BORO MAG

VOL 4:12

by Clarke Carl

NOVEMBER 2014

GREAT DISCOUNTS

at the best spots in Astoria, LIC, Sunnyside

The Brass Owl pg 22

Sugar Freak is back pg 32

After School for Adults pg 38

Flipping for Fitness pg 46

LIC FLEA & FOOD HOLIDAY MARKET NOW OPEN!

2 | BOROMAG.COM | NOVEMBER 2014

PHOTO: SCOTT G MORRIS - SGM PHOTOGRAPHY

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8 - 0 8 Q U E E N S P L A Z A S , LO N G I S L A N D C I T Y, N Y 1 1 1 0 1 • AT T H E R AV E L H OT E L NOVEMBER 2014 | BOROMAG.COM | 3

BRADLEY HAWKS

Dear Western Queens, In this month of Thanksgiving, I want to take a moment to extend my sincere gratitude to the incredible team at BORO, and to each of our readers. When I first joined three years ago, I never could have guessed the prolific treasury of inspiring stories that would perpetually fall into my lap. We are truly blessed to live in such a vibrant, electric neighborhood.

This month, we get to peek at the impressive facilities of the Yoga Room and jump into a silks course.

We sit down with a talented author and comedian who is bringing a new level of entertainment and arts to the neighborhood. As I type this, the vendors of the LIC Flea are moving indoors and preparing for the winter market, so you can enjoy Vendy Award winning bites and unique arts and fashion throughout the winter at 5-25 46th Avenue in Long Island City.

From Monkey Farts scented soap to deep-fried banana pudding, to an Emmy award-winning director and playwright, a delicious new burger, and a visit to Sleepy Hollow, this month is rich with great stories.

As always, please share with us your own personal anecdotes, and send us any tips, comments, news, or events via Facebook. We look forward to sharing many more stories with you in the months ahead!

Gratefully yours, Bradley Hawks

editor-in-chief

Visiting Sleepy Hollow

FEATURES

6

Off The Hook

FEATURES

6 EXPLORE

36 SHOPS

8 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

38 NIGHTLIFE

Sleepy Hollow Adventures

APAC Under New Direction

10 CHARACTERS Ryan Collins

18 FOOD

Off the Hook

22 SHOPS

The Brass Owl

24 BODY & SOUL

Carl Clarke Aesthetiques

Little Soap Shop Kambri Crews & Q.E.D.

42 THE ARTS

Mike Bencivenga at the Vineyard

46 BODY & SOUL The Yoga Room

52 CHARACTERS Nancy Ruhling

DEPARTMENTS

Sugar Freak

12 NOVEMBER 2014 EVENTS 25 BORO DEALS & DISCOUNTS PAGE

New Burger in Town

26 MAP IT DIRECTORY

32 FOOD 33 FOOD

18

Exclusive savings, discounts and freebies for the month of Noveber in Astoria, LIC and Sunnyside.

Your go-to guide for Astoria, LIC and Sunnyside’s best shops, food, art, nightlife and more

28 MAP IT: ASTORIA, LIC & SUNNYSIDE MAP editoR-IN-CHIEF bradley hawks // art director jennifer decio // graphic designerS stephen reina, nirmal singh staff writers bradley hawks, ben mims, daniel crown, lillian shaw, hayley bridgewater, brett jones, meaghan trainor, lizabeth nieves // staff photographers javier ibañez, daniel pando, bradley hawks, lizabeth nieves SALES REPRESENTATIVE graziella zerilli // online editorial coordinator bradley hawks // Published by joshua & victoria schneps All materials Copyright © 2014 BORO / All rights reserved. Opinions and claims made by advertisers are advertisers’ claims only. BORO Magazine accepts no responsibility for any claims made by advertisers. BORO Magazine reserves the right to publish any images without providing photo/image credit.

No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission of the publisher.

4 | BOROMAG.COM | NOVEMBER 2014

Thursday- Sunday

Sundays beginning at 11:30am Tuesday – Sunday: 5 pm to 7 pm $1 select oysters 2 for 1 beer and wine $8 curated specialty cocktails Tuesday – Saturday: 5 pm – 11 pm Sunday Brunch: 11:30 am to 3:30 pm Sunday Dinner: 5 pm to 9 pm

Book your holiday party in our private room and make your celebration unforgettable!

Exclusive outdoor seating in the Kaufman Astoria Backlot

Address: 34-12 36th St. (near corner of 35th Ave), Astoria NY

www.AstorRoom.com NOVEMBER 2014 | BOROMAG.COM | 5

EXPLORE

Sleepy Hollow Adventures

T

here are certain sentences that one should not blurt out loud on a quick road trip to Sleepy Hollow, NY. One of them being, “Don’t stare at the crows, as they will memorize your face and come find you.” And the other, “Legend has it there is a statue that cries tears, and if you smack it bad things will happen to you— let’s find it.”

These thoughts set the tone for our trip.

Nestled thirty miles north of New York City lies a gorgeous little town full of legends and picturesque scenery.

Setting for the Washington Irving tale, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, the town is worth visiting year round—and perhaps more enjoyable after the crowds have

6 | BOROMAG.COM | NOVEMBER 2014

Story & Photos By Lizabeth Nieves

dissipated following All Hallows’ Eve. Be sure to stop by Sleepy Hollow Cemetery (540 N. Broadway) Adjacent to the Old Dutch burying ground, the cemetery is 90 acres filled with

stunning tombs and the graves of the Rockefellers, Astors, Ardens, and Andrew Carnegie. Local legend speaks

of The Bronze Lady, where if you slapped her in the face, sat in her lap, and spit in her eye, she would haunt you for the rest of your life.

Next door to the cemetery is the Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow (Albany Post Road).

The church is one of the oldest in New York State. This is the actual setting of the Legend of Sleep Hollow, rather than the eponymous cemetery.

The church’s 3 acre burial ground is the notorious haunting grounds of the Headless Horseman.

Across the street is the Philipsburg Manor House (US 9). The manor dates back to 1693 and was owned by Frederick Philipse. The Philipse family was one of the largest slave owning families in the north, and had their lands

confiscated during the Revolutionary war for being British supporters. The property was landmarked in 1961, and features a stone manor house, a working water-powered grist mill and millpond, an 18th century barn, a slave garden, and a reconstructed tenant farm house.

For a nosh, stop by The Bridge View Tavern (225 Beekman Ave)—a family owned and run establishment. Beautiful views of the majestic Hudson River, Tappan Zee Bridge, and Palisade Mountain Range make this blue collar bar worth the trip. That, and of course the crack pie, served with a dollop of vanilla ice cream—holding a close second to the Momofuku recipe. The menu is varied, with items that include boar, naan pizza, and disco fries with chorizo. The staff is warm and friendly, which plays a big part of the high reviews online.

Sleepy Hollow is the place that a friend took me to photograph years ago, when I bought my first SLR. Any person with an

interest in history, epic scenery, and a quick day trip outside the city would enjoy a trip to this small town that is anything but sleepy.

To get to Sleepy Hollow you can take the MTA to Philipse Manor, or rent a zip car and take the 40 minute drive.

NOVEMBER 2014 | BOROMAG.COM | 7

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

The Curtain Rises Again In the Bones cast

Dev Bondarin

Playwright Cody Daigle

The award-winning Astoria Performing Arts Center (APAC) recently announced the world premiere production of Cody Daigle’s (resident playwright for The Playhouse Tulsa’s 2013-14 season) In The Bones, directed by Dev Bondarin. In other exciting news, Bondarin has just been named APAC’s new Artistic Director, assuming the role from which Tom Wojtunik stepped down in June.

In The Bones will play a limited engagement at Good Shepherd United Methodist Church (30-44 Crescent St in Astoria).

Performances begin Thursday, November 6th and continue through Saturday, November 22nd. Opening Night is Saturday, November 8th at 8 p.m.

“I am excited and proud to be joining Astoria Performing Arts Center as Artistic Director,” exclaims Bondarin. “I am honored to be given the opportunity to be part of the leadership team of an organization with such a strong artistic spirit and presence in Queens and New York City. The hallmarks of APAC are the integral role it plays in the Astoria community and the high level of productions the company stages. I not only look forward to carrying on these traditions, but also to steering the company during its new phase of growth: creating more opportunities for artists and community members, and bringing new stories and voices to the theater. I look forward to continuing to get to know APAC’s audiences and artists in the future, as we prepare for our fall production of Cody Daigle’s In the Bones.”

8 | BOROMAG.COM | NOVEMBER 2014

In the play, when a soldier home from serving in Afghanistan ends his life, grief settles over his family and the partner he leaves behind. In a series of scenes moving ahead a year at a time, loss transforms a family, and sorrow finds a home in the bones of those left behind.

The production stars Victoria Bundonis* (Nat’l tour: Grease, The Music Man; TV: Nurse Jackie) as Dee, Tyler Gattoni ( Japanese Foreign Trade Minister, reading at Actors Studio) as Luke, Sean Hankinson* (TV: Days of Our Lives, 90210) as Ben, Zac Hoogendyk* (In The Next Room [or the vibrator play], Cleveland Playhouse) as Kenny, Mel House* (All My Sons, Atlantic Theatre Lab; TV: Rescue Me) as Kate, and Emily Koch* (Little Women, Theatreworks Palo Alto) as Chloe. The asterisk denotes actors appearing courtesy of Actors Equity Association.

The production features scenic design by Michael Minahan, costume design by Caitlin Cisek (APAC’s Blood Brothers), and lighting design by Dan Jobbins. Jacob Subotnick is the sound designer, Kelly Davis is the props designer, Jaime Vallés is the video designer, Frederick Alden Terry is the composer, and the production stage manager is Katy Moore*.

We are eager to see the new work commemorating the launch of this new stage in the life of a tremendous local theater. To all involved, Break a Leg!

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CHARACTERS

ins, usical, Bar Songs. l l o C n a y R h t i w g oming m n c i p t u e e e th f m o r e A Filmmak T he

r e k a Filmm Nieves

by Lizabeth and Image Interview

“I grew up in Greenville, South Carolina. I went to college in Winston Salem, North Carolina at the North Carolina School of the Arts.

I went to film school and most of the people graduating from film school wound up in L.A. or New York City. I wound up in New York.

I got into film with a class in high school. I always loved movies, and I worked in a video store for 3 years in high school. I watched every Woody Allen movie, Cronenberg’s stuff, and Kubrick. I had free reign to check out whatever was coming out at the time.

After film school, I moved to N.Y.C., and I guess it wasn’t all that thought out. I came up here to freelance, which I did. Up until the time I started the film, I worked sound gigs and did a lot of sound recording, editing, and boom operating. But all that stuff wasn’t really fun for me. When I had the opportunity to make the movie, I jumped into it.

Bar Songs is a musical. When I was twenty, I moved to Wilmington and started writing a bunch of songs. I wrote sixty odd songs in a couple of years. It’s mostly about my experiences, they were always kind of humorous songs, and it was a lot about drinking and getting into trouble. I went into film school for four years and didn’t think about it much. My senior year in film school, I started writing a screenplay that would incorporate all the songs I wrote in my early twenties. I finished it in 2008, and then didn’t do anything with it for several years because I didn’t have enough money to make a film. When my mother and grandmother passed away, I had the opportunity to try and make the film.

Bar Songs has been in process since September of last year. The film is about a dead-beat alcoholic who is not gainfully employed, and on the weekend of his 30th birthday goes on a bender. It’s all about drinking, and it’s all in Queens. Many elements of the film are autobiographical, but most of it comes from a place over a decade ago for me.

