Corner of Restaurant Row & Austin St.

The going-out-of-business signs caught my eye a couple of months ago and now things are really getting going: some big-time development going in at the corner of Austin Street and Restaurant Row. I know originally the yogurt place was supposed to be turned into some type of Mediterranean grill. Does anyone know if that is still what is happening? It sure would be one mammoth Mediterranean grill if so, since there are now two adjacent storefronts that are part of this development...

New Poll

I haven't done a poll in a long time. Here's a timely one. I am thinking we'll probably find out about this in the next week or two, so while we're all guessing:

More About the Planned Forest Hills Target Store

New Store, Big City: Target to Open in Queens, N.Y., in 2016 

The bright lights, the crowds, the hustle and bustle. When you make your home in the big city, convenience is key. So driving long distances to do your shopping, and loading up on economy-size packs that won’t fit through your apartment door? Not always an option. Target is all about bringing convenience, value and great design closer to home—and since we go where our guests go, we’re customizing each new store to ensure a locally-relevant experience, complete with assortments and shopping solutions that best fit the surrounding neighborhood’s needs. We’re excited to announce our newest flexible format store opening in Forest Hills, Queens, N.Y., in July 2016.

A two-level, 21,000-square-foot space, the Queens Target store will be located near a Long Island Railroad transit stop, easily accessible on foot or by car. It’ll be a quick stop for locals to find pharmacy, fresh grocery with grab-and-go food options, basic apparel (think tees, tanks and C9 active wear for men and women), health and beauty necessities, tech accessories, tablets, mobile phones and more. We’ll stock it with a tailored assortment that caters to city dwellers, including home products perfect for single family homes and condos. And to make each shopping trip as quick and easy as possible, we’ll offer easy fulfillment options like Store Pickup, so guests can place an order online and pick it up at the store for free.

The Queens location is one of two Target stores coming to the Big Apple in 2016. Across the city, we’re designing our 100,000+-square-foot Fulton Street store to cater to residents and students in downtown Brooklyn’s Albee Square, and visitors coming from the nearby DeKalb Avenue subway station. It’ll be stocked with grab-and-go food options, innovative mobile solutions and lots more based on what local guests told us they want most.



It’s all part of our urban growth strategy to reach guests in new places with the right mix of products and shopping experiences—creating more opportunities for guests to shop how, where and when they want. How’s that for convenience?

Most Missed Local Business

I was just thinking how I miss having Staples right here in central Forest Hills. What a pain not to have it within walking distance any more. The car-less, like myself, now have to rely on ordering everything from them online and waiting a day or two to get it, or venturing to some nearby store by subway and then lugging bales of paper, etc. home. What an inconvenience. Do you guys find you can buy most of what they offered at other local stores? And while on the subject, do you miss any other local businesses that have shut their doors?

What's Going on at the Ole OTB?

 What is going on I ask you? We know there is a Red Mango going into the space on the corner. Here's some pics of the inside under construction:

But what is going in to the other part? We heard possibly 7-Eleven a few months ago, and then found out that was not a done deal. And me and my news-hounds think that space is kinda small for a 7-Eleven:

So, we shall see... It's all about as suspenseful as why construction on the "Windsor 2" condo, next to the Key Food, seems to have come to a grinding halt as of several weeks ago, leaving us all to have to squeeeeze in between that dreadful wall of wood and the newstand (especially challenging when the Lotto starts getting up there and the lines start to form). As if that block wasn't pleasant enough before with those sad, old stores, now we have a wooden wall with no sign it will be coming down any time soon...

What Comes After J ?

I guess the Etc. now stands for nothing as J has gone up and vacated the premises...

Closing Time ?

Sadly, or perhaps not sadly depending on how you look at it, there's been a bit of a backlog of news about local stores and restaurants closing. Here's a quick rundown:

- Q Bistro, the restaurant on Ascan that used to be Thai and then reopened with a kind of an eclectic-modern style menu, closed about a week or so ago. I quite possibly was among the last guests at this restaurant. And I was left a bit unnerved by the experience, I have to say. While they had done a nice job of redesigning the restaurant, there really wasn't a lot of logic to what they were doing. For one thing, when you create an open kitchen for your guests to watch the food being made, shouldn't that enhance the dining experience, and not make the visitor uneasy? I sat right across from the open kitchen area as I ate and watching what looked like short-order cooks dump what I swear was cans of tomato sauce into what they were preparing was really not the most dinner-enhancing experience.

