April 2010
1 post
still eating.. join me on my new adventure! →
November 2009
1 post
Resolution
as a means of resolve.. almost a year later.. Shauna Eats Sunnyside is now defunct.
I’ve left the city (and soon-to-be Eastern Seaboard) in pursuit of other obstacles and adventures.. B still livelies up the neighborhood, this time on the opposite side of the Blvd. Show him some love.
I often ache for our borough’s bountiful realm of worldly cuisine, and hope that this blog’s...
December 2008
5 posts
Update and 'Hood Observations
Mayjah apologies, dear readers, for the lapse in posts. B broke his foot and mama got laid off, so the neighborhood dining circuit has taken a backseat in recent weeks as B moonboots his way to recovery and I hoard cash in cannisters in the pantry. We’ll be back and eating soon. Lots goin on in town… a few notes:
New McDonald’s house on Queens Blvd. looks exactly like the old...
Bloody Mary Blitz
In respectful observation of annual Bloody Mary Monday (the first of the month), B and I embarked on a 2+ hour Sunnyside scavenger hunt for proper ingredients and beverage receptacles before returning home on a worknight to assemble our honorary cocktails.
Word to the wise: If you seek celery salt, you will not find it in the Butcher Block. Further, you will not find it a convenience store,...
Sunshine and Sperm at TJ's Asian Bistro
HA. Okay, before you lambaste me for the slanderous header… take a look at these decorative sushi platters we scored last week at TJ Asian Bistro (on Skillman Ave. b/w 50th and 51st Sts). We all know TJ’s mad scientist sushi chefs have a borderline drug-induced flair when it comes to swirly, multi-colored condiment splash art, but c’mon… really?!
Above: One of our...
Nibbles at Nita's
The other evening, prior to B’s return to moonbootdom, we were taking a meandering stroll toward the depths of residential Greenpoint when I thought of Nita. I’ve gotten several reliable recs for Nita’s European Bakery (on Greenpoint Ave. b/w 40th and 41st Sts.), and I always respect the word of the Translater. We’d arbitrarily wandered into the longstanding bakery once...
Night Fever at Bar 43
Thursday night post-Jerz and pre-boozy thanks ramblings, B and I decided to survey the premises at Bar 43 (on 43rd St. b/w Queens Blvd. and 43rd Ave.) for some drunken revelry. It always seems happenin’ over there—ciggy crowds cackling out front late in the night, tables packed and music bumping, string lights and inflatable sports mascots decorating the outside of the restaurant...
November 2008
15 posts
Shauna Eats the County
Back in mama’s old stomping grounds of backwoods MD last weekend, I enjoyed some of the finest seasonal Bay-area cuisine in “the County” with my lively and equally-as-hungry fam. It’s been months since I was last down for a visit, but I still swell with yearning for the simple elements that marked my youth: Porch swings. Soft grass in bare feet. The hum of cicadas....
Thanksgiving Thanks
Tonight post-T-day in the Jerz, B and I hit up Johnny Walker Green, hard. And Bar 43. But that’s another post…
I’ll spare you the details of our Italian-angled gazillion-course Thanksgiving, as, frankly, it’s all rather played out amongst foodies. Equally as cliché would be a list of things we’re thankful for on this fine celebration of Indigenous Holocaust and false...
A Quaint Lil' Brunch
(pic courtesy of quaintnyc.com)
Last weekend, B and I arranged to partake in Sunday morning brunch with our fellow friends and meal busters, J & D. After some debate as to possible ‘hood brunching options, our crew agreed to venture into Quaint (on Skillman Ave. b/w 46th and 47th Sts.), a comforting nook of space marked by warm colors and a beautifully rustic farmhouse...
Swerve Tactics at 99¢ Treat
With the economy in shambles this holiday season and consumerism strained, dollar store revenues are booming as the thrifty public turns toward generic and discount brands. In Sunnyside, dollar stores are welcomed with open arms as integral community staples on an increasingly cramtastic stretch of Boulevard…
Although hocking second-rate goods at discount prices to struggling college...
Sugar & Joe... uh, if you're into cupcakes.
So, let’s precede this by stating that the enthusiastic owner of startup Sugar & Joe Café (on Greenpoint Ave. b/w 42nd and 43rd Sts.) is a tenacious baker and we admire her for keepin’ it real. More power to the sugar fiends.
Sugar & Joe did a now-ya-see-‘em opening in September, and has brought together a marriage of cupcakes, coffee, brunch items, and plastic...
