Sparrow - My First Disappointment...could it be?

Sparrow - 24-01 29th St Astoria, NY 11102

718.606.2260

N/W Train to Astoria Blvd

www.queenssparrow.com

I'm in love with this neighborhood bar/cafe that always delivers--especially on the food. Sadly, I encountered a little hiccup last week when dining with Joey in Astoria companions Megc and Floozigrl. Here's what went down:

I ordered the special of the day--cream of onion soup. And because Sparrow's soups have been so spot on in the past, I didn't think twice before ordering it. Meg and Floozigrl too liked the sound of this, "oohing" and "aahing" in unison when the waitress announced it as a special. But despite the suspenseful lead-up, here's what arrived:

Cream of Onion Soup: Looking at the picture, this dish looks wonderful but its taste unfortunately did not match its appearance. The liquid was thick and flavorless--and it lacked salt which I thought was a quick fix. Nope, I was wrong--still bland and murky tasting even after adding salt. I'm sorry to report that the essence of onion was completely lost in this dish. My favorite part was the beautiful crusty bread that accompanied it.

Fortunately, my companions' meals were a success. They both ordered burgers--chef Reyes' specialty--and were fully satisfied. Meg's burger was topped with gruyere cheese while Flooz went for the brie. A side of herbed fries came with these lovelies--and before you could do a double take, they were so gone!

Despite the small glitch in the soup, of course I'll come back--but next time I'll stick with the items I know are a sure thing.

What Ever Happened to Breakfast?

Terrizzi Pasticceria – 35-14 30th Ave, Astoria, NY 11103

718.726.9698

N/W Train to 30th Avenue

Many of us look forward to a weekend, treating ourselves to a nice brunch. But what about breakfast? We often skip it, saving our calories and our dough for a bigger meal. But before you miss this important course again, take a look at a mouthwatering breakfast special from Terrizzi Pasticceria:

The Tuscan Breakfast Special: Available everyday (and on the weekends until 3p)

Two eggs on a roll with pancetta, provolone and a cappuccino - $5.75

Now that sounds like a treat to me and I plan on trying it very soon. Terrizzi has been a staple of the ‘hood for more than 40 years. So give this local pasticceria a try and tell ‘em who sent ya.

Ovelia - Brunch Overload--in a Good Way!

Ovelia Psistaria - 34-01 30th Ave, Astoria, NY 11103
718.721.7217

N/W Train to 30th Avenue

www.ovelia-ny.com

I'm a bit partial to this more-than-just-a-cafe eatery, owned by Astoria natives--and two sets of brothers--Chris and Peter Giannakas and Elias and Mark Mandilaras. Thanks to them, Ovelia emanates energy and style to the max--and it has the customers to prove it. Although we had to wait more than 40 minutes to be seated for brunch, as always it was well worth it. The place was even busier than usual because they supported Time Out For Hunger where 10% of proceeds went to help relieve hungry New Yorkers.

Atmosphere:

Modern and welcoming, Ovelia certainly falls out of the 30th Avenue cookie-cutter cafe mold. The decor is eclectic and interesting--and varies depending on where you sit. The front is open and bright with traditional tables, the middle is funky with Picasso-esque art and brass tables and the back is more private with contemporary art and marble tables. So basically, you could choose your setting based on your mood that day--there are plenty of options.

The coolest part of Ovelia in my opinion is the bar--it's made of concrete and subtly shines with fiber optic lights. Yet another non-food piece-de-resistance is the garage door window that opens up on warm, sunny days.

Food:

The extensive brunch is what draws in a lot of customers. Ovelia does a great job of mixing traditional Greek cuisine with modern American tastes. Think French toast stuffed with Greek yogurt and honey or pancakes paired with homemade sausage--made from a family recipe. Here are the dishes we enjoyed this past Sunday:

Tiropita Toast - Served with sliced apples, bacon, cream cheese and apple chutney, this is yet another interesting specialty I haven't seen at other Greek joints. What makes the "toast" special is the homemade bread--a flatbread made with what else but Feta cheese. The result is crispy and flavorful and I loved the pairing of sweet (apple) and savory (bacon). The cream cheese melted nicely and the apple chutney was gentle on the tongue, seducing it completely!

Turkey, Mushroom and Bechamel Crepes - I split these with Kimberly and they were truly amazing, my favorite part being the creamy bechamel sauce on top and on the inside. The mushrooms were a lovely surprise in the middle and the dish was light despite its hearty ingredients. You get three huge crepes with this order so be prepared to share with others.

Our other dining compadres were also loving their dishes. Joe ordered poached eggs on English muffins with crispy hash on the side--and his clean plate was proof of his satisfaction. Same went for Maria who stuck with a lunch basic of chicken Caesar Salad and also had an empty plate by meal's end. Shaya got the stuffed French Toast and I heard no complaints--I think she was especially impressed by the homemade sausage.

Service and Cost:

As always, the service here is super quick and efficient. Although our waitress was new, she was competent and friendly--often cracking a smile and offering as much advice as she could. One thing to note is that because we waited so long, we were offered a free round of morning cocktails on the house. This meant a lot to us, and we happily waited another couple of minutes while toasting to a fun get together with our sweet Mimosas.

