Chateau Brasil: A Tasty Diversion

Typically, a pool table is not a harbinger of a good meal.  It evokes images of greasy chicken wings, good beer and low culinary expectations.  Thankfully, you’d be wrong at Chateau Brasil, an Astoria restaurant at 29^th Street and 38^th Avenue.  Between the oddly spliced curtains dividing the pool room and the neon-infested dining room, the place may not beckon diners very strongly from the outside.  However, the atmosphere inside is warm and relaxed, despite the multiple televisions, and the food is a delicious change from the Latin-lacking areas of Astoria.  

The chicken stroganoff is a cream-based dish that melds cognac flavors with succulent mushrooms and seasonings to produce a surprising meal.  The tastes are refreshingly different and altogether tasty.  Rice and crunchy shoestring potatoes accompany entrees while the salads are hefty servings of fresh produce that will clear your palate after a delicious dinner.  Chateau Brasil also offers very good empanadas at decent prices.  The beef variety is crammed full of meat while the cheese versions are equally delectable.  The bar is well stocked and the wait staff is very welcoming, if slightly English-challenged.  Ultimately, Chateau Brasil is a unique stop off the beaten path with countless opportunities to diversify your culinary interests.  Plus, where else can you play pool while waiting for the check?

INFO:

Chateau Brasil

3802 29th St (at 38^th Ave)
(718) 729-3300

 

Los Portales: Hopelessly Hooked

Indiana Jones had it right when he picked the most unsuspecting looking cup as the Holy Grail. Spielberg-ian cinematic cliches aside, the humble storefront on Broadway emblazoned with the words Los Portales is an equally thrilling hidden gem.  With tacos that will onlyt set you back a buck fifty, one would expect a meager serving.  Instead, this Mexican restaurant is as ambitious in its portions as in its name- and it succeeds on both fronts.  As you leave the small confines of the restaurant's limited tables, you realize a dinner at The Portals is truly like being transported to a sun-baked Mexican village where the cooking is never rushed and meals are communal celebrations of long-treasured flavors.   

The tacos are freshly prepared odes to all things carnivorous.  Overflowing with extras, these standards beat out El Rey while still remaining true to their inexpensive roots.  Another favorite, the tortas, are available with the same meat options but arrive in traditional Mexican sandwich styles, accompanied by beans, avocado and other tasty fixings.  Dripping with authenticity, Los Portales is 24 hours and has a range of menu items to satisfy your cravings, be they of the late night snack variety or simply booze-induced.  The interior is a bit lackluster if you're looking for a night out, but the food is great for take out, delivery or a quick bite tableside. Considering the brisk business, Los Portales has friendly staff with fast service.  A couple bites into their signature dishes will have you hopelessly hooked.  

INFO:

Los Portales

2508 Broadway

(718) 204-6736

Restaurant Openings: Signage Speculation

In place of the mediocre Table 30, lining 35th St. and 30th Ave, a new creature has sprung up in its place.  Calling itself Charbroiled and laden with dancing chicken silhouettes, the new joint looks eager to open as the remodeling continues at a fast clip.  

For the more Broadway-centric diners among us, there is a new Spanish restaurant in town, La Rioja Spain.  Taking the place of an eternally empty Portuguese eatery between 33rd and 34th St., this new establishment bills itself, rather oddly as a resource for food, product and tapas bar.  Between the dancing chicken, verb confusion, and slightly suspect graphics, we're hoping the signs for both places are not necessarily reflective of what's to come.  Sharpen your knives!