Austin's Steak and Ale House

Sometimes, you need a good steak.  And sometimes your local Outback just won't cut it.

Now that's not to trash Outback-- I'm a big fan.  It's that when your mouth is watering for meattt, you're not always in the mood for the long lines, standard menus and cheesy waiter lines that come with the territory of a popular chain steakhouse.

In those situations, it's good to have a local steakhouse, and I've found mine.

Austin's Steak and Ale House, located in Kew Gardens on well-known Austin Street has a tasty menu that covers all ground on America fare: seafood, salads, soups, poultry, pastas, burgers, and of course steak (and lots of it).

In addition, their nightly specials add an extra twist of flair to the menu, and the Filet Mignon and Jumbo Scrimp special I had was delish.  As was my friend's Horseradish-crusted Salmon special that I was lucky enough to acquire the leftovers of.

The decor is classic and tasteful -- it feels very homey in a good way.  Good time, good friends, good steak.  No big complaints here.

PROS:

- near the Long Island Railroad station

- nice menu variation

- good specials

- extensive beer menu and drink list

CONS:

- mediocre waiter (he may have been new...hopefully)

- a surcharge or 2 that didn't make sense

- not all beers listed on the menu were available

Next time the wait at Outback is 45 minutes even with your "call ahead," try Austin Steak and Ale House for a nice and juicy steak.

Austin Steak and Ale House

82-70 Austin St.

Kew Gardens, NY 11415

718-849-3939

www.austinsteakandalehouse.com

A Little Love for Queens

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Sometimes, you do things that make you appreciate where you are, and remember why you choose to live there.  

This weekend I visited Flushing Meadows Corona Park for the annual Cinco de Mayo festival.  Flushing Meadows is the largest park in Queens, and 1.5 times the size of Central Park.  The park is well known due to its proximity to Shea Stadium and the World Tennis Center as well as its famous structures: the Unisphere that stands as a symbol of Queens and the ancient towers leftover from the World's Fair that we all know as an "alien launch pad" in Men In Black. 

Ironically enough, this park is right in my backyard...about a 10 minute drive away (yes I drive, one of the perks of being in the outer boroughs!), yet I had never been there until yesterday.

The Cinco fest was so much fun!  It was a beautiful day, a beautiful park, and so many families were out.  Little kids were whizzing by on skateboards and bikes, men were playing cricket and soccer, and even some pot-bellied old Mexicans were getting in on volleyball games.  Spanish was definitely the first language for most of the people around us.

As we got nearer to the actual festival, foreign ballads lofted over from the concert stage, and the food stands came into view.  Yummmm.  We sampled as much as possible -- arepas (sweet cornmeal pancakes filled with mozzarella), chicken empanadas (one of my favorite Spanish foods) and tamales (steam cooked corn dough stuffed with peppers wrapped in corn husks). We tried on sombreros and pretended to fit in, and it was a grand ol' time.

It's times like this that make me really step back and appreciate the borough I've made my home in.  Queens is the most diverse community in the country.  That's something to be proud of.  Living in a place like this, there is such a great opportunity to try and appreciate, if not understand, the cultures surrounding you.

A smattering of the cultures in the borough I call home:  

Chinese - Flushing, Queens is a miniature version of Chinatown in Manhattan.  When traveling down Main Street, the signs suddenly change to Chinese characters only...kind of difficult when trying to find a particular restaurant.  I tried a "hot pot" meal for the first time in Flushing a few months ago, and it was so interesting.  You order everything raw...chicken, shrimp, beef, blood (eeek, who knew people wanted to eat that?!).  It comes to the table in heaping plates, and you sit around the table and cook your food over a communal "hot pot" of sauce. Personal party rooms hooked up with karoke add to the vibe. 

Hot Pot City

40-33 Main St.

Flushing, NY 11354

718-886-3266

Disciples of Sri Chinmoy - A large group of around 300 devout European followers of Bengali guru Sri Chinmoy call my neck of Jamaica home.  They shun drinking and honor extreme athletics and discipline for the guru, once called by the Wall Street Journal, "the stunt man of the spiritual world."  Each year, the disciples run the longest foot race in the world.  Called the Self-Transcendence Race, each participant runs 3,100 miles...long enough to cross the country and then some...yet the race course is a single city block.  They loop around my neighborhood from 6am to midnight everyday for nearly 2 months, logging at least 57 miles per day in a goal to move beyond themselves and do the near impossible through meditation.  Amazing to see.

loop around Thomas A. Edison Vocational Technical High School

165-65 84th Ave.

