UNDER THE 7: THE ROOSEVELT AVENUE PROJECT

Real Cheap Eats!

2011-07-21T05:16:00.000-07:00

It's been hard lately to get much done, but I am starting to get back into things. I'm trying to take the baby out on food adventures, and she seems to really like it. And by really like it, I mean she falls asleep. She is actually great in restaurants, I think she finds the clattering and clinking noises comforting. I've trained her well. So yes, slowly I am making my way around Queens again, only this time with a stroller. It seemed like a good time to start writing again when James of The Eaten Path came up with the great idea of getting a group of food bloggers together on one website to celebrate the abundance of cheap foods to be found all around New York City. I was so excited to be a part of it, and although I wasn't able to contribute as much as I would have liked, it was a fun experience. Take a look!
http://realcheapeats.com/nyc/

Here are my contributions.
Two of my five posts are on Roosevelt Ave.

I would love to start writing regularly again, I will keep you posted.

The Reason Why I Haven't Written Any Posts For the Past Few Months

2011-07-18T18:29:00.001-07:00

Our new baby!

The Year is Over/Back to Sunnyside

2010-12-29T16:57:00.000-08:00

I intend to dine out at as many restaurants and street vendors that are located under the 7 train in the borough of Queens in the city of New York as I can (and can afford while jobless). This is to take place in the year 2010 and I will write about each experience. The parameters are strict: I must travel from west to east, beginning at Sunnyside, where the train is still over Queens Blvd, and continuing on Roosevelt Avenue, as the street numbers rise through Woodside, Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, and Corona, to the final destination of Flushing, where it meets Main Street...The minimum number of meals to be eaten is 60...What I aim to do is expand my own knowledge of food, and write about what I learn.
Look at me, back in January. I had such hopes for 2010. How much a life can change in a year. I didn't make it to Flushing, I barely made it to Corona, but this is an endless, ever-changing project. One thing that hasn't changed is my job situation. Lack of funds was one of the biggest factors for the tapering off of the posts as the months passed, with a few other road bumps thrown in. On the plus side, I ended up with 68 posts, so I did reach one goal. And I expanded my food knowledge, absolutely. Check that one off too. I also met some great people, had some amazing experiences, and ate some really good food. So I'm not going to feel bad about what I haven't done, because I know it can be done in the future. And if it isn't, so what, it's been great so far, and we'll just see where else it leads me. As I was thinking about all of this today, with New Year's just days away, not to mention a ridiculous craving for a burger and fries, I decided to take a trip (my first trip out into the still unplowed streets of my neighborhood) to Sunnyside, where my journey began. Remember this burger?

I first went to PJ Horgan's way back in February, and loved it. Loved the dark pub, the wooden booths, the tiffany lamps, the Irish accents, and the food. This visit was the same, with the addition of pine boughs and twinkling lights, making the place somehow even more warm and inviting when stomping in from the slushy, snow-filled streets. The Sunnyside Burger was just as good as I remembered, and looked exactly the same, except that this time the plate came with three pickle chips instead of two. Again, even better. I won't re-describe the burger, but it was exactly what I wanted. It all felt so familiar, back in Sunnyside, where I spent nearly every day for those first few months of the year, exploring, in the cold. And tonight, for dinner, it was the two of us. Jose and me, sitting in the same booth, nearly a year later, with his favorite Guinness in hand, me stealing fries off his plate once mine were gone, thinking about how much has changed in a place that stays the same. It's been quite a journey. The past year has brought all kinds of joy and sadness, and the year to come will bring even more life changes. For 2011 I wish for more happiness than grief, more love, more knowledge, more adventures, and as always, more great eating. Happy New Year, everyone.

La Abundancia

2010-11-30T16:55:00.001-08:00

It's the last day of November, and yes, I went another two months without writing, and without much eating, and I do have some good excuses, I swear, but not going to get into them now. The important thing is that I did actually make one tiny little stop on Roosevelt Avenue during the month, and am finally sitting down and typing it up. After a filling and very cheap dinner at Lao Bei Fang Dumpling House (write-up to come) in Elmhurst with some fine eating companions (Rachel, Stella, and Helena) we were still looking for a little something sweet, as usual, and made our way down Broadway towards the corner of Roos and 75th, to the large, brightly-lit, green-tabled oasis that is La Abundancia Colombian Bakery for a slice of dulce de leche cake.

The roulade was a surprising dessert. I was expecting it to be dry and overly sweet, as roulades covered in dulce de leche can sometimes be. But the cake was dense and moist, the dulce was not cloying or overpowering, and the shredded coconut exterior added a nice textural contrast to the softness of the cake, saving it from becoming boring. But, you may be asking, how do four girls who have the capacity to eat as much cake as we do (see cake-off here) share just one slice? Well, we did get a few other desserts.

Flan, which we quickly concurred was far too eggy and a touch overcooked.

And a sweet bread that was filled with guava. A thin and crackly crust, then an even thinner layer of guava surrounding a sweet ball of dough. If we had a cup of coffee to dip into, it might have been more satisfying, but not our favorite.

The steam tables with daily lunch and dinner specials look tempting, with stews and rice and beans and that sort of stuff. The empanadas and other fried snacks looked tasty as well. But I went to La Abundancia for the dulce de leche cake, and stayed for the company, and the green tables. I love those tables.

La Abundancia Bakery
75-02 Roosevelt Avenue, Jackson Heights

September

2010-09-29T23:53:00.000-07:00

September has not been the best month for the blog. Ok, it's been the worst month for the blog, as this is the first time I am writing anything since August 29th. There are all sorts of reasons why I was not able to do any posting this month. Lack of finances plus not feeling well, add the high holidays and lots of family visiting, and that does not equal any eating under the 7. I've barely managed to get any writing or eating done at all this month, and I feel terrible about it, but life does not always work out the way we want it to, does it? I will continue along the path I made for myself, obviously I will not reach Flushing by January, a year into the blog, but I never really thought I would anyway, there's just too much to cover. I am thankful for what I've been able to do so far, and here's hoping that come October, I'll be hungry, healthy, and have enough to keep the project going.

Nieve Making at Viva Puebla!

2010-08-29T19:30:00.000-07:00

I don't think that I can write often enough about how obsessed I am with the nieves at Viva Puebla, which I wrote about here (as well as their chicharron preparado, which I wrote about here).

So far I've tried the guava (my favorite)

then watermelon and lime together -

And today, I got the melon (canteloupe)....

and a chance to watch the nieve being made!

A very slow process in which the sweetened fruit base is placed in a barrel full of ice, and spun round and round, with periodical scraping, until the liquid becomes a smooth, sometimes creamy, sometimes icy, snow.
Once the summer ends there will be no more homemade nieve. A relief for this man, perhaps, but a sad day for me.

Viva Puebla
89-16 Roosevelt Avenue, Jackson Heights

Mais con Hielo, Halo-Halo, Tito Rad's

2010-08-28T05:20:00.000-07:00

I love when corn is used in dessert. I've been dying to try mais con hielo (a Filipino drink/dessert which is exactly what it sounds like: corn with ice) for a while, but when I went to Ihawan and Krystal's a few months ago to search for it for my Corn Around the World post, it wasn't available. I knew that Tito Rad's in Woodside had it, but I haven't been for a while. Until yesterday. After a huge meal at Pio Pio Riko in Sunnyside with Shannon yesterday afternoon, we still wanted a little something sweet. She really wanted an icy Asian drink and I thought we were in the wrong neighborhood until I realized - Tito Rad's! Just a few blocks away, she could get halo-halo and I could finally try...mais con hielo.

Tito Rad's version tastes just like creamed corn. I think it is creamed corn. With ice, evaporated milk, a little sugar, and some whipped cream. The corn was warm, the ice was cold, it was more salty than sweet, and there was a little bit of crunch from the flaky garnish. It was interesting, and I expected it to be sweeter, but I liked it. $3.75.

Nothing not to like about halo-halo. I was more focused on the corn, but I did enjoy all of the delicious bits of jackfruit, red and white beans, young coconut and palm fruit, mixed in with every bite, of ice, milk, and ice cream - the scoop of bright purple ube ice cream that was beneath the surface was my favorite part. Really tasted like sweet, starchy yams. $5.50.

It's always nice when a wish is fulfilled. I dreamed of eating iced sweet corn. I can check that off my list now.

Kabab King Ambassador Dinner

2010-08-19T05:19:00.000-07:00

If the Ambassador Dinners are supposed to open our eyes to cuisines that some of us might have limited familiarity with, with the ambassador of the night ordering the food and treating the diner to a bit of cultural and culinary history , than Joseph Aranha of the Asian Arts and Cultural Council, and the Pakistani Ambassador Dinner, succeeded beyond my expectations. Before we sat down at one of the many tables in the private room upstairs at Kabab King for our dinner last Saturday, August 14th, Jeff Orlick, organizer extraordinaire, handed each of us a program, and we were off.

Menu for the Evening

Rose Milk with Spices
Paratha with Lentils and Salad
Quail
Liver Fry
Haleem
Mutton Biryani
Brain Fry
Gulab Jamun
Spiced Tea

Just seeing the words "brain" and "fry" together on a page as something we were about to eat provoked at the very least a few giggles, but mostly curiosity and excitement for those of us who have never had a dish with brain as the main ingredient. As people walked in and took their seats, the waiters came around and placed plastic glasses full of the pink-tinged drink that would begin our night, the rose milk. It was sweet, but not overly so, with a subtle rose flavor. Then plates of salad appeared.

Once we were all in place, Joseph introduced himself and began to explain how we should approach the meal. We must taste the food, no gulping allowed. It would be family style, one bowl of each item per table of four, so as not to get too full, and if anyone were still hungry after the many courses he would take it upon himself to buy them dinner downstairs. There was a brief lesson on bodily functions and natural cleansing. The meal would start, as many meals do, with bread and lentils. Waiters appeared with bowls of lentils and platters of parathas, sliced in four pieces.

The paratha was stuffed with a spiced potato mixture, and I could've eaten the whole thing myself, but I resigned myself to one slice and shared the rest with my table mates, scooping up the lentils with tiny bites of bread. The lentils were soft and mild, but bits of the sliced raw ginger garnish added crunch and spice to the dish.

Joseph then asked us to open the large map of the Indian Subcontinent that he had placed on each table, so as to get a better idea of Pakistan's location.

It was a very large map.

Next, and one of our table's favorite dishes - the quail, along with some chicken kababs.

A closer look at the quail, with crisp, charred wings, and tender, smoky meat.
There were two per table, and the four of us wished we had more. The two types of chicken kababs that accompanied the quail on the sizzling plate were red, spiced chunks of chicken breast, also moist and flavorful, and a ground chicken mixture, also red, spicy, and very good. While we were enjoying our kababs, Joseph made sure that everyone listened to a small lesson on the history of Ramadan and its traditions, told by a very friendly man from Joseph's group, who went from table to table. It was somewhat difficult to concentrate on the concept of fasting while biting into a tiny quail leg, but I appreciated the learning experience.

Next came the liver fry, and haleem.

Large chunks of beef liver, again topped with freshly sliced ginger and cilantro. Some of the chunks some were a bit dense and tough, but the pieces that were at the bottom, absorbing the oil and liquid in the bowl, were softer. They had a nice flavor, milder than what I was expecting.

Haleem, a Pakistani specialty that I have never tried before, was very interesting. The mixture had a glutinous, paste-like consistency, with pieces of beef throughout. I don't know how to describe it or make it sound appetizing, but it was like a spiced porridge with bits of meat tossed in. To quote Elyaqim Mosheh Adam, table companion and map holder, the haleem at Kabab King "has the mouth-feel of shredded beef in split pea soup". It went over big at our table, particularly when we discovered that dipping the liver into the haleem somehow made both of them taste even better.

And there was more.

The mutton biryani did not have much mutton at all, but that was acceptable since the rice was tasty, and it was accompanying the brain fry.

Or brain masala, as the waiters called it when they placed the bowl on the table. The sauce was thick, rich, and highly spiced, perfect for spooning onto the rice. The brains themselves, goat brains, were yellow and creamy, similar in texture to scrambled eggs. Not an everyday dish, by any means, but I am happy to have tried brain fry once in my life.

After the main dishes, we were served dessert and tea. Gulab Jamun and masala chai.

Although we were full at that point, I definitely could have eaten more than one of these syrup-soaked sweets. The round ball of dough was fresh-tasting, still warm, and sweet enough to cleanse the palate.

The sweet, milky, spiced tea was the perfect end to the meal.
A little more history, a lesson in the main spices and ingredients of curries, and then we got to meet chef Wazir Ali. A group picture wrapped up the dinner and it was over.
I've had a few days to digest the experience now, and was wondering how to sum up the unique experience. Jeff Orlick explains the goal of the ambassador program on his website as this:

...a guide will order for the table and discuss what we are eating and why we are eating it. Not a classroom experience, but more of a familial gathering centered around the food. This allows us diners to let go, eat well, and expand our boundaries for the city, the world and our palates.

The night, for me, reached every one of these goals. We were expertly guided by a man who obviously loves his culture, its food, and his surrounding cultures. Joseph is Indian, not Pakistani, but he is so proud of the fact that, in his experience, the boundaries between countries and religious groups that restrict lives on the subcontinent are basically nonexistent here in America. Everyone eats together. We absorbed his passion through the food that he carefully chose, with the chef, to showcase the cuisine. Our table certainly felt like a family gathering; passing around plates, divvying up the food, eating from the same dishes, laughing. My palate was expanded, I let go, and I ate well.

Kabab King Diner
73-01 37th Rd
Jackson Heights

For more information on future ambassador dinners, here is Jeff Orlick's website:
http://iwantmorefood.com/ambassador-program/

Chicharrón Preparado

2010-08-16T08:33:00.000-07:00

Another post for Serious Eats NY that is perfect for Under the 7, while I play catch-up and get some more Roosevelt Ave eating in. I love chicharrón preparado. Here's a small explanation -

Chicharrón preparado is a unique street snack from Mexico that is often hard to find, but pops up every so often during the summertime here in Queens. One of the stands I wrote about last week, which sells homemade nieves, also offers chicharrón preparado as a summer special.

Generally, chicharrón means fried pork skin. In some Spanish-speaking countries it isn't just pork skin, but pork belly; in other countries it refers to any sort of meat, fried and crisp. In Mexico, there is real chicharrón, deep fried pork rinds, and then there is chicharrón de harina—deep fried snacks that are made from flour, not pork skin. They have a similar crunchy, bubbly texture, and are found in many shapes and sizes; pinwheels, small squiggly lines, small rectangles, and large rectangles.

Chicharrón preparado, or prepared chicharrónes, are made with the large rectangular fried chicharrón de harina, which is then topped with chopped cabbage, diced tomatoes, sour cream, cotija cheese, sliced avocados, cueritos (pickled pork rind slices), and hot sauce, usually Salsa Valentina.

Okay, so it sounds weird, especially if you've never heard of half of the ingredients—but trust me, it's delicious. So many amazing textures: the light crisp of the chicharrón, the fresh, crunchy cabbage. Then there's the softness and acidity from the tomatoes, smooth chunks of avocado, salt from the powdered cheese, chewy bits of pickled pork, vinegar and heat from the hot sauce, and then the cooling and tangy sour cream finish. It gives you much more than your average snack. This week I found four places that prepare chicharrón con todo, and they won't be around for long—so I tried them all.

Fruta Picada Cart

Underneath the 7 train at Junction Boulevard, there is a woman with an unamed cart who sells fresh chopped fruit (fruit picada) that she tops with chile, lime and salt. There is also a small sign on the side advertising chicharrón preparado. The first time I saw the sign, on a weekday afternoon, I orderd one, but she didn't have the ingredients yet. A few days later I went back, and she did, so I happily ate my chicharrón while waiting for the train.

It had its good and bad points. The chicharrón was freshly fried and crisp; the tomato slices were perfect—a really ripe, red, fresh summer tomato. The cueritos were soft and gelatinous, but there weren't many of them. The avocado was soft and smooth. But instead of cabbage was iceberg lettuce, which is crisp and fresh-tasting, but lacks that bite and crunch. The cheese sprinkled on top was Kraft parmesan from the green can. It had all the right textures, but everything was just slightly off.

Price: $4.00

Metal cart directly in front of 96-07 Roosevelt Avenue, Corona (map)

La Choza Dominican and Mexican Restaurant

As I was driving down 104th Street I thought I spied the words chicharrón preparado in front of the restaurant—and so my very helpful husband ran out and ordered one, brought it back to the car, and snapped a phone picture of it all in the space of five minutes. A few moments later I got to taste it. Unfortunately, it was the least well-prepared of them all, mostly due to lack of toppings.

The chicharrón was fresh and crisp, I'll give them that. But again, they used lettuce instead of cabbage, barely any avocado, and not many cueritos at all. If I hadn't had any great ones, I might not know any better, and it would be a good snack—but I was spoiled for lackluster topping techniques by the next two places.

Price: $4.00

38-12 104th Street, Corona (map)
(718) 507-8152

Viva Puebla

Viva Puebla's summer outdoor cart has much to offer, and the woman behind it is incredibly friendly. It took some time for my chicharrón to be prepared, since she threw old ones out and fried a new one just for my order. Soggy, chewy, stale chicharrónes are not appetizing, so I appreciated that—it was worth the long wait.

The chicharrón was piled high with freshly chopped ingredients, and I know because I watched her chop it all. Lots of cabbage, tomatoes, a half of an avocado; cheese, cream, a good amount of chewy cueritos, and hot sauce. My only complaint is that the tomato was white and mealy, which, in the middle of August, is a shame. Otherwise, close to perfectly prepared.

Price: $5.00

89-16 Roosevelt Avenue, Jackson Heights (map)
718-947-2302

Tortas Neza

In front of this small restaurant, where I found the best gordita, is a stand that sells snacks, including chicharrón preparado. When I did the gordita search back in March, I noticed people eating chicharrónes, so they may be one of the few places that sells them year-round.

So much care put into the preparation of the chicharrón—and they really went crazy with the toppings. The crisp bottom layer was piled high with handfuls of cabbage, three heaping spoonfuls of pickled cueritos; some of the jalapeños and carrots from the pickling mixture got tossed in there as well, an added plus. Lots of cheese, lots of cream, beautifully ripe tomatoes, creamy avocados, and a liberal amount of hot sauce on top of the already full plate: I had more of a meal than a snack on my hands. There was so much stuff on the crispy chicharron that if I hadn't shared it, it would've gotten too soggy halfway through. Luckily I had help, so that wasn't a problem. It was great.

Price: $5.00

111-03 Roosevelt Avenue, Corona (map)

It's also something that you can make yourself, and I have. The hardest part is frying the chicharones, as they tend to curl up in the oil. Here is a great picture of some chicharron that my family and I put together at the park last year: from my old blog, and my brother David's version.

Raspados, Diablitos, Nieves y Más

2010-08-10T13:36:00.000-07:00

I haven't been around much for the past few weeks, for sad reasons which I will get into in another post, which is why I haven't written in quite a while. But my post on shaved ice and other cold things, published on Serious Eats NY yesterday, works perfectly for the blog, since I found everything along the route. The link to the slideshow is here. This is a slightly different version.

Along Roosevelt Avenue in the summertime, raspado (hand-shaved ice) carts pop up everywhere—in front of delis and restaurants, on street corners below the 7 train, traveling vendors with grocery carts full of blocks of ice and syrup magically materialize in the afternoons. Aside from raspados, paletas, and ice cream, if you're lucky, you might stumble upon a place that make Mexican nieves (ices or sorbets) the old-fashioned way, which is really something special. Here's what I found.

The Raspado Lady: The raspado lady on the corner of Roosevelt and 80th Street has her ice shaving down to a science. She shaves the ice and creates a pyramid with a funnel so quickly, it's amazing. And she doesn't skimp on the syrup, either. A small raspado is $1.00.

Raspado Lady: 80-02 Roosevelt Avenue, Jackson Heights (map)

I got a mango and orange raspado from the lady.

