The Grand Union Square Pillow Fight, 2008 Edition

More on flickr.

Rock Camp for Girls Rocks

School of Rock isn't just a movie.

The Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls played a noon show today at the Highline Ballroom. The show was the culmination of a week-long crash course in every aspect of rock - picking an instrument, getting a band together, silk-screening band t-shirts, and more. One volunteer teacher estimated that only about a quarter of the girls, who ranged from 8 to 18, had any experience on their instruments before getting to camp Monday morning. By the show today, they were poised, confident, and ready to rock.

If you missed today's show, there's no need to wait until next year. You can catch the second session's show on August 25th at the Highline Ballroom.

Mermaid Parade Characters

This year at the Mermaid Parade, some political commentary against the anticipated destruction I mean development of Coney Island, and a green creature from the Gowanus Canal crawled all the way down to Coney to join the party.

NYC Dyke March

My favorite photo from yesterday's Dyke March shows two spectacularly turned out groups - New York's own Vixxxens, in the pink sequins, and a hotter version of the Village People that I happened to run across last year as well.
More photos here.

June Begins

FRI. JUNE 1

Sitelines
An annual site-specific dance festival, part of River to River. The first performance is a Martha Graham dance originally from 1936 that was created to protest the killings of the Spanish Civil War by Franco and the fascists. It's the first outdoor street performance the Graham Company has done, and is an interesting anti-war commentary.
Intersection of Wall and Broad streets, outside the NY Stock Exchange, Manhattan
12:30p; free. Also on June 2nd and 3rd at the same time. 18 minutes long.

Arts in Bushwick presents: Bushwick Open Studios and Arts Festival
The festival kicks off Friday night with Hotbox, a night of dance,theater, sex, and magic. The evening features performance and theater followed by music by the Dive, Pass Kontrol, and Ways. Festival continues through the weekend. Check website for complete listings.
Bushwick Starr 207 Starr Street, no. 4, Brooklyn
L train to Jefferson station, 7-11p; free
Festival continues through Sunday

SAT. JUNE 2
Rooftop Films summer kick-off
Black + White = Grey
Rooftop Films' Summer Series sneak preview. Quirky comedies, startling dramas, and powerful political documentaries about racial misunderstandings, subtle deceptions, and flat-out lies.
8 PM: Music by Noble Society
9 PM: Short Films Begin
On the lawn at Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn. Free.
Directions: G train to Fulton; A or C to Lafayette; 2, 3, 4, 5 to Nevins; R, Q, B, M to Dekalb. Enter at the Myrtle Avenue Side of the park and you will see the big screen at the bottom of the hill.

Jonathan Monk presents Five Ballerinas in Manhattan
Jonathan Monk will restage Daniel Buren’s key performance work, Seven Ballets in Manhattan, on its 32nd anniversary. This enigmatic work in its original presentation prompted questions regarding the status of art in the public realm and how such confrontations are defined in its initial presentation. For example, audiences in SoHo, then the center of the commercial gallery scene in New York, accepted the work as art, but audiences on Wall Street interpreted the parade of placards as a potential unidentifiable threat.
Friday, June 1, 2-3pm: CENTRAL PARK beginning near Rockefeller Center
Saturday, June 2, 12-2pm: WALL STREET beginning near Greenwich and Fulton Street

Vixxxen
My friends and I are kicking off a new monthly dyke party. Come before 11 for 2x1 drink specials.
**go-go dancers ** pool table ** drink specials ** dj **
Saturday June 2nd 9pm
40C (40 Ave. C btwnn 3rd & 4th St), Manhattan

SUN. JUNE 3
3rd Annual Tour de Brooklyn
This year’s 18 mile tour features Brooklyn’s southern neighborhoods along the waterfront like Sunset Park, Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights and Bensonhurst and loops towards the heart of Brooklyn, Kensington and Prospect Park South to end at the Carousel. Family friendly ride.
Check-in: 8 am; Line-up: 9 am; Ride: 9:30 am

