Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://specialtyfoodmagazine.epubxp.com/i/139333
QUEENS T he biggest borough houses the New York Mets, the U.S. Open, 12 subway lines and more than two million people representing some 100 different countries. With all those global influences, Queens is a fascinating international food center, where specialty food stores and street vendors alike serve up the real deal.—M.C. Butcher Block Sunnyside Butcher Block is a shopper's best bet for Irish and U.K. imports. Serving the Sunnyside neighborhood since 1995, the 2,000-square-foot grocery store is loaded with such products as Taytos potato chips, with flavors like salt and vinegar, prawn cocktail and roast chicken, among others; Hobnobs and other sweet biscuits; Genesis Irish potato bread and Brennan's bread. In the refrigerated section are prewrapped meats, Irish butter and a variety of Irish cheeses like Dubliner and Tipperary cheddar. Butcher Block is also well-known for its deli, which offers hot dishes and baked goods, sandwiches, fresh meats and house-made black pudding and white pudding. Some of the ingredients that go into an Irish breakfast—sausages, puddings, rashers—are also packaged together, making home preparation of traditional meals convenient and easy. "The groceries, Irish breads like Nelli Duncan Irish soda bread and Pat's Pan Irish brown bread—those are the big items," says owner and manager Noel Gaynor. Tea is also a big seller, he adds. Butcher Block carries a variety of loose tea, including PG Tips, Barry's and Lyon's. The customer base extends beyond British and Irish expats, though they are a big portion of it. "We serve a lot of people from the neighborhood," Gaynor says. "Every nationality." 43-46 41st St., Sunnyside, N.Y.; 718.784.1078 Muncan Food Corporation Ridgewood and Long Island City 130 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com ditional Romanian and Serbian/Croatian practices. The business has locations in Ridgewood and Long Island City; each shop is about 476 square feet and both are full of delicious meaty riches. Probably the most striking aspect of Muncan Foods is the heady aroma of smoked meats on entering the store. Meat is everywhere—hanging from the ceiling, sitting on the counter and behind the glass display case; you can even spot meats as you look past the doors into the staff area. All of it is cured and smoked by the Muncan staff, a fact Tima Muncan says helps set the store apart. Pork is the primary offering, but more esoteric varieties include duck prosciutto and lamb salami. One of the most popular items is jumari, or chicharones—pork rinds deep-fried in-house and sold by the pound. Shoppers will also find a range of bacons, including the double-smoked bacon, which can even be eaten raw. The customer base is varied, though Muncan reports an increase in interest from younger shoppers over the years. "There is something for everybody in our products. For instance, I have cuts for Europeans, cuts for South Americans," Tima Muncan says. "Everybody likes our products." 60-86 Myrtle Ave., Ridgewood, N.Y.; 718.417.5095; 43-09 Broadway, Long Island City, N.Y.; 718.278.8847 PHOTOS: MEG COTNER Throughout Queens are a number of hallowed halls to Eastern European cured and smoked meats, and Muncan Foods is one of them. Opened in 1978 by brothers Tima and Jonel Muncan, the store's approach comes from tra- Queens is a fascinating international food center, where specialty food stores and street vendors alike serve up the real deal.