Eating Through Jackson Heights & Elmhurst

Even if I’m a Brooklyn girl at heart, Queens will always have a special place in my heart.  It’s easily one of the most fascinating and diverse neighborhoods in the city, even the country.  One of the most interesting neighborhoods is Jackson Heights, an immigrant-dominated neighborhood where Latin and Asian cultures collide.  That of course means that Jackson Heights and neighboring Elmhurst  is home to some of the most exciting food options in all of New York.  I recently came across an article that shared some of the best food spots in the neighborhood.  Here’s what they had to say:

Tibetan dumplings: The area off the Roosevelt Avenue subway hosts authentic Himalayan: try and get “momo” dumplings from places such as Phayul and Amdo Kitchen.  These are fat steamed dumplings, traditionally filled with beef wrapped in thicker skin than traditional Chinese dumplings.  Both Phayul and Amdo are extremely cheap spots, where you can get a big plate of dumplings for under $10.  

Arepas: Jackson Heights is home to one of the most legendary street food spots in the city: the Arepa Lady.  While the Arepa Lady was traditionally hard to find (which was part of the fun), she’s since built a brick-and-mortar restaurant to make the whole search easier.

Tortas: Mexican food is more known for its tacos, but Mexican sandwiches, or “tortas”, are arguably better, jam-packed with all sorts of ingredients that create an explosion of flavor.  Plenty of food trucks make great tortas, but my favorites are at Tortas Neza in nearby Corona, run by a rabid soccer fan who named every sandwich on the menu after soccer teams in his native Mexico.  

Thai: The Thai food in Elmhurst is a level of authentic that the pad thai in Greenwich Village will never reach.  As the center of the densest Thai community in New York, you’ll hear a lot more Thai than English in the restaurants of Elmhurst.  The best one is Khao Kang, where the food feels like true authentic home cooking.  

Dessert: If you’ve got a sweet tooth, then don’t worry, I got you covered.  The Sugar Club is a Thai grocery in Elmhurst that offers traditional Thai sweets such as sweet dried bananas.  There’s also “honey toast” made from thick slabs of white bread slathered with butter and condensed milk.  

Wunderbar! Best German Eats in NYC

With fall finally in the air and Oktoberfest in full swing, there is no better time to examine the best German restaurants in New York City. NYC has been home to German immigrants for centuries, all the way back to when New York was called New Amsterdam (Why they changed? I can’t say). In the late 20th century the East Village was known as Kleindeutschland (Little Germany) and boasted scores of German beers halls. You can still see this influence at Tompkins Square today, where a monument was erected to commemorate the 1904 General Slocum Disaster. About a century later, the densest population of German immigrants was in Yorkville on the Upper East Side, and in neighborhoods all through Queens and Brooklyn. Prohibition did considerable damage to the legacy of German beer halls, but there are still scores of wonderful German restaurants and bars around today. Let’s examine just a few!

Let’s start in Glendale, Queens, where Zum Stammtisch has been serving hearty German beers in their twin quaint dining halls since 1972 (though their decor would suggest a much older establishment). Zum Stammtisch is known for their goulash soup and traditional German favorites. With massive portions and authentic flavors, you really can’t go wrong. Try their jägerschnitzel, a pork cutlet pounded into the shape of Austria and covered in butter mushroom gravy!

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Heidelberg | 1648 2nd Ave

Next up is Heidelberg, in Yorkville. Named after a town in the southwest of Germany, Heidelberg is the last remaining vestige of a time when Yorkville had a thriving German community. Starting with the Teutonic stucco exterior accented with dark stained timbers, Heidelberg offers an authentic German dining experience. Highlights from the menu include the cucumber salad topped with sour cream, the kase-spätzle (Germany’s answer to mac and cheese) and the sausages. German folks are known for their sausages and the Heidelberg is no exception.

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Now we head downtown, where there as been somewhat of a German revival. Zum Schneider leads that charge, serving up German cuisine since 2000. With outdoor seating, the restaurant harkens back to the city’s iconic history of German immigrants. Zum Schneider’s menu leans more to the unusual which contributes to its quirkiness and fun atmosphere. Check out their schweinswürst’l, a skinny pork sausage from Nuremberg, and the pfannkuchensuppe, a Greman pancake soup.

Zum Schneider’s interior | 107 Ave C @ E 7th St

Zum Schneider also has wonderful Oktoberfest events. Come during the celebration and you can be treated to live polka band! Recently, they also opened a sister location on Montauk. Bavaria on the beach!

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New York City has scores more German restaurants to explore! Which are your favorites?