64 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • AUGUST 29, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
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9/20
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Dee Roscioli 9/21
THE MADISON THEATRE PRESENTS
JOE
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dining out
Photo by Kiara
A vegan oasis in Astoria
BY ALLISON KRIDLE
BORO magazine
Special to The Courier
Western Queens residents don’t oft en
run out of options for eating out. With
every type of cuisine represented on
streets like 30th Avenue and Ditmars
Boulevard, it seems crazy to say there
might be something missing.
If you are vegan, you know where I am
going with this. Even though vegan choices
are defi nitely present, few to no restaurants
have an all-vegan menu in Astoria.
Th is is one of the many reasons why I
was pleased to discover No. 5, a restaurant
with both a full vegan menu and a
non-vegan menu, at 37th Street and 36th
Avenue.
No. 5 is owned by Astoria resident and
longtime vegan Rado Ganev. A plantbased
diet and cooking was the norm for
him while he grew up in Bulgaria. Ganev’s
father was a chef and his brother also
works in the culinary arts.
When Ganev immigrated to the U.S.
about 17 years ago, he started his culinary
career working in a French pastry shop
in New York. He fell in love with working
with food and pastries.
“Th ere are tons of restaurants, but overall
they off er the same thing,” Ganev said.
“So I wanted to open something that they
don’t have around here and just something
diff erent than what most people
off er. I think that’s what you have to do
in order to succeed or at least be happy
with yourself. What’s the point of opening
another bagel store if you aren’t off ering
anything unique?”
Ganev’s business initially opened in
October of 2015, but as a food truck.
When business got too busy for a small
truck and kitchen, Ganev decided to close
and reopen as restaurant a year and a half
later in 2017 for a larger cooking space,
which allowed him to expand the menu.
Vegans and non-vegans will certainly
have a diffi cult time deciding what
to order from Ganev’s expansive menu.
Gluten-free customers are also able to
indulge if they ask for gluten-free substitutes
on most of the meals. Th e plantbased
menu includes various sections and
delicious dishes for every type of veggie
lover.
“It’s really hard to practically take something
like a vegan pizza and apply the
same methods as cooking a non-vegan
pizza. I don’t care if it looks like a pizza as
long as it’s tasty and I know what it’s made
of,” Ganev said.
No. 5 recognizes that not every vegan
wishes to consume alternative meats or
dairy products. Th ey off er hearty salads
like the pomegranate Brussels sprouts
(especially delicious if you like a little
sweet with your veggies) and the beet
salad that is topped with a tangy citrus
dressing.
Ganev regularly serves non-vegan visitors
who try his vegan dishes and increasingly
become open to getting their feet
wet with plant-based meals.
Preparing vegan delights is not the only
way Ganev keeps his customers feeling
good while they hang out and once they
leave. Th e contrast between No. 5’s vintage
decor and innovative meals works
well.
Th e entire restaurant is fi lled with
antiques and items that you might fi nd in
a thrift store, such as old bicycles, vintage
record players, instruments, classic board
games and typewriters. Th ese props are
surrounded by funky and colorful wallpaper,
making the space feel cozy. Not
to mention the luscious plants situated
around the various tables with geometric
candle holders and bright fl owers.
Whether or not you practice veganism
or not, it is clear that No. 5 has an inviting
dish for everyone. No one will feel like
they can’t eat anything on the menu or feel
pressured to only eat plant-based foods.
Take it from someone who has eaten a lot
of lousy salads and fries at dinner with
friends due to lack of vegan options: No.
5 is an exceptional place for anyone who
loves food.
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