Queen Italian Restaurant in Brooklyn

Comfortable Traditional Fine Dining Italian Restaurant in Downtown Brooklyn

January 20, 2020 / Downtown Brooklyn Neighborhood NYC / Brooklyn Restaurants NYC / Brooklyn Blvd NYC.

 

Over the holidays I had the opportunity to enjoy a dinner at Queen restaurant. Queen is an Italian restaurant is located at 84 Court Street between Schermerhorn and Livingston Streets about a block and a half south of Brooklyn Borough Hall in the Downtown Brooklyn neighborhood.

 

Fine Dining Italian Restaurant in Downtown Brooklyn

We made reservations, as the restaurant is popular, and possible even more so over the holidays. At the front of the restaurant there's a modern bar off to the right, while white clothed tables line the wall on the left. Beyond the bar the restaurant opens to a spacious seating area. We got lucky and were seated in the front at the window.

 

I suppose the bread served just after we were seated kind of said it all. What I mean by this is that we were in for a good old-fashioned Italian meal done right. On the bread plate there were several long thin bread sticks, a couple of pieces of focaccia which is a bread with a tomato sauce on top, sesame bread and a couple of slices of rye bread accompanied by a dipping dish of olive oil.

• CLICK here to read the rest of our report on a Brooklyn Italian Restaurant named Queen.

Queen Italian Restaurant in Brooklyn

Comfortable Traditional Fine Dining Italian Restaurant in Downtown Brooklyn

January 20, 2020 / Downtown Brooklyn Neighborhood NYC / Brooklyn Restaurants NYC / Brooklyn Blvd NYC. Continued.

History of Queen Italian Restaurant in Brooklyn NYC

Queen Italian restaurant is owned and managed by Chefs Pasquino & Vincent Vitiello, descendants of the founder of Queen, which was Chef Anthony Vitiello. The restaurant was opened in 1958 and the two sons, Pasquino & Vitiello spent their youth growing up working in various capacities at the family run restaurant.

The photo at right shows the atmosphere at Queen Italian restaurant in Downtown Brooklyn. As you can see by the photo, it is a well appointed, traditional Italian restaurant.

The table conversation began as we started on the bread, while perusing the menu. I looked out the window. It was a quiet night. Talk of family, friends, and loved ones who growing up quickly and loved ones who passed away slipped in and out of the exchanges.

 

Traditional Fine Dining - Queen Italian Restaurant in Brooklyn

The menu was a simple front and back page, just like they do in neighborhood restaurants in Italy. The food was on the front and the desserts and drinks were on the back. We decided to start with Frittura Mista which is a mixed fry of calamari, sea scallop, zucchini and a spicy eggplant sauce. And a couple of glasses of the house table wine. The calamari / zucchini turned out to be a crowd pleaser, and a foreshadowing of what was to come. And the house red wine, as in Italy, worked just fine.

The restaurant atmosphere is comfortable. Good for a family get together which is what I was doing, but also good for a conversational date, or a friendly business meeting. Most of the folks at the restaurant seemed to be in their thirties or above. The Queen Italian restaurant isn't a hipster outlet, but she is a comfortable, well grounded, traditional Italian palate pleaser.

The Queen restaurant owners tell us that they have an in-house bakery where they make their breads, and the specialty pasta, sausages, fish and cheese are all prepared in house.

The photo at right shows one of the desserts, the Biscotti con VinSanto, enjoyed at Queen restaurant in Brooklyn.

 

Main Entrees at Queen Italian Restaurant BK

For the main entrees one of our party ordered the Melanzane Al Forno which was the baked eggplant with ricotta and fontina cheese. It was reportedly heavenly.

Another party member ordered the Gamberi Alla Pugliese which is the shrimp sautéed with garlic, shallots, Pinot Grigio and seasoned crumbs. The shrimp was juicy, the ensemble flavorful and the medley had been cooked just right.

The Gamberi Alla Pugliese is shown in the photo at right. It was heavenly.

I ordered the House Lasagna, which was the special on this particular evening. My mother used to make it as one of her specialty dishes. I reckon she would have enjoyed this lasagna too. It was a soft mélange of ground beef, tomato, cheeses and fresh pasta cooked to bring together a pleasureable symphony of muted flavors.

 

Reasonable Prices at Queen Italian Restaurant in Brooklyn BK

The conversation continued. We started looking ahead to the New Year. What's to become of us, we wondered? Nobody really knew, but we felt comfortable that the new year should go reasonably well, knowing that the fates can be as cruel as kind.