Maracuya Raspado from El Bohio Grocery: There is always a line down the block at this grocery with a raspado window. This was a passionfruit syrup ice topped with condensed milk. I never understood the line, but now I do. Sometimes raspados quickly become a block of ice floating in syrup, and difficult to eat. The ice here was expertly shaved and remained flaky and crunchy, absorbing the flavor of the syrup. Small raspado, $1.00. El Bohio Grocery: Roosevelt and 99th Street (map)

Diablito, Cart under the 7 train, 90th Street and Roosevelt Avenue: Not your typical raspado, diablitos are doused with tamarind syrup and a spicy liquid chile mixture, then topped with a squirt of chamoy—a sour, salty, spicy and sweet fruit-based salsa. Small raspado, $1.00.

Raspado Cart: Corner of Roosevelt and Elmurst Avenues (map)

Nieve Mexicana at Viva Puebla: In front of the restaurant Viva Puebla is an outdoor counter where they sell snacks such as chopped fruit, elotes, chicharron preparado, and homemade nieves. These Mexican ices are somewhere between Italian ice and sorbet— creamier and smoother than the former, but icier than the latter. The process is long, and done by hand: paddling a metal bucket full of the liquid fruit base within a larger bucket filled with ice and salt until it reaches the perfect consistency. At Viva Puebla they only have one bucket, so they make the flavors one at a time.

Viva Puebla: 89-16 Roosevelt Avenue, Jackson Heights (map); 718-947-2302

Guava, watermelon, coconut, lime, and melon. I tried three of the five. I will definitely go back for the other two.
Nieves de Sandia y Limon. The sandia was like taking a sweet icy bite out of a watermelon, and the limon, with flecks of lime zest, was perfect slushy limeade. Cold, tart, and refreshing.

Nieve de Guayaba from Viva Puebla: Sweet but not too sweet, with a fresh guava flavor. Creamy and smooth, except for the occasional mouthful of seeds. I appreciated the seeds, though—it proved that the nieve was homemade using the whole fruit. Small cup, $2.00.

Nance Paleta from Paleteria Fernandez, Cholula Bakery: Paleteria Fernandez is located in Port Chester, New York; I found the pops at Cholula Bakery on Roosevelt Avenue. Nance is a small yellow fruit, sometimes called a yellow cherry, which grows in Central Mexico and continues southward. It's an acquired taste, strong and musky. The paleta was full of chunks of the fruit, as well as a few inedible stems. Although the actual fruit is sour, the paleta was sweet and creamy with a strong aftertaste. Arroz Con Leche Paleta from Paleteria Fernandez found at Cholula Bakery: I love rice pudding, I love arroz con leche, so what could be bad about a frozen version? Well, the creamy, milky, Mexican cinnamon-tinged ice pop is good, but if you don't like chewy pieces of cooked rice in frozen form, it might not be the pop for you. Flavor wise, it's delicious, but the texture might be a turn-off for some. Paletas are $2/each
Cholula Bakery: 88-06 Roosevelt Avenue, Jackson Heights (map); (718) 533-1171

It is really exciting to have all of these icy, refreshing, and sweet snacks so close to home, but as quickly as they appear in the hot weather, the carts, stands and wandering vendors disappear just as fast, so I plan on eating as much ice as possible while I still can.

Tacos Mexico

2010-07-28T04:50:00.000-07:00

I woke up craving chilaquiles, I think I must have had a dream about them, so I headed to Woodside in search of some. While I had originally planned on spending only two months in each neighborhood, I've been working on Woodside since March. Firstly, because there are just so many great places, and secondly because I haven't been able to write more than once a week lately. At this rate I'll never get to Flushing. But I'll keep trying.
So back to the chilaquiles. Chilaquiles are what you make when you have leftover stale tortillas, which most tortilla-eating households, and all Mexican restaurants, usually do. You fry the tortillas until crisp, break them up, add them to a pot full of sauce (red or green) with some epazote, and then eat the whole mess with sour cream, queso fresco, and chopped raw onion. Not a light meal, but so delicious, and made with leftovers from the day before.
Tacos Mexico was the next Mexican restaurant on the route, a few doors down from La Frontera, and it looked like the right kind of place for a late breakfast.
As soon as we sat down, we were handed a basket of chips and some salsa. It's interesting how some of the Mexican restaurants in Queens have adapted to this mainly American custom and some haven't. Tacos Mexico has, and the chips were fresh. The salsa was too.
I did not pore over the menu, I knew what I wanted, my only decision was if I wanted my chilaquiles red or green, plain, with fried eggs, cecina, or chicken. I always choose green, and as much as I love fried eggs and salty beef, I went with the chicken.

It was a good decision. Often, the thinly-sliced chicken breast that accompanies something like chilaquiles or rice and beans is tough and stringy. This chicken was moist, flavorful, borderline salty but not crossing into overly salted territory. And there was lots of it. The chilaquiles ($8.95) had everything I wanted. The salsa verde was spicy, the tortillas were soft but not mushy, there was a slight flavor of epazote but not overpowering, and it was topped with cream, cheese, chopped onions and cilantro. If I were to make chilaquiles at home, I would put more of everything. I like to make them soupy, swimming in sauce, and I go garnish crazy. But for a nice-looking restaurant kind of plate, these were just what I was looking for.

My dining companion José wanted something "saucy". He ordered costillas en salsa roja (pork ribs in red sauce, $9.95) and was happily surprised when it was exactly what he didn't even know he wanted as well. The pork meat was tender and slipped right off the bone. The salsa was spicy and smooth, the rice had a strong tomato flavor, the beans were creamy, it was all good. With lots of tortillas and some agua de jamaica, we had a meal that satisfied what we were both craving and more.

Tacos Mexico
64-09 Roosevelt Avenue
Woodside

Nowhere Near the 7 Train: Russian Ice Cream Bars

2010-07-22T12:39:00.000-07:00

I was in Rego Park yesterday taking pictures and buying my favorite Israeli grapefruit juice drink when I came across a deli that had a freezer full of fun looking ice cream-like treats from Russia. I've been in an Eastern-European state of mind since my trip to Brighton Beach last weekend, so I bought the most exciting looking ones.
Ok, not the most exciting flavors, but I liked the packaging. A cold vanilla substance with a crisp, chocolate-like coating. Yum!
Sort of like a nutty buddy, but with strawberries.
I think that the spheres on top were supposed to be crunchy, but they were soggy, as was the cone. But the white whipped topping, with a layer of strawberry ice cream underneath, that hid a core of strawberry jelly inside of a chocolate-coated cone was, while I won't say delicious or fresh, fun to eat. I love real ice cream, that goes without saying, but I also have a thing for ice cream products. Mr. Softee. Strawberry shortcake bars. Carvel cakes. Remember the Wattamelon Roll from Friendly's? Wait until I find a Magnum bar.

Monya & Misha European Delicatessen
64-46 108th Street
Rego Park/Forest Hills

Casa Colombia

2010-07-13T20:29:00.000-07:00

José and I had dinner at Casa Colombia a few Sundays ago. I wasn't prepared for a post, didn't bring my camera, so there are phone pictures to document the meal.
The place was busy, loud with live music that made it almost impossible to talk to each other. But sometimes that's alright.

I ordered a bandeja con pollo, because I like to get as much food as possible onto one plate, but still keep it light with the chicken. And believe me, compared to some other bandejas, this was pretty tame.

Bandeja Con Pollo: Arroz, Frijoles, 1/4 De Pollo, Chicharron, Huevo Y Maduro Rice, Beans 1/4 Chicken, Pork Skin, Egg and Sweet Plantains (their translation) $7.50

The chicken was your regular rotisserie chicken, tender meat, salty skin, a good flavored, not too dry, breast and a wing. White rice, soupy beans, a salty, meaty, crispy, fatty piece of pork belly. I have yet to meet a chicharron I don't like. Sweet, soft, caramelized plantain, and a strange sort of egg. The yolk was cooked all the way through, but the whites were perfectly white. They must be steamed. I need to eat more bandeja platters. I could have gotten the Bandeja Campestre: Arroz, Frijoles, Costillas, Pollo, Chorizo, Heuvo, Maduro, Chicharron Y Arepa 1/4 Chicken, Rice, Beans, Ribs, Eggs, Sweet Plantains, Pork Skin, Corn Cake for $13.50. But I didn't.

Jose was not as happy with his dish. He got the Sobre Barriga a La Plancha (Arroz, Frijol, Maduro Y Ensalada: Grilled Top Flank Steak (Rice, Beans, Sweet Plantain and Salad) $10.95.
The rice and beans were good, the plantain was good, the marinated red onions atop the salad were good, but the meat was stringy and a little tough. It shred like a slow cooked brisket without being tender. He just covered it in green sauce and ate what he could.
We put the green sauce on everything. It had a kick to it. Not like Peruvian green sauce, nor like Mexican salsa verde; just a spicy, acidic sauce that went well with the mild beans, salted white rice, and the proteins.

So what if we didn't have the best meal ever. It was fun, it was festive, and a good time was had by all.

Casa Colombia
86-23 Roosevelt Avenue, Jackson Heights

2010 Roosevelt Avenue Street Crawl

2010-07-07T07:31:00.000-07:00

We began at 74th Street and Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights, and ended in William Moore (Spaghetti) Park in Corona. The 2010 crawl, organized by Jeffrey Orlick, brought at least 100 hungry people together to roam Roosevelt Avenue for the best street food on the last Sunday in June, with a great map and some key phrases for ordering from street carts.
It was hot, really hot, and my camera stopped taking pictures somewhere in the middle. I got it to work again but missed some good shots. Aside from the technical difficulties, I must say walking down my favorite avenue with a bunch of people and eating lots of food is really, really fun. I'm usually by myself when I do my Roos Ave adventuring, so it was a nice change. Our smaller group broke off from the crowds and took our time walking, making many stops for liquids and ices along the way.

First stop: El Guayaquileño. I didn't get anything there, I was holding out for tacos. But I took some pictures of my fellow crawlers' food. The Mexico vs. Argentina game was playing on the flat screen tv, so I watched while they ate.

I didn't eat, and I didn't order, so I don't want to mislabel anything. But that salad topping the fish looks delicious.

Stopped for raspados on 80th Street. The first of many breaks for a little something cold.

Mango (I think?)

Coco and Piña.

Next stop was Mexico Lindo.
Perhaps a bad choice, since it seemed like everyone else on the tour stopped here too at the exact same time. There was a very long line and lots of confusion. But we got our order in the end. Four of us split three items: Tacos de lengua (tongue), tacos de cecina (dried, salted beef) and sopes de chorizo. It isn't easy to split a taco four ways, but somehow we managed.

Cutting up a taco on a mail box...

on the trunk of a car (thanks, Stella), and even with kitchen shears (courtesy of Judy).

This was the lengua, after a slice had been taken out. The tongue was crisp on the outside, beefy and soft on the inside.

Moving right along, we stopped at another Mexican cart, a few blocks down and across the street. The sign says Gorditas, so that's what we got, along with a tlacoyo.

The gordita de chicharron was not the most flavorful I'd ever tried, but then again, we split it between four people, and there might have been better bites than the one I tasted.
The tlacoyo was good. Corn masa stuffed with a bean mixture, then topped with lettuce, cream, and cheese. The beans were smooth and creamy, with a distinct flavor of epazote, which was a nice surprise.

Another stop for shaved ice, this time at a Chinese/Colombian bakery selling Hawaiian shave ice called Vanilla Cafe. Sort of cheating by going inside a bakery, but have I mentioned that it was hot?
Mango and passionfruit. Just like Maui! Icy and sweet.

Tia Julia's. This is where my camera stopped working for a bit, I almost gave up and went home to charge it for a while. We ordered here: tacos de barbacoa (goat meat) and tacos de carnitas (pork). The goat was chewy, as goat usually is, and not too gamey. I honestly don't remember if I even tried the carnitas, I was sort of stuck on my camera. I do remember that I ordered an agua de jamaica (hibiscus) and that they gave me a whole quart container full of the dark red liquid.

By the time we made it to Warren Street with its variety of Ecuadorian delights, we were already full and tired. Crawls are all about pacing, and we did not pace well.

We did manage to get more liquids in though.

Orange Drink.
Fruit cocktail drink. The juice was refreshing, and filled with chopped fruit. The bananas were my favorite part.

We walked and walked, but after the food and all of the drinks, didn't make any more stops on Roosevelt. Once we hit 104th street, we turned off, and headed to Timmy O's for some frozen custard.

Banana custard, chocolate custard, marshmallow sauce and some whipped cream. The banana really tasted like banana.

The last stop was the Lemon Ice King of Corona. I was still eating my custard, so I sat in Spaghetti Park and waited.

The Crawl was great. I drank more than I ate, and had more sweets than savory. But it's ok. I live here, I eat here, I crawl down Roosevelt Avenue every day. The best part was crawling with others.

Mini Picanteria El Guayaquileño
80th Street and Roosevelt Avenue, Jackson Heights

Raspado Lady
In front of 80-02 Roosevelt Avenue, Jackson Heights

Mexico Lindo Cart
Corner of Gleane Street and Roosevelt Avenue, Elmhurst

Gordita Cart
85th Street and Roosevelt Avenue, Elmhurst

Vanilla Cafe
8701 Roosevelt Avenue, Elmhurst

Tia Julia Taco Truck
Benham Street & Roosevelt Ave, Elmhurst

Picaditas La Cacerita Cuenca Ecuador
Corner of Warren Street and Roosevelt Avenue, Corona

Timmy O's Frozen Custard
49-07 104th Street, Corona

Lemon Ice King of Corona
52-02 108th Street, Corona

William Moore Park
108th Street, 51st Avenue, Corona

Pollo Peruano, First of Many

2010-06-28T06:26:00.000-07:00

La Casa del Pollo Peruano specializes in, as the name might suggest, Peruvian chicken. What's so great about Peruvian chicken, you might be asking yourself? It isn't the chicken that's so exciting. Rotisserie chicken is rotisserie chicken, be it Peruvian or from any other country. For me, it always has been and always will be about the sauce. Oh, that green sauce! While the quality of the food may differ from location to location in the small chain that is Pollo Peruano, the sauce remains consistent. José and I have a system when it comes to our meals there. We always order the same thing and the one time that we differed (there was a chop suey incident that I don't care to discuss) was a disaster. The location on National Street close to 103rd is our preferred location, but since we no longer live in Corona, we make do with the Roosevelt and 82nd St. branch. Here's our order: Number 3 (1/4 chicken, roast pork fried rice & salad $5.20) and Number 7 (1/4 chicken 3-piece spareribs, rice & beans $9.90. And for some reason, and this began about seven years ago, when we eat in, I always get a ginger ale, and Jose gets an orange Snapple. Why? Who knows. It just needs to be done.
Next comes the sauce. For take out, it's whatever they give us, and then I ask for a little extra, and after that I ask for a dollar's worth more. At $.25 a container, it's well worth it. Then the division of the sauce begins.
There are larger containers and smaller ones, the small ones go first. I have yet to figure out the secret to green sauce, or how it's made. I don't know why the sauce is so great, it just is. Tangy, garlicky, and a little spicy, with a very unique flavor from the mystery ingredients. After much research, the secret ingredient might be an herb called huacatay, otherwise known as black mint. Or it could be the Peruvian chile, aji. I don't know. I really don't. But I'm not doing it justice in this description at all. What I do know is that it is delicious, and goes perfectly with chicken, ribs, rice, beans, salad, and fried rice. The vinegar and heat cut the fattiness of the ribs, the salt of the chicken, add depth to the fried rice, and it's perfect on crisp iceberg lettuce (ask for no dressing otherwise you get 1000 Island). For those of you who love Pio Pio and their creamy green sauce, this one is lighter, spicier, and tangier. They are both good. But I like this one more.
The 1/4 chicken and ribs. Sometimes the ribs are amazing. Huge, lots of meat, tender, and fall off the bone. A nice charred taste with a hint of sweetness. Sometimes the meat is tough. Most of the time, if you don't get there early enough on a weekend, there are no ribs left at all. The chicken is much more reliable. Mahogany-colored skin, full of herbs and salt, the meat is soft and shreds easily.
White rice and soupy beans. I don't usually want rice and beans with my chicken because I get...
fried rice! I love the rice here, it's better than most Chinese places. Bits of roasted pork, scallions, and lots of soy. And with the sauce mixed in, perfection.

I realize after re-reading this post that I haven't said much of anything. I guess that's what happens with something that I eat fairly regularly, something that is often so good, and sometimes not so much. I don't have the right words, but I wanted to write about it anyway.

La Casa del Pollo
Peruano II
81-12 Roosevelt Avenue
Jackson Heights

Looking for Corn Along the 7 Train

2010-06-22T20:02:00.000-07:00

This was originally posted on Serious Eats as Corn Around the World in Queens
But makes just as much sense here!

Corn Around the World in Queens

It all started with a picture of grilled corn on the cob at the grand opening of Tropika, a new restaurant on Roosevelt Avenue. I had no idea what kind of restaurant it was (Malaysian/Indonesian, it turns out) or what was on the corn—but I wanted that grilled corn. And then I got to thinking about Mexican-style elotes, which made me want esquites. I thought about the Brasilian hot dog with corn that I ate for the Hot Dog Round-up, and the Turkish baked potato topped with corn that I had for the Hot Dog Round-up Two—and it wasn't long until all I could think about was corn and all the ways in which it is prepared.

So I embarked on a very long walk along the route of the 7 train to see how many ways of serving corn from different countries as I could find, and eat, in one day. My journey began in Sunnyside and ended in Corona. I tried corn that was spicy and corn that was sweet; some were sticky, some were soupy, but they were all good.

Tangra Asian Fusion

Sunnyside. First stop. Tangra Asian Fusion is Indo-Chinese food—a very large, ornately decorated restaurant with murals on the walls and a disco ball hanging from the ceiling. I got the chicken and corn soup to go—delicious, once you get past the viscosity. It had a nice salty chicken base but a sweetness from the corn, as well as a nice textural contrast of soft chicken breast chunks and the crisp corn. A splash from the small container of green chillies in vinegar added spice and acid to the mix, rounding out each spoonful. (On an unrelated note, the lollipop chicken at Tangra is delicious.)

Price: $3.50 plus tax

39-23 Queens Boulevard, Sunnyside (map)
718-786-8181

Lou Cheng Bakery

I couldn't resist the one Chinese bakery on Roosevelt Avenue in Woodside once I saw the corn and ham buns from the window. They are a little much. The sweet and yeasty bread is topped with crunchy corn and diced ham, and held together by lots of mayonnaise. Not a light snack—but I do think that the sweet and salty combination of ham and corn is pretty perfect.

Price: $.80/bun

57-09 Roosevelt Avenue, Woodside (map)
718-803-0383

Sripraphai

I headed into Sripraphai and straight for the refrigerator case, in search of the perfect pudding. There are two desserts with corn in them: the sweet tapioca pearls and coconut milk with corn kernels, which I tried, and then something more like a dumpling, made with tapioca starch and filled with corn.

The pudding is meant to be eaten warm, so I took it home and warmed it up later. The thick top layer of sweetened coconut melts instantly into the pale green tapioca, and the dots of yellow corn make for a pretty dish. Each bite is sweet and smooth, and then there's that fresh crunch from the corn. If you like tapioca, you will love this pudding. Thailand, thanks for putting corn into your desserts.

Price: $3.00/container

64-13 39th Avenue, Woodside (map)
718-899-9599

Tropika Grill & Cafe

I am always excited when a new place opens along my regular route, and this one, only open for seven days at the time of my visit, was definitely excitement-worthy. Along with all sorts of smoothies, bubble teas and shave ices, as well as fried snacks, there is a whole section of the menu dedicated to grilled corn. It's their specialty, they told me, and are very excited to serve it. They have many, many flavors to be brushed onto their corn: spicy, sweet, BBQ, Asian Style BBQ, and "Maxican" street style to name a few.

