16 Places
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Gary’s 5-star review: Great diner food and best portions in town! I've always complained about lousy diners in New York City, especially in Queens. I grew up around Georgia Diner, Sage Diner/Pops Diner/Fabulous Nevada Diner, Forest Hills Diner, T-Bone Diner, Tower Diner, Jackson Hole, nearly every diner you could possibly think of in our area, they all stunk!! The quality and portions for the price they charged were always terrible! Service in all of those diners were always dreadful. My friend suggested Good Eats diner and kept telling me how good it was. I was skeptical at first but I decided to give it a try. Good Eats is located on Grand Ave in Maspeth. It's a few blocks away from my old intermediate school (I.S.73). I could not recall this place being opened during my years in junior high which was over 15 years ago. I brought my wife and son for breakfast and we had one heck of a meal. We ordered a Good Eats waffle special, 1 Belgian waffle with a side of eggs, ham, bacon, and toast, eggs Benedict w/ a side of avocados, and a western omelette. Each of our meals included a juice. The waffle was pretty fluffy on the inside. I wished the outer part, especially the edges of the waffle would be but more crispier. It was almost a pancake like texture. The eggs, bacon were fine, the ham however was a bit cheap tasting. It be nicer if it was a slice of Virginia ham or a thicker cut of ham to go with the eggs. Eggs Benedict is the standout meal of our breakfast. The hollandaise sauce was perfect, served with a side of hash browns, it was a dynamite meal. Last but not least was the Western omelette. This omelette was ginormous! It's really thick and also served with a side of hash browns. It was really good, my son certainly enjoyed it. Most omelettes served in diners are flat with minimal amount of ingredients. This western omelette was quite loaded and filling. Verdict - Great diner, perhaps the best diner in Queens. The prices were fair and reasonable, pretty much similar prices to all of the other diners I mentioned. What makes Good Eats stand out from the rest is their quality and portions. You get so much more for your money here. I was very pleased with my meal, the one tiny downer is that I wish they brought out our food the second it was ready instead of waiting for all it to be ready together. I felt some foods cooled off before it reached our table. Other that, this is quite a gem for this neighborhood. On a side note, the take out menu is vastly different from the dine-in menu. The takeout menu stretches, page after page, item after item in small text. The dine-in menu was like two huge pages with pictures and text. Maybe they have separate menus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I'll find out and keep y'all posted. -
Gary’s 5-star review: 5 stars all the way! I came here for a birthday dinner the other day. We did things family style and had them bring in whatever and every dish they served was absolutely amazing!! Food - Superb! All of the dishes they served us was fantastic. The baked clams, soft shell crab with fried sardines, lobster, lamb, pasta, pizza, seafood salad, and desserts were all heavenly delicious! Drinks - We had a few bottles of Pinot Grigio and some of us had several bottles of Peroni beer. While we were having our desserts, they also brought us a bottle of Sambuca, Lemoncello, and another liqueur I can't remember. Service - The best and the most friendly! From beginning to end, all of the waiters here are extremely friendly. They made all of us felt very welcomed. The service here is absolutely outstanding. It has to be one of the biggest highlights here other than their delicious food. Verdict - If you're a open minded person when it comes to food, have them bring you their kitchen to your table. You will definitely leave Patrizia's with a full stomach. If you're one of the picky types, go home and order from Dominos. If you love great Italian food and desserts, this is your go to spot. Your first experience here will be a memorable one! -
