The Travel Issue: Fall 2018
Greetings, journey people.
Take a map and point to anywhere. If you are reading this magazine, then odds are you are moderately to highly aware that Queens boasts some residents from whatever place you just pointed to. New York City is the quintessential city of immigrants, and Queens is the highlighted, underlined, undisputed borough for displaced, transplanted and ex-patriated communities therein (and proudly so). Approximately 48% of Queens residents were born outside the United States, and according to the Endangered Language Alliance there’s nowhere in the world with as many languages as the largest borough in a city where at least 800 are spoken.
So this year, we decided to gaze inward, exploring the intersection of travel and food in our borough. It feels symbolic that everyone who travels to New York City must pass through multicultural Queens (except for those who arrive via Newark): John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia airports bookend the borough, and the 7 train has undoubtedly earned its nickname “the international express.”
In this issue, we tagged along with some of Queens’ dogged food-delivery cyclists. Through Salvador Espinoza’s enlightening photo essay, we see how our food gets to us, no matter the weather. (Remember to always generously tip your delivery person!) We commuted from Flushing to Greenwich Village with Samiul Noor, the owner of Sammy’s Halal Food carts, experiencing a day in the life of a street cart vendor.
“Journey of a Cocktail Crate” tells the origin of the eponymous Long Island City–produced cocktail mixer company started by Alex Abbott Boyd. Boyd grew up in Queens, and was inspired to create his mixers while traveling around Egypt and India; the very first Cocktail Crate potions were hand delivered to customers via the 7 train.
Putting the spotlight on immigrant communities and the cuisine they’ve brought to Queens, Salvador Espinoza visits beloved Salvadoran restaurants across the borough, looking at how immigrants contribute and help foster growth in the community, and how new immigration policies are already affecting their businesses. And Chef Harpreet Sohal’s one-woman meal service, Superfine Tiffins—delivers hand-prepared tins to the homes of Indian immigrants and others. It’s a taste of home: saag paneer and fresh chapatis just like their mothers and grandmothers do it. Likewise, joining Chef Jonathan Forgash in his kitchen reveals a thoughtful cook who prepares food for cancer patients traveling to receive treatment in New York City—with comforting dishes that remind them of home, wherever they may hail from.
We also touch down more literally, near the airport, in Jamaica native Lynn Brown’s essay denoting all the fantastic dining and nightlife options Jamaica has to offer, though the neighborhood is often overlooked. You can feel her love for the locale in every word. And I tried keeping up with some flight crew friends in Kew Gardens (known to locals as Crew Gardens, for all the airline workers who live in and frequent the neighborhood) for a night of drinking and talking all things up in the air.
You won’t need your passport for this issue, but you’ll still be racking up miles. Buckle up, and enjoy the ride.
Sammy’s Halal Food
Alex Abbott Boyd | @alexabbotboyd
Cocktail Crate | @cocktailcrate
Superfine Tiffins | @superfinetiffins
