Photo courtesy of Kaufman Arts District
NOVEMBER 2 0 2 0 I BOROMAG.COM 21
FROM
LIC
COURIER
QBY BILL PARRY ueens Together, a restaurant
advocacy group launched in
the wake of the COVID-19
pandemic, has launched a
new effort to locally support
cultural institutions, shops
and eateries in western
Queens with its “KAD Passport,” an
online guide to 15 of the very best
attractions in Astoria’s Kaufman Arts
District.
The KAD Passport features the
neighborhood’s culinary and cultural
institutions such as the performing
arts high school founded by Astoria’s
favorite son Tony Bennett; New
York City’s only ukulele emporium;
and a host of restaurants, including
Mexican cantinas, late-night Desi kebab
stands, a bistro featuring French
crepes from Brittany and Astoria’s
only Nigerian eatery. The guide was
written and compiled by Joe DiStefano,
a local food guru, tour guide and
the author of “111 Places in Queens
That You Must Not Miss.”
“This is home for me. I moved to Astoria
in the mid-90s and immediately
started doing craft service and catering
for film and TV studios in New York
City,” Queens Together Executive Director
Jonathan Forgash said. “For 25
years I worked in and around Kaufman
Astoria Studios. They are an anchor in
the neighborhood. Kaufman provides
jobs, supports families and sponsors
events for all to enjoy. The district and
its cultural and culinary institutions are
living, breathing history. I’m excited to
share it.”
The online KAD Passport is available
to download for free at queenstogether.
org. Participants are encouraged to
start their KAD tours at the Kaufman
Astoria Studios iconic Main Gate at the
corner of 35th Avenue and 36th Street.
“As Queen’s first cultural district, we
have always banded together to support
the arts and our neighborhood,”
Kaufman Arts District Board of Directors
President Tracy Capune said. “Today, as
many restaurant owners struggle in our
district and around Kaufman Astoria
Studios, we are happy to join Queens
Together to promote and provide assistance
to unique restaurants that you can
only find in the Kaufman Arts District.”
The district is home to a community of
cultural institutions that support emerging
artists. Founded by the Kaufman
Astoria Studios, the Museum of Moving
Image and the Queens Council on the
Arts, KAD spans more than 24 blocks
and serves to advocate for the arts in
the neighborhood.
For more information visit the
Kaufman Arts District website at www.
kaufmanastoria.com/kaufman-artsdistrict.
ARTS + CULTURE
A Guide to Food and Culture
Queens Together launches online Kaufman Arts District guide to Astoria
/kaufman-arts-district.ARTS
/kaufman-arts-district.ARTS
/kaufman-arts-district.ARTS
/kaufman-arts-district.ARTS
/BOROMAG.COM
/kaufman-arts-district.ARTS
/kaufman-arts-district.ARTS
/kaufman-arts-district.ARTS
/kaufman-arts-district.ARTS
/BOROMAG.COM