It was fantastic doing everything locally in Astoria. We were able to shoot all our locations for free. Everybody here was really great. We shot at Hell Gate, The Sparrow, The Beer Garden, Astoria Park, Vesta, and Shillelagh. Everything was shot in Astoria, except the jail scene.

Ideally, after the film comes out I would love to go to some film festivals and have a good time, see some cities I haven’t seen before.

Best-case scenario, someone wants to buy an R-rated musical. I don’t know if that’s realistic, but that would be the best-case scenario. End of the day worst-case scenario, I made a movie and finished it, and I would go back to work doing editing.

10 | BOROMAG.COM | NOVEMBER 2014

Would I make another feature? Yes, I have a few ideas. I have an idea for another musical. In a few years, I see myself holding a boom pole and doing sound gigs, but ideally I see myself directing another film, or anything.”

www.barsongsmovie.com /barsongsthemovie

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NOVEMBER 2014 | BOROMAG.COM | 11

NOVEMBER EVENTS

Find more events at www.BOROmag.com/Events

11/6 @ 7PM-11PM

RaRbar’s 7th Anniversary Party

FREE I R’a’Rbar - Rèst-âü-Ránt 718-729-9009 I corner of 35th avenue & 30th street www.rarbarlic.com Once again it is time for us to thank you for the love which keeps us running! Help us celebrate with Drink Specials, Free Hors D’Oeuvres, Live music by D.B. Rielly & Gifts from the house 11/7 @ 6PM- 9PM

MOVE WITH US Video Premiere and Opening Reception

FREE I Queens Council on the Arts (646) 470-8891 I 37-11 35th Avenue www.eventbrite.com/e/move-with-us-video-premiere-and-receptiontickets-13807046247 rt@roshanithakore.com 11/8 @ 1PM

Film: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington FREE I Greater Astoria Historical Society 718-278-0700 www.astorialic.org Other: Part of our 1939 film series

11/15 & 11/16 @ 12PM TO 5PM

Pre-Holiday Designer Trunk Show

11/9 @ 11AM - 3PM

FREE I Alicia’s Jewelers Bay Terrace Phone: 718-224-0075 Address: 211-19 26th Ave, Bayside www.AliciasJewelers.com

FREE MMA Classes

FREE I Place Tightan Fitness (718) 274-1606 I 31-21 31st Astoria 11/13 @ 9PM-MIDNIGHT

Live Music: Yael Kraus

FREE I R’a’Rbar - Rèst-âü-Ránt 718-729-9009 I corner of 35th avenue & 30th street www.rarbarlic.com www.yaelkraus.com

FREE with Museum admission ($9-$12) I Museum of the Moving Image 718 777-6888 I 36-01 35 Avenue www.movingimage.us

11/14 @ 9-11:30PM

11/22 @ 7PM

Live Music - El Chico Blanco

Cory Arcangel & Chris d’Eon in Concert

FREE I The Queens Kickshaw (718) 777-0913 I 40-17 Broadway www.thequeenskickshaw.com/events.html

TICKETS START AT $35 I The Metropolitan Museum of Art 212-570-3949 I 1000 Fifth Avenue www.metmuseum.org/tickets

11/14 @ 7PM

11/27 @ 9PM-MIDNIGHT

Kaushiki Chakrabarty

TICKETS START AT $40 I The Metropolitan Museum of Art 212-570-3949 I 1000 Fifth Avenue www.metmuseum.org/tickets Bring the Kids for $1 (Ages 7-16) 11/17 @ 7PM

An Evening with Darren Aronofsky, Patti Smith and “Noah” $25 PUBLIC I Museum of the Moving Image (718) 777-6888 I 36-01 35 Avenue movingimage.us 11/20 @ 9PM-MIDNIGHT

Live Music: Igor Lumpert Trio

FREE I R’a’Rbar - Rèst-âü-Ránt 718-729-9009 I corner of 35th avenue & 30th street www.rarbarlic.com www.igorlumpert.com

November 10 at 7:00 p.m.

at Break Bar & Billiards, 32-04 Broadway, Astoria tickets are $8/person, in advance * visit newtownliterary.org/trivia-night for more info

11/29 @ 11AM-7PM

all proceeds go to pay for the printing of the next issue of Newtown Literary, the semi-annual literary journal publishing the best writing from Queens, NY

FREE I LIC 718-361-5650 I 535 51st Ave www.licliving.com 15% off storewide all day, gifts with purchase, complimentary sparkling wine and light snacks

prizes from The Astoria Bookshop, Enigma Bookstore, Astoria Coffee, and Lockwood, as well as a rafße for two tickets to the Secret Theatre

Small Business Saturday at LIC

ONGOING

Live Music: MAtt Turk & Gary Schreiner

FREE I R’a’Rbar - Rèst-âü-Ránt 718-729-9009 I corner of 35th avenue & 30th street www.rarbarlic.com www.turktunes.com

EVERY MONDAY! @ 7PM -9PM

Monday Nite is Paint Nite!

Os Clavelitos

Alewife NYC 718 937 7494 I 5-14 51st Avenue www.paintnite.com/pages/events/view/newyork/845271 Join us every Monday for 2 hours of Carfty Fun!!

Upcoming nights: 11/10: www.paintnite.com/pages/events/view/newyork/845270 11/17: www.paintnite.com/pages/events/view/newyork/845271 11/24: www.paintnite.com/pages/events/view/newyork/846147 use Coupon Code Alewife45 for a discount!!!

EVERY MONDAY NIGHT @ 9PM-11PM

Live Music - Luke Schwartz Trio

EVERY WEDNESDAY @ 4PM-2AM

20% OFF every bottle of wine

FREE I R’a’Rbar - Rèst-âü-Ránt 718-729-9009 I corner of 35th avenue & 30th street www.rarbarlic.com

Music Mondays

EVERY SUNDAY @ 4PM-MIDNIGHT

EVERY MONDAY @ 4PM-2AM

FREE I R’a’Rbar - Rèst-âü-Ránt 718-729-9009 I corner of 35th avenue & 30th street www.rarbarlic.com $10 BBQ & Draft, $40 wine bottle & 2 tapas, $55 wine bottle & 4 tapas

FREE I Sweet Afton (718) 777-2370 I 30-09 34th Street www.sweetaftonbar.com 11/21 @ 9-11:30PM

FREE I R’a’Rbar - Rèst-âü-Ránt 718-729-9009 I corner of 35th avenue & 30th street www.rarbarlic.com Showtime special: $30 for a bottle of house red or white and a cheese plate

All Night Happy Hour

Sunday Tasting Menu

FREE I The Queens Kickshaw (718) 777-0913 I 40-17 Broadway www.thequeenskickshaw.com/events.html

FREE I R’a’Rbar - Rèst-âü-Ránt 718-729-9009 I corner of 35th avenue & 30th street www.rarbarlic.com $4 house wines and $2 off all drafts

EVERY TUESDAY @ 8:30PM

11/22 @ 7PM

EVERY TUESDAY @ 9PM-11AM

Sunday Football

Brazilian film: My Mother Is a Character (Minha Mãe é uma Peça) 12 | BOROMAG.COM | NOVEMBER 2014

R’a’Rbar Comedy Show

Stump Trivia Tuesdays

FREE TO PLAY, Break Bar & Billiards 32-04 Broadway FREE DRINKS TO 1ST 2ND AND 3RD PLACE Beer specials all day and half off any flavor of wings

Justin H says “The service and food are a cut above anything else in the neighborhood” OPEN 7 DAYS — WE NOW DELIVER

Happy Hour

4pm-7pm Monday thru Saturday Beer $4/Wine $5/Cocktails $6/Appetizers $8

Weekend Brunch

from 11-4pm (Choice of) 2 hr Unlimited Select Drinks $15 with an entree or Enjoy $3 Champagne, Bellini, Mimosas and Bloody Mary.

Monday 1/2 price bottle of wine under $50 Tuesday - Free Panna Cotta with Entree NOVEMBER 2014 | BOROMAG.COM | 13 35-03 Broadway | Astoria, NY 11106 | 718-545-3500 | www.portaliaNYC.com /PortaliaNYC

14 | BOROMAG.COM | NOVEMBER 2014

We’re Celebrating The Turkey Season

By Thanking You Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee Company

®

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Tuesdays are extra special this November.

All behind the counter beverages are $1

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*Excludes fresh squeezed OJ and bottled/canned/carton beverages.

brooklynbagelandcoffeecompany @bkbagel

www.bkbagel.com #bkbagelthxme NOVEMBER 2014 | BOROMAG.COM | 15

NO VE M BE R

MOUNT SINAI QUEENS

Free Health & Wellness Events

11

06

6 Top Causes of Common Health Problems Thursday, 11:30 am

Reno DiScala, MD | Do you really need to worry? You can run to the computer when you notice an odd symptom, but why not join our family practitioner for a discussion of common health symptoms and what they mean? Registration needed.

Broadway Library, 40-20 Broadway, Long Island City, 11103

11

06

11

Varicose Veins Screening Thursday, 5 – 7 pm

Dr. Paul Lajos, MD | Dr. Lajos will take you through the options for treatment, and for less severe conditions, help you understand self-care techniques to reduce discomfort. Free screening.

By appointment only. Call 718-267-4333.

Mount Sinai Queens, Department of Vascular Surgery 30-74 31st Street (near 30th Drive), 5th Floor, Astoria, 11102

18

Support Group for Stroke Survivors and Caregivers Tuesday, 5 pm

Ingrid Hardin, LMSW | Nadia Murphy, LMSW | Tara Roche, RN, MS, CNRN, SCRN | Could you use some support with the challenges of stroke recovery for yourself or someone you love? Join our group to help increase independence and enhance your quality of life.

Stroke Support Group, 23-34 30th Avenue 6th Floor Conference Room, Astoria, 11102

11

20

Health Problems You’re Not Too Young to Worry About Thursday, 6 pm

Joseph Crimi, PA | Many of the common conditions your parents or grandparents suffer from started when they were young. Learn about what you can do today to protect yourself. Registration needed.

Long Island City YMCA, 32-23 Queens Boulevard Long Island City, 11101

Call 718-267-4333 to register for events and screenings.

11

Blood Drive at Mount Sinai Queens

Tuesday, 7:30 am – 7:30 pm

New York Blood Center vans will be across the street from Mount Sinai Queens all day. Remember to eat a good meal and drink plenty of fluids before you donate. Don’t skip breakfast! Call 800688-0900 if you have any questions.

25-10 30th Avenue, Astoria, 11102 (Go to New York Blood Center mobile vans.)

11

13

Affordable Care Act and the NY State of Health: An Update Thursday, 6 pm

Want to find out how the Affordable Care Act law will impact you and your family? Join us at this informational meeting. Registration needed.

George T. Douris Tower, 27-40 Hoyt Avenue South 2nd Floor Community Room, Astoria, 11102

16 | BOROMAG.COM | NOVEMBER 2014 MSQ_Nov Cal_Boro_102114.indd 1

For a physician referral, call 800-YOUR-MDS or visit www.mshq.org/FAD

NOVEMBER 2014

11

Visit www.mshq.org/events for dates and times of upcoming blood pressure and yoga events.

