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Bench Flour Bakers
43-18 25TH AVE., ASTORIA
BENCHFLOURNYC.COM
@BENCHFLOURBAKERS
Bench Flour Bakers is a seasonal bakery
that opened on Halloween in 2021. It serves
coffee, pastries and savory breakfast and
lunch options, though the menu changes
throughout the year and for various holidays.
This is partially due to the fact that the bakery
sources its ingredients locally, which means
that certain ingredients become available
seasonally. “We have very close relationships
with our farmers that provide us with seasonal
and organic vegetables, fruit and dairy,” coowner
Christine Yen told BORO. “We hope to
continue to create and foster more relationships
with local farms to not only have access
to the best ingredients, but also to support
like-minded small businesses.” Yen and coowner
Joe DeMato, who chose Astoria as
the location because it’s their own neighborhood,
said the bakery has been well received
by the community so far.
Photos via Instagram/@benchflourbakers
Pig Beach BBQ
35 - 37 36TH ST., ASTORIA
PIGBEACHNYC.COM
@PIGBEACHNYC
Pig Beach is a barbecue restaurant headed up
by classically trained chefs that strives to give visitors
a “relaxed vibe” alongside a range of barbecue
options. Some flavors include peach and
honey-glazed ribs, salt and pepper crust brisket,
smoked pork shoulder with hatch vinegar sauce
and Greek-style smoked lamb shoulder. The
restaurant opened in late October 2021 but has
a flagship location in Brooklyn that opened in
2015. With a large indoor dining area and a big
backyard beer garden, a “stadium-sized jumbotron”
for sports-watching and “the largest smokers
in NYC,” Pig Beach has been well received
by the community and beyond. “It’s become a
real food destination,” director of operations
and partner Shane McBride told BORO. “We’ve
had a lot of guests driving in from out of state
to come check us out, from Jersey to Minnesota
— and the locals are thrilled to have this space
back again.”
Photos courtesy of Pig Beach BBQ
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