One of our absolute favorite places in Astoria to eat dinner when we’re feeling fancy is The Astor Room. The ambiance, the food, and the cocktails always satisfy – so you can imagine how excited we were to hear about their new Spring menu. We had the chance to stop by and try out some of the latest additions. We made sure our plans coincided with a night of Actoria – which is every Wednesday from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m, and is hosted by the awesome Josh Bardier. It’s always a great time, and there’s more and more audience members every time we stop by.
So, we headed out with our stomachs ready, and in the mood for a show!
We started off with cocktails, because the Astor Room has some seriously killer drinks. We try to taste a different one each time we stop by, and this time was no different.
We had the Rangoon Gimlet and the Georgia Georgia, both of which are exclusive to the new spring menu.

 

 

The Rangoon Gimlet comes with gin or vodka (we had vodka), fresh lime juice, lime cordial, and Angostura bitters. It’s tart, but really refreshing – it’s reminiscent of a sort of lime mojito.
The Georgia Georgia is made with Fords Gin, fresh basil, lime juice, rosemary syrup, Fee Brothers orange bitters, and soda float. It’s definitely sweeter than the Rangoon Gimlet, but just as springy and refreshing.

 

 

Lately, we’ve been on the hunt for more vegan and vegetarian options. We’re meat lovers, but we like to find spots in Astoria that are embracing a more eclectic menu, and reaching out to more audiences. The Astor Room has definitely included some great vegetarian dishes this time around – like the Buratta Caprese, which we started off with.

 

 

It has layered tomatoes, balsamic reduction, micro basil and sea salt. Normally, you’d expect mozzarella in a caprese salad, but using the buratta seriously takes this to another level.

 

We also had the Grilled Spring Onions and Zucchini, which are covered in this really light, Spanish inspired Romesco sauce that’s really full of flavor and pairs perfectly with the vegetables.

 

 

Now…we’re not good at resisting great steak dishes, so you know we ordered the Steak Frites. It’s one of the best sellers that’s remained on the Astor Room’s menu for quite some time now, and there’s a reason why: it’s really good. It comes with hand-cut thyme fries that are really crunchy and light, and a side of peppercorn sauce. The main star, though, is the Primy NY strip steak – which we got perfectly medium rare.

 

 

Another great entrée we tried was the Prime Skirt Steak (sensing a pattern? We love steak). It comes with smashed fingerling potatoes, grilled spring onions, asparagus and chimichuri.

 

 

Not pictured: the Red Snapper. If you like seafood, this is a great one. It’s done really well for spring, in that it feels really light, but also really filling. It’s pan seared and paired with an unusual side: corn fondue and fried corn. It sounds odd, but somehow the two complement each other extremely well.
We also had the seared scallops, and if you like things a bit on the spicy side, you need these. They’re perfectly pan seared, and topped with really fresh, really crunchy jalapenos that completely juxtapose the creaminess of the scallops. They also have a complete different flavor when paired with their orange segments on the side, and the flash sautéed collard greens. It’s all topped off with just a drizzle of olive oil, which ties it all together.

 

 

As a side, we had the quinoa with cranberries and mint, which is also another great vegetarian option. The flavor of the quinoa is really great, and the mint and cranberries take it in a different direction than we’ve normally had our quinoa. It’s really good, and really filling – you never realize just how heavy quinoa feels.

 

 

Overall, we really loved our entire meal. We’re glad to see that the Astor Room updated with some really awesome new additions, but also that they kept a lot of our favorites. Their burger and pasta menu has largely stayed the same, and we don’t mind one bit – why fix it if it ain’t broke?

 

 
Now – we want one lucky reader to try out the new menu as well, and what better time than Father’s Day? We’ve got a FREE $50 Father’s Day gift card to giveaway… who wants it? Enter here!

 

 

The Astor Room 
34-12 36th Street
Astoria, NY 11106
(718) 255-1947