Photos by Bradley Hawks Lina’s Ristorante Italiano 18 The Queens Courier • RESTAURANT WEEK • OCTOBER 8, 2015 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com 28 times •OCTOBER 15, 2015 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.timesnewsweekly.com Welcome We Already To Had The Lowest Prices in NYC But We’ve Just Lowered Them Again Our LOWEST PRICES EVER and our Thanks to YOU! FALL SPECIAL Implant and Final Abutment ........$100 Porcelain Crown .......................... $650 Total Cost ...................................... $750 Celebrate Restaurant Week expires 10/23/15 PRE FIXE SPECIAL MENU • $28 (PER PERSON) (TAX & GRATUITIES NOT INCLUDED) CHOOSE FROM: Tilapia Puttanesca - w/blk olives in light marinara sauce Veal Sorrentino - sauteed veal topped w/eggplant & mozzerella Chicken Breast - w/onion, mushrooms & peppers in light tomato sauce Gnocchi Al Pesto - w/mushrooms sauteed in creamy basil pesto sauce Eggplant Rollatini - stuffed w/spinach & ricotta in light pink sauce (entrees include mixed vegetables or pasta) Wine & Drink Specials Available APPETIZER: Fried Calamari Baked Clams Mozzarella Sticks Stuffed Mushrooms Soup of the Day House/Caesar Salad DESSERT: Brownie Ice Cream Carrot Cake Cheese Cake Homemade Cannoli Chocolate Fudge Cake Coffee or Tea 60 YEARS IN BUSINESS... PAY MORE Tues.-FOR Sun. 4:THE 00 - 10:00 SAME p.m. Lunch QUALITY? & Dinner WHY The Diner, Reinvented. LUNCH SPECIALS Monday to friday $8.95 to $11.95 Included soup or soda CHILDRENS MENU $7.95 Included milk, juice or soda Oral Examination ..........................................................FREE Consultation .................................................................FREE Xray ...............................................................................$50 Acrylic Crowns ..............................................................$100 Enamel Bonds per Tooth ..............................................$100 Laser Bleaching (per arch) ...........................................$150 Extractions Simple .......................................................$50 Root Canals 1 Canal .....................................................$250 2 Canals ...................................................$350 3 Canals ...................................................$550 Porcelain Crowns .........................................................$1000 OVERDENTURES WITH IMPLANTS........................$4500 PER UPPER OR LOWER USUAL & CUSTOMARY FEE ................................$7500 DR. ROBERT WINEGARDEN -SENIOR CITIZENSTAKE D.D.S. 10% OFF CONVENIENTLY LOCATED IN Midtown Manhattan YOUR BILL WE ALSO SPEAK SPANISH 57 W 57th St., Suite 610 • 212-753-0123 MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY DISCOUNTED PARKING! From 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm 12 MONTHS INTEREST FREE & 5 YEAR PAYMENT PLAN AVAILABLE 24/7 Dine in / Dine out Oral Surgeon and Periodontist on staff spectacular array of Omelettes, Salads, Sandwiches, Burgers, CALL FOR FREE CONSULTATION 1-800-287-TEETH 212-753-0123 Wraps, Paninis, Pasta, Steaks, Chops and Seafood, Fresh Baked Desserts & more. *Implant, Abutment and crown must be completed at our offices to qualify for promotional FREE fees.PARKING New patients only. Additional charges may occur for more complex cases. Ad must be presented for discounted prices. dining out Brooklyn Cupcake is a sweet addition to Atlas Park BY KELLY MARIE MANCUSO [email protected] @KellyMMancuso Local dessert lovers have a new reason to celebrate. Brooklyn Cupcake, the small bake shop with a large cult following, just celebrated the grand opening of its newest Queens location at the Shops at Atlas Park, located at 80-00 Cooper Ave. in Glendale. The independently owned, family-run business was founded in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, by sisters Carmen Rodriguez and Gina Madera and their cousin, Michele Caballero, after spending many weekends together baking at home with their children. After being laid off from her job during the recession back in 2009, Rodriguez decided to pursue her passion for baking full-time. Her family members donated funds to help launch Brooklyn Cupcake and help Rodriguez fulfill her dream. “I started selling my cupcakes out of a bagel store in Williamsburg,” Rodriguez said. “It gained traction and rolled on from there.” In 2012, the Daily News named Brooklyn Cupcake one of the best cupcakes in the city. They were also bestowed the title of Brooklyn Small Business of the Year by the city for 2012. In 2013, the Brooklyn Cupcake team appeared on the Food Network’s hit show “Cupcake Wars” in which they competed for the chance to cater an exclusive cast and crew party