fried chips were thicker than most store brought tortilla chips, and varied in their oil-saturated hues. However, they were not overly greasy.

Honey in Heat + Tequilla Mockingbird

Mustard and White Bean Salsa

 For our entrees, I ordered the Ancho Battered Pollack Taco, while my friend went with the Roasted Lamb Taco. The Pollack Taco came with a citrus habanero aioli, cilantro, onion and tomato. The light, citrus aioli and refreshing cilantro tasted great with the Pollack. Although the fish was fried, it did not feel heavy.

Ancho Battered Pollack Tacos

The Roasted Lamb Taco was served with a ramp and almond pesto and cucumber slices. The Lamb came shredded, and had such a rich, deep flavor that immediately melted in your mouth. The ramp and almond pesto was subtle, yet added a great onion flavor that paired nicely with the cucumbers.

Roasted Lamb Tacos

Each serving comes with three tacos, and a small side salad. They also leave their own green sauce on each table for an extra kick.

Pachanga Patterson supports local farmers and artisans, and proudly gets ingredients from Tortilleria Nixtamal, Brooklyn Grange farm, and Raphael Vineyards to name a few. Their Moo Shu Duck Taco was featured on TimeOut New York NYC’s 26 Best Tacos list. Giuseppe Falco, owner of Pacahanga Patterson also co-owns popular sister restaurant Vesta Trattoria.

While I can’t say Pachanga Patterson serves the best tacos I’ve ever had, I do give them immense credit in coming up with eclectic and interesting tacos that most people would not even think to create. The atmosphere and décor make it a really cute and charming place to go with friends or a date, and it is a place where I would definitely return to. 

3E Taste of Thai

If you like your Thai food with a side of smooth R&B music, then 3E Taste of Thai is the place to be. Where the popular music of choice in Astoria is Euro-club beats, Taste of Thai offers a more soulful approach to your dining experience.

Located on Broadway between 35^th and 36^th Street, the restaurant consists of a dimly lit bar area and dining room. The ambience caters more to the young, and seems like a popular group date spot, with many tables set up to accommodate groups. Having visited Taste of Thai on a Friday night, what started as two filled tables later turned into the whole dining room filling up, with a wait forming in the foyer of the restaurant.

3E Taste of Thai Bar + Dining Area

My companions and I started our meal with the Crab Rangoon and Shrimp Co-Nut. Our entrees were the Chicken Pad Thai, Delicious Beef Cashew Nut, and Chicken Healthy Ginger. Although the authenticity of Crab Rangoon in true Asian cooking lends itself to be disputed, the Crab Rangoon at Taste of Thai was excellent, with a perfectly crispy wonton wrapper surrounding warm cream cheese, imitation crab meat, and scallions. The sweet dipping sauce served with it only accented the flavor of the cheese. The Shrimp Co-Nut consisted of butterflied shrimp in a coconut and almond crust served also with sweet dipping sauce. The shrimp was juicy and fresh, and the coconut and almond breading added a sweet and deep flavor. A round of Thai Iced Teas provided a sweet and milky refreshment to our taste buds.

Crab Rangoon

Shrimp Co-Nut

Thai Iced Teas

The Chicken Delicious Cashew Nut was the favorite dish of the night. Served with a blend of carrots, onion, bell peppers, celery, and cashew nuts in a dry chili paste, this dish was full of rich flavors from all the vegetables and chili paste. The cashew nuts added some base to the seasoned dish. All in all, it was a solid entrée that I would come back for.

Chicken Cashew Nut

The Chicken Pad Thai left more to be desired. Having eaten my fair share of Thai food lately (Thai Pavilion, Leng), the Pad Thai at Taste of Thai missed the mark. The mix of rice noodles, bean curd, egg, peanuts, and bean sprouts had a bitter after taste and lacked the flavor pad Thai is known for.

Chicken Pad Thai

The Chicken Healthy Ginger came with stir-fried pineapple, mushrooms, onion, celery, cell peppers, and onion, with fresh ginger. The dish was tasty, and the fresh ginger gave the chicken and vegetables a refreshing kick.

Chicken Healthy Ginger

For dessert, we shared the Fried Banana Ice Cream. The banana came served as four pieces, each covered in a rice sheet, spring roll style. The deep-friend pieces came with vanilla ice cream topped with coconut shavings and honey. The cold ice cream accented with coconut mixed with the warm banana was nothing short of delicious. My one comment was the rice sheet was so thickly and tightly wrapped around the banana that I had to bit through many layers of this sheet until I tasted the fruit. I would have preferred a looser and thinner layer so that I could taste the fruit more.

