Comfortland
Comfortland is tucked away at the edge of Astoria. Down 30th street just before it turns from bustling shops and cafes into a sleepy neighborhood. There you’ll find a brightly colored aqua awning and funky lettering. The first thing that you meet inside is ET holding his finger out to you. A weird greeting to a funky delicious shop of sweets from the mind of Donnie Dalessio. Donnie like myself is a child of the 80’s and Comfortland is his third baby of a restaurant all made from his funky imagination.
Comfortland started it’s life as a restaurant as Queens Comfort. The best way to describe QC was that it was my childhood nostalgia come to life. Every available space of the restaurant was covered in toys and props and pop culture items from the 80’s. It was a homage to the toys that I played with as a kid. The movies that I watched and that little spot in the back of my brain that hasn’t been poked in many years. Walking in I was instantly transported to a time when I was 3ft tall sitting in the grass and playing with my trucks. QC also served the food not that I had as a child, but the food that I wanted. The food that my imagination only could have dreamed up now come to life through the mind of Donnie Dalessio. Cap’n Crunch chicken sandwiches. Atomic fireball mac n cheese poppers, and a PB & J burger.
Comfortland keeps that same feeling of nostalgia and childhood wonder but is CQ transformed into a donut shop. You’ll find sprinkles galore. Jelly filled and rainbow colored delights that will make your toes curl. The kind of food that you bring your daughter to enjoy but secretly it’s really for the little child inside of you that’s yearning to come out and play.