Soon it was time for dessert. I passed on ordering one for myself but was given a sample of each ordered. The Tiramisu was billed as a "famous Roman pick-me-up" with marscapone, savioardi, chocolate and expresso. It was the sweet tooth's delight, and reportedly scrumptious.

The Biscotta con Vinsanto was a crowd pleaser too. It was billed as homemade and was accompanied by pasticcini. Vin Santo is an Italian dessert wine made in Tuscany.

The photo at right shows the tiramisu at Queen Italian restaurant in Downtown Brooklyn.

The check soon followed. The whole evening cost in the neighborhood of $200 for three people, for a delicious, hearty, Italian meal in a very comfortable, traditional, Italian fine dining restaurant in Brooklyn.

By the way it's worth noting that the table service was obth attentive and professional, which I reckon you could gather, as it's in keeping with the rest of the culinary and cultural experience of visiting Queen Italian restaurant in Brooklyn NYC.

Mille grazie and buon appetito

Brooklyn Italian Restaurants - Brooklyn NYC

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Taste of LIC - Food Festivals in Queens

The Chocolate Factory Theatre Produces Another Winner

June 5, 2012 / Long Island City LIC / Restaurants in NYC / Gotham Buzz NYC.

The Chocolate Factory of LIC has been putting on avante garde theatrical productions in LIC since 2004, and organizing the Taste of LIC since 2005. I’ve attended a couple of them, and the Taste of LIC seems to provide the right blend of scene, scenery and 'tasty' nibbles and drinks, which keeps us coming back.

 

In this report we’ll journey to about a dozen food and beverage tables where I sampled some of each restaurateur’s wares. Click here to read the rest of our report and view the photos of the delicious food and beverages provided by LIC restaurants & wine stores at the Taste of LIC 2012.

 

Click here to read our report and view photos of the Taste of LIC 2012. Food Festivals in NYC.

Taste of LIC - Food Festivals in Queens

Chocolate Factory Theatre Produces Another Winner

June 5, 2012 / Long Island City LIC / Restaurants in NYC / Gotham Buzz NYC. Continued.

It was a beautiful day to be outside as I approached the large tent set up in Gantry State Park along the East River in Long Island City.

Skinny’s Cantina – Mexican Restaurants in LIC

My first stop was Skinny’s Cantina, a Mexican restaurant located at Center Blvd and 47th Road in LIC next to the large supermarket FoodCellar & Company. I sampled a quesadilla topped with bits of zucchini and tomato. The quesadilla is a nacho corn chip with cheese wrapped inside of it and the vegetable bits on top of it are called pico de gallo. The quesadilla was followed by a chicken tortilla with a bit of spicy sauce on it. Both were quite delicious, and I was off to a good start.

 

In the photo to your right is the quesadilla of Skinny's Cantina in Long Island City.

 

Vesta Trattoria - Italian Restaurants in LIC

My next stop was the Vesta table. Vesta is an Italian trattoria and wine bar located at 21-20 30th Avenue in Astoria. I sampled their orichiette pasta with green peas, olive oil and Parmesan cheese. The orichiette had a soft dense texture and the peas were fresh and flavorful. I would like to have stayed for more, but I was determined to push on.

 

In the photo to your right is the orichiette pasta with green peas prepared by Vesta Trattoria of LIC.

 

The Riverview - Seafood Restaurants in LIC

The Riverview had carved out a sort of corner complex at one end of the tent where they had set up a couple of food tables to serve a sampling of their menu. I first tasted the crabcake with avocado coulis. The coulis is a puree made of avocado, which was placed atop the soft moist crabcake. This was followed by the scallops Ceviche which is a popular Latin American dish where raw fish is marinated in citrus. The scallops were place atop a cracker, which dampens some of the citrus flavor once inside the mouth.

 

Next up was the eggplant caviar which was made of pepper, shitake mushroom, garlic and olive oil. I followed these with a boiled clam chaser. Each of these appetizers tasted as good as they looked. The boiled clam served by the Riverview restaurant of LIC is shown in the photo to your right.

 

Omnipak Import - Truffles Importers in Flushing Queens

Omnipak Import Ent, Inc. of Flushing provided a sampling of truffle oils. Truffle oil is an expensive culinary luxury. Truffles are made of subterranean mushrooms that are generally found in France, Italy and other parts of the Mediterranean. Black and white truffles and oils are generally used sparingly in cooking because of their high cost. Truffles add a pungent flavor and is served with pastas, meats and cheese. I sampled some truffle oil atop a piece of cheese, before moving on.

