Gandhi

Being a loyal and devoted fan of Seva, it took a Living Social deal to get me to try Gandhi.  For those of you unfamiliar with Astoria let me fill you in. Seva is an Indian restaurant that serves the best Indian food I have ever tasted, has great prices (including an amazing lunch/dinner special), sports an always smiling and attentive wait staff, is always filled with people, has a cool atmosphere, and is considered a pretty trendy spot in and of itself, but also located right next door to wannabe hipster haven Sweet Afton. Gandhi is an Indian restaurant that is located right around the corner from Seva, and is usually empty each time I walk past it, sports bright lights (as my friend metaphorically put it, “if we are 720HD, Gandhi is 1080HD”), and does not have the following Seva garners.

Gandhi in 1080HD

I had been curious about Gandhi, but never enough so to give up a meal at Seva.  A recent Living Social deal (and a subsequent Groupon deal three weeks later) was my opportunity. For $20, I would get one appetizer, two entrees and an order of Nan. The Groupon deal offered the same allowances, except for $19. Why there is a dollar difference, we will never know.

The deal states you need to make a reservation, so I called ahead on a recent Friday night much to the mockery of my dining friend. Yes, the place is always empty but maybe, just maybe, this Friday night will be different. Upon telling the Gandhi employee my desired time, we hung up before I realized I hadn't given him my name or number of people. I figured we were fine.

We arrived at Gandhi to find one duo seated. We were shown to a table that had three condiment cups already out: a tamarind, mint, and onion chutney. All of the tables in the place had the sauces out, a bold move which left me wondering what they do with the sauces that have been sitting out all night on the unused tables.  Seva also serves mint and tamarind chutneys, which are brought out once the diners are seated, a move which makes a whole lot of sense. Our waiter was a bit odd, and I attribute this to overly attentive service due to the lack of patrons. I felt he was trying to get us to order alcohol, and kept showing us the alcohol menu while we were deciding on food, and pointing out the different wines and beers Gandhi offered. After we declined on ordering alcohol, he awkwardly stood by for a few seconds too long as we returned to our food menu. Although a little awkward, he did not try to convince us otherwise after we passed.

Pappadum was brought to our table as we were seated, to be eaten with the chutney. The onion chutney was very tasty and paired well with the fresh Pappadum.

pappadum + chutney

As our appetizer, we ordered the Chicken/meat samosa, which is described as a “minced chicken or meat turnover.” I am not sure what type of minced meat we got in our samosas, but whatever it was tasted good but a little bland. They came on a rather scarce bed of lettuce, and were a bit dry. We used the tamarind and mint chutneys to dress them and add same flavor. I also ordered a Mango Lassi which met my expectations.

chicken/meat samosas

For our entrees, I went with the Chicken Tikka Masala while my friend ordered the Tandoori Chicken. We also had Nan and Basmati rice. The food literally took no longer than five minutes to come out, save for the Nan which took an additional minute. My Chicken Tikka Masala was good but not great. There was nothing wrong with it per say, but I find Seva’s to be tastier and more flavorful. My friend loved his Tandoori Chicken, which was extremely tender and moist and came out on a sizzling iron skillet, accompanied with roasted peppers and onions. Our Nan was soft and fluffy with no burnt char.

chicken tikka masala

basmati rice

tandoori chicken

nan

our meals

For dessert, we went with the Kheer, which came out topped with a raisin and coconut flakes. Being a huge fan of coconut, seeing the added coconut instantly put a plus in my book. Upon tasting it, my initial reaction was confirmed: they have a really great rice pudding. It was creamy and rich with flavor. Seva’s Kheer is great too, but Gandhi’s portion was a little bigger, and a tiny bit better.

kheer

As our meal was winding down, a few more people came in, filling the place up a bit. Being as Gandhi occupies a bigger space than Seva, they are able to spread the tables out a bit more and seat more customers.  All in all, we were satisfied by our meal. While I still prefer Seva over Gandhi, Gandhi’s menu does seem to offer more specialties and variety than Seva’s does. Both places offer lunch, dinner, and weekend buffet specials that are pretty comparable in price and offerings (Seva’s dinner special is $13.50, while Gandhi’s is $12.95 - though Gandhi’s dinner special seems more limited). Walking past a full Seva on our way back from dinner, I was glad I branched out from my go-to Indian spot, but also reminded just how much cooler I could have been.

Burger Club

Astoria added another burger restaurant to its expanding registry this past month with the opening of Burger Club, located on 30^th Avenue and 32^nd Street, a stone's throw away from 31st Avenue favorite BareBurger. I was initially drawn to the aesthetics of the corner restaurant –the décor is simple, with orange lined rolling garage doors and windows, and exposed brick walls. The inside shows exposed pipes on the ceiling, and the place has a polished garage persona, save for the blaring club music that finds its way into most dining establishments in Astoria.

interior of Burger Club

exposed brick walls + seating

bar area

seating

Having recently opened, I had called ahead to find out if they served alcohol or would be cool with BYOB. I was happily told we could bring our own alcohol while they are waiting for their liquor license, and that it would be no problem at all. The friendliness of the wait staff was not only present via telephone. From the minute we stepped in we were warmly greeted by the hostess, and each additional person that waited on our table exuded just the right amount of hospitality. We had excellent and attentive, yet not overwhelming, service for the entire night.

