There are two rival fish restaurants in Astoria. One is Greek and the other, Abuquir, is Egyptian. The latter is named after a village near Alexandria, on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast. At both restaurants, you can amble over to the counter and gaze at calamari, shrimp, and branzino on ice and take your pick: fried whole, baked, grilled, and, at Abuquir, caked with bran spices like cumin and pepper. These sorts of dishes give this restaurant an edge—along with Middle Eastern sides like pita, cucumbers and tomatoes, and rice with caramelized onions. There’s no alcohol, and no bringing your own booze, either. —Elena Clavarino

Elena Clavarino is the Senior Editor at AIR MAIL