Wikipages Blog

Stamatis has been in the process of renovating a building right across the street to become their new location. One of the most famous Greek restaurants in Astoria, this popular establishment has been packed with people, as if everyone wants to get the most out of their old favorite before it moves. Their new spot has looked finished for a while now, but still hasn’t had its grand opening yet. Hopefully, their faithful customers will be happy with the change.

Last weekend, I went out with some old college friends, half of which coincidentally now live in Astoria. After a couple drinks at M.J. Armstrong’s in Union Square, we decided to head to the neighborhood favorite: the Beer Garden.

This was my first Beer Garden trip of spring and it was lovely. The weather was perfect (warm, but not stuffy), the crowd was perfect (lively, but no line), and, of course, the company was perfect. While Ben ate kilbasa, I proceeded to devour everyone’s fries at the table. We reminisced about college and stressed the importance of our old friend from DC moving to Astoria.

The night ended merrily, one of the best parts about it being the 5 minute walk home. Ah, the pleasures of a local bar!

Last night, I visited one of my favorite restaurants in Astoria: Zenon Taverna. Located on 31st Avenue, Zenon serves delicious Cypriot and Greek food in a warm atmosphere. I first learned of the place through a friend, who had dated a Cypriot boyfriend in college, who had introduced her to the place. I fell in love with the restaurant from my first visit.

At Zenon, you can order one of several meals, which involve a whole selection of cold and hot dishes. I’ve always ordered the Vegetarian Meal, which includes a variety of tasty dips, salads, grilled vegetables, and (of course) haloumi. I love being able to eat a little of a lot of different things. It just seems to be the best way to eat. As my sister used to say, when she was little, “the chicken room is full, but the dessert room is empty”. Well, too much of one thing is just too filling for me. But this eating style is perfect.

I’d been craving this restaurant for a while, when a friend and former Astorian suggested we go out last night. So we met up at Zenon and it was everything I hoped it would be. My friend was amazed at the amount of dishes included in one meal. As dish upon dish was brought to our table, we tried to maintain a slow eating pace as the menu suggests. Everything was delicious and the price for the full meal came out to a mere $25 each.

With a contented, satisfied feeling, I looked around at the (slightly cheesy) paintings of Cypress on the walls and thought that I must go to Cypress soon. Any place with such good notions on food is definitely worth a visit.

It was my birthday last week, so yesterday my parents, my sister, her husband, and Ben’s parents all came into Astoria to have an early dinner with Ben and me. At Ben’s suggestion, we decided to go to Trattoria L’Incontro, the best Italian restaurant in the city according Michael Halberion, former owner of the Steinway Mansion.

The restaurant is located just a block from the subway. Of course on Sunday, this block was full of treacherous icy pools and slippery slush, which I’m sure the parents enjoyed walking through. The entrance is odd, since there is an entrance on Ditmars, but not open to the public and then there’s the main entrance on 31st. The interior is lovely, forsynthias greet you as you walk in. The place has high ceilings and walls with large paintings of the Italian country-side.

We all sat down to a comfortable table. The restaurant was fairly crowded for a Sunday afternoon. The waiter came over to tell us the specials and, to our surprise, it took nearly ten minutes for him to do so. I couldn’t pay attention after a while. But the menu itself had many delicious sounding pastas and salads to choose from.

I ordered a goat cheese salad in a raspberry vinagrette and a pasta with basil and tomato. We spent the dinner talking about childhood plays and family memories. The food was delicious, but filling. I barely finished half my meal!

We strolled past Freeze Peach on the way home and picked up some tasty Chai to drink with the cake that my mother had baked. We all came back to our cozy apartment, and enjoyed the cake and the company. It ended up being the perfect family Sunday dinner.

I’m always on the look-out for good small businesses in my neighborhood, Astoria. So I was happy when a new store, Inside Astoria, opened not too ago.

An interior home design store, Inside Astoria has an assortment of lamps, tables, candles, hardcover books, and gifts. It has many beautiful things, much cheaper than you’d find in any similar store in Manhattan (though I wouldn’t say exactly cheap), we’ve bought a bamboo side table, a pretty engraving of a fern, and a pair of pearl earrings for my mother.

The store’s a great place to stop by, if you’re in the area and need a quick gift or new home decor.

Ben and I had a lovely Valentine’s Day right in Astoria. We decided to go out to one of our favorite restaurants for dinner: Mezzo Mezzo. It’s a tasty, slightly pricey Greek place not far from the subway.

While the weather was pretty brutal on Wednesday, it was warm and cozy inside the restaurant. Mezzo mezzo has a bit of an odd decor with carved wood and almost a cabin lodge feel. A contrast to the Mediterranean menu.

We sat upstairs, which is normally quieter, with a nice view of the street. There’s a fake fireplace, which still adds to the warm atmosphere despite the slight cheesiness. We ordered a selection of appetizers, as usual. Haloumi (grilled goat cheese), of course, Greek salad, a selection of dips and spreads, and sausage for Ben.

The food was delicious, as were the two glasses of Savignon Blanc I drank. All in all, a romantic Valentine’s Day.

I’m home sick today with a cold and a sore throat. The cruel weather and dry heat have worn me down. And when I’m sick, I take my mother’s advice. Drink lots of liquids and eat lots of soup. Though I don’t eat the chicken noodle soup I grew up with; I settle down with a nice bowl of Udon noodles from Kwang Noodle House.

