Born and raised in the district she will now represent on the New York City Council come January 2022, Amanda Farías knows the best places to grab a bite and also support small businesses.
From her favorite Guyanese spot to her family’s preferred local pizza slice and other tasty restaurants that feature Latin fusion, Farias took a food tour of the 18th Council District on Oct. 29.
Visiting these restaurants was quite nostalgic, as Jimmy’s Grand Café, 1001 Castle Hill Ave., and Frank’s Pizza, 768 Castle Hill Ave., are both longtime establishments places in the community. Farias also went to Khalil Biryani House, 1445 Olmstead Ave., and Bengali Street Food, a known Bengali food cart on Starling Avenue.
“The goal was to highlight this commercial corridor and the great places families go to,” Farias told the Bronx Times. “When we’re talking about being culturally responsive and embracing the cultures in our community, part of that is food.”
While she remembered going to Jimmy’s late at night with her friends as a youth, her favorite part is that it’s family owned.
Frank’s, which has been around since Farias was a kid, is known for its gigantic slices, she said. In addition to going there as a youngster, her campaign office was located next to it, so she and her staff never went hungry.
“This is the place in Castle Hill to get great pizza,” she said.
She then hit up renowned chef Khalil Biryani at one of his restaurants in Parkchester and ended the tour with Bengali food at Bengali Street Food.
All of the owners agreed that this past year-plus was the toughest of their careers, but they are now excited for the holiday season.
“For me, it’s really important that I still go to all of these places,” Farias said. “We want people to know that these places are still open.”
Reach Jason Cohen at jcohen@schnepsmedia.com or (718) 260-4598. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes.
