August 12, 2016
Sanford’s was the second restaurant picked from my “Eat Around Astoria” hat and I was so excited to try this place for dinner. If you live in (or close to) Astoria, you have probably stood on the corner of Broadway and 31st street waiting over an hour for Sanford’s brunch. If so, you’ve probably seen me! (I’m the bald guy wearing a plaid button down shirt complaining about how hot it is…or how cold it is…or why Delta doesn’t offer free wi-fi on their flights).
I love the brunch special at Sanford’s - where you get any reasonably-priced menu item (huge list of dishes from a French Toast Panini to Chicken Schnitzel), choice of coffee, tea, or juice, and then 2 cocktails of your choice (mimosa, bloody mary, screwdriver, etc). Since the brunch is so good, I was curious to see their dinner menu.
Upon walking in and being sat, I noticed the ambiance was different from brunch, with much more dimmed lights and quieter music. Not in the mood for wine (gasp!), I ordered a Grey Goose and tonic to help refresh me during these hot summer nights.
For an appetizer (which could have been a meal) I got the Crunchy Ranch Quesadilla to split, which was listed under “Small Plates.” Ha! This was one of the biggest quesadillas I have ever seen. I’ve had their breakfast quesadilla before and both are enormous and delicious!
When it came time to order my entrée, I was torn. They have so many different choices from steaks to pastas to chicken parmesan to sandwiches and burgers. So, to help me decide, I did what every New Yorker *should* do: I went on Yelp! for suggestions.
The first five reviews I saw mentioned the Gouda Stuffed Duck Burger and how “decadent” and “deliciously tasteful” it was (yes, I just quoted people’s reviews from Yelp! in my review), so I had no other choice than to order it and see for myself just how good it was…
…and boy was it decadent! What a fantastic adjective to use to describe the taste of this burger. I was nervous to see how duck would taste in burger form, but it was so rich and the oozing Gouda cheese coming from its center made it that much more enjoyable. It is a must-try if you ever stop by Sanford’s Restaurant – and since it’s on the dinner, lunch AND brunch menu, it doesn’t matter when you go!