Shauna Eats Sunnyside

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 on the north side of the Boulevard that are putting on their holiday spectacles:

1. Butcher Block (41st St. b/w Queens Blvd. and 43rd Ave.) — they’re butchers, so we trust the meat. BB will find and cook the turkey for you lazy bums (poultry priced by the pound, plus a service fee). No use for a whole bird? The Butchers are also serving a sure-to-be-hearty feast with those legendary mashed potaters ($10).

2. Bliss Restaurant (on Skillman Ave b/w 45th and 46th Sts.) — upscale Sunnyside Gardens eatery is offering a $35 prix fixe meal. All I’m sayin’: “all the trimmings” better mean booze.

3. The Kettle (on Skillman Ave. b/w 50th and 51st Sts.) has a Thanksgiving specialty menu with some mouthwatering meals (roast duck with orange Grand Marnier sauce, baked ham and turkey with black currant sauce, lobster ravioli) in addition to the standard turkey fare. Entrees are kinda pricy, but include sides, dessert and coffee/tea.

4. Quell the naysayers by contracting a homemade pie from La Marjolaine Bakery (on Skillman Ave. b/w 50th and 51st Sts.). These people rock a mean almond croissant… chances are their pies are bangin’. (Not sure what the scarecrow graphic has to do with Thanksgiving, but gotta give it to ‘em for trying.)

5. We know, from previous years, that El Shater (on 43rd Ave. at 43rd St.) offers a turkey deal similar to Butcher Block, involving the halal preparation of bird carcass for Thanksgiving festivities. Not sure of the price this year, or of the deadline for placing orders (usually Tuesday pre-holiday), but give ‘em a call or swing by for more details: (718) 392-2702.

6. We peeped a Thanksgiving Day menu in the doorway at the usually hoppin’ Bar 43 (43rd St. b/w Queens Blvd. and 43rd Ave.). Bar 43 has recently upped its cred with an expanded menu and three-course prix fixe brunch ($18 on Sundays), and the bonus of 13 sports-centric plasmas could certainly improve your quality of life if you’re lookin to catch the game.

7. Branching out in Queens for a Thanksgiving dining experience is as easy as clicking the mouse. Check OpenTable.com, where you can search by borough, get info and link to participating restaurants, and make reservations online.

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Naturally, these aren’t all of the Thanksgiving deals. Sunnyside is a cornucopia of eats (except at 4am when B’s craving an f’n malted chocolate milkshake and nobody delivers except Pete’s Grill)…

Know of a Thanksgiving special in our ‘hood? Drop a comment—let us know!

As for us, B and I are headed to Jerz on Nov. 27 for an early ten-courser with the crazy Italians, then rolling back to Sunnyside in the eve and hitting the pub scene HARD.

Happy Holidays!

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Butcher Block
43-46 41st Street (b/w Queens Blvd. and 43rd Ave.)
Sunnyside NY 11104
718-784-1078

Bliss Restaurant
45-20 Skillman Ave. (b/w 45th and 46th Sts.)
Sunnyside NY 11104
718-729-0778

The Kettle Restaurant
50-24 Skillman Avenue (b/w 50th and 51st Sts.)
Woodside, NY 11377
718-335-7596

La Marjolaine French Bakery
50-17 Skillman Ave (b/w 50th and 51st)
Woodside, NY 11377
718-651-0495

El Shater Middle Eastern Grocer and Deli
43-02 43rd Avenue (at 43rd St.)
Sunnyside, NY 11104
718-392-2702 

Bar 43
43-06 43rd Street (b/w Queens Blvd and 43rd Ave.)
Sunnyside, NY 11104
718-361-3090