THE COURIER/PHOTO BY ALEX DIBLASI up innovative masterpieces. dining Astoria eatery Locale serves A greAt ‘LocaLe’ for dining BY ALEXA ALTMAN green potato dollop and multi-hued vegetables made for not just wonder- Astoria eatery Locale’s main ob- ful presentation but wonderful flavor. jective is truly incredible food in the The blackened Maya shrimp — perfect intimate setting of a candle-lit served in a tower-like structure lounge. The ultimate spot for couples above a support of crispy yucca on a romantic date or old friends look- wedges — brought Cajun tastes into ing to catch up over a glass of wine, the mix. Rubbed with an intense the 34th Avenue restaurant is a hit spice blend and topped with arugu- among those who know good food. la and shaved red onions, the tasty As with any swanky lounge, our tier was just as incredible in presen- evening began with a slew of artfully- tation as it was in taste. crafted cocktails. The passion mar- The beef short rib risotto was like tini – a blend of Svedka Citrus, fresh a supercharged stew, dressed in a lemon juice, Triple Sec and passion cabernet sauce with aromatic vegeta- puree, adorned with a purple orchid – bles, bleu cheese and fried Bermuda was sweet and light, the perfect cock- onions. The risotto was creamy and tail for the non-cocktail drinker. The the short rib tender — the perfect bal- Locale mojito blended Bacardi Silver, ance of comforting old favorites and St. Germain, fresh mint, cucumber modern tastes. and lime was an updated version of For dessert, we scarfed down a the classic mojito with hints of cucum- yummy chocolate almond brownie ber adding an entirely new dimension. with a rich peanut butter center and The Writers Block mixed Buffalo Trace topped with a golden, homemade bourbon, sweet vermouth, marshmallow and vanilla ice cream. Campari and a butter and We left satisfied and looking for- brown sugar reduction for ward to our next visit. a unique beverage. The Irish Cider, Jameson whiskey, ginger ale and muddled apples, was perfect on a chilly night. To begin our meal, we snacked on the best antipasto we had ever had. A cavalcade of fresh, housemade moz- zarella, seasoned artichoke hearts, a balsamic reduction, thinly-sliced tomatoes topped with basil and pro- sciutto roses was almost too perfect a way to begin. We moved along to a jumbo lump crab cake, crisped nicely on the out- www.queenscourier.comMain dishes showed executive chef crab cake, adorned with melted leeks and micro greens in a shallow pool of spicy chipotle crème fraiche. The sauce added a wonderful heat to the side with a buttery interior. Jesse Davis’ ability to craft innovative masterpieces from old favorites by vor. The pan seared organic salmon, a • january 2013 •- simply tweaking a few ingredients, thereby fashioning an entirely new fla staple at almost every fine dining res- taurant, was dressed up with chive Locale whipped potatoes, pickled radishes lic in a pinot noir reduction. The bright www.localeastoria.com courier 2333-02 34th Avenue, LIC718-729-9080 and yellow teardrop tomatoes. The impeccably-cooked fish was dressed
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