NEW YORK—Food writer Joe DiStefano received a couple of beatings in the process of researching his new book, “111 Places in Queens That You Must Not Miss.” But they were presumably good for him.
DiStefano, known for his food tours of Queens, took to the heat of Russian banya-style Forest Hills Spa, which, like the borough of Queens itself, is host to a melting pot of folks from different cultures. What they had in common was, first, most certainly a belief that this was good for them, and second, possibly, pain. DiStefano underwent a detoxifying “platza” treatment, which entailed getting beaten by dried oak leaves, lightly at first, then in building intensity. The co-owner told him the cleansing treatment is good for the endocrine system.
