54-46, that's my number: the Queens thread

http://sunnysidepost.com/2011/07/17/indianchinese-restaurant-to-open/

So after 5+ years in the area, we finally went to Natural Tofu. I don't know why we waited so long, it was pretty great. I had the Tofu with kimchee and beef and it was great. GF had the "vegetarian" and it was filled with american broccoli and cauliflower and had little taste. I told her next time she should just get the kimchee one and ask them to hold the beef.

I went to Chao Thai with a group of friends last week - all the flavors were excellent but the meat itself seemed fairly mediocre as compared to, say, Ayada. However, we went specifically to get a bunch of dishes made as spicy as possible, and the shaved mango salad with softshell crab almost killed everyone. Def would go back.

Also, this is a block away from Chao Thai and I need to get to it v v soon:
http://theeatenpath.com/2011/07/21/uncle-zhou-restaurant-hand-pulled-noodles-henan-cuisine-83-29-broadway-elmhurst-queens-ny/

Yeah, I've never been there. It used to be up the block near the indonesian restaurants but now it's around the corner in the spot that used to be Oz.

Chao's heat has seriously killed me, but I've liked the meat. Once I saw everyone getting some grilled pork on a stick thing and ordered it and it was mindblowing. Recently went with friends and ordered the pork sate and it wasn't the same thing and wasn't super great. It's the regular grilled pork on a stick app that kills.
GF is vegetarian so we get the mock duck basil which is super spicy with green beans. I also love the sour sausage fried rice.

We just had a few really bad experiences at Srip, reminding us never to go on weekends. Really watered down flavors. Not just a question of spice.

We haven't been blown away by Ayada and generally prefer Srip or Chao. Been meaning to try Ploy Thai, which I'd read was good but New York or someone just did a review that mentioned a dish that sounds amazing.

our bad exps with srip are generally regarding the amount of time we have to wait for our food to come

we were there last night and it was fine, tho

why don't these places deliver????

I like the atmosphere at Chao Thai, but the food's a little spicy for me.

I ate with two vegetarians at Happy Buddha in Flushing the other day ... their pretend meat was good.

We should all go out for drinks at Terraza sometime.

You were not there last night. THEY'RE CLOSED ON WEDNESDAY'S!

Srip does great takeout though. I think they generally assume you're a pro so they don't dumb it down too much. And they pack it wonderfully, keeping various elements separate so you can combine them when you get home.

I was trying to remember if it was yesterday or the day before but I couldn't remember what I had for dinner yesterday so I figured it must have been yesterday.

gf always refused to do srip takeout. I like eating at home *much much* more than she does. if it were up to me I'd pretty much never eat at a restaurant.

also I am good for drinks at terr whenever

well not this weekend but most of the time

I thought the Da Mole suggestion above was for margaritas, so I went last night and was upset that they weren't on the menu . . . but I see it was for sangria after all . . . so I guess I can't be mad. I wasn't too impressed with Da Mole anyway. I looked at two apartments in Sunnyside yesterday . . . but I'm not sure I'm ready to leave Astoria. Is Queens Boulevard a real demarcation line, like, it is significantly different to live in the north or the south part of Sunnyside? Most of the places I'm seeing are just south of QB, but I guess north has more cachet?

when we were looking for a place I was hoping we'd end up north, but I'm actually very glad we're south. there's just more stuff, most importantly, grocery stores...

I think if you live between 43rd ave and 47th ave crossing queens blvd for something isn't a big deal, but if you're further down you'd prob stick to your side.

but w/r/t to your question north is whiter, calmer, more teens and families.

south is very hispanic in some areas, esp around greenpoint + more old irish people.

De Mole isn't as special as it once was. It was never mind-blowing, just solid, tasty, cheap mexican food in a friendly place. I think when they expanded they dropped off a bit. It's still good for delivery and the occasional visit and certain dishes are better than others, though they're not always consistent. But not a destination restaurant. The tinga is really good, shrimp cocktail, enchiladas, mole burrito.

