Category Archives: Harlem Restaurant Row

Vinateria Harlem not open yet, but it will soon

If you’re wondering like I am when Vinateria Harlem, located at 118th 119th Street and Frederick Douglass Blvd., is opening, it’s not tonight or tomorrow night. I have heard from a very good source that Vinateria will not open to the public more than likely until later in the week. But stay tuned here. As soon as this blog receives confirmation of the exact opening day, we will pass along.

And if you see people inside Vinateria Harlem tonight or tomorrow night or you saw  people inside over the weekend, those are private events happening or also known as practice events. Generally, restaurants do practice runs with friends and family first before they open their doors to the public.

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Harlem Vintage becomes Vintage Harlem?

A reader on Facebook dropped us a line over the weekend saying that the old Harlem Vintage wine store that was located on 121st and Frederick Douglass Blvd will continue as a wine store, but with a new name–Vintage Harlem. The word is the owners of the new Vintage Harlem plan to open up the new wine store very soon.

This is good news. Now this part of Harlem will continue to have two wine stores, The Winery and Vintage Harlem!

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Sign says Silvana, the next Harlem restaurant aiming to open soon

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A long time reader of this blog captured the first photo of signage for Silvana, the Harlem restaurant that will be located on 116th Street and FDB, and sent it in to HarlemGal Inc for all of us to view. A big thank you to the reader!

As HarlemGal first told you, Silvana is a restaurant that the owners of Yatenga French Bistro will be opening soon. The first floor of Silvana will be a cafe and boutique. The Harlem restaurant will sell local, domestic and international home decor, accessories gifts and more. Wine and beer will be served as well. The restaurant and bar will actually be located in the lower level and will have acoustic live music. Silvana will serve Israeli food, such as shawarma, falafel and other vegetarian dishes.

Spring special at Aloft Harlem, book by April 5 and save at least 20 percent

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Aloft Harlem is having a special offer for those who need a hotel during Spring in New York City-or to be more specific in Manhattan. Guests can save at least 20 percent if they book by April 5!

To take advantage of this special, book online or call 866-716-8143 by this Friday, April 5 and ask for rate plan STARPICKS.  Rates are pre-paid and valid April 4-May 15th, non-refundable and blackout dates may apply.

Don’t miss out on great savings at Aloft Harlem!

ALOFT HARLEM
2296 Frederick Douglass Boulevard
New York, NY 10027 USA
Phone: (212) 749-4000 Fax: (212) 678-6000
Special Offer Reservations: 866-716-8143

Preview menus of Harlem’s up and coming Destiny Sandwich & Juice Bar

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Harlem’s getting another dining option on Harlem’s restaurant row and the owners have exclusively shared their menus with HarlemGal Inc. Take a look at the menus below.

Destiny Sandwich & Juice Bar plans to open in Harlem on Frederick Douglass Blvd., between 116th and 117th Street, before the summer season begins. Destiny Sandwich & Juice Bar will offer affordable gourmet style sandwiches with Tom Cat bread, nothing with Boar’s Head, below the $10 range, along with fresh squeezed juices and smoothies. On their website, which is closed to the public for now, it says “all our rotisserie meats are freshly prepared, carved and served on TomCat Artisanal sandwich breads. Juice’s are made to order from the freshest seasonal produce available. And coffee beans will be supplied by KOBRICKS COFFEE Roasting Since 1920.”

Tony and Emilio, who are business partners and the owners of Destiny Sandwich & Juice Bar, tell HarlemGal they are excited to open in Harlem and to be able to offer healthy affordable food options using the best local products available.

Looking forward to checking out Destiny Sandwich & Juice Bar at 1266 Frederick Douglass Blvd. Stay tuned for more information.
Destiny Menu 1

Destiny Menu 2

Attend Guiltless Gourmet for a Healthy Harlem, an event to help stop hunger

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According to a news release by Beth-Hark Christian Counseling Center (BHCCC), there is an estimated 1.4 million New York City residents who are food insecure and rely on the city’s network of emergency food organizations. BHCCC hopes to VanKline223raise $20,000 through their second annual Guiltless Gourmet for a Healthy Harlem Celebrity Food Tasting and Silent Auction. Funds raised will help the organization keep pace with an increasing demand for emergency food services driven by food insecurity. Guiltless Gourmet for A Healthy Harlem takes place Friday, March 22 at Harlem’s Gran Piatto d’Oro on Fifth Avenue and brings together the celebrity chef triumvirate of Melba’s Melba Wilson (Food Networks’ former Fat Chef), Kimberly Van Kline of Passion for Palate Catering and Ronaldo Calle of Gran Piatto d’Oro.