 

A photo of the truffles being served by Omnipak is shown above in the story introduction. The photo to your left was taken of the crowd underneath the big tent at Taste of LIC 2012.

The Chocolate Factory - Sponsors of Taste of LIC

Chocolate Factory founders Sheila Lewandowski & Brian Rogers - our hosts for the evening - arrived at the podium to thank everyone for attending the Taste of LIC 2012. CCM Jimmy Van Bramer and CCS Christine Quinn joined them and presented them with an honorarium for their artistic contributions to LIC & NYC. As mentioned above, the Chocolate Factory has become an incubator for avante garde theater in Queens & NYC since its founding in 2004.

 

Brian Rogers, Christine Quinn, Jimmy Van Bramer and Sheila Lewandowski are shown in the photo to your right.

Bear Bar & Restaurant - New European Restaurants in LIC

My next stop was the Bear Bar & Restaurant table. The Bear Bar & Restaurant offers ‘New European Cuisine’ and opened at the end of 2011. They are located at 12-14 31st Avenue in LIC. Here I sampled their slow roasted duck, which was moist and flavorful and absolutely delicious. I asked the woman how she managed to keep it so moist as frequently chefs overcook the bird and dry it out.

 

She said that she cooked it old fashioned style at a low heat and for six hours. I also sampled their veal ravioli, which was made Ukranian style. The dish included fresh dill and crème fraiche which was soft and complex and very, very good. I finished sampling the Bear’s treats by sampling their buckwheat pilaf which is made with potato, apples and onions. The roasted duck prepared by the Bear Bar and Restaurant is shown in the photo to your right.

 

Court Square Wines - Wine Stores in LIC

It was time for a wine accompaniment, so headed over to the Court Square Wines table to investigate the wine offerings of the day. They had a smooth Cabernet, which gave me a chance to relax and enjoy the ambiance before moving onto to sample the offerings of more Long Island City restaurants.

 

Court Square Wines is located at 24-20 Jackson Avenue, which is a stones throw from the subway station. The photo to your right shows the Court Square Wine & Spirits staff serving wines at the Taste of LIC in the Hunters Point section of LIC.

 

Cranky's Restaurant - French Creole Cuisine in LIC

My next stop was Cranky’s Restaurant which offers French Creole cuisine. I sampled their Jambalaya. This was a complex mixture of baked beef, Andouille sausage, mussels and shrimp and rice, boiled in a sauce made with tomatoes, bacon, beer and blackened spices. The jambalaya was a complex, spicy broth which the accompanying rice absorbs and softens, and some of the best French Creole cooking I have tasted in quite some time. French Creole cuisine is classical French style cooking adapted to American ingredients with Spanish, American Indian and African influences.

 

In the photo to your right is the jambalaya served by Cranky's, one of the French Creole restaurants in the LIC section of Queens.

 

Sage General Store - Healthy Restaurants in LIC

Music was playing in the background as people mingled and munched. The Sage General Store was the next stop on our Taste of LIC tour. The Sage General Store is located next to Court Square Wines noted above at 24-20 Jackson Avenue and also near the subway stop.

 

Leslie Nielsson and Greta Paretsky were serving salmon sobe noodle salad. The salad was made with raw salmon and sobe noodles, as well as wild mushrooms, asparagus and legumes. I was told that the cold salad was flavored with soy sauce, ginger, garlic and love. The noodles were soft and the vegetables al dente and the whole ensemble was as flavorful as it was healthy. The salmon sobe noodle served by Sage General restaurant in Long Island City LIC is shown in the photo to your right.

 

Tom Cat Bakery in LIC - Artisan Bakeries in Queens

I then sampled a bit of foccacia made by the Tom Cat Bakery of LIC. Tom Cat Bakery is located at 43-05 Tenth Street in LIC and has been serving Long Island City, Queens and NYC since 1987. Tom Cat Bakery provides restaurants and high end food stores with artisan breads and baked goods, and the foccacia was delicious.

 

There’s only so much room in one’s tummy and I was beginning to approach the legal limit. So I chose two more tables to visit before I was to make my way home for a couple days of digesting. In the photo to your right are the baked goods prepared by Tom Cat Bakery in LIC.

