More than 12 months ago, the northwest corner on 116th Street and Frederick Douglass Blvd in Harlem was an abandoned gas station locked up in jail-like bars. Does anyone remember how this corner looked back in the day? Fast forward to today, this corner in Harlem is now a bustling section, decorated with red outdoor umbrellas, filled daily with Harlemites, who are dining inside or outside, and it’s now the permanent home of Harlem Tavern, the second beer garden to open in South Harlem after bier international.
Can’t remember how Harlem Tavern came together and reached its one-year milestone? No worries. Let’s wish Harlem Tavern happy anniversary by reflecting back in photos and with some popular blog posts. Cheers!
Harlem couple invest in where they live creating Harlem Tavern-August 20, 2010
Inside Harlem Tavern-June 12, 2011
An exclusive look at Harlem Tavern’s menu-June 12, 2011
Harlem Tavern goes unisex with you know what!-June 17, 2011
A crowd descends on Harlem Tavern opening night-July 2, 2011
Posted in Bars, business, drinks, food, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, Harlem Tavern, restaurant row, restaurants
Tagged 10026, Beer garden, bier international, dining and drinking, Frederick Douglass Boulevard, Harlem, Harlem Tavern, Photos by HarlemGal, restaurant row, restaurants, travel, West 116th Street
Harlem Food Bar is now offering lunch! HFB opened for lunch yesterday, June 26! No signs of the lunch menu yet on this end. If anyone gets their grubby little hands on it, feel free to post it here!
Also, Harlem Food Bar will start offering brunch this coming weekend. From 11 am to 3 pm, brunch will offer carrot cake pancakes, red-velvet waffles, liters of mixed drinks (for the table) and more. So check out HFB’s brunch this weekend or try them out for lunch as well!
Posted in Bars, drinks, food, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, Harlem Food Bar, restaurant row, restaurants
Tagged 10026, 2100 Frederick Douglass Blvd., carrot cake, colorful mural, dining out, Entertainment, Food, food bar, Harlem, Harlem Food Bar, hfb, lunch menu, memorial day weekend, menu offerings, mixed drinks, new restaurants, outdoor seating, restaurant row, restaurants, seating space, sidewalk seating, The Gateway Tower, travel, vacation, wine bar
I went by Frederick Cafe Bistro this morning (June 22) to get an iced latte and a blueberry muffin, and found out they take credit cards as another form of payment. I assumed the cafe only took cash because it is under the same ownership as bier international, which I believe they only take cash, so this was a nice surprise this morning to find out I can use my credit card at Frederick Cafe Bistro!
If you haven’t stopped by Frederick Cafe Bistro, it’s on the southeast corner of FDB and 114th Street! They offer delicious coffee, pastries and pressed sandwiches!
Posted in bier international, business, drinks, food, Frederick Cafe Bistro Harlem, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, restaurant row, restaurants
Tagged 10026, 2104 Frederick Douglass Blvd., bier international, blueberry muffin, cafe bistro, coffee drink, cold sandwiches, delicious coffee, Food, Frederick Cafe Bistro Harlem, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, restaurants, travel
If you were walking along Frederick Douglass Blvd. in Harlem this past weekend, you may have noticed that Harlem’s newest eatery, Harlem Food Bar, located on FDB between 113th and 114th Street, opened up its outdoor seating space. Both Saturday and Sunday, patron’s gladly filled those seats from what I witnessed. Probably because the weather was descent and the food is good and reasonably priced.
Also from the photo above, it looks like HFB seating space could come out on the sidewalk a little farther. See the white chalk mark to the left? It appears that HFB was a bit modest with setting out their seats.
By the way, have you dined at HFB yet? If so, tell us what you think. To read more about Harlem Food Bar, click here or check out their Facebook page.
Posted in Bars, drinks, food, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, Harlem Food Bar, restaurant row, restaurants
Tagged 10026, 2100 Frederick Douglass Blvd., colorful mural, dining out, Entertainment, Food, food bar, Harlem, Harlem Food Bar, hfb, memorial day weekend, menu offerings, new restaurants, outdoor seating, restaurant row, restaurants, seating space, sidewalk seating, The Gateway Tower, travel, wine bar
I am convinced that someone has cloned Marcus Samuelsson, celebrity chef/owner of Red Rooster Harlem and Ginny’s Supper Club. He is everywhere! I recently saw him at the New York City Coalition Against Hunger Spring Gala, where he was honored for his work on hunger issues, and then we all saw him and his wife Maya in the June issue of Vogue,the glamorous fashion magazine. Next up for Marcus is community day in Harlem. The Harlem resident will host a Harlem Community Day on Monday, June 25, in support of his forthcoming memoir, Yes, Chef.
The neighborhood-focused day will be held from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Marcus Garvey Park at the Richard Rodgers Amphitheater (123rdStreet and Mount Morris Park West) and is free to the public.
Yes, Chef, is due out on June 26. It describes Marcus’ love for Harlem and his gratitude towards the Harlem community. In continuing to put the spot light on Harlem, Marcus has chosen to launch Yes, Chef at Marcus Garvey Park a day before the book’s national release. He will introduce the book with a fun-filled roster of activities and offerings that celebrate the residents, organizations and businesses of the neighborhood. Events will include cooking demonstrations, dance and musical performances, a greenmarket showcase, a yoga class, food and beverages, and a special Q and A with Marcus about Yes, Chef.
