58 THE QUEENS COURIER • AUGUST 22, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
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Whitestone Queens
8:00 AM
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SUN & THURS
153-31 Cross Island Parkway
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dining out
Photo by Jessica Militello/BORO
Astoria tapas & cocktail
bar opens to ‘likes’ on
and off the ‘Gram
BY JESSICA MILITELLO
BORO Magazine
Special to The Courier
Th e Social is the latest spot to open on
30th Avenue in Astoria, a street bustling
with restaurants and coff ee shops.
Th e international tapas and cocktail
bar has a pretty aesthetic, with its name
displayed in delicate pink cursive letters
against a backdrop of eye-catching
greenery. Sleek black tables and chairs
surround the storefront while the interior
lures curious passersby in, if not for
the edgy artwork on the walls, then certainly
for a perfectly Instagrammable
neon cursive sign that reads, “I’m not
fl irting, I’m just being social.”
Th e Social offi cially opened its doors
at the end of May and features a menu of
tapas from fi ve regions of the world and
delicious cocktails. Th e restaurant is defi -
nitely a spot for everyone in the neighborhood,
especially young families in the
area. Th eir menu refl ects the diversity of
the Astoria community and will be periodically
changed to keep things fresh for
customers.
Owner Eman Khamcy explained the
inspiration for the new restaurant and
the special meaning behind their diverse
menu.
“I thought it was missing in the area as
far as our tapas idea,” Khamcy said. “Th e
menu is international because Astoria is
a melting pot and I thought that everyone
comes together. We also incorporated
other things. We have SingleCut
because it’s an Astoria beer and we wanted
a little bit of an Astoria feel also.”
While the friendly faces of the staff
may get patrons to come in, the food
and drink will certainly make them keep
coming back.
Th e menu features Italian, Asian, Latin,
American and Mediterranean tapas, and
some selections have already become
go-to items, like the Asian-style spicy
rock shrimp and the Mediterranean-style
zucchini chips. Everything on the menu
is made with fresh ingredients, and it is
obvious from the moment it hits your
taste buds.
Th e spicy rock shrimp is lightly tossed
in panko and a house-made chili sauce
that off ers a zesty kick. Th e fl avor and
texture of the shrimp may make them
hard to share. Another go-to item are the
zucchini chips. Th ey are lightly fried with
fresh-sliced zucchini and serve as a tasty
and light snack that paired with tzatziki
sauce, easily make them become a habit.
Th e tapas bar will be updating their
menu seasonally.
Khamcy said that locals, many of
whom are young families, have already
been supportive of the new eatery. He
explained that they want the tapas bar to
be a place for these families to come to.
“Astoria has a lot of young families,”
Khamcy said. “And that’s what we cater
to right now. We have kids in the backyard.
We have coloring books. We entertain
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