EXPLORE YOUR BORO JUNE 2016 | BOROMAG.COM | 53 Tacuba 35-01 36th St. www.tacubanyc.com Chef Julian Medina and the partners behind Coppelia, Yerba Buena and Toloache ventured out of Manhattan—and their first cantina off the main island landed in Astoria. The food is no less of a party than the bebidas, and you simply have to start with a choice of two empanadas for $7. These fritters are out of this world, and the chopped steak picadillo empanada features a hard-boiled egg encased in a buttery pastry filled with savory beef and a piquant gravy. The Thirsty Koala 35-12 Ditmars Blvd. www.thethirstykoala.com Most of Astoria knows The Thirsty Koala as a sunny restaurant serving authentic Australian dishes to delectable effect. Owners Christine Chellos, Alexandros Styponias and Katherine Fuchs were just three close friends with a dream. One worked in finance, another as a bar manager and the third as a fire chief—but they saw in one another the skills required to run a successful business. Try a sausage roll for a starter, then go far a jaffle or wattleseed-crusted lamb lollies. Vesta 21-02 30th Ave. www.vestavino.com Vesta Vino & Trattoria is warm and inviting, instantly evoking a feeling of home. The orange awning crowns the corner of 30th Avenue and 21st Street like a beacon for contemporary Italian cooking and the creative manipulation of locally sourced, seasonal ingredients. Vesta is known for its collaboration with the Brooklyn Grange, Astoria’s rooftop urban garden.
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