Sanford's Restaurant

Sanford’s opened in 1922 as a 24-hour, 7-days a week coffee shop on Broadway, right under the Broadway train stop. However, from the looks of it, one would never guess it has been opened for 90 years, save for the old photographs that line the foor to ceiling windows in the front of the restaurant. The worn and faded photographs of old Sanford’s show a small, quaint, traditional diner and coffee shop. When the Karalekas brothers took over Sanford’s Restaurant, they transformed this space into the trendy, modern restaurant it is now. Looking into Sanford’s Restaurant today, you would not guess the rich history this space has.

Sanford’s has historically been a diner, and today offers remnants of this history combined with its more upscale present. It is still open 24-hours a day, 7-days a week, and offers a large and varied menu of American cuisine. Sanford’s is well-known in Astoria for their brunch special, and each Saturday and Sunday, expect to see a line of people standing outside waiting for a table.

The décor at Sanford’s is trendy and modern. Dim lights and candles on the tables provide a seductive glow, with sleek wood paneling and mirror lining the perimeter. There are a few center tables in the front, however the majority of the seating comes from dark leather booths lining the walls. There is a bar area which serves a surprisingly large assortment of wines, and provides additional seating.

booth seating 

bar area

interior

Upon being seated by the hostess, the waiter brought over a generously filled bread basket, containing various rolls and seeded crackers. The bread was fresh, and I especially enjoyed the white bread and raisin roll. The menu at Sanford’s Restaurant goes a few steps above and beyond your traditional diner fare. Aside from sandwiches, salads, and burgers, one can order an assortment of pastas, entrees, quesadillas, and appetizers. Additionally, any main dish you order comes with a cup of soup or organic greens. The soups offered the day I went were Lobster Bisque and Chicken Orzo. My friends are I ordered the Calamari Arrabiata as an appetizer, and the Sanfords Panini, Crab Cake Sandwich, and the Organic Whole Wheat Linguine, as well as the Chicken Orzo soup and two salads as the accompaniments.

bread assortment

The Chicken Orzo is made from scratch, and was fulfilling and rich. The Organic Greens come topped with marinated cherry tomatoes and red onion, with their homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing. In terms of included side salads, this I one of the best I’ve had. The Organic Greens are a refreshing substitute for the usual romaine, and the marinated tomatoes add a deep flavor.  Their dressing is on the thick side, and can be a bit sweet, but it tastes great with the greens and vegetables.

Organic Greens salad

The Calamari Arrabiata consisted of fried calamari topped with a cherry pepper and plum tomato sauce that the menu describes as sweet and spicy. The calamari rings were fresh and thick, with the sauce tasting more sweet than spicy. The calamari wasn’t very crispy, but that wasn’t a bad thing, as this let the favor of the calamari shine, rather than the thickly breaded, deep fried coating.

Calamari Arrabiata

My Sanfords Panini was filled with grilled chicken, apple wood bacon, sliced apples, brie, and their signature honey mustard on ciabatta bread. The sandwich also came with blue tortilla strips served upright in a tin cup, and what looked like a chipotle mayo sauce on the side. The panini was hearty, and the taste of the sweet apples, smokey bacon, strong brie, and honey mustard with the grilled chicken was a delicious combination. The blue tortilla chips were not greasy and a good side for the sandwich.  I did not care for the chipotle mayo which looked like it had been sitting out for a bit.

Sanfords Panini

The Crab Cake sandwich came on a slightly grilled brioche bun, with lettuce, tomato, and pesto aioli. The menu says that they use only lump crabmeat, resulting in a tasty and delicious crab cake patty. This sandwich came with a side of sweet potato fries, also presented vertically in a tin cup. The sweet potato fries came hot and super crispy, a definite plus in my book considering how hard it is to get sweet potatoes that crispy. They were amazing.

Crab Cake Sandwich

The Organic Whole Wheat Linguine featured a ragu of organic chicken - sun dried cranberry -apple sausage with organic whole wheat linguine. The serving was plentiful, and the noodles came out tossed in the ragu and fresh peas. I found the ragu to be too much sweet side, due to the cranberry and apple flavorings, but had it not been so sweet, this would be a solid dish.

Organic Whole Wheat Linguine

While the food at Sanford’s doesn’t blow me away, the range of dishes you can get at any time of the day or night is impressive. Prices on the menu range from $9 -$14 for burgers and sandwiches, to $15 - $17 for pastas and entrees. Taking into account the soup or salad that comes with each meal, and the bread basket, you get a lot of food for the price you’re paying. While the modern/trendy vibe at Sanford’s appeals to a certain crowd in Astoria, a part of me thinks if the owners kept the old-school diner similar to the way it was in 1922, that would also appeal to some clientele. As more and more restaurants come and go in Astoria, it’d be nice to see once that withstands the test of time and be able to enjoy it the way visitors did 90 years ago.