2009 February « WeCouldEat @ the GrubHub

Curry to Jackson Diner

February 21, 2009 — wecouldeat

Jackson Diner
37-47 74th Street, Jackson Heights

While it may sound like the setting for another episode of Diner Cakes, the Jackson Diner is actually a very well-known Indian restaurant in Jackson Heights. It has been around for a long time and I have been wanting to try it for years. I am not sure why it is so famous, but probably for the modern diner-esque atmosphere which is inviting to a younger, hipper clientele. The room has high ceilings, metallic fixtures and booth along the walls. The menu has pretty typical Indian offering that are quite tasty. For an app I had these white squishy lentil cakes which I dipped in this cup of stew-flavored sauce. It was new to me and interesting. The four of us had typical tasty entrees: aloo gobi, saag paneer, chicken korma and an okra dish – and of course naan and aloo paratha breads. They were closing at 10:30 on Saturday night, which is strange, especially for Jackson Heights, but it was a good meal. I would recommend the Jackson Diner for high quality, reasonably priced Indian fare, and am anxious to visit other more hidden gems in the neighborhood.

Posted in indian/bangladeshi/pakistani, queens (not astoria/lic). 2 Comments »

Mardi Gras in Queens

February 11, 2009 — spud

Mardi Gras
70-20 Austin St, Forest Hills, Queens

The second you walk into Mardi Gras in Forest Hills, you know that you are about to have a good time. There is loud Latin music playing, the tables are full and the crowds are drinking and having a great time. Latin music, you say? Why not New Orleans brass classics? Well, that’s because Mardis Gras has a very strong Latin influence. This restaurant is really not just strictly a New Orleans place, it is a Latin-Creole restaurant; which is quite cool.
We were a group of 6, so we shared some ceviche (some of the best I have ever had; it was served in a light tomato sauce with Peruvian corn….delicious!) and we had a special: Jambalaya Empanadas. That’s right…..deep fried empanadas stuffed with burn-your-mouth jambalaya that had large chunks of sausage and chicken in it. They were served with cool guacamole on the side. Overall, a perfect example of the type of fusion food you will find on their menu.
Everyone ordered something different; we tried the jambalaya, the cod, blackened, and served with sweet potato and fried yucca, a cool, refreshing shrimp salad, flank steak with jalapeno mashed potatoes and creole shrimp.
Everything was delicious and spicy…..the perfect amount of fire in each dish.
The atmosphere of the restaurant is fun and loud, which matches the food perfectly.
Definitely finish off your meal with the bananas foster…..but skip the sweet potato pecan pie, it was mostly just cooked sweet potatoes with a few carmalized pecans on top; not as decadent as I had hoped; but then again, I am a harsh dessert critic!
Thanks, Jim, for the great recommendation, “you spared no expense!”…..all should stop by and try Mardis Gras for a good time and good food!