By Suzanne Parker
On our way to somewhere else, we were reminded as we passed by, that we had always meant to try Brick Café on 31st Avenue in Astoria. When we arrived at our intended destination we realized that Brick Café looked much more inviting. A quick change of plans was made, and we were headed back up 31st Avenue. It turned out to be the right decision.
The menu is mostly Italian at Brick Cafe, but the ambiance is French bistro. One glance around leaves no doubt how it got its name. Red brick is everywhere—exposed on most of the interior walls, and original to the exterior. Lace café curtains grace the windows. Miniature bouquets of fresh rosemary adorn the tables. The well priced wine list (lots of bottles to choose from in the 20-something range) is printed on the labels of empty wine bottles. Its two rooms — one a bar/lounge, the other the restaurant — wrap around the corner, surrounding by outdoor tables, weather permitting. Very Euro.
Upon arrival, gratis kalamata olive tapenade amused our bouche with its earthy saltiness. We followed up with a bountiful cold antipasto, which featured a smoked mozzarella with a lusciously creamy interior along with prosciutto, cacciatorino (hunter’s salami made with beef, pork and pancetta), roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes and olives.
The salad roster is all very substantial. Unless it is the centerpiece of your meal, plan to share. Our Brick salad combined hearts of palm with chickpeas, tomatoes, and shavings of parmesan in a way that felt both Mediterranean and seasonal. Perfect for al fresco dining in the waning days of summer.
Thoughtfully chosen pastas run the gamut from vegan pleasers like fresh spinach fettucine with shiitake mushrooms, chopped tomatoes, garlic and olive oil to fresh rigatoni with veal ragu for the hard-core carnivores, with all shades in between. Our pasta of the day featured artichokes and pancetta in a light tomato sauce with plenty of garlic.
Entrees here are well priced, with many options under $20. Grilled orata was attractively butterflied and seared on the exterior by the grill, yet its interior remained moist and delicate, as it should. Orata, or sea bream, is popular throughout the Mediterranean, and was sacred to Aphrodite in ancient times.
The chicken rollatini stuffed with prosciutto and mozzarella in a shiitake mushroom and light tomato sauce was not as successful. The chicken was tough and dry, the result either of overcooking or reheating.
The crème caramel that completed our meal with was everything a crème caramel should be, and leads us to believe that desserts are a good investment of calories here.
The Bottom Line
While many restaurants start out with a bang and gradually drift downhill, Brick Café is a restaurant that has hit its stride and stayed there. It offers well prepared, moderately priced Italian/Continental fare with plenty of charm thrown in for good measure.
Suzanne Parker is the TimesLedger’s restaurant critic and author of “Eating Like Queens: A Guide to Ethnic Dining in America’s Melting Pot, Queens, N.Y.” She can be reached by e-mail at qnsfoodie@aol.com.
Brick Cafe
30-95 33rd St.
Astoria, NY 11102-1457
(718) 267-2735
Price Range: Appetizers $8-15, entrees: $12-29
Cuisine: Mostly Italian with some French and Mediterranean offerings
Setting: Early yard sale
Service: Friendly, professional
Hours: Lunch and dinner daily, Sunday brunch
Reservations: Optional
Alcohol: Full license
Parking: Street
Dress: Casual
Children: Welcome
Music: No
Takeout: Yes
Credit Cards: Yes
Noise Level: In good weather when the French doors are open to the street, the street noises may be intrusive
Handicap Accessible: Yes
