Expanded Summer Menu and Other Changes at Snowdonia

We got an interesting press release from the folks at Snowdonia, letting us know about changes that have happened at the popular Astoria gastropub. They’ve expanded and changed parts of the food and drink menus, and they’ve renewed their commitment to the people that matter most—their customers. That has resulted in a change in the kitchen, where they’ve brought in Nathaniel Felder as Supervising Chef, who was previously with Catch in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District. He’s pretty psyched to be here. And why not? Astoria’s food scene rules.

Snowdonia’s owner, Tom Davies, emphasizes their increased attentiveness to customer desires and needs regarding food. The press release tells us more about his thoughts on the specials at Snowdonia:

“The [Craft Beer] Clambake was a huge hit, but we only had it scheduled to go through June—now it goes through Labor Day. We had regulars tell us they wanted a Surf and Turf-style special. So Friday through Sunday, we have Surf and Turf (a ½ lobster stuffed with crab meat and chorizo, accompanied by seared skirt steak and asparagus). Our mussels get requested all the time, and we seem to run out pretty quick. So now, every Wednesday we have $10 Mussels. We want to make our people happy, and it’s not hard to do that—just give them what they want.”

They’ve expanded their summer food and drinks menu. Some of the things you’ll find on the food menu are: Watermelon Salad, Battered Fish Corndogs (these were a huge hit from the Craft Beer Clambake), a charcuterie section, a Steak Caesar entrée, and Welsh Rarebit (a Welsh classic grilled cheese)

For drinks, they have created a handful of new cocktails, including:

• Smokey Mountain, made with Mezcal and blood orange
• Cable Car, featuring gin, St. Germain, and grapefruit cordial
• Snowdonia Iced Tea—think of it as a drink in the “Long Island Iced Tea” tradition

The staff also aims to be more accommodating with impromptu customer requests. Jhon Catano-Betancur, one of the gastropub’s server/bartenders says, “If a customer wants bangers on their risotto, or an additional side of catsup, it’s no longer a hassle from downstairs [the kitchen]. We want to give people what they ask for, and who wants to be told ‘No’ all the time? We just want to let everyone know that when they come here, it’s about them having a great, relaxing experience.”

Great news from Snowdonia! We hope happiness, satisfaction and delicious food reigns there for the long-term.

Snowdonia, 34-55 32nd St., Astoria, NY 11106, (347) 730-5783, snowdoniapub.com