I went for the spicy. One very eager counter person explained to me that the corn is brushed with a paste, a mixture of fresh green chillies, garlic, onions, and other things that she did not share. The corn, while not spicy, had a great grilled flavor; I could definitely taste the garlic and onions, and a hint of something, maybe soy sauce, that gave it an "Asian Style" sort of flavor. I would like to go back and try all of the grilled corn, except for the Maxican, since there are lots of those around.

Price: $2.50

82-18 Roosevelt Avenue, Jackson Heights (map)

La Flor de Guererro Deli & Grocery

I walked past this deli and noticed a line of people, either waiting for or already enjoying corn on a stick. Since that was exactly what I was looking for, I took it as a sign, and ordered one as well. It's hard to find a great elote. The best ones come from the ladies with their shopping carts, and since they're not usually licensed to sell, they can be hard to track down.

At La Flor de Guerrero, they have elotes and esquites ready around 4:00 pm every day, and always in the same location, which is a plus. And they are good. Tender boiled corn, slathered with mayonnaise, a heavy coating of cotija cheese, a squeeze or two of lime juice, and a nice shaking of powdered chile. Warm, sweet corn, cool mayo, salty cheese, spicy chile, and a little citrus at the end. Perfect.

Price: $2.00

87-16A Britton Avenue, Elmhurst(map)
718-565-7208‎

Tacos HNS Rodriguez

Esquites are the more mature sibling of an elote. The same basic ingredients, but with a few small differences that coax out even more flavor from the corn. The kernels are cut off from the cob and simmered in a pot with water, butter and some epazote leaves, then served with the resulting golden liquid, which is topped with the same garnishes of the elote: mayo, cheese, lime juice, and powdered chile.

The esquites sold from the window of Tacos Hermanos Rodriguez were everything that they should be. A good amount of liquid, neither soupy nor dry, lots of epazote, and the right amount of toppings. I appreciated that the woman preparing my esquites squeezed a fresh lime into the cup, while so many stands and wandering corn sellers use the bottled stuff. Esquites are a great snack, and if you see someone selling elotes, most likely they'll have esquites as well—just ask.

Price: $2.50

89-04 Roosevelt Avenue, Jackson Heights (map)
718-426-7156

Picaditas La Cacerita Cuenca Ecuador

The last stop on the corn tour was Corona, and I decided to end it with Ecuadorian corn on the cob, or choclo. This variety of corn has much larger kernels, is paler in color, is starchier, and is less sweet than the eating corn that is grown here. It is also much heavier. The choclo gave me the chance to represent another area of the world of corn to be found in Queens: South America. There is a line of vendors on that block, mostly Ecuadorian, and selling the same items, so it would be interesting to taste-test and compare them all.

Price: $3.00

Corner of Warren Street and Roosevelt Avenue, Corona (map)

This is just a small sampling of corn that can be found in Queens, on my favorite beat, under the 7 train.

Tropika: New Snack Place on Roosevelt

2010-06-17T11:52:00.000-07:00

I don't yet understand Tropika Grill & Cafe on Roosevelt between 82nd and 83rd. The menu is in English and Spanish, and all over the place. They have fried snacks like plantains, yuca, sweet potato fries, corn balls, and onion rings. And then there are fried wontons and satay. Then Japanese beef curry and chicken teriyaki. Coconut chicken and buffalo wings. And a whole section of flavored grilled corn. All over the place and I can't wait to try it all. What I did try was shave ice because of course they also have tapioca drinks, smoothies, and shave ice. Perfect for such a humid day.
One shaved ice with four toppings for $3.99. Aside from syrup (passion fruit) and condensed milk, the four toppings I chose were chopped mango (super soft and sweet) boba (tapioca balls, these had a thin shell that burst) jelly (colorful and gelatinous but no flavor) and lychee jelly (colorful, gelatinous, and lychee flavor). I ate half there. The place was mostly empty but I saw at least four people working there, all extremely friendly, all very happy to have customers. They would pass by occasionally and ask me how I was doing. I was great! They, it turns out, have been open for seven days. They are Malaysian/Indonesian. They are very excited to get people in the store. They want everyone to try their special corn. They are not a chain. I am very happy to have them in the neighborhood. I took the rest to go, and the counter lady insisted on adding extra syrup and packing it up for me. Who am I to say no to that? I am now eating my mostly melted ice while writing this and watching Mexico vs. France in the World Cup. It is half time. 0-0. I wouldn't normally watch soccer by myself, but I am texting the play-by-play to José at work. Not the worst way to spend the afternoon.
Viva Mexico!

Tropika Grill & Cafe
82-18 Roosevelt Ave
Jackson Heights

And they won 2-0!!! Maybe I should watch futbol while eating shave ice more often.

Shangri-La Express $2.99 Lunch Special

2010-06-12T19:30:00.000-07:00

Shangri-La Express has a crazy lunch special. $2.99 ($3.25 with tax) is the cheapest lunch I have come across yet, which is pretty perfect because right now I have very little money to spend. Now it isn't the most exciting lunch special, it's pretty much a festival of starch. If you're a big spender, there is a $3.99 version, which includes a meat choice. But I went veg at this tiny Tibetan shop.
It says on the menu that there are four items in the special. I was only able to distinguish three: spiced potatoes, yellow rice, and white rice. The fourth is either another kind of rice (the rice directly beneath the potatoes was reddish, and I couldn't tell if it was from the potatoes or a third rice option) or the iceberg lettuce garnish counts as the fourth. Either way. The potatoes were nice. Soft and spicy, with a touch of freshness from scallion tops. The yellow rice had black mustard seeds and a mellow flavor. White rice, crunch from lettuce, and that was that. Two (or three) types of rice topped with potatoes? Not a particularly well-balanced lunch, but filling and CHEAP. I can appreciate that.

Shangri-La Express
72-24 Roosevelt Avenue
Jackson Heights

Mini Empanada Search- 82nd Street

2010-06-01T17:35:00.000-07:00

It wasn't really planned, it just sort of happened, that while on our way to Mango Rico and Associated for some Memorial Day BBQ preparation items, José and I had ourselves an empanada round-up. We were hungry, about to cook, and needed a little something. Empanadas sounded just about perfect, but where? We know where we like them in Corona (On National St. close to 103rd, forgot the name of the bakery!). We know where we like them on Broadway in Elmhurst (La Gata Golosa), but close to Roosevelt and 82nd Street, we just weren't sure, so we tried 3 different places, in the hopes that we would never again have this particular problem. Since we weren't planning on this, the pictures are from my phone, sort of blurry, and not very good, but at least it's documented somehow.
First off: Las Americas Bakery. We got 3 meat empanadas, which were extremely hot and incredibly crispy, with a great corn flavor to the crust. The filling was meaty and potato-y, and really stuffed in there. The empanadas were great. But: they only gave us one tiny container of sauce for three large empanadas. That is a crime in our world, as we (and when I say we, I mean José) need one container per empanada. The worst part was that the sauce was really good. Red, chunky, and spicy, a perfect addition to the starchy, meaty filling. So we moved on.
There once was a yogurt place, on the corner of 82nd and Roosevelt. It didn't do that well. Until it became half yogurt place, half Colombian bakery, and now it's doing just fine. Well not really a bakery, since they don't actually bake anything there, but they do sell Colombian baked goods. And empanadas, of course, so that was the second stop. We got three meat empanadas again. They were not as fresh as the previous bunch. Had been sitting in the heat box for a little too long. A little too chewy, a lot less filling. They did give us enough sauce, though, so they win points for that. A green, not too spicy sauce, more like a chimichurri than anything else. $1.25 each.
Last stop, before we got too full: La Delicia en Pandebono. Who make all kinds of things beside their pandebono, which are great. Again, three meat empanadas, again, $1.25 each. They were fresh tasting, very hot, crisp, and the meat filling was good- large chunks of meat, very tender. Not quite as crunchy and crispy as Las Americas, but a strong competitor. And the best part of all: see those lovely, grape-covered ceramic containers? They are filled with salsa. A spicy, oniony red sauce. No doling out one little container, at La Delicia, they want you to spoon on as much salsa as you could ever want. That made us very happy.

After tasting the empanadas from these three places, I think we now know where to go. Sort of. We might do Las Americas on occasion, and maybe pay for extra sauce, but more likely we will go where the sauce flows freely.

Las Americas Bakery
40-30 82nd St, Elmhurst

Yogurberry/ Pan y Mas
Roosevelt Ave and 82nd Street, Elmhurst

La Delicia en Pandebono
40-23 82nd St, Elmhurst

Rice Avenue

2010-05-28T20:12:00.000-07:00

I like the name Rice Avenue. It sounds like a street I'd want to live on. It's also a very nice looking restaurant on Roosevelt Avenue. I got a lunch special at Rice Ave. this week, walking in at around 3:15, close to the end of lunch special time. They still let me order though, and I decided to get pretty much the same lunch special meal that I got at Rumphool Thai a few months ago: a salad and a curry. This time I got green curry, since it said on the menu that it was (spicy) while the red, penang, and yellow curries were (medium spicy) and the Massaman was (mild).
The salad: iceberg, carrots, a cucumber and a tomato slice. The peanut dressing topping it all was good, with a nice hit of spice at the end. Otherwise, nothing special.

The curry. I appreciated the pretty rice pyramid. The curry was thin, and yes, a little (spicy), but it also had a sweetness to it, more than just the coconut milk. It was full of chicken, string beans, basil, and lots of bamboo shoots (my favorite). Not a life-changing curry, but a good lunch special, for $6.95. As soon as my food came out, the staff of three sat down at a small table and passed around platters heaped with food for their family meal. I tried to be subtle as I stared at their plates, but it looked much more exciting than my boring old curry. Sorry for being rude, Rice Avenue workers, but I sometimes suffer from food envy.

Rice Ave.
72-19 Roosevelt Avenue, Jackson Heights

I would just like to share this bit about the interior of the restaurant from the Rice Ave. website:
The décor of RICE AVENUE reinforces the symbolism of rice, the staple form of physical nourishment for South, East and North Asian cultures and cuisine. Upon entering the red cherry wooden door, one first notices the ceiling, a lattice of squares that recall the rice paddies of Asia. The seating is the color of uncooked rice. While the rectangular, acrylic ceiling lights illuminate the dinner in soft rice colored white. The long, horizontal wall sconces are rectangular and white, or avenues of rice white. A border of green, grass-like rice plants rings the seats and tables.
I love that I sat in a chair the color of uncooked rice. Much thought was put into the details, and I appreciate that too.

Krystal's Lunch...Buffet

2010-05-27T07:04:00.000-07:00

If I knew how to do a slide show I would, because Krystal's buffet is the kind of place that deserves a slide show. Upon entering Krystal's, it is necessary to walk back, past the counter, past the baked goods, past the tables, to the back stairway. Walk up the dark wooden stairs and you will find a large room, where there will be people, enjoying their lunch, watching some Filipino tv, and going up for seconds at the buffet. This is exactly what you should be doing too. I can't think of a better way to spend a lazy weekday afternoon. I went with Stella, who believes Krystal's to be a better lunch than Fiesta Grill. Or should I say "a better bang for your buck" so as not to misquote. I have to agree that unlimited soda, food, and cake, all for $8.00, is pretty hard to beat. Here are some highlights of the meal.
This is a terrible picture, taken to show you the size of the buffet table. There are around ten options. I didn't want to bother fellow buffet goers, so the man is blocking most of it. Sorry.
This is my first plate. Above the white rice are some lumpiang shanghai (spring rolls) and some crispy pork belly. To the right of the rice: some chicken stewed in coconut milk, adobo pork, and a beef stew with potatoes, peppers and olives. The lumpiang were good, I'm not sure I've ever had a bad spring roll. The crispy pork varied. I had a few nice crispy fatty pieces, some chicharron-y pieces, and some were too dry. I liked the chicken, it was falling off the bone tender, with a mild coconut sweetness. The adobo was my favorite. The pork was so soft, and the soy-garlic flavor really permeates the meat but doesn't overpower. The beef stew was very Spanish-tasting, hearty, beefy, and I love anything stewed with olives. Something I would want on a cold or rainy day. The rice was rice.
These vegetables were good. Still crunchy, barely steamed, and just seasoned carrots, cabbage, another vegetable that reminded me of chayote, (maybe because it was?) and the best part: quail eggs.
Soup! Chicken soup! Large chicken pieces and rice noodles.

The second time up to the buffet I got some pancit that wasn't out before, and a little more adobo. I couldn't resist.

Cake Buffet. Does it really matter if it's good? I got a piece of the ube cake.
I just love the color. I mostly just ate the filling. It mostly just tasted sweet. I was too full to try anything else, but I just liked knowing that it was there. I just like knowing that Krystal's is there, feeding all of these people every day, while I've just been walking past, oblivious all of these years. I feel better about the world knowing that the upstairs buffet exists.

Krystal's Cafe & Pastry Shop
69-02 Roosevelt Ave
Woodside

Red Ribbon Again.

2010-05-25T10:30:00.000-07:00

I have lots to say about Red Ribbon and their cakes, which you can read about here on Serious Eats. I am not going to get into the cakes, their flavors, or my favorite brazo de mercedes, because today I am going to talk about empanadas. I had already discovered, early on in the project, that Filipino empanadas are somewhat different from their Latin American counterparts in that there is a sweet element to these savory patties. I ordered one (if you buy five you get the sixth free, and I can't say I wasn't tempted) and an ube-tapioca drink, and went on my merry way. My ube (purple yam) was sweet and a little starchy, icy cold with chewy tapioca here and there. And a beautiful color. Drinking my ube shake on the walk home.
Red Ribbon's empanadas, while they have a somewhat mass-produced sort of look to them, are quite good. A sweet-salty, flaky crust encases a chunky chicken filling with a few plump black raisins here and there for added sweetness. But it made me realize that I need to try more empanadas from more Filipino places. So far I've only had Fritzie's and RR. I need to eat more empanadas to compare and contrast. Purely in the name of research, of course. Not because I like them or anything.

Dear Fiesta Grill

2010-05-19T08:31:00.000-07:00

Dear Fiesta Grill and your lunch special - I can not find the words to express how I feel about you. So many options, so much food that's new to me, I would go back every day if I could to conquer your menu. I like you lots.

Fiesta Grill has a steam table filled with all sorts of unmarked stews, meats, veggies. Lunch time was too busy to ask the counter guys for much explanation, so for this, my first visit, I stood at the end of the line, watched what other people were ordering, and copied them. The $3.95 lunch special is rice or pancit with one side. The $5.95 special is rice or pancit with two sides. I ended up, after some confusion, with a lunch special of pancit, pork adobo and kare kare.
This is the pancit. Pancit are noodles, and these are tasty. The rice noodles were mixed with snow peas, carrot sticks, bits of roasted pork, not too greasy, not too salty, they soak up the flavors of everything else on the plate.
Adobo pork. Really good. Chunks of soft pork, meaty and fatty pieces, with a great soy flavor. I like adobo. There were a few pieces of raw onion mixed in, adding crunch and bite to the dish.
Kare Kare. When I pointed to this stew and asked what it was, the countermen laughed. "It's beef in peanut sauce" they said, "do you still want it?" Um, yes, please. What's so funny about beef in peanut sauce? Oxtails, to be exact, braised and tender, along with some unidentifiable gelatinous pieces, soft green beans, greens, and bok choy, all cooked in a peanut sauce. It was good. But this is where I become word-less. One of the reasons that I began this adventure was to explore; to experience unique preparations and combinations of ingredients that I have not yet eaten. To go places that I would not necessarily have gone before. It's a great feeling, but I can't quite explain it. All I can say is thank you, Fiesta Grill. I shared my first kare kare experience with you. And it was not laughable. I am very serious about my love of food.

Fiesta Grill
69-12 Roosevelt Ave
Woodside

Rice from Prince

2010-05-12T08:05:00.000-07:00

Prince. New Indian/Bangladeshi/Pakistani place in Woodside. The blue awning has been up for a while now, and I was looking forward to a new place on the route so I checked out the menu and then looked behind the counter at the steam table offerings. The dish that looked the most exciting, and is also the most expensive ($8.99), was what I ended up ordering.
The special Prince kachi biryani with goat meat. I have a hard time resisting colored, hard-boiled eggs, it seems. Plus the man behind the counter said it was the best, and just made. It was pretty. Eggs, chillies, spices, goat in shades of yellow, pink, brown, and green. Then something else caught my eye, in the section reserved for fried treats like samosas, pakoras and such. This.Chicken patty. "Very good," said the man. The man looked trustworthy.
I walked it all home, and had a taste. The rice was fragrant and fluffy, each grain separate from the next. There were soft pieces of potato, whole cardamom pods, I found bits of caramelized onions, fresh and cooked chillies, each bite was a little different, some sweet, some spiced, some hot. Some pieces of the goat meat were a little tough, the best piece was one still on the bone and tender. The chicken patty was, as advertised, very good. Soft, flaky pastry encasing a chopped chicken filling that had more than a little spicy kick. The man also made sure I had a menu, which I misplaced but have since found, so can now put up the info.

Prince Restaurant
64-04 Roosevelt Ave
Woodside

Good Time with Koba

2010-05-07T13:32:00.000-07:00

It's been a lunch special kind of week, and here's another one. Have I told you how much I like lunch specials? Shannon and I went out first for ice cream, she was accompanying me on a Serious Eats stop, and then lunch. A little out of order, but the ice cream had a deadline. We then walked around on Roosevelt, looking for a good, quick bite, and Koba in Woodside seemed to work. It turns out that Koba not only gives you free soda and miso soup with your $5.95 special, but also banchan. Not sure why I wasn't expecting them, but I was definitely surprised when all of the little salads came out of the kitchen.
There were, from left to right: marinated tofu, cucumber salad, some tiny fish (wish I knew what they were called), kimchi, and eggplant. The tofu was dense and hard to cut through, but it was marinated in soy and had some nice crunchy onion on top. The cucumbers were great, still crisp but had a nice vinegar kick. I did not taste the fish as I knew I wouldn't enjoy them, I'm sort of wimpy when it comes to whole little fish, so fishy. Shannon liked them though (I think, let me know if you read this). The kimchi was kimchi, and the eggplant was mild, but had a nice texture: not too mushy, not too crunchy.
I got a bowl of miso soup with my lunch too. You can sort of see my free ginger ale behind it. I really like when drinks are included. Shannon ordered soft tofu stew with seafood. Not a lunch special, but still very cheap. Soondooboo jigae, small, $4.95. I had a great one at Natural Tofu a few months ago, bubbling pot of spicy broth and soft tofu, so good.
And she got a very special rice bowl.
She had a good time with bear family, but I wasn't invited.

My kimchi fried rice was good. Not spicy enough, but I got some chili paste on the side. Anything topped with a fried egg is fun. Break it open, let the yolk ooze out, mix it up, enjoy. I had good time with egg, at least.
I got lots of food for around $6, had a nice visit with Shannon, and was home in time to write about ice cream. That's what I call a successful day.

Koba (Korean Barbeque)
64-16 Roosevelt Avenue
Woodside

Tropical in Woodside

2010-05-06T05:58:00.001-07:00

Lunch Special! I walked into Tropical, not knowing much about it except that it might be Ecuadorian. Turns out it was. Tropical is a mini-chain with 4 locations throughout Queens, but there is not much written about it. Not sure why. It's a very spacious corner restaurant, full of natural light. There were three tables full of other people enjoying their meals when I gave my order to the waitress. I am assuming that the lunch specials change daily, and yesterday the two options for the first course and two for the second were: Sopa de vegetales (vegetable soup) and caldo de pata (cow feet soup is their own translation and I like it), and then cazuela de marisccos (seafood casserole) or pollo a la parilla (grilled chicken). I chose the caldo and the chicken, but if I were a seafood lover, obviously the cazuela would be the way to go. I noticed that the next few people who ordered lunch specials (and I was the only non-Ecuadorian in there) all went for the caldo and the chicken, so I felt good about that. The waitress immediately brought out a small plate with lime slices, a little container of green sauce (yay!) and a small glass of orange colored juice. I wasn't expecting the juice so that made me very happy, and once I tasted it, even happier. It was passion fruit!

