La Fusta Review

Sometimes you need an extra little push to make the effort to get to the outer boroughs to eat — a personal invitation brought me to La Fusta, in Elmhurst, Queens. But don't let its location stop you if its Argentinean food you seek.

The restaurant sits across from Elmhurst Hospital, but off the main road. Because I was a guest, the menu for the evening was taken care of. But given that everything was delicious, I had no problem with that. We tried a bit of everything.

To begin — a shallow platter of broiled, bubbling provolone cheese. Hot and melty and delicious on bread.

Though Argentinean food might be more typically associated with meat, don't let it stop you from ordering the fried calamari or this watercress salad. The calamari was lightly breaded but tenderly cooked.

The watercress salad was a fun mix of hearts of palm, tomatoes, sliced hard boiled eggs, red onions, avocado and large, sweet shrimp.

The mixed grill was the centerpiece of the meal and what you'll most likely come here for. This was a hefty platter that included blood sausage, chicken, pork chop, short rib and steak. The pork was my favorite, but all the meat was nicely charred and tasty.

And what goes better with all that meat than a heaping side of thin-cut fries.

Don't forget your vegetables to help digest all that meat! Broccoli rabe and spinach tossed in garlic and oil were good options.

And for a fun ending, try the apple or banana crepes flambeed in rum. They pack a lot of punch but aren't too sweet.

So when you're looking for something in this area or you're in search of your next eating adventure, keep La Fusta in mind.