Four eateries gave away free samples of their cuisine to roughly 150 passers-by today, as the 14th annual Dine In Queens officially kicked off with a festive outdoor ceremony at The Shops at Atlas Park in Glendale. (Please note that this was formally known as “Queens Restaurant Week.”)

More than 150 establishments — including newly opened places like Matiz Restaurant in Forest Hills and Sushi Fusion in Flushing as well as old favorites such as Bayside’s Bourbon Street and O Lavrador in Jamaica — will participate in Dine In Queens, which is scheduled for Oct. 16 to Nov. 2. Most restaurants will serve a three-course, prix-fixe dinner for $28 and lunch for $14, and owners will decide if they want to offer their specials on weekdays, weekends or both.
(Surf to http://itsinqueens.com/DineInQueens for a complete list of participants.)

“The entire world loves the restaurants in Queens,” stated Queens Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Seth Bornstein. “Now these customers can enjoy the wonderful cuisine and warm hospitality at tremendous prices. I suggest the steaks, sushi, soul food, Spanish dishes, salads, scallops, sesame chicken, and soba.”

“For the fourth year in a row, The Shops at Atlas Park has hosted the Dine In Queens kick-off event,” stated Peter DeLucia, the popular galleria’s property manager. “Along with offering a prime location, our outdoor lifestyle center offers guests the finest in retail, dining, and entertainment as well as ample green space for our family-friendly community.”

Dine In Queens is a Queens Tourism Council program whose sponsors are JetBlue Airways, Restaurant Depot, It’s In Queens, Austin’s Ale House, Bourbon Street, Fishscale Market, One Station Plaza, Best of the Boro, El Correo, LIC Flea & Food, Queens Courier, and QNS.