What We Heart This Week – Best of Astoria

It was without a doubt a big week for Astoria, as we celebrated the exciting culmination of the Best of Astoria awards that took place over the course of this month.  Loving your enthusiasm, evidenced by the strong representation of variety and volume in voting, it was exciting to watch the competition between our many Astoria based businesses.  Regardless of the winners, it was fun to see the loyalty and pride we all have in our local businesses, and we congratulate all of the nominees and winners on a job well done.

To celebrate all this Astoria greatness, we dusted off our party shoes at The Strand Smokehouse on Thursday night for our big Best of Astoria bash.  It was awesome to see hundreds of Astorians come out for the occasion to celebrate with us, as we enjoyed potent cocktails, craft beers and hearty BBQ grub.  Here are a few highlights of the night that hold a special place in our hearts (pun intended).

The Venue  – The awesome Strand Smokehouse provided a perfect setting for this soiree, accommodating all of your bright and shining faces in a communal atmosphere.  We loved seeing its massive room filled up with people, enjoying heaping trays of delicious BBQ eats and all sorts of drinks that added to the already boisterous atmosphere.  Here are a few of our favorite atmosphere shots.

The Music – We chose to go with a local DJ, Rudy Mungaray who set the mood for the evening.  Taking his cues from the crowd, we heard everything from pop, rock, alternative, 80’s, 90’s, hip-hop and beyond.  It was nice to have someone there who was able to represent the neighborhood, being that Rudy is a proud Astorian himself.

The MCs – The Mistresses of Ceremonies, Anita M. Buffem and Gina Marie Rittale of The Haus of Mimosa deserve a standing ovation, as they showered the crowd with their hilarious commentary, poking fun at all the quirky things that are unique to Astoria.  My favorite parts of their performances were the Brittany Spears and the Lady Gaga covers that had people rolling with applause, applause, applause (pun intended).

The Fashion – We loved seeing folks showcasing their best ensembles, especially some of us that sported local fashions, courtesy of Lockwood, Buffalo Exchange and other local retailers.

All of You, Astoria! From all the wonderful local business owners to all of you, enthusiastic Astoria fans and residents, this special night couldn’t have happened.  We appreciate all of your support through the years, and look forward to raising a glass together to more great things! Cheers to Astoria, everybody!