My soup came out quickly.
The milky-looking broth was mild, with the light flavor and full-bodied texture from the gelatinous pata. The caldo was full of mote (pozole) and chickpeas, and garnished with cilantro and green onions. A squeeze of lime brightened it all up. Really filling.

Grilled chicken breast. Yellow. Grilled tasting. A little stringy but had good flavor. It was served with a cucumber salad, light and refreshing. Cukes, chopped tomatoes, green peppers, sliced red onions with citrus. And then long grain white rice. I ate the chicken with the green sauce, which was super-garlicky and actually even a little spicy. Green sauce, I will one day know your secrets! The total for my entire meal, drink and all, was $6.99.
Lunch specials are the best.

Tropical Restaurant
67-22 Roosevelt Ave
Woodside

Lunch at La Frontera

2010-05-05T11:10:00.000-07:00

In honor of the Battle of Puebla, I went to La Frontera in Woodside. There are three Mexican restaurants on the same block, and I picked La Frontera for no particular reason, but it turned out well. I got sopes. It seemed like the right thing to do.
The rounds of masa were crisp on the bottom and soft in the middle. Topped with beans and meat, these sopes were very patriotic with their red radish, white cream, and green lettuce garnish. Viva Mexico! There were three to the order, and I got chicken, beef, and al pastor (pork). The chicken was my favorite, it was the most flavorful and tender of the meats. The green salsa was thick and bright, but not spicy at all, unfortunately. The whole plate cost $7.50, and they gave me chips and salsa to snack on. The place was empty, but I got caught up in the novela playing overhead, and it was so nice out today, and the door was wide open, so I just sat for a while. It was a nice, relaxing lunch for one. Not the same experience I might have at a Mexican place in Manhattan tonight. Luckily, at these little places on Roosevelt, no one much cares about 5 de Mayo.

La Frontera
64-03 Roosevelt Ave
Woodside

La Perrada de Chalo, or Fun on Northern Blvd

2010-05-02T06:20:00.000-07:00

What a week! I'm so happy it's over. Not enough eating time, yet again, but a good way to end the busy-ness was at this month's JH food group. Although La Perrada de Chalo is not even close to being on Roosevelt Ave, it warrants a post because it was just that exciting. Northern Boulevard is another great street to explore for food, and I'd really like to spend more time there. Someday. But in the meantime I will just visit occasionally whenever I get the chance. La Perrada de Chalo, with its dancing, slightly disturbing hot-dog with green boots logo specializes in Colombian street food and snacks, and the crazy hot dog was what I ordered.

Super Showy- Mortadela, cebolla, piña, salsas, queso, papitas. (Bologna, onion, pineapple, sauces, cheese, crushed chips) $3.35
What can I say about my Super Showy (which was just a showy, as they had no super-sized hot dogs at the time of our ordering, and in retrospect I think that was just as well)? The name is so perfect, I really didn't care what was in it. Do I really need bits of bologna in a hot dog? Completely unnecessary. Cheese? Ditto. Tons of mayo? Nope. But put it all together and it creates something magical. Each bite of hot dog was a new taste experience. The snap of hot dog, plus the soft bun, then the creamy mayo, plus melty cheese, citrus and herb tang from the green sauce and crunchy chips = flavor/texture collision in mouth. Super Showy! I was tempted by the Iraqui, which had hard boiled eggs on top. If I could have eaten another, I would have. But one was enough.
Some other trays. This one had the Super Showy, Al gusto (con todo) (with everything, and they mean everything!), and Hawayano (pineapple, cheese, sauces). I was jealous of the everything. It had eggs and bacon.
This was the mini picada. Crispy parts of pork, beef, chorizo, and chicken over a fried arepa and french fries. Greasy and delicious. $7.15
Pernil sandwich. It looked great, the bread was pressed so flat and thin and crunchy, a huge sandwich for $6.

We then moved next door to El Palacio de lol Cholados for a cholado.
Wikipedia says that a Cholado is a cold beverage common in Colombia. It is made from crushed ice, fruit and/or fruit syrup, sweetened condensed milk, and is sometimes topped with whipped cream. I think that is a fine description. I enjoyed my cholado immensely. Once again, so many textures and flavors. There was the crushed ice on the bottom, then freshly sliced bananas, strawberries, and pineapple, the juice/syrup was not too sweet, which mixed perfectly with the very sweet condensed milk. A sprinkling of dried coconut, and the whole thing was topped with a maraschino cherry. Fun in a plastic cup, for $5. There is even a sign with directions on how to eat it. First you drink the juice with the straw and then eat the rest with the spoon. Good to know. I think I did a pretty good job with that. A beautiful day with nice people eating strange concoctions and taking lots of pictures. Just a normal weekend in Queens.

La Perrada de Chalo
83-12 Northern Blvd.
Jackson Heights

El Palacio de los Cholados
83-18 Northern Blvd
Jackson Heights

Sripraphai: Almost on Roosevelt Ave.

2010-04-17T19:06:00.000-07:00

I met up with Judy, Mark, Stella and Rachel (JHFG'ers all) for lunch at Sripraphai before our epic cake-off at Red Ribbon (which you can read about here). I'm not sure who was smart enough to suggest that we grab a quick bite before the cake at Sri, since it is right across the street from the bakery, but it was a great idea. As we perused the very thick menu, we quickly decided on two appetizers and four entrees for the five of us, trying to save room for the six different kinds of cake that we would eventually be eating, but probably still ordering too much. How could you not, though, with so many options? I am a boring Sripraphai-goer, because I always order the same thing (like the Thai buffalo wing! Sour and salty and spicy so good) so it was nice to go with other people and branch out a little. Here's what we got:

Chicken curry puff served w. cucumber salad $5.50
Curry puffs are one of the appetizer items that I always order, because they are always delicious. The crust is usually very flaky, and the potato/chicken filling, flavored perfectly with curry powder and lots of turmeric is always piping hot. A lightly pickled cucumber and onion salad is perfect to add to the puff, it adds crunch and brightness. The puffs were good, the filling was chunky and nicely-flavored, but the crust was not flaky and soft, it was crisp and hard. Good, but not the same. If I had never tasted them before, I would have liked these well enough.

On to the main courses.
C-16 Sauté crispy pork with chili, garlic & basil leaves $9.50
Crispy crispy crispy pork. Some bits were so crisp, they couldn't be stabbed with a fork. The fatty pieces were great, soft with a crisp edge. Some bits were tough, some bits were perfect, I had to move the plate away from me because I couldn't stop eating it. Not spicy enough, but the garlic/basil/chili combo is a great one.

N-5 Drunken noodles: sauté rice noodles w. choice of meat, chili & basil leaves $8.50
Our choice of meat was pork. I like wide, flat noodles. Anything with chili and basil is good, as noted above, but again, for something with chili, and we really did specify spicy, not all that hot. Tasty, yes, flavorful too. A simple and good noodle dish.

I'm not sure what number this one was on the menu, maybe one of you can help, but this was fried fish topped with green papaya salad. I tasted the fish (and those of you who know me know that while I don't eat fish or seafood, I always taste it just to see if anything has changed and I might wake up one day and love it). The fish was mild and flaky, the outside crisp, the salad fresh, light, and crunchy. I didn't hate it.

Panang Curry with duck $9.00
Yum. Complex and rich, panang curry is normally made with coconut cream, so it is even thicker and richer than a green, red, or yellow curry made with coconut milk. The only problem with this dish was that because of the meat we chose, delicious duck, every spoonful that I put on my plate was made up of mostly duck skin and no meat. While crispy duck skin is one of my favorite things, soft duck skin in sauce, not so much. The meat was in there somewhere, I just had bad luck finding it.

A fun lunch, not really meant to be an exploration of the menu, just some people getting together and sharing good food before going cake crazy. Everyone who goes to Sripraphai has an opinion, and I wasn't planning on making it part of my route, since so much has been said that I'm not sure what I can really add to the discussion. All I will say is that I have always had good meals at this restaurant. Spice levels have been inconsistent, service as well, but the quality and flavor of the food is there.

SriPraPhai Thai Restaurant
64-13 39th Avenue
Woodside

Pupusa Time

2010-04-16T17:06:00.000-07:00

Dinner with Stella the other night at Izalco, a Salvadoran restaurant. One of the many benefits of meeting the nice people, such as Stella, of the Jackson Heights Food Group is that if I put up a post on Facebook on a Thursday afternoon to see if anyone feels like dinner in Queens that night, someone is bound to answer, since they live here too. It's great. So that's how dinner happened. Forgive me, people of El Salvador, for using Mexican cuisine as my frame of reference, but with the same names, the comparisons are inevitable.

I ordered horchata to drink, which is very different in flavor from Mexican horchata, in case you were wondering. Mexican horchata is made from rice milk and Mexican cinnamon. Horchata at Izalco, as the waiter told us, is made from rice, milk, peanuts, and a special seed from El Salvador. This special seed, I am assuming, is the morro seed, or calabash. I liked the drink, it was nutty, sweet, and light.

We ordered three types of pupusas: chicharron, queso, and mixtos (beans and chicharron)
Pupusas are corn cakes made from corn masa, much like a Mexican gordita, stuffed with various fillings. They are usually served with a mild tomato sauce and curtido, a vinegar-y cabbage salad.
The three pupusas.

The bean pupusa, topped with the cabbage. Of the three pupusas, the bean filling was mild, the chicharron was not really seasoned, but the cheese had the strongest flavor and most contrast of textures. Earthy corn, griddled crisp outside, soft insde, then melty, salty cheese.

I love cabbage.

I also love Salvadoran tamales de elote (corn tamales) because they are what I imagine all tamales should taste like: soft, sweet, and of fresh corn. Like the best corn bread you could imagine. Plus it doesn't hurt that they serve them with sour cream.

This strange looking picture was the Salvadoran Enchilada. Nothing like a Mexican enchilada. A crisp fried tortilla (tostada in Mezican, as my favorite dishwasher Juan used to say) topped with a mix of meat and potatoes, finally chopped, which reminded us both of empanada filling, and then that was topped with more cabbage. The crunch of the tortilla with the soft potato and tender meat, and the crisp, sharp cabbage was an unexpected and absolutely delicious combination. The hit of the night. A good, cheap dinner. There is a much larger menu with entrees and platters that go for $13 and up, which we did not try. It was too much fun to order small plates. Still lots to do in Woodside, I have to catch up on my eating. This week I'm in Jersey catering, so it's slow going, but I'll be back, and ready to eat, on Monday.

Izalco
6405 Roosevelt Ave
Woodside

UFC UFC UFC

2010-04-13T14:45:00.000-07:00

UFC. Korean fried chicken. I was in a fried chicken state of mind after Jollibee, so this weekend I also skipped a few blocks and went straight to Jackson Heights for some more. Unidentified Flying Chickens wins the award for best packaging (so far) on Roosevelt Ave. I still covet Jollibee's red plastic buckets, but just look at the take out bag. Its design is pure cuteness.
And the box, with holes, which keep the crispiness.

But now for the chicken and one side which I sampled this Saturday.
I could only try two flavors of the four they offer (soy garlic, hot, BBQ mustard, and sweet & spicy) as I was alone and not about to get 20 pieces of chicken for myself. Even I wouldn't go that far. So, soy garlic and hot. Soy garlic was good, but I think I liked hot just a little bit more.
Hot drumette!
Soy garlic drumstick!
The chicken was doused in sauce and yet still remained crispy. A beautiful combination of flavor and crunchiness. How do they do it? I somehow managed to save a few pieces (of 10 pieces for $10) for Jose, who was working late, but I could have eaten those wings (and drumsticks) all night, like popcorn.

Ever since our trip to Hawaii, I have rediscovered my love for macaroni salad, so out of the side options of coleslaw, macaroni, daikon, or rice, I went for macaroni. The first bite took me back to childhood. I'm not sure when or why I ate supermarket deli macaroni salad, but at some point in my life I did, and it had that sweet-tangy flavor that I haven't tasted in years. I could not finish the whole thing, a few bites was more than enough nostalgia for one night.

Fried chicken is good. There is no doubt about that. Add fun flavors to crispy skin and juicy meat, and it gets even better. UFC did a good job with all three things. It's close to the train, and walkable from my house, which is both very good and very bad. For me, anyway.

UFC
71-22 Roosevelt Ave
Jackson Heights

El Sitio

2010-04-13T13:30:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to catch up on my eating and blogging, since for various reasons, last week was pretty post-less. To remedy that, over the weekend I did lots of Roosevelt Ave eating, starting with lunch at El Sitio, where I got a Cuban Sandwich to go. The lunch menu looked amazing, but it's only offered M-F, so I was out of luck. I sat down at the old-fashioned counter and watched as the waitress pressed my delicious-looking sandwich, brushing it with butter and turning it at intervals.

Secret pictures snapped on phone.

As I waited for my sandwich and stared at the desserts in the fridge behind the counter, I asked the waitress which one was the best. She said the tocinillo del cielo with no hesitation. It was like flan, and I like flan, so I ordered one as well. Once I got the sandwich home and unwrapped it from its butcher paper, it looked like this:
It would have been crisper, what with all that basting, had it not walked home with me. I try to walk to and from as much as possible, even with an unlimited metrocard, since I am eating things like fried chicken and butter-basted sandwiches, sometimes on the same day. It was still good though. The bread was pressed flat and thin, the cheese was still melty, one side of the sandwich was smeared with mustard, and the other with garlic, the ham was thick-sliced and salty, the pork was juicy and crisp, it was an all around well-made sandwich. My only complaint was that there was only one thin slice of pickle. I am pickle-obsessed, and would have liked a little more, for flavor and crunch. Otherwise, very nice. On to dessert.
The tocinillo was creamy and smooth, not too eggy, and lots of caramel. I felt like there was maybe a hint of cinnamon flavor, but I could have imagined it. That happens sometimes.

El Sitio
68-28 Roosevelt Ave
Woodside

La Fama Empanadas

2010-04-13T08:02:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure If I've gone into detail about empanadas on this blog yet. I like them. I like them a whole lot. I like anything with a pastry crust, pretty much. There are so many variations from so many countries, and I haven't met one I haven't liked. Samosas. Burekas. Pasties. Patties. Turnovers. The list goes on and on. Empanadas are sold all along the route, at the many, many Colombian bakeries on Roosevelt Ave. The thing that makes Colombian empanadas great is the yellow, crispy crust. What makes it yellow and crispy is corn flour. There are lots of not so great empanadas, but I ventured in to La Fama Bakery the other day, just to see what they had to offer, and walked away with one empanada in a brown paper bag. It cost a dollar. It looked like this.

The crust had that great. crisp, slightly chewy texture, and the filling looked appetizing. Large chunks of soft potato, bits of shredded beef, seasoned aggressively enough to stand up to the dough. The sauce was spicy with a strong onion flavor, adding a freshness and bite to the heavy meat and potato interior. Be sure to ask for sauce because they don't always give it to you automatically. A good empanada, a nice snack.

La Fama Bakery
67-10 Roosevelt Ave.
Woodside

Mexican Spaghetti!

2010-04-13T06:33:00.000-07:00

The day after I wrote my Chickenjoy!!! post, and promised to write about Mexican spaghetti the next time I had some, I went to visit my sisters-in-law, and guess what we had for dinner? Spaghetti! It was meant to be.
In the Gonzalez family, spaghetti is made very differently than American-style red sauce and parm. Not to give away any secrets, but a half an onion is added to the pasta as it boils. Tomatoes, onions, and garlic are pureed, then added to a pot with butter. The cooked pasta is then added to the sauce and cooked even further until the pasta becomes red and the sauce is mostly absorbed.At the table each person adds as much sour cream and queso fresco as they so desire. I always get excited when it's spaghetti time at home. So good.
The spaghetti topped with cream and cheese.

All mixed together. Yum. I am always looking for how other cultures take spaghetti and make it their own. If anyone has family recipes, please share!

Chickenjoy!!!

2010-04-10T11:17:00.000-07:00

Jollibee is my absolute new favorite place. If Jollibee were a person, and not an imaginary Filipino cartoon bee, I know that we would be best friends. So fun. Why is fast food from other countries so much better than ours? David and I waited on the long, slow line, glad for the extra time to decide what to order. Fried chicken with fries, mashed potatoes, or corn (fries, of course). Or do we get our fried chicken with spaghetti and hot dogs or palabok (it was a tough decision but in the end spaghetti won). Jollibee spaghetti- the spaghettiest! It definitely was spaghetti. On a side note, I am fascinated by different countries' takes on spaghetti. Mexican Spaghetti is a one of my favorite dinners, not something you'd find at a restaurant (and not a light dinner, as it's topped with lots of sour cream and cheese), but maybe I'll make it and take pictures one day soon, just for fun. Anyway, back to Chickenjoy!, Jollibee's fried chicken. We wanted to try more of the menu, no hamburgers this time, but we also ordered the Shanghai rolls, an ube (purple yam) shake with tapioca, and then I went back for the mango-peach pie.

A not good phone picture of the Shanghai rolls. I went without camera, sadly. They tasted exactly like McDonald's chicken nuggets. And by that I mean everything good about McDonald's chicken nuggets. Crunchy, greasy, with a hint of chicken flavor. Maybe from frying them in the chicken-y oil? Maybe that's what they're supposed to taste like? I don't know, I don't care, they were terribly good.
Yum, icy ube! The tapioca was unnecessary and completely pushed me over the fullness edge, but it was tasty.

Terrible picture of spaghetti and chicken. It looks pretty plastic-like. The sauce was sweet, the meat was chewy, I enjoyed every bite of it.
A slightly better picture.

Crispylicious! Juicylicious! Jollibee loves inventing words and using exclamation points! It was crispy. It was juicy. It was great.
Also the spicy version (no good picture, sorry) came with a little red flag stabbed into the chicken that said "spicy". The top of the crispy juicy chicken was sprinkled with a spice powder that really is hot. Really, really good. So crispy!

Mango peach pie. Fried pie. Hot, fruity, filling. Everyone had them on their tables. I wanted one. I went back to get one a few days later, since the line was too long to get back on the first time. I carried it with me on my 20 minute walk home, and it was still hot when I finally ate it. I can only imagine the tongue burning pleasures of a freshly fried pie. The crust was crisp and bubbly. The filling was very sweet, more peachy than mango, but with a floral aftertaste.

What more can I say about Jollibee? I want to have a large family just so that I can take home big red buckets of fried chicken, and upgrade it with rice and pies. My only fear would be that my chickenjoy would be lessened were I to take it to go, for to lose any of that crispiliciousness would be a crime.

Jollibee
62-29 Roosevelt Ave.
Woodside

On the 7

2010-04-05T19:03:00.000-07:00

Passover is almost over! I must admit that I had to do some non-kosher tasting this week. But I did bring my box of matzah with me every day to work, along with my trusty container of Temp-Tee whipped cream cheese. Which my brother David decided to snack on today while traveling on the 7 train. Such a good Jew. Lots of looks as he spread the oh-so spreadable cream cheese onto a half piece of matzah, with the other half.

Dip, spread, and enjoy.
Once a year, every year, Temp-tee is the best thing around, under or on the train.

Stop Inn

2010-03-31T19:29:00.000-07:00

This week is a bad week for eating under the 7 train, as I'm trying to keep kosher for passover. So many things that I can't eat. But breakfast seemed to be the safest bet, so off José and I went for diner breakfast, around lunchtime, to the Stop Inn Diner in Woodside.
We were shown to a very small booth in the very small corner diner, with very large menus in hand. I knew it was a great place when I saw the condiment selection on the table.
Ketchup, two kinds of hot sauce, malt vinegar and chef sauce? Irish, Mexican, American, it's all right there on the formica tabletop. Welcome to Queens!

So I ordered two eggs, over easy, with a side of turkey bacon (if I'm keeping kosher, I might as well go all the way with it) and no toast, thank you very much. You might be thinking to yourself, why does she keep kosher for passover if half of this blog chronicles the delights of eating pork? It makes no sense. It's just one of those things. Religion is weird.
My eggs, covered in the turkey bacon, were perfectly cooked. The turkey bacon was salty and crunchy. Definitely not as crisp as real bacon, but a fine substitute. For 8 days anyway.
The hash browns, a lacy mound of shredded potatoes, were brown and crusty on top, and soft in the middle. Delicious. I did miss the toast to sop up my egg yolks, but passover is all about sacrifice, right?

