Astoria's Ukus will soon be truckin' to Manhattan

A bite-sized piece of sirnica (cheese pie) topped with ajvar & kajmak

Ukus (42-08 30th Ave., Astoria)

Open daily from 10AM to 11PM (718) 267-8587

The dining room is tiny, clean, and simple, but nearly always full, the glass door perpetually swinging open with several more eager locals waiting at the counter for take-home orders.  No one so much as even glances at the menus, stacked tidily by the cash register as if unopened for months.  The room of pistachio green walls and exposed brick seats little more than twenty people, predominantly southeastern European, who quietly gaze at soccer on the two flat screen televisions while tearing pieces of freshly steamed bread pockets to pinch up house made sausages with creamy cow's milk cheese curds and garlic-red pepper-eggplant spread.  Older gentlemen sip on rich, aromatic Turkish coffee and peck at syrupy soaked pastries, while children smear fingerprints on the glass counter that showcases an array of sausages and desserts.  The scent of baking phyllo harmonizes with grilled sirloin and minced onions.  The ingredients are as simple as the decor, but there is a real art form at work here, and these cooks are serious about what they do.

Considering that Greece is located on the Balkan Peninsula (alongside Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Macedonia, and Serbia), it should come as little surprise that Astoria has emerged as a pocket of some of the city's most popular Balkan restaurants. Open since 2006 and run by three brothers from the former Yugoslavia, along with their mother, sister, and aunt, Ukus is known for having some of the most gargantuan and tastiest pies, and most delicately seasoned sausages.  Their little menu reads like an abridged Who's Who of the most popular dishes served in the Yugoslavian tradition, with three soups, four salads, five pies, and thirteen grilled and main dishes (the name, ukus, translates to "taste").

A poster on the wall advertises that a Ukus Cevap Truck will soon be serving some of their grilled specialties in Manhattan.  Our server confirms that the finishing touches are being added to the truck, which should make its debut at a yet-to-be-determined Manhattan location within the next week or so.  As details become more clear, they will be shared on the Cevap Truck website, which presently only reveals the mobile menu, featuring various Balkan meats and sausages, alongside a few traditional salads and sweet treats.  With the food truck craze currently sweeping Manhattan, I have a strong premonition that Ukus will soon be bursting at the seams with customers from beyond Astoria who want to indulge in the full menu, especially the pastry pies, soups, and stews.  So for the past three days in a row, my friends and I have found coveted seats at one of the wooden tabletops, and sampled our fair share of the relatively small menu.

Begova Corba ($5.50), a traditional Bosnian soup, comes in an enormous bowl that could easily be shared by two or three.  This savory broth is loaded with tender carrots, exquisitely delicate slices of the most wondrous okra I have ever tasted, tiny grains of white rice, and juicy pieces of chicken that have been stewed in the pot, pulled from the bone, and then returned to the broth, which shimmers with dark jade flecks of parsley.  The soup is ladled over a mound of sour cream that offers a smooth and tart coolness if you scoop it with the warm soup, but as the bowl sits, gradually emulsifies with the broth for a creamy bowl of lemony, buttery chicken deliciousness.  It's the best chicken soup I have ever tasted, and makes me wish it were snowing outside as I seek sanctuary from the bitter wind, safe in this cozy green dining room with the world's best chicken soup to warm my chilled extremities.  You can also order a more American version of chicken noodle soup, without the sour cream and okra, and the addition of noodles for $4.50.

Each soup is accompanied by a basket of warm lepinja.  Like a steamy pita cloud, it's a wondrously soft and fluffy bread that is steamed to form a pocket inside, making it perfect for tearing and dipping into the soups and stews, or scooping the sausages and spreads.

The teleca corba ($5), veal soup, has a similar broth to the begova corba, but is also served without the okra or sour cream, and the addition of long spaghetti noodles with the white rice, the chicken replaced by tender morsels of veal that quite literally dissolve on your tongue.

Also popular is their pasulj, a hearty stew considered a main dish for $10.  The thick and creamy bowl is loaded with soft navy beans, as well as inch cubes of salty smoked beef, like tender bits of beef jerky that fall apart at the prodding of a fork.  Loaded with flavor, it reminds me of a Balkan take on classic southern pork and beans.  Perfect for soaking up with the steaming lapinja bread.