Fried Banana Ice Cream

While Taste of Thai lacks the ambiance I normally prefer, it features some great dishes that I looked forward to ordering and trying again. It is not the best Thai restaurant I have been to, but it has dishes I enjoy. And at prices barely reaching $10 an entrée, this makes a great low-cost option for Thai food in Astoria.

Bugatti Cafe

I had always been intrigued by Bugatti. Situated on an ever-growing food corner, Bugatti neighbors local favorites Pachanga Patterson, Bareburger, and Il Bambino on 31^st Avenue, with Italian food rivals Bartolino and Portalia on Broadway. Bugatti characterizes itself as a more upscale Italian eatery, seen in its dark wood décor and offering of valet services. My relationship with Bugatti started off on the wrong foot. Having purchased a Groupon to try out the establishment, I was told by one of the wait staff that they would not accept my Groupon on the Friday night I was trying to book, even though there was no mention of this restriction on the Groupon. Conversations with Groupon resulted in this restriction being lifted, but reading Yelp reviews of other Groupon users painted a less than stellar dining experience. Numerous reviews stated that when using their Groupons, patrons were treated differently, charged unfairly, and had an overall negative perception of the restaurant. Unfortunately, it seems as if Bugatti does not understand the point of this service. Yes, restaurants may not see a profit from diners using a Groupon, but the use of this service and other similar services is to gain repeat visits and therefore, more customers. Restaurants that fail to recognize this only end up hurting themselves more when they offer a disappointing experience.

The interior of Bugatti Café features dark wood paneling, with an exposed brick wall and mural covering the main wall. Bugatti has a full bar, located to the right, and has outdoor seating for the warmer months.  Stereotypical Italian music is generally heard to passerbys, but on the evening of my visit, the music choice was the Buena Vista Social Club. While the music isn’t blasting like many other places, it was a bit loud.

interior

interior

interior

Our server was friendly, which helped ease my reservations about the place. A basket of crusty bread was set on our table, served with some roasted zucchini and garlic in olive oil. The bread was fresh , and paired with the vegetables, was a perfect prelude to our meal. For our dishes, my friend and I ordered the Taglierini Con Pesto e Gamberetti and the Nodino di Vitello. I had wanted the Branzino (striped bass) entrée but it was sold out when I ordered. For a starter, we chose the Burrata.

complimentary bread

The Burrata is described as an imported cream-filled Mozzarella served on vegetable caponata and tossed pignoli nuts. This dish blew me and my friend away. A generous pouch of Burrata lay atop a medley of warm chopped vegetables and a bit of fresh pesto. The Burrata was so rich and so fresh, I have never tasted a Mozzarella like it before. Eaten with the seasoned vegetables further brought out the buttery flavor of the cheese. The Burrata is a winning dish at Bugatti, and one that I will be back for.

Burrata

The Taglierini Con Pesto e Gamberetti consists of fresh taglierini pasta with grilled shrimp, basil, and pesto. I thoroughly enjoyed this dish as well  - the portion was perfect, and the pesto was homemade, and very strong. I love strong pesto, but after eating so much of it, it got a bit overpowering. The grilled shrimp was perfectly cooked, and truly grilled, as I could taste the smokiness on the seafood.

Taglierini Con Pesto e Gamberetti

The Nodino di Vitello is a pan-seared boneless loin of veal, served with fresh sage, thyme, and a dry white wine sauce. It comes with broccoli rabe and roasted potato slices.  This dish was heartily enjoyed by my friend. The veal was extremely tender, and the rich wine sauce paired well with the meat. The broccoli rabe and roasted potatoes were both amazing, and well seasoned, making this dish a very fulfilling meal.

Nodino di Vitello

For dessert, my companion and I shared the Nutella crepes, served as two thin crepes rolled with Nutella. It is difficult to mess up Nutella crepes, and Bugatti did a good job in presentation and taste, offering some walnuts mixed in .

Nutella crepes

The owner of the place was sitting at the restaurant while we were there, and did not welcome us or ask us about our meal.  I noticed she catered to the regulars, and made no effort to see how we enjoyed the place, which was a bit disappointing.

Groupon and management issues aside, I really loved the food at Bugatti. We were lucky to get a nice server, and enjoyed our meal. The ambience and typical clientele at Bugatti is not the vibe I gravitate towards when going out to eat, but the excellent food alone makes this a place I will consider visiting again.