SCORE A PLUS OR STRIKE FOR RESTAURANTS

A neighbor shared with me that she and her husband decided to trek onto Woodhaven’s Jamaica Avenue the Monday after the blizzard. Although it was way after the breakfast hours, they decided to eat breakfast at the New Pop’s Restaurant at 85-22 Jamaica Avenue finding that their bill came to $28. They said that the menu advertises juice as being “fresh squeezed” and came out of a can. I am also told that the waitress reeked from liquor, kept talking to them and that the eggs had to be returned twice because they were cold. A complaint got the waitress to deduct $1 off the check.

How did this restaurant rate? The rating is “pending”, so there is no “A”, ‘B”, or “C” as yet. I decided to go to the website of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene seeking the violation points. New Pop’s Restaurant had a recent inspection and scored 46 violation points! The highest in Woodhaven. So that you get the gist of it “A” means violation points from 0-13, “B” is 14-27, and “C” is 28 and up.

The second highest was Pan U Go Bakery at 84-42 Jamaica Avenue just behind with 41 violation points. I decided to view more in Queens. The highest was Yo, Aqui Me Quedo at 84-10 37th Avenue in Jackson Heights with 131 violation points and was closed by the Board of Health. I couldn’t help but laugh when I viewed another closing of one in Jamaica with a score of 89 violation points. The name of the restaurant is Food Lovers Paradise!

I’ve become a bit skeptic as I dine and review eateries. Thank goodness my favorite Woodhaven spot has scored an “A”! Due to the blizzard and my not wanting to chance the sidewalks I was running out of food to prepare. I’m not one to eat at a restaurant where I can basically cook the same meal. Mama Meena’s Family Restaurant it was, especially after the over abundance of meat that I consumed while in Texas. I think I also craved their Filipino cuisine as well.

Arroz Caldo. A large bowl of rice porridge if you get the idea. I keep forgetting if they use basmati or jasmine rice…both smell and taste so good. Okay, aside from the rice there are some pieces of chicken of the “on the bone” ilk as well as slices of fresh ginger. It is then topped with slices of hardboiled egg, scallions and fried garlic. What a great idea for a winter soothe, let alone the flavor! Using fresh killed chickens does add some savor to flavor.

Combine string beans (the long and thin kind), yam, bitter melon, okra and pork for a dish called Pinakbet that comes with that good rice. One more so that I didn’t have to go back there too soon re the weather. Pancit Bihon is rice noodles sautéed with shrimp, chicken and veggies. Just in case you want to know, Mama Meena’s is located at 94-20 Jamaica Avenue (718-696-888 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              718-696-8882      end_of_the_skype_highlighting2)of this came to about $21 with tax, less than that awful breakfast experience first mentioned.

Speaking of weather. “Nor rain or snow or hail can keep us from…” It’s that famous postman’s “vow”. I don’t know about the rest of you but mail was not delivered on both Monday and Tuesday. I called the post office in Woodhaven and was told that the trucks from the main post office in Jamaica could not get through to Woodhaven. In case it skipped your memory, there are four main post offices in Queens: Flushing (113--); Long Island City (111--); Jamaica (114--); and Rockaway (116--). Mail goes there and then to your town.

I got word that someone was driving passed the Fire Telegraph Station at Forest Park observing a private snow plow coming out of the driveway having just plowed. Where did they place the snow? In the street and just in front of the vehicle as it was approaching. So, let me get this correct. The mayor tells us that it is illegal to do so, yet property owned by the city can do it? Is that not one of those “do as I say, not as I do?

Garbage collection. Bad news is that unless you’re the lucky ones or having a private pickup, garbage has not been collected for a week due to both a holiday and the blizzard. The good news is that whatever garbage might have been rotting is being frozen! Gee I hope it gets picked up before the thaw.

One other thing…catalogue food companies. Nueske’s keeps sending me one and this time I decided to sample some it. The order was supposed to arrive on a Wednesday, two days after being shipped. Due to the weather, it arrived on Friday. Need I say that there was neither dry ice, or whatever was used to keep the food frozen and thus thawed. Fortunately there is a guarantee. I called them just after receiving and although they were supposed to be open, had to leave a message. No one called back. Say “hello” to the garbage and Nueske’s.