RenWen Noodle Factory Mini-Review

I recently tried out the new RenWen Noodle Factory restaurant on Queens Blvd. near 71st/Continental Ave. and really enjoyed it. I think this new restaurant has figured out a good formula where it has built its menu around a variety of homemade noodles that are put to work in dishes that are innovative, but not intimidating. The menu, in other words, is not too exotic that it won't appeal to fans of traditional Chinese food dishes.

I tried a couple of their different Wonton soups and my main course was a noodle entree with chicken, all of which were excellent.

I also liked how RenWen designed its space. It is a big, inviting space with both tables and booths, all built around a glass-enclosed kitchen at the center.

All in all, I'd give RenWen a grade of an A. It is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. everyday and is located at 107-50 Queens Blvd. in Forest Hills. RenWen does not deliver yet, but I was told they may have delivery soon.

Barstool Rates Nick's Pizza

Thanks to @joeluvstobike for sending me the link...

Coverage of Forest Hills' Growing Chinese Restaurant Scene in The Times

A New Destination for Chinese Food: Not Flushing, but Forest Hills

A corner of Queens better known for delis and pizza parlors has added a critical mass of new (and creative) Chinese restaurants.

Forest Hills Beer Garden - In-depth Review

Edge of the City contributor Mark, owner of the blog mealswithmark.com  recently wrote this review of Cobblestones Pub's new Beer Garden (formerly called the Forest Hills Biergarten), which became quite the popular local hangout this summer:

Cobblestones Pub is located at 117-18 Queens Blvd.  It’s in Forest Hills but closer to Kew Gardens. When you walk through a metal door inside the pub, you are transported into a whole new world. While I found the inside of the pub a bit drab and dreary-looking, the outdoor space is a different story entirely - beautifully decorated down to every detail. The grounds were covered in AstroTurf and feature picnic benches with white umbrellas.  The walls surrounding the beer garden are decorated with cool and quirky art all around and feature a waterfall on one wall which was coming from faux beer taps.

What also made this outdoor space super cute and unique too is it had games throughout the space, so if you are enjoying a beer or a cocktail with your friends, you can have fun too. They had a bean bag toss and in one corner a huge Jenga game (which is a fun game to play when you are drinking). If you are not a gamer, they have something for everyone.  On the tables they also featured connect four games and backgammon. On the walls with the great artwork are also big screen TVs (one was playing the Yankees game and the other, the Mets, while top music hits was playing in the background.)

We were told we could sit anywhere. We found a picnic table and our server brought us over some menus. This is a beer garden, so I recommend trying a beer they have on top. They feature an interesting selection of beers. Unfortunately, we didn’t try any, but I have an eye on a few I would like to try next time we visit. I am leaning towards either Schofferhofer Grapefruit (yes Grapefruit beer) or the Spaten Oktoberfest.

The beer comes in two sizes -- a ½ liter for $8 and a liter for $15 -- and is served in a beer stein.  We decided since they have a great $5 margarita special we went with that instead of the beer.  I had two, the first was a frozen original margarita which in my opinion was lacking flavor and was mostly ice and little alcohol.  Hey what do you expect for $5, right?  For the second one I got an original margaritas on the rocks. They redeemed themselves a bit on this one - you could actually taste the tequila and the lime. It still wasn’t great, but it was decent for the price and the atmosphere. 

We also got the chips and guacamole to start with while we continued to gander at  the menu and converse and catch up with our friend.  The chips and guacamole was a tad disappointing.  The chips were slightly stale in taste, but the guacamole was pretty good.  It was traditional guacamole, so you can’t go wrong.

The menu consisted of a mix of German and American fare and the prices were decent for what they were offering.  I went with the Philly cheese steak which was smothered in cheddar cheese and sauteed onions served on a pretzel bun.  It came with a side of fries.  The fries were quite good.  They were beer battered and fried to perfection.  The Philly cheesesteak (which was a recommendation from our server) did not disappoint.  It was packed with flavor and was delicious.  It paired well with the grilled pretzel bun.  Great food choice for the atmosphere and the drinks. 

