247728 Sun Oct 30 17:08:01 -0800 2005 20 19 Outer Boroughs 0 1316685 Hello! Alright, this may sound silly but I went to Astoria via the N train a few weeks ago looking for good Greek food and although I'm not sure where I landed, but I couldn't find anything. I've lurked around this site before and knew that I wanted to try Lazizza, the bakery and some baklava. Also, heard about Eastern Nights, Kebab cafe, and Philoxenia but couldn't find any of these places. Anybody have suggestions of where to go for a first Astoria meal? I enjoy kebabs, would like to try moussaka (never had it before) and just do some exploring. I basically want to make a day of this. Also, interested in any ethnic-ish markets. So, if you can avise me to which subway to take, stop to get off at, and streets to look for, etc, it would be helpful for the first time and hopefully I can take some mini-excursions from there. Cheers, Maya Sun Oct 30 17:08:01 -0800 2005 0 maya 1 1316689 There are a lot of great places in Astoria, the problem is there are 3-4 distinct areas that are fairly far apart. The first is Broadway, if you walk east from the N train, you will find a lot of Greek restaurants but none of them super. Ploes is good, S'Agapo I've heard is good and other Greek choices include Stamatis and Uncle Georges (avoid). There are also a few good Mexican places like Viva El Mariachi and El Potro and Mundo (Turkish-Agrentinian) is an interesting little place. On Broadway you will also find Omonia bakery, famous as the place the cake from My Big Fat Greek Wedding was made. North 1 block, accesible from either the Broadway or 30th ave N stop is 31st ave, probably my favorite street for food in Astoria. Again, going east from 31st Street (where the N train is) You have Brick Cafe, Zenon (highly reccomended for Greek) the Himalaya Tea House, JJs and Cavo (ok food, but a neat euro-club scene). Go north 1 more block and you get to 30th Ave, there are a number of bakeries but more interesting are the cafes like Athens Cafe, Avenue Cafe, Flo, Grand Cafe where you will find mostly European clientelle and that kind of vibe. There are also a few good restaurants on 30th ave including Sabor Tropical (Brazillian) and Thai Pavillion. Be sure to stop at by the original Mediteranian Foods, just south of 30th ave at about 34th street. Keep walking east on 30th till you get to Steinway, then follow this North into the Arabic (mostly Moroccan and Egyptian) section of Astoria. This is where you will find Kebab Cafe and other places. Just to the east of Steinway on 28th ave is alslo Piccola Venezia which is supposed to be amazing for Italian. The last section of Astoria is the Ditmars area. If you get back on the N and take it up to Ditmars you will find yet another great collection of places. The Beer Garden, Agnanti, Philoxenia, Trattoria L'Incontro, 718 all are standouts in this area. I definitely didn't cover everything Astoria has to offer, but hopefully this is a quick guide. Other Astorians, please add! Sun Oct 30 18:27:53 -0800 2005 1316685 0 Astoria Lurker 2 1316690 S'Agapo is on 34th Avenue, not Broadway. Sun Oct 30 18:40:15 -0800 2005 1316689 0 Chorus Girl 2 1316739 What is wrong with Uncle George's? I do not understand why people on this board are so not fond of them. True, decor is shabby and service is so-so, but the food is very good, authentic and cheap! I'm sure they're going to turn the place into a chi-chi thing with prices thru the roof and with nothing left of the homey greasy greek cuisine. I will miss my dinners there on bbq lamb (huge portions as if it's like a quarter of a whole lamb!) washed down with a cheap house wine. Like the place few blocks down on Broadway (on the corner across from C-town). Used to be a great greasy Cypriot counter with the best gyro in the whole NYC and now it's one of many generic restaurants with maroon toned down awnings serving generic food. Mon Oct 31 12:51:12 -0800 2005 1316689 0 welle 3 1316740 Let me tell you something. If you can sit and tell me that you think Uncle Georges is better quality food than Aliada ( across C-Town on B'way) you obviously never eat anywhere decent. Aliada may not be the best or even close to the best but, UNCLE GEORGE'S??? What do you know about food then? obviously not much Mon Oct 31 13:07:12 -0800 2005 1316739 0 Jill 4 1316747 I never understand Uncle George bashing. Yes the food is ok at best and that's debatable. But what everyone seems to forget is that for at least half the day, say midnight to noon, Uncle George is indisputably the best Greek in Astoria. That alone makes it worth cherishing. Besides the Roast Pork is awesome. Mon Oct 31 13:36:05 -0800 2005 1316740 0 Astoria Al 4 1316755 Food maybe not, but I do know my meat. You obviously never had their lamb. and their tzatziki was (is?) the best. and you missed out on the gyro that used to be in the place of Aliada... Mon Oct 31 14:35:32 -0800 2005 1316740 0 welle 5 1316805 I am sorry if I offended you. The last time I went to Uncle George's, I cracked my tooth on their fried calamari. PS.. the best tzatziki is at Zenon NOT Uncle Georges!! Tue Nov 01 09:14:46 -0800 2005 1316755 0 jill 6 1317087 i agree-- zenon BY FAR- has the best and freshest food- GREEK/CYPRIOT food around that area!! you can have an amazing mousaka- cooked fresh in the morning- every Friday- but make sure you go early because it's so good that it doesn't last until the evening- or better yet- if you know you're going for that- call them up in the afternoon and request that they save a portion for u to pick up- or enjoy later that night!! Take the N train to 30ave and walk up to 31st avenue- then go to 35th street- its roughly 5 blocks away... very close to the train!! definetely worth it! never been to uncle george's but i had a few people tell me that its nothing to rave about.....