Jackson Heights Life

I am not confused by Laly's menu--had both the mercian fare, the brunch fare and the burger--all were really good.  The burger was better than the one offered at Queensboro.  I find more that I want to eat to Laly's then at the Queensboro--which seems to have a lot of pizza and pasta, but the name is hardly Italian.  Both places are good additions to neighborhood.  Queensboro is very busy serving cocktails, beer and wine.  I think once Laly's starts serving alcohol it may get more crowded.  Hope both continue to do well. 

I agree with you on Spilt milk... loved the food, but could not figure out what they were going for.

But I am not sure I agree that this is the problem for Laly's..

Quote from: BennyB on October 02, 2018, 12:07:49 PM

Let's contrast Laly's with the Queensboro. The Queensboro is unquestionably an "American restaurant." How can we tell?

1. It has an American-sounding name

What do you mean by an "American-sounding name"?

Quote from: BennyB on October 02, 2018, 12:07:49 PM

1. Choose what cuisine you're going to be: American, Mexican or diner

American/Mexican is an extremely popular fusion cuisine, look up Tex-Mex.

Quote from: BennyB on October 02, 2018, 12:07:49 PM

Let's contrast Laly's with the Queensboro. The Queensboro is unquestionably an "American restaurant." How can we tell?

1. It has an American-sounding name
2. The decor is similar to other American restaurants
3. The food is all the type that's served at other American restaurants and it's all of a similar quality (opposed to how Laly's offers Buffalo Wings and a Kale Salad on the same menu)

Taking a quick look at the Queensboro menu, I see:
- Spicy popcorn chaat [Indian]
- Shishito peppers [Korean/Japanese]
- Pasta (several types) [Italian-ish]
- Thai Steak Salad [Thai]
- Scallops [Japanese-style I think?]
- Burgers ["American"]


Queensboro doesn't seem to have food that is all the same "type that's served at other American restaurants"... these seem like pretty diverse, fusion options to me.
And they certainly don't offer "all one type of food". IMO, this fusion is working pretty well... if that's what you're going for. I like their food and I like Laly's food. I don't think the suggestion of picking one cuisine, and offering one type of food is necessarily advantageous..

I mean a name that makes people think "American restaurant" or "Bistro" or something. Here are some names of actual restaurants in NYC and I bet you can guess what kind of restaurant it is just by the name:

New Dragon
La Pequena Colombia
Bamonte's
Doughnut Plant

Do you see what I'm getting at here? When you hear the name "Laly's" do you think of a restaurant that is serving a steak frites and kale salad?

As far as the food served at the Queensboro. The pasta, shishito peppers, etc is served at bistro style restaurants all over NYC. They did not make that up. And the popcorn chaat is them trying to show they are influenced by the neighborhood.

And if they want to do Tex-Mex, fine. But that's a separate thing and different from "American and Mexican food." They can do what they want but I think some, if not all of my suggestions would help them succeed.

Why do you think they don't have more business?

The implication seems to be that restaurants should stay in a narrow lane and not innovate.  I disagree.  El Rico Tinto was beloved precisely because it added an innovative spin on traditional dishes.  And they expanded on the traditional offerings with excellent burgers, salads, and vegetarian options.

Laly's seems to be aiming for a similar mix, although with a bit less flair than El Rico Tinto.  I think that once people catch on, Laly's will do quite well.  Personally, it took me quite a while just to walk in the door, due to my visceral aversion to McDonald's.

So I finally tried a dish at Laly's and I had the chicken quesadillas and I found them to be good, nothing out of this world but still yummy. I don't know why people are so concerned with the name and whether it sounds American or Mexican - if the food and service are good, would you really stop going cause of the name Laly's? Honestly, my only concern is that the menu is out of my price range. With so many mexican food options, I can find a more affordable chicken quesadilla that is yummie. The other day I wanted to order a Kale salad for delivery the other day and when I looked at Laly's as an option, I would have had to pay over $20 for a kale salad with added chicken to be delivered. I'm sure their rent is very high so their prices might be influenced by that, but personally I cannot afford to pay that much for a salad.

I plan to go today. Thanks.

I've been three  times and every time was good! Maybe I will try take-out/delivery at some point.

Just want to put in another good word for Laly's. It has become our go-to place for delivery on weekday nights when we are too busy to cook. I'd estimate we've ordered from them about ten times. The food is always warm when it arrives, despite the fact that we live a distance away (85th/35th). It is delivered promptly and is carefully packed/packaged. The owner, who usually delivers the food, is very friendly. And most importantly, the food is delicious! It is made with fresh, high-quality ingredients and is always perfectly cooked and seasoned.

We’re going to go there for brunch on Saturday. However, I think they could
help themselves more - eg thr web site still has a picture saying”restaurant coming” which would leave someone to believe its not open yet. I mentioned this to the staff the
Other day when I picked up a menu but when I checked it’s still the same.

I’m actually helping them with that. Hang tight. Really want this place to do well, and wanted to do more to push them along.