BY BRADLEY HAWKS
On Oct. 7, Twitter exploded with the landing of one of the world’s most uniquely talented singers and actresses right in the heart of Astoria, Queens. While images of Lady Gaga were retweeted and shared across every corner of social media, the reason behind her appearance is the real reason we took notice and reached out for a closer look.
The Pomeroy is a new neighborhood restaurant in Astoria under the brilliant direction of Bo O’Connor—who was most recently the personal chef for childhood friend Lady Gaga on her world tour.
O’Connor’s menu features seasonal and fun new American fare that includes snacks such as frickles (fried pickles) with yogurt dill dip and arancini (rice balls) with porcini and Fontina Val D’Aosta. Small plates range from deep-fried mozzarella triangles to a mound of mashed avocado crowned grapefruit wedges, chili, lemon zest and a bird’s nest of pea shoots accompanied by toast points.
Knockout entrees include an exquisitely juicy fried half or whole chicken accompanied with honey carrot and jalapeño dipping sauces, a skirt steak with herb chimuchurri, or a luxurious mound of red wine and chipotle braised short ribs.
Desserts like the insanely addictive brown butter pecan bars round out the menu, and you won’t want to stop before diving into a rich boat of banana bread pudding blanketed in dark chocolate.
A seasonal cocktail menu features twists on the classics, like the Pom-Sidecar with cognac, fresh pineapple and lemon juice, and a cherry—or the Ditmars Blvd., with whiskey, honey, fresh lemon juice, smoked lemon peel and rosemary.
In step with O’Connor’s vision, British designer Benjamin Kay of Adorn Designs reinvented the food-centric London gastropub in a uniquely New York way in his design of The Pomeroy. The relaxed, sun-filled, 50-seat room features high ceilings and warm, wood-paneled walls with cream bead boards and moldings.
The space has simple, hand-crafted tables alongside vintage green porcelain and white tin lighting from the 1940s, all salvaged from an old factory in Massachusetts. Bringing the space to life are classic mirrors, original hand-drawn illustrations, and vintage photographs from many classic American design periods. The 16-seat bar features hard white pine repurposed from an old bowling alley.
Whether you are a Gypsy, an Americano, or you were Born This Way, you can relax your Poker Face and Just Dance over to Ditmars. The Pomeroy is serving up some crazy good food in a cozy new atmosphere that is sort of making us go Gaga.
The Pomeroy NYC
Open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday at 5 p.m.
36-12 Ditmars Blvd., Astoria, NY 11105
718-721-1579
