In this edition: Praise for the bubble tea at Tapioca Story, Sunswick’s micro brew selection, Cafe Triskell’s crepes, and Sweet Afton’s … everything. —Tracy Infield

Congratulations to all who received 5-star reviews on Yelp in the past few weeks:

Tapioca Story 27-22 30 Ave is getting out-of-towner props for its “Amazing bubble tea! … It lives up to its high reviews” (Mila S. from New Haven, CT  5/5). And this, from Tatiana E., of Brooklyn: “Sometimes bubble tea shops can get a bit heavy-handed with sugar and/or sweetened condensed milk when it comes to milkshakes but Tapioca Story got it just right!” (5/18)

Blackbird’s  41-19 30th Ave “Everything about this bar was spot on… It’s a little out of the main area of Astoria—further down on 30th Ave past Broadway. But that way, it doesn’t attract crowds!” —Bette M., Manhattan, NY (5/8)

Titan Foods 25-56 31st St scored a new fan in Elite ’13 Yelper Marina K. from Hoboken, NJ: “I was ecstatically, overwhelmingly, bananas happy when I first walked into this place. My brother just moved to the neighborhood (we’re Greek) and we both couldn’t believe the plethora of nostalgia-inducing goodies suddenly accessible to us.” (5/3)

Sunswick 35-02 35th St “They have a great micro brew selection (both bottle and draft) Beer menu is updated MONTHLY. Last time I went, they had alcoholic Ginger beer. Yum! —Jillian K., Queens NY (5/5)

Ham, Swiss & Egg on Buckwheat Crepe. Photo: Bradley Hawks / BORO Magazine

Another Elite ’13 Yelper, Sumito A. from Manhattan, praises Café Triskell 33-04 36th Ave, for their 1) friendly staff 2) “AMAZING CIDER!” 3) Nutella crepe and 4) “YAY for clean loos.” (5/6) Local Zazie M. says this is an “adorable place with very authentic and delicious crepes.” (5/8) Eric B., from Flushing, enthusiastically (but not very helpfully) suggests you “try everything it’s the best thing they have!” (5/15)

Zazie M. also gave a 5-star to Sweet Afton 30-09 34th St. for “the ambiance, beer selection and the fried pickles,” noting “the only thing I don’t love is how crowded (and thus, loud) it gets, making it nearly impossible to get in/enjoy yourself on the weekends. But I can’t in good conscience knock off points for being overly popular. Just choose your times wisely and you can still enjoy this fantastic neighborhood bar.” (5/8) Liz K. of Pleasanton, CA also gave it 5 stars: “Get the Sweet Afton Burger and Mac & Cheese. Enjoy. Die happy.” (5/18) Closer to home, Richard L. of East Elmhurst gave it 4 stars: “Love this place in the afternoon. During happy hour most stuff on tap is four. Not a bad deal. The food is great. A must go late at night or on a lazy hot day.” (5/10)

I suppose we could do without references to any part of Astoria as “bumblef*ck,” but overall Stephanie P., Manhattan, NY (who now lives in Queens) offers a thoughtful 5-star review of SingleCut Beersmiths 19-33 37th St (5/5). It includes a review-within-a-review of the Astoria-based band Beecher’s Fault: “I’m generally critical of bands at bars, bands that I don’t know and worse, anyone who dares to touch anything by The Killers—they did so well though that I actually made a deposit in their tip bucket, heh.”

Has there ever been an Astoria restaurant more eagerly awaited than MP Taverna? The earliest rumors I’ve been able to find started on Astorians.com back in late October…2011. It’s now open, and getting generally excellent reviews.

MP Taverna: 28 reviews & counting

Their first review, from Three M., LIC (4/23), was a 5-star: “All I can say is, GO.” Only 5 of the reviews so far have been poor (1-2 stars), and those seem to be about the wait and/or the service. (One, from Ronnie P. of Astoria, seems to have stemmed from disappointment over their fries: “Psillakis (sic) better get his act together.” 5/4) More typically the reviews are raves (“absolutely delicious!” “amazing!” “GET THE OCTOPUS!”) My favorite, though, is this 4-star review from Debbie F. of Bayside. The entire review is fantastic; her only quibble is the bread—but she has a solution: “As Artopolis Bakery is 5 blocks away and is a not-to-be missed stop when in Astoria, they should serve their delicious rosemary focaccia, whole wheat or olive bread.”

