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Bistro 33 is an exemplar of the cozy chef-owned bistro, a latecomer to Queens. Yet the local demand for Queens native Gary Anza’s inspired French-Japanese fusion cooking is such that he outgrew nearby digs and now oversees this airy corner spot. Bistro 33 is an ideal date destination, promising indoor and outdoor seating, seductive lighting, Billie Holiday and Stan Getz atmospherics, and a something-for-everyone menu covering sushi, duck confit spring rolls, truffled mushroom soup, and full-on mains. French Culinary School alumnus Anza is a sushi master who has knifed the maki at Bond Street and Bao111. His pedigree informs inventive combinations like smoked hamachi with yuzu or tuna belly rolled with foie gras; this lush pairing, perhaps Anza’s signature, reappears in a bravura entrée of seared yellowfin topped with the Hudson Valley delicacy. Other items that dazzle include vanilla-sauced duck breast, sunflower-crusted sea bass, and hand-cut fries rendered irresistible with spicy mayo. Even so, life is too short to forego Anza’s house-infused strawberry sake and his bread pudding. Astorians have long felt proud of their neighborhood’s ethnic flavor and diverse dining. Bistro 33 gives them every right to feel smug. — Karen Tina Harrison

From Thursday through Saturday nights, Bistro 33 serves sushi until 1 a.m. On weekends, the prix-fixe brunch ($14) offers entrees like fresh blueberry pancakes, a Cajun omelet, a roasted pecan salad, and a “BLT” sushi platter (yes, with B, L, and T). The deal includes an eye-opening Tokyo Sunrise cocktail.

House sushi rolls, $5-$6; Hudson Valley duck, $18; seared yellowfin with foie gras, $23; bread pudding, $6