José was hungry and ordered a lunch special, penne a la vodka, which came with a salad.
What they called their house vinaigrette was Italian dressing. Haven't tasted that in a while. It was a good salad, with olives, red pepper rings, large slices of carrots, cukes, and tomatoes. Lots of onions as you can see.
The pasta was ok, not that I tasted it. I trust my husband though. His biggest complaint was that it was far from al dente. I believe that pasta should be overcooked in a diner. But maybe that's just me.

A pleasant breakfast/lunch. No such thing as brunch on a weekday. The diner was packed, people seemed to really enjoy themselves, and it had a great neighborhood feel, lots of stopping and chatting with each other on the way in or out. I want to be a regular there too.

Stop Inn
60-22 Roosevelt Avenue
Woodside

Cafescaping

2010-03-31T19:02:00.000-07:00

Stopped in at Cafescape for a cup of coffee and some sweets, just to see what's inside. It's sort of like Starbucks, but not exactly. There were people working on laptops, using free wifi, sitting for hours, drinking coffee, hanging out. José and I got two pastries, a cup of coffee, and settled into the stuffed leather chairs, where he promptly fell asleep. They were that comfortable. The desserts were interesting, not typical coffee-shop stuff, and made at a bakery upstate, I was told, but the girl behind the counter.
We ordered a mocha cheesecake and a peanut butter chocolate bar.
The cheesecake was nice, a little too sweet, but tasty. A light cheesecake filling with a puddle of ganache in the middle and a sponge-cake bottom.

The peanut butter bar was good as well. A thick shortbread crust, with a dense peanut butter-y layer, topped with chocolate and crunchy, salty peanuts. Not bad, and the plastic plates were cute.
A nice place to drop by if you're in the neighborhood.

Cafescape
59-02 Woodside Avenue (still somewhat under the train)
Woodside

Donovan's Pub

2010-03-27T07:47:00.000-07:00

There is a banner hanging outside of this pub proclaiming that it has the #1 Rated Hamburger in NY. Of course, even if it didn't advertise the supremacy of their burgers, I would have gone in. It looks mysterious and castle-like from the outside, and the interior is dark and cozy. Jose and I were led to a booth in a private corner, close to the fireplace, but separate from the rest of the diners. I guess we looked like we wanted a romantic dinner. We were looking for burgers, not romance, but it was a nice thought. We decided to snack on wings as a starter, this being a bar and all. And a pint of Guinness to wash them down. The wings came out quickly, extremely hot, very crispy, and the meat inside was steaming and tender. The only light source was the flickering candle on our table, so the following pictures are quite dark.
The wings were not tossed in sauce, as buffalo wings often are. Instead, they were freshly fried, and sent out in a basket with two sauces: sweet and sour, and blue cheese. I like my wings to be spicy. But the wings themselves were meaty and delicious. If the worst thing in my life is that I had to dip my crispy fried wings in some sweet and sour sauce, then I really can't complain.

Then the burgers. We each got one, Jose went for the cheeseburger, I opted for a plain burger. The platters were set before us, a nice pile of fried potato wedges, the burger, and the bun. I do like a little something on my burgers, so I asked the waiter if I could have some lettuce and tomato. He apologized, saying that due to a recent change, lettuce and tomato were $1.25 extra. I still wanted them, extra charge or not, and a few seconds later he handed me a small plate with some iceberg lettuce and a slice of tomato. After topping the burger, I took this picture.

The burger, a thick patty, nicely charred on the outside, pink on the inside, was beefy and juicy.
I would have liked an onion, but it was too late to ask. The fries were crisp and hot, and quite addictive. It was fine, it was tasty, it was a good hamburger. Good, not great. I am not a burger purist, I like my toppings, so maybe I should have ordered the bacon cheeseburger. But it was not the best hamburger I've ever had. I liked Donovan's. I loved the atmosphere, the neighborhood feel, the crackling fire, the service; it's an old school pub, and it was bustling. But I was expecting greatness (with exclamation points!) the best burger in New York! Anything less is disappointing. Of the burgers sampled on Roosevelt Avenue so far, I would rate it #2. To see #1, click here.

Donovan's Pub
57-24 Roosevelt Ave
Woodside

Making Sense of Mojitos

2010-03-22T20:04:00.000-07:00

Mojitos Cuban Restaurant, I just don't understand you.
Monday night, David and I walked, in the rain, towards this small, inhospitable looking restaurant on the corner of 52nd St and Roosevelt. The outside is not particularly inviting, in fact it barely looks open for business, but for the sign announcing happy hour and that they are now serving lunch. Good, but we wanted dinner. With trepidation we entered the restaurant, to be greeted by 80's freestyle music, a woman standing behind the bar, and a man seated on a stool. Our entrance immediately caused some confusion. The woman was about to put some napkins down when I told her that we were here for dinner. She looked somewhat surprised, but led us through the bar to the dining room, which was (much to our surprise) full of tables set with white tablecloths, folded red napkins, and lit candles. It was completely empty. I sat on a banquette and we studied our menus, looking for clues. Entrees ranging from $9-$16. Vivid descriptions made for entertaining reading. Some highlights
Picadillo - Ground meat mixed in a savory simmer of tomatoes, green peppers, onions, garlic, and olives
Fricase de Pollo - Hearty chicken stew with a perfect blend of vegetables, tomatoes and herbs
Tropical Salad - Blend of leafy greens bathed in citrus, with fresh oranges and topped with sizzling strips of grilled chicken breast.
And then our favorite
Rabo Encendido- Oxtail stew with a sharp, peppery taste, hence the fiery name.
As we were perusing our not-typical-to-Roosevelt-Avenue menu, I began to notice heads popping up from the kitchen window facing the dining room. First one chef, then another. Staring at us with huge grins on their faces. Were they that excited to have customers, were they curious because we weren't regulars, were we just that strange looking? I will never know. But their reactions, and that of the bartender/waitress did not inspire much confidence. Would the food be any good? Is it fresh? Does anyone ever come here?
David ordered a mojito while I asked the waitress what the specialty of the house was. What do most people get? She mentioned that people like tostones. Well I like tostones too. Tostones Montaditos to be exact, topped with your choice of chicken picadillo or ropa vieja. Ropa vieja! She said that the Rabo Encendido was popular too. We both wanted to sample the sharp, peppery taste. Where are all these people who like tostones and oxtails and how often do they come? Maybe for the live music on the weekends. Maybe every day but today.
Freestyle jams (last song played: Cover Girls, Because of You) quickly changed to Linger by The Cranberries (just cause we're white doesn't mean we love The Cranberries. Except we both kind of do love The Cranberries). The snickering in the kitchen died down once there was work to be done, and we sat back, awaiting our meal.
The Mojito:
David said it wasn't the best he'd ever had. But it disappeared pretty quickly.

Cuban bread, pressed and warm, with butter (margarine?) was brought out to snack on.

Tostones Montaditos
Five large, flattened, crisp plantains, topped with the ropa vieja. Shredded beef, sauteed with red, yellow, and green peppers, tomatoes, onions, and olives. A closer look:
It was tasty, and very filling for an app. The meat was tender and well seasoned, and chunks of olives make anything taste great. $6

Our main dish, brought out with the appetizer, Rabo Encendido.
There was nothing encendido about the rabo. The braised oxtails were tasty, I'll give them that. Stewed with tomatoes, onions, and peppers, the meat was moist and seasoned, but its fiery name did not match its spice level. Spice in Cuba is measured on a different scale, it would seem. The rice and beans, or moros con cristianos were a bit dry and clumpy, but they looked beautiful piled on the plate. $12

A spacious, light dining area, bright red brick walls decorated with classic Havana posters and Cuban flags, the place is not what it seems from the outside. The menu was written with too much care to be a throwaway. The food was well-prepared. Yet the experience was so strange from start to finish. Maybe a rainy Monday night was the problem. But maybe I really wanted Cuban food on a rainy Monday night. There is not much written about Mojitos in Woodside, and what I could find is positive, but now a few years old. Can more people please go there and report back? I remain as confused now as when I first walked through the door.

Mojitos Cuban Cuisine
52-20 Roosevelt Ave
Woodside

Thai Special 2: Rumphool

2010-03-20T06:56:00.000-07:00

Rumphool Thai has a $6 lunch special! Lunch specials are great. Thai lunch specials are even better. Spring rolls! It's so nice and spring-y out, and there is no place more colorful on Roosevelt Ave than Rumphool Thai to celebrate the end of winter. I dare you to find another restaurant on the route that is as cheerfully and brightly decorated as this. It's as if Ikea threw up on the walls, and I mean that in the nicest way possible. A blurry view but you'll get the point.
A very friendly waiter greeted me and led me to a seat by the window, and I sat facing the street, and the huge colorful pillows. It is impossible to be unhappy when facing pillows such as these, especially when the sun is shining.
I pondered over the lunch special menu for a while, and asked my server what he thought was best. He basically reccommended everything. If I felt like noodles, then I should try the Pad-Kee Mao (Drunkman Noodles). People like the Pad Thai he said. If I want everything mixed with rice, I could get fried rice. If I felt like spicy, I could get a curry. I felt like spicy. Red curry was spiciest, he said, and that it's best with chicken. No reason to argue with that.

Lunch special comes with salad and spring roll.
A nice crunchy iceberg lettuce salad with a chunky and sweet peanut dressing. The spring roll was crisp and hot, and smothered with the dressing as well. It seems odd to cover something deep-fried with something liquid, but the contrast of the cold and sweet dressing while biting through the crisp shell of the savory spring roll was delightful. No dipping required.

What I forgot to mention was that I also ordered curry puffs, which brought the price of my meal up, but I am a sucker for curry puffs.
Look at them. Crisp and flaky dough surrounding a spiced potato and chicken filling. Rumphool's curry mix is turmeric-heavy. Each bite is meant to be dipped into the vinegary cucumber and onion chutney, cutting through the richness and heaviness. I do love a good curry puff, and these were better than average.

The red curry came with a large scoop of rice. It had a nice consistency, not too thin or thick. It was full of bamboo, chicken and basil. The spice level was not that high, at first I only felt a slight tingle in the back of my throat. But half-way through, my nose began to run, which is always a good sign of creeping heat. It was flavorful and filling. For a $6 lunch special, (plus my $4 foray into appetizers) I was quite pleased. The food was good, the service was friendly, and just being close to that many primary colors in one place is bound to lighten anyone's mood.

Rumphool
57-17 Roosevelt Ave
Woodside

Postscript:
There are three somewhat strange things about this place besides the decor: No bathroom, closed Tuesdays, cash only.

57 Lou Cheng Bakery Inc

2010-03-16T10:57:00.000-07:00

I am no longer unemployed. I am now part-time occupied with work, making pastries in a restaurant kitchen again. It's not that I'm unhappy about having a job, it's just that I started this project to keep myself busy, and I love it. But with work and school and writing, suddenly I am too busy. Working really cuts into my eating and exploring time. But work will also pay for that eating and exploring time. So here we are.
My first week was all about getting used to the new kitchen, and so far punching out is the best part of the day. Punching out and getting on the train. From Tribeca to Times Square, I transferred to the 7 and stood in the packed car with the rest of the working world. I needed a little something to feel like me again, so I hopped off at 52nd street and decided to walk the rest of the way home searching for a snack. Five blocks later I found it. The corner of 57th and Roosevelt houses a Chinese bakery. If I were in Elmhurst or Flushing it would be one of many, and not of note. But this is Woodside, there's no competition. Just what I needed, full of people and life, something I dearly missed after eight hours in a dark basement kitchen. Blenders whirring and kids crying, racks of egg tarts, sesame balls, buns, and other treats. I watched a group of schoolgirls walk out with bubble teas in hand and ordered the same. I am a fan of all things gelatinous and gummy. I am also a fan of extra wide straws. What's not to like about bubble tea? I decided on a coconut tea, then waited and watched. A few minutes later I was handed my order and was on my way again.
Black, chewy pearls against a cold, pure white background. The coconut was creamy, smooth and super frothy. Lots of tapioca. I think the bubble tea master preparer knew I needed a little extra something. After I sip I felt lighter, hopeful. Walking the rest of the way home, I passed all that awaits me, all the great places I have yet to try, or have already been. And it didn't worry me a bit. It made me happy. Another sip, and I knew. I can make this work. All of it.

Lou Cheng Bakery
57-09 Roosevelt Ave.
Woodside

Como La Flor

2010-03-11T06:38:00.000-08:00

It was the first Spring-like day of the year, so somewhat apropos to lunch at a place called La Flor. I've read about this cafe for years, and it took me that long to finally make it there. Kara, with whom I've been having eating adventures since elementary school, met me at 52nd Street. The only word we could use to describe the place, as soon as we saw it, was "cute". Such a cute little cafe, such cute marble-topped tables, such cute tiled mosaics. We sat at a table by the window, the sunlight filtering in. Cute, charming, cozy, quaint. "La Flor Bakery and Cafe in Woodside serves a delightful menu of Mexican specialties with a good selection of French and fusion dishes, plus great desserts and baked goods." That is how about.com described it in 2006, and I can't do much better than that. We decided to try one Mexican dish, one French-ish dish, and supplement with sides and desserts. Unfortunately we got there too late for the bread basket. They still had some muffins, but the waitress apologized, saying that without their scones it wasn't much of a basket. Next time.
Drinks to start us off:
Mexican hot chocolate for me. I do enjoy a good Mexican hot chocolate, and this one was made with milk, nice and frothy.

Kara got a Mexican Coke. She can't get them in her neighborhood. Ah Mexican Coke. You are made with cane sugar and we love you.

This was our appetizer, in two parts-

Melt-y brie and red wine poached pears covered in balsamic, with a mango salad. Makes no sense but delicious nonetheless. Or as Kara put it, "hits the spot". She said I could quote her on that. The mangoes were ripe and sweet, the red onions sharp, there were julienned carrots and cucumbers (or zucchini) for crunch, and baby greens tossed in. Refreshing. Served with toasted bread on the side. It worked.

Next up, corn salad. Grilled corn with bits of red pepper and scallions. I could be wrong, but I think I tasted soy sauce. An Asian inspired corn salad, perhaps? It was good, but nothing compared to the quesadilla.

Two thick, handmade tortillas sandwiching an obscene amount of vegetables and cheese. Grilled and smoky green and yellow squash, mushrooms, oaxaca cheese, and the best part - mashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes and melted cheese together! The two sauces were spicy and colorful, and the already large serving was generously dusted with cotija cheese. Much thought and care was put into this dish, and it showed.

We were already stuffed, but went for the banana bread pudding for dessert. More like french toast, this bread pudding was sliced from a large loaf, topped with creme anglaise and fresh strawberries and some chunks of peaches (I think). I also found half of a blueberry on my side. As full as we were, we somehow found the strength to finish the whole thing.

Lots has been said about this place. Some people love it, some people complain about it. Same as everywhere. It is definitely not the cheapest lunch I have had. We ended up spending around $40 after tax and tip. Yes, that's high for the neighborhood, but who really cares? There isn't any place like it in the neighborhood either. It was comfortable and welcoming, the food was unique, the menu was vast, and everything was fresh. I felt that I could have been anywhere, sipping from my white china cup, chatting with Kara, sharing plate after plate, oblivious to time and place. But the occasional rumble of the train above was a gentle reminder that we weren't just anywhere. We were under the 7, a great place to be.

La Flor Bakery and Cafe
5301 Roosevelt Ave
Woodside

Juquilita Bakery & Deli (CLOSED)

2010-03-04T15:57:00.001-08:00

There is a brand new Mexican Bakery next to a large laundromat, where Queens Blvd and Roosevelt Ave intersect. It's called Juquilita, and I stopped by to check it out. It's tiny inside, but they bake all of the bread fresh there every morning. Mexican bread. Since it was late afternoon when I made my way in, there were not many items left in the case, but I picked up my tray and tongs and chose a few things, some of them that I had never seen before, like this:

and this.
And of course I got a concha for José.
The young man behind the counter was very excited to have customers. He told me that they'd only been open for two days, that the best time to come in is at 8 a.m. when the bread is hot, that they will soon have Mexican food, and did I want anything to drink, do I live in the neighborhood, and thanks so much for coming in. Did I mention that he was excited to have customers? I asked for an arroz con leche, but they were out already. He felt so bad about it that he gave me a coffee on the house. I don't really drink coffee but how could I refuse? It was so interesting to see a Mexican bakery that is much smaller and has less of a selection than your Tulcingo or Coatzingo Bakeries, offering items that are not all that commonly seen in New York. José immediately recognized them; the flat, crumbly breads were polvorones, which is what shortbread and what we call Mexican wedding cookies are called as well. Makes sense, I guess. He approved of the taste. I was wondering if they were a little burnt, but no, that's what they're supposed to taste like. So nice to have an expert at home. It was a cute place, in a somewhat strange location. I really hope it does well.

Juquilita Bakery & Deli
50-18 Roosevelt Ave
Woodside

Fun times at Chung Sol (CLOSED)

2010-03-04T08:42:00.000-08:00

I finally made it onto Roosevelt Ave! I am leaving Queens Blvd behind for now. Chung Sol Korean BBQ Restaurant is a little hard to find. It's sandwiched between a carpet shop and a taxi garage, and the entrance is blocked by parked vans. But once you enter, it's another world. The dark wood and the calm, serene scene beckoned me to sit and enjoy my meal rather than take it to go, as I had originally intended. Dinner must be another story, with BBQ grills at every table, but lunch was quiet and relaxing. I ordered #7 on the lunch menu. DDuck Man Doo Guk, which might be the best named lunch special yet. People came in and out, regulars, it seemed, although since I don't speak Korean (how I wish that I did), I am just assuming. I was so happy with my decision to stay once my tea and banchan appeared, that I stopped paying attention to the other customers.
Banchan!

Salad. Very mustard-y and thick dressing. It was nice to have a green salad with crunch as an option in my array of treats.

Spicy cold tofu. It was spicy, and cold. Not my favorite of the bunch. With so many options, I didn't want to use up precious stomach space if I didn't absolutely love it.

Cucumbers with sesame. Crisp and cold, with sesame oil and sesame seeds for extra flavor and crunch.

Potato Salad. So good! I am not usually an extra mayonnaise kind of person, but this was surprisingly delicious. Potatoes, hard boiled egg, and apples.

Kimchi. Of course. Good, spicy fun.

I had just started really enjoying my salads when my soup came out. I had forgotten that I even ordered it.
Sliced rice cake and meat dumplings in clear beef broth with sliced beef, egg, and vegetable.
That is exactly what it was.
Rice cake - so glutinous and good. I love that chewy texture.
Meat dumplings- had almost all fallen apart in the soup. The dumpling skins were thin and soft, the meat filling had a great ginger flavor.
Broth - both clear and beefy.
Sliced beef - tender.
Egg - there were strands of egg whites floating in the broth.
Vegetable - scallions.
A huge serving, and I was already full half way through. As if it weren't enough of a starch festival, I unearthed a pile of clear noodles at the bottom of the bowl. All of this food for $7.95.

The owners, (again I assume) a couple, were busy answering phones, and taking orders. The woman of the pair then sat at a table and cleaned bean sprouts, occasionally singing along to the pop songs playing on the t.v. above. I could watch Korean variety shows all day. Seriously. I was there for an hour. What if I had just ordered my soup to go, what then? I would have missed out on so much! In contrast to its bleak surroundings, it was a warm and welcoming place, the food was good, and K-pop makes everything better.

