A new restaurant in Astoria has jumped on the cannabidiol (CBD) bandwagon.
Adriaen Block (19-33 Ditmars Blvd.) opened its doors on Wednesday, Aug. 8, serving up a curated selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and food made with CBD tinctures. This new addition adds to the growing number of CBD and medical marijuana businesses in Queens.
The menu features boozy CBD beverages, with names like Bakin’ & Eggs, a combination of Lillet Blanc, Pineau des Charentes, blood orange bitters, egg white and crispy bacon, and Stoney Negroni, made with Cocchi Americano, Tio Pepe dry sherry, Floc de Gascogne, Angostura bitters. There are also cocktails available without CBD, like the eponymous Adriaen Block that combines Cocchi Americano, Madeira, allspice bitters and bay leaf.
Those interested in non-alcoholic CBD drinks can sip on Garden & Tonic, a drink made with Seedlip Garden, Indian Tonic and fresh peas and a blackberry shrub, basil and egg white concoction called Blackberry-Basil Sour.
In addition, the restaurant offers up a menu of tasty morsels, which they’ve appropriately named “munchies.” Guests can order plates of thick-cut Nueske’s Bacon, hand-cut steak tartare, cheese and charcuterie boards, as well as Faroe Island wild salmon, a burger and three cuts of steak. An optional CBD sauce is available upon request.
Vegetarians can enjoy dishes like Vinetta, a Transylvanian eggplant spread with pita bread and the famous Beyond Burger, a meatless patty served with caramelized onions, plum tomato jam and feta on naan with fries.
For dessert, try the molten chocolate cake or key lime pie topped with CBD-infused whipped cream on top.
Zsolt “George” Csonka, the restaurant’s owner, worked for The ONE Group in New York City and Las Vegas before opening the Astoria restaurant. He started becoming interested in health and wellness trends, including CBD (cannabidiol) which is a legal THC-free product made from hemp.
The owner was fascinated with the benefits of CBD, which reportedly aids with alleviating anxiety, pain and inflammation with no psychoactive side effects or “high” feelings.
His focus on health and wellness led the restaurateur to open Adriaen Block, named for the 17th Century Dutch explorer who navigated Hell Gate connecting the East River and Long Island Sound.
For more information on Adriaen Block visit adriaenblocknyc.com or @adriaen.block.nyc on Instagram. The full drinks and food menu are included below.
