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RESTAURANTS/FOOD
The variety of restaurants in Jackson Heights makes
it fun to explore and find favorites. Below are just a few of the places
worth checking out. Many offer free local delivery; call or stop by to
find out details. Send an email with
your feedback, and we'll post your comments. You may also want to check
out Chowhound, Time
Out New York, and the Village
Voice. Alexis Arieff's
Queens Eats site contains some excellent
recommendations, as well as links to some of the better reviews of local
restaurants. TONY's fall 2006 feature
focusing on 74th and Broadway is fun, and Seth Kugel's 12/31/06 New
York Times feature, "Moving
for the Food," is a great statement of support for the food of the
neighborhood.
Afghan Kebab House
74-16 37th Avenue
718-565-0471
In addition to the tasty kebab options (which include chicken, lamb, beef,
fish, and shrimp), Afghan Kebab House features an excellent spinach chicken,
tandooris, and various vegetarian options (including cauliflower, okra,
and eggplant dishes). Friendly and low-key.
Anand Bhavan
35-66 73rd Street
718-507-1600
A pure vegetarian Indian restaurant, Anand Bhavan has been touted by the
Daily News for its "humungous, delicious dosas and uthappams,
and a long list of appetizers." "One of the better vegetarian
Indian restaurants in New York City," commented Vegetarian-Restaurants.net.
Armondo's
74-27 37th Avenue
718-429-8552
This is the kind of genuine neighborhood restaurant that can be taken
for granted but really is quite good. Armondo's has been owned and run
by Jerry Crisci for 33 years, as a recent review
in the Queens Chronicle noted, and most nights he's still on
hand to greet newcomers and steady customers alike with warmth. Your webmaster
particularly likes the fish dishes and the mozzarella/asparagas appetizer,
and the list of specials always includes appealing dishes. There's a nice
glassed-in wall of tables, and they also did a lovely job with a recent
update of the rest of the space.
Arunee Thai Cuisine
37-68 79th Street (just off Roosevelt)
718-205-5559
Your webmaster doesn't make it through a week without at least one delivery
from Arunee. Nice people, good food. The room is peaceful and pleasant
too. Some favorite dishes: tom kha ghai (chicken soup with coconut milk);
kang jeud tao hoo (tofu and ground pork soup with Chinese cabbage, mushroom,
and scallions); goong khao poad onn (shrimp with baby corn, bamboo shoots,
and mushrooms); kanaa nam mun hoy (Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce);
pad khing (choice of meat or shrimp with ginger, soy sauce, and onions);
pra ram rong soang (chicken with peanut sauce and bean sprouts). Guilty
pleasures: goong hom paah (fried shrimp spring roll) and Thai fried rice
with chicken (which is actually quite light).
Burmese Cafe
71-34 Roosevelt Avenue
718-803-1820
Chowhounders and Robert Sietsema
of the Village Voice
have been raving about Burmese Cafe, which opened late in 2006. Walk in
and "Bang! You're in Burma," says Sietsema. He describes tapestries
of lumbering elephants, twin clocks showing New York and Rangoon time,
gilded marionettes, and a life-size golden Buddha. The food is "incredible,"
with curries the focus of the menu. Squash and eggplant fritters are recommended,
and gram fritters ("lentil pincushions with a nutty flavor")
are declared "a world apart." Tea leaf salad is highly recommended,
though be aware that in terms of caffeine content, "it's like eating
a double espresso."
La Cabaña
86-07 Northern Boulevard
718-426-5977
In addition to the requisite excellent steaks, this very pleasant, peaceful
restaurant also specializes in wood-oven pizza. The Village Voice
declared one pizza, "La Cabaña" (a pie topped with goat
cheese and skirt steak), "unspeakably delicious." Your webmaster
and wife enjoy sharing the terrific house salad and perfectly cooked (al
dente) broccoli.
