La Fusta Restaurant
"La Fusta" means "the riding whip," and the artwork in this local favorite in the Little Argentina section of Elmhurst, Queens, reveals a passion for the track. The other passion is meat. Order the mixed grill, a generous sampling of skirt steak, short ribs, chorizo, blood sausage, sweetbreads, and chinchulines (or chitterlings), which will be delivered to your table on a small barbecue grill fueled with imported Argentine vegetable charcoal. If you order steak, be sure to ask for the chimichurra--a South American green steak sauce made from garlic, parsley, olive oil, vinegar and oregano. La Fusta has a full bar.
Over the years, La Fusta has earned acclaim from publications such as the Rough Guide, Food Arts, Eating and Drinking and the New York Daily News. In 2009 it was selected to participate in the International Taste of Queens at the new Mets stadium, Citi Field.
La Fusta Restaurant
80-32 Baxter Ave.
Elmhurst, NY 11373
(718) 429-8222
lafustanewyork.com
Favela Grill
Come to the Favela Grill--tapped as a "critic's choice" by both the Village Voice and New York magazine--on a Friday or Saturday night to be serenaded by live musicians playing to a samba or bossa nova beat. Make sure someone at your table orders one of the "novelty dishes," such as the Costella Bam-Bam, which consists of prime beef ribs slow-roasted and served with fried manioc. In the same category, the Tutu a Favela is a grilled pork chop with Brazilian sausage topped with fried eggs and served with a black bean puree, white rice and collard greens. You'll find the Afro-Brazilian seafood specialties to be well-flavored with coconut milk and passion fruit, as well as a lot of savory Brazilian pastries.
The Favela Grill offers a modest wine list, including some interesting reds from Brazil and Argentina.
Favela Grill
33-18 28th Ave.
Queens, NY 11103
(718) 545-8250
favelagrill.com
Arepas Cafe
Arepas, popular in Columbia and Venezuala, are flat or puffy breads made mostly from cornmeal and water. Often eaten plain, they are also served with fillings or toppings of all sorts. Arepas Cafe in Astoria, Queens, serves about 20 variations on any given day. Build your appetite with mini-empanadas--little fried turnovers filled with cheese, shredded beef, chicken or baby shark. Alcohol sales are limited to beer and wine.
Dozens of food bloggers on the review site Yelp give the Arepas Cafe uniformly high marks, calling it "simply fabulous," "refreshingly different," and "out of this world." Be advised that the restaurant is closed on Mondays.
Arepas Cafe
33-07 36th Ave.
Astoria, NY 11106
(718) 937-3835
arepascafe.com
About The Author
Lois Lawrence is an attorney and freelance writer living and working in Stonington, Conn. She has written on many subjects including travel, food, consumerism, relationships, insurance and law. Lawrence earned a Bachelor of Arts in economics from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1976, and a Juris Doctor degree from Boston University School of Law in 1979.