Manhattan Chili Takedown
A chili contest from unholy hell. The Village Voice raved: "the fieriest concoctions this side of Texas."Competitors are invited to come down and go head to head against other amateur chefs for the much-coveted Judged ($100 prize) and People’s Choice Award ($200 prize). Hosted by NYC comedian and chili producer Matt Timms. This event has grown from its humble beginnings in Williamsburg to its chili monster status in the Lower East Side. We bring in real chefs, food writers,and experts to judge the proceedings.
Mo Pitkin’s, 34 Avenue A, between 2nd and 3rd streets, Manhattan.
4-8:30p; $15 to enter, bring down two gallons of your best recipe, or $8 buys all you can eat plus the opportunity to vote for your favorite.

It's Bike Month, Yo

May is Bike Month!

The Bicycle Film Festival kicks off tonight and runs through the weekend. The line up looks excellent and as always, one of the non-movie highlights should be the street festival on Saturday afternoon.

Some other highlights:

Thursday 17th - Bike night at the Brooklyn Brewery, proceeds to benefit the HIV/AIDS services of the Center
Friday 18th - National Bike to Work Day. Join the crowd.
Saturday 19th - Bike lessons for kids in each borough (also on the 26th)
Saturday 19th - New York Adventure Racing Association's Urban Bike-O scavenger hunt. Sorta like an alleycat, it seems.
Sunday 20th - Street art and graffiti tour. Last year's was great, I highly recommend this.
Thursday 24th - Bike lane liberation with the Bicycle Clown Brigade.
Friday 25th - Single-speed showdown and of course, it's the last friday of the month, Critical Mass
Saturday 26th - Bicycle Fetish Day in, duh, Williamsburg
Tuesday 29th - Drawing the Bicycle with Taliah Lempert

There are so many other great things going on, definitely check out the entire calendar. This list should just whet your appetite!

Homelessness Hits Record High in NYC

And yet...

Source: Coalition for the Homeless' eighth annual State of the Homeless report [pdf]

How to Be a New Yorker: 1964 Edition

how to be a new yorker, originally uploaded by Shield.

File under: The more things change, the more they stay the same.

I found How to Be a New Yorker at the Strand. This book by Joan & Leslie Rich is from 1964, but a lot of the markers of New York City life appear to be immutable. Among them: don't bother moving for the door until the subway stops; jay-walk; grunt when you're buying things.

An modern list of how to be a New Yorker, from an Australian expat:

Dress in black, despise most men (if you're female), cancel lunches, have a therapist and if you are single, have a listing on one of the many personals columns. As far as the lingo's concerned, you can get by even with an accent, if you sprinkle your conversation with a few "Puhleeze"s and "Fuhgedaboudit"s. If you want to be a really polished New Yorker, you could add in the dog or cat and make sure you have a socially cool New York type job - Wall street, freelancing something or other in the arts or acting.

The same. But different.

Classic Restaurant Rivalries (or: Food Feuds)

Italian Heros
Manganaro's Hero Boy versus Manganaro's Food & Restaurant

The New York Times calls it "one of the city's longest and messiest food fights." Salvatore Manganaro, 74, and his youngest brother, James, 66, own Italian sandwich stores next to each other on Hell's Kitchen's Ninth Avenue. The family has been running these businesses for 100 years, and the two brothers have been giving each other the silent treatment for the past 25 years over who has the right to use their family's name and who can claim to have invented the 6-foot hero sandwich. As one young reviewer said, "this feud has been going on for far longer than I’ve been alive, and I’d bet for long after I’m dead."

Pizza
Lombardi’s vs. Totonno’s vs. John’s vs. Patsy’s vs. Grimaldi’s

If you were to draw a family tree of New York pizza, Lombardi's, started in 1905, would be the grandpapi of the clan. Pizzamakers trained at Lombardi's went on to open Totonno's in Coney Island (Anthony Totonno Pero in 1917), John's Pizza in the Village (John Sasso in 1929), and Patsy's in East Harlem (Patsy Lancieri in 1933). In the third generation of pizzarias spawned from Lombardi's, Patsy Lancieri's nephew Patsy Grimaldi, who had worked at Patsy's since he was 10 years old, opened Grimaldi's in Brooklyn Heights in 1990.