Cavalier Restaurant
85-19 37th Avenue
718-458-7474
With the departure of Luigi's, Cavalier now takes the crown as the longest-running
restaurant in the neighborhood—it's been around since 1950. Dishes
run to the traditional (Weiner schnitzel is still on the menu!), with
lamb chops, veal marsala, chicken cordon bleu, shrimp scampi, and such.
The bar is a fun scene if you get into the vibe. There's a party room,
and a number of local community and political events are held at the Cavalier.
Cositas Ricas
79-19 Roosevelt Avenue
718-478-1500
Cositas Ricas is one of the most popular of the many Latin American restaurants
in the neighborhood to choose from. According to New York magazine,
"Enchiladas de carne and chorizo con arepas are especially good with
ice-cold cholao, a fruit-and-milk drink."
Delhi Palace
37-33 74th Street
718-507-0666
Your webmaster's wife is obsessed with the keema mutter (minced lamb and
green peas) and aloo gobi (cauliflower and potatoes) with an order of
naan bread. You can get a glass of wine or beer at the restaurant, and
once they get to know you the telephone order taker is friendly. Delhi
Palace is Zagat rated, for what that's worth.
Elmhurst Famous Pizza
75-12 37th Avenue
718-205-5000
You've got to try the Indo-Pak: fresh garlic, jalapeno peppers, and onions.
Yum. Also, if you're a fan of Chicago-style deep dish pie, Elmhurst Famous
is for you. The room is your basic pizza joint, but the guys are friendly.
Fiesta Mexicana
75-02 Roosevelt Avenue
718-505-909
As Time Out New York said: "You may find Abuelita—that’s
'Granny' in Spanish—in the kitchen here, cooking up Oaxacan moles
and tamales. The roasted-pork cochinita pibil, marinated in chilies and
oranges and wrapped in banana leaves, is memorable and costs about the
same as many Manhattan margaritas—$11.95." Warren Shaw reported
in the JHBG's "View from the Heights" newsletter that his group
of 19 enjoyed an excellent meal that included chicken with Oaxacan mole
sauce, chicken encilladas, beef flautas, shrimp in Verzacruz sauce, and
tamales, topped off with flan and Mexican style coffee (brewed with cinnamon).
Happy Kitchen
80-12 37th Avenue
718-803-1600
Decent Japanese food, mostly for takeout (the shop is tiny but pleasant).
Inti Raymi
86-14 37th Avenue
718-424-1938
Alexis Arieff, on her Queens Eats
site, raves about Inti Raymi's ceviches: "I would happily make a
meal of one of the generous platters of lime-marinated fish, especially
the delectable ceviche mixto ($11.75), with slices of fresh trout, squid,
octopus, and shrimp," Alexis notes. "The dish is amazing, simply
adorned with cilantro and the traditional accoutrements of yam, large-kernel
corn known as choclo, fried corn kernels, potato, and a strong shot of
lime and fish juice in a little ceramic cup. Apparently you're supposed
to toss back the shot, but I found it made an excellent dipping sauce
for the choclo."She adds that Inti Raymi has "a warm, cozy dining
room" and is "a great place to kick back and enjoy a meal with
friends." Stews and grilled seafood dishes are also available. For
dessert, alfajores, little square cookies filled with dolce de leche,
"are excellent accompanied by the café con leche."
Jackson Diner
37-47 74th Street
718-672-1232
The most well-known Indian restaurant in Queens, and perhaps all of New
York, Jackson Diner has probably brought more visitors to Jackson Heights
over the years than any other restaurant. Some say it's not what it was
when it was housed, many years ago, in an actual old diner (now it's in
a barn of a room). Others swear by it, particularly the $8.99 Sunday brunch
buffet, which Zagat's says it "lives up to the hype."
Kabab King
73-01 37th Road
On her Queens Eats site, Alexis
Arieff recommends the kabab roll, "which involves taking a kabab
(cooked to perfection in the smoky tandoor) and wrapping it in a naan
with a generous drizzling of coriander-yogurt sauce. You can eat it on
the go, but only if you enjoy splattering yourself with yogurt. I particularly
recommend the juicy boneless chicken kabab and the spicy, salty sikh kababs
(ground beef or chicken). The latter on a roll is $2.50—and it may
be the perfect meal." This is a 24-hour restaurant, beloved by taxi
drivers. According to Alexis, the nearby Kababish (37-66 74th Street)
is an upstart version of the King.
