QUEENS, NY — A celebration meant to spotlight New York City’s “incredible array of eateries” has cast most of the city’s outer boroughs out of the limelight.
The world-renowned NYC Restaurant Week will offer its semiannual dining deals at nearly 400 of the city’s most exclusive eateries during its summer run from July 23 to Aug. 17, officials announced Monday.
Only two of those restaurants are in Queens.
The festival highlighting NYC’s “culinary culture” released its lineup on Monday, which means New Yorkers can start booking coveted reservations at participating restaurants offering fixed two-course lunch menus for $26 of three-course dinner menus for $42.
About 96 percent of those special menus can be found in Manhattan. And, despite an international culinary scene that late celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain once dubbed a “mysterious wonderland of food and culture,”Queens’ only eateries to make the cut for this Restaurant Week lie directly across the East River in Long Island City and Astoria.
In Astoria, diners can check out Meet the Meat, whose owners spent 25 years working in “elite Manhattan establishments” before opening the steakhouse at 23-92 21st St., according to its Restaurant Week listing.
The steakhouse’s special menu features appetizers such as crab cakes, sautéed mussels and clams. Diners can choose between heavier entrees such as steak – New York strip or filet mignon – and lamb chops, or opt for lighter fare such as the salmon and “MTM” Chicken. Each is served with mashed potatoes, string beans and sautéed shaved carrots. Dessert is either a New York style cheesecake, chocolate mousse cake or tiramisu.
In Long Island City, Maiella is the lone eatery participating in this summer’s Restaurant Week. The upscale Italian restaurant located just behind the iconic Pepsi-Cola sign at 46-10 Center Blvd. is known for putting a modern twist on authentic dishes such as fresh charcuterie, homemade pappardelle, hand-rolled ricotta cavatelli pasta and a variety of pizzas.
Maiella has not yet announced its Restaurant Week offerings, but you can browse the eatery’s full menu here.
NYC Company, a private marketing business that promotes the city’s tourism and runs Restaurant Week, hand-picks eateries that apply to be in the food event. Each is judged by their price point – restaurant week menus should be a 20 – 50 percent discount off regular prices – as well as ratings, reviews, chef bios and awards, according to the company’s website.
Queens isn’t the only underrepresented borough in the Summer 2018 NYC Restaurant Week. This year’s 381 participating eateries include only 10 from Brooklyn – one of which is inside a Holiday Inn – and one each in the Bronx and Staten Island.
See the full Restaurant Week lineup here.
Lead photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images
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