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.

Gyro Uno

Remember back in October when I wrote that the best gyro in Astoria will be saved for another post? Well folks, the time has come! The best gyro in Astoria is found at Gyro Uno, located on Steinway on the corner of 28^th Avenue, right in the heart of Little Egypt. Living in Astoria, which boasts the largest Greek population outside of Greece, there seems to be a gyro spot on each block, each boasting the rights to the best gyro the universe has ever tasted. Gyro Uno claims no such thing, but is a humble restaurant offering a magnitude of options, such as soulvaki, pizza, pasta, breakfast (all day), salads, sandwiches, spanakopita, and of course, gyros; there is little that you cannot find on their menu. Usually I am cautious of places that specialize in one type of cuisine, yet offer so many varied dishes since the latter usually turns out to be a disappointment. However, I can confidently say the majority of items I have tried, gyros aside, have been really good as well.

interior

The gyro at Gyro Uno comes generously filled with perfectly seasoned and tender lamb, red onion, tzatziki sauce, fresh tomatoes, and parsley, sprinkled with paprika and wrapped in a soft, slightly warm pita. The gyro is so big and hearty in and of itself, and for $5, it truly is the best deal town. I wasn’t a huge fan of lamb gyros until I tried one at Gyro Uno. It is now the only place I will eat one. Everything on the Gyro Uno menu is inexpensive, especially compared to other places in the neighborhood. Another equally awesome tidbit: all the food at Gyro Uno is homemade, so their soups, meatballs, tzatziki sauce, everything is made in the kitchen. I discovered this when battling a cold, and looking for some good soup. Asking if the soups were homemade, one of my favorite waitresses there confirmed that it was, like everything else on the menu, homemade. And it turned out to be the best chicken noodle soup I have ever eaten at a restaurant. The spanakopita is equally great, and at $3.75 a piece, another great deal.  Their Greek Salad is another one of my favorites, filled with delicious olives and a thick piece of the best and freshest feta cheese I’ve tasted.

gyro at Gyro Uno

The waitresses are Gyro Uno are two charming, friendly older Greek woman, who alternate days, and who tell it like it is. You can trust them to be honest with you if you have questions about the menu. Gyro Uno is also cash-only.

Walking into Gyro Uno, you feel as though you are back in old Astoria, before the organic burger shops and brunch cafes sprung up everywhere. The place has been around for a long time, and the look hasn’t changed much either. The waitresses themselves are as engrained in the place as the faded menu pictures lining the walls. Although Gyro Uno doesn’t have the look of the ever-increasing trendy hotspots in Astoria, it is a gem, serving delicious, homemade food at unbeatable prices.

Euro Delights

It is true one can find any sort of food in Astoria, including a restaurant devoted to all types of crepes: sweet, savory, and breakfast crepes. While sweet and savory crepes are common, I had never encountered a breakfast crepe, and was eager to try one on a recent Saturday morning. Euro Delights is an unassuming creperie on Broadway that offers an endless amount of different crepe combinations, as well as breakfast dishes, Panini, burgers, wraps, and just about anything else you can think of. Their main specialty is the crepe, and it is my belief they should stick to that, but for all those crepe haters out there, Euro Delights has you covered too.

From the outside, Euro Delights looks like a typical diner, so I never gave it a second thought whenever I walked past it. It was after I found out they serve crepes that my interest was heightened. I’ve always found crepes to be a bit difficult to find in this city, where I have to wait for the Memorial Day through Labor Day street fairs to indulge in my love for crepes. Once I found out Euro Delights not only served crepes, but a whole bunch of different types of crepes, I had to give it a try.

from the outside

From the inside, Euro delights still looks like a typical diner. The place does not have much character in its orange walls and picturesque painted scenes of many unbeknownst harbors. A few lonely Snapples sit in an empty fridge in the back, and tables fill the main dining area.

interior

interior

dining area

The crepe selection is lengthy, but upon reading the descriptions of the crepes, you notice that they are just the different combinations of the same ten or so ingredients, mixed together in every way possible.  My friends and I all ended up ordering from the breakfast crepes selection, getting the La Basic Crepe, the Stallion Crepe, and the Maple Madness Crepe.

