You are reading

Downtown Flushing’s Top 20 Food Spots Showcased in New Online Guide

Tianjin Dumpling House (photo provided by Queens Together)

Sept. 17, 2020 By Michael Dorgan

A new online guide listing Downtown Flushing’s best food and historical attractions is being launched to support restaurants that have been struggling due to the pandemic.

The guide, called “Flushing’s Finest,” is available for advance online purchase now with a release date of September 25 and will showcase the neighborhood’s top 20 destinations for food as well as some historically significant sites.

The publication is being released by Queens Together, a non-profit which was formed to help restaurants navigate the COVID-19 shutdown and to help people facing food insecurity.

The group is looking to raise funds from the guide which will go towards paying local restaurants to make meals for hungry residents. Organizers say the initiative aims to keep restaurants in business while at the same time combating food insecurity for people suffering economic hardship.

The guide, organizers say, will also attract extra visitors into the area which will spur the local economy.

Joe DiStefano, a Queens food guru and local tour guide who compiled the list, said the guide details Downtown Flushing’s best culinary hotspots that specialize in Asian cuisine.

“These are some of my very favorite places, from newer ones like Joe’s Steam Rice Roll and Maxi’s Noodle to storied establishments like Helen You’s Tianjin Dumpling House,” DiStefano said.

Also on the list is Shanghai You Garden, a soup dumpling favorite and Coop, which specializes in Korean-style chicken wings.

Korean-style chicken wings from Coop, located at 39-16 Prince St. (Image provided by Queens Together)

The list also includes some religious and culturally significant sites, according to Jonathan Forgash, the co-founder of Queens Together, who said the area is steeped in history.

“We want to promote the restaurants but also the neighborhood in which they reside and there are some real hidden treasures to explore, Forgash said.

For example, the guide includes the Ganesh Temple, which Forgash said is the first traditional Hindu temple to be built in America, and the Old Quaker Meeting House which is the oldest house of worship in New York City.

Listing the historical sites, Forgash said, will incentivize people to stay in the area for longer which will in turn bolster the local economy.

Queens Together said that Flushing’s Finest will also feature a photograph competition with the winner scooping a two-night stay for two at the Hyatt Place Hotel, located at One Fulton Square.

The person who posts the most photographs to Instagram of local restaurant food or culinary establishments will win the top prize, the group said.

Each photograph must be accompanied by the hashtag “PYMWYMIQ” to enter. The acronym stands for “put your money where your mouth is Queens,” and organizers say it is being used to encourage people to go out and spend their money in local restaurants.

The runner-up will secure a food tour for two of Downtown Flushing with DiStefano, while the third-placed finalist will net a signed copy of DiStefano’s best-selling guidebook, 111 Places in Queens That You Must Not Miss.

Copies of Flushing’s Finest will cost $20 each and are available to purchase now on the Queens Together website.

The guide will then be released to customers at 10 a.m. on Friday, Sept 25.

The release date coincides with National Dumpling Day which takes place the following day, Sept. 26.

(Image provided by Queens Together)

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Shots fired as NYPD confronts suspected car theft crew at Flushing auto shop Friday morning

The NYPD opened fire on a car theft crew who were caught in the act of stealing vehicles in Flushing on Friday morning.

Police from the 109th Precinct responded to a 911 call of a burglary in progress at around 5:30 a.m. at the Express Auto Repair shop at 134-02 33rd Ave. Officers encountered a group of ten men who were in possession of firearms in a parking area near the intersection of Prince Street and 33rd Avenue. As the officers approached on foot, the gunmen jumped into several vehicles and attempted to flee at a high rate of speed toward the officers, an NYPD spokesman said. One officer discharged his service weapon as the vehicles fled northbound on Miller Street toward 32nd Avenue.

Queens voters to decide key Civil Court races in 2025 primary and general elections

Jun. 6, 2025 By Athena Dawson & Czarinna Andres

Queens voters will head to the polls this year to decide a mix of contested and uncontested Civil Court races, including three competitive Democratic primaries and multiple general election matchups. The contests span countywide vacancies and judicial seats in four Municipal Court Districts. The primary election will take place on Tuesday, June 24, with the general election set for Tuesday, November 4.

Gotti grandsons charged in Howard Beach assault after home burglary by Gambino associate: NYPD

Two grandsons of the late Gambino mob boss John Gotti were arrested Monday for dishing out some street justice against an associate who allegedly robbed the Howard Beach home of the don’s namesake on Saturday.

Reputed Gambino associate Gino Gabrielli, 31, was arrested on Sunday, a day after he allegedly broke into the residence of 31-year-old John Gotti, at 94-19 157th Ave. in Howard Beach on the afternoon of Sunday, June 1, and stealing $3,500 in cash, a luxury wristwatch, a pair of earrings, a wallet and a jewelry box, according to the criminal complaint.