Forest Hills' Salad Days Are In Sight!

 Behold! The Sweetgreen coming to where the Boston Market used to be at the corner of Austin and 71st/Continental Ave.! 

Now just someone build me a cozy little bookshop and all my dreams will have been answered. 

A Look Inside Forest Hills' New Trader Joe's

 Much to my pleasant surprise, the store seems enormous, bigger than I expected. My brain was actually having trouble wrapping around the idea that my carless self can now buy anything in this store and not mastermind some complicated method of getting it home. I can finally just walk! I'm a pretty jaded New Yorker, but I have to say this was a lot more thrilling than I expected. The below photos barely capture all the new store has to offer...

Catching Up

Does anyone have any good experiences at the new food places around?  I'm way behind in trying them.  Here are a few pics to get the ball rolling:

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. 

Jade Restaurant Plans to Reopen Soon

Jade Eatery and Lounge in Station Square is planning to reopen in a few weeks, once the construction in Station Square is finished. I saw this news online and was also contacted by one of the blog's readers, Shawn Ball, who said he spoke with Jade's owner today and confirmed it.
The news about Jade is interesting because I've heard both that they were planning on closing for good, and also that they were planning to reopen.
In any case, if they do indeed reopen in a few weeks it's good news. Jade is one of the better pan-Asian restaurants in Forest Hills and is in one of the nicest settings in the neighborhood as well.

Coverage of Forest Hills' Growing Chinese Restaurant Scene in The Times

A New Destination for Chinese Food: Not Flushing, but Forest Hills

A corner of Queens better known for delis and pizza parlors has added a critical mass of new (and creative) Chinese restaurants.

EatsCon 2018 Brings Celebrities, Tons of Food, and Huge Crowds

Forest Hills Stadium held its first food festival last weekend. EatsCon attracted huge crowds, celebrity guests, musicians and, of course, tons of food from restaurants throughout Queens, the rest of New York City, and surrounding areas. There were also food panels with celebrities like Olympic athlete Adam Rippon and Nina and Tim Zaggat.

OBA Mediterranean Gyro & Grill Coming to Restaurant Row

The new restaurant will be located at the corner of  Restaurant Row (70th Road) and Austin Street in Forest Hills. 

Two Excellent Asian Takeout Options on Austin

I just wanted to call everyone's attention to these neighbors over on the eastern portion of Austin St., near Ascan and across from the church: Violet's Vietnamese Shoppe and Xin Taste Lan Zhou Hand Pull Noodle. The two shops, which are right next to each other (photo below was taken from inside La Boulangerie), are both excellent additions to the growing number of quality restaurants that have been opening in the past few years in Forest Hills.

Violet's specializes in Vietnamese cuisine. When it first opened it served mostly pastries. But, its owners rightly summed up the situation here in Forest Hills (way too many pastry and dessert places!! Way too few places for excellent takeout food!!) and righted that wrong pretty quickly. Today, Violet's offers a spectacular variety of Banh Mi sandwiches, from pork to chicken to flounder and vegetarian, along with noodle soups, and noodle bowls and rice bowls. It also offers a variety of specialty drinks and bubble teas.

Right next door is the new Xin Taste, which just opened in December. Given how cold it's been, I immediately dived into their noodle soups, but that is just a small part of their menu. They offer a variety of hand-pulled and hand-peeled noodle dishes (see the link for what I believe is an explanation of the difference. Though, if I am wrong about that, please let me know in the comment section below. I have yet to talk with the owners about the difference and get the low-down firsthand.)

In any case, I'm happy to report that the soups I've had at Xin Taste have been just great. When it comes to soups like these - big, filling bowls of noodles, broth and meat  - the standard against which I always judged has been Ollie's in Manhattan. Well, the roast pork noodle soup I've had a few times from Xin Taste comes damn close to that! The pork is tender, sweet and delicious, the broth tasty, the noodles really good, and the portion size just right.

