#MonthlyPicks | January 2018 by Carmen Sisalima
BY QEDC It's In Queens
Local residents chime in on their favorite places to eat, learn, walk, and have fun. This month’s picks are by Carmen Sisalima.
Great Eats
I have a couple of favorite restaurants, but since I’m Ecuadorian, let’s begin with Barzola in Jackson Heights. They serve great Ecuadorian cuisine, especially the ceviche and seafood. Other marvelous items are Seco de Chivo, a slow-cooked goat stew served with sweet plantains and yellow rice; Chaulafán, a fried rice with pork, beef, chicken, shrimp, and eggs; Llapingacho, crispy fried pork chunks, sausage, and two eggs served over velvety potato patties and peanut sauce; Guatita, tripe and potato stewed in potato sauce; and Bollo de Pescado, creamy green plantains grated then packed with fish and peanut sauce inside a banana leaf.
Then let’s go with Riverview in Long Island City. True to its name, the restaurant offers a fantastic view of Gantry Plaza State Park, the piers, the East River, and then Midtown Manhattan. Plus, the food is fantastic, especially the weekend breakfasts.
MP Taverna Astoria is another great one. I love Greek food, and just about everything off the grill is delicious. Plus, the music is really pleasant. Soft and smooth with Greek lyrics.
Wander Streets
I enjoy the Italian Street Festival that takes place on Fresh Pond Road in Ridgewood over Labor Day Weekend. There’s always Italian food, such as zeppole, but Polish sausages, Egyptian couscous dishes, Colombian arepas, funnel cakes, crepes, and designer French fries are always available. Then there’s handmade jewelry and other great merchandise as well as live music and entertainment. It’s a great family event.
I also like to walk through Forest Park. There’s nature and people-watching with all the bike riders, soccer players, and joggers. It’s nice to watch parents exercising with their little children.
Unique Treats
Squirrels! In my country, we don’t have any.
I’d like to add the four seasons, as we only have two in Ecuador. Each season has its charm, and I have learned to love the snow.
On anecdote, if I may. About four years ago, a daughter and I found an injured baby squirrel that had fallen out of a tree and was lying in the middle of the road in Richmond Hill. We took it in and fed it for a few months before releasing into the wild — or at least into the Queens habitat.
Historic Feats
St. Aloysius Roman Catholic Church on Onderdonk Avenue in Ridgewood is beautiful, and it has a lot of memories for me. I have attended many family baptisms, communions, and weddings there, and Father Marco is very nice.
It also celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2017. That’s right. It was established in 1892 to serve a mostly German population. Now it has many Polish- and Spanish-speaking parishioners.
Carmen Sisalima grew up in Portoviejo, Ecuador. She moved to Ridgewood in 2002, and currently resides in Middle Village. She gave her answers in Spanish for this post, and QEDC’s Rob MacKay translated and wrote this column based on the answers.
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