Hungry in Long Island City

The Creek and the Cave (10-93 Jackson Avenue, Long Island City, NY)
Jackson Avenue Steakhouse (12-23 Jackson Avenue, Long Island City, NY)
Crossroads (47-46 11th Street, Long Island City, NY)

Although neighboring Astoria, Queens is home to dozens of fantastic restaurants of every ethnic stripe, nearby Long Island City has never managed to transform its essentially industrial landscape into anything even remotely comfortable. Block-long and wide PS1 dominates a lonely stretch of Jackson Boulevard, sparsely populated with cringe-worthy delis, Archie Bunker bars and forlorn filling stations. Current exhibits at the mega-museum, the cheapest gas in the five boroughs and a local Costco have brought us several times to LI City in recent weeks, and while we can sing the praises of PS1's January 2007 exhibits (if possible, try to make it to see SunTek Chung's witty and surreal photographs and sculpture, and to hear E.V. Day's startling sound installation in the building's spooky boiler room), finding a decent bite in the 'hood is far from easy. Without a car and a noticeable lack of public transport, the distances are far to traverse; even with a car, we found it difficult locating dining of much worth.

Decent Mexican fare with an emphasis on fresh produce and vegetarian options like tofu fajitas can be found at The Creek and the Cave, your best bet if spending the day at PS1, and far better than the museum's cafe fare of stale sandwiches and baked goods (though they have recently acquired a full liquor license - very convenient for thirsty art patrons). Time your visit at The Creek and the Cave wisely to avoid the rowdy and unpleasant happy hour crowd arriving promptly at the attached bar at 5pm; a late lunch is not recommended. A Spinach Burrito ($6.95) is both healthy and well-seasoned, and the Tacos al Carbon ($3 each) are large in portion and flavor.

Pricier and home to an older, unfriendly clientele more obnoxious than the rowdy drunks next door at The Creek and The Cave is Jackson Avenue Steakhouse. In a setting deeply devoid of charm, wildly overpriced sub-standard fare is carted from slop buckets in the kitchen to tabletops by a staff redeemed partially by their embarrassed expressions. A Tomato and Onion Salad ($5.95) was psychotically dressed with steak sauce, and a shared appetizer of Baked Clams was left uneaten by Cafe Drake ($10.95). It only gets worse with the entrees, and the real slap on the face is the sticker shock - $22 bought us cheapest steak in the house, a nauseating plate of chopped sirloin with sauteed onions, while $24 landed us eight fried shrimp direct from the freezer we suspect. Mains are priced from $22 up to $72 (Chateaubriand for two), with most hovering around 40 bucks or more, the prices having been set in an alternative universe, and we suspect none rise above tolerable.

You may have reached a personal one should you find yourself seated at Crossroads, a 70s-era diner whose best feature is an ironic wall of picture windows; the industrial vista outside, lighted by an early-setting January sun, certainly created atmosphere on our recent visit. A Turkey Club ($7.95) on whole wheat was actually satisfactory (dismal tomatoes but plenty of good mayo and crisp bacon), as were the fries and coleslaw. The Reuben ($8.95) was decent as well but comes sided with bland potato salad and limp pickles. In a state of desperation or plummeting blood sugar, Crossroads makes a viable, if unexciting, option.