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Sunnyside’s tree-lined streets, dignified prewar architecture, and proximity to midtown have begun to lure rent-worn refugees from Manhattan by the droves. Prospective residents may be assured that the neighborhood houses a welcoming corner bistro. Bliss is a trim little spot whose name refers to 46th Street’s name before streets in Queens were numbered (hence why the nearby subway stop is named the Bliss St. station). But it’s not a stretch to equate the moniker with the mood of summer diners in the place’s lovely shaded garden. Come cooler weather, Bliss’s tall-windowed dining room conveys uncluttered New England–style charm. The kitchen, following some early seesawing, has settled into a reliable, satisfying groove with a menu that focuses on updated comfort food like tender calamari and meaty pork ribs as well as brasserie standbys like chèvre salad and marinated hanger steak. Sauces and spud-centric side dishes are earthy, and so, in fact, are the tabs. Bliss’s name may hint at fantasy, but this restaurant is pleasingly anchored in reality. — Karen Tina Harrison

Calamari, $7; handmade mushroom ravioli, $8; grilled salmon, $15; marinated hanger steak, $19