Eating In Translation

Great N.Y. Noodletown

Here's a good test for tender squid: Squeeze one end between two chopsticks, and nip off the other end with your teeth.

Bangkok Center Grocery

Better from the icebox than not at all.

Nita's European Bakery

Largely a Romanian bakery, by the looks of the newspapers behind the counter, though one was in Hungarian and two or three eluded quick identification.

Koglin Royal Hams

(This venue is closed.) This German-rooted provisioner's housemade ham lard — with onions, apples, herbs, and tiny cubes of schinken, or smoked pork loin — is absolutely decadent atop a crust of bread.

Charles' Country Pan Fried Chicken

Headed for Yankee Stadium? You can walk from the buffet to Babe Ruth Plaza in less than 20 minutes.

The Lemon Ice King of Corona

"Is it good?" asked the family next to me when I asked for a blueberry ice. Never tried it before, I told them; I ordered blueberry because the Mets were home that evening.

The Arepa Lady

Narrow and plump, or wide, flat, and folded, you can't go wrong.

Da Andrea

Tentacles and tubers may seem an unlikely pairing.

Taste the Tropics

I could've used a dropcloth myself.

Sandy Restaurant

Lech.

Leo's Latticini

You'll be greeted by very friendly servers, too.

Sullivan St. Bakery

Sparing but not spartan.

Leske's Bakery

(This venue is closed.) "The neighborhood has changed," noted the lady behind the counter of this Bay Ridge bakery.

Shake Shack

Here's the best-dressed dog in town.

Chip Shop

Like the sign says, they don't do French.

Krik Krak

This tiny Haitian restaurant sits across from a playground on a dingy stretch of Amsterdam Avenue, but the colorful interior and a friendly "bonjours" quickly put that out of mind.

Grandaisy Bakery

Artichoke: It's not only for Artichoke.

Silver Moon Bakery

At Silver Moon, "brioche" can a flexible term.

Upi Jaya

It's a colorful way to spice up your day.

Mi Mexico Lindo

Mi Mexico Lindo is no beauty itself, but it offers towering wheeled racks and expansive windowside shelves filled with pastries like these bready puffs, plumped with stiff vanilla custard ($1).