500389 Tue Mar 18 13:38:27 -0700 2008 7 19 Outer Boroughs 0 3504962 Are you new to Chowhound? Or just to the Outer Boroughs board? Perhaps visiting from out of town? We've got some tips to help you get started. If you're brand new to the site, you should read our Site Etiquette (http://www.chowhound.com/topics/367605) before you start posting. This board is focused on discussing chow in New York City outside of Manhattan -- Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and The Bronx. For tips on Manhattan, please see http://www.chowhound.com/boards/18 For other parts of the Tristate area, including Northern NJ, Long Island, Southeastern CT, and NY Counties North of NYC, please see http://www.chowhound.com/boards/20 For a complete list of boards available, click on the down arrow next to the word 'Chowhound' in the navigation bar. We've divided up this thread into separate posts, just to make things neater. Please read to the end. Tue Mar 18 13:38:27 -0700 2008 2 The Chowhound Team 1 3504965 HAVE A HOT TIP? If you've got a great tip or a recommendation for someone, dive right in and post it. It's great if you can include some details of why you like a place, but even those short tips on where to find a great sfogliatelle or banh mi are appreciated. If you need help starting a new thread, check out the FAQ: http://www.chowhound.com/faq#topic Tue Mar 18 13:39:06 -0700 2008 3504962 2 The Chowhound Team 1 3504966 HAVE A QUESTION? The Outer Boroughs board is a pretty active place, and a lot of questions have been covered recently--the Chowhound archives are a great resource. Start your quest for an answer with a search of all the great info that's already out there. There's a 'SEARCH THIS BOARD' link at the top of each board and thread -- it's next to the name of the board. 'Search this board' is a quick way to search the last year's worth of posts on your current board to find recent mentions of your subject. Just add your keywords and go. On the search results page, you can change your search criteria to add more keywords, or change your sort order or the dates you're interested in. Tue Mar 18 13:39:18 -0700 2008 3504962 2 The Chowhound Team 1 3504967 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON THE OUTER BOROUGHS BOARD: Here are just a few of the subjects that are common on the Outer Boroughs board, and some suggestions on how to find that information: RESTAURANTS THAT ARE DISCUSSED EXTENSIVELY: There are lots of detailed past discussions about these restaurants, including in-depth discussions of when to go and what to order. Do a search on the restaurant name, or check out the Places entry for links to threads about them. DiFara Pizza http://www.chow.com/places/8709 Peter Luger http://www.chow.com/places/13483 Spicy Mina http://www.chow.com/places/4976 Sripraphai http://www.chow.com/places/13847 Red Hook Ball Fields http://www.chow.com/places/2728 Al Di La http://www.chow.com/places/8710 WHERE SHOULD WE EAT IN PARK SLOPE? Or other frequently discussed neighbourhoods? The options in these neighborhoods get a lot of discussion on the boards. Try searching the neighborhood name -- and add the type of cuisine for more specific results -- for lots of information: Flushing Forest Hills/Rego Park Sunnyside Astoria Woodside Jackson Heights Long Island City -- search LIC Northern Blvd -- also search Northern Boulevard Queens Blvd -- also search Queens Boulevard LOCATIONS AND EVENTS People often ask about where to eat near these attractions and events. Try searching for them by name, as well as any nicknames they might be known by: Yankee Stadium -- searchYankee Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) -- search BAM US Open -- search "US Open" or "U.S. Open" The 7 train -- search "7 train" or "7 line" WHERE'S THE BEST STREET CART? Or korean fried chicken? Or brunch? Or pizza? Or bakery? Or any other type of food? Search terms to try: title:"best plus the name of the food" (example: title:"best pizza"). This is a situation where the Outer Boroughs Places Hub can really help. Choose your cuisine of choice from the list for local Places tagged with that cuisine, then check out the threads to find out more about them. The Places Hub is here: http://www.chow.com/places/regions/19 WHERE SHOULD WE GO FOR OUR SPECIAL OCCASION? Search terms to try: anniversary, "special occasion", proposal, romantic, birthday These might not all apply to your particular occasion, but they generally turn up the same kind of recommendations. WHERE SHOULD I HOLD MY GROUP DINNER? Search terms to try: "private room", "buy out", corporate, group, "holiday party", "large group" For information on more advanced search options, see the Search FAQ: http://www.chowhound.com/faq#find Tue Mar 18 13:39:30 -0700 2008 3504962 2 The Chowhound Team 1 3504968 STILL HAVE A QUESTION? Chowhounds are a great resource, but help them help you by including some important details. Tell them: - Where you'll be -- this board covers a very large area. Mention which Borough you're searching in or if you're willing to travel. Add a neighbourhood, cross-street or train line if you're trying to stay in a specific area. - How far or how long you're willing to travel and how you're getting around. Have a car? Sticking with the subway? Let them know. - What your budget is. Descriptions such as 'expensive', 'moderate' and 'cheap' mean different things to different people, so use dollar values. - What types of cuisines you're interested in. - Any other special circumstances (traveling with kids? vegetarians? non-chowhounds?) that will help If you've done some of your own research, mention what you found so hounds can help fill in the gaps, rather than rehashing what you already know. Tue Mar 18 13:39:36 -0700 2008 3504962 2 The Chowhound Team 1 3504970 AFTER YOUR MEAL Most importantly, after your trip or your meal, thank the local hounds for their help by reporting back. Tell people which suggestions you used and how the meals turned out, plus add tips about any great places you discovered on your own. This helps make the board more useful for everyone who visits after you. Tue Mar 18 13:39:42 -0700 2008 3504962 2 The Chowhound Team 1 3504971 OUTER BOROUGHS SPECIFICS LOCAL VOCABULARY Here are some things you might see referred to on the Outer Boroughs board: BAM - Brooklyn Academy of Music LIC - Long Island City LIE - Long Island Expressway LINKS Add a new topic to the Outer Boroughs board: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/19/new Get transit directions: http://www.hopstop.com/ Tue Mar 18 13:39:49 -0700 2008 3504962 2 The Chowhound Team 1 3504973 FEEDBACK If there's something you think is vitally important for new members of the board to know that we've missed, please comment on this Site Talk thread: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/458606 Tue Mar 18 13:39:54 -0700 2008 3504962 2 The Chowhound Team