La Nueva Bakery Makes Cuernitos and Alfajores That Will Make Your Mouth Water

This month, we're proud to present the Bread & Grains issue—dedicated to all manner of doughs, dosas and baked desserts made in Queens. To coincide with the print issue (you'll be able to pick up a print copy very soon!), every weekday throughout the month of February, we're featuring a different bakery in the borough. Some are old standbys, and some are new and on the rise, but each one reflects the diverse and independent spirit of Queens.

Since 1990, the lively La Nueva has counted itself as one of Jackson Heights’ top purveyors of antojitos Colombianos: sweet and savory treats from throughout Colombia and Argentina (no matter that the owners are actually from Uruguay). It’s crystal clear why they’ve become a gathering place for all manner of South American expats. For instance, it could take weeks to work your way through the collection of empanadas alone; alternately formed from wheat flour dough or cornmeal; stretched around fillings of beef, cheese, chicken, ham, spinach, hard boiled eggs, vegetables or tuna; and crimped, fork-pressed, folded or braided, as well as baked or fried. And that’s just for starters.

Shelves and bins showcase bounties of cinnamon sugar-dusted bunuelos, bouncy pan de queso, guava-filled buns, dairy-soaked tres leches cake, slim churros, crescent-shaped cuernitos and crumbly plus-sized alfajores—soft, chocolate-enrobed or coconut-rimmed cookies ideally sandwiched around rivers of dulce de leche. If the tables aren’t already occupied by futbol fans enthusiastically grouped around TVs, settle in with a yerba mate or café con leche and try your best to make even a miniscule dent in the menu.

86-10 37th Ave., Jackson Heights
718.507.2339