Give Thanks For Food In Our 'Hood
If you haven’t guessed it already, Thanksgiving (i.e. National Day of Acceptance of the Act of Stuffing One’s Face in the Company of Loved Ones) is mama’s favorite holiday.
As it is such, we’ve been spying Thankgiving specials posted throughout our neighborhood over the past week… for those single folks not down with the fam on Turkey Day, here are a few local joints...
Awesome Indian in Woodside
Big ups to Sunnysider D, who recommended this next-‘hood-over Indian joint a block from the 61st St. train station!
B and I have hit cozy and authentic Masala Indian Cuisine (61st St. b/w 39th Ave. and Roosevelt) not once, but twice in the past few weeks, and our newly annointed “go-to spice hut” has proven exceedingly gangsta with econo-sized bottles of Taj, a colorful posse...
RU-GA-LAAAAAAAA!
We’ve been longtime fans of the light, buttery fruit rugala by-the-pound at Euro Shop (on Queens Blvd. b/w 42nd and 43rd Sts.) on mornings at the pub. It pairs so well with Magners and Manchester United…
This morning, I paid Euro Shop a visit during halftime to pick up some snacks. The owner promptly ushered me to the rear and pointed out a decorated pastry in the refrigerated...
Financial Crunch Hits Churro Lady
The other Saturday, B and I decided to brave the increasingly brisk weather toward 46th St. for some sweets. At the time, my lamentations for churros were promptly rebuked by a disillusioned B.
B: “We haven’t seen her in months. Churro Lady closed up shop and shipped out a long time ago. You and your imaginary snacks…”
Sh: “That’s not possible. Churro Lady is...
things that make you go mmmmmm...
(aka shauna eats new york chocolate show)
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thursday night marked the opening night of the 11th annual chocolate show at pier 94, kicking off with a chocolate fashion show (benefiting susan g. komen for the cure), wine and food tastings, and aisles and...
Baracking the Vote
Well, my endorsement should comes as no surprise, seeing as how we’re the liberal media and all. I hope we can still be friends…
Yesterday, on the eve of the election of the century, B forgot his keys in our sweltering apartment, so i met him at the Courtyard bar after work, where we enjoyed a frosty (beautifully poured) pint of Guinness in remarkably cozy quarters (somehow the...
Hello, Halo-Halo
On Saturday night, B and I found ourselves wandering the streets of Woodside after hours, looking for the next big SCORE. B recalled a bustling, yet unassuming, corner diner a few blocks from the 61st St. subway station that may or may not have served Filipino cuisine… we eagerly tromped over, hoping for something new.
As usual, B’s hunch was correct - Engeline’s Restaurant...
Contraband Photo Essay: Trader Joe's in Queens
October marked Trader Joe’s one-year anniversary in our glorious borough, so last weekend, B, myself, and our mobile friends J & D made the approx. 12-minute trek via SUV to Forest Hills to hit up the discount grocery mecca.
Before our photo essay begins, (cue disclaimer) let it be known that we were informed at the end of our visit by a...
Buffalo Soldiers
(dredlock rasta)
B came home with this imported bison-themed snack, Hunky Dorys Buffalo chips, from the epic Butcher Block crisps wall. As promised by the packaging alone, the potato slabs were indeed “thick & chunky” with moderate ridges (for retaining the “buffalo flavour” most closely resembling that of tangy, sugary soy sauce) and an indellible crunch, which...
Birthday Carne for B at Boca Juniors
As an early birthday excursion the other Sunday (a lovely fall day), B’s Argentinean friend L made the crosstown trek from Hoboken and our triad rolled deep up the Blvd. to a steak suaree at fútbol-centric Boca Juniors Argentinean Steak House in Elmhurst.
We’d passed the proud Club Atlético haven on a few occasions, and each time, B would gasp loudly and press his face against the...
October 2008
18 posts
Barefoot on Queens Boulevard
At the beginning of ‘08, B’s visiting friend—NYC-to-Out-West transplant A—turned us onto the categorically CHEAP line of Cali wines Barefoot, which retail for a worship-worthy $6.99 and taste better than half the shi-shi top-shelf brands out there (believe it). Lowery Liquor & Wine Co. (on Queens Blvd. b/w 40th and 41st Sts.), an alcoholics’ oasis in the desert,...
Nutella Heals the Heart
Between tonight’s nightly news reports and MSNBC commentary on the election (just vote Obama), the stress of maintaining a nearly flatlined bank account amidst the threat of looming layoffs, unwelcomingly blustery and torrential weather conditions, and mama’s nagging headache courtesy of a caffeinated soy chai latte comedown, B and I were forced to rely on a more effective measure of...
