Saturday, July 29, 2017
Tour 1: 11:00AM – 1:00PM
Location: Flushing, Queens

Flushing Chinatown, also known as “Mandarin Town” is one of the largest and fastest growing ethnic Chinese enclaves in New York City. With such a sizable Chinese community, it is hardly surprising that Flushing has become a hot spot for some of the best Chinese food that New York has to offer. On Saturday July 29, join China Institute as we partner with Flushing Town Hall to host a walking food tour of the neighborhood, part of our ongoing Gourmet Food Circle, programming series. Participants will have a chance to learn more about the area’s dynamic history, as we sample neighborhood favorites from local cafes, restaurants, and shops with Queens-based food writer, Joe DiStefano. The tour will start on Main Street, and end at Flushing Town Hall, where participants will have a chance to view the center’s upcoming exhibition, Taking it to the Streets: 1950s NY through the Lens of Flushing Photographer Frank Oscar Larson.

China Institute’s Gourmet Food Circle brings together curious foodies with an adventurous appetite for all things China. Focusing on both Chinese and Chinese-inspired cuisine, we delve into the local New York food scene to create a cultivated, gourmet experience for participants to learn, taste, and explore.

Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts, located at historic Flushing Town Hall, was founded in 1979 to be a revitalizing force for its community, a catalyst for developing and promoting the visual and performing arts in Queens, and a bridge to promote intercultural understanding through the arts in the most culturally diverse county in the United States.

Joe DiStefano is a Queens-based food writer, culinary tour guide and consultant who has been exploring the borough’s diverse global cuisines for more than a decade. An intrepid eater and explorer he’s widely recognized by such culinary luminaries as Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern as a go-to source on the borough’s rich tapestry of cuisines and cultures from Michelin-starred temples of gastronomy to actual Thai and Hindu temples where food is served. He is the founder and publisher of the Queenscentric food blog CHOPSTICKS & MARROW, and a co-founder of New York Epicurean Events and Queens Dinner Club. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Gourmet, Food Republic, and Serious Eats.