More 5-star reviews: Leli’s Bakery & Cafe 35-14 30th Ave (5/5 & 5/8) • Mojave  22-36 31st St (5/8) • Astor Bake Shop (5/16)

Done by the same talented artist who did their interior wall work.

Congratulations to all who received 5-star reviews on Yelp this week:

If you missed meeting Meg Cotner at the big SITE party earlier this month, now’s your chance to do so—at Sac’s Place. Photo via WeHeartAstoria.com

If you’re heading out to Sac’s Place 25-41 Broadway to check out the Queens County Market this afternoon, tell them I said “HI!”—and be sure to congratulate Anthony & co on this great review:  “In addition to the best pizza and casual Italian food in the neighborhood, Sac’s catered my engagement party. The food was outstanding—the price was reasonable and Anthony went out of his way to do things right for us.”—Daniel P., Astoria, NY 2/19/13

Cafe Triskell 33-04 36th Ave “This is a very small place with no more than 7 tables. The chef is from France and it owns the place for years. I find it great when you can watch the chef cooking and this place has 4 tall seats like in a bar, facing the tiny kitchen where the chef cooks. Tres magnique!!!! 
First thing, dont forget to bring cash. This place does not take credit card.
 I love how all the salads are big compared to others,  the chef does not economize it, you surely get your money worth it.”—Liliana O., Astoria, NY 2/17

Arepas Cafe 33-07 36th Ave “Love the arepas here. Remind me of home.”—Miguel C., Astoria, NY 2/17/13

Sunswick  35-02 35th St “After having a few drinks at Studio Square, we stopped by Sunswick with two friends visiting from Norway. They had been telling us about the craft beer scene in Norway and lo and behold when we got to Sunswick, there were two Norwegian beers on the menu! Neither Eric nor I nor the waitress could pronounce the one we ordered but it just rolled nice and easy off my friend’s tongue. The waitress then explained that she had been talking with the bartender about how she couldn’t pronounce the beers and the bartender said to just pronounce them however she felt since no one would know the difference, unless there were Norwegians in the bar…”—Tara L., Jackson Heights, NY 2/20/14

The Thirsty Koala 35-12 Ditmars “The occasion was my Granddaughters 22 birthday and she wanted something different. … I am diabetic and follow a strict diet.  When I finally made my bearing of things, I realized that this place had healthy food! …  The chili was amazing and really a diabetic super food with lots of beans and walnuts. The Lamb was fabulous, the fish and chips were light and delicious. The side veggies were so tasty.  They had caramelized pumpkin as a side with the lamb.  I had to ask what it was because I could not identify the amazing taste…”  Barre F., Brooklyn, NY 2/17/13

TWO 5-star reviews for Gian Piero Bakery  44-17 30th Ave, including this one from Joseph L., Kew Gardens, NY “You’d have to go to the other side to get  cafe espresso as good as it is here—best in the City. Breads are fantastic and well priced. Try the Pane de Casa or the Semolina  or the Olive breads… Great assortment of Southern Italian cookies—anisette toast is first rate. And Sorriso is just across the street…I think I want to live on this street.” 2/20/13

Which leads us to TWO excellent (5-star) reviews for Sorriso Italian Pork Store 44-16 30th Ave, including this one: “Amazing. Who needs Arthur Ave?”—Daniel P., Astoria 2/19/13, and this: “I made a promise to the fine staff that I would leave a shining review and here it is. I have never seen my family and I being treated so well by anybody in New York and we have been here for more than 40 years. Their interpersonal intelligence and mastery of their warm and SINCERE public relations is only surpassed by the quality of the gastronomic offerings. That simple. Cent’anni gentlemen.”—AA., Rego Park, NY 2/23/13

The Strand Smokehouse 25-27 Broadway “On the weekends for brunch they do table service which is probably hard to staff, especially being a new spot and suuuuch a huge space but they did a great job and it was nice to just sit, relax and enjoy a leisurely brunch.  It felt like a little escape from the city, but with the high food and drink standards still in place.”—Cas R., New York, NY 2/23/13

