Home Again
Actor John Leguizamo dishes on the borough of his youth
Written by Cara Cannella; Photographed by Daniel Krieger
He may live the high life in Manhattan now, but John Leguizamo is a Queens boy through and through. When he was 3, his family emigrated from Colombia and moved nearly every year of his childhood. "I've lived in Astoria, Corona, East Elmhurst, Emhurst, Jackson Heights," he recalls. "We were upwardly mobile!" As a kid, this lifelong Mets fan watched the games at Shea Stadium from the "free seats" by the 7 train, looking over the fence. "Citi Field," he says, "is a whole different ballgame." And the food? Well, let's just say this buff Hollywood star put away two Shackburgers and a strawberry shake from Shake Shack in the course of our cover shoot. "These burgers are the bomb! And the shakes are good too, man."
Leguizamo insists that Jackson Heights, a neighborhood especially dear to his heart, is host to the city's best Colombian fare. He suggests trying some warm almojábana or pandebono (different types of cheese bread, made with tapioca flour and corn flour, respectively) at any of the Colombian bakeries on Roosevelt Avenue. He also recommends roscón, a soft doughnut-shaped pastry filled with either dulce de leche or guava jam.
Sancocho, a stew made with meat, plantains, potatoes, yuca and other vegetables, is a specialty of Leguizamo's mother. When he wants sancocho that's almost as good as mom's, he visits Natives Restaurant on Northern Boulevard, also home to a tasty roast pork, rice and beans plate, served with ají, a spicy cilantro and spring onion sauce. Finally, Leguizamo recommends a trip to La Pequeña Colombia, New York's oldest Colombian restaurant, where "the portions are crazy large" and "the hot chocolate is amazing."
While nothing will ever replace his native fare, growing up in Queens helped Leguizamo appreciate the flavors of the world. Korean and Ecuadorian food are among his top picks, but he's particularly fond of Indian. Jackson Diner, a critically acclaimed North Indian restaurant in Jackson Heights, is one of his go-to choices. Another favorite is LIC's Five Star Diner, a late-night Punjabi joint. "It's right over the bridge in Long Island City, where all the taxi drivers go," he notes. "Wherever cab drivers eat is always the best."
When not eating out, Leguizamo tries to buy directly from local farmers. He picks up deliveries of grass-fed beef, kombucha and raw milk supplied by Amish dairy farms at the Natural Gourmet Institute in Manhattan, not far from where he now lives.
"I've read Michael Pollan's book The Omnivore's Dilemma and eating locally just makes sense to me," he explains. Last fall, Leguizamo brought his kids to the Queens County Farm Museum for a lesson in getting food from its source, and ended up seeing more than he bargained for. "It's incredible there, man. I saw two lambs being born! My daughter freaked, and I teased her, 'How about a lamb chop for dinner?'"
Kidding aside, much has changed in Queens since he was a scrappy kid watching games for free at Shea. But for all the change he sees, Leguizamo remains much the same guy he always was. As he wrote in his memoir, Pimps, Hos, Playa Hatas and All the Rest of My Hollywood Friends: My Life (Ecco, 2006), "I'm not much different today than that kid who commandeered the stage of the 7 train. It's just that the stage has kept getting bigger and bigger."
WHERE TO GO
Five Star Diner, 13-05 43rd Ave., Long Island City, 718-784-7444, www.fivestardinerlic.com
Jackson Diner, 37-47 74th St., Jackson Heights, 718-672-1232, www.jacksondiner.com
La Pequeña Colombia, 83-27 Roosevelt Ave., Jackson Heights, 718-478-8700, www.pequenacolombia.com
Natives Restaurant, 82-22 Northern Blvd., Jackson Heights; 718-335-0780, www.nativesrestaurant.com
Queens County Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Pkwy, Floral Park, 718-347-3276, www.queensfarm.org
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