Category Archives: food

Support East Harlem Cafe in their 10k in 30 days campaign

Posted on April 18, 2012 | Leave a comment

Remember how I told you about 67 Orange in Harlem creating a campaign to raise money for various items in the bar? East Harlem Cafe is taking the same approach by asking the community to join in helping them raise $10,000 in 30 days. The café needs kitchen storage, supplies and food prep equipment.  In order to purchase these items, East Harlem Cafe is turning to members of the local and global community for assistance, instead of going to big banks for a loan with high interest rates to expand.

If you would like to invest in East Harlem Cafe, go here from more details.

Leave a comment

Posted in baking, business, Community, drinks, food, Harlem

Tagged , , , , ,

New York Magazine says wet your whistle at two Harlem bars on Lenox Avenue

Posted on April 13, 2012 | 6 comments

New York Magazine reports in their “Your New Favorite Bar” section there are two spots in Harlem they recommend to “wet your whistle.” They are: Ginny’s Supper Club, aka the lower level of Red Rooster, and Lenox Social, the new establishment getting picked on by Lenox Lounge!

NY Mag says Ginny’s  is a place where “the young and old can wet their beaks…and you’ll be able to see Asian and French influences.” The weekly magazine calls Lenox Social a place where “there’s something for nearly everyone, with a sturdy comfort-food menu, friendly scattershot decor, and a multipurpose space that simultaneously qualifies as sports bar, group-meeting ground, and quiet dinner destination in Harlem.”

So there you have it!  Two places to check out in Harlem-and on Lenox Avenue-this weekend if you need some ideas on where to go!

6 Comments

Posted in 125th Street, Bars, drinks, food, Harlem, Lenox Avenue, Lenox Lounge, Lenox Social, Red Rooster Harlem, restaurants

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

New York City Coalition Against Hunger to honor Harlem’s Marcus Samuelsson

Posted on April 11, 2012 | 3 comments

In full disclosure, I am so happy to report that one of the organizations I have supported for many years will be honoring one of Harlem’s own and an anti hunger advocate at its Spring Into Action Annual Benefit, May 17th at the Solo Event Space. The New York City Coalition Against Hunger, led by Executive Director Joel Berg, will be honoring celebrity chef and Red Rooster Harlem owner, Marcus Samuelsson, for his commitment to help end hunger. Samuelsson, along with State Senator Liz Krueger, Kathy Goldman and Agnes Molnar of Community Food Advocates, and Rachel V. Stevens Esq. with the law firm DLA Piper, will also be recognized during NYC Coalition Against Hunger’s Spring Benefit.

I plan on attending NYCCAH’s Annual Benefit where Samuelsson will receive his award. I hope that you will join me in supporting this dedicated organization that “represents and is the voice for the more than 1,100 nonprofit soup kitchens and food pantries in New York City and the 1.5 million low-income New Yorker’s who live in households that can’t afford enough food.”  If you would like to attend the Spring Into Action Annual Benefit on May 17 from 5-8 PM, you can purchase tickets here. To learn more about NYCCAH and their mission, click here.

And congrats to our Harlem neighbor, Marcus Samuelsson on receiving this special accolade! Let’s raise our glass!

3 Comments

Posted in Community, education, Events, food, Harlem, Lenox Avenue, New York, New York City, NYC, Red Rooster Harlem, restaurants

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

See Harlem restaurant grades on NY Health Department Ratings Map

Posted on April 9, 2012 | 3 comments

If you were wondering how Harlem’s eating establishments make the grade with the New York Health Department, it’s all right here in a simplified ratings map. The New York Times just updated the page April 5. See how your favorite Harlem restaurants stacks up. I certainly did!

3 Comments

Posted in 116th Street, 125th Street, 5 and Diamond Harlem, Bars, bier international, Cedric French Bistro and Bar Harlem, Chocolat, drinks, food, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, Harlem Tavern, Lenox Avenue, Lido Italian Restaurant and Bar, Melba's Restaurant Harlem, New York, New York City, NYC, Red Rooster Harlem, restaurant row, restaurants

Tagged , , , ,

Lenox Lounge in Harlem goes after Lenox Social on trademark infringement?

Posted on April 9, 2012 | 24 comments

20120409-001109.jpg
I am so disappointed right now by Lenox Lounge in Harlem if this article in Crain’s New York proves true. Crain’s reported April 8 that “Harlem’s Lenox Lounge sent “representatives” to the bar [Lenox Social] to inform the newcomers that using the name Lenox Social “constituted trademark infringement.”

Get outta here! Can you believe this? This just smells of pure desperation and greed on one side. Why is Lenox Lounge going after Lenox Social when they can’t even pay their rent, according to a recent article in the Daily News? Shouldn’t the owners of Lenox Lounge worry about saving their own home before going after someone else’s? And why can’t there be a Lenox Lounge and Lenox Social on Lenox Avenue in Harlem? There’s room for everyone to play in the restaurant sand box and who ultimately has the rights to the name “Lenox?”.

This is just sad and making me want to sort of retract my earlier blog post on Lenox Lounge. I really hope this article proves to be wrong or I hope Lenox Social doesn’t end up caving to this potential nonsense and change their name.

This story is clearly not over. Stay tuned.

