Queens NYC: Salt & Fat

Radish Salad at Salt & Fat: ramp greens, goat cheese, speck, tokyo turnip, horseradish

I feel pretty fortunate that my job takes me to some great cities, even if the majority of my hours in said cities are usually spent working on a trade show floor, in trainings, or in my hotel room on my laptop. No matter how tired I am, there’s always enough energy to hit the town for a great meal or two.

My latest NYC trip wasn’t exactly glamorous, as a majority of my time was spent at Citi Field, home of the Mets. And no, I wasn’t watching baseball. I was attending a food show that was held inside the stadium. For 3 long days. Of course, I can’t complain too much– I mean, it was a food show. There are worse things I could’ve be doing!

The location and long hours of the show required that I stay near Citi Field, in the New York City borough of Queens. Before this trip, with the exception of flights in and out of LGA, I’d never been to Queens. Since I wasn’t exactly familiar with the area, and all of my previous trips to NYC had been spent in Manhattan, I wasn’t sure how time consuming it would be to get over there from my hotel, or if I would have the energy at the end of each day to do it.

Salt & Fat’s Scallops: roasted carrot puree, truffled corn salsa, capers

So, instead of researching restaurant options in Manhattan in advance of my trip, I pretty much did nothing. Luckily my sis-in-law lives on the Upper West Side, and since I wanted to see her while in town, I just let her come up with some options for us. On the day of my arrival. How’s that for last minute planning?

Knowing that I might be exhausted after flights and working at a show, she kindly offered to head my way, over to Queens. She sent me a short list of options, and one stood out from the rest – Salt & Fat. I mean, how could a place with that name not be great?

This is a small neighborhood joint in Sunnyside, a cozy space with friendly staff and some of the best food I’ve had in a while. It was a blessing in disguise that I had to stay outside of Midtown Manhattan on this trip, as I am so happy that I got to experience this place!

Korean BBQ Wraps: marinated hanger steak, pickles, fried onion, ssamjang

Hudson Valley Foie Gras: cinnamon gastrique, brioche, bacon, seasonal fruit

Duck breast: burnet eggplant yogurt, apricot, shiso chimichurri, duck fat crouton

Bacon Panna Cotta with Maple Ice Cream and Whiskey Gastrique at Salt & Fat

If you live in NYC or find yourself in or near Queens at some point in the near future, you should definitely give Salt & Fat a visit. They don’t take reservations, so be prepared to wait, but I promise any wait time is worth it!

Salt & Fat

41-16 Queens Blvd
Sunnyside Gardens, NY 11104
(718) 433-3702