More 5-star reviews: Astoria Bier and Cheese 34-14 Broadway  • SingleCut Beer 19-33 37th St

Duck prosciutto: “It’s actually smoked, and we have two varieties: one is coated with spices and smoked and the other just smoked.”—via Muncan’s Facebook page

Muncan Food Corporation 43-09 Broadway “I miss this place. Out in the West coast you don’t get a lot of Deli’s like these. This one is my favorite of the Boroughs. I’ve been to the Polish ones in Greenpoint and the Italian delis all over. This one tops them all. They have cured everything. From beef to pork to cheeses… My favorite is bacon rolled in garlic. Fatty but tasty!”—Jason Y., Long Beach, CA 2/11/13

Cafe Triskell 33-04 36th Ave “Amazing french onion soup. best I’ve ever had.”—Kevin C., Fresh Meadows, NY 2/8/13

Pollos a la Brasa Mario 40-19 Broadway “This spot is simply the best! Four thumbs up!”—Igor D., Manhattan, NY 2/12/13

FIVE 5-star reviews for The Thirsty Koala 35-12 Ditmars, including this one from Christina C., Astoria, NY: “GUYS.

 If I give this place five stars you will go too.
 And then I’ll never get a seat.
 But I have to give this place five stars. 

Food: amazing. Hellooooo kangaroo special?!
 Soup: PHENOMENAL. Get it.
 Service: Totallly exceeded expectations. (I’m looking at you, David.)
 Ambiance: Could have been a bit brighter. Might have taken a star away.
 BYOB: WTF?! Would love to take a star away. But the food was So. Goddamn. Good.

 Go here. It’s the best new thing to hit Ditmars.” —2/15/13

When life hands you a blizzard… Head to Astoria Bier & Cheese! Photo via their FB page

Sarah F., Astoria, NY liked the beer selection at Astoria Bier and Cheese and noted, “I also bought my boyfriend some locally made chocolates here for Valentine’s Day. I was about to go into Manhattan to pick up some nice chocolates but they really saved the day!” —2/14/13

Inside Astoria  28-07 Ditmars “There is something about this place I really love. It’s a combination of relaxing shopping and really thoughtful/useful gifts. They have a lot of yoga/meditation items (i.e. incense, Buddha statue, flowers, natural soaps).”—Jackie G., New York, NY 2/15/13

Photo via PortaliaNYC.com

TWO 5-stars for Portalia Ristorante 35-03 Broadway, including this one from Andy L., Astoria, NY: “The food was great, but here’s what really sold me. During the meal we happened to start a conversation with the owner Antonio (a few of his people couldn’t make it that day due to snow so he was bartending and bussing tables.) Immediately, his passion for the business was obvious… From produce to meat and fish, he said he shops locally for everything based on what looks best that week… Right away this won us over as we have a lot of pride in our Astoria food/drink community.” 2/11/13

4-star reviews that make you wonder why they just didn’t give the place a 5-star review:

Petey’s Burger 30-17 30th Ave “There’s a gap in NYC’s burger joints. That perfect union of fast-food simplicity (5 guys), fresh and bountiful ingredients (gourmet burger joints), and guilty deliciousness (big mac?) makes Petey’s Burger an unique establishment that perfectly fits in that specific space that In n Out held in the hearts of East coast burger lovers.

 If you like burgers, definitely come.”—Qian W., Astoria, NY 2/9/13

Sacs Place 25-41 Broadway: “This is a great pizza place, especially if you like thin crust. 
I’ve been here several times and ordered quite a few times and have never had a bad experience.
 Highly recommended!”—Andrej Z., Astoria, NY 2/9/13

Congratulations to the Astoria business above and everyone else who got Yelp’s highest honor this week:

Sunswick Astoria 35-02 35th St “If you actually care about what kind of delicious, hoppy poison you imbibe this is the place for you. It’s a divey place, that has a wide variety of microbrews to try (around 20) that rotate regularly to different themes. It’s kind of in a random location, but it doesn’t change the fact that this is probably one of the best Beer Bars in NYC straight up.”—Mr K., Astoria, NY (2/4/13)