It might be hard to tell by this picture of their meat pie, burek, but gigantic pastry pies appear nearly a foot-and-a-half in diameter, and come piping fresh out of the oven throughout the entire day.  $4.50 gets you one slice of either the meat, cheese, or spinach pies; and each slice is actually a quarter of the whole pie!  On busy days, you may be asked to return in fifteen minutes if your chosen pie was just finished off and is being replenished.  But the upside is that you always get a fresh slice, never a soggy reheated piece like you might find elsewhere.

I positioned the salt and pepper shakers next to this slice of sirnica (cheese pie) for scale.  And yes, the outer edge of the crust is almost as wide as the chair directly behind it.  It's colossal, and more than enough to share.  Putting any local version of tyropita to shame, the flaky puff pastry of buttery sheets of phyllo is crispy on the outside, and ever so moist and chewy inside, filled with a mixture of soft cheeses and egg.  Think oven-fresh strudel stuffed with a tangy lasagna cheese blend of creamy ricotta and mild feta.

The zeljanica (spinach pie) is stuffed with a thin layer of fresh spinach, egg, and feta, like an oversized spanakopita browned to golden perfection.

On my next visit, I cannot wait to try the krompirusa, which were just emerging from the oven as we were paying our check.  These baked pastry coils are filled with buttery seasoned potatoes and minced onions, and come for $3 for a single roll or $5 for a full order.  Also popular are the kupsnjak, cabbage pies available for $4.50.

Although I'm a sucker for pastries, cheese, and potatoes, we couldn't really call it a complete visit without trying the cevapi (chay-VAHP-ee), the house special beef sausage rolls.  Each plump sausage is about the size of a roll of quarters, prepared daily at Ukus with ground top sirloin, minced onions, and a blend of seasonings our server simply grinned and refused to reveal, coyly shaking her index finger at us.  "Secrets, secrets, secrets..." she laughed.

The half portion ($6) is actually five whole links tucked into a steamed bread pocket, accompanied with diced onions, ajvar, and kajmak.  The condiments, as our server explained, are used much like Americans might use ketchup or mayonnaise, and each diner relishes their sandwich with their favorite combination.  The gorgeous red tapenade is the ajvar, a blend of roasted red peppers, whipped eggplant, garlic, and chili peppers.  More piquant than spicy, and slightly sweet, I slathered it on everything and almost needed to ask for an extra side.  Kajmak is a traditional cheese spread made from the milk of mountain cattle, and almost tastes like Italian burrata.  Creamy, and often melted on pljeskavica (Balkan hamburger patties), it added a delicious texture and coolness to the cevapi.  Rather than eat the sausages like a pita pocket, diners tear pieces from the bread and accent with the condiments to make outrageously delicious pigs in a blanket.  The sausages, which have no casings, are wonderfully tender, springy, and tightly cohesive.

The same seasoned sirloin is also hand-pressed into enormous, thin patties, called pljeskavica, and served in the lepinja and accompanied with kajmak and ajvar.  With some of the kajmak melted onto the patty, it might honestly be a serious contender for best burger in the area.  The beef is seasoned with minced onions and a blend of spices, and is tenderly grilled to perfection.

View of a cross section of the punjena paprika (stuffed pepper) 

Like a magnificent Ukus version of a chile relleno, punjena paprika ($10) is simply extraordinary, large green pepper stuffed with minced meat, onions, carrots, rice, and tomatoes, served with a mound of finely mashed potatoes.  A lean Balkan meatloaf charged with sweet and mildly spicy flavor, the particularly tender pepper and hearty spuds are surrounded by an intensely savory moat of a beef and vegetable gravy reduction from the stuffed peppers.

Literally every table around us a had plate with one or multiple Tulumbe ($1.50), fried donut sticks which have been soaked overnight in a sweet syrup, and are served chilled.  The delicious sticky and crisp coating gives way to moist sponge cake, and reminded a lot of waffles with syrup, the perfect little sweet finale to a hearty meal.

The bombica ($1.50) were like jazzed up snowballs, rum soaked cake the size of a fist filled with decadent custard, rolled in coconut and drizzled with chocolate.

The keks torta ($3) was my personal favorite, with layers of still crunchy petit beurre cookies, layered with creamy vanilla custard and crunchy hazelnuts.