24 Comments

Posted in 125th Street, Bars, business, drinks, food, Harlem, Lenox Avenue, Lenox Lounge, Lenox Social, New York, New York City, NYC, restaurants

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Frederick Cafe Bistro in Harlem aiming to open in late April, logo is ready

Posted on April 3, 2012 | 3 comments

If you like the product and services at bier international in Harlem, i.e. great food and beer selection, then you’re probably gonna want to check out their next place of business in Harlem when it opens, which is Frederick Cafe Bistro. The second Harlem business for bier international will be located on the corner of…you guessed it, Frederick Douglass Blvd and 114th, and Chris and Ousmane, co-owners of bier and now Frederick Cafe Bistro, are working around the clock to get the Cafe up and running. The owners are aiming for late April to open the corner bistro. Also, their logo is ready! That’s a promising sign that an opening date is near!

As for the menu, there is no word yet on what will be offered. However, I have complete faith that Frederick Cafe Bistro will be a hit in Harlem. Why? Chris and Ousmane have done a fantastic job with bier international. That place has been hopping since day one of opening and hasn’t slowed down since. I see the results with my own eyes. I walk by bier practically every day.

Furthermore, I will put the success of bier international into baseball terms. Chris and Ousmane hit the ball right out of the park with opening bier in Harlem. They got it right and I have no doubt their business model for Frederick Cafe Bistro in Harlem will be executed with the same level of detail and energy as they did with bier international. The only problem I foresee happening-and Harlemites might agree-is deciding where to hang. Am I  in the mood for bier international or Frederick Cafe Bistro? Ahh, decisions, decisions! That’s what I call a good problem!

3 Comments

Posted in Bars, bier international, business, drinks, food, Frederick Cafe Bistro Harlem, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, restaurant row, restaurants

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

Become a part of 67 Orange in Harlem…literally

Posted on March 29, 2012 | Leave a comment

67 Orange in Harlem has come up with a creative way  for all of us to share in its antiquity through a campaign titled “Become a part of history at 67 Orange.” That’s right! If you want to become a permanent fixture at 67 Orange, here is how you can stake your claim.  Go to RockHub.com and choose the level of donation you would like to make. There are two options to choose from and they are limited so jump on it if you’re seriously interested.

The first option is  for a $500 donation 67 Orange will create a drink and name it after you. Think about it? Having a drink named after you? That’s “sick.” And the second option is for $250 where you can have your name engraved on a brass plate, which will then be placed on one of their bar stools. That’s so “juiced.”

So the next time you’re at 67 Orange in Harlem, you just might be sitting your a**  rhymes with brass on someone you know or better yet, we maybe sitting on your name!

Leave a comment

Posted in Bars, business, drinks, food, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, restaurant row, restaurants

Tagged , ,

Construction begins on Harlem Food Bar

Posted on March 27, 2012 | 2 comments

20120326-221509.jpg

20120326-221517.jpg
There was construction activity happening yesterday (March 26) at 2100 Frederick Douglass Blvd, which will be the home of Harlem Food Bar (HFB). And it appears Harlem Food Bar will have seating next to full length, open windows so that patrons can look out on to FDB? Very nice. I can already imagine sipping some wine and people watching!

According to Scott Siler, one of the HFB owners, Harlem Food Bar will be a 30 seat restaurant offering a reasonably priced, diverse menu where locals from Harlem can come and dine for less. And if you don’t want to dine at HFB, Siler says it will offer food delivery for those that want to dine at home.

Harlem Food Bar is expected to open in May! So stay tuned! We are all getting another place to hang in Harlem. Love it!

2 Comments

Posted in Bars, business, commercial real estate, Community, drinks, food, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, restaurant row, restaurants

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Lenox Social in Harlem is open, grand opening expected in April

Posted on March 19, 2012 | 2 comments

If you haven’t heard, a new bar and restaurant called Lenox Social, located on the northwest corner of Lenox Avenue and 126th Street  in Harlem, is open for business on limited hours! Lenox Social had a soft launch this past Saturday night (March 17) and will now take patrons from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Stop on by and tell us what you think of Lenox Social!

20120319-071755.jpg

20120319-071817.jpg

20120319-071824.jpg

2 Comments

Posted in 125th Street, Bars, business, drinks, food, Harlem, Lenox Avenue, restaurants

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

New York Giants and Superbowl Champ Victor Cruz spotted at Harlem’s Chocolat

Posted on March 8, 2012 | Leave a comment

Clearly, people in the NFL love dining in Harlem, especially on Harlem’s restaurant row, i.e., Frederick Douglass Blvd. First, the owner of the Dallas Cowboys was seen dining at Melba’s Restaurant a couple of months ago. Now Chocolat Restaurant and Lounge in Harlem states on their Facebook page that NY Giants wide receiver, Superbowl Champ and excellent salsa dancer (from what I hear) Victor Cruz was seen dining at the Harlem restaurant located at 2223 FDB. Don’t take my word for it. Look at the photo below.

And ladies, we need to time our visits to Chocolat much better. Seeing Victor Cruz while dining at Chocolat in Harlem would have been a major bonus! Don’t ya think!

20120308-115712.jpg

Leave a comment

Posted in Bars, Chocolat, drinks, food, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, Melba's Restaurant Harlem, New York, New York City, NYC, restaurant row, restaurants

Tagged , , , , , , ,