S M T W T F S 2 3 4 5 9 10 11 12 16 17 18 19 23 /30 24 25 26

6 13 20 27

7 14 21 28

1 8 15 22 29

FREE Yoga Classes FREE Blood Pressure Screening FREE Health & Wellness Events FREE Support Group

10/21/14 3:42 PM

HAPPY HOUR 1 Oysters and 1 Little Neck Clams

$

$

5pm - 7pm and 9:30pm to Closing Mon -Thurs and Friday 5pm- 7pm

3 Select Beer, Wine & Well Drinks

$

OFF THE HOOK

RAW BAR & GRILL

Come try our steam ers (mussels to steam er clams in bone marrow broth ) and of course our warm Maine Lo bster roll!

28-08 34 Street, Astoria, NY, 11103 (one block from 30th Ave)

718•721•2112

www.offthehookastoria.com

NOW IS THE TIME TO BOOK YOUR HOLIDAY EVENTS AT TESTACCIO RISTORANTE.

We are Fine Dining but Casual!

We are now accepting reservations for private or corporate functions.

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ENJOY OUR FRIDAY & SATURDAY LOBSTER SPECIALS Buon appetito!

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NOVEMBER 2014 | BOROMAG.COM | 17

FOOD

Iglent Fejzulla

“We are officially running our new menu,” explains Bes Levonja, “where we have kept—of course—our big hits, like the lobster roll and grilled oysters—but we’ve added some amazing things, like a baked oyster fondue and a scallop roll.”

Bes is one of the owners of Off the Hook, which rests modestly tucked around the corner of 28th Avenue and 34th Street in Astoria—a sea shanty oasis from the clatter and chatter of the sidewalk cafes of Grand Ave just down the street. It’s not the sort of place upon which one might accidentally stumble—it might require a treasure map of sorts.

But once you’ve unearthed the location, the seafood is exceptional, and the beverages flow abundantly.

Fish and Chips

honey, and jalapeño—or the Smoking Bishop—a warmed wine blended with port, pear, citrus, and spices.

The spirits flow freely beyond the drink menu with one of the most delightful preparations of poultry in the neighborhood. If you are like me, nothing from the land or air can distract from a steady scroll of seafood—until I was tempted by the Myers Spiced Chicken. The dish is a half bird that has soaked for forty-five minutes in dark rum, rubbed in jerk seasoning, then roasted and served Cask-conditioned rum over a bundle of French green beans, accompanied Beyond an affinity for crustaceans on buttered New England with a clay dish of sweet yams simmered in a savory duck rolls, bowls of creamy chowder, and an ice chest of fresh oysters, broth, topped with marshmallows.

Off the Hook boasts a rather unique selection of spirited concoctions.

“The newest addition to our concept is what we are calling The Rum There is also a hearty mofongo, which is a Puerto Rican half dome of Vault,” grins Levonja, “where we have brought in a selection of about smashed plantains and dates draped in a zesty blanket of saffron aiolithirty different sipping rums—and it’s growing.” kissed shrimp. Pork belly arrives shimmering beneath a reduction of mission figs and balsamic over savory golden polenta cakes.

“Starting this week, we’re introducing Phraya Gold Rum Tuesdays,” continues the owner, “where we’re featuring cocktails such as the Off the Hook celebrates an entire menu of uniquely inventive dishes Cuba Libre and Manhattans made with this spicy Thai Spirit. All from a broad of map f backgrounds that chef Iglent Fejzulla has Phraya Cocktails will be available all night long on Tuesdays for $5.” collected throughout the course of his travels—a veritable treasure They even offer a twist on a Dark and Stormy, mixed from the spiced chest of sorts, if you will. rum and a house made ginger reduction that adds a potent punch at the finish. Another favorite is the Dark Forest—a blend of tequila, Off the Hook Grand Marnier, blackberries, and fresh mint. Or you can spice up the www.offthehookastoria.com evening with one of the house signature cocktails, such as the Pirate’s 28-08 34th St., Astoria, NY 11103 Pepper Punch—which blends the Thai spiced rum with guanabana, 718 721 2112

18 | BOROMAG.COM | NOVEMBER 2014

Pork Belly

Yams simmered in duck broth

Myers-soaked

chicken

Mofongo Oyster Fondue

NOVEMBER 2014 | BOROMAG.COM | 19

Our elegant event space is all yours | We host only one party at a time “ Complimentary Piano player during your Cocktail Hour with this Ad ”

We are looking forward to give you a tour of our venue.

Schedule your visit 718-274-9210

Welcome to a chef-owned and operated contemporary Italian restaurant and brick oven pizzeria. We are also an enoteca (wine bar) offering a full range of select Italian wines, and draft and bottled local and imported beer.

We look forward to

welcoming you!

Starting in November we have a few exciting things going on: • we will be expanding our hours to include dinner service on Mondays, opening at 4pm • Via Vai Late Night on Friday and Saturday, to dine and wine until 1am with pizza offered by the house after 11pm • watch out for special evenings offering Chef’s Table dining, a prix fixe full course fine dining experience, including optional wine pairings.

31-09 23rd Ave • Astoria • 347-612-4334 • ViaVai-NY.com 20 | BOROMAG.COM | NOVEMBER 2014

Il fornaio Bakery Life’s a piece of cake let us show you why...

Receive 10 % off on any fondant cake when you present this coupon

Now TakiNg ThaNksgiviNg orders

29-14 30th Avenue • Astoria, NY 11102 T: 718.267.0052 • F: 718.267.0054 www.ilfornaioastoria.com

NOVEMBER 2014 | BOROMAG.COM | 21

SHOPS

While there exists a devastatingly limited pocketful of boutiques catering to style and fashion in Western Queens, the recent opening of “The Brass Owl is a welcome artistic alternative to the mall experience,” explains the store’s award-winning stylist, Nicole Panettieri. Her quaint storefront on the ever-growing thoroughfare of Ditmars Boulevard has only been open a few weeks, and yet it has quickly become a place for locals to mingle and hangout—due in part to Friday happy hour from 5 to 9 p.m., when patrons are offered complimentary wine while they shop. We took advantage and grabbed glass last Friday, and begged the owner to dish a little more on everything from the Little Black Dress to pumps, tassels, even Audrey Hepburn.

BORO: How did the name come about?

Nicole Panettieri: I’ve always liked owls, and I wanted a vintage yet feminine name. My boyfriend designed my logo, and it was exactly what I had envisioned for my store.

BORO: Of which fashion trends should the residents of Western Queens be aware?

NP: For the autumn, ankle booties are my favorite. They look great with a pair of skinny jeans, leggings, or a skirt. Not only are they versatile to wear, but they really suit the lifestyle of the NYC commuter, which is a total bonus.

BORO: Are there any ‘timeless’ staples you recommend having in our wardrobe?

NP: It seems cliche, but every girl has to have a great pump. You can dress it up or dress it down, and it will never go out of style—just like your LBD (little black dress).

22 | BOROMAG.COM | NOVEMBER 2014

BORO: Can you tell us about one favorite designer of yours, and why you are drawn to their work?

Nicole Panettieri

NP: Lately, I’m loving Derek Lam. He has a feminine, relatable look with a retro edge.

On top of his ready-to-wear line, he has amazing shoes that are innovative, yet wearable. His shoes have been copied by a lot of the mainstream designers. At The Brass Owl, my favorite brand is Dolce Vita. They make a quality shoe that is thoughtfully designed.

BORO: Tell us about three ‘musthave’ items currently available at the Brass Owl.

NP: The 3 must have items are: 1) The bootie, as I mentioned before. I have styles that range from casual to dressy. Some have a western flair, some have a motorcycle flair, and some are just simple and perfect!

2) Tassel necklaces. I love this look—it’s a necklace that channels The Great Gatsby but looks great with any outfit. I have several

styles in the store in a wide array of colors.

3) Fashion scarves. There is a whimsical feel to each print, and it appeals to a woman›s individuality.

4) I›m adding a fourth because overall, I'm really digging burgundy and reds this season. You'll find this color throughout the store in shoes, jewelry, and scarves.

BORO: How often do you host your happy hour?

NP: Happy Hour is every Friday from 5 to 9 p.m. It’s complimentary wine while you shop, no purchase necessary. I like to keep it fun and welcoming in the store, so it’s just a little something to make my customers feel at home.

BORO: What other events do you regularly host?

NP: The two consistent events are the Night Owl Workshop and Ladies Night Out Party. The Night Owl Workshop features a guest speaker discussing a topic of their expertise. The Ladies Night Out Party features a give away each month in which the winner gets a private shopping party for her and up to 10 friends, and all guests receive 10% off for the evening. Other various events are announced each month—and all of my events involve complimentary wine.

BORO: Is there any 1 publication you would recommend for keeping your finger on the pulse of trends?

NP: Ooh, that’s tough. But, I’m a big fan of Lucky. They keep it simple and relate trends back to everyday use.

BORO: Will you name a style icon you admire, and tell us why?

NP: Audrey Hepburn is by far my favorite. Even fifty years later her style is relevant. Audrey made simplicity elegant, and she opened

the door for women to wear clothes they feel like themselves in. To quote her, “Why change? Everyone has his own style. When you have found it, you should stick to it.”

BORO: What makes The Brass Owl stand out from its competition?

NP: Overall, I offer quality at a good value, prices range from $20 to $260. There are names you know and trust, and it’s not disposable fashion. I also offer a lot of handmade jewelry and gifts made in the U.S. and a lot from NYC. So you will find several unique pieces that are not mass produced. Also, I have new items delivered every week.

I like to keep it fresh, so there will always be a new find when you come to The Brass Owl. BORO: Is there anything else you’d like us to mention about you or the store?

NP: I built The Brass Owl to be an overall experience rather than just a regular retail shop. I want people to feel welcome and at home.

Customers often come in and hang out and chat, and I love that. I’ve met so many wonderful people and feel so privileged to be a part of this community.

The Brass Owl Open Tuesday through Sunday 36–19 Ditmars Boulevard www.thebrassowl.com

NOVEMBER 2014 | BOROMAG.COM | 23

BODY & SOUL

More Than Meets the

Carl & Carolina Clarke

Story + Images by Bradley Hawks

The world of cosmetic retouching and aesthetics can be terrifying to the point of daunting, especially with gossip columns and websites bursting with cruel commentary on the subtle changes visible in celebrities, before and after shots accompanied with harsh judgment, and a world that equates industry standards with the faces seen on the Real Housewives.

Clarke then proceeded to lay out five simple rules.

I recently had the opportunity to sit down for a three hour conversation in the comfort of the offices of Carl Clarke Aesthetiques, located right in the center of Astoria on the second floor of 32-12 Broadway. Admittedly, I entered from a highly skeptical perspective.

2

The environment is welcoming, and the atmosphere warm as soon as you enter the office. “Trust is Paramount,” explains Clarke. “Nearly ninety percent of our patients come from referrals.” It comes as little surprise that women and men might not so easily allow access to their physical appearance based solely on a website or article. Clarke encourages prospective patients to plan a visit for a complimentary consultation. “We have been in Astoria since 2006 on Steinway, and four years ago we moved here from Steinway. We just love the neighborhood.”

After admitting I had no desire to medically alter my appearance, the Physician’s Assistant smiled and nodded. “You can get better results sometimes without the knife,” admitted Clarke. “You can change the way you see yourself. If you wake up in the morning and like what you see, that can really make a strong impact on your day. The way you treat your partner, the way you perform your job. It sets the tone for the rest of your day.”

To these truths I certainly could post no argument. We all feel great when we look great, I had to agree.

“When someone comes to me and they don’t know what to do, I will give a consultation and let them know what possibilities exist,” explained Clarke.

“So what advice would you give me?” I replied.

