Agnanti Cafe opened in Astoria and we liked it

This past week Agananti Cafe opened on Ditmars Blvd.

Faye Lembrianidis, daughter of the folks who run Agnanti, the very popular Greek restaurant just a couple blocks away, is the proprietress. When asked why she opened the cafe, her first reason was because she had to travel a bit out of her way to get her morning coffee. So she thought this part of Astoria could really use a little spot that serves coffee, as well as panini, salads, and various snacks and sweets. Locals really like to have a variety of coffee options, and finding quality morning coffee is rare along this side of Ditmars Blvd – Starbucks is about it (Waltz-Astoria, which also serves good coffee, is not open until 11am), so this is a good development for Ditmars denizens.

As far as the kind of coffee offered at Agnanti Cafe, they are using Nescafe for frappes, Nespresso for espresso drinks, and she’s still searching for the right kind of beans to use for her drip coffee. She’s tried a few different vendors, and is currently looking to a small roaster in Brooklyn, but nothing is written in stone yet.

As far as the sandwiches go, we tried the prosciutto, fig, arugula with olive oil and balsamic vinegar panino. Everything tasted fresh and there was a nice balance between the fillings and the bread, which is baked at a local Italian bakery. The fig element was an actual fresh fig, not fig spread. It was delicious.

They also serve a variety of Greek snacks and sweets. Pictured are viples, which are folded strips of pastry soaked in honey; baklava filled with walnuts; little spinach and spinach-feta pies; and brownie cupcakes. All of these tasty treats are baked over at Agnanti’s kitchen.

The space is small and sweet. For seating and eating, there’s a table and chairs, upholstered bench seats, and stools at the counter.

This place has already been embraced by the neighbors, who have enjoyed the coffee and the food. They open at 7am, which means those who live down in that part of Astoria can pick up a cup of coffee – American, Italian, or Greek styles – on their way to the train for their commute into the city.

Have you been to Agnanti Cafe yet? Let us know in the comments or via twitter at @queensnycity.

Agnanti Cafe, 19-23 Ditmars Blvd., Astoria, NY 11105; (718) 606 1391; angnanticafe.com (GMAP)