Discover Queens Restaurant Week Starts At Borough Hall
BY DAN MILLER AND LINDA J. WILSON

Mr. Met and Borough President Helen Marshall (c.) posed with the owners, proprietors and chefs of some of the restaurants throughout the borough participating in Discover Queens Restaurant Week 2007 this past Monday at Borough Hall.

On Monday September 17 Queens Borough President Helen Marshall, with Mr. Met and a host of community leaders and restaurant owners at her side, officially announced the start of Discover Queens Restaurant Week on the steps of Queens Borough Hall.

Austin Steak House, Brooklyn Brewery, Chef One/TMI, Coca Cola Bottling Company, Deluge, London Lennie's, Mezzo Mezzo, Red Café, Riverview Restaurant, Sarabella Restaurant, Shiro of Japan and Vos Water offered samples to the officials and members of the public. Some 100 restaurants are participating in this two-week-long program to promote the taste of Queens at restaurants throughout the borough that began Monday September 17 and will run through Thursday, September 27. Participating restaurants will offer a three course prixfixe lunch and/or dinner for $20.07 to celebrate Discover Queens Restaurant Week 2007.

Photos Dan Miller/DMD Images Borough President Helen Marshall samples some of the viands offered in a taste test to kick off Discover Queens Restaurant Week 2007 on the steps of Borough Hall on Monday.

Marshall thanked the business sponsors, Commerce Bank, Con Edison and the New York Mets for their support of Discover Queens Restaurant Week and other Queens projects. She told the gathering on the Borough Hall steps that a few years ago New York City first offered a Restaurant Week, but did not include Queens. She then decided that Queens needed its own Restaurant Week and proceeded to establish one in conjunction with the Discover Queens program to encourage tourism in the borough.

The successes of last year's Discover Queens Restaurant Week were applauded, with the Queens Economic Development Corporation presenting Top Community Partner awards to representatives of business organizations in Astoria and Flushing that had brought in the largest numbers of participating restaurants. Central Astoria Local Development Coalition Executive Director Marie Torniali accepted a Top Community Partner award on behalf of CALDC and the Steinway Street Business Improvement District. The Astoria and Flushing neighborhoods held the largest numbers of restaurants joining in the 2006 event.

Restaurants in the Astoria area participating in Discover Queens Restaurant Week 2007 are Arcos Restaurant, 33-05 Broadway, Barril Grill, 30-18 Broadway, Bartolino's Italian Restaurant, 34-15 Broadway, Gandhi Restaurant, 34-14 30th Ave., Margarita Ville Restaurant, 38-01 Broadway, Mezzo Mezzo, 31-29 Ditmars Blvd., Mundo Café & Restaurant, 31-18 Broadway, Opa Souvlaki, 28-44 31st St., Paparazzi Café, 40-17 30th Ave., Pinocchio Palace, 32-02 30th Ave., Ponticello Ristorante, 46-11 Broadway, Time Café, 44-18 Broadway, Zenon Taverna, 34-10 31st Ave., and Zorba's Souvlaki Plus, 29-05 30th Ave.

For more information, call 718- 263-0546 or visit www.discoverqueens.info.