Queens Restaurant Week lasts only two weeks. Find participating restaurants and make sure to call the restaurants for reservations and more details on their special menus.
- More - Queens Restaurant Week
Great for Neighborhood Spirit and Closest to Manhattan
Photo (c) Meg Cotner
Chief Chowhound Jim Leff considers his options and goes for Tournesol: "I'd love a $20 lunch at Piccola Venezia (42-01 28th Ave), Zum Stammtisch (69-46 Myrtle Ave, Glendale), or Trattoria L'Incontro (21-76 31st St, Astoria), but alas, those guys aren't on the list. So I'd probably venture to Tournesol Restaurant, which I've always wanted to try. I hear the cooking there runs hot and cold, but that there's great neighborhood spirit, and I'm big on neighborhood spirit."
Bonus - As the crow flies, or the 7 subway glides under the East River, Tournesol is about as close to Midtown Manhattan as it gets in Queens.
Best Bang for the Buck, Best Steak, and Best Argentinean
La Fusta, 80-32 Baxtor Ave, Elmhurst, NY, 718-429-8222Mighty Argentinean grill La Fusta earns a couple of top nods. NYC foodie and writer Krista Garcia says, "Restaurant Week is kind of about bang for the buck, so for my $20.07 I would hope for something grilled and meaty from La Fusta, the oldest Argentinean restaurant in NYC."
But it's not just the oldest, according to Seth Kugel, coauthor of the Nueva York book and blog: "La Fusta is the greatest Argentine restaurant in Elmhurst, in Queens, in New York, and I would say the world if it weren't for some stiff competition in Argentina. Totally non-pretentious, humongous portions, pasta for your vegetarian date, a dulce-de-leche-filled crepe flambé, plenty of English spoken."
Best of Little India and Best in Jackson Heights
Delhi Palace, 37-54 74th St, Jackson Heights, NY 11372, 718-507-0666New York Post writer and best-named foodie Max Gross crowns Delhi Palace the king of 74th Street:
"I think this is probably the best, in terms of sheer quality, of any of the Indian places on 74th Street. There are other Indian restaurants that will have great bargains (all you can eat for $7) or great cachet (Jackson Diner), but this one has the best food. And for those who want to fill up on a big buffet, they've got that, too, on the weekdays. Great tika masala! Mmm..."
Best Thai and Best via LIRR
Photo (c) John Roleke
Dave Cook, foodie blogger at Eating in Translation writes: "Sripraphai is my first choice; the finest Thai food in the city tastes even better in the sunny garden out back." The restaurant's space is better than ever since its remodel two years ago. Max Gross chimes in: "When you move from a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant to something big, well, everyone gets worried that you've bitten off more than you can chew. Not Sri."
But with $6 and $8 entrees, Seth Kugel wonders, "Obviously, Sripraphai is fantastic but do you really need a discount there?"
Tip - You don't have to take the #7 subway to Sripraphai. The LIRR to Woodside is even faster.
Best Italian in an Underappreciated Neighborhood
La Tavernetta, 75-01 88th St, Glendale, NY 11385, 718-896-3538Closer to Archie Bunker's house than to a subway station, La Tavernetta is off the beaten path in Glendale, but Queens Central blogger Steve Tiszenkel finds it top notch:
"Though I'm the Forest Hills guy, I'm going to go to adjacent Glendale and recommend the excellent La Tavernetta. If La Tavernetta isn't the smallest sit-down restaurant in Queens, it's got to be close. But that's all part of the charm of a down-home Italian restaurant in a great, underappreciated neighborhood run by people who know how to cook traditional Italian meals better than countless red-sauce ristorantes in Queens and beyond."
Best Italian in an Appreciated Neighborhood
Ponticello Restaurant, 46-11 Broadway, Astoria, NY 11103, 718-278-4514Leading advocate for why Astoria is "the greatest place on earth," Zora O'Neill, the Roving Gastronome and travel book author, is going to use Restaurant Week to explore:
"My Astoria nomination has to go to Ponticello, an old-school Italian/Istrian place that's a favorite of restaurateur Joe Bastianich (son of the famous Lidia). To be honest, I've never, ever been there because it just seems too blow-out ritzy. The Restaurant Week deal might not be the best way to sample the full spread, but it may actually get me in the door!"
Best "Top Chef" Hidden in Flushing
Deluge, 135-20 39th Ave, Flushing, NY 11354, 718-670-7400If Restaurant Week isn't an excuse to try Deluge, then there won't ever be a time. Delgue opened up earlier this year in the downtown Flushing Sheraton, and it's staking a claim to eat in Flushing something other than the best regional Chinese food.
Chef Michael Navarro cooks up some mighty tasty morsels - nouveau American style -- in a drop-dead gorgeous space. The indoor waterfall ain't gimmicky, but very fine.
Best Polyglot Menu and Best Dish Named for a Schwarzenegger Flick
Photo (c) Sooz of Joey in Astoria
Local blogger Meg Cotner of Joey in Astoria and OuterB chooses eclectic Mundo in Astoria:
"Love the ambiance and vibe, the food is terrific, and it's probably one of my favorite restaurants in town. The Red Sonja lentil patties are unusual, fresh, and delicious, and the manti are also wonderful. I really like how they have such a variety of flavors in their food. It tastes vibrant and alive."
Best for Tourists and Best by Boat
Water's Edge, The East River at 44th Dr, Long Island City, NY, 718-482-0033About.com's Manhattan guide Pam Skillings can't seem to forget that tiny island across the East River even when she's talking about Queens. She recommends Water's Edge for "the amazing views of Manhattan."
Water's Edge only offers a $20 lunch special (and a $35 one for dinner), but maybe even better than the food, is that you can take their ferry boat from Manhattan to the restaurant's dock.
Best Queens Restaurants We Wish Were Participating
Photo (c) J. Roleke
Then let's add northern Italian star Il Toscano (42-05 235th St, Douglaston), and the happiest restaurant on Northern Boulevard, Pio Pio (8415 Northern Blvd, Jackson Heights). And finish with Mets blogger Joe's pick of Erin's Isle (15403 Cross Island Pkwy, Whitestone, 718-746-8456). Ah, time to start saving up that $20.08 for next year.
