Eateries open new worlds

I think most people agree that Riverdale is a great place to live, and one of the reasons is that there are so many wonderful options for eating out here. One day you can have some of the best Chinese food in the city, and the next day it could be Mexican. Maybe later the same week you’ll try an Irish specialty or fresh pasta like they make in Italy. I especially like trying new things because I’m interested in having a culinary career one day. But it has occurred to me that it’s not the food itself that makes Riverdale and the surrounding area so great. 

I had that realization a few days ago, when I went with my parents to Ya Hala, a small Arabic restaurant just a few blocks outside of the Riverdale border. The shish kebobs and rice were delicious, but the food was almost beside the point. My dad and the owner of the restaurant chatted throughout the meal like old friends. They talked about the beauty of the Middle East, what was going on with oil prices and how many people are suffering in the current economy. My dad said he thought that in Ya Hala you could be pro-Israel, pro-Palestine, pro-peace and pro-great Middle Eastern Food, and he wished the rest of the world were the same way. 

We didn’t just eat; we made a new friend and learned some things about another part of the world. It’s the same when I go into Tierney’s on Moshulu Avenue and hear Irish music I never heard before or into Tokyo House on Riverdale Avenue and see the Asian artwork on the walls.

Just walking around Riverdale can be a little like taking a trip around the world if you keep your eyes and ears open. And your taste buds might be in for a treat too. 

Eve Rich, 14, has lived in Riverdale her whole life. Point of view is a column open to all.