Gary’s 4-star review: I ate here once recently and its a fairly decent restaurant in Flushing, Queens.The head chef is a old school guy from Taiwan. There are some pretty traditional dishes on their menu. Don't expect chicken wings, fried wontons and french fries from this Chinese restaurant. Food - Tasty, flavorful, and nice portion. I came in here a little late so I only got to eat the leftovers and from what I've tried, everything was pretty well cooked. Drinks - Tea, water, soda, and I think only 2 kinds of beer which were Budweiser and some other crap. Verdict - If you could find parking then give this place a shot. If not, then it's not worth the trouble because it took me a good 20 minutes or so to find parking in this area of Flushing. If you're from Flushing or a commuter by train or bus, give it a try. It's a small restaurant but they dish out pretty good stuff. It reminds me of an old Taiwanese restaurant (80's to mid 90's) that use to be in Jackson Heights on a corner of Baxter Avenue. It was a super tiny restaurant that delivered excellent food. -
Gary’s 5-star review: 400th review goes to Du Bois Pastry! This bakery has been around for a long time in Elmhurst. The pastries, cookies, pies, fresh loafs of bread, croissants, and cakes are traditional and delicious. They have a great location on Broadway. It's located right in between two major train stations in Elmhurst (Grand Ave Newtown and Elmhurst Ave) and they have a parking lot. DO NOT park in Walgreens' lot! I've seen some customer vehicles get towed a few times. Their parking lot is around the corner of St. James Ave. Pastries - Freshly baked everyday. They make this weird knot looking pastry and it's really good and inexpensive. Cookies - My FAV! They have a very nice variety of cookies on display. I remember as a child, I would come in here and get half pound or sometimes a full pound of cookies and just munch away on the walk home. Their almond cookies are heavenly! Cakes - They make a great strawberry shortcake and tiramisu. The strawberry shortcake is what their known for. The cream and fresh strawberries is delightful but their tiramisu is really good too. It's hard to dislike tiramisu. The ladyfingers are delicious! I usually alternate when getting cakes from Du Bois. The thing I like about Du Bois' cakes, it's not overly sweet. Places like Martha's Country Bakery and Carlo's Bakery, it's just a sugary overdose in my opinion. I like sweet but not obese sweet. Pies - Another one of my favorites would have to be their fruit pie. Excellent crust topped with mouth watering fruits and there's some type of tasty custard inside. Service - Excellent! It's a real bakery that produces a lot of goods everyday. The bakers been here for a long time. They're brothers and they are really friendly people. Verdict - It's a great bakery in Elmhurst. For them to be around this long, they definitely know what their doing. There's not much competition around here. There are plenty of chinese bakeries in this area of Elmhurst but it's a whole different type of selection. At chinese bakeries in Elmhurst, you're getting laxative laced buns and complete cakes that are just made out of cream and old fruits. If you're looking for a good quality bakery in Elmhurst, Du Bois is your best bet! -
Gary’s 5-star review: This is my first time trying Himalayan food and my god it was incredible. The flavors and spices are so robust. The spiciness of the food leaves a really satisfying after taste. The level of spicy wasn't too overbearing. It didn't butcher my tongue and taste buds to the point I couldn't even taste the next dish. I have zero complaints on the food during this visit. Simply amazing food. For appetizers, we started off with Chele Khatsa (fried spicy beef tongue) and Dropa Khatsa (spicy beef tripe). I had their spicy beef tongue before because my wife went to Phayul last week with her friend and brought some home. That's the only thing I've tried and even when I ate that at home, it was a perfect side dish served cold to go with beer. At the restaurant, it tasted even better. The texture of the beef tongue wasn't deep fried. The menu said fried, so I assumed maybe we ordered a different version of it. But it's just lightly stirred fried with spices and peppers. The spicy beef tripe reminds me of a tripe dish my mother use to make. The one here is kinda smaller than what I'm use to and doesn't taste as clean. With tripe, intestines, stuff like that, those needs to be cleaned properly before going into the wok otherwise it can leave a distinct smell or taste. But it was still a very enjoyable dish. I can easily order two of these with a side of white rice and call it a meal. We ordered some kind of beef soup that had I think slices of daikon radishes. The soup was like cloudy whitish color. There were some familiar spices in there, I think I tasted peppercorn. It wasn't a very spicy soup, but it did had some strong hints of pepper. Next up we had their Lhasa Fried Noodles (mix spicy noodles with choice of vegetables, chicken, or beef). chicken with peanut (spicy), and