72 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • OCTOBER 29, 2015 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com First look inside re-opened chocolate shop in Forest Hills ONSITE DOCTORS • EYE EXAMS • CONTACTS • 1 HOUR SERVICE • VISION PLANS ACCEPTED • SUNGLASSES • LOWEST PRICES $99 DISPOSABLE CONTACTS Includes: EYE EXAM, 2 Boxes of Lenses Clear Soft brand clear spherical Lenses/ *Contact lens fi tting additional. Not valid with any other offers, sales, vision plans or packages. Must present prior to purchase. Offer valid at this location only. Some restrictions apply. See store for details. Expires 11/30/15 2 PAIR OF EYEGLASSES $99 Includes: EYE EXAM, Frames & Lenses Select frames with clear plastic, single vision lenses+/- 4 sph., 2 cyl. Not valid with any other offers, sales, vision plans or packages. Must present prior to purchase. Offer valid at this location only. Expires 11/30/15 NO-LINE BIFOCAL EYEGLASSES $99 Includes: EYE EXAM, No-Line Bifocal Lenses & Frame Select frame with select clear plastic no-line bifocal lenses +/- 4 sph., 2 cyl up to 2.50 add. Not valid with any other offers, sales, vision plans or packages. Must present prior to purchase. Offer valid at this location only. Expires 11/30/15 $100 OFF A FREE Pair of Sunglasses or Spare Pair Includes FREE EYE EXAM st Second pair frame from select group with plastic, single vision lenses ‘+/- 4 sph, 2 cyl. Dilation & contact lens exam additional. Not valid with any other offers, sales, vision plans or packages. Must present prior to purchase. Expires 11/30/15 of the 2013 THE QUEENS QueensCourier.com Place FLEX SPENDING Use it or lose it! QC QC QC QC Amazing Fall Savings! BAY TERRACE SHOPPING CENTER 211-51 26 AVENUE • BAYSIDE, NY 11360 718.631.3699 *FREE Eye Exam with the purchase of glasses. Contact Lens Exam and fi tting add’l. *See store for details. buzz Photos by Kelly Marie Mancuso Aigner’s new owners Mark Libertini and fi ancee Rachel pose with their creations. BY KELLY MARIE MANCUSO [email protected] @KellyMMancuso Nearly one month after announcing the sale of Aigner’s Chocolates, located at 103-02 Metropolitan Ave., new owner Mark Libertini and his fi ancee Rachel celebrated the grand re-opening of the 85-year-old Forest Hills confectionery last week. In an exclusive interview with The Courier back in September, Libertini promised to continue the tradition of Austrian chocolate making established by previous owners Peter and Pia Aigner and their family. This was evident by the display case brimming with time-honored Aigner’s favorites, such as chocolate sponges, marzipan, lollipops and truffl es. “The idea for me is to keep the Aigner’s brand and recipes the same,” he explained. “They have a great, rich tradition which I’d like to maintain.” While keeping with tradition, Libertini also added his own twist to the shop’s decor and menu. Visitors will notice the addition of small sheets of chocolate, or chocolate cards, bearing hand-piped custom and seasonal expressions. Cards decorated with “Go Mets!” were created just in time for the Mets’ World Series appearance. Others read “Happy Halloween” and were decorated with bats and spiderwebs. Halloween treats such a hollow chocolate pumpkins, miniature ghosts and hand-painted chocolate haunted houses lined the shelves and windows of the shop. A large wooden Halloween tree that was hand-carved by Libertini and painted to resemble chocolate greets visitors and passersby from the shop’s front window. The 85-year anniversary of Aigner’s also coincided with the 85-year anniversary of Hostess’ Twinkie. To celebrate, dark chocolate-covered Twinkies decorated in festive orange sugar accents were featured at the grand re-opening. Libertini kept the shop’s original sculpted tin ceiling and gave it a fresh coat of white paint. He also added enchanting crystal leaf chandeliers and warmed up the shop’s walls with pistachio and warm chocolate hues. Antique cocoa shipping crates and boxes line the tops of the shelves as a nod to the shop’s rich history. The expanded coffee menu now includes cafe au lait, Costa Rican blended coffee and, of course, hot chocolate. Visitors can sip a latte while perusing the shop, or relax at the cafe counter in the window. Libertini hopes to expand the cafe portion of Aigner’s by next summer with the addition of cozy tables and sidewalk seating.
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