Comments on: Long Island City new biz update: tapas bar & health food grocer confirmed

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 22:49:43 +0000

I love the drawings of the dogs posted to the right. Who did that it’s great!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 13:38:24 +0000

One wonders if the persons so violently apposed to Rustica, may have been the new comers who the owners liked until the couple was overheard trashing The neighborhood residents. Boasting how their presence was the only thing that would redeem LIC and….how artists here were scruffy.

The prices put me off….but when I consider the ingredients and all the energy put into the food I can handle the money for the yummy taste. Service has never been a problem there.

This is a personal vendetta I believe.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:14:56 +0000

Their space needs some renovations too.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 21:35:33 +0000

If I want to buy a tiny piece of food for $15, I will. But the waiter staff at Rustica is the rudest, slowest, most incompetent ensemble I have seen put together. Did I mention how rude they are? Get it together Rustica. Great food, terrible everything else.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:51:13 +0000

For the record, I had lunch at Patsy’s yesterday and guess how much their calzone’s cost? That’s right, $15.

I don’t really see what the big problem is with the Rustica pricing.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:14:54 +0000

never went to cassino, didn’t at all look appealing to me and i’ve lived here almost 3 years. juniors is similar, but i did go, good food, but not appealing imho, they are prob next. def would welcome carmines. would think prices may be a bit lower. it is family style, very consistent and quality food.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:38:23 +0000

I don’t get it. I’ve had excellent service at both Manducatis and Rustica for years. Many friends and newcomers experience the same. In fact both places bend over backward to please. I’m surprised that many newcomers have not discovered the treasure of wines at Manducatis and the knowledge of their sommelier.

Rustica is about as welcoming a place as I’ve ever seen in LIC. I can’t imagine what more anyone would want.

It’s also fascinating how many people say “support our local restaurants” but then want to critique and pick at every little thing. I knew a young urban professional who was offended that the Meridian (space now occupied by Masso) had paper napkins.

By: McDonald

McDonald — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 21:25:19 +0000

Ok 36, I’ll work on it.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 21:17:41 +0000

No one ever said nice looking resturants can’t be dirty. I just said if you can see the dirt in the public areas the dirt in the private areas is probably worse.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 15:14:43 +0000

If ever we get a fast food chain, can it pls be Chipotle? I know it’s owned by McDonalds, the burritos are 1000 calories, but they are VERY good and they sell $4 margaritas- you can’t beat that!.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 12:59:09 +0000

31, actually you would be astounded to learn how bad the kitchens are in some of the best places. I’ve done contracting work in many. Found a dead rat and a lot of gross stuff under a booth seat of a fine Manhattan eatery for example. Well at least it was dead. Hope it wasn’t from the food. I’ve also had rancid food from local eateries in LIC on a handful of occasions.

The amazing thing if you check online for inspection violations is that the majority of restaurants here have average scores (higher is bad) in the teens and twenties. The only one I found with zero is San Remo Pizza which so many here put down. The other nearby zero was New Champion Wok located within in the Queensbridge Houses.

To my astonishment the highest numbers (i.e. worst inspection records) in our nabe were The Waters Edge (45) and sadly one of my faves Bella Via (43).

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:51:54 +0000

It is what it is.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 03:22:12 +0000

I got a tour of Testaccio tonight. It is really really nice.

Best wishes to them.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:53:20 +0000

Pardon me, people, but I live next to Cassino and I never once saw people eating there – oldies or newbies -so to say that we are all so sorry to see it go, confuses me.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:14:21 +0000

As I sit down to enjoy a meal what a place looks like is of the utmost importance considering I’m about to start ingesting food that was prepared there. You can always tell which places have dirty kitchens and lax standards by looking around the building and dining area especially the restrooms. If the bathroom is a mess chances are the kitchen is too. A ragtag, anything goes vibe may be fine for a bar, but I don’t know if I want those qualities in a food establishment.

This is not to say that Cassino was dirty – I’ve never eaten there and wouldn’t know. Its just to say that looks do matter.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:37:58 +0000

TGI Friday’s!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:24:11 +0000

Agreed about Manducatis service, but since they’ve been open for so many decades, I don’t think they need to worry about service reviews. I wish it was the other way around, but sadly, it isn’t.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:23:55 +0000

It really bothers me that the New LIC, with all its thousands of rich turds, can’t support an authentic place like Cassino. Who cares what its storefront looks like? I like the ragtag, anything goes vibe of places like this. They give a neighborhood its life. What is up with you people? Why did you even move to LIC in the first place? Just to change it?

Are the people moving in to LIC so lame that they have to always eat in flashy, trendy places, whose food isn’t really that good and is often overpriced? To me, the best NYC neighborhoods are those that enable solid, old-school places like Cassino to do well. I’m so disappointed because it bodes poorly for the kinds of gutsy, REAL places I prefer in NYC. Get ready for the Cheescake Factory.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:35:09 +0000

Service does count. I don’t care how good the food is, if i’m ignored or did not have a plesant experience at a resturant I won’t be back. You can get food anywhere. Part of what you are paying for when you go out to eat is the ambiance and service. Otherwise stay at home and order take out. A lot more resturants will close until people figure that out.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:25:00 +0000

#24… I hadn’t even noticed… is that post totally deleted? I can’t even find it unless I’m blind. WTF. I guess blogs are a business, not journalism now?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:53:16 +0000

It would be nice if lic turned into another little italy. I think it’s a great evolution to the neighborhood. BUT all of these new Italian places better kill it on a culinary level. I don’t care what you say about Manducatis’ service, some of which is true, their food is Italian soul cooking. Soul food is soul food, whether it’s served on a linen tablecloth or picnic bench. And delivered to you by Roman gods or a weary waitress.

That all being said, I’m looking forward to the tapas bar. We need some variation too!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:47:14 +0000

#17, LIQ has apparently decided that topic is off limits. My theory is that she is bowing to pressure from someone close to the issue. Totally unconfirmed speculation, but why else would she do a 180 and not allow discussion on it?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:30:43 +0000

Also, I heard the metfoods is not coming to vernon/jackson. Is that true? I am glad we’re getting another grocery store. hope they are not overpriced.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:27:56 +0000

If by alive you mean drunken and noisy #20, yeah. sounds greaaaat.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:16:46 +0000

The problem with Cassino was the storefront. The place looks like a dive on the outside. If they fixed the storefront they could do as much business as any other establishment on Vernon. If they are smart when they close it down they will make the necessary renovations and reopen a new business there.

I agree, Carmines probabaly won’t happen, but it would be nice if it did.