Sparrow - 24-01 29th Street, Astoria, NY 11102718.606.2260
N/W Train to Astoria Blvd.
You all know that I love frequenting this awesome neighborhood spot. And as I mentioned, the chef here--Reyes--is one of the more interesting and talented characters in town. Besides cooking up impeccable basics and putting inventive spins on all of them, Reyes is known for his unflinching love of his menu--and he will not change anything on it! I had the pleasure of meeting this talented man and have to say that his gregarious manner and toothy smile certainly won me over--even more! Go ahead and try Sparrow--the atmosphere, food and drinks are all spot on.
And let's not forget the delish grub that Dan and I had this evening:
Vegetarian Chili:
Although the regular soup special wasn't available, Reyes offered a hearty veggie chili instead, which was especially good, given the sub polar weather. The dish came festively decorated--as usual--with surrounding tortilla chips and a huge roasted jalapeno pepper. Of course Dan and I didn't dare sink our teeth into the green monster, but the chili itself was out of this world. Hearty with a hint of sweetness, it was rich in color and packed with delicious chopped vegetables. The price was a bit much for soup, $9.50 but we split it and loved it so much that we didn't care.
Pain Perdu:
Now, this is something new and different! Kind of looks like a pancake but tastes a thousand times better. It has a soft bread texture that's infused with all things indulgent--chocolate, butterscotch and maple syrup. Not only is this awesome but you won't feel like a big cow after eating it. I split this with Dan and it was perfectly satiating and not overly gratuitous. The cost is $8 which is also a little steep for dessert but I recommend going dutch with someone to save dough. You can also read about this dish from our friends, Joey in Astoria.
Since you're in with Reyes, maybe we can have a little sit-down about swapping out the onion jam for raspberry?? Work your magic, foodista!!
ReplyDeleteI don't know if we're there yet :)
ReplyDeleteI do loves me some vegetarian chili - thanks for the heads up! And yeah, that pain perdu is pretty fabulous. I've had it twice now and it was great both times. Yum!
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