Epicenter-NYC began as a newsletter to navigate Covid in 2020 and quickly grew into a multi-platform media outlet. Recently, the entity won a $250,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation to create a community center for art, culture, education, and journalism with a podcast studio and video creator lab in Queens. Now it hits the Big Time with the #MonthlyPicks column. Read on to see what Epicenter staffers love about the World’s Borough.
Good Eats
Publisher S. Mitra Kalita: Everyone always asks me for my favorite restaurant in Queens, and I confess I don’t have one. Rather, I prefer individual dishes from a medley of eateries. Consider: Saag Chicken from Dera; Chive Momos from Lhasa; Mooli Paratha from Raja Sweets; Pescado a la Macho (seafood stew) from Urubamba; Pongal from Ganesh Hindu Temple Canteen in Flushing; Indo-Pak slices from Famous Elmhurst Pizza; Flan from Lety’s Bakery; and Diwali Sweets (coconut barfi or rabri are my faves) from Maharaja.
Community Coordinator Adriana Proano: Living in Jackson Heights has spoiled my entire family. We love to pick from different ethnicities and cultures by just walking from one block to the next. I personally love Colombian cuisine from La Boina Roja and Ecuadorian food from La Kuchara, while my husband digs the Japanese options at Okawa. My kids enjoy Pio Pio and my best friend, who loves spicy food, opts for Indian food near 74th Street. For dessert, we usually go to Martha’s Bakery in Astoria, and lately we’re loving Lety’s Bakery and Cafe de Colombia, whose cakes and decorations are wonderful.
Danielle Hyams, who manages all things travel, real estate and food content: Astoria is known for its Greek food, and most people have a strong opinion about which restaurant is the best. For me it’s Bahari Estiatorio, where I always order the same thing: Tzatziki (side fresh pita), Aggourontomata Greek salad, Gigante Beans, and of course, Grilled Octopus. Other faves are the Pan con Queso and Maduro con Queso (sweet plantains and cheese) from Colombian bakery Gata Golosa in Astoria. It’s right near the Broadway station, making it the perfect snack to grab while getting on/off the subway.
Community Manager Danny Laplaza: Arepas Cafe in Astoria never disappoints. The Venezuelan spot offers a variety of these corn-and-cheese patties and homemade dishes that are packed with flavor. Their Arepa Pabellón Pernil, filled with roast pulled pork, black beans, queso fresco, and fried sweet plantains, leaves me speechless. Chat with the wonderfully kind staff and don’t forget to top everything off with the salsa verde!
Senior Adviser Suyin So: The Broadway corridor between Jackson Heights and Queens Boulevard in Elmhurst has almost everything you want to eat. The Indonesian Food Bazaar inside St. James Episcopal Church in Elmhurst is awesome. (Editor’s note: It operates the first Saturday of the month). But don’t sleep on Eim Khao Mun Kai for Thai style Hainan Chicken, Du Bois Pastry Shoppe for Strawberry Shortcake or a million types of cookies inside the self-professed oldest free-standing pastry shop of Queens. Further south, Zum Stammtisch in Glendale does a fine schnitzel or wurst plate, and While in Kathmandu will fulfill all your Himalayan cravings. Finally, if anyone resists the soda fountain charm of Eddie’s Sweet Shop in Forest Hills, I bow down.
Partnerships and Communications Director Carolina Valencia: As a lifelong Queens gal, I have a spot in every part of my favorite borough, but let’s narrow the list down to the ones I visit often. First, Belo in Sunnyside is a Brazilian spot that delights every time! One of my favorite items is the Pao de Queijo (cheese bread), which is similar to the Ecuadorian Pan de Yuca (takes me home every time). Speaking of Ecuador, Tropical in Woodhaven and Corona’s El Guayaquileño, which does a take on bolon, but with maduro, basically a sweet plantain ball with chicharrón and cheese. In Jackson Heights, I am obsessed with the momos at Nepali Bhanchha Ghar and the Ras Malai at Al Naimat Sweets & Restaurant. Finally, in Forest Hills, La Dolce Italia has my favorite mini chocolate cannolis and pecan drop cookies.
The Unmuted Writer Nicole Perrino: I’m a Queens girl again now after 18 years in the Bronx. There are so many amazing food options in Queens from every cuisine, but one of my favorite places to be is Rockaway in the summer. I love grabbing Venezuelan arepas from Caracas at Beach 86th Street on the Boardwalk. I wash it down with a twisted frozen sangria. I also love the fish tacos from the food vendors at Rockaway Surf Club. And I love that the OG Cherry Valley Deli & Grill and Christina’s have become the Gino’s and Pat’s for late night sandwiches since they’re right across the street from each other.
Creative Director and Co-founder Nitin Mukul: Narrowing the catchment area down to South Asia in Jackson Heights still leaves a myriad of options. Here are a few that top my list: Momos? Momo Crave; Tibet? Noodles at Phayul; Bangladesh? Dahi Fuchka at the food trucks on 37th Avenue and 73rd Street; Pakistan? Kabab and Naan at Kababish; India? Lamb Chops and Kale Pakoras at Adda; Bhutan? Zhego; Nepal? Fish Thali at Lali Guras.
