Helen F's Profile
Jackson Heights Greenmarket
Things are slowly picking up, as the vendors who trudged here thru the winter are joined by others. Yes to the grass-fed beef, there's also the Di Paola turkey, the fish guys from L.I., the Hoosick poultry people. The mushroom guy has been out all winter, also featuring some great root vegetables. We are also seeing the rugelach guy, the Red Jacket apple people, the cheese people, and wine people (as in the fall, sometimes it's Anthony Rd from the Finger Lakes, sometimes the one from LI). The guys from Philips Farms in NJ have recently returned, with apples, produce, and pussy willows, among other things. There's also a bread bakery stand (a new one) that is great, and a guy from the Hudson Valley with beautiful, organic, baby greens. Oh, I think the honey people are usually there as well. So things are nowhere near what they are when the market is in full stride, but it's enjoyable nonetheless.
Oh, you also asked about pricing -- I'd say most everything's on the expensive side, at least for JH. (For example, the baby greens IIRC are going for $5 for .25 lb.) For the vendors, I'm sure the pricing is fair, given what it takes to produce the stuff and get it down here.
Monkfish
I paid $10/lb yesterday at the greenmarket in Jackson Heights. Still looking for an easy recipe for tonight. C'mon out to Queens, y'all!
Bayou in Staten Island?
Well, to answer my own question, I'd say it's entirely miss-able. The space is charming, we were comfortable, and the staff very competent and very nice, but the menu is a train wreck. Like, what does stuffing a pork chop with brie have to do with Louisiana? A lot of weird-concept items like that on the menu. All our food was at least adequate, nothing inedible, but not where I'd go for authentic cuisine. One outstanding special had nothing to do w/ NO, but was perfectly executed: a seared tuna w/ sesame seed crust.
Bayou in Staten Island?
Wondering if any of the regulars here have tried this place lately. I see a few posts from a few years ago that mention it, but no actual c'hound reviews that I can find. Anybody been there?
Spicy & Tasty -- disappointing dinner
I saw from relatively recent posts that a lot of people are still happy with S&T, but there are also enough negative comments to make me think that our experience tonight was not an anomaly, but rather a confirmation of a downhill trend.
We've been eating at S&T a long time, going back to the days when it was on Roosevelt, but hadn't been there in more than a year. Instead we've mostly been going to the Szechuan Gourmets in Flushing & Manhattan.
We got there tonight at 9 and had no trouble getting a table -- we were a bit surprised, rarely having gotten in there without something of a wait, but we figured maybe it was due to the freezing weather. The place never really filled up, kind of surprising on a Saturday night. In my experience, popular places in Flushing are packed until quite late in the evening.
We ordered a number of dishes we've had twice or more in the past, and were roundly underwhelmed. The Dan Dan noodles were completely devoid of heat; their sauce was kind of murky and brown, very salty. The dried bean curd w/ celery had a mild ma la tingle, nothing like that dish has been in the past. The double-cooked pork had very little heat, the pork was pretty tough (I know, I know, it's been cooked twice, what do I expect?) and the leeks the best thing about the dish. The sauteed pea shoots were just ok, but I'll chalk that up to the season, not the cook.
It wasn't terrible food, but not up to their past standard, which was at times transcendant. Sad to say, but with so many excellent alternatives, I don't think we'll go back anytime soon.
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Spicy & Tasty
39-07 Prince St, Queens, NY 11354
Looking for killer pancake mix recipe
They were in a kitchen cabinet, no direct light, not close to heat. I wrote to the company and they kindly sent me a replacement. It's possible that I had bought a box that had been on the supermarket shelf a long time.
Looking for killer pancake mix recipe
I've gotten great results using the Saco product with Alton Brown's recipe, so I can second your suggestion. My only question is whether this would be ok when preparing a large of batch of the pancake mix -- can the dried buttermilk just keep indefinitely?
I've only done it where I scooped out that day's worth of Alton's mix from the large batch I'd made previously, and then sifted in the buttermilk. But I've had packets of Saco's that hardened (and were unusable) before I got to open them, which makes me think it might not be a great idea to mix it up into the master recipe for the pancake mix. But admittedly I haven't actually tried it.
Freezing a Yogurt-Based Curry?