celebrating the 10,000th episode of the soap opera “The Young and the Restless.” The menu at Brooklyn Cupcake was inspired by the family’s Puerto Rican and Italian heritage. Latin-inspired cupcake selections include the Flan de Queso, Dulce de Leche, Guava con Queso and the popular Coquito, a sweet mix of coconut cake soaked in rich coconut milk eggnog infused with a hint of rum flavor and topped with mascarpone whipped cream. The family’s Italian roots inspired the Rainbow Cookie cupcake, a play on the traditional Italian favorite, featuring almond cake filled with raspberry preserves and dipped in a chocolate ganache. The peanut butter and jelly cupcake, inspired by the classic childhood treat, features a mix of yellow cake filled with grape jelly and topped with peanut butter frosting. Breakfast lovers will want to try their French toast cupcake, a sweet combination of yellow cake swirled with cinnamon and brown sugar and topped with vanilla frosting. The popular Tiramisu cupcake is a decadent mix of espresso and vanilla cake infused with marsala and coffee, and topped with mascarpone whipped cream and a sprinkle of cocoa. Brooklyn Cupcake is also offering special seasonal menu items, such as the pumpkin cupcake, for a limited time. In addition to their new Atlas Park location, Brooklyn Cupcake treats can also be found at their flagship Williamsburg store, located at 335 Union Ave., as well as at Whole Foods Markets throughout the city. Design your own sushi roll “It’s the ‘make your own sushi,’” explains Tang. Customers can choose from a whole list of unique ingredients to instruct the chef as to how to prepare the rolls. Ingredients include taro chips, guacamole, jalapeños and mangoes, and several varieties of seafood and other veggies. The theory is that someone can personalize their own roll, and return to have it again, or try something new. But that’s all merely the hook to get people to come. The hope is that guests will try building a roll, and then return for all of the other unique dishes, like Peking duck sliders, filet mignon tarts, and a whole range of homemade dumplings. They even have a line of “New Style Sushi” also called “sushi with flavor.” It features single pieces with combinations like amber jack with yuzu jelly and potato chips, or octopus with a vinaigrette jelly. It is dishes like these which Tang hopes inspire guests to become returning patrons. “In many Asian restaurants,” explains Tang, “guests just come in, eat, and leave. I want to get people involved.” Then there is the restaurant itself, decorated with pink walls, white furniture, and neon accent lighting. Everything at Pink Nori is shiny and new—from the ambiance, to the ingredients, to Tang’s promising, budding career. Photo by Kelly Marie Mancuso View Over 200 Reviews at queenscourier.com BY BRADLEY HAWKS The Queens Courier recently got a chance to visit Pink Nori, Astoria’s brand new “make your own sushi bar.” We were fortunate enough to get an intimate afternoon alone with Jesse Tang, the 22-year-old owner. The most surprising thing he revealed is the fact that as a child, he didn’t even enjoy seafood and he didn’t clam up – he said he still doesn’t even enjoy shrimp very much at all, although shrimp appears all over the menu at Pink Nori (we counted at least 20 shrimp items). But what he enjoys has very little to do with the menu at Pink Nori, where Jesse describes himself as the “X factor.” “I know the business, marketing, and social media aspects,” he explains. And that is the very thing that won him $10,000 in the Long Island Entrepreneur Challenge. That money was just a tiny fraction of what has been invested into the company in total. There are actually several investors, including Tang’s parents and brother, along with his executive chef. It sounds like there are a lot of people to answer to. Tang disagrees. “My customer base is the real boss,” smiles Tang. He has surrounded himself with people who know Japanese food, restaurants and service much better than he does. Take his head sushi chef, Andy Tan, for example. Tan has over 25 years of experience, including significant time at such notable restaurants as Morimoto, Gari, and Nobu. Put quite simply, the man knows his stuff. Jesse Tang’s mother, Shirley, and father, Danny were born in Taiwan and Hong Kong, respectively. So what, precisely, keeps drawing Brooklyn Cupcake’s newest location at the Shops at Atlas Park in Glendale. PINK NORI 36-06 30th Ave Astoria, NY 11103 718-685-2365 Mamma 78-35 D Springfield Blvd. • (Next to Vito’s Pizza) 718.479.6155 • fax: 718.479.6157 72-12 NORTHERN BLVD, JACKSON HEIGHTS, NY TEL: (718) 476-1240 www.jaxinndiner.com
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