By the way, Xin Taste offers a decent amount of tables so you can also eat in. Violet's also does, but if I recall, not as many tables.

I'm looking forward to delving further into the menus of both of these excellent additions to the Forest Hills food scene.

Xin Taste's menu

Pink Forest Opens

Austin Street got its second coffee place Friday with the opening of Pink Forest. I dropped in today and found it to be a great addition to the neighborhood. It's a charming new coffee spot, with an Asian flair, representing the increasing influence of this demographic group on our neighborhood. I figured what better time to have my very first JianBing, the Chinese breakfast sandwich I have been hearing so much about? And I was not disappointed. It was downright excellent and I can't wait to have my next one at our new coffee and tea spot. And eatery, by the way. The place also serves bagels, which looked mighty fine as well.

As for the coffee, I also had an iced coffee and thought it was really good.

What's really interesting about Pink Forest is their choice of location. Those of you who have been loyal readers of this blog over the years might remember those early years when I begged for someone to open a nice indie coffee shop, like they had in basically every other NYC neighborhood. Well, first came Red Pipe, and now, pretty much right across the street comes Pink Forest. I hope both flourish. Red Pipe gets mighty crowded at times, and now we have an interesting new complement to it right nearby.

Dog Days

I'll leave you with our newest food truck—this was parked on 71st Continental Ave. Sunday—while I head to the beach for the week. Blogging resumes next week! Have a great week!

New Ramen Sign is Up

Look Who's Back ...

They said they will try to be on Austin Street on weekends through the summer. They closed up shop on Austin Street a couple of years ago — next to where Rove restaurant is today — and moved to Metropolitan Ave.

Healthy & Fresh Eats in Forest Hills

With this post, we introduce one of our new writers, Rebecca Banchik. Rebecca has lived in Forest Hills for two and a half years with her husband after 10 years of living in Manhattan. She traded in her Upper East Side life for the quaint and ever evolving Forest Hills neighborhood and never looks back. She’s a true foodie always searching for delicious and interesting meals in Queens and beyond. You can follow her on Instagram and Facebook @Foodieinthefrills. Edge of the City is still looking for more local writers, photographers and contributors. Email edgeofthecity@gmail.com for more information!

Around this time of year, you’re either staying strong and committed to those New Year’s resolutions and plans to eat better, drop a few pounds, workout more, yadda yadda yadda or you’re feeling sorry for yourself because it’s cold and nasty outside and you definitely deserve a giant bowl of macaroni and cheese. I fall somewhere in the middle – I know I want to eat well and feel good about what I put into my body…but I still want my meals to be tasty and flavorful. Forest Hills has some good options for healthy eats – here are some of my personal favorites. I hope you give them a try and never forget, it’s always ok to ask for alterations to your selection to make them fit into your healthy lifestyle. So, hold the bun and take a look:

Agora Taverna 70-09 Austin Street

Agora Taverna's Prasini Salad

The Prasini salad is my favorite. It’s simple, but that’s what makes it so fresh and satisfying. The feta Agora uses is a really delicious Greek feta that is creamy and not dry and crumbly. There are herbs that really bring out a nice flavor to the salad and the greens are crisp and refreshing. The salad is tossed with a house-made vinaigrette too – no creamy fatty dressing here.

Looking for protein? The lamb or pork kebab sticks are hearty, simply grilled, and can be ordered with a side of horta – a sautéed escarole green with garlic and oil. Squeeze some lemon on the dish and you have a protein rich, no carb dinner that will warm you on a cold night.

Bareburger 71-49 Austin Street

Burgers and fries probably sound the opposite of healthy. But that’s why Bareburger is a great choice if you know how to order. You can customize anything from their menu. They also have a great selection of salads and greens. They even have some interesting appetizers making quinoa and wholesome grains taste quite delicious. You can feel good about the food you eat here too, almost everything is organic and even the ketchup is homemade.

