Western Queens residents have a new place to drink, mingle and have brunch, thanks to a new Sunnyside bar that just had its soft opening on Aug. 19. Ida’s Nearabout took over the location formerly occupied by Irish pub Molly Blooms at 43-13 Queens Blvd. “I just love the neighborhood,” said Paul Longo, who owns Ida’s along with his brother, Westyn Longo, and Paul McDaid. “I think Sunnyside already has a great vibe as far as the types of people that live there, and the whole layout is super conducive to what’s coming next.” Longo sees Sunnyside as the neighborhood “next in line” as a location for young people who are being priced out of places like Williamsburg and Long Island City. Queens Boulevard, in particular, is a “cool strip” in Sunnyside, which made it a great location for his new bar, Longo said. What’s the story behind the bar’s unique name? Nearabout BY KATRINA MEDOFF @KatrinaMedof “My great-grandmother’s name is Ida, and I have a friend in Montana who has a ranch, and his mom had preserved this ranch wolf and had it taxidermied, and the name of the wolf was Ida as well,” Longo said. When Longo’s friend moved, he gave Longo the taxidermied wolf. “My great-grandmother is 105 years old — she’s still alive — and it kind of worked out, and I thought, OK, maybe this is some weird sort of sign, let’s go with ‘Ida’s,’” Longo said. Now, Ida the wolf is mounted above the bar. @katya_m22 Hangout What about the second half of the bar’s name? “I’m kind of a blues freak, and a ‘nearabout’ is a blues term which comes from an old song, and it’s like you’re almost somewhere,” Longo said. “Like, you’re nearabout Sunnyside, you’re hanging around, you’re just about to be somewhere. I think it’s a really cool term that I hope catches on.” Ida’s Nearabout will be playing upbeat music at night, but listen for obscure blues tracks playing during brunch, along with some reggae. “I love playing different kinds of music,” Longo said. “It won’t just be a nerdy Top 40s bar. We put a lot of thought into the playlist.” Ida’s has 12 draft beers on tap and an “awesome bottled beer list,” Longo said, and the beers will rotate so that people can try new things. There’s also a full cocktail menu with “an emphasis on really well-made, simple classics” and a wine list curated by a sommelier. The bar’s full menu, described by Longo as “elevated new American 10 I BOROMAG.COM I SEPTEMBER 2016 FOOD & DRINK
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