Though they serve a traditional yogurt beverage, chai, espresso, and cappuccino, I opted for their Turkish coffee.  A preparation method rather than a type of bean, Turkish coffee involves grinding the beans into the finest powder possible, and then adding the powder directly to water that has been heated to just below boiling.  The result is a robust and rich coffee, the last few sips of which are not consumed, as they contain the settled powder of grinds.  Though I was hesitant to ask our server if she would perform a reading, the remaining grinds are also traditionally used to read fortunes.

Customers choose their own soft drinks and beverages from a drink case along the wall.  Alongside the Coca-Cola and Snapple were imported European fruit juices by Rauch, available in blueberry, strawberry, and mango.  100% fruit juice combined with mineral water, these drinks were particularly sweet but extremely delicious.  We sampled both the strawberry and blueberry, and would quickly choose either again during our next visit.

I mean, I will most likely be here again tomorrow, truth be told.  In its beautifully executed simplicity, there is something deliciously magical about this place.

Tu Casa serves up Latin fare with lots of love

Tu Casa (30-10 Steinway, Astoria)

As our server, Pedro, presents each dish to the table, he finishes his description of the ingredients with "...and a lot of love."  To some, it may sound contrived, but after just a few moments at Tu Casa, the recently opened Peruvian & Spanish restaurant on Steinway, you can almost tangibly feel and taste the love.  Pedro is extremely proud of his service with the family that owns and operates Tu Casa, and father-son team William Alba Sr. & Jr. are equally enthusiastic and welcoming.  The restaurant's name, the less formal translation for "your house," is most convincingly fitting, as every staff member makes certain you feel at home.

The huggable William Alba, Jr. explains that it's a place where everyone should feel welcome, from any ethnicity, background, or walk of life.  Extremely popular at their original location in Kew Gardens, the family team decided to open a second restaurant in Astoria.  Although you may find several familiar dishes on the impressive menu that blends homestyle recipes from Spain, Central and South America, if you're game for trying something new, Pedro and the waitstaff will lovingly offer suggestions for some of the house favorites.  William, Sr. grew up in the Dominican Republic, while his son was raised in New York City.  The cuisine at Tu Casa is a festive blend of some traditional dishes from all of the cultures that were a part of both of their lives over the last few decades, as well as some passed down from even earlier generations.

I wholeheartedly recommend starting off with a pitcher of secret recipe house sangria, a rosé wine cocktail with a whisper of orange, and bite-size fruit bits just perfect for this classic Spanish spirit ($20 for the full pitcher, with half pitchers and single glasses available, as well).

Available with ground beef or chicken, the empanadas were absolutely delicious.  Crisp & flaky, the pulled chicken with peppers and onions were my favorite.  Though the simple flavors at Tu Casa need no masking whatsoever, a light drizzle of the jalapeno and onion hot sauce added just the right amount of kick to magnify the seasonings in these tasty fried turnovers.

A $3.99 cup of the sopa de pollo is a soup I will order every single time I need savory warmth this winter, a golden chicken broth with fresh vegetables and tender grains of white rice and juicy pulled pieces of chicken.

I am a devout lover of avocado, and the ensalada verde con aguacate was a remarkably fresh green salad with crisp cucumber discs, juicy tomato, peppery magenta radish slices, and the most tender, buttery sliced avocado I have tasted in years.  The garlic vinaigrette is served on the side, and almost not even needed at all.  A perfect palate cleanser between courses, and certainly enough salad to share with two or three people... or a light entree suitable for one ($6).

Perhaps it's a little Midwest engrained in me for life, but something about cheese and potatoes really satisfies my comfort cravings.  The papa a la huancaina was actually one of my favorite dishes of the entire meal, and an appetizer I will undoubtedly order again and again.  Tender slices of boiled potatoes are blanketed with a creamy Peruvian cheese sauce of yellow peppers, garlic, melted queso blanco, and evaporated milk.

The yellow peppers and garlic add a beautifully mild vibrance to the dish, with the milk & queso blanco blending for the most velvety cheese sauce I have ever enjoyed.  Even as the dish cooled to room temperature, the sauce remained smooth and creamy.  A simple, yet extremely satisfying starter or middle course.