Mama Frozen Yogurt 35-04 30th Ave “The people who run the cute little yogurt store are incredibly friendly and sweet … While 16 handles is good too, why wouldn’t you want to give your support to a mom and pop shop with equally good yogurt?”—Lauren K., Manhattan, NY ((2/7/13)

Savory Cafe shares a fan’s Twitter photos on their Facebook page.
(Note their FB page is under Savory Foods. Click photo for link)

TWO 5-star reviews for Savory Cafe 36-02 36^th Ave: “Their danishes are out of this world, madelines, flourless almond cake.. everything they make is so delicious it’s outrageous…” “Honestly, I have NEVER had a coconut macaroon so delicate…”

Yellow Bird Auto Diagnostic Center 20-02 29th St “My experience at Yellow Bird was hands down the most pleasant I’ve ever had interacting with the auto repair industry…”—Bryn G., Providence, RI (2/7/13)

TWO 5-star reviews for MexiBBQ 37-11 30th Ave, including this from Shaji K. of Elmhurst, NY (2/7/13) “Can’t rave enough about the beer selection (recommendations for pairing with food available) – and the food is extensive. Next stop: Brunch.”

From The Thirsty Koala’s 2/8 Twitter feed:
“Our new and yummy Kangaroo Loin Fillets.” Click thru for link

The Thirsty Koala 35-12 Ditmars “We were a boisterous bunch, especially after we found out we could bring our own booze!
… The aussies in our group swore that the Pavlova is authentic and some of the best they ever had.”—Gordon C., New York, NY (2/5/13)

16 Handles 37-07 30th Ave “LOVE. so delicious.  I was never into frozen yogurt because I’ve tried red mango and thought it was gross but this frozen yogurt tastes just like ice cream.”—Antri P., Astoria, NY (2/4/13)

THREE 5-star reviews for Malagueta 25-35 36th Ave: “Great food. Amazing sausages and chicken” … “It was so reasonably priced” … “Its also a place where you can rely on your waiters recco’s … our waiters thoughtful advice made it so easy to choose. To think I almost ordered the pedestrian chicken dish.”

Hell Gate Social 12-21 Astoria Blvd “Soooo HAPPY TO DESCOVER  Hell Gate Social !  i just moved in the area and this great place is so close to me. Life in Astoria in sweet”—Georgie P., Astoria, NY (2/4/13)

TWO 5-star reviews for Il Bambino 34-08 31st Ave “A bit pricey but they make some damn good sandwiches” … “It lived up to the enthusiastic recommendation and then some.”

From The Queens Kickshaw’s Facebook page: Those things in the middle are “I-Love-You kimchi dumplings” for their Valentine’s Day dinner. (Click for link)

TWO 5-star reviews for The Queens Kickshaw 40-17 Broadway  “I had the impression that this place was just overpriced grilled cheese–that’s really not the case. It’s a cute, casual little restaurant…” … “The ambient was so laid back but cozy and the industrial decor was very unique….”

TWO 5-star reviews for Basil Brick Oven 28-17 Astoria Blvd, including this one: “If you choose to dine at the restaurant, the seating is toward the back, so you can’t see it from the street. It is elegant (don’t be fooled by the surrounding area) and makes for a fine dining experience. You will walk away impressed.”—Kate W., New York, NY (2/5/13)

TWO 5-stars for Mezze Place 31-18 Broadway: including this one from Baramee C., from Brooklyn: “It’s an extremely small side-of-the-road kind of place, but well worth the visit. They were trying for the ‘I’m having you over for some tapas in my living room’ feel and that’s what it’s like…in a good way… You really can’t go wrong with anything they have to offer here.” (2/6/13)

More 5-star reviews: Shade Organic Spa 36-05 Ditmars • Iva’s Skin Care 31-47 Steinway • SkinProLogica 32-12 Broadway • Mojave 22-36 31st St • Sorriso Salumeria 44-16 30th Ave • Blo It Out 23-21 Steinway • The Jumping Bulldog 28-10 23rd Ave