Lefkos Pirgos - A Little Birthday Celebration

This weekend was my family's birthday. This might sound strange I know, but believe it or not, my mom, dad and brother do in fact have three consecutive birthdays in the month of August. We celebrated at the Beer Garden with good friends and great food--everyone had a blast. My mom even bought a cheesecake from the Greek bakery, Lefkos Pirgos but they wouldn't let us serve it (even after asking them nicely in Slovak). They run a tight ship over there--boo!

Anyway, the party continued at Casa de Dan and Foodista where we devoured the decadent cheesecake. It was good but also really heavy and so rich that we only managed one slice each.

A lot of you might be familiar with Lefkos, on the corner of 31st Street and 23rd Avenue. It's been around for a while and they're known for their Greek pastries, especially baklava and walnut cake. While they don't have the best rep in terms of service and atmosphere, the baked goods are fantastic. Just take a look at this beautiful cake!

Strawberry Cheesecake:

My mom chose this because it's my brother's favorite. I loved that it was topped with fresh strawberries but what I didn't dig so much was the fake strawberry gelatinous concoction, also on top. The inside was delicious and creamy--it tasted like it had a hint of sour cream in it. The outside was surrounded by crushed walnuts which gave it even more substance. Overall, a great birthday treat but I'd only eat it for that occasion, as this cake is way too high in fat and calories.

Lefkos Pirgos - 22-85 31st Street, Astoria NY 11105

718.932.4423

N/W Train to Ditmars Blvd (last stop)

And P.S., look at the belated birthday gift that I got from my brother and his girlfriend, Fiana. How cool are those?! I'll be showcasing some of my creations in them real soon.