Category Archives: restaurants

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!

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

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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!

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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

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Two Harlem restaurants win 2012 Food & Drink Award by Time Out New York

Posted on April 9, 2012 | Leave a comment

Two Harlem restaurants recently received the 2012 Food & Drink Award from Time Out New York, except the weekly magazine doesn’t know it according to their published online article (See photo left). Red Rooster, located on Lenox Avenue between 125th and 126th Street was named Best New Neighborhood Joint. And Earl’s Beer and Cheese, located in SPANISH HARLEM since the restaurant is above 96th Street on the East Side, was named Best Pint-Size Powerhouse. TONY said Earl’s was located on the Upper East Side. Wrong! I am hoping it was a typo given this magazine reports on NYC every week.

Congrats to the two eating establishments. Red Rooster and Earl’s Beer and Cheese, share one common characteristic that I have personally experienced, they are both extremely hard to get into, but well worth the wait!

The full list of winners is listed below :

Readers’ Choice:

Chef of the Year: Seamus Mullen (Tertulia)

Best New Restaurant: The Dutch

Best New Cocktails: Maison Premiere

Best New Neighborhood Joint: Red Rooster Harlem (Harlem)

Best Spin-off: Parm

Best New Pizza: Forcella

Best International Eats: Miss Lily’s (Jamaica)

Best Out-of-Town Import: Fleisher’s Grass-Fed & Organic Meats (Kingston, NY)

Best New Bakery: Dominique Ansel Bakery

Best New Beer Bar: La Birreria

Foursquare Award: The Dutch

Critics’ Picks

Best Culinary Blitzkrieg: Acme

Best Countermove to Comfort Food: Boulud Sud

Best New Gallic Charmer: Buvette

The Instant Classic Award: Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria

The Watch The Throne Award: The Monkey Bar

Best Pint-Size Powerhouse: Earl’s Beer and Cheese

Artisan of the Year: New York Distilling Co./ The Shanty

Best Dim Sum Provocateur: RedFarm

Best Love Letter to the Philippines: Maharlika Filipino Moderno

The Intergalactic Kitten Award: Isa

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Posted in 125th Street, Bars, drinks, Harlem, Red Rooster Harlem, restaurants

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

Posted on April 9, 2012 | 24 comments

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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.

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

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Gateway Condo in Harlem near capacity in commercial and apartment space

Posted on April 8, 2012 | Leave a comment

The diligent PR folks over at Halstead Property have let us bloggers know, through a press release, that The Gateway Tower in Harlem is more than 90 percent sold. However, the release did not mention the commercial space of the Gateway Condo is full. It’s all gone! There is Express Dry Cleaning, Coco Nail Salon and Marcos Leatherlab that are already open for business.  And two more businesses will be opening soon, which is Harlem Food Bar and Frederick Cafe Bistro. This area has shaped up nicely with Melba’s Restaurant leading the way in dining area and I believe Gateway Condo was the first new condo on this block and immediate area?

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Posted in apartments, business, commercial real estate, Frederick Cafe Bistro Harlem, Frederick Douglass Blvd., Harlem, real estate, restaurant row, restaurants

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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!

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

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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!

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

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Construction begins on Harlem Food Bar

Posted on March 27, 2012 | 2 comments

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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!

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

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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!

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

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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!

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

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