Butcher Bar

Butcher Bar opened this past December to a flurry of hype, with critics, bloggers, and food enthusiasts raving about the part butcher shop, part barbecue restaurant that only carries locally sourced meats and vegetables. All their meats are antibiotic and hormone free, pasture raised, and grass fed, and come from a variety of nearby local farms, which are noted on a weekly basis on the blackboard inside the place (“This week’s farms are…”). Demand was so high opening week at Butcher Bar, that lunch service had to be temporarily suspended to keep up with the catering and dinner orders that poured in. Long before Butcher Bar opened, there were little clues gradually uncovering what this reconstructed space would be: first came the emblem of a cow’s head with the words “Got Grass?” underneath stamped on the wooden boards of a construction site across the street (adjacent to Pita Pan – they are still there!). Then came the vertical sign reading “Smoke” above the still under construction space, which led my friend and I to make guesses on what these place could be. My friend guessed a cigar shop. I guessed a barbecue spot. Then came the meat cleaver iron door handle on the outside door, leading me to believe, and get very excited for some sort of new, cooler take on your classic butcher shop. It wasn’t until I found out it was part organic, locally sourced butcher shop plus barbecue joint did all the clues come together – this is a genius idea. What better place to enjoy barbecue meats then in an actual butcher shop located within the restaurant, with real life butchers and meat connoisseurs on hand? Not only that, but Butcher Bar prides itself on not owning a freezer, ensuring nothing is ever frozen, not even their ice cream that comes with the apple pie. While we Astoria folks are very fortunate enough to still have a solid handful of good butcher shops in our neighborhood, we are not so lucky in the barbecue cuisine area, save for John Brown Smokehouse located 1.5 miles away from Butcher Bar.

A sign above the butcher area ties together Butcher Bar’s philosophy well: We cook what we sell, sell what we cook.  The interior of Butcher Bar consists of a seating area in the front, with a butcher’s counter behind the seating displaying various cuts of meats, burgers, and sausages. Further inside the restaurant there are shelves alongside the wall displaying various butcher guidebooks, cookbooks, and general items for purchase, including Butcher Bar’s popular dry-rub, various organic spices, apple butter, and their organic noodles that go into the Mac & Cheese. Deeper within is a door leading to a backyard area, which should be open in the summer for outdoor barbecues. The whole store is lined in wood, and has a rustic vibe. Alternative music plays in the background, a refreshing change from the usual club music blasting from the majority of shops on 30^th Avenue. While we were waiting to be seated, a waitress brought us each a warm Corncake from their menu, which featured a hint of Honey Butter. The Corncakes were delicious and the perfect mini-muffin size. Butcher Bar fills up fast, and the dining area is small, however, with their speedy service, turnaround is quick, and well worth the wait.

interior

interior

butcher counter

interior w. the Got Grass stamp

interior

dining area

My friend and I ordered the Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwich and Beef Brisket Sandwich, each coming with house slaw and a pickle. We also ordered the Sauteed String Beans and Creamy Mac & Cheese as our sides. Butcher Bar also serves natural Maine Root sodas made with organic evaporated cane juice, replacing the corn syrup found in most sodas, and their Butcher Bar Iced Tea, sweet or sugar-free. I ordered the Maine Root Mexicane Diet Cola, which was very sweet due to the Stevia used in the beverage. My dining companion ordered the Butcher Bar Sugar-Free Iced Tea, which did not taste particularly special. There is a television facing the dining area which shows a loop of a cow sketch outlining the cuts of meat, as well as various photos of hanging meat and raw cuts of meat. I don’t think that is the most desirable thing to be watching on a screen while you’re eating, so that was a bit off-putting.

dining area

Our food came out literally four minutes after ordering. The Smoked Pulled Pork sandwich is described as tender, juicy, and dressed in BBQ sauce. I was apprehensive about ordering this, as more often than not, when restaurants serve pulled pork sandwiches, they come smothered in BBQ sauce, which greatly overpowers the flavor of the meat. A chalkboard in Butcher Bar explained that the meats are smoked using dry rubs first, with sauces added later in the process. I asked our waitress, which confirmed the pulled pork had BBQ sauce on it. However, I was happily surprised to find the meat came out with just the right amount of BBQ sauce drizzled on top, not soaking in it. The Pulled Pork is exactly as described, each bite tender and juicy. Each table features two sauces – Original, which is their BBQ sauce, and Sweet & Sour, which has a more subtle BBQ taste, enhanced with sweet spices with a bit of a kick. I was able to dress my sandwich as I pleased using these sauces. My sauce of choice: the Sweet & Sour. The house slaw was phenomenal, with crisp, fresh shredded vegetables in a light, tangy mayonnaise. The Creamy Mac & Cheese was tasty, with big macaroni noodles covered in a rich cheese sauce.

Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwich w. Creamy Mac & Cheese

The Beef Brisket Sandwich features 12-hour slow smoked brisket, which is so tender, it melts in your mouth. Brisket can normally be a tough meat to eat, but this one is anything but tough, and easy to bite into. The Sauteed String Beans are cooked with bacon and onions, and have a nice, smoky flavor to them.  The portions at Butcher Bar are on the small side, which I enjoyed, and helps you not feel overstuffed once your indulgent meal is done.

Beef Brisket Sandwich w. Sauteed String Beans

Aside from the barbecue offered, one can also purchase a range of pork, beef, chicken, lamb and turkey cuts available by the pound. Butcher Bar is a happy and much needed barbecue addition to 30^th Avenue. I enjoyed my barbecue there, and look forward to trying some of their other fresh offerings. Not only is the food delicious, but it is all locally sourced and hormone and antibiotic free, which is something you can feel great about. 

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.