Friday
My first weekend trip of 2016! I headed to NYC via Amtrak from DC to visit a college roomie and very good friend who lives in Astoria, Queens. One of the best things about the Northeast US is the close proximity of big cities and the ability to travel by rail. I must admit, there’s something special about a Friday night Amtrak train to Penn Station; the movement, the crowds, the chaos…it makes me feel alive!
I arrived to Astoria via Uber (yes, I cheated) to my friend’s cute brownstone apartment. After a little bit of chatting and catching up, we headed to the heart of Astoria to one of its most popular Greek restaurants Taverna Kyclades for dinner. As expected, the restaurant was jam packed, but it was well worth the wait. Warning: portion sizes are big, as they should be. We indulged ourselves with fried cheese, greek salad, shrimp and sole stuffed with crabmeat. And of course, wine! Delicious all around!
After dinner, as we strolled down Ditmars Blvd taking in the chill city vibe of Queens in January, a bouncer lured us into what we discovered was a new bar to the neighborhood, The Ditty. The Ditty, oh The Ditty…think hipster vibe, hipster model bartenders, good drinks, good music and games (board and video). In my mind, this is all that you can ask for in a neighborhood bar (did I mention hipster model bartenders). Anyhow, we finished our night out there enjoying good conversation in a fun atmosphere.
Saturday
I love brunch! But I guess I love any excuse to eat good food and have a day drink. I especially love a brunch that involves fried chicken. And luckily, my friend lives within a short walk to Burnside Biscuit, a restaurant serving southern food with twist that focuses on “giving back to the community that raised its founders while celebrating local, organic sourcing.” Or, a restaurant that serves some damn good chicken and waffles, which we both enjoyed thoroughly as we drank our coffee, tea and day drinks! Across the street from Burnside on 30th and 33rd resides the United Brother Fruit Market. The fruit look good, the place was buzzing and it made for a charming Astoria corner picture.
At night we ventured into The City (Manhattan) to meet up with friends for dinner and a birthday celebration. We ate dinner at Wildair, which serve flavorful and unique sharing plates. The restaurant was small, only seating about 40 people with no reservations. If you can time it well, it’s worth the culinary experience. After dinner we stopped at Wassail, my first cider bar experience. This place has over 90 ciders to pick from and my favorite was the Christian Drouin, Pays d’Auge AOP. I really just started enjoying cider this past year so I was excited about this place, however the lack of heat in the restaurant did hinder the experience some (note to restaurant: heat in January is a necessity in NYC). Our last stop was all about celebrating the birthday girl with some dancing at Pianos. We made our way to the “Upstairs Lounge” and spent the rest of the evening dancing the night away to 90s hip-hop and pop!
Sunday
Coffee, an early morning train and finding my way back home to DC!