My partner ordered the Buffalo Chicken wrap. Crispy fried chicken , lettuce, tomato, buffalo sauce, and blue cheese.  He chose German Potato Salad with his (you have the option of that or french fries).  We always split our food when we go out so we can try more things.  The wrap was delicious.  The chicken was fried on point and it had all the right amounts of filling. It was also wrapped perfectly and didn’t fall apart.  The German Potato Salad was okay, it did lack a little flavor, but if you add some salt and ketchup it’s decent enough.

Both dishes we ordered I would order again, they were both that good. I would, however, skip the German Potato Salad and the chips and guacamole.  Not worth the waste of carbs. For a side definitely go with the fries. Next time I will be trying one of their unique beers and for appetizer I will be leaning towards either their mac and cheese bites, fried pickles, or their Steak Tidbits. There are so many good and unique choices. 

I definitely highly recommend Cobblestones Pubs’ hidden gem, their Beer Garden.  The atmosphere was amazing, and it is a great time to enjoy with friends and family outdoors.  Great music, great selection of drinks (skip the frozen margaritas, go with a beer or two), and great food (definitely come with an appetite).

Check out Meals with Mark - Meals prepared with love for some great recipes and other food experiences.  

5 Burro Café Review

Location: 72-05 Austin Street Forest Hills, NYC

Hours: 12:00PM - 4:00AM — 7 Days a week

Hi, it’s Mark again, from mealswithmark.com , with another local restaurant review.  My partner and I have been cohabitating in Forest Hills for almost two years now and we are always looking out for and trying new restaurants to wow us with their food and ambiance.  We have had a lot of hits and misses in Forest Hills.  But surprisingly a lot of hits lately.  We both enjoy a good meal out every so often with amazing food, great ambiance, and incredible company. Our culinary escape took us to 5 Burro Café  on Austin Street in Forest Hills.

We have been wanting to try 5 Burro for quite some time.  Whenever we mention to people that we live in Forest Hills, everyone raves about 5 Burro and they are surprised we haven’t tried it.  They can’t stop talking about how great the food and the drinks are and how much fun they have when they go.

We have walked by on many occasions and after hearing how loud and seeing how packed they were, we said 'no thanks' and we kept walking and found some mediocre place to eat or just gave up and went home and I whipped something up.  Packed and extremely loud is a turn-off.  Before the Forest Hills faithful starts on their rants, see above. We have had more hits than misses lately. We have actually discovered and had some pretty amazing meals as of late in our neck of the woods. 

Since 5 Burro is always loud and packed at night we decided to check them out on a Saturday during lunch time. We were pleasantly surprised when we arrived and there was not a crowd of people outside and the noise level was at a bearable level. 

Upon entering the restaurant, it reminded me of our many trips to Mexico and eating at some of the local establishments. The décor and the feel of the restaurant definitely felt authentic. The restaurant was cute, quaint, and cozy, but definitely small in size, which explains why it is always so loud and packed when we walk by.  

When I go out for a meal I don’t want to have to wait 45 minutes to an hour to get a table and I want to be able to hear my dinner companion and be able to have a conversation without screaming.  A restaurant’s appearance is one of the things that weighs heavily with me when I pick a place when I eat out.  The food is the most important, but experience is as well.  So, my first impression of 5 Burro Café was a pleasant surprise, after walking by some many times and being turned off.

We started out our meal with frozen margaritas.  Before going to 5 Burro we read some reviews on Yelp, but I always make my own opinion of a place.  That’s what is great about a review, there can be many different views on the same place.  But, we chose the frozen margaritas after reading the reviews ahead of time. 5 Burro is known for their margaritas.  We went with the classic.  They were delicious but could have had a tad bit more tequila.  This drink definitely hit the spot on this warm Saturday afternoon.  It was $8, which was a great price for a 16oz. drink.  5 Burro also brings you out some fresh chips and salsa and it pairs well with their frozen margaritas.

