Words on my old 'Hood

This William Grimes article on Astoria, where I lived for a year when I first moved to New York, is on-target about the deplorable Greek restaurant situation in Astoria, and mildly amusing with his description of food critics as "parasitic" and the dramatic situations that unfold at Flushing fish counters. It reminded me that, while I disliked certain aspects of living in Astoria, such as my landlord's explicit prohibition from residing with a cat, and the lack of nearby bookstores, the food scene in Astoria was-and is still-pretty rich. The article mentions La Flor, a wonderful Mexican bakery/restaurant in nearby Jackson Heights. There are so many places that weren't mentioned, such as the excellent Thai restaurant Ubol's Kitchen, which always delivered and had crispy, spiced "Curry puffs", the inexpensive hero place around the corner where enourmous prosciutto and mozzarella sandwiches could be had for less than six dollars, and Rosario's, the Italian grocery, where Rosario would often offer generous slices of freshly made ricotta samples to customers. And the ride to the airport was never fifty dollars...