Dollar Grub: Corona

Empanadas, tamales and nuclear-colored shaved ice: It's hit or miss in Queens' Italian-Latino hub

Ride a Queens-bound 7, and a few stops before its Flushing terminus you'll find Corona, Queens, a neighborhood sitting at a cultural crossroads. Though dwindling, the neighborhood's Italian inhabitants have retained a toehold, with sausage makers abutting against tortilla factories and restaurants specializing in ceviche: Mexican and Latin American immigrants, putting their flavorful stamp on Corona.

On a bright and hot afternoon, I exit the train at 103rd Street. Armed with a fistful of dollar bills, I dine on walnut cake, cannoli and more empanadas than I thought humanly possible.

By Joshua M. Bernstein; photos by Sam Horine

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