Tsak Sha Dang Ka Sha Ngoe Ma (beef with mushrooms)! The Lhasa fried noodles were absolutely dynamite. It doesn't taste saucy or sweet and the way the chef cooked it, it didn't turn out to be so greasy. It was like dry fried noodles if that makes any sense. It's not a box of grease lo mein from your nearest Chinese takeout spot. These Lhasa fried noodles were spicy and paired really well with the other dishes we ordered. I was considering a bowl of white rice to go with all of the spicy dishes but these fried noodles worked out just fine. The chicken with peanut was pretty good. Many of these spicy dishes remind me of Szechuan cuisine and some Taiwanese local flavor. Hot fiery stuff with fresh ingredients. The beef with mushrooms were for my son. I kinda felt bad because it was the last thing that came out and he was hungry. He's 20 months, so the whole time, we were just eating spicy food in front of him and he kept wanting. He dipped his fork into one of the plates with spicy sauce and had a taste and he kept shouting NO!!! Verdict - Amazing. Don't let the outside of this place discourage you from going in. I was a huge skeptic at first as I was walking with my wife. The restaurant is located upstairs. You have to walk through a very dingy looking hall and up a flight of filthy stairs before getting into the eatery. I kept asking my wife if she's sure this is the place. I thought I was walking into somebody's home or living room and that's what it kinda feels like when you get up there. It literally feels like somebody converted the second floor of their house into this restaurant. I'm kinda amazed that they actually got a permit and license to open shop up here. It's a really neat joint, real gem in the neighborhood. We ordered some momo's to go, and with their spicy sauce, it is friggin awesome. I highly recommend Phayul if you haven't tried it yet. It's a small restaurant but tables flip fast here. Tip: They do not serve you water unless you ask for it. -
Gary’s 4-star review: First time back during pandemic. We were here just before our son was born early January 2020. Literally 1 year later we came back and things have changed due to COVID-19. All of the indoor dining tables and chairs have been pushed up against the wall. No indoor or outdoor dining available. There is a line to the buffet and kitchen window for the meats. Only 3 people are allowed in the self serve salad bar/buffet area. Plastic gloves are available and recommended for use when self serving at the salad bar. Social distance is practiced here and everyone is wearing a mask. Both staff and customers here seem to follow the CDC guidelines very well. I picked up my usual platter of meats with seafood paella, plantains and chicharron. My platter some how came out to $23!!! That's a first! In the past, my for the same amount, my platter usually comes out to $12-16 at most without a drink. Prices definitely have gone up. The chicken wrapped in bacon was very dry. The chicken hearts today were over cooked, dry and hard. Everything else was A-okay! Verdict - $23 lunch scared me away. -
Gary’s 2-star review: Slices of cakes are $5. They're very skinny and small for $5. Definitely not a slice you would wanna share with your loved ones. The cheesecake is still dry as hell. Service is always great and friendly. No complaints here. Just the quality of cake needs to be improved. -
Gary’s 4-star review: 500th review goes to Sakura Ya Japanese Market! I walk and drive past this market almost every single day. It's right off Ascan Ave and Austin St. I finally stepped foot inside for the first time a few days ago and was pretty pleased to find one of my favorite Japanese candies (Hi-Chew) for a cheap price. A single flavor stick of Hi-Chew is only 99 cents! The variety pack is $1.99! In Manhattan or in Williamsburg, I usually see single flavors priced at $2.50 or more. I walked around the store for a bit, saw a lot of Japanese brand products obviously. They sell a variety of Japanese crackers, chips, and more candy. Towards the back, they have a different kinds of instant ramen, and noodles. There's also plenty of Japanese hair care products as well as skincare. In their fridges, they carry some pretty awesome beverages that you won't find in any other asian markets. I saw some commonly found Sapporo and Kirin beer but also saw other ones that I have never seen before. They also sell Calpico and a few other sweet drinks that I enjoyed when I was kid. The owner and the employees are all definitely Japanese. It's not a Chinese or Korean market that is posing as Japanese. The service is very nice. They're very well mannered, respectful, and just super polite. The aisles are a little cramped and I could see that they're constantly working on something but Sakura Ya is a real gem in this area. It's not everyday where you can find yourself a legit Japanese market in New York. I've been to one in Astoria years ago, and the other would have to be Mitsuwa. It's pretty nice to have a small Japanese market in Forest Hills. If you're in the area and like Hi-Chew as much as I do, check them out. They got some pretty bangin unique flavors. -