Wondering if anyone out there has tried freezing leftovers of a yogurt-based curry, such as the Mughlai chicken curry from Madhur Jaffrey that's described in this thread: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/656224 . I made Nigella's version, from the Food Network site, which sounds remarkably similar. I used whole-milk yogurt, also it's got a bit (ok, half a cup) of heavy cream.
It came out great, but since our intended dinner guests canceled on us, I've got a load of leftovers, and my chances of serving it for dinner again this week look pretty slim.
I'm a bit leery of freezing b/c (1) I'm afraid the spices, already pretty subtle, will recede from the freezing, and (2) I'm afraid the yogurt in the defrosted sauce will clump up, or otherwise act weird and refuse to stay integrated.
TIA for any advice you can render.
Helen
Fiesta Mexicana - JH's
Just in case anyone missed it in another post, this place unfortunately was closed by the board of health last month.
Are there real french Bretagne crepes in Queens? Help us Cannelle in JH!
Have you tried Cafe Henri in LIC (near Vernon-Jackson)? They have both savory and sweet crepes on the menu, and they're pretty good. Not in JH, but a quick trip.
Oscar menu: "oil"-filled bundt cake?
I'm thinking whiskey instead of liqueur, for greater movie-authenticity. Not sure it would taste as good, though.
Real Azteca (Bx) Expanding
Well, I said I'd write when they had the new wing open, so I'm reporting. It's open. Not completely finished, but they're serving in there, so one isn't relegated to takeout or a stool at the counter. I'll write again if I get the chance to eat in there.
Creating an Outer Boroughs Sticky - Your Feedback
Some other perennials:
7 train
Shea
U.S. Open
Yankee Stadium
New Jackson Heights/Elmhurst Thai
Well, now we know how it's doing, one year in. Shame you had such an unpleasant experience.
Jackson Heights Food Carts and Hours?
Sietsma recently did a Roosevelt Ave. taco truck survey from Corona into the eastern part of JH. http://tinyurl.com/2rtso3 He reports a sighting of those two taco trucks (right outside the station), but didn't manage to try them for the article.
I did actually try one, the one closer to 75th St in fact, one weeknight around midnight a couple of weeks ago. This one had much more of a line, and felt livelier, compared to the one closer to the door of the station. I had one of carnitas and one of chicken, and I would have to say I was underwhelmed. The carnitas one was fine, but not that flavorful. The chicken one was forgettable - the meat was pretty bland and a bit dry (though I do think it was cooked to order). The white meat syndrome, I guess. I'll try another filling next time.
Need rec for good Persian near Jackson Heights
(Sorry to be topping an old thread, but wanted to clarify, plus see if maybe someone else would remember this place.)
That's the end of Main St. I was talking about. There was absolutely a Persian restaurant there, well-reviewed in Newsday IIRC. I think I ate there in the early-to-mid 90's. It was the first time I'd tried that cuisine. (Does that jog anyone's memory?)
Hidden Gems in the Bronx
Apparently you can: http://events.nytimes.com/2005/08/21/dining/21rest.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Real Azteca (Bx) Expanding
Well, they've done plenty to contribute to the expansion of my midsection, so it seems fitting that they themselves should expand. They took over the lease of the business next door, and are busy renovating the space. They've got the floor tiled, the walls painted a sunny yellow, and are installing chair rails and wainscoting -- commonplace as that may sound, if you're familiar with this neighborhood, you know that's a look you just don't see every day. A visually appealing restaurant - fancy that! Current plans are to have 12 tables in the new space. I'm curious to see how the kitchen, such as it is, weathers such a major expansion. I'll report back when they open.
I went in today to get a simple quesadilla de carnitas -- their carnitas are more or less just shredded pork, unctuous & delicious, the tortillas for the quesadillas are pressed to order. A little of their home made salsa verde and you're good to go. However I was diverted from my plan by the presence today of chiles rellenos. I was powerless to resist. (This is why I had to start brown-bagging it -- so often I'd go in for something small, like a chicken taco, and come out with one of the specials of the day -- costillas en salsa verde, albondigas, mole, pipian, whatever, along with rice, beans, tortillas.)