Indonesian

Minangasli versus Padang Raya (RIP)

First, Rahman Imansjah was a customer at Nani Tanzil's warung run out of her kitchen. In June 2004, he bought a restaurant, Padang Raya, and they became business partners. They made it to February of 2005. He fired Tanzil, and six months later she opened Minangasli four doors away on Whitney Avenue. The New York Times explains that "the name of her restaurant, which means 'authentically Minang' and is a reference to a Padang ethnic group, is a not-so-subtle dig at her former partner," who is from Kalimantan Island, a culinarily different area of Indonesia. In April of 2006, Padang Raya became Jakarta Mie, a Javanese noodle warung.

Cupcakes
Magnolia versus Buttercup et cetera.

Magnolia has spawned a cupcake family line of Old Testament proportions, complete with rivalries, hatred, and a creation myth. Jennifer Appel of Magnolia acknowledges she didn't invent cupcakes (see, she's humble!), but lays claim to the specific type of cupcake cafe which she sees replicated around the city, most bitterly at Buttercup, which she started with was started by her former business partner Allysa Torey. Appel's franchising director says “She’s like the cupcake godmother. If you did a family tree of cupcakes in New York, she spawned out the seven families. She’s the Don Corleone of cupcakes.”

Philly Cheesesteak
Pat's versus Geno's (Philadelphia)

Pat Olivieri, who opened Pat's King of Steaks as a hot dog stand near South Philadelphia's Italian Market back in 1930, claims to have invented the Philly Cheesesteak. Geno's opened in 1967, and they've stared each other down across a barren patch of South Philly pavement like Apollo Creed and Rocky Balboa ever since. Geno's owner Joe Vento claims that they made the cheesesteak what it is today by being the first to add cheese, although they concede that Pat's is responsible for the later introduction of Cheese Whiz (thus adding the phrase 'whiz wit' to American English). And, of course, they hate each other. Vento explains that the reason people eat at Pat's is that "you can acquire a taste for bad food."

Where are they?

Manganaro's Hero Boy, 492 Ninth Ave., between 37th and 38th Sts; 212 947-7325
Manganaro's Food & Restaurant, 488 Ninth Ave., between 37th and 38th Sts; 212-563-5331
Lombardi’s, 32 Spring Street, New York; 212 941-7994
John’s Pizzeria, 278 Bleecker Street, New York; 212 243-1680
Totonno’s Pizzeria Napolitano, 1524 Neptune Avenue, Brooklyn; 718 372-8606
Grimaldi's, 19 Old Fulton Street, Brooklyn, 718 858-4300

Minangasli, 86-10 Whitney Avenue at Macnish Street, Elmhurst, Queens; 718 429-8207.
Magnolia Bakery, 401 Bleecker St. @ 11th St.; 212 462-2572
Buttercup Bake Shop, 973 2nd Ave between 51st & 52nd St; 212 350-4144
Pat's King of Steaks, 1237 E Passyunk Ave, Philadelphia; 215 468-1546
Geno's Steaks, 1219 S 9th St, Philadelphia, 215 389-0659

Got a rivalry to suggest? Write me.

NYPD Plans to Modify Proposed Parade Rules

Newsday reports that the NYPD has decided to withdraw their proposed parade rules, but plans to submit modified plans shortly.

Criticized, NYPD withdraws new definition of "parade"
By David B. Caruso

"A new rule that would have banned more than 35 people from walking together on the sidewalk without a parade permit is being abandoned because of public outrage, the police department announced Friday.

Proposed in July, the department's new policy on parades had been ridiculed by some as an outrageous restriction of civil rights that would have applied even to groups of schoolchildren or busloads of tourists. Spontaneous demonstrations of all but the smallest sizes would have been outlawed by the rules, critics said.