Burger Club offers nine burgers on its menu, along with a special of the night written on the chalkboard inside. These burgers range from the Burger Club Classic with Cheese to the Carolina Burger (topped with pulled pork, coleslaw, pepper jack cheese) to the Frenchy Burger (topped with foie gras) to the Farmer’s Market Burger (vegetable burger w. goat cheese). All the meat is provided by famed butcher Pat LaFrieda. Burger Club also offers salads, pressed sandwiches, and a wide range of appetizers and sides, including quesadillas, mozzarella fritters, and braised short ribs. While having this variety can appeal to a wider audience then just burgers and sides, it is my belief that a place specializing in one main dish should not stray far from that. I found it a bit odd quesadillas were on the menu, but I guess it does work for them, as the table next to mine ordered that and buffalo wings as their appetizers.

For my dinner, I ordered the Burger Club Classic with Cheese and extra pickles, with a side of waffle fries. The menu states that you can order waffle or sweet potato fries, so it was not clear if regular spuds are offered.  Do expect to pay extra for the fries or onion rings, as they are considered add-ons and are not included in the price of the burgers (which will run you $8-$12). My companions both ordered the Stuffed Burger (after debating between that and the Carolina Burger), along with onion rings and sweet potato fries (well done) for their sides. The Stuffed Burger is topped with smoked mozzarella, crispy prosciutto, and a basil pesto spread.

My Burger Club Classic came topped with American cheese, along with red onion, lettuce, tomato and pickles. While I asked for extra pickles thinking they were the sliced circular variety common on burgers, I was not so pleasantly surprised to discover that Burger Club uses gherkins as their pickles. While I enjoy gherkins, I do not think they pair well with burgers. When I eat my burger, I enjoy having the sliced pickles inside the bun, and to sink my teeth into the briny soft flesh which pairs excellently with the rest of my burger. I do not understand why burger spots try to get fancy with their pickles (remember 5 Napkin?) I appreciate Burger Club trying to be unique with gherkins but taste should trump all else, and gherkins do not cut it.

The burger itself held up to my standards and was enjoyable. The waffle fries were crispy but nothing spectacular. My burger also came with two plastic cups of sauce, with no explanation of what they were. One seemed as if it had been laying out in the kitchen for a bit, as the top layer showed signs of discoloration. I tried each sauce, and neither tasted particularly great so they were left ignored. I found out later from the waitress they were a peppercorn ranch and a chipotle aioli.

Burger Club Classic w. Cheese

My friends’ Stuffed Burgers were filling and tasty, with the beef and prosciutto harmoniously pairing with the mozzarella and pesto. The beef patty itself also had cheese inside of it, as the waitress mentioned it might not melt as much if cooked anything below well done. The onion rings were good - light and fluffy, with a sweet coating similar to a fried dough coating. They were not greasy and the whole onion string did not come out in the first bite, common with most onion rings. The sweet potato fries came out cold, and not quite well done, making us believe they had been sitting back in the kitchen for a bit.

Stuffed Burger w. onion rings

Stuffed Burger w. sweet potato fries

As our waitress came by to talk dessert, she let us know that a brownie was coming out for us on the house. I noticed the table next to us got their bread pudding on the house, so I believe they were giving free desserts due to their recent opening. We also ordered the bread pudding. The brownie came warm, and served with vanilla ice cream, and chocolate and caramel drizzle. While I am not a chocolate fan, I loved the dessert. The brownie was moist and not overwhelmingly chocolaty. Having it warm was heavenly, and melted right in my mouth. The bread pudding was okay. Instead of the traditional vanilla sauce, it came topped with a lemon syrup which proved to be too bitter. The owner came to talk to us, and asked what we thought of the bread pudding, as he was still deciding whether to feature it on the menu. He was very kind, and showed a genuine care in our thoughts on the meal. When our check came, we were told they also put the bread pudding on the house.

warm brownie w. vanilla ice cream

bread pudding

I liked Burger Club’s burgers, gherkins notwithstanding. The service and friendly staff was top notch, and the food held to my expectations. I appreciate that it is not a chain restaurant, and am interested to see how it will do, considering the density of burger spots in Astoria, and the competition of many popular restaurants on 30^th Avenue. 

Doral Donut Shop

Doral Donut Shop is not so much a place to buy doughnuts as it is a diner that offers simple and cheap food quickly. While Doral does offer a selection of doughnuts and pastries as seen through the window, the selection is feeble and in my times there, I have not seen them ordered by anyone. More often than not, patrons come here for the inexpensive breakfast and lunch food (club sandwiches, burgers) that you can find at any diner, but for a fraction of the price. Their breakfast special involves two eggs, home fries, toast, coffee, and juice for $3.75. Other breakfast items are similarly priced, with a decent amount of food for what you are paying. One can get the same quality and quantity of food at any other diner for easily double the cost.

