For me, the years from 2009 to 2012 consisted mostly of Fresh Meadows. I went to school here, at Francis Lewis High School. So I kind of have a soft spot for it.
High school is usually a strange experience for us all. Personally, I didn’t like high school until senior year. Senior year was amazing! Probably because I knew it was going to be over soon enough. And I am so glad it’s all over.
There were some good times; I remember walking around the area with my friends. Honestly, any memory of high school that happened outside of the actual high school building was great. I made-long lasting friends, for whom I am grateful.
My friends Farah (left) and Meena (right) on our graduation day.
Fresh Meadows is pretty big and covers a lot of surface area. A lot of it is residential, but there are still fun things to do in the neighborhood. Plus the geotag on Snapchat is so cute:
Here are some of my favorite places to go to in Fresh Meadows, Queens:
Acquista Trattoria
Located: 178-01 Union Turnpike, Fresh Meadows, NY 11366.
I have been coming to this authentic Italian restaurant for years, and it never disappoints. It’s SO good. And super authentic, right in the heart of Fresh Meadows. Honestly, anything you order off the menu is going to be amazing.
According to their website, Acquista Trattoria was opened in 2001 by the Acquista family. Their chef, Alessandro, studied at the French Culinary Institute and in Italy, and developed the menu for the restaurant.
They recently renovated the entire restaurant, and now it’s very modern looking and chic.
First off, as soon as you sit down they give you bread and a plate of olives in olive oil. I’m an olive queen, so I automatically like this place because of this. It’s a variety of olives, too!
Pollo Montecarlo
They have a lot of different, delicious items on the menu. They have great antipasti items, such as Mozzarella in Carrozza, which is golden-crusted fried mozzarella sandwiches served with marinara sauce. There’s also the Fresh Mussels (Fresh Mussels in Fresh Meadows, ha), which are mussels sautéed with fresh plum tomato, basil, garlic and white wine tomato sauce.
They have really good “secondi” dishes such as, my favorite, Pollo Montecarlo. It is chicken breast sautéed with shallots, asparagus and melted mozzarella cheese in champagne sauce. So good, and so creamy. All “secondi” dishes are served with a choice of mixed vegetables, Tuscan fries, mashed potatoes or broccoli. I suggest getting mashed potatoes, it just ties the dish together and makes it even creamier.
Cavateli Alla Pugliese with chicken
There are also a ton of traditional pasta dishes. They have various types of spaghetti, linguine, gnocchi, ravioli, penne and an amazing lasagna. One dish that really sticks out is the Cavatelli Alla Pugliese, which is cavatelli pasta (shell-shaped) with broccoli rabe, crumbled Italian sausage, fresh tomato, garlic and extra virgin olive oil. The broccoli rabe makes this dish truly one of a kind. All of the flavors come together so well. And the dish itself is light, there’s nothing too heavy about it. It’s so satisfying. Also the pasta is a unique texture and shape, which makes it fun to eat!
This place also has Calzones, Speciality Baby Pizzas (12 inches), regular pizza, and Italian American classics like Pollo Alla Parmigiana (classic chicken parmigiana) and Pollo Francese 
(chicken battered and sautéed in lemon, butter, and wine sauce). They also have paninis, hero sandwiches, soups and salads. You can view their full menu here.
And when you go, you HAVE to get their espresso. It’s a necessity. Must have. DO IT. It’s always served with a piece of biscotti and lemon peel to squeeze into it. So. Good.
Come check out Acquista Trattoria, this traditional Italian restaurant, on Union Turnpike! It could get a little pricey, but it’s perfect for a date night. And they do have weekly specials you can view here.
King Yum
Located: 181-08 Union Turnpike, Fresh Meadows, NY 11366.
King Yum is a family-owned restaurant has been operated by the Eng family for the past fifty-eight years. It is a traditional Chinese place with Szechuan food, a cuisine from the Sichuan province in southwestern China, which is hot and spicy style of Chinese cooking, and Cantonese comfort food. This place has a lot to offer. And the inside is beautiful; it’s Polynesian themed.
As soon as you sit down at a white table-clothed table, they give you tea and an appetizer, which are fried wonton strips. They are served with duck sauce and a spicy mustard sauce.
One of the delicious appetizers they have is the Wonton Soup, which surprised me because it’s not your typical Wonton Soup. They throw in a ton of vegetables, while the Wonton Soup I usually have just has 
wontons and broth. Their Wonton Soup is so much better! And colorful!
They also have really good Fried Chicken Wings, which also come in spicy form. There is also Cold Sesame Noodle, Fried Calamari with General Tao’s dipping sauce and Dim Sum.
Some of King Yum’s entrees that stand out are their Fried Rice and their Egg Foo Young. I personally prefer chicken fried rice, but they also serve roast pork, subsume (a mixture of vegetables and meat), shrimp and beef fried rice. Egg Foo Young is an omelette dish, basically an egg dish mixed with onions and the meat of your choice. You can choose chicken, roast pork, shrimp or vegetable Egg Foo Young.
King Yum also has great combination dinners, where you can get multiple things for a decent price. A combination dinner comes with soup or juice. Basically every entree comes with fried rice and an egg roll. You can order Chicken Chow Mein with Fried Rice and an Egg Roll. Or BBQ Spare Ribs, Fried Rice and an Egg Roll.
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On the menu there is a “King Yum’s Suggestions” section, where they suggest poultry, meat and seafood dishes. You can view their full menu here.
Come check out King Yum, the staff if so friendly and attentive and they have karaoke on Fridays!
AMC Fresh Meadows
Located: 190-02 Horace Harding Blvd, Fresh Meadows, NY 11365.
PC: www.yelp.com
This is one of the coolest movie theaters I’ve ever been to. When I was in high school, they renovated the whole thing and it was closed for months. But when it reopened, it changed the way everybody in the area goes to the movies.
What’s cool about this theater is their seats! They are leather plush recliners. When you press a button, the seat slowly reclines down. You can basically lay down and watch the movie. The downside is that you need to reserve seats, so movies tend to sell out quickly. If you wait too long, you might not get a seat together with your friends.
It is also a pricy movie theater. It can be as much as $20.99 for a 3D movie in the evening. It is cheaper in the morning, $8.99 for a 10 a.m. movie.
I think it’s worth it, though. So worth it. Just go early, buy your tickets, and reserve your seats!
Fresh Meadows Pizzeria & Restaurant
Located: 195-09 69th Ave, Fresh Meadows, NY 11365.
This is a really good local pizzeria. There is table service after 4 p.m. and they also have a freezer filled to the brim with different types of Italian ice cream.
When I went there I ordered a delicious looking slice of pizza, but I ate it too fast and totally forgot to take a picture, which has never happened to me before. But just know that it was a Chicken Marsala slice with mushrooms and it was so good!
This pizzeria is inexpensive, which is convenient (on a college student budget!) A regular, extra large pizza is only $13.95! You can view their full menu here.
Come check out Fresh Meadows Pizzeria & Restaurant!
Thank you for reading this post about my favorite places in Fresh Meadows, Queens! I hope you check them out and like them as much as I do!
Fresh Meadows natives: Did I forget to mention your favorite place in Fresh Meadows? Tell me in a comment below!
Until next time!
The slice of pizza you forgot to photograph reminds me of the Pizzeria that was closed on Main Street in Flushing under the LIRR station, I asked the lottery ticket seller next door about it. He said they could afford a rent hike, I had a pot of pizza there but never remembered the name of the place. I never took any pictures. Now it’s gone.