Even though I live in Astoria, it was my friend, Ricardo (who lives on Staten Island) who alerted me to the carnival occurring in Astoria Park, last week. He enticed me to go, also inviting another Astorian and two of his friends from Woodside.
The set-up was very cool, with lots of rides, food vendors, games of chance, people-watching, and prizes.
Our group had immense fun at the coin-drop games, and we won six goldfish (that a girl in our group named & adopted).
The games of "strength" led my eye to appreciate similar activities occurring simultaneously in their usual places of the park...
As the stars came out overhead, the couple from Woodside offered to drive us to a local restaurant for dinner. Everyone turned to me for suggestions. I mentioned the tapas bar, Il Bambino, on 31st Ave. After they found a parking spot on a nearby street, we strolled past The Brick Café and saw a large crowd gathered by their open windows/doors. Outdoor tables were full, and spectators stood on the sidewalk, gawking into the restaurant to see the soccer game on TV. Shouts and cheers came through the wide open windows and echoed off the quiet buildings on the breezy street.
By coincidence/kismet, we had walked past just in time the see the last climactic moments of the game. Four wild attempts to score were eradicated: the ball ricocheted off the goalie frame; the ball flew too high; it bounced off the goalie post; a kick was intercepted. Suspense ratcheted upward!
Faces of the players expressed exuberance, shock, disbelief, anguish and elation! Colombia won the game, and the crowd around us erupted into cheers and clinking glasses!
That put us in a celebratory mood, and we pushed through the door to Il Bambino, which was the recent winner of "Best Astoria Eatery"! It also supports Streets International (to stop human trafficking and slave labor) by donating $3 of every Vietnamese panini.
It was the Thursday preceding NYC Pride Weekend, so it didn't surprise me that the twinky host (tight cut-off denim shorts, high-tops, and facial scruff) was happy to seat us, but then dash away to begin his night. Still stuck working at the restaurant, our server (of 3 years), teased him, "Have fun! See you at the gym."
The restaurant has two "service bars": a food prep one in the front, and an alcoholic one in the rear.
Cozy ambiance abounds inside, and within their rear garden.
We sat inside and perused their impressive menu. Many varieties of crostini, panini and tapas--each with a generous amount of fresh ingredients. Our waiter was delightful, bringing our cheese/meat platter with our Spanish wine (garnacha grape). Apricot jam accompanied our Manchego (sheep's milk), taleggio (cow's milk), and garrotxa (nutty Spanish goat's milk w/ thyme & rosemary). (Lewis and I love Manchego; it was awarded a Denomination of Origin to ensure quality from a restricted region in La Mancha). Another platter held porchetta, bresaola, and cured pig's shoulder... all equally tasty.
For dinner, half the table ordered panini (notice how generously large the coffee cups are!),
Recently, Lewis and I visited the Kingdom of Spain, and I recall the taste of the tapas in Barcelona, which is in the highly-independent region of Catalonia.
(Natives speak Catalan before Spanish). Here are two photos from that trip.
*To see our second trip to Spain as we revisited it, please use this link:
In lovely comparison, the flavors at this restaurant were tantalizing! Tomato chutney, pesto, freshly sliced meats (speck, prosciutto, mortadella, chorizo), freshly grated cheeses, sardines, artichokes, smoked tomato butter, anchovy, rosemary oil, fried shallot, béarnaise mayo, chèvre, romesco, boucheron, salume tartufo, chestnut honey, and horseradish aioli.
Our waiter impressed us by memorizing our orders and then reciting/identifying each tapas that appeared on each of our platters. Quite a "parlor trick"!
Our waiter impressed us by memorizing our orders and then reciting/identifying each tapas that appeared on each of our platters. Quite a "parlor trick"!
Everything was promptly prepared, delicious and filling. Water was always refilled promptly, and we were encouraged to take our time. We still had appetite to enjoy their perfect espresso and a shared homemade brownie with peanut butter frosting. One of the last tables to leave, we conjured up rousing conversation and laughter--often incorporating the friendly staff. I certainly appreciate why it was named "Best", for contributing so much heart in such a modest space. Definitely worthwhile for you to visit. Also a reminder that sometimes accepting an invitation can bring unexpected delights and new experiences. I'm also happy for the new friendships I was introduced to. Hopefully, we'll see them in my future blog entries.
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