Las Margaritas

My friend CPZ & I went out to Queens on a sweltering Sunday to check out the Museum of Moving Images' Muppets exhibit (so fun!) We were ravenous after and not in the mood for a long trek to find food. We decided to stop at Las Margaritas for their brunch special.

The chips and salsa were delicious--lots of chunky vegetables in the salsa, crisp, not-too-salty chips. This was a good start.

I ordered the scrambled eggs with tomatoes, onions and rice and beans on the side. One bite of the eggs and I was totally turned off. I can't even explain it--just very bland and unappetizing. The beans were tasty, home fries were passable, the pico okay, but this whole dish lacked...something. The guacamole needed a serious kick of lime juice.

Brunch dishes included a drink, and I opted for a mimosa. It was fine, but not anything super special. It had the citrus my guac could have used, though!

CPZ ordered the Bloody Mary--she's a fan of them. It was nice and horseradishy, but they're just not my favorite.

CPZ ordered scrambled eggs with chorizo, and didn't think hers was anything great. However, she liked it enough to take it home and try it again the next day (how did that turn out, CPZ??)

Ever the optimist, I ordered another margarita! This was spectacular. Tart and tangy with just a hint of sweet, this was exactly what I needed on this insufferably hot summer day. And at $7.50, a true bargain in NYC!

The crossbreeze kept us cool as we sipped our drinks and caught up on things (it had been too long since we got together!) The staff checked on us but never rushed us. We may have ordered another round before we left too, you know, just for good measure.

While the margaritas were marvelous, the brunch was a bust. My advice (take it with a grain of salt and some Patron if you'd like): skip the food and just come by for Happy Hour!

Las Margaritas
3801 Broadway
Astoria, NY 11103
(718) 777-1707

Tweet

Petey's Burger

I went to visit a friend in Queens this week. While we visited and caught up, she treated me to lunch at one of her favorite burger spots: Petey's Burger in Astoria. She likened it to In-N-Out Burgers (the famous California chain) and that was good enough for me!

Petey's makes their name by specializing in 3 things and those 3 things only: burgers, fries, and shakes. We each ordered a cheeseburger, fries, and split a strawberry shake.

My burger was sooo good--juicy but well-done, pickles, onions, and a tomato so fresh that I actually opened my burger to get a closer look. It's not really tomato season yet, so I usually remove the yellowish, mealy specimens called 'tomatoes' right now--but this one was beautiful.

The fries are tasty--not heavy or too starchy, just enough crunch to them, and I ate far more than I planned to-always the sign of a good fry.

The strawberry shake was surprisingly fresh, with bits of real, fresh strawberries. Not the gloppy, gooey strawberries you get in jams, but honest to goodness fresh pieces of berry. Win!

I give Petey's a definite 'visit' tip if you're in Astoria--fresh, solid American classics!

Petey's Burgers
30-17 30th Avenue
NY 11102
(718) 267-6300

Tweet

Neptune Diner

My sister HLP came to town for a visit, and seeing as the airlines barely give you a seat, much less food, she was quite hungry upon arrival at LaGuardia. We hopped the bus from the airport to the subway stop and saw the Neptune Diner located on the corner.

We settled in a booth and persued the ginormous menu..and.. umm..jelly omelettes? I don't think I want to know....

We both picked cheeseburgers and Cokes. Not just any Coke..CHERRY Coke. Deeeelicious.

I ordered just the cheeseburger, no fries. It was charcoaly, perfectly cooked, and quite a deal.

Sistah was nice enough to let me eat some of her fries--thanks, sis!

The servers were helpful, affable, and good-humored gentlemen, and made the sistah's first few hours back in NYC quite enjoyable. It wasn't THE BEST BURGER EVAH, but it was definitely worth it, and extremely convenient if you're heading to/from LaGuardia airport!

Neptune Diner
3105 Astoria Blvd
Astoria, NY 11102
(718) 278-4853

Tweet

La Frieda @ LaGuardia

It's been a while since I had time to chill at LaGuardia airport, but ABF & I arrived super early for our Florida flight. Getting to the airport can be hard work, but on this day it was surprisingly easy. We sailed right through security and had time for a leisurely bite before our plane left for Florida.

We got up to the counter and it took us a few seconds to figure out that it was a self-service counter. A touchscreen takes you through the steps of picking out the burger size, condiments, and sides, then adds it all up for you. The screen was a little tricky--press too hard and it wouldn't register-- you had to verrrry lightly press it. It was also a bit confusing when it came time to order drinks. We had to cancel our first order when it suddenly 'finished' and we weren't ready. They need more signage or more people on hand to explain it, especially to people on the move!

I ordered the single patty with pickles, onions, cheddar cheese and mustard. The pickles were crisp and thickly-cut, there was a beautiful layer of finely sliced red onion. ABF's burger had a slice of yummy, smoked mozzarella on it. Both burgers were juicy and delicious. I've ordered Pat LaFrieda meats before via FreshDirect.com, but this was my first time to try it outside of home!