 

Tropical Restaurant - Ecuadorian Restaurants in Woodhaven Queens

Tropical Restaurant serves traditional Ecuadorian cuisine in the Woodhaven neighborhood of Queens, where they are located at 88-19 Jamaica Avenue. I sampled their Tostones which are fried bananas with garlic sauce. They tasted like a mix of fried of potato and banana and are likely a great side dish.

 

The tostones served by Tropical Restaurant are shown in the photo to your right.

The Creek & The Cave - American Restaurants in LIC

My last and final stop was at the Creek & The Cave. The Creek & The Cave is a combination comedy club and restaurant / bar located at 10-93 Jackson Avenue, which is several blocks away from any one of the three #7 subway line stops in Long Island City. I sampled the veggie and bacon quesadillas, and could easily see myself consuming more of these some Saturday or Sunday afternoon while watching a football game. I also tried one of their chicken flautas which was made of a fresh dough and filled with chicken and cheese.

 

And so ended my culinary tour of LIC – all in one evening, along the increasingly beautiful East River, with Manhattan looking good from the distance. The sun was beginning to fade and so was I. Needless to say, it was a fun evening, filled with good food & wine and good conversation. Bon Appetit.

Photos of Taste of LIC 2012

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Jamaican Jerk Festival NYC

Afro Caribbean Cultural Event In Queens

July 22, 2012 / Jamaica NYC / Food Fests in NYC / Gotham Buzz NYC.

It was a warm, dry, sunny Sunday, as I made my way into Roy Wilkins Park in Jamaica. Today was the 2nd annual Jamaican Jerk Festival, that I’d been waiting in anticipation for over the past few weeks. The Jamaican Jerk Festival is a combination reggae concert and food festival.

I entered through the gates of Roy Wilkins Park in the southern Jamaica neightborhood of Queens, as a slight breeze willowed its way through the trees and crowd. There were retail vendor tents to my left, with displays of vibrantly colored clothing and fashion jewelry Afro Caribbean style. Caps, hats, dresses, shirts and scarves hung loosely in little white tents, as shoppers and merchants mingled and did business.

Click here to read our report and view photos of the Jamaican Jerk Festival in Jamaica Queens NYC.

Jamaican Jerk Festival NYC

Afro Caribbean Cultural Event In Queens

July 22, 2012 / Jamaica NYC / Food Fests in NYC / Gotham Buzz NYC. Continued.

Off to my right were a couple of sponsors’ booths, including Grace Kennedy, the anchor sponsor of the event for the second consecutive year, alongside another corporate sponsor, Jet Blue. Click here to read a related story about Jet Blue in LIC.

 

Grace Kennedy Foods of Jamaica

Grace Kennedy is a Jamaican firm that was spun off by W.R. Grace & Company of New York in 1922. Two W.R. Grace employees, Dr. John J. Grace and Fred W. Kennedy, purchased the company and managed it as a Jamaican-based concern.

 

According to the Grace Kennedy website, the Jamaican company grossed $670 million in revenue this past year, and made a $32 million profit. Grace Kennedy produces and sells food and other packaged goods into local supermarkets [see photo], and offers an array of financial, insurance and money transfer services. Grace Kennedy is traded on the Jamaican and Trinidad stock exchanges. But I digress.

 

Jamaican Jerk Festival in Queens 2012 - Entertainment in Jamaica NY

Further up the path there was a play area cordoned off for families with children. The children were enjoying playing in the rubber rooms of a locomotive, small village and pirate tent.

 

There was a small dance and music stage a bit further up, just before the food tents. A couple of percussionists were sounding out African Caribbean rhythms as a trinity of dancers moved to the beat in an island dance [see photo]. A crowd began accumulating, enjoying the warm sunny day, the music and performance and some had already found some food to nibble on.

 

Jamaican Jerk Cuisine - Caribbean Cooking in Jamaica NY

I wandered on to the grill area where several men were tending to one of the central facets of the event, the jerk flavored beef and chicken [see photo]. On the grills, lying undisturbed, were ample offerings of chicken and beef, quietly absorbing the heat of the charcoals beneath them. I had sampled some jerk flavored beef last year and was looking forward to tasting it again.

 

I wandered further in, reading the food signs for tropical juices, fresh grilled corn, salads and vegetables, but what caught my eye and some additional attention was the coconut stand of Mr. Bee. In front of the tent, several people wielded machetes to chop open the tops of the coconuts, which they then served with a straw. After finishing the cool sweet watery, coconut juice; they peeled out the fresh coconut lining which has a light clean organic taste. Some of the customers didn’t need help peeling the lining, but knew how to use one of the wedges cut by the machetes, to spoon out the coconut fruit lining. A photo of one of the coconut cutters is shown above and a whole sequence is shown in the slide show.

