14 THE QUEENS COURIER • MAY 23, 2013 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com FAA COMMITTEE TO LOOK INTO FLIGHT PATTERNS BY MELISSA CHAN [email protected] Queens residents fi ghting feds over airplane noise that turned some suburban neighborhoods into veritable warzones last summer have won a small battle. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has agreed to form a committee to review the decisionmaking process it used last December when the agency approved new fl ight patterns over the borough. The new routes adhere to a required three-mile separation between planes arriving at John F. Kennedy International Airport and planes taking off from LaGuardia Airport’s runway 13 while using a new, precise navigation system, FAA offi cials said. But during a six-month trial period last year, some residents said they suffered from a barrage of low-fl ying airplanes that soared over their homes every minute of two six-hour stretches a day. Forming the committee “is a move in the right direction,” said Congressmember Grace Meng. “Although more still needs to be done, this is a positive move that can hopefully have an effect on the increased airplane noise that Queens residents have been forced to endure,” Meng said. The FAA said there would be fewer planes fl ying overhead this summer, but there could be times residents will hear the same turbulence they did last summer and fall. Meng and Congressmember Steve Israel sent a letter to FAA Administrator Michael Huerta in February asking him to consider the borough’s concerns. A group of elected offi cials from Queens met with FAA offi cials in Washington, D.C. to hash out a plan. “I hope it results in a more balanced plan that will alleviate the noise pollution for our constituents,” Israel said. FAA offi cials agreed during a March town hall meeting to involve the community in future decisions and to continue hearing them out. NEW OWNER HOPES RESTAURANT IS ‘ACES’ BY MELISSA CHAN [email protected] Order up! Queens foodies looking to pig out on a slab of ribs need go no further than Douglaston. Smokin’ Aces Championship BBQ is slated to open in the fi rst week of June. It will replace Strawberry’s, a popular sports bar at 42-15 235th Street that abruptly closed last October. “Everything just kind of fell into place. It was a really good opportunity,” said Tricia Capodagli, the smokehouse’s sole owner. “When the universe puts everything in front of you and you’re set up to succeed, you might as well do it.” Capodagli is an accountant and an independent business manager for more than a dozen Manhattan restaurants. She said the venture marks her fi rst foray outside of Manhattan. It is also the fi rst restaurant she has owned. “This would be a good start for me. It just worked out very well,” said Capodagli, 39. “I’m seeing a lot of development in Queens. I’m seeing it really being built up.” The family-friendly barbecue joint will offer fried pickles, pulled pork sandwiches, nachos, chili, mac and cheese, burgers and buckets of sides to share. With Queens prices and healthy options, Capodagli said diners will not have to break the bank or their belts. “We’re trying to keep everything under $25,” she said. “These will not be Manhattan prices.” Strawberry’s Sports Grill — the brainchild of the Mets’ and Yankees’ four-time World Series champ, Darryl Strawberry — was only open for two years before it shuttered up. Sources close to the eatery told The Courier poor management ran the popular dive to the ground. Locals said the restaurant’s remote location by the Douglaston Long Island Rail Road station, which gets minimal foot traffi c, could have been a factor as well. Still, Capodagli is optimistic she will have a different fate than her predecessor. “It’s like everything — if you’re getting a good meal and good service, then it’s not out of the way and it’s worth it,” she said. Before the grand opening, Capodagli said she must obtain certificates from the city’s Department of Buildings and pass a health department inspection scheduled for later this week. “I’m really excited,” she said. “You never know where life takes you.” THE COURIER/Photo by Terence M. Cullen Smokin’ Aces Championship BBQ is slated to open and replace Strawberry’s Sports Grill in June. OPERATORS SAY RESTAURANT WILL SING BY MELISSA CHAN [email protected] The new owner of a luckless Bayside restaurant site is determined to end a streak of bad breaks at the locale. “We’re going to bring it back to its original glory,” said George Makkos, whose newest restaurant, Vivaldi, replaces Patrizia’s of Bayside. The 201-10 Cross Island Parkway building had been a revolving door of new management since the popular Caffe on the Green closed in 2009. Valentino’s on the Green took over after that, but was soon followed by Patrizia’s. Patrizia’s shut down after less than a year in business. Vivaldi is set to open for dinner in the first or second week of June. “I don’t want to compare myself to anybody,” said Makkos, 51, of Manhattan. “I cannot speak for anybody else. I can only speak for what I stand for, and I stand for quality, perfection, impeccable service and attentiveness to the customer.” A Parks Department spokesperson said Makkos has a record of running successful upscale restaurants. The president of 123 Restaurant Group, he operates several wedding venues and catering halls in Queens, Manhattan and Long Island, Patrizia’s of Bayside will reopen as Vivaldi, operated by 123 Restaurant Group. including Battery Gardens and the Venetian Yacht Club. Makkos said the menu will feature homemade dishes cooked to original recipes concocted by Caffe’s former executive chef. He added that Vivaldi will use the finest ingredients on everything including brick-oven pizza. While the menu and prices have THE COURIER/Photo by Melissa Chan not been fi nalized, Makkos said there will be “gracious portions for a value.” Food options will also change to refl ect the season, with lighter dishes in the summer. Vivaldi is in the process of obtaining a liquor license. The restaurant will be open seven days a week. After the June launch, it will expand to offer lunch and catering along with dinner.
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