North and South are very different but it's the same basic neighborhood. South is cheaper. North is beautiful and charming but overrated restaurant-wise. It's a real shame as Skillman could be the hidden gem of the city of the restaurants were actually any good. Quaint is good.

The QB restaurants I stand by are Mangal Kabab and Natural Tofu. Not far from De Mole is another mexican place called Real Sante Fe, started as a steakhouse trying to sell margaritas to sorority girls (who have Ariba Ariba on QB anyway) but now seems to be more about tacos? I had great Al Pastor from them and they were cooking pigs ear tacos in the window, so they're the real deal and I've been meaning to revisit.

Woodside is cheaper still!

we've only had real santa fe delivery. it was okay. despite the atmosphere, our #2 choice for mexican in the neighborhood is arriba arriba. (chips is horrid.)

have you been to salt&fat yet dan? I keep kosher so that place is basically useless to me, but apparently the yelp-types like it.

always packed too

It's not (my) girlfriend-friendly food-wise

ah yeah I remember you said she's veg

And seafood but still. Place is very bacon happy.

to say the least

pretty sure the water is bacon flavored

I feel like the success of the place is sorta a sign of things to come tho. I walk by it very frequently and it's pretty clearly doing great business.

I split with a broker at that corner and peered into Salt and Fat. It looked interesting.

Looks like I'm moving to Sunnyside!

woohoo where at?

42nd St., south of QB. Is that an ok place to live? It feels so disconcerting to be leaving Astoria, thankfully I am only going about a mile away.

a block from me is a good place to live

really tho, I've found it to be really great

Close to Wendy's. But also close to that weird russian jewish supermarket with the best beer selection I've ever seen.

also 3 seconds from (the newly renovated) associated supermarket, which is the best supermarket I've seen in western queens

plus the 24/7 cvs

Cool, a good supermarket is high on my list of essentials. And proximity to iatee, of course:)

when do you move? we should get coffee.

http://gothamist.com/2011/08/10/food_truck_sanctuary_opens_in_long.php

on the one hand cool, food, on the other hand doesn't this sorta hamper local biz development? that part of LIC is kinda 9-5 I guess.

For sure on the coffee. If all goes well, Sept. 1.

Oh no! Dumpster pools!

Btw, is the 7 fucked every weekend?

it happens in phases, but generally it's not as bad as it's been the last few weekends. ime the astoria service changes are actually worse because when you have to make a reverse-transfer trip (which isn't super frequent on the 7, though there have been periods in the past where it was worse) you're doing it on a line that's less frequent (x2).

when the 7 doesn't go to times square, it's generally not the end of the world, but it's always going to be an unpleasant experience at QBP.

so on my way home from the Mets game, should I eat at M Wells, as it's closing soon?

they're eventually reopening in another spot in lic + apparently the lines are even worse than normal cause they're closing (/moving). so only if you've got patience, I guess.

it's probably too late but they're having closing dinners at 200/dinner so I'd think it's probably not a good idea!

maybe I should get the bkfast sandwich on the way out, then

$200? ffs

rip queens

Good riddance, I hate that place. M. Wells, not Queens.

C'mon. Hottest/most hyped restaurant in the city suddenly shuts down, requests for reservations go through the roof so they decide to do a few nights of crazy expensive foie-drenched meals. Let them have it! The food was a mixed bag but when it was good it was great and unique.

Didn't go. I don't ...relate... to food this way.

sorry to be all save-an-elitist dining establishment but their food was super affordable for what it was. They just set up a few special dinners in the last week of existence at that location. Let's not get crazy. It was a totally casual place that served adventurous and interesting meals for reasonable prices.

ate at William-hallet on 30th ave last night.they have some pretty good pub sandwiches.

pretty crazy review / article about M. Wells in GQ. critic goes there, gets bad service, some of his friends dining with him keep mouthing off (he admits), then the owner sends an email accusing him of patting his waitress on the ass

http://www.gq.com/food-travel/alan-richman/201109/alan-richman-m-wells-restaurant-scandal-review?currentPage=all

gonna give the restaurant the benefit of the doubt since it's gq