 

Gospel Music in Jamaica Queens - Jamaica Jerk Festival 2012

I pushed on, up to the main stage. It was still early in the day, and this portion of the event featured gospel music. Naturally there was some religion in the program, but it wasn’t heavy handed and over time the crowd began to gather.

 

I enjoyed the music as well as some of the creative names of the groups performing, one of which was The Prodigal Son. I had moved back into the food area as some of the supporters of the Jamaican Jerk Festival were mentioned, including City Councilmember LeRoy Comrie and Irie Jam Radio.

 

 

Veggie Castel of Richmond Hill - Vegetarian Caribbean Cuisine & Restaurant

In addition to the fresh coconut, I had the opportunity to sample a few other nibbles. Several came from Veggie Castle of Richmond Hill. Cynthia is the owner, and she let me sample the curry soy chicken, but without the chicken. She substitutes soy for chicken, and then adds curry powder, cumen, marsala and other herbs and spices. It was very flavorful and the soy had a chicken-like texture.

 

I also sampled the jerk flavored soy beef – also without the meat ingredient. Just to give you some idea of what’s in the jerk seasoning; it includes black pepper, oregano and thyme. Some of Sybils and Veggie Castle offerings are shown in the photo to your left and there are a couple photos of the staff in the slide show below.

 

I continued to make my way through the food stands, to see who was there and what was being offered. The snow cone line was too long to suit my level of desire versus my level of impatience. The woman running it sells snow cones on the street in the summertime throughout Jamaica.

 

Chef Mom of Cedarhurst - Jerk Chicken Burger & Caribbean Rice

I came upon Chef Mom of Cedarhurst who had a nice medley of jerk chicken rice with fresh bell peppers, onions, corn and peas. The chicken is sautéed in a special jerk sauce and it really hit the spot. This was followed by Chef Mom’s jerk chicken burger. This burger includes a tender jerk flavored chicken breast and served with farm fresh cucumbers, onions, lettuce and tomato along with a slightly sweet mustard and pickle sauce. Chef Mom is shown in the photo to your left [center] with the staff / family.

 

By this time I was feeling pretty good. I’d had a chance to do some shopping, listen to some music, watch a bit of dancing – not to mention the theater and culture included in the sampling of the fresh coconuts, the vegetarian delights of Veggie Castle and jerk flavored foods of Chef Mom.

 

So I made my way back to the entrance, snapped a photo of Maxine Greaves and a friend of hers on my way out, and hopped the #85 bus back to Jamaica Station for the subway ride back home. Irie Jam Jamaica.

Photos of the Jamaican Jerk Festival 2012

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Food & Wine - Made In New York

Crain's & Taste NY Food & Beverage Trade Show

October / Specialty Food & Wine NYC / NYC Neighborhoods / Gotham Buzz NYC.

I had an opportunity to visit the Made In New York Food & Beverage Trade Show at the Fashion Institute of Technology in Chelsea last Thursday.

When I arrived, a bit late in the day, the 50 - 100 exhibitors were in full motion as I made my way along the corridors taking photos and sampling local delectables. There were pastries, candies, pasta, sauces, cheeses, wines, spirits and non-alcoholic beverages filling the aisles and all - in tandem with the theme were - Made In New York.

 

Before I became fully engrossed in the exhibits and exhibitors I made my way down to the KM Amphitheater where I listened to a panel discussions about 'How To Get NYS Products Into NYC Restaurants, Hotels and Bars' which was followed by a presentation about 'Wine, Beer & Spirits'.

The panel discussion featured a represenative of the Standard, Highline, Jimmy of Jimmy's No. 43, a representative of GrowNYC, a representative from BRGuest Hospitality a restaurant group, and the NYC Hospitality Alliance. They talked about passion for the product and collaborative relationships, but generally they seemed to think that the environment is favorably disposed to the inclusion of locally produced foods, wines and other beverages.

The Wine, Beer & Spirits presentation was given by Jim Trezise, President of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation. He gave a presentation full of facts and figures about the evolution of the vineyards and wine industry in New York State. We'll post more about both of these presentations at a later date.

 

I'll also delve a bit more into the content of the exhibits and samples at a later date, and will post a full slide show showing the exhibits and exhibitors.

 

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