For starters, we went with the Aguacate Relleno which was an Avocado stuffed with Shrimp and smothered with fresh veggies, spices, and 5 Burro Café’s homemade house dressing.  This dish was refreshing with a great, unique blend of spices and flavor.  You can go with a half order or a full order.  We went with the half order, which I am glad we did since I filled up on the free chips and salsa. 

Since when my partner and I go out to eat we share, we took awhile going through the menu and picking two choices.  We asked our server for recommendations and he seemed knowledgeable about his recommendations on the menu, but he didn’t talk excitedly about anything.  When I go out, I always ask the server their suggestion because you can really see their passion for the establishment that they work for and what they are excited about and that they think everyone should try.  I didn’t feel like he had a personal favorite or anything excited him.  Usually, I go with my server's recommendation, but not this time.  Don’t get me wrong the service as a whole was good. 

I went with the Ensalada Mexicana Con Carne.  This consisted of fresh mixed greens, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, steak, lime, avocado, and topped with original 5 Burro Dressing.  First the positives.  The steak was seasoned and cooked very well.  The veggies on the salad was crispy and fresh and the portion size was very large.  On the flip side, there were way too many onions, a little less would have balanced out the salad better.  The 5 Burro original dressing was very flavorful, but was a tad bit watery.  I like my dressing a little thicker so it sticks to my salad to give it that flavorful kick.  Overall a great steak salad, which most places don’t get right.

My partner went with the Fajitas De Salmon.  Grilled Salmon served with grilled onions, mixed peppers, rice, beans, pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream and choice of flour or corn tortillas.  The salmon was flaky and cooked perfectly.  When all the ingredients wrapped together in the warm tortilla wrap, it was a delicious explosion of subtle flavors in your mouth.  Besides the salmon, the standout on this dish was the seasoned rice and the black beans with the crumbled cojito cheese on top.  Usually when both of us go out for Mexican food, the rice and bean sides are a second thought, but at 5 Burro, it complemented and paired so well with the fajitas and tasted delicious, so skipping it was not an option.

Due to the yummy frozen margaritas, the free chips and salsa, the appetizer, and our large portion meals, we had no room for dessert.  But it is worth mentioning, 5 Burro does offer Flan and Apple Chimichanga for dessert.  

  

I highly recommend 5 Burro Café. I recommend for the first time to try it during the day for lunch to avoid the crowds and noise.  But it is also a fun place to hang out with friends after work or on the weekends for some appetizers and so good drinks. Just keep in mind it gets packed and loud during peak hours.

Check out their menu at: http://5burrocafe.com/

Follow them on Social media and share your photos and your experience there!

https://twitter.com/5burrocafe

https://www.facebook.com/5BurroCafe/

https://www.instagram.com/5burrocafe/

Also check out my other local restaurant reviews:

http://edgeofthecityblog.blogspot.com/2018/05/restaurant-review-guantanamera.html

http://edgeofthecityblog.blogspot.com/2018/04/compadres-77-restaurant-review.html

https://mealswithmark.com/numero-28-pizzeria-review/

Compadres 77 Restaurant Review

My name’s Mark, founder and creator of the everything food blog Mealswithmark.com!  I started the blog because I love and enjoy cooking and want to share my recipes and my culinary discoveries with others. Compadres 77 has a few drawbacks, but the one possible saving grace might actually be the food! Join me in my experience at Compadres 77’s new location in Forest Hills.

Compadres 77 is a New Mexican restaurant that opened about three weeks ago in the former location of the Italian restaurant Tuscan Hills (a Forest Hills staple which moved to another location in Forest Hills) located on busy Queens Blvd.

With a lot of competition in Forest Hills for Mexican fare, does Compadres 77 have what it takes to survive?

