Sunnyside Center Cinemas

I know it's not food, but you really must know about Sunnyside Center Cinemas!

  

Basically it's a small movie theater tucked away on Queens Boulevard in between a divey Irish pub and a local bank. They play first-run movies and it is the cheapest theater of all time!

You can see a matinee movie for $5! Five Dollars.

 

(did I mention that movies are $5?!)

My bf and I just saw X-Men: First Class (yes, and it was actually pretty awesome!) for $10 total!

That's less than I paid (for a single ticket!) to see Thor (also awesome) last week at Astoria Kaufman theater.

Regular priced tickets are only $7.50. Also, there is a Tuesday special- all day and night movies are also $5!

("new" lobby...)

The theater is pretty crappy, but it has improved a lot recently! They renovated the inside lobby and snack counter, which is a welcome improvement. There are more than two employees working there now, too, which is nice because the guy who sells you your ticket outside no longer has to run inside periodically to start the movies (seriously, that used to happen).

The theaters are small, and sometimes empty. I've seen at least three movies where me and my movie-going companion were the only people in the theater!

("just like theater in Serbia!")

Yes, sometimes the movie will stop randomly for a minute or the screen will go fuzzy or the sound will cut out now and then, but come on people, you paid FIVE DOLLARS. And most of the time it's totally normal. 

Also, movies that are sold out elsewhere across the world are not in Sunnyside. It's like a strange void in that way. I bought 3 tickets to the first showing of the latest Twlight movie the day of (and I'm only slightly embarrassed to admit that).

We saw Crank 2 a couple of years ago (totally awesome) with a friend from Belgrade whose comment was "Looks just like movie theater in Serbia!"

Okay, so it's not a super nice theater, but whatever, you can see any brand new movie for five dollars. It's right off of the subway and super easy to get to, not to mention all of the awesome restaurants nearby that you could go to before or after the movie to spend all of the money that you saved by going to Sunnyside Center Cinemas.

 Sunnyside Center Cinemas

42-17 Queens Blvd.
Sunnyside, NY 11104
(718) 361-6869

showtimes and info here

Cold-Brew Iced Coffee Experiment

Today I decided to try my hand at cold-brewing a pitcher of iced coffee! 

I wanted to start with the ultimate awesome coffee, so I got a pound over at Baruir's (post about Baruir's coming soon!), the most awesome coffee in Sunnyside!

(why, yes, I do want the best!)

Baruir's roasts their beans in-house in a giant, antique coffee roaster which makes the whole neighborhood smell like burnt toast on a daily basis.

Their coffee is amazing. I started with a pound of Colombian French Roast ($8.99/lb) coarse-ground.

I looked up the cold-brew process and it's very simple: 4 parts water, 1 part coffee!

I filled a pitcher (from 99cent Treats, the best neighborhood 99cents store!) with 8 cups of water and 2 cups ground coffee and stirred it up! Then I left it "brewing" for about 22 hours!

(let it brew!)

Cold brewing preserves about 90% of the coffee's flavor and caffeine, but only about 15% of the harsh acids, which is why, although time consuming, it is a great way to make awesome coffee!

After the brewing was complete, I used a very fine strainer and ran the coffee through twice until it was clear of all of the unwanted sludge.

(sludge-b-gone!)

I filled a glass with some coffee ice cubes I had made the day before (essential for enjoying proper iced coffee!) and added about a third of a glassful of the coffee "concentrate." It's delicious as is, but it's strong!

(coffee ice cubes to keep it strong!)

I like mine "light," as they say here in NYC, and so I filled the cup up with milk and enjoyed a really, really amazing cup of homemade cold-brew iced coffee!!!

YUM!

Tastee Corner!!

This morning we were looking for a tastee breakfast, and we found it at Tastee Corner in Astoria.

 (it's right under the N train!)

Tastee is a classic Greek-family-run Astoria diner. Regular diner fare at reasonable prices and quick, semi-friendly service.

                                                    

I like the full-page ads that they have IN the menu.

(well, I wasn't thinking about selling gold today, but now that you mention it....)

I've dined at Tastee Corner a few times over the years, and it never disappoints. It also usually does not "wow" either, but today was an exception! I had banana pancakes with bacon on the side ($8) and I must say, they were some of the best pancakes I've ever had! They were awesome. My cohort had a Greek omelette (~$7.50ish) which was just fine, he said.

(bananas in pancakes is the way to go!)

All in all, Tastee Corner won't blow you away, but it is a fun spot to go to if you live in the 'hood!

Tastee Corner

3020 30th Ave
Astoria, NY 11102
(718) 274-7704

The Haab: for a fiesta of good eating

There is not a more colorul and festive food spot in all of Sunnyside!!

(every day is cindo de mayo at The Haab!)

It is also possibly the greatest place to cure even the most raging hangover.

