Food Photos by Angela Matua By Angela Matua [email protected] Photos by Angela Matua One Queens family is bringing East Coast culinary staples to Astoria. East Coast Foodies, a restaurant run by the Pappas family that opened on March 31, sources all of its food from small shops in New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont and Maine. You’ll find soft drinks in unique flavors like cranberry lime made by East Coast small businesses; Maple cotton candy from Parker’s Real Maple in New York; and a variety of preserves that the owners are experimenting with in their recipes. Even the potato chips come from small, local companies: the Vintage Main Kitchen chips are made in Maine by a “couple that cuts the potatoes at their dinner table,” said Dean Pappas, who runs the place with his mother, Mary. But the eatery’s real strength is in their list of four carefully curated main sandwiches — made with East Coast 22 may 2017 i LIC COURIER i www.qns.com ingredients, of course — that are all named after East Coast locales. East Coast Foodies nailed their version of a lobster roll, The Maine, which is served with lemon, a drizzle of melted butter, a spice blend and chives. The butter will drip down your hands as you enjoy this decadent Northeastern sandwich right here in your own backyard. The Burlington, a grilled cheese sandwich, includes cheddar, swiss cheese, and applewood smoked maple bacon on sourdough bread with caramelized onions. It’s paired with a side shot of maple syrup to dunk or drizzle, which makes this delicious sandwich the perfect combination of savory and sweet. There’s also The Philly, their version of the Philadelphia cheese steak, which filled the restaurant with an irresistible aroma, and The Vermont, a grilled cheese sandwich that may be tweaked thanks to suggestions from returning customers. The Pappas family, originally from Greece, has been trickling over to Astoria o v e r the past several decades. Dean Pappas moved to Astoria from Athens 10 years ago and works in technology, along with this new business venture. Neither he nor his mother had ever worked in the restaurant business, but they were inspired to create East Coast Foodies when they realized what was missing from the local food scene. “This all started from our desire to be able to find certain things,” he said. “There is nowhere really in Astoria to get a lobster roll or to get a hot dog.” He brainstormed a list of “wacky things you didn’t even know existed” that were created on the East Coast and went from there. East Coast Eats
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