Another knockout dish that simply floored us was the Jalea for $16.99. A mound of delicately breaded and lightly fried seafood, this plate is literally piled with a perfectly crispy golden mix of mussels, sea trout, prawns, calamari, crab, and crispy fried yucca -- almost like rich, crunch-coated, hearty french fries.  Topped with red onions, tomatoes, lime juice, and a sprinkling of cilantro, and served with a side of citrus wedges for extra zest to taste, this was the most wonderfully seasoned, tender sampling of fried seafood I have ever enjoyed.  If you love fried shellfish and trout, this will undoubtedly top any fisherman's platter ever to cross your placemat.

As we cleared the table to make room for the signature rotisserie chicken, a colorful assortment of side dishes made their way to the table.  These tostones were green plantains fried to an expert balance of crispy coating and tender, sweet insides.

The maduros, sweet plantains, reminded me of a latin version of caramelized bananas.  The tart and sweet plantains were soft and warm, with an outer coating that was so wonderfully crisped it almost tasted bruléed.

Classic arroz y frijoles are served up to wondrous execution, as well... the yellow rice is al dente and perfectly moist and flavorsome, accompanied with a pool of hearty red beans.  Carefully balancing complimentary portions of beans, rice, and chicken made for the perfect bite.

If yellow rice and red beans isn't your preferred accompaniment, then you should definitely try the arroz moro, white rice with black beans and tangy tomato.  Though I love both kinds of rice, this presentation was most delicious and my personal favorite.

The rotisserie chicken was presented to us, as Pedro asked our preferences for white or dark meat, and then proceeded to carve the bird, table side, to our personal likings.  Slathered with a basting of secret seasonings, the marinated chicken is then roasted to order.  Whispers of paprika, garlic, and cumin, along with the other secret components result in a deliciously crispy skin exploding with flavor.  Though the white meat was not quite as juicy as I prefer, with the addition of rice, beans, and the house green sauce, it was delicious.  The dark meat, usually not my favorite, was ridiculously tender and stood out in this presentation.  The moist chicken with crispy, seasoned skin, was devoured embarrassingly quickly.

Besides the sangria, wines, and other sodas, Tu Casa also offers an array of popular Latin soft drinks.  Inca Kola reminded me of a cross between cream soda and Mountain Dew.  The apple-flavored Postobon, although sweet, was quite refreshing and delicious.

Not only is the tres leches a family recipe, but William Alba, Jr.'s aunt actually bakes and prepares this dish herself to be served in the restaurant.

Although William, Jr.'s grandmother may still live in the Dominican Republic, it is her recipe for flan that is prepared at Tu Casa for this particularly rich and decadent version of a Spanish favorite.

While I will soon be returning to try the ceviche, steak, fried pork chops, and trout in white wine sauce, I think it's fair to say that we sampled more than enough to conclude that Tu Casa is not your typical rotisserie.  With owners and a staff that take extreme pride in their food and service, I hope that word spreads quickly about this new neighborhood gem.  Open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, they also offer both delivery and catering.  An enormous back dining room can easily accommodate large groups, as well.  Lunch specials range from $6 to $9 and are served weekdays from 11AM to 5PM.

Amuse*Bouche on the Huffington Post

I am away in L.A. and Palm Springs devouring some savory treats on the West Coast (literally as I type this), but will resume blogging soon upon my return.  Tomorrow is a ten-course tasting at Wolfgang Puck's WP24 which will certainly be reviewed.

In the meantime, a gigantic thank you and huge hugs to Nancy Ruhling for her lovely article in The Huffington Post this week...

Ornella Trattoria introduces Foodie Night & $10 Pasta Night

Homemade, buttery bruschetta crisps start off every meal at Ornella Trattoria

Ornella Trattoria (29-17 23rd Ave., Astoria)

If you hop on the morning N or Q at the Ditmars stop in Astoria, do not be surprised if you pass Giuseppe Viterale on your way into work.  You might spot him at a green market carefully inspecting a handful of pistachios, contemplating his own take on a traditional Sicilian recipe for pistachio cream sauce.  Or maybe he is at the seafood counter hand selecting which shellfish to stew in today's special zuppa di pesce.  But odds are you will most certainly see him somewhere in the proximity of his trattoria, sniffing out fresh ingredients from local markets that trigger a memory from his home in Salerno, Italy.  If you know Giuseppe, you know that he almost daily experiments with unique ingredients, continually developing new recipes and perfecting old ones.  If you're fortunate enough, he might even let you sample some of his works-in-progress.

