Astoria pride: Tootles & French named USA Today’s Best New Restaurant

Tootles & French Events Manager Tony Lipari (left) and owner Chad Goldsmith (second from right) celebrate with friends after being named USA Today’s Best New Restaurant. Photos by Ramy Mahmoud

Jan. 6, 2025 By Shane O’Brien

Astoria’s own Tootles & French popped the cork on its biggest celebration yet, throwing a neighborhood party Friday night to toast its win as USA Today’s Best New Restaurant, topping a nationwide holiday vote.

Tootles & French, opened by Chad Goldsmith at 36-15 Ditmars Blvd. in 2023, was one of 20 nationwide restaurants nominated for the award and was the only Queens-based establishment in contention for the honor.

Photos by Ramy Mahmoud

Dozens of Astoria residents, customers and supporters attended Friday’s celebration after USA Today announced on Thursday, Jan. 2, that Tootles & French had topped the charts in polling.

Although Tootles & French opened more than a year ago, the wine bar and restaurant qualified for the award because USA Today considers any establishment that opened within the past 18 months to be a “new restaurant.”

Vanessa Massas (center) celebrates on Friday. Photo: Ramy Mahmoud

Vanessa Massas (center) celebrates on Friday. Photos by Ramy Mahmoud

Vanessa Massas, who co-owns the restaurant alongside Goldsmith, said she was lost for words after winning Best New Restaurant and added that the award was more than she ever expected. She also praised the Astoria community for supporting Tootles & French throughout the vote.

“Are you kidding me?” Massas said. “I don’t even know what to say. It means the world to me. This is a huge deal, especially after COVID and what the hospitality industry has been going through.”

Massas believes that the award can help bring more attention to Ditmars Boulevard and provide a boost for neighboring businesses.

“This place has a lot of culture, a lot of great things going for it, and we’re just so happy to be a part of it,” Massas said.

Tony Lipari, events manager at Tootles & French, also believes that the win is “tremendous” for the neighborhood, stating that several local businesses came together to advocate for Tootles & French once they heard the restaurant was in contention.

“This brings people to Ditmars Boulevard and it brings people to all of us, so it’s fantastic.”

Lipari said Tootles & French has already begun to see the impact of winning the award, stating that several new customers have visited the restaurant since it was nominated last month. He said several new customers told staff that they decided to visit Tootles because they saw its name in the USA Today shortlist.

“It’s bringing them from Long Island City, Manhattan, or Brooklyn,” Lipari said.

Speaking shortly after Tootles was nominated for the award, Goldsmith said he was “really proud” to have made the 20-restaurant shortlist.

Goldsmith said a Tootle’s victory would be a victory for Queens, pointing out that “Astoria, New York” appears prominently in the USA Today blurb about the restaurant.

“We’re a strong community, and any excuse we have to show that is always going to be great,” Goldsmith said. “I think a lot of people just really want to see Queens win and see Astoria win.”

Goldsmith, who named the restaurant after nicknames he and his brother shared when they were young kids, celebrated with his parents, Scott and Sharon, during Friday night’s victory party.

Chad Goldsmith with his parents on Friday. Photo: Ramy Mahmoud.

Sharon Goldsmith said her son has been putting in regular 12-hour shifts since starting Tootles & French over a year ago, adding that her son “does it all.”

“He’s the boy with 10 heads,” Sharon Goldsmith said of her son. “I don’t know how he gets so many things done.”

Scott, meanwhile, said he was immensely proud of his son, praising him for his dedication to the new restaurant since opening it.

“He does it all, from sweeping the floors to knowing how to cook to caring for customers and staff,” Scott said during Friday’s celebration.