A thousand reasons to love Long Island City. Tips: Editor@LICtalk.com
DEBBIE’S, a live music venue is coming to Court Square in LIC this Fall according to The New York Times. More specifically for us locals, it’ll be located atop the Dutch Kills Bar at 27-24 Jackson Avenue.
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WE lead today with the scoop that a new tavern is opening in the space previously occupied by BLVD Wine Bar at 47-20 Center Boulevard next to Shi Restaurant. We reported back in December1 that the wine bar was simply under renovation, but it looks like they had a change in direction since. The new iteration has the original owners teaming up with Skinny from Skinny’s Cantina across the street on this venture. Originally posited by a reader as a burger place, a quick look inside hints at something a bit more formal, with wood-paneling and a fully stocked bar front and center. The name is TBD, so for a placeholder we’re calling it BLVD Burgers, but we hear they’ll be opening any day…
//Next comes the news that SoFun Noodle Bar has opened at 43-40 12th St. What is SoFun Noodle Bar? According to Eater it’s brought to you by “The team behind the Pete Wells-reviewed Hunan Slurp” and specializes in “all types of slurping noodles, as well as wonton soup in claypots, and durian puff pastry.” You had me at slurping, but nothing like finishing off a meal with a durian puff pastry or two. BTW, Mr. Wells gave it Liang-stars, that’s deux in Hunanese.
The bigger question, is ‘Where is 43-40 12th Street?!?’ It’s in the warehouse district. No comprende? It’s on the northern edge of the big outdoor dining lot adjacent to Focal Point Beer Co. Wha??? Oh sorry, Focal Point Beer Co. is the new name for ICONYC as of this Spring. While the name has changed nothing else has: same owners, same beers. One thing that isn’t the same around Focal Point is that while you can now slurp noodles in their shared courtyard, you will no longer be able to snag freshly made pizzas to go with your Death or Glory Belgian Pale Ale, as Lupo Rosso Pizzeria has quietly (and quickly) closed shop.
//Wow, that’s a lotta restaurant news, want more? Ok, Vert Frais has opened in Court Square. No explanation needed for the location, as for the Nom de France, well, umm, it’s a ramen place. And a breakfast place serving Japanese omelettes and souffle pancakes. And a cafe serving cocktails. Anyway it’s alotta different things and is co-founded by a chef with a Michelin star, you can read the full description in an Eater article linked to below. With that, bring on July!
Queens Noodles From The Team Behind ‘Hunan Slurp’ Is Here – slurp is here, Where? Right here
SoFun Noodle Bar – menu
Focal Point Beer Co. – menu …of beers
Vert Frais Opens In LIC With Ramen and Yoshoku – souffle pancakes too
HALF a dozen years ago, a friend got busted received a citation in LIC for violating the city’s open container law. At the time I remarked to him how far we’ve come (and yet not) that you can smoke a joint on the streets of LIC but you can’t drink a beer.
Fast forward to the post-pandemic world and seemingly you can now do both. Taking it a step further, you can now buy weed in a store. And beginning soon, everyone in LIC will be able to do so when Flower World Cannabis Dispensary opens at 49-13 Vernon Boulevard, next door to Yumpling (a perfect pairing if ever there was).
Anyway, given the lack of community board screening, it kind of makes you wonder why such scrutiny is still required for alcohol licenses? I guess we haven’t quite come full circle, and don’t expect to buy flowers at Flower World.
//THE Spring bloomings keep coming. Vert Frais is coming to Court Square, taking the prominent corner location previously occupied by Indie Kitchen in the base of the Link LIC building. They will be serving Ramen and cocktails according to their IG page and look to be close to opening.
Directly across the street from Vert Frais in a former brick oven pizza place is Softbite, which specializes in souffle pancakes and brunch, with items ranging from Croissant filled egg sandwiches to acai bowls, and various lite asian dishes such as dumplings and shrimp lollipops, to multicolored and bejeweled pancake towers which are akin to desserts.
Vert Frais – coming soon
Softbite – already here
ARE you ready for something completely new Long Island City? A vinyl-inspired cocktail lounge called ‘The Record Room’ is coming to 47-09 Center Boulevard, the former home of Baked Culture.
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… So I wrote to the paper
Took out a personal ad
And though I’m nobody’s poet
I thought it wasn’t half bad
The children at the local public schools in Long Island City will not be getting off for Cinco De Mayo tomorrow. They did get off for Eid al-Fitr on Monday, and will also get off for Juneteenth, which has been newly added to the holiday calendar this year. Except in 2022 it will actually be on June 20 as the 19th falls on a Sunday. In so doing, the extra day off pushes the NYC public school calendar into another week making Monday, June 27th the last day of school.
[Read more…] about Margaritas in May or Pina Colada’s in January LIC?