Category Archives: New York City

What have you eaten at Cedric French Bistro and Bar in Harlem?

Posted on August 22, 2011 | 11 comments

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Cedric French Bistro and Bar in Harlem turns one week old today and so far the feedback has been positive – at least online from what I have seen. Have you been to Cedric Bistro located at 119th Street and St. Nicholas Ave? If so, tell us what you had for dinner or lunch!

I went with four women this past Thursday and we had a nice time. We ordered a bottle of red wine and started with the Thai mussels with ginger and lemon grass. For our main course, we had grilled salmon, organic roasted chicken, pan seared duck breast, another order of mussels and had plenty of bread and fries to nimble on. We did not have dessert because we were actually full from the main dishes. All these dishes were very good and recommended, service met and, at times exceeded, our expectation and the ambiance was classy.

After we were finished with dinner, we talked about the state of Cedric Bistro among other fabulous dining places in Harlem, such as Red Rooster, Lido Harlem, Settepani, 5 and Diamond, etc., and we all mutually agreed Cedric Bistro deserves a thumbs up. It will do well in Harlem and from our experience on dining there on day four of opening-Cedric French Bistro and Bar is here to stay! Go and experience the place for yourself and tell us what you think!

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Posted in Bars, business, Cedric French Bistro and Bar Harlem, drinks, food, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, Lenox Avenue, New York, New York City, NYC, Red Rooster Harlem, restaurant row, restaurants

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Happy Hour begins at Harlem Tavern

Posted on August 21, 2011 | 3 comments


For those of you who have wondered whether Harlem Tavern will participate in a happy hour because all you really want to do is drink there and not necessarily dine, the answer is now a yes! Harlem Tavern announced Sunday evening that they will now have a happy hour. It starts tomorrow, Monday, August 22 from 4-7 p.m. Their happy hour specials include $5 well drinks, Bud Light, Shock Top, Yuengling, Red Sangria, delicious Moscato and red wine. Harlem Tavern happy hour is from Monday-Friday.

This is a nice addition to the other establishments that provide happy hour specials as well.

Drink up Harlem! To read prior blog coverage on Harlem Tavern, click here or go to the category tags on the right hand side of the screen!

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Posted in Bars, business, drinks, food, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, Harlem Tavern, New York, New York City, NYC, restaurant row, restaurants

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Vote for Gospel for Teens Harlem as the Best Choir in America

Posted on August 20, 2011 | 1 comment


Yesterday, I told you about how Gospel for Teens based in Harlem is headed to the big screen. Today, its about winning the best choir in America competition. The Vy Higginsen program is competing in How Sweet the Sound:The Search for the Best Church Choir in America.

Gospel for Teens is representing Walker Memorial Baptist Church in the competition. It started August 17 and one can vote as many times as they want each day all the way up to August 31.

How can you vote for Gospel for Teens Harlem? Follow these steps:

1. Click on this link which will take you to How Sweet the Sound choir competition
2. Sign up
3. Then click on the Washington, DC Market (The competition is divided up into regions. This is where Gospel for Teens is located)
4. Then click the 4th square for Walker Memorial Baptist Church and watch Vy Higginsen explain who is Gospel for Teens
5. And finally click the button to “VOTE” under the video. That’s it!

I voted today. Join me and vote for Gospel for Teens Harlem as the best choir in America!

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Posted in 125th Street, art and culture, Community, education, entertainment, Events, Free!, Harlem, history, Lenox Avenue, music, New York, New York City, NYC

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Gospel for Teens based in Harlem to be adapted for the big screen

Posted on August 19, 2011 | 5 comments


Remember the movie The Pursuit of Happiness with Will Smith? Apparently the idea to turn that subject into a movie came from a TV segment on ABC’s 20/20. Universal Studio is taking that same approach with Vy Higginsen’s Gospel for Teens, which is based and founded in Harlem.

Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment are teaming up to develop a feature film based on the 60 Minutes segment on Gospel for Teens, which aired a few months ago. Stephen Belber will write the script. He has several writing credits and last directed Jennifer Aniston in Management. There is no word yet on who will star in this film. However, whoever it will  be will definitely have to have some singing chops. The subject is about singing with passion in a gospel choir. I think Ruben Studdard, the winner of American Idol should audition? How about one of the cast members from Glee? Or maybe one of the real life teenagers who actually sings in Gospel for Teens?

Overall, this is huge news for Higginsen, the young people who are in Gospel for Teens, and for Harlem as well. I’ll pay to see this movie! Can’t wait till it opens!

5 Comments

Posted in 125th Street, art and culture, Community, education, entertainment, film, Harlem, history, music, New York, New York City, NYC

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Harlem’s Sherri Shepherd ties the knot

Posted on August 16, 2011 | 2 comments


Harlem resident and The View co-host is no longer a single Harlem gal. Sherri Shepherd, who lives in a beautiful brownstone in Harlem, wed boyfriend Lamar Sally this past weekend. She shared details of the days leading up to her wedding day, August 13, on twitter. Sherri even teased her followers, which this blog site is one of them, about what her wedding dress might look like before the big day!

According to a celeb blog site, Sherri Shepherd eventually donned a custom Rivini gown to marry boyfriend Lamar and only one gossip magazine has the pics.

Sherri looks great in the photo! Congrats to Sherri and Lamar! And hope to see the newlyweds in Harlem soon!

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Posted in entertainment, fashion, Harlem, New York, New York City, NYC

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Preview of Harlem’s Cedric French Bistro and Bar menu

Posted on August 15, 2011 | 2 comments

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Wondering what Cedric French Bistro and Bar in Harlem will be offering on their menu and at what price? HarlemGal has photos of the menu. Take a look!

