Experience The Cultural Diversity Of Corona With Your Taste Buds

Empanadas Cafe
56-27 Van Doren St., 718-592-7288

Rincon Criollo
40-09 Junction Blvd., 718-458-0236
The best way to experience the cultural diversity of Corona is with your taste buds. Rincon Criollo opened in 1976 as the offshoot of a family restaurant in Santiago de Las Vegas in Havana, Cuba. This is the spot for traditional Cuban dishes, like a super-flavorful ropa vieja (shredded beef simmered in tomato sauce with onions and green peppers), rabo encendido (slow-cooked oxtail) and a simple Cubano sandwich. Meanwhile, Empanadas Cafe serves up crisp gourmet versions of its signature dish; its nearly 30 varieties of empanadas include the savory (chorizo and potato), the sweet (Nutella with banana) and a blend of the two (ham, cheese and pineapple).

Tortilleria Nixtamal
104-05 47th Ave., 718-699-2434

Leo's Latticini
46-02 104th St., 718-898-6069

El Hornero Bakery
96-08 Roosevelt Ave., 718-651-0400

The Lemon Ice King of Corona
52-02 108th St., 718-699-5133
If you're looking for a quick bite, Corona has a number of stellar options. Tortilleria Nixtamal's proprietors make tortillas on site using non-GMO white corn that's stone ground before being pressed into an old-school tortilla machine in the restaurant's front window.

Over at Leo's Latticini (or “Mama's,” as the locals call it), you can get an Italian sandwich, like a Genoa salami sub or eggplant parmigiana, along with succulent balls of homemade mozzarella. For something sweet, El Hornero Bakery has treats like dulce de leche cake and guava pie. Visit the Lemon Ice King of Corona for doled out Italian ices made with fresh ingredients for 70 years. The flavors—which servers are prohibited from combining—include coconut and blueberry (both with bits of real fruit), coffee (strong and clean) and pistachio (salty and sweet). Yum!