An afternoon in Astoria
Traveling is one of the great joys of my life. The hardest thing about this past year aside from not being able to connect with friends and family in real life has been not being able to travel. I am lucky to live in NYC though. When I get restless I can explore neighborhoods both old and new to me. I recently was able to spend an afternoon in one of my favorite parts of Northern Queens — Astoria.
Astoria is a quiet and diverse neighborhood. I have a number of friends who live in the area and in the past I’ve had fun exploring the many Greek restaurants and bakeries, Middle Eastern eateries, and local favorite watering holes including the Beer Garden at Bohemian Hall.
Lately, my partner and I have been heading to the Steinway Street stop on the subway and exploring the stretch of Broadway nearby. There you will find an eclectic assortment of restaurants, bars, and shopping. We’ve been enjoying stocking up on beer and other provisions at Astoria Bier and Cheese. On our most recent trip, we dined there. They have a wonderful outdoor set up with overhead heaters. You order inside the shop and they’ll bring your food out to your table. This is great because it gives you the opportunity to peruse the ever-shifting draft menu. They also sell small pours and flights so if you’d like to sample several brews without getting too tipsy you can. Recently we discovered some new winter beers from their tap menu including Moustache Brewing’s Winter Coat, Hudson Valley Brewery’s Willow Blade, and Big aLICE Brewing’s Blackberry Pomegranate Sour. As the restaurant’s name suggests the menu is cheese forward. Lou and I split an order of cheese curds as an appetizer. Lou had the Muffaletta sandwich filled with spicy meats, mozzarella, and olive salad. I had the truffle grilled cheese aptly named The Truffle Shuffle.
Truffle Shuffle at Astoria Bier and Cheese
If you like beer but aren’t looking for a big meal you should head to Madam Marie’s. You can enjoy drafts, cocktails, and other beverages on their heated porch, and the $1 hot dogs or grilled cheese sandwiches will keep you from getting too tipsy.
Lou and I in the heated garden at Madam Marie’s
If you are looking for shopping this is also a great neighborhood to find a little bit of everything. Lockwood Paper is a wonderful shop for unique gifts and greeting cards. If you walk along Broadway there are a number of butchers, bakeries, and specialty food stores. Lou and I particularly like D & F Italian Deli. A great hidden gem of the neighborhood is the Midtown Comics Outlet. Midtown Comics is one of Lou’s favorite book stores. The Astoria outlet is only open on the weekends and is the best place to find a bargain on new and classic comics, graphic novels, and action figures.
Recent acquisition from Midtown Comics Outlet