Gary’s 5-star review: When I think Bayside, I think Press195. Service, food, beer, ambiance is incredible and I'm not exaggerating. I've been coming here for years and I always leave pretty satisfied. It's money well spent. I originally wanted to stay in tonight and just watch some NFL games but since neither the Jets or Giants made the playoffs, I decided to invite one of my colleague's to dinner at Press. My colleague is from Shanghai, he came here for just 3 months to help out our office but anyway, he's been wanting to experience a real american style restaurant, good burgers, beers, and all that because he's sick of all of the fast food chains overseas. We both decided to try Press195's new Hawaiian burger w/ salad. Our burgers were medium cooked, juicy, tender, and very flavorful from the pineapple, onions, and sauce. To make the burger even better, there was a slice of canadian bacon and I love my canadian bacon! I also had to order their belgian fries w/ Traphagen's honey jalapeno mustard. The fries were excellent. Just how I like it, crunchy and crispy. My colleague's reaction to his first bite of fries and burger was a kodak moment. His reaction: Belgian Fries: "Omg, these fries is nothing like McDonald's!" Hawaiian Burger: Just a true nod of satisfaction. No words were needed to describe the flavors that were bursting in his mouth, just a simple nod signified the tastiness and excellence of Press195's burgers. Drinks - I ordered a Ballast Point Victory at Sea on draft. I think it was a porter. It tasted very nice. It had a very fresh coffee-like aroma along with some hints of vanilla. It goes down really well and it has a very nice finish. Service - Superb! Busy night, still seated within the first 5 minutes we arrived. Our server Marielle is a real sweetheart. She's really polite and great at multi-tasking during such busy dinner hours. Verdict - If you haven't tried Press195 by now, you're missing out. Press195 is a real gem not only in Bayside, but for all of Queens. I may be a skinny american but I know a good burger and sandwich when I taste one. I've traveled to many places in the U.S and tried numerous amount of burgers and Press195's classic burger could easily be one of, if not my favorite burger. Press195 also offers the best panini sandwiches. Forget that panera bread crap. I use to come here just for their panini's but my jaw can't handle ciabatta bread anymore. #30, 35, and 38 still remain my favorites on the menu. -
Gary’s 5-star review: Finally had Lebanese food for the first time and I must say it was really delightful. I consider Wafa's another gem in my neighborhood. The food tasted great and service was excellent. Appetizer - We ordered their appetizer special of the day which was some kind of rice, almost like risotto wrapped in a leaf. Very unique taste. At first, I didn't like it but after a few more, I was eating them as if I was popping pills. It has a really strange sour but yet a hint of bitter taste. It's difficult to describe. I don't think it's a dish for everyone but I certainly enjoyed it. 2 orders of Spinach Pie (2 piece per order) - The pie was great. Good size and nicely made. Hummus - Awesome. Very smooth texture, love the garlic taste, and the pita bread was good too. Mousakaha - Another type of dip. Consist of eggplant, chickpeas and garlic sauteed in olive oil and pomegranate juice and also served with pita. Sandwiches Lamb Shawerma - Excellent. Perfect size, great ingredients, great taste. Kefta Kebab - This would be my choice next time. It's charcoal grilled ground beef and lamb, parsley, onions and spices. Served on pita with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles and tahini sauce. The meat was very tender and juicy. The Lamb Shawerma was good but I wasn't too crazy about the red wine, vinegar combination with the meat and pickle. I didn't hate it but after trying the Kefta Kebab, I prefer Kefta Kebab over the Lamb Shawerma, that's just my personal preference. Drink - They have a few decent beers. None of that beer pong lager stuff. But from my understanding, they use to have BYOB everyday, now it's only Wednesday. So I'm definitely coming here Wednesdays from now on. I ordered a Abita Light which came out to $6 bucks, I'd rather save money and get beer from the deli next door. Dessert - BAKLAVA! Sweet and Sticky! Service - Superb! Both waitress and waiter were extremely polite, they had great timing with the food, great recommendations, and they're just really sweet. Verdict - I'll be back! BYOB Wednesday, I'll see you in two more days! -
