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.

Crescent and Vine - A Lovely, Chillaxin' Time

Crescent and Vine - 25-01 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria, NY 11105

718.204.4774

N/W Train to Ditmars Blvd (last stop)

I've visited this place several times on weekends and always enjoyed their cool, low-key vibe. The wine flows, the music is nice and the friendly neighborhood feeling never wanes. It's also next door to Fatty's Cafe so next time you're there, think about a double header.

Atmosphere:

Dimly-lit, Crescent gives off a chill, sophisticated aura. This place is intimate--as in the size of a NYC living room--but that's all part of the appeal. Its close quarters make you feel like a part of something exclusive and private. The coolest design feature about Crescent, for me is the original tin ceiling--it's been polished nicely since the opening and in fact looks brand new.

Another interesting aspect is a small elevated area located in the front of the house. This platform houses two cozy tables with lounge seating and a view of the 'hood. You can't help but notice it right away and think "who are those VIPs sitting up there and how did they score those seats?" Fortunately, anyone can sit up there--you just have to show up at the right time.

Food and Wine:

Although this is a wine bar, they offer a food menu with paninis and select appetizers. And while I wouldn't necessarily come here for dinner, it's a lovely option for a light bite or a late-night snack. Here's what I tried:

Bruschetta - Served on crusty bread, this juicy tomato snack didn't compete with the flavor of our full bodied red wine. My favorite part was the sweet and almost syrupy balsamic vinaigrette, drizzled on top. It gave the dish an unexpected dimension--one of dessert.

Panini 1 - Cerrano ham, Manchego cheese and sun-dried tomato. Wow! My sandwich came out hot, crunchy and definitely on the well-done side--fine by me! It was served with a side of three adorable miniature pickles, which reminded me of the Hungarian pickles my family loves and basically eats with everything. The sandwich itself was tasty although I'm not sure I loved what the panini press did to the Cerrano ham. It tasted overcooked to me and I think adding the ham at the end would've been better, thus preserving its delicate flavor.

Panini 2 - Gouda cheese, arugula and balsamic. Kimberly ordered this panini variation and I liked it much better than mine. The cheese melted really nicely and gave the sandwich a pleasant tang. The arugula wasn't too sharp either and the overall taste was soothing and woodsy. I would definitely order this next time around--note, it's called the Crescent and Vine panini.

Wine: Kimberly and I both ordered reds which came recommended by our knowledgeable waitor. Mine was a lovely Merlot and Kimberly got the Malbec, which she enjoyed. Helpful Hint: We came here on a Monday and most of the wine we were really interested in was gone--consumed over the weekend. So if you're looking for their top shelf selections, hit up Crescent and Vine on a Friday or Saturday--you're more likely to get what you set your eyes on.

Service and Cost:
The service here was exceptional. Not only was the waiter super knowledgeable, he was also friendly, attentive and trustworthy. All of his recommendations were sound and his wine expertise was duly noted. He offered great alternatives to some unavailable wines--and was so convincing in fact, that we're already looking forward to going back and trying them when fully stocked.

You'll get great value here for both the food and the wine. Although the wine prices per glass can be deceiving--$13 or $14/glass--they come filled and are also accompanied with a small decanter. Kimberly and I were able to get about 2.5 glasses out of this and were quite happy. The appetizers are all pretty much in the neighborhood of $7-$9 and our paninis were both $8--nice and reasonable.

2 Mmmms

Dillingers - 25 Cent Wing-a-linckin' Good!

click to enlarge calendar

Dillingers Pub and Grill - 46-19 30th Avenue, Astoria, NY 11103
718.267.0900
R/V/G Train to 45th Street

I showed up at Dillingers last night to mix with some Astorians--literally Astorians from Astorians.com. And while this cheery Irish pub is a bit far from my neck of the woods, I decided to bite the bullet, battle the cold and get out there. All in all a very fun evening--the 25 cent wings and $10 pitchers of beer are definitely worth coming back for!

Atmosphere:
This is a typical, friendly, Irish pub that's very much a neighborhood spot. You're likely to find a lot of regulars and a boisterous atmosphere. It's great for a casual hangout with friends from the 'hood.

Dillingers has fun daily specials--a whole calendar of them in fact. Give them a call and find out what's happening each night. You can also request to be added to their contact list and receive a list of specials via email. Or...see current February calendar of specials above--courtesy of fellow Astorian, Fitch.

Food:

As I mentioned, besides for the company I also came for the wingies. And they were damn good! We decided to go all-in and ordered 50 wings for our side of the table. It seemed like an obscenely huge amount but once they got there, they disappeared just as quickly--see our empty plate?

And although we ordered medium Buffalo wings, they were actually not spicy at all--a plus in my book! They were fresh, piping hot and nice-and-meaty--far from the sad, pathetic scraps you sometimes find at pubs. These were big, hearty, juicy wings that simply were not messing around. My favorite part was the side of thick blue cheese dip. Not your ordinary blue cheese dressing, this one was mixed with sour cream, giving it silky, rich texture and a refreshing taste. And the tubs in which the dip was served were big--also a plus!

Service and Cost:

The service was pretty standard--nothing too spectacular but the food and beer sure made up for it.

Cost-wise, you already know that this was a bargain--25 cent wings and $10 pitchers. 1950's prices are always fine by me.

3 Mmmms

Sparrow Part Deux - Reyes Reigns!

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

718.606.2260

N/W Train to Astoria Blvd.

www.sparrowbar.com

You all know that I love frequenting this awesome neighborhood spot. And as I mentioned, the chef here--Reyes--is one of the more interesting and talented characters in town. Besides cooking up impeccable basics and putting inventive spins on all of them, Reyes is known for his unflinching love of his menu--and he will not change anything on it! I had the pleasure of meeting this talented man and have to say that his gregarious manner and toothy smile certainly won me over--even more! Go ahead and try Sparrow--the atmosphere, food and drinks are all spot on.

And let's not forget the delish grub that Dan and I had this evening:

Vegetarian Chili:

Although the regular soup special wasn't available, Reyes offered a hearty veggie chili instead, which was especially good, given the sub polar weather. The dish came festively decorated--as usual--with surrounding tortilla chips and a huge roasted jalapeno pepper. Of course Dan and I didn't dare sink our teeth into the green monster, but the chili itself was out of this world. Hearty with a hint of sweetness, it was rich in color and packed with delicious chopped vegetables. The price was a bit much for soup, $9.50 but we split it and loved it so much that we didn't care.

Pain Perdu:

Now, this is something new and different! Kind of looks like a pancake but tastes a thousand times better. It has a soft bread texture that's infused with all things indulgent--chocolate, butterscotch and maple syrup. Not only is this awesome but you won't feel like a big cow after eating it. I split this with Dan and it was perfectly satiating and not overly gratuitous. The cost is $8 which is also a little steep for dessert but I recommend going dutch with someone to save dough. You can also read about this dish from our friends, Joey in Astoria.