Neat Street eats

BY LAURIE FROST from the DAILY NEWS Sunday, June 17th 2007

New York mag names city's top pushcart vendors

...In the great melting pot that is New York, you can find the food of dozens of nations on pushcarts. And next week's issue of New York magazine has ranked the very best.
So read on and chow down - no reservations required, but you might need a MetroCard to get to Queens - because that's where five of the top vendors were found...

1. The Sainted Arepa Lady, Roosevelt Ave. near 78th St. in Jackson Heights, Queens.

Maria Piedad Cano might be the city's "most revered street vendor," according to the magazine. Foodies flock to her for delectable corn-and-cheese arepas. Like a holy apparition, she appears only on Friday and Saturday nights, after 10.


3. Sammy's Halal, 73rd St. at Broadway in Jackson Heights, Queens.

Cabbie-turned-cook Samiul Haque Noor turns out a marinated chicken-over-rice dish that rightfully earned him a five-cart empire. Regulars say not to skip the sauces, especially the green cilantro-yogurt.

4. Kahn's, 73rd St. at Broadway in Jackson Heights, Queens

The chicken-and-rice tastes "suspiciously similar" to Sammy's - and with good reason. Sammy has apparently taken Kahn's owner Parvez Zaman under his wing and has even shared his secret spice mix with him.

5. Tacos Guicho, Roosevelt Ave. at Gleane St. in Jackson Heights, Queens.

The chorizo and carnitas tacos are the stuff of local legend, but don't skip out on the tortas or sopes, warns the magazine. If you're going meatless, try the quadruple-layer chalupa with onion, cotija and crema. "The combination sounds simple, but the cheesy, salty, crunchy whole far exceeds the sum of its seemingly humble parts."