A version of this post appeared on the Queens Council on the Arts blog.

One of my favorite quotes in the world is by Agatha Christie who said,

“Conversation reveals all”

And she should know.

The Grande Dame of Whodunit has built an empire of mystery novels of assorted murderers, scoundrels and thieves who have been undone by conversation.

I prefer to keep company with other types of people less deadly but just as fascinating.  For me, the best place to do this and to have a conversation is over lunch.

How do you get to know someone?

Spending an hour with a person over a sandwich and coffee is a great way to start a relationship.  Breaking bread is usually followed by breaking the ice.  If you are a skilled conversation artist, you will find yourself listening a lot more than talking.  If the food is exceptionally tasty, this is not difficult to do.  People like to talk and share stories about themselves.

I think of lunch the same way I think about weddings.

Who is the wedding for, really?  The bride and the groom?  Guess again.  It’s for everybody else.  You guys are just animated versions of the cake figures.

Who is lunch for?  I’ll give you a hint:

The most important letter in the word “lunch” is u.

U, as in you.  Not you, the other you.  The other person.

Three great places for lunch

I have three places for you to have lunch in Queens, the borough of great food.

In Jackson Heights, you will love Espresso 77, an artsy cafe just off 37th Avenue.  It is owned by my friend Afzal Hossain who is an artist as well as the owner of this delightful neighborhood coffee bar.  You can relax with a cup of coffee and a sandwich among work on the wall created by local artists.

In Flushing, there is an oasis of a restaurant in the Queens Crossing building called Mulan.  This place has an interesting dining area in the center of the restaurant enclosed by the illusion of a waterfall.  Nice place to chat with a board member or a prospective client over elegant Asian cuisine.  Here you will find yourself surrounded by art from a roster of international artists.

In Long Island City, a new spot I have recently discovered  is Testaccio on Vernon Boulevard.  Hearty handshake from Ivan, the owner and handmade pasta too!  What’s not to love?  Their roof garden will be opening soon and they have several smaller dining areas in the back, perfect for a small gathering of artists, a staff lunch or a tete a tete with a colleague.

Bon appetit!

Lunch is about everybody else, if you really want to get to know people.  When you invite someone to lunch, ask them to bring their appetite.  You bring your ears.

Get more Wow!

If you want style notes and more for people who change the world, please check out:

Getting to Wow! to feel good, do good and look good

Nonprofit Knitwear for all things knit and nonprofit

Style Notes from me, your artspy

Hoong Yee

– Subscribe and get a little Wow! every day

– Forward the link to someone you think would be interested

– Link to a post on Twitter (follow me @hylkrakauer)

– Put a link to the blog in your Facebook status update

Thanks so much! I really appreciate your help.

Word of mouth is the best way to share, don’t you agree?