Novo
78-23 37th Avenue
718-426-7272
Novo has gone through a couple of incarnations, but word is that the food
is definitely worth a try now. It's a sit-down restaurant with a bar area.
Later in the evening (after 9:00), it morphs into more of a party/club
atmosphere. The Jackson Heights Parents Group has early-evening get-togethers
there regularly.
La Nueva Restaurant
85-02 37th Avenue
718-505-3800
Tipster Susan writes: "I'm a Jackson Heights native, and I happen
to live up the block from the new La Nueva restaurant. It's a beautiful
addition to my block of over 18 years, with lovely decor. They have a
fantastic paella dish that costs about $30 and feeds two or more, plus
leftovers. By the glass, their wine is more than affordable. Plus the
staff is friendly." A couple of other sample dishes: grilled fillet
of sole with rice and green plantain, jumbo shrimp with garlic sauce,
and breaded pork loin.
Original Rosa's Pizza & Pasta
75-63 31st Avenue
718-651-8111
Excellent pizza, very nice folks. Try the spinach pie. It takes 45 minutes
or so to be delivered, but that's because they really do make it fresh.
El Palacio de los Cholados
83-18 Northern Boulard
"Nothing is more refreshing or more satisfying," promises Alexis
Arieff on her Queens Eats site,
than a cholado. Alexis describes the cholado as starting with a layer
of shaved ice, followed by a generous squirt of fruit syrup, topped with
fresh pineapple, melon, and banana, finished off with condensed milk and
sprinkled with dried coconut. She credits El Palacio's syrup offerings
of fresh blackberry, guayabana, and passion fruit as putting them a step
ahead of the competition, and she advises to eat the fruit with a fork,
"then sip the lusciously chilled sweetened-milk-syrup through a straw."
During the summer, there are often lines of eager (and overheated) customers
waiting for their cholado fix at this takeout shop (which doubles as a
video store).
Pio Pio
84-13 Northern Boulevard
718-426-1010
Addictive Peruvian chicken with a patented special sauce. Yeah, you could
get the seafood platter, but basically the choice comes down to: whole
chicken or half, and sides of rice and beans or salad? These folks are
brilliant. And they must be quite wealthy. The space is big but rarely
less than bustling, filled with a huge variety of people. It's nicely
designed, with a back garden space.
La Porteña
74-25 37th Avenue
718-458-8111
As New York magazine said, "Where homesick Buenos Aireans
(and insatiable carnivores of every nationality) congregate for serious
beefsteaks." House-made chimichurri (the pureed-parsley steaksauce)
and house-brand merlot are both tasty, as are the steamed spinach and
empanadas. Many people order the mixed grill; your webmaster favors the
skirt steak...and topping off the festivities with a dessert of vanilla
ice cream, walnuts, and scotch (absolutely killer). Warm atmosphere, with
tango music and various Argentine touchstones that don't feel kitschy.
Rice Avenue
72-19 Roosevelt Avenue
718-803-9001
Widely reviewed, and deservedly so, Rice Avenue is an excellent Thai restaurant
with a nicely designed dining room (winner of an architecture award from
the JHBG). New York magazine declared that it's "one more
reason Manhattanites should hop the 7 train." Your webmaster particularly
enjoys the steamed dumplings and the green curry. The owner, who goes
by Moo, is involved in bettering the community and is an all-around sweetheart,
and all of the staff are pleasant as can be.
Sammy's Halal
street cart at 73rd and Broadway
The 2006 Pushcart Award for the #1 Best Street Vendor in New York went
to Samiul Haque Noor, who runs a cart called Sammy's Halal. His spicy
Pakistani recipe for grilled chicken and lamb has many fans, with one
quoted as saying, "It's his special sauce that gives it that extra
punch." Also in the running for the Pushcart Award was Maria Piedad
Cano, famous as "the sainted Arepa Lady," as dubbed by Jim Leff,
the founder of Chowhound.