Jamaica, NY 11432

June 15- August 5, 2008

Japanese - I had never eaten sushi until college.  I had never eaten Thai food before college either.  Kyoto has both, and their lunch special can't be beat.  The intimate seating and decor are very calming and zen, and I can always find something unique and tasty to try here, no matter what kind of appetite I have.

Kyoto

153-11 Union Turnpike

Flushing, NY 11367

718-380-7777

Jewish - Jamaica Estates and Fresh Meadows both have large communities of Orthodox and Hasidic Jewish families.  In fact, the Jewish community center near my apartment was supposedly featured once on The Nanny.  You know..."the flashy girl from Flushing, the Nanny named Fran..."  The neighborhoods in J.E. and F.M. are immaculate.  It's quiet, the streets are tree-lined, and everyone goes for strolls.  I love walking through the neighborhoods and checking out the beautiful old homes.  Cunningham Park, a large park in the area, is my fav for summer jogs, picnics, frisbee and having catches.

Cunningham Park

Union Turnpike near the intersection of Francis Lewis Blvd.

Fresh Meadows, NY 11366

Czech - The last remaining original beer garden of the city is located in Astoria.  Called the Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden, this beer lover's paradise is a piece of NYC history.  Try out the thick and delicious Eastern European brews, and try the Czech food specialities.  The beer garden is the place to be all summer...get there early or don't expect a seat in the large picnic-table filled outdoor oasis.

Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden

29-19 24th Ave.

Astoria, NY 11102

718-274-9278

Press 195

Spring is here and the weather is finallyyy getting warm-- time to eat outdoors!  

Between barbeques and al fresco dining, I love this time of year.  A restaurant I can't wait to hit up is Press 195 on Bell Blvd.  Named the "Sandwich Kings of Brooklyn" by the Food Network, this trendy little panini and sandwich shack recently opened an outpost in Queens on restaurant row, Bell Blvd.

A slim little storefront squeezed in between restaurants, bars and clothing shops, you might have trouble finding Press 195, but it's definitely worth a trip inside.  An extensive menu of every imaginable sandwich made with the freshest ingredients combined with yummy white or red sangria and unique beer selections make this a standout year round in my book, but the backyard garden makes this place irresistible once the sun arrives for Spring and Summer. 

Everything on the menu at Press 195 has a unique touch.  The maple pesto spread uses maple syrup from Ashland Farms in Prattsville, NY and their honey jalapeno sauce is made with honey from Traphagen's Honey Farm in Hunter, NY.  I love their use of local produce and I feel I can taste the freshness.

Start off with either the Asparagus Appetizer or the Hummus Plate...both are delicious.  The former is a slightly sweet plate of the grilled asparagus, tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella in a maple pesto sauce.  The latter, a heaping plate of black bean hummus, grilled portobello mushrooms, roasted red peppers, calamata olives and spicy bread rounds for dipping.  The only appetizer I've had here that disappointed was the Veggie Salsa-- it tasted just like any other store bought salsa, and there wasn't nearly enough given with the chips.

As for the sandwiches, there so many to choose from-- it all depends on what you like.  There are 30 numbered hot pressed sandwich varieties, ranging from grilled vegetable and goat cheese variations to meaty prosciutta and sliced steak combos.  Most sandwiches are served on ciabatta bread with yummy spreads and sauces...fruit chutneys, garlic and olive spreads, homemade horseradish sauces, etc.  Every time I go, deciding on a sandwich takes forever because everything sounds so tasty!  The last time I was there, I had the #14: grilled zucchini, yellow squash and red pepper with fresh spinach and roasted garlic and black olive spread.  I'm hungry just thinking about it.

Though they are known as a sandwich shop, they have many other choices including fresh soups and salads.  They also offer pick-your-filling stromboli style pizzas, and knish sandwiches, with toppings pressed between two potato knishes.  I haven't tried either, but they do sound intriguing.

Imagine sitting in their backyard garden at a picnic table eating all this deliciousness...it's the perfect way to spend a sunny Saturday afternoon.

Press 195

40-11 Bell Blvd. (1 block from the LIRR station)

718-281-1950

www.press195.com

Primanti's

I don't think you can talk about Pittsburgh without mentioning Primanti's (or the Steelers, for that matter, but it's not football season...just you wait).

Primanti Brothers is world famous (or at least we like to think that) for their greasy sandwiches, stacked high with your meat of choice, fries, tomatoes and cole slaw...yes, cole slaw.  We've never claimed to be culinary geniuses in Pittsburgh, but don't knock it 'til you try it.

