eateryROW: FOREST HILLS

MARTHA'S COUNTRY BAKERY
70-30 Austin Street
Forest Hills, NY 11375
(718) 544-0088

Martha's is Forest Hills' (and Astoria's) answer to Magnolia and Crumbs. It's routinely crowded and, I think, pretty damn good. I won't lie, some people who have read my initial eateryROW review have written in to argue that it could use some improvement. But everything can. I, for one, am glad that it's around. I'm also glad that it's open as late as it is. It's closest competition, Fay Da Bakery around the corner on Queens Boulevard, closes extremely early.

Treats are up front, and there's a cafe in the back. Sadly, there's no wifi. So Starbucks will still win the coffee-with-a-laptop crowd. Frequently, especially around holidays, the line can stretch to the door. Just grab a ticket and wait. Everyone's been real nice in my experience.

For the full eateryROW review, CLICK HERE.

UPDATE: 7/15/12: Martha's moved in to the larger space just next door to the storefront you see pictured here. This new, expanded location is about three times as large. There's twice as much glass cabinetry holding pastries and the waiting area for sit-down guests has been separated so that everyone isn't all on top of each other. The service is just as polite, the food is just as good, and they're just as crowded. I suppose that the benefit of so many more tables is that the wait has been reduced from forty five minutes to fifteen. The only complaint I have, and Pike was the first to really vocalize the thought, is that it seems less cozy. Less quaint. By expanding, which makes great economic sense, they've lost providing a certain sense of visiting a teeny local joint. But I still like it and I'll still return.