Chung Sol
4911 Roosevelt Ave
Woodside

Ecuadorian Introduction

2010-03-02T13:26:00.000-08:00

I have a new favorite snack. What is it, you ask? Potato cakes! Not potato pancakes, but potato cakes. Don't worry, latkes, you will always be my first love. But these particular potato cakes are not from the old country, they're from the new world of Ecuador. Soft, yellow tinged mashed potatoes, fried crisp on both sides. Like a big, round french fry.
Monday night was dinner at Hornado Ecuatoriano, on 76th and Roosevelt. Although I am supposed to start with Woodside this week, I made plans with Rebecca, a fellow blogger, at this restaurant since it worked for both of our projects. For me, it's on my route, even if I haven't made it to Jackson Heights yet, and for Rebecca, of Fabulously Unforeign, a stop on her world tour. A world tour of New York, since she is "trying to eat the world in one year - without leaving New York City. . . attempting to eat at restaurants from 155 different countries / territories." Of course many of the countries on her list are best represented in Queens, and Ecuador is one of them. So we met for dinner, shared a few plates, and traded blogging stories.

Our meal began with drinks. Jugos naturales, fresh juices made with either water or milk. We both chose milk. I got the mora, a type of blackberry, as suggested by our very helpful waitress, and Rebecca got pineapple. Mine was good. A very light, not too sweet, frothy milkshake. Of course I drank mine too fast, but at $4.00 each I was not planning on ordering another.
For an appetizer we split a quimbolito. It wasn't our first choice, but they were out of humitas.
Quimbolitos, as prepared at this restaurant, are much like a sweet tamal, but made with a coarser meal than Mexican masa. Imagine a softer, more pudding-like corn bread, with a few raisins tossed in.

I was very excited when the waitress placed this on the table:
which looked very similar to my very very favorite Peruvian green sauce. I tasted it, and yes! Thicker, and garlickier than the Pollo Peruano version, but green sauce all the same. Oh, that sauce. On a side note, it is particularly delicious on fried rice.

After much deliberation and many questions to our very patient server, we decided to get a bandera, which has smaller portions of 3 different entrees, along with rice, hominy, salad, and the aforementioned potato cake. I knew I wanted the hornado (lechon), since it seemed advisable to order the namesake dish of the restaurant. That was a given, as was the ceviche. But then the difficult choice between seco de chivo or guatita. We learned that guatita is tripe and seco de chivo is not dry goat, as the name might suggest to us non-Ecuadorians, but more stew-like. For some reason or other we settled on the goat. Here is La Bandera from a few different angles.
Seco de chivo. Very tender pieces of mild goat meat, falling off the bone, simmered in a reddish, tomato-based sauce. It was quite delicious, and the meat was meltingly soft. It reminded me of brisket, and not for the first time on this tour. Remember the Nepali soup? All roads lead back to Jewish holiday food. For me, anyway.

The famous hornado, lying on a bed of hominy. The skin was crackly and crisp, but the meat was sort of tough, and I was very disappointed. I chalked it up to Monday night, and am assuming that on the weekends it is the best lechon ever. Right? I hope so. The hominy, or mote, soaked up all of the flavors on the plate. Fluffy and tasty.
Ceviche consisted of 3 shrimp, some red onions, and lime juice. I ate one, it was fine.
I was much more excited about the avocado, and that beautiful yellow potato cake perched so regally upon its rice throne. I always assumed, when I passed them on the street vendor's grills, that they were corn cakes or plantain. How wrong I was. The waitress told me that they were called tortilla de papa, but I am going to investigate further. And soon. It was a pleasant meal, filled with food that was unfamiliar yet comforting, a Telemundo novela on the screen above, and good conversation. There will be many more restaurants and carts from this interesting country in my future, so I'm glad that Ecuador and I have been formally introduced. It was nice to meet you, and your potato cakes.

Hornado Ecuatoriano
76-18 Roosevelt Ave
Jackson Heights

Pub Brunch

2010-02-27T18:05:00.001-08:00

Last week in Sunnyside. PJ Horgan's. I was so looking forward to a good burger, and they did not disappoint. I told José that we were going to go to a pub for brunch today, Saturday. A pub, you know, a bar with good food and Guinness. It wasn't a very difficult sell. Even with the mid-day sun shining brightly, and the glare from the snow, it was dark and cozy inside. There were a few people sitting at the bar watching rugby. I liked it already. There was a baby behind the bar. Don't know why. I liked it even more. We sat at a wooden booth under a stained-glass lamp, and were given a brunch menu, as well as the dinner menu. Here's the problem with the brunch menu: the drinks included in the brunch special were the regulars - bloody mary, screwdriver, maybe a mimosa, and then the kicker- domestic beers. Why would we get domestic beers in an Irish pub when what we really wanted was a Guinness? Ok, I didn't really want a Guinness, I was there for the food, but why would we want a domestic beer when José really wanted a Guinness. He loves them. We asked our server just to make sure, and even in Sunnyside, Guinness does not count as a domestic beer. So we ordered from the dinner menu. The Sunnyside burger and Shepherd's pie. It was, as I mentioned, very dark inside, so I had a very hard time getting good pictures. I hate using a flash in a restaurant. My not so great pictures of pretty great food-
The Guinness. No description necessary.

Soda bread. Comes with all entrees. It was delicious. Very moist as soda breads go, with plump golden raisins and caraway seeds. Sweet and salty.

Worst picture ever, so I will describe. Thick patty, ordered medium rare, came medium rare, (which doesn't happen often enough). The burger was topped with cheddar cheese, fried onions (these really made the burger) and Irish bacon, crisp and salty flowers of bacon, a huge garnish on an already piled-high plate. The bun was thin and soft, and the burger was accompanied by lettuce, tomatoes, sliced white onions, and 2 pickles. The fries were good, thick cut, mushy on the inside and crispy on the out. I wish we had thought to order the onion rings, which passed by our table at one point and looked amazing, but we were too full to do anything about it.

Shephard's Pie. Delicious. The potato topping was smooth and buttery, the top crisped perfectly. The ground beef was flavorful and well-seasoned, the peas and carrots were fresh, not frozen. It was a very large portion, and I didn't think I would be able to finish it, but even with the burger, we managed to clean both plates. I shouldn't be proud of that, I know. But I kind of am.We sat, ate, and chatted for over an hour, were not rushed at all, and really felt comfortable in our little booth. We talked about how much we liked the place, and how much we liked the neighborhood. It pains me now to think that just a few months ago, Sunnyside was something that I passed on my way home, never thinking to get off the train. The walk back was a history of my journey so far. Such a nice way to spend a slushy afternoon in February. We left the pub, and the neighborhood, full and happy. A little fatter, a little wiser.

PJ Horgan's
4217 Queens Blvd
Sunnyside

Off Boulevard Exploring, Part Two

2010-02-25T05:57:00.000-08:00

There is not much, if any, Middle Eastern food along the 7 train route that I have chosen. Sad, but true. There happens to be, however, in Sunnyside, a magical grocery/halal meats/bakery/take-out/catering place called El Shater, a block away from Queens Blvd on 43rd Street and 43rd Avenue.
As soon as I walked in, I fell in love. It's small, and dark, and the shelves are not filled to capacity, but there are things to buy that I never imagined I could find so close to home. Hookahs and hamsas and hummus. Fruit and nuts. House-made labne, spices, and olives! Oh olives, you are so wonderful.

I ordered a falafel sandwich. For $3.50! The man behind the counter was incredibly friendly. Behind him, the back counter area was covered with half sheet pans full of all sorts of fil0 goodness. Baklava is always a good place to start, so I decided to get a piece, just to see if it was any good. There was a choice of pistachio, walnut, or cashew. I chose walnut, of course (that's the kind my mom makes). Then he threw in a cashew piece, "on me, so that you come back soon". I was already in love, but free baklava pushed me over the edge. It doesn't take much to make me happy.

I got the food home and unwrapped the cylindrical foil package to find this -
Here is a cross section
By the time I actually ate the sandwich, it was no longer warm, and the falafel was a bit soggy. But. The pita was thin and chewy, the sandwich held 4 large, loosely packed falafel balls, chopped lettuce, tahini, hot sauce, and then the best part: thin strips of bright pink pickled turnip, and long slices of pickled cucumber. Each bite had a perfect ratio of sour, spicy, salty, soft, and crunchy.

Next we come to the baklava.
It was flaky and still crispy, wasn't drenched in syrup. I am not a big fan of overly sweet baklava, and this one was fairly dry, with the flavor of the nuts really coming through. The very nice man also mentioned that all of the pastries are made in house, and I believe it.
Total cost of meal: $5. Free baklava or not, I'll be back.

El Shater
43-02 43rd Ave
Sunnyside

Off Boulevard Exploring, Part One

2010-02-24T12:29:00.000-08:00

After my disappointing visit to the Cup It franchise, I needed some lunch, and fast. I decided to break from the route and do a little Sunnyside wandering, to places that I'd read about but hadn't planned on visiting. Stop number one, The Butcher Block. The place to go for the Irish ex-pat, longing for a taste of home, so I've heard. I have a hard time resisting snacks from other countries, so I immediately headed over to the chips and chocolate aisle. I picked up quite a selection of snack-y packaged treats (a packet of salt and vinegar flavoured crisps sounds better than a bag of chips, doesn't it?) plus some orange marmalade for my toast, on sale for $1.69.

I then wandered around to the meat section and saw something you don't see everyday in my neighborhood. Irish Breakfast to go.
Blurry, but there it was.

The deli section looked inviting, I could have gone for the shepherd's pie in the display case, or a freshly-made sandwich, but I saw the sign for soup, and then there was no turning back. Beef barley soup on a rainy day, perfect, not to mention the price: small soup $1.50, large soup $1.99!
Once I got home I was able to see how far that $1.5o went.
A rich, beefy broth, soft carrots and celery, earthy bits of barley, and tender chunks of meat.

I love soup.

I have yet to try all of my snacks, but one delightful discovery: Cadbury Flake is exactly the same as my favorite Israeli chocolate-like candy, Elite's mekupelet: I am not the first person to realize this, I found. There is actually a blog post which pits the two candy bars against each other in a taste test, here. There was no winner declared.

My Flake was pretty good.
Despite disappointment, I somehow managed to make it through the day, and though I strayed from the path, I ate some great soup, and made some very important cultural discoveries. I gotta say it was a good day.

The Butcher's Block
43-46 41st Street
Sunnyside

No Corn in Cup?

2010-02-24T10:22:00.000-08:00

My plan today was to finally try Corn in Cup. I've been fascinated by the promise of Corn in Cup, Potato in Cup, even Waffle in Cup, since I passed Old Castle Fresh Farms on 39th Street, the very first day of the project. What is it and why is it here?
I can't answer that question, but I could not resist the lovable yellow creature, or the idea of a cup full of corn. With garnishes like sour cream, and chives.

My plan was to leave this specialness for my last week in Sunnyside, a sweet farewell to a great neighborhood. I was going to walk into that store and declare that yes, I would like to cup it. But, no, that goal was not meant to be reached. At least not today. Despite the fact that the entire storefront is plastered with cup it propoganda, I was informed that they will not be serving anything in a cup for at least another month. I left the store dejected, disappointed and hungry, my dreams dashed. No cup, no corn.

Old Castle Fresh Farms
39-50 Queens Blvd
Sunnyside

There is a website about how to get your own cup it franchise. I'm still as confused as before, but the intro video is something else. http://www.cupitfood.com/

Back to the Bakery

2010-02-19T11:20:00.000-08:00

I took a trip back to La Vienesa for the pastries that caught my eye at the beginning of the week. I am no expert in Colombian baked goods, but I am up for the research. Here is the dedo de queso. Not what I expected at all. It has the best name for what it is: a salty-sweet, soft pastry wrapped around a column of melty white cheese, and some might say it looks like a finger. A tasty, stuffed finger.

Here is the finger, cracked open.

Trying new things: so much fun, especially when salt, butter, and cheese are involved. I splurged and got a sweet too:
The pastel de guayaba y arequipe. Sounded good, I love guava, and I love any sort of caramel-type substance, be it arequipe, dulce de leche, or cajeta. Or candy milk, if you'd like to call it that. I need some help from any Colombian pastry expert out there. Why was the pastel, which had a beautiful crumbly and crispy outside, only filled with a very thin layer of guava? Maybe I got the wrong one but I couldn't find any arequipe. So confused.
I really really really like guava. Here's a picture I took in Hawaii of guavas on the highway.

That's how much I like guavas.

La Vienesa (again)
3944 Queens Blvd
Sunnyside

New Post: Queens on a Plate

2010-02-19T08:05:00.000-08:00

Part breakfast, part interview this morning at New Post Coffee Shop in Sunnyside. My dining partner today was Molly, a journalism grad student at NYU who is working on a long term project focusing on the neighborhoods, cultures, and people around the 7 train line. She got in touch with me early this week, and I was happy to meet up and spread some Queens love. I got to talk about my project, have someone to eat with, and meet someone new, all over eggs at 9 AM. Win-Win. So we met and talked. Mostly I talked, and she asked questions. And we ate.
New Post is a regular coffee shop/diner with a twist. They have the usual egg and cheese sandwiches, the 2 eggs-hash browns-toast combo. But they also specialize in Irish breakfasts. Full breakfasts with sausages, puddings, beans, tomatoes, the whole thing. Turn the menu over, and there's a Mexican breakfast section. Chilaquiles, huevos rancheros, huevos a la Mexicana. As each new wave of immigrants came into the neighborhood, the coffee shop evolved and accommodated.

I decided to order from the Mexican side, and chose the huevos rancheros. Molly, after much deliberation, went with a 2 egg special. They immediately brought out the sauces for my eggs.

Note the HP sauce and malt vinegar behind them. As I got my camera ready to shoot the food, Molly took out her camera to get a picture of me taking pictures. We got some strange looks from the counter-staff. It was a little ridiculous.

Huevos rancheros. I've never been asked how I want my eggs any further than the usual scrambled, sunny-side, or over easy, but the waitress asked, very specifically, if I wanted them over-medium. I had to say yes. 2 eggs, 3 tortillas, very creamy refried beans, and Mexican rice. Everything tasted good, but the tortillas confused me a little. They weren't fried crispy, and they weren't soft, they were sort of half-fried in oil, which left them pliable yet greasy. For my huevos rancheros, I like the contrast of a crunchy tostada with the oozing yolk and the soft white of the egg, so I did not quite understand the purpose of these tortillas. Otherwise, the two salsas were tasty, the green spicier than the red, the rice was flavorful and pretty authentic, and as I said, the beans were super creamy, and sprinkled with cotija cheese. Good, and filling, for $6.00.
We both got tea, and there are Molly's scrambled eggs, with cheese and bacon in the background.
It was a nice breakfast, and while being interviewed is surreal, I discovered that I really have no problem talking about myself for an hour. Molly is new to the city, and l was ready to answer her questions. Why the 7 train, she asked, why Queens?
Why not Queens? Why has such a vibrant area been ignored, even looked down upon, for so long? I've lived here for 10 years, and am constantly surprised and excited by how much there is to discover and learn about the place where I chose to make my home, the ever-changing borough. And this tiny coffee shop was the perfect place for us to meet, where we found old and new Queens together on one laminated breakfast menu.

New Post Coffee Shop
40 01 Queens Blvd
Sunnyside

Chicken and Rice again

2010-02-16T13:28:00.001-08:00

I found myself eating chicken and rice out of a styrofoam container in secret again today. It's Tuesday, so why not? There were a few key differences however that differentiate this experience from that of 2 weeks ago. Number one: this container was purchased from a Colombian Bakery. Two: the chicken and rice was accompanied by soup and plantains. Three: I ate it while hiding out in an empty classroom, not at a restaurant. I learned my lesson. Sort of. I am still writing about it at 'wichcraft, while I should be going over Carlyle homework (again!) before my Literature of the Industrial Revolution class. And eating tomato soup while doing all of the above. I don't think that this will be the last time, either.
But let's talk about the food.
I walked into La Vienesa Bakery at noon set on ordering a lunch special. I would ignore the pastries and go straight to the meat. Very friendly cashier started with buenos dias then immediately switched to English. Today's soup was vegetable. No problem, veg it was, and would I like just the soup or the whole meal? Of course I wanted the whole meal. That consists of rice, meat, plantains, and soup. For $6.50. Choice of white or yellow rice I chose yellow. Choice of chicken or beef I chose chicken. Did I want the plantains? Most definitely. I meant to check out the steam table offerings more closely, but as usual I got distracted, and this time by the pastries. There was a long, cylindrical offering in the empanada area of the display case that had me fascinated. It looked so crispy, crumbly and delicious, and it was called dedo de queso. Cheese finger! I was in love. Sadly, I only had enough money to cover my lunch special, and before I could figure out how to get my hands on one, my order was up, and I had to run back up to the train and on to class. Cheese finger, you will be mine and soon. And you better be good. Four hours, and a lecture on Alexander the Great later, I set up my lunch on the radiator of classroom 1025, overlooking a snowy Bryant Park.
Don't be fooled by the word vegetable. This was chicken soup, with vegetables in it.
See, chicken.
There were chunks of potatoes, carrots, and celery. Along with some green beans, a few peas and I even found a kernel of corn in there. Lots of cilantro. Good for a wintry day like today. Except that it was cold when I ate it. The radiator warmed it up some.

The meal: lots of rice, roasted chicken, and two large pieces of platano.
Rice was very simple, not much flavor or enough salt. The chicken was good, a large thigh on the bone. Not sure if the skin had originally been crispy but it was salty and tasty, with flecks of red pepper throughout. Platanos maduros: greasy, sweet, and delicious.

The view.
It was a good deal; lots of food, cheap, and very filling.
I don't know if I would go back for the same meal, but I will be going back for some pastries, and soon.

La Vienesa Bakery
3944 Queens Blvd
Sunnyside

Thai Special

2010-02-12T10:45:00.000-08:00

It's so sunny and nice outside today, and it felt great to be walking around again. I was looking for a lunch special to take home with me this afternoon, and I found it at Dee Thai. The lunch special had six appetizer choices and thirteen entrees, for a total of either $7 or $8 depending on the protein chosen. I decided to ask for something that I never ever order: Pad Thai. Why? I don't know, it just happened. I really don't know what came over me, but I sort of panicked and blurted out pad thai when, now, as I am perusing the menu in the privacy of my own home, I see that there are some tasty sounding options like Kow Ka Moo: Stewed pork leg and steamed kana over rice. What's kana? Chinese broccoli, if the internets are to be trusted. Or any of the flat noodle dishes. Or the Pork Chop Garlic: Grilled marinated Pork Chop with Thai herb in garlic sauce. Why was I so hasty in my choices when I could have said "pork chop garlic" out loud? Oh well. I ordered a pad thai and a green curry. Shrimp and chicken, in that order. Green curry is my first Thai love, so at least that made sense. I asked the man who took my order what his favorite appetizers were. He was sort of surprised by the question and mentioned spring rolls and kyo koong tod, a fried wonton with shrimp filling. I asked for both. Again, not sure why. I think I'll blame it on not having left the house since Tuesday. The food was ready quickly, and I walked out of there and up to the train, remembering to crack open the containers with the fried apps so they wouldn't get soggy on the way home. Pro: heat radiated up from the bag keeping my left side warm. Con: I smelled like shrimp. Also, why was the Flushing bound 7 packed at 12:20 on a Friday afternoon? Anyway, here's the loot.
Spring Rolls were still crispy. Otherwise, just regular old spring rolls.

These were crispy too. Very light. Lots of wonton and very little filling, but that was ok with me.

The curry, a full pint of it, plus rice. A reverse of the wontons, much more chicken and veg than liquid. As far as green curries go, it was on the water-y side, with very little spice. Lots of bamboos shoots, which I love. Not as complex a flavor as a curry that you could get, say, in Woodside, a few stops down.

The pad thai. Still not sure why I ordered it. If the perfect plate of Thai noodles should hit the sweet, salty, spicy and sour notes, this one was more sweet than anything else. For $8 it was a good deal - four wontons as an app, and a container full of noodles topped with four nice-sized shrimp.
This is me still wondering why I ordered pad thai. And enjoying my tea. I didn't go in expecting to be wowed, I was just looking for a lunch deal and that's what I got, and for just under $15 for 2 two-course meals, I'm not complaining. Dee Thai definitely deserves another trip, eaten there, and with some better ordering. But there are more Thai restaurants on the route, so I got to keep on moving.

