25 Comments
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Mary Kate Murray's avatar

Jem! Jem is excitement! Ooh Jem! Jem is truly outrageous, truly, truly, truly outrageous! Whoa Jem! The music’s contagious! Jem is my name, no one else is the same. Jem is my name!

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Robert Simonson's avatar

Now I know.

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Mary Kate Murray's avatar

Ha!

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Amanda Schuster's avatar

That was such fun to run into you at my beloved Diamond Dogs! I owe it another schlep soon.

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Robert Simonson's avatar

It is a schlep! But well worth it.

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Stefany Elliott's avatar

I've never been drinking in Astoria. Seems like I need to go drinking in Astoria and then get a pizza with pigs in a blanket crust, because that sounds like the greatest drinking food of all time.

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Robert Simonson's avatar

Haha. Two great tastes that go great together!

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Ian Lauer's avatar

Even if they run out of Super Bowl Pizza, you’ll find something to sop up the alcohol at Krave It: it’s one of Astoria’s great late-nite drunk food spots. Their chili hits the spot.

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Robert Simonson's avatar

They make chili? Good to know.

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Mary Kate Murray's avatar

We could have used some of that chili the other night (in the snow) waiting for the N home! 🥶

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Ian Lauer's avatar

Actually, my mistake: I was thinking of Crave Astoria, which is just down the street from Krave It (just as confusing as our street naming system).

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Matt Magliocco's avatar

Ruta Oaxaca is more of a restaurant than a bar, but their drinks and hospitality (and food!) are excellent.

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Robert Simonson's avatar

I will add them to the list!

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Ian Lauer's avatar

I’m glad y’all were finally able to visit! You hit the nail on the head in describing the neighborhood.

Will be curious to see what other bars come up in the comments, and if they sync up with my list. One other thing I’ll mention: if people don’t come for the bars, they should come for the food. No shortage of good options here : )

Next stop: Ditmars!

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Robert Simonson's avatar

Lots of good food from what I could tell. And every kind of cuisine you could imagine.

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Mary Kate Murray's avatar

Great to see you in your home town, Ian!

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Ian Lauer's avatar

Stop by our place next time — we’ve been keeping Bordiga regularly stocked ; )

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Mary Kate Murray's avatar

Ooh, my favorite.

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Kathleen McLaughlin's avatar

It was great seeing you guys in Astoria. Can't wait for part 2! The other great thing about the close walking distance between bars is all the relatively inexpensive food options there are too. It's a neighborhood that still feels like a neighborhood.

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Mary Kate Murray's avatar

It was great to see you and Lucy! Tell her we are sorry we didn’t visit “Bad Habits” lolz. Such a great neighborhood.

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Robert Simonson's avatar

I was loving the prices. So kind on the wallet. I've felt brutalized by drink prices the last year or so.

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Sarah Belizaire's avatar

Astoria has such a great neighborhood cocktail scene - came for Diamond Dogs and stayed for the rest - I do love how walkable all the bars are from each other, can go with the flow

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Robert Simonson's avatar

The walkability factor is key.

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Dylan Cecchini's avatar

"Not a single foot soldier of Resy asked me for my phone number." Haha! I've really had it with that culture, too. Great article. I haven't hung out in Astoria since ca. 2013, and I don't believe there was quite this scene of good drinks back then. Before the pandemic, the only time I really headed to Astoria was to go to the now tragically shuttered Piccola Venezia on 28th or 29th Ave (my favorite of the old-school waiters in red tuxedo red sauce joins).

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Robert Simonson's avatar

I'm so sick of Resy. They need to go away.

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