C R Y D E R P O I N T 16 MARCH dining out STUCK ON STIX 16 CRYDER POINT COURIER | MARCH 2015 | WWW.QUEENSCOURIER.COM The dress worn by Megan Draper (Jessica Pare) as she sings “Zou Bisou Bisou” at Don’s birthday party will be shown in the exhibit. Photo: Ron Jaffe/AMC ‘Mad Men’ exhibit at Museum of the Moving Image to coincide with show’s final episodes BY BRADLEY HAWKS Just over a month ago, the team behind Stix bravely opened its third location in the space formerly occupied by La Bottega, and prior to that, Mix Cafe + Lounge. This time around, the look is completely new. Call it contemporary Aegean. Comfort Greek. Mediterranean Meze. The interior, designed by A2 Interiors Studio (www.a2nyc.com), is clean, fresh and white, with mirrors adding the illusion of vast space, and navy webs of woven ropes like nautical sprigs of seaweed dropped from the ceiling. Photographs of Astoria taken by a restaurant manager are displayed on the walls. The concept is simple. Nearly everything comes skewered with a wooden stick. Shisito peppers. Lamb. Mac and cheese balls. Quinoa balls. Tuna. Meatballs. Shrimp. Baby potatoes. Think Mediterranean dishes — gorgeously executed — and prepared for sharing. We were lucky enough to stop in and sample a wide portion of the menu. We also spoke with the owner and creator, Stathis Antonakopoulos. “I grew up inside the kitchen of a hotel in Greece,” explains Antonakopoulos, “and I love to cook, create and eat.” Prior to opening Stix, he served as director of operations for the Kellari Hospitality Group in Manhattan for seven years. And that’s when everything changed over a burger and milkshake at Shake Shack. Admittedly a fan of Danny Meyer, Antonakopoulos explains, “He took the oldest concept — a burger and a shake — and gave it good quality and good branding. And he created an empire. So I thought, I’m Greek and Mediterranean. How can I do something similar? That’s when I realized no one has taken food on sticks, and make it gourmet at a low cost.” The first skewer-centric restaurant opened its doors just two years ago on 23rd Street. “We opened one more restaurant in Chelsea, and this is our third restaurant,” smiles Antonakopoulos, who has now been in the U.S. for 16 years. “I came for my bachelor’s and master’s, and now I have lived in Astoria 11 years, so this is my home. My first job in the United States was at Christos Steakhouse, and so Astoria is a part of who I am.” Enjoy these images of their decadent lobster bacon mac and cheese, fluffy pillows of homemade pita, and assorted skewers of sausage, braised meatballs, peppers, octopus and fried quinoa balls served with jalapeño hummus. Then get yourself to Stix. It isn’t just good — it’s awesome. And much more than just another souvlaki stand. Dine in for the full experience, or you can order directly from their website. They are open all day, every day, and even offer a special brunch menu on the weekends, which includes pancake lollipops and lobster omelettes. And yes, they have a full bar, as well as a cautiously edited wine list so you can choose from specialty cocktails and European wines. Their sidewalk permit is in the works for the summertime, too. Save room for a little nest of Paradise — a crisp, shredded angel hair kataifi sandwich filled with hazelnuts, chantilly cream and rose water honey. It’s a dessert you will not soon forget. Stix is located at the corner of 30th Avenue and 41st Street just east of Steinway. BY CRISTABELLE TUMOLA Madison Avenue is coming to Astoria. A “Mad Men” exhibit at the Museum of the Moving Image featuring large-scale sets, costumes, props, advertising art and video clips from the hit AMC series is opening on March 14. The show’s creator, writer and executive producer, Matthew Weiner, will also be at the Museum of the Moving Image next month to discuss the series, just weeks before the final episode. Don Draper fans can get a look at his office, kitchen, suit and a box with “objects that reveal his true identity.” More than 25 iconic costumes and hundreds of props will be on display — including Joan Holloway’s red dress from the Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce holiday party and Megan Draper’s “Zou Bisou Bisou” dress — and some items will later be added to the museum’s permanent collection. But the exhibit, Matthew Weiner’s “Mad Men,” goes beyond what’s on screen. Fans will also be offered insight into the origins and making of the series. There will be an installation featuring key elements of the writers’ room with story notes for the first half of its seventh and final season listed on whiteboards, and index cards, research material and other elements created and used by the writers of “Mad Men.” The exhibit is the first time objects connected to the production of the show will be shown in public on this scale, according to the museum. “We are grateful to AMC, Lionsgate and the extraordinarily talented team of creative professionals behind ‘Mad Men’ for giving us an unprecedented degree of access to objects that inform and define this landmark television series,” said Carl Goodman, executive director of Museum of the Moving Image. Weiner will appear at the museum for a conversation about the creation and production of “Mad Men” on March 20. His talk kicks off Required Viewing: Mad Men’s Movie Influences, a 10-film series featuring movies curated by Weiner — including “The Apartment,” “Les Bonnes Femmes,” “The Americanization of Emily” and “North by Northwest” — that inspired the show, from March 14 to April 26. “’Mad Men’ is much more than a popular television series, it has become a cultural touchstone inspiring a renewed interest in a critical time in the country’s history,” said Barbara Miller, the museum’s Curator of the Collection and Exhibitions. “With the generous participation of Matthew Weiner and his production team, we are able to reveal how Weiner’s profound commitment to exploring cultural history and human relationships informed the production of ‘Mad Men,’ and offer unique insight into the creative process behind the series.” Matthew Weiner’s “Mad Men” runs from March 14 to June 14, at 36-01 35 Ave., and coincides with the series’ last seven episodes, which air on AMC beginning Sunday, April 5, at 10 p.m.
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