ABF also ordered some onion rings..these were mostly meh. Good-sized slices of onions, but the breading was bland and a bit soggy.

Also disappointing? The coffee shake I undulged in. It was more like coffee MILK, very liquidy and darn near completely melted. It was also very weak in the flavor department. It also cost as much as my burger (5.50!!!) and was so not as worth it.

Overall, the burgers were delicious and absolutely warrant a visit. My burger cost just under 6 dollars, which isn't dollar-menu cheap, but an excellent deal for how delicious and filling it was. Just skip the sides and stick to water or soda (if that's your thing). Definitely stop by if you're at LaGuardia!

El Pequeño

Carlota & I ventured out into Queens a month or so ago for some Ecuadorian food at a spot in Jackson Heights. We walked a short distance from the 7 train to El Pequeño. As soon as we sat down at our table, we received a colorful batch of salsas. They were fresh, the chips were still warm, and holy COW was the salsa spicy. It was a good kind of hurt, though.

This place is known for their delicious and cheap rotisserie chicken, but they were sold out (que?? que??) when we arrived. Never you fear--we got over our initial disappointment and jumped on to the next offering--fried fish!

They had a special on whole fried red snapper (which was SO GOOD at Victor's), but when I asked about it, the server actually recommended a similar dish that was already deboned. Eh, what the heck? I ordered that instead. It was actually quite light and delicious--the breading wasn't too heavy, and it was perfectly seasoned. I splashed a bit of fresh orange on it and went to town. Yummy. I ignored the heavy tostones (just not my thing).

Carlota got the goat stew, which smelled AMAZING. Here's the thing--I get very clear pictures in my head sometimes. I had an EXTREMELY sharp picture of a big old goat chewing on a tin can (Saturday morning cartoons much?) when she ordered this, so although she shared a bite with me immediately, I let it sit on the side of my plate for a bit while I did battle in my mind with the visual. I did eventually try it, and it was delicious, tender, well-seasoned, and not scary at all. Am I ready to order it on my own? Not yet. But did I enjoy it? Absolutely. (please do not send me any cute pictures of little baby goats kthxbye)

I also even ate almost all of my rice. Me! With Rice! That stuff I normally ignore! This rice was delicious--perfectly cooked, not clumpy, and with a serious lemon kick to it. Holy yum. The fresh avocado and tomato all mixed together perfectly.

All in all, a good meal, even though we had our hearts (and stomachs) set on rotisserie pollo. We'll have to venture out again for that next time!

El Pequeño Coffee Shop
86-10 Roosevelt Ave
Jackson Heights, NY
718-205-7128)

SriPraPhai

I've wanted to try the Thai at SriPraPhai for ages. Bloggers and magazine writers alike seem to sing its praises, and since it's also super cheap, I figured it would be worth a trip, someday. Then, serendipity! A friend of mine is getting married in May, and 2 of the bridesmaids (Heather & Laura) and Laura's mom and I met to put together the invitations...and the gal hosting us, Heather, just happens to live within walking distance of this restaurant. Well, you can't expect us to do something like that on an empty stomach, can you?

First of all, prepare to read. This menu is EXTENSIVE. Pages and pages and more overwhelming pages.

Heather is no stranger to this place, and she insisted that we try her favorite dish, the fried watercress salad. Now, watercress is something I normally pick out of my sandwiches, etc. I don't care for its bitter taste. Once it's fried, however, it completely transforms. Granted, I realize it also probably loses much of its healthy benefits, but let's focus, people, focus!! This dish was WONDERFUL. Bright, crunchy, tangy--and not really spicy, but well-seasoned. If I go back there, I'm getting this, no question.

I decided to get the fresh shredded papaya salad with fried catfish. The photo in the menu made it look like whole pieces of fried fish, but instead, the fish is super-shredded and shaped into a crunchy disc on the side. Odd, but interesting. I wasn't crazy about it, though. A few nibbles of the fishy-crunchy thing and I was moving on to other things. Like my INSANELY hot papaya salad. Heather warned me about the heat, but clearly I didn't fully realize that 'medium' spicy (my usual level) meant tongue-searing, sweet-mother-of-mercy-save-me HOT.

Sweet fancy Moses. I mean SERIOUSLY. This was out of control hot. I love a good spice, a nice smoky heat that builds and builds, but this was almost incapacitating at times. I don't mind if my nose runs just a little, or if a few beads of sweat break out on my forehead. But THIS? This was painful, unending, tears rolling down, flush-faced torture. This white girl has never been so pink. Jumpin Jehosephat.

I turned to sample a few other dishes to relieve my throbbing taste buds. I also had TWO Thai Iced Coffees (I figured the milk had to help). Laura's mom, who isn't a fan of spicy, ordered some non-spicy dishes (and probably saved my mouth from permanent injury). I tried half of a chive dumpling. The sauce was delicious, but the dumpling I got was a little gummy in the middle. Not my favorite--but I'd give them another shot if I go back. I love chives!