Seba-Seba
79-28 37th Avenue
718-478-4691
Regularly packed, Seba-Seba is a Colombian coffee shop/diner. Seth Kugel's
New York Times feature credited Seba-Seba as among the food inspirations
that drew him to Jackson Heights: "I wanted the cheese bread called
pandebono and the $6.50 meat-and-rice-and soup lunch special." Later
in the article Kugel mentions that he has replaced Seba-Seba in his affections
with the less well known Aires del Sur bakery, and notes the "friendly,
never-changing staff" at Aires. In any case, between these two options,
as well as City Coffee and Jahn's, this stretch of 37th Avenue is heaven
for coffee shop aficionados, including those who like to nurse a coffee
while reading the paper or doing some work in a corner of a restaurant.
Some still jones for a Starbucks as well; your webmaster stays out of
that debate but urges everyone to check out the current options and support
local businesses!
Spicy Mina
64-23 Broadway
718-205-2340
Chef and owner Mina Azad is a figure of adulation on Chowhound and has
been widely and positively written up elsewhere. Some say Mina is overhyped.
Not in your webmaster's experience! This is the real deal when it comes
to Deshi (Southeast Asian) food. Homemade. From the heart. Delicious.
If you like Indian food, you've got to try Spicy Mina. Yes, it's in Woodside,
but frankly it's so much better than most Jackson Heights Indian that
it must be included in this list. The G, R, and V stop on the corner!
It's walkable from JH. Check it out, people!
Tacos Mexico
88-12 Roosevelt Avenue
718-899-5800
It would be fair to say that your webmaster is a bit obsessed with the
pollo en salsa verde (chicken with green sauce, with rice and beans and
guacamole). This is the real deal, and tastes particularly delicious piled
into a tortilla (supplied). The pollo asado (broiled chicken) tacos are
simple and yummy. Tacos Mexico also serves a really good house salad ("regular").
Terraza Café
40-19 Gleane Street between Baxter and Britton Avenue (just around the
corner from Roosevelt Avenue and 83rd Street)
718-803-9602
Terraza serves a variety of coffee, juice, and tea drinks, as well as
wine, beer, and mixed drinks. It features live music, art exhibitions
and workshops, and screenings of independent and foreign-language cinema.
Time Out New York describes Terraza as a "Williamsburgish
lounge." The Queens Gazette says "Terraza is the brainchild
of Freddy Castiblanco, who wanted to create a multi-media, multi-cultural
experience in the most diverse city in the world. He succeeded."
Thai So'n
40-10 74th Street
718-476-6805
Despite the "Thai" in the name, this is Vietnamese food (and
some reviewers have commented, just to confuse things a bit more, that
there are some Chinese elements to the menu). In any case, the food's
very tasty; definitely recommended.
Uncle Peter's
83-15 Northern Boulevard
718-651-8600
Traditional style meat, fish, and pasta in a fun, enjoyably otherworldly
atmosphere. Very nice people, led by Ernesto, the owner. A good place
to go for a meal of, for instance, salad, monkfish, and a glass of wine.
They serve a super-creamy vanilla ice cream and play a wild version of
"Happy Birthday" on request.
Zabb Queens
72-18 Roosevelt Avenue
718-426-7992
The Isaan Thai cooking featured at Zabb brings a focus on some different
flavors than are featured at most other NYC Thai restaurants. "Chilies
are deployed with abandon in Isaan cooking," a review in the New
York Times noted, "and spicy means spicy when you ask for it at Zabb."
The mixed seafood dish for $25 was described as "excellent and proportioned
generously enough to feed four." Other recommended dishes included
Thai sausage, fried fish cakes, grilled chicken wing, and grilled shrimp
with garlic and chili-lime sauce.