CARL CLARKE AESTHETIQUES 32-12 Broadway, Astoria, NY 11106 www.defineyourlook.com (347) 631-0922

24 | BOROMAG.COM | NOVEMBER 2014

1

3 4 5

Do not sleep on your face. Any amount of time with your face pressed down will stretch and warp the elasticity of the skin.

Do not over wash over treat your skin.

It will result in irritation and dryness.

Sugar is the root of all evil.

It can even dehydrate and prevent healing.

If you do attempt any injections, do not use anything permanent.

Even after injections and surgeries, your face changes and grows over the years.

Be very careful where you choose—always opting for a medical professional. Medi Spa does not automatically equal medical.

So beyond cosmetic procedures, I discovered that the office boasts a variety of other services—everything from acupuncture to laser hair removal, therapeutic massage, Reiki, weight loss, and facials. Both the office and Clarke himself proved to be extremely versatile.

In fact, in his free time, Clarke is an artist; having hosted several shows.

Four of his pieces can be seen on the cover of this magazine. “I have shown my art in restaurants, at law firms, and sometimes my patients say, ‘maybe that’s why you are good at this,’” he laughs.

Sitting next to his wife, Carolina, the two seem like a profoundly happy couple. They were blessed just over a year ago with a newborn son, and we peruse photos on their phone.

“It’s actually a real mom and pop operation,” explains Clarke. “I am from Barbados, [my wife] is from Brazil. She does all of the accounting, bookkeeping, the back end.” The two appear to be a great team.

I have to admit I am feeling a lot more comfortable myself. I ask, “why do you think you have been so successful?”

“Every patient gets sincerity and honesty here, and that’s the simple truth.”

Boro deals & discounts Be local and enjoy the below offers from some of Astoria and LIC’s best merchants.

Offers available through November 30, 2014. Bring BORO or coupon below to redeem discount.

Limited to 1 use per reader. Merchant restrictions may apply.

LGC

Wines & Liquors

A Redken Concept Salon

5% off liquor/ 10% off wine

1 FREE DRINK

and comedy show with meal on Tuesday nights 9PM - Closing.

Excludes sale items and everyday specials.

Sofia’s Consignment Shop

$20 FOR A WALK IN BLOWDRY!

Shop Quality & Price

TUESDAY – THURSDAY FREE GLASS OF WINE WITH DINNER Must bring coupon. Expires 11/30/14.

In the heart of Astoria

10% Off any item with this coupon

SEE OUR AD oN PAGE 39

5-7PM • Tuesday - Sunday.

50% OFF your first package Cycling shoes & bottled water included

NewOrganic Organic&Health Food Store We Sell Gluten Free Products

$39 FOR 3 WEEKS OF UNLIMITED YOGA/PILATES MAT CLASSES

HAPPY HOUR

10% off purchases Weall Sell Organic with &this ad. Expires 10/31/2014.

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3553 32nd Street Long Island City, NY 11106

Half price tap beer, half price lounge menu, drink specials, and the free shuttle.

New American

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with the purchase of a regularly priced coffee drink. (Discount limited to one per order)

Gallery

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Free Glass of Wine with Entree.

We support local artists.

with this ad.

15% OFF one item.

25% OFF 1st area Botox Treatment 50% OFF 1 laser hair removal session

ASTORIA CLEANERS 10% off

Dinner: Wed - Fri: 5p - 11p Sat - Sun: 6p - 11p

We are a farm-to-table restaurant.

$0 initiation

for new customers

Hours of Operation

At Crescent Grill, we are proud to partner with local farms, businesses and artists.

High Speed Internet OR $34.99 for High Speed Internet

*Offer valid for new TYR students only (with NYS Resident Status). Expires 11/30/14.

all purchases with this AD Expires 8/31/2014

happy hour every wedNESDAY, (Corner of 36th Avenue & 32nd Street) thursDAY, and Friday.

718-204-2161

$79.99 for Digital TV + TiVo +

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Enjoy half price taps and lounge food!

The works of local and renowned artists line the walls of our gallery. We are heavily involved with the local artist community and invest in the local art culture.

We offer FREE local transportation.

As a courtesy to our guests, we offer free round trip transportation in one of Crescent Grill’s privately owned passenger vehicles. Visit Crescentgrill. com to view pickup locations within our shuttle zone or simply call us to reserve your ride.

Spend Brunch: $100 or more Sat - Sun: 11a - 4p 25% off one artwork purchased get Ladies Night Every Thursday 8-11pm online or in the gallery Purchase 2 Cocktails & Receive one FREE Appetizer $10 off (framing/shipping/tax not included. and One FREE Entrée. Indoor Dining Only.

Promo code: ROBORO

Crescentgrill.com | 38-40 Crescent Street, LIC NY 11101 | 718.729.4040

25% off any service for new clients only.

$10 off 60 or 90 minute massage One per client. Applies to regular listed rates.

Cannot be combined with other offers. By appt only.

Follow Us For Great Deals Throughout The Month

Buy any 6 bottles or more and receive 20% off when you mention this ad!

/BOROmag

@BOROmag

MAP IT DIRECTORY RESTAURANTS 115

2

alewife (a,4) 718-937-7494 5-14 51st Ave, LIC www.alewifequeens.com Aliada (b,2) 718-932-2240 29-19 Broadway, Astoria

144

alobar restaurant 347-752-6000 46-42 Vernon Blvd, LIC www.alobarnyc.com

163

Antika Pizzeria & Restaurant (c,2) 718-545-0555 36-08 30th Ave, Astoria www.antikapizzeria .com

129 130 6

4

105

AREPAS CAFE 718-937-3835 33-07 36th Ave (B,2) 2119 Broadway (B,1) www.arepascafe.com Astor room (C,2) 718-255-1947 34-12 36th St, Astoria www.astorroom.com Bareburger (b,2) 718-777-7011 33-21 31st Ave, Astoria 718-204-7167 23-01 31 St, Astoria www.bareburger.com Basil Brick Oven (B,1) 718-204-1205 28-17 Astoria Blvd, Astoria www.basilbrickoven.com

23

Bear (a,2) 917-396-4939 12-14 31st Ave, Astoria www.bearnyc.com

191

Bowery Bay (A,1) 19-33 Ditmars Blvd 718-721-1933 www.bowerbaybar.com

7

Bread Box Cafe (A,4) 718-389-9700 4711 11th St, LIC www.breadboxcafelic.com

24

125

Honoo Grill & Noodle 33-06 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria 718-606-0653 www.honoo33.com

91

S Prime Steak House (c,2) 718-707-0660 35-16 36th St, Astoria www.sprimenyc.com

112

Il Bambino (C,2) 718-626-0087 34-08 31 Ave, Astoria www.ilbambinonyc.com

25

Sage General Store (b,4) 718-361-0707 24-20 Jackson Ave, LIC www.sagegeneralstore.com

36

Astoria Bier & Cheese (C,2) 718-545-5588 34-14 Broadway, Astoria

13

leng thai (b,2) 718-956-7117 33-09 Broadway, Astoria www.lengthainewyork.com

28

Shi (a,4) 347-242-2450 4720 Center Blvd, LIC www.eatdrinkshi.com

27

Astoria Park Wine and Spirits (b,1) 28-07 24th Ave, Astoria www.astoriaparkwineandspirits.com

14

LIC Market (B,4) 718-361-0013 21-52 44th Dr, LIC www.licmarket.com

55

Skinny’s (a,4) 718-806-1068 47-05 Center Blvd, LIC

38

16

Linn (B,2) 718-204-0060 2913 Broadway, Astoria www.linnrestaurant.com

153

Snowdonia Pub (B,2) 34-55 32nd St, Astoria 347-730-5783 www.snowdoniapub.com

86

Locale (b,2) 718-729-9080 33-02 34th Ave, LIC www.localeastoria.com

169

Maizal Restaurant (B,2) 718-406-9431 32-07 34th Avenue, Astoria www.maizalrestaurant.com

116

170

Malagueta Restaurant (B,2) 718-937-4821 25-35 36th Avenue, Astoria www.malaguetany.com

123

Testaccio (a,4) 718-937-2900 47-30 Vernon Blvd., LIC www.testacciony.com

18

Manducatis Rustica (A,4) 718-937-1312 46-3 Vernon Blvd, LIC www.manducatisrustica.com

31

Vesta (a,2) 718-545-5550 2102 30th Ave, Astoria www.vestavino.com

19

MexiBBQ (c,2) 718-626-0333 37-11 30th Ave, Astoria www.mexiqny.com

184

Via Vai (B1) 31-09 23rd Ave, Astoria 347-612-4334 Viavai-ny.com

Mezze Place (B,2) 718-777-2829 31-18 Broadway, Astoria www.mezzeplace.com

124

Vinte Vinosteria 718-278-8483 31-05 34th St, Astoria www.vitevinosteria.com

3

Michael’s Cafe (B,3) (located inside Four Points Sheraton) 347-536-3633 27-05 39th Ave, LIC www.michaelscafeny.com

5

Brick Cafe (B,2) 718-267-2735 30-95 33rd St, Astoria www.brickcafe.com

26

Burger Club (b,2) 718-777-7788 32-02 30th Ave, Astoria www.burger-club.com

148

Mojave Restaurant (B,1) 718-545-4100 22-36 31st Street, Astoria www.mojaveny.com

8

Burger Garage (B,3) 718-392-0424 25-36 Jackson Ave, LIC www.theburgergarage.com

182

Nosh Borough (B,1) 25-17 Astoria Blvd, Astoria 347-746-5542 noshborough.com

35

Butcher Bar (c,2) 718-606-8140 37-08 30th Ave, Astoria www.ButcherBar.com

150

87

Café Bar (C,2) 718-204-5273 32-90 36th St, Astoria www.cafebarastoria.com

10

Café via espresso (C,1) 718-545-3290 2409 Steinway St, Astoria www.cafeviaespressoastoria.com

117

Carioca Grill (B, 2) 718-606-1329 29-03 Broadway, Astoria

9

Cavo (C,2) 718-721-1001 42-18 31st Ave, Astoria www.cavoastoria.com

176

Crescent Grill (B,3) 718-729-4040 38-40 Crescent Street, LIC www.crescentgrill.com

11

DiWine (C,2) 718-777-1355 41-15 31st Ave, Astoria www.diwineonline.com

159

DUTCH KILLS CENTRAAL (B,3) 718-606-8651 38-40 29th St, Long Island City www.dutchkillscentraal.com

12

El Ay Si (A,4) 718-389-8781 47-38 Vernon Blvd, LIC www.elaysi.com

112

Fatty’s (B,1) 718-267-7071 2501 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria www.fattyscafenyc.com

133

20

118

29

108

32

33

Ornella Trattoria Italiana (B,1) 718-777-9477 29-17 23rd Ave, Astoria www.ornellatrattoria.com

34

Ovelia (B,2) 718-721-7217 34-01 30th Ave, Astoria www.ovelia-ny.com

22

Penthouse 808 (A,3) 718-289-6118 8-08 Queens Plaza South, LIC www.penthouse808rooftop.com

162

Stove Restaurant and Bar (C, 1) 718-956-0372 45-17 28th Ave, Astoria www.stoveastoria.com

138 139

william hallet (c,2) 718-269-3443 36-10 30th Ave, Astoria www.williamhallet.com Winegasm Bar and Eatery (c,2) 718-932-3331 31-86 37th Rd, Astoria www.winegasmeatery.com Yajai (b,2) 718-956-9559 33-16 30th Ave, Astoria www.yajaithaifood.com

Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee Company 718-777-1121 35-09 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria (C,1) 36-14 30th Ave, Astoria (C,2) 35-05 Broadway, Astoria (C,2) www.bkbagel.com

189

PINK NORI (c,2) 718-685-2365 36-06 30th Ave, Astoria www.pinknori.com

190

Ok café (B,1) 22-04 33rd St, Astoria 718-440-8789 www.okcafeastoria.com

109

Pita pan (c,2) 718-204-1633 37-15 30th Ave, Astoria www.pitapanny.com

37

Sweetleaf (A,4) 917-832-6726 10-93 Jackson Ave, LIC www.sweetleaflic.com

69

Portalia Ristorante (b,2) 718-545-3500 35-03 Broadway, Astoria www.portalianyc.com

74

Queens Comfort (c,2) 718-728-2350 40-09 30th Ave, Astoria www.queenscomfort.com

1

Queens Kickshaw (c,2) 718-777-0913 40-17 Broadway, Astoria www.thequeenskickshaw.com

26 | BOROMAG.COM | NOVEMBER 2014

RETRO PIZZA CAFE 41-02 Broadway, Astoria 347-612-4460 Fax: 347-813-4039

ADEGA WINE & SPIRITS (B,1) 718-545-2525 31-25 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria www.adegawineandspirits.com

Astoria wine and spirits (C,2) 718-545-9463 3412 Broadway, Astoria www.astoriawines.com

187

Grand Wine and Liquor (B,2) 718-728-2520 30-05 31st St, Astoria www.grandwl.com

40

LGC Wine & Liquors (B,1) 718-726-1555 43-20A Ditmars Blvd, Astoria

104

Apollo Gallery (C,2) 718-786-7590 34-10 36th Ave, Astoria

21

babyNOIR (B,1) 646-470-4728, 26-16 23rd Ave, Astoria www.babynoir.net

45

Belief (B,1) 718-721-4444 29-20b 23rd Ave, Astoria www.beliefnyc.com

186

The Brass Owl (C,1) 347-848-0905 36-19 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria www.thebrassowl.com

49

Inside Astoria (C,1) 718-956-4000 28-07 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria

50

LIC: living (A,4) 718-361-5650 535 51st Ave, LIC www.licliving.com

52

Lockwood Shop (C,2) 718-626-6030 32-15 33rd St, Astoria www.lockwoodshop.com

51

Loveday 31 (B,2) 718-728-4057 3306 31st Ave, Astoria www.loveday31.com

193

Sofia’s Consignment Shop (B,2) 718-775-8455 32-02 34th Ave, Astoria www.sofiasconsignment.com

54

City Vet (A,4) 718-433-1334 45-44 Vernon Blvd, LIC www.cityvetnyc.com

SHOPS

Astor Bake Shop (a,2) 718-606-8439 12-23 Astoria Blvd, Astoria www.astor-bakeshop.com

IL Fornaio Bakery (B,2) 29-14 30th Ave, Astoria 718-267-0052

183

161

Sugar Freak (C,2) 718-726-5850 36-18 30th Ave, Astoria www.sugarfreak.com

BAKERIES

OFF THE HOOK (B,1) 718-721-2112 28-08 34th Street, Astoria (one block from 30th A) www.offthehookastoria.com

61

Rèst-âü-Ránt (B,2) 718-729-9009 30-01 35th Ave, Astoria www.rarbarlic.com

WINES & SPIRITS

Hibino LIC (A,4) 10-70 Jackson Ave, LIC 718-392-5190 www.hibino-lic.com

181

PETS

121

75

LIC Veterinary Center (A,4) 718-383-8387 48-18 Vernon Blvd, LIC www.licvets.com Steinway Court Vet (c,2) 718-728-2822 32-41R Steinway St, Astoria www.steinwaycourtvet.com

FLORISTS 160

Off Broadway Florist (B,2) 3204 31st St, Astoria 718-728-2828 www.offbroadwayflorist.com

44

Floresta (A,4) 917-612-4446 51-02 Vernon Blvd, LIC 4-85 47th Rd, LIC www.florestanyc.com/blog

FOOD SHOPS 39

Food Cellar (A,4) 718-606-9786 4-85 47th Rd, LIC www.foodcellarandco.com

179

Project Earth (B,2) 35-53 32nd St, LIC 718-204-2161

47

NYC FARM CHIC Flowers www.nycfarmchicflowers.com

167

Yogurt La Crepe (B,1) 917-832-6930 29-02 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria www.yogurtlacrepe.com

130

Petals and Roots (B,2) 718-267-1700 31-27 31st St, Astoria www.petalsandroots.com

137

MAP IT DIRECTORY SERVICES 168

Allinones Services (B,1) 718-267-5090 25-40 27th Street, Astoria www.allinoneservices.com

114

Ark locksmith 24/7 Service (c,2) 718-932-LOCK (5625) 30-10 37th st, Astoria www.Astorialocksmith.com

178

Astoria 35 Laundry & Fine Dry Cleaning (B,2) 3505 34th St, Astoria 718-392-9692 Astoria35laundry.com

119

Astoria Center of Israel 718-278-2680 27-35 Crescent Street, Astoria www.astoriacenter.org

177

Astoria Cleaners (B,1) 28-19 Astoria Blvd, Astoria 718-545-0680 Astoriacleaners.com

129

Blue Bird Child Care 347-832-0103 25-58 48th St, Astoria www.bluebirdchildcareastoria.com

143

D&D Podiatry 718-545-0205 23-18 Broadway, Astoria www.ddpodiatry.com

77

Dr. Panagiotis Pagonis, M.D. (b,2) 718-278-0300 30-16 30th Ave, Astoria www.drpagonismd.com

173

56 180

57

e.c.g. debt settlement (B,1) 718-932-9300 29-15 Astoria Blvd, Astoria Hero computer repair nyc 347-670-4376 Apple/Mac Computer Repair Specialist hero@iamhero.net | www.iamhero.net Montessori Kids of LIC (B,3) 5 Court Square, LIC 347-746-5542 mklic.com m MPN Law Firm (C,2) 718-777-0400 3403 Broadway, Ste. 200, Astoria www.mpnfirm.com

174

QNS COLLECTIVE (c,3) 718-280-5122 36-27 36th Street, 2 floor, Astoria www.qnscollective.com

59

RCN (A,3) Digital TV and High-Speed Internet Services 212-842-7981 33-16 Woodside Ave, LIC www.rcn.com/boromag

122

Tuck-It-Away Storage (B, 3) 718-519-8282 37-19 Crescent Street, Astoria www.tuckitaway.com

62

Vardiman Eyewear (c,2) 718-204-5037 34-18 Broadway, Astoria www.vardimaneyewear.com

63

Video Express (c,2) 718-626-0846 3408 30th Ave, Astoria

175

Vespa Queens (b,3) 718-786-7772 37-43 Crescent Street, LIC www.vespaqueens.com

157

Voice Music Studio (A,1) 23-11 21st Street Astoria, NY 11105 646-309-3429

EVENTS 64

FOUNDRY (a,3) 718-786-7776 42-38 9TH St, LIC www.thefoundry.info

65

Renaissance Event Hall (A,1) 718-274-4590 27-34 21st St, Astoria www.renaissanceeventhall.com

HOTELS

17

Z NYC Hotel (a,3) 212-319-7000 11-01 43rd Ave, LIC www.zhotelny.com

TATTOO SHOPS

80 136

147

Body Language Tattoo 347-808-0497 32-02 34th Ave, Astoria www.bltnyc.com

60

158

FAT CAT Tattoo (B,2) 718-267-1326 31-32 31st Street, LIC www.fatcattattoos.com

73

67

Super Nova Tattoos (c,1) 718-274-5712 38-01 23rd Ave, Astoria www.supernovatattoo.com

156

164

71

Gigi Salon (c,2) 718 -777-7755 34-17 30th Ave, Astoria www.gigistylingstudio.com

131

The Face & Body Shop 718-204-9390 40-21 23rd Ave, Astoria www.thefaceandbodyshop.com

72

Primp AND Tease SALON (a,4) 718-472-2001 5-02 50th Ave, LIC

46

RedkEn SALOON Salon (c,2) 718-956-3366 36-17 30th Ave, Astoria www.redkensalon.com

192

shade organic spa and salon (C,1) 36-05 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria 718-278-7892 shadebarspa.com

Tightan Gym 718-274-1606 31-21 31st St, Astoria www.tightan.com

82

Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden (B,1) 718-274-4925 2919 24th Ave, Astoria www.bohemianhall.com

145

58

Anthea Yoga & Healing Arts center (c,2) 718-606-0049 34-01 45th Street, Astoria www.antheacenter.com

68

Laughing Devil (a,4) 347-913-3845 4738 Vernon Blvd, LIC www.laughingdevil.com

154

Astoria Complex (c,2) 34-38 38th St, Long Island City, NY 11101 718-729-7163 www.ascsports1.com

111

Mosaic Cafe and Lounge (B,1) 718-728-0708 25-19 24th Ave, Astoria www.mosaicnyc.net

43

Raven Head Public House (C,2) 718-777-7565 3804 Broadway, Astoria www.ravenheadpublichouse.com

88

Studio Sq. Beer Garden (C,3) 718-383-1001 35-33 36th St, Astoria www.studiosquarenyc.com

89

Sweet Afton (C,2) 718-777-2570 30-09 34th St, Astoria www.sweetaftonbar.com

79

Tantra Lounge (b,2) 718-937-4574 35-50 31st St, Astoria www.tantraloungenyc.com

FITNESS

165

Crank Cycling Studio (a,4) 718-606-6309 4630 Center Blvd Long Island City, NY www.cranknyc.com

76

CROSSFIT Dynamix Gym (C,1) 718-606-0381 36-05 20th Ave, Astoria www.dynamixgym.com

79

PNT Fitness (A,4) 347-396-5809 10-68 Jackson Ave, LIC www.pntfitness.com

166

The Rock Health & Fitness Club (B,1) 718-204-1400 22-15 31st Street Astoria, NY 11105 www.therockhealthandfitness.com

142

Sage Studios 347-927-2439 29-20 23rd Ave, 4th Floor, Astoria www.sagefit.com/astoria-home

134

Four Points Sheraton (B,3) 718-786-8500 27-05 39th Ave, LIC, NY 11101 www.fourpoints.com

78

Seek Fitness (B,1) 347-924-9004 27-18 23rd Ave, Astoria www.seek-fitness.com

66

Ravel (a,3) 718-289-6101 8-08 Queens Plaza South, LIC www.ravelhotel.com

126

Simply Fit 347-639-0489 37-16 Astoria Blvd, Astoria www.simplyfitastoria.com

Noguchi Museum (A,2) 718-204-7088 9-01 33rd Rd, Astoria www.noguchi.org

188

Katch Brewery & Grill (B,2) 718-777-2230 3119 Newtown Ave, Astoria, NY www.katchastoria.com

42

Museum of the Moving Image (c,2) 718-784-0077 36-01 35th Ave, Astoria www.movingimage.us

149

85

Club Fitness (b,2) 718-545-0004 31-11 Broadway, Astoria www.clubfitnessny.com

93

Shade Organic Spa and Salon 36-05 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria 718-278-7892

Domaine Wine Bar (A,4) 718-784-2350 50-04 Vernon Blvd, LIC www.domainewinebar.com

CKO Kickboxing (C, 1) 347-669-0494 40-06 Astoria Blvd, Astoria www.ckoastoria.com

