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Mexico Blvd. Food Truck Owners to Open Restaurant in Astoria

 New restaurants are opening in Astoria and Sunnyside.
Openings and Closings in Queens
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ASTORIA — The owners behind a popular food truck that serves tacos, tortas and other Mexican eats at locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens are planning to open a restaurant in Astoria soon.

Jordi Loaeza, who runs the Mexico Blvd. truck along with his parents, says they are planning to open an eatery under a different name on 36th Avenue and 33rd Street by the end of April or beginning of May.

The news was first reported by the neighborhood blog We Heart Astoria. Loaeza, who did not reveal the name of the new space, said they will serve authentic Mexican food, including an expanded menu of tacos and bite-sized Mexican appetizers.

"It's just straight up Mexico City-style," he said. "The food that we love to eat in Mexico City, without Americanizing it."

"This is a little bit more like a very relaxing sort of comfortable, cozy place, where you can just go with friends, have a beer and eat tacos and have a good time," he said.

The Mexico Blvd. truck, which serves tacos, tortas and flautas, will continue to operate, he said. The truck currently parks at locations in Manhattan, DUMBO and on Ditmars Boulevard and 31st Street in Astoria.

Other recent comings and goings on the neighborhood restaurant and retail scene include the following:

Caffe Bene, a South Korean coffee brand that operates cafes across Asia as well as more than 80 in the U.S., will open a new location in Sunnyside at the beginning of May, as the website Sunnyside Post first reported.

The coffee shop will be located at 41 -31 Queens Blvd., according to a rep for the company. Caffe Bene is modeled after a "traditional European coffeehouse," and serves coffee drinks, baked goods and desserts like waffles and gelato, according to its website.

► The owner behind the former Bistro 33, at 19-33 Ditmars Blvd. in Astoria, has renovated the space and re-opened it as a new restaurant and bar called Bowery Bay. Chef and executive owner Gary Anza closed Bistro 33 in February and wanted to revamp the space to make it more of a bar destination, according to manager Sal Milazzo.

At Bowery Bay, which opened April 12, Anza and fellow chef Evan Orlic are now serving a French-Canadian inspired menu that includes dishes like lobster poutine, Arctic char and a sloppy goat sandwich.

Bowery Bay is partnering with Astoria brewery SingleCut Beersmiths on a small plates and beer pairing on Wednesday, April 23 in celebration of Queens Beer Week. More details can be found on Bowery Bay's Facebook page.