Locale - Modern, Shabby-Chic Spot

Locale - 33-02 34th Avenue, Astoria, NY 11106

718.729.9080

N/W Train to Broadway

www.localeastoria.com

I've heard good things about Locale from a fellow Astorian and have been meaning to try their brunch. My experience here was good and I'd definitely return to this off-beat, artsy and yummy eatery.

Atmosphere:
The first thing that you notice upon coming here is the lovely exposed brick wall and shabby-chic decor. I'm a firm believer of this style of furnishing--it can be found in our apartment. The artwork at Locale is cool, contemporary and the nude paintings remind me of Matisse. The large floor to ceiling windows are also appealing and bring in a good amount of natural light--these are open through the summer months, creating a fun, side-walk cafe feel.

Food:

I was quite happy in this department and thoroughly enjoyed my brunch. I got the Texas Toast, which wasn't your typical thick eggy bread. This one came with crunchy corn flakes mixed into the batter, topped with delicious powdered sugar. The side dish was a small fruit salad which was fresh and sweet.

My dining companions were for the most part satisfied. Both got omelets--Moran got the zucchini which pleased her and Peter got the South Omelet with grilled chicken, jalapeno peppers and cheddar cheese. He complained though that his dish was too heavy on the jalapenos; so watch out if you order this!

Service and Cost:

The servers at Locale were great. Our waitress was pleasant and efficient--our water glasses weren't empty even for a second.

My criticism about the price was they had no brunch special. Unlike Ovelia, Grand or Fatty's, there was no great combo special, and Mimosas or Bloody Mary's were an extra $7! However, their brunch dishes were a few bucks cheaper--probably to compensate for their lack of special. Brunch will cost you between $6.50-$9.95 without a drink. Add $10 on to that if you also get a coffee and cocktail. Dinner will cost you between $8.50-$9.95 for appetizers and $12.50-$19.50 for entrees.

Luna de Juarez - Not Your Typical South of the Border

Luna de Juarez - 25-98 Steinway St, Astoria, NY 11103

718.274.4350

R/V/G Train to Steinway Street

I decided to try this place after reading a review of it on Joey in Astoria--one of my favorite local blogs. And while it didn't disappoint, it wasn't overly impressive either. I'd come here again but it wouldn't be my first choice for Mexican in Astoria.

Atmosphere:

The look and feel of Luna is pretty nice and you could tell that its owners strived to make it trendy. However, just like Table 30, I think it tries too hard--the sleek lighting at the bar especially could be seen in any cafe on 30th Avenue.

The seating is spacious and it's fun to sit towards the back, where the tables have more of a booth feel. My only complaint about the tables is their odd proportion to the chairs--I felt that our table was too high, making me reach far for my food.

Food:

My expectations were high in this department after reading Joey's fantastic review. But I was strangely underwhelmed in some areas. The chips and salsa were great--especially the salsa which was lime-green in color with a slight throat-tickling kick. Like Joey, we also ordered the Aguacate--fried, cheesy avocado stuffed with shrimp. And although it sounded amazing and exotic, I would never order it again. The sauce that it rested on was watery and bland, and the avocado also lacked proper seasoning. I thought that the price, $9.95 was too steep for this underwhelming dish.

For my main course, I ordered a chicken and beef enchilada combo with tomatillo sauce. Now this, I really liked! The portion was enormous and the sides of maduros and refried beans were stupendous. The maduros in particular impressed me--I loved their soft texture and their salty-sweet taste. Kimberly also liked her enchilada combo but said she wasn't crazy about the red sauce they floated in.

Service and Cost:

The service was fine but we kept getting different waitstaff, which was confusing. Our first waitress seemed too green, leaving our table to check back on basically every food question that we had. The next waiter was more knowledgeable but seemed too cocky and flirtatious--both Kimberly and I were NOT in the mood for flirting.

The prices at Luna are moderate but in my opinion, should be cheaper. A full dinner will cost you about $30 to $35, including a drink, appetizer and an entree.

Wintery Comfort Grub

What's more comforting than a nice hot soup and a hearty chicken dish?

As you all know, I love to cook up basically anything--but especially winter comfort grub. Here are two dishes that will surely warm your bones on a blistering winter day.

Creamy Mushroom Soup with Thyme Toasts:
I got this recipe from the December/January issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray. Click here for complete recipe. Reason why I love it? It's super filling and after eating a big bowl of it,you won't need to eat a second course! And the ingredients that go into it are also wallet friendly.

Foodista Variation: I didn't use as much cream as the recipe called for and skipped the extra cream-garnishing at the end--thought that was a bit excessive. Also, instead of toasting the bread in more butter--also too indulgent--I grilled it on a grill pan with a modest amount of olive oil. I put the toasts directly into the soup so they could soak up its delicious flavor and sprinkled thyme on top.

Tuscan Chicken:
This recipe came from the January issue of Bon Appetit, p. 26. (Recipe coming to the web soon). I decided to make this dish because I had leftover chicken breasts in my fridge. The recipe was easy and also included simple ingredients that you're likely to already have. It was a big hit with Dan who usually doesn't eat leftovers but these were gone before I even got to them.

Foodista Variation: I skipped the lemon mayonnaise that was supposed to be a dipping sauce--who needs unnecessary mayo anyway? Also, instead of grated Parmesan, I used shredded. It gave the chicken an interesting texture and was still very crispy. I also didn't use spinach and capers, which were supposed to be the toppers; Dan is not a big fan of these and I could do without them as well.

Enjoy!