Police Department spokesman Paul Browne acknowledged the criticisms Friday. He said although the department doesn't agree with many of the complaints, it had decided to make changes. A new version of the parade policy is now in the works that would eliminate any reference to sidewalk gatherings, he said.

"Common sense has prevailed," said Christopher Dunn, an attorney for the New York Civil Liberties Union, which opposed the changes. "From the outset, everyone recognized that the proposed rules swept far too broadly, and we're pleased the police department has now realized that," he said. "There is simply no reason for requiring field trips, sidewalk marches and lawful bike rides to have police permits."

The revision of the parade rules had been prompted by the department's running battle with participants in a monthly group bicycle ride known as Critical Mass. Once a month, scores and sometimes hundreds of cyclists gather in Manhattan for a group ride down city streets. The rides have been going on for a decade, but since the 2004 Republican National Convention the police department has been insisting that the cyclists need a parade permit. Participants have refused to apply for one, saying they shouldn't need police permission to ride their bikes, as long as they obey all traffic rules. So far, the courts have ruled for the cyclists, in part because of a lack of clarity in city regulations.

Browne said the department is already planning another try at a revision.

The latest proposal, he said, is expected to require any group of 10 people or more to get a parade permit if they intended to travel on a city street in a manner that does not comply with all applicable traffic laws. Any group of 20 people or more on foot, in cars or astride bikes would be required to get a permit, even if they did obey traffic rules.

It was unclear Friday whether that would satisfy critics. "We would oppose any proposal that would require a police permit for people lawfully riding bikes or driving on a roadway," Dunn said."

The public hearing on August 23rd has been cancelled. Follow the issue at Assemble for Rights.

NYPD Parade Rules: Meeting Tomorrow at St. Mark's Church

Tomorrow, August 17th, is the 7pm meeting at St. Mark's Church to address the NYPD's new definition of a "parade" that threatens to severely curtail free speech and greatly expand the NYPD's ability to detain people.

Excellent commentary from Ezekiel Edwards at the Drum Major Institute:

"[O]ne of the more laughable (yet not very funny) expansions of the meaning of a "parade" includes at least two pedestrians or bicyclists traveling together on a public street who violate any traffic law, rule or regulation. Failure to obtain a permit before engaging in this activity --- literally speaking, whether two old folks jaywalking (particularly if wearing anti-Bush pins) or a couple of friends biking on the wrong side of the street (particularly if sporting t-shirts saying "Abolish Prisons") --- gives the police grounds to arrest."

"Just as the police have used trespass laws as an easy way to stop, detain, question, search, and arrest thousands and thousands of innocent Bronx residents (in their own buildings, those of family members, while trying to visit friends, or merely standing outside), under the preposterous "parade" parameters they could stop every group of two or more people (most likely African-American and Latino men between 17 and 35) crossing the street against the light (or not) and, if the subsequent illegal search yields no contraband, arrest them nonetheless for parading without a permit."

Chris Dunn, Associate Legal Director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, adds that "Requiring groups that are doing nothing more than walking on public sidewalks to obtain police permits will suppress protest activity and lead to wholly unnecessary conflict between police and protesters."

What you can do:

• I strongly encourage everyone to come to the public meeting tomorrow at St. Mark's Church, 7pm. (10th St/2nd Ave)
  
• If you can, go to the hearing at 1 Police Plaza on Wednesday, August 23 at 6pm where this rule will be considered. If you'd like to speak at the hearing, you have to sign up beforehand, which you can do easily here.
• There will be a simultaneous rally outside the hearing.
• You can also send e-letters to Mayor Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn to tell them you oppose the NYPD's change to the parade permit rules.
• Contact your Councilmember to tell them you oppose the NYPD's proposed rule change.

