Astoria Characters: The Yiddish Actor

When Adam B. Shapiro introduces himself, he makes a big point of emphasizing his middle initial, B. You see, Adam’s an actor, and there’s another fellow on the New York stage who has the same name; it is the all-important B that clarifies the confusion. You can see Adam in . (For the record, the two Adams recently met, and Adam B says that Adam No B, who is starring in on Broadway, is, indeed, a very nice guy.) While explaining all this, Adam, a benevolent bearded behemoth, is sitting in his…

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Astoria Characters: The Comfort-Food Chef

Ah, comfort food. Whether it’s mac and cheese or mashed potatoes, it’s what gets Nick Testa’s culinary juices flowing like fine wine. Nick is the executive chef at The Bonnie and Sweet Afton. “It reminds me of my childhood,” says Nick, who is the executive chef of the Astoria gastropubs The Bonnie and Sweet Afton. “It makes me think of home. And of my mother.” Which is why he put zucchini fritters on Sweet Afton’s menu. “It’s her recipe,” he says as he places a plate of them…

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Astoria Characters: The Good Witch

In Annie Mascia’s life, things don’t simply happen. Rather, she gets interested in one thing, and it leads to another and another and another. Annie, a licensed massage therapist and certified aromatherapist and aromatherapy teacher, remarks that it’s quiet in the co-op today – her husband and two young daughters are out. Annie is a licensed massage therapist and a certified aromatherapist and teacher. She and Rusty, her 2-year-old orange and white cat, are hanging out for a while until…

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Astoria Characters: The Woman’s Whose Life Is in Limbo

Saneun Hwang rummages through her tote bag until she finds a thick white book. She places it on the coffee table and begins flipping through its image-heavy pages, which she likens to birds’ wings flying freely through the sky. Saneun is from South Korea. There is a story – her story – behind the tome she has titled ; in fact, it will tell you pretty much everything you want and need to know about who she is. Saneun, who is from Seoul, South Korea, made the so-called artist book while she…

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Astoria Characters: The Chef Behind Chip Cookies

Wearing silver mitts that stretch to her elbows, Andrea Prunella pulls a tray of peppermint chocolate cookies out of the oven and brings them to the front counter, where they warm themselves under heating lamps like newborn chicks. Andrea created Chip NYC’s signature crunchy-gooey cookies. “It’s the crushed candy canes in the dough that make them so special,” she says. Their sweet scent fills the air, bringing a bit of home-for-the-holidays cheer to Chip NYC’s Ditmars shop —…

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