Category Archives: food

Harlem, Nancy Wilson wants to know, ‘What are you doing New Year’s Eve?’


It’s December 31, 2011, New Year’s Eve and we want to know, what are you doing New Year’s Eve?

Are you going to 67 Orange, 5 and Diamond or bier international? What about Harlem Tavern? They are all having festivities tonight with….NO COVER! We also hear Lido Harlem is going to be serving their regular menu along with a bunch of specials. They are not doing a prix fix so you can walk right in and order whatever you want from the menu. Not bad! So head on over to Lido Harlem for New Year’s Eve dinner if you have no dinner plans. Or just walk along Frederick Douglass Blvd tonight and have your pick cause with most of these establishments mentioned above not charging a cover, the night will be blast and you’ll still have money in your pocket!

Have a wonderful evening. Maybe we’ll see you out in Harlem? If not, Happy New Year, Harlem!

Here’s the original song ‘What are you doing New Year’s Eve?’ by Nancy Wilson. Enjoy!

Harlem Shambles featured in The New York Times

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In today’s New York Times’ Dining & Wine section it asks “wonder why a new uptown butcher is called Harlem Shambles?” We know the answer since we’ve been following this new local business on Frederick Douglass Blvd since it’s opening, however its great news that the Times is presenting this question…and answer…to its global readers! Shambles is an old-time word for butcher shop!

If you haven’t swung by Harlem Shambles, check it out real soon! They offer boutique style service where no ticketed number is required to place your order! Now that’s refreshing and different?

Read the Times article here and also view photos of Harlem Shambles’ grand opening on Facebook!

New Harlem coffee shop opens, Lenox Coffee


As one coffee shop closes in Harlem, another opens. It’s called Lenox Coffee, a specialty coffee-house located in Central Harlem at 60 West 129th Street between 5th Avenue and Lenox Avenue. At the moment, Lenox Coffee serves breakfast items i.e., pastries, baked goods, and bagels. They soon hope to be adding lunch items, such as sandwiches and various other sundries.

Lenox Coffee is owned and operated by two Harlem locals and is open seven days a week: 6 am to 6 pm Monday through Friday and 8 am to 6 pm Saturday and Sunday. See you there!

Reminder: Harlem’s Lee, Lee’s Bakery to be featured on New York’s WABC

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About a month ago HarlemGal Inc. told you about Alvin Lee Smalls of Harlem’s Lee, Lee’s Bakery being interviewed by New York City’s WABC. Well, we know the dates on when the interview will air on Channel 7. Tune in this Saturday, December 17 at 7 pm and then on Sunday, December 18 at 5:30 am. After those air dates, the interview will be streamed on WABC’s website. Hope everyone will watch!
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Alpine New York coming to Manhattan Avenue in Harlem

Has anyone noticed the work being done at 256 Manhattan Avenue in Harlem? Apparently, a takeout place is opening up and it’s called Alpine New York! We saw the workers on site over the weekend! The place looks small so that’s why I’m dubbing it a takeout place. I called the phone number and it’s not connected yet. Has anyone heard of Alpine New York? When they open, it will join The Orange Peel, which is up the street on Manhattan Ave!

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Is there still a possibility for Andy Shallal’s Busboys and Poets to expand into Harlem?

Around this time last year, I blogged that Busboys and Poets’ plans to open in Harlem at 2280 Frederick Douglass went bust. Ironically, I am now blogging about them same time, but a year later, asking: is there still a possibility that Busboys and Poets could open in Harlem?  According to a recent article in The Washington Post, there is a smidgen of hope. Andy Shallal, the owner of the Washington, DC eatery and longtime activist, recently told the Post that “he has been courted to put a Busboys in a proposed National Jazz Museum near the Apollo Theater…” How cool would that be if Busboys and Poets opened in Harlem on 125th Street?

Shallal tried landing the retail space at 2280 Frederick Douglass a little over a year ago, but something happened and the deal went south. I wonder if the developer of 2280 FDB is having any regrets now on not cutting a deal with Shallal, especially given all the enormous/positive press coverage Central Harlem has been receiving over the months? The most recent praising news clip comes from The Wall Street Journal.

In my view, the developer of 2280 FDB totally lost out by not scoring something with Busboys and Poets in their commercial space. As the WSJ said, there’s a restaurant boom happening in Harlem. With this recent article in the Post,  there’s hope the folks behind the National Jazz Museum could pick up where 2280 FDB left off and seal the deal with Shallal. Let’s all hope so! I think Busboys and Poets is a perfect fit in Harlem!

Santa Claus is coming to Harlem at bier international for St. Nikolaus Day

Parents bring your kids to bier international in Harlem today! Santa Claus is coming for St. Nikolaus Day! Bier international, located at 2099 Frederick Douglass Blvd., will be holding their second annual St. Nikolaus Day today, December 11, from 3-6 PM where kids will have an opportunity to meet Santa and have their stocking stuffed with a treat. Photos with Santa will also be available.

According to bier, the tradition of St. Nikolaus Day, usually the first week in December, is a festival for children in many European countries. It finds its roots in legends dating back to the year 346 when Nikolaos of Myra, a saint and Greek Bishop was reputed to hand out gifts secretly. He became the model for Santa Claus whose English name derives from the Dutch Sinterklaas. It’s a European tradition that can be enjoyed universally by kids of all nationalities.

