Dave_G's Profile
Best Cheap Eats and Happy Hours? In town for 2 days.
As someone who spent my first 30 in Seattle and my last 6 in NYC I bring some perspective to this conversation.
First thing I would say is don't swear off pizza just yet. While it may be true that the average slice in NY far outshines Seattle's equivalent, Seattle has one advantage over NY. In NY pizza making is almost a religion, in Seattle all forms of blasphemy are tolerated, with some very nice results. Some of my favorite examples of unorthodox pies are the Logger's Special at Northlake Tavern & Pizzeria, an upside-down goat cheese pizza at Wallingford Pizza or the Garlic Gulch at Atlantic Street Pizza. You may not get a chance to try these if you're leaving Friday, but if you do you might get something very unexpected.
Another recommendation would be Agua Verde Cafe & Paddle Club which is a Mexican restaurant / boat rental. It is very different than most NY Mexican places which are usually Pueblo style Mexican, plus you can rent a Kayak and paddle around Lake Union afterward.
One last thing, I'm coming back home in a month (on vacation) and have been putting together a Google Map of all my old favorites (for culinary or sentimental reasons) and some new places I would like to try - particularly some newer brewpubs and beer bars that didn't exist yet my last time here. I've even added some recs from this thread (thanks all). You're welcome to check it out:
http://tinyurl.com/seattle-eats
Best Turkish in Manhattan?
This is hearsay, but good hearsay. I have 2 associates (both Turkish) who recommended Ali Baba (34th St) to me on separate occasions. Oh, and one of them is a restaurant owner.
Best Pancakes or Waffles around Elmhurst?
Alas, the waffle situation around Elmhurst is dire. Nothing to come close to the perfection of Amy Ruth's in Harlem or (the Prospect Heights) Tom's Restaurant. Not what you asked but in the same category, La Flor makes excellent french toast. Now if you absolutely have to have waffles I'm sure the diners on Queens Blvd make them as does The Grind coffeehouse in Sunnyside.
Lastly, you can do as we do (i.e. when in Elmhurst do as the Elmhurstians do) and stop in Mama's Kitchen (or whatever it's called now) on Broadway and get some Chinese breakfast.
Quaint vs Bliss in Sunnyside
De Mole is 3 blocks south of Queens Blvd on 48th Ave (at or close to 45th St).
Mojotos - New Sunnyside Cubano
Long waits and great food seem to be their MO right now. I see it like this. Since they are a new restaurant they're going to have some glitches and I'm just glad it's not with the quality of the food which has been excellent in our subsequent visits.
On our most recent visit we learned that Mojitos (Sorry for the typo in my first post) is the project of the same folks that brought Little Havana to the West Village, and that Little Havana will soon close due to a major increase in rent. Another case of Manhattan's loss is our gain.
We also learned that Fricase de Pollo (Dark-meat chicken simmered in a blended Tomato/Vegetable sauce) is fantastic. After we finished it the waitress informed us that this was the owner's grandmother's recipe, and was specific to the small village in Cuba were he grew up (Sorry can't remember the name). Well grandma's recipes are usually pretty dependable, and this one didn't disappoint. In addition, we had the Chuletas (Citrus marinated & grilled pork chop) which was flavorful, and good comfort food. They seem to be aware of their slowness. On this visit, the brought us some plantain chips with a mojo sauce, and then a side salad (which was as big as salads you usually have to pay for) while we were waiting. Without deserts or drinks the bill for 2 entrees would have come to less than $20--a steal to be sure.
We're looking forward to trying some of their specials. We learned that on Saturday they make Paella and on Thursday they have Lechon Asado--roast pork in a mojo (sour orange) sauce. I've been looking around for a good lechon asado since I tried the dish recently in Miami and loved it. For a full description of the dish see: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A04E7D61F30F931A15751C1A96F958260&scp=10&sq=lechon
ShangriLa Tibetan street cart in Jackson Heights
Well, the sauce is not for the faint of heart, Jules. (I kid) You gotta like a little pain with your pleasure. As I type now, beads of sweat are running down my face from last of the days momos and chile sauce that is considerably more concentrated than earlier in the day. Lovin' it.
