Category Archives: restaurants

Dallas Cowboys owner dines at Harlem’s Melba’s Restaurant hoping for good luck

The New York Post reported yesterday (January 3) in their Page Six section that Jerry Jones, the owner of the Dallas, Texas Cowboy Football team, dined in Harlem this past Sunday before the big game, which they lost to the New York Giants. Jones dined at long time, Harlem establishment Melba’s Restaurant, located on the southwest corner of 114th Street and Frederick Douglass Blvd., for some good luck. Jones wanted specific southern dish items, i.e. black-eyed peas and collard greens, but apparently did not get what he wanted. Melba’s was out of those items (wink, wink). I guess this explains why Tony Romo was sacked a couple of times during the game. Jones did not get to eat his lucky meal.

On a personal note, I actually wish I would have seen the Cowboys owner in Harlem myself for a pic! I would have scored major points with some members of my family. I have several family members that love the Cowboys. Next time they visit me in Harlem, how much do you want to bet they’re gonna want to eat at Melba’s?  Why? Cause the food is darn good, try the catfish…and Jerry went there.

Harlem Food Bar, a new bistro, coming to Harlem’s restaurant row

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Back in November 2008, I wrote a post titled: Is Frederick Douglas Blvd becoming the restaurant row of Harlem? I am going to answer that question with another question, how can FDB not be now with another bistro scheduled to open this year (hopefully Spring 2012)? It’s called Harlem Food Bar as reported in The Wall Street Journal. They will be located at 2100 FDB, right across the street from bier international and right next door to Coco Nail Salon.

The owners of Harlem Food Bar are “working it” in the area where they plan on opening by leaf-letting area residents telling them they plan on “opening an old style Parisian bistro” with a hint of modernism. They plan on serving light tapas and hope to have sidewalk seating.

They are also letting Harlemites know that they are applying for an on site liquor license. I wonder if Harlem Food Bar owners know they could get approved, however, their license may be for only 2 AM if Community Board 10 gets their way. Yikes! Hope they’re considering that possibility in their business plans.

Good luck to them and glad to hear they are joining Harlem’s restaurant row!

The 5 and Diamond Harlem kicks off 2012 helping Haiti

The women behind 5 and Diamond Harlem are starting off the new year by thinking of others. Lia Sanfilippo and Selene Martinez, co-owners of the Harlem restaurant Frederick Douglass Blvd., are organizing a benefit January 5 called Helping Hands for Haiti. All the proceeds, i.e. 100 percent, from the event will be donated to support grassroots efforts in Haiti in the areas of medical, construction and food distribution. If you would like to attend this event, RSVP to info@5anddiamondrestaurant.com. Suggested donations are listed below.

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!

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.

New bar coming to Frederick Douglass Blvd in Harlem

Harlem’s well-known Londel’s Supper Club is expanding their presence in Upper Manhattan by planning to open up a bar right on the northwest corner of 115th Street and Frederick Douglass Blvd. That’s the word directly from them to HarlemGal Inc. And from these photos below workers have been present at 2131 FDB address carrying in materials.

A representative at Londel’s said they are hoping to open the new place by the end of the year. This drinking establishment would be their second on FDB. Their first place of business is at 2620 Frederick Douglass Blvd.

As for the Livmor Condo’s, their retail space is practically full. I believe they have one more retail space left?

Congrats to Londel’s on expanding their presence in Harlem. I’m looking forward to checking out their new cocktail establishment! What about you?

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Harlem attracts cool crowds of NYC downtown says Guest of a Guest



Guest of a Guest, the website co-founded by one of the Winklevoss twins whose been battling Mark Zuckerberg for what seems like ages now, has a feature on Harlem this week. It is quite complimentary, however, it doesn’t say anything new that we Harlemites know already. The article names a list of places to check out and most of them mentioned I agree are great places to visit. However, a true Harlem native writing about Harlem would have dug a bit deeper.

For example, Lido Italian Restaurant and Bar gives Red Rooster a run for its money, not only in food, but in ambiance as well. The same goes for Cedric French Bistro and Bar in Harlem! What about mentioning a place in East Harlem? Milk Burger has been endorsed by Anthony Bourdain and his lovely Mrs! Also, when you visit Shrine one can’t miss Yatenga, which is a fun place to hang.

Again, as most of us Harlemites know, there are a ton of cool places to hang in Harlem. Guest of a Guest apparently is just coming around (a bit late) and finding out, but hey, let’s welcome it!

To read the full article, click here.

Harlem has another dining option, The Orange Peel

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The Orange Peel in Harlem is ready to take your order! The charming miniature cafe is now open on Manhattan Avenue between 116th and 117th Street. They offer breakfast, sandwiches and salads for lunch and a variety of dinner platters. Prices start at $1.50 for hot drinks and go all the way to $14.00 for pork chops. Not bad! And to back up the name, they offer fresh squeezed orange, apple, carrot, and celery juices!

So if you’re interested in trying out a new place in Harlem, check out The Orange Peel! See details below.

The Orange Peel
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
390 Manhattan Avenue
New York, NY, 10026
Phone: (212) 510-8444
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