WINEGASM
October 14, 2014
THE HUNGER JAMES OFFICIAL RATING:
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There is a place in Astoria that I pass on my bi-monthly runs that I have been meaning to check out. It is called “Winegasm” (ugh, I know) and is located on 37th street and always has a chalkboard out front bragging about nightly drink specials. I told my roommate that we should go there for a glass of wine the next time we want a glass of wine.
So, later that night, we went there for a glass of wine.
I wasn’t too sure what to expect going into Winegasm. In my mind, I pictured it to be a darkly-lit place, with plush velvet couches, bar stools made of glass, and a wall covered with corks from 100$ bottles of wine.
It was the complete opposite.
The floors, tables and even barstools were all made of wood. There were rustic chandeliers (took me six times to spell that correctly – even using the spell check) over each table and a smooth jazz Pandora station on that would randomly play a Natalie Imbruglia or Barenaked Ladies song. Lacy and I looked at each other in both awe and shock.
I had made a reservation two hours prior on OpenTable so I can get my points, so when I told the hostess/waitress, she took us over to a table with a folded piece of paper on it that read “Reserved.” There have only been a few times in my life where I have felt cool and established. This was one of those times.
Feeling fancy, we ordered a bottle of the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (we felt pressure because of the “Reserved” sign) and then looked over the menu. Again, we were impressed by the food offered at this place. From a cheese and meat plate, to chocolate fondue, it had everything you could possibly want.
Being somewhat on a diet, we ordered neither and instead got the Mediterranean Plate, which included with hummus, roasted red pepper hummus, goat cheese and basil oil and artichoke ricotta complete with pita bread, cucumbers, and carrots. It was the perfect meal.
While we were devouring the Mediterranean Plate, I looked over to the table next to me who ordered the Truffle Mac & Cheese. “I have to order that, Lacy. People will expect me to order that. I have to keep my followers happy.” She rolled her eyes and told me that I was a grown adult and I didn’t need to make excuses to go off my diet, but that I was doing so well with eating healthy and working out that ordering the macaroni and cheese would be a huge step back.
I agreed with her. I had been running every day that week, doing yoga, pushups, and switched to light mayo. Ordering this giant dish of pasta with melted cheese would make me feel guilty. So I dipped a piece of cucumber in the hummus and took a sip of my wine.
When the waitress came by to refill our glasses and ask how everything was, I blurted out “Can we have the mac and cheese please?” Before I even knew what came over me, she had disappeared. “I’ll run an extra ten minutes tomorrow” I promised Lacy.
All I can say is that I am SO happy that I ordered it. It was one of the best mac and cheeses I have ever had in my life, and that is a pretty heavy statement, as I have had many servings of it over the course of my 27 years.
I could only eat half of the portion and decided I would take the rest home to have as a midnight snack. We finished the remainder of our wine and headed out into Astoria, in search of a place to get wickedly drunk for 15$.
If you live in the Astoria area, or love a really great wine bar with amazing food, I strongly suggest you check out Winegasm. And if I can forgive them of the awful name, so can you.