Breakfast Fit For Queens
Queens, and Astoria in particular, is famed for its restaurant culture.Ethnic fare is what most people speak about, whether Indian in Jackson Heights, or Latino in Roosevelt Corona, or Italian in Maspeth. Usually, when Astoria is mentioned, people immediately think Greek- but the demographics have changed here and you’re more likely to find Croatian, Brazilian,…
Queens, and Astoria in particular, is famed for its restaurant culture.Ethnic fare is what most people speak about, whether Indian in Jackson Heights, or Latino in Roosevelt Corona, or Italian in Maspeth. Usually, when Astoria is mentioned, people immediately think Greek- but the demographics have changed here and you’re more likely to find Croatian, Brazilian, or American Casual Dining these days than anything truly Hellenic.
Comfort food with a gourmet twist, The Queens Kickshaw needs little introduction to gourmands…
The little eatery opened a few years ago, and made a splash with its play on grilled cheese sandwiches and craft beers. Over time, however, it has developed into something really special. Their website lists the current menu, which changes all the time under the direction of Chef Youngsun Lee and restauranteurs Ben Sandler and Jennifer Lim.
Pictured above is “Eggs with Roasted Vegetables, Fingerling Potatoes, Brussel Sprouts, balsamic glaze, and toast.” The coffee is top notch and offers a range of options- just ask the server what they had when arriving at work to get the best of whatever today’s offerings might be. Personally, I don’t want to read a coffee’s resume, and trust in the wisdom of waiters.
Another offering is the “Layered Potato Cake, served with two sunny eggs, gruyere, and toast.” This latter one is on the weekend and holiday menu, but be warned- Kickshaw is extremely popular so get there early. They also do live music on weekends, and have an extraordinary list of beers. They also serve two kinds of Mead, believe it or not. The Queens Kickshaw is found at 40-17 Broadway in Astoria, nearby Steinway Street and the R subway line.
I’ll try Forno. But if there’s only one Italian restaurant in a neighborhood, it’s kind of a stretch to say it’s known for their Italian food. This new place is not even in the central part of town.
lol, I know. I’m with you on not thinking of Maspeth as the neighborhood to go get Italian. Maybe mitch meant another neighborhood? Or if he didn’t he could tell us where all the Italian food in Maspeth is?
But at least I got to tell you about Forno. Hope you enjoy the food there when you go to try it out!
This restaurant is terribly overrated – kind of blah food and simply uncomfortable to hang out there for brunch. The one redeeming feature is that it gives hipsters a place to brunch in Astoria and leaves the really good restaurants for the rest of us.
Try Queens Comfort instead for really good comfort food.
Maspeth is known for its Italian cuisine? Where exactly is there an Italian restaurant in Maspeth?
There’s this new place called Forno Pizzeria and Trattoria on 69th St and 52nd Drive, I think. Anyway, it’s really good pizza and Italian food. It’s definitely worth a try. It’s very close to the Woodside border. Also, Rosa’s Pizza and Joey’s is also on 69th Street but on Grand Ave. It’s true, I wouldn’t think of Maspeth as a place to get Italian food either. But there are a few good spots.
All of that is pizza, not authentic Italian restaurants. The only real Italian restaurant in Maspeth was Pat’s, and that was demolished along with the Carvel years ago. There aren’t even any sit down Polish restaurants in Maspeth, despite what people think. If you like pubs, on the other hand, you’d be in the right town.
Yeah, but Forno’s is more than just pizza. Really, you should try it if you wanna try out the Italian scene in Maspeth.
Here’s their fb page if you want proof, just look at the pics on their wall : https://www.facebook.com/pages/Forno-Pizzeria-e-Trattoria/452448268159514