I ordered La Basic Crepe, which consisted of cheese, eggs, and ham (or salami). I chose this crepe because I wanted something simple where the flavors could really shine, and because in Brittany, the region in France where crepes and galettes were invented, this is a common savory galette that is served in every creperie. I thought it would be best to compare apples to apples.  When my La Basic came out, I was a bit disappointed – it did not look anything like the crepes I had from my time in Brittany. The crepe at Euro Delights consisted of scrambled eggs, mixed with cheese and pieces of ham folded inside the buckwheat crepe, whereas in Brittany, the crepes are served thinly, with melted cheese and thin layers of ham, with an ever so slightly cooked (or sometimes raw) egg laid delicately on top. While the crepes and galettes I got to eat in Brittany where absolutely delicious, I guess it is a bit unfair to compare the regional birthplace of a dish to a shop in Astoria, Queens. Putting that comparison aside, my crepe at Euro Delights was good. It was generously filled with my scrambled eggs, cheese, and ham mixture. While the flavors in my crepe were not as delicate, it was an enjoyable crepe that was made well.  It also came with a lone cucumber and tomato wedge covered in balsamic vinegar on the side, which left the cook in me confused and my taste buds offended. I believe this cucumber and tomato slice came with every breakfast crepe, which makes no sense from a culinary viewpoint, as not every crepe flavors’ on the menu harmoniously taste well with balsamic vinegar covered vegetables. It seems as if they were placed there as some sort of lazy attempt at a side or garnish. I had no care for them, and would rather have them not be on my plate, as the balsamic vinegar coat of course found its way on to my crepe.

La Basic Crepe

My friends ordered the Stallion and Maple Madness crepes. The Stallion was filled with cheese, eggs, sausage, caramelized onions, and green peppers. Why the owners didn’t just call it the Italian Stallion will remain a mystery to me. This crepe had the same scrambled eggs as mine did, with a zestier and fulfilling filling. The Maple Madness Crepe had bananas, walnuts, butter, and maple syrup, and came out with whipped crème and topped with powdered sugar and syrup. More of a sweet crepe than a breakfast crepe, it was great and also, generously filled.

the Stallion Crepe

the Maple Madness Crepe

I enjoyed my breakfast at Euro Delights, and will be visiting there again. For a creperie in Astoria, it is great and something we needed. The crepes are hearty and varied, which is nice for trying out new flavors you may not normally have thought of. With that said, there are some pretty wild combinations that do not appeal to me, but may appeal to others. I probably would not order from the breakfast selection again, due to my dislike for scrambled eggs in crepes. I have yet to try their sweet crepes but from what I saw with the Maple Madness Crepe, they seem to have their sweet crepes covered. The crepes will cost you between $6-$12.

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.

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.

Pita Pan

Pita Pan holds a dear place in my heart, as it was one of the very first places I ate at in Astoria prior to moving to this town. My friend Vinny (thank you bud!) introduced me to this gem back in 2009, and I have been hooked ever since.  As it became apparent that I would be moving to Astoria, I was comforted by the fact that I would be mere minutes away from the orange and green haven. Even before moving to Astoria, I once convinced a fellow Manhattan dweller to drive me to Pita Pan from Kips Bay to fulfill a craving (and thus, hooking her onto Pita Pan too).  So it is no surprise that I love this place.

The best way to describe Pita Pan would be a fast food gyro shop. It is not your traditional gyro restaurant; Pita Pan takes some liberties in their gyro offerings, liberties that I appreciate. They do not have the best gyro in Astoria (that, my friends, I will save for another post). But they do have very good gyros, ones that I find myself craving, more often than not, over the traditional gyros. Astoria is a historically Greek neighborhood, meaning you can find a place that serves gyros on practically every block, with new gyro establishments still popping up everywhere.  Traditional gyros consist of a beef-and-lamb combination of meat (slowly cooked together via vertical spit), served with tomato, onion, and tzatziki sauce, wrapped in a pita. Pita Pan offers you a choice of three meats for their filling – chicken, pork (also known as the Pita Pan gyro), and beef/lamb, as well as a choice of whole wheat or regular pita. Your gyro is then filled with red onion, tomato, thin hand-cut fries, and your choice of sauce – tzatziki, mustard, mayo, or Pita Pan sauce (a mixture of ketchup and hot sauce). Although fries in a gyro sounds like an unlikely pairing, Pita Pan makes it work, adding no more than a handful to give you a subtle, albeit unique taste.

