Stove

I recently took two of my closest friends, a couple, to Stove, a local Astoria treasure which still seems to be one of the neighborhood's best-kept secrets. I promised them a meal they'd not soon forget, as I had been there not too long ago with another friend who agreed with me that the food was absolutely wonderful. In particular (and I noticed other people who have rated this restaurant have commented on it, too) the warm beet and goat-cheese salad was truly a masterpiece in flavor and presentation: caramelized pralines garnished a mixed spring-green salad, with generous dollops of herbed goat cheese and sliced beets in a balsamic reduction; I spread the delicious cheese on the crusty bread that is served throughout the meal - you could literally make a meal of just the salad and the bread here! For my entree, I ordered a savory goulash; the meat was fork-tender and the sauce was rich and creamy, traditionally prepared with sour cream and loaded with flavorful mushrooms...I dare say it was as good as my grandmother's, in fact! For dessert, I shared a slice of the heavenly cheese cake, which is smooth as velvet yet light as air, floating on a bed of oreo-cookie crumb crust - divinely satisfying but mysteriously not over-filling! It must be the fresh-whipped cream that the chef prepares to make this sinfully delicious treat...
And who could forget the sumptuous fruity cocktails? I don't quite remember what the concoction was, but I remember it had Malibu (what can be bad about that?) and was the perfect salute to a summer evening...
My friend, who also enjoys cooking as I do, is usually difficult to impress, especially since he's born & raised in Astoria. His fiancee, my best friend, is a great fan of fine cuisine, and the three of us agreed that this is by far one of Astoria's finest restaurants - I can't believe I've lived here nearly 8 years and have only discovered it now! Treat your loved ones to this little gem - a great staff at a terrific dining spot!

Pros: Pleasant atmosphere; lovely garden in back, not too crowded, within walking distance from train and/or bus
Cons: can't think of any!!!

I've been wanting to come to this restaurant for a while. A friend told me about it but I just hadn't had the chance until last week. The food was absolutely phenomenal! And the waitress was very confident in answering our questions. We got the appetizer special for the night which was a crock of mac n cheese, I can't describe it much but it was really good! It was garnished with crumbs of some kind which gave it an interesting texture. Then we went on to have the ribeye steak? I don't know, some kind of steak. And I got the pork chop, ordered medium. Our food came out and we tasted it. I just couldn't believe that food this good was right down the block from us! My pork chop could have been a bit tastier. I had it with the french fries and they were good but it also came with a warm tomato and zucchini salad. But it was really juicy. They won't go beyond medium for health reasons. I'm not always a steak person, but I tried the steak. It was so juicy at medium and the sauce was unbelievable. Our waitress told us about the sauce but I wasn't expecting it to be that great. I don't know how traditional the food is at Stove, but it makes for really good Irish food! I haven't had a steak that good in the city. I've had only a few but none that can come close to that one.

Pros: Outside garden during summer, friendly staff and chefs. Comfortable.
Cons: Ambience is okay, hardly any decor. Alright lighting.

I just visited this place last Friday and everything was delicious ! My friend and I split the warm beet salad appetizer and we both had the sea bass special. Our waitress was very helpful and patiently answered all our questions. The prices are very reasonable, especially when you take the quality into account. Make sure not to judge too quickly, this place looks like nothing from the sidewalk and the inside decor isn't exactly chic, but you'll forget all about that as soon as your food arrives. My only "complaint" was that a slightly overeager busboy kept trying to clear our plates long before we were done, as we were determined to finish every crumb.
Strangely its almost a little hard to describe Stove, because its sort of like a regular ( very good ) restauraunt. I wouldn't agree with those who describe the food as french - I don't think there were any traditionally "french" items on the menu, nor did I see (or taste) any evidence of french cfooking techniques. But who cares - whatever they're doing the results are great !

Pros: the food. mmmmm....the food.
Cons: decorated grandma style

I know it says that this is a french restaurant but they serve Shepherd's pie and when I went a few weeks ago most of the staff was Irish, but that was not a problem at all! In fact, we had the most wonderful waitress and she was so helpful recommending a bottle of wine for my father and I. She was incredibly patient and the bartender who served us while we waited just a few short minutes for our table was extremely friendly as well. The prices are incredibly fair, especially for the portions and quality of the food! The feel of Stove is somewhat intimate, and my father and I both commented upon leaving (as the Chef himself said goodnight and thank you to us from the bar) that we felt as if we had been over at friends' house for dinner. The food was excellent! My dad had a crab cake appetizer and he did not leave a single bit on the plate, he said it was great. I had the warm goat cheese salad with candied nuts and it was by far the best goat cheese salad I've ever had. For our entrees, my dad had the open face tuna special topped with shrimp, scallops and mussels. He said it was delicious and rich, and the portion was so large he could not finish it. I ordered the pork chop with apple compote and it was just as good. The chop itself was enormous and I believe I had to take over half of it home in a to-go container. The ambiance was relaxing and comfortable and the entire experience was perfect. I will be taking my mother here in a few weeks when she comes to visit!

Pros: Great food, great prices, great staff

My girlfriend and I popped into this place for an early dinner. I had the chicken curry special and she had the pasta special which consisted of portobello mushroom filled ravioli with a marsala sauce. Everything was fantastic. The service was great and the prices were amazing. We finished the meal with their oreo crusted cheesecake topped with homemade whipped cream which was absolutely delicious. Main course, desert and we both had a glass of wine and the total came out to $55 - you really can't beat that and it sure beats the city.

If you ever find yourself in Astoria - you must give this place a try.