More:
NYCLU Challenges Proposal To Expand NYPD Control Over Protest Activity [New York Civil Liberties Union]
Paranoid Policing of Political Protests [Drum Major Institute]
Police Seek New Controls on Protesters and Bicyclists [New York Times]
Read the NYPD Proposed Rule [via TransAlt]
What you can do [TransAlt]

NYPD to Peds: Two People is a Parade

The NYPD is trying to get a new rule passed that would limit how many people could legally walk down the sidewalk or ride their bikes together. Under the new rule, if two or more people ride or even walk in a way that doesn’t follow every traffic law, they would be a “parade” and would have been required to get a permit before setting out. Civil rights attorney Norman Siegal notes that this means a family out for a bike ride would be considered lawbreakers and subject to arrest. Cyclists say new rules ride roughshod on liberties [The Villager]

Transportation Alternatives points out that these new rules would mean that anyone who walks to the park with their child, friend or neighbor and jaywalks could be arrested; school teachers who walk their classes to the park would have to get parade permits; any two cyclists who do not have bells on their bikes, do not ride in bike lanes or take their feet off the pedals (violating NYS VTL 1232) could be arrested. I'm sure you can think of many more examples.

In a really disgusting measure of who supports the NYPD's new rule, New York Post columnist Steve Dunleavy says “The cops have finally gotten the go- ahead to bust the political pedal pushers who under the radar call themselves Critical Mass and arrogantly claim they own our roads. But the cops aren't going far enough.” Dunleavy urges the city's cab riders and motorists to throw open their car doors in front of "pedal punks" riding their "maiming machines" and "take back the streets" from bike-commuting "kamikaze jerks." [NY Post]
Inebriated Columnist Issues Fatwa Against Kamikaze Jerks: Response and fact-checking of Dunleavy’s rant [Streets Blog]

What can you do? There is a public hearing on August 23rd at 6pm at 1 Police Plaza in Manhattan. Go to it and make your voice heard, or write them a letter. Read the text of the proposed rule. More on this from Time’s Up and TransAlt.

NYPD Bridge Dragnet Targets Bicyclers

In the latest round of NYPD versus bicyclists, Sunset Parker reports that the NYPD has put up a bike ambush on either side of the Brooklyn Bridge to catch bikers who - god forbid - ride across the bridge. If riders don’t dismount and walk their bikes across the bridge, they get hit with a summons and a $60.00 ticket. Sunset Parker wisely point out that there’s been a portion of the bridge designated for bikes for 123 years, which you can see from the clearly marked bike path and outline of a bicycle painted every thirty feet or so. [Very Big, Very Bad News for Brooklyn Bikers, Sunset Parker]

When I say this is an ambush, I mean it - signage is poorly lacking, meaning that riders have no notice that they face a ticket. Although the tickets are probably legally insufficient, since you need to have notice that you're breaking the law in order to be liable, the NYPD has long known that legality is beside the point. Plenty of people won't bother or don't have the time to contest the ticket, so it's sufficient for their purposes to flood bicyclists with tickets, even if the tickets wouldn't ultimately stand up in court.

Every so often, the NYPD embarks on a massive campaign to ticket bikers, usually ignoring far more dangerous driver behavior like speeding and reckless driving. Bike advocates and riders around the city have tried for years to educate the NYPD and the City, yet they persist in these indiscriminate quota-driven campaigns. [TransAlt]

It appears that this latest dragnet was spurred by the death of a pedestrian who collided with a biker on the bridge. Although this is tragic, and we all bear the responsibility to bike safely, these occurrences are so rare that the NYPD should really be focusing on the real problems: the risk to bikers and drivers from driver misconduct. Charles Komanoff, president of the pedestrian rights organization Right Of Way conducted a study finding that between 1994 and 1997, motorists killed 1,020 pedestrians and cyclists - comprising 56% of all traffic fatalities. Of these, the vast majority were pedestrians. An analysis of fatal bicycle crashes with car found that most were caused by traffic-law violations by motorists. The primary types of driver misconduct were (1) driver passing cyclist unsafely or aggressively; (2) driver turning into cyclist’s path; (3) driver speeding; (4) driver running red light or stop sign.

(Correction - According to the Brooklyn Record, the ticket is for failing to dismount on the Manhattan side near the stairs to the 6 train. Brooklyn Ramblings has ridden across the bridge countless times, yet I have no idea where these stairs are, and therefore where I'm now expected to get off my bike. But ok, I guess I'm allowed to ride across, until the gotcha at the end. Thanks, NYPD.)

