MEAT ME AT THE BUTCHER BAR

Astoria or Long Island City, whichever you prefer to call it, has a not so average butcher shop.   Here the meats are organic, the beef grass fed.  It looks delicious enough to eat right there. In fact, you can as the Butcher Bar is a restaurant as well.

I sampled their most popular items such as the "Meat Candy" Beef burnt ends that come from the double smoking of their brisket of beef.  To taste the difference, slices of the brisket were sampled as well.  Both tasted delish.  Smoked Pulled Pork was oh so tender. 

For a meat based restaurant, they certainly know how to cook up a mean Mac and Cheese that doesn't taste as if it were soaked in Velveeta.   Choose the right cheeses and make it creamy. 

Hey, if you are eating smoked meat, you gotta have freshly made baked beans.  Don't ask for the family recipe.

One of the side dish popular items is the sauteed string beans with bacon and onions which I could understand its popularity. 

You may want to check out their website for further information and more about the chicken, lamb and pork products.  www.butcherbar.com

FRESH START FOR A FLU SHOT

I had been searching for some health food places in Queens where I can not only buy organic products but have something that’s already prepared to munch on.   I ventured to Astoria for a store called Fresh Start Organic Eatery and Market.  When the weather is warm, you can sit outside in the garden and dine.  I had food to go.

With a wide variety of freshly made juices, I noticed one called “Flu Shot”, 1 oz of cranberry, ginger, wheatgrass, lemon.   Sounded just like what I needed.  However, I wanted to do a heavy green one.   There was bok choy, parsley, celery, and broccoli with an additional added carrot, apple, orange and lemon for both health and flavor.   It was actually pretty yummy.  

Ellie Zoumberakis is the store Manager and chef who  gave me some instructions regarding my own juicing saying that items such as parsley and kale need to get juiced first as the rest going in would push more of the juice of these greens.   I’ll let you know the follow up.

Loads of great products on the shelves and will discuss at a later date.  Food.  Those who are vegetarians or vegans will be quite pleased.    Here are some of the items that I sampled.  Beet Carrot salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Seitan is a meat substitute. Made from wheat it takes on the flavors of the prepared seasoning.  In this case the seitan was prepared in a sweet and sour sauce using fresh juices from the juice bar; then cut up in nuggets.   Ellie tells me that she does not use any canned fruit or vegetables including garbanzo beans which are soaked overnight before cooking. 

The phyllo dough used in Ellie’s Spinach Pie is also freshly prepared using whole grain and white flour.  Even the goat cheese is made on the premises.   All of the meat comes from Canada as there seems to be a stricter organic regulation.  Bison burger is a bison patty of rice and meat seasoned with greens such as cilantro, mint, parsley, along onions and tomatoes.  It is served on a multigrain roll, with baby greens (mine had baby spinach…I hope it wasn’t taken away from its mother too soon), and shredded carrots.

Fresh Start Organic Eatery and Market is located at 29-13 23^rd Street.  Check it out at www.fsorganic.com

5 Napkin Burger Turf & Surf

Andy D'Amico, owner/chef of his Manhattan restaurants Nice Matin, Marseille, Nizza and 5 Napkin Burger crossed the 59th Street Bridge into a Queens neighborhood known as Astoria with his third 5 Napkin Burger venue. Where better than to place a 50's style upscale burger joint than across the street from both the Museum of the Moving Image and Frank Sinatra School of the Arts, let alone just down the block from a movie theatre.

There seems to always be someone at the glass entrance door to open it and extend a happy greeting. The inside looks as if the building was once a warehouse with the exposed ceiling of pipes and floor that looks like old tiles from perhaps the 30's. 50's and 60's music echos about and so loud that I was unable to communicate with the person across from me.

What really counts is the food and just like D'Amico's other restaurants my expectations were met.

Burgers, fries and beer is the hype here as there is an extensive beer menu of many of which I had never even heard of. I skipped that and went to the food.

Although the 5 Napkin Burger name conjures up nothing but chopped meat, the bill of fare sports plenty of seafood including Sushi Maki Rolls. The menu is the menu and the only special is a Maki roll that is not listed. Last night soft shell crab was the highlight. One other that I chose was the California Rainbow of king crab, mango and cucumber on the inside; tuna, salmon, yellow tail and avocado on the outside.

I have had deep fried pickles before but in a restaurant with a "deep south" cuisine. The house made pickles here are deep fried with pastrami! They then sit atop sauerkraut and a mustard oil. A true appetizing deli delight!

As far as the burgers, it's not limited to the fresh ground chuck as you also have a choice of turkey, tuna and lamb as well. Most burger starred restaurants will have sliders of the ground chuck. Here their sliders consist of Maine lobster, 5N Mayo, scallions and cucumbers.

5 Napkin Burger wouldn't be there nom de plume without their signature 10-ouncer with caramelized onions, gruyere cheese, and rosemary ailio, served on a soft roll and of course, with fries! They have some tasty buns, but if you prefer there is the Inside Out that is wrapped in lettuce with tomato and 5N sauce.

Dessert time! Hey, if you're having a burger and fries you must have a shake or float. I indulged in their black and white shake noticing a different flavor and texture from your average ice cream shake. Let's just say that they use a cream that is more of a creme. Esther and Eunice stopped in and I shared this cold gushy glee with them.

I only got a shake of the shake as Esther and Eunice slurped it up. Hey it was two against one!

So I order this 7 layer devil's food cake with chocolate frosting. It's not my usual dessert as I'm come to experience that the looks of a chocolate cake never seems to match the taste. Surprise! First, they use a French chocolate and second, the butter cream frosting is not sugary sweet...and neither is the cake. And, no, this is not served with fries.

FYI, they said that everything on the menu is made on the premises...accept for the ice cream.

The address is 35-01 36th Street, which means that it's located on the corner of 35th Avenue and 36th Street, just a few blocks off of Steinway Street, for those who are familiar with Astoria.