Napoli- The Pizza Artists

First off as a disclaimer, I am not a pizza aficionado. But I do appreciate a good slice. And while I hesitate to say that Napoli has the best pizza in Astoria (don’t want to offend anybody), lately their pizza pies have been my favorites. I’ve had my faves throughout the hood. For the longest time my favorite pizza joint was Gino’s on Broadway. Then Polito’s, then Rizzo’s, then Dino’s. Hey, they all make a mean slice. And to be fair, I don't only order a plain slice. I love to eat all different styles of pizza... Thin crust, Sicilian, Grandma, veggie - whatever I am craving at the time. But lately my favorite is the sausage slice at Napoli on 35th Ave.


The menu describes the sausage pizza as “Top Grade Italian Sausage”. What a complete understatement. The sausage will blow you away. Sooo juicy and bursting with flavor. These guys really take pride in their pies and they don’t skimp on the ingredients. I mean look at their pizza box… It’s a chef… PAINTING A PIZZA!!!


That really sums it up. These guys are pizza artists. They should rename the joint to Da Vinci’s or Michelangelo’s. Their pies are masterpieces. Hell, they could throw these things on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and people would still be coming in to take pictures.

Aside from the pizza, the thing to get here is the cheap-as-hell pasta dishes. The standouts are the Penne alla Vodka, Fettuccini Alfredo & the Lasagna. And I can’t forget about their Bolognese sauce. TO DIE FOR!!! The wife and I were fighting over the last bits of sauce. The portions on the pasta are large without being disgustingly huge like other Italian joints. And the best part is none of the pasta dishes clock in over $6.00!!! A Metro Miser's Dream. It’s time to place an order right now!


Are you guys seeing what I’m seeing? Maybe heaven in a tin tray? I love lasagna, and for the longest time, I was ordering it from Bartolino’s on Broadway. Yes, it was delicious, but it was hurting my wallet a bit (Con Ed sent me a second notice for non-payment). Thankfully I stumbled upon this secret of Astoria. I can use my air conditioner again.

Now, let me tell you a little about the restaurant. It’s in a basement. Really. The storefront is kind of half a floor down. In the front is the pizza counter and oven and to the back is the dining room. Yeah, the dining room has no windows and feels like you’re in your grandmother’s basement. It’s a bit dingy, but that’s the kitsch of it. And while you think you wouldn’t feel comfortable eating here, everyone is super friendly, and they make you feel very welcome… You feel like you’re at Grandma’s house. (Before she moved to the old folks home).

Napoli Pizza & Pasta
3302 35th Ave
Astoria, NY 11106
(718) 472-1146

It's a Doggy Dogg World

So after spending a disgustingly sticky day trekking around the neighborhood in search of some much needed furniture, I stopped in this little unassuming Chilean bakery on the corner of 37th St. and Astoria Blvd. When you first enter the San Antonio Bakery, you're met with views of tasty looking pastries and freshly baked bread of all shapes and sizes. There wasn't a menu of any kind, so I simply asked "Do y'all have hot dogs?" After confirming to me that "yes" they do have a special hot dog, the wonderful gal at the counter told me to take a seat at one of the few tables.
Most of the other customers seemed to be regulars. Though I did spot a couple taking pictures of their food like myself. Were they other bloggers or just strange people who like to have digital souvenirs of what they consume? I didn't ask, because I really just wanted to eat at this point. After a few minutes my hot dog was brought to my table in a cute little hot dog server thing.


This hot dog comes topped with sauerkraut, tomatoes, avocado, and a little mayo squeeze. These ingredients certainly sound more appetizing than the hot dog at Rapture. They also provide you with their homeade hot sauce which I was told goes well with the dog.







After my first bite I was sold. This shit was so damn good!!! The thing that makes this is the bread. It's warm and soft with a little sweetness...duh because it's fresh bread! The toppings and hot sauce taste excellent in accompaniment to that delicious bread. I won't lie, I ordered a second (it's only $3.50) becuase it was that awesome. Plus they don't serve beer, but that's ok I still I left a satisfied gal. You should know that I really dig my meat.

Take one last look at this thing. Yum!















San Antonio Bakery
36-20 Astoria Blvd
Astoria, NY 11103

The Asian King of Queens

Ahhhh where to begin. Can I say enough praise for my most frequently ordered restaurant? I don’t think that I can do justice when reviewing this joint. This is my delivery standby. I order from here at least once a week…or five. Hell, I must have spent thousands of dollars at this spot- I should have a framed photo on the wall. Yes, they serve Chinese AND Japanese food (an obvious sign of an identity crisis). Yeah, you can barely understand the girl on the phone. And yes, I think I did get food poisoning from here once, but Bourdain did warn me not to eat seafood on a Monday, and besides, that didn’t deter me one bit from placing an order the next week.