Car Fire and Hearty Stuffed Cabbage
I got off of the local 7 train at the 46th St. stop today just in time to witness two firetrucks and a handful of New York’s Finest crowbarring the crap out of a flaming vehicle under the bridge. ohhhh shit…PHOTO OP!
Initially, I felt kinda bad standing by and snapping shots. But as soon as the engine inferno engulfed the interior dashboard and peeked out menacingly from the...
MAGMA at P.J. Horgan's Pub
I’ve had my eye on the “Chocolate Lava Cake” dessert at P.J. Horgan’s Pub and Restaurant (on Queens Blvd. b/w 42nd and 43rd Sts.) for months, now. Usually, we end up too stuffed on Guinness and cheddar burgers to even consider their post-dinner sweets. And Starberry is just next door—further viable distraction.
The other night, we happened upon P.J.’s with...
Cheers to the IRS!
(um, NO, not really)
B filed his dreaded quarterly income taxes after a grumbly and all too dense bout with arithmetic, and we toasted festive 24oz. super size Beck’s greenies (courtesy of the Butcher Block, on 41st St. b/w Queens Blvd. and 43rd Ave.) in recognition of flushing another heaping percentage of his last three months’ income down the collective economic drain. And we...
Short and Sweet: Further Adventures in Astoria
$2 each Nearly identical (slightly fatty) beef- and (melt-in-your-mouth) chicken-on-a-sticks (doused in lemon juice, salt, and hot sauce) with fresh crusty loaf at B’s favorite “don dada” Meat Cart (on the corner of 31st Ave. at Steinway St.)
$2.50 A slice of thin-crust square cheese “grandma” pizza from Rizzo’s Fine Pizza (on Steinway St. b/w 30th...
B's Birthday Treats
B played the part of (disgruntled) birthday boy this past week. As I had joyously taken several days off to celebrate (while boo labored over security council reform in Midtown), I picked up a few sweet treats to welcome Sunshine home on the anniversary of the day he burrowed his way from the womb.
For dinner, we ventured to our favorite Harlem Ethiopian joint, Awash, for a heaping combo of...
Chocolate Rain
Last night, B and i headed for some cocoa lovin’ following a batch of Pio Pio Riko delivery rotisserie whilst watching an artsy indie flick (the most interesting scene being an opening sex-in-the-woods scenario, before the Yugoslav hitman blew porn dude’s brains all over a tree trunk)… just so happened we had ample chocolate in stock to choose from.
Tonight’s dessert...
Why I Prefer to Eat Out...
it was a simple recipe. core the macintosh apple. fill with walnuts and craisins. drizzle with tablespoon of honey. bake at 350 for 20-30 min.
easy enough, right?
how mine ended up resembling the recently bulldozed McDonald’s on Queens Blvd. and 38th St., i have no idea.
it wasn’t entirely pulverized, and since mama’s a fan of applesauce and other such creamed veggies, it...
Shauna Eats Staten Island
(Sometimes, ya just gotta branch out.)
B and I rarely eat Italian in Sunnyside. Why?
Because Dazies is a bit out of our price range for a casual weeknight dinner.
Because Mario’s has odd hours and doesn’t allow men in wearing tank tops, baseball hats, or flip flops.
Because pizza places don’t count, even if they’re run by Italians.
Because both of us are part-Italian...
Tangra-La
Where to begin with Tangra? B and I have a long history with this Indian/Chinese fusion palace situated in what was apparently once a gallant banquet hall on an odd-man-out corner of Queens Blvd. at 39th Place. Much gaudy legacy lives on via excessive gold columns and moldings, warrior/horsey paintings, and elaborate light fixtures, which Tangra’s Pan-Asian owners seem to have liked enough...
eSparks coffee is kinda *GAG*
The new eSparks Coffee (on the corner of Greenpoint Ave. and 44th St.) is officially open for business. The other Sunday, B and I were already loaded down with cups of rich, dense, sweet and creamy Colombian java and a bag of flaky, guava-infused pastries from Greenpoint-and-47th-Ave. corner staple El Triangulo Bakery, but having spotted the crap bunny coffee hut’s gleaming interior and...
Pink Grapefruit Sorbet and the Presidential...
Holy sh*t this sorbet is good!!!
(Look, Starberry’s new menu!)
I hate to admit that I’ve hated on Starberry (on Queens Blvd. b/w 42nd and 43rd Sts.). Not only are they becoming an increasingly popular Korean-owned dessert nook in this ‘hood, but pretty much everything B and I have given a chance and eaten there has proven better than expected. I’m still skeeved out by...
We Love Py.