Guiltless Gourmet for a Healthy Harlem will open with a VIP Reception/Chef Rolando2_smallerMeet and Greet followed by Food Tasting and Silent Auction. Guests will sample a range of celebrity chef gourmet delights from appetizers to main dishes and bid on auction items from jewelry to vacations with starting bids as low as $50. Two-tiered priced Guiltless Gourmet tickets are $65.00 for Food Tasting and Auction. The $75.00 tickets include admission to the Guiltless Gourmet VIP event. Tickets can be purchased at God’s Answer Bookstore and BHCCC offices co-located at Bethel Gospel Assembly, Inc. BHCCC is the social services arm of Bethel Gospel Assembly, Inc. For more information visit www.bethharkccc.org.

1Forno Pizzeria in Harlem joins the red awning club

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Most of the Harlem businesses love the color red when it comes to their outdoor awnings with signage, such as Red Rooster Harlem, Harlem Food Bar, Cedric French Bistro, etc. 1Forno Pizzeria at 135 West 116th Street near Lenox Avenue decided to do the same and has installed a big bright red awning with their logo, phone number and address. I walked by the pizza place yesterday (March 10) and noticed the signage. I also noticed in the new awning the Harlem pizza place goes by the name 1Forno Pizzeria, instead of Il Forno.

If you haven’t tried a pie or a slice of pizza from 1Forno on 116th Street, give it a try. I order from them all the time and love that one can create their own toppings from a varied list of toppings! 1Forno also gets good reviews on Yelp. See contact details below.

1Forno Pizza Harlem​
135 w 116th St
New York, NY 10026
212- 222- 3030

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Harlem locals invest in where they live, The Grange Bar & Eatery coming to Harlem’s Hamilton Heights

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I love it when readers write in to tell us another set of Harlem locals are opening up a business right where they live, such as Harlem Tavern, Yatenga and more. Rita Royer-Henley and Roy Henley have been living in Harlem’s Hamilton Heights area for more than eight years and they’re the couple behind The Grange Bar & Eatery, which will be a farmer’s kitchen bistro and bar located right in the heart of West Harlem, Hamilton Heights– at 1635 Amsterdam Ave (Corner of 141st st) to be exact. Opening date is set for mid-April-May 2013

Guests of The Grange Bar & Eatery will be able to enjoy comfort food made in a 2350 sq ft, 75 seat setting with local produce and organic seasonal ingredients when possible, according to the Henley’s. The bar plans to provide “a mixology-driven selection of balanced cocktails.” “We want to go beyond the traditional cocktail and move away from those overly sweet and overpowering drinks. To do so, we will be incorporating in-house naturally pressed juices, herbs and bitters,” says the Henley’s. “We want to feature and support spirits from local small and artisan distilleries from all across the country.”

As for beer and wine, The Grange Bar & Eatery plans on using a 16-Draft Beer system, which is 80 percent craft beers and 20 percent traditional beers; seasonal beers included. The wine will be a balanced selection of international as well as local wines. Overall, guests should plan on “picturing themselves in a farmer’s country kitchen,” says the Henley’s. Oh, and The Grange Bar & Eatery plans on having outdoor seating, subject to City approval.

Out of all the many places in Harlem to open a business, I asked the Henley’s why Hamilton Heights? “We have been living in Hamilton Heights for a combined 8 years and have witnessed how much this beautiful section of Harlem has changed and grown especially in the last 5 years. We soon discovered out of our own need to have more places to go to that were within walking distance. We believe so much in this [part of Harlem]. “We are thrilled to make this happen and setting the standard for this portion of Amsterdam Ave that has so much potential in becoming the next restaurant row in Harlem.”

Congrats to the Henley’s on the opening of The Grange Bar & Eatery in Harlem’s Hamilton Heights. To learn more about the upcoming establishment, go to their Facebook page.

Support Changing Face of Harlem, film in final stretch of completion

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Changing Face of Harlem, a documentary about Harlem’s ongoing transformation told from the voices of longtime residents, business owners, politicians, developers, and clergy, is in the home stretch to complete the film. This month they have launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise $30,000 to meet final post-production costs. Post-production costs cover final sound mixing, edit, color correction, and costs of archival footage, graphics and music.

To help Changing Face of Harlem meet their goal, go here to donate. The campaign runs for the month of March.

Read prior posts here on Changing Face of Harlem.

Harlem’s restaurant row, Frederick Douglass Blvd., has its own map and alliance group

It’s official…again! Frederick Douglass Blvd in Harlem from 110th to 125th Street, also known as restaurant row, has its very own map, according to The New York Daily News. And the folks behind the map is an alliance group called Frederick Douglass Boulevard Alliance (FDBA). Check out the map below. It mentions all existing businesses from 110th to 124th Street. The map does not include up and coming places on FDB, such as the Harlem Food Bar or Marcos Leatherlab, the cobbler store.

Lia San Filippo, co-owner of 5 and Diamond Harlem restaurant and co-president of the recently formed FDBA, tells the Daily News “the map was created to help people know that Harlem is here and helps customers find us more easily.” Amen Lia!

Back in 2008, I wrote a blog posting asking if FDB is turning into Harlem’s restaurant row? Looks like we have our answer not only in a map but in the form of an alliance group!