Upon walking into Compadres 77 with my partner, it was a cute place, but will definitely not sweep you off your feet with a wow factor! It had minimal decor and lacked ambiance. The restaurant felt like more of a fast food restaurant/take out place like Chipotle or Dos Torros, than a fine dining experience, but we were keeping open minds.  The Mexican music was a nice added touch to make up for the lack of ambiance.  They should definitely try to hide the huge refrigerator that you see when you walk through the doors. 

We were not approached when we first entered the restaurant, but when we finally were, we were told we could just sit anywhere. Since there was no better section than others we just chose a random seat.

We were given menus and not told much else. The server asked if we wanted anything to drink and we asked for water, which took some time to get to our table. *just a side not, they were not that busy.

We asked our server for a drink menu because when going to a Mexican restaurant, we love having a margarita on the rocks with some amazing authentic Mexican food! The server informed us that they don’t serve alcohol and was not sure when or if they would be getting it in the future. He did not offer us any other drink options besides the water!

Our server brought us over complimentary tortilla chips and salsa and we ordered guacamole for starters. He brought us over the guacamole and didn’t offer us any additional chips, we had to ask for more ourselves. The guacamole was good, not amazing but definitely fresh and tasty. However, it would have been nice if they came to the table and made the guacamole in front of you like they do at some other Mexican Restaurants (example: El coyote). It would have added to the ambiance and the character of the place.

My partner and I always order different things on the menu so we have the opportunity to try more stuff because we share. :). My partner ordered a beef quesadilla and I ordered a couple of tacos.

Let’s start with the quesadilla. The beef quesadilla was surprising delicious. The beef was very tender and the quesadilla was packed with cheese, which we both love! The server also brought over two sauces and sour cream to dip the quesadillas in! The Green sauce was a nice added kick along with the sour cream!

I ordered two tacos and we split them in half.   I ordered the fried Pork and the Chorizo Tacos.  They came plated nicely and loaded with onions and cilantro with a side of lime and radishes to add to the tacos.  The tacos were very tasty.  The meat was seasoned and cooked well.  But again, they were good but nothing special.  Even though they were two different tacos with different meats, they tasted identical.  There was nothing distinguishing one from the next.   We both said they taste similar to the tacos from the Taco Truck on Austin Street for the same price.

We ended up deciding to order a dessert to share.  We asked the server if the desserts were made in house, he stated no but they were all delicious.  That was disappointing.  In my opinion, when a restaurant does not make their dessert in house, they lose some credibility.  We decided to go with the Tres Leches Cake.  Tres Leches is my favorite Mexican dessert and one of my all time favorite desserts.  The Tres Leches sauce was good, but the cake to me tasted stale.   It was a disappointing piece of cake. 

In summary, I feel Compadres 77 needs to step up their game some if they are going to survive in Forest Hills.   First, they need to spruce up their appearance and ambiance.  They need to add more Mexican flare and décor.  They need to make themselves stand out from the crowd of other Mexican restaurants.  Maybe even add some live music.   They have to show the El Coyote and the 5 Burro Café regulars that they deserve their patronage too. 

Second, they need to work on either obtaining a liquor license or allowing for BYOB.  Guests not having the option to order a drink or have drinks with their meals, will limit their clientele.   A lot of people that go out to dinner versus having dinner at home want that option/availability.  Who wouldn’t want a Margarita with some good Mexican food after a long and stressful day at the office?

Third area of improvement would be their customer service.  They need to do a better job training their staff to be more attentive to their customers.  Check in on them more frequently and asking questions.  Also, make the guacamole table side - this would add to the customer service and would also add to the ambiance and the experience.  If you advertise that it is fresh, show your customers that.

Lastly, make sure the desserts you serve are fresh, if not don’t serve them.  Better yet, get someone in house that can make desserts.  It would give the place more credibility.

The one plus that Compadres 77 has in its favor, is the food is pretty darn good!  They just have to build off of that!  They have potential to be a great addition to the neighborhood.

Compadres 77 is located at 115-20 Queens Blvd., at the corner of 77th Ave in Forest Hills.

Check out my review of Numero 28 on Restaurant Row in Forest Hills:

https://mealswithmark.com/numero-28-pizzeria-review/

Or just check out my blog at https://mealswithmark.com for some great recipes for your next weeknight dinner!

