Where to Eat When in Forest Hills:
Old New York at Eddie's Sweet Shop
2105-29 Metropolitan Avenue, Forest Hills
718-520-8514
Get a rare taste of vintage New York at this antique soda fountain in continuous operation since 1909. According to manager Connie Sitrano, everything (except the sprinkles) is homemade; from the purely-flavored ice-cream sundaes, creamy malteds, thick shakes to the nostalgia inducing egg creams that seem right out of a Rockwell painting. The whipped cream and oil-slick thick hot fudge are stuff of New York legend. This snug corner store on busy Metropolitan Ave. is a well-preserved time-warp. The worn marble counter, revolving stools, wooden booths, light fixtures, tin ceiling, tiled floors are all original.
Slice of Heaven at Nick’s Pizza
108-26 Ascan Ave., Forest Hills, between Austin and Burns Sts. ?
718-263-1126
Somewhere between the ultra-thin Grimaldi’s crust and the slightly thicker one at Lombardi’s exists pizza bliss in the form of Nick’s Pizza. How owner Nick Angelis gets the perfect, even char out of a gas oven is no less then Houdini-esque magic. Angelis told me, “the trick is our special over gets even hotter than wood or charcoal.” And the ingredients? Top notch. Farm-fresh basil and same day-made fresh mozzarella from the Corona Heights Pork Store is perfectly melted atop a tangy red sauce made from San Marzano tomatoes.
Unlike its more historic brethren, Nick’s serves up some of the best pizza in a room that is conducive to dining comfortably. A uniquely ornate copper-colored tin ceiling, spacious seating and museum-like photos of old Forest Hills make for a refined pizza experience. Throw in an otherworldly canoli and good wine list and you have a pizzeria worth leaving Manhattan for.
Serious Mexican and Strong Drinks at 5 Burro Café
72-05 Austin St.
Forest Hills, NY 11375
(718) 544-2984
Upon opening, it was a major Hell’s Angels hangout, now this local bar serves up some of the best cocktails and serious Mexican food without the biker gang. The décor is eclectic. Aluminum siding lines the bottom half of the wall then turns into colorful posters and photos of Mexican village scenes. The ceilings are covered in kitschy chili pepper lights and pińatas. The boisterous bar is full during all opening hours and although the margaritas are top-notch (and seriously potent!) make sure you grab a table so you can get your hands on superb food.
Start off with the addictive salty and crispy homemade chips and deep red salsa. Favorite entrees include the intensely flavorful, smoking lobster fajitas and traditional chulestas con salsa verde (seared pork chops in sweet and spicy green sauce). The grilled shrimp with avocado is one of the few salads I really get excited about and is an example of sublime simplicity. Finish off with an apple chimichanga, a sweet version of the savory dish, this fried, flakey pastry is the only way to end a meal here. After dinner, head back to the bar (open till 4 am) and listen to the rock-only jukebox all night.
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