Previously you might have found such provisions at the long-vanished Hungarian restaurant around the corner.
Today items like this Hungarian salami (half-pound, at $12 per pound) vanish quickly — that is, early in the day — because there's so little to go 'round. This family-owned butcher shop makes its cold cuts and sausages by hand, and may be the last in the city to operate its own smokehouse. (One of the last, at least; see comments below.) Though the hot-smoking process eliminates the need for additives and preservatives, many of Empire's specialties do not travel well unless kept cool. I was assured that the salami was backpack-friendly; even so, by the time I returned home my stock was considerably reduced.
Empire Market
14-26 College Point Blvd. (14th Ave.-14th Rd.), College Point, Queens
718-359-0209
www.Empire-Market.com
