On 51st Ave btwn Vernon & 5th st, there’s what I like to call “The Cursed BBQ Place”. It’s no longer a BBQ place, and every restaurant I’ve seen in that spot has failed miserably (including the BBQ place). I will say I was not sad to see the neon lights of Smokey’s BBQ go dim… and was actually excited at the prospect of a new restaurant that’s not BBQ pop up in its place. As we all were. Hunters Point needs all the restaurants it can get until that glorious day when we get a full-fledged grocery store.

Turns out the new restaurant, Lucky Mojos, is sort of a BBQ place in disguise: Tex-Mex and Sushi. Yeah, sounds like a strange combo, and from the word on the street (the ACTUAL street), the union is not necessarily a marriage made in heaven. Lucky Mojos, I truly had high hopes for you…but that damn curse is a force to be reckoned with. (Aren’t they all?) Smokey’s BBQ brought a carnivorous, drunken crew to the hood, but Lucky’s touts itself as a family oriented place - which is GREAT. I’ll give them that much. 1 point for LM. But that’s all they get. »

Blend, 47-04 Vernon Blvd @ 47th Ave, LIC 718.729.2800

Aah. Another restaurant. Even from the few short posts, it must be obvious how excited I get for new food in the hood. Blend popped up a few months ago on Vernon Blvd between 47th Rd and 47th Ave, nestled between longtime hood favorites Lounge 47 & Communitea. In fact, the first time I stumbled upon Blend, their opening night, I gossiped with the owners of Lounge 47 about the new kid on the block. Judging by the crowd on the first night, they seem to have hit a solid 2-run base hit.
Word on the street »

Bricktown Bagels - 51-06 Vernon Blvd, 718.361.2428

As you all know, we in LIC are still waiting for a grocery store. (Note to self: Call Rockrose…is the proposed Amish Market coming anytime soon?) In the meantime, Hunters Point has been delivered its first bagel cafe, Bricktown Bagels. Presently, there are a few delicatessens on Vernon that sell bagels, but those aren’t really bagels a self-respecting NYC neighborhood can be proud of.

Bricktown Bagels, which opened this past fall to a warm reception, is a bona fide NYC bagel shop, offering a spacious interior, comfy couches for lounging, nice tables, and free Wi-Fi. Add to that mix, an abundance of sandwiches, pastries, deli nibblers, and sliced meat. All the bagels are boiled and baked in the old school NYC tradition right on site, and the freshness is extremely self-evident. Bricktown offers the standard options of bagels, including bialys (of course) and whole wheat versions of popular bagel types.

More bagel scoop »