More coverage of this story:

Brooklyn Bridge Bikers Beware [Bay Ridge Conservative]

Cops on the Bridges [Bike Blog]
Into Our Town the NYPD Came [Streets Blog]
Photo of burning citation from Bay Ridge Conserative.

Sonja's Pocket Eats Guide

Here tis. Way too much time spent on this labor of love, lemme tell ya. At long last, here is a two page pocket guide of the best and most lauded cheap eats in the City, organized by borough and neighborhood. It's got a handy tri-fold so it'll fit into your back pocket, ready to get grease-stained and worn. Click on each page to enlarge & print it (remember to print or photocopy it double-sided).

Reviews and an interactive map for each borough:
The interactive map is searchable by restaurant name or your location, and includes many great places that don't fit on my two-page pocket guide.
The Bronx: reviews :: map
Manhattan: reviews :: map
Brooklyn: reviews :: map
Queens: reviews :: map
Staten Island: reviews :: map
Jersey: reviews :: map

Two Page Pocket Eats Guide:
I'm working on getting this higher quality (anyone know how to upload pdfs or docs to blogger?). Until then, if you want a better copy, email me at sonjashield@gmail.com.

Places to Eat - Queens

ASTORIA

Philoxenia (Village Voice) - 26-18 23rd Ave between 26th & 27th St. Greek. Possibly still closed.
*Koliba (Chowhound) - 31-11 23rd Ave. Czech-expat bar w/food.
Zlata Praha (Village Voice, Chowhound) - 28-48 31st St between Newtown & 30th Aves. Touristy Czech.
*Cevabdzinica Sarajevo (TwentyADay)- 37-18 34th Ave @ 38th St. Bosnian.
Papa's Empanadas (Village Voice) - 25-51 Steinway St. between 25th & 28th Ave. Columbian.
Sabry's (Village Voice) - 24-25 Steinway St. Alexandrian seafood emporium.
Zenon (Chowhound) - 34-10 31 Ave, between 34 and 35 streets. Cypriot.
Istrian Sport Club (Newsday, Chowhound, TONY) - 28-09 Astoria Blvd between 28th and 29th Sts, Astoria. Italian & Eastern European comfort food.
Eastern Nights (Village Voice) - 35-25 Steinway St. between 35th & 36th Ave. Egyptian.
Kabab Café (Village Voice) - 25-12 Steinway St between 25th & 28th Ave. Kabobs.
Stamatis (Village Voice) - 31-14 Broadway @ Steinway St. Greek.
*Muncan (Chowhound) - 43-09 Broadway @ 43rd St. Albanian.
Crispino's Famous Italian Ices (NY Daily News)- 203-20 35th Ave @ 203rd St. Italian.
Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden (Village Voice, New Yorker, Chowhound) - 29-19 24th Ave @ 29th St. Czech beer garden.
Hidalgo Mexican Food Products (NY Times) - 30-11 29th St @ 30th Ave, Astoria. Mexican grocery store/deli.
Cafe Kolonaki (NY Times) - 33-02 Broadway @ 33rd St, Astoria. Frappés.
General Astoria recommendations: see this Chowhound thread

LONG ISLAND CITY

Padaria Pao Nosso (Village Voice) - 37-03 31st Ave @ 37 St. Brazilian bakery.
Five Star Punjabi (Hungry Cabbie) - 315 43rd Ave btween 21st St & 13th St. Punjabi, Sikh cabbie haunt.
Tournesol (Village Voice) - 50-12 Vernon Blvd @ 50th Ave. New American.
Easy Street Lounge & Bar (NY Metro) - 36-18 Greenpoint Ave. Dive bar, cavernous ex-auto-repair shop.
Manducatis (NY Times, NY Bits, James Beard, NY Metro, RealEats) - 13-27 Jackson Ave between 47th Ave & 47th Rd. Classic Italian.
El Sitio De Astoria (NY Times) - 35-55 31st St between 35th & 36th Aves, Long Island City. Batidos.