I tried Laura's mom's dish, the shrimp pad thai. This has to be one of the best pad thais I've ever tasted. It was clean, bright, fresh, and just outstanding. Well done. I think I kind of got burned out a few years ago on pad thai--I ordered it so often that I needed a break. This pad thai is worth a return.

Laura ordered another of my favorite dishes: Pad See Ew (wide egg noodles) with beef. It was much sweeter than I'm used to, but the beef was tender and perfectly cooked. Not a lot of noodles, but that's fine with me!

Someone also ordered shrimp rolls for the table. These were shrimp pulled perfectly straight and wrapped tightly in a crunchy coating. I thought they were YUM.

Heather ordered the green curry with noodles. I tried a spoonful of this and enjoyed it--I've never tried the green curry before. She and Laura both said it had a very hot and spicy finish, but I barely noticed it. I think the papaya salad did its damage already--anything after that was a cakewalk!

I'd read in reviews (and heard from people who ate there) that service is really bad, but I didn't have that experience. They definitely let us take our time to order, and sure, they don't pop by every five minutes, but whenever we needed something (like, say, a tongue-rescuing Thai iced coffee), I had no trouble getting their attention. They also filled our water glasses often, which Heather says NEVER happens normally. They probably saw me plotzing over the salad and figured they didn't need some chick having an episode--bad for business! They did take away a dish for the shrimp before Heather could dip her last roll in the sauce, but other than that, service was definitely better than any of us expected. The bill came to 21 per person, including a great tip--not bad for all that food (apps, drinks, etc!) The papaya salad was good, but not as amazing as the papaya salad at Pho. It's definitely worth a return visit for the pad thai and maybe a MILD papaya salad. :)

Thanks again, Heather, for hosting us!!!

Delhi Palace

My trip to get Indian food with Carlota had me wanting it again, very soon, so we made plans to hit up Jackson Heights (a neighborhood in Queens, NY famous for its Indian food, among other things) on a chilly night, just days before Christmas. Jackson Heights is THE place for Indian food in NYC, according to a lot of people, and it had long been on my List, the ever-changing, ever-growing counting of places where this girl has gotta eat. One thing or another always came up and my previous plans to go fell through time and again. Not this time! I met Carlota in her hood and we hopped back on the 7 train one more stop to Jackson Heights. We walked the brightly-lit streets for a few chilly minutes until we found the place Carlota knew: Delhi palace.

It was a bit early for dinner, so most places were fairly empty. When we walked in, there were only two other tables occupied at the moment. We sat down, still shivering, and browsed through the menus. As a grammar geek, I enjoyed some of phonetic translations--check out the ingredients to the 'blady mary' (bloody mary): I believe 'watch ester' sauce is supposed to be "Worchestershire" sauce..I think "watch ester" might be more appropriate considering how we pronounce it!

We started with some vegetarian samosas (above) and some poori (seen a few paragraphs above, next to the rice photo), that fried, oh-so-delicious bread that I know is certainly not healthy, but yummy as all heck. I don't normally order it, but Carlota twisted my arm ;) and I went along with her. It was really tasty and went quickly...I even liked it better than the naan bread (and I love naan!)

I wasn't sure what to get, so I ended up going with the Chicken Tikka Masala, which is the baseline dish I compare at all Indian restaurants. This was just okay to me. The tomato sauce wasn't as spicy or flavorful as I'm used to--it reminded me of a thicker marinara, actually!

Carlota picked the lamb korma for her entree, and I was expecting a sauce along the lines of the cracktastic Chicken Korma sauce we had at Cafe Spice. However, this one was bright green, jam-packed with cilantro, and while different, still amazingly good. I instantly wished I'd picked this!

Despite the amazing amount of food we consumed, we still thought we'd try dessert, and we were DEFINITELY getting the masala chai, a spice-infused tea that is fragrant and delicious. We ordered the kulfi, which is Indian-style ice cream, and it came topped with some curious additions. There was some rose-petal infused sauce on top which I couldn't handle--anything rose-infused tastes like soap to me. The little beads on top, the manager later told us, are basil seeds that have been soaked in water. They are supposed to aid in digestion. After all that food we ate, we needed all the help we could get!

The manager and staff were quiet friendly and checked on us often, and at the end of our meal, brought us this dessert 'on the house.' However, we were so beyond stuffed at this point that all I could manage was a polite bite, and even that was pushing the limits of my stomach! It was very nice of them, and I felt bad that I couldn't eat more of it, but dear Lord, even I have limits!

Did I mention this was definitely Cheap Eats? Our bill, including a glass of wine each, apps, entrees, dessert, and tea, PLUS a very generous tip, came to about 40 bucks TOTAL!!! Sweet! Afterwards, we wandered the streets and shops, admiring the saris, checking out some music, and enjoying the holiday lights. I'm so glad I FINALLLLLLLY made it out to Jackson Heights, and I can't wait to go back and visit a new place!