Cool Down Treats for Summer

After a slow and chilly start to summer, it’s really starting to heat up. I’m writing this post today with the AC on full blast! Although this girl loves a hot day (blame it on my Texas youth) we’re highlighting some of our favorite local spots that feature cold beers, iced drinks, ice cream, and more. This chill list is on us. Lets cool it down.

Down South when it gets warm (which by the way starts in February!) people start brewing that Sweet Tea. We’ve got something better with Tea & Milk, my favorite go-to summer drink is the Hibiscus Flower Peach White Tea. Add in that aloe vera and you have an Instagrammable treat for the heat.

Okay let’s talk about iced coffee. Sure places all over town do it, and everyone has a personal favorite. I enjoy Astoria Coffee’s Iced Coffee with a little Almond milk. That’s my favorite, what’s yours?

Now let’s talk about Cold Brew. OK Cafe has you covered. They serve a traditional New Orleans style cold brew AND they serve a Kyoto coldbrew which is made one drop at a time in a huge Japanese glass system. That’s some fancy cool Cold Brew.

The last frontier of the iced caffeine genre has to be the Coffee Smoothie. That’s right a Coffee Smoothie. New Kids on the Block Menú Astoria whip up a frothy, creamy drink that’s downright delightful. Also the bottle it comes in is so cute!

If you need a stronger cup of coffee, then this Frozen Irish Coffee from Passage Irish Bar & Kitchen should do the trick.

There is nothing more delicious then digging into fresh fruit when it’s a million degrees out. I LOVE the Acai Bowl with Almond Butter from Fusion Juice Bar. The acai is really cold (almost ice like), covered in assorted fruits, a dollop of Almond Butter, and topped with crunchy granola. #yummy

The Queens Kickshaw is notorious for grilled cheese and cider awesomeness. They kicked things up a notch when they integrated a full bar situation with boozy slushie delights. Our favorite has to be the Frosè, that is frozen Rosè guys.

I’m also a SUCKER for the Michelda Cubana at Chela y Garnacha. It’s like a salty, savory, fizzy dream. It takes me to a beach in Mexico. Damn it’s good. This has to be one of my favorite summer go-to’s. I prefer to mix in Dos Equis but it’s your choice what beer you pour on top of that savory mix.

I’ve been around the beer block. We have an abundance of brew riches right here in Astoria/LIC. Newcomer ICONYC (technically they are only new because they JUST opened their tap room) makes one of my favorite brews for the summer. Hib-Hop has a pop of hibiscus, lemongrass, and rose hip. It’s super refreshing. Go try some in their tap room and bring a bottle or 2 home.

I don’t know about you, but I HATE cooking in the summer. My solution. Whip up an awesome cheese and cured meat platter courtesy of Bier & Cheese. I always take the advice of the cheese team (seriously how do I join that group) and do several cheeses (say 3) and a couple of meats (say 2). Add in some fruit, a little honey, nuts, and dinner is done.

Cold sushi on a hot summer night is so yummy. This past May, my hubs and I went went to Gaijin for our anniversary and it BLEW my mind. The Omakase is fantastic, every piece was more interesting than the last. This is occasion worthy sushi and you’re worth it. Treat yourself!  FYI Gaijin just opened up a beautiful backyard, so if you catch a nice summer evening, check it it out.

Ocean briny goodness=summertime treat. We have some great Oyster places to chose from around town; The Astor Room, Mars, Off the Hook, MP Taverna, Astoria Seafood, and Psari Seafood. Don’t forget many of these places offer Oyster Happy Hours, so be smart and take advantage of those discounts!

Finally let’s head to dessert town. We love hanging out at The Bonnie and they always deliver a great drinking and dining experience. Just for summer our friends are doing ICE CREAM sandwhiches. The first one in the new series is the Malted Vanilla Chipwich (pictured above): chef Nick Testa sandwiches malted vanilla ice cream with classic chocolate chip cookies, rolled in chocolate chips, inspired by the nostalgic Chipwich. He’ll be rotating flavors every month; the next to come out will be watermelon chip ice cream with lemon-lime sugar cookies. These are only available at dinner, for $5 each. Umm…I’m gonna need a dozen of these!

Try and stay cool kids, even though it’s warm out, it’s worth venturing out to experience these cool down treats. Have a favorite Summer Cool Down Treat not mentioned here? Tell us what you love this time of year.

One Comment

Becky Tyre August 2nd, 2017

Those ice cream sandwiches sound fab! I’m adding The Bonnie to my list for food choices in Astoria when we visit retail stores there later this month.

Reply