FLUSHING

Ko Hang Soft Tofu (Village Voice) - 137-40 Northern Boulevard between College Pt & Parson Blvd. Tofu parlor.
Sichuan Dynasty (Village Voice, NY Mag, TONY)- 135-32 40th Rd between Main & Prince Sts. Sichuan.
Spicy & Tasty (Village Voice) - 37-09 Prince St between College Pt & Main St. Sichuan. Closed?
*Sentosa (Village Voice) - 39-07 Prince St @ 39th. "The city's premier Malaysian," says Sietsema.
Happy Family (Village Voice) - 36-35 Main St @ Northern Boulevard. Northern Chinese.
El Vincentino (Village Voice) - 43-37 162nd St between 43rd & 45th Ave. Salvadoran.
Everbest (Village Voice) - 41-01 Kissena Blvd between Roosevelt & 41st Ave, Flushing. South Chinese and Malaysian.
Dumpling Stall (Village Voice) - 40-52 Main St between Roosevelt & 41st Ave. Dumplings.
Afghan Kabab Palace (Village Voice) - 75-07 Parsons Blvd @ 75 Ave. Afghan.
Malagueta (Village Voice) - 25-35 36th Ave @ 28th St. Brazilian.
San Hai Jin Mi (Hungry Cabbie) - 36-24 Union St. Korean bbq, bulgogi.

JACKSON HEIGHTS

Pollos a La Brasa Mario (Village Voice) - 81-01 Roosevelt Ave @ 81 St.; 86-13 Roosevelt Ave.; 83-02 37th Ave. Colombian rotisseries.
Himalayan Yak (Village Voice) - 72-20 Roosevelt Ave between 72th & Broadway. Tibetan.
Tawa Deli (Village Voice) - 37-38 72nd St. Just Indian breads - paratha.
Karihan Ni Tata Bino (Village Voice) - 71-34 Roosevelt between 72nd St & Broadway. Filipino.
*Arunee Thai (Village Voice) - 37-68 79th St between 37th & Roosevelt. Thai.
El Chivito D'oro (TONY, OpenList) - 84-02 37 Ave @ 84 St. Uruguayan parrillada.
Zabb (Village Voice) - 71-28 Roosevelt Ave between 72nd & Broadway. Isaan Thai.
Indian Taj (Village Voice) - 37-25 74th St. All-you-can-eat buffet.
*La Portena (Village Voice, NY Metro) - 74-25 37th Ave between 74th & 75th St. Argentine grill.
*The Arepa Lady (New Yorker, Cheapo New York, Chowhound) - NW corner, Roosevelt Ave & 79th St. Columbian.
Los Chuzos y Algo Más (NY Times) - 79-01 Roosevelt Ave, Jackson Heights. Batidos.
Ranger Texas Barbeque (TONY) - 71-04 35th Ave btwn 71st and 72nd Sts, Jackson Heights. Barbeque.

WOODSIDE

*Sripraphai (Village Voice)- 64-13 39th Ave. Thai.
Ihawan (Village Voice) - 40-06 70th St @ Roosevelt Ave. Filipino barbecue joint.
Izalco (Village Voice) - 64-05 Roosevelt Ave @ 64th St & 39th Ave. Salvadoran.
Mi Bolivia (Village Voice) - 44-10 48th Ave between 44th & 45th St. Bolivian.

ELMHURST

Minangasli (Village Voice) - 86-10 Whitney Ave @ Broadway. Indonesian.
Mie Jakarta (Village Voice) - 86-20 Whitney Ave. Indonesian.
Mum Mam 1 Thai Cuisine (Chowhound) - 77-05 Woodside Ave @ 77th St. Thai.
Upi Jaya (Village Voice) - 76-04 Woodside Ave @ 76th St. Sumatran Indonesian.
Samwongahk (Village Voice) - 82-53 Broadway @ Elmhurst. Korean-Chinese café.
Warteg Fortuna (Village Voice) - 51-24 Roosevelt Ave between 43rd Ave & Queens Blvd. Working-class Indonesian.
*La Fusta (Village Voice) - 82-32 Baxter Ave, near Elmhurst hospital. Argentine grill.
Laura's Bakery (NY Times) - 90-18 Corona Ave, Elmhurst. Avena, champu.
Mazorca (Village Voice) - 83-17 Northern Boulevard, East Elmhurst. Columbian snacks.