LIC School of Ballet (B,3) 718-781-1169 44-02 23rd St, Studio 216, LIC www.licsb.com

81

NIGHTLIFE/BARS

ART 90

5 Pointz (B,4) 317-219-2685 45-46 Davis St, LIC www.5ptz.com

100

Astoria fine arts dance (c,1) 718-247-0740 38-01 23rd Ave, Astoria www.asfa-dancestudio.com

128

107

Astoria Performing Arts Center @The Good Shepherd United Methodist Church (c,2) 718-706-5750 30-44 Crescent Street (@30th Road) Astoria NY 11102 www.apacny.org Carnegie Hall 212-247-7800 57th St and 7th Ave, NY www.carnegiehall.org

Laguardia Performing Arts Center (C,3) 718-482-5151 31-10 Thomson Ave, LIC www.laguardiaperformingarts.org

127

94

84

120

Kaufman Astoria Studios (C,2) 718-706-5300 34-12 36th St, Astoria www.kaufmanastoria.com

Rejuvenate face and body (B,1) 718-626-4434 26-17 23rd Ave, Astoria www.Rejuvenatenyc.com

Brick Bar (B,2) 718-267-2735 30-95 33rd St, Astoria www.brickcafe.com

The Cotton Bride (B,3) 718-729-9878 F: 718-729-9740 39-13 23rd Street, LIC www.thecottonbride.com

92

HAPPY DaY NAIL SPA (B,2) 718-728-8886 31-35 31st St, Astoria

Break (B,2) 718-777-5400 3204 Broadway, Astoria www.break-ny.com

185

Flushing Town Hall 718-463-7700 x222 137-35 Northern Blvd, Flushing www.flushingtownhall.org

151

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BRIDAL BOUTIQUE

102

113

Yoga Agora (B,2) 718-626-0680 33-02 Broadway, 2nd Fl, Astoria www.YogaAgora.com UFC Gym (C,2) 34-05 Steinway St, Astoria1 718-729-5269 www.ufcgym.com/astoria

SPAS

BEAUTY Carl Clarke AesthetIques (B,2) 347-631-0922 32-12 Broadway, Astoria www.defineyourlook.com

The Yoga Room 718-274-0255 38-01 35th Ave, Astoria (C,2) 718-786-7962 10-14 47th Rd, LIC (A,4) www.the-yoga-room.com

QUEENS COUNCIL ON THE ARTS (C,2) 347-505-3010 37-11 35th Ave, Astoria Entrance on 37th Street www.queenscouncilarts.org

95

ReisStudios (A,3) “An international community of established & emerging artists” 718-570-3663 43-01 22nd St, LIC www.ReisStudios.com

146

RoGallery.com (C,3) 800-888-1063 or 718-937-0901 47-15 36th St, LIC - by appointment www.rogallery.com

110

SCULPTURECENTER (B,3) 718-361-1750 44-19 Purves St, LIC www.sculpure-center.org

97

Socrates Sculpture Park (A,2) 718-626-1533 32-01 Vernon Blvd, Astoria www.socratessculpturepark.org

98

Ten10 Studios (A,4) 917-449-9539 10-10 47th Rd, LIC www.ten10studios.com

112

the art house (c,2) 516-724-1562 31-06 35th St, Astoria www.gabrieleperici.com

96

The Secret Theatre (B,3) 718-392-0722 44-02 23rd St, LIC www.secrettheatre.com

99

UNDERPENNY (A,4) 917-517-1492 10-13 50th Ave, LIC

105

Beaudoin Realty Group (A,4) 718-505-9220 21-54 45th Ave, LIC www.beaudoinrealtor.com

30

douglas elliman (A,4) 917-386-6164 47-37 Vernon Blvd www.elliman.com

REAL ESTATE

101 140 141 103

Modern Spaces 718-784-1110 10-63 Jackson Ave, LIC (a,4) 47-42 Vernon Blvd, LIC (a,4) 29-20 23rd Ave, Astoria (a,4) www.modernspacesnyc.com Wells Fargo Home Mortgage (c,2) 718-310-4303 3501 30th Ave, Astoria www.wfhm.com

HEALTH & WELLNESS 172

Active Outlook Massage Therapy (B,2) 646-283-4657 32-12 Broadway, Astoria www.activeoutlookmassage.com

135

Mount Sinai Queens (B,2) 24 Emergency Care Primary Care & Specialty Physician 718-932-1000 25-10 30th Ave, LIC

NOVEMBER 2014 | BOROMAG.COM | 27

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LGC Wine & Liquors 43-20A Ditmars BLVD Astoria, NY 11105 Located in the LaGuardia Shopping Center

➢OVER 2,500 Items!!! ➢We match any local advertised price! ➢Case Discounts ➢Ask about our rewards program ➢Gift certificates available ➢Free Parking Hours of Operation Monday-Saturday : 9AM-9PM Sunday : 12PM-7PM

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strawberry pie, a variety of tarts, and EXQUISITE DISHES cakes with dulce de leche filling. Stop If you want to grab a quick breakfast lunch or dinner come to our restaurant by and visit our shop and see what’s a little bite for every taste. Our fresh fresh from the oven! pies and South American empanadas Our Kitchen are always a hit with our customers.

Our kitchen is always bustling with We also make a variety sandwiches activity preparing the next bread, and offer a pre ordered catering pastry, or dish that will have you service for your next party.

• Resposteria Y Cocina Rioplatense returning for more.

• Arrollado de Pollo DELICIOUS DESSERT • Matambre de tooth Carne If you have a sweet you must try Since 1998 our desserts. We use ingredients We’ve been making delicious pastries • Empanaditas defresh Copetin breakfast, snacks, or dessert for to create some of most delicious • Pan Negro dethejamon y Quesofor Mixtos over 16 Years. desserts you can buy. Try our yummy

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• Pan Blanco de Jamon y Queso Mixtos • Sandwiches deLa MigaNueva Bakery 86-10 37th Avenue Jackson Heights NY 11372 • Croquetas de Papa/Arroz 718-507-2339 www.lanuevabakery.com • Saladitos Pasabocas open Monday to Sunday 7 AM to 9 PM • Empanadas NOVEMBER 2014 | BOROMAG.COM | 31 • Pasteles • Pavo Relleno • Pernil

FOOD

Deep Fried Banana Pudding

Mac and Cheese Waffle with Chicken and Gravy

M ic h ele

Add

eo Popcorn Alligator

Deviled Eggs

“What I have always loved about this place is that every type of person walks in the door,” smiles Michele Addeo, the owner of Sugar Freak. “I just love that, and that’s the spirit of New Orleans.

Many types of people getting along and having fun together—old, young, gay, straight, black, white, purple, pink, it doesn’t matter. Everyone eats here together and has fun together.”

The dining room around her is as colorful as the clientele—now boasting several changes since the restaurant temporarily closed its doors for a month and a half so the owner could refresh and refocus. Tabletops have been fashioned from old picture frames and windowpanes. Stained glass now partitions the booths, and a television has been conspicuously added to the main bar— albeit concealed in an old-fashioned cupboard.

The two outhouse-themed water closets are like private sanctuaries for Laura Ingalls Wilder, complete with washbasins formed of oversized pails. But all of that merely describes the changes to the façade.

Though Sugar Freak was met with wild success during its first three years, “The restaurant was never really everything I wanted it to be,” explains Addeo. “I wanted to bake again. I never wanted to have to deal with the business side of the restaurant. I loved the solitude and meditation of baking.”

32 | BOROMAG.COM | NOVEMBER 2014

Under the gifted direction of Cristian Fajardo as Sugar Freak’s new Executive Chef, Addeo has now found the time to focus her attentions in other arenas. Just around the corner from Sugar Freak, she is opening Pie vs Cake at 36-08 36th Street, hopefully by Christmas. “The menu is American Southern based,” laughs the baker, “like your mom would make at home.” A departure from the European-themed bakeries, the menu will boast twelve pies and twelve cakes, with options to have any slice blended into a concrete—a thick, sweet milkshake.

Addeo also plans to open a second location of Sugar Freak in Boerum Hill later in the year. But despite all the exciting plans of expansion, the only foreseeable growth we can expect is in our waistline. Even without the two new outposts, the present location is rocking our world.

“It’s a New Orleans-based menu, but New Yorkified and whimsical.” And the new lineup includes a build-your-own waffle section with everything from mac and cheese to red eye gravy, beer can chicken, and even a bananas foster topping. Eggs Benedict can be built with BBQ shrimp, chicken fried bacon, praline bacon, or oysters.

Beignets are stacked into sunrise sliders with pimento cheese and praline bacon under a fluffy cloud of scrambled eggs. Alligator tail arrives

deliciously chicken-fried, deviled eggs are served with cracklins, and made-from-scratch chicken and dumplings are so good you might cry.

Addeo has even procured a Sno Ball machine, and Fajardo is still ironing out the specifics on a lineup of savory hand pies. And as for beverages, they offer an unlimited brunch at an upcharge, which will soon include specialty punches.

In fact, brunch has been such a success that they will start offering a Midnight Brunch this weekend, featuring brunch drink specials from midnight until 4 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays But beyond any shadow of a doubt, the greatest additions to the menu are the warm spheres of deep fried pudding. Homemade banana cream custard balled into 2 inch spheres, frozen, dipped into a batter that tastes like sweet pancakes, and fried. They arrive as a pair of teardrops that have landed in a heap of whipped cream, and they can soften even the most skeptical sweet tooth.

Whether starting with etoufee, jambalaya, gumbo, muffuletta, or a homemade boudin, the fried pudding is one finale you should definitely plan in advance.

36-18 30th Avenue, Astoria, NY 11103 (718) 726-5850 www.sugarfreaknyc.com

A New Burger in Town

Story + Images by Bradley Hawks

Eight ounces of ground lean angus beef is the making of the quintessential hamburger patty.

Large enough to make the burger substantial— demanding more than just a half-hearted grin to allow it to enter your mouth—yet manageable enough you can enjoy each bite, from start to finish, with the sandwich pressed neatly between your fingers and lips. Blanket that warm grilled beef with a golden cloak of melted cheddar, dimpled strips of crisp bacon, and a double halo of red and white onions that add crunch and spice. Top it with some crisp leaves of lettuce, sandwich it between a gently grilled All-American bun, and toss that bad boy in a plastic basket loaded with warm fries and a pickle spear, and you have a pub classic.

That seems to be what the entire menu is attempting to achieve at The Brewery, which recently opened on an arguably remote stretch of 30th Avenue near 49th Street. Though not technically a brewery that produces its own beer, the restaurant features twelve taps, eight flat screen televisions, and a jukebox within

a room that could easily seat eighty to one hundred guests at a time. The menu hints at a nod to the traditional public ale houses in Great Britain, with Irish dishes like fish and chips, an oven-baked cottage pie, and even a nice take on chicken curry, with juicy pieces of poultry sautéed in a mild curry gravy with roasted peppers and onions that arrive on a mound of saffron rice, accompanied by a side of French fries.

The menu is prepared by the hand of one of the neighborhood’s favorites, Declan Cass, who came on at The Brewery as a consulting chef.

The former culinary mind behind the late Stove restaurant on 28th Avenue—which is now Fatty’s Café—Mr. Cass returns to the kitchen refreshed and equipped to prepare what are some of the most enjoyable comfort dishes this side of Steinway.

The owner, Padraic Sheridan, was once a devout patron of Stove—and so he jumped at the chance to bring Mr. Cass on board. Beyond a

sturdy menu that includes brunch Declan Cass and lunch specials, the bar features a happy hour from 2:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on weekdays, during which time customers can enjoy house cocktails for just $6, beer and a shot for $5, and $1 off wines.