photo courtesy of flickr

My favorite items to get at Pita Pan are the chicken gyro on whole wheat pita with extra tzatziki sauce, and the Mandarin salad. The tzatziki sauce is a must; a gyro without tzatziki is like a pizza without cheese – it just doesn’t work. Pita Pan’s tzatziki is great and full of the bold favors of the cucumber and dill. The chicken is tender and juicy, with a light crispiness on the outside (due to the spit). Their gyros are always made fresh, with the meat shaved off the spit a minute before it reaches your table. The Pita Pan gyro (with the pork) tends to be a bit fattier in taste, due to the nature of the pork itself, while the beef/lamb gyro stays true to the traditional gyro taste. One thing to note about the gyros is that they are smaller than your typical gyro, with most patrons ordering two to make a meal. This is a plus in my book, as it lets you mix and match gyro sandwiches if you please, or enjoy your gyro with something else on the varied menu. I believe Pita Pan’s gyros are perfectly filled with just the right amount of meat and toppings. Most gyros elsewhere are so overflowing with meat that it is nearly impossible to hold the gyro in your hand without everything spilling out. Although Pita Pan is known for their gyros, they do serve a myriad of other options, including souvlaki, falafel, panini, wraps, salads, burgers, and pizza.

beef/lamb gyro + chicken gyro w. extra tzatziki on whole wheat pita 

chicken souvlaki sticks, served w. tzatziki, bread, + lemon wedge

two falafel sandwiches + milkshake

Aside from the gyros, I am a huge fan of the Mandarin salad, which consists of mixed mesclun greens with sliced almonds, Mandarin oranges, and raisins, served with warm pita and balsamic vinaigrette on the side. I always ask for the salad to go, even if I am eating in, as I noticed the glass salad bowls for dining in are substantially smaller than the take-out containers, hence, more salad. Aside from being a tasty salad, I fell in love with the dressing. I bought countless bottles of balsamic vinaigrette from the supermarket to try and figure out what brand they use, until I finally just asked the woman behind the counter. Turns out, I cannot get that balsamic dressing anywhere – they make it homemade in house. She then kindly suggested that she could let me know next time they make a big batch, in which I could purchase it off them.  I have not taken her up on her offer yet, but it is nice to know it is there.

Mandarin salad w. pita

The establishment itself has a bit of a brand strategy issue going on. Aside from the orange and green color theme being splashed everywhere, there is always loud techno/house music blasting, with the occasional rap and hip-hop song interjecting the club-like ambience.  There are also three mini TVs stacked into the wall next to the counter showing an animated dancing hamburger, pictures of women dressed in club attire, and a picture of a skydiving man with copy being flashed in two different size fonts and colors. The site has a similar problem, with a music player playing the “Pita Pan Jingle”, traditional Greek instrumental music, and trance/house/rap on a constant, mind-numbing loop.

Appearances aside, Pita Pan’s food is delicious, fresh, and cheap (one gyro runs you $3 plus change). Additionally, Pita Pan is open late (up to 2AM on weekends), always clean, and the cashiers bring your food to your table and clean it up afterwards – all excellent perks. Although you may not find a gyro with fries in it on the streets of Thessaloniki, Pita Pan is well worth the interpretation.

Mt. Olympus Bagels

Mention bagels to anyone in Astoria, and you will most likely hear the name Brooklyn Bagel getting tossed around.  With three locations in my neighborhood (and none in Brooklyn), Brooklyn Bagel is the popular choice for many Astorians looking for their fix.  I, however, prefer a far less hyped up joint, by the name of Mt. Olympus Bagels. While not as fancy and chic as Brooklyn Bagel, Mt. Olympus delivers fresh, delicious, and very reasonably priced bagels and coffee, which is all I really need from a bagel shop. So they don’t offer WiFi? It’s okay in my book.

What makes Mt. Olympus Bagels so delicious is the texture of their bagels. Soft and chewy on the inside, yet delicately firm on the outside, the bagels are always fresh. They are not overly huge, meaning, your bagel filling does not get lost in the pillows of dough. Being a huge fan of everything bagels, I feel Mt. Olympus has perfected the art of applying the seeds/seasonings to each side of the bagel without drowning it. You can taste the sea salt, and poppy seeds, and sesame seeds, and onion, without feeling engulfed in them.  In addition to the fine bagels (so fine, the gods of Olympus named this bagel place themselves), you can enjoy rapidly fast service, no matter how crowded, and a copy of a Greek newspaper, if you feel so inclined. All for a very affordable price.

Mt. Olympus from the outside

Mt. Olympus from the inside

My two usuals at Mt. Olympus are their ham-egg-cheese on an everything bagel, and their everything bagel with vegetable cream cheese.  Both have never disappointed me. Their ham-egg-cheese pairs deliciously with the flavors of the everything bagel, and their vegetable cream cheese is equally tasty. They are also generous with their spreads, which I enjoy.

ham-egg-cheese on an everything bagel

I wasn’t impressed upon first seeing Mt. Olympus on my initial visit. The place is a hole in the wall from the outside, and the inside is nothing special. However, once I tasted the bagels, I knew this was not your average bagel shop. Thank you, MB, for introducing me to this place that I might never have given a chance.