Gary’s 3-star review: Disappointing to see that they no longer have their hard to beat lunch specials from Monday-Wednesday. They use to run a really great 2 for 1 offer on their delicious hot dogs, quesadilla, and maicitos. It was one of the best lunch deals you can get in town. The hot dogs and quesadilla were filling and full on ingredients and toppings. Now that they don't have that special, 1 quesadilla alone can cost up to $10. Hot dogs are roughly around $8 for just one. So imagine when you use to get 2 for the price of 1. They were topped off with crushed chips and a quail egg along with a variety of their house made sauces. Los Verdes has promos for soccer games and other televised sport events. Its mostly beer promos but those do not interest me because Los Verdes is not my kind of place to catch any highly anticipated game. Overall, I just find their menu items to be slightly overpriced for really simple spanish food. Although they're suppose to be Colombian, there's really nothing that screams Colombian about this place. Service is great and the restaurant is always spotless, I just wish they brought back the lunch specials! The past several times I've been here, business seems to be very slow during lunch hours. So please, bring back the 2 for 1 for all Los Verdes fans. -
Gary’s 5-star review: For the record, this will be my second review of Jack & Nellie's because my first 5 star review was apparently flagged for not following guidelines. Well... screw the sensitive cry babies! Here's another review without insulting the group of obnoxious hungover loud mouths who sat next to us during brunch. Food - Below are all of the things we've tried during different times we've been here. If my original review wasn't flagged and removed, this would of been my updated one. Eggs Benedict! - Eggs are perfectly poached, great Hollandaise sauce, good hash browns. Perhaps my favorite dish on their menu. I order this almost every time I'm here. French Toast w/ sliced bananas - Delicious! Sweet and tasty. Bread wasn't soggy or drenched in oil. Omelette - Ordered 2 different omelettes here before and unfortunately I'm unable to specify what was in both omelettes because I don't have my original review as a reference! From my pictures, I think one was with spinach and if I'm not mistaken, there was feta cheese in there. It was a nice healthy dish that came with a side of fresh fruits. As for the other, I can only remember ordering it for my mother in-law and I did not get the chance to taste it. I don't want to give any false information, I'll check out their menu again next time and provide all of you guys a nice update. Corned Beef and Hash - Pretty good. Served in a bowl with a poached egg. It was slightly salty but overall, still a good meal. Breakfast Burger - Nice portion, great taste, good price and it was filling! Steak and eggs w/ fries special - Bangin! My father in-law enjoyed it. Pretty nice piece of steak. In my photo, the eggs kinda cover the steak. Take my word for it, the steak was pretty fair size for a breakfast platter and for it's price. Drinks - Mimosas and Bloody Mary's! The mimosas comes with a slice of strawberry and some blueberries in the bottom of the glass. As for the Bloody Mary's, they offer two types. Virgin Bloody Mary and one with sake. I've tried both and wasn't too thrilled with the sake one. The sake tasted weird to me in the Bloody Mary. Even though there was no alcohol in the Virgin Bloody Mary, it tasted a lot better. It was nice and peppery. Service - Entire staff is very friendly. We never waited long to be seated. The waitresses here are very sweet. Music - This is probably the best part and my main reason of coming to Jack & Nellie's for brunch. They offer live music during brunch hours. They usually play some soothing acoustic stuff, guitar, violin, double bass, mostly string instruments. Verdict - Hands down, my favorite brunch spot in Forest Hills! They do it all here for brunch. You get the total package. Good food, good drinks, good music, good service, and good prices! Menu is short and simple and they occasionally have specials. You can't ask for anything more out of a place like this. Jack & Nellie's is a real neighborhood gem in my book. -