(quality and service stinks according to my sources) ploes- didn't like too much aliada- never been but their menu looks like Zenon's (aliada is a fairly new place-zenon has been there for 17 years so I highly doubt that Zenon copied their menu!!) stamatis i believe is overrated demetris seafood is pretty good for fish and other seafood! enjoy! Fri Nov 04 14:33:58 -0800 2005 1316805 0 c-tina 7 1318259 You are all nuts. The best Greek food in Astoria is at the Taverna Kyklades on Ditmars. Everything else is a fight for second. Sun Nov 27 11:09:57 -0800 2005 1317087 0 Hoffman 8 1318512 I see now the treacherous churning tides of Astorian Greek restaurants. I'm glad to finally read a vote for Demetris on Broadway. I love that place. Uncle Georges is good for what it is... casual, fun and cheap. Sat Dec 03 08:51:15 -0800 2005 1318259 0 Ida Red 8 1318515 I so agree with you. Whenever I even think about Taverna Kyclades, I get an urge to go for the fabulously fresh fish and seafood. The best I have had in Astoria. Sat Dec 03 10:11:09 -0800 2005 1318259 0 mshpook 7 1319562 I couldn't agree more. I grew up in Astoria and have been to all of them for many years, and Zenon is by far the best of the best. The food is all made from scratch in the kitchen every morning. Unlike most of the places I went to, the taramas is homemade, not from a jar! And the specials are fresh and wonderful. Stamatis is pretty good but has a limited menu, Elias Corner has good fish, but the rest is just ok. Aliada seems ok, but I haven't been yet, since the menu is very similar to what I already know is amazing at Zenon, so... S'agapo is eh and Uncle George's, although popular to the city crowd, is downright nasty (greasy food/dirty place). But Zenon - delicious! Thu Dec 29 11:20:11 -0800 2005 1317087 0 Nina 5 1316809 I'm just going to express my opinion about places discussed: I,m Greek so maybe my opinion will matter Uncle Georges is what they call a "psistaria" in Greece. The only food you should be eating is food prepared on the grill or spit.The rest forget about it.As far as Uncle Georges goes many Greeks avoid it. Its not what you call good food Zenon is a "taverna" there you are safer eating dishes prepared on or off the grill. Examples "meze" tzatziki, taramosalata etc.. or even a dish like mousaka. Zenon is a pretty good place Romano's on 33rd and broadway is way better than alliada. I think most Greeks will agree when it comes to Gyro's Romanos on 33rd and Broadway is by far the best. It is not the frozen kronos gyro served in most places. (try the pizza too) Ploes is a good place. That is Greek with a little bit of a twist. (example Greeks rarely use fruit in their salads) Again this is just my opinion!!!! Tue Nov 01 10:29:45 -0800 2005 1316755 0 maria f 2 1316756 What do you guys think of Ommonia's claim of having baked My Big Fat Greek Weedding's cake? I purposely rented the dvd, and there is no cake in the movie! Well maybe not purposely (I missed out in the theaters and was trying to catch up). Maybe that bundt cake?.. Or maybe the theater version had a cake? There were no 'Deleted Cake Scenes' feature on the dvd... Mon Oct 31 14:39:47 -0800 2005 1316689 0 welle 1 1316700 OK, I live in Maine, that's right, the State! So I want to find an address in New York City, plus a relation to a subway stop, go like this: In GOOGLE search, type the name "Philoxenia", no quotes but add the word Astoria. Up comes,for instance: Philoxenia 26–18 23rd Avenue, Astoria, Queens 718.626.9162. Now go to: New York City Map Portal, URL: http://gis.nyc.gov/doitt/mp/Portal.do type in the address and you get a map showing the building on the south side of 23rd ave near the corner of 27th street, and a subway stop (N,W) on 31st st. and Ditmars Blvd. These procedures work for every address in NYC Try it Sun Oct 30 21:54:19 -0800 2005 1316685 0 Peter B. Wolf 2 1316726 since you're obviously conversant in web use, perhaps you could go to http://www.emilypost.com -- a website one can use to learn a polite way to respond to perfectly reasonable questions. Mon Oct 31 09:45:32 -0800 2005 1316700 0 david sprague 3 1316790 I did not try to be impolite nor am I web savvy. Just thought a straight foreward suggestion may even benefit anyone in search of an address. Sorry I did not wear my Morrocan Goatskin gloves when typing, as Emily sure would have suggested. Mon Oct 31 22:45:13 -0800 2005 1316726 0 Peter B. Wolf 4 1316817 at the risk of wasting bandwidth, i apologize if i saw a "tone" that wasn't intended (or wasn't even there). oh, and goatskin is just *so* 2004 -- it's all about the wallaby these days (!) Tue Nov 01 11:16:42 -0800 2005 1316790 0 david sprague 5 1316890 Thanks, and let's shake hands! I am often told that I am abrasive, opinionated and arrogant, but not meaning to be insulting or hurting others. ( I am German ) Wed Nov 02 09:44:05 -0800 2005 1316817 0 Peter B. Wolf 1 1317096 Try Oneira. It is the best Greek food in New York! Fri Nov 04 16:30:07 -0800 2005 1316685 0 Jennifer Tillerman