While the drinks are cheap in this friendly new addition to the neighborhood, there’s not much that could be better spent than the $8 for that particularly delicious burger. It’s the kind of burger of which legends are made, and we know that’s a pretty hefty claim.

The Brewery 49-18 30th Ave Woodside, NY 11377 NOVEMBER 2014 | BOROMAG.COM | 33

753 Metropolitan Ave Brooklyn, NY 11211 551-200-1382 erik@framesonl.com Located right at the “GRAHAM AVE” stop on the L train Tues, Wed, Thurs = 12-8pm

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Fri, Sat = 12-6pm

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Come visit us with your art and we’ll have some fun selecting mats and frames for it !!

-- And check out the cool window displays :) 34 | BOROMAG.COM | NOVEMBER 2014

• Hair & Face Treatments • Nail Care • Waxing • Massage

Follow us on facebook, twitter, and yelp to see our promotion… the more you click the more you earn..

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Bring a party of 6 or more anytime from now until Dec. 30th and you get $50 gift certificate to Katch

To book your party please call John at 917-903-1606 or Tino at 818-581-1009

HAPPY HOUR NOVEMBER 2014 | BOROMAG.COM | 35

SHOPS

A Little Stop at The Little Soap Shop Story by Hayley Bridgewater

Images by Bradley Hawks

Patterns and habits are a big part of city life and it is very common to find yourself saying, “my coffee place”, “my laundromat”, “my bodega”, and “my gym”. Never shy to talk to people whom I might not know well, I found myself chatting up people on the topic as I went about my weekly errands. And of course the community really enjoys supporting the work of those who grew up on these blocks as well. So naturally, The Little Soap Shop was mentioned more than a few times.

Known to travel to Flushing for tart grapefruit gummies or Midwood for Pamplemousse Mentos, my internal radar immediately zoned in on the Pink Grapefruit Body Oil. Letting my nose take the lead, I discovered more divine creations, like Vanilla Body Butter, Coconut Lip Butter, Applejack Soap, Vanilla Lavender Patchouli Hand Soap, and Mint Lip Scrub. I definitely know where my holiday shopping will start. My ridiculously active family will go bonkers over the Stinky Feet Peppermint Tea Tree Foot Bar and Bath Bombs.

Born and raised on these very blocks, lifelong Astorian Vivian Dritsas is the owner of The Little Soap Shop, and the creator of the products within. Her personal interest in handmade soap began when she was experiencing some skin issues that were aggravated by traditional, commercially-processed soaps. After a great deal of research, and producing batches for home use that provided great results for her own skin, the idea for a handmade soap business was born. “After I tried my first batch, I fell in love,” proclaims Dritsas. “I had to share it with the world!”

As I wandered around the shop, my eye was drawn to a display just to the left of the register. Soap Nuts? Indeed, Soap Nuts are a tree ripened berry (Sapindus Mukorossi) that, when split open and added to the wash, will produce a natural mild cleanser for your clothes— void of any allergens or chemicals. And because there is no scent, you are free to add your own. Having family members with very sensitive skin, I think this is a brilliant alternative. Sometimes even the dyefree, scentless detergents can cause irritation.

Initially starting as a weekend hobby in early 2006, The Little Soap Shop opened in September of 2007 at its location just off of Ditmars on 36th street. “Everything used to be made in the shop by me, but now I have outside help. A fellow soap-maker makes my recipes in her studio on Long Island, and I make the small batch custom orders here in Astoria. Our lip and body butters and scrubs are also made here. Cold process soaps take 4 to 6 weeks to cure, so I needed all the help I could get,” shared Vivian.

Upon my first step into the quaint storefront, I was instantly overcome with unique scents. My friend and I were giggling as we wandered around the shop trying to smell everything on the shelves. This is not the heavily perfumed, chemical smell you try to avoid walking through the department store cosmetics section.

These are natural essences, fruits, herbs, etc. My friend repeatedly said, “oh my goodness, smell this, I want to eat it.” It is true. The scents are heavenly and I can see why these products have become such a hit.

36 | BOROMAG.COM | NOVEMBER 2014

Discussing Soap Nuts with Vivian, she explained that the product was sourced after looking for the gentlest way to wash her clothes.

“People want to see crazy suds when they wash their clothes. They think that is what washes, but that’s false. Suds come from SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate), which is known to irritate the skin, and is in almost every soap product on the mainstream market.” If you are looking for something safe for your skin and good for the environment, this just might be your answer.

The Little Soap Shop is also a perfect place to pick up that last minute gift. Vivian has several store favorites beautifully packaged and ready to present. In fact, after making our way through the delicious soy candles, my friend couldn’t leave without buying his very own “Monkey Farts” candle.

Whether you come for Monkey Farts, soap nuts, or any of a variety of homemade spa goodies, The Little Soap Shop is well worth a visit.

The Little Soap Shop 22-07 36th St, Astoria, NY www.thelittlesoapshop.net

NOVEMBER 2014 | BOROMAG.COM | 37

NIGHTLIFE

for Adults Story by Michael Stahl

“The way I’m billing it is ‘after school for grown ups,’” Kambri Crews says of the new Q.E.D. performance space/community center hybrid she founded in Astoria. The venue on 23rd Avenue and 27th Street will house a mish mosh of standup shows, poetry readings, improv, storytelling, and other evening attractions, along with daytime classes that run the gamut from comedy writing to marketing to sign language. “I think unfair that kids get to have all the fun. They have all these great after-school programs: they paint, learn new languages, watch Kambri movies, they go on field trips, and I Crews thought, ‘Why can’t adults have that?’”

Verbose, blonde, and bubbly, Crews has spent fifteen years in comedy, primarily as a producer, publicist and marketer.

Most notably, she managed Ochi’s Lounge in Comix Comedy Club in Chelsea, and then booked shows for the 92nd Street Y’s Tribeca location. She did all that after spending nearly a decade in banking, serving as vice president of an Ohio bank. During that time, Crews went to night school and earned a paralegal degree. She then moved to New York to work in a law firm before carving out her presence in the comedy scene, and has since written a memoir, done some acting and performed on stage herself numerous times as a revered storyteller. She also wed comedian Christian Finnegan in 2006.

Following the closings of Comix and then, a year ago, 92YTribeca, Crews decided to seek out a spot where she could open a place of her own. “I wanted to be the crazy owner and say ‘Yes’ to everything,” Crews explains. She’d long hoped that Queens—the borough she’s called home for fifteen years—could support an establishment that would reflect her vision. “I didn’t want to commute to Brooklyn, and I couldn’t afford Manhattan,” she says. With the Q.E.D.’s opening approaching, she seems equal parts proud, excited, and anxious about the space’s potential and how it will be received in Astoria, a part of New York that has only just begun to foster a burgeoning artistic population the past handful 38 | BOROMAG.COM | NOVEMBER 2014

Images by Bradley Hawks

of years. “I cashed in my 401k so don’t tell me this is a mistake!” Crews says, laughing over a perhaps much-needed glass of wine at Rocky McBride’s, just down the block from Q.E.D.’s front door.

If anyone can handle the pressure, it’s Crews. She grew up the daughter of deaf parents in Montgomery, Texas where she lived in a tin shed that had no electricity or running water. “To keep myself productive, I wrote and directed puppet shows,” she says, recalling that she was already “a producer” as a nine-year-old. “I wrote up programs, had a concession stand, sold tickets on the bus and charged a quarter for admission.” But just after turning seventeen, Crews’ father brutally attacked her mother, a crime in which he was charged with aggravated assault and received a probationary sentence. In 2002, her father was sentenced to twenty years in prison for the attempted murder of another woman—all of this the subject of Crews’ 2012 memoir, Burn Down the Ground.

With Q.E.D.—an abbreviation of the Latin phrase “quod erat demonstradum,” which translates to “that which was demonstrated”— Crews is composing a new chapter in her life. It’s one that has no clear ending, though it certainly appears as though it will get off to a good start. She says with a huge, infectious smile, “All the people who live and work in the neighborhood who’ve come to see the place say, ‘Oh! Something different for the neighborhood. Finally!’”

Maybe Queens is finally ready.

For event listings, tickets, and general information, visit www.

QEDAstoria.com Q.E.D. 27-16 23rd Avenue, Astoria, NY 11105 (347) 451-3873

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Sofia’s Consignment Shop Uninsured?

You have options.

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• Children’s Items, • Hard To Find Items • Household Items, & Much More!

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THE ARTS

he Great Leveler One Astoria Playwright’s Tale of Success Interview + Images by Bradley Hawks

Mike Bencivenga, Playwright

We meet outside a bakery on 30th Ave, and then walk a few blocks to find a bite to eat. Mike Bencivenga is one of the warmest, kindest, most generous spirits I could ever hope to meet—and certainly not at all the sort of character one might expect of a gifted playwright or an Emmy-winning producer for ABC Television.

As we sit down for lunch at The Astoria Brewhouse, I feel like I am settling down to laugh with a dearly trusted friend. Later in the evening, I will be watching the New York premiere of his latest play, Billy & Ray, at the prestigious Vineyard Theatre, under the direction of Garry Marshall, and starring Mad Men’s Vincent Kartheiser, Broadway’s Larry Pine, Drew Gehling, and Sophie von Haselberg— recent Yale graduate and daughter of Bette Midler. But right now, I am interviewing a playwright who has called Astoria his home for nearly thirty years.

Billy & Ray chronicles the odd couple pairing of writer-director Billy Wilder and novelist Raymond Chandler as the struggle against all odds to adapt Double Indemnity for the silver screen. Set in 1940s Hollywood, Billy & Ray is the true story of how two brilliant and clashing minds challenged the Hollywood censors and each other to create a groundbreaking movie classic, and one of the most influential film noirs of American cinema.

BORO: What prompted you to write a play on this particular subject?

Mike Bencivenga: When you are about thirteen years old, you start thinking, ‘somebody actually made this movie.’ I started to realize that 4 or 5 of the movies that blew my mind were all made by the same guy—Billy Wilder. Sunset Boulevard, Some Like it Hot, Double Indemnity,The Fortune Cookie—and then I became a fanatic. I went to NYU Film School, and in 1983, I learned that they were honoring him at the Film Society at Lincoln Center. And I’m like, ‘I’m just a kid, but I’ve gotta go to this.’ I went by myself because I didn’t have the money to take my girlfriend.

BORO: How did you get into the event?

MB: A Broadway show was still twenty-five bucks, and this ticket was the then unheard of price of one hundred dollars. And I had to get a tuxedo, because I’d learned, when I was an usher for several years, that the tuxedo is the great leveler. If you’re in a tux, you can walk up to anybody and say hi, and if you’re not in a tux, somebody grabs you by the shoulder and throws you out in the yard, so I said, ‘I’m wearing a tux’.

Billy & Ray will play at the Vineyard through November 23rd 108 E. 15th St., NYC For more info and to purchase tickets, please visit www.vineyardtheatre.org/billy-ray 42 | BOROMAG.COM | NOVEMBER 2014

BORO: So did you get to meet Mr. Wilder?

MB: I remember I spent three quarters of the night running over to the woman who was running hat check and saying, ‘that’s Jack Lemmon’ or ‘look, there’s Shirley McLain’– I couldn’t go up to anyone else, because they were all famous. I was 26 or 27. I wasn’t leaving until I got to walk up to Billy Wilder and say to him that he was my inspiration---that he was a great guy. But I’d always heard that he was like Groucho Marx, that he had a biting wit, that he was notorious for saying some incredibly nasty things. He once told an actor who was supposed to be singing something, he put his arm around him and said, ‘you have VanGogh’s ear for music.’ Ouch.