Unique Treats
Mitra: Anyone needing to stock up for an Indian wedding should run to Armaan’s Bridal and ask for Rahul Arora. He’s been decking (and bejeweling) me, my family, and my friends for more than 20 years now. I also love the irreverent T-shirts at the World’s Borough Bookshop, coffee from Browny, and candles from Ashley Cordero.
Adriana: We have so many options that I don’t know where to start, but I always end up buying from Easy Pickings on 82st Street in Jackson Heights. We also enjoy going to Queens Center in Elmhurst and The Shops at Skyview in Flushing.
Ambar: Scouring the shelves for secondhand books at The Austin Book Shop is a low-cost treasure hunt! There, I was introduced to fun feminist reads from a different era: Clair Banks’s Adventure Girls and Beverly Gray series. Published between 1934 and 1955, they have wonderfully predictable detective and friendship plots. I’ve also added some nostalgia-inducing classics to my home library. It doesn’t hurt that a longtime neighbor owns the place right around the corner from his house, so you feel the goodwill of supporting a hyper local labor of love.
Danny: Shout out to Lockwood, a boutique in Astoria (and Sunnyside) offering modern home-goods and an eclectic variety of gifts, decor, toys, and clothes. Looking for a Mr. Met Saint Koozie? They got it. How about a hand-painted calendar featuring iconic locations throughout Astoria? On the shelves. They wouldn’t have a dish towel with an NYC Map, would they? They sure do. The Astoria Lockwood also has a store just for stationery and another for clothing just around the corner.
Carolina: I love shopping from pop-up stores or businesses that support other vendors in their brick-and-mortars. For example, Queens Night Market has pretty cool vendors, including Almonte Studio, where you can get fun stickers like this Cafe Bustelo one.
Nitin: Art Retail Therapy sprung up in Jackson Heights just in time to counter the closing of our old friend Arvind’s stationary and art supply shop a few years ago. They have a great selection of art materials for all levels of creative minds. They offer a variety of workshops as well and organize exhibitions with local artists. What’s not to love?
Wander Streets
Mitra: The Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge because when you round the corner…there’s the Manhattan skyline. WOW! I also love taking friends from 73rd Street up to the 90s and explaining the demographic shifts in Jackson Heights and my own family’s migration here from 1971 until the present.
Adriana: I used to live in Forest Hills and what I loved the most was being able to walk from my apartment to Meadow Lake in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in just 20 minutes. I used to run around NYC’s largest body of water with my tiny maltipoo.
Danny: A walk through Gantry Plaza State Park and the adjacent Hunter’s Point South Park is always great. I particularly enjoy bringing a book and sitting on one of the benches along the East River.
Carolina: I absolutely love Juniper Valley Park in my neighborhood, Middle Village. It’s my favorite place for a run or walk, to read or to watch the doggos play and run, and to connect with God.
Nitin: The 34th Avenue Open Street in Jackson Heights has just been renamed Paseo Park. The 26 continuous blocks make it an ideal stretch for walking, biking, running, and of course, people watching.
Natural Feats
Mitra: I love picnics on a grassy patch by the water in Kissena Park. The rooftop of The Local NY in Long Island City is awe-inspiring. The Jackson Heights Halloween Parade is a must-do.
Adriana: Jacob Riis Park. We love the fact that we can enjoy the beach while BBQing. My kids love the beach so we try to go to it as often as we can. This year, I also had the opportunity to learn about the Queens Night Market. It was a wonderful experience. The world is so big, but I felt as if the world was coming together in one place to share culture and uniqueness through food.
Ambar: The train tracks in Forest Park give it an old-timey feel, like an unexpected relic amid nature trails — though they’re very much in use, and at certain times of day, you and your dog will find a freight train rattling by.
Danny: Socrates Sculpture Park showcases large sculptures and multimedia installations. The Astoria public space was an abandoned landfill and illegal dumpsite for many years until 1986, when a group of artists and community members collaborated to transform it into an open studio and exhibition space for large art pieces. It’s open year-round from 9 am to sundown with free admission to all exhibitions, programs, and gardens.
Carolina: I love Little Bay Park in Bay Terrace. This spot gave me respite during the pandemic. The view of the water, bridges, and city is just perfect, and there’s so much ground to explore and do activities.
Nicole: I love picnics in Francis Lewis Park (lovingly known as Whitestone Park by many locals). It has a beautiful view of the Whitestone Bridge and a small sandy beach where my father used to swim as a kid. On a hot summer day, you’ll still catch families sunbathing and splashing around in the water.
Nitin: I can vouch, but its website says it best: “Just a few steps from the bustling traffic of Northern Boulevard, Alley Pond Park is a gem in the natural world in northeastern Queens. Over 635 acres of forests, meadows, ponds, and fresh and salt water marshes are home to more than 300 species of birds and other wildlife. Visitors young and old can walk our wetland and forest trails, observe the animals and plants, listen to the quiet, enjoy the changing seasons, and understand our essential connection to wild nature, even in this busiest of cities.”