My personal top choices for sandwiches are the Pitts-burgher Cheesesteak, Capicola & Cheese, Turkey & Cheese, Roast Beef & Cheese, and my Lenten favorite, the Deluxe Double Egg & Cheese. All range from $4.99 to $6.49.

When I was home last weekend, I went to the Primanti's in the Strip District at 2am post-bar...the real way to go.  The Primanti's in the Strip District (Read: not a community of strippers, but rather a strip of old school Italian and Polish grocers, butchers, Steelers pride shops, and restaurants amidst the old warehouse section of Pittsburgh) is the original location that has been in the area since the 1930's.  It's a gritty little restaurant with a lot of charm and later-added murals of Pittsburgh icons covering the walls.  It's open around the clock to accomodate truckers and workers in the area...and that also makes it a very convenient stop-over on the way back from the bars, haha.

There are a few other Primanti's outposts throughout the city, and vendors in the Pittsburgh stadiums, but then almost 10 years ago, they began expanding into suburbia with sit down restaurants and expanded menus.

Now it seems every time I go home, there are more Primanti's locations that have cropped up. There are currently 14 locations throughout Pittsburgh and 2 in Florida...Florida?!  It almost seems like Primanti's is on it's way to becoming the Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks of Pittsburgh, and I'm not sure how I feel about it.

Nothing beats the original.  Nothing beats being in the Strip District at whatever hour of day or night, and having the cranky man behind the counter fry you up a huge, greasy, falling apart with deliciousness sandwich...

No trip to Pittsburgh would be complete without a visit to the Primanti's on the Strip.  Yum.

Primanti Brothers - Strip District

46 18th St. (at Smallman St.)

Pittsburgh, PA 15222

412-263-2142

Angelo's Restaurant & Pizzeria

My boyfriend is Italian.  New York Italian.  Staten Island "all I know is Italian food, and I will only eat the best" Italian.

So imagine my surprise when I (Pittsburgh-raised without an Italian gene in my bones) found an Italian restaurant that met his "standards." 

Angelo's is an out of place, unassuming Italian restaurant on Main Street in the middle of a Hasidic Jewish neighborhood in Queens.  Newly renovated with glass-enclosed sidewalk seating, it's an intimate restaurant with decent prices and amazing food.

The meal begins with an assortment of garlic knots and bread, and then the real bread arrives--right out of the brick oven and topped with chopped tomatoes, herbs and garlic.  A word of advice: the bread is fantastic, but don't fill up.  No matter how many times I tell that to myself, I still eat way more than I need to.

For appetizers, I love both the Portobella alla Veneziana (grilled portobello, mozzarella, tomato, balsamic sauce) and the Frittura di Calamari alla Schizzo (fried calamari, cherry pepper sauce).  I try to stay away from fried foods, but this calamari is good, especially with the sweet and spicy cherry pepper sauce.

As for main dishes, you can't go wrong with veal here.  There's almost 10 different veal dishes, and I haven't had a bad one yet.  My favorite so far is probably the Vitello Pizzaiola (veal, mushrooms, garlic, oregano, basil, fresh tomato).  Of course if you're not a fan of fattened baby calves (I admit I can't let myself think about it when it's on my plate), you can sub in chicken on any veal dish.  Main courses come with your choice of either a vegetable or pasta; I recommend going for the vegetable.  It's often escarole, and it's really tasty.

I don't normally go for pasta dishes at restaurants since I make it so much at home-- I'm a sucker for meals that take 15 minutes or less to prepare.  But, I've made exceptions for the Rigatoni Norma (baby eggplant, fresh tomato, basil, shaved ricotta) and the Gamberoni Fra Diavolo (shrimp, garlic, spicy tomato sauce).  Both are delicious and much better than anything I could ever make myself!

The wine list here is comprehensive, and there's a fully stocked bar as well.  If I had to say one bad thing about Angelo's, I guess I'd mention that the dessert list has never thrilled me.  We always stay for coffee, but the dessert menu is a little beat up and the choices don't look very appetizing in the pictures.  On the upside, I've always been too full for dessert anyway!

Angelo's is a great spot - I've taken my family, my friends, and I've started a trend among my guy friends of bringing dates there.  My Italian food radar was clearly on when I found Angelo's.  The bf is very proud!

Angelo's Restaurant & Pizzeria

69-26 Main St.

Flushing, NY 11367

718-544-7574