Gary’s 5-star review: Wow, it has already been 5 years since I bought my Schwinn and two folding bikes from Spin City! Time has really gone by and Spin City has moved out of Forest Hills and into Rego Park. They're still on Queens Blvd, just on the opposite side. A lot has changed since. The new store looks great. The displays, floor room is a lot spacier than the old store. The owner Jimmy is just as I remembered. He's a really nice guy and great with customers. It was good seeing him today. Update on the bikes I purchased from Spin City 5 years ago. Schwinn Cutter - Still in good shape! I came in today to have my front tire fix. Rode through a puddle yesterday in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. The puddle was right by the ramp by one of the bridges over GCP. I just arrived at the park and this happened. It took almost an hour for me to walk home! The frame of the bike is a bit heavy and the original saddle had to go pronto. It's still a fun commuter and joy ride bike. Dahon Folding Bike #1 "Boardwalk" (Single Speed) - Still in excellent condition. The handlebar grips needs to be replaced. They can get a bit uncomfortable. The saddle has been replaced recently. I originally purchased this bike for my grandmother but she passed away from cancer shortly after I got it for her. Hopefully she's up there riding her bike joyfully through the clouds. Dahon Folding Bike #2 (With gears) - Completely busted and rusted. I originally bought this for my mother's birthday but she never rode it. So I took it to college briefly, didn't ride it much myself and decided to loan it to my roommate after I left. My roommate kept it outside, it sat through rain and snow. By the time my roommate returned my bike, it looked completely brown and disgusting. He tried brushing off some of the rust but it'll never look the same again. When I loaned this bike to my roommate, it was in pristine condition. It's now sitting in another friend's garage rotting away. Money well spent..... As for Spin City, they carry a variety of bikes. Mostly Specialized, Cannondale, Schwinn, GT, and a few bmx and children bikes. They sell a variety of bike accessories, clothing, helmets, and shoes. They also have some pretty great specials on their bike repairs/maintenance services. You could also rent bikes from Spin City. Verdict - If you're living in this region of Queens, Forest Hills, Rego Park, and Elmhurst. This is could be your go-to bike shop. The guys at Spin City are very knowledgeable, helpful, and guys like Jimmy are genuinely friendly and not trying to scam or hustle any customers into buying something they don't need. I'd be more than happy to come back to Spin City to purchase another bike in the near future. And another big reason I prefer coming to Spin City over other bike shops in this Queens region is because Spin City is really neighborhood friendly. Customer service is vital and whenever I go into Spokesman Cycles or other bike shops, I always feel neglected. I'm not a cycling fanatic like some of my relatives and friends but come on, a little customer service would be nice. Spin City Cycle offers that and that is a huge reason why if you live in this area, you should make this your designated bike shop for maintenance/repairs, questions or concerns, and purchases. -
Gary’s 5-star review: Royal Collectibles is awesome. It's been here for a long time and I finally stepped inside to check out their stuff. They have it all! Comic books, new and vintage toys, movie merchandise, sports memorabilia, trading cards, posters, figurines and statues, and an entire basement dedicated to even more toys! It's a well put together shop that has plenty of merchandise to sell. I grew up in Elmhurst and the only comic book store around my neighborhood at that time was "Comic Quest" next to Elmwood Theater which was short lived. I always knew there was a comic shop on Metropolitan Ave whenever my old man would drive by, but as a kid, how am I suppose to get there on my own from Elmhurst without any parental supervision right? Well, as a grown man now and exploring their inventory for the first time. I felt like a 5 year old boy all over again. The stuff on their main floor is cool but what really caught my eye were some of their old school toy biz Marvel action figures downstairs. Those really brought back memories. I saw several Spider-man action figures I once owned. There were