ShangriLa Tibetan street cart in Jackson Heights
Must concur Jules. This cart is awesome. I love their momos which are fried to order--not sitting in a steam table getting soggy. I'll gladdly wait for these. They even have a little counter on one side so you can order "for here." I also like their Tibetan Chicken with rice as something a little different from Sammy's. Their home-made chile sauce is good on everything. Just wish they were there when I left for work in the morning--I think they get there at 11.
New French Patisserie in Jackson Heights
There are many, many tables as well as a counter that runs along the front of the store. I like the fact the you buy from the cashier and then take your things and sit down, unlike places where you have to be served to take a seat.
Decent Bar in Jackson Heights?
I've been wishin' for a beer-nerd type place ever since I moved here. A place with about 20 mostly local, rotating taps would give me great joy and I think would generate some profit since there really isn't any other places close enough to stumble home from. With JH getting it's first espresso joint, and French Patisserre opening today, I'd hazard a guess that the brew pub can't be too far off. Message to Waterfront Ale House: We don't have any waterfront here either.
Wild Pacific Salmon in Queens?
After spending my first 3 decades in Seattle, I've spent the last few in New York. I've pretty much given up on ordering salmon as it usually gets the ice and fire treatment--frozen and then overcooked till the texture is ruined and the flavor--is 'gray' a flavor? So, it was with some skepticism that I ordered the "Wild Salmon with Puttanesca Sauce" at Valverde, a very small Italian in Astoria on Steinway. Wow. This was the best salmon I've had in a long time. It makes me remember why I used to like salmon. It was cooked medium-rare, and flavor of the salmon was strong enough to stand up to the delicious and also robust Puttanesca sauce. The rest of our meal was also great including seafood risotto, a very nice Sicilian red wine, and for desert a lemony ricotta cheesecake and perfectly-made cappuccino. The salmon was the star though.
Mojotos - New Sunnyside Cubano
It is a bit deceptive when you look in the door, just seeing the bar. Just past the bar there is a door that leads into a dining room.
Mojotos - New Sunnyside Cubano
Open for just a week now their sign is bright white and blank. Hardly any way to tell that there's a nice new Cuban restaurant inside. Only been there once, but it seems really promising.
We ordered the Cuban Sandwich which was very good. I'll leave it to experts to debate it's place amongst the great ones, but the ingredients seemed very fresh. In addition, we ordered a plate of Ropa Vieja that was really, really good. The shredded skirt steak was cooked to perfection--just the right amount of moistness. One way to tell a place is good is that they do the simple things well and they do. The rice was very tasty (I detected chicken broth), and the beans were seasoned with bay leaves and some other spices--not sure what, but tasty.
For desert we had cafe con leche and flan. The flan was just ok. We'll try their Tres Leches on our next visit.
They are called Mojitos, but they don't have a liquor license yet. I asked if we could bring in a bottle of rum and if they would mix up the rest of the mohito and I'm pretty sure they said yes. We'll find out next time. They did say they would allow in a bottle of wine.
I hope they do well because the staff is really nice, and the food on this visit was excellent. They're located just across the street from La Flor at 52-20 Roosevelt Avenue. There phone is (347) 701-1182. They're open pretty late--11:30 on this Saturday night.
Espresso 77 in Jackson Heights
I stopped by 77 today and am very happy to have it in the neighborhood. It is an independent shop, but they get all their coffee from Gimme Coffee. The Gimme Coffee in Williamsburg is one of my favorite coffee houses in the city, so I'm really happy to have their product in our hood. By the time we got there in the evening there was a line and all of the seating was taken, but it would definitely be a nice place to hang out if you can get one of the 6 or 7 small tables. They didn't have it yet, but they said that they would start selling beans next week. Awesome.
