Food
“We are a restaurant that is striving
to accommodate a variety of tastes. No
matter what your background is, where
you’re coming from, you definitely have
something to choose from here.”
Sorina Panfil, co-owner
in traditional Moldovan outfits on the
bathroom doors. The building also has a
back room that can fit about 80 people,
which makes it popular for weddings,
christenings and other events.
Boon’s menu features a plethora of
items at affordable prices. Mamaliga,
fried polenta balls with feta cheese and
pork belly, is a popular dish along with
the restaurant’s Moldovan pies, which are
called plăcintă. The fried pies are filled
with ingredients like farmer’s cheese,
potato or spinach. The dessert version is
filled with sour cherry spread or pumpkin.
Ciorba cu afumatura si fasole, smoked
meat soup with beans, is inspired by the
Russian dish solanka. Sorina Panfil said
the duo also tries to cater to vegetarians
and those who may be hesitant to try
the more traditional meals.
They offer a vegetable platter that
contains peppers, eggplant, zucchini,
vegetable spreads and an array of salads
like the fanetzie with avocado, lox,
tomatoes, onions, crepes with cream
cheese and red caviar.
“The salads are more fusion cuisine,”
she said. “We are a restaurant that is
striving to accommodate a variety of
tastes. No matter what your background
is, where you’re coming from, you definitely
have something to choose from
here.”
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.”
www.qns.com i LIC COURIER i FEBRuary 2017 37
