Blend - Latin Fusion with Friendly Prices

Blend - 47-04 Vernon Blvd, Long Island City, NY 11101

718.729.2800

7 Train to Vernon Blvd/Jackson Avenue

www.blendlic.com

I mentioned sampling Blend's cuisine last week at the Taste of LIC event. Interested in exploring their dishes some more, my cousin Vicky and I met up there for dinner earlier this week. Everything was muy bien and the prices were the icing on the cake--I mean the tortilla.

Atmosphere:

Clearly a new establishment, everything at Blend was shiny and new--the tables, the artwork on the walls, the bar. It has yet to be broken in. The space is large and at about 6:30p on a weekday, we found ourselves to be Blend's only customers. This was more than OK with us because we weren't in the mood for anything too boisterous. The great thing about being "alone" was that we got a comfortable corner booth with cushiony seats. My only complaint was the music--it was loud and too techno-ey--something you wouldn't expect to hear at a Latin joint. It got lower as our meal progressed--maybe they heard us complaining--but the initial sound was obtrusive and unnecessary.

Food:

Blend offers an eclectic menu and it's really up to you how you'd like it presented--you can order a variety of tapas from their tapatizers section or you can get larger sized entrees. Vicky and I chose the former, which was a perfect way to try a bit of everything. Some of our tapatizers and other smaller dishes included:

Mazorca - YUM--this was roasted sweet corn, rubbed with mayo, cheese and chili powder. At first, we were a little intimidated because it didn't come divided but after asking our waiter to make it more tapas friendly, he gladly obliged and we enjoyed this sweet veggie immensely. I loved the chili powder on it, especially because it added some heat to the sweetness.

Mofongo con Sofrito - I had mofongo before at Fatty's Cafe and knew that I'd like this dish. It consists of mashed plantains with garlic, cilantro, floating in a delicious tomato sauce. This one was much prettier than at Fatty's and the taste was fabulous. The plantains made it hearty and the garlic and cilantro flavors were distinct without being overpowering. If you like plantains, I'd strongly suggest this.

Camarones al Ajillo (shrimp with garlic) - A classic tapas dish, we wanted to see how this one stacked up to others we've sampled. Quite good! The shrimp was cooked well and came with a side of toasted bread to be used for dipping into the garlic sauce. The bread was disappointing because it was slightly burned but when dipped into the sauce, this small error was quickly forgotten--the sauce was absolutely garliffic!

Tostones - I love to get these instead of fries--a). because they taste much better and b). because they're a lot bigger and filling. Blend's version passed with flying colors and the cilantro, onion and tomato salsa topping was a refreshing complement.

Empanadas - We both wanted to complete this meal with something hearty so we ordered individual servings of empanadas. I got the chorizo and Vicky ordered the carne. My chorizo pocket was delightful and I'd get it again in a heartbeat--the pastry crust was made of cornmeal, which was deliciously crunchy while the chorizo was smoky and a tad spicy. Vicky enjoyed her carne as well but I couldn't help noticing that the pastry crust around hers was lighter. Not to say that it wasn't good but mine looked a bit more appetizing.

Note that Blend just got approved for their liquor license so they didn't have drinks to serve us, but moving forward they will have cocktails available.

Service and Cost:

The service couldn't be better because as I mentioned, we were the only customers in the place. Our waiter was friendly and accommodating. He was quick with the check but didn't make us feel rushed.

The final bill was a beautiful thing--for all of the dishes that I just described our total bill came out to $26! Yep, $13 bucks a pop for dinner can't be beat and quite frankly can't be found anywhere else! Once Blend gets to serve liquor, things will change but we walked out quite elated and quite full!

3 Mmmms

Il Bambino Cafe - Panini Squisiti

Il Bambino Cafe - 34-08 31st Avenue, Astoria, NY 11106

718.626.0087

N/W Train to Broadway or 30th Avenue

www.ilbambinocafe.com

Il Bambino has been the talk of the town since it opened its doors less than two years ago. This place is known for amazing paninis made out of simple, quality ingredients. Friends from the neighborhood have been talking it up so much that I finally went over there after my Sunday afternoon bellydancing ritual. I'm not exaggerating when I say that my life will never be the same--this is some good, not-to-be-missed stuff!

Atmosphere:

As I already hinted, Il Bambino is simple and on the small side yet its decor is tasteful and charming. I especially love the wall of rustic mirrors juxtaposed with the wall of wooden cutting boards and paddles. The front of the house shows an oversized wall painting of a pink, fleshy pig, arrows pointing to the parts of the body that produce prosciutto, speck, cappa, sopressata and your other favorite cured meats.

The vibe here is really fun and casual. Young patrons occupy small wooden tables, they chat freely and listen to the upbeat music coming from the sound system. I was pleasantly surprised by some of the music selections--a jazz rendition of Amy Winehouse's "Rehab" and Britney Spears' "Toxic." I know, I know, cheesy as hell but I promise that the jazz versions were awesome.

Food:

The main reason for our visit was of course to sample the famous paninis. We took our panini tasting very seriously, ordering three different kinds and sharing them with each other --a fun way to experience a variety of flavors and I recommend it. Here's what we tried:

Root Vegetable Soup: This was a group starter and what a beautiful introduction to our meal it was! The soup was topped with a warm pesto flatbread, which we split into thirds and dipped into the soup. I couldn't decide which was better--to eat it on its own or to submerge it into the creamy soup. I'd get this again in a heartbeat and because the portion was generous, we hung on to it for dipping sauce for our paninis.

Fried Eggplant: Served with fresh tomatoes and basil pesto, this was our only veggie panini and it happened to be my favorite. Despite being fried, the eggplant was very light and enhanced nicely by the pesto. My mom pointed out that it was not overly garlicky like some pestos can be and I think that's what made it yummy. Bravo for the pesto!

Prosciutto: This meaty panini also included tangy Gorgonzola cheese and sweet fig spread. The figs gave it a "desserty" taste, providing a nice contrast to the other more salty paninis. Although my dining companions loved this dish, I'm not a huge fan of cooked prosciutto. I would've preferred if the prosciutto was added at the last minute in its original form.

Sunday Special - Soppressata: Served with fontina cheese and sliced green apples, this sounded too good to pass up. The apples were paper thin, a perfect complement to the salty soppressata and the stringy fontina. I'd say that this pannini was the gentlest of the bunch and I could've finished the whole thing myself.

In addition to paninis, Il Bambino also boasts a sampling of tapas.

Service and Cost:
Absolutely no complains about the service--our waitress was laid back, pleasant and our plates appeared and disappeared in good time. Another positive is that we didn't have to wait long for the check. The staff at the front counter was friendly and welcoming too, answering our questions about their impressive, colossal cupcakes.

Cost-wise, Il Bambino is wallet friendly--$4 for soup and crostini, $6-$10 for antipasti, $7-$8 for salads and tapas, and $7.50-$8.50 for paninis. Il Bambino is a BYOB establishment, which fits its personality--so come by for lunch or dinner and bring a bottle of white with ya.

3 Mmmms