Seven Questions for: Laura Siciliano-Rosen
Get to know food tour guide & Eat Something New in Queens founder
Laura visits the Amdo Momo Truck with a food tour.
1. How long have you been living in Queens and how did the Eat Something New in Queens Facebook Group come to be ?
Sixteen and a half years, and all in the same one-bedroom apartment in Jackson Heights … with a husband, two kids, a hamster, and now a drum set. How that works is a story for another day!
I started the Eat Something New in Queens Facebook group in February 2021 as a complement to an email challenge of the same name that I organized via Eat Your World, my food-travel website. It was a 5-day challenge designed to get people out of their dining ruts, ordering the same things at the same places, and out trying new-to-them foods in the great borough of Queens. We have countless eating opportunities here, and sometimes we all need a little push! Moreover, this was a year into the pandemic, and people were still pretty isolated but ready to go out more, at least to collect takeout. And local restaurants were struggling, big time.
That was the motivation for the email challenge, but I knew this needed a discussion platform too, to increase engagement on the daily mini-challenges, and let people ask each other for recommendations. So the Facebook group was born, and it was incredible to see the interactions there right away. If someone wanted to learn more about Ecuadorian food for the challenge, they’d ask in the group and someone would tell them exactly where to go and what to try…and the initial poster would, and then they’d happily report back to the group! I think the initial challenge was around 100 people. After it ended, I received so much positive feedback on it and the ESNIQ group, that I kept it up and just tried to encourage that spirit of curious eating. It’s now over 14K members. I’m throwing a 4th birthday party for it next month!
Nepali Bhanchha Ghar owner Bimla (in pink) and on screen with Laura and tour group.
2. As a former Chowhound and full-time food nerd, I continue to be amazed by that group. What are your top three restaurants in Queens?
Tough to pick only three, but I have to start with my fave local Nepali spot, Bhanchha Ghar. I love the deep, soulful flavors of the food; the owner Bimla is my girl; and it really just transports you to Nepal in more ways than one. Let me preface my second pick by saying it is exceedingly difficult to choose a favorite Thai restaurant in general here, because we have many great ones and I have favorites for delivery (Saranrom), dine-in (Zaab Zaab), and other categories that frequently shift. But Thai is one of my all-time top cuisines, and I’ll go with Khao Kang in Elmhurst as my overall pick. I just love the steam-table setup, that it’s quick eats that always presents with such varied, delicious flavors. I’m often rushing around, and I love that I can pop in and out of there with an amazing lunch anytime. Thirdly, I will go with Szechuan House in Flushing. Many places across NYC now specialize in the fiery fare of Sichuan province, but it’s the OG and I’m never disappointed there.
3. You’re preaching to the choir with those my friend. What's in your refrigerator right now?
I live with my husband and two sons, who are 9 and 11, and our fridge is laughably small. So early in the week, it is overflowing–we hit up the Jackson Heights farmers market every Sunday and start with lots of fresh produce from there. Today it’s Thursday, so it’s emptying out (I cook a lot Sunday through Thursday, then refuse to cook on weekends). I see yogurt, milk, and labne; moo radish jangajji kimchi from Lani’s Farm (a greenmarket staple); avocado, cilantro, and blueberries; pickles; leftover Tean's Gourmet Malaysian curry paste; leftover mole paste from a trip to Mexico last year that I’ve clearly forgotten about (is this still good??); a giant tub of Thai Mae Ploy red curry paste (which we’ll honestly have forever, because I use very little at a time–it’s so spicy); smoked Gouda, Parm, cream cheese for weekend bagels. Seltzer, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger paste, opened anchovies. I have a roast pork bun from Flushing’s Maxin Bakery defrosting in the fridge for my kid’s lunch tomorrow (they sell these in packs of 9 for $10, and I love keeping them in the freezer). Also, eggs we scored at last weekend’s greenmarket, and leftover coconut milk I’ll cook with tonight.
4. What are top misconceptions the general public has about Queens?
Some New Yorkers think it’s very far out from Manhattan, but come on–so many neighborhoods are very well-connected via subway. Where I live in Jackson Heights it’s literally 15 minutes to midtown. Some people from outside the city think Queens isn’t as cool or trendy as Manhattan/Brooklyn, or that there’s not much for tourists to do.
I think this is changing though–more visitors are wanting to see the “real” NYC, diverse NYC, and visit actual communities where people live, work, raise families. And you’ll find those communities in Queens. A lot of people have gotten wise to the fact that Queens’ food scene is amazing, of course, and that brings them here too. Then once they’re here, they might realize how much more there is to do–the Museum of the Moving Image, the Queens Museum, Citi Field, Louis Armstrong House Museum, Gantry Plaza State Park in LIC, Rockaway Beach, Alley Pond Park and Forest Park, etc. And then definitely a lot more eating.
5. Tell me about your food tours. What do you love most about them?
I’m an accidental food tour guide–it started organically among friends once my husband and I moved to Jackson Heights in 2008. By 2011, once we’d launched the Eat Your World site, we started running occasional paid tours together every few weeks, and by 2018 I was running them solo and very regularly (on average 2-3 times a week). I’ve grown to love them for many reasons. For the past decade, I’ve exclusively worked at home as a writer and copy editor, and the tours are a great social counterpart, getting me out in the real world interacting with people from around the globe. It makes me feel a little like I’m traveling when I hang out with visitors.
But I get a ton of local people too, and I love that I can immerse them in this dynamic neighborhood for a few hours and inspire them to return (and they do!). I love bringing business to all my favorite little spots, sharing their stories and food and seeing real appreciation on my guests’ faces. I enjoy introducing people to dishes and whole cuisines that may be totally new to them. As I’m sure you’ll agree, it’s very rewarding to be able to give people really memorable experiences while simultaneously supporting the local businesses I value, and to get to do it all in my own backyard (and only there–I don’t run tours anywhere else).
6. Food tours feed my soul too! F train or 7 train and why?
Practicality first–which will get me somewhere faster? I’m perpetually running around! But if I don’t require the express train, I’ll always take the 7. It’s so scenic, skirting around the rooftops of Queens, the Manhattan (and LIC!) skyline growing ever closer. Or weaving past Citi Field before rolling under the bustling streets of Flushing. The 7 is also the gateway to so many different neighborhoods in Queens, and so much good food. And all you have to do is hop on, hop off. There’s something very exciting about that.
7. Crystal ball time: What do you think is next for food in the world's borough?
I think we’ll continue to see more hyper regional world cuisines from places like China, Mexico, Nepal, Thailand, the Philippines, and India–cuisines and communities that are pretty well established here, so restaurant owners feel they can move beyond the basics and showcase more specialized dishes from back home. This is an ongoing evolution here, of course, but it’s only getting better. I think we’ll see more Queens-born second-generation immigrants opening restaurants with more globalized spins on their traditional eats, reflecting new traditions gleaned from growing up in diverse NYC (Baht in Jackson Heights is an example). Also more artisanal, specialized bakeries (Masa Madre in Sunnyside is my favorite of these); more Venezuelan, Burmese, and Guatemalan restaurants; and probably a lot more Dubai things (chocolate, cheesecake, cookies, crepes) … at least in the short term.