FOOD + DRINK 40 MARCH 2 0 1 7 Pierogis are also a favorite at Boon and diners can enjoy the Moldovan version with a sour cherry filling, called Coltunasi. The desserts range from prune uscate umplute cu nuci, sweet prunes stuffed with nuts and covered in chocolate, and the Romanian donut, which is called papanaşii prăjiţi. The donuts are served warm, stuffed with farmer’s cheese, and slathered in jam and cream. Boon is also one of the few places to sell Moldovan wine. “Moldova is not very well known, but one of the things we’re known for is wine,” Sorina Panfil said. Mileștii Mici, a wine producer in the country, has the largest wine collection in the world. It has an underground cellar that holds nearly 2 million bottles of wine. According to Sorina Panfil, Boon is different from other establishments in that the owners want diners to take their time while they eat and enjoy the entertainment, which is provided by the Boon Band on weekends. A duo sings Romanian, Russian and American favorites, and Sorina Panfil is hoping to incorporate violin players in the future. “We are a slow-paced dining environment because we have live entertainment on the weekend,” she said. “It’s not come and go. You sit down, you enjoy a nice glass of wine, enjoy an appetizer. The main course will come slowly.” Sorina Panfil said the family is grateful to have the opportunity to expand the restaurant and provide a meeting place for the growing Moldovan population in Queens. “Bun means good in Romanian,” she said. “When you say enjoy your food you would say ‘pofta bune,’ you’re a good person translates to ‘persona buna,’ everything that is good is the word bun. It’s a word with a lot of meanings. As it turned out bun also meant something in English. Boon is a blessing. We kind of feel like it’s a blessing to own this place...to have a space for everybody but also a space for Moldovans that don’t really have a place so they can celebrate weddings and christenings and all those nice events in your life, they didn’t have that.”
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