Until next time!  Have a delicious day!

Queens Bully - A Tremendous Accomplishment

It's incredible to think that it was only back in March when we first heard of the plans for Queens Bully - a new BBQ restaurant planned for Queens Blvd., where the former Baluchi's Indian restaurant used to be. Now, just four months later, Queens Bully is a reality, and what an awesome addition to Forest Hills it is!

I went for the first time last night and as I try to focus on my day job this morning, my mind keeps wanting to remind me of those delicious brisket leftovers burning a hole in my fridge, covered in that awesome Queens Bully BBQ sauce.

Yes, Queens Bully was that good - based on my first visit. Unfortunately, however, this can only be a partial review at this time since the place was all out of baby back ribs, to my enormous disappointment. But, living just a few blocks away, no biggie. Hiccups are commonplace with any new restaurant and I always expect them -- I have been to sooo many openings in this neighborhood and every restaurant has had them. I recall waiting over an hour for Banter to give us food when it first opened and today that place is incredible.

In fact, what was most surprising to me about Queens Bully was how little newbie hiccups it seems to have! The main courses -- a brisket platter and a pulled pork sandwich -- came out in 15 minutes, and were absolutely delicious. The service was exceedingly professional and excellent. The place itself looks amazing. Even the bathroom was spotless.

So, consider this my Review Part 1 of Queens Bully. I will return soon for those ribs, and probably some chicken to boot. Until now, that delectable brisket will have to suffice, and no complaints here!

The place was nice and quiet when I arrived around 6:45 p.m. Tuesday, but not for long...

An indulgent and delicious S'mores dessert rounded out a perfect summer BBQ meal

New Restaurant Review: The Bund

Forest Hills finally has a basic, go-to Chinese restaurant that's actually good. It's been a long time in coming. As I've posted earlier, we have a ton of other Asian places - Thai, Japanese, Asian fusion, sushi - but for some reason a simple Chinese restaurant that was actually really good had been beyond our reach. These other places are great, but sometimes—God damnit!—you just want a freakin' egg roll and pork freakin' fried rice and don't want to pay through the nose to get it!

We've ordered in from The Bund, the new Chinese restaurant that opened in the former Knish Nosh space along Queens Blvd., enroute to Rego Park, a few times and I find their food to remind me of the excellent Chinese food I grew up eating on Long Island: Reasonably-priced (actually dirt-cheap compared to the 'fancy' Asian places we're already brimming with), filling and delicious!

Now, Long Island Chinese food wasn't the more "authentic" Chinese you find in Chinatown here in the City or in Flushing, but for dishes that satisfy that American Chinese food craving - spare ribs, egg rolls, fried rice, Lo mein, Chicken and Broccoli, Kung Pao - you know what I'm talking about - the places on Long Island and other NYC suburbs, just couldn't be beat. Sure, they were devastating to the waist line, but sometimes you just gotta say what the hell!

Anyone looking for THAT kind of Chinese food, old-fashioned, authentic NY-style, should be pleased by the basics at The Bund. I found the choices mentioned above all excellent, and pretty much stuck to the flavors and style that I grew up with. The only difference I noticed was when it came to the egg rolls, which had an interesting slightly peppery flavor. I can't vouch for the more complicated offerings on their menu. But if you try them, let us all know.

The one drawback I found was in the Hot and Sour Soup. I find this issue with so many Chinese restaurants in the City today: these soups are always kinda hot (if not just plain salty) but there's barely any "sour," unless you go to a more pricey place. Why is that? The same thing at The Bund. Don't forget the sour in your Hot and Sour Soup!

Grade: A

The Bund is located at 100-30 Queens Blvd. in Forest Hills. They are open Sunday - Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and Friday - Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. And, they deliver to central Forest Hills!! (718) 275-8000

The Bund's Kung Pao Chicken, pork fried rice and egg rolls - full calorie, indulgent and delish! ENJOY!

