A neighbor of mine in Sunnyside introduced me a new restaurant in Queens. Please understand. That's no small event for a borough that may have fertile centers of traditional ethnic food (e.g. Flushing's Chinatown), but overall seems on a slow boat toward Brooklyn's more radical explosion of great new cuisine. Or at least restaurants.

Casa del chef  in Woodside brings us closer. Its owner, chef Alfonso Zhicay (along with his daughter), offers a solid menu whose greatness emerges in the preparation and service. It's a terrific place for a meal. Zhicay is a native of Gaulaceo, Ecuador, a place I know from my visits as home to incredible hornado, roast pig. He has also worked under top-chefs like David Bouley and  Dan Barber. If you're in the New York area, you probably should visit soon. My bet is it will become very popular very quickly.