Jackson Heights Life

Hi HFM,

Sorry that you think it is a "bad move" for me to suggest that Arrepa Lady is about media hype and that what she is selling is unhealthy, greasy, junk food, and a third rate version of a good crepe, which is what it is.

I was responding to the original question, and strongly recommended Saw Shack, with which you may or may not agree, serves much better food.

P.S. Why is it a "bad move" for me to express my view on this?

I disagree. I will take Arepa Lady over Saw Shack any day, especially when we have much better Chinese offerings in Elmhurst. I have tried Saw Shack twice and it served me nothing but "unhealthy, greasy, junk food, and a third rate version of" American-Chinese food. We may have different standards on these completely different cuisines.

About your comment on chef, I am curious to know your opinion on Casa Del Chef. Though the restaurant is in Woodside, chef Alfonso Zhicay comes from Ecuador and adds some Ecuadorean elements into many dishes of his tasting menu (at least when I visited a few months ago.)

Btw, I think @jaynahjosselyn has a very good school project that shows not only the diversity of food culture around here but also the diversity of opinions

jaynahjosselyn,

Sounds like a great and fun school project. I wish when I was growing up on Long Island, I could have had such a diverse and interesting mix of cultures, especially when it comes to the food, around me to be able to complete a project like this which out having to take the train an hour into NYC.

And before this topic goes down the hole that so many discussions on this site does with bickering, I wanted to point out a great article regarding a great ambassador of Queens food, Joe DiStefano, from the WSJ this weekend. He may be a great resource for your project. http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-ambassador-of-a-foodie-haven-1449274994

I finally tried Aroma Brazil and it is now one of my favorite S. American restaurants in the neighborhood.  All the food I tried at the Sunday buffet was delicious and healthy--nothing was greasy. 

My new favorite Mexican is Julquila--better quality and nicer decor than most of the other Mexican/taquerias in the neighborhood.

Los Arrieros on Roosevelt/76th has some simple, homestyle Colombian food.

For a food project, the original Phayul and any of the many Thai restaurants are recommended for Asian.  For food quality, our Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi restaurants seem lacking.  I typically go to Dera on Bway/72nd or Dosa Diner on 73rd.

Julquila

I'm a big fan of Dosa Delight, La Cabana, Saw Shack and El Pollo Inka Peru.

I think Juju's should be on the list.  Also, if you're including Elmhurst at all, I love Ayada Thai.  If you're not including Elmhurst, then another favorite Thai place is Kitchen 79, which someone has already mentioned above.

My favorite cafes are Espresso 77 and Addictive Coffee (aka Addictive Wine and Tapas).

I agree with Shelby2 in that Juju's is a good choice to include.  While the cafe's proprietor, Sam, serves-up the usual coffee shop fare, eggs, bagels and the like, he does so quite well.  Also, what's cool about Juju's is that his customer base reflects some of the diversity that Jackson Heights is known for.  On any given day, you'll hear varied languages being spoken and see an equally varied group of age ranges represented.

Quote from: Shelby2 on December 14, 2015, 08:41:51 AM

I think Juju's should be on the list.  Also, if you're including Elmhurst at all, I love Ayada Thai.  If you're not including Elmhurst, then another favorite Thai place is Kitchen 79, which someone has already mentioned above.

My favorite cafes are Espresso 77 and Addictive Coffee (aka Addictive Wine and Tapas).

I agree with Shelby2 in that Juju's is a good choice to include.  While the cafe's proprietor, Sam, serves-up the usual coffee shop fare, eggs, bagels and the like, he does so quite well.  Also, what's cool about Juju's is that his customer base reflects some of the diversity that Jackson Heights is known for.  On any given day, you'll hear varied languages being spoken and see an equally varied group of age ranges represented.

Actually, Sam puts a slight twist on some of his dishes-they are  original plates even in the realm 'coffee shop genre' 

Actually, Sam puts a slight twist on some of his dishes-they are  original plates even in the realm 'coffee shop genre'

Absolutely!  I'm glad you pointed that out, Songodd.  Sam is pretty creative, and that's reflected in his dishes, in addition to his flair for holiday decor.

It's just a fact that what Arrepa Lady is selling makes McDonalds look like health food.

The media hype around Areppa Lady is entirely about ignoring this.

This is heart attack stuff, and garbage as food.

God forbid that a Jackson Heights resident should say something so patently obvious.