Restaurant Review: OvoSodo

Oh, to keep up with all the restaurants now in Forest Hills! It's a full-time job these days. Yes, there are still a few old-time places that have bucked the trend—Portofino, T-Bone Diner, for example—and managed to stay in business despite all the new competition. But the fact is they are facing an uphill battle that gets more difficult every other month it seems as the next new place opens up. In just the past several years, so many new restaurants have opened in Forest Hills, the dining scene here has gone from one stuck in the mid-1970s, with maybe four or five decent, and I use the word decent generously, restaurants, to one that's overflowing with excellent choices.

Recently, I decided to pay another visit to one spot that hasn't gotten as much attention since the awesome places like Station House, Banter and Jack & Nellie's have opened. And that is the Italian diner/restaurant OvoSodo, located on Queens Blvd. just around the corner from Ascan.

OvoSodo is a very interesting place. It's half gourmet italian restaurant, and half diner. That's really the best way to put it. At different times of day you can get pretty much any kind of food you'd get in a good diner. For breakfast, there's your standard bacon and eggs fare, for example. At night, for dinner, it takes on more of an Italian restaurant feel.

And that is mostly because it's excellent sister Italian restaurant, Tuscan Hills, is located just a few blocks further down Queens Blvd., towards Kew Gardens.

And that's another element that makes OvoSodo so interesting. Tuscan Hills serves some of the same dishes OvoSodo does. But there are some differences. For example, while Tuscan Hills' pizza is to die for—some of the best in the City—OvoSodo takes the pizza experience further, offering a different style of pizza altogether (square slices, for instance) and a much broader variety.

At my recent visit, I had the Salsiccia pizza: Tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and sausage. It was awesome. Light, not heavy like traditional NY style pizza, but overflowing with mouth-watering flavor.

OvoSodo's Salsiccia pizza, with mouth-watering sausage.

We also had the meat lasagna, also excellent.

So the food is terrific. But what I also love about OvoSodo is the atmosphere. Each restaurant feeds off its location. An establishment can't help but be influenced by where it is situated in this great big city of ours. And here, even within the confined borders of Forest Hills proper, where a restaurant is located influences its look, its feel, and its atmosphere.

By situating OvoSodo along Queens Blvd., that decision can't help but affect the overall feel, and purpose, of this particular restaurant. When we visited, during a weekend evening around 8p.m., we noticed it was only half-full. Since this place is a bit off-the-beaten path, it wasn't hard to imagine that the influx of weekend diners to Forest Hills had gotten so far as Austin Street and its side-streets, and then stopped there. OvoSodo is in a spot frequented by locals—and that's about it. There'd be no reason for visitors to find it, really. The fact is, the block it's on, along with most of that strip of Queens Blvd.—on both sides—has seen much better days.

And that's probably the reason we are starting to see such an interesting dining scene arise along Queens Blvd. now. The atmosphere—speeding cars, old apartment buildings, could not be more dreadful for a restaurant—but the new restaurants that are opening along the Boulevard are doing wondrous things with both cuisine and with the atmosphere inside their walls. You would not know you are eating at a place with multiple lanes of inappropriate-for-a-residential neighborhood traffic racing by outside.

And that's why there's been a spate of attractive new restaurants opening along these blocks of Queens Boulevard, and not Austin Street. The rents just gotta be a ton lower than along Austin, which a Shake Shack can probably easily afford (praise the lord!) but which an entrepreneurial restauranteur just cannot—at least in its early-going.

OvoSodo makes use of the urbanized atmosphere of Queens Blvd. by incorporating a dinerish feel; it's a place you can spend hours refilling that cup of coffee. It's not overcrowded like so many of the other hip new places that have opened in and around Austin Street. (Even, unfortunately, Red Pipe, which I love, but is a tiny spot and could benefit from a much bigger space.)

And that is what I love about OvoSodo—it's open, it's airy, it gives you room to breathe—and to delight in some awesome food to boot. Try it out if you haven't already.