Looking for Inexpensive Dumplings and Buns in Queens
If you order the fried dumplings and are told it will be a five minute wait, just thank your lucky stars. This means that you will get them super fresh. The thing that makes the Old Northerner's (Lao Bei Fang translated) fried dumplings the best is that they fry in smaller quantities then any of other the other places, so even if you get your dumplings right away they're still pretty fresh. While you're there go all out and spend another dollar on some Chai Goo Row (Spelled incorrect, but like it sounds) -- this off the menu item that many chowhounds know of is pork bone meat mixed with chives and garlic. Add some of their homemade chile sauce and it's even better.
Best Cubano in Brooklyn or Queens?
Can't comment on the quality since it isn't open yet, but there is apparently a new Cuban place coming to Sunnyside--just across the street (55th?) from La Flor. They've been remodeling the place (that hasn't been used for anything I know of) for over a month know. I asked a painter what it was going to be. His answer: "Cubano restaurant."
Press 195 in Queens-Disappointed
IMHO, if you're going there for the food you're missing the point. It's one of the (count 'em) 2 places in Queens where you can get a decent selection of microbrew. Sunswick in LIC is the only other I know of.
Nepalese Momos in JH
You're right--they are steamed. I tried the beef version today. It was good but I like the chicken better. The other Nepali items they have listed on their menu (Under Nepali and Tibetan advertisers) are:
Achaar
Bhatmash and Chiura
Aalu Dam
Beef Choila
Shabhalay
Shamayabajee
Ting Momo (which is steamed bread and not a dumpling)
Nepalese Momos in JH
On 74th Street, right by where the stairs from 7 train come down there was a Pizza/Fried Food/Greasy Burger joint. It's a guilty pleasure sort of place that I stopped in about once a year or so.
Well that is all gone now (no great loss) and replacing it is an Indian/Nepalese place that I learned has been there a couple months now. You can't really tell the change from the outside. Their windows still seem to be filled with the same colorful/friable foods they had before. But inside there is long window with Indian steam table fare, and then toward the back of the place is the Momo man.
For those who don't know, the momo is the Tibetan/Nepalese version of the Chinese dumpling. I've had momos before at Tibetan Yak restaurant and had been unimpressed. They were boiled (maybe steamed) to the point where the dumpling skin (pasta) was dissolved and falling apart and the contents were a bit bland, which I've heard is how the Tibetan version is supposed to be. I've also heard that the Nepalese version was spicier, so I decided to give it another shot at this place. I'm glad I did. I tried the chicken version. The momos were perfectly boiled so the skin was cooked but still firm. As I'd heard the filling was nice and spicy. It was served with a sweet chili sauce that went perfectly with dumplings, and mostly broth soup which was nothing great, but it did work well for cleansing the palette between bites. They also have a beef and a vegetarian that I'll try next time.
Taiwanese Help Please
On their takeout menu it says "Main Street Taiwanese Gourmet." It may say something different on their sign. Their address is 59-14 A Main Street. They don't get much mention on this board - probably because the subway is so far away--about a mile south of the Main Street 7/LIRR station.
I've liked their casserole-type dishes, especially their three-cup chicken. Seems hard to go wrong with thai-basil and thick-sliced ginger that's been caramelized in a cup of sesame oil, but a lot of places stop cooking before caramelization occurs--they get the GBD (golden/brown/delicious) just about right.
Pearson's BBQ at Legends Bar, STATUS?
It's Ranger Texas BBQ now. Pearson turned it over to his employees and after some initial growing pains they're turning out some good Q again.
See: http://www.chow.com/topics/368353
Is Sripraphai still BYOB?
While Sripraphai is no longer BYO, Chow Thai in Elmhurst is. It's had some raving reviews and we tend to go there more than Sripraphai these days. I highly recommend their Basil Duck.
J&L Mall in Flushing - Still Open?
A couple weeks ago it reopened and now all the stalls are back as if it was never closed. Phew! Thought we lost the best Sichuan Dan Dan Noodles this side of the Pacific.
Go visit because some of the vendors took a big hit, when they had to throw all their food out.