And here are a couple of other goners, Clear, an interent service provider on Austin St., and Austin Chemists, a small drugstore on Austin right near Ascan (my friend who lives near there said it seemed they spent more time constructing the store than actually being open.) 

I have a very good feeling about what is happening down on Austin St. near Ascan, by the way. Is it just me, or is that area becoming very interesting, between the amazing La Boulangerie, the very enjoyable Brownies & Cream (I just treated myself tonight to some more of their delectable home made Coffee Brownie ice cream - Boy, they have huge chunks of brownies in there, delish! :) ), and the bizarre, yet conversation-generating Sister Unn's. 

Could my dreams of a cute little independent cafe be next down that way? We've already come awfully close with La Boulangerie. Wouldn't the Q Bistro space make for the perfect little indie cafe, ala Park Slopes' Ozzie's, to hang out in? 

Free Wine Tasting Tomorrow

Mr. Vino is having a free tasting again tomorrow 11/05 from 5pm - 8pm.  Here's the line up:

Soligo Prosecco

2000 Sant' Elena Merlot (This is a really nice older vintage)

2008 Villa Medoro Montepulciano D'Abruzzo 

This delightful, and relatively new, wine shop in Forest Hills is located at 107-02A 71st Avenue, between Cohen's Fashion Optical and Radio Shack.

Our Newest Pharmacy

Continental Pharmacy is located on Austin, across from Banana Republic

Forest Hills to Get 'First Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream Parlor'

Wow, just found this.... look at the last graph ... says it's coming into Forest Hills too.

New York's First Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream Parlor Opens Two Stores on Long Island

Nitro Ice Cream and Frozen Yogurt announces its two flagship stores now open. Nitro is the ‘Terminator in an Ice Cream Cup’ and attempts to provoke associations between cutting edge Science, Ice Cream and iPads. Nitro is the way to characterize a science lab for Ice Cream blended with a Hollywood production for a unique flavor experience. New York's First Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream Parlor!

Nitro lets customers pick your base, flavor, color and mix-in! Patrons are allowed to order an ice cream base (regular, organic, low-fat, soymilk, non-fat yogurt, low-fat yogurt, or sorbet), flavors (chocolate, vanilla, pistachio, wasabi, bacon, snickerdoodle, chip, kitchen sink, pomegranate, gaga and more), colors (hot pink, neon blue, green, yellow, orange, purple, and more), and hundreds of mix-ins/ toppings. Nitroticians wearing goggles and cryogenic protection gloves will assemble your mix- ture, readying it for the ice cream process.

Everything is poured into Nitro's patented-process machines that are connected to a stream of liquid nitrogen at -320F. About halfway through the process, the liquid nitrogen is dispersed resembling Han Solo-frozen blasting in carbonite. Fog is everywhere resembling a Heavy Metal concert. Nitro Ice Cream and Frozen Yogurt Parlors are the first Ice Cream Stores to not have any freezers.

The Ice Cream production looks like some science project gone mad or an over- worked fog machine on the set of “Dancing With the Stars.” Nitro's Ice Cream process is safe, it allows the Ice Cream to contain a smoother, richer creamier texture by eliminating ice particles found in everyday desserts. Nitrogen is naturally found in the air we breath making up almost 80 % of our atmosphere.

 Each Nitro location is now fully equipped with a Toppings Bar. Unlike other Ice Cream and Frozen Yogurt Shops, Nitro's Toppings Bar is All You Can Eat. Nitro was founded by NBA Basketball Player Sebastian Telfair. Sebastian Telfair is one of the NBA brightest stars. Sebastian plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves and was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Sebastian developed the idea with fellow Ice Cream lover Sean Pomper. Sean Pomper, co-creator of “Flavor Spray” which was among Time Magazine’s Most Amazing Inventions of 2005.

