Punta Dura Italian Restaurant
41-15 34th Street (off Steinway)
Astoria, Queens, NY 11103
718-721-2137
R/V/G train
http://www.puntadura.com/
This restaurant is a true step back into time into a far away land. They do have Italian food, but the feel is very Eastern European, as the owners are Croatian and the crowd is very mixed from all over Eastern Europe. A sort of secret about this place, is that it was used in The Sopranos as the scene for the restaurant Nuovo Vesuvio, and when you walk in you feel like you have been here before.
The food is excellent and fresh and a drop pricey for Astoria, but don't let that stop you, as it’s just a fun feeling to be a part of this place. At 10 PM on both Friday and Saturday nights they have live international music, and everyone dances to music from every country. It really reminds me of our trips to Croatia, Italy, Germany and Poland and much more.
The waiters are formal, and the service is excellent. It has the feel of "old world" and definitely not Manhattan. I felt like a fly on the wall seeing how other people enjoy the simple pleasures of life; good food, good wine, seeing friends, and making new friends and dancing and dancing. Around midnight yet another group comes in, a bit younger and more dancing. I admit this place is not for everyone, but I know we'll be regulars. as it brought back lots of fond memories of both trips abroad and times gone by.
Friday, December 17, 2010
American Museum of Natural History in NYC
The American Museum of Natural History
Central Park West @81st Street
New York, New York
This museum is a wonderful way to spend a cold winter's afternoon, especially with a young child. There is so much to see and do that I recommend going in small steps. Don’t try to cover the entire place in one visit. I can't tell you about every exhibit, but I must say that the BUTTERFLY EXHIBIT, is really a lot of fun and so interesting. As you walk into this tropical paradise, you see the most beautiful array of every color a butterfly can be. They land on your head, on your fingertips and whirl around so nicely. They are amazing to study, and they don't bite!
A trip thru the Safari Animals is fun as well, as the backdrop on the various animals gives the feel of being on the plains of Africa. As always, the DINOSAURS make a huge impression, especially on little children. You just can never start too young, or too soon to make this wonderful museum feel like a second home to all that continue to visit.
HINT: There is a coat check for $2.00 per person. On the lower level there is a cafeteria, but to be honest, the food is much overpriced and not too good; I would suggest bringing a sandwich and just buying drinks there, especially if you are with children. As an example, the chicken fingers for a child were about $10 and the fries were extra, a plain lettuce and tomato salad was about $9.
Have fun and share your stories with me...
Central Park West @81st Street
New York, New York
This museum is a wonderful way to spend a cold winter's afternoon, especially with a young child. There is so much to see and do that I recommend going in small steps. Don’t try to cover the entire place in one visit. I can't tell you about every exhibit, but I must say that the BUTTERFLY EXHIBIT, is really a lot of fun and so interesting. As you walk into this tropical paradise, you see the most beautiful array of every color a butterfly can be. They land on your head, on your fingertips and whirl around so nicely. They are amazing to study, and they don't bite!
A trip thru the Safari Animals is fun as well, as the backdrop on the various animals gives the feel of being on the plains of Africa. As always, the DINOSAURS make a huge impression, especially on little children. You just can never start too young, or too soon to make this wonderful museum feel like a second home to all that continue to visit.
HINT: There is a coat check for $2.00 per person. On the lower level there is a cafeteria, but to be honest, the food is much overpriced and not too good; I would suggest bringing a sandwich and just buying drinks there, especially if you are with children. As an example, the chicken fingers for a child were about $10 and the fries were extra, a plain lettuce and tomato salad was about $9.
Have fun and share your stories with me...
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