megc

I have heard very good things about Ploes, and hope to check it out soon. I live near Taverna Kyclades, and have seen the crowds waiting to get in, especially on those warm summer nights. Another Greek (or, Cypriot) restaurant I really like is Agnanti down by Astoria Park. I went with a large group of friends there and we had a really good time eating the delicious food. But the newest Greek restaurant in town is Ovelia over on 30th Ave at 34th Street. I have only heard glowing reviews of the place, and a plus is that they grind their own sausage there. The fish is supposely amazing and everything else is apparently just fabulous. I want to check it out, too. Yes, Mediterranean Foods is great! I'm near the 31st Street/23rd Ave location and like browsing and shopping. Next time you're there, buy some sage tea - it's wonderfully relaxing as the sage is a soporific. In that same area is the great Artopolis Bakery, which has a multigrain bread I like, and their bougatsa is fabulous. Love the honey cookies as well. It's worth a visit, definitely. And now Parisi is on my list to visit as well. Thanks! I love Astoria! It's a magical place.

Hey Daniel, I just got to read this - thanks for the great review! Stamatis has two locations, one on Broadway and one on 23rd Ave. They've been working on the new building for the 23rd Ave location, which I hope will make for a nice place for a Greek meal. Anyway, I'm going to check out Stamatis very soon. The 23rd Ave location is right in my neighborhood, but the Broadway location is not far. The Stamatis on 23rd Ave has a hot buffet in the front, too, for takeout. Great pictures, too! Glad you enjoyed your time in the wonderful neighborhood of Astoria.

Balkh Shish Kabab in Astoria is pretty good. Great dumplings and I love the rice with the carrots and raisins in it, with the spicy green sauce and yoghurt sauce added. Great kababs, too. Their food is from the Balkh region of Afghanistan, hence the name.

In really like the felafil at a place on 30th Ave. in Astoria. It's real name is not very memorable but the sign on the awning is - PITA HOT. So, everyone just calls the place Pita Hot (not Hot Pita). Khalid, originally from Syria, makes really tasty felafil, and they are fresh and wonderfully spiced. He has this amazing bright red cabbage that he puts on the sandwich, which I love. It's acidic and lemony but still a bit crunchy. He marinates it in lemon and vinegar, I think. Whenever I'm in there waiting for my sandwich, he always gives me a little sample of the hummus or baba ghanouj. I love this place. I've also got more love to express for Kabab Cafe, where I ate last week. Oh my, Ali's wonderful food! I had the plate that includes the little felafil, and they were really dynamite. I live about a 5 minute walk from there, and have been so involved with my neighborhood north of Astoria Blvd. (Ditmars) that I have negelected exploring more the Arab neighborhood I'm also very close to. Well, that's going to change. Lucky me!

Check out the carts in Sproul Plaza, on Bancroft at Telegraph on the campus side. Cielo Veggie has (maybe had? not sure anymore) a cart, and there is sushi, chinese food (I had friends who loved the roast pork buns), and maybe something else -- ooh, falafel etc! On the corner of Center and Shattuck there is a cart-type place that sells falafel, and maybe pretzels. You might also run into one of the mexican ice cream carts that travel around the city. Now living in Astoria, I realize that street food is not really as important out there, compared to the way it is here in NY. I can think of 3 street carts right now in my neighborhood, that are frequented by residents on a daily basis. I just don't remember street food being a regular part of life out there.

Pan, First of all what was cryptic about my post? Secondly, the article did not say "not clean enough" but rather "in need of a good cleaning" which to my mind translates into filthy. That, more than anything else will turn me off to a restaurant no matter how good the food might taste. And, I repeat, there is no excuse for an unclean restaurant and I will always assume on the side of my health. ← I remember those floor tiles when I was sitting at the restaurant, and thinking that they looked dingy and a bit worn, rather than filthy. I had a floor once, that no matter how hard you cleaned it, it still looked dirty. Really frustrating, that was. The tiles at J&N were very pretty, though, despite their looking like lots of people had walked on them (how floors look after years of use). I wondered where the tiles had come from, too. I didn't go into the bathroom during my time at Jour et Nuit, so I can't corroborate anything the article said about that. But I didn't get sick from the food! I know many people who have eaten at the restaurant and have heard nothing but praise about the food, if that makes a difference. Hank, I do understand your POV, though.

I went there a few weeks ago, and they were serving wine at least. I guess they changed their minds or finally got their liquor license. We had a nice Morroccan red wine, the name or kind I can't remember. But it was good and went well with the food. Everyone in the group enjoyed it, as well as the food. The owner prepared two very large plates for us, one consisting of a seafood stew type of thing, and the other a tagine. I was particularly impressed with the tagine, more specifically the vegetables in the dish. They were so delicious, a combination of their natural sweetness and the savoriness of the dish. There was also chicken and lamb in the tagine, all very tasty. It was really good. I would go back. And their close proximity to Laziza pastry shop is a bonus!

Oscar's in Berkeley always had tasty burgers, according to friends. I always had their veggie burger and it was fab! I love the way that place smells as I walk by, mmmmm.....

I was just there this past week and thought it was wonderful as always. Both the food and the drinks were delicious. One of the best mojitos I've had, and the next day I had probably the best cosmopolitan (hey, I like fruity cocktails ) ever (so nice that César is next to Chez Panisse, where my dinner reservations were). Particularly delicious was the dish of calçots, which were sauteed spring onions with romesco sauce. The salt cod was great, too. If I lived in Berkeley and had the $$, I'd be there often!

Pan, John Harvard's is a chain eatery that is kind of like a pub-restaurant sort of place, not really a diner, and is near the mall. I think it originates from Boston? I wish I had seen this thread! I could have made some suggestions, living here in Setauket. However, my final recital and doctoral oral exams kept me hostage for quite some time.

I used to work at Hear Music, a couple doors down from Bette's and I used to go to Bette's To Go, right next door. They have amazing pizza and delicious chocolate pudding. It's pretty fast, too, although it's not breakfast. I avoided the main Bette's because of the wait, too. There used to be a great gelato place in between Hear and Bette's. I did not know that the original Cody's was on Euclid! There used to be a cute little movie theater up there, too, where I saw Strictly Ballroom. There is also a nice cafe run by Greeks that serves tasty sandwiches with interesting grain-based sides. I used to work closer to Northside on the Berkeley campus and always enjoyed going over to Euclid for lunch. Yay Berkeley!

I remember seeing a Cal swim cap during the Olympics and thinking that was super cool. I love Olympic swimming! I love California! In NY, Meg

My apologies. Let's just say I have many friends who watch the dreaded TV series with the same name. I can't have a conversation with them regarding CA without having to endure the harsh reality of their mass media induced abbreviatory tendencies. I'm the victim here, not the perpetrator. OK, OK, I forgive you. But promise me you will avoid the "San Fran" abbreviation that so many New Yorkers use!

The Cheeseboard now has a cookbook, The Cheese Board Collective Works. It has most of their breads, pastries, and even pizza recipes. It is hard to find outside of Berkeley, unless you order it from Amazon. artisan02, thank you very much! I will check Amazon.

And it's kitty-corner from the Pacific Coast Brewery! I have fond memories of that place. I miss the Cheeseboard and their politics. Mmmmm...sourdough cheese roll..... Is Phoenix Pastifico still open? I thought they were a neat little place with odd hours. I've bought great pasta from them.