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J&L Mall
41-82 Main St, Queens, NY 11355
A San Diego-style Burrito in Queens
After spending last week in SD, I discovered what the burritonistas have been ranting about: that when you remove the rice and beans from a Burrito, you get a better burrito. I sampled quite a few of them and can report that yes they are way better than those with the fillers (sorry San Francisco--you still have good sourdough)..
I got a number of good rec's from the California board. See: Why San Diego burritos are the best.(http://www.chowhound.com/topics/408213?query=diego%20burrito%20best) which explains the SD burrito better than I could.
Back from SD to my home borough of Queens I started going through withdrawals, so I went to my favorite Mexican joint, De Mole in Sunnyside and asked them to modify their Carne Asada burrito to SD specs. They gladly complied.
Their standard which comes with Carne Asada, pico de galo, rice, beans and sour cream was tweaked to following:
Carne Asada, Queso Blanco, pico de galo, Guacamole.
Surprisingly, the burrito was not that much smaller than the original (score!), and while it was not the best burrito I have had over the last two weeks, it definitely satisfied my cravings for the SD style. Now if only I could find some good carnitas.
Best Mexican in Queens?
Someone recently asked the same question:
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/386568
My 2-cents: Sunnyside's De Mole is my favorite in all 5 boroughs.
Best Mexican in Queens?
The only thing I got out of the owners sister who was waitressing that night was that they definitely were not moving to Manhattan: "Need more money for that."
Sometimes they can be a little slow, especially when crowded, but I attribute this to them wanted to put out a quality product, even when they're slammed. I certainly prefer that to some places that rush everything including their patrons.
Best Mexican in Queens?
I've been a big booster of De Mole since it opened as El Jarro a couple years back. Last Friday after getting the last available table there I casually asked the waitress, "When are you expanding?" She responded, "Probably in about 3 months." It's very nice to see such a good and friendly place doing well.
She said they'll have to move to a different location, so enjoy the original while it lasts.
My Google Map of Obscure Street food in Eastern Jackson Heights
The office of the Queensboro President put together this neighborhoods map. It's good for a laugh since neighborhood boundaries are purely imaginary:
http://www.queensbp.org/content_web/map_boundaries.htm
Pio Pio To Go: Awful
My one experience at Pio Pio to Go was very good. I ordered Chicken and that's it. For my wife and I, one chicken is enough. There was no messing up that order, I guess. We also had a pitcher of sangria. I swear the pitcher was quite a bit fuller (and stronger) than the ones I've had it the main restaurant--a plus in my book.
On the way out we got another chicken for takeout, and asked if we could get a sauce and not small--lots of sauce. The waiter responded that it was $5 extra. Sounded like a lot, but when the takeout came I discovered a takeout container filled with about a pound of the famous green sauce. Now I go back once every few weeks to replentish my supply - it's great in omlettes, or just about anything.
I like to tell people that percentage-wise there are more people in Montreal that speak english than my neighborhood in Queens. If that means that sometimes the waiter won't understand and you have to play a little charades to get your meal, I really don't mind. If Pio Pio to Go has bad service, terrible secondary dishes and all you can get there is one of the best chickens you'll ever have, awesome green sauce and very good sangria, then it's still a destination in my book.
Dan Dan Noodles in J&L Food Court
Well, I ate at Zhong Shui Jiau which was excellent and not toned down for wai guo ren's. I was only there a few days but the food was wonderful, and spicy...just seemed a little more balanced, fragrant and had less of the lasting burn than most places here. And I agree that it's better than just about everything I've had here, but this stall is damn close.
Dan Dan Noodles in J&L Food Court
I have a theory that Szechuan food here in the "authentic" places is served spicier than it typically is in Chengdu. I've only spent a few days there, but the food wasn't as firery there as I was expecting.
The Dan Dan Noodles at J&L are not the hottest in town, but they're virtually identical to the version I had in Chengdu. If my theory is right, this may be the one cuisine that gets spicier outside the mother land.