Doral Donut Shop is small – there are about eight tables seating four, and counter seats lining the bar. On weekends, the shop is always at capacity, with quick turnaround for those wishing to eat-in. The waitresses are friendly, and consist of middle-aged European women in matching blue aprons, who seem to have been at Doral since its opening. The place has a no-frills, old school diner vibe; I appreciate this, as Doral does not try and seem like something it is not.  Although it is surrounded on Broadway by a multitude of upscale brunch houses, Doral stays true to its roots – good food, at a great price.

Doral from the outside

Doral from the inside

breakfast/lunch counter

open kitchen area

On a recent visit, I had a breakfast of two eggs, sunny side up, with ham, toast, home fries, and coffee. The eggs at Doral are always done as you please, and come out delicious. The ham was underneath my eggs, and slightly fried. The toast was perfectly browned and buttered, and the coffee was fresh and tasty. I have always enjoyed my breakfasts at Doral, but if I had to pinpoint anything that needs work, it would be the home fries. Though plentiful and mixed in with bits of peppers and onions, the potatoes lack some seasonings, and can be bland at times.

my breakfast

My friend ordered the Western omelette, which has ham, peppers, and onions mixed into the eggs. The omelette was flavorful and generously sized, and came with toast, home fries, and coffee and juice as well. All the breakfast items at Doral come included with the aforementioned sides, which still amazes me, as most diners charge extra for coffee and juice.

western omelette

Doral Donut Shop has been in Astoria for a long time, and is reminiscent of old-time family diners. It is full of locals, many of who come in with their families each weekend. In an ever-growing and gentrified part of Astoria, it is nice to still have a low-key place where you can go in, get inexpensively great food, and feel like you are far away from the trendy and crowded brunch places.

Mama Yogurt

Pinkberry started the trend, followed by Red Mango, 16 Handles, Berrywild, and a plethora of other low-fat frozen yogurt shops reeling in their customers by the allure of adding your own wild assortment of toppings, ranging from healthy fruits to not-so-lean chunks of chocolate. Having lived mere blocks from the Upper East Side’s (and NYC’s first) Pinkberry, I had the luxury of visiting the yogurt shop each time a craving struck. I witnessed Pinkberry’s transformation from two flavors - Original and Green Tea - to multiple seasonal flavors, with the addition of new and less healthy toppings along the way (cheesecake bites anyone?) Upon moving to Astoria, I had come to terms with the fact that I’d only get to indulge in this special treat on special visits. That is, until I tried Mama Yogurt. 

I had seen Mama being built prior to its opening on 30^th Avenue. I immediately dismissed it as another Pinkberry knock-off, with the design similar to Pinkberry’s Japanese inspired spherical hanging lights and bulbous colorful chairs. I had been loyal to Pinkberry while living in Manhattan – partially because all their flavors stayed true to the tart taste, and this simplicity appealed to me (and my lactose intolerance).  But, for lack of anything similar in the area, I agreed to go in once, to see how much Mama had managed to copy the tried and true Pinkberry model.

Mama from the outside

Mama's interior

Mama Yogurt is set up more like 16 Handles than Pinkberry – there are a whole lot of flavors you can choose from, and you serve yourself, choosing how much of what flavors you want. There is also a toppings bar where you add your toppings, choosing from fruits, dried toppings, and liquid toppings, a la Pinkberry. Then you weigh your concoction and enjoy. I was happy to discover Mama did serve a tart yogurt option, called Euro Tart,that matched up pretty well to Pinkberry’s tart Original. They had fresh fruit toppings, and, most importantly, mochi. Upon seeing and tasting these favorites, I must say, Mama is a pretty solid (and cheaper) alternative to Pinkberry. At $0.49 per pound, Mama’s yogurt is cheaper than the competitor’s, while offering the same standards of exotic flavors, fresh and varied toppings, and the cleanliness and décor of a chic yogurt parlor. Although my stomach and I are fans of the Euro Tart, I appreciate the flavors that Mama offers, such as Cookies and Cream, Red Velvet Cake, Mango, Peanut Butter, and Coffee (many of which are low or non-fat).  Seasonal flavors are rotated as well, such as Apple Pie. They always have fresh fruit offerings, and many other toppings such as sugar cone bits, yogurt chips, gummy bears, and boba. The place is always clean and well-maintained, which makes it a pleasurable visit every time.

frozen yogurt flavors

toppings bar one

toppings bar two

assortment of flavors + toppings

cake batter + cheesecake yogurt w. toppings

Mama seems to be doing well in the neighborhood – there is always a steady stream of people coming and going. The real test will be to see how Mama stands up to the competition – 16 Handles is slated to open shop a few blocks up, on the same avenue. As with the first mover advantage loyalty that Pinkberry has amassed, I believe as long as Mama keeps up the quality, they will withstand the competition.