Category Archives: Frederick Douglass Blvd.

Chef Stephen Putnam moves on from Lido Harlem, sought-after caterer Serena Bass steps in

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Lido Italian Restaurant and Bar in Harlem is experiencing some changes, but don’t worry. These changes are positive for everyone involved, especially the consumer. Lido Harlem, located at 117th Street and Frederick Douglass Blvd., exclusively tells HarlemGal Inc. that British-born, celeb following caterer, Serena Bass has been hired by the Harlem eatery to redevelop their menu. This decision to hire Bass to redevelop Lido’s menu is right out of the oven practically. Bass will start working with the Lido team effective immediately! In her bio, it reads: Bass’ most recent venture is at Lido Harlem where she is taking the popular neighborhood restaurant to a new level. So let’s all pay attention to the menu at Lido. I am confident it will have that similar ingredient: quality food.

These changes are happening at Lido due to initial Chef Stephen Putnam giving notice last week to the management team that he was departing the Harlem dining place to start his own restaurant in Harlem, along with his wife Dera. Putnam will not comment on the exact location of his Harlem restaurant or the starting date because he is in the midst of negotiations. However, Putnam does say that he plans on serving cuisine at his new place that garnered him a 26 out of 30 rating from Zagat while at Lido.

And for those of us who like dining at Lido Harlem, like I do, the service, ambiance and quality of food will remain the same, according to its management team. Lido will continue to provide the same level of service it has been consistently offering since it opened about a year and a half ago. And be on the look out for Serena Bass in Harlem. Just so you know, her clients include Sarah Jessica Parker and Oscar de la Renta.

Harlem Shambles named one of New York’s best butcher shops

Time Out New York has narrowed the list to ten on the best places to purchase meat in New York City and Harlem Shambles made the list. TONY said they named Harlem Shambles as one of the best NYC butcher shops for barbecuing because “all the meat at this shop is humanely raised and sourced from three farms in the Finger Lakes and Hudson Valley. [Also] the butchers are resourceful, transforming whole carcasses into just about any cut you might want…”

Congrats to Harlem Shambles! Check it out for your barbecuing or everyday meal needs. They are located 2141 Frederick Douglass Blvd. between 115th and 116th Street. Their phone number is 1 (646) 476-4650.

Melba’s Restaurant returns to The View July 24

The ladies from ABC’s The View will be in the kitchen soon with Harlem’s Melba Wilson, the owner of Melba’s Restaurant on 114th Street and Frederick Douglass Blvd! On July 24, Melba returns to the morning talk show where she “will cook it up” with the ladies on The View. Way to go Melba! Details are below!

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Aloft Hotel in Harlem wins TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence

Harlem’s first hotel in a half century has been recognized for its service. Aloft Harlem, located at 2296 Frederick Douglass Blvd. between 123rd and 124th Street, recently announced that it was awarded the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence. This accolade is given to establishments that consistently and credibly achieve outstanding traveler reviews on TripAdvisor, which recognizes businesses worldwide and is one of the largest travel sites on the internet.

Aloft Harlem has been open since December 2009 with the  majority of the hotel’s employees from Harlem and already its performance is reaching the top percentile in the industry. The prestigious award only rewards about 10 percent of accommodations listed on TripAdvisor.

Let’s wish our Aloft Harlem a big congratulations and may many more accolades come their way in years to come! Cheers!

Harlem neighborhoods experience price jump in rental market

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According to RentJuice®, a Zillow® business and provider of lease marketing technology to thousands of real estate property managers and brokers, the uptown part of Manhattan, specifically Harlem neighborhoods, experienced a price jump in the rental sector of real estate. In a news release distributed today, it stated that “over the last quarter, the city’s average cost for space remained stable at $4.98 per square foot-exactly the same as at the close of the first quarter. The largest hike in price per square foot occurred uptown in Harlem. Neighborhoods such as Central Harlem, Harlem and Morningside all experienced 11 percent jumps in average price per square foot in the second quarter. Renters in Hamilton Heights, however, saw a five percent decrease in average price per square foot.”

To read the full news release, click here.

Il Forno Pizza and Salad in Harlem aiming to open in two weeks

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Over the Fourth of July holiday, I caught up with Henock Kejela, the owner of Zoma Ethiopian Restaurant in Harlem and the soon to be Il Forno, a new pizza and salad place, that will be located at 135 West 116th Street, between FDB and ACP Blvd. Kejela told HarlemGal Inc that he is planning on opening his second eating establishment in Harlem in about two weeks. The main product at Il Forno will be fresh pizza made in a wood burning oven.

Kejela let us come inside to take pictures of the work in progress at Il Forno in Harlem. The pizza place is going to have a clean, crisp look. The walls and floors will be predominately white with subway tile on the side walls, and black and white circle tile for the floors. The only color in the place will be on the wood burning over, which was specially made in California and shipped to Harlem.

In my view, this pizza place will be well worth checking out when it opens. The Harlem community knows Kejela can deliver. Zoma, located on the southeast corner of FDB and 113th Street, has received outstanding reviews from the media and is one of the few dining establishments in Harlem that has a Michelin rating. With those kind of credentials, I can’t wait for Il Forno in Harlem to open! Stay tuned…

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Watch: Skateboarding in Harlem


While I am not a big fan of skateboarding, watching this video of young kids skateboarding through Harlem gave me a new-found appreciation. These skateboarders in this video are very good. Some of the moves they perform on their board are incredible. Just watch.

The only downside to this video, these youngsters are not wearing any protective gear and they are skateboarding on the seating stones at the Frederick Douglass Circle. Ouch, that monument is new and I thought that was prohibited? I guess kids will be kids.

Overall, watch this video It’s fun and the music is wonderful! Happy Fourth of July. Enjoy!

ONLY Times – Skate Days from ONLY NY on Vimeo.

Independence Day Brunch at Lido Harlem

Lido Italian Restaurant and Bar in Harlem will be open for July 4.  They are offering a special 4th of July Brunch from 11:30 am to 4:00 pm featuring their famous Bottomless Mimosas up until 3:30pm. If you’re in the City for the 4th, here is one option to help celebrate the day!

Harlem Tavern reaches one year mark, a look back in photos and blog posts

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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

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The Park Wine Bar to open in Harlem, self serve bar will join Harlem’s restaurant row

The Park Wine Bar will be making its home in Harlem at 2080 Frederick Douglass Blvd, which is on Harlem’s restaurant row. According to its website, The Park Wine Bar will be “Harlem’s first and only self-serve wine bar. Patrons can choose between a taste, a half glass, or a full glass of wine.” The Park Wine Bar in Harlem plans to “stock several bottles of each wine in WineStations so if patrons can find something they love or can even take a bottle home.” All this info is on their website, click here to learn more.

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