Hope to see you there. Details below!

St. Nikolaus Day at bier international
3:00 to 6:00 pm
2099 Frederick Douglass Blvd, between 113th and 114th Street
212-280-0944

Cook recipes from Chef Stephen Putnam from Lido Harlem, two recipes available

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Chef Stephen Putnam from Lido Italian Restaurant and Bar in Harlem recently participated in Macy’s Cellar Kitchen series cooking some of his recipes offered at Lido Harlem, located on the southeast corner of Frederick Douglass Blvd and 117th Street! If you’ve ever wanted recipes from Chef Putnam from Lido Harlem so that you can enjoy some of his creations at home, HarlemGal Inc has two recipes to offer up right now! And these recipes are simple too!

If you try these recipes below, let us know how the dish(es)came out! Bon appetit!

Spaghetti with roasted veal meatballs and San Marzano Tomatoes
6 cans San Marzano Tomatoes
1 bunch celery
2 Spanish onions
5 carrots peeled
¼ c. chopped garlic
Hand full of basil
¼ cup EVOO
Salt and pepper to taste
In a bowl of a Cuisine Art place the washed vegetables into the bowl and chop the vegetables fine. Place a medium size stainless pot on the stove and preheat pot over medium heat add olive oil and sauté garlic and vegetables until translucent. Place the tomatoes in a food mill and put the tomatoes in the pot and cook roughly an hour over low heat. Place in the refrigerator to cool. Sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. Sauce can also be frozen.

Veal meatballs
5# ground veal
½ cup parmesan cheese
2 whole eggs
½ bunch basil
¼ artesian bread with the crust removed cut into small cubes and soaked in ½ cup milk
½ bunch Italian flat leaf parsley
1 TBL chopped garlic
4 shallots chopped fine
2 oz. EVOO
1 pinch red pepper flakes
Combine all ingredients. Mix by hand or use a kitchen aide with paddle attachment. Mix well or the ball will fall apart. Using a 2oz scoop make all the mixture and place on a sheet tray lined with parchment and bake at 350 for about 10-12 minutes or until cooked through.

Octopus Salad with sausage, potato and orange
1-2-4 # octopus (I like the one’s from Spain)
1# peanut or fingerling potatoes
1# Fennel sausage (sweet or hot) ground
3 bunches Frissee cleaned and rinsed
1 ½ cups Orange juice
Pinch red pepper flakes
Red wine vinegar
¼ tsp. cumin
Olive oil
Gaetta olives

Fill pot with water and add salt until the water tastes like the ocean bring to a boil and add octopus and two corks from a wine bottle to the water. Place the potatoes also in salted water and cook until soft and cool in the fridge. Saute your sausage in a sauté pan until cook through and set aside. Meanwhile place your oj, cumin and pepper flakes in a small sauce pot and reduce until the oj is the consistency of syrup and set aside to cool.
To plate:
Heat a skillet on high heat when hot add olive oil and a pich of salt to the oil and place the octopus in the sauté pan and brown on all sides, you can brown you potatoes and heat the sausage at the same time. In a small mixing bowl put the vinegar, oil and reduced oj and mix well. Toss frissee, potatoes, olives, and sausage together and dress the salad place on plates and slice your octopus and place on top and drizzle a little more dressing on the octopus and serve.

Broccoli rabe pesto
2 bunch basil
16 oz. olive oil
1 tsp garlic
Handful parmesan cheese
1 qt. broccoli rabe
¼ cup lemon juice
S&P
Place everything in a bowl of your Cuisine Art and puree.

Onion Jam
6 Spanish onions
1 qt. white balsamic
½ cup sugar
Slice your onions and cook until lightly brown and all the vinegar has evaporated. Place everything in a bowl of your Cuisine Art and puree.

Holiday Wreath Decorating Workshop happening today in East Harlem


The good folks over at Urban Garden Center in East Harlem are holding a wreath decorating workshop today, December 3, starting at noon for the first workshop and then at 3 pm for the second. At this worshop, located at East 116th Street and Park Avenue,  you will learn how to build your own wreath and receive a FREE hand-made custom bow to go along with your wreath. Urban Garden Center’s in-house wreath and bow maker will be on hand to teach the workshop.

To attend this workshop, there is a minimum purchase of $15. Refreshments will be provided. And don’t forget, once your finished with your wreath workshop, you can walk across the street to check out the Winter Festival taking place at La Marqueta from 10 AM to 8 PM.

Urban Garden Center Holiday Wreath Decorating Workshop
Noon and 3 PM
1640 Park Avenue @ 116th St
Harlem, NYC

Two weeks left to shop at Morningside Park Farmers Market in Harlem

There is only two weeks left this season to shop at Morningside Park Farmers Market in West Harlem! Head on over to 110th Street and Manhattan Avenue to shop for your produce today and next Saturday, December 10th from 9 am to 5 pm. See you there!

Morningside Park Farmers Market
Saturdays, 9AM-5PM
West 110th Street and Manhattan Avenue

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