New Wine Bar In Astoria Offers Luxury Wine "For The Price Of Boxed"

ASTORIA, QUEENS — A new wine bar opened its doors on Ditmars Boulevard, offering locals a tour of Tuscany, Bourdeaux, and Rioja by the glass.

Tootles & French, located at 3615 Ditmars Blvd., was started by Chad Goldsmith after his various stints in the restaurant industry in New York City. An Astoria local himself, Goldsmith thought the neighborhood needed a place where the community could indulge in fine dining without having to break the bank.

"I think this is something people wanted in their backyard and not have to go to Manhattan for," Goldsmith said. "It's about providing luxury products, like a glass of Bourdeaux, for the price of boxed wine."

Goldsmith said half of the offerings in the wine list come from minority-owned businesses.

The restaurant, which had its soft opening in late April, is named after Goldsmith and his brother's nicknames when they were young.

The menu changes every month, and a glass of wine can range from $10 to $18. Bottles can go up to $2,400.

The opening was stalled amid pandemic-related disruptions and a labor shortage, delaying the approval of the building permit for about nine months after signing a lease in 2021.

Since then, over 200 bottles of wine have been imported from Georgia, France, Italy, and other countries.

"We had a lot of help from the community for the opening," Goldsmith said. "Astoria is great, you don't need to leave."