Restaurant Week Deals Will Be At These 3 Queens Eateries

ASTORIA, QUEENS -- The rare chance has come again for New Yorkers to fill up on five-star cuisine from the city's finest restaurants without breaking the bank. That's right, foodies, Restaurant Week is back.

New York City's semi-annual celebration of fine dining is back for the winter from Jan. 22 to Feb. 9, offering deals on three-course meals - $29 for lunch and $42 for dinner - at some of the city's swankiest restaurants.

But while a whopping 376 eateries are listed on this year's Winter Restaurant Week guide, options are slim in Queens. Only three restaurants in the borough - two in Astoria and one in Long Island City - signed up to participate this year.

Check out what these Queens eateries have up their sleeves for Restaurant Week, and what they have to say about the borough's low participation in the promotional dining celebration. If you like what you read, you can make an online reservation here.

MP Taverna - Astoria

Annie Rosenberg, manager of MP Taverna in Astoria, said she's surprised to this day that more Queens eateries don't do Restaurant Week.

She told Patch the semi-annual celebrations are some of the most exciting times of the year for the Greek restaurant, which has participated in Restaurant Week every year since it opened.

"It's something we have kind of chosen to be a staple in since we opened," Rosenberg said. "Our chef absolutely loves it. He thinks it's such a great way to reach out and give people a good idea of what we're doing with Greek fusion food."

That chef is Michael Psilakis, a Greek restaurateur best known for his appearances on cooking TV shows like "Iron Chef America" and "Ultimate Recipe Showdown." Psilakis also owns four other restaurants - Fishtag and Kefi on the Upper West Side and two more MP Tavernas in Irvington and Roslyn - which serve up a variety of his Mediterranean-inspired fare.

Psilakis' Astoria location will offer four appetizer and entree options this Restaurant Week, Rosenberg said. Appetizer highlights include a trofie pasta with duck confit - one of the chef's specialties.

Staples of the main course menu include dishes like the restaurant's simple roasted Amish chicken, and a roasted leg of lamb risotto, which Rosenberg said embodies "everything you'd want from Greek comfort food."

Rosenberg said MP Taverna also plans to debut its cow milk ricotta gnocchi during Restaurant Week. The eatery's brand new vegetarian dish features roasted mushrooms, porcini fonduta and sage.

Meet the Meat - Astoria

Juicy steaks, lamb chops and more are on the menu at this Astoria steakhouse for Restaurant Week - all pricey dishes that would otherwise cost a fortune.

It's one of the many reasons Meet the Meat returned to participate in Restaurant Week for the second year in a row, said an employee at the eatery who asked not to be named.

"We definitely see this as an opportunity to widen our potential customer base, and considering the steakhouse is more expensive, this is a good opportunity for us to get to know our customers," the employee said.

A Restaurant Week menu posted to the steakhouse's Facebook page included appetizers like crab cakes, sautéed mussels, and buffalo mozzarella. Main course options include: New York strip steak, filet mignon, lamb chops, salmon and chicken breast with caramelized onions. Diners can finish off the $42 meal with their choice of cheesecake, chocolate mousse cake or tiramisu.

The three-course dinner is a rare deal for the steakhouse's patrons, which is exactly what Restaurant Week is designed to be. Restaurants must apply to be a part of the "celebration of fine-dining" and are evaluated on criteria like pricing - Restaurant Week prices should be 20-50 percent off the regular menu - ratings, reviews and awards.

The Meet the Meat employee suspects such guidelines, especially the high price ranges, may play a role in discouraging Queens restaurateurs from applying to be a part of Restaurant Week.

"Not everyone qualifies for it," the employee said.

Maiella - Long Island City

Maiella was the only restaurant in Long Island City to make the cut for Restaurant Week this time around, but hostess Valentina Restrepo wasn't sure why.

"We have a lot of great restaurants in Queens," she said.

But the hostess noted Maiella, an Italian restaurant on Long Island City's waterfront, had an exceptional menu for the occasion.

Her personal favorites include appetizers like a pear salad - featuring caramelized pears and fresh goat cheese - and entrees like the creamy ricotta gnocchi with truffle oil or sea bass marinated in artichokes, olives and white wine. The desserts topping the menu off - your choice of a chocolate lava cake or the restaurant's famed Italian meringue cake - are both delicious, she said.

This year will be Maiella's second in Restaurant Week, a tradition Restrepo said has become very important for the eatery.

"I believe Restaurant Week is very important to give people that familiarization of who we are as a restaurant," she said.

Lead image courtesy of MP Taverna.