Posted in art and culture, business, Community, education, entertainment, Events, food, Free!, Harlem, Lenox Avenue, New York, New York City, NYC, Red Rooster Harlem, restaurants
Tagged books, Chef, Ginny's Supper Club, Harlem, history, Joel Berg, marcus samuelsson, memoir, Mount Morris Park, New York City Coalition Against Hunger, Red Rooster Harlem, Richard Rodgers Amphitheater, t, travel, Yes
Vegan and vegetarian food is in the news lately. Last week, it was about Seasoned Vegan and now its about Maoz Vegetarian. Through a press release, New York Parks and Recreation announced yesterday (June 13) that Maoz Vegetarian is now located at Harlem Meer in Central Park. Maoz Vegetarian’s newest location in Central Park is its seventh location in the City, and the latest opening is the first in East Harlem.
Maoz Vegetarian at the Harlem Meer will operate seven days a week from 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., subject to seasonal changes and weather related circumstances. Four tables for dining are located in front of the brick concession site, which are perfect for casual dining. Maoz Vegetarian is contracted for an eight year term, closing no earlier than mid-November for each operating term.
Posted in food, Harlem, New York, New York City, NYC, restaurants
Tagged Central Park North, East Harlem, Food, Harlem, Harlem Meer, Maoz Vegetarian, photo by NY Parks and Recreation, restaurants, travel, vegetarian food
Who was inspired by the recent New York Daily News article about The Beeners and their effort to open Harlem’s first full-service, vegan soul food restaurant? I certainly was! According to the article, Chef Brenda Beener and her son Aaron (mother and son), plan to open their vegan restaurant in August on Frederick Douglass Blvd. near 116th St., which is also known as Harlem’s restaurant row. But before they can open their establishment there is some major financing they must have in place, around $250k. The Beeners have turned to Kickstarter.com (and to us) to help them reach that sum.
There are various donation levels on their Kickstarter page from $5 to $500. If you are interested in helping Seasoned Vegan in Harlem become a reality, make your donation here.
It has been really fun and exciting lately to blog about some of the recent openings happening in Harlem, such as The Corner Social, Harlem Food Bar and Frederick Cafe Bistro. All these places have opened with such positive fanfare and the management behind these establishments are a delight to work with. However, there is one dining establishment on Frederick Douglass Blvd that is getting ready to open and I am finding it difficult to rave about. I am contemplating not evening dining there. Why? You may or may not know that there’s been an ongoing conflict between the owner of Jado Sushi, which is located in The Douglass Condo retail space (2118 FDB), and the owner of Land Yoga, which has been established in The Douglass for almost a year now and is Jado’s neighbor to the right.
According to online reports, Land Yoga in Harlem has been respectfully asking Jado Sushi, which is owned by the same person who owns The Winery on 116th Street, to kindly sound proof the restaurant so that it does not affect the environment of the yoga studio. Those multiple requests to Jado Sushi have been ignored to date, according to Land Yoga. HarlemGal Inc contacted The Winery asking for comment about Land Yoga’s request to sound proof and they did not respond.
Another reason I am blogging about this now is ’cause multiple readers have asked, why have you not mentioned anything about Jado Sushi in Harlem on your blog? Well, this is why. I am aware of the conflict going on between Jado and Land Yoga in Harlem.
For conversation sake, I have even asked Harlem business owner(s) about this and most have informally commented it is the responsibility of Jado Sushi to sound proof the place since they are coming into a retail area that has already been established, apartments above the Jado space will more than likely complain about the noise below so it’s best to sound proof now rather than later and its the politically correct thing to do. Most of the businesses on FDB support each other. Yesterday, I read that the owner of Melba’s stopped by Harlem Food Bar recently to show her support. That’s classy!
Personally, I am not clear on why Jado Sushi would not want to sound proof the place now versus wait until later like when more 
complaints potentially come in or this get’s escalated into a potential legal matter. Then again, maybe it’s not Jado’s responsibility to sound proof their place or is it? Does anyone have any thoughts on this subject? Should Jado Sushi in Harlem sound proof its place to accommodate Land Yoga?
And as for dining at Jado Sushi, at the moment I don’t want to even think about going there when it opens knowing this conflict is nowhere near a resolution and that I might be interrupting someone’s yoga practice-if Jado is not sound proofed. It doesn’t feel right as a long time practicing yogi. That’s another reason why I can’t get excited about this place and starting to believe that Jado Sushi just might be starting off in Harlem on the wrong foot leading to an uneventful opening.
Posted in business, Community, Corner Social, drinks, entertainment, food, Frederick Cafe Bistro Harlem, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, Harlem Food Bar, health and wellness, Melba's Restaurant Harlem, New York, New York City, NYC, restaurant row, restaurants
Tagged 10026, dining out, Harlem, healthy-living, Jado Sushi, Land Yoga, restaurant row, restaurants, sound proofing, sushi bar, yoga
The sixth annual Mafrika Music Festival is scheduled for June 24 in Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem. The program starts at noon and runs till 7 pm. And its FREE to the public. Enter Marcus Garvey Park at 120th street and 5th Avenue in Harlem. As always, this event has involvement from Yatenga French Bistro and Bar and ShrineNYC.
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