 Nitro Head of Franchise Development Neal Menashe, Esq. states, “In Todays economy we at Nitro developed an affordable way for people to license and franchise stores. We kept our start-up costs affordable and franchise fee’s at minimums, so in turn our store owners can evoke a profit as quickly as possible. An Ice Cream store doesn’t have to hurt your pocket in order for you to become a store owner anymore.”

 Nitro Ice Cream and Frozen Yogurt stores are coming and looking to open everywhere. Nitro Merrick at 2326 Merrick Road and Nitro Syosset at 15 Jackson Avenue are New Yorks first locations with developments in Staten Island, Oceanside, Forest Hills and Manhattan.

Some Sweet News

What can we all use on a day when the stock market is tanking? How about some more news about the brownies store opening soon on Austin? The owners sent me an email with lots of delectable details:

"We are making everything onsite daily. Some flavors of Brownies are S'more, Chessecake, Espresso, Caramel and much more. We will also have homemade ice cream and French Macarons. The ice creams will range from Raspberry White Chocolate Ribbon to Peppermint Chocolate Chip.  For the French Macarons we will have Lemon Curd, Dulce de Leche and a few other yummy fillings. We will also serve coffee.  The opening date should be August 25 (hopefully), or anytime 1 to 2 weeks after that."

Thanks for the update guys! 

Our Newest Mystery

So the awning is up where the short-lived "Dare" used to be on Austin. If anyone knows what Sister Unn's is, I'm all ears!

Brownies & Cream's Offerings

A reader was kind enough to grab one of the cards from the store window and scan it, giving us a preview of the delectable-looking treats that await us when Brownies & Cream opens in a couple of weeks:

Dunkin' Donuts Returns!

That's right, after our sad experience with Dunkin's evil Twin (Twin Donut, that is), Dunkin' is staging a comeback in Forest Hills. My top-notch roving reporter just snapped these pics tonight of signs in the former Twin Donut location on 71st/Continental. Dunkin' Donuts hasn't been in central Forest Hills ever since closing its former location on Austin St., near where The Body Shop is today, several years ago.

Mr. Vino Has Arrived

Forest Hills' newest wine shop is now open on 71st/Continental....

A Revitalized Austin St.

I guess this is what makes New York City so special. A year ago, heck, maybe just several months ago, our main shopping district, Austin St., seemed in the doldrums with empty storefronts popping up from one end to the other. What a difference just a few months makes! Consider the following new businesses that have either opened in the past month on or just off Austin, or are about to in the next few:

1.  Agora Taverna (fantastic new Greek restaurant)
2. The newly reopened Q Bistro (a new modern American format for what used to be a Thai restaurant)
3. Exo Cafe (a new relaxed venue for some drinks and lite fare)
4. Marianella's Taqueria (a new casual Mexican eat-in/takeout restaurant)
5. Emily's Sugar Rush (a new candy store?)
6. La Boulangerie (a new French restaurant/bakery?)
7. Energy Green (a delicious new make-your-own salad place)

Party All The TIme

Thanksgiving week is one of my favorite weeks of the year as the holiday season officially gets underway. I just really like the warmth of the holiday season (actually, I think I kind of like the contrast of the cold outside and the warmth the holidays generate in many people, but anyway, I'll save that mush for another post perhaps).

One of the holiday traditions that has found its way into my life over the past few years is a pre-Thanksgiving trip to the Party & Gifts Super Store on the block between 70th Ave. and 70th Road across from MacDonald Park. I go to stock up on all the stuff I need because Thanksgiving has been held at my house over the past few years.

If you've never experienced this store, I have found it to be one of those kinds of places that look kind of tired and rundown on the outside, but are a neighborhood treasure on the inside! I mean, this place has EVERYTHING you could need for entertaining guests, and just about everything to celebrate the holidays.

Walking through its aisles of products is quite an experience. It's chaotic but somehow it all just works! I highly recommend you pay this place a visit at least once this holiday season.