BORO: That’s incredibly intimidating. So what did you do?

MB: So I went up with nervousness, and said I’m an NYU film student and I am a huge fan—and I would love to make just one

Scenic Design by Charlie Corcoran

movie anywhere close to anything you’ve ever done. This is a great honor to meet you. And he looked at me and said, “Well, this is a great honor for me.” He reaches over and embraces me. “What is film school? What, do you do, like thread projectors all day? Is there a final exam on how to load the camera?”

BORO: That’s incredible he was so warm to you. Do you think your status as a film student gave you the credibility for him to respect you?

MB: I asked if he had any advice, and he said, “yeh, don’t listen to anybody, especially not me. Go your own way.” He’s about to walk away, and then he says “Hey, if you ever have a question, call me up.”

And he reaches into his pocket, and pulls out his card. “Or if you’re ever out in Los Angeles, come and see me.” I’ll never forget, I take the card and it falls out of my hand, and I took my foot and stamped on it.

BORO: Did you ever take him up on the offer?

MB: I would occasionally just call him up. The first time I called, I thought I’d get a secretary, but instead it was him.

BORO: How impressive. You had a direct pipeline to him.

MB: He never wrote an autobiography—I heard he was offered ten million to write a book about filmmaking. He was like, “I have absolutely no desire to sit alone in a room and think about the past.”

BORO: So what drew you the storyline behind Double Indemnity?

MB: I’d always heard [Wilder had] battled Chandler. I’d always thought, if I want to write something about the nature of collaboration, I’d want to write about those guys, because they were both geniuses. I’d heard it was a battle royale, so I called Paramount and asked if they’d had an archive—but they’d given it all to the Academy of Motion Pictures. Fortunately for me, a friend of mine had just written a book where he had to petition the special collections library. So I wrote them and asked if they had anything on Double Indemnity, and they said, “well, we’ve got about 27 boxes.

Every script, every menu, every lunch memo—and I am suddenly reading Barbara’s Stanwyck’s overage charges. You’re sitting there and you’re holding as close as you get to the original script with Wilder and Chandler’s handwritten notes.

BORO: How had Wilder teamed up with Chandler for this piece?

MB: Wilder’s regular partner, Charles Brackett, was the theater critic for the New Yorker, and wanted nothing to do with it. But Wilder always needed a collaborator, because he didn’t trust his mastery of English and of slang, and he always tried to bring in someone who would raise him up.

BORO: This piece has been produced before. What growth have you seen since it came to New York?

MB: The major growth I would say, is that the Vineyard greatly encouraged me to go deeper and darker—a comedy with dramatic relief. For Gary Marshall, it has shades of The Odd Couple, with two guys stuck together in a room who wanna kill each other at times. But it always had hints of the darker stories of each man. Sophie von Haselburg, the actor playing Helen, is Bette Midler’s daughter, and she is such a light. When somebody is that good, you want to incorporate them more— especially in the first act.

I was on a flight to London with my wife, and it came to me.

And I envisioned classic teaching scene where she’s called in to flirt with Chandler. That wonderful scene came out of the casting of Sophie von Haselberg. We did twenty previews, and we developed the play.

BORO: How do you create the time to write a play?

MB: Originally, I didn’t know if this would be an article, a short story. We were on vacation, and I visualized the first act five or six years ago. I was about to have knee replacement surgery, and knew I was going to be off a few months.

BORO: And for our readers, what are some of your favorite local spots?

MB: I love that Cronin & Phelan still looks like the set of Archie Bunker’s place. My wife and I go out a lot. I enjoy Bourbon & Vine, Sweet Afton, William Hallet, and we love Off the Hook. Brick Café is another perfect place. A lot of brunch places have gotten so popular, with lines down the street, and Brick has remained my favorite brunch. As a film person, I am a huge fan of the Astor Room. It’s always a special place.

NOVEMBER 2014 | BOROMAG.COM | 43

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BODY & SOUL

Flipping For The Changes

at The Yoga Room

By Hayley Bridgewater

Anyone who has had the pleasure of meeting The Yoga Room’s Zhana Galjasevic will tell you that she is a graceful powerhouse and the driving force behind the success of the Astoria and Long Island City studios. Exciting, expressive, and creative, with an incredibly grounded energy, she is the type of person you cannot help but want to champion. I was thrilled to spend time with her recently to catch up on some thrilling changes coming to The Yoga Room family.

Regulars to The Yoga Room already know that the studio schedules are jam packed with various different types of Yoga, Pilates, Toning, and Stretching classes. Private, Duet, and Group Apparatus classes are also available. And starting Mid-November, the schedules are expanding even more with the additions of Barre Method and Aerial Silks classes. Both fitness formats are enjoying a surge in popularity currently in New York City, and I have had numerous people inquire about the availability of such classes in our area. Not only will you be able to attend these classes in Western Queens, you will also be able to do so for far less than Manhattan prices.

Barre Method Classes Coming back strong onto the fitness scene, Barre based classes trace their origin to The Lottie Berk Method. Barre method combines components of ballet, Pilates, isometrics, yoga, and isolated strength movements. Form and alignment are key, and the small, focused repetitions are intense. The core-centric patterns can be taught with or without props and are known to produce the long, lean, stature of a dancer.

The Yoga Room Barre team will be comprised of top notch certified instructors from the major schools of Barre3, Figure4 Barre, and Core Fusion. They will pick the best components from each method

46 | BOROMAG.COM | NOVEMBER 2014

to create a program unique to the studio. Each class will be capped at sixteen students to provide for instructor attention and correction.

Both The Yoga Room Astoria and The Yoga Room LIC will be getting an expanded Barre program.

My Barre demo was led by the beautiful Jaime Frola. A former Radio City Rockette. She has been teaching Pilates Mat, Sculpt&Tone, and Barre classes at numerous studios in New York City. Jaime obtained her certification in Pilates through Pilates Academy International, and her Barre certification through Pure Yoga (Figure 4). Though my background is in dance, my recent training has been in quite a different direction, but Jaime was patient, specific, and encouraging with me. She had me feeling every bit of that movement within a few minutes. I can imagine that students flock to her classes.

Aerial Yoga/Silks Ahhhh! Aerial Silks! I will admit that this really peaked my interest.

I have always been a climber, and the gymnast in me loves to be upside down. So I was particularly anxious to try this out. And Zhana, herself, was kind enough to indulge me with a personal walk through of various poses.

Yes, it is true that Aerial Silk work is physically demanding and lots of fun. It is a perfect mix of strength and artistic grace. But did you know that Aerial assisted yoga—especially inversions—can be incredibly therapeutic for that compressed feeling so many of us experience? As soon as I flipped upside down to hang from my hips, I felt a freeing spinal decompression that made me audibly giggle.

I will definitely be carving out some time to come back for these classes.

Zhana Galjasevic

Jaime Frola

All Aerial Silks classes are set up to accommodate twelve students and one instructor. This is to insure proper individual attention and allow every student lots of room for movement. The Yoga Room Astoria is currently putting together a top notch Aerial instruction team, and will be adding the Aerial Silks classes mid-November.

Another exciting addition to the Astoria outpost will be a new spacious changing room with cubbies and lockers.

Current members should be aware that your Yoga Room membership does cover the new classes. There is no additional cost to you. For those without TYR membership, the drop in rate is $20 and can be even less when purchased via a multiclass card.

Further information can be found on The Yoga Room Website and Facebook Page www.the-yoga-room.com facebook.com/TheYogaRoomFans

THE BIG REVEAL

And if these additions weren’t exciting enough, Zhana is opening a sister boutique fitness facility in LIC called Workout Factory. Over the next few months, Workout Factory will start offering a wide range of cardio and strength training workouts, an array of Pilates equipment classes, TRX, trampoline, boot camp, and more. Updates can be found at wfnyc.com and facebook.com/workoutfactorynyc.

NOVEMBER 2014 | BOROMAG.COM | 47

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CHARACTERS

The Original Astoria Character

2 Story by Michael Stahl | Image by Bradley Hawks

Nancy Ruhling has not interviewed movie stars or professional athletes or dignitaries or anyone who’s walked the surface of the moon. At least not for her weekly Huffington Post New York blog, entitled Astoria Characters. Instead, Ruhling profiles “The Pharmacist,” “The Cryptic Undertaker,” “The Painted Lady With the Pink Poodle,” “The Young Man Looking For Love,” and in an unrelated story, “The Girl Fumi Fell For.” Her subjects just live in her neighborhood—and might simply be seen as ordinary folks. But to Ruhling, they are “insanely interesting.”

“Regardless of who the person is—they all have stories that are inspiring,” Ruhling explains. “They all have hardships that they get through, and at the end of the day, they’re all very happy with their lives.”

After accepting a newspaper job in Long Island and moving there from her hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. in the eighties, Ruhling discovered Western Queens while on assignment. She greatly appreciated the tremendous diversity among the area’s residents, so when she decided to write strictly on a freelance basis nine years ago, her decision to settle in Astoria was a no-brainer.

She sat on her porch waving to passersby, and Ruhling was pleasantly surprised to find that her new neighbors would wave back, which was something the Show-Me State native didn’t experience quite as much out on the Island. For four years, she continued to build her portfolio while getting to know the locals, and then a friend notified her that the Huffington Post was creating a New York page on their site. She recalls him explaining, “It might be a good idea to cover all the crazy people from your neighborhood that you’re always telling me about.”

Frustrated that most media outlets refused to publish what she calls ‘forgotten stories’ of everyday people, Ruhling made an inquiry to the Huffington Post and was amazed to have the column accepted, especially by a site best known for political commentary.

Since then she has published more than two hundred fifty profiles of Astorians who hail from numerous states and foreign countries.

She often learns of prospective subjects from friends or readers, but sometimes Ruhling plucks people right off the street, getting rejected 52 | BOROMAG.COM | NOVEMBER 2014

about nine out of every ten requests. Most of those who do agree to an interview are shocked that she even asked. “They say, ‘Reaaaally? My life’s not that interesting,’” Ruhling says, her eyes widening in imitation.

Though she would never call a single subject a favorite, Ruhling ranks “The Veteran Survivor”—a ninety-three-year-old man named Attilio—as one of the most intriguing. Attilio fought for Italy in World War II, both before and after his homeland had an allegiance with the Axis Powers. He saved several of his fellow servicemen after a disastrous and deadly battle against the Germans, and then went AWOL, hitching a ride on a cargo ship headed to America, a country he was once tasked with fighting against. “It’s like the immigrant’s dream,” Ruhling observes. “He came here with nothing, and now he owns a house and has had three children. That was quite a dramatic story.”

Ruhling isn’t sure how long the blog will last. “Ideally I’d love to get to a thousand people,” she says. “Really what I want to do is turn this into a sitcom.” Whether or not we’ll see the Astoria Characters in primetime has yet to be determined, but more importantly, Ruhling credits the blog with making her truly feel like part of the neighborhood. So if you see her on the street, wave hello. But be prepared for the possibility of ending up on a blog.

Visit www.NancyRuhling.com

to read about all of her “Astoria Characters” and find some of her other written work as well.

31-10 Thomson Avenue Long Island City, NY 11101 718-482-5000

photo by LaGuardia Community College student Brian Ross NOVEMBER 2014 | BOROMAG.COM | 53

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