new stuff in queens/long island

[shoelace]

I feel like an old lady posting this, but this morning I was chatting with a former student who is now in grad school, and we were talking about kosher options in the area

anyway, she was saying that she finds better stuff in teaneck than in queens/li, so she heads there instead when shes not in the mood to stay in the city, and i was saying that there seemed to be a lot more affordable but still good options in queens/long island when i was in my early 20s

but then she said that a lot of new stuff had opened but that they werent really at a student budget point

so my question is what is new in queens, im talking, thats opened in the last 5 years but is still open and is worth a try

i dotn mind a little more than student budget, but only if its worth it

[gotcholent]

Even after living in NYC for 14yrs, I still felt like a tourist this past Friday while driving down Main St in Kew Gardens for the first time. Having grown up in a west Texas town which in it's heyday had but 1 butcher/deli, I could not help but be star-eyed at the block after block after block of restaurants, take-outs, kosher markets and you name it. But as it was erev Shabbas, and I in the rush of a lifetime, I could not even make single stop. So to narrow the OP's question down a little, if I had to make a single stop in Kew Gardens or anywhere in Queens for the matter, where is the best CHOW? (on a student budget as per OP's ?)

[shoelace]

thats like asking whats your favorite movie

i cant answer that question without being giving a genre

but i have to say, i have a feeling that l'bella is going to become a major go to for me

[gotcholent]

lock, stock and two smokin barrels =-)

[shoelace]

damn

like i said, im a big fan of l'bella- delicious pasta with sauces that taste like they were made just for you, and perfectly cooked fish
only complaint- if you're an appetizer person, i thought the selections were kinda boring
BUT, the fresh bread at the table actually tastes like fresh bread which is pretty rare in queens, and its served with a compound butter that will make you close your eyes involuntarily when you take a bite

for meat- im embarrassed to say grill point, eventhough im there much less frequently bc they didnt have an A rating in the fall and that skeeves me- and my go to is beef steak in a pita (not laffa) with humus charif and turkish salad, chips on the side

[sl96]

You like Grill Point better than HaPisgah? I don't go there often, but when I do, its always so yummy. i realize its not on Main Street but its close enough.

[shoelace]

no question
ive gone to hapisgah many times, and many times its been good, but ive also had had bad food there a bunch of times, to the extent that i havent been back in years
ive never had anything that was off from grill point

at grill point everything always tastes and smells fresh and in my opinion their salatim are far superior

i know this is controversial, but to me freshness is a huge deal

[sl96]

I'm sure its not on a student budget but Chateau Steakhouse is fairly new. Plan on trying it next week. In the 5 Towns, Upper Crust (dairy) opened up a few months ago. Not too expensive and a diner atmosphere with fun (some very cheesy) food.

[shoelace]

where in the 5ts is upper crust?

chateau is supposed to be amazing, but definitely not anywhere near student budget

hoping to head there at the end of the month

we also did l'bella, the sit down, not the pizza place, this week, and i thought it was pretty reasonable, and the food was delicious

muscat, which is on the small list of sit down dairy in queens drives me crazy, bc to me, 15$ on pasta when you can tell that it came straight out of a jar (and not a great jar either) really aggravates me

l'bella runs in the mid teens for pasta, but the sauces taste super fresh and are delicious

[berel]

We love L'bella

[cb3]

L'Bella has great food. I've never been disappointed there. My new favorite place is Turnpike Cafe, not far from Muscat. It's a smaller place, but the tables are nice, service is good, and I love their menu. Try the cajun tilapia wrap.

[shoelace]

it it east or west of muscat, any clue of the cross street?

[cb3]

East. It's on union right off 188th st.

[shoelace]

attached to the bagel store?

[cb3]

Nope. It's across 188th from the bagel store, same side of Union, a couple of storefronts off the corner.

[sl96]

Upper Crust is on Central Avenue. I think its the same block as Crawfords. A block (same side) as Oh Nuts. Very interesting pizzas, including a few that are fake meat.

I think a new sushi place has opened in the 5 Towns as well. Sushi Tokyo also on Central Avenue. I think a friend of mine went and said it was good (all these places are becoming a blur to me).

I'm also not a fan of Muscat and don't get why its so popular. Never heard of Turpike Cafe. Will check it out.