Loukoumi Taverna

A backyard patio anchors this Ditmars Boulevard taverna, among the first Greek restaurants to open in Astoria and still run by chef Kostas Avlonitis. Beyond the usual souvlaki, the menu holds sweetbreads and fried cheese worth ordering on their own, plus grilled swordfish, salmon and shrimp for the seafood-minded. Carafes of wine come out for the patio tables, which fill up as the night goes on.