On another tireless search for the ultimate empanada last Sunday, we wandered into the I Love Py. Bakery Cafe (Greenpoint Ave b/w 42nd and 43rd Sts.) after peeping two telltale signs: a bustling dining area and futbol on a flat-screen.
Unbeknownst to us, Py. actually stands for Paraguay. Paraguayan in Sunnyside, who knew?? National flag-toned window signage says “Empanadas,” and who...
We're Goin' Goin', Back Back to Cali Cali...
MiraCali Bakery (46th St. b/w Greenpoint and 47th Ave.) has quickly become a go-to meat pie destination in our black book of Colombian bakeries. B believes it’s the golden standard for empanada stock in Sunnyside, and last weekend we wandered in to further sample the deep-fried wares of their steamy rear display case.
To our suprise, in addition to a bounty of reliably chiseled fried...
Best Burger in Sunnyside
PJ Horgan’s Pub and Restaurant (on Queens Blvd. b/w 42nd and 43rd Sts.) has long touted their meat patty superiority with sidewalk signage (during business hours) boasting the “Best Burger in New York.” Bold words from an old-school Irish pub on a dense strip of Queens Blvd. snuggled between craptastic-yet-inexplicably-hip Chips Mexican and a ramshackle discount movie theater...
September 2008
18 posts
Eating Cheap in Sunnyside
The economy sucks, B’s bank crapped out last week and mine’s currently “in overnight negotiations” for a takeover. Rentals have skyrocketed, and damned if we’re paying a frickin’ “energy surplus tax.”
In light of all dis shit, mama recently did a guest write-up for About Queens on her top Cheap Eats in Sunnyside… when life sucks, hit the...
Jonathan's Korean Booty
…okay, this header might be a bit suspect. haha.
Post Ecua-date, B and I were still feeling intrepidous so we wandered into Jonathan Food Market (on Queens Blvd at 46th St.), where we’d previously spotted watermelon-sized avocados and an LED sign rolling Korean characters. Turns out Jonathan must hail from the big K, because the corner convenience store seemingly doubles as an...
Ecua-Date on Skillman
Awhile back, B and I read about an Ecuadorian spot on Skillman, Rincon Latino (on Skillman Ave. b/w 48th and 49th Sts.) in this Time Out New York shout-out to line cooks. Further research yielded the prospects of indigenous ceviche and a life-sized boxing statue. Seemed to good to be true; we were immediately intrigued.
On a desolate Wednesday pre-pay day, we attempted to lift our financially...
Tropical Fruit at Smiley's
Ah, the last hurrah of summertime…
Korean family-owned Smiley’s Fruits & Vegetables is wedged directly in the heart of Sunnyside fabulousness on archwayed 46th St. (b/w Queens Blvd. and Greenpoint Ave.), a strip that also contains a bank, a cigar shop, a beauty discount store, a 99-cent store, a pet shop blaring 70s rock music from overhead speakers near its sidewalk parrot...
Empanada Mash-Up
Occupying ourselves in the near-90 humidity zone of yesterday afternoon involved some creativity once we decided we didn’t want to be stuck in our air conditionless living room all day. A sluggish trek up Queens Blvd. soon resulted in our back-of-neck flesh being unceremoniously seared by the merciless sun, and the humidity seemed to swell from every which blacktop-abundant direction. On...
Daco Romano Pastry Cafe Now Does Brunch
(how cute!)
In addition to Daco Romano Pastry Cafe’s succulent luncheon meat sandwiches (pancetta and cappicola, *gasp*), Mom and Pop Romano are now serving up brunch omelets, which ups the real estate on their already hardcore coffee operation.
We were stuffed on Dunkin’ upon discovery of Daco’s newly displayed omelet menu on Saturday morning, but judging by their...
Savory Biscuit at the Sidewalk Sale
Following a harsh 7am loss on Sat. morning (grrr), we headed over (eaaaaaarly) to the nabe’s sidewalk extravaganza. We arrived around 10:30am to a tame showing. Balloons marked maybe six row houses with folding tables fares… not sure if the vendor stock increased later in the day.
After being sidetracked and cornered by an affable dude hocking raffle tickets (I hate everything raffle...
The (Other) Wall of Beer
Deep within New Sunnyside Supermarket, a nondescript 24-hr. half-pint grocery store on 43rd Ave (b/w 43rd and 44th Sts.) with fruit marinating in bins on the sidewalk and a paltry stock of near-expired cereals, canned goods and cleaning supplies clogging the shelves, lies a drool-inducing refrigerated-section goldmine… IMPORTED BREWS!!!
Before I get into specifics, let me preface this by...