King Garden. The king of all (Chinese and Japanese) gardens. Ok, it is a take-out Chinese joint, but it is a few notches above your normal neighborhood spot. They’re pretty clean, considering the competition, they’re very friendly, and their ordering system is completely computerized. After your first order, you’re in the system and they know your exact address when you call… No more “3C” …”3C”…..”THREE SEEEEEEEE!!!!”.

Now let me start by saying, I do not vouch for their Chinese food. I’ve only ordered the basics from here and they were pretty mediocre. But as for the Japanese menu (yes they have two totally different menus), it’s a serious deal for what you get. My main go-to dish is the Chicken Karaage combination ($6.55).



Karaage is basically Japanese fried chicken over rice, and the combination comes with a small salad and your choice of either dumplings, California roll, salmon roll or a couple other rolls. I usually opt for the California. The meal is bomb. A deal and a half. Crispy, moist chicken with a little sauce drizzled over it. I live off of this.

The wife always orders the same- two avocado-cucumber rolls ($2.45 each) and a small hot & sour soup…she’s always pleased. When I am craving sushi, I order the sushi combination B ($6.95) – I worked it out one night, and it seems to be a much better value over sushi combination A. It comes with a California roll and six sashimi’s- eel, shrimp, that fake crab stuff, yellowtail?, tuna, and salmon. Also on my frequent orders are the Oyako Don which loosely translates to “mother and child” (chicken and egg) over rice. Mmmmmmm – Seriously! It’s really a typical Japanese home-cooked dish that reminds me of my mother’s cooking. Another one of my faves is the chicken katsu curry over rice ($5.75).



So flavorful!!! You can’t tell from the picture, but the curry has small bits of potato and carrots. If you haven’t tried Japanese curry, you must. It’s unlike any other country’s curry- rich and slightly sweet. I think I might order it right now. The chicken katsu version is basically a chicken cutlet, breaded in panko and fried. A little dip in the curry bath and a scoop of rice- ahhh, I’m in heaven.

The King Garden also has meals fit for a “king”- enter the world of the DELUXE COMBINATION. It’s really the normal combination, like the karaage combo, plus tempura (2 shrimp and some veggies) AND a miso soup.



This thing weighs like three pounds! Whenever my old roommate crashes over, he always orders the Karaage deluxe combination ($9.25)….And he finishes it! Believe me, this is not for amateurs. It’s a meal fit for kings. If you haven’t yet, give these guys a call.

King Garden
4306 34th Ave
Astoria, NY 11101
(718) 472-3766‎

Rapture does it "doggie style"

Located on 28th Avenue, the atmosphere inside Rapture Lounge was nicely laid back. It was a little too dark for my tastes, but nothing I couldn't deal with. It wasn't very crowded on a Tuesday evening. The bartender was a sweet gal. The music was all over the place from Guns n' Roses to the Gap Band to Jack Johnson and a lot of other randoms. It kind of sounded like my iPod on shuffle, which can be a good thing, but can also be quite embarrassing. Anyways, let's get to down to what's important, the dog.


Rapture serves up a hot dog that sounds a little odd. The "Doggie Style" Hot Dog is a frank on your standard bun with tortilla chips, onions, pineapples, ketchup and mayo. Honestly it sounded kind of gross, but I was down for a taste and at $3 there's no reason not to try it.


The ketchup and pineapple add a nice sweetness and combine well with the crunch of the tortilla chips. Surprisingly, everything blends nicely together.


At $3 a pop this is the cheapest item on the menu. You may want to order 2 as the portion size is not very filling. But at this price you can easily order 2 or just drink a few beers in place of any extra food, you'll be full all the same. I noticed they had a few specialtly drinks with suggestive names like 1-900 F*ck Me Up, Sex on The Sofa, and Tie Me to the Bedpost. While not cheap, they don't call me Lushious for nothing. I decided that I might as well try one since that's what I do. My choice was The Jealous Bitch, not that I am one...


It was a little sweet but tasty all the same. At $10 a pop I really would only drink again if someone else was buying. Also, getting drunk on fruity drinks is only asking for trouble later in the evening. After a few more beers I was good to go.

In the end, doing it doggie style was alright by me.

Rapture Lounge
3427 28th Ave
Astoria, NY 11103
(718) 626-8044