One of the things that makes me feel like a real New Yorker (although I've not lived here really long enough to say this, but humor me for a moment) is eating street food, especially souvlaki (aka "meat on a stick"). When I lived in CA I never ate street food, mainly because it didn't really exist. A popular souvlaki cart in Astoria is the center of a recent Times article,
"Kebabs on the Night Shift." It's at Broadway and 32nd. Anyone eaten from this cart? I will say one of my favorite carts is on Steinway at I think 31st Ave. I understand the cart off Ditmars near 33rd (I think) is also pretty good. From the article:
Mr. Spertos, a Greek immigrant who has lived in Astoria for 45 years, and his partner, Christos Bouras, sell about 100 beef and chicken kebabs in a typical night, but it looked like more. The burnished skewers of meat are $2 a stick, or $4 with lettuce, tomato and onions in a dappled golden pita.
Two police officers from the 114th Precinct came for chicken kebabs after a busy evening spent writing up accident reports. A carful of Albanian boys from Merrick, Long Island, arrived for what one of them authoritatively declared "the best kebabs in Queens."
Like I said, yum!
I have actually gone out of my way to get a kebab from the guy at Bway and 32nd st. after a long evening of drinking at the beer garden- very very yummy! and you know he will be there.
ReplyDeleteI love the cart at Steinway and 31st Ave. Best street-meat ever! They have this delicious BBQ sauce they put on top of the meat too. YUM. I need to try that one at 32nd and Broadway though!
ReplyDeleteThere are actually three carts at Steinway and 31st, on the SW, NW and NE corners depending on the day and time. My favorite is the guy on the SW corner.
ReplyDeleteI live across the street from 32nd/Broadway cart. The yummy soulvaki smoke sometimes wafts through my kitchen window. I had to stop and try one for myself recently. Good stuff. I'm also a CA transplant...this street cart eating is just so bizarre...but a good bizarre that I'm happily getting use to.
ReplyDeleteYay for more CA transplants! Meredith, where are you from?
ReplyDeleteI recently moved into a place on the same block as the 32nd/Broadway cart. I had some friends visit a few weeks ago and after a bunch of beers at Gibney's, we decided street meat was a good idea. It was a revelation!
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