“As socialists, the working class is at the heart of our politics,” says Zohran Mamdani, New York State Assembly member in the Thirty-sixth District in Queens, as the plates keep arriving. I’m at Sami’s Kebab House in Astoria at Mamdani’s suggestion, talking with him about his next big move: running for mayor of New York City.

I’m not surprised that the assemblyman suggested this place, rather than some corporate purveyor of austere salads; Mamdani comes from an immigrant background and is committed to thinking big. Ordering, he opts for abundance: mantu dumplings, borani banjan (Afghan-style eggplant), and salmon kebab. Mamdani is well-liked here, so we’re also given plenty we didn’t order, including bolani kachalu (much like a samosa) and firnee, a dessert custard sprinkled with pistachios.

I’ve interviewed Mamdani before, and his record of left-wing legislating is impressive. But this is different. His mayoral campaign could have huge implications — for New York City, for the socialist movement, and progressive politics as a whole.