HOW FAR WOULD you travel for some pizza? Or a pambazo? Whatever the answer, the time to do it is summer, when it doesn't seem like a wild idea to ride the A train to the end of the line because that's where some good mint ice cream happens to be. Why does food taste better when there's a journey involved? Maybe it's the change of scenery or the sense of satisfaction that comes from a successful quest-landing the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but instead of gold, it's the best calamari in Queens. We've spent months trekking across the five boroughs and beyond to come up with this list of eating-and-drinking expeditions. Some might take all day; others less than an hour. (If you live in Woodlawn, one may be right up the street.) We traveled by ferry, train, and automobile to find the fried chicken, eggplant heroes, and beachfront tacos that will reward the intrepid and the very hungry.
1 Head to a strip mall in Jamaica for perfect fried chicken.
"How good can chicken be?" my friend asked when I told them I was headed to the outskirts of JFK for New York Fried Chicken (147-1 Liberty Ave., at Sutphin Blvd.; 718-523-1900), a squat brick building next to a laundromat and a gas station. In a city with a Kennedy, KFC, or Popeyes never more than a few minutes away, I understand the skepticism: There's no flavored coating or special sauce. Instead, there is only chicken, the best I've ever had. The spicy, salty crust and the skin become oneyet never distract from the juicy meat underneath.
TAMMIE TECLEMARIAM
2 Play hooky and eat a hero.
This story is from the July 3 - 16, 2023 edition of New York magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July 3 - 16, 2023 edition of New York magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Trapped in Time
A woman relives the same day in a stunning Danish novel.
Polyphonic City
A SOFT, SHIMMERING beauty permeates the images of Mumbai that open Payal Kapadia's All We Imagine As Light. For all the nighttime bustle on display-the heave of people, the constant activity and chaos-Kapadia shoots with a flair for the illusory.
Lear at the Fountain of Youth
Kenneth Branagh's production is nipped, tucked, and facile.
A Belfast Lad Goes Home
After playing some iconic Americans, Anthony Boyle is a beloved IRA commander in a riveting new series about the Troubles.
The Pluck of the Irish
Artists from the Indiana-size island continue to dominate popular culture. Online, they've gained a rep as the \"good Europeans.\"
Houston's on Houston
The Corner Store is like an upscale chain for downtown scene-chasers.
A Brownstone That's Pink Inside
Artist Vivian Reiss's Murray Hill house of whimsy.
These Jeans Made Me Gay
The Citizens of Humanity Horseshoe pants complete my queer style.
Manic, STONED, Throttle, No Brakes
Less than six months after her Gagosian sölu show, the artist JAMIAN JULIANO-VILLAND lost her gallery and all her money and was preparing for an exhibition with two the biggest living American artists.
WHO EVER THOUGHT THAT BRIGHT PINK MEAT THAT LASTS FOR WEEKS WAS A GOOD IDEA?
Deli Meat Is Rotten
