Posted by Joe DiStefano, November 7, 2008 at 10:15 AM
When it comes to eating out at kosher restaurants I tend to stick to the holy trinity: deli, falafel and shwarma. Sure I’ve tried kosher Chinese, but once was enough. Kosher interpretations of other cuisines usually don’t translate very well. Nevertheless, when I saw Sandwich Bar’s menu of international schnitzels, I had to find out what it was all about. I know what you’re thinking, depending who you ask schnitzel has only two nationalities: Austrian or Israeli. The owners of this tiny spot in Kew Garden Hills take a more global approach to fried chicken cutlets. The menu boasts seven varieties, including Polish and Greek.
A closer look at the menu made me wonder what I was in for. The Polish variety was simply described as “double layered bread crumbs,” nothing terribly Polish sounding about that. The Greek has fresh garlic added to the bread crumbs, probably tasty, but not especially Hellenic. I opted for the Chinese, which had sesame mixed in with the breading. Again, not the most Chinese-sounding description in the world, but hope springs eternal in the stomach of this eater. I also liked the idea of Chinese, given how much time I spend in Flushing’s Chinatown which lies several miles north of Kew Gardens Hills.
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Posted by Joe DiStefano, July 14, 2008 at 3:30 PM
Whether you spell it ceviche, cebiche, or seviche, one thing is certain: the Peruvian specialty of fish “cooked" via marination in lime juice is one of the best things to eat during the dog days of summer. Unfortunately there are very few places in Manhattan to get good ceviche. Given my love for this refreshing dish, I was devastated when La Pollada de Laura, an excellent Peruvian restaurant closed a few years ago. It had been my go-to spot in Queens for ceviche. Recently I was tipped off to a new destination for this refreshing dish: El Anzuelo Fino in Jackson Heights.
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Posted by Joe DiStefano, June 3, 2008 at 12:30 PM
It's like the Israeli Kozy Shack.
When most eaters think of Main Street in Queens, the first thing that comes to mind is the wealth of incredible Chinese food that’s available in Flushing. But if you travel Southeast along Main Street, you’ll eventually find decidedly non-Chinese ethnic food and shopping in Kew Gardens Hills, an enclave of Orthodox Jews that is home to several excellent falafel and shwarma spots. There are also plenty of markets with all sorts of Israeli groceries, like one of my all-time favorite finds, the chocolate pudding known as Milky. The good folks at Israel’s Strauss have managed to make a product whose creaminess rivals Kozy Shack’s (making the stuff aptly named). Each cup contains a dairy-rich chocolate pudding topped with airy whipped cream.
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