The menu will feature five kinds of mussels, including curry, Thai, and provencales. Appetizers include risotto of the day, foie gras ravioli, beef carpaccio, and more ranging from $8 to $18. Main dishes include sautéed duck breast with cherry sauce and gratin dauphinois, steak tartare, roasted leg of lamb and some local dishes, such as fish and chips, jerk chicken, and burgers. As for desert, that is one area of the menu, I completely forgot to look at. My guess is it will be mainly french inspired deserts.

I plan on checking out this place this week since it is opening today, August 15. What about you? Are you going to dine at Cedric Bistro?

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2 Comments

Posted in Bars, Cedric French Bistro and Bar Harlem, food, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, New York, New York City, NYC, restaurants, spending

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Inside Cedric French Bistro and Bar, opening day August 15 for lunch and dinner in Harlem

Posted on August 14, 2011 | 6 comments

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When you walk into the new Cedric French Bistro and Bar, located in Harlem at 185 St. Nicholas Ave, there is art work straight ahead that says “Remain Calm.” I think Harlemites are going to do the opposite, be ecstatic and extremely pleased when they walk in and get a load of Harlem’s newest restaurant. Cedric Bistro is red-hot with hot red all over. They chose a red color scheme similar to other Harlem establishments. And as for their menu, it looks very good! More on the menu later. Let’s take a look inside Cedric French Bistro and Bar.

20110814-061328.jpgThey have kept the L-shape bar where it previously was prior to the change. There is plenty of seating, around 40 seats. The brick wall is exposed with banquette seating and wood tables are strategically placed with chairs that have hot red seat cushions. The place looks nice or shall I say “very Upper Eastside.”

I will be checking out this new restaurant soon. How about you?

Cedric Bistro in Harlem opens tomorrow, August 15, for lunch and dinner, plus weekend brunch.

Cedric French Bistro and Bar
185 St. Nicholas Ave
212-866-7766

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6 Comments

Posted in Bars, business, Cedric French Bistro and Bar Harlem, commercial real estate, food, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, New York, New York City, NYC, restaurant row, restaurants

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Harlem happy hours happening everywhere: Chocolat, Lido Harlem & Milk Burger

Posted on August 10, 2011 | 1 comment

It is hump day and you’re not sure where to go for happy hour in Harlem. Here are a few choices for your consideration and recommended in order!

Those of you who know me on Facebook are a witness to my many execursions to Lido Harlem. I am always there and have more reasons to be there now given their happy hour specials. I recently learned from Susannah that from 5:30 – 7:30 every day, seven days a week, Lido Harlem is offering 1/2 price beer & wine, $5 well drinks and $5 Lido specialty cocktails. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights Lido is now offering a late night happy hour starting at 10 p.m. to close. I believe they are offering a late night menu as well! If Lido’s happy hour is anything like their food, it will be consistently good.

Chocolat has the best schedule for happy hour in my view. It starts at 5 p.m. and lasts until 8 p.m. If you can’t make a happy hour that ends at 7:30 rush on over to Chocolat on Frederick Douglass Blvd and 120th. They offer a selection of flavored martinis for $5 and small plates ranging from $5 to $8. I have had all the small plates and they were all quite good.

And last, the much talked about burger joint in East Harlem has a happy hour. If you want to be one of the first to check out Milk Burger’s happy hour, head on over soon and early or on your day off. They start at 3 p.m. Yuck. Clearly, they want people to drink early. I hope they change that time. It’s hard enough to make it to happy hour at 5 p.m. I recommend this place (see details below) because it is on the rise and experience it now while it is still relatively a new place in East Harlem.

Have a great time at happy hour. See you around in Harlem!

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Posted in Bars, business, Community, entertainment, Events, food, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, New York, New York City, NYC, restaurants, spending

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Imagine a food coop in Harlem?

Posted on August 10, 2011 | 1 comment

Click on photo to launch video

Brooklyn has a food coop that is very popular and provides fresh organic fruits and vegetables for the surrounding area. Imagine if Harlem had something similar? It is not that far out of reach and there are a lot of Harlemites on Facebook realizing that by sharing the Pop-Up Co-Op video. Why are Harlemites passing along this information? Because it is a great food/grocery idea set out in different phases that will benefit Harlem now and for the long-term. Also, it is a well needed service for our community and locals want to see this idea succeed.

What is Pop-Up Co-Op? It is the first phase of several where the end goal is to have a complete food coop in West Harlem. The Pop-Up Co-Op will sell organic coffee by the cup from a takeout window with one full-time worker recruited from a local youth program. The next phase will be to integrate organic vegetables along with increased staffing and so on and so forth. This initiative is on Kickstarter and has ten days left to meet its goal of raising more than $22,000. If you want to help out and learn more about Pop-Up Co-Op, click here.

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Posted in business, Community, education, Events, food, Harlem, New York, New York City, NYC

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See and learn about Kidberry in Harlem

Posted on August 9, 2011 | 1 comment


Listen up parents in Harlem! Are you looking for an educational center right here in the heart of Central Harlem for your kids? You may want to consider Kidberry, which is currently located at 106 West 117th Street in the Lenox Garden Condominium. If you are not sure who they are, check out this visual presentation. They beautifully mapped who they are and what they can offer your little pumpkins. Just watch the video. You’ll be impressed. I certainly was!

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Posted in Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd., business, Community, education, Harlem, health and wellness, music, New York, New York City, NYC

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