(jarritos decor)

I prefer to do so by starting with a tall glass of fresh juice- today we got fresh-squeezed OJ and also fresh carrot/OJ mix! Sometimes they have fresh Tamarind and Guava juices.

(fresh carrot-orange juice!)

I almost always order a breakfast sandwich here- that is because it is SO GOOD. Today's was a giant croissant with bacon, eggs (overeasy!!) and cheese. They serve it with a chipotle-mayo kind of sauce that is ridiculous. The egg goes everywhere and it is awesome. It's also like, $3.50 (what!?).

(before instantaneous inhalation)

They also serve Mexican-style breakfast which is greasy and spicy and delicious including Chilaquiles ($7.25) and Huevos Tapatios ($7.25)- crispy fried tortillas with Chorizo, eggs and homefries.

The Haab also offers more traditional "American" breafast dishes like pancakes and homemade waffles. We tried the French Toast Guayaba ($7.50) with apples, bananas and guava sauce (yum!). The French Toast part was incredible, and as a whole, it was delcious, albeit a little sweet. My bf described it as "French Toast with Jarritos sauce."

lol.

I love the upbeat, colorful decor and rather random music selection. It is a cozy place with a lot of spirit and a lot of really good food. I've never eaten lunch or dinner there, but they do serve a giant dish piled high in a big stone pot called El Molcajete that looks pretty much unbelievable.... !!!

The Haab

4722 48th Ave
Sunnyside, NY 11377

(718) 729-4838

www.thehaab.com

 

Point Brazil

Are you looking to eat a gigantic, delicious pile of meats and foods tonight for around $10?!

Me too!

That's why I went to Point Brazil in Astoria. I've been hearing about this place for a while from friends in the neighborhood, and I have to say that I am impressed! It is a classic Brazilian pay-by-weight buffet and churrascaria.

(not one, but two buffets!)

There are two buffets- one with crisp, fresh salads and fruit and one with savory, saucy meat and fish dishes. Most outstanding were the chilled collared greens and the juicy plantains. Once your plate is piled high enough, you travel to the special grilled meat counter, where the grill-master pulls from a selection of juicy, roasting meats and slices them to your liking. I can highly recommend the flank steak!!

(roasted chicken... yum! also, some juicy sirloin in the background...!)

Pretty soon you have an incredible assortment of treats on your plate! You pay by the pound, which in our case came out to about $10/plate (amazing!!).

(i would eat this again right now if i weren't so full!)

Add a can of Guarana and you are ready for a Brazilian feast. Enjoy the spunky wall art or people-watch out on 31st Ave.

  

All in all, Point Brazil offers fresh, flavorful food at a pretty spectacular price!

Point Brazil

3801 31st Ave
Astoria, NY 11103
(718) 278-1934

La Flor

La Flor has been the culinary bridge linking Sunnyside and Woodside for 10 years, and it has lasted for good reason!

La Flor has drawn the attention of Yelping Manhattanites as well as locals looking for quality food and a quaint, neighborhood cafe setting where you could sit for hours if you wanted to.

(muffins muffins muffins)

The most serious reason to venture to La Flor is for the unbelievable banana muffin (which is toasted and you cover it in butter even though it is already delicious and buttery).

(MMMMMMM!!!)

Equally as appetizing are the other breakfast options, including Vanilla Bourbon French Toast ($7.95) and more traditional Mexican fare like Huevos Rancheros ($6.95) and their Puebla Breakfast ($7.95), a scramble of eggs, chorizo and potatoes littered with crispy tortilla chips (and served with red and green house hot sauces!).

They also serve good coffee. I can't say it's thrilling, but it is good (which, in New York, can be thrilling!).

 

Despite breakfast's deliciousness, Lunch and Dinner are quickly becoming my favorite meals at La Flor. Again the menu ranges from traditional salads and sandwiches to tortas, tacos and quesadillas.

(warm brie!)

Most recently we stuffed ourselves with the Warm Brie "Salad" with poached pears and mixed greens ($10.95), the Grilled Salmon Sandwich with pesto mayo ($10.95) and Baked Macaroni and Cheese ($6.95) (disclaimer: Mac n' Cheese in any/all forms is my favorite food of all time).

(grilled salmon sandwich)

(mac and cheese... obv)

The Mac and Cheese is really good and you can't really screw up warm brie! The salmon sandwich was really good, but could have been better.

All in all, La Flor is a great excuse to check out the amazing Woodside neighborhood (I think it was named the most diverse place on earth? If not, I will name it so).

La Flor

53-02 Roosevelt Ave
Woodside, NY 11377
Neighborhood: Woodside

(718) 426-8023

laflorrestaurant.com/

Deal is Meal!

I would love to check this place out, except I don't know:

 

-what/where it is

-what kind of food they serve

-how to get inside

For now it will just be the weird sign I see from the 7 train platform at Queensboro Plaza....