by Ardhys De Leon and Sofia Khan, staff reporter(s)

For the people living in the community of Flushing, Queens, international cuisine is only footsteps away. This neighborhood has food from all different types of ethnicities: Greek, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, and American. The abundance of food mirrors the diversity of the community.

The Gyro Corner:

The Gyro Corner is one of these culture enriching restaurants, serving homemade Greek and Mediterranean food. Established in 1992, The Gyro Corner has been around for 20 years feeding customers from all over the community. Waiter Greg Vrovlos’ Greek culture played a role in his decision to work at this establishment.

“It’s a mixed neighborhood. It’s homemade food, it’s not just ready made 1-2-3 stuff. It’s a lot of dedication to the store, ” Gyro Corner waiter Greg Vrovlos said.

Graziella restaurant:

Graziella is a pizzeria that has been around for over 30 years and serves primarily pizza but includes a couple of Italian pasta dishes. Though the community frequents the quicker over the counter joint, this restaurant has a bigger establishment next door which services a larger crowd and includes a more varied menu.

Graziella has been popular among students and teachers who usually stop by to get lunch. After school, the place is usually packed with hungry students. The restaurant also provided jobs for those who lived within flushing. Employee, Arturo Macrlo was one who found work at this establishment.

“I started working here three years ago and its been a good experience; a lot of different type of people come here,” Graziella employee Arturo Macrlo said

The Big Apple:

While most Asian cuisine restaurants have either Japanese or Chinese food, The Big Apple makes available the two types of foods by having both chinese dishes as well as sushi. Incorporating the best of both worlds, this restaurant manages to get a crowd from all over the community and organizes an abundance of events including birthday parties and baby showers.

“The customers come from everywhere:  Bayside, Flushing, New Jersey, Long Island,” owner of Big Apple Annie Tong said.

Customers come back for more because of the large selection Big Apple provides as well as the excellent service. The restaurant has remained a favorite among customers despite all the other similar establishments around the community.

“With the kids, it gives them an opportunity to see that there’s all different things, not just what we do at home,” customer Jenn Zitron said.

57’s Diner Restaurant:

57s Diner is a restaurant that pays homage to the 50s theme. Unlike the other restaurants in the area that serve ethnic foods, this particular diner balances out the diversity in the community by providing American dishes; an alternative to the ethnic cuisines in the area.
“Other foods such as Indian, is too rich for me so I stay away from it. I prefer this restaurant because it’s American and bland,” customer Mike Donighue said.

Restaurants like The Gyro Corner, Graziella, The Big Apple and 57s Diner all add to the diversity of the community. People can get a taste of different types of cultures without going too far.