A roundup of cool edibles

There's a statistic out there that New Yorkers eat half of their meals out—whether it's at the local deli, a street vendor, food truck, or at one of the 13,000 bars and restaurants in NY.

In recent months R and I have been dining much more outside our home...first out of necessity when we were still apartment hunting, and now because there are so many temptations in our neighborhood. While NYC has many options, those in the know come to Queens which is sort of like a small version of the UN. Walking down the streets below the 7 line, there's no shortage of places to whet your appetite.

Queens is a food mecca of sorts and you don't have to empty your wallet for a delicious dining experience.

Consider Flushing Mall's Food Court. I hear it's closing at the end of this year to make way for a parking lot for the new Flushing Commons development. Before I say goodbye to this place, I'm planning on eating there as many times as possible....and try stinky tofu for the first time!

Or the Roosevelt Food Court which closed down a few years ago. What a shame we never got to try the goodies there.

Here's a quick round up of eats and culture from the past few weeks.

Xi'an Famous Foods

81 St Marks Pl
(between 2nd Ave & 1st Ave)
New York, NY 10003
Neighborhood: East Village

(212) 786-2068

If this place is good enough for Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmerman, then it was certainly good enough for me to try. I brought my Chinese friend M for company. We each ordered a stewed pork bun ($2.50 each); she was prudent and ordered a cold buckwheat noodle dish ($5.00) while I tempted fate with a spicy chewy noodle dish called Concubine's Chicken Hand-Ripped Noodles ($6.00).

Verdict: Xi'an, home to one of China's most amazing treasures, the terracotta warriors, is also known for its yummy spicy cuisine. The spicy chewy noodle has a great texture and is very different than the hand-pulled noodles from Lan Zhou. M and I only scratched the surface of this little resto's offerings. Next time I promise to sample the lamb buns and other not so spicy noodles.

Martha's Country Bakery
70-30 Austin St

Forest Hills, NY 11375
Neighborhood: Forest Hills

(718) 544-0088

Verdict: "A balanced diet is holding a cookie in each hand"......a sign seen at Martha's Country Bakery. R and I visited it for the second time in as many years. This time we had just finished dinner so we only wanted a small nibble and settled on a smallish cherry tart for $3.95 + tax. The results: a flaky but not overly buttery crust, a great cherry not too sweet fruit filling, none of that canned mess. A bit on the expensive side compared to the delicious fruit tarts in my small town in France but I wanted to do a tasting. Besides Martha's, Forest Hill is home to a few other places I'd love to try next: World of Cheese and Homefront.
 
Udon West
150 E 46th St

(between Lexington Ave & 3rd Ave)
New York, NY 10017
Neighborhood: Midtown East

(212) 922-9677

Verdict: Situated across the street from the Grand Central branch of the NY Public Library, it's a small unassuming place except for the large signs outside which enticed me inside to try their little Japanese tapas dishes. A bit cold that day, I had my mind on a big bowl of hot udon soup to warm me up. First, I love the vibe of this place...the entire crew shouts a welcome whenever anyone enters, then you're seated and served a hot cup of green tea right away. I ordered chicken teriyaki which came with jasmine rice, a salad, and miso soup. The chicken was moist, juicy, with the right ratio of salty and sweet. The salad was fine but the miso was delicious! It was clear they don't make miso from a bag, or a can...it tasted fresh, deep, and briny.