Astoria Arrivals – New York Dog House

I have been curious about New York Dog House since their signage went up a few weeks ago along the well-traveled thoroughfare of 30th Avenue between 37th and 38th Street in Astoria. This week, on their second day of being open, I had the great pleasure of stopping in.

The space is well designed and completely welcoming, with wide open front windows (perfect on this oddly warm fall day), a cozy interior, and a nicely sized back garden with ample outdoor seating. I sidled up to the bar, with its eminently cool subway tile wall, and spent some time chatting with their cocktail creator, Adam, a long time Astorian who put together New York Dog House’s excellent cocktail list. The drink menu is divided up between Signature Cocktails named after dog breeds and Classic Cocktails re-named to honor the neighborhood (the “Socrates” is a Negroni for example).

I asked Adam his favorite of the Signature Cocktails he created, and he recommended the two spicy drinks: “The Boxer” with bourbon, jalapeño, simple syrup, mint, spiced brown sugar and lime, and “The Chihuahua” with tequila, jalapeño, simple syrup, orange liqueur, lime, and spiced brown sugar. I decided to save the cocktails for a cooler day and opted instead, as I often do, for a draft beer. A friendly bartender, Evan, seconded my instinct to try the Warsteiner Oktoberfest ($5), a light, drinkable take on an autumn beer. La Fin Du Monde ($8), Kelso Nut Brown ($6), and Dog Fish 90min IPA ($8) rounded out the taps. Eight or so additional bottle beers, mostly American craft are also available.

Charmed by the service, ambiance, and drinks, I decided to check out the food menu too. Evan let me know the current menu is a launch menu that will soon be expanded, but as it currently stands, there are a lot of great looking options. After considering the Relish Dog, house made zucchini relish and pickled red onion piled on bratwurst, I decided instead on the Far East Dog ($8), topped with sesame chili paste, pickled daikon, scallion and peanuts. Generously portioned for the price, it’s definitely a bite I’ll be back for soon. I also tried a side of the hand cut fries ($6) which were quite good.

For now, the launch menu includes other intriguing items like Bangers and Mash and a Lamb Burger with cumin mustard that I’ll be back to try. And vegetarians take heart, the expanded menu will include a few meat-free dining options as well.

For a place that has been open for two days, I was happy to encounter great food and a warm, friendly staff. I’d encourage folks to check this new place out for themselves, and to stop in and say welcome to the neighborhood!

New York Dog House, 37-06 30th Avenue, Astoria, NY 11103, 718-274-3647,www.newyorkdoghouse.com

This post was originally published as Welcome to the Neighborhood: New York Dog House on Tastoria Queens.

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New York Dog House | The Southern Astorian July 29th, 2014

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