What to order? Try a burger (pick your protein – for a leaner choice, try the Bison) wrapped in a collard green leaf or for a gluten free option try the tapioca bun. Load up on the veggies and avocado for toppings. Order a side salad or for a more creative salad, order a small-sized main entrée salad. If you need a beverage, try their natural sodas. The ginger brew is my favorite; this isn’t Schweppes. This is natural soda made with real ginger. It’s strong, spicy, and delicious.

Ripe Juice Bar and Grill 70-13 Austin Street

Ripe has been around and they know how to do smart eating. They make a mean smoothie too. For a more treat-like smoothie, try the Pina Colada made with coconut milk, yogurt and honey for sweetness. It has the taste of the islands {ignore the snow mount by the stairs}. The Sunset Beach and the Coco Cabana are also excellent choices.

If you’re making Ripe a stop for a meal {great for a post workout dinner or lighter meal mid-week}, try the Grilled Tilapia platter. The dish is filled with brown rice, simply steamed vegetables, and a nice piece of fish. Ripe is focused on healthy low-calorie ingredients. Don’t expect jam packed flavor. But you can feel good about fueling up with whole foods that aren’t overly salted. For more jazz, the Mexican-Tex Quesadilla is a healthier take on a comfort food staple. Order it with the grilled steak and you have a nice protein rich but yummy dinner.

Roast n Co 100-12 Queens Boulevard

Roast n Co's Rotisserie Chicken

This newcomer to the area has some really delicious rotisserie chicken. You can’t go wrong with a platter of nicely seasoned and slow roasted chicken alongside greens. If you aren’t nearby to walk over, they deliver well and quickly. The chicken is antibiotic free, free range, and non-gmo which makes you feel good about consuming a responsibly raised meat. I enjoyed the sautéed kale and broccoli, but you can opt for a beet salad or ratatouille for something a little more unique. They operate a full service coffee shop as well that I haven’t yet tried – but it looks cozy and worth a stop soon!

Red Pipe Café 71-60 Austin Street

Red Pipe's Breakfast Sandwich on Ciabatta

I can’t tell you how much I love this place. It’s a coffee shop serving organic Counter Culture coffee. Forest Hills needed a high caliber coffee shop and Red Pipe came to answer that need. In fact, the entire place is organic serving fresh, wholesome breakfast and lunch salads and sandwiches. Stay for a meal and you won’t be disappointed. The breakfast sandwich on a multi-grain ciabatta roll with hard- boiled egg thinly sliced, layered with melted Vermont cheddar cheese, a garlic aioli, and avocado is to die for and super filling. It’s no carb or dairy free, but it’s organic and it’s delicious. If you want to go lighter, they have salads and creative vegetarian sandwiches to enjoy. You can’t go to Red Pipe and not feel relaxed. Sip an almond milk latte, linger long enough to order a snack, and be grateful Forest Hills has place for the cool kids to hang.

Honorable mention:

You can find wholesome dishes at other restaurants in Forest Hills. It’s all about being creative, ordering smartly, and exploring your options. To name a few, Nick’s Bistro serves a really great homemade quinoa veggie burger. Have it over lettuce {sans bread} and substitute the fries for some lemon roasted potatoes. Aaheli Indian Cuisine does a nice warming mulligatawny soup and tandoori chicken that’s free of cream and the heaviness that often comes with Indian cooking in America. A Sushi NY has fresh sushi and {insanely} fast delivery if you’re craving sushi but want to keep it affordable, simple, and yummy. Inside Natural you can have them make you a healthy salad with all the mix-ins you can imagine.

Hale and Hearty Soups Comes to Forest Hills

.... but not how you might think. There's no Hale and Hearty store—at least not yet. Instead, the C-Town on Austin Street, next to Natural, has set up a Hale and Hearty Soups kiosk inside its store.

Snowdays Grand Opening

Unfortunately, I had to give up after waiting several minutes on the long line.  I'll be back!