One of Forest Hills' Best Noodle Places is Planning to Close

 I heard today than XinTaste, located at 72-38 Austin Street, is planning to close in three months. I don't usually do this, but this place is so excellent and its closing will be such a loss to our neighborhood, that I am requesting everyone to do anything possible to convince them not to close. 

I think their closing is of the magnitude of Banter's closing, that is how bad it will be for the neighborhood. I know that there are a lot more important things to be worried about in the world right now, but an awesome bowl of noodles makes life that much better, right?

Anyway, please pay them a visit or give them a call at (718)520-5199 and charm them into staying open :)

From Covid to Cookies in Forest Hills

 Apparently, the pandemic is so yesterday -- at least when it comes to Forest Hills cookie-lovers. 

Of course, during my trip to get some lunch today I assumed the line stretching several blocks down Austin Street was another one for Covid tests....

Yes, Chip City's grand opening is today, apparently worth braving the bitter cold, howling winds, and a little virus. 

Austin Street Pizza's Menu

 Austin Street Pizza is now open for business. I was pleasantly surprised to find their menu really innovative. Smart move for them to be distinguishing  themselves from all the other pizza places in the area with such inventive offerings.

This new place is located at the corner of Austin Street and 72nd Avenue in Forest Hills and is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Their phone number is (347)809-4195.

The Land of Secret Salads

Long-term readers of this blog will know that I've been advocating for more places that offer quick, healthy food options in Forest Hills for quite some time. My hopes reached a pinnacle several years ago when I was contacted by one of the make-your-own salad chains with many stores in Manhattan about their interest in finding a suitable location in our neighborhood. Their interest lasted several months before they apparently gave up. I was never told why.

Since then, the availability of such healthier fare has come in fits and starts in Forest Hills. And now, the latest incarnation of it is rather clever, in my opinion. 

Since we did have a couple of small independent dedicated make-your-own salad restaurants open and then close several years ago, it seems either by strategy or just by coincidence this food option is now seeing a resurgence along Austin Street, albeit tucked away as often hard-to-discover parts of pre-existing businesses. It seems these store owners are not quite ready to trust Forest Hills residents at wanting much more than the calorie-laden pastries or ethnic cuisines that we are overflowing with. Thus, we all live in New York City's only Land of Secret Salads. The option is being offered by these places, often shyly and quietly, without the risk of financial failure that comes with a standalone shop. 

The latest option to join Natural's make-your-own salad bar, and other pre-made salad options available from the coffee shops, diners, Ripe and La Boulangerie, is a bit bolder, however. It even has its own name and sign!

I-CE-NY, the ice cream place next to Shake Shack on Austin Street, is now apparently also "efresh", offering a variety of soups, wraps, bowls, smoothies, and yes, customizable, make-your-own salads. I recently tried one of these salads and it was great - nice and fresh and tasty.  It's an extremely clever move by I-CE-NY, and I think they might just find it ends up eclipsing their ice cream business, as the demand for healthier food options remains quite high in Forest Hills. I discovered the place by finding their menu at NYSC. Another smart move to put it there so fit-conscious local residents can learn about it. (It would have been even smarter, by the way, if they had contacted their local blog, Edge of the City at edgeofthecity@gmail.com, but that's another story.) Kudos to I-CE-NY for understanding what Forest Hills really needs and being smart enough to provide it!

Forest Hills Street Fair

(This is one of those rare collaborative Edge of the City posts that both David and Drake worked on. Interested in becoming a contributor to Edge of the City? Email us at edgeofthecity@gmail.com ) 

David: Some scenes from today's Forest Hills Festival along Austin Street.  The weather couldn't be more perfect for it!  It ran from 10am to 6pm.

Drake: I am actually more impressed by these local street fairs each time I go. They used to be pretty indistinguishable from any of the other fairs around the city, with the food mostly dominated by your Italian sausage vendors. But each time I go, there seems to be more of a local spin, with more and more Forest Hills restaurants setting up stalls. Today, for example, I stumbled upon Cabana's stall and decided to give one of their chicken empanadas a try. I started walking away, took a few bites, stopped in my tracks as the pleasures that come from experiencing a delicious piece of food for the first time washed over me -- and immediately headed right back to their stall. I ordered a couple more empanadas and some delicious rice and beans. 
Just from this experience alone, I'm adding Cabana to my list of local recommended restaurants! 

Cabana dishes out their empanadas and other delicacies. This was my pick for the best food at today's Fair. 

More Cabana, which is located on Restaurant Row (70th Road) in Forest Hills. 

No More Torturous Waiting for Burritos

The best Mexican restaurant, actually one of the best restaurants, period, in Forest Hills just entered the digital age, making life a hell of a lot more pleasant the next time you can't shake your craving for what are quite possibly the most delicious nachos in the world.

Now, if they'd only deliver, like every other restaurant in town. But one can't expect life to be too good to us all at once, can we?

Mojo Latin Fusion Coming Into Former Exo Cafe Spot on Austin

And we add another Latin fusion place to the mix, continuing the Forest Hills tradition of making sure we have plenty of each kind of ethnic cuisine to choose from.

Am I crazy to long for a Panera or other chain to pick up a quick, decent sandwich, salad or soup? We have La Boulangerie, which is awesome, but we could use a little more variety when it comes to fast-casual fare. 

Activity at Austin Street Corner

I'm just hearing the normal rumors and seeing the usual activity that makes me surmise there could be some big changes coming to the corner of 71st Road and Austin Street. Big sales, adjacent stores closing, rumors flying. Send your tips to edgeofthecity@gmail.com

Exo Cafe's Status

I've been contacted by numerous readers over the past several days regarding Exo Cafe's closing. All I know at this point are rumors that it is being converted into another restaurant, possibly Latin food. If anyone knows anything else, email edgeofthecity@gmail.com Thanks!

And thanks to Enrique for sending in this photo via Twitter!

What's Up With the Former New York & Company Site?

I walked by this space the other day and noticed the For Rent signs are down. I haven't checked in the past day or two but I assume that hasn't changed. Does anyone know what might be going in there eventually? I wouldn't mind a Panera Bread, Pret a Manger, or something along those lines. Perfect location and the space seems big enough for that kind of restaurant.
What would you like to see in that space?

Housing Works Opens on Austin Street in Forest Hills

FINALLY.... there's now a convenient place to donate all that stuff that's been taking up space in our closets. The new Housing Works Thrift Shop is now open at 71-54 Austin Street in Forest Hills. This will come as a welcomed relief to residents -- like myself  -- who don't own a car and yet have bags and bags of old things we've been looking to donate for years.

For those not familiar with this excellent organization, here is some information off their website:

"Housing Works is a healing community of people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Our mission is to end the dual crises of homelessness and AIDS through relentless advocacy, the provision of lifesaving services, and entrepreneurial businesses that sustain our efforts.
Housing Works pioneered the concept of social enterprise businesses whose profits assist in funding the mission of its parent not-for-profit organization. Housing Works operates several enterprise businesses including acclaimed Housing Works Thrift Shops and the Housing Works Bookstore Cafe. Together these businesses help provide crucial funding towards Housing Works mission in addition to providing employment opportunities to the community."

I snapped this photo of what you can bring over to donate, and below are photos from inside their new shop on Austin Street.