Zuppa di pesce is loaded with shellfish stewing in a robust, garlic tomato broth

"This lemon ricotta cake is at 95%," he might warn you, through his hypnotizing Italian accent as thick and smooth as the frosting. "Give me two more days, and I make it 110%... fugheddaboudit!" he smiles, and you can see this man absolutely loves what he does.  Although "fugheddaboudit" is one of his signature phrases, you can never leave his table and really forget about it (the lemon cake, by the way, is the best I have ever tasted... so I can't fathom what that extra 5% could possibly add).  The food is phenomenal... deliciously addictive.  And as the restaurant approaches its one year anniversary, the following of loyal patrons that have accrued will tell you that Giuseppe and his stunning and effervescent wife, Ornella, are just much a part of why they return regularly as the excellent authentic cuisine.

Since the doors first opened almost one year ago, the Viterales have been known for offering several deals and special offers in an attempt to draw in new guests and reward loyal patrons.  But the newest series of special evenings by far surpasses any previous gesture, in my opinion, making these some of the hottest deals in Astoria... and definitely worth checking out.

Delicious al dente risotto with sauteed clams, mussels, shrimp, calamari, & lump crabmeat

Thursday evenings, you can now enjoy any pasta or risotto on the menu for just $10, which, if you choose carefully, can be almost 40% savings.

Be sure to ask if they are offering any specials not listed on the menu.  Last week when I stopped by, Giuseppe had created this nutty dish of chestnut pasta with pistachio cream sauce.  The earthy and hearty pasta with the somehow sweet and savory pistachio sauce sent my taste buds soaring.  It embodied what I love most about the dishes at Ornella, weaving familiar flavors into unique and exquisite combinations.

Though Thursday nights are now a neighborhood hit with the $10 pasta deals, I think the most exciting offering is Foodie Night on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. $35 buys you a four-course meal featuring some of the most exciting new dishes at Ornella Trattoria, along with accompanying wine (tax and gratuity additional).  You begin with Giuseppe's signature duck meatballs (pictured above) which are stuffed with a blend of soft Italian cheeses, then glazed with a tangy and sweet orange brandy reduction.  Think Italian duck a l'orange. These meatballs sent my head spinning, extremely tender, smoky, and loaded with mascarpone, ricotta, and fresh mozzarella.  Never before have I heard of cheese-stuffed meatballs, and probably never again will I ever find a meatball quite this fantastic.

The intermezzo is Ornella's signature chestnut pasta, thin ribbons made from chestnut flour, tossed in roasted crushed garlic cloves and olive oil, with blanched arugula, cherry tomatoes, and plump shrimp.  This unique dish was one of the first that hooked me into that initial return visit, and remains one of my favorite standards to enjoy and share with friends.

The main course offers each diner a choice of one of the following three entrees:

Pork chop stuffed with prosciutto and fontina cheese, mouthwateringly served atop a bed of wild mushrooms and madeira wine sauce.

Juicy, tender pistachio-crusted chicken filets, sauteed in an anisette and dried apricot sauce (sauce not pictured).

Or my personal favorite, red wine-braised short ribs on a heap of hand-cut gnocchi.  The short ribs are flawlessly tender, and the gnocchi the most delicate, light, pillows of pasta I have ever enjoyed.  This is the ultimate autumn feast, and one of my all-time favorites from Ornella.

For a sweet finale, choose from ricotta cheesecake, lemon cake, tiramisu (unanimously voted the best tiramisu around by every guest I have taken to the trattoria), chocolate mousse, or if you are brave and want to be completely wowed by a unique Ornella original, try the chocolate eggplant cake.  Almost like a decadent, mocha, zucchini dessert bread, the sugars of the eggplant caramelize and harmonize wonderfully with the chocolate.

Also be sure to check out Ornella Trattoria on the weekends, where Ornella herself hosts brunch.  $13 is the extremely reasonable price tag for your choice of entree, served with coffee, country potatoes, and unlimited mimosas or bellinis.  I highly recommend the eggs benedict or the baked pancakes with nutella and fresh fruit.  Be sure to give Ornella a hug from me.  After having spent several hours with her entire family since my initial visit to their restaurant, I can honestly say she is one of the most remarkable women I have met in New York.  And if you are lucky enough, you might even catch a glimpse of the Viterale clan of boys, hilarious and wonderful young men who love to help run the family business on the weekends.