Eating In Queens
When you say to someone who lives in New York City “I live in Queens”, the expression on their face does not read; “wow, that is so cool!” The common perception is that Queens is the working class, family oriented borough of foreigners; which is exactly what makes it such a great place to eat. Queens, being the most diverse county in the country, with over half of it’s residents not even born in America, has ethnic restaurants which are first rate.
In downtown Flushing, the hand pulled noodles, underground food malls, and restaurants specializing in dumplings, spicy lamb sandwiches, and Taiwanese shaved ice with sweet red beans and herbal jelly are authentic as can be, without even a hint of pretension. This is true everyday food, and the atmosphere has a true Asian aesthetic. The sunny streets are filled with people who all seem to be eating, shopping for, buying, or selling food. Every restaurant has their family specialty, and no-one is telling their secret recipe. This is not un-pioneered ground either. As we walk through one of the underground food malls where people are preparing food in the open on folding tables and home stoves, we pass photos of Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert dining there as one gentleman exclaims “Lamb sandwich, Anthony Bourdain!” The food has everyday prices, too. How much would you pay for a steaming bowl of noodles that are hand-pulled like a magic trick and cooked fresh in front of you with beef short ribs and broth anywhere but Flushing? Divide that by three and you just got lunch for $5. Too expensive? Try four steamed pork buns for $1.25!
For us, Jackson Heights has often been a destination for an affordable lunch, too. Jackson diner is hands down the best Indian buffet we have found. The cost is $9.45 for all you can eat naan, rice, curries, chutney’s, samosas, and made to order rice flour dosa! Scattered among the electronics stores selling Bollywood DVD’s, lavish Indian jewelry stores, and the colorfully adorned manikins of the sari shops are Pakistani snack shops where you can get pani puri crackers that you crack open and fill with spiced broth before placing them into your mouth to burst with juice, Afghani restaurants, the widely promoted two story giant; Kabob King, and, right around the corner, the best Mexican taco truck in the city.
In our neighborhood, Astoria, it may be easiest to find great Greek food. There are many excellent Greek restaurants specializing in grilled fish, the famous ricotta fritters with honey at Sagappo, excellent grilled octopus and house wine at Agnanti, and also, at BZ Grill on Astoria Blvd, by far the best pork and chicken gyros ever! It is a thrill to see them grilling meat, pitas, and smoke billowing out of the tiny open kitchen. The meat is piled on huge spits dripping with delicious fat as it rotates and is shaved of it’s crispiest and most delicious bits straight into your gyro, served with great fries.
In Queens; Moroccan, Lebanese, Egyptian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Colombian, and Bosnian populations among the ones mentioned and many others ensure that restaurants keep the food authentic and high quality for their discerning countrymen and anyone else who is adventurous and eager to try something new and delicious. That is why, when talking to an “insider” about living or eating in Queens their face reads “very cool”.