40 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • NOVEMBER 25, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
buzz
A foodie’s dream at Cornicello in Astoria
BY JESSICA MILITELLO
guests who have already become regulars
editorial@qns.com
don’t have to worry because the restaurant
@QNS
will be here to stay, serving fresh,
handmade pasta throughout all seasons
If you’ve walked or driven past Astoria
of the year.
Boulevard lately, you may have noticed
Th e hybrid outdoor space, which fi rst
a cute outdoor Italian restaurant right in
opened on July 29, has already been winterized
what used to be Astoria World Manor’s
to keep guests toasty while they
driveway.
enjoy a hot plate of pasta, and the restaurant’s
Th e unique space, named Cornicello,
menu has been getting great reviews
almost looks as if it might be a pop-up
event with its vintage signs and décor, but
from satisfi ed customers.
Th e restaurant was a collaboration of
talent and ideas among two good friends,
Tony Ji and YJ Ahn, the general manager
of Astoria World Manor, located at 25-22
Astoria Blvd.
Throughout the pandemic, business
waned: Weddings and other parties
couldn’t take place due to closures,
and later, the space dealt with reopening
restrictions as the city navigated through
COVID. Ahn cleared the space and was
brainstorming diff erent ideas when Ji
pitched him on the concept of turning it
into a restaurant.
“I thought it would have a really unique
thing about the space because it was outdoors,
but not so much,” Ji said. “And at
the time, outdoor dining was the thing
because of the pandemic, and then Ahn
really liked the idea of turning the space
into a restaurant.”
Aft er Ji helped Ahn with deciding on
a restaurant for the space, he suggested
fresh pasta for the menu. Th ey ended up
collaborating with chef Christina Bartoli,
who got involved aft er she responded to
an ad for an experienced chef.
Aft er tasting her dishes, the team decided
that Bartoli was the perfect person to
Photo by Jessica Militello
Cornicello in Astoria
World Manor
First Central Savings Bank helps children understand banking basics
BY KAYLA WONG
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
First Central Savings Bank (FCSB) and
Th e Boys and Girls Club of Metro Queens
recently teamed up to bring fi nancial
awareness education to young children in
Richmond Hill.
Th e students who participated are part
of the Metro Boys and Girls Club’s Lights
On Aft erschool Program, which provides
a safe place to go when school is out by
off ering opportunities to learn new ideas
and discover new skills.
Anna Marie Vallone, vice president and
business development offi cer at FCSB, led
the classroom instruction with a customized
curriculum designed to help young
students navigate the economic arena.
“Th e bank always likes to take the
opportunity to teach and instruct as much
as we can in terms of learning for the children,
and the piggy banks are such a great
way of doing that, especially in the pre-K
age group,” Vallone said.
FCSB donated 50 piggy banks in hopes
of encouraging interest in fi nancial awareness.
Th e piggy banks accompany handson
learning to build positive fi nancial
habits.
“Using a piggy bank is a great way to get
children started on their savings journey,”
Vallone said. “Kids who are very young
may not understand the value of money,
but over time, seeing the number of coins
and notes increase will have them excited.
Th is lets them know that money grows
when you keep it safe.”
Even at 5 and 6 years old, Vallone said
the kids loved the fi nancial lesson.
“Th e kids were so wonderful and happy
to be there. I think just being there gives
them a sense of community, a sense of
instruction and connecting with others,”
Vallone said.
Th e bank talked with the students about
saving their coins and the importance of
using the piggy banks, not only as a toy
but as a saving tool.
“It’s great to be able to relate money to
savings and a toy and put it all together in
a curriculum for young children,” Vallone
said. “Th e bottom line is that we try to
help them have fun and if we can add to
that and teach them a little bit about saving
money in the process, then it’s a winwin
for all of us.”
bring on board.
“My friend invited me over when they
had their fi rst tasting,” Ji said. “At the
time, I wasn’t even part of the project; I
was just giving advice as a friend. I came
along for the tasting and they absolutely
loved the chef, so that’s when I actually
got really excited of what I could do
with him, and Ahn told me he wanted
to work with me. I didn’t have a restaurant
background, but that’s something I always
wanted to do.”
Th e team emphasizes fresh ingredients
and Bartoli’s ever-creative mind in the
kitchen. While some of the dishes are the
typical Italian fare, Bartoli a l s o
likes to put new spins o n
classics. For example,
Cornicello’s
baked penni ziti alla
vodka is layered and
might look like a lasagna
at fi rst glance — until
you sink your fork into it
and taste the vodka sauce in
the noticeably fresh pasta.
“Our chef is always in the
kitchen trying to come up with
something new,” Ji said. “She always
tries to take what we have in the kitchen
and make something so that people
can get really excited for it.”
In addition to amazing entrees,
Cornicello also has a pastry chef on hand
who makes fresh and delicious desserts
like tiramisu, ricotta doughnuts and oversized
chocolate eclairs that are scented
with orange and vanilla and oozing with
cream.
With so many delicious options, it’s
certainly worth it to stop by to see what
Bartoli and her partners will come up
with next.
“I think her food is unique in a way
that’s really homey,” Ji said. “You kind of
get the feel that you’re being fed by your
grandma, but your grandma who knows
how to take it and make it modern.”
Photo courtesy of FCSB
First Central Savings Bank and The Boys and Girls Club of Metro Queens teamed up to bring fi nancial
awareness education to young children in Richmond Hill.
First Central Savings Bank and The Boys and
Girls Club of Metro Queens teamed up to bring
fi nancial awareness education to young children
in Richmond Hill.
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