Mucan Food Corp.'s Classic Takeout - NYC

It's easy to pass by Muncan Food Corp.

An unassuming storefront in Astoria, there's little to indicate Muncan is worth a stop.

But open the door a crack, and you'll see–and smell–a trove of carnivorous delights, courtesy of a crew of Eastern European meat masters.

This family-run butcher shop was opened in 1978 by Tima Muncan, who grew up in Vojvodina, in what is today Serbia. The shop carries a mind-boggling array of meat products with roots in Romania, Hungary, Serbia, Croatia and other nearby countries.

Even if you're not familiar with those places' culinary traditions, you'll appreciate Muncan's wares: smoky-sweet dried Istrian sausages ($7 to $11 per lb); ruby-colored lamb prosciutto tingling with salt ($15 per lb); 19 different kinds of bacon ($6 to $8 per lb) adorned with everything from whole peppercorns to garlic slivers. 

All the items are made at Muncan's facility in Ridgewood, then stockpiled–and we mean piled–at the tiny store.

The counter is run by a genial, multicultural staff that caters to the neighborhood's diverse population. Case in point: One of the signatures is pork jumari, which Hispanic shoppers know as chicharrones and Southerners call cracklings. 

The prices at Muncan are refreshingly old-school, too–an incentive for a ride on the R train.

Muncan Food Corp., 4309 Broadway (between 43rd and 44th sts.), Queens; 718-278-8847 or muncanfoodcorp.com