Page 9 - 2020 Best of Queens - Hospitality & Dining

WELCOME
Dear Friends, A R
s the oldest and largest business association in Queens, the Queens Chamber of Commerce is proud to present to you our 2020 Best of Queens Hospitality & Dining: An Expertly Curated Guide to Queens’ Best Restaurants & Hotels. This guide is
designed to make it easy to find the restaurants and hotels that will make your time spent in Queens memorable – whether you’re a native New Yorker or visiting our borough for the first time. You can search for restaurants by neighborhood and cuisine, with useful commentary about what makes that establishment exceptional. No matter what neighborhoods you choose to explore, or where you decide to eat and stay, I’m sure you’ll have a memorable experience here with us.
On behalf of our 1,100 member businesses, employing over 100,000 Queens-based employees, the Queens Chamber of Commerce thanks you for visiting our borough. We hope you’ll return soon!
Sincerely,
Thomas J. Grech
President & CEO
Queens Chamber of Commerce
Be sure to download our interactive 2020 Best of Queens Hospitality & Dining: An Expertly Curated Guide to Queens’ Best Restaurants & Hotels mobile app for even more ways to find great places to eat and spend time in Queens!
Dear Friends, C R
Scan to download mobile version
of this guide
onsider the dumpling: small, roundish, doughy, but with a tasty filing. Rarely are these morsels considered gourmet, yet they’re the ultimate comfort food. They can be savory or sweet. You can have one (usually not enough) or a dozen (probably too much).
In just about every country, you will find something resembling a dumpling — be it a wanton in China, a samosa in India, a kreplach in Israel or an empanada in Mexico, to name some. Here
in the States, we have yet to improve on this basic-but-wonderful comestible. Instead, we have appropriated it from other countries. And because we are in Queens, we have the good fortune to have a wide variety of them within blocks of each other — be they Russian pelmenis, Italian ravioli or Japanese shumai.
But the dumpling is just a starting point in Queens, which is the most diverse county in the entire world. When it comes to culinary arts and traditions, we have unbeatable authenticity.
Sure, you can have great Indian food on Park Avenue, as I once did. But as our party was leaving, the busboy, who apparently had overheard us discussing Queens, slipped me a card with the name of a Woodside restaurant on it, looked over his shoulder, and surreptitiously said: “My cousin’s shop... best samosas in the city.” I went there. He was right, and they were a one-quarter of the price I paid on Park Avenue.
This guide reflects the diversity and quality of Queens dining. Whether by neighborhood, cuisine, or price, a foodie will discover new places. In an often chaotic world, food is a basic that brings us together. In fact, the word “companion” comes from the Old French word compaignon, meaning, “one who breaks bread with another.” Dining out with colleagues, friends, and family can be the most pleasurable and relaxing time of the day.
When it comes to food, you’ll find it all in Queens — and in this publication. You will not go hungry. We promise. Sincerely,
Seth Bornstein
Executive Director
Queens Economic Development Corporation
www.queenschamber.org 7