SUNNYSIDE

Mangal (Village Voice) - 46-20 Queens Blvd & 47 St. Turkish lunch counter.
Romanian Garden (NYFood, TONY) - 46-04 Skillman Ave between 46th & 47th St. Romanian.

REGO PARK (The New York Times on Rego Park's Bukharian community)

*Cheburechnaya (Village Voice, Bridge & Tunnel Club) - 92-09 63rd Dr @ Austin, Rego Park. Uzbek kebab.
Shalom Restaurant (Village Voice, Bridge & Tunnel Club) 64-47 108th St between 64th Rd & 65th Ave, Rego Park. Central Asian Jewish - Bukharan.
Ben's Best (NY Times) - 96-40 Queens Blvd @ 63rd Drive, Rego Park. Incredible pastrami.
Cafe Arzu (Chowhound) - Queens Blvd near 67th Ave. Central Asian.

FOREST HILLS / KEW GARDENS / RICHMOND HILL

Salut (Village Voice, NY Mag, NY Metro, the Sterns, Jewish Forward) - 63-42 108th St between 63 Rd & 63 Dr, Forest Hills. Kosher Uzbeki.
Mickey's Place (Village Voice, Chowhound) - 101-16 Queens Blvd @ 67 Rd, Forest Hills. Neighborhood Japanese.
Eddie's (NY Times) - 105-29 Metropolitan Ave @ 72nd Ave, Forest Hills. Old-fashioned ice cream parlor.
*Uzbekistan Tandoori Bread (Bukharian Jews, Village Voice) - 120-35 83rd Ave @ Lefferts Blvd, Kew Gardens. Uzbekistani.
Jahn's (NY Times) - 117-03 Hillside Ave, Richmond Hill. Ice cream parlor.
Singh's Roti Shop #3 (Village Voice) - 118-06 Liberty Ave @ Lefferts, Richmond Hill. Guyanese and Trinidadian.

CORONA

Corona Heights Pork Store (NY Times) - 107-04 Corona Ave, Corona Heights, Queens. Hot heros.
Leo's Latticini (NY Times) - 46-02 104th St, Corona, Queens. Hot heros, homemade mozzarella.
*Lemon Ice King of Corona (About.com, photo)- 52-02 108th St., Corona, Queens. Italian ices.
La Vega (NY Times) - 103-07 Roosevelt Ave, Corona, Queens. Mexican grocery / restaurant.

MISC. QUEENS & LONG ISLAND

Pique y Pase (Village Voice) - 110-04 Lefferts Ave @ 109th Ave, Fresh Meadows, Queens. Ecuadoran.
Sol Bawoo (Village Voice) - 41-10 149th Place, Murray Hill, 41 Ave/Barclay, Fresh Meadows, Queens. Korean BBQ.
Indian Oasis (Village Voice) - 184-22 Horace Harding Expressway, Fresh Meadows, Queens, nr Kissena. Chinese/Indian.
La Xelaju (Queens Press, Chowhound)- 87-52 168 St near Hillside Avenue, Jamaica, Queens. Guatemalan.
Book Kyung Won (Village Voice) - 253-22 Northern Boulevard, Little Neck, Queens. Korean.
Fiza Diner (Village Voice) - 259-07 Hillside Avenue, Floral Park. Tandoori.
Taste of Portugal (NY Times, Chowhound) - 1075 Portion Rd, Farmingville. Portuguese.
Divers Cove (NY Metro) - 29-01 Francis Lewis Blvd, Bayside. Bona fide neighborhood tavern.