also a lot of WWE toys but didn't see much of the old school WWF "Attitude Era" Jakks Pacific toys that were made of rubber plastic. They have a wide range of figurines and statues in the back room. They have DC, Marvel, baseball legends, and more. The guys at the shop are friendly and welcoming to new customers. I follow Royal Collectibles on Instagram and they sometimes have contests, raffles, and event info. They had free pizza when the new TMNT movie came out. How cool is that? Verdict - Check it out! Whether if you're a serious fan boy, an enthusiast, a collector, or just a kid. Browse around and I'm almost certain you'll find something to buy and cherish. I was also told years ago that they had autograph sessions with some former Pro Wrestling superstars. I haven't heard or seen any here lately but if they have any of those again, I'd be more than happy to show up at one of those events. -
Gary’s 5-star review: This is my third time here and this time was just as good as the first and second time, perhaps even better. On weekdays, the BBQ and buffet price is tough to beat. The variety of meats they come out with is absolutely amazing. All sorts of beef, pork, chicken, lamb, you name it, they pretty got it on a stick. What was really good was their garlic bread. Yes, the garlic bread! They served it hot and ready on a stick, perfect cubes of fluffy garlic bread. Pinch the garlic bread cubes together with some of their skirt steak or other meats and you'll find yourself wanting more. The service is always great but the guys who come and serve the meats are sometimes impatient and a bit moody and rude. Our waitress was really nice, our beverages came out almost right after as soon as we ordered them. What I didn't like is how they assume that you're finished with your beer or cocktail and they take it away with the quickness. Before you could tell them that you were not done with that, they've already speed walked their way away from your table. Verdict - Still one of my favorite places to dine in. Some of the meats were somewhat salty but it's okay. The chicken hearts needed to be grilled a little longer. They were too soft and squishy for my taste. I'll certainly come back again. The meats here are pretty consistent and the short ribs and skirt steak are always my top choices when coming to Rio Grande. -
Gary’s 5-star review: Forno Pizzeria E Trattoria is a nice little nook in the middle of nowhere on 69th street in Maspeth. It's located in the middle of a very residential street. The food here is delicious and has my nod for best Italian food and perhaps even pizza in Queens. Antipasti CALAMARI FRITTI - Fried calamari served with marinara sauce was excellent. Very crispy and it did not taste frozen or rubbery at all. BROCCOLI DI RAPE A SALSICCIA - Broccoli rabe and sausage. This was cooked really well. The broccoli rabe compliments the sausage in a unique way. Generally, sausages are greasy and juicy. The broccoli rabe is almost like a cleanser that wipes that away. Pizza MARGHERITA - Why bother going to Grimaldi's when you can come here? Excellent margherita pie over here. PROSCIUTTO DI PARMA - Really good brick oven style pizza. Crispy crunch thin crust, good amount of cheese, sauce, and prosciutto as well. This pizza is easily my favorite in all of Queens now. It's not floppy or limp. Pasta LINGUINE NERE FRUTTI DI MARE - Black linguine with calamari, shrimp, and scallops in a slightly spicy tomato sauce. The linguine was cooked the perfection. It was not under or overdone. The amount of seafood that topples the dish was very fresh. The sauce wasn't too spicy which makes this pasta dish even more enjoyable. Main Course POLLO ALLA PARMIGIANO - Breaded chicken cutlet that comes with a side of pasta. The chicken cutlet also comes in two sizes, $18 for small, $25 for large. We ordered large and it came in a pretty big plate. The chicken was pretty good but I did not like how thin it was. It's a really thin cut of chicken. It looks overwhelming but it's not, however if it was too big, then there's the possibility of the chicken being dried out and being bland so I guess the thin cut of chicken works. Verdict - I really can't complain. The service was fantastic. The chef seems like a really nice dude. I really like it over here. It's cozy, intimate and there's BYOB. Good food and BYOB, what better combination is there than that? This is a true gem to the neighborhood of Maspeth. There's outdoor seating and parking is a breeze. It's not located in a commercialized part of Maspeth. We absolutely love it here and we'll be back for more.
