Zora O'Neill - Bio of Astoria's Roving Gastronome

When Zora O'Neill got off the N train in Astoria, Queens, in 1998 she knew she'd found the best place to live in the city. She was convinced not only by the great mix of people on the streets, but also, as a dedicated home cook, by the beautiful pile of eggplants she saw at the 24-hour greengrocer on 30th Avenue.

Her love of her neighborhood inspired her to start the Roving Gastronome blog in 2004. The blog also includes her adventures as a travel-guide author for Lonely Planet, Rough Guides and Moon Handbooks. She has authored titles on Mexico, Egypt, Amsterdam, New Mexico, and New York City, always with a particular emphasis on restaurants and street snacks.

When she's at home, she helps out her friend Tamara with the Sunday-night dinners (sometimes on Saturday) that have been converting skeptics to the Queens lifestyle since 2005.