Located in Astoria, Kwang is a tiny little noodle shop that opened a couple years ago. It’s run by a very friendly couple who by now know us as regulars. They serve delicious noodles, miso soup, sushi, bento boxes, and bubble milk tea. It might grow into an eat-in restaurant, but for now you can pick up this yummy food or have it delivered.

I, personally, am opting for delivery. No way I’m going out there today.

I’m a big brunch fan. Ever since college, where it was the only decent meal that the cafeteria served, consisting of eggs, pancakes, donuts, french toast, and served until 2 in the afternoon (which is good since, during college, I just barely woke up before that time). Luckily there are some places within walking distance I can stumble over to now on a lazy Sunday for some delicious, thoroughly fatty food.

My favorite spot in Astoria for brunch has got to be Igloo. Igloo has an inviting interior, with windows, booth-seating, a garden-type room, and an outdoor courtyard, great for summer brunches. The menu is pretty broad, with tons of different omelet options (which I’m always tempted to get, but can never finish), smoothies, flavored coffees, and the usuals (pancakes, french toast, etc.). They also have plenty of lunch options, but I’m a firm believer that the first meal of the day should contain traditional breakfast foods: eggs, starch, and donuts.

Ben and I love to stroll over to Igloo for a brunch treat and sip our coffee, do some people watching. The food’s a little pricier than most Astorian establishments, but well worth it, in my opinion. Then an after breakfast walk to Astoria Park or the Steinway Mansion. Leisure should not be confined to one’s college years after all.

Astoria is an awesome neighborhood to live in. I love just walking through the streets and finding new places to go. Just a couple weeks ago, Ben and I discovered this little gem: The Waltz-Astoria.

A wine bar/ coffeehouse, the Waltz-Astoria is chilled out place with an artsy vibe. It reminds me of the coffeeshops I used to frequent in the 90’s, when Starbucks was the new thing. My nostalgia for those places made this one feel familiar and friendly.

With outdoor seating, a wide beverage selection, and a cosy interior, this cafe is a great hangout. The interior has a piano, shelves of books, and paintings by a local artist. It’s perfect for Ben and I, since we’re more and more often in the mood for a quiet evening. Plus, he doesn’t drink and I really do, so the cafe has something for us both!

The cafe hosts many different events. We went there on “Board Game Night”, where they have many available games to play. We settled down to some drinks (a flavored coffee for Ben and a nice red wine for me) and a game of scrabble. Ben beat me, unfortunately. It was a wonderful way to spend a peaceful evening, just steps away from our home.

I first stumbled on the Steinway Mansion while taking a Sunday stroll through my neighborhood, Astoria. Ben and I wandered into Astoria’s industrial section, among factories, broken glass, and deserted streets. We walked on past a foundry and up a hill, into an almost forested spot.

Then we saw an unkempt, gated yard filled with several old cars of the same model in varying states of decay. We heard a dog barking and peered through the gate. There loomed an immense and beautiful old structure: The Steinway Mansion.

We did some research after this initial encounter. It turns out The Steinway Mansion was built in 1858. The Steinways occupied it for many years and then in the 30’s, presumably when they lost some of their fortune, they sold it to Jack Halberian. He raised his family in the house and his son inherited it after him. We read that tours can be arranged with the owner.

I imagined the owner to be a hermit, someone who hoarded dogs and cars. Someone who wanted solitude in his old, beautiful estate. Someone who buried bodies in his basement.

We came back with some friends, John and Katherine. This time, a man came out of the house. He was an older man and, oddly enough, he looked normal. He greeted us and introduced himself as Michael Halberian, and when we inquired about the mansion, he began to give us some history. How he had grown up there and moved back after his father died. After talking to us through the closed gate for a while, he invited us into the yard.

We walked through the yard to the mansion’s magnificent front. It was beautiful! 28 rooms he said. An Indian statue stands in the yard. He told us that the yard used to front the water until the land had been filled in for industrial uses. After we chatted and played with the dogs a bit, he invited us in for a tour!

We happily followed him inside, gasping at the lavish interior. The whole place was filled with antiques, art, sculptures, a telescope that he said came from JP Morgan. The high entryway showed a magnificent chandelier which could be lowered with a switch. He had a library filled with books on NY, more lovely antiques, and book shelves carved with beautiful angels. The gentlemen’s and ladies’ drawing rooms were equally amazing, with intricate carving on the fireplaces (which occupy every room). He told us how the men would smoke cigars while the women gossiped and then the doors would open to join the two rooms .

He then invited us into his finished basement. The basement included a huge jacuzzi with Greek carved statues alongside it. Adjacent was a beautiful bar room and another room filled with booths, resembling an Italian restaurant. There were also two rooms with billiards tables and books lining the walls. Lastly, was a room with comfortable-looking sofas and a giant movie screen. Contrary to my original image, it appeared that Michael was quite the host, entertaining guests, maybe having wild parties in the past, and now happy to show some nice young folks around.

In the end, we thanked him for his kindness. He informed us that he had recently sold the mansion to a woman who planned to restore it to perfect condition. Hopefully, she will be as gracious a host. I was glad to find out that the mansion constitutes a historic landmark and cannot be destroyed.