Don’t know how to spend those lazy Saturdays from July through  September? Volunteer at PS1- some perks include increasing your knowledge of art, getting a tan, and meeting new people from various walks of life. Here is an excerpt from their website that tells you a little more about it-

Volunteer at Warm Up!

Published Wednesday, May 13, 2009.

P.S.1 is seeking responsible and energetic volunteers to assist with this summer’s experimental music and DJ series. Warm Up takes place on ten Saturdays between 2pm and 9pm, July 4 through September 5. Warm Up volunteers will assist with various aspects of the event including staffing information tables, assisting with line management, and managing water stations and coat check.

May is Bike Month is NYC. Get off your couch and hop on that beautiful piece of metal to show this city that YOU own the road. Feel the wind against your face and sweat like you mean it in the 22 mile  Second Annual Tour de Queens. Registration begins May 26 for the July 12th bike tour- that will start in Flushing Meadows park and take you all over your favorite boro’ For more information visit www.tourdequeens.org

 El me saco La Vuelta (10-43 44th Drive LIC 718-361-1858) … y tire lo en su cara. Hidden on a side road surrounded by nothing- sits a quaint and unassuming Latino bistro. La Vuelta offers a menu that is a turn from the conventional South American fare usually found in New York. Some might call it fusion or nuevo- I just call it plain good. Everything about this restaurant from the intimate setting to the reasonable prices to the friendly service and of course to the food- is a pleasant experience. The row of unique hanging lanterns guides you into a dimly lit restaurant that is decorated with paintings of old cars. Immediately after you sit your server bestows your table with a basket of plantain chips and garlic dip. Staring with a nachos, a dish large enough to feed the entire table. The plate topples over with baked jack cheese and a white bean puree.  The grilled shrimp with coconut rice and pineapple jalapeno is a tender arrangement of  all tastes sweet and hot. The plank roasted tilapia (pictured) with roasted red beets, rice and pepper escabeche adds traditional latin ingredients to form a colorful palate. The buttery tilapia is slightly crisp on a bed of fresh herbs and vegetables. The grilled tuna steak with sauteed vegetables and five pepper salsa is an entree overflowing  with zest but not overpowered by seasoning. It is appropriate to end a cold wintry night with La Veulta’s seasonal cocktail- the Grand Marnier hot chocolate- a steaming hot tin pitcher of cocoa and milk with the essence of bitter orange. If you still crave dessert- the baked apple empanadas are doused in sweet syrup that is sprinkled with jalepeno pepper.  The wine list is short, but offers nothing but quality choices like a fruity Malbec or Camenerie. The small restaurant is still a sleeper so the weekend dinner crowd is limited and short lived. La Vuelta may be off-the-beaten-path but you would be a fool to turn it down.

The holidays are over, time to relax and renew in Queens, Part I. 

 Tannia’s Natural Nutrition’s (1820 Grove St.  Ridgewood, NY 11385 718.381.0101)

Tannia’s is a health food store and clinic offering meditation classes, holistic healing and iridology  (recognizing colors and patterns in your iris to gain insight on your health). For this unique experience alone, it just might be worth the trip. There are also spa packages including sauna and plaster therapies, facials and hot stone therapy. Here is an over-view of classes being offered there.

Meditation & Makka Ho Exercises sessions are directed by John Vega, a saavy massage therapy student and manager of the spa.  Although only a few weeks old, the sessions he puts on are definitly worth attending for anyone interested in meditation and yoga.  John is a master at relaxation and instruction, giving personal attention where it’s needed, in a very peaceful and serene envirnoment that’s unique to the Ridgewood, QNS neighborhood.  The particular session I attended began with breathing exercises evolving into exercises that were mostly familiar to me, given the yoga classes I’ve attended in the past.  My favorite was the healing meditation session at the end.  Drawing from personal experience and healing, John transcends you into another world and if you allow yourself to go deep enough, the ride is literally sensational.  You leave feeling a renewed sense of self and with a desire to return the next week.  Sessions are Tuesdays at 7pm (please, people, don’t be late).  They are a very reasonable $10, and classes may be taught in Spanish, if needed.  Tannia’s Natural Nutrition can be reached by subway on the M (Seneca Ave) or the L (Myrtle-Wyckoff).

-Adam Naill

 Vesta Trattoria and Wine Bar (21-02 30th Ave 30th Ave N/W train or Q69 bus) isn’t going to change your world of culinary experiences. It is however, a fantastic place to go for a romantic night of Italian eating and drinking. The thing that makes Vesta a unique step above other restaurants, is that you can order wine by the shot, glass or bottle.  This is an affordable and practical phenomenon, and puts fine dining within reach. Shot glasses of wine start at $2.50 and glasses around $7. There are bubblies, whites and reds to choose from- mostly small regional labels imported from Italy. The red Salice Salentino offers a fruity dry  taste similar to that of a fine Malbec and the white Gravina is fruity and tart. The appetizers and sides like the crispy seared brussel sprouts or the beet salad are simple and elegant dishes that compliment almost any meal.  The potato and pancetta pizza is an unusual combination of meat, starch, apples, goat cheese and a sweet caramelized onion sauce (in place of the traditional tomato sauce) topped with arugula . The fresh vegetables and meat are arranged on a thin crispy crust large enough for two. At Vesta the three meat lasagna isn’t oozing with molten cheese or bursting with flavor. It is a more refined and simpler version of what diners might otherwise normally encounter. The service is genuinely attentive and down-to-earth. It is a blend of neighborhood friendliness with a romantic edge. The atmosphere provides a youthful hipness with Cold Play, Interpol and The Gossip  playing on the stereo without being pretentiously unwelcoming. Vesta stays loyal to the local economy by purchasing artwork and baked goods from the surrounding neighborhood. They are open late, serve brunch, offer a great date spot at very reasonable prices.

Chinese Gonfu Tui-Na (29-28 Ditmars Blvd 2nd fl 718-204-7580) isn’t a luxury spa by any means. You won’t be serenaded by the sounds of flowing waterfalls or chirping birds, but you will be provided with a plastic cup of hot tea and prompt, attentive service.There aren’t private rooms, but merely curtains to seperate the clients from each other. If you don’t mind a bare bones establishment with good quality at a cheap price, then this is the place for you. Take an evening after work or a sunday morning to enjoy a no-frills, inexpensive traditional chinese massage or hot stone therapy starting at $30 for 30 minutes or  $50 for 60 min. If it’s good enough for me- then it might not be for everyone. If your environmental standards are set just at the average mark, then you will appreciate what you get for your buck. Be sure to ask for their frequent customer card- the tenth massage is free!