The prices here are excellent and yet again offer great value. Depending on what you get, brunch will cost you between $10-$13 per person. This includes coffee/tea, an entree and a morning cocktail--good stuff.

3 Mmmms

Omonia Cafe - My Big Fat Astorian Brunch

Omonia Cafe - 32-20 Broadway, Astoria, NY 11106

718.274.6650

N/W Train to Broadway

Crystal and I scoped out the amazing brunch deal at Omonia last week and this past weekend I went over there to check it out. The special consists of coffee/tea/juice, an entree, dessert and a morning cocktail for just $12.95. Incredible but is the food good? I give it a confident yes...check out my commentary below.

Atmosphere:

A trademark of the neighborhood, Omonia has been in existence since 1977. It's famous for elaborate Greek desserts--so much so that it baked the wedding cake for the movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding. They proudly display this accolade in their window--a worthy bragging right in my opinion.

Omonia has recently gone through a redesign and the decor is now cheery and contemporary. I have to admit that I used to stay away from this place in the past because of the smokers--despite the law, you could find an occasional smoker in the main dining room and that just ruined my appetite. But I'm happy to say that this is no more and Omonia is now a lovely, clean and smoke free environment. The space is open and very colorful. A tad on the cheesy side but still endearing and really friendly. We sat in the covered area near the windows, which is opened up in the summer. It made for a fun experience and made us feel in the center of the action.

Food:

There were so many choices to make for brunch--between all the entrees and desserts, everything sounded so appetizing. My cousins Tibor and Stephanie (and I) all ordered the Strapatsada and Dan got the Western omelette. Both were generous sized dishes and their taste was delightful.

Strapatsada: To give this dish a nickname, I'd dub it the "Grecian Scramble." It consisted of rustic scrambled eggs, feta cheese, tomatoes, olives and Mediterranean seasoning. A side of grilled pita accompanied this beauty and all three of us finished it to the last bite. Unlike some scrambled egg dishes which could be bland, this was anything but--and what I think made it awesome was the fragrant seasoning and the sauce. I certainly tasted oregano and a tomato-based sauce which hit the spot and made this dish ethnic.

Western Omelette: This sounds too ordinary right? I thought the same and personally didn't even think about getting it at a Greek place. Dan was really happy with it though and I could tell you why. I think the trick was that all the ingredients were fully integrated into the egg. And as you see from this picture, there were huge hunks of onions, peppers and ham nestled in every nook and cranny of this thing. I tasted it and it was right on--my favorite part being that it was slightly well done, giving the outside a yummy brown crust.

The Desserts: I'm sorry to say that I was disappointed in this area. The desserts we ordered were just OK, aside from Tibor's flan, which he loved. My Baklava was on the dry side, Dan's Black Forrest cake was bland and Stephanie's Amygdalou was just not what she was expecting--too nutty! To be extra gluttonous, we also ordered the DaVinci crepe. This, unlike the other desserts was spectacular--maybe because it was on the entree menu. The whipped cream was really fresh and reminded me of the fruit cup topping from my childhood in Europe. The filling was also luscious and creamy--with strawberries and silky Nutella. How could you go wrong?

Service and Cost:

We were very happy with the service and our waitress was friendly and kind. She gave us recommendations and even laughed with us when we tried to pronounce some of the hard-core Greek dishes. Overall she was a good sport and a pleasant server.

The cost, you already know is dynamite. $12.95 will get you a coffee/tea/juice, an entree, dessert of choice and a morning cocktail such as a mimosa, bloody Mary or a screwdriver.

3 Mmmms

Mezzo Mezzo Has a New Menu

Mezzo Mezzo - 31-29 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria, NY 11106
718.278.0444
N/W Train to Ditmars Blvd (last stop)
www.mezzomezzony.com

It's true, I've complained about this place in my past review but apparently Mezzo is making some nice changes to their menu--and adding some fun entertainment.

The new menu stays true to its Greekness and includes:

Appetizers:

Loukaniko - Flambeed imported Greek sausage...$9.90

Dolmades (a great veggie option) - Tender grape leaves stuffed with fresh mint, pine nuts, old spice, rice and Greek olive oil...$5.90

Kolokithi Scordalia - Pan-fried zucchini with garlic spread and fresh herbs...$6.90

Main courses:

Barbounia - Pan-fried red mullets served with horta (dandellion greens)...$15.90

Glossa - Fish fillet, broiled or stuffed with crabmeat, with olive oil, Greek herbs and lemon...$16.90-$19.90

Wood Grilled Specialties include beef, lamb, pork and seafood, grilled over woodchips and charcoal...$15.90-$24.90

Various Skewered Kebobs/Souvlaki - Swordfish, bifteki, chicken, lamb, pork and seafood, served with a choice of a side dish...$13.90-$19.90

Email me at critic@foodistanyc.com if you're interested in seeing the entire new menu.

And as for the entertainment, check out Mezzo's hookah lounge and a live belly dancer, Samantha every Saturday night. Enjoy Greek and Mediterranean music from 9p-1:30a.