for breaking news visit www.timesnewsweekly.com JUNE 4, 2015 • times 23 56 The Queens Courier • BUZZ • june 4, 2015 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com Photo courtesy of Street Beat Brass Band QUEENS The Sunnyside-based Street Beat Brass Band will be the first group to perform during the new series “Third Thursdays in Bliss Plaza.” Sunnyside performance series to kick off under 7 train BY ANGY ALTAMIRANO aaltamirano@ridgewoodtimes.com @aaltamirano28 A Sunnyside pedestrian plaza will become a new venue for the arts starting this month as two local groups launch a series bringing free performances to the surrounding community. The Sunnyside Shines Business Improvement District and the coalition ReCreate Queens have come together to kick off a new series called “Third Thursdays in Bliss Plaza,” expected to bring entertainment from Queens-based musicians and performers. In March, the groups launched a crowdfunding campaign with a goal of $5,000, in hopes of bringing the new series to Bliss Plaza, which opened last October under the 7 Ali Bello train at Queens Boulevard and 46th Street. The series received initial funding from the Queens Council on the Arts and the rest came from the successful campaign. “We are really looking forward to programming this great new public space,” said Rachel Thieme, executive director of Sunnyside Shines. “Bringing arts programming to Bliss Plaza helps create a more dynamic place and generates foot traffic and activity in the neighborhood, which benefits businesses, residents and visitors alike.” The series, which kicks off on June 18 with a performance by the Sunnyside-based Street Beat Brass Band, will bring a new act to the plaza on the third Thursday of each month through October. Each performance will go from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. According to organizers, “Third Thursdays in Bliss Plaza” will not only delight commuters but also serve to highlight the vital role artists play in the community. “As a coalition of neighbors and creative professionals who want to ensure that the arts thrive in the area, it’s critical to us to showcase local artists and make their work accessible for everyone,” said Nancy Kleaver, founding member of ReCreate Queens. “With support from the community we are able to pay our artists what they deserve and establish an annual series that will grow over time. We can’t wait to launch this new tradition.” The performances include the following: July 16 – Alí Bello & The Sweet Wire Band Aug. 20 – Dilemastronauta Sept. 17 – McManus Irish Dance Oct. 15 – Afro Latineers dining out THE COURIER/photo by Robert Pozaryki Baked clams at Lenny’s Clam Bar in Howard Beach. A taste of Howard Beach history By ROBERT POZARyCKI When Lenny’s Clam Bar ran television commercials years ago, owner Joe DiCandia Sr. became something of a local celebrity, famously offering viewers a free glass of wine to any diner who came to the Howard Beach hotspot and mentioned his name. They still honor that promotion to this day even though the senior Joe DiCandia has long since handed the restaurant reins over to his son, Joe Jr. It’s part of a 42-year history of charm, tradition and good food that Lenny’s has offered to generations of customers who’ve come through its doors. There have been changes to Lenny’s through the years, most notably after Hurricane Sandy in 2012, which flooded it and many other Howard Beach businesses. DiCandia Jr. “turned a negative into a positive,” rebuilding the clam bar larger than before, as it expanded into a neighboring business. Even with change, much of the staff — from line chefs to attendants — has been there for 20 years or longer. And the restaurant’s menu mainstays — sumptuous seafood and classic Italian cuisine — continue to attract customers from far and wide. Naturally, the clam features prominently on the menu. The baked clams ($7.95 a half-dozen, $12.95 a dozen) are a great way to start your meal whether you’re a seafood lover or looking to try seafood for the first time. The cheesy breading complements the perfectly cooked clams, which offer diners that briny note of flavor that only fresh seafood can provide. Lenny’s also offers raw clams ($7.75 a half-dozen, $12.50 a dozen) and oysters ($12.95 for eight) on the half-shell, served with fresh lemon and cocktail sauce. The seafood possibilities are almost endless when it comes to the main course. On our date to Lenny’s, my wife enjoyed the stuffed shrimp ($19.95) featuring mounds of Lenny’s Clam Bar 161 - 03 Crossbay Blvd Howard Beach, NY 11414 (718) 845-5100 scrumptious crab meat in a lemon wine butter sauce and served with potatoes and broccoli. You can also get broiled scallops or Norwegian salmon ($19.95 each) or breaded and baked lobster tails ($17.95 single tail, $24.95 for a double). As an Italian food lover, I certainly enjoyed the chicken cutlet parmigiana ($18.95), a generous portion of perfectly cooked chicken breast covered in a zesty tomato sauce and served with linguine on the side. Other Italian specialities to try include the chicken sorrentino ($21.95) topped with tomato, prosciutto, eggplant and mozzarella in Madeira wine sauce and the linguine with red or white clam sauce ($14.95). Lenny’s offers seemingly anything to suit anyone’s appetite, from tender barbecue baby back ribs basted in the house barbecue sauce to a boneless shell steak off the grill cooked to order. The kids menu features cheeseburgers, pasta or mozzarella sticks. Whatever you order, save room for dessert, as Lenny’s offers an incredible variety of sweet treats straight out of the DiCandia family cookbook. Their homemade cannoli is light and sweet without being too heavy, while the pistachio bomb — a tartufo ball of pistachio ice cream with a chocolate shell and a raspberry sauce — is an explosively tasty and delightful way to end a meal. Times may always change, but Lenny’s Clam Bar still reigns as the champion of classic seafood and Italian fare in Howard Beach. View Over 200 Reviews at queenscourier.com $26 $22 $29 $29 $26 $29 Expires 6/30/15 White Star Limousine was founded in 1952 and has been family owned and operated for over three generations. Ask us about the specials we o er for you next special event WWHITESTAR LIMOUSINES 20 Jericho Turnpike, New Hyde Park, NY 516.233.2911 www.whitestarlimousine.com
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