54-46, that's my number: the Queens thread

lol @ your gf's text

We used to have running jokes/commentary about the "walking around playing guitar guys" of williamsburg, young guys who looked like they literally just got off a bus from Omaha with nothing but their guitar and an outfit put together from a bad hearsay description of what a hipster looks like, and then they just stroll the streets playing their hippie dippie guitar music

another lol at gf text

You think sunnyside need work, you should see the veritable ocean of leopard print that is forest hills

I don't even understand how some of these stores and restaurants exist. It's like a low budget soundstage version of mid-90s manhattan.

Ha. You know what I like in Forest Hills? That one bakery on Austin Street. Used to pick up rugelachs on my way back from Kew Gardens.

Speaking of which, do you have any friends who became ADAs?

which bakery?

Um, yeah, I think a few people I know are ADAs. None in Queens that I'm aware of -- Manhattan and Bronx iirc.

btw FH does have a legit craft beer bar now, or at least something aiming for that (Station House). Pictures make the environment look kind of meh. Probably annoying at peak times but a good place to go off peak for the beers.

Banter (new Irish "gastropub") was not particularly "gastro." Just ordinary brunch, but it wasn't bad. An improvement on what was there before to be sure. Decent atmosphere.

On Austin Street after you make right coming from 71st off the subway. Corny name, Martha's Country Bakery, but at least it doesn't seem to belong to the time warp you describe

Made a note of Banter a few weeks ago. Seemed like it might be a good place to watch soccer.

About 130 pages into book Jordan recommended on ILB, A Naked Singularity by Sergio de la Pava, about a son of Colombian immigrants who is a public defender living in Brooklyn. Really enjoying it so far, well-written, funny and bleak and seems to describe pretty well certain aspects of living in NYC, as well as helping maintain my newly acquired knowledge and appreciation for legal jargon. Because Iphigenia of Forest Hills was not enough.

this looks interesting:
http://www.amazon.com/Modern-Arcadia-Frederick-Olmsted-Gardens/dp/155849443X/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1367513685&sr=1-6&keywords=forest+hills#_

Colemeco (weird PBS food show from guy who used to look like Deniro until he grew his hair questionably long) did a queens episode recently. Ayada and Fu Run were decent picks but he went to some French bakery in Forest Hills that looked legit.

Oh yeah tbf that french bakery is really good (La Boulengerie?) -- I've only gotten take-out pastries, which were excellent. Lousy coffee, but that's authentically french.

Good music at Terraza 7 tonight, Juan Carlos Formell, originally from Cuba and son of the guy who started Los Van Van. He started on bass but now plays a twelve string guitar like it was a tres. His bass player lives in the neighborhood which I guess is what brought him out this way.

is that french bakery on austin?

anyone itt who hasn't been to cannelle yet is missing out, best bakery

it's on a side street right off austin, btw austin and queens blvd, I forget which one. It probably is something with a 70 or 71 in it followed by either rd, dr, st, or ave

this seems like a pretty solid beer list:

http://www.beermenus.com/places/9416-forest-hills-station-house

want to try the maresdous brune and the sixpoint killer crisp

Been a few times to Cannelle, but I dunno. Find that mall a little depressing. Even when nobody has to go to the medical lab over there. We have a really good bakery closer, Lety's on 37th. She's Latina, used to work in Italian bakery on the Lower East Side, Viniera's (sp?) I think.

Veniero's?

not really LES, more like east village I guess. Sort of famous, iirc. My ex-New Yorker parents used to take me to Ferrara's and then that was the place that was supposed to be "as good as the OLD ferrara's" or something

Lety's opened another location in a doomed spot in Sunnyside on Skillman near the Woodside border, or maybe technically Woodside. Next to Thai Malay (crappy takeout/delivery thai/malaysian that used to be solid for such things but was gross last time)

Coolest bakery in Queens is Artopolis in Astoria. I also like V&V or whatever it's called, little old-school bakery just past the 61st st 7 stop/LIRR, on Roosevelt. They have great Black and Whites, but I don't eat any of this stuff because I'm sans-Gluten.

Yeah, that's it. Looks like Lety has another bakery in Woodside since end of last year.
(xp)
Heard rumor that empty space on 37th where a restaurant was is going to be- guess what?- a ScottishIrish gastropub.

This may not be canonical but I only like black & whites if the white aide is lemon-flavored. None of that nondescript white sugar frosting.

*white side

http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMjA2NDQ0ODI4Nl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwODMzODU0MQ@@._V1_SY317_CR5,0,214,317_.jpg

black and whites just not very good when it comes down to it

also egg creams

Agreed. For black and whites the flavor to bulk and effort to eat ratio is unsatisfactory. For egg creams the thing is so ethereal, is consumed so quickly, that you hardly have time to taste it. Perhaps according to the Goldilocks formulation there is a third related treat that is just right.

Band is back from break. Guy just played what sounded like a highlife inflected quote from "Four."

good egg creams are GREAT. I've never had one I liked that I didn't make though.

(thank you sodastream)

Pretty good version of that old chestnut "Guantanamera."

Have I ever told you about my irrational dislike of the song Guantanamera?

It's not a bad song or anything, it's just sort of the Freebird of latin music.

Yeah, exactly. That and "El Condor Pasa."

Anyone here been to LIC Market? I've heard good things, although the menu seems less interesting than I would perhaps like. Maybe someone can recommend a better date night dinner within a few subway stops of FH? (want to stay close because it will be our first night using a non-relative babysitter).

I really like it for brunch

but pastries are like my favorite food and they give you really good mini-pastries w/ your brunch

I think the good date-y places are probably all in astoria

Is Vesta near a train?

Kebab Cafe in Astoria is a great date spot, if you don't mind it feeling like a 3 person date w/ the chef.

I had the BEST food from a place I'd say is maybe the worst date night dinner location. Gola Kabab from Kababish. Meat minced so finely that they have to wrap it in twine so it doesn't fall of the skewer. I had to remove the string before eating. I don't know how they serve it on a sandwich.

haha I was gonna suggest vesta

it's really far from the N and REALLY far from the R

what about Salt & Fat in Sunnyside -- anyone?

that is the closest restaurant to my apt but I don't go because I keep kosher

brooklyn types seem to like it and its generally busy

It's pretty great. Especially for Queens. Maybe it wouldn't seem so hip or special in Brooklyn or Lower East Side!

La Flor can be pretty decent for dinner, but they often have live music, very misguided.

should i move here? i'm going to move to nyc this year if it kills me; it's been a lifelong aspiration and now is the right time. i have more friends in brooklyn, but i think it's more expensive.

I like la flor a lot but it doesn't feel so date-y to me

if you like foreign food and relatively affordable rent you should live in queens

if you want to date hot young ppl and go to hip concerts and be poor you should live in brooklyn

Brooklyn is way more expensive, but Queens isn't for eveyone.

La Flor is suprisingly charming at night.