Eating In Translation

Chalupas Poblanas El Tlecuile: The Real Thing Drops in Queens

"Late on a weekend afternoon, the clamor that greets us is intense, even for Queens. As we descend from the elevated 7 train to Junction Blvd., on the border between the neighborhoods of Jackson Heights and Corona, dozens of street vendors make themselves known by the display of their wares and by their come-ons, spoken mostly in Spanish, to passersby.

"During a half-block walk north, on the eastern, sunnier, side of the boulevard, we find sidewalk vendors selling perfume and jewelry, wallets and mobile phone cases, masks arrayed like a collection of pinned butterflies and a yapping, battery-powered Dalmatian puppy. There’s plenty to snack on, too: meat-laden skewers, roasted nuts, tamales, ices on a stick and by the scoop.

"We also notice, as we pass the storefronts, a self-identified 'Mexican-inspired fast-food chain.' It doesn’t even slow us down, not with the promise of outdoor cooking just ahead, at Chalupas Poblanas El Tlecuile." Read more on Culinary Backstreets.

Memories of Shanghai: A Dim Sum House Grows in Queens

Your booth is ready: Memories of Shanghai has expanded from a dim sum counter, at the back of an alley, and now occupies the cozy confines of a former diner in Forest Hills, Queens. In the hands of founding chef Xueling Zhang, the xiao long bao are still great; thanks to his colleague Shengming Zhou, the menu also offers grander enticements such as sweet and sour fish. Read more on Culinary Backstreets.

Boishakhi: A Journey to Bangladesh, via Ozone Park

In New York, where many restaurants advertise an "Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi" menu and offer a bill of fare rooted in the north of India, customers not raised on Bangladeshi cuisine often conflate it with the food of its larger neighbor. As a hub for Eurasian traders for many centuries, however, Bangladesh has developed its own delicious combinations of cardamom and clove, coriander and chile pepper — and acquired a special love for river-going fish such as ilish, also known as hilsa (shown above).

Last autumn, Tozammel Tanzil and his longtime friend Khaled Khan (shown below) introduced Boishakhi, a Bangladeshi restaurant, to the southern Queens neighborhood of Ozone Park. Yet despite the temptations of ilish pulao — fatty fish and fluffy rice — opening a restaurant during the pandemic was a "big risk," says Khaled. "People don’t want to take chances on food they don’t know,” adds Tozammel. Get better acquainted on Culinary Backstreets.

Bolivian Llama Party: Pump Up the Salteñas

At a glance, a salteña "resembles nothing more than a fat baked empanada — a resemblance that can vanish with one incautious bite." Read about the Oropeza brothers, their restaurant Bolivian Llama Party, and their salteñas on Culinary Backstreets.

Big aLICe Brewing: Farm to Keg

"Lemongrass kölsch, jalapeño rye, blackberry pomegranate sour, sweet potato farmhouse. Beers at Big aLICe Brewing, in Long Island City, can be eye-catchingly colorful, but they also embody deeper stories, with local color not apparent at first sight.

"Big aLICe is a New York State farm brewery. That status, which mandates certain levels of collaboration with local growers and other producers, also dovetails nicely with the predisposition of co-founder Kyle Hurst toward wildly varied styles and flavors of beer." Read more on Culinary Backstreets.

Nneji: The Nigerian Connection

"We've tried our best to return to deeper ways of cooking,” says Beatrice Ajaero. "Beatrice and her mother have wanted to share West African culinary culture with their friends and neighbors for many years," and in June her grocery and takeaway restaurant Nneji (nn-Nay-jee) "brought the rare and tempting prospect of Nigerian food" to Astoria, Queens. Read more on Culinary Backstreets.

Max & Mina's Ice Cream: Taste Makers

Bruce and Mark Becker of Max & Mina's Ice Cream, in Kew Gardens Hills, Queens, have a repertoire of more than 10,000 flavors (not all at once, of course); the current house favorite reflects the shop's wildly diverse decor. Read more on Culinary Backstreets.

Staying Alive: Queens Restaurants Navigate the Pandemic

The pandemic that swept into Queens exacted a terrible toll on many families, compounded by the mandated closure of houses of worship and other centers of community support, and by the shutdown of all but essential services. Under strict guidelines that only lately have begun to loosen, restaurants, bakeries, and other food businesses have been permitted to remain open. How are they faring? Read more on Culinary Backstreets.

Cut and Run: Astoria's Pizza Slice Joints

Sold by the slice, pizza is emblematic of New York City. It's an inexpensive antidote to hunger pangs that can be ordered quickly, and eaten quickly, even on the go. Think of Tony Manero, the John Travolta character in Saturday Night Fever, double-decking a pair of slices while strutting through Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.

At a less bouncy pace, we recently visited Astoria, Queens, in search of good slices. Read more on Culinary Backstreets.

(A few) Best Bites 2019: Queens

For Culinary Backstreets, here are several of my favorites of 2019, in the company of a few more from CB Queens correspondent Ike Allen. See also my Best Bites for 2018 and 2017.