It was 11 years ago that I first visited Phayul, a Tibetan cafe hidden up a flight of stairs behind a beauty parlor in Jackson Heights. I distinctly recall noticing and wondering why a few of the dishes were laced with Sichuan peppercorns. The spice had a profound impact on a cuisine usually veering on the unspicy side, despite the occasional use of fresh green chiles.

Taking a date to a comedy club is always a risky move. You could get stuck sitting in front, where the comic can call you out and trap you in some twisted form of couples therapy, and your only food options are usually chicken fingers and mozzarella sticks. At this East Village Latin vegan restaurant, there’s a full-on comedy club in the back called St. Marks Comedy Club, where you can order platanos maduro supreme and plant-based crispy chicharron to stuff in your mouth when the comic asks you if you’re together together.

I have watched the development of Liberty State Park since the beginning. I have enjoyed using the park in many ways. I have chaperoned class trips from the Jersey City Public Schools to the park. I have walked many miles along the beautiful paths of the park. I heard the Andrea Bocelli concert in the park.

I cover food, drink & travel—in other words, all the fun stuff! Follow this author to improve your content experience. Brazilian-based Dr. Fabio Gontijo has made a name for himself in the world of dermatology and cosmetic procedures, first gaining notoriety while on a weekly televised panel 'Ask the Dermato,' a show talking about overall health, dermatology and aesthetic procedures.

Is It Still Good? In the last few years, restaurants like Win Son, 886, Ho Foods, and Wenwen have popularized Taiwanese food in the city. These establishments introduced a wider audience to dishes like popcorn chicken, beef noodle soup, and fly’s heads — the facetiously named stir fry of ground pork, flowering garlic chives, chiles, and fermented black beans.

A British-style pork pie at Antonio's Pizzeria of East Meadow. Credit: Newsday/Erica Marcus This is the second time Antonio Trozzo has made a culinary career out of being a fish out of water. In his native Berkshire, England, he harnessed his family’s Calabrian recipes to launch an authentic Italian caterer, The Hog Fathers (porchetta, a whole roast pig, was their specialty).