The chile was real good -- like the best of this place's cooking, very home-made tasting. (I say that having recently enjoyed a 2-week home stay in Puebla, in the home of an awesome cook.) Nice, light, red-tomato-based sauce, slightly spicy, a Poblano with a little kick to it, coated comme il faut in that beaten-egg/flour mixture before frying (capeado I believe is the correct term for the technique). I should point out (again) that the people who run this place are from MIchoacan, not Puebla, in case I'm giving the impression that this is pure Puebla-style cooking. I don't have the expertise to explain what the differences would be, but I imagine that there must be certain standards, like these chiles, that cooks from a wide swath of Mexico can do a bang-up job on. Anyway, these folks do.
Oh, by the way, one of the owners/cooks from R.A. opened a place recently in New Rochelle, Margarita's. Haven't tried it yet.
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Real Azteca
1013 E 163rd St, Bronx, NY 10459
Where to Eat after game at Shea--7 train
I never got to try La Detente, but after googling just now I realized what replaced it: that bizarre-looking, thatch-roofed place on 94th St. near LGA. Juicy article highlighting community complaints about it: http://www.qgazette.com/news/2006/0125/features/025.html The Queens Gazette devoted quite a lot of column space to the story!
East meets West Chinese Rest on Woodhaven Blvd.
That's good news, it's my best walking-distance option for dim sum.
New Indian Chinese in Jackson Heights?
It's been there quite a bit more than a year -- http://www.chowhound.com/topics/238603 . I still haven't tried it. I'll have to check out their dry chilli chicken. I need to check out Chilli Chicken, too!
East meets West Chinese Rest on Woodhaven Blvd.
Wait, I thought I read recently that Ping's is no longer Ping's. (I would be happy to be wrong on that!)
Vegetarian restaurants in Puebla?
You are not kidding abut the excellent. I´m just back from my second consecutive lunch there, and I hope to eat there many more times during my 2-week stay in Puebla. The daily menu is a steal at 49 pesos, and the concept and execution of the food were both outstanding, both days. The menu offers a choice of two salads, a soup, and a choice of two out of the days´ three entrees. Plus a roll and a fruit agua (yesterday tamarindo, today guayaba.) By concensus, yesterday´s standout was the halved avocado stuffed with trips of poblano, cubes of mild cheese, and elotes. Today there was an excellent pea soup (just the thing when it´s chilly, and raining torrentially), followed by a lovely eggplant italiano (yes, I went to Mexico to have Eggplant Parmigiana!) and there tortitas de maiz, which looked like potato latkes (latkes poblanos?) but were composed of cornmeal with shredded apple.
Hope I´m making everyone jealous. By the way, I may be wrong, but I thought I noticed a sign yesterday that there was a second location. I may have just imaginied it. This place is really worth a visit. And it´s in a lovely setting, by the way.
Las Ranas in Puebla
If this place is hard to find and you know the address, please post it.
italian-american restaurants in jamaica, queens
Istanbul, wow. Somehow I would think there's better Italian food in Istanbul than in downtown Jamaica!
Seeing the streets you're talking about, I wonder if you are coming to Jamaica via the Air Train from JFK, and are looking for something to eat right around there, before boarding the subway? Or will you have a car that will allow you to get to the places that have been suggested?
Looking for a great diner - Northern Blvd, Queens
You don't say which direction you're coming from, but the suggestions above work if you are coming from East to West. If you're coming from West to East, they're a bit out of the way for you, and unfortunately the pickings West of Shea are slim (if it's diner food you must have.) There's the Mark Twain Diner on Northern just a bit East of the BQE, but it's so-so (Though in truth I've only had breakfast there.)
I guess it would be helpful to know if you're coming from the East or the West.
best of queens for outer-borough rookie?
Also, I can't imagine why anyone who was looking to explore interesting food in Queens would bother with the Jackson Hole diner chain, which if I'm not mistaken originated in Manhattan in any case. They do serve up a nice breakfast, but it's not worth making a special trip for. On the other had, coming to Woodside to have a Phillipino breakfast at Krystal's -- now you're talking! (It's just under the 69th St. stop on the 7.)
Also, agree with another poster - while I am fond of Erewan (enjoyed a pleasant meal there just last Saturday night), it's not in the same league as the other Thai restaurants mentioned here.
Restivo in Chelsea?
Looking for a pleasant, not too expensive place to get together with family. Not many reports on this place -- a couple of years ago someone called it "icky", without further explanation.
So is it icky, ok, pretty good, other? And any Italian alternatives in the same price range and general locale?
