QUEENS — If you want to enjoy healthy, balanced eating, then there are plenty of options in Queens.
Greenmarkets in Jackson Heights, Corona and Elmhurst offer the best fruits and vegetables from farmers throughout the state.
But sometimes you just want to whip yourself into a meat frenzy and eat some steak, sausage and barbecue — and not much else.
Thankfully there are also plenty of places to get struck by the "meat tornado." Here's a look at some of DNAinfo's picks.
ALL VEAL EVERYTHING
The Park Side Restaurant is a New York City institution in the heart of Corona with an expansive pasta menu among other traditional fare. But when you're at this old-school Italian joint, you have to get the deliciously tender veal, or "vitello."
You can order the tender meat a number of ways including parmigiana, milanese, pizziaola or piccata; veal francese, sorrentino or spiedini, with raisins, pine nuts and bread crumbs, are also available.
The veal Park Side special comes with a brandy and chestnut sauce and the veal chop alegra comes sauteed with white wine, brandy, roasted peppers, capers and herbs.
The Park Side, 107-01 Corona Ave., Corona
TEXAS BBQ
Alchemy, Texas, in the back of Legend's Bar, is a local gem on 35th Avenue in Jackson Heights affiliated with the popular John Brown Smokehouse in Long Island City. It's a no-frills dining experience, but that's a good thing. You can focus solely on the meat.
You can take your plate of brisket, pastrami, ribs and wings right up to the bar, order a Shiner and watch whatever game is on TV.
Alchemy, Texas inside Legends Bar, 71-04 35th Ave., Jackson Heights
STEAK & EGG
Head to Hornado Ecuatorino to order the churrasco, a popular Ecuadorian dish. The large platter, which is less than $20, includes flank steak served with rice, eggs, avocados, a salad and french fries. It's cheap and good, with more food than you can likely handle (but you can try.)
Hornado Ecuatorino, 76-18 Roosevelt Ave., Jackson Heights
BURGER
The bustling, 24-hour Georgia Diner is one of the borough’s best, right in the middle of Queens Boulevard. The appetizers and salads are great, and so are many of the entrees, but when you step inside, we’ll recommend you just order one thing: The classic, 8-ounce burger.
The meat is perfectly char-grilled however you’d like it. You can add cheese, mushrooms, bacon and more, but it's great with just some lettuce and tomato.
Georgia Diner, 86-55 Queens Blvd., Elmhurst
SECRET STEAK HERO
For one of the best takes on steak, Joe DiStefano — an expert on Queens cuisine and recent guest on Andrew Zimmern's Bizarre Foods — advises you to go off the menu at Argentine steakhouse La Fusta in Elmhurst. The flank steak sandwich is popular with workers at the nearby hospital, DeStefano writes, and is delicious "without inducing a food coma." Add some chimichurri sauce to taste, he says, and you're set.
La Fusta, 80-32 Baxter Ave., Elmhurst
TACOS
There are dozens of places to get tacos in the area, but among the best is Taqueria Coatzingo, a small location under the 7 train that offers authentic tacos with all kinds of meat. Chef Sergio Ordunez prepared our beef taco in minutes, and for $2.50, you can afford to try them all — even the tripe.
Taqueria Coatzingo, 76-05 Roosevelt Ave., Jackson Heights
JUST STEAK
The menu at Uncle Peter's on Northern Boulevard describes itself as a neighborhood restaurant with an eclectic menu and influences.
When you're here, go for the steak. They serve the sirloin three ways: “Gaucho style,” featuring an Argentinian-style chimichurri sauce; Au Poivre, with a brandy and black peppercorn sauce; and in a “surf and turf” alongside jumbo shrimp and butter sauce. If you’re in the mood for something different, try the baby rack of lamb, glazed with a rosemary sauce.
Uncle Peter's, 83-15 Northern Blvd., Jackson Heights
MEAT BUFFET
Brazilian steakhouse Rainhas offers a buffet with fresh salads, veggies, fruits and other sides. But you didn’t come here for salad, so save your appetite for the amazing array of meats that will come to you by men carrying sticks of them around the restaurant. If it can be grilled, it will be offered to you— sausages, chicken, steak and all kinds of things wrapped in bacon.
Rainhas, 108-01 Northern Blvd., Corona