Dee Thai
46-17 Queens Blvd
Sunnyside

Chicken Soup for the Sick

2010-02-11T14:26:00.000-08:00

Such a week. What with being sick since Sunday night and the big storm yesterday, I've barely made it out of the house. I got a phone call from my sister-in-law Yolanda this morning, and when I croaked out that I felt much better, thanks, she took control. Stay home, she said, we'll be right over. The blog would have to wait, no choice but to stay put. If you know what's good for you, you'll listen to Yola. And so they came from Corona. Yola, Mari (another sister-in-law), Jonathan (our nephew), and Abuelita, plus the two of us already in the house. Nothing in the fridge to make lunch for 6? Another phone call and that was taken care of too. Chicken soup for you, Yola said to me, and tacos for everyone else. And that was that, lunch ordered from Tulcingo. Not exactly on Roosevelt, but a half a block away from it on 83rd Street.

Jewish or Mexican, everyone knows that chicken soup is the best medicine.
My soup. A rich chicken broth with chunks of cabbage, carrots, and corn. A squeeze of lime, a sprinkle of chopped onions, and some cilantro to top it off. Just what I needed. If I can't have my Mom's or my Grandmother's chicken soup, caldo de pollo makes me feel better.

Tacos de Chorizo, with some nopales.

Yola ordered Mole de Olla. Beef simmered in guajillo broth with chunks of potatoes and corn. Nobody would let me taste it, too spicy for a sore throat. Looked good though.

Everyone enjoying the food. I think. I didn't try anything!

Jonathan catching up on his food reading.

Tacqueria Tulcingo
40-10 83rd St
Elmhurst

Off the Avenue, Down an Alley

2010-02-06T19:28:00.001-08:00

Tonight I met with the Jackson Heights Food Group for the first time. I was nervous, with no idea what to expect, especially when the restaurant was a nameless, super secret hidden Bengali place at the end of an alley. José was imagining all sorts of situations (kidnapping? being sold into slavery?) as he walked me there, just to make sure, but I was so excited to meet these people, I was willing to wander into the dark alley and risk it.
So it turned out that yes, there actually is a small place called Chillies, which is located at the end of a small alley on 73rd St. between Broadway and 37th Ave. I lived to tell the tale. The owners (I'm assuming that's what they were) served the 20 or so people who descended upon their counter at 7:20 PM this Saturday night for the JHFG with grace and a smile (well, the man of the couple didn't do much smiling but the woman was patient and friendly) as each person made their way up and ordered, mostly by what looked the best. On display were two fish curries, one with eggplant and one without. There was a hotel pan full of chicken curry, a mixed vegetable curry, yellow rice, and a chicken biryani. In another section of the case there were chickpeas, dal, and other cold dishes, but I never made it over there. Also, a tray full of pakoras and some sort of fried bread sat above the selections on the glass case. There didn't seem to be a menu or dinner special, so I asked for half an order of the mixed vegetables, half an order of the chicken, and the yellow rice, which was piled high and enough to feed a family. After each person ordered, their plates were promptly put into one of the two microwaves behind the counter, first the rice, then the curries. Needless to say it took a while for each person to be served. My meal came to $9, although other people paid anywhere from $12 to $16. I'm guessing they charged more for the fish. I sat down at a table close to the door, and dug in, enjoying the conversation around me, and learning more about the group. I wasn't the only first-timer, but most were regulars, and I was jealous to hear about their various food adventures since the creation of the group. Such a great idea, and I'm mad at myself for not finding it sooner.
I didn't bring my camera but here's a phone picture of the chicken:
I liked it. Slightly spicy. Strangely, some of the pieces were nice and tender, and others were incredibly tough. It was hard to eat with just the plastic fork, finally I ended up picking up the pieces and gnawing on the little bones.

Mixed vegetable curry
Terrible picture, I had already scooped half out of the bowl. Carrots, cauliflower, eggplant, onions, for sure. Dried red chillies for spice. Not sure if I am missing other veggies. It had a great caramel-y flavor, which added depth to the curry. Did they caramelize the onions or was it burned? I don't know, but it worked.

I managed to eat most of the rice, even thought the serving was huge. Should I be proud of that?
It looked great, particularly the long, thin, green chillies dotting the bright yellow. It wasn't overtly spicy, but left a slight tingle on the tongue.
I think I chose well from the offerings. Actually, I chose the only things that I would have wanted to eat, since I am (sadly) not a fish eater. A few people that I talked to who had the fish were not thrilled with it, although I can not speak for everyone. Honestly, I could have eaten the worst meal of my life at the secret restaurant and it wouldn't have mattered. It was great to go out on a Saturday night and be able to walk there and back, even in the freezing cold. It was great to finally meet the founder of the group, the famous Jeff Orlick. It was great to go out to dinner with people who care about food and are proud of where they live. I made a detour off of Roosevelt Avenue and into an alleyway on a cold night, and found the community I didn't know I was looking for. Now, I want more food.

Chillie's Grand Sweets and Restaurant
37-18 73rd Street
Jackson Heights

For some better pics of the event, take a look at Judy's flickr set: http://www.flickr.com/photos/judibean/sets/72157623246683199/

Diner!

2010-02-04T11:38:00.000-08:00

I am a huge diner fan. I have been since I spent my formative years at the lovely Acropolis Dinner in beautiful Poughkeepsie, NY. What else do teenagers do in the suburbs? We had few options, and would spend hours over a few cups of coffee, maybe a plate of fries if we were feeling rich. Either there or Denny's. But anyway, teenage hangout or favorite place to get sunnyside up eggs for breakfast, I am a loyal diner kind of person. When I lived in Astoria, I switched between Michael's and Sanford's. Since Corona, it's been the Georgia Diner. But now, thanks to the project, I am able to expand my range, and the first diner (and there aren't many more) is Pete's Grill on 39th and QB.
My biggest decision, once it passes noon, is do I go for eggs or for lunch. I always go in wanting eggs, but then I get distracted by the platters of fries and sandwiches and soups that parade by as I peruse the menu. So today, we got to the diner around 12:30 and sure enough, I lost my focus and ordered a sandwich. A turkey club, to be exact. Which is one of my top picks in any diner. Something to do with my childhood, perhaps (Jeffrey Markel, if you read this maybe you can elaborate). I got the turkey club, José ordered a chicken club panini. Fancy.
We moved to a corner booth after ordering, once it became free, and waited. The place was packed. Busiest lunch I've hit so far in my month of lunching. Everyone had huge salads or sandwiches on their tables, and they all seemed like regulars. We had a great runner, and José immediately made friends with him, as usual. His name was José too.
So the food:
Turkey Club on Whole wheat. Tasted like a turkey club from a diner! To be expected: mealy winter tomatoes. That goes with the territory, so I can not complain. This is not a local, seasonal kind of place. The turkey was on the dry side, which may not make for the most delicious sandwich but is good in a nostalgic kind of way. Here is where it stood out though: super crispy bacon, and the fries were great. Take a look.
Extra crispy, some with the peel still on. Mmm diner fries.
José 's sandwich was fine, he said. Nothing special.
I had a bite, and had to agree. Bacon wasn't as crispy in the panini as in the club.
Why mess with a classic? There were murals of Greek ocean views on the walls, comfy booths, and bottomless cups of coffee. Diners make me happy. What more can I say?

Pete's Grill
39-14 Queens Blvd
Sunnyside

$5 Secret Chicken and Rice

2010-02-02T13:51:00.000-08:00

Today would have to be one of the most challenging entries to date, made even harder by the fact that I am trying to write this in the seven minutes I have before I need to get to my next class (I think I forgot to mention in my first post that I am a full-time student as well as unemployed chef etc.). It seemed like a great idea to stop and grab some lunch on my way to school this afternoon from Halal Kabab & Grill on 39th St, thinking that I would have at least 20 minutes to eat before heading in. But alas, that thinking was wishful, and I ended up carrying a white plastic bag filled with chicken and rice with white and hot sauce around with me for the past 4 hours. Through a trip on the 7 into midtown, two and a half hours of gender roles in ancient Greece, a rush on the shuttle and the R train to get down to campus, and then finally to my favorite place to do homework on 8th street, 'wichcraft, where I proceeded to secretly eat this chicken and rice from the styrofoam container within my canvas schoolbag while reading Signs of the Times by Thomas Carlyle for my Literature in the Industrial Revolution class. This resulted in a bag full of rice, a case of indigestion, and a distinct disdain but a longing for mechanization.
That being said, the lunch was pretty good, and for $5 I have no complaints.

The chicken was seasoned well (vague, I know), and it seemed to be a mixture of dark and white meat. Please bear in mind that it had been sitting around for half the day, so I may be missing some of the nuances of a freshly made lunch. The sauce in that time had been completely absorbed by the chicken, so I can't say much about it. The rice was nicely spiced, although it would be difficult at this point to tell you what those spices were, as I shoveled it down so fast in between spoonfuls of the tomato soup that I actually purchased here while trying not to get caught by an employee for eating outside food (it really wasn't nice of me, I know). Each long grain of the rice was separate from the next, in a good way, and it has now become a filling and cheap dinner instead of lunch. Very similar to the Halal carts in JH such as the famous Sammy's, but I am not going to say which is better, as I don't think I can really judge anything that I ate under such strange circumstances. I will try it again sometime, definitely.

Halal Kabab & Grill
39 Street, Queens Blvd (that's what the menu says, I'll get a specific address later)
Sunnyside

Tea Time

2010-01-30T06:19:00.001-08:00

After our filling meal at Yeti, I thought it might do us some good to walk a bit and look for a little something sweet. There's not much in the way of bakeries on the way down to the 40th St. stop, except La Vienesa Colombian Bakery, but I didn't want to relive my Buen Sabor experience, so I'll go there when I'm good and hungry. We almost gave up, David and I, but on the corner of 40th and QB there is a place called RA, and I have been curious about it since I made my initial exploratory trip. What could it be? It calls itself a cafe and lounge. Could it be a hookah place? Could I be lucky enough to have an Egyptian cafe on the trail? We decided to walk in. It is not an Egyptian place, and we were sort of confused as to what it was as we sat down on one of the couches. It is definitely less of a cafe and more of a bar. There was a couple sitting at the bar with drinks, and another couple sitting at one of the tall tables in the middle, picking at a plate of fries. The place was dark, the back half was very lounge-y with banquettes, and the music was fairly loud. The bartender came out and handed us menus, and I have not seen such an eclectic menu in quite some time. There were all sorts of items, from turkey burgers stuffed with apples to a falafel platter to their signature dessert: a chocolate mousse pyramid filled with molten caramel. For $7 an order, I wasn't able to solve the mystery of how one might fill something cold such as mousse with something hot such as molten caramel, since I had $5 cash and that was all I was willing to spend after dinner. But there was something so earnest about the place, and it didn't feel right to walk out, so I went up to the bar and ordered two teas. The bartender repeated the order, as if she didn't quite hear right, and perhaps that is the strangest thing possible to order in a place like that, but a few minutes later, a very nice runner came out with two plates that looked like this, and please forgive the picture, which was taken on my phone:It was quite the setup for a cup of tea, and we were both surprised and pleased. Our own pitcher of milk! Plus a rocher! The little things in life. Can a small chocolate and hazelnut candy make someone happy? The answer to that is a resounding yes. We finished our tea and chocolate, and when I walked up to the bar to pay, asked the manager/owner looking guy how long they've been open. Just a month, he said. I need to take a walk past the place on a Friday or Saturday night and see what really goes on. I'm not sure who their ideal clientele are, but whoever they may be, I hope they show up.

Ra Cafe and Lounge
3917 Queens Boulevard
Sunnyside

Yeti of Hieizan Japanese and Nepalese Cuisine

2010-01-29T07:03:00.000-08:00

What to say about dinner tonight? David and I met in Elmhurst and walked all the way down to Sunnyside in the snow, and the wind, stopping for a pair of socks for my cold and sockless brother along the way. I was excited. I've never had food from Nepal, or been to a Japanese-Nepalese restaurant in Queens, or a place called Yeti, so it was a first on all levels. As soon as we opened the door, it was another world. Warm, wood paneled, with intimate booths decorated in a strange (or not so strange, considering the name) mix of woven mats from Nepal and Japanese prints on the wall. I had done all kinds of research this morning, looking for advice, dishes, posting on chowhound with little luck, except a warning to stay away from the sushi. Easy enough, the Japanese half of the menu was not what I was looking for. So armed with a few names of dishes that I looked up online, I began to order. First off, samaya bajee, an appetizer sampler, listed on the menu as choila, bhutun, bhatmas, chiura and achar. We didn't know what to expect, but it came out in a bento box looking like this:

Here is the wikipedia definition of choila:
Choila is a typical Newari dish that consists of grilled water buffalo. It is considered a necessary part of the diet among the Newari people along with several other ingredients.
That isn't very helpful, is it? We did not get water buffalo, but we did have beef, cold chunks of it, marinated and spiced with red chili.
Chiura, as far as I can tell, is beaten rice, or rice flakes, "a dehusked rice which is flattened into flat light dry flakes". They are meant to be mixed into things, like the following dishes.
Bhatmas according to Yeti are stir fried dried soybeans/peanuts
They were definitely soybeans, toasted and crunchy, stir fried with a little oil, hot green chilies, garlic, and onions. It was addictive and would make a great bar snack.
Bhutun, say Yeti, are sauteed stomake, intestine, liver, with garlic, onion and nepali herbs. Of which animal? I would have to say mutton. Apparently, 2 of the 3 Markel children like to eat stomake (I'll have to ask my older brother how he feels about it). The pieces of various innards were chewy and crunchy, especially with the beaten rice mixed in.
Achar I'd had before, it was the one familiar thing on the plate, a nice pickle.

Next up, a Nepali Thali. Our guide for the night, our very pleasant waiter, advised us to get a thali if we wanted something authentic. He recommended the beef thali, but then he recommended beef for everything. The man really likes beef. So we got mutton for a little variety.
A pile of rice, potato and string bean curry, sauteed mustard spinach, dal, the mutton, more pickle, and rice pudding. All for $11.95. I particularly liked the spicy greens, David enjoyed the potatoes,and we both were surprised by the very gingery dal, after having been warned that Nepali dal is sometimes lacking in flavor.

A close up of the mutton
The mutton did have a lamb-y taste, but not quite as strong as we were expecting. Lots of bones. We both agreed that we liked it, but the sauce was very rich (butter, I presume), and as it grew colder, got thicker and even richer.
Pickle close up.

We wanted to try all sorts of different things, so we kept ordering.
Out came the soup:
Also endorsed by our waiter friend, who told us that their soups were special since the noodles were all handmade, was the thinduk. We couldn't resist ordering a large bowl full. The noodles were flat and wide, and had a nice texture to them. There were slices of radish, chopped scallions, and more of the greens, plus bits of mutton floating throughout in a mild broth that smelled just like brisket cooking on Passover (and David backed me up on that one).

Lastly, the momo. By the time these came out, the manager had dimmed the lights so much that I couldn't get a good shot. We got the mixed order, although if it were up to our waiter they would have been all beef. He really likes beef. He told us. There were veg, pork, chicken, and of course beef. There was some confusion as to which was which, but with so many sauces to dip them into, it didn't really matter.
David and I were both so happy to be eating something that was slightly familiar but at the same time completely new. With each dish brought to the table, we looked at each other, smiling but hesitant. We had nothing to compare it to, but it was fun. Should we like it, did we like it? The only way to answer that is to embark on a food tour of Nepal. Or maybe Jackson Heights.

Yeti of Hieizan
43-16 Queens Blvd
Sunnyside

Samosas in Sunnyside

2010-01-23T19:40:00.000-08:00

It was with some hesitation that I decided to tackle the next restaurant of the route. Sonali Cuisine seemed perfect: it's on 44th street and Queens Blvd, it adds some variety by not being Turkish or Korean, and I'm always in the mood for Indian food, or Bengali as the case may be. Plus there's a huge poster on the window with a glowing review from the Village Voice. Sounds great. However, when I began my customary research on the place, I came across some horrible, really bad reviews. My favorite one ended: "Someone else please go there just to CONFIRM the SUCKINESS" (yelp Oct09). Well, if you put it that way...
There were complaints about the emptiness, the microwaving of the food, the small portions. Chowhounders weren't too into it, only one person on Yelp said it was worth going to, but Robert Sietsema made it sound so irresistible. I can't let a good review or a bad one shake me, though. It's about the route and the experience, and a bad restaurant will only make for a good story, right? Right?
So with slight trepidation José and I went there for dinner on Friday night.
It was empty, aside from a man with his computer and a cup of tea who alternated between nodding off in his chair and checking his email. But it was only 5 pm (earlybirds that we are), and there did seem to be a pretty brisk delivery business. I knew that I wanted the butter chicken, after having read in the VV that it was "unspeakably rich" and made with "gobs of butter". Otherwise, we would leave it up to the staff. Whatever they might recommend, we would get. That was the plan and we stuck with it.

The waitress was very nice, I'm not saying she wasn't, but here were our recs:

Samosas, 1 meat, 1 veg.

I liked the chunkiness of the potatoes, and the green sauce was good. And I do love a good samosa. But there were all kinds of other things on the menu that would have been more exciting. I guess we look boring. I'm ok with that, but I think I need a new tactic.

Butter Chicken. I got it, it was definitely butter-y.

Vindaloo. Her rec for José. I guess she could see in his eyes that he wanted something spicy, because she said the vindaloo was hot, and had chunks of potatoes. He nodded his head and made it so. It wasn't very spicy at all, but it had a touch of heat, thankfully (if it had been for me, who knows?). It was well seasoned, the potatoes were cooked nicely, and the chicken was pretty moist.
The rice was definitely basmati, contrary to one reviewer that said it was just long grain rice.
It was perfectly good, plain rice.

Garlic Naan. Chewy, crispy, fresh. I watched through the tiny window into the kitchen as disembodied hands (it was a very small window) stretched out naan dough, so I knew it was house made. The waitress recommended the garlic bread because "it has a smell to it" and I know she meant that in the best possible way.
The meal was not terrible, and that was a huge relief. Yes, they used the microwave to heat our tea, the samosas, and maybe even the rice. But they do that at half of the snack places in Jackson Heights. And it was pretty empty. And I've had bigger portions at other places. But it was fun. We enjoyed watching the man in the corner fall asleep on his laptop, the staff was very helpful and friendly, although they might want to keep in mind that there are some slightly more adventurous eaters out there in the world, we had a nice dinner, and the bill was around $25. Maybe it's better to go in with lowered expectations, or maybe I'm not being picky enough, but I can not confirm the suckiness.

Sonali Cuisine
44-13 Queens Blvd
Sunnyside

First Colombian Bakery on the Trail

2010-01-22T07:31:00.000-08:00

Let me preface this by saying that there are many Colombian bakeries to be found on this quest, and I am not going to visit all of them, as I really don't need that much bread or cake in my life. I had to start somewhere though, so we tried El Buen Sabor on 46th St, for a little something sweet after lunch. My first thought when I walked in, however, and saw table after table full of contented eaters, slurping their lentil soup and enjoying their rice and beans and platanos and beautiful, crispy chicharron, was to curse the tofu stew in my belly. All I had room for was a piece of flan and perhaps a cup of tea. Why oh why can't I have an extra stomach rumbling around somewhere for days like this? But alas, I have only one, so I had to settle on a small dessert and something to snack on for later. It really was quite busy, and I stuck to the first display case, while longingly eyeing the steam table towards the back. So flan, a coffee, a tea, and a little pastry; guava and cream cheese looked good. The flan had the perfect texture. It was smooth and creamy, not unlike the soft tofu that I had eaten for lunch. It was not too eggy, and not curdled, which has been the downfall of many a flan. The flavor, however, was difficult to discern, because my tea had been prepared with a few too many sugars, so my sweet taste buds were done for.

The pastry, which I toasted up and ate this morning for breakfast, (with some unsweetened tea), was crispy and sweet, oozing with the warm guava paste and melty cream cheese. I guess the only benefit of being too full is the leftovers.
But I dreamed of chicharron last night.

El Buen Sabor
4507 Queens Boulevard, Sunnyside

I Like Soft Tofu and Korean Pop Music

2010-01-21T12:40:00.000-08:00

Korean lunch today. José and I took the train down to Sunnyside this morning, headed into Natural Tofu around 1 PM, and the place was doing a pretty good lunch service. At least half of the tables were consistently full in the front area, and there were even a couple full tables in the back. I had been reading about sundubu jjigae all morning, and was getting hungrier by the minute, so I ordered right away: Kimchi Soft Tofu with beef, ($7.95).
José decided on the L.A. Galbi, (because everyone knows that Mexicans love Korean short ribs) and the Vietnamese noodles (because he loves Pho). Britney Spears was wafting out of the speakers. There was a pause, a new song came out, and it sounded exactly the same; same beat, same auto-tune, except the language switched from English to Korean, and that somehow made it better.
First out, salads:

Who doesn't like free kimchi?

And then came the Tofu:

Let me just tell you that there's nothing like a bubbling, spicy pot of soft tofu and kimchi stew on a cold day, except that it really wasn't all that cold out. I also love cracking eggs into bubbling things, as you can see here:

The Kalbi:

Not the best I've ever had, "so-so" to quote my husband, but it's always nice to have a sizzling pile of meat and onions on the table. I am eager to try them at some of the Korean BBQ places on the route.

Vietnamese Rice Noodle: Rice noodle, Bean Sprout, Cilantro, Meat Ball, Lemon, Mexican Pepper $7.00
Do you see how big that bowl is?

It was an enjoyable lunch, we left stuffed, and aside from the ribs ($13) which we shouldn't have ordered since we were so full of soup anyway, very reasonable.

Natural Tofu
4006 Queens Blvd
Sunnyside

Coatzingo

2010-01-14T18:43:00.000-08:00

A few blocks and neighborhoods were skipped for tonight's dinner, a delivery.

We don't go out for Mexican all that much. I'm married to a Mexican, so when we want good Mexican food, we cook. And when we're lucky, and my grandmother-in-law is here visiting, we eat really, really good Mexican food. We do, however, eat a fair amount of street food here in Queens; tacos, elotes, esquites and such. But José is very picky about where we get it from. More about that when I hit some taco trucks.

When we do get Mexican, it's almost always a delivery, and we usually order from two places, which are both, coincidentally, called Tulcingo. Not to be confused with all of the other Tulcingos out there, and there are many. We order from the Tulcingo on 82nd street (4011 82nd Street), occasionally, and more often from Taqueria Tulcingo on 83rd street (4010 83rd St). Whatever the specials of the day are, that's what we get. Over the past few years, the meals have ranged from absolutely delicious to just good. It seems to depend on who's in the kitchen that night. Any sort of meat, when stewed with chipotle with chunks of potatoes, is a winner. I've had some great albondigas, costillas en salsa verde, and tortitas de pollo as well.

So tonight, Mexican delivery, but for the sake of this blog, we ordered from Taqueria Coatzingo, a Chowhound favorite, and a place to cross off of my list. Coatzingo is all over the boards, the specials are highly recommended, and I've been reading about it for ages but we, for some reason or other, never ate there.
When asked about their specials, the cashier rapidly listed at least ten different options. As soon as she said albondigas I stopped paying attention. I love meatballs of any sort. And then I perked up again when I heard huazontles (if you want to know what they are, click here) and ordered those too. Two dinners? Why not. With so many choices José was at a loss. When asked which special was her favorite, the woman on the phone did not hesitate in endorsing chuletas en salsa verde con verdolagas. With that sort of recommendation you don't even have a choice, do you? The food came fairly quickly, and a free 2 liter Coke as a bonus. Something was a little off, though. The bill was almost $40 for just 3 entrees and José looked a little shocked. Now that may not be shocking to most of you, and it certainly wouldn't be for us eating out in Manhattan, but when we normally order, the specials are below or around 10 bucks, and here they were $12.50. Is it because Coatzingo has more of a non-Mexican clientele than the other neighborhood places? I will find out in the future as I make my way through the other places on Roosevelt, once I actually get to one for real.
But, back to the food: it was more expensive but was it better?

Albondigas (meatballs): the chipotle sauce was done well, spicy but not overpowering, some nice slices of onions throughout, and four large meatballs. They had the right taste, slightly minty, well seasoned and flavorful. Many Mexican cooks either put rice or stuff their albondigas with hard boiled eggs, but these had neither. I asked José what he thought. He concurred that while he liked the flavor, there was some texture missing.

Huazontles: Delicious. Stuffed with cheese, battered and fried, then smothered in a spicy tomato sauce and topped with cream. Huazontles do, as the gourmet sleuth said, have the look of broccoli and taste sort of like spinach. There were all sorts of textures and flavors to the dish: the creaminess of the cheese with the spiciness of the jalapeños in the sauce, the fresh green taste of the huazontle, and the crispy then soft batter. Really good, but I couldn't finish it. Lunch tomorrow.

Chuletas (pork chops): José definitely enjoyed them. The meat was soft, not dry like pork chops can sometimes get. The green sauce was thin and spicy, full of verdolagas, (purslane) which gave it a slightly bitter note, in a good way. It had a complex flavor, and I kept grabbing forkfuls of the sauce, even though I had my hands busy with my two dinners.

The rice and bean container: Lost points for being half the size of the take-out rice and beans that we usually get, but gained points for having a chunk of queso fresco and a spoonful of guacamole.

All in all it was a good meal. Definitely high quality, fresh, and authentic (as authentic as it can get in NY) Mexican cooking. But I have had meals just as good at our usual places, and for slightly cheaper prices. So. I have lots of Mexican restaurants ahead of me. Will I find the perfect place? What does that even really mean? I'm not sure, but it will be fun finding out.

Taqueria Coatzingo
76-05 Roosevelt Avenue
Jackson Heights

V & V. Just like Temple Beth-El.

2010-01-13T23:31:00.000-08:00

While I am trying to eat at the restaurants in order, the problem is that on the 40-or-so-block walk home from Sunnyside, I always want to stop somewhere along the way, and I usually do. After Turkish Grill, David and I passed the very old fashioned V & V Italian Bakery and just had to go in. It's a tiny storefront under the 61st Ave Station, full of baked goods. They have challah and Irish soda bread, loaves and rolls of all kinds. But it was the display case full of cookies that really caught my eye. Temple cookies! We were in heaven. For all of you non-Jews out there, after services on Friday night and Saturday mornings, there is usually a kiddush, someone says a blessing over the wine and some challah, and there are trays of snacks to nosh on. Some temples are fancier than others, and the selection may change, but there are always (at least in my experience) assorted cookies that look just like this:

The counter-girl was incredibly nice as I ordered one of these and one of those, and how about that one, make that two of those. When I asked her how long the bakery has been around, the older woman next to her said, with a slight roll of her eyes and a smile "oh, more than 40 years!".

I always get too excited when I see this kind of cookie assortment. It isn't that they are the most delicious cookies in the world. It's just that I can recall biting into the sprinkled end of a raspberry-filled cookie and being filled with an overwhelming feeling of happiness. Everything made sense and life was good. Ok, maybe they are the most delicious cookies in the world.

V & V Italian Bakery
6119 Roosevelt Ave
Woodside

Manti Manti Manti!

2010-01-13T18:09:00.000-08:00

Turkish dinner tonight at Turkish Grill. I'm slowly, very slowly making my way down Queens Boulevard towards Roosevelt. I met my brother David at the 40th Street Station and when we walked into the restaurant there was only one other couple seated. And at least four waiters. Who were all very friendly, I might add. Our water was refilled at least four times during the meal.
We started with the appetizer platter, which had labne (delish, garlicky with dill), tabule (all parsley but strangely, that made me like it more than usual), hummus (it was ok, but as I stated previously, I am super picky about hummus), baba ganoush (good and smoky, not much tahini, so more like eggplant salad), eggplant salad (roasted chunks of eggplant and peppers) and white bean salad (I liked the one at Mangal better, it had much more onion). We had some trouble deciding what to order for the main course. My biggest problem with ordering at Turkish places is that I never get past the salads. I love salads. That may be obvious by now, but seriously, shepherd's salads, mixed vegetable salads, dips, spreads, all of them, and particularly anything with cheese. I tend to ignore the most important parts of the menu, the parts that most people get excited about. Now don't get me wrong, I love meat on a skewer as much as the next girl, but salads are where it's at for me. To solve the problem, I asked the waiter what the best thing on the menu was, on the meat side. Helpfully, he told me I should get the mixed grill, or chicken kebabs, or the lamb chops, or the doner kebab, or pretty much the whole menu. But he did recommend the Special Beyti Kebab, which was described as grilled lamb wrapped in lavash bread and topped with yogurt and tomato sauce. Who wouldn't want skewered meat wrapped in bread? We also ordered manti, meat-filled dumplings, because David had been reading about them and thought we should give them a try. The dining room began to fill up as we sat there, snacking on our salads. Not too bad for a Wednesday night in January. The meat came out of the kitchen, and the waiters pulled another table over to ours just for our food, so that we had more room to share. Very thoughtful.
The Special Beyti Kebab was certainly special. The grilled lamb slices wrapped in flatbread were delicious when topped with the raw onion and sumac relish that came on the plate, and a squirt of lemon juice. It was also accompanied by a roasted tomato, pepper, shredded cabbage, shredded letttuce, and rice pilaf, which was quite tasty.
I don't know what to say about the manti, though. I love to say manti, and I could say it all day. Manti Manti Manti. But I have never had a manti, I am embarrassed to say (this is going to be a recurring theme in my blog, I fear, just how little of the world I have actually tasted) so I don't know what to compare it to. It tasted like mini lamb meatballs inside of a gnocchi, topped with yogurt sauce. The meat was nicely flavored and minty, the yogurt was refreshing, but I want to know how chewy these things are supposed to be. Somebody please tell me.
After diner we ordered tea, which came in very nice glasses.
I am now one step closer on the 7 train trail, and it feels good. Week 2 has begun! Only 50 more to go...

Turkish Grill
4220 Queens Blvd
Sunnyside

Not Under the Train But Still a Good Cookie

2010-01-09T05:45:00.000-08:00

I made a slight detour after lunch yesterday to get something sweet, and found a tasty cookie:

2 very flaky shortbread rounds filled with dulce de leche, and the edges rolled in coconut. Alfajores.

You have to walk to the back counter, where they have some nice looking flan as well, and the empanadas are all fried to order.

I Love Paraguay Restaurant
43-16 Greenpoint Ave
Sunnyside

No spice for you!

2010-01-08T15:32:00.001-08:00

Every meal is a chance to try something new for the sake of the blog, so when my friend Shannon emailed me late last night to see if we could get together for lunch I said of course, but how about we meet in Queens? She somewhat reluctantly agreed, and braved the 2 trains from Brooklyn that could get her to Sunnyside. So where did we go? Tangra Asian Fusion of course! I've had my eye on it, and was just waiting for someone to join me so I wouldn't have to brave the huge, fancy place alone. Plus they have an $8.95 lunch special, so we would be crazy NOT to go. That's what I told myself anyway. I was unprepared for the grandeur. It was big. And fancy. From the chariots on the wall to the colorful reliefs on the ceilings, all I can say is that it's really really...fancy. I loved it. There were only two other people in the place as we sat down to lunch at around 2 pm. As soon as a huge group of teenage girls showed up, all in matching white t-shirts, black leggings, and boots, celebrating one of the girls' birthday (she had on a tiara, of course), we kind of wished that we were back to just the one couple. But it made for some entertainment.

It started out well. The waiter was very nice, as we ordered our two lunch specials, plus two appetizers. I had to try the "Lolly Pop" chicken, which everyone in the world seems to recommend online, while Shannon, the non meat-eater, got fish pakoras. For the lunch special, which comes with soup and rice, I got chilli chicken, and she got tangra masala fish. I've always wanted to get chilli chicken. There once was a restaurant called Chilli Chicken on 74th and Roosevelt that I used to pass on the the way home every day and then it suddenly disappeared. I had always meant to go. So, chilli chicken. We both ordered the hot and sour soup, which came right away, and was thick, very dark, and had a nice spice to it. And then came the apps. I thoroughly enjoyed my lolly pop chicken, how could you not, with that thick, spiced crust? I did not taste the fish, as I am a non-fish eater, and Shannon could not taste the chicken, so we were both forced to finish our own plates. So far so good. And then came the main courses. Chicken, with sliced onions, in a brown sauce. It was fine, but there was no spice at all to it, which is odd for a dish called chilli chicken. After I doused it liberally with the chili vinegar and the ground chili sauce, it was absolutely edible, but sort of puzzling, as I had to doctor it up so much. Shannon was not so lucky. Her tangra masala fish, she reported, was flavorless. No spice, no heat, nothing. Just fish in a sort of sweet sauce. We ate it, still in awe of our surroundings, watching as the place began to fill up. Our first half of the meal was far superior to the second. The question was why? With no answers in sight, we asked for the check.
The moment we got the bill it all became clear. In all caps, so we wouldn't miss it, underneath our lunch order: Tangra Masala Fish, Chilli Chicken, ALL MILD.
Mild? You want to see mild? Shannon nearly exploded. They hadn't even asked! The waiter just assumed that we would not want any heat in our meal, and since there was a chili pepper next to each dish, we didn't think to specify. We were expecting fireworks and instead we got rained on.
When confronted, one of the waitresses told us that Americans don't like spicy food. And there you have it.
So. I wish we had gotten our food as it was meant to be eaten, and not watered down for people with delicate sensibilities that probably wouldn't dine in a place like Tangra anyway. I would go back, it's too fun not too, but I will have to be adamant that the color of my skin should not dictate the level of spice in my food! Never again...

Tangra Asian Fusion
39-23 Queens Blvd
Sunnyside

Filipino Empanada

2010-01-07T08:28:00.001-08:00

When I wandered past Fritzie's bakery on Roosevelt Ave in Woodside the other day, it looked so cute that I just had to go in. The man behind the counter was very friendly as I asked him what various things were in steam boxes and on the counter. There were chicken buns, a delicious looking steam table, and pastries that definitely merit a closer look. I spotted some empanada-shaped things wrapped in paper, neatly lined up on top of the display case. "Are those empanadas?" I asked. "Chicken", he replied. Sold! I've never had an empanada from the Phillipines before. Mexican, Argentinian, Columbian, Paraguayan, Uruguayan, I've had. I've made my own. I've had turnovers and beef patties and all sorts of things. If it's wrapped in pastry I like it, so how could I resist?
I was informed as I shopped that Fritzie's has been open since last week. The staff seemed so happy to see people, even annoying people who asked lots of questions. Was I wrong to ask if there was a sauce to go with the empanada? The very patient counter-person said that they didn't have sauce...yet. I'm not sure what that means but I guess I should have known better.
I carried the snack home, where I heat it up and split it with José, who I will introduce now, as I am sure he will play a large part in most of my posts, as my husband. It looked great. the crust was flaky, there were bits of chicken and vegetables, raisins, and even some hard-boiled egg. It was tasty and fresh. And yet, there is a yet, the dough was much sweeter than I expected. I did some research on recipes to see if that was traditional, and the best I came up with is that it is in some areas, but not others. The quote of the day, if I may quote Wikipedia is "some Filipinos are not partial to the sweetish flavour notes and prefer empanadas that are closer to the Hispanic versions". If I were Filipina I would be one of those, as would my husband, who asked me why I forgot the sauce. Here I was, walking around on this earth thinking I knew enough about empanadas to live a happy and full life. I was so, so wrong. As for Fritzie's, I can't wait to go back and try the lechon, yes, lechon!, that they sell per pound.

Fritzie’s Bake Shop
69-10 Roosevelt Ave
Woodside

Turkish Lunch

2010-01-05T15:01:00.000-08:00

I got off of the 7 train at 40th Street this afternoon. 3 pm. Not lunch, not dinner, somewhere in between. I wasn't even that hungry, but a quest is a quest and it has to start somewhere, doesn't it? I was alone, it was cold, but not that cold, and unsure of where to go. So I started to walk, taking in the area. Tangra Asian Fusion. A definite yes but not at 3 pm on a Tuesday afternoon, and not alone. I knew the moment I saw a fully-dressed statue peeking through the front window that I would be back.
So I walked more, block after block. Turkish Grill. Yes! But again, it looked better for dinner. I had read somewhere that they have a delicious bread basket at dinnertime. But there, on the other side of the boulevard, there it was: Mangal. With people inside! And brightly colored pictures for every option! I decided on the hors d'oeuvres platter, "a delightful combination of the best cold appetizers". The man behind the counter was delightful as well as he spooned a bit out of each of the 6 salads behind the glass case: hummus, baba ganoush, tabule, a white bean salad called piyaz, eggplant salad, and a chopped tomato and cucumber salad. I was a bit wary of the hummus, as I am sort of picky about my hummus, (I do have an Israeli passport, after all) but I watched him seal the plastic top into the aluminum tin expertly and pass it to the cashier, who grabbed a huge chunk of their homemade bread out of the oven and pack it all into a brown bag. And the bill? $8. Instead of getting back on the train I decided to save $2 and walk the 40 blocks or so home. My bread may have gotten cold, but at least the stroll down Roosevelt Ave gave me some ideas for my next food adventure. An hour later (I could be exaggerating, but probably not, I'm a slow walker) I popped the bread into the toaster and broke out the salads. The bag may have tilted a bit on the way but everything was still intact. I must say I was pleasantly surprised. The eggplant salad was flavorful and smoky, the white beans were seasoned perfectly, and the baba was nothing to scoff at. I scooped it all up with the now warmed bread which was crispy on the bottom and flecked with sesame seeds. All in all a filling, satisfying, and cheap meal. So far so good. PS the hummus was fine.

Mangal Turkish Restaurant
46-20 Queens Blvd, Sunnyside

A New Year, a New Challenge, A New Blog

2010-01-04T09:41:00.000-08:00

Chef, writer, glutton, Queens resident. I, Sara Markel-Gonzalez, am, or aspire to be (ok I never aspired to be a glutton, it just happened), all of these things, and usually at different times. But as 2009 ended, I began to wonder if there was a way to combine what I am and what I love to do, along with my need to have a project of some sort. I already blog about what I cook and eat at Fork in The Road. But this is different. I needed not just a project, but a challenge, and it came to me late one night just before New Year's Eve. Aha! An eating challenge! Here it is:

I intend to dine out at as many restaurants and street vendors that are located under the 7 train in the borough of Queens in the city of New York as I can (and can afford while jobless). This is to take place in the year 2010 and I will write about each experience. The parameters are strict: I must travel from west to east, beginning at Sunnyside, where the train is still over Queens Blvd, and continuing on Roosevelt Avenue, as the street numbers rise through Woodside, Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, and Corona, to the final destination of Flushing, where it meets Main Street. There may be an occasional foray into Long Island City territory, but with the exception of Sunnyside, I am sticking with Roosevelt Avenue, the longest stretch of the 7 train. Luckily for me, I live right in the middle, in good old Elmhurst. The minimum number of meals to be eaten is 60 (this is just the minimum, but I am paying for this myself, so if this sounds too tame to you, I kindly remind you that I am currently unemployed).

My goal here is not to be a food critic. Having been on the other side, I understand all too well what it is like to have a bad day in the kitchen. What I aim to do is expand my own knowledge of food, and write about what I learn.

I am fully aware that there are many great restaurants all over Queens and in every neighborhood, and I may be extremely limiting myself by not going a block or two off of the avenue, but I need to have some sort of structure otherwise I will never be able to accomplish anything. I am sure that I will break my own rules here and there. There are no rules about cuisine, however. In fact the object is to try as many different styles and types of food as possible.
I welcome suggestions, criticism, comments, recommendations. I can't do it alone, so all of you experts out there on what to order at, say, The Himalayan Yak restaurant in Jackson Heights or Hornado Ecuatoriano in Elmhurst, or perhaps Quisqueya Dominican Restaurant in Corona, please speak up! Thanks and Happy New Year.