Allie’s Adventures in Eating: Snacking in Queens

My husband had a great idea for how we could spend a sunny Saturday afternoon recently. He suggested that we escape our beloved Brooklyn for an afternoon visit to the borough of Queens. We exited the 7 train two stops from Citi Field–snacking our way through the neighborhood. Our final destination would be the baseball park which has become legendary for good eats in a very short period of time.

Our first stop was a South American taco truck right off the 7. These trucks are well known for cooking up amazing snacks for uber cheap prices.

Taco with Chicken, Cilantro, Onion, Radish and Queso Fresco
Gordita with Crispy Pork Skin, Spicy Pork, Lettuce, Crema and Queso Fresco

I believe we paid less than $6.00 for these two handheld delights, and they were delicious. I admittedly played it a bit safe with the chicken taco, but it was tender and seasoned well. Chris went for the gold with the spicy pork gordita and his risk paid off with multiple layers of crunch and spice. I know exactly where I’m going for a snack the next time we go to Queens!

After having such a fun experience eating at the truck, we thought we’d knock it out of the park with tacos at Tortilleria Nixtamal–a food lover’s darling in NYC–for their 100% all-corn tortilla preparation and local ingredients. Unfortunately, this did not turn out to be the case at all.

Lamb Taco with Cilantro and Onions
Al Pastor (Pork sliced from a spit) Taco with Pineapple, Cilantro and Onions

Words cannot express how disappointed we were with both of these tacos, but especially, the pork taco. Typically, when you order al pastor, the meat has an incredible amount of in depth flavors. In this case, the pork left a “mealy” taste in our mouths which lingered most of the afternoon. The lamb was just okay at best.

It was finally time to play ball! After about two hours and three miles of walking, we made it to the ballpark.

Blue Smoke Pulled Pork Sandwich with Barbecue Sauce, Pickles and Onions
Blue Smoke Memphis Style All-Beef Bologna Sandwich with Barbecue Sauce, Pickles and Onions
Box Frites Buffalo Hot Dog with Blue Cheese Dressing, Hot Sauce, Pickled Carrots and Celery
Box Frites Fries with Smokey Bacon and Chipotle Barbecue Sauces
Two Boots Pizza “Meat the Mets” Slice

I probably could’ve written an article just about Citi Field eats alone, as we had so much fun in the food court. The ballpark truly lived up to the hype with a wide variety of delectable treats.

Our resounding favorite of all these snacks was the bologna sandwich from Blue Smoke. Wow! The slab of meat must’ve been at least a centimeter thick and full of smoky flavor. We also loved the buffalo dog, which we thought may have been more of a novelty. The weiner had a great snap, and the toppings added value–rather than detracting from the hot dog taste. Having a perfect crisp on the outside, the twice cooked fries were one of the better versions of pommes frites we’ve had. We loved the smokey bacon sauce for a dipper, which resembled a ranch dressing. You couldn’t help but smile while eating a “Meat the Mets” slice of pizza, which was a playful nod to an older Mets slogan.

The only item we thought was a clunker, surprisingly, was the Blue Smoke pulled pork. It lacked in spunk where the other sandwiches brought the fun.

Leaving Citi Field after a lovely day in Queens, I couldn’t help but smile at Chris. I would’ve never thought to head to this borough, but he came up with a great idea